//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 Lyra's past // Story: For Honor, Glory and The Empire // by Bronycommander //------------------------------// Chapter 8: Lyra’s past Lyra Heartstrings was sleeping in her bed, whimpering quietly while tossing, and turning in it. After her beloved daughter vanished, she had difficulties to sleep peacefully as she had nightmares about Flute’s wellbeing. This night, she heard her daughter’s voice screaming for help. “MOMMY! Somepony, HELP!” The unicorn heard Flute in the distance. “Mama’s coming!” The mint green unicorn ran as fast as she could towards the direction where Flute’s voice came from. Lyra galloped into a forest and was shocked when she found her daughter. Her horn was cut off and she appeared like she was beaten up pretty badly and left to die. Wasting no time, the mare knelled down to her daughter and used a healing spell she had learned from her husband. “Hold on sweetie, you gonna be alright!” she tried to comfort her daughter. “M-mommy…I don’t wanna die yet…” Flute was getting tired. “NO! Sweetheart, stay with me!” Lyra tried to keep her awake. “I’m so sorry…I let you down…” Flute’s body went limp. The mare looked at her in blood covered hooves and cried. “Flute…no…my daughter…my only child…” Then Lyra awoke with a gasp, panting heavily, cold sweat on her face. “T-tootsie…” I miss you so much, Flute…Sweetheart.” She buried her face into her hooves and cried herself to sleep. The unicorn awoke after a few hours, very depressed. Tears rolled down as Lyra feared that her only daughter would die. After Lyra’s husband vanished, Flute was everything for her. Maybe some sweets cheer me up. While Ponyville had Sugarcube Corner, Lyra’s friend Bon-Bon, also known as Sweetie Drops, operated a small candy shop, which she helped out and Flute enjoyed it too. So she took some sweets but even that couldn’t help. Why? Why had this to happen? First my dear husband, now my daughter. Oh, Flute, please…I pray to Celestia that you are safe wherever you are. Resting her head on the table in sadness, as she head that the door was opened. “Lyra, I’m home!” Sweetie Drops called out. As the earth pony got no response, she walked into the living room and saw her sad friend. “Lyra, dear, I know how worried you are about your daughter, but eating sweets won’t help you.” Lyra sighed. “I just have nightmares that she dies or is hurt pretty badly. This time, I found her hurt pretty badly and…her horn was cut off. My gut tells me that something’s wrong. After I lost my husband, and I had to raise her alone, Flute is the only thing I have left.” “Lyra, you aren’t alone, you have me. And you know that Flute is like a sister for me too. She knows how much you care for her and that we will search her. As your very best friend, you know that you can count on me and that I’m always here for you.” The earth pony hugged her unicorn friend. “You know, the story how I got my Cutie Mark isn’t interesting. My mother bought me a Lyre at my birthday as I loved such music, I played it once with great love and my Cutie Mark appeared. You?” Bon-Bon smiled. “The Shop I own belonged to my parents and I invented a new variety of Bon-Bon’s and my Cutie Mark appeared. You never told me how you met your husband.” “Well Bon-Bon or Sweetie Drops…” “Call me as you like. “Bon-Bon sounds better and cuter to me.” The earth pony blushed at this before Lyra took a deep breath and started to tell. “I can still remember as if it was yesterday…” Lyra was a grown up mare, living together with her friend Bon-Bon. They were best friends since school. She was walking through the market to buy something. After she had looked through and was on her way home, she came across some foals playing baseball. “Watch out!” a colt yelled as the ball flew towards Lyra. The ball hit her left ear, deafened her hearing. “Sorry ma’am, are you ok?” The same colt asked her worried. “Sorry, what did you say?” Lyra asked before she collapsed and everything went black. She awoke later in a hospital. “Ah, you’re awake.” She heard faintly a male voice. The mare saw a unicorn stallion with purple eyes, a black Mane and a dark blue coat. He was wearing a white doctor coat and had a turning for with musical notes as Cutie Mark. Hello Miss Heartstrings, I’m doctor Helping Heart. You’re brought into my clinic after that accident.” His voice was lower than other voices. It was because of the ball who had hit her ear. But after a few hearing tests, like gauging her hearing with a tuning fork, listing to commands, like raising a hoof to see if she suffered hearing loss and checking if she had a concussion, by using a flashlight to check for dilation in the eyes, a x-ray and a MRI and basic movement tests as well as some memory tests to test her memory, she could leave as everything was not as bad as Heart had feared at first. “Alright Miss Heartstrings, you can leave. I wish you a wonderful day.” “You too, doctor Heart.” After Lyra walked out of the hospital door, she couldn’t help but having a strange feeling in her heart towards the stallion. Helping Heart had the same felling as he looked after the lime green mare until she was out of sight. “Are you sure she’s ok? Her fascination about humans fills me with concern about her Psychological condition.” His new assistant, a young unicorn with gray mane, white coat and green eyes and textbooks and a chair as Cutie Mark, Psycho Ann asked him. “Of course, I’m sure, she has the same hobby just like me. In time, you will understand what a good doctor makes, Ann.” Bon-Bon was visiting her parents on another town while the accident happened, so she knew nothing of that. A few days later, Lyra visited a concert of Octavia Melody, a new Cellist in town. The musician liked that kind of some as well as Lyre music. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Lyra heard a familiar voice next to her. Turning her head, she saw Helping Heart. “Helping Heart, you here too?” She was surprised. “Yes, I like this kind of music. May I have this dance?” He asked and they danced together. After the concert, they talked how much they had in common. “Apart from my work as doctor, I like to play music in my spare time. I tune my guitar often. And I’m also interested in humans,” Heart explained. “What a coincidence, me too!” Lyra exclaimed. Her heart beat faster as she couldn’t help but feel love and kissed him on his lips which he returned. “I love you.” “I love you too.” Unknown to them, Psycho Ann watched them without being noticed. Oh, Heart, can’t you see how mentally unstable she is? She tries to get you into her crazy mind. “So, that was how you met Heart. Had I been in town that time, I had knew sooner how you met him. I can still remember how happy you both were at your wedding.” Lyra smiled. “Yep, the happiest moment in my life. But I will never forget the day he vanished…” After a beautiful night, Lyra got pregnant. Time passed fast. “You’re going to be a wonderful father.” Lyra kissed the blue stallion. “And you a wonderful mother.” They lived in Heart’s house. He nuzzled her belly, causing the foal to kick. Then they went to bed, snuggling with smiles. In the morning, Heart woke up and got up quietly, not to wake his wife. After breakfast, somepony knocked on the door. Who could it be so early in the morning? To his surprise, it was his assistant Psycho Ann. “Good morning Psycho Ann, how can I help?” “Yes, break up with that mentally instable mare.” She was ice-cold. “Mentally instable? She’s fine, what you’re talking about?” The doctor was confused. “Don’t you see? Her ‘Hobby’ about humans is not a hobby, she’s obsessed about them!” She exclaimed. “No, she’s not! It’s just a hobby, I have it too!” He proclaimed. “For you, but not for her. You will see. I will apply that she’s get into a madhouse!” Heart’s co-worker stomped away angry. “Who was that, honey?” Lyra was awoken by the noise and came down the stairs. “Nothing sweetheart, my co-worker was just jealous, she had a crush on me before I met you.” It wasn’t a lie, Psycho Ann had a crush on him but she wasn’t his type. Bon-Bon visited them. “Hello Lyra, how is my friend doing?” “Doing well. I can’t wait to be a mother!” the unicorn exclaimed happy. “I believe you that. Thought of any names for your foal?” Heart smiled. “If it’s a filly, we name her Tootsie Flute, and if it’s a colt then…wait, we haven’t thought of any male names yet!” His wife giggled. “Who made an ultrasonic and said it’s a filly?” He blushed. “Oh…right, I forgot.” They talked how wonderful it would be and Sweetie Drops couldn’t be happier for her friend to be a mother. She couldn’t help but smile as she leaved and thought how wonderful it must be to have a child. Psycho Ann was very mad. Her request to send Lyra Heartstrings into a madhouse got rejected. There was no evidence that Lyra was mental unstable. If the law won’t help me, then I’ll do it myself! Lyra and Helping Heart were shopping as the white mare approached them. “Helping Heart! Get away from her, right now!” He groaned. “What’s the matter with you?” “What’s the matter? Your ‘wife’ is nothing but unstable! Insane! And as the law won’t help me, I’ll do it myself to open your eyes!” She threw him to the ground, storming at Lyra, the mint green mare tried to use a defensive spell but she couldn’t do it in time. Ann threw her to the ground but Lyra caught herself so the unborn foal wouldn’t suffer any damage. The white unicorn was about to punch her but Bon-Bon shouted, “You won’t hurt my friend!” The earth pony used her agent training in hoof to hoof combat to overpower the psychology doctor and pinned her down. “You ok, my love?” Heart offered his hoof to help Lyra up. “I’m okay, I managed to caught myself, so our foal isn’t hurt.” “It takes more than that!” Psycho Ann yelled as her horn lightened up and threw the agent off her and knocked the earth pony out. “Bon-Bon!” “What have you done!?” Heart was shocked at what he just saw. “What has to be done!” The white unicorn fired a spell on Lyra. “NO!” Heart threw himself into the spell. Everypony was blended by a white light as the spell hit him. After the light vanished, he was gone. Before Ann could do any harm to Lyra, Bon-Bon woke up and knocked the doctor out. Lyra looked desperate around, trying to understand what happened to her husband. “No…NO! He’s gone!” She cried. After a police officer and a royal guard arrested Lyra’s attacker, her water broke and she was brought into the hospital. Nurse Redheart and Heart’s replacement, Dr. Stable were helping with the birth of her foal. Redheart was gently holding her hoof while Bon-Bon was also here. “It’s so painful!” Lyra gasped heavily. “Push, Lyra, push!” The doctor ordered as Lyra screamed in pain louder than ever before in her life. Then the sound of a crying baby filled the room. My goodness…” The earth pony friend cried tears of joy as she gently picked the newborn up and gives it to her mother. “Congratulations, it’s a filly.” Dr. Stable smiled. “She has the colors of his father, mixed with mine. Welcome to the world, Tootsie Flute.” She looked with tears of joy and a smile at her baby. It had purple eyes. A police officer walked in. “Ms. Heartstrings, I’m here to inform you that your attacker has been brought into a madhouse as she is mentally unstable herself. We also analyzed the magic she used and it appears that he…was teleported away and it killed him.” Lyra started to cry as her friend comforted her. “Don’t cry Lyra, you’re still having me. You can life with me if you want. I’m sure I can help raising Flute.” “Thanks, Bon-Bon.” “That’s what friends are for. I see you tomorrow.” The earth Pony leaved and yawned as it was getting late. Flute also yawned and fell asleep. I protect you from all harm, Flute. Before Lyra fell asleep, she noticed a medium build earth stallion with brown coat, black mane and brown eyes walked in. As Cutie Mark he had a cigar and a glass of scotch on top of some books outside her room. He wore the uniform of the hospital security guards and his nametag showed that his name was Dust Dunes. He waved friendly. The unicorn took also notice that he stood on his hind legs for a few seconds waved his forelegs fourth and back, before getting down and starting his patrol. Unware to them all, Psycho Ann had broken out and wanted revenge. She managed to sneak into the hospital, waiting for Dusk to have his back to her. Time for Psychological Warfare. Ann used a spell on his radio, sending a feedback into it. He held his ears. “Damn it! Buck!” The stallion swore excessively begging for the noise to stop in a state of severe pain. As he was distracted by this, the mare moved closer for the kill. However, this had awoken Lyra. She wondered about the noise but panicked as Psycho Ann entered her room. “Time to end what you started! You’re responsible for his death!” She held a knife in her magic. Lyra wanted to scream but Flute awoke and her horn glowed. It levitated the knife out of Ann’s reach and threw her to the ground. Before she even knew what happened, Dusk had rushed in and cuffed her. “You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can be—Ah screws that, an insane mare like you doesn’t need rights. You’re alright, Ms. Heartstrings?” He was worried. “I’m fine. Shh, calm down, shh…” Lyra rocked Flute until she was asleep again. After that incident, Psycho Ann got brought back into the madhouse, but she died during a crash. Lyra thanked Dusk for his help, he replied that he only did his duty. While Lyra tried to keep contact with him, it broke away as he got transferred somewhere in the south near Appleloosa. Bon-Bon and Lyra lived together, the former agent helped to raise Flute well. She was like a sister to her. “Thank you Bon-Bon, for all your help. May I ask when you did become an agent?” “Shortly after I was grown up. Maybe some fresh air helps you to get your mind clear.” “Yeah, maybe.” Outside, she took a deep breath, she enjoyed how quiet Ponyville was and how everypony helped each other in the time of need. Everypony also greeted her and expressed his condolences. The unicorn thanked in return. While her walk, Flute’s friends Dinky, Noi, Ruby and the CMC crossed her way. “Hello, Lyra. We’re sorry to hear what happened to your daughter!” they exclaimed together. “Hello, girls. I know what a good friend my daughter is to you.” After that, she walked into the park and set down on a bench. Lyra let out a sign. “Oh Flute…please…be alright. I’m so worried.” Then, she suddenly felt a stinging pain in her heart, her pupils went small. “I’m…so cold…” Her daughter’s voice echoed in her head. She collapsed on the bench, crying her heart out. “No…NO! No! WAAAHH FLUTE!!! SHE’s DEAD!!”