//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 - Debt 
// Story: Lyra's Ultimate Item Emporium 
// by Thunderbug80 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 1
Debt





Lyra Heartstrings was sleeping peacefully in her warm, soft bed when opportunity knocked at her door. It did not knock heavily, nor did it knock gently. It knocked in such a way as to produce a very reasonable level of noise and, in fact, was just loud enough to wake the mint-colored unicorn from her slumber without startling her. Stretching her back and shoulders, Lyra half-opened her eyes, took a sleepy glance around her room, then promptly flopped her head back onto her pillow and went back to sleep.

It is said that opportunity does not knock twice, but in this case it did, albeit a bit more firmly than before.

Lyra grabbed her pillow in her hooves, flipped over onto her side with a swish of her tail, and pressed it firmly over her head. Although her display of dissent was admirable, there was nopony else around to see it, and she could not block out the offending noise. With a small sigh, she leapt out of bed and trotted through her house and to the front door. Despite her earlier protests, she put on a big smile as she opened the door.

"Hello!" she beamed as the door swung open. Her smile faltered only slightly when she realized that it wasn't one of her many pony friends waiting outside to greet her, but was instead a large, bluish-grey minotaur studying a clipboard. He looked over the top of the board when he noticed Lyra had opened the door.

"Good day there, pony," the minotaur said in a gravelly voice. "I, Iron Will, am looking for a Miss..." he trailed off as he quickly brought the clipboard back up. "Lyra Hate-strings." He brought the board back down and scrutinized her. "If you would be so kind as to show Iron Will to this unicorn, Iron Will would be most pleased."

Lyra scratched at her white and green mane with a forehoof. "My name is Lyra, but my last name is Heartstrings, not Hate-strings..."

The minotaur quickly looked back down at his clipboard. "Is that so?" he asked. "Well then, Iron Will will just make a quick adjustment here and... there we go. Lyra Heartstrings it is, then," he said with a satisfied grin.

"Thanks, I guess," Lyra quipped. She raised an eyebrow at the minotaur, who was staring ahead blankly and still grinning. "So, you needed to see me about something?" she queried.

"Ah, yes!" he said, suddenly coming out of his trance. He briefly glanced back down at the clipboard again before continuing. "Iron Will is here as a representative of Can't Run, Can't Hide, a collection agency working on behalf of the Canterlot Royal Bank. We have been informed that your parents have been missing for several years. Is this correct?"

Lyra's ears lowered. "Yes, that's correct," she murmured. Then her ears shot back upwards and she looked up at the minotaur excitedly. "Wait, have you found my parents?" she asked, hopping up and down gently.

"Hm? No, that's not the kind of collection we do," the minotaur replied. "Iron Will is here to inform you that due to their unexpected disappearance, in lieu of your parents, you now have the responsibility of paying off their debt to our client, the Canterlot Royal Bank. Congratulations on your new and sudden responsibility!" With that said, he clapped his large hands together and grinned down at her. "You can make your first payment now, or within a week. And please do not worry, Iron Will will make every effort to remind you each and every day when your payments are due so that we do not have to repossess your home. Any questions?"

There was an awkward silence as Lyra stared open-mouthed at Iron Will, who was smiling nervously down at the stunned unicorn. After his disaster with that assertive yellow pegasus a while back, the minotaur was quite self-conscious about upsetting his clients. Technically this Lyra Heartstrings was not his client, but it would do him no good to upset her and cause her to flee town. Despite its name, Can't Run, Can't Hide had a laughable track record when it came to reclaiming debts. It was something they preferred to keep quiet, and it was this fact that had led them to hire on Iron Will with the hope that no one would dare try to flee from him. If he couldn't even get his first target to pay up, he would have no hope of retaining his new job. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"Is there anything Iron Will can do or explain for you?" he pressed.

Lyra snapped out of her stupor and blinked a few times. After a moment, she found her voice again. "My... parents had a debt, and I owe it? But I haven't seen them in years! I didn't even know they had any debts. I don't even have that much saved up," she admitted, shaking her head. She looked back up at Iron Will. "How much did they owe?"

Iron Will's chuckle sounded like crumbling granite. "Now, now. Can't Run, Can't Hide has discovered that the best policy is to ensure that the full amount of your new debt is not revealed on the first day. It keeps ponies like you from fainting or fleeing on the spot. Tricky business, that," he muttered to himself. "What I can reveal is that the number is incredibly large, and that we will be forced to claim your home, and possibly all of the possessions within it, if it is not repaid in full in an efficient and timely manner." At the look of despair on Lyra's face the minotaur quickly added, "But we are willing to work with you to ensure that the transfer goes smoothly. And remember! Iron Will shall visit daily to ensure that you are fully aware of when you must pay. We are aware that there is nothing worse than forgetting a due date."

There were plenty of things that Lyra could think of that were worse than forgetting a due date. For example, being woken up by a large, yet strangely polite minotaur who states he's here to inform you that you owe an incredibly large mystery sum of bits that your parents failed to tell you about before they decided to suddenly and mysteriously disappear from your life. She supposed things could be worse. Besides, maybe she could just take out another loan to consolidate the debt and buy some extra time, then she could...

"Oh yes," the minotaur added suddenly. "Iron Will forgot to mention that because this debt has been outstanding for a very long time, you've been black-listed by the Canterlot Royal Bank and all banks within the surrounding territories. You should probably be aware of that."

"Arrgh!" Lyra screamed and slammed the door in frustration. She did not answer the tentative knocks that followed.

"Um, Iron Will shall return tomorrow to remind you of your due date," the minotaur shouted through the door. "Iron Will wishes for you to have a nice day!" Lyra could hear his departing hoofsteps.

What am I going to do? she thought miserably.