//------------------------------//
// Lyre practice 
// Story: Lyre of time 
// by Jordipien 
//------------------------------//

	Bon Bon listened in awe to the beautiful sounds coming from her friend's instrument. The harp she was playing on was old and dusty and yet her friend managed to create the most entrancing melodies Bon Bon had heard in her entire life with it. 
She knew it wasn't actually a harp, harps were bigger, but Bon Bon could never remember the true name of the instrument. Had she ever really known? Bon Bon remembered her mute friend had never actually found a way to tell her what it really was. It didn't matter anyway. All that really mattered was the enchanting tune the mint-colored mare was bringing forth from the miniature harp in her hooves. It was like magic. 
Being unique as she was, Bon Bon's friend was the only unicorn she'd ever met who was unable to use any actual magic whatsoever. This must be her compensation, Bon Bon thought. Her special talent. Creating magic, not with her horn, but with her instrument.
They were in Bon Bon's house, near the outskirts of Ponyville. The walls of the room they were in were decorated with candy-patterned dark blue wall paper and on the floor lay a soft, pink, candy-shaped carpet that they were sitting upon. The color of the floor underneath the carpet was a blue slightly lighter than that of the walls.
Tonight would be a very special night for her friend. Ponyville was going to open up its first theater and she'd been asked to perform at the opening ceremony and be the first pony to ever play there. Few ponies knew of the music of Bon Bon's friend. She always played in solitude, or, like now, in the presence of a good friend. But tonight, that was all going to change. After tonight, everypony in Ponyville would talk of the wonderful music the mysterious mute mint-colored unicorn could produce. Bon Bon could think of only one thing: her friend was going to be a star.
It was only by chance that mayor Mare had heard her play in the public park last Saturday, after midnight. She was just trotting home after a long, trying day of work when she suddenly decided to take the long way, through the park, to soak in some of nature's beauty and give her head some rest of all the political problems she had to deal with on a daily basis. Mayor Mare rarely ever took the way through the park, since it extended her walk home by a good half hour and Bon Bon's friend rarely ever played in the park too, so it was very coincidental indeed that the mayor suddenly heard the magical notes coming from the shrine of the twelve fillies, where Bon Bon's friend was playing away on her tiny little harp.
The mayor, or so she'd said, had been completely stunned by the music she was hearing. She stood there for the rest of the night, listening to the soft melodious tunes Bon Bon's friend was playing and when she was finished, the mayor had walked up to her and asked her if she wanted to play at the opening ceremony of the theater. Then, Bon Bon's friend had stared at the mayor in disbelieve with her mouth wide open. When the realization had finally come, she slowly nodded yes.
And now it was almost time for her to play in public for the very first time in her life. Bon Bon hoped her friend could take the pressure. She'd performed for a big crowd herself once, at last year's local hearts and hooves day celebration, and she remembered it being quite a nerve-wracking experience. Her friend, however, showed no signs of nervousness as she was preforming her final practice. She was calm and serene as always, playing the notes on her miniature harp without ever making even a single mistake.
The mayor had also promised Bon Bon's friend that she could use a very special miniature harp for tonight's performance that the mayor had made especially for this occasion, but she had simply shook her head no, meaning she would not use any instrument other than her own. The mayor had looked quite disappointed at that.
The song she was playing had ended and now there was only one more left. One more song for Bon Bon's friend to play before all of Ponyville would hear what she could do. What will happen after tonight? Bon Bon thought. Perhaps she'll be so well loved that ponies will take the talk to other villages and cities. Tell ponies all over Equestria of the 'magical music of the mysterious mint-colored mare'. Then ponies from all over the world would want to hear her play. My mysterious friend might become a world-famous superstar after tonight, playing songs for all the ponies in all the big cities. Trottingham, Vanhoover, Manehatten... even Canterlot. Will she even remember her friends once she'll be so well loved by everypony? What if I'll never see her again? 
Bon Bon wouldn't believe that her friend would just forget about her. She was better than that. The two of them had had a very special connection for years now, and they knew how to communicate with each other, even though Bon Bon's friend never said a single word. They shared a bond that could not be easily broken now.
Her friend had never told Bon Bon how she became a mute. She'd know her for nearly ten years now, but that was one of the few things they never talked (or at least communicated) about. She didn't know why. Perhaps it was just too traumatic for her friend. Some things that are in the past are better left untouched, she thought.
The final song was ending now. there were only a few seconds left before Bon Bon's friend would play her final note of solitude. Bon Bon was happy for her of course, she wanted her friend to be as happy as she could be, but there was also a little sadness in her now. For ten years, her friend's music had been part of their friendship. Something special only they had shared, but now that would end. Soon, listening to her friend's music might not be as special anymore as it once was, for everypony shall know the notes of each song and be able to hum along. It felt almost as an intrusion on their privacy, although Bon Bon knew that was nonsense and she should feel only happiness. But yet it kept itching. She decided to try as hard as she could to push that thought away for now, and enjoy the final seconds of their private music session.
When the final song was done, Bon Bon's friend allowed herself a small sigh before regaining the confident look in her golden eyes. "That was beautiful," Bon Bon told her. "You are going to do so well tonight. You'll be the talk of all of Ponyville, watch and see if you don't believe me!" Her friend smiled at her and gave her a small, modest nod. 
Bon Bon looked at the clock. The time was twenty-five past nine. Her friend's performance was scheduled at ten and the walk to the theater took at least fifteen minutes. On top of that, her friend would need another quarter of an hour to prepare backstage.
"Five minutes left. You don't want to be late for this, Mints. Better start making your way there." Mints is what Bon Bon had been calling her friend, since she was never able to tell her her real name.
Mints nodded again. She rose to her full length and gave Bon Bon a long, strong hug. "Don't worry. You'll do just fine. Your music is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard in my entire life." Bon Bon could feel her friend's embrace tighten. She could feel a tear drop on her coat. It would seem the nerves had finally come. "I believe in you."
And then Mints did something Bon Bon had never known she was capable of doing. She spoke. For the first time in ten years she said something to her. "Tank you," were her words. Her only words. After that she fell silent again.
Bon Bon was shocked and couldn't help but feel a little angry at Mints now. They'd been friends for ten years and she'd never spoken a single word, not even told her real name. 
In a fraction of a second, a billion questions came to Bon Bon's mind that she would loved answered. Some she'd been wondering about for ten years and some she only just thought of. But this was Mints, the pony she'd had a silent friendship with for ten years, and this was the most important day of her life. With already so much pressure on her, she needed Bon Bon's support more than anything else tonight.
So instead of asking one of the many questions that were now soaring through her mind, she decided to push her anger away and simply said: "You're welcome."
Mints stopped hugging her, smiled at her one final time and then trotted out the door without saying another word.