The final note hummed for a moment longer. She let it flow around so much so that it made her ears tingle.
‘Nailed it!’. Lyra smiled as she opened her eyes to the crowd of gathered ponies. They showed their appreciation to the music she made with polite hoof stomping and a few generous coins into her lyre case.
The Royal Canterlot Philharmonic was currently in its summer hiatus and while she received a stipend for her place in the orchestra, practice was essential. If she so happened to practice outdoors where others could not only enjoy her music but show their appreciation, then there was no harm in that.
’Good ol’ Ponyville. She said with a grin as she took the bits into her magic, giving them a light toss so they would the clatter back together.
It looked like there was enough here for lunch with a bit left over. For something sweet maybe?
As if she were there, Bon Bon’s wisdom came echoing back to her. ’Lyra, this is extra money. Extra money that can be saved for a rainy day.’.
“No rain today.” She smirked eyeing the coins as she once again tossed them. The clanking of metal sweet to her ears.
’You know exactly what I mean.’ Tisked her best friend’s voice. ’You have food at home. You could make a nice Rose Salad, even treat yourself with some lemonade.’
“Or, and follow me on this one,” She said aloud “or I could pop down to the café have a daffodil sandwich with bottomless strawberry lemonade that I don’t even need to make myself.”
’The summer Break has just started.’ nagged the voice in that tone she did far to well. ’You are going to be broke by this time next month. Again.
Lyra could almost see the hooves being crossed in that line.
“But Rose Salad is boooring.” She whined as she stomped a hoof impertinently.
Ponies now passing by tried not to stare at the crazy unicorn arguing with the open air of the gazebo, but most simply rolled their eyes. This was Lyra Heartstrings after all.
’You are going to have to move back in with your parents in Canterlot, you know what that means?
Lyra scrunched up her nose. “Curfew. Five hours daily practice,” she shuddered, “Dinner Party gigs.”
The nagging little voice affirmed with a resolute nod.
Lyra’s resolve faltered, looking at the crisp golden profile of Celestia on the small stack of bits she made today. Not much, but she has to admit, it was nice to have. But so was endless strawberry lemonade.
“Oh poo.” She glowered with a pout. “I hate it when you make sense.”
’This is good for you. Self control. I’m proud of you.’
“Do I get a cookie?” She hoped with glee at the loophole.
’....do you have any at home? groused the voice.
Her pout came back in full force. She began packing up her lyre as well as placing the stack of bits into her saddle bags. “Even when you aren’t here, Bonny, you are no fun.”
’It’s for your own good.. Bon Bon’s voice came back in from her subconscious.
“Maybe…” A sinister grin appeared in her face as she formulated a plan. “But you aren’t here…”. Using her magic she placed her lyre case over her shoulder. A pensive hoof to her chin. “So we will let fate decide.”
‘....what.’
“It’s been two days, Bon Bon and Green are bound to be back.”
’All the lectures, all the scolding, it leaves an imprint but it never sinks in.’ bemused the heedless Subconscious Bon Bon.
“If I go to the train station and they aren’t there, then I think a little treat is in order. You know, because I miss them so.”
’Real me is an enabler. That’s what it is. All talk no consequence.’
“But if they are there, I won’t! How does that sound?” Lyra paused looking toward the train station.
‘...whatever.’ grumbled the voice at it rolled over and went back to bed in the confines of her mind, wondering if she would ever serve a purpose more than an afterthought.
“Great!” With a hop of joy, Lyra trotted off toward the rail hub. She would either be there to greet her best friend and her brother, or she would soon be sipping on cool refreshing Strawberry Lemonadey goodness. It was win/win.
——————————
Ponyville Station was always busy. Ponies coming and going, from big business up the mountain in Canterlot to simply a layover to Dodge Junction. Still most other train lines skipped over it entirely. It still had the reputation of being a “hicktown” and before Lyra moved here that really did seem like it was the case.
But, the streets were quiet. The air was fresh, and rent was far more reasonable. That is if one could get past the biweekly monster attacks from the creatures that stumbled out of the Everfree Forest.
All in all though, it was the ponies that made this place great. Walking around she recognized more than a few faces in the platform.
Good old mister Waddle, was creaking his way down the steps back into town, a pair of oversized old pony glasses on his face. Must of seen his eye doctor in the city.
Written Script and Golden Harvest were likewise making their way into Ponyville. Script going on about the audits he had to review for the mayor’s office yet this weekend and Goldie just nodding and smiling. Lyra giggled a bit at how close she was pressed up against her coltfriend, letting him know how much she missed him with her desire to be near him.
It would be nice to feel that again.
Despite this, the evidence appeared to show that they were sadly, not here.
Bon Bon would have wanted a direct train from Baltimare to Ponyville, and not wanting to waste time going back up the mountain in the process.
Despite her initial reasoning for coming here, she found that she was indeed saddened by their absence.
If it was taking as long as it was, she hoped that everything was alright. Despite how scary Bonny made him seem, Green was alright. Granted she knew next to nothing about him. Still she could see that he wanted to get out, wanted to be with others, but was just too afraid or just didn’t know how.
Something she would definitely help with. But she wanted Bonny take the lead on that. It was good for her too after all.
“Well,” She said with a solemn shake of her head. “Guess I should mosey along, No Bonny or Green today, I suppose.”
Sticking her tongue out she looked to the direction of the cafè. Fate had spoken, and she was bound by oath to have sweet, chilled-
“Would you stop being a foal.” Her ears pivoted.
She knew that voice. Could it be? “You are fine.”
Coming out of the last car came a cream earth pony mare. Her expression hard and tone oh so henpecky.
“I‘m not going out there.” The baritone voice was still new to her, but she was fairly certain she knew who that was too. “I feel absolutely-” Lyra just could make out the shape of a shaggy mop of green hair before it quickly shrank back into the car as she came trotting up to them.
“Bon Bon! You’re back!” She bounced up and down, giving her best friend a hug. “Did you bring me anything?” She was kidding. Mostly. She always did like surprises though.
“Oh! H-Hey Lyra.” Bonny returned the embrace, albeit a little slower than usual. Did she actually look a little shocked to see her, and was that...worry? Naw couldn’t be.
The ding of the train bell signaled to all that the train was about to depart from the station to its next stop.
With a smile to Lyra, Bon Bon then turned to the still open door of the compartment. “You planning on going to Appleloosa? Your going to need a ticket and I am not paying for one.”
“M-maybe.” Came a delayed reply.
“For the love of!” Bon Bon snarled exasperatedly. “Nopony cares. Get out here!”
“I care! Least you got a longer tail to cover your a-Ahh! Ahh!” Any further argument was silenced when Bon Bon reached in and snatched the skittish Greenhill by the ear, dragging him off the train.
“Aww. Like a real big sister.” Lyra cooed. “seems like you guys did b-aawAHHH!” Lyra all but shrieked, drawing more attention to an already mortified Greenhill.
“Nopony cares’,huh?” Green said derisively, rubbing his ear while also shielding his uncovered body. His usual caparison uncharacteristically missing, save for a small of strip of it used as a wrap on his left foreleg.
“Nopony does, that’s not what she’s looking at, idiot.” Bon Bon said with a hiss.
While this was indeed the first time Lyra had seen Green uncovered (not bad, by the way), she was more drawn to the unmissable swollen sight of his right eye and bandaged appendage. The orb in particular was all but swollen shut and the skin around it bruised a blueish-black in contrast to his grey coat.
“What happened to you?!” Lyra said with a cringe finding her voice after a few false starts.
“I...uhm…” One hoof oddly remained to his waist while the other attempted to cover his bruised eye.
“There was a fight.” Bon Bon stepped in to speak for him as his shyness once again seemed to keep him from speaking.
“A fight?” Lyra said coming to Greenhill’s side before peering up at him. An action he attempted to block by slowly leaning away from her. “Oh jeez!” She exclaimed with a hoof to her mouth. “Does that mean he has to...you know, leave?”
Lyra saw Green physically tense up at that.
“No.” Bon Bon said raising a discerning brow to him. “Not this time at least.” Their eyes met, or at least the non injured one of his seemed to. A wordless exchange came and went between them in that moment, Lyra could tell. “It wasn’t his fault.” Bon Bon said with a sigh. “There was an…incident, on our trip.”
“Yeah?” Lyra raised a hoof to Green’s face. Examining the bruise with a hoof, an action that made Green jolt back to reality with a wince and shift away from her. “Wicked! What kind of-WAIT!” An idea coming to her, even though a tiny voice in the back of her mind threw up its hooves in defeat as she was about to say it.
“You can tell me over lunch!” She said with a happy chirp. “The cafe will have ice for that shiner, and lemonade for me-us!” Quickly correcting herself as she led the small party away from the now departing train as they made their way back into town.