Penned IN

by Qwix

Chapter 11: At Hearth's Failure

"So let me get this straight. This is another attempt of hers to win my affections."

"Uh, yes."

"And it involves baking Equestria's biggest cupcake."

"That is correct."

"She got the leftover batter from Pinkie and bought your help to cook it with your fire."

"Yep."

Pennaprose mulled it over. It seemed like a harmless enough gesture… "All right… I guess. Didn't think to leave a note at least?"

The street lamps cast a warm glow as they walked. Spike strode in Pennaprose's shadow, nonplussed.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Knowing Twilight, she'd file it away before she read it. I've tried before, trust me. But if you don't mind… pretend you didn't see it and I never told you? Its part of my contract."

Something inside him twanged as he recalled Twilight's words earlier. Nopony in town wants to associate with her because of it, she drives everypony up the wall… "…I wouldn't think otherwise."

"Sweet, thanks! Anyways, let's make sure Twilight doesn't lop off your head for not finding me…"

The door stood before them; Spike opened it. "Twilight? We're home!"

"Spike! There you are! Where were you? Why didn't you leave a note at least?" She was still curled up next to the fire—roaring ever higher—with a tome thicker than his head.

"Um, out. Besides, the last 47 times I did that, you either filed it away, used it as a bookmark, or that one time you thought it was a cookie recipe?"

She blushed, visible despite the fireplace's light. "Oops. Sorry. I woke up just a bit ago and decided to read a bit. Eh, we've both had long days. Spike, can you fix dinner? I feel like mexicolt tonight."

Spike said nothing else and wandered into the kitchen. Pennaprose sighed in relief to himself, flopped on his cot, and opened his laptop. In minutes, a slow simmer from the kitchen joined the crackle of the fireplace, the tapping of keys, and the occasional turning of a page to fill the place with pure comfort.

Time slowed to a crawl; Pennaprose's head was beginning to droop. He shot back awake, however, when a knock on the door sounded. Spike answered the door before either Twilight or Pennaprose; he couldn't see it, but he did see Spike bend down to pick something up. He walked over with a red-and-green wrapped gift in his claws, no bigger than a grapefruit. "Labeled for you, Pennaprose. Hm, wonder what it is…?"

He took a furtive glance at Twilight, who seemed honestly curious. He took it from Spike and unraveled the bow carefully; without warning, it immediately exploded.

Streamers and confetti erupted, covering the vicinity in endless piles; something in rainbows followed and fell to the ground next to them with a heavy thud. He dropped the box in shock, from which one more thing came. It was Lyra.

"Hello! How are you? Oh, and Twilight too!"

He let his jaw slack in shock as she climbed out. "How the ruddy hell-?"

"Undetectable Extension Spell," said Lyra. "Tricky, but I think I've done it okay; anyway, I wanted to give you this!" She gestured to the unidentified mound, which he immediately recognized as a cupcake. It was frosted in hues of the whole rainbow, nearly touching the ceiling.

"I think I owe you something," she began "For putting up with me for way longer than most have. Plus… um… well, Pennaprose…"

He smiled wanly. "Its fine, really. Thanks." He moved to cut a portion of the cupcake.

"Um…! Pennaprose, I baked this for you, so can you, um… be the only one to eat it?"

He stopped and stared. "It's a cupcake, not a rite of honor. What's the problem, now?"

She turned her head, blushing. "U-um… Well, it's for you! You should be the only one to eat it!"

He raised an eyebrow. She wore a large, uncertain grin; a tense silence followed.

Without warning, Twilight exclaimed "Spike! What are you doing?!" All eyes turned to the cupcake, which Spike was clinging on with a mouthful of cupcake. Lyra screamed and tried to smack him off.

He jumped of hastily to avoid the flail of hooves; the sudden movement tilted the cupcake precariously. Before anypony could stop it, it fell heavily on Twilight, splattering frosting on everyone.

"Oh… why?! Spike, why?! You've ruined it!" complained Lyra. "I'm so-so-so sorry, Pennaprose! I–I just…"

He wasn't paying attention. Rather, he was staring resolutely at a bit of the icing on his left hoof that he used to cover his face; in the places it hit him, a numbness had begun to seed itself. He brushed the largest clumps off; there, he couldn't feel his hoof at all.

"…Lyra? What was in that icing?" Pennaprose asked.

She looked confused; she wasn't hit with any of it, due to her being behind the cupcake. "Uh… the jar of jam that Spike had? He said he got it from Fluttershy."

He hesitated a moment, a dawning horror rising in his throat. "Spike! CPR, stat! I'll get a washrag!" he snapped, rushing to the kitchen. Fluttershy's words echoed in his mind.

In small quantities, it's safe enough, but it's basically a local anesthetic; too much is lethal.

Heart in throat, he managed to find a washrag. He grabbed it without pause, rushing back into the living room. Spike had hefted the cupcake off of her; she was covered in head to hoof to icing, breathing extremely shallowly and completely limp.

Lyra wore a look of supreme confusion on her face. "What's wrong? Did I do something?" asked Lyra.

Pennaprose began frantically wiping the icing off Twilight's face. "That icing was laced with anesthetic! Aside from the fact that you practically crushed her with pastry… a single bite paralyzed Fluttershy for hours! And this?! THIS?! Who knows?! This could be lethal!"

He wiped faster, thoroughly ignoring Lyra. Spike was pumping her heart; as he finished wiping her chest, her breathing grew in strength and small twitches emanated from her muzzle. She still would not open her eyes.

"Ehm… Spike, help me get her to her room. Lyra… Sorry, but please just… wait." His head felt hot.

Twilight was considerably heavier than Fluttershy; he only managed to lift her front while Spike supported her back. They stumbled up the stairs with a little difficulty; before he turned the corner, he could only see Lyra's head hanging low, her gaze burning a hole in the carpet.

They entered her room; he couldn't recall ever being inside. He recalled getting a glimpse of it when she blasted herself through the door that one time, but it didn't really register. There was a ladder to a panoramic window, shelves upon shelves of books organized by color, creating a reading rainbow. He could spot ink vials and quills littering the corners and nooks, the melted wax of candles on plates lying numerous.

They hefted her together over to the ladder; with one magical heave, he hefted he wholesale up to her bed above. "Spike, you take care of her for now. I'm gonna talk with Lyra…"

Spike nodded; Pennaprose left. He found her by the fire; the cupcake was upright and completely wiped of icing. "Lyra?"

She lifted her head up, hesitating a bit before turning to him with a smile than even he could tell was forced. "…Yes, what is it?"

He fell silent, trying to think of what to say. Part of him didn't want to blame her, but a crimson voice of rage rose to override it. She already put her life in danger twice today! She's a nuisance! Tell her to go away! NOW!'

"Lyra… I–um… just…" His rage met his reservations, decimating any trace of coherent thought. "I'm sorry… but leave. Now."

She giggled nervously. "I thought you would say that... But I know a great doctor that specializes in house calls, he'd be available at this hour! How about–"

"Forever."

"Huh?"

The fireplace flickered and dimmed. He raised his eyes to meet hers, the weight of what he was about to say holding in his throat like a lead weight. "Just forget about talking to me. You've almost killed Twilight twice today. She's my only way home, and the only pony who I think would be so gracious as to extend their roof for the time being. …You've done too much damage."

Her eyes froze in place; even to him, his voice sounded dead and hollow. Yet the utterance gave his meek certainty strength. [/]It's true… Twilight is my only hope to get home. My only hope… She visibly deflated.

"The ice-skating rink. Twilight could not swim. Now this. I'm sorry, but this… Goodbye." He walked up to her, putting his hoof on her shoulder, but refused to look up again.

"Don't come back."

A chill wind blew from the open door, extinguishing the fireplace altogether. Darkness of the night flooded the room, the balmy spring wind imparting not warmth but a cold, deathly embrace. From his gaze at the carpet, he saw tears fall onto the floor, staining them. He closed his eyes to the sight and headed back for the stairs, willing himself with all he could to not look at her. His will and breath did not break until he heard the door shut, for no sound save for hoofsteps came before it.

He sighed. It was necessary. It must've been done. Twilight said to do it anyway… at the risk of her life, she's right.

He glanced wearily at the cupcake, reminding him of her good intentions and immediately feeling a sickening stab of wrenching guilt in his gut. He didn't wish to have broken the news so harshly—he immediately thought of five other ways in which he could have handled it—but the damage was done. She was gone. He could breathe.

He kept staring at the cupcake in the dim moonlight, it's largeness imposing in the room. In his purposeless gaze, he noticed a slip of neatly folded paper tucked in the pastry. He took it out, closed the door, lit a match, and rekindled the fireplace. He read what was written.

I know I must have upset you at you at some point. And I apologize. I made you this cupcake intending for it to be my apology, but now I realize now that it's not enough. My actions were silly at best; I really should have seen it earlier.

I liked you very much at first because you were once human, Pennaprose. Not a day goes by that I believe that living as a human... is my very dream. I want to know what its like; to have hands to hold things, to have two feet to run the fields like you must have. And when I heard you knew what its like, I wanted to know everything about you. And you have been far kinder and patient with me then I knew you should have, and from the bottom of my heart, I forever thank you for that.

As today passed, I came to realize that there's more to humans than just a pair of hands and feet. There's something about you that I can't explain; even if you look more like a pony, you have an aura of life surrounding yourself. Are all humans like you? I know Twilight is trying her most to find a way for you to return to the human world; being Twilight, I know she'll succeed. She always does in the end.

But I was thinking... if a human can come here, do you think a pony can do the same? A pony like me...? I don't want to forget you when you leave; I very much want you take me with you, if it's possible...?

I've never told anyone this... Not even Bon Bon. My Cutie Mark is a lyre; everypony thinks I should be a musician of sorts. Even Vinyl and Octavia keep trying to get me into the music scene. But that's not what I am. I wax lyrical; by the strings of my heart I write poems underground. For I feel ashamed of my talents being made public; at least by passing as a musician I can write more song lyrics to my heart's content. And I feel if somepony like you will one day leave this world for one I want to be in, then I feel like it is safe to tell you my wearisome secret, to relieve my soul of this burdensome secret. A haiku for you to enjoy.

A giant cupcake
An apology from me
Is it far too late?

~I feel that your kindness will not betray me,

Lyra Heartstrings <3~

With every passing sentence, his heart fell into heavier depths, crushing evermore. As he finished, he sank into his cot and despair, wishing the past away. The fireplace did not burn as bright or as warm as before, almost mocking him in his decisions. On a whim, he composed a haiku.

The mistakes I made
Even now I take the blame
For I hope it's not

Comments

[grammar404]

It... It was... But- why? B-but...

[Fluffy-Boi]

Lyra.... *hugs*