//------------------------------// // 35 // Story: Twilights Mane Passion // by Darkonshadows //------------------------------// “I’m not sure I can trust her with what I need your help with.” Lyra didn’t know who Tress was and in comparison she was pretty sure Octavia didn’t either. She didn’t know why her opponent in music looking at this mare so fondly. “Eh, I don’t know her that well either, but I’m willing to give her a shot at being my friend at the very least. So what’s the deal with you two, do you have a bad history with each other?” Tress was glad that Octavia had only fainted upon the sight of her and then didn’t do much more as a fan of hers. Current slightly dysfunctional super powers aside, Tress thought she was just an average mare trying to get by and help her friends with their dreams. Twilight was right she needed to find some dreams of her own. “We don’t like to talk about it much, but we just keep running into each other a lot and we always end up taking music related jobs out of each other’s hooves. It happens fairly often, enough so that we have a grudge going between us.” Octavia understood that and wasn’t insulted by Tress, it was the truth she had only just met her and the first thing she does is faint? Then again she really could stand to be a little less star struck; Tress was definitely not the high societal type she expected her to be. “Is that really a good reason to be hostile towards each other?” Tress thought Octavia could be much worse about the way she held her in high esteem; even if Rarity wasn’t this bad about it. Speaking of which, Rarity mellowed out pretty quickly once she found out that not everything was all sunny as it seemed up there in Canterlot, though she still had her dreams of finding a nice stallion and running a dress making business with a lot of renown. “Oh we can make plenty of reasons to be hostile towards each other.” Lyra said plainly with a flat look on her face in Octavia’s direction, Octavia returned the look if slightly unbalanced in comparison to the intensity being much less then Lyra’s. “We’re really getting off topic here, can we get to what is it that you needed my help with?” Tress got between them and separated them somewhat; she had to get her plan in action and fast. “Can we do this somewhere more relaxing before I tell you what I need help with?” This got Lyra some odd questioning stares. “How can your house not be relaxing?” It wasn’t like Octavia was the only pony who thought this as Tress was sharing a similar sentiment in her own head. “Look I just need some fresh air okay! I also really want to sit on my favorite bench at the park. Maybe then I might feel better about telling my request, especially with octopus here flailing her tentacles at me.” Lyra sniffed with her nose upraised at Octavia who glared at her. Tress thought there was a bit of irony here. At least so far nothing too horrible has happened to her and it seemed things would be normal for once. Octavia was probably the worst of the trouble she would be getting into today, she could only hope. Lyra led the way to a grassy place with a few trees; it was a park where ponies tended to play with their pets. Eventually she came up to a particular bench. Planting herself in a weird sitting position that was a tad unnatural for a pony, Lyra turned her eyes to Tress as she got comfortable. “I swear you’re about as bad as Vinyl is.” Octavia muttered in reference to how the unicorn was sitting. “Okay I know this is going to sound like an odd request, but I really need help confessing my feelings to a special pony close to my heart.” Lyra looked a bit pensive about the help she needed and was ignoring Octavia’s jab at her, she thought Vinyl was okay for a pony that was noted for being a bit wild. “Maybe you could give me some advice about how to do it or the setting I could do it in?” “I would need some more information about this pony you’ve got your eyes set on, I promise I’m not about to judge you based on your choices.” Tress had no problems with Lyra, even if she were attracted to mares. “Well it’s not you I’m worried about, it’s her.” As Lyra pointed out Octavia, the evil smile once again came across Tress’s face. “Don’t mind her being here; she’d be a terrible pony if she said anything negative about your personal life choices which have nothing to do with her. I’m here to help you out with your problems and if I can’t help you, you won’t have to pay me.” Tress still had that creepy smile plastered on her face. “But aren’t you kind of making my personal life choices known to her?” Lyra thought Tress was being rather creepy by the fact that she only widened her smile a bit. Octavia didn’t know why Tress was allowing her to take part in this, but she was pretty sure it was going to get her involved soon. “Well fine, the pony I really like is a mare and she was kind enough to take me in when I was down on my luck. She likes me even despite all my issues and I wanted her to know how she makes me feel to just be around her.” Lyra had her eyes set sternly on Octavia who had no business actually being in on this. She noticed Octavia really didn’t say much; in fact she looked a bit sad. “So Octavia, how does it make you feel to know one of your friends is in love and has less time for you?” Yes, Tress really needed to exacerbate the issue. “I don’t know Ms. Ravel considering we aren’t exactly friends; it’s kind of hard for me to even consider I might have caused another pony to become destitute. When did you have money issues Lyra?” Octavia asked a bit wary now of how this conversation was tangling up her own feelings about a pony she thought she knew. “Wait… you didn’t know?” A look of confusion crossed Lyra’s face before she became angry. “How could you not know? It was about a year and a half ago!” “Wasn’t that during… oh, I see.” Octavia thought they were still doing particularly well off even if they were rivals. Lyra was an excellent harp and lyre player. “Well you might want look on the bright side of things.” Tress said cheerily and only slightly out of character for her. Octavia just never thought of the possibility of actually causing other ponies she knew personally to have monetary issues, not while she pursued of a good well paying job for her own music. She wondered why Tress was trying to make things worse; didn’t she care about getting paid herself? Didn’t she need the bits as well? She was now working random jobs instead of with a popular supermodel, is this a point she was trying to make about having friends? “Well you did meet a mare you care so much about that you could profess your love of her to a total stranger and a pony you don’t like and didn’t care what they would actually think of you. If you can do that then you can certainly tell her how you feel to her face!” The two mares reeled back at her words; Tress just started laughing at them. “Let’s talk a little about this mare, what’s she like? Also do you want to join me for lunch? I’m supposed to meet up with my best friend after I finish up another job on the way to the café. If you want to talk completely homeless try doing it for three years, a friend of mine certainly knows what it’s like.” “You have a friend that was homeless for longer then I was? How is she nowadays, I’d have gone insane if I was stuck that way for much longer with barely any bits to my name.” Lyra’s tone changed immediately, having live through it personally and Tress knowing a pony that had been there as well helped her a bit. "Oh she’s certainly around and she is much better off now that she has a good job here in Ponyville and she got it with the help of her friends. Octavia has already met her.” The musical mare looked at Tress questioningly before she realized who she was talking about. “You mean that pegasus that helped you revive me when I fainted?” Octavia asked uncertainly, Lyra chuckled at her despite not knowing the context of why she fainted. Didn’t she know who Tress was? “Who in their right mind wouldn’t take in a pony that nice? She even took time out of her day to help me get back on my hooves.” “That’s Fluttershy for you, she’s the kindest pony I know and she likes to help others feel better. Her special talent is communicating with and understanding animals. She was barely living on the streets of Canterlot and if she didn’t have the animals as friends there she wouldn’t have been as well off when I and my best friend found her.” The conversation turned a bit lighter tone as Tress thought of that mare being out in the cold without being covered in very friendly squirrels. “So, how bad was it for you in comparison to my friend who had to sleep in tree’s and rely on the kindness of animals to keep her alive? Not to mention she spent most of the money she earned on helping said animals that helped her.” “Not nearly as bad as my situation was or sounds. I was still able to at least make some money street performing and I was very frugal with it, it sounds like your friend wasn’t even thinking of herself.” It seemed a little sobering that all her problems might not have been as bad, as somewhere at some time there is pony that possibly has it worse. “She wasn’t, trust me on that. Let's get back to giving me a better description about this mare that you really like.” Tress was intrigued to hear more about how Lyra felt about this mare. “Well she has a beige coat, a pink and blue mane. She has three sweets marking her flank and she earned her cutie mark in making candy. Also there’s this one unique thing about her that I really like, her voice randomly changes all the time. It is so weird and enchanting.” Lyra sighed while staring off into space. “Though she’s rather sweet and like an angel, just don't get her angry." Tress knew that sounded an awful like one of Twilight’s other clients; well lunch was going to be an interesting affair when she and Twilight came back together. “Was this pony named Bonbon by any chance?” Tress suddenly found herself being shaken out of control by a suddenly excited lyrist. “You two have met, did she say anything about me or does she think my fascination with humans is too weird? Oh goodness I don’t think I can share how I feel with her if she doesn’t like me too much because of that or maybe she does like me back and she’s too afraid to tell me.” Lyra was up and out of the bench, a little worried about what Bonbon would think of having a relationship with her. She was taking a bit of these worries out on Tress. “What do I do?” Lyra felt herself be slapped by a hoof and she quickly released Tress to have her shoulders held down by two grey hooves. She was being stared down by Octavia and her body froze. “Well first you can calm down this instant and come to your senses! No rival of my mine is going to cower or go insane when she so bravely faces against me in melodic combat with such beautiful tones.” In reality, Octavia did that to help Tress out of her predicament as she looked to be a bit dizzy from being shaken up so hard. “Thanks I needed that… wait, neither of you don’t think it’s odd that I love a mare?” Lyra had always worried that her status would make her unlikable in Canterlot, the upper class unicorns were all into the status quo and disliked same gendered couples. Not to mention the issue of whether or not Bonbon would return her feelings to begin with. “Eh, it doesn’t bother me one bit, though I have no idea what you’re going through.” Tress shrugged, this was a little beyond her but she would still help Lyra confess her feelings. “I think I personally focus too hard on my career as it is. I don’t care whether any friend of mine likes mares or stallions. It doesn’t have any bearing on how I live my life so it really doesn’t bother me all too much.” Octavia finally admitted that she might have been a little harsh with Lyra in the past and decided to start calling her a friend. Tress was right, when things came right down to it you needed friends who may not like you but will be there when you need them. “Good to know. Now if we can please stop getting sidetracked, will you join us out for lunch Lyra?” If Tress was right, Lyra will be seeing Bonbon very soon. Twilight was inviting the ponies she was meeting to lunch as well; this job was just as good as done.