Rebirth

by Pwn13s


Reaching out

The room quiets down as people take their seats in the rows of the church. Breaking away from a conversation with Colgate and Cheerilee, you shuffle along the chairs and place yourself next to Lyra. She recognises your presence with a nod and a slight smile. In the middle of the hall a priest begins the funeral procession.

You space out as the man drawls out rehearsed phrases with the emotion of a robot, instead choosing to reminisce on the life you shared with Bon Bon. Her final words remain planted in your memory, and in the corner of your eyes you catch Lyra glancing at you. You cant help but wonder if Bon told Lyra anything similar, or if it’s entirely up to you to win her over.

Your mind wanders, picking up the memories of your early months in Ponyville. Some are smaller than others, snippets of Bon Bon bringing you soup or Lyra asking if you wanted to walk around town. The first few months were rough. You slept very little during the night and were rarely awake in the day. You were both mentally and physically weak as a result of little exercise or contact with the outside world. Overall, you were shaken pretty bad by the experience.

It took a while for you to take it all in. After a couple of weeks you began speaking again, talking to Lyra and Bon Bon whenever they brought you your food. You still weren’t friends, but the relationships had started to build. And then after a few more weeks, you left the room and started eating with them, and even occasionally helping with work around the house.

Then over a month since getting here, you left the house. Took quick tours around town, though usually heavily covered so as to not draw attention to your skin. Often accompanied by Lyra or Bon Bon, or both. They weren’t very informative, but they gave you a rough idea of the layout of town and the areas around it. Because you often avoided the streets, these small walks were scenic to say the least.

3 months after your arrival and you were fully accustomed to the new world. Or at least, enough to leave the house and do whatever you needed, or wanted, to do. People stared at you when you walked the streets, but for the most part that was the full extent of their actions. You were essentially a normal citizen, despite your obvious differences, and managed to get through the days.

And through it all Bon was there to support you. Despite spending a lot of time at their shop, she managed to focus on your needs more than you had expected. Lyra provided a companion with whom you could mess around with, and Bon provided an almost motherly-figure. She was essentially a point you could focus on in a whirlwind of uncertainty and confusion. And now she’s gone.

The priest finishes his speech, closing the book splayed in front of him. “And now, anyone who would like to say a few words may choose to do so.”

Standing up, you make your way through the row and into the middle of the hall. As you brush past Lyra, she touches your hand ever so gently, and nods solemnly. You step up onto the small platform and scan the crowd. Lyra sits in the front row, her eyes glazed over and not focusing on anything, but still managing to pierce yours. You feel mucus lining your throat and cough harshly to clear it. Swallowing once again, you open your mouth to speak.

“Uhm, to start this all off I’d like to share with you all an old saying that I was taught as a child, and I find it rather fitting for this situation.” You take a deep breath, closing your eyes and steadying your breathing. When you finally speak, your voice is surprisingly strong. “The story of one’s life is punctuated by two dates, and that is their birth and their death. But what matters are the chapter’s in-between. For Bon, I took part in what I hope could only be described as a short and sweet one. But for me, she was, and still is, essential to my own story.

As many of you will know, I’ve been lucky enough to be in the company of Lyra and Bon Bon for the past year since I got here. And throughout that time I can safely say that I never met anyone whose compassion came even close to the level I received from this marvellous woman and of course, Lyra as well. When I arrived here, in this world, it was during a thunderstorm. I was bleeding from multiple cuts and covered in dirt, and to top it all off I was wearing nothing but a pair of underwear. And I showed up on their doorstep, shouting into the house in the middle of a deluge. And I remember. I remember very clearly. At about 12 at night, Lyra let me in and helped me dry off while Bon Bon addressed my wounds. I was at that point a complete stranger, and they offered me not only shelter but comfort.

I spent the next couple of months wallowing in self-pity. I would simply sit in my room and do nothing other than cry myself to sleep. I had bouts of exhaustion and often awoke to one of the two mares checking my pulse. I was a complete mess, but they stayed with me and made sure I was safe. Not once did they leave my side.”

You wipe your nose, sniffling softly. Blinking away the briny drops from your eyes, you compose yourself and continue. “I believe very strongly that I would not be alive today were it not for the warmth with which I was accepted into this family. I would have been entirely lost. No matter how many times I told her this, it would never be enough to convey how much she meant to me. Although I am far from a religious man I know that something special awaits the wonderful woman we lost recently. And I hope with all my heart that Bon is as loved in her next life as she was in this one. Because if there was anyone in this world who deserved true happiness, wherever they were, it was her.”

The silence in the room is deafening. You swallow once more, nod your head and step down from the stage. Some people clap respectfully, others murmur agreement, and some begin to weep openly. You sit back down next to Lyra, who clenches your hand. She smiles at you and mouths the words “That was sweet.” After a slight moment, her body racks with sobs and she buries her face in your shoulder.

You bring her closer to you and stroke her hair, letting your own guard down. Her tears splotch your shirt, her arms squeeze your body. Cooing into her ear, you kiss her on top of the head. As tears begin to stream from your own eyes, the two of you hold each other for comfort. Neither of you speak. The embrace says enough.


Holding open the apartment door, you stand patiently as the group of ponies slowly make their way out of the area. Some of them smile as they go pass, others place a hand on your shoulder. Colgate briefly embraces you, tears still running down her cheeks, though slower now. You stand numbly as the last few clear the door, and as a breeze runs through the house you push it closed and turn the lock.

You hear Lyra shuffling around in the kitchen, and step away from the door. She moves slowly to each piece of furniture, clearing plates and glasses and stacking them up. You place your hands gently around her as she takes a few ragged breaths. Her muscles relax and she places the stack back down on the table. 


You check the clock, the hands reading 11 o’clock. “Hey, I’ll get all this cleaned up. You head off to bed.” You reach around with one arm to collect a couple of glasses. Lyra eyes you for a second, but nods wearily.

The days taken its tole on her. Although the wake was no drag, the fact remains that it was a very sober moment. From the way she looks you can tell that it’s cheered her up a bit. Sharing memories in a larger group added some element of laughter and happiness to an otherwise dreary situation. Everyone had their sad stories too, but they shared them with friends and family, people who they could lean on for support.

And Lyra certainly can’t hold the weight alone.

You understand that now more than ever. Bon was not only physically and emotionally a huge part in her life, but also mentally. She was a perfect anchor for Lyra. Something to keep her grounded when she’d rather just fly away. She knew what was good for Lyra and what wasn’t. You don’t have these qualities. You’re not dull, but Bon was able to put aside her emotions to care for others.

Lyra sniffs and drags herself towards the bedroom. She turns around as she reaches the door, her eyes wet but not flowing. “Thank you. For everything.”

You shake your head. “It’s nothing. Now go on. Get some sleep.”

She nods one last time, closing the door gently. You breathe heavily in the now empty room, sweeping up crumbs and loading crockery into the washer. As the dark veil of night covers the sky, you groggily finish the cleaning and collapse onto your bed.

Lyra’s light has been off for a while now. Colgate’s business card sits on the counter outside, Trixie’s letter on the dining table, and Cheerilee’s invitation still stands. There’s so many people around you, so many people to rely on.

You’re not alone, so why do you feel so lonely?