“Hurry Lyra, hurry. The sun is setting. These woods aren’t safe once the sun sets.” The cream colored mare pulled on the sea green hoof desperately, trying to get her to move faster. “Please, I know you’re hurt but it’s not much further, please hurry.”
The sea green mare looked at her, breathing heavily and stumbling a little as Bon Bon tugged at her hoof in an attempt to get her to move quicker. Trying to pull herself up Lyra froze as a loud roar echoed through the trees. Clutching the beige hoof that held hers, she lowered towards the ground and began shaking violently.
“I know you're scared but the cave is right over there, just past those trees.” The mare leaned down and nudged her friend. She kept nudging her harder and harder, almost as though she was trying to roll her companion along the forest floor to the cave until the unicorn rose shakily. Placing herself behind Lyra as she rose, she began to push her forward with a bit of urgency as the sound of snapping twigs and branches reached her ears. “It’s not much further and then we can rest and let you catch your breath.”
Lyra stumbled forward and was caught by her friend as she quickly moved forward to her side. Offering a sheepish grin the off-white mare let her friend lean against her, taking some of the weight off her friend’s right foreleg. A trickle of blood ran down the leg and splashed on the ground as they limped to the cave leaning against each other, entering just as rain began to pour down and soaking the ground almost instantly.
“We made it Lyra, now we can rest here for the night. If you're up to it in the morning we can...” The earth pony trailed off. “I don't know what we can do. Your father is probably not far behind and even if he isn't, where could we go? Were would be safe for us?”
As Lyra placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder she nuzzled her. Her eyes held the earth pony’s with a loving gaze as she pulled her into a half hug. Moving herself around, she got in front of her friend and took both her hooves in her own and placed her forehead against the earth pony’s. They sat in silence for a moment before sharing a tender kiss.
As the kiss broke the earth pony spoke up again. “You’re right, one step at a time. For now we need to rest.” She was greeted with a smile as they pulled close to each other, huddling together for warmth. Slowly the world faded from their minds as their tails entwined and they drifted off to sleep.
~ ~ ~
Bon Bon slowly stirred, the crust around her eyes cracking as she peeled them open. She felt warm, warmer than she had felt in awhile. Sighing she turned her head to look at Lyra and froze. Bolting to her feet she looked around in a panic for a moment before she saw her and a small bed of needles next to a small fire. The sound of her hooves echoed of the cave walls as she slowly made her way to Lyra’s side. “Lyra, LYRA.” A small stirring caused her to breathe a sigh of relief.
Taking a seat beside Lyra, Bon Bon noticed she had some leaves sticking to her coat and what looked like a herbal balm on some of her bruises. Tracing a hoof over the leaves that trailed down Lyra’s leg, she shuddered as the face of the stallion who had done this to Lyra flashed across her mind. She shook her head, they were safe, they had to be; If they weren’t safe, then what was the point of running? They had run to escape-so if they hadn’t... Her thoughts trailed off. Poking at the leaves, she watched as another balm leaked out from around the edges of the leaves.
The smell of mushrooms assaulted her nose as she breathed deeply and was quickly followed by the roaring sound of her own stomach. Glancing around she noticed a pot next to the fire. Steam wafted from around the lid, dancing on a gentle breeze that flowed through the cave. Gingerly she approached the pot and saw a bowl and spoon beside it with a note. Taking the note gently, she moved to let the light from the early morning moon that shone through the cave entrance light the words.
To my guests
I have taken the liberty of dressing the unicorn’s wounds and fixing a meal. Please enjoy the meal, it is a mushroom soup made from the wild mushrooms around these parts. Try not to wake your friend: her injuries are quite severe. Once you have finished, meet me in the glade that you can find through the back entrance of the cave.
Your benefactor
Moonlight Strings
Bon Bon furrowed her brow and turned back to the pot. She gently lifted the lid and made her decision based on the sounds her stomach made as the smell wafted into her nose. She served herself a heaping portion of the divine smelling soup and dug in fervently. She wasn’t sure if it was truly as good as it tasted or if the several days of traveling without supplies made it taste better but it was to her at that moment the greatest thing to have ever passed her lips.
Putting the bowl down and sighing contently, she turned to the back of the cave. The blackness seemed frightening but it also looked welcoming. Like a dark room you knew could be scary but some part of you knew it was actually safe. She got up and took a deep breath before trotting into the black recesses of the cave. Time seemed to stretch on and on the further she went until she noticed a small speck of light. Almost as quickly as she saw the light she found herself in a moonlit grove.
Glancing around she saw herself surrounded by high stone walls on all sides with a single hole leading back the way she came. A small pond sparkled in the center of the glade with a tiny island in the center. The air was still but filled with warmth; a few trees around the backside of the pond. A silvery white stallion with a black mane and a silver harp for a cutie mark sat at the edge of the pond, staring into the night sky.
“Glad to see you are awake, I was a little worried at first.” The stallion lowered his head and turned to look at his guest. “As you can guess, I am Moonlight Strings. I live here. Please, come take a seat. It’s very peaceful and calming here by the pond.”
Bon Bon hesitated for a few seconds. Who is he, why is here, what does he want and other such questions swirling through her mind before approaching slowly. Bon Bon took a seat next to the pond a safe distance from the stallion and looked him over out of the corner of her eye. The first thing she noticed was a scar that sat just behind his withers, a line of baldness with a jagged pock mark in the center. Turning her head she looked closer at the stallion, her curiosity piqued. The silvery stallion sat with an air of sadness, his gaze fixed on the heavens above, the corners of his mouth curved up only slightly but a white spot near his cheek gave the appearance of a frown regardless of the position of the corner of his mouth. His eyes though, they were colorless, not even a pupil. She found that the longer she looked at them the more the white color seemed to shift around the spectrum of whites, showing her shades of white she didn't know existed.
“Please, it’s impolite to stare. ” Moonlight’s tone was slightly amused and whimsical as he spoke; a slight lyric quality about it. “The least you could do is tell me your name if you’re going to stare so forcefully.”
Bon Bon blushed slightly, realizing that she had probably been staring at him a little longer than she thought. “My name is...” Bon Bon hesitated. Was it safe to let him know? “Bon Bon. My friend is Lyra.”
Moonlight Strings chuckled slightly. “She’s more than that. The way you two were sleeping together told me everything that you didn’t.” He turned his strange white eyes on Bon Bon and she felt as though he saw everything.
“Please, we didn’t mean—” Bon Bon was interrupted as he waved his hoof.
“Do not worry, I do not judge other ponies on such trivial things. Once long ago I might have but...but after it happened to me, I learned a valuable lesson on that matter.” The silvery stallion shifted his shoulders and hung his head, his ears drooping down for a moment before he sat straight again. “You and your friend are safe here. Rest awhile, gather your strength and heal your wounds; I will watch over you.”
Tilting her head to the side Bon Bon let a small grateful smile show. “Thank you, that’s very kind- but why? Are you really okay with us and...and how we are?”
“Bon Bon, I have seen many things in my years, a great many things; and if there is one thing I’ve learned it’s that everypony deserves a chance no matter how they may think or who they may love, and I believe you and your friend need that chance more than most ponies.” The stallion hung his head low and sighed before looking up at the starlit heavens. “As long as you remain here I will protect you, so rest and know you have nothing to fear from me.”
Bon Bon nodded slowly and headed back the way she came to check on Lyra. Her thoughts lingered on the strange stallion and she glanced back. Pausing and shaking her head she glanced around, unable to see the stallion anywhere in the glade. With a small shiver she turned and trotted briskly back towards her love.
~ ~ ~
Bon Bon turned away from Lyra who had at long last fallen into a peaceful sleep. The last hour and half had seen to a few new bruises forming on her creamy coat as Lyra had tossed and turned. Looking around the cave, she sighed. “Is this really what our life has come to, hiding out in caves from the monsters of our past?” Turning, she looked towards the back of the cave and stared. “And Moonlight, what is it he wants? No one is ever as kind as him without wanting something in return.” The sound of her hoofsteps caused Lyra to twitch slightly and reach out into the empty air before relaxing again.
As Bon Bon exited the cave she saw Moonlight Strings in the same place as the first night. He looked small and fragile; a sadness seemed to roll off him and ripple the water of the lake, distorting the reflected moon. She approached him slowly, watching him closely and warily. “Good evening Moonlight.” She spoke quietly, unsure if he could hear her.
“It is, isn’t it. What brings you out here tonight?” He lowered his head and turned to look at Bon Bon.
“I...I couldn’t sleep. Lyra had another nightmare and I can never sleep well after she has one.” Bon Bon teased the water with her hoof as she spoke. “We have been through so much, it feels almost unreal here. I can’t explain it, but being here puts me at ease, like I know everything will work out in the end if we stay. It’s something I don’t think I have ever felt before and at the same time I know we can’t stay here-I know we need to keep moving. We need to find a place to call home.”
Moonlight nodded and turned back to the moon. “Isn’t that all anypony wants? A place to call home, a place where they can live in peace and without fear. I am glad you feel safe here and glad you understand you can not stay. I don’t often get visitors out here so it is disheartening to think you will leave someday though I am used to being alone with my thoughts.” Moonlight turned to look back at the cave. “As for your friend, I think she will be fine. She has you after all.”
“Can I ask you something personal, Moonlight?” Bon Bon turned her head to Moonlight as she spoke hesitantly.
“Feel free, I have nothing to hide.”
“Why do you live out here? Why don’t you find a village or something? This forest, it’s not the safest place in the world.” Bon Bon waved her hoof to the glade and beyond as she spoke. “There’s a whole world to choose from out there, why stay here?”
Moonlight sighed and looked back to the island briefly before resting his gaze on the moon. “I have lived here for a very long time as there is no place for me in the world anymore. This glade is all I need, it has the most perfect view of the moon in all the land. It holds a great many memories for me as well. There is no place I would rather stay than here.”
Bon Bon looked about the grove, taking in the strange beauty it held in the moonlight. She felt odd looking at it, almost like the place held a great weight, as if something terrible had happened here, something that tainted what would otherwise be a happy place. With a shake of her head she turned back to Moonlight. “What does this place mean to you, exactly?”
Moonlight’s mouth turned up in a half smile and he chuckled. “That is an old and long story Bon Bon, older than you can imagine. It is long and old and terribly sad. Maybe someday it will be told... but not tonight. I think it’s time you return to her side. She needs you more than you know.”
Bon Bon opened her mouth to press the question but paused. “You're right, I should be by her side. Thank you again for your kindness, Moonlight; it means more to us than you know.” Bon Bon turned and made her way back into the cave as Moonlight turned his gaze back to the moon once more.
“I miss you so much, my love. They remind me of us in some ways.” He smiled and sat back, staring up at the moon, unmoving and unflinching as a single tear rolled down his cheek.
~ ~ ~
Lyra sat, leaning against the stone wall behind her. A gentle golden glow held her bowl and spoon as she ate the stew that had been made for them by their mysterious benefactor. Bon Bon sat by the cave entrance watching the night sky through a small gap in the trees. Lyra had fewer bandages on but she had yet to recover completely. Bon Bon had begun thinking of where they should head next, compelled by something neither of them understood.
Standing, she turned to Lyra. “Well, shall we go take a dip, clean up a bit? It’s been nearly two weeks since your last bath, Lyra.”
Lyra shook her head up and down slowly and rolled onto her side. She waited patiently for her lover to approach and help her to her hooves. Leaning heavily against her companion, Lyra limped along beside her as they slowly made their way towards the back entrance of the cave.
“If he’s there Lyra, be nice. He is offering us his home while you recover. He might be a little strange but he is friendly enough so don’t worry about him doing anything to you. If he does, I am right here with you and I will stop him.” Bon Bon felt Lyra nod as they stepped into the glade.
Lyra immediately locked her gaze on the stallion, tensing up and shrinking against her earth pony support. The stallion turned to look at them and smiled warmly before getting up and heading to the side and laying down under the shade of a small overhang. He gestured to the pond with his hoof, the smile never leaving his lips. Lyra watched him intently as they made their way to the pond, shrinking closer to Bon Bon the closer they got to the stallion, her eyes never leaving him.
“Lyra, be nice and don’t stare. He won’t do anything to you.” The beige earth pony helped her mint colored companion ease into the water and she seemed to melt a little as the cool waters washed over her healing wounds. “Like that, don’t you Lyra?” Bon Bon chuckled and stepped in beside her friend. Turning back, she noticed the stallion had vanished from his spot. It unnerved her a little but a playful splash from Lyra knocked the worries from her mind.
As they finished playing and cleaning, the stallion returned. A small satchel held in his teeth, he motioned to a moonlit spot. Lyra eyed him warily until he set the pouch down and pulled out a small silver lyre. Taking a cross legged position, he strummed a few simple chords. The sound was crisp and clean, echoeing in the glade hauntingly. Moonlight Strings watched Lyra’s reaction closely as he strummed the simple chords. Slowly, the chords grew more and more complex, taking on a more soothing feel.
Lyra eyed him cautiously as he played, a look of slight awe in her eyes accompanied the small amount of fear. Slowly, she rose from the pond, her head swaying slowly to the music as it teased the glade; creating the feel of gentle breeze about the ponies therein. The sounds were gentle and soft, like a mother’s touch, bringing to Lyra’s mind the happier moments before her father had become the monster she now feared. Bon Bon followed Lyra closely as she eased across the glade, floating along towards the source of the soothing tune.
As he finished, Moonlight gently placed the lyre on the ground and nudged it towards his audience. Looking at the lyre and Moonlight quizzically, Lyra gave the lyre a few pokes causing the owner to nod smiling. Grasping the lyre in a golden glow, she shifted to mimic the stallion and plucked a few notes. Her eyes closed and a smile graced her lips as she started playing with more confidence. The tune was slightly energetic and spoke of love and crushes.
Bon Bon watched wistfully as Lyra strummed the lyre, lost in the element that had been denied her for months. The stallion quietly pulled a few containers from the bag along with a few leaves, watching the sea green unicorn closely as he spread balm on his hooves and gently rested them on a healing scar upon her side; pulling back as the music twanged discordantly with his touch upon the mares side. Holding still, he waited for the music to start again-this time the chords spoke of strength and bravery. Smiling, Moonlight eased his hooves against the scar as the music continued with only the slightest pause in response to his hooves.
Bon Bon took a seat beside her lover and rested a head upon her shoulder with a sigh. The grove grew still, the sound of a lyre echoed hauntingly from the walls, barely heard over the sound of the chords that birthed them. The silver stallion worked slowly and methodically on the green mare, caring for each bruise and cut with a gentle and caring hoof. Lyra slowly eased into a softer, more soothing tone as he worked, her body relaxing as the music changed. As Moonlight finished, he wiped his hooves on the grass and closed his satchel.
“There, all done.” He smiled at Lyra. “You play beautifully, reminds me of a song I once played for somepony special.” His face grew dark and distant for a moment, causing Lyra to pause. “Please, continue. Iit is a beautiful piece and I would love to hear it through to the end.” He smiled again but the warmth was gone-it now looked slightly hollow.
“You must have loved her dearly Moonlight.” Bon Bon kept her head on her friends shoulder with her eyes turned to the stars above as she spoke softly, barely heard over the melody of the lyre.
The hollow smile flickered briefly before the silvery stallion hung his head the grove seemed to whisper as he spoke up. “More than anything in this world. The times were different, and our love was forbidden. I was a lowly entertainer, not worthy of her love.” Moonlight turned his eyes to the night sky. “I was given it regardless-but it cost me dearly. My family and those I deemed friends turned against me for my supposed transgressions.They did everything they could to keep us apart, and I let them. It caused so much pain and suffering, all because I was weak. Never let anypony tell you that you can’t love each other. No matter if it’s because you’re both mares or because your caste is different; love does not know these bounds and never let anypony make you question that.” Moonlight sighed. “Never let those around you destroy what you have found in each other.” His voice was barely a whisper as he spoke the last sentence, his eyes fixed on the moon.
Lyra placed a hoof on the scar behind his wither and traced it gently, causing him to tense for a moment. Looking at the sky and back to him, a lone tear rolled down her cheek as she embraced him. Bon Bon sat stunned as Lyra hugged Moonlight comfortingly. She watched as tears dripped from Moonlight’s cheek and ran down Lyra’s, mingling their tears together. As the tears flowed, the plip plip sound of a gentle rain began; an early morning sprinkle to accompany the tears of the two ponies.
Slowly, Lyra released Moonlight and picked the lyre back up. The sound of the lyre’s soft and gentle song echoed gently in the glade as the silence between the three settled comfortably and watching the stars they drifted off.
~ ~ ~
Lyra awoke in lovers arms, back in the cave, the lyre resting a legs length away. She saw no sign of the strange stallion from the glade. Her mind wandered back to him and the scar. She could feel the muscles toned for flight underneath his skin when she touched his shoulder. It made her think about how cruel some ponies could be when they thought they were right and another was wrong. Her hoof found its way to the scar on her neck that was still healing and would most likely never heal completely.
Her father had taken away the voice that had drawn in Bon Bon simply because he believed it wrong. The years of torture under the guise of fixing her that followed would haunt her forever...but now she felt safe. Something that she hadn’t felt for a very, very long time. Not just because Bon Bon was close but because of that stallion. That was stranger still. How could she feel safe, comfortable even, around a stallion after what her father did? There was something about him though, something sad and lonely.
Pulling herself out of Bon Bon’s hooves she picked up the lyre and trotted out of the back of the cave. The stallion sat in the same spot by the side of the pond again, in the same position, looking at the same spot in the sky. The way he sat and looked made her shiver, not from fear but because it looked off, like he was staring at something that wasn’t there. She approached slowly and sat next to him.
“Good morning, I hope you slept well.” Moonlight spoke without turning his head.
Lyra nodded and turned to look her protector over. She could see years of scars hidden beneath his fur and the freshest set being where she believed wings to have once been. Her eyes snapped to his as she heard a chuckle.
“Sad isn’t it? I had the sky stolen from me because of who I loved, much like how you had your voice stolen. Before you ask, I noticed the scar when I first bandaged you. Was it your father or was it someone else?”
Lyra nodded and shook her head sadly as she traced the word “father” with her hoof on the dirt below her. She felt Moonlight’s gaze fall on her for a moment before it left.
“Betrayed by blood, the worst kind of betrayal. It’s also the hardest to forgive, if you can ever forgive them.” Moonlight's tone turned bitter and he spat. “A curse upon my family and your father for their deeds. No pony has the right to step in the way of love if it be true. Lyra, never let them tell you that your love is wrong, I can see the way you two look at eachother and it is wonderful.” He placed a hoof on her back. “Never let anypony get in between you and Bon Bon.”
Lyra nodded and stood, turning away from the stallion before turning back and rushing over to give him a quick hug.
Moonlight returned the hug with a smile. As they separated, he looked at Lyra. “Could you do me a favor? Play me that song again before you two leave. The soft one, it was...nostalgic.”
Lyra nodded and took a seat, taking the lyre in her magic as she began to strum the strings with her hooves. Closing her eyes, she let herself get lost in the song again. Memories of happier times playing across her mind fueled the song as she put her emotions into the strings. The sound of hoofsteps made her open her eyes to an approaching Bon Bon. Turning back, her eyes widened for a second before she started crying quietly.
Bon Bon quickened her pace. “Are you okay?! What’s wrong?”
Lyra nodded towards the island. Bon Bon watched as the sunlight slowly streamed over the edge of the rock walls, revealing a lump of stone. Bon Bon squinted, trying to see what it was. She could make out a set of wings and an equine body, set against a moon. Time had worn the statue. Vines creeped along the sides like ropes tying it together so it would not crumble with age. The base that should have held a name was obscured by long stalks of grass that reached up and brushed against it gently in an unseen breeze. The only thing unobscured upon the statue was the tail and the flank it hung it from. As the light reached the flank it glinted off the silver marking causing Bon Bon to gasp. An all too familiar silver harp glinted in the morning light, the reflected light playing across Bon Bon and Lyra as leaves cut the sunlight periodically.
“Lyra.” Bon Bon leaned over and nuzzled her friend. “I think it’s time to go. If I remember right there is a small village not far from here. It’s not much but I think it’s where we should head next.” She turned back to the statue on the island. “Thank you Moonlight, for everything.”
Lyra rose unsteadily and placed the lyre at the edge of the pond gently. As she turned away, the leaves rustled and she saw the lyre resting against the stone beside the cave entrance. Lyra paused, her eyes fixed on the silver lyre before trotting over and gently taking it in her magic with a faint smile crossing her lips. She turned back and smiled fully at the statue one last time, her ears flicking as the gentle sounds of a harp echo about the grove with the wind as though bidding them farewell.
Bon Bon rested a hoof on Lyra’s shoulder as she turned back to look at the grove one last time. Smiling gently, she nudged Lyra and nuzzled her before they trotted out, heading off to find a place to stay; hopefully somewhere they could live together in peace.