Truthseeker

by RB_

Downtime 3

“Miss Lyra!”

Lyra set down her lyre and looked up at the sound of the voice, and the sound of the shop door’s bell. Bon Bon had needed to run some errands, so Lyra was working the candy shop’s counter. It being a Thursday afternoon, most of their customers had already passed through; she’d been plucking her way aimlessly through a song to pass the time.

“Oh, hey Winter bell. What’s up?”

The filly trotted into the shop, a bag on her back and a spring in her step.

“I want to show you something!” she said, looking up at Lyra, beaming in that way only a child can. Slipping the bag off of her back, the filly gently dropped it onto the ground and pulled out a very familiar cloth case.

Lyra couldn’t help but smile. She suspected she knew what was coming next.

Lyra cleared a space on the counter for her, moving Bon Bon’s tip jar to one side so that Bell could lay out her velvet cover. One by one, she placed her silver bells in a line across the velvet.

She backed up, standing apart from the counter by a good three feet.

“Ready?” she asked. Lyra nodded.

Winter Bell planted her hooves, scrunched up her brow, stuck out her tongue, and lit her horn.

And then the music began.

It was slow, at first, as Winter Bell got her bearings. First the largest bell lifted into the air, rang, was set down, then the third from the left, and so on. As she went on, she began to pick up speed, and it was then that Lyra recognized the song she was playing. It was the first song they’d tried to play in class.

She wasn’t playing it perfectly; she wasn’t playing it to tempo. But she was playing it, and all under the power of her own horn.

As Winter Bell passed through the halfway point of the piece, Lyra lit her own horn and took up her lyre. After a few more notes, she let her eyes close and joined in, the soft vibrations of her strings mingling with the sharp rings of Winter Bell’s bells.

They played like that until the piece ended.

Lyra placed her lyre down on the counter. She looked at Winter Bell; the filly was panting, and her coat was matted with sweat along her forehead, but she was smiling.

“That was wonderful,” Lyra said.

“I’ve been practicing every day, like you said,” Winter Bell replied.

“It’s worked! It’s really worked. I’m proud of you.”

The look on Winter Bell’s face when Lyra said that was so unabashedly wonderful that Lyra couldn’t help but let out an internal “D’awww”.

And then Ditzy Doo pushed her way through the shop’s door.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said, fighting to catch her breath as Lyra and Winter Bell stared at her. “Dinky forgot to take her present for Ruby Pinch’s birthday party, and then I had to rush halfway across town to bring it for her… I swear, this almost never happens...”

“Late for what?” Lyra asked.

“That,” Ditzy said, pointing to the other side of the room. The two of them turned to look, just as a high-pitched whine filled the candyshop. With a flash of light and a crackle of electricity a ball of lightning appeared, and when it faded, a pony was left in its place.

“Hey, grandma!” Dezzy Doo said. She glanced around her surroundings. “Wow, we really need to adjust that translocator…” her eyes fell on Lyra, and she smiled. “Oh, hello there! Is this your store? I’m so sorry about that, I promise, I’ll be gone in a minute or two. My name’s Dezzy, by the way. What’s yours?”

─────

While Ditzy Doo and her granddaughter were busy exchanging notes, Winter Bell walked up to Lyra.

“Momma wants to talk to you,” she said.

“Oh? How? Like, telepathically, or…?”

Winter Bell nodded. “It might tingle, though.”

“Eh, I’ve had ponies rifle through my head before,” Lyra said.

“Alright,” she said. She picked up her little hoof and pressed it against Lyra’s leg. The spiraling markings on Winter Bell’s leg seemed to come alive, twisting off of her coat and onto Lyra’s, forming a pattern that led up her neck and around the back of her head.

“This isn’t permanent, is it?” Lyra asked. “I don’t think Bonnie goes for tattoos.”

Don’t worry. The marking will fade with this enchantment.

Winter Bell had been right; it did tingle.

You’re Winter Bell’s ‘momma’?

I am, yes.

Gotta say, I was expecting something a little less equine-sounding.

A series of colours she couldn’t quite describe and sounds she couldn’t quite hear exploded in her mind.

Translating for my benefit. Gotcha.

I’d like to thank you, the voice said.

Don’t mention it.

It’s just, you’ve done a lot more than I could. I’ve been trying to help her through this for ages, but…

The voice sighed. The best I could do was show her my alternative.

Don’t be too hard on yourself, Lyra said. I’ve just been in her shoes before. I mean, you’re some kinda big freaky space whale song thing, right? Er, no offense. For someone so alien to ponies, you’ve done a great job raising one so far.

Lyra wasn’t sure where it came from, but she got the sudden impression the big freaky space whale was smiling.

Winter Bell, on the other hand, was frowning.

Are you done embarrassing me yet?

Not yet, sweetheart.

Comments

[TheStratovarian]

Theres a lovely bluntness with lyra thats just plain enjoyable here. It's lyra, but its well, so rightly honest in how it should be.

[appaloosa142]

You’re Winter Bell’s ‘momma’?

I am, yes.

Gotta say, I was expecting something a little less equine-sounding.

Small nitpick; you mixed up the dialogue colors here.

[RB_]

8670339
Fixed. Good catch!