//------------------------------// // The flames of which we find warmth // Story: Living with the harmony // by Wafflegodman //------------------------------// (Three weeks after the move) I sat back on the park bench, my eyes closed, and a bag of popcorn in my hoofs. I could finally take a breather. "Hey Lyra!" BUCK! It was Sweetie Drops a.k.a Bon Bon a.k.a the most annoying pony on the face of Equis. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure she's a fine pony once you get to know her, but she refuses to leave me alone! I tried being nice, being rude, and even avoiding her at all costs, but she still tries to talk to me. "What do you want miss Drops?" I asked her once she made her way over to me, standing right in front of me, blocking the wonderful view I had of the winter birds. "You know I prefer you call me Bon Bon. Anyway, I just wanted to talk." She said happily. "You know I prefer we don't." I said bluntly. "Why?" she asked. The look of Concern grew on her face. "Because." I didn't even try to come up with an answer. "I don't get it! Whenever I try to talk to you, you just... I don't know... close up! Its as if you completely deny my existence!" She started ranting. "It ain't just you." I said, filling my mouth with a hoof full of popcorn. I stood up, and threw the rest of my popcorn, bag n' all, into the middle of the park, where, without a moment of hesitation, a small flock of birds concentrated, and started eating. Then I turned, and walked toward Heartstring manor, leaving Bon Bon in my wake. Cool, calm, and badass as buck... that's how I would describe myself at that moment. Heartstring manor... it was my grandparents mansion... I mean, it was, tell they both kicked the bucket. Then it, and all the bits my grandparents saved up, were mine. That is... it will be mine, but I have to live in that place for three months before I can collect. After a few minutes of walking, and checking my back to make sure Bon Bon wasn't following me, I found myself at the edge of town. About a half-mile walk following the road I was on, up hill, and I would be back home. But I didn't really feel like putting myself through that effort. Instead I opted to turn to my left, and make my way toward the 'Seedy Stable'. The place was my favorite hangout. It was a rundown, old, seedy, grimy, messy, insert synonym of the word dirty here, bar... but on the inside... on the inside it was still a rundown, old, grimy, messy, insert synonym of the word dirty here, bar... but with a small amount of class. The place was mostly empty, as it was expected to be at high noon. The tables still had chairs on them, the bar tender was still cleaning glasses, and half the lights were off. I walked over to the bar, placed a lump sum of bits on the counter, making sure the bartender had clearly seen what I had done, and once I got a nod of approval from the pegasus stallion cleaning the glasses, I reached over the counter, and grabbed a large bottle of whiskey. I took my new bottle of happiness with me over to a booth, seeing as the stools weren't out, and all the chairs were upside down, hanging off the tables. I opened my bottle of liquid bliss, and downed it. I don't know how long it took to drink that sucker, but Celestia knows that stuff was potent. I had passed out in the booth. I had woken up a few hours later. It was the dead of night, and I was being carried on someponies back. Now normally, I'd have been scared as buck, but I was too plastered to care. After a few moments of walking, me, and my foalnapper entered a house. I was unceremoniously thrown onto a couch, and then I did the only logical thing anypony would do... I fell asleep. I woke up with a splitting headache, but that was to be expected. What I didn't expect though, was the fact that I was wrapped in possibly the worlds most comfortable sheets, and my head was resting on one of the most comfortable pillows I'd ever had the pleasure to enjoy resting my head on. In front of me, on a coffee table, was a glass of water. I worked up the will to leave my cocoon of comfort, and reached for the water. I drank the liquid without hesitation. It was a cool relief, and a thankful distraction from the pain in my head. Once I worked up enough courage, I let loose a spell. My head exploded in pain, but then it all stopped. The spell I used was one I picked up from my days as a recreational raver. I called it the 'Buck I got a hangover, let's see if I can fix that.' spell. I never said I was creative. Anyway, after I got my barrings, I examined my current residence. It was colorful place. The walls were white, the carpet was white, the furniture was white, everything was the same shade of white. That being said, it struck my fancy. I was completely comfortable in this room, but then I heard the tell tale noise of cooking. I picked myself up, and ventured into the breach that is a arching doorway. Once I was through the not so imposing work of architecture, I was blasted with the smell of eggs, and oats. I would have been ecstatic, but it just had to be her. The filly that doth encase my vision ruined any hope I had of waking up, and enjoying a warm meal before I made my way home. That filly... was Bon Bon. "Hello Lyra, have a nice nap?" She asked sharply. "It was wonderful, thank you." I responded. There was no point in starting a fight with her, after all, she did give me a safe place to sleep... Luna knows where I could have ended up if it wasn't for her. "So... that's what you do all day? Sit on a park bench, eat some popcorn, then get hammered, and wait to see what happens next?" she asked. Actually, it sounded more like she was scolding me, but I didn't really care. "N... ye... occasionally." I would have argued, but looking back at the past three weeks I've spent in Ponyville, that's pretty much all I've spent my time doing. Bon Bon looked a bit taken aback, actually. I think she expected me to deny it, or at least give some kind of explanation. "And... you're okay with that? Don't you have a job, or something?" she continued asking questions. "Are those eggs for me?" I asked, trying to change the subject. "Oh, no. Not this time! I refuse to let you change the subject. You have done everything in your power to try, and avoid me, and I want to know why! Do you have some kind of personal vendetta with me? Is it my breath?!" She asked, becoming progressively more flustered the more she talked. "Fine, do you really want to know?" I asked. I decided that I'd show any amount of mercy to this poor mare, if it meant she would shut up. She nodded her head. "Because, I don't like other ponies." I said stoically. Bon Bon quirked her head to the side, as if she was confused. "That's it. No dramatic secret? No big reveal?" She asked, surprise evident in her voice. "I don't see what the big deal is." I said, taking a seat at her table. "I... you... really? You just don't like other ponies. You can't be serious?! I've approached you like, a hundred times, looking for a conversation, and each time, you just ran off. I don't believe you!" She said, getting slightly angry. "That's all well, and good, but when do we eat? I'm a bit famished." I responded. She just looked at me for a few awkward seconds. After enough time to make even herself uncomfortable, she turned around silently, and continued to cook. After a few minutes of monotonous preparation of food, she brought two plates of eggs out, and set one in front of me. She took her place across the table from me. We ate in silence. Once we were both done, Bon Bon took our plates, and placed them in her sink. "I have one question before you leave." She said. "Were do you live?" she asked. "Why?" I wondered. "Just in case I have to drag your drunk plot out of that bar again, I don't want to serve you breakfast on a daily basis." she said. For some reason, I felt slightly insulted... I should have been happy, Bon Bon was willing to finally leave me alone! But, I wasn't. "I live in the mansion... the one on Seabiscuit Hill." "Wait... your the heir of the Heartstring lineage?" She asked. "It's in my name." I answered. "Lady Heartstrings, pleased to officially make your acquaintance." I said, with a subtle bow. I'm cold, and antisocial... not impolite. She just stared at me... again. I took the time to get up, and turn toward the exit of the kitchen, then I stood there in slight confusion. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure were the exit is." I said. Bon Bon walked past me coldly, I think I rubbed her the wrong way by treating her like nothing more then an annoyance... but wasn't that what I was trying to do in the first place? "Are you following or what?" she asked hotly as she moved a few feet away from me. I responded by following, silently. We made our way to the front door of her house. She opened it for me, and I took my leave. I stopped when I was few feet away, and turned my head to the side so I could look back at Bon Bon. "Hey, Sweetie Drops..." "I would like to be called Bon Bon, thank you very much!" She said, cutting me off. "Bon Bon... thank you." I said, before continuing my way down the street toward home. The next day was uneventful. I stayed home, and fiddled with my lyre. The day after that, I spent my time drinking scotch, and listening to the classics in the observatory of my mansion. The day following that one, I made my way into town, and bought some groceries, stopping by the library to pick up a Daring Do novel. I spent that night reading it. Then it was the end of the week, and I decided I'd try my luck at relaxing in the park, like I tried to do earlier that week. I adorned my plain black scarf, and made my way to town. When I got to the park, it was a little past sunset. The air was crisp with a hint of... charcoal. That wasn't right. I scanned the horizon, and found light coming from the direction of Bon Bon's house. I took my time to get there, half because I was scared, half because I am lazy. I saw a team of fire pegasus using rain clouds to try douse a raging fire that is, or should I say used to be, Bon Bon's house. I was relieved when I saw that Bon Bon was behind a line of guards, keeping anypony from running into the raging inferno to potentially loot the place, not that there would be anything left to loot by now. I walked up to Bon Bon, who was lying on the ground crying. I gently stroked her mane. She looked up at me, and I gave her my 'I'm sorry, but this stuff happens' smirk. She went back to crying, and I stayed at her side. I may be antisocial, but I wasn't going to let a pony lose everything, and just shrug it off, and walk away. After what seemed like hours, the fire burnt itself out. Nothing was left of Bon Bon's home, but the ash on the ground. I patted her back, getting her attention. She looked up at me. I signaled for her to follow. She got up, and pressed herself against my side. I supported her weight, and started walking back to my house. "Why..." she sobbed a bit. "... are you helping me?" She asked. "Because... I'm not gonna leave a friend out in the cold." I answered in my monotone voice.