Ponyville. That is where she lived. This is where she has always lived, even as a small filly. Where she grew up, made a life of her own, and where she spends time with her friends. Actually, maybe that is better worded as "only spends time with her best friend." Yes, that is far more accurate seeing who it is pertaining to. This tale centers around our dear background mare, Lyra Heartstrings. Everyone knows how unique Lyra is. However, what do we truly know about how Lyra feels about being different. She knows what it is like to be...

Another Odd One Out

(See what I did there?)

Chapter 1 - Going Out

"Lyra are you waking up or not?" It was about the fourth time calling up to her room. We were supposed to go to the park today and relax for 'our day off.' Seeing as how I have an actual job in candy making and running my own shop downstairs while Lyra simply lives with me running errands, I really don't see how it's our day off. In truth, I don't care about the technicalities. The only thing I care about is spending a quiet day with Lyra next to me. I might be a bit more excited about this than Lyra, but it was her idea of 'a treat for the treat maker.'

'Ok, I'm heading up to see what's keeping her so long.' I started walking up the stairs towards the back of my sweet shop. Upon reaching the top, I headed down the short hall and to the left. Lyra's door still remained closed. Thinking it rude if somepony barged into my room while I slept, I gently knocked a few times and paused.

With a little more force I attempted knocking again. Nothing. "Lyra? Are you alright in there?"

Letting out a small sigh of relief, I went back down the hallway and waited for Lyra to come out. After a moment I heard the sound of a door opening behind me. I turn to see Lyra exiting her room. She looks as great as she usually does. As she stepped closer I noticed small bags under her eyes. "Lyra did you just get out of bed? It's almost 2:30 in the afternoon. You aren't sick are you?" I didn't want to drag her outside if she was feeling ill.

"No I'm not sick, Bonny--
I couldn't help but get chills down my back as she called me that cute nickname.
--I'm still tired I guess. No need to worry about me."

"Well good to hear. Are you still up for going to the park? If you want I can let you sleep in longer."

"You take way too good care of me Bon-Bon. This was called a day off for a reason, remember."

"Alright if you insist. I only take care of you so well because that is how I treat my best friend."

"Whatever. Any other pony would be crazy to let their friend live in half of their apartment, rent free, have free samples of products, get three meals a day, and receive their medical care for only doing a few chores now and again. You are too sweet for your own good. Although, now that I think about it you do sound crazy, Bonny." She said this with fake concern on her face, followed by a small smile.

"Stop it you're making me blush" By 'blush' I mean my entire face glowing a light shade of crimson. "and I can assure you, Lyra, that I am still sound of mind."

"If you say so. Come on lets get going then." She passed me and started to go down into the shop.

"Lyra, don't you want to tidy up before going out? Your mane is still a mess from when you got up earlier." Instead of being normally smooth on top, her mane had become a mass of spikes flailing about with one small horn now just barely visible. Lyra stopped and looked at the top of her head.

"Huh, I guess it is..." She then sat back and brought both of her hooves up in between her ears. With a single brush downward from both hooves, her mane looked like normal again!

'What?! It took me at least ten minutes this morning to fix my mane!' I couldn't help feel a tiny bit of jealousy rise up in me.

"Done! Can we leave now? I want to grab a daisy sandwich on the way and arrive before our spot is taken." As I began to laugh at how she suddenly perked up from a few moments ago, I stopped and realized how she called a random park bench 'our spot.'
I couldn't help but smile to myself as I too, continued down the stairway towards the impatient mare by the front door.

~-------^------~*~------^-------~

"See, I told you nopony would be in our spot. There was no need to scarf down your food so quickly." Lyra was serious about that park bench. After ordering the sandwich, it barely lasted a minute before Lyra had inhaled it completely. "I was almost certain you were going to choke."

"Well what if I had taken my time eating? Somepony may have taken it. You are lucky to have a pony like me around to lookout for you."

"Yes Lyra, without you almost choking to death, I may not have had a bench to sit on for a few minutes. How could I have accomplished this feat without your reckless eating habits?" All the while I was talking, she only continued to laugh at my heavy sarcasm. "Anyway, there aren't even that many ponies out today."

It was a warm, sunny day for Ponyville. Very few clouds hung around in the bright blue sky. 'Apparently one of the pegasi responsible for this section decided to take a day off as well.' As a matter of fact, Rainbow Dash appeared to be doing exactly that on one of the smaller clouds overhead. Lyra had taken her place on the bench and awaited my arrival. As I hopped up next to her, I noticed she was sitting upright again. "Isn't it uncomfortable like that?"

"Sitting with your back and legs at such odd angles." Lyra looked down at her posture then started to swing her hooves slightly. She gave me a small shrug in return.

It was a good enough answer for me. I turned back to watching the scenery infront of me. There were a few foals off to my left playing together and laughing. While towards the right on a different bench sat an elderly couple, conversing over an inaudible subject. Behind one of the nearby trees lay two ponies, a mare and stallion, holding hooves. The stallion whispered something into the ear of the smaller mare the made her start giggling. Looking over the small group just arriving, I noticed that one of them--

"Do you think I look weird?" My thoughts had been interrupted by Lyra. I looked back over to her questioningly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." She looked back down to where she was sitting.

"Well I don't think so." I said truthfully. "You sit like that all the time." Why she was just now asking this didn't make any sense to me.

"I know I always sit upright, but I just wanted to know if I looked awkward or odd like this."

"No particular reason really. Just started thinking about it." I started to feel bad for my earlier remark about her.

"It's because I said something isn't it..." She shot her head up to look me in the eyes.

"No Bonny it's... Well not directly you, I... It's just that you, no I mean... Well..." She had started trailing off. Her eyes began to do the same.

"Hey you're not the one making me feel uneasy here..." I didn't understand what she meant. No pony else had said anything to either of us.

"Lyra what do you mean? We are the only ones--" As I was talking I glanced around us.

Everypony that passed by was making quick glances in our direction. Half of the ponies that passed us were also whispering to friends or smirking by themselves. For a second I thought I saw one of the foals from earlier point this way.

"You didn't see them earlier, did you?" Looking back to Lyra, I saw her head hanging down. Her mane was dangling in her eyes and her ears, normally perked up, slanted back. "You simply noticed a few of them walking by, talking or even just enjoying their outing. Well this is what I see every time I go out."

I couldn't help but stare back at her, my mouth slightly ajar. I had never seen Lyra in such a bad way before. It hurt. "Lyra, are you Ok?" She looked over to me and lifted her head slightly. She had tears welling up in her eyes. She was rubbing on to her right shoulder as if somepony had just waltzed over and hit her. Leaning forward onto all four hooves, she began to walk off towards the parks exit. "Lyra..."

She turned her head back a little. "I'm alright. I j-just need to get a little fresh air. It's a bit too s-stuffy here." All the while she was talking she didn't stop walking nor turn around completely.

"Hey, hold up. Let me come with you." I had just gotten my right hoof on the ground when I heard her again.

"N-no Bon-Bon. I want to b-be alone f-for a bit." There was no turning back this time. She even began to speed up.

"Lyra!" It was no use trying to get her to stay. I stared after her. A mare that had been walking by me during the scene muttered something to her friend as they both continued to chuckle contently to themselves. I was furious. "I'm sorry could you repeat that to my face? I would like to know what was so amusing!"

The mare had backed off as her friend wisely advised her to move on, being just as worried as the pony receiving my questioning. They both hurried off as I turned back to the pathway I had watched Lyra run down. I turned back to everypony in the park. All that had turned their attention to my spectacle earlier, rapidly averted their gaze to anything but my harsh glare.

I then started off for my sweets shop and home for that matter. My anger quickly subsided and was replaced with deep worry instead.
"You had better be home, Lyra." I desperately wished that there was no need to look all over Ponyville for her. She was pushed to a limit that I have never seen her be pushed to before. Whenever she would get upset, Lyra always told me what was wrong. Now she is covering the matter up.

Another Odd One Out

by ulquiorra1

Ch. 1 - Going Out