Shellstrings

by shortskirtsandexplosions

The Heartstrings

? ? ?

"Daddy!" She sobbed. She sputtered. The smoke was growing denser and denser, staining her silver-streaked bangs with soot. Trembling, the little filly shook and shook the stallion's shoulder and neck. "Daddy!"

Despite her constant struggles, the stallion lay dead still. Blood trailed down from his horn and onto the carpet. An ear twitched once... or twice... but he would not come to.

The filly coughed. An explosion of heat baked her as a chunk of wall paneling fell over. With a shriek, she looked up to see that the fire had spread to the opposite end of the room. By now, the entire apartment was crackling with flames. Wallpaper peeled and chunks of ceiling fell like ashen snow. One by one, the furniture erupted in white flashes as the blaze spread slowly to where she and her father were lying.

"Mmmmmmnnghhh!" she squealed, pulling and tugging at his tail with all her meager might. Ashes showered her blank flank and quivering limbs. After much struggle, she slumped over her father's side, wheezing into the smoke and haze. Her tearing eyes squinted across what remained of the apartment.

Far across the way... seated in a lonesome chair... a full adult mare sat dreadfully still, staring blankly ahead.

The filly saw her. "Mommy..." She resumed tugging at the stallion, hissing through clenched teeth. "Mommy, please, you have to help! Daddy's hurt bad! I... I-I don't think I can get him out in t-time!"

The mare simply sat still. She did not flinch. She did not move. Even as parts of the wall fell into burning heaps around her, she remained locked in her chair.

"Mommy...?" Straining, the filly hiccuped on a sob and slumped over her father's body once again. With a whimper, she stared across the apartment. "Mommy... please... wh-why won't you come over and help me save him?"

Icily, the mare's head turned to look at her daughter. Curtains of flame rippled above and behind her. In a calm tone, she murmured, "Because I love you, Lyra." And when her flesh caught on fire, she didn't scream.

---

Ponyville – 485 Faust Lane – Today

Lyra woke up with a sputtering gasp. She stared forward into the gray morning haze wafting through the living room windows. Cold sweat drenched her coat as she sat there, trembling.

Minutes passed. At last, the mare summoned the strength to crawl off the sofa. Trembling, she teetered and shambled as she made her way to the first story bathroom.

Not bothering to switch the light on, she spun the faucet knob and shoved her head beneath the trickling water. The mare gave her head and muzzle a thorough, cold soak. Then—still trembling—she stood up straight.

The mare stared at her pale reflection, dribbling with tap water. She exhaled multiple times, recollecting her nerves.

At last, after a heavy swallow, she broke her deadpan with a bittersweet frown.

"Get out of your head," she muttered to the reflection, and lingered until the smoke had cleared from her memories.

Comments

[IceKitsune]

Uhhhh wow, that is going to be an interesting dream to learn the background too.

[fourths]

7397888 Well, the chapter's called "The Heartstrings", so I'm going to guess... that was her parents.

[QueenMoriarty]

"Anub'ar to Hive. Subject has awoken. Memory of Incident J has been confirmed. Moving in to inject."

[IceKitsune]

7397910

Well obviously, I'm talking about if that dream happened or if it was just a dream and nothing more, and if its just a dream why she is having it.

[Lightning Bearer]

Guess that explains the empty lot where she talked to her parents.

[bloons3]

Ohhh gosh... that's dark... fuck dude, right in the heart.

[Cotton Fluff]

7397932
I don't believe the dream is a recollection of actual events.

And when her flesh caught on fire, she didn't scream.

I have serious doubts that any living being would be able to not make some sort of sounds of pain being burned alive. In addition, the location / date range is '???' - if this was a real event, why wouldn't we get the proper scene setting information for it? Because it's a dream? No, because Lyra would remember where and when it was even while dreaming.

I would also like to point out that if this was a dream of factual events, why is Lyra only now experiencing this kind of dream? Wouldn't this be something that would have plagued her continuously, long before the Canterlot Wedding? Something she would already have to see a professional to help get over?

[Booster Spice]

Sometimes I wonder just what the acceptable limits of causing psychological trauma is on here.

Then I remember Barney The Dinosaur, and other childrens stories, like Redwall.

[Razzy]

So... Lyra used to live in silent Hill?

[RoboRed]

...Jebuz.

[The_K_Man]

Curious the potential context for this if it isn't 100% dream-based...

[Metal Aura]

"From this point forward Lyra used her parents fortune to build a super secret hideaway with groundbreaking crime fighting technology and became The Amazing Burninghousemanpony. Instead of donating this money to the education system to prevent future criminals from becoming so abundant she instigated an arms hooves race for control of Gothamville. After handling hoofdling every baddie moments after the elements of harmony stopped them she has fallen victim to the vile CMC and their elaborate trap systems. Will she escape this escapade? Who is behind the random placement of dangerous books around town? And where did Cheerlie get her death ray from? Tune in next week, Same pony tiime, same pony channel for the next action packed episode of The Adventures of Burninghousemanpony!"

"Meh, the old seasons were better," said Rainbow Dash as she walked away from the TV in Sugarcube Corner.

[Skeeter The Lurker]

Unsettling.

~Skeeter The Lurker

[Warrior Kitten]

Short chapter is short.

[FanOfMostEverything]

Hmm. A product of the wedding's impact on her psyche, or a sign of some further trauma? For now, I can't tell.

[Amusementist]

Much strange. Very confused.

[Scorch215]

7398068 since Lemon Hearts has implyed Lyra's mother suffered from some form of insanity it is entirely possible that the dream was a memeory as there have been reports of people being burned Alice and sitting there calmly as if nothing was happing to them or other horridly painful ways to die and not even a flinch. It is a possible symptom of insanity.

Till we know more whether this is a dram or a memepry is up in the air.

And also from now Lyra reacted to it I can be surmised this is not the first time she has had this dream do to how calmly she felt with it and what she said at the end implies this as well as ypi don't nornaly tell a new dream to get out of your head like that as its usually reserved for dreams you are tired of having.

As for the location being "???" Lyra would know this info but us the reader would have no idea exactly where this is taking place or the fact the place no longer exists means there is no location to give.

Honestly I'm leaning towards this being a memepry but it is possible jist a recurring nightmare spawned by some event that did take place in her fillyhood.

[Hap]

I can smell the smoke.