//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Original Air Date // Story: Only Human: A Lyra Heartstrings Production // by Smoking Gun //------------------------------// Only Human: A Lyra Heartstrings Production Chapter 9: Original Air Date By Smoking Gun When I was in my last year of highschool, I realized just how different I was to everybody else. When other girls would go shopping or on dates, I would marathon TV shows online. One show that had a surprising impact on me was a show called ‘Volatile.’ The show was about a weapons designer who doesn’t receive the money he needs for his wife’s emergency surgery from the government. So, in an act of desperation, he starts producing weapons for Equestria’s enemies, encountering terrorists and politicians as enemies. Without spoiling it, the character went deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. You would still route for them, despite all the selfish things they would do. He would fight terrorists, and even cops that would try and bring him in. It taught me what I consider one of the most important lessons any writer can learn. The role of villain is up to the audience. “Because...” Synergy slowly turned her head, staring over her shoulder, straight at Lyra. “You and I are long overdue for a talk.” Guess I was going to have to deal with this at some point, right? “Sure,” Lyra responded, smiling nonchalantly. “What did—” “Don’t play stupid, Lyra,” interrupted Synergy. “At least no more stupid than you have since we met.” I’m dead, aren’t I? Synergy poured the second glass of cider, waving Lyra over to her. “We’re going to be here awhile. May as well quench our thirst.” Gulping, Lyra slowly walked towards Synergy, one step for each heart beat. Eventually reaching her, she levitated her glass as Synergy picked up her’s with her hoof. “To... to what will we toast?” she asked, trying her best to sound brave. “To understanding,” Synergy said, tapping her glass to Lyra’s. “Understanding what?” asked Lyra as she watched Synergy take a sip. Pulling the glass from her mouth, Synergy looked directly into Lyra’s eyes. “It occurred to me a while ago that I may have come across as antagonistic.” No?! Synergy continued. “When in actuality, that was you.” Lyra stared blankly at Synergy, who continued to enjoy her bubbly. “H-how have I been antagonistic?” Synergy sighed. “Lyra, regardless of whether or not you were in on Bon Bon’s little ploy to get your show on the air, you still allowed it to happen. You allowed your pathetic excuse for entertainment to take precedence over the importance of others. Those are not the actions of a pony who has the best leadership skills.” It took all of Lyra’s strength to maintain eye contact. “I don’t know what you mean.” “I know you don’t,” Synergy said as she laid a hoof on Lyra’s shoulder, smiling straight at her. “But it’s OK. Before tonight is over, you’ll know exactly what you’ve done.” “What did you do?!” shouted the overly muscular customer, sitting at his table as he stared at the T.V. He turned to Ditzy, who was in the midst of serving some customers. “Turn the game on!” With all the muffins off her plate, Ditzy tucked the plate under her shoulder, and hovered in front of the angry customer. “You like games? Here’s one. It’s called ‘What Did That Mare Put in my Muffin?’” she quipped, smirking straight him. The customer slouched back into his seat. “I’ll be good.” Ditzy gazed back over at the television, where the Pub was running several ads, made up of a mixture of toy commercials and home loan pitches. At the base of her vision, were the heads of Lyra’s writing team, as well as Vinyl’s bloated stomach, which had a few extra muffins resting on top of it. “Ditzy! Over here!” The muffin mare turned to the main entrance, spotting Bon Bon smile at her as she closed the door behind her. “Bon Bon? What are you doing here?” Bon Bon stopped a few feet in front of Ditzy, glancing around the room for any signs of Lyra. “I was coming by to pick up Lyra. Is she not here?” “No, she said she had to leave early,” Ditzy said, glancing at the clock near the exit. “She’s probably there already.” “Oh?” Bon Bon glanced down at the floor, letting her mind run around a bit before looking back up. “In that case I’ll just—” “Wait!” Ditzy grabbed Bon Bon leg. “We really should talk.” “Can it wait?” asked Bon Bon. “I think that—” “Not really,” Ditzy interrupted. “Come upstairs, I really need to speak with you.” Bon Bon looked back at the clock over the exit. Sighing, she turned to Ditzy. “OK, let’s go.” Following Ditzy through the crowd, Bon Bon found herself right at the door that lead up to Ditzy and Lyra’s apartment. “Wait,” she called Ditzy, who was already half-way up the stairs. “Shouldn’t you let ponies know you’ll be away?” “You’re probably right.” Ditzy trotted back down the stairs, walked to the back of the counter and pulled up a sign from under the locked register, placing it on the counter, facing the restaurant. Ditzy returned to the stairs, leading Bon Bon upstairs. One patron stared in confusion as he read the sign on the counter. ‘Buck Off’ Closing the door behind her, Bon Bon found herself in a messy apartment, covered in loose papers, clothes, and a dead potted plant in the corner. “Is something wrong, Ditzy?” Ditzy looked back at Bon Bon, any semblance of a smile had vanished from her face. “How do you really feel about Lyra?” “I can’t say I’m a fan,” Synergy said, keeping up a smile. “Ah, you just haven’t given me a chance yet.” Lyra could feel the first few drops of sweat drip out of her forehead. Stay calm, Heartstrings. She can’t kill you in here without leaving evidence... unless the cleaning crew is in on it. “That’s the thing, Lyra. You never should’ve been given a chance.” Her continuing smile did nothing to calm Lyra’s nerve. Synergy continued. “Let me ask you a question. Did it ever occur to you to work your way up from the bottom?” Lyra didn’t answer. Not like she could think of one anyway. “I... I guess—” “Here’s a hint: the answer’s no.” Finishing her glass of bubbly, she laid the glass back down on the table. “Did I ever tell you how I started?” Lyra’s lips could barely open before Synergy continued. “I was in the mail room. I would come in at seven in the morning and pick up each letter and package, look at who they were supposed to go to, divide them up, and carrying them up the stairs. All day, everyday.” Lyra could see the nostalgia dancing in her eyes as she chuckled. “Back in those days, they still had the ‘this concludes our broadcast day’ line before it cut to static. Nowadays they just play infomercials. I never understood that move, personally. The same amount of ponies will watch them.” Lyra could feel her spine tingle as Synergy gazed into her eyes. “I’m sorry, was I boring you?” “N—” “Well take a seat, I’m not done yet.” Complying, Lyra dropped into the nearest theater seat. “As I was saying,” Synergy said as she gazed off into the distance. “After a few years I eventually became the secretary to the executives upstairs. One of my duties was to sit in on meetings and take notes, making sure every word that came out ponies mouths was recorded. Cameras and audio recorders won’t as readily available back then, even at production studios.” Synergy’s gazed down at the floor, a smile stretching across her brow. “You look happy,” Lyra said, backing as deep into her seat as she could. “I’m just remembering him.” “Who?” Synergy looked into Lyra’s eyes, smiling tenderly. “My husband, I met him back in my secretary days. He was this up-and-comer in the short-film business. He came to us with this pitch for a comedy show about cops who ended up causing more crimes then they stopped by accident. It might not sound groundbreaking, but back then, no one had ever attempted something like that before in a T.V. show.” Is... she blushing? “To this day, I don’t remember if I loved the pitch because it was a good idea, or because of how handsome he looked that day. He dressed up in spunky, navy blue blazer with his hair neatly groomed back. These days, if you look like that, you get beaten up behind the playground.” “He was the sweet one. I kept working at the Pub while he acted in whatever projects he could find. Five years later, I quit the Pub and married him. Thankfully I had plenty of money saved up.” “Aww...” Did I just ‘aww’? Synergy took a rather large sip of her drink. “One day, he comes up to me and tells me that we should start our own production company. Something where we didn’t have to live in fear of executives or focus groups and make whatever projects we want. Of course, I was thrilled at the idea, so we put our money together, started a business, and put his cop show into production, we even wrote it together.” “How’d that go?” Lyra asked. he regretted asking that as soon as she saw Synergy’s smile fade. “It failed. We couldn’t get it off the ground. People kept signing on and dropping out, production was hell, and when we finally got something done, ponies hated it. They booed the two of us out of the premier.” Lyra gulped. “I’m so sorry.” “Anyway,” Synergy continued. “We were left strapped for cash, we took odd jobs for at least three years, trying to make it by after the entertainment industry abandoned us. I’d say it was hell, except I was him. Nothing could be bad as long as he was there. Eventually dealing with losing his jobs and supporting me became too much for him.” “W... What do you mean?” Keeping her gaze aimed squarely at the huge screen in front of her, Synergy finished her glass. “Shows aren’t the only things that get cancelled, Heartstrings.” Before Lyra could form a response, Synergy hopped off her seat, and walked back to the table with the booze. “A few months later, Pub contacted me and offered me another job.” Synergy turned back to Lyra, with another glass in hoof, “As an executive.” Um.... wut? “They recognized the hard work I had done in the past, my initiative to start an enterprise of my own, and they thought it would be a way to repay me. I needed the money and... well, the rest is current events I suppose. But during my early years as an executive, I was exposed to all the mistakes I made with my husband. I had skipped straight to making the project without putting any consideration into what has to go into it, so that all the money and labour that goes into it pays off.” Is this going where I think it's going? “I’ve had an eventful life, Lyra. And even though this doesn’t apply to everything, in the world of business, you get what you deserve.” Yep. Step by step, Synergy brought herself closer and closer to Lyra, all traces of happiness were gone. “You, Lyra Heartstrings, deserve nothing.” “She, at least, deserves to know.” Bon Bon was frozen on the opposite end of the room from Ditzy, not sure what facial expression to use. “How do I feel about Lyra?” Ditzy nodded. “Yep. And I’m not letting you leave until you answer me.” Bon Bon felt her heart rate pick up as she swallowed her extra spit. “Well... I feel that Lyra’s a good girl. She’s smart, funny, a good friend. I think she’s great.” Ditzy’s expression was still and emotionless. “Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear.” She walked right up to Bon Bon, bringing them uncomfortably close together. “Do you love, Lyra?” Bon Bon’s jaw started to hurt, as it was trying desperately to hit the floor. “I’m sorry, what?” “You know what I said. Do you love Lyra?” Bon Bon started to blush. “Why would you think that I was in love with Lyra?” “Because I’m not an idiot,” Ditzy said as she turned away. She walked over to the couch and took a seat, waving Bon Bon over to join her. “And I’m certain the only one that hasn’t noticed is Lyra.” Reluctantly, Bon Bon sat next to Ditzy, not looking her directly in the eye. “Ditzy, I’m—” “Look,” interrupted Ditzy. “I just want you to listen to me. Lyra is in a fragile state right now. She’s poured her heart and soul into something that tonight could make or break. You helped her get to this point, and, you know, good job and all, but I’ve been letting Lyra go on with this without telling her what I really think.” “And what do you think?” asked Bon Bon. “That it’s going to fail,” Ditzy said, bluntly. “It’s highly unlikely that this will take off, regardless of what Lyra does. It’s the sad truth that T.V. shows fail more often than not. Am I right?” Bon Bon nodded. “Yes, that’s true.” “I let Lyra go ahead with it because it’s her life, and it’s up to her to experience it herself. And regardless of whether or not she succeeds or fails, I’ll be here for her.” “You’re a good friend,” Bon Bon said with a smile. “Yeah... it’s a shame I can’t say the same for you.” Bon Bon’s eyes shot open. “Excuse me?” “You agreed to help produce Lyra’s show. You’ve been nurturing her as a product. A means to make money and further your career.” Ditzy could see Bon Bon’s pupils shrink to microscopic size. “How dare you! Lyra’s my friend!” “For how long? What happens if the show tanks? Will she still be your friend?” Bon Bon’s breathing steadied. “Of course. Why not?” “Because Lyra cares about you too. If you just walk out that door when the show fails... it’ll break her. I’m not going to let that happen.” Bon Bon shook her head, wide mouthed for a moment. “I wouldn’t do that to her. As for how I feel... It’s complicated.” Ditzy archer her left eyebrow, staring at Bon Bon in silence until she lowered her head. “No it isn’t. I love her. It-it-it-it’s just that she sho—” Ditzy shoved her hoof into Bon Bon’s mouth. “Don’t tell me, tell her.” She removed her hoof. “Odds are that if Lyra goes down, you will too. Look, you two are both young. You both have a lot you could go on and do after this. But before any of this goes down... just tell her. Let her know she didn’t walk away from this empty handed.” Bon Bon raised her hoof, opening her mouth to speak, only for Ditzy to shove her hoof back into her mouth. “Shut up.” The two mares shared a little giggle. With the laughter faded from the room, Bon Bon stood up, trotting for the door. “Even without me, it’s good to know that she’s got you looking out for her.” Ditzy nodded as she stood up. “One last thing... Lyra hasn’t talked too much about her, but... who is Synergy?” Bon Bon sighed. “Somepony dangerous.” “You’ve made a very dangerous decision, miss Heartstrings.” Synergy said, looking down at Lyra as she stood before the sitting mare. “You’ve also been ludicrously lucky.” Sure as hay don’t feel like it now. Lyra cracked a smile. “Oh, I knew it was dangerous. Filling out those forms could’ve killed me from boredom.” Synergy sighed, rubbing her forehead with her hoof. “You are all kinds of stupid, aren’t you?” She’s your boss. She’s your boss. She’s your boss. “Let me explain to you how this should’ve gone. You start off as an intern. You work on several shows, and when you have enough experience under your belt, that’s when you come in with your idea. Not before!” Don’t sit here, Lyra. Stand up for yourself! Lyra stood up, matching Synergy’s gaze. “I took a chance. I knew the risks.” “Oh is that true?!” Synergy’s eye’s widened, her green stretching wide. “Did you stop to think how this would affect somepony like me? Or your co-workers?” Lyra opened her mouth, but no words came out. She just stood there. Synergy continued. “If you produce a bad product, everypony is effected. That includes all your friends in the writers room, those wannabe animators you picked up, Bon Bon, even me.” “How?” Lyra asked. Why do I already regret asking that? “Well, let’s see. You’re writers and animators are out of work, despite all the hard work that they all have put into their careers. Bon Bon looks bad in front of the board of directors, so she gets fired. Our stocks go down, I look bad, I possibly lose my job. Did you consider any of those factors?” Lyra was silent for a moment before speaking. “Can one show really ruin so many ponies careers?” Synergy shrugged. “Depends on how expensive the show was... and how badly it flops, which brings me back to you. All the numbers, statistic, past research, all of it points to Only Human bombing. No one can connect to these ‘humans’ of yours, they’re too different, and there’s no reason for them to tune in.” Lyra stood her ground. “It’s well written, if I do say so myself.” Synergy rolled her eyes, turning back to the champaign. “I’m gonna need more to drink.” Lyra continued. “The show covers themes that most kids shows don’t have the guts to talk about. They have the structure of adult shows.” “That’s your first mistake,” Synergy said as she poured her next glass. “Kids aren’t adults.” “They will be at some point,” Lyra retorted. “They need real plot points, the sort of things that happen in real life.” “Uh-huh.” Synergy didn’t even turn back to Lyra as she raised her glass to her mouth. “It’s true,” insisted Lyra. “For example: this conversation now is a typical hero/villain confrontation.” Synergy was suddenly perfectly still. Her glass not even at her mouth, she gently laid the glass back down onto the table. “What did you just call me? Villian?” Lyra’s heart stopped. She couldn’t blink or move any part of her body. Oh crap. Synergy’s breathing grew louder and heavier. Turning to face Lyra, her eyes were wide open, her pupils locked straight at her. “I don’t care if you bitch about me behind my back.” Synergy stepped closer. “I don’t care if your show fails.” And closer. “I don’t care, if you and Miss Bon run off and get married in the sunset!” Until she was a mere few centimeters from Lyra’s face. “But I’ll be DAMNED IF I’M GOING TO SIT HERE AND LET YOU CALL ME THE BAD GUY!” Synergy and Lyra stood perfectly still, all while Synergy was huffing and puffing. Lyra had to use her magic to keep her feet glued to the floor. “How can you look at me, a pony just doing her job, trying to make money for everypony, and call me the villian?!” Synergy sneered. “I...” Lyra could barely form words. “I didn’t mean it.” “Buck you, Lyra Heartstrings!” Lyra gasped, “I’m sorry. It’s just... You haven’t exactly been supportive of me. A pony who’s an employee of yours!” “Gee! I wonder why?!” Synergy probably couldn’t have picked a more loud or condescending tone. “You’re an arrogant child.” “I’m human,” Lyra said, loud and proud. Synergy inhaled as deeply as she could before talking in much lower volume. “You mean pony?” Lyra took step forward. “Bitch, I know what I said.” The humming sound of the projector suddenly filled the room as a light came down from the back wall, shining on the giant screen. Synergy shook her head. “Humanity is going to come crumbling down on your head. And I’m going to sit here and watch it happen.” The sound of a cough caught the two mares attention. Turning back to the entrance of the theatre, where Bon Bon was standing, glaring straight at Synergy, who was smirking back at her. Lyra could already feel her heart calm down at the site of her. “What was I interrupting?” asked Bon Bon. “Progress, Miss Bon,” Synergy said, as she took her seat. “Progress.” Bon Bon trotted down to the front row, bringing herself close to Lyra. Sharing a warm smile, the two pulled each other close. Bon Bon could feel Lyra taking slow, deep breathes, the type you take when a pony would need to decompress from something. The two quietly took their seats next to Synergy, gazing up at the footage being playing on the screen. “Coming up next,” said the television announcer. “The special time premier of Only Human! Only on the Pub!” Next: The Man in the Moon - The Volume Finale!