Lyra lay sprawled upside down on the navy blue sofa, her head dangling towards the floor. Her eyes were half-lidded, her expression flat and apathetic.
"Bonnie, I'm bored."
Bon Bon was on the floor, counting up their saved-up bits.
"Nine-thousand nine-hundred and seventy-eight... Then do something... nine-thousand nine-hundred and seventy nine... Instead of whining... nine-thousand nine-hundred and eighty..." Lyra smiled a little at her comment. It wasn't very easy to take her seriously at times, on account of her ...accent.
"Seriously? There's nothing to do!"
"ten-thousand and forty one... ten-thousand and forty two... That's not my problem." Bon Bon flatly stated, trying to hide her irritation, along with her own boredom behind a plain face.
Lyra opened her mouth to complain again, when something occurred to her. She looked in Bon Bon's direction, noting the many jars of bits that surrounded her. What was even more astonishing was that bon-bon had only counted at least a quarter of them.
"Where did we get all this money, Bonnie?"
"Hard work, and saving." Bon Bon was very serious about the subject of money. It was the main reason they decided to share an apartment. It was the very epitome of a symbiosis; Lyra would be unable to blow her money so easily, and have a more secure financial life, and Bon Bon would not only save half-price on the apartment, but it kept her OCD busy, and in more ways than one.
Lyra eyed the plethora of coin-filled jars and containers intently. Imagine all the stuff we could buy with that? Her first thought was a pet. But Lyra being Lyra wouldn't settle for any old pet. She imagined herself and Bon Bon riding a giant, pink elephant around ponyville, to the dread and panic of it's civilians. Nah, Bonnie would flip if I even suggested it.
Another thought appeared in her mind. The thought of drinking from a gigantic chocolate rain storm, courtesy of Discord. Maybe... Though Bonnie wouldn't like the idea of bribing former-enemies of the state for the sake of indulgence. She took a second to analyze what she just said. Whoa, I actually sounded smart there. Huh. Go me.?
A third thought was cooked up, but this one was different from the two, in that it didn't involve tomfoolery nor self-indulgence. It was also more vivid. She imagined a pristine green hill adorned by a single tree. She imagined a lovey-dovey couple upon said hill, a unicorn and an earth pony.
"I got you a present, bonnie." said the unicorn, her voice was slightly shaky, yet carried an air of determination-driven confidence.
"You did? Aww, that's so sweet..."
"Close your eyes." she commanded.
"O-Okay." The earth pony did as she was told, giggling excitedly.
The unicorn opened a box pulled from hammer-space, and presented it's contents to the mare beside her. "Now open."
"Gasp! It's a ring! A diamond ring! Lyra, you're not-"
"I am. Will you marry me?"
"Yes! Yes! I will!" The earth mare screamed gleefully, as she glomped the unicorn with all the force of a moving truck.
The second Lyra realized what she was fantasizing about, she gasped, giving herself a swift smack shortly afterwards. Where the hell did THAT thought come from?
She risked a peek at Bon Bon, who was currently in her own world of filled with arithmetic and monotony. Lyra wiped the imaginary perspiration from her forehead. The last thing she would want right now is to be confronted for that thought. That strange, yet satisfying thought.
She smacked herself again.
Minutes passed, and her thoughts drifted back to her boredom conundrum. Ugh... How does Bonnie keep herself going? It's almost as if she finds counting fun or someth-
That's when it hit her. She never had fun before. In all the years she known the frail, yellow mare, she had never once witnessed her actually doing something enjoyable. Whenever Lyra tried to alleviate the problem in the past (Surfing, Bungee Diving, Trying to take over the world with an army of toys, etc), always end in Bonnie either giving excuses, or flat-out rejection. Whatever way she looked at it, Bon Bon never let loose. Not even once. Maybe I can do something about it...
"Um, hey! I have an idea! Let's go shopping!" what was supposed to be a confident voice came out as a modest squeak.
"S-shopping?" Bon Bon dropped her 19730th bit onto the floor, frozen in place. "As in go about, frivolously spending money on unneeded trivialities?" She asked, eyes twitching and mouth contorted into a maniacal grin.
So, that's where I'm getting my newfound vocabulary skills from. Sweet. Lyra thought.
Bon Bon continued her money-induced tirade. "Lyra, I work hard coordinating everything so we can save every bit we can. To so much as spend a single coin on anything unnecessary, would be a mockery to my efforts! What if Equestria suddenly had an economic breakdown? We would be ruined. RUINED." she threw her arms up into the air for dramatic effect. "Is that what you want?"
"For the love of- Bonnie, spending a little bit of our hard-earned bits isn't going to kill you. C'mon! You need to cut loose for once."
"I-I do so cut loose once in a while. Why, just three months ago, I bought two-plied toilet paper instead of single."
Lyra rolled her eyes. "Yeah. One day, maybe they'll make a movie from your oh-so-daring accomplishment."
Bon Bon gasped. As much as she didn't want to acknowledge it, she couldn't help but feel hurt from Lyra's sarcastic remark. She could feel the tears build up as she tried to come up with a rebuttal. But no words came, only barely-audible sobs.
Lyra winced. She went too far. "Bonnie..." she slid off the couch with a cat-like nimbleness, moving over next to Bon Bon. She put a hoof over the shoulder of the sobbing mare. "I didn't mean to make you cry..." She knew she should have kept a better grip on what she said. Bon Bon wasn't exactly miss confident, after all, and the many hours she spent in the bathroom sobbing over her perceived "weight" troubles were a testament to that.
"Bonnie, I'm only sayin' this for your own good. You need to let your hair down, and have fun. It's not good to keep on living like this, and I mean for the both of us." She gently wiped the tears off the sobbing mare's face as she spoke.
Bon Bon smiled a little. "...Alright. I guess I have been a little too paranoid about money..." She pulled Lyra in for a hug, before she realized what she was doing, letting her go just as quickly. "Hehe, sorry."
- - -
It was 1:55 p.m, and the train had yet to appear, which was unfortunate, considering the breezy weather.
"Wow, it sure is windy, huh, Bonnie?"
Bon Bon sheepishly nodded, while trying to keep her wallet from flying out of her mane.
Lyra watched with amusement as Bon Bon struggled against the wind. She's so cute when she's floundering around.. "Here, stand over here. The wind won't get you as much." That was a half-truth at best, but at least it would provide Bon Bon with some degree of relief.
Bon Bon did just that, albeit a little too close for comfort.
Lyra considered whether to say anything about it. "Uh, Bonnie? You're a little close." she said in what was hopefully a casual voice.
Bon Bon tensed up, face flushed and legs shaking. "Oh, uh... sorry. I didn't mean to invade your personal space."
Lyra panicked. "No! I mean- you don't have to. I'm just saying." Well done, Lyra. That won't scare her off like a filly in a forest.
Before things could get any more awkward, however, the screech of the approaching train could be heard.
"Oh, uh, you got the tickets, Bonnie?"
"Yeah, right here." She pointed a hoof to her mane, where the two golden tickets were visibly sticking out.
"Cool. And I got the bits." Lyra proclaimed, as if it were some high honor, pointing to the brown carrier bag around her neck. "Let's go, then."
As they approached the entrance to the train, a young stallion dashes through the door, accidentally bumping into Lyra.
"Oof!"
Lyra picked herself up off the ground, holding a black note book in hoof.
"Sorry. I should have been watching where I was going." the unicorn stallion apologized.
Lyra smiled. "No problem. Is this your note book?"
He rubbed the back of his head. "Hehe, yeah. Thanks." He took the took his black notebook back using his horn, and ran off.
Bon watched the whole scene with wide eyes. "That was odd. What was that all about?"
Lyra simply shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. Should we get going?"
As the two mares cantered into the train, Lyra's mind was filled with curiousity.
"Hey, Bonnie. What's a Death Note?"