Time is Forever

by MysteryMelt

Tugging at Heartstrings (Musical Dreams Part 1 - 2)

Tugging at Heartstrings
Musical Dreams Part 1 - 2

"Music has the power to weave friendships... and destroy them."
~ Star Swirl the Bearded

---

“They were four of us in that big old music school. Oh yeah, there was me, back then I was a teacher’s pet, always at the front of the class, eager to learn. Heh, I always used to give Miss Hackney fruit each morning, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Then there was Vinyl, she was always the most popular with all the other students, she was outspoken, colourful and boisterous. She was always getting told off for putting her rear hooves on the desk. Of course there was Octavia too, the quiet one, never really spoke and always sat at the back of the class, silently. Lastly, there was know-it-all Melody; I'll never forget that evil green gleam in her eyes. Mel was always listening to music, obsessed by song. She was only there to learn the ability of casting magic from a musical instrument. She went on to join a rock band called ‘The Rockin’ Beats’. Heh, I miss those days, our musical dream was to form our own band, but it never happened... not after that night—”

“Lyra! Are you coming or what?!” The proverbial snooty tone of voice came from Bon-Bon, who called from downstairs. Lyra Heartstrings groaned, the annoying hum of her roommares call was enough to drive anypony mad. She was laid in bed, on her front, her back hooves dressed in her favourite black bed socks dangled in the air behind her.

Lyra levitated her quill and placed it down, she had just written the newest entry in her diary, the book was etched with a linen aquamarine swathe and blazoned with a golden lock which covered the front. She always spoke aloud while writing; it helped her to reflect her inner-most thoughts.

In Lyra's bedroom there was mirror fashioned into the shape of a musical eighth note; there was even a large queen-sized bed with a sanitary green sheet. There was a davenport next to the bed that had a golden lyre that leaned ajar against it; its white strings sparkled in the light from the single window on the far wall. It was her favourite instrument of choice and it matched that of her cutie mark. The lyre was the only item she took any vanity in, for it was shining and spotlessly clean while the rest of her bedroom was a downright mess. The walls were lined with song ideas upon small sticky notes connected with red fraying string. The red string stretched around the bedroom like a web. Finally, there was a solitary golden photograph frame with a picture of Lyra sat on the davenport.

Lyra bounced off her bed, she fell on the floor with a thud and then stylishly rolled until she met with the wall. She rolled off her favourite black bed socks, flicked her mane back out of her eyes and ran for the door.

The diaries last page remained open, there was space left for one final entry.

It was the day before Nightmare Night and all through the town, ponies arranged for the one night of the year filled with haunts and cheer. Ultraviolet lights were connected to the roofs of the houses and strung transversely above the streets; they were even skull jack-o-lanterns attached to the woodentops of some cottages.

Lyra sipped on some juice through a straw while she awaited for her roommare Bon-Bon to finish a conversation with Shoeshine. Bon-Bon despised Nightmare Night in it’s entirely, it was primarily because Bon-Bon could never understand why they’d name a holiday after the dreaded Nightmare Moon and facilitate nightmares. Personally, Lyra figured it was because of a nasty scare Bon-Bon had with a clown as a filly.

Lyra was the opposite, she loved Nightmare Night, she never felt too old to go trick or treating... although nopony was ever impressed with her costumes because she had never ordered one from the Carousel Boutique; she always hoof-stitched her own. Last year — the night Princess Luna graced them with her appearance — Lyra was dressed up as a mummy. She got a fair few laughs when she was wrapped entirely in grubby grey bandages. This year will be different. This year she will impress everypony with her brand new costume.

Lyra impatiently sipped on the straw to get her juice, even though there was clearly none left. Eventually a heavy crowd gathered in the town square.

"Mornin' Bon-Bon, you took your time," Lyra joked.

"Hello Lyra," Bon-Bon responded coldly.

They stood alongside each other in the town square among all the other ponies. The crowd continued to converse among themselves and chatted about what might be under the tall red curtain that covered a tall structure. Perhaps it was a new statue of Princess Luna, or the profoundly feared Nightmare Moon? It had been a whole week since the events of the Edge of Forever. Maybe it was something to do with that? Lyra remembered the disaster well and chuckled in the middle of the crowd. Whenever there was a disaster they always seemed to get involved... somehow. It wouldn't be such a problem if Bon-Bon had just let her sleep in. Bon-Bon can be liability especially because she fusses over everything.

The mayor of Ponyville cleared her throat as she marched to the podium. She spoke in a clear and prominent voice: “They have been several... disasters of late and it has come to my attention that we should be improving the security of our fair town. So it is my pleasure to introduce...” She held her hoof outward as the huge red curtain was pulled from a tall metal structure. “...New noisemaker sirens for Ponyville. This system is a collaborated warning system for impending and imminent danger.” The Mayor had a slight spark of excitement in her voice. There stood a metal megaphone siren, a device usually used to alert for danger, the perfect warning system. “This system is just one of several now installed athwart Equestria.” The Mayor of Ponyville continued to clarify that these sirens were in every village, town and city in Equestria.

“Are you listening to this?! What nonsense, what an anticlimax! All that money, for nothing, nothing! How many bits do you think they’ve wasted on this Lyra? Erh... Lyra?!” As Bon-Bon turned to her roommare, Lyra wasn't there.

Lyra was long gone from the town square. She was sat in the park on her favourite timber-framed bench close to the wishing well. She was getting her hind-hooves shined by a regular friend and close neighbour, Shoeshine.

“There you go, your hooves are nice and... simply sparkling. I also made them appear to look brazen-hoofed for you, at no extra charge for a friend like you of course.” A pony with light blue coat and greyish cornflower mane spoke. She had a pail of polish placed next to her.

“Awesome! Thanks Shoeshine...” Lyra responded and checked her hind hooves. They were all glittery and shone like bronze. As Lyra paid her friend in bits a stroke of inspiration suddenly hit her...

“A-Minor!” Lyra suddenly shouted much to the utter surprise of all the other ponies in the park. When she shouted, she accidentally kicked over the pail of polish which washed all over Shoeshine. Shoeshine gave a small squeal as she was covered in golden glitter. She shook her fur with a groan but even with her effort it would not come out. She went all shiney, even more so than Lyra’s hind hooves.

“Heh... sorry. But look on the bright side. Heh... bright side... get it?” Lyra joked and scratched the back of her neck embarrassed. She always seemed to say stuff she regretted immediately after saying it.

Soon after the shiny Shoeshine departed Lyra hummed a peaceful tune to herself. She was working on something. She had a new quill levitated nearby using the magic from her horn. Lyra carefully controlled the quill to draw several simple music notes along the brown parchment. She was writing a song. She tapped the quill on the paper impatiently. Even the most remote and peaceful part of Ponyville couldn’t clear her mind enough to write this song. She placed the quill back down and sat with her back against the bench.

Lyra was aghast when something whooshed past and tickled under her nose. She looked up and squinted at a blue stream of magic suddenly came up to her face. It swirled with sparkly magic and appeared to have the faintest trace of stars inside it. What confused Lyra was that they’re no ponies in the vicinity. So who was casting it? It pulsated with strange energies; it was certainly more charismatic than any other cloud of magic she had ever seen. Could it be alive? Then, without a moment of respite the mischievous magic stole the song.

"Hey!” Lyra screamed and flailed her hooves in the air, she jumped up on the bench, but the magic flew up out of reach and Lyra — who still flailed her hooves — fell flat on her face. Lyra spat her mane out of her mouth comically with an annoyed groan. Then she quickly darted out and gave chase!

“Excuse me, oops, sorry!” Lyra called as she tripped over a can of yellow paint and ran under a ladder, she knocked the pony off the ladder who was attaching a lantern on a rooftops. The chase continued as she maintained eye contact on the magic at all times. It moved too speedily for her to catch like this, but then as the chase neared an end, it turned suddenly and left Lyra to crash straight into a market fruit stall.

A watermelon squished on her head and covered her with red juice. Even the fruit stall owner laughed at that. Lyra shook her head of all the fruit and saw that the magic had flown down an alleyway; an alleyway she knew was a dead-end. She wasn’t going to be outsmarted by it again! After prizing herself from the market stall she galloped down the alleyway to corner the magic. However to her surprise, it had disappeared. Only her music medley remained on the ground at the end of the dark alleyway. Was it a trap? Was it only to ploy her into another trap? Lyra took her chance as she strolled down the alleyway to her song unaware of the danger. She slowly took back her music and picked up the parchment from the ground... nothing happened.

“What was that?” Lyra questioned and scratched her head.

“There you are—”

“Arabillyawhatsagindy!” Lyra spat gibberish and jumped out of her fur ten feet into the air as a cream coloured hoof touched her shoulder.

“It’s only me Lyra for goodness sake. What are doing messing around back here anyway?” Bon-Bon gave a coy chuckle.

“I wasn’t scared.” Lyra boasted and strutted. As Bon-Bon looked over her roommares shoulder she worked it out: “Still working on your song huh?” Bon-Bon said before she directed Lyra back into the brightest part of the sunshine. Lyra on the other hoof seemed lost in thought. Had she imagined it? Apparently not, she was soon greeted by two angry ponies. One was covered in a light shade of yellow paint and the other was covered in watermelon juice.

“Heh, sorry about that everypony.” Lyra said dimwittedly and scratched the back of her neck embarrassed.

After their brief separation the two roommares were not en route to the other side of the town. “Alright, here’s the deal: I have to write this new song for the presentation of the Tour De’ Cloak, which is scheduled for the day after Nightmare Night.” Lyra explained.

“Meaning?” Bon-bon tilted her head as she replied.

“Meaning I only have only one night left to finish the song, Bon-Bon! The presentation could be a night of history, all the important celebrities will there; I mean it is a very important da—”

“Don’t give me any of that nonsense. Now chop-chop! We’ve got much to do before nightfall.” Bon-Bon interrupted. “Like getting my costume from the Carousel Boutique. Since you never decide to place an order for yours.”

Lyra sighed.

Two impeccably groomed vampires greeted them as they entered the Carousel Boutique.

“Vrelcome, to the Carousel Boutique!” Rarity said skilfully with a vampiric smile.

Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon both gawped at the amount of detail Rarity had gone to decorating her home. Cobwebs hung from the corners of the room, candles were lit on every table and an image of Nightmare Moon’s eyes glared at them from inside the mirror.

“Whoa Rarity you’ve really outdone yourself this year.” Bon-Bon greeted Rarity.

“I vrelped!” Sweetie Belle said, then she spat out her fake fangs: “Puh! I mean... I helped!” She was dressed in a black cloak. Both the sisters’ eyes were red, how they achieved such a feat was unknown. Perhaps a eye-colour spell, or perhaps the magical world of makeup played a part?

“Here we are.” Rarity handed Bon-Bon her costume. A small blue sack of bits were exchanged. Lyra couldn’t see what the costume was; it was concealed in gleaming plastic. But she couldn’t wait to tease the hell out of Bon-Bon because of it.

“I’ve almost finished the song for you.” Lyra then suddenly spurted out after she had gazed silently at the Nightmare Night decorations.

“Wait... the song for the presentation of the Tour De’ Cloak is for you?” Bon-Bon posed the question to Rarity.

“Of course, who else would have the noble sophistication to knit a cloak... for a princess?” Rarity stood in a pose of victory. Bon-Bon was struck in awe; she wondered which princess would order a dress from the Carousel Boutique. However such concerns did not bode high on her to-do list.

“Come along Lyra, it’s nearly nightfall.” Bon-Bon said and headed for the door.

“...I’m not a dog y’know.” Lyra replied to her roommare and followed her out with a humiliated groan.

“Bye!” Sweetie Belle said and waved her hoof with great exaggeration, she nearly fell over in the process.

Nightfall came much quicker than expected, as the sun disappeared behind the mountains the full haunted blite of the moon rose into the black sky. The intrepid songwriter Lyra, collapsed on her bed with a soft bounce. She sank into the fluffiness of the blankets, and allowed her hooves to dangle over the edge.

“The song... it shouldn’t be too hard... right?” Lyra spoke to herself a she grabbed a quill with her magic without a single glance behind her. Once again she used her horn the control the quills movements upon the parchment she collected earlier. As time ticked ever onwards, several rolls of paper balls formed on the floor of Lyra’s bedroom. She kept screwing up the pieces of parchment and starting over from scratch. Now her room was littered with first drafts. Why was it so hard to come up with new and original melodies? Inspiration had faded from her and now she was only getting angry at herself. She was determined until the last second. Only then did Lyra grunt and throw the quill to the floor.

“Knock knock, guess who?” It was Bon-Bon. “I made us some coffee to get us through the night.” She smiled in the doorway, “what the hell— Lyra! You’ve worked yourself ragged again?” The cream pony could see the black bags under Lyra’s bloodshot red eyes even from the doorway. Bon-Bon tiptoed among the many paper balls on the floor on her route toward the bed.

“Urg. I must have dozed-off for a minute... is Princess Luna here yet? Did I miss Nightmare Night?!” Lyra blurted questions by the dozen at her roommare, she was dazed at best.

“Did you forget? Princess Luna has a rota, each and every year she goes to a different town on Nightmare Night. This year she’s at Las Pegasus. I bet she’s bursting her bit balance on the slots. But why would you want her here? Last year was almost a complete and utter disaster because of her.” Bon-Bon said and quickly handed her roommare the coffee when in reaching distance.

“You’re only saying that because one of her magically animated spiders jumped on your face!” Lyra said with a coy grin and a slight giggle. Lyra was sat with her back placed against the wall and her hooves splayed out on her bedclothes.

“Shoeshine's done your hooves again, huh? I think she may have gone just a little bit over the top this time.” Bon-Bon said with a wry smile and tapped her roommares shiny hooves which caused Lyra to shift it away quickly.

“Heh, sitting like this helps me loosen up.” Lyra replied and took a short pause as she sipped her warm and calming coffee, it was candy flavoured, Lyra’s favourite. “I’m sooo overworked though. I don’t think I have the inspiration to write this song. It’s just too short notice not to mention its waaay too formal for the style of the lyre...” Suddenly Lyra sobbed under her words. She did that a lot, not because she was sad, but just because she was over-emotional. “I just can’t,” she said before an overdramatic sob.

“Here come the waterworks,” Bon-Bon sighed and patted her roommare on the back while she rolled her eyes.

“Go get some fresh air, maybe it will help, it is Nightmare Night afterall.” Bon-Bon said and directed her sobbing friend towards the bedroom door and past the photo of Lyra on the davenport and then out of the main doorway. As Lyra breathed the fresh air she suddenly stopped crying, controlled her emotions within seconds, she trotted off into the night...

Ponyville was a completely different town on Nightmare Night. They were numerous market stalls all decorated with skulls and symbols of the night. Ponies on the stalls were selling fruits and jelly sweets shaped as spiders and bats among other creatures considered scary to ponydom. Skull lanterns and decorative and colourful lights swung from all the housetops.

Events of Nightmare Night included apple bobbing, concert music and other activities such as the story of Nightmare Moon, to scare the younger fillies.

“I totally wasn’t scared.” Lyra Heartstrings spoke to herself as she walked down the main street of the town. She had completely lost her focus; her song would never get written now because she was overexcited. Fillies were already out and about running around laughing and trick and treating with their families and relatives. The town had never being such a hive of activity.

There was a concert stage erected infront of the town hall with ponies playing folk music. Lyra joined the back of the crowd to see what all the fuss was about. In a puff of light green smoke a zebra magically appeared on the stage; Zecora. She was accompanied by a small group of trick or treaters. She was wearing voodoo earrings and a skull mask combined with a cloak of black to finish the ensemble.

“Celebrate the holiday of tricks and treats.
There’s only silence in Ponyville’s streets.

Shrieks of laughter break the still.
Down your spine you get a chill.

Something spookies in the air;
turn around but no one's there.

When the Jack-o’-lanterns swing.
Trick or Treaters come knocking...”

“Nightmare Night.
What a fright.
Give us something sweet to bite.

So everypony have a fright,
It’s Nightmare Night tonight!”

“For only one night in the year,
Ghosts and ghouls will appear!

So everypony come outside,
put your candy bag to one-side.

“For as the bells of midnight ring;
All the spooks come out to sing...”

“Nightmare Night.
What a fright.
Give us something sweet to bite.

So shake it left and shake it right,
It's Nightmare Night toniiight!"

The song finished with a brilliant flair of magic which caused confetti to gently shower everypony. Everypony in the audience stomped their hooves and cheered loudly. Lyra gave a small cheer as well, although she half expected to see Octavia playing a fiddle or even Vinyl Scratch up there on the stage. Her old friends, they kept on recurring through her thoughts but they both work in Canterlot now, they were too ''high and mighty'' for the simple folk of Ponyville. All her thoughts of her musical friends had only reminded Lyra that she had to write her own song.

Lyra marched up a silent and adorn hilltop with a single solitary tall tree on top. She decided to take a break from trying to invent an entirely new song, and decided instead to relax a little.

Lyra’s creative abilities weren’t just limited to songwriting. Lyra could also draw, she was an artist. Without a moment to lose she produced a drawing she has personally been working on. It was drawn with pastel paints and had over-colourful segments. Lyra always came prepared; she quickly unfolded her black pencil-case to reveal the full colour of the rainbow in pastels. She used the orange and yellow pastels to colour in the twilight sky, just like an image from her imagination.

Her eyelids sagged, but she didn’t notice she was nodding off until her head drooped. She jerked back upright with a quick glance at the town below, but her head bowed down to nap... she tried desperately not to, but the tiredness overtook her and she drifted away into angelic sleep...

“Lyyyrrraaa...”

...

“Lyyyrrraaa...”

“Urg. What— who’s there?” Lyra opened her tangelo eyes. Was she dreaming? Something familiar brushed under her nose.

It was the blue starry stream of magic from before. Is it following me? Did it just speak? Am I dreaming? She thought as questions filled her mind. She could still feel the wind in her mane, so she definitely wasn’t dreaming. For how tired Lyra was it was miracle she could even think logically. Judging by the alignment of the moon in the sky, the amount of time she had napped was less than an hour. The magic swirled and she followed it with her gaze making sure it wouldn’t outsmart her this time, she also made sure to keep her pastel crayons and picture under her hoof at all times. The magic shimmered with sparkling stars and now the same questions from before still swam in her mind. Was this strange magic... alive? Who was casting it? All her answers it were about to be answered as the mischievous magic hovered around a decorated wooden cabin.

The wooden cabin must have stopped right here... that was a strange coincidence. A pony who wore a yellow cloak emerged from behind it and came around to stand infront of the portable cabin. Under the shadow of the yellow hood were greyish mulberry eyes that gave no light, but still seemed to pierce Lyra with their gaze.

The blue stream of magic was caught as the pony suddenly retracted it inside of a vial and quickly sealed it with a cork. The magic belonged to her.

“Magic in a bottle.” The female pony said under the hood. “The pesky little bastard always manages to escape, per my prior knowledge. Usually takes me hours to capture it again. Hm, it seems to have taken a liking to you however...”

“Huh...” Lyra grumbled and then realised something important. “Wait, I recognize that voice...” Her vision and hearing adjusted. The voice was of a female earth pony, but not just any old voice; it was the voice of pony she had met before, a pony from her the music school, she recognized it instantly. Lyra bobbed her head down to try and get a look under the hood but the earth pony simply moved her head away. The sneaky glance wasn’t entirely in vain as she saw the earth pony had a grey coat of fur. Could it really be her?

“I heard you might need some help with a certain song,” the hooded pony seemed to sing her words. She bashed her hoof on hard on the wooden exterior of the cabin and without a moments warning the entire cabin unfolded. The wood folded open to reveal a huge market stall inside.

“Whoa!” Lyra gasped at the sudden sight of the unfolding market stall. It was vast and has many shiny instruments. They were also other objects on sale, the magic in the bottle, a metronome and even a device which artificially created lightning between two metal orbs. It was no coincidence that the sales pony was here afterall; she only wanted to make a sale.

Lyra stared at a strange yellow cloak that glowed like starlight.

"The infamous yellow cloaks of the Cistrine Sisterhood. It's a shame what happened to them." The salespony explained. She was wearing one of the yellow cloaks. The sales ponies cloak however had become torn and had lost it's sparkle. It looked like it hadn't been washed in an eternity.

Lyra gazed at all the shining instruments before her. She was spoilt for choice.

“Why work so hard? Then these instruments can do the work for yooouuuu...” The female pony smiled under the hood.

“So. If I buy one of these instruments, I won’t have to work?” Lyra asked with a raised suspicious eyebrow.

“Of course not, let the instrument do the talent for you. Each and every instrument here is infused with magic, some are even said to be infused with the spirits of ancient creatures, but that’s just an old ponies’ tale. The lyres will play music all by themselves even without a player. No more sleepless nights.” She said coaxingly.

Lyra looked at all the instrument on the back of the market stall. One lyre stood out. It wasn’t golden; it was a murky poison green. The strings of the lyre matched that of her aquamarine fur. There it was, sat right before her eyes. Lyra looked at the label attached to it.

The label said it was named 'Kerit'. Totally enthralled she continued to stare at it almost as if it called to her, like it was enchanting her to take, to use it, to play it.

“I’ll take it!” Lyra suddenly boomed and pointed at the Kerit. But best of it, it was cheap.

“Excellent, nine bits it is then," the sales pony said with a grin. Nine bits were exchanged.

Lyra held the might of the new lyre, it was a perfect weight. As she held it, she felt compelled to play it immediately. She plucked the many aquamarine strings on it with the toe of her hoof. It sounded enchanting, better than any instrument she’d ever played.

“Pleasure doing business with you Lyra. Aehehe...” The earth pony gave a gentle and subtle chuckle, not loud enough for Lyra to actually hear. Then she jumped into the cabin. The contraption of the market stall suddenly refolded up into a cabin complete with haphazard wooden wheel. The nameless cloaked pony jumped onto the roof and tapped the cabin as it magically sailed away down the hilltop with great speed and without any filly to pull it.

Without her roommare to disturb her, Bon-Bon had the entire cottage to herself. Sure, it was only a small cottage with four rooms. One flight of stairs and one kitchen, but it was home. The kitchen was where she now hummed a peaceful tune to herself while she baked goodies for the trick and treaters. The kitchen was like your average kitchen; the only difference was that Bon-Bon had kitted it out with the latest and greatest baking accessories. There was pink, pink everywhere! Steaming kettles and ovens and cabinets complete with pink and white polka dot patterns painted on them. The kitchen was her domain. She mercilessly rolled the yeast and the unbaked bread together with a rolling pin.

Now the bread was in and baking steadily, she had heated it to over one thousand degrees Celsius. When ready she would use her star-shaped cookie cutters to make pretty patterns in her buns. She could’ve used the spider cookie cutter but Bon-Bon prepared the... nicer slice of life. The fillies always come to her cottage to get her fantastic tasting treats; some cheeky mares even come more than once. Bon-Bon had already slipped into her costume. She wore a nice white apron to make sure none of it was tarnished by her baking. She was dressed as a witch with a black pointy hat which lopped to one side and stunning cape to match, she also wore a red and black ribbon bow in her mane. Bon-Bon was always fond of ribbons and bows; even her cutie mark was a set of three ribbon bows.

There was a knock at the door and Bon-Bon squealed with delight. She swung open the door with a grand smile.Bon-Bon squealed with delight. She swung open the door with a grand smile.

“Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!” Two fillies, brother and sister, sang together. The younger brother was wearing a spider costume while the older sister was dressed as a filly princess.

“There we go, fresh out of the oven.” Bon-bon said and placed some candy in the fillies’ trick or treating bags. Bon-Bon always made custom sweets, it’s one of her many special talents. All the fillies seemed to enjoy baked candy, it apparently tasted like toffee.

“Thanks Mrs Bon-Bon.” The fillies said in unison.

'Mrs'?! Strange, did they think she was married? Certainly they didn't mean to Lyra... such a notion would be preposterous.

The first trick or treaters of the night, that went smoothly. Bon-Bon closed the door and trotted back into the kitchen. It had never felt so quiet... Lyra wasn’t snoring or causing a ruckus or even teasing her about her real name of Sweetie Drops. Surely she couldn't miss being teased? Tonight she could enjoy herself in peace. It still felt wrong, and she was clueless as to why...

Most of the Nightmare Night passed without toil or trouble, many trick or treaters came and went and sang their tunes with their smiling faces. As the moon made its zenith in the violet-lit night sky there was a final knock at the cottage door...

There was another, less powerful knock at the door. It swung open.

“Lyra? Um... Hi.” Bon-Bon said as Lyra strutted into the cottage with the green Kerit riding on her back.

“That’s weird...” Lyra commented and gave a strange look to her roommare as she entered. “No, ‘what time do you call this?’ or, ‘where in Equestria have you been?’. You’re not a changeling are you? Lyra clonked her heavy hoof on her roommares forehead just to be on the safe side.

“Yes-yes I’m not a changeling. Now hurry up and get changed into your costume, the night is almost gone!” Bon-Bon said in her most snooty voice.

“There we go.” Lyra joked; Bon-Bon was back to normal. Lyra did a twirl and then departed upstairs with great haste to play the Kerit.

Bon-Bon couldn't believe just minutes ago that she actually missed Lyra in the slightest. Bon-Bon had noticed the new lyre her roommare had on her back; it was strange in colour for an instrument of beauty.

...

“Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti...” Lyra lulled and cleared her throat as she did. She got a glass and water and gargled before spitting it back into the cup. She strung the strings of the lyre just once to get a feel for the instrument. As she cleaned the lyre with her hoof the instrument hovered magically into the air. It spun around and shimmered with the faint pale aura of magic. Then strings played all by themselves. Lyra found it incredible. She simply laid back levitated her quill and noted down the music that the Kerit played. The sales pony was right afterall, the instrument did do all the work.

Bon-Bon stood silently in the doorway unnoticed... she was spying on Lyra, but for a good reason of course. Lyra had become enchanted by the Kerit. Her roommares eyes had turned green and hypnotic. The music of the Kerit was the most haunting melody Bon-Bon had ever heard. To Lyra however it was the most beautiful music she'd ever heard. Lyra herself hadn't noticed she had become enchanted as she wrote down the music like a puppet on a string. She wasn’t playing the lyre... the lyre was playing her. Bon-Bon's back sunk down against the wall of the upstairs corridor...

It was at that moment she got an idea.

While fillies and mares alike were out trick or treating, Bon-Bon, still in her costume, galloped through the town. She was flustered and in a hurry, she had no time to stop to buy pies or bob for sweet tasting apples. Her friend was in danger and time was of the essence. She headed for the one place in Ponyville, to the one pony that could help get her the information she needed...

The door to the library burst open with little care for the hinges. Bon-Bon jumped right into the main hall starting the pony sat inside the main hall. He was a unicorn with a white beard and a hoof-stitched cloak with bells on it. As he turned Bon-Bon realised, it was only Twilight Sparkle in her unique Nightmare Night costume.

“Can I... help you?” Twilight said as she turned, one eyebrow raised...

“I know it's late... but... hang on—" Bon-Bon paused herself and huffed out of her breathe for a few awkward minutes. "I need a book.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up like fire. “I can’t believe it!” She said perkily and bounced up off the floor. The bells that hung from her cloak rattled inconsistently. “Nopony ever uses the library for its actual intended purpose.” Twilight charged to get a tall wooden ladder and pushed it along the bookshelves, she climbed up the ladder in search for books. “What do you need? History of the Crystal Empire? Lobotomy for Beginners?”

Bon-Bon dived and dodged as books were discarded her way.

“Equine mythology.” Bon-Bon said. Twilight dishevelled many more books and threw them over her shoulder, with little care as to where they landed. “Aha! Here we are.” Twilight teleported off the ladder and right infront of a perplexed Bon-Bon.

“Who are you supposed to be anyway, the oldest pony in Equestria?” Bon-Bon chuckled at Twilight’s costume while she picked up the wizards hat and returned it to Twilight.

“I’m— Gah. It doesn’t matter. Nopony ever knows. Perhaps you need a book on obscure unicorn history.” Twilight replied with a groan and slammed the wizards’ hat back on her head. As soon as Bon-Bon got her hooves on Ancient Equestrian Mytholog she remembered why she was in such a hurry. She slammed the book down and opened it with a stylish flick of her hoof.

“Hippocampus?” Bon-Bon read to herself as she flicked through the book.

“A larger type of sea-horse, a creature of melody and song, the sirens of the equestrian sea. It is said their magical songs can enchant sailor ponies to crash their water-bound ships on the rocks of the silver coast close to Fillydelphia. Reports said that the sailor ponies were said to have lost their minds and in rare cases ponies were even paralysed, a condition which simulates death. These hybrid creatures are normally drawn by brazen-hoofed ponies that walk on the surface. Although one has never been seen, they have typically been depicted as a horse in its forepart with a coiling, fishlike hindquarter.” Bon-Bon read aloud. Then she lifted her head up from the book with a look of realization.

‘There you go, your hooves are nice and... simply sparkling. I also made them appear to look brazen-hoofed for you, at no extra charge for a friend like you of course.’
‘Shoeshine has done your hooves again huh? I think she may of gone just a little bit over the top this time.’
‘Each and every instrument here is infused with magic, some are even said to be infused with the spirits of ancient creatures, but that’s just an old ponies’ tale.’

A trail of dust was all that remained when Bon-Bon departed from the library. The book bounced on her rump as she galloped into the night to return home until her legs burnt with pain.

“The book has to be back by tomorrow!” Twilight shouted at the top of her lungs.

...

Bon-Bon smashed her body into Lyra’s bedroom door. “Lyra, Lyra you’re in danger, open the damn door!” In her fury Bon-Bon smashed her heavy hoof completely through the wooden door and fumbled with the circular handle to burst into Lyra’s bedroom. For once she did not care about the poor state it was in. However only the cold breeze greeted her, the window was half open and the aquamarine curtains blew in. Lyra was already gone.

Atop the hilltop, back against the tree at the top of the hill, she strung the notes, as if the music flowed through her. It was almost as if the music notes jumped in her head and melodies of all kinds wished around in her thoughts. Without any effort Lyra had a song for the presentation of the Tour De’ Cloak. She could imagine it, she played it, the more she plays the Kerit, the more she cannot pull herself away from it, it becomes almost as if... the Kerit is playing her instead. Lyra’s eye dilated yellow as they filled with an overbearing amount of magic... streams of magic flew out of Kerit and swirled around her. A drab of spit fell from Lyra’s mouth; she was an in state of empty mindedness. The melody filled her mind. The melody itself sounded like the haunting melody of an enchantress.

Bon-Bon burst outside into the night. She looked around. Everypony had stopped, like they were statue, everypony in Ponyville, even the fillies and the trick or treaters. Something was wrong; Bon-Bon couldn’t believe it. All the ponies nearby mindlessly turned and marched towards the hilltop against their will.

“What in the name of sweet Celestia—?!” Bon-Bon watched them march as she followed them. She waved her hoof infront of the brother and sister fillies that had come to her house for baked candy before. They trotted with smiles etched on their maws, as if in ecstasy. They had little care for candy anymore as both of them had dropped their collecting bags. Nothing Bon-Bon did could stop them from moving, even if she grabbed them; they simply prized themselves free of her grasp. Bon-Bon noticed they are not the only ponies in a trance. Silently, everypony in the whole town all marched toward the same direction: the hilltop.

Then Bon-Bon heard it, the melody, the evil melody being played somewhere in Ponyville. Most ponies had already been enchanted. So why wasn’t it effecting her? Nightmare Night seemed to have being cancelled. The enchantments affected ponies in different ways, the vampire Rarity was now arguing with Twilight Sparkle about whose costume was the best. During their scuffle they both exclaimed their friendship to be over. Is music so powerful that it can even destroy friendships?

“Bon-Bon!” Shoeshine suddenly shouted.

“Shoeshine? What in the sanity of Equestria is going on?!” Bon-Bon replied.

“Something is enchanting everypony, can’t you hea—” Suddenly Shoeshine’s eyes grew wide; she turned and walked like a zombie, enchanted by the melody of the evil song. Chaos erupted in Ponyville, as everypony either marched or argued, some were even fighting each other. Plumes of smoke rose from the town, riots erupted in the streets. Bon-Bon watched it all unfold with worried eyes. Perhaps soon even she could be enchanted by the evil Kerit. Bon-Bon followed everypony to the hilltop where Lyra strung the evil song from the lyre.

“Lyra!” Bon-Bon shouted in concern. While everypony was enchanted and overtaken by the beauty of the corrupt song, Lyra had gone mad with the power.

“Yes, yeeesss. Come to me.” She spoke, but her words were not her own they were distorted in ton and sounded unnatural. Yellow coloured arcane magic shot out from the instrument and formed an unnatural maelstrom of clouds which formed in the sky.

Bon-Bon dashed among the many ponies including Rarity, Twilight and Shoeshine whom have all been enchanted and now walk mindlessly atop the hill. Bon-Bon looked up; there her roommare magically hovered in the air, at the eye of the storm. Bon-Bon could see from the hilltop the physical effects it was having on Lyra, her body grew weak and her mind slowly drifted away...

“Oh no...” Bon-Bon mumbled as the evil melody rang louder and louder, the maelstrom spun dangerously in the sky. It seemed Bon-Bon was the only pony left in the whole town who has not been enchanted. She had to do something, but there was no way Bon-Bon could get up there to stop her, she was earthbound.

Then amidst the chaos, something twirled down from Lyra and onto the grass infront of Bon-Bon. She bent down to pick it up. It was a piece of parchment, with a picture coloured with pastels. It was the picture Lyra had been drawing and working tirelessly on all day. It was a picture of them, Bon-Bon and Lyra, walking into the sunset with their hooves together. Bon-Bon’s heart melted, Lyra really did care for her and all this time Bon-Bon thought she was just a roommare. Her feelings could be denied no longer...

“I didn’t want it to come to this but... Lyra, you’re my friend! There I said it, okay?” Bon-Bon mumbled.

“What?!” Lyra boomed above, her voice distorted by the dark magic. She was still possessed by the lyre and in the chaos she couldn’t hear the insignificant pony below her...

“Alright... listen here Lyra Heartstrings!” Bon-Bon stomped a hoof and screamed at the top of her lungs into the maelstrom of chaos. “Do you remember that photo, of you, the one on the davenport in your bedroom? I don’t want to look at that in a year’s time and say that you died today, here, on Nightmare Night. Because you’re... my best friiieeeeennddddd!” Bon-Bon billowed the words from the bottom of her heart.

Lyra’s eyes suddenly saddened. Suddenly she shook violently like she was about to be sick. All four of her hooves stretched outwards, like they were being pulled by the force of magic. If they were mercilessly pulled any tighter they were sure to be dislocated.Lyra’s head suddenly jolted upwards and beams of yellow magic streamed from her eyes and mouth. The magic gathered and then exploded in the sky and caused a ripple of light to erupt all across Ponyville. Lyra was let go from the power of the Kerit, she fell thirty feet on the grass. The maelstrom slowly disperses; everypony came to their senses and gaze with puzzled looks among themselves in utter confusion.

The yellow light that emitted from Lyra suddenly gathered into a giant image of a mythical Hippocampus.

“Vrroar,” the giant spirit roared with such power it shook the ground. Even its roar sounded more like a majestic haunted melody then that of a beast. To think that such a beautiful melody could come from such a beast. It uncoiled its fish-like tail and lifted its head up to the sky. After the roar subsided the image of the spirit exploded into a thousand dazzling white lights which blasted outwards across the sky.

“Lyra!” Bon-Bon pushed her way through the crowd and rushed to Lyra. She cradled Lyra in her hooves as the thousands of lights harmlessly descended into the town and around the hilltop around them. Bon-Bon placed a hoof on Lyra's chest... she was unresponsive, she wasn’t breathing.

“Please wake up, please, PLEASE!” Bon-Bon nudged the lifeless pony in her hooves.

“Don’t you dare give up on me!” Bon-Bon said in her most snooty voice hoping that familiar tone of voice would awaken her friend. Liquid salt streamed from her eyes as all hope drained from her... She felt all life leave the body she clung to. The ponies in the crowd held their hooves to their mouth and gasped. Bon-Bon dug her head into the fur of her friend and sobbed with denial and shame.

Lyra's hoof lifelessly fell to the grass...

“We’re here for you dear, if you ever need us for anything.” Rarity said as she removed her hoof from Bon-Bon's shoulder. She was stood next to an extremely worried Shoeshine.

“Thank you both... very much.” Bon-Bon replied glumly and blew her nose into a hoofkerchief. She had only just this minute stopped crying. The cream pony was sat on Lyra’s bed in the bedroom and clutched the pastel coloured picture she which she had discovered in the chaos.

“She must have really seen you as a friend, that’s why the enchantment didn’t affect you. Friendship is most certainly magic.” Twilight Sparkle said as she entered the room and placed the Kerit lyre down on against the davenport. “The Kerit is harmless now. There was a magical spirit of a Siren trapped inside. Sirens can possess ponies to change them into Siren Ponies. I think that’s what it attempted to do. But both it and all the magic trapped inside were drawn out by your friendship for—”

“I just... need to be alone for awhile.” Bon-Bon interrupted with a depressed look. She didn’t want to hear the name of her dead friend, she couldn’t bare it. Rarity, Shoeshine and Twilight all threw concerned looks at each other before leaving the bedroom.

‘What now?’ She thought, it was such a horrible question, how could she return to normality after this? She had just watched her friend die in her hooves. She gazed up at the bedroom, it was empty, just how she felt on the inside. She leisurely trotted around the room, hoping for something to find comfort in. Unfortunately all the room did was bring dark and painful feelings to her aching heart. She opened the wardrobe and there she saw Lyra’s hoof-stitched costume. She had cut holes into her favourite black bed socks and hand-crafted a pair of insect-like wings because Lyra’s costume was a changeling. It was actually good, for a change. Bon-Bon had teased her several times about making her own costume and now Bon-Bon herself burst into tears knowing her friend would never wear it. The guilt burnt inside her, it was soul-hurt, something which crushed to a pony heart and never let go. It was at that moment an idea struck her...

Nightmare Night, it didn’t quite feel right without her best friend stood by her side. Lyra would usually come out with some snidely preloaded comment about Bon-Bon herself or something silly happening around her. Bon-Bon sat on the Lyra’s favourite park bench and watched as the night faded away, the very last of the trick or treaters still scurried around for any remaining candy, the concert players were playing their last songs and two stallions were packing-up the decorated market stalls. One of them gave a cheeky wink to Bon-Bon, but she couldn’t bring herself to reply in the slightest.

“Try to have some fun Bon-Bon, it always cheers me up.” Rarity said as she appeared with a warm and honest smile. “Nice costume design by the way.”

“I’ll try.” Bon-Bon replied “and... thank you.” This time Bon-bon wasn’t dressed in her costume as a witch. No, in memory of her best friend and for the sake of old times, she had worn Lyra’s changeling costume. After much encouragement and confidence-building Bon-Bon was convinced to join her new-found friend for some apple-bobbing. Shoeshine went first and then Rarity, but Bon-bon couldn’t bring herself to have a go. She felt guilty, even when she had fun. Was it always going to be like this? Could she never feel happy again? So instead of playing along with her friends, she turned and walked up towards the hilltop with the tree. This was where they put the gravestone...

She took a deep breath before she approached it. It was a desolate hilltop with a single solitary tree and only a cold stone for Lyra to be remembered by. Years from now, even the gravestone would mould and be forgotten. Only the cold night breeze was there to greet Bon-Bon, it blew through her mane. There was the grave, freshly dug ahead of her. Perhaps she was here to make peace with the events that had unfolded this Nightmare Night, a life extinguished by a simple mistake. Did she feel guilt for the way she had treated Lyra? Perhaps the guilt could be absolved with time. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. An inkling made her remember something... something from the book, Ancient Equestrian Mythology.

‘A sea-horse, a creature of melody and song, the sirens of the equestrian sea. It is said their magical songs can enchant sailor ponies to crash their water-bound ships on the rocks of the silver coast close to Fillydelphia. Reports said that the sailor ponies were said to have lost their minds and in rare cases ponies were even paralysed, a condition which simulates death.’

A heartbeat later, Bon-Bon eyes jetted opened and she stared down at the grave. Paralysed?! How could she have missed that?! But that means— Lyra had been buried alive! With a renewed optimism and in a moment of madness, Bon-Bon dug her hooves into the ground and burrowed back the dirt. Each time her hooves touched the grubby soil she immediately prized them back to fling the mud behind her.

“Come on... come on damn you!” She screamed as she pushed every muscle she had to exhume Lyra. Her desperation was made evident by the cold sweat than ran down her forehead. Salty tears streamed down her cheeks from the horror of her own actions.

Lyra could’ve still being alive and they could’ve killed her— no, she couldn't think like that. Bon-Bon did not care for the mud on her hooves, for once, she only want Lyra back, to quench her guilt, to tell her the truth!

Lyra's muddy form arose from the grave as Bon-Bon lifted her up and out. Lyra’s head went limb and fell back like a rag dolls would. Of course the thought had occurred to Bon-Bon that she had just dug out a corpse and that Lyra was never paralyzed. Right now she needed to hold onto the hope that she may wake up. She wiped the dust and sand from her friends face to allow her to breath, when the time came. She could’ve already have suffocated under all that dirt. So Bon-Bon waited... was Lyra really dead? The lack of breathing from her chest and no response from her pulse denied that assumption. She had never seen Lyra in such a state of... discontent. Dirt tarnished her eyelashes; mud soiled her once bright aquamarine fur and mane. It was a sorrowful sight, none more so than for Bon-Bon. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath...

“Bon-Bon...”

“Wait a minute...” Bon-Bon said and opened her eyes to see Lyra... had awoken.

“Urg...” Lyra groaned as she spat dirt out of her mouth. She was... alive. But every breath had become a chore and many of Lyra’s ribs had broken under the weight and pressure from the dirt. Bon-Bon hugged her tighter than ever before. It was a miracle... a Nightmare Night miracle.

“You were dead, I was absolutely sure you were dead... Don’t you dare do anything like this to me ever again, d’you hear?” Bon-Bon dug her face into her friends’ fur.

“Alright... Mom.” Lyra said weakly, barely on the edge of life as they broke the hug. But even Lyra couldn’t joke her way out of this. “I think it let me go. The Kerit, I was allowed to live after it saw how painful you reacted to losing me. Did... did you really mean what you said, Bon-Bon?” Lyra said with a groan and a wry smile at her roommare.

“Weelll...” Bon-Bon held her hoof out. “Of course I did. All those times I was worried... I was protecting you because I really care about you Lyra, even if I don’t always show it. We’re more than just roommares, we’re friends.”

“I’m sorry,” Lyra apologized and accepted Bon-Bon's hoof.

“But...” Lyra stuttered as she could've sworn that her changeling outwit. “Why are you wearing my Nightmare Night costume? Heh... it looks like you turned out to be a changeling afterall.” Lyra gave a cheeky smile and clonked her best friend on the head again. Bon-Bon blushed but said nothing in return, instead she savoured the moment that her friend was still alive.

At that moment the sun peaked its way just above the horizon turning the sky a faint orange colour. Was it only a coincidence that they now stood just like in the pastel picture Lyra drew, with her and Bon-Bon as they walked off into the sunrise with their hooves together. The sight of the sun and the thought of gaining a new friend wrought Lyra to burst into even more tears...

“Here come the waterworks,” Bon-Bon sighed again with relief and patted her friend on the back.

For the first time in Ponyvillian history, Nightmare Night was extended into the daylight hours. It wasn’t common protocol, but one little pony named Lyra Heartstrings deserved to have the best Nightmare Night ever! After a quick costume swap, Lyra finally got into her costume as a changeling. The insect wings and her favourite black bed socks with the holes cut into them. Bon-Bon returned as the wicked witch and finally joint everypony in playing the Nightmare Night games. Bon-Bon examined the trow full of green water and then took and deep breath...

She whooshed and chomped her maw around in the green water as she bobbed for apples. She couldn’t see but that was the whole fun of it, she chomped and chomped but couldn't find an apple. When she lifted her head back, one of the apples were on the top of her head. That got a fair few elicited laughs from everypony, even from Bon-Bon herself and especially from Lyra who decided to give Bon-Bon the new nickname of ‘Applehead’.

In the end everypony thought the Hippocampus was just another bright and dazzling display of pyrotechnic magic for Nightmare Night. Twilight Sparkle got her book, Ancient Equestrian Mythology, back on time and the Kerit became another lyre to add to the collection. Lyra kept it even though the lyre had almost killed her, she almost lost herself completely. After events past Lyra, returned to her bedroom, to her pride and joy. She opened the last page of her aquamarine diary. Instead of writing on it right away she tore the page out and folded it into a square. Lyra could never write good endings, and now she had literally less then twelve hours to write a new song for the presentation of the Tour De’ Cloak. Because of tonight’s events Lyra had all the inspiration she ever needed to complete her song. She bounces to the end of her bed and quickly slipped something new into the golden frame on the davenport, the pastel picture she drew. Today she lost a roommare, but she had gained a new friend. She smiled—

Lyra's window smashed inwards sending hundreds of glass shards all over the bedroom. Lyra covered her face as the shards shattered upon her. A grey pony had flown into the bedroom, could it be the hooded pony returning for revenge? She had a grey coat of fur and she had sold her the Kerit after all, perhaps it was all a trap after all! Lyra lowered her hoof and looked across the bedroom to see...

“I gots you a letter! Here you go!” Derpy had suddenly exploded onto the scene. With a great and bubbly smile upon her face she produced a letter from her mail sack and passed it to Lyra.

“Uh, thanks?!” Lyra accepted the letter with an awkward smile. Derpy turned and departed, humiliated once again by the sudden momentary lapse.

“What the hell— Lyra! I leave for two minutes and you’ve already destroyed the place!” Bon-Bon complained, back to her old self. It looked like a superstorm had ripped through the bedroom, sheets of music were scattered all over the carpet among the shards of glass. It was exactly the complete and utter mess Lyra liked. Bon-Bon was wearing her white apron again and carried a platter of food and cookies upon her flat hoof. Its then she noticed her best friends worried look and placed a baking tray down on the carpet. Bon-bon once again had to tiptoe across the bedroom except this time she paid extra careful attention not to get glass in her hoof. Lyra patted her queen-sized bed to entice Bon-Bon to sit with her.

“I knew I recognized that voice from somewhere. The pony who sold me the Kerit in the first place... at first I thought it was Octavia. But it wasn’t. It was Melody.” Lyra said in a regretful tone of voice as she read the letter.

“You mean that filly from your music school? She was here?” Bon-Bon replied, she understood but only because she had heard Lyra many times speaking out loud when writing a new entry in her diary.

“Exactly, she was literally obsessed with music and tried infusing magic into musical instruments. She wanted to give the earth ponies the ability to cast magic through their music. She mastered the skill just from playing an enchanted instrument, but it drove her insane. Her obsession for music was her own undoing, I thought she was dead. Now... I’ve got this letter.” In the chaos of her window shattering, Lyra had already opened the letter and read the contents. “It’s like the past is coming back to haunt me all at once. Those days in music school, all those regrets, this letter is from a very old friend of mine... I j-just don’t know what to say,” Lyra looked down towards the floor and clutched the letter in her hoof tightly, so tightly it nearly ripped. Her tears patted upon the parchment.

“Well, who is it from?” Bon-Bon demanded to know and looked over Lyra’s shoulder as she sulked.

“It’s from... Octavia.”

Dear Princess Celestia.

‘Today I’ve learned the valuable lesson that inspiration and the true art of talent, is not something that can be rushed. True talent flows like the melody of a song. Work well, take regular breaks for fresh air and remember inspiration is only something that can come to you in time. Trying to force it could lead to drastic consequences... as I found out on Nightmare Night.

Today, I also gained a best friend, a friend who I will never forget. So sometimes friends have funny ways of showing that they care about you, they may tease or pull pranks on each other or even you, but that doesn’t mean they don’t care, because they will nevertheless. To show to you just how much I care about my new friend, I have written this on the last page of my diary... which is now complete.’

~ Lyra Heartstrings.

To Be Continued...

---

My Little Pony: Time is Forever™ will return...

'Will they fulfill their musical dream?'

Notes:
The Hippocampus is a mythological sea-horse: half-horse, half-fish. They are said to be attracted by brazen-hoofed ponies. The Siren is also a mythical creature, however they are depicted as mermaids. But because they are no humans in Equestria, the Hippocampus would be the closest pony version of a Siren.
Lyra and Bon-Bon are always depicted as friends, so instead of making them friends straight away I made them as just roommares and never once called them ‘friends’ until the time was right. I made this their friendship origin story.
Rarity cut out of Luna Eclipsed, this is why both she and Sweetie Belle are shown in their costumes and have a larger role in this chapter.
Some people consider that Lyra and Bon-Bon get married, them getting married is referenced in this chapter from Bon-Bon's perspective as being ‘preposterous’.