Clackety-clack.
Lyra had forgotten how long she’d be slumped against the wall of the empty railcar. The seat’s plush cushions failed to entice her. The sun hung high but the stunning Equestrian vistas went unseen; the curtains drawn tight. Her neck was beginning to ache from staring at the floor for so long. She was lonely.
Issue was: looking up only served to affirm her lonesome. Even though the team’s stallions were only a car down in the engine room; that didn’t matter. One of their crew was flying just alongside the train but that didn’t matter either. Nothing short of going home and falling into her hooves would sate that nagging voice. There was no Bonnie.
With a deep sigh Lyra clunked her head back on the wall. Her eyes drifted open to stare at the dull roof. As her gaze drifted downwards she couldn’t help but stare at the dark saddlebag that lay unceremoniously on the floor. She brought it from home the day everything went south. How long had it even been by that point? A week? Lyra didn’t know.
The bag had been untouched since they set out all that time ago. Then it was ensconced in a golden glow and floated carefully across into in Lyra’s hooves, soon getting lay between her legs. It was a well kept thing, but was showing signs of age regardless. Undoing the straps with her magic, Lyra opened the flap to rummage though.
Something inside caught the light just so as shimmer lightly from within. A set of dark, wide shades emerged from the bag. Engraved right across one temple was the name ‘S.A. Sweetie Drops’. Lyra winced a little. She knew, of course, though seeing it written was unnerving.
Then, the magic carrying them flickered weakly and the glasses began to slip. Lyra was forced to catch them in her front hooves clumsily. As she turned them to face her the mirrored lenses would reveal something. Lyra was crying, a few streaks ran down her mint coat and her eyes were red. A sight that was all too familiar...
As she turned them to face her the mirrored lenses would reveal something. Lyra was crying, a few streaks ran down her mint coat and her eyes were red. How could she have done this? Bon B- Sweetie Drops had lied to her. Since that moment, the last few hours had been a blur.
A rollercoaster of confusion, rage, adoration; Lyra had been though it all. The bed was a mess, room dark, her Lyre fallen off it’s stand and a few photos lay facedown on the dresser. Now Lyra was sat in quiet sadness; mumbling soft questions into the void.
At some point Bon Bon had returned home and poked her head into the room, only for Lyra to shake her head gently; hiding her distraught face behind her mane. Luckily, Bon Bon got the message and returned downstairs. In her wake lay the offending shades. That was the first and only night they had spent apart in the same house.
Lyra hated it, the pillows just weren’t the same. They didn’t hug back. They didn’t ensconce her muzzle like her marefriend’s mane did. They didn’t have that smell of sugar and chocolate that her marefriend had. Lyra had this little game where she’d try and guess what Bon Bon had been making that day just by the aroma that lingered on her fur. They’d always giggle about it before settling in and drifting off into a dreamless sleep. Alone though, she stirred all night.
Even when the daylight came it seemed to have taken too long. “Lyra?” Bon Bon asked carefully, slowly lifting her gaze from the counter she was cleaning.
“Swee-” Lyra began. Placing the agency issued sunglasses upon the counter before being cut off.
“Bon Bon...” Lyra to twitched in annoyance. “I prefer Bon Bon.”
“Bon Bon, how much of this is real?” Lyra states dryly, sitting upon a stool across from her lover.
“Everything.” She raised a hoof as to preempt any interruptions. Then she swept her hoof across the room. “I should have told you earlier, Ly... I know. They wouldn’t have been happy but...” She said, very quickly losing whatever preparedness she had. Lyra remained quiet, gazing across counter with hard eyes. Bon Bon didn’t like that gaze, and turned to avoid it.
“That thing that attacked, yesterday? It was looking for me, Lyra. That’s why I can’t tell you!” She winced, taking in what she said aloud. “That changes now, though; it’s a bit late now isn’t it?” In a small attempt to lighten the mood she smiled at Lyra a little. It was a faint thing.
That gaze got just a little less cold, Lyra never liked being serious for too long, and she let out a dry giggle. “Yeah, yeah I guess it is. But it’s been so long...”
“I know, Ly Ly... but you know this wont change anything. I wouldn’t let it.” Having heard Lyra’s weak laughter Bon Bon’s tone was jovial and her eyes softened.
“What do you mean? I find out my marefriend is being hunted by Celestia knows what creatures because she’s a badflank secret agent! How can you say things wont change?”
“Because I still love you, Lyra.” Bon Bon let that line sink in. It was true, of course. It was that mere fact that shaped their lives. Not what they did for work. Everything else came second. “I’d leave the agency if you wanted! They’re like family to me but for you, Lyra, I’d give it up.” She wore that smile still, but the idea of leaving had physically made Bon Bon wince.
“I’d never want that!” Lyra blurted. “I can’t take you from it! If it means that much to you. That would be like asking me to stop preforming with Octavia.” That frigid tone was fading too and Lyra allowed herself to meet her partner’s small, loving smile. Despite the deception, hurting Bon Bon was out of the question.
Seeing Lyra smile again, as little as it was sent a tingle though Bon Bon. Knowing she’d keep the job too it made her face all the brighter. “If I stay with then I promise nothing will come between us...” There was one soul thing that would have to change though and there would be no avoiding it. “Although, you’d have to train with me from now on. It was lonely doing it without you.”
“Wait! You can’t just drag me into this, you said things wouldn’t change. I’m a busy mare too you know!” Lyra had used that line a lot, mainly for dodging chores around the shop and the like to go and practice her music upstairs. “What makes you think I want to be part of this?” Slowly, Lyra sounded more like herself.
Bon Bon took pause. The real reason of course was, with the secret out, Lyra needed some training too. Just incase. She knew that extra labor wouldn’t mean a thing to her partner though. Then, finally turning back, Bon Bon had a little smirk that Lyra knew all too well. “Well you’d get to see me in spandex.”
Suddenly, the railcar got a little bit hotter and the reflection in the shades a little redder. Lyra blinked a few times and shook her head. At some point, during her rumination, the tears had stopped. Lyra wasn’t sure exactly when. Still, the empty passenger car was a lot lonelier than her own headspace was. The two normally loud ponies up in the engine room had been dead silent too.
Lyra laid the glasses to one side, taking one last glance at them before turning her attention back to the bag. Her hoof wanders inside and it’s contents rattle about within. Then, her hoof had caught something. Or rather something had caught her hoof. When she pulled back, all that came with it was a length of rope tangled about her leg. With her horn alight, she tugged at it more.
There was a deceptive amount of rope within such a small bag but with one final tug it finally yielded. At the end was a steel hook, it was chipped and scratched; evidently having seen much use. She took the hook in her magic, it was weighty and oh so familiar. She remembered the first time she held it.
Lyra took the hook in her magic, it was weighty and oddly intimidating. Today was meant to be her rest day from lyre practice (the 4th one that week). But instead Bon Bon had insisted on some ‘emergency training’. She hadn’t known till she came back from playing at a wedding that it had been arranged at all. She had come home and found naught but a hoof written note behind the counter.
Orpheus,
Sweet Apple Acres north grove after sundown. Ensure you’re not followed. This is a drill. Bring nothing with you.
Burn after reading.
- SA. SD
P.S. I left dinner on the stovetop for you xxx
Lyra was the one who suggested that code name, it made her giggle reading it. After cleaning off her dinner at a rather alarming rate she head for Sweet Apple Acres. There was still time to spare though before sunset, so she thought it appropriate to stop by Sugar Cube Corner for dessert. Also some post-dessert snacks.
Sundown came and Lyra trot though the trees. During the first few ‘training exercises’ she’d found the orchards at night unnerving. This time was different though, as she happily sipped at her post-post-dessert milkshake. Somehow things were becoming the new norm. Slowly. Try as she might though, she couldn’t spot Bon Bon anywhere and could only hear the soft rustling of leaves.
However, the wind was still. Lyra slowly came to a halt, listening. The rustling ceased too and as she peered out into the darkness of the woods there was a faint warm tingle across the back of her neck...
“Boo.”
“AHHHHHH!” In mere moments, Lyra had jumped from where she was, scampering off behind a tree. In her panic, she had forcibly launched her milkshake into the night sky. From the other side of the tree she could faintly hear some angelic gigging. Of course... “Bon Bon, I lost my shake!”
When Lyra came out of hiding to scold her marefriend further she was met with a darkly dressed Bon Bon, suspended from her waist by a rope that disappeared off into the tree line. Upon her face was a smug little smirk, a straw hanging from one side of her mouth. The straw to the shake she had deftly caught. Any complaints were swiftly dropped as she took in the spectacle. Up till that point the lessons were merely where to run to and codenames and the sort.
“You shouldn’t be drinking those anyway.” Bon Bon responded, arms crossed midair. After a moment she reached behind her and dropped to the ground with a practiced landing. “I’ll make it up to you, though.” There was an playful tone in her voice as she turned tail to a nearby bit of brush.
“Oh come on it’s my cheat day I’m allowed to treat myself a little!” Lyra protectively quaffed the rest of her drink. Just to get it tucked away safely of course. If it weren’t for the bright pink streak in Bon Bon’s mane Lyra would have lost her right there. Ever since the truth came out Lyra had been introduced to many new gadgets... they were her favorite part. That pitch black suit was a new one.
“Well if you’ve had your treat today... I guess you don’t get to play with these.” Bon Bon casually slides a long hard case from the brush, smirking lightly as her hoof brushes the latch open. Within were two speargun looking contraptions that Lyra recognized in an instant. For once in her life, Lyra was wordless, reaching for the case... only for it to be snapped shut. “Always next time.”
“Are those grapples... like the one you... at town hall.” Bon Bon only nodded mischievously.
After a good few moments, she finally opened the case again as well as producing a roll of rope and a few more hooks. “I said you could play with my toys sometime, didn’t I?”
It took a good while to calm Lyra down after that long enough to get her to listen. Bon Bon had to physically keep her away from the gadgets pressing her hoof lightly into Lyra’s chest. Much to the unicorn’s dismay there was a lot of safety preparations.
“No, it clips around your barrel here, should be further up than a saddlebag...” Bon Bon said, as sweetly as she could. Though a small vein on her forehead betrayed her disposition. Even the simpler of tasks proved confusing for Lyra, such as tying a harness. “How do you even dress yourself, hun.” Bon Bon had resorted to tying it herself. She leant over her lover and gave the rope a firm tug, maybe a little harder than needed.
Lyra let out a strong wheeze as the air was all but squeezed out of her body. “Does it need to be that tight?” She asked with quite the strain to her voice.
“You get used to it.” Bon Bon giggled sweetly before finally releasing her mare. She wordlessly picked her grappling gun from it’s case and slung it across her back. Then she presented one to Lyra with an encouraging nod. Upon inspection however, Lyra found it lacked the same strap that Bon Bon used to place it on her back. “That’s a unicorn one, you lot always have it easy.”
“Hey I can’t help it!”
Bon Bon only snickered in reply. “The hook clips here, you feed a the rope though here...” After some careful guiding, Bon Bon turns away and lowers her rear, pointing the grapple upwards. “Point and shoot.” Naturally, Bon Bon had done it flawlessly, wrapping her rope around a tree branch it and held tight.
Then it was Lyra’s turn, she was confident. Of course. Point and shoot. She didn’t even need to crouch to angle it. She pointed the gun at the highest strongest looking branch she could and took the shot. The device popped quite loudly and the hook soared into the dark of the canopy. There was a soft thud and the rope was still slack. Lyra had to squint to see where it went and it was hard to spot in the dark, she caught a glimpse of metal right in front of her though.
THUNK
Even thinking of that day hurt. Naturally Bon Bon was hysterical. There wasn’t that much blood all things considered. Lyra let the equipment fall by her side as she carefully ran her hoof across her mane. There was a little scar from that day, buried deep within the mint locks atop her head.
It took a moment, but Lyra slowly clambered to her hooves. She’d been down on that unaccommodating floor long enough for the sun to begin it’s decent. Her back clicked painfully and her hooves felt akin to radio static. Once she found her footing, the remarkable scenery began speaking to her a little.
The little mark that lay on her skull after that little accident never upset her, though. Did more good than harm really. Bonnie was there to help, after all. After getting patched up the next few days were heavenly, lots of bedrest and the greatest sweets to keep the blood sugar up. Even before finding out, Lyra always loved that her partner was a mare of action. She cared, and would assist at any cost, even if most ponies never saw it.
Then Lyra broke her gaze from the window, looking down at her hoof, inspecting it like it wasn’t her own. It was dirty, matted with grease and her fetlocks were worn. It served as a grim reminder Bonnie was missing and it made Lyra grimace. This time was different, there’d be no bedrest and snacks. She was the mare of action now. All because she had a reason to be.
One half of her face turns up in the smallest of smirks, producing one last item from the bag.
Lyra pressed the single, large button on the side of the device. As she did, a set of identical devices lit up on the desk in perfect synchronicity. It was almost mesmerizing watching for her, watching the lights flicker across the darkened bedroom. The last time she’d laid eyes upon that sort of magical apparatus was back in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. She had never done well with enchantments or the like.
“Now go ahead, speak into it.” Bon Bon said softly, snapping Lyra from her contemplations.
Lyra raised a skeptical eyebrow, before leaning closer to the device. Speaking to it like one like one would speak to a plant. Hushed and unnecessarily close. “Uhh, hello?”
Her own voice then echoed from the other devices. Like one of those cup-and-string devices from pre-school, but this one was crystal clear; and string-less. “Whoa...” There was a long pause before she let out a rather cheery squeal. “Awesome! These must be like crazy new! We must have one in the shop!” She threw the device up in her magic, catching it again excitedly.
The next celebratory throw was cut short, however as Bon Bon snatched it out the air. “And they are very expensive, Lyra.” She says sternly, before placing the radio down with the rest. “These 3 are the only ones issued for use this side of Canterlot.”
“Oh...” Lyra’s magic slowly fades from around her horn with a defeated sigh.
“We can keep one up here though, if you’d like.” Bon Bon said, face brightening lightly, nuzzling into Lyra’s side. “I can use it to drag you out bed after you sleep in.” She giggled knowingly.
“Bon Bon...” Lyra whined sarcastically. Her partner’s laugh soothed any complaints she would have made about such an arrangement. These little gadgets, Bon Bon’s little side job - Lyra didn’t mind it anymore. It was part of her life. Part of their life. She laughed herself, giving a nuzzle back.
"You're getting off lightly. All the really fun stuff I could torture you with is back at HQ in Canterlot."
For the first time in a while, everything felt right for Lyra. She took in the scent of her Bonnie, nuzzling up and behind her ear. She could feel her warmth, those toned muscles that somehow remained despite all the confectionary. She was hers. The Bon Bon or Sweetie Drops to her Lyra or Orpheus. It didn’t matter none in that moment.
Her chest fluttered and her stomach felt fuzzy. Just like the time they started dating. That honeymoon-esque life that just seemed to infect every part of her; brightening every aspect of her existence. After noticing she’d not said or done anything in a good few seconds she just snickers to herself. “Love you.”
Her radio was set with the rest of the gear on the plush seat. Every last piece was nametagged with ‘Sweetie Drops’. Looking at it now was different though. Instead of that pit in her stomach forming, reminding her of what’s lost. It was an uplifting reminder of why she goes on. For Bon Bon. She’ll get her back.
The glasses raise from the seat now, ensconced in a golden aura. When Lyra gazed into their mirrored lenses, all she saw this time was her own determined smile staring her back. It may have been Bonnie’s name on them, but for the time being, they were hers. She wasn’t planning on keeping them forever.
She closed her eyes and brought the glasses closer, the hard nose pads resting neatly on her snout. They were oddly cold to the touch. She had never been allowed to wear them, so she took time in opening her eyes, it almost felt criminal. When she did though, the train was notably darker and the glare had been taken off the windows from the swiftly setting sun. The outside looked different to her, and no doubt she looked different from the outside. She felt like a new mare.
Even the grapple felt right in her magic, as she picked that up next and it soon finds itself rested across her back. The radio drops back in the worn saddlebag with a dull thud. Soon that too was attached to her, strapped tight around her lower barrel. Bon Bon had prepared her for all this... she subconsciously tightened the strap again.
One last glance outside would reveal the sun pushing the horizon, draping the car in a rich orange - muted by her shades. In the glass she saw herself in full now. She didn’t like what she saw particularly; except that confident grin and gnarly shades. She’d have to ask for a pair once she can. The comfortable silence wasn’t to last however. The door latch of the carriage behind clicked open behind Lyra, drawing her attention.
Out stepped a light grey pegasus, looking at Lyra with a soft tilt to her head. “Nearly there, Lyra.” She sounded relived by that, she’d been flying for a while. Though she looked a little bewildered by the look upon Lyra’s face. “Are you okay, Ly?”
Lyra merely nodded, her eyes narrowing behind those shades. “Ready.”