Sea Spray's eyes fluttered open. He was in the same wonderful bed, in the same amazing house, having the same incredible experience. He was with Lyra and Bon Bon.
It was still a strange experience for him, liking two mares who liked each other... almost a love triangle, except that there were no lines being drawn toward him. Nevertheless, he quite enjoyed their company, and it made him happy.
His wing had healed a while back. He told himself he would leave as soon as he was recovered, but couldn't bring himself to do so. He also had the feeling his hostesses would encourage him to leave if he told them he was feeling better, or that they saw his cast was off. So, he continued pretending to be crippled. He didn't really need flying, after all.
He crawled slowly out of bed, groaning as he stretched his body and worked out the kinks that had settled in his muscles. His body was very relaxed today. He meandered to the door, hoisting it open and slowly cantering down the stairs.
As he made it to the ground floor, Sea Spray's nose was immediately greeted by a plethora of breakfast smells. He caught pancakes, muffins, sauteed grass, and Sweet Apple Acres apples in three colors all in one lovely waft. He sauntered toward the dining area next to the kitchen, intent on getting his fill.
Around the corner, he heard a giggle.
Not just any giggle, though. This was a suggestive giggle. A giggle that implied far more than something funny.
Sea Spray immediately went into sneak mode. It was time to investigate.
He snuck to the corner, peeping around at the two mares contained within. He saw Lyra on top of Bon Bon, her legs on each side, straddling the mare beneath her, as their faces came inches from one another. Lyra's back was turned to him, but he could see Bon Bon's eyes as they gazed lovingly into her partner's.
Though his first instinct told him to pull back, the stallion was now curious. He knew how everything worked, but he had never seen anything quite like this before. The intimate lives of ponies had been closed off to him until this point. So, he continued to watch.
He watched as Lyra, whose head was positioned at Bon Bon's neck now, slowly worked her way up to Bon Bon's mouth. There, they shared a beautiful, lingering kiss.
Sea Spray's gut began to twist inside of him.
The two mares stared at one another for a few moments, then Lyra initiated another kiss. Once again, they lingered in that position.
Sea Spray purposefully coughed loudly.
Lyra and Bon Bon pulled away from each other as if struck by something, the mint-green mare immediately lifting herself from her partner and putting her hooves back on the ground. The awkwardness of the situation lengthened the silence as the two mares scuffed their hooves guiltily on the floor. Sea Spray simply continued staring, a mixture of emotions playing just beneath the surface of his expressionless face.
Finally, the shocked stallion spoke. “Am I... interrupting something?”
Lyra shook her head quickly. “No, no, nothing at all! C'mon, come eat breakfast. Bon Bon cooked a lot today!”
“Not hungry,” Sea Spray spat. “I'm going on a walk.”
The pegasus immediately turned on his hoof and walked briskly out of the room, not waiting for a response from either of them.
Giving himself some time to cool his head, Sea Spray thought about what he'd witnessed and his reaction to it.
He saw two mares who were hopelessly in love expressing themselves the way that they wanted to most. Despite the two of them knowing it was around the time Sea Spray rose and came downstairs, they still did that in plain sight. Maybe they'd wanted him to see.
Sea Spray wasn't a colt anymore. He didn't have these foolish, naïve fantasies about finding his dream mare, and neither of these ponies fit that description anyway. They both knew he liked them, though; the least he could have expected was that they respect his presence, not this... event.
They ought to know better than to act like that when he's around. They didn't thump around in the night anymore, they kept their flirting to a minimum, and they made an effort to include him in their conversations. They hadn't once complained about him being there, they hadn't hinted towards him possibly moving on, and he was still thoroughly enjoying his time with the two mares. He hadn't overstayed his welcome... had he?
Maybe this was the indication that he needed. Perhaps they were tired of him being around and wanted him to move on. He wasn't certain yet.
He thought back to their first kiss. What had he felt inside him? What was that panging feeling that he had while it was happening?
Sadness, first and foremost. He was reminded of his own aching loneliness. He wanted somepony desperately, and, although it was wrong of him to think this way, both Lyra and Bon Bon were easing the depression that had been slowly creeping into his mind. It was as if a wellspring of life had formed around the roots of his happiness, nourishing him and allowing him the enjoyment that he so desperately desired. Simply being in their proximity banished his sad thoughts and gave him optimism and hope for his future. Seeing them so happy together was like sucking everything they had given him away again, leaving him cold and barren, forced to once again suffer as he starved alone.
He was also jealous. So very, very jealous. He wanted to be the one straddling either of those mares, he wanted to be the pony giving the affection, he wanted to have those same feelings that they were experiencing and he wasn't.
Why did they get to feel that way, and why did he not? Was he undeserving of the attentions of either mare? Was it some wrongdoing he had performed in his past come to haunt him? Had he not spent enough time with the two of them? Perhaps he needed to be more assertive and declare his intentions to them clearly. If he wanted to get socked in the nose.
Or, perhaps neither of these mares was the mare he was looking for.
Long ago, before they'd died, Sea Spray remembered his parents telling him these fanciful notions of finding a “soul mate.” After seeing how bitterly his father died, alone, and his mother going in a likewise fashion, he had dismissed such ridiculous dreams as the delusional ramblings of two hopeless ponies. Indeed, they had never even remotely hinted toward him that they were happy together. They argued often, they rarely kissed, and it appeared every last vestige of happiness had been sucked from their lives by their “soul mate.” At the time, he had reflected on the “soul mate” theory not meaning a single mate for your soul, but rather the only mate who can completely and totally remove your soul from your body whilst simultaneously losing their soul to you.
However, seeing the happiness of Lyra and Bon Bon together this morning, perhaps the “soul mate” theory still had some grain of truth to it. Perhaps he was trying to take after his parents and suck every last iota of enjoyment from the lives of these two innocent mares in his foolhardy attempt to find happiness. They were refusing to let him, of course; there was something that was happening between the two of them that he couldn't hope for them to ever feel for him.
It was that four-letter word that his friends at school had thrown around carelessly, that a mare 2 years his senior had whispered in his ear while she forced him against a wall and kissed him on the cheek, the theme of so many stories and novels that it made him want to puke. Love.
In fact, he would go so far as to say that the only ponies he had ever seen in love were Lyra and Bon Bon. It would stand to reason that he desire such happiness for himself. All of those other ponies that he'd seen declaring love this and love that, they were foolish dreamers who could never hope to feel the way that he'd seen those two mares feeling today.
That look that he'd seen in Bon Bon's eyes was unforgettable. The way she looked up at Lyra... there was nothing that could ever be compared to that gaze. He saw such a fervent infusion of lust, wonder, joy, anticipation... he shivered as he imagined what it would feel like to have those eyes staring into his. Truly, no means of reciprocation for that look was to be found.
So, yes, he was melancholy over his prevalent isolation, he was envious that he had nopony to share intimate moments with, and he knew it was because he had never and probably would never find love.
How was he to find love, then, if not with these two ponies?
By exploring, of course.
Sea Spray had stumbled across these two mares purely by accident. He initially would have rather stayed at a potel than board with them. Yet, two days in, he was having an unforgettable experience that he never wanted to end.
Perhaps if he continued to travel the world, he would find a lonely mare to love. A pony that made him as happy as Lyra and Bon Bon were. He would have to take risks, oh yes, and he would probably be disappointed more often than not... but it was a better plan than stagnating with two mares who were already head-over-heels in love and staring at them creepily while they make out.
Resolved, Sea Spray began his return journey to the home he had been staying at for the last time.
Sea Spray trotted up to the door, intent on making his entrance as clear as possible; however, he paused as his hoof hovered over the doorknob.
On the other side, he heard a harp strum.
Taking advantage of his last opportunity to sneak in, the pegasus opened the door quietly and slinked into the entryway, settling onto the floor to listen to the mint-green pegasus play music.
It appeared that he had just caught the first notes of Lyra's song, as the mare played a beautiful intro, leading into the lyrics of a song that seemed to pierce his very soul.
Through bramble and thicket and dense underbrush,
My journey will lead me alone,
To discover lands once thought to be lost,
As far I will travel from home,
As my heart commands me to roam, to roam,
As my heart commands me to roam.
Though long roads will take me away, away,
Know that I will come home someday, someday,
And I will be able to say, to say,
I'm here forever to stay, to stay.
Through swamp and quagmire and swift-sinking mud,
My life in peril will be,
But never should you fear my fate now my dear,
For a wanderer's spirit is free,
But I keep your heart close to me, to me,
But I keep your heart close to me.
Though long roads will take me away, away,
Know that I will come home someday, someday,
And I will be able to say, to say,
I'm here forever to stay, to stay.
Through ocean and typhoon and endless great sea,
Persistent waves drag me from you,
The storms of my passion will keep me afloat,
And see my journey safely through,
As I gaze upon the deep blue, deep blue,
As I gaze upon the deep blue.
Though long roads will take me away, away,
Know that I will come home someday, someday,
And I will be able to say, to say,
I'm here forever to stay, to stay.
Through death and mortality I will be lost,
To leave you abandoned again,
But know that before then I'll see you again,
And long years of sorrow will mend,
And I'll be there until the end, the end,
And I'll be there until the end.
Though long roads will take me away, away,
Know that I will come home someday, someday,
And I will be able to say, to say,
I'm here forever to stay, to stay.
As Lyra strummed the final notes on her harp, Sea Spray let out a sob.
There was a stunned silence. A few moments later, the mint-green unicorn timidly asked, “Sea Spray?”
The hapless pegasus let out a loud sniff, quickly attempting to cover his crying and saying, “Yeah... that was beautiful, Lyra. Did you write it yourself?”
Lyra seemed uncertain of herself. “I, uh... yeah, a few years ago. Is something wrong?”
Sea Spray emerged from his hiding spot, shaking his head vigorously. “Nope, nothing at all. Where's Bon Bon at?”
The mare stared at Sea Spray curiously, then said, “She went into town to buy some things. Why? Did you need to talk to her?”
“Yeah, and you. Both of you.”
“Uh-huh. All right, we can do that.” Lyra scrutinized him, asking, “You sure you're okay?”
Sea Spray nodded his head, mumbling quietly about just needing to rest, and Lyra excused him to stay in his room until Bon Bon came back.
While in his room, Sea Spray thought about what he wanted to tell the mares. He knew that he had to leave, today. He was just wondering how to break it to them.
Try as he might, there was no solution in his head. He continually mulled it over, asking himself repeatedly what he should say, but no words came to him. He still hadn't the slightest inkling when Lyra finally called upstairs for him to head down.
Several happy greetings and a few mumbled apologies later, Lyra and Bon Bon sat across from Sea Spray, looking at the unsure pegasus warily. Lyra opened her mouth to say something, then shut it, followed by Sea Spray, who likewise made the gasping fish motion, but snapped his mouth shut when he realized that he also had nothing to say.
Eventually, Sea Spray spoke. “Thank you for letting me stay here. It's been the best two weeks of my life.”
Lyra spoke for both mares. “We're happy to have you, Sea Spray. You can stay here as long as you like. You will always be welcome in our home.”
The pegasus nodded. “As soon as my wing heals up, I'll be on my way; thank you for all your patience, both of you. I know that you've been doing your best to be good hosts, and it was wrong of me to act the way I did earlier.”
“Oh, no, that's really not necessary.” Lyra smiled encouragingly. “We just got a bit... carried away, is all.”
Sea Spray nodded, then hesitated. Something didn't feel right. “That's... all I really wanted to say. Thank you for being so understanding. Both of you.”
The both of them smiled and nodded at him. Sea Spray excused himself to go freshen up while he waited for dinner.
After he had left and they heard him go upstairs, Bon Bon turned her head and looked pensively at Lyra. “Why didn't you tell him?”
Her partner looked amused. “You know why, silly mare.”
In his room, Sea Spray slipped the cast off and flexed his wing, folding it over to massage it carefully. There was no time to delay.
Quietly, he unlatched the window, gathering up his meager possessions and putting them into a saddlebag he'd bought one day while in town. He hoisted the saddlebags onto his back and flapped his wings experimentally, feeling some lift.
Without further ado, he leaped from the window, gave several powerful beats of his wings, and flew in the direction of the setting sun, away from his home of Manehattan and towards the opposite shore.
He wasn't going home until he found a mare he loved.