Clean Up Crew

Lyra made it back to her pad as the sun began to set, opening the door and seeing Boss sitting down on her couch, his legs folded under him and a grim look on his face.

“What kept you so long hm?”

“Don’t be like that boss, I had some family matters to attend to, so no griping ok, now what was it you needed to talk about?”

Boss got on all fours and waved a hoof, indicating that she should follow. They went up to her bedroom, going inside and stopping at the bed, for resting on it was Bon-Bon. “Ok, what did she do?”

“Nothing, It’s what she is that’s got me bothered,” said Boss, brushing away the mares mane to reveal the back of her neck.

Lyra had to repress a groan the minute she saw the bar code upon it, face palming herself in frustration. “Boss…”

“You know my standing on this Lyra I don’t fuck fucking lab rats!”

Lyra then grabbed him by the mane, dragging him out of her room and back into the living room below. “Do you have any decency!” yelled Lyra, “She is asleep and…”

“You called that thing a she, what the hay is…”

Lyra slapped him, her nostrils flaring as she glared down at the equine below her. “I don’t give a rat’s ass about your prejudices Boss; as long as I allow her here you will treat her with fucking respect. She isn’t exactly the first lab rat you’ve slept with.”

“What the buck are you talking about?”

Lyra didn’t even hesitate, grabbing at the patch of fake fur on her shoulder and ripping it off, exposing her own bar code to the stallion as she kept her glare locked on him. “I’m a fucking lab rat to, and as I recall very fondly you didn’t have a problem fucking me.”

Boss stared at her for a second, then spoke, his face looking downcast. “I’m sorry.”

Lyra breathed in a deep breath then bent down to hug him, ruffling up his mane before pulling back and smiling. “Its ok kido, just don’t do it again, now come on were going to be late for the club.”

* * *

Lyra found her way to her favorite spot at the club, a nice secluded table that kept her out of sight but still allowed her to see the stage. She was still a bit nervous about how Boss had reacted to Bon-Bon, but she knew a good round or two on stage would calm her stallion down.

She watched him get up on stage, waiting excitedly as he grabbed the mike and started to sing. However the moment the words began to leave his mouth Lyra felt something was wrong, and soon was clutching her chest as she felt a growing pain begin to center there. As Boss continued Lyra wondered what the hay was going on, it felt like a knife was digging into her chest.

Her mind raced over all the possibilities that could be causing it, and then her eyes caught the looks of the other patrons, and saw through her enhanced eyes that his song was having no effect on them, it was totally focused on her. “What…why would he do that…unless…”

Lyra reached up to the zipper on her vest, unzipping it and looking at her chest. And it was just as she feared, for just where her neck met her chest was his fading cutie mark, which was slowly burning away and leaving a few points where the growing scar was bleeding. She knew what he was doing now, and she quickly reached up to her mike. “B…boss, stop…please…!”

He ignored her, continuing to sing as the pain spread through her body and mind. And then it was over, and Lyra’s world died.

* * *

Bon-Bon woke up to the sound of crying, and walked outside to find Lyra curled up on the couch in tears. “Lyra what’s wrong,” she asked, sitting down and placing a hand on her shoulder. The moment she touched Lyra’s skin she know something was wrong, and immediately grabbed at her face, pulling it up to look at her. “Lyra you answer me now what is wrong?”

Lyra just looked at her, her mouth moving but no sound coming out. Finally after one last attempt at speech, Lyra simply grabbed at her vest and pulled it down, showing the scar on her chest.

Bon-Bon’s eyes widened at that, for she not only recognized the shape of the scar, but she recognized what it signified, though it shocked her to see it. Sirens could imprint themselves upon a mate, branding an image of their cutie mark onto their mate’s chest and their mate’s cutie mark on themselves. To remove such an imprint was considered a crime between Sirens, for to do such not only hurt them physically, but also emotionally scarred them.

Bon-Bon knew she needed to do something, for the longer somepony was left scarred the way Lyra was, the more dangerous such a mental wound became, even getting to the point of driving the victim to suicide. So, disregarding the possible consequences of what she was about to do, she lifted Lyra up and carried her outside, heading for the siren district.

* * *

After an hour of walking and a few odd looks she finally made it to the siren district, making a turn down one of the well-trodden streets in the direction of the local bath house. She made it inside, walking over to the counter and getting attention of one of the attendants.

“Bob-Bon, what are you…?”

“No time Glade, I need to use your big bath; I got a mare here that had her connection to a siren forcefully removed.”

That got the attendants attention, who reached out and touched the shaking form of Lyra, immediately flinching due to the emotional turmoil. “Do you know which siren did this?”

“A stallion named Boss Shield, but he’s mine, for she mated with me as well, now go get the bath ready.”

“As you will high elder.”

The attendant teleported away as Bon-Bon turned and went to the hallway that led to the baths, but had to stop when a voice called out to her.

“Bon-Bon darling, so good to see you again.”

Bon-Bon turned to see one of her fellow elder sirens walking up to her, two young stallions draped at her sides and her loos bathrobe left open to let everypony see her body. “Misty I don’t have time to talk, I got to…”

“Oh I am sure your pet can wait while we talk,” said Misty, who placed a hand on Lyra before flinching away as though her very touch had burned her. “What the, what’s happened to…”

“As I said I have no time for you now move aside, unless you want this mare’s death on your hands?”

Misty looked at her for a moment, and then bowed out of the way, “as you will high elder.”

Bon-Bon walked past her and made it down to the end of the hallway, opening the door and walking into the room that held the largest of the baths, which was already full of steaming hot water. Bon-Bon set down Lyra, pulling off her clothes and threw them to the side before picking her up again and carrying her into the water. As she walked toward the center she noticed others gathering around, sitting down around the tub and watching as she got ready to work her magic.

She finally reached the, holding Lyra out so that her body was straight and then let go, watching as she was caught in a golden aura. She closed her eyes then, moving her hands over Lyra as her body began to glow with bright golden lines that spread all over her body.

Bon-Bon then opened her eyes, which glowed golden as she looked down at Lyra. Then after letting out a deep breath, she started to sing.

It was a slow piece, one she had used as a healing song before, but now she was not only using it to heal her, she was using it to bind herself to Lyra. As damaged as Boss had left her, Lyra needed a strong emotional tether to keep her from spiraling into the depths of madness. If Lyra was to survive, she needed the love and comfort of another, a love to fill the hole left behind by Boss. So Bon-Bon sang; building up a high pitch as the second chorus started.

As she kept singing the other sirens watched as the water began to slowly wrap itself around Lyra, slowly enveloping her and beginning to heal her wound. Meanwhile Bon-Bon began weaving her fingers, forming imprints of their cutie marks before placing hers over Lyra’s scar, while she placed Lyra’s onto her own chest. Then she started to sing the final chorus, and that was when the true magic began.

* * *

“B…Bon-Bon?” asked Lyra, slowly opening her eyes as she heard the sound of her singing. But when she got a look at Bon-Bon she gasped, her eyes widening at the sight of her. Bon-Bon was bathed in golden light as four golden wings spread out from her back, sheltering both of them as Bon-Bon stared at her with her glowing golden eyes, smiling down as she finished her song, rubbing a glowing hand over the side of her face as the wings dissolved into golden feathers, which dissolved as they hit the water.

“Hey,” said Bon-Bon, picking up Lyra as the light faded and her body returned to normal.

“You…wha…what was…?”

“Shh, no questions, you still have to recover a bit,” said Bon-Bon, carrying her out of the bath and then setting her down, grabbing a nearby towel and drying her off. It was during this time that she noticed the other ponies around her, and quickly grabbed at the towel to cover up, feeling embarrassed as they got closer.

Bon-Bon noticed this and waved them away, pulling Lyra closer as she called upon her magic again and rubbing her back, which caused Lyra to raise an eyebrow. “You…you’re using magic, how?”

Bon-Bon placed a finger to her lips, shaking her head as she slowly calmed her down. “I’ll tell you when we get back to your place, now cover yourself, I must speak with the other sirens before we part.”

Lyra nodded as she was passed her clothing, watching as Bon-Bon as she conversed with the others of her kind. She caught scattered speech every now and then, one of them calling her a “high elder” while another said something about a “winged one”, but other than that she couldn’t make out the rest. Finally after a long moment Bon-Bon left them and came back to Lyra, helping her up and leading her toward the doors.

“Um, Bon-Bon?”

“Yeah?”

“…Where the hay are your clothes?”