Sunday Morning: Lyra
“Octavia? Hey Octavia, are you asleep?”
The sweetness of Sweetie Belle’s voice aroused the weary cellist from her slumber. She stretched out her legs and let out a respectful yawn. “Good evening, Sweetie Belle.”
“Good evening? It’s morning.”
“Really?” She looked up at the wall clock and, sure enough, both hands indicated the ninth hour.
“You slept for the whole night.”
“Oh now Sweetie Belle,” said Fluttershy, setting down a tray with three bowls on the table in Apple Bloom’s room. “Octavia’s probably really tired. Maybe we should let her sleep some more, don’t you think?”
“But the breakfast we brought for her will get cold.”
“Breakfast?” said the gray mare, perking up in her chair.
“We could always reheat it later in the microwaves in the cafeteria.”
“No way! Re-microwaved food is not the ideal thing to eat,” the filly responded lifting her head.
“As a bachelorette, I am quite used to the taste of reheated foods.”
“We could buy her another one later.”
“And waste this other bowl of oatmeal? I cannot stand for such waste.”
“You know, I’m quite a big fan of oatmeal, with slices of apple especially…”
“I guess I could eat it if no one else will,” offered Fluttershy.
The little unicorn’s eyes grew like saucers. “Fluttershy! How can you so easily submit yourself to gluttony! You must take care of your body!”
“Wait a second, who said that I wouldn’t want to eat it? I’ll eat it! Raw even!”
“B-But like you said Sweetie, it would be a waste. I don’t mind eating two bowls of oatmeal. I like oatmeal very much and…”
“You will do no such thing,” responded Sweetie, making her way to Fluttershy so as to corner her. “You will return this bowl immediately and ask for a full refund, or I will personally see to it that you never set hoof in that cafeteria again.”
The cellist scratched her head. “You…what?”
“But Sweetie, I…”
“That is enough out of you! You’ve wasted my money on this extra bowl of oatmeal and you shan’t waste another second of my time with your petty concerns. Now take this extra bowl of oatmeal at once to the cafeteria. I expect the price paid in full to be in my hooves no later than five minutes.”
“You know,” began Octavia. “This seems to be a very petty concern Sweetie Belle.”
“What do you mean, plebian,” she shot back. “I don’t see wasting money as something to be taken lightly.”
Octavia smirked. “Are you trying to prove some kind of point with this? Because, while I admire your expressive talents, it’s not making a very convincing sell.”
A look of shock exploded onto Sweetie Belle’s face, which she quickly shook back into an arrogant scowl. She turned to Fluttershy. “And what are you doing still standing there like a crumpled leaf? Get down there and get my money back!”
“My word, this all just turning into a ridiculous mess of…” Octavia paused her verbose observations. The shy pegasus rapidly nodded to her mini-master and walked slowly to the door, her long pink mane grazing the floor as her head came within inches of touching the linoleum.
“Fluttershy?” called Octavia.
She didn’t answer.
“You’re not actually going to follow the scripted words of a child, are you? I mean, can’t you tell she’s faking?”
Sweetie Belle huffed. “Well, she did spend that money. And if no one’s going to eat it, I don’t see the problem with asking for the money back.”
“This is so absurd,” said Octavia. She went to Fluttershy and placed her hooves on her shoulders, a smile of comical disbelief shielded by strands of loose mane. “Fluttershy, please, for the love of cold oatmeal; tell me with a straight face that you’re actually going through with this!”
Fluttershy kept her head down, her own mane concealing her true facial emotions.
“I knew it! You’re trying hard not to laugh, am I right?”
She didn’t move. Sweetie Belle held her breath.
“Show me your face,” asked Octavia with a glint in her eye.
Alas, the pegasus pony lifted her head, and her teary gaze was greeted with a soft, corrected gasp. Two sleek streams ran over yellow cheeks, and gave themselves into a free fall and splashed on the cold floor.
Her breathing was jumpy.
“I-I was wrong, and she-she, I mean, Sweetie Belle needs her money back. I don’t want her to lose something because it was my fault. I couldn’t live with it. I won’t.”
She stared into Octavia’s wide eyes. “I won’t.”
The shocked cellist cleared her throat and pointed to the table. “Sweetie Belle, bring me those bowls.”
“Why?”
“Just bring them to me, child,” she said, not taking her eyes off Fluttershy.
Sweetie faltered. “B-But I told Fluttershy that…”
“Bring me the bowls of oatmeal and I will take care of it. This is such an insignificant matter to be causing sweet dear Fluttershy to shed tears for.”
Sweetie reached for the tray and gave it to the cellist. “What are you going to do with them?”
She grabbed one of the spoons. “Eat them.”
“What?”
“Look, if you put so much stock into something as trivial as a couple of dollar bowls of manufactured grain, then allow me to save you and Fluttershy from any more of this emotionally wrenching nonsense and devour them in one haul. Besides, I’m so hungry I could eat all three of them if I wanted.”
“No wait,” screamed Fluttershy.
The cellist stopped the course of the spoonful of oatmeal and watched the large pleading eyes of the pegasus.
“You don’t have to do this, Octavia.”
“Trust me, this is a small price to pay for your well-being.”
“No it isn’t.”
A soft hoof perched on the grey mare’s shoulder. “Oatmeal represents the staple diet of the greater pony population. To give such a vital nutrient to waste would be like a day with no sun, or the rain that falls with no water. Your willingness to put virtuous principles to the side in favor of my well-being is something not to be taken lightly. I am grateful for your sacrifice, but I must return the oatmeal.”
“Fluttershy…”
“I will bear the burden of shame that spreads like the darkness over infidelity by night. I will return the money like nature returns growth and prosperity to creatures blanketed by snow. Yes, Octavia, I will make things right. Like the North Star that guides the lost to be found, my beacon of determined righteousness will show the wayward simpleton the path to fruitfulness.”
Octavia passed the bowls to Fluttershy. “Very well. I-If you insist.”
“Oh, thank you Octavia. Your noble sacrifice will not be forgotten. And now, I go.”
The pegasus walked out of the room, but not without flashing the struck cellist a playful wink. The musician turned to face Sweetie Belle, whose eyes grew three sizes and were filled with tears.
“Fluttershy, wait! I’m so sorry!” she cried. She chased down the larger pony out in the halls as loud sobs could be heard inside the room.
“My word,” Octavia said. “What a strange series of events. What on earth was that all about?”
“Good morning Octavia. Sleep well?” said Twilight, walking into the room.
“Oh, hello Twilight Sparkle. Good morning to you too. And yes I had a relatively good night’s rest on that ergonomically unfriendly chair. A bit of a rude awakening I should say.”
“Was that why Sweetie Belle just bolted out of the room crying like that? I thought something interesting might have happened here.”
“You haven’t the slightest idea.” She peeked behind the magical unicorn. “I presume the others are still with Rainbow Dash?”
“Yeah.”
“Everything going well?”
“Let’s just say there are a lot of happy tears being shed,” she said with a smile.
“I’m glad.”
“The only reason why I left early was because I got an invitation to visit a good friend who’s also here and I wanted to stop by Apple Bloom’s room to make sure she was doing well.”
“Well, as you can see,” she said, looking at the sleeping filly’s direction. “She is still fast asleep. Amazing that she slumbered through the whole debacle this morning.”
“I’m sure when you spend all your sleepy nights at a noisy farm, you can sleep through pretty much everything!” chortled Twilight.
“I suppose. Say, what friend are you visiting? Another pony from Ponyville?”
“Actually yes. She’s a very talented musician, much like you.”
“Ah, a fellow cohort in spirit!” The cellist sighed. “It’s been awhile since I talked to any other musicians.”
“Well, would you like to accompany me? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. In fact, this is her last day here before they move her and I’m sure she’d appreciate any company she can get.”
“I would love to, but, who will stay with the little one?”
“I shall,” said a voice outside.
The two mares turned to find Rarity walk in with a sparkling grin on her face.
“Oh, hi Rarity,” greeted Twilight.
“Well then, don’t just stand there dawdling over nothing. You have an ailing friend to go make their day brighter! Go, for I shall stay and guard the sleeping Apple Bloom with my watchful eyes.”
“Whatever you say, Rare. See ya!”
The two ponies walked outside of the room, Octavia following Twilight’s lead. They got to the elevators when the normally reserved cellist burst into laughter.
“What’s so funny?” asked Twilight.
“I’m so sorry Twilight, but Rarity and Sweetie Belle have so much in common despite their differences in age! You’d think they were sisters or something!”
“Well actually, they are!”
“Not surprising news at all,” she responded, still chuckling.
The elevator door opened and, after waiting for a few nurses scurrying to their posts, they entered accompanied by a doctor.
“Degenerative diseases, please,” he asked.
“I’m sorry, what floor is that,” asked Twilight, scanning the buttons.
“Oh, I’m so sorry! I forgot I was in the main elevator! Second floor, please.”
“No problem! We’re going there too.”
The unicorn pushed the button and within a moment, the elevator plunged into the slow descent to the second floor.
“I take it this friend of yours doesn’t have very much time,” said Octavia.
“I’m not sure. I’m not very keen on the details, but she was fighting something awful as told to me by her girlfriend, Bon Bon.”
The elevator came to a halt and the signal resounded inside.
“I just hope it’s nothing too serious.”
Everyone stepped out of the elevator and the two mares made their way down another white hall, Octavia following Twilight’s lead.
“And this friend of yours,” the cellist asked. “What’s her name?”
“Lyra? Hey, wake up sleepy head.”
Bon Bon rubbed the resting pony’s shoulders, arousing her from her morning nap. She stretched out her legs and opened her eyes.
Two blinks.
“I know you were sleeping, but some ponies are here to see you.”
Lyra lifted her head and squinted through the bright light of the sun filtering through the window. Standing next to Bon Bon were two ponies dressed in long green gowns wearing masks of white. One she quickly recognized as Twilight Sparkle. The other, Octavia, she had never become acquainted with.
“Hey Lyra. You remember me, right?” asked Twilight.
One blink.
“Um.”
“That means yes, Twilight,” explained Bon Bon.
“Oh, okay! Well, I just wanted to see how you were doing and, uh, wish you the best of luck. Hope you get better!”
The warmth of embarrassment rushed over the magical unicorn’s face like a heat wave, and it was apparent to the other unicorn in bed. But she just smiled and nodded her head, which was her way of saying thank you.
“She really does appreciate you coming over to see her,” added Bon Bon. “She really does like having company. I mean, whenever it’s allowed of course.”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” asked Twilight.
“Lyra has a disease that’s very contagious. I forget the name, but who cares really. The important thing is that it forces her to stay in bed and reduce the time she has guests. The doctors here say there’s nothing else that can be done for her. She must be moved to a place where she can spend the rest of her days in solitude. Away from everypony.”
The gloom of the news brought the spirits of the visiting unicorn down to the level of the earth pony. She tried to find something to say, but nothing came to her mind.
“I’m…so sorry, Bon Bon.”
“We’ll be fine. We’ve had enough time to get used to the idea by now.”
“So, will you be visiting her as often as they allow wherever she’s being moved?”
“I’m moving in with her,” she responded, not looking up.
“But, what about your health?”
“Trust me, Twilight. I would rather run the risk of dying with whatever Lyra has than to spend the rest of my life alone without her.” She looked back at her lover, who had fallen back asleep. “Besides, the doctors say there’s a good chance I have it too. It may just be dormant in my system. They of course want me to stay away from Lyra and go under special treatment to keep it dormant.”
“But you refused,” said Twilight.
“They were quite firm about their concerns for me, even to the point of raising their voices. But I told them I would never leave Lyra’s side, even if it meant endangering my own life. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, Bon Bon. You have a good heart, but don’t you think that scheduling short visits would be a better idea? I mean, she would still get to see you, and you’d be prolonging your life. What would happen if you died before her? Would you want to take that risk just to live with her?”
Bon Bon sighed and took off her strap-on mask. “You don’t know Lyra the way I do. She’s…like a delicate flower that comes in a clay pot. She can’t stand to be outside for too long. She’s a home girl. She likes to spend time being her own pony in her own environment. And yet, she can’t survive without care. Lots of attentive care.”
“Was she always like this?”
“Always. Even when we were fillies in school, she’d always go running to a teacher, crying. She would tattle on everypony for any little thing they did to her. She touched me without asking. He looked at me with his tongue sticking out. They take too long at the drinking fountain. Whatever it was, she found it reasonable to tattle. It got to the point where even the teachers found it to be a nuisance and mostly brushed her off whenever she came charging. Of course we grew up and the tattling turned into awkward introversion. In high school, I was surprised to find her playing for our soccer team. I assumed it was her parents’ wishes, but regardless that was when I met her for the first time.
“She couldn’t play. She would kick for the ball, but blow air instead. The prospect of the ball approaching her on defense made her ill. She threw up on the field during one game. She was benched immediately. The other girl’s on the squad laughed at her. Her parents in the stands wouldn’t even look up. She stood alone on the field after the lopsided game, which caused some of the team to talk…”
“Look at Lyra. She’s all standing there like a loser!”
“Yeah, like, she probably got lost or something in the middle of the field!”
“Hey, where are her parents? Aren’t they supposed to take her home after hurling?”
“No! They like totally left her! I don’t see them!”
“Are you serious? That’s so sad and hilarious at the same time!”
“Oh my god, she got left here by her own parents. How much of a horrible daughter do you have to be for that to happen?”
“I was sent by our coach to go get her. I’ll admit, I thought it was pretty stupid that somepony would just stand there doing nothing after a game. Even though we did lose by a lot. I just thought maybe she was so embarrassed she didn’t want to hear it from the other girls. They were being pretty mean. I got there expecting to see her in tears or slobbering all over herself…”
“Hey Lyra. Coach says you gotta come over.”
“Do I?”
“What do you mean?”
“I can retaliate, can’t I? I have a mind. Doesn’t that entail a right to choose?”
“Why are you being so serious and philosophical? Do you realize that your parents just left you?”
“They have a right to choose as well.”
“But, that’s like, wrong. Don’t you think that’s wrong?”
“Why is it wrong? It’s a choice based on invisible parameters, some measurable, some not. How can one be certain of its correctness?”
“Do you even believe in a right and wrong?”
“As much as I believe in love and hate.”
“Maybe it was because I just felt sorry for her, but I knew that I couldn’t leave her after what she told me. Who knew what twisted life she was brought up with at home. I just knew that even though she couldn’t defend a goal for her life, I needed to defend her from other ponies that just didn’t get her. They couldn’t see past her awkwardness to find the damage that had been done. She didn’t know what friendship was. She spent all that time writing. She played a song for me once that made me cry. It was that beautiful. I encouraged her to play at the talent show…
“No. No, no, no. I don’t want to. That’s okay.”
“But why not? That was amazing! You have to share it with the rest of the school! It’d be a crime not to!”
“No, I won’t go jail for it. No, I like my music to stay here with me. In my room. And you too!”
“Oh come on, don’t pull that cute-little-filly shit on me! You are super talented and you need to share it with the world. I mean, do you always want ponies to make fun of you all the time? Step out and show them what you’re made of, and they’ll start respecting you for who you are!”
“No they won’t. They’ll like my music, but not me. They could care less about little old me. Little old Lyra Heartstrings! Besides, I have you now to be my friend.”
“Don’t you want to be liked by more ponies?”
“Why? I only need you.”
“What do you mean by that, Ly?”
“You’re my symphony, Bon Bon.”
“Needless to say, the dynamic of the friendship changed a little from then on. She was acting like such a kid wanting to follow me everywhere, and it got a little irritating. During our senior year, she told me she wanted to live with me. Of course I told her she couldn’t because I was going to college to study culinary arts. She said she would do it with me. I laughed it off. Then one day, I went to her house one last time before leaving to study…
“You’re going straight to the registration table and you’re going to ask them for Mary.”
“Tell Mary you’re the Heartstring’s daughter and she will lead you to your dorm room.”
“There’s a bed and a refrigerator and nothing else. We don’t want you filling your mind with any television garbage or nonsense.”
“And make sure you follow every rule, especially curfew, which we have asked to have changed for you for eight o’clock in the evening.”
“Don’t spend any time making friends of any sex. We don’t want them to cause you any distraction or stress that may hinder you from your progress.”
“You school plan has been figured out, first semester to last. Mary will give you the schedule for your four years there.”
“Food will be of no concern for you. The cafeteria will be serving your breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the exact diet we have for you here.”
“And don’t try to leave campus for any reason. We will pick you up when it is appropriate for such matters as doctor’s appointments.”
“Focus solely on your studies. We expect nothing less than perfection in a family of great scholars.”
“If you must spend time doing extracurricular activities, the school has provided as per our request a library of autobiographies of the great musicians of Ponyville’s past. There’s also an assortment of fine art magazines stashed away under your bed.”
“And don’t try to purchase any other entertainment whatsoever. We have asked the security team to check your room every six hours for any foreign objects. If one is to be found, it will be confiscated and destroyed as per our request.”
“Well, that covers it. I suppose you don’t have any questions, do you Lyra?”
“She didn’t say a single word. She just nodded her head.”
“How’d that make you feel?”
Bon Bon shook her head. “Infuriated. Here were her parents preparing the most important part of her life to the smallest detail. The stage where ponies go out on their own and discover who they want to be, and they were totally going against that. But what was worse was that she was letting them. She agreed to everything they set up for her. She was like a pet obeying its master. I waited until they were done talking to invite her to take a walk with me, something we did all the time. That was when I had a good talking to her…
“So, you’re just gonna let your parents tell you everything you have to do?”
“It was never a problem before.”
“That’s bullshit! You’re eighteen! You can make your own decisions now! Do you even want to go to this school?”
“I just want to make them happy.”
“Well guess what? It’s time to make Lyra happy.”
“But, what makes Lyra happy?”
“You mean you don’t know?”
“When my parents are happy, then I’m happy.”
“Well, that’s gonna change. Tell me Lyra: What do you want to do?”
“I wanna go to college like my parents…”
“No, I didn’t ask what your stupid ass parents want for you. I want to know what you want to do. Right now.”
“I…I…I want to be with you, Bon Bon.”
“Are you absolutely sure this is what you want?”
“You’re my symphony, Bon Bon.”
“Okay then.”
“So that settled it. We grabbed her stuff and stuffed it into my truck. It was the most emotionally tense two hours I’ve ever been through, and it was even tougher for Lyra. Her mom and dad just followed her around, shouting these horrid things at her.
“You call yourself an adult now that you got the warped idea of moving out? What happened to going to school to get an education?”
“You think we’ll be there to take care of you? Well you better think twice because we’re not, missy!”
“You don’t know half of the things you’ll find out there. Suppose you get cornered in a dark alley or a grimy stallion follows you home. You think they’ll be charmed by your little tunes on that lyre?”
“Don’t think we approve of this, young lady! You can carry those boxes all by yourself if you want to do your own thing now.”
“Don’t come to us when the going gets tough! You’re on your own now!”
“We thought you loved us.”
“They did that to her the entire time while she stumbled through the halls, toting these large boxes of her personal things. She had no furniture as they belonged to her parents, but books, pictures, drawings, notebooks, records. Things she used to occupy her time. And they followed her with every step. That last line did her in, though. We got to my house and sat in the kitchen to have a lunch break and she collapsed on the floor. She cried a good while. I didn’t get it then, but now I see just how devastating it was for her to leave something she spent her whole life believing. I recognize now how brave she was to go through that.”
“And you were the only one sensitive enough to recognize it,” Twilight commented softly. “You’re such a good friend, Bon Bon.”
“I hope I am.”
The two mares looked up to find that Octavia had walked over to Lyra’s side. Her mask came off and she held out a hoof. The sickly unicorn reached for it, gripped it, and looked deep into the cellist’s eyes. Valleys from adjusting strings locked with peaks of disheveled skin where the strings pierced it.
“You know Lyra, I played the same tune for years” said the cellist, weeping.
The lyrist nodded and smiled.
“Then the hummingbird said to the pig, ‘Yeah that’ll happen. When pigs fly!’”
The entire table that shared a moderately delicious lunch of warm pizza and soft drinks erupted into laughter at Pinkie Pie’s joke. Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle. As the laughter died down, the two ponies who visited Lyra walked in and gravitated towards the lively table.
“Hey girls!” greeted Twilight.
“Hey,” said everypony.
“Rainbow Dash? It’s so good to see you here with everypony!”
“Yeah, I asked the doctor if I could join my friends for lunch, and he gave the okay. Besides, I couldn’t miss the comedy hour with Pinkie Pie!”
Pinkie flashed a huge grin. “Hey look, Octy’s here too!”
“Oh,” said a bashful cellist. “Hello everyone.”
“Would you two like to join us?” asked Rarity. “Pinkie was just about to tell us what she saw in the hallway this morning.”
“Of course,” replied Twilight. “Octavia?”
“I’d be delighted.”
The two mares took their seats at the table and anxiously awaited like everyone else for Pinkie to share her tale.
“Well, I was skipping along the hallway looking for the little fillies room, when all of a sudden I saw two ponies looking very suspiciously around them. I jumped into a cart filled with dirty blankets and peeked out my little eyes and spotted them tip hoofing inside the laundry room.”
“Oh god,” blurted Octavia.
Everypony turned to the grey mare.
“Somethin’ wrong, sugarcube?” asked Applejack.
“Um, nothing. Forgive me, Pinkie Pie, continue.”
“Okie dokie lokie!” she replied.
Oh god. Here we go.
“So,” she continued. “After they went in, I rolled my way over to the door. Then, I…”
“Wait,” interrupted Apple Bloom. “How in the hay did y’all roll away if y’all was inside the cart?”
“Easy, I just stuck my hooves out and rolled, rolled, rolled!” The pink pony got up from her seat and pushed her forelegs on the ground, scooting across the dining area floor on her bum. “Wee!”
Sweetie Belle smirked. “But how could she do that if…”
“Girls,” said Rainbow Dash with a grin. “She’s Pinkie Pie. She can do anything.”
The two fillies looked at each other and shrugged.
When the eccentric mare made her way back to the table, she slammed her hooves on the table, catching everyone off guard. “Then, once I hit against the door, I poked my poofy little head out and pressed an ear against its cold face.”
“What did you hear?” asked Fluttershy.
Pinkie Pie darted her eyes mischievously across the table. “I heard moaning. Very loud moaning. Oh. Oh! OH!”
“Oh Celestia,” whispered Octavia, burying her head in her legs.
“Then what you do?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Well, not being the easily spooked type, I hopped out of the basket and opened the door.”
“What didja see?” asked Apple Bloom.
Pinkie Pie slowly stood to her hooves. “Nothing at first, but that was because it was pitch black. I walked inside and the moaning got louder and louder. The room was hot and sticky. The smell was like…like…”
“What?” they both asked.
“Dirty laundry!”
“Well, it is a laundry room,” pointed Applejack.
“But this was a different kind of dirty laundry smell. One I never smelled before! Well, except for that one time I walked past the Cakes’ room late one night when I went to the kitchen for a glass of water. There was a lot of moaning there too.”
“Oh Luna,” said Octavia, sliding under the table.
The other older ponies picked up on the cellist’s odd gestures as they themselves started to get uncomfortable with Pinkie’s story.
“Pinkie darling,” said Rarity. “Are you sure you should be telling us what you saw exactly as you saw it?”
The fillies shushed the fashion designer.
“Uh, yeah! Otherwise I would be lying!”
“Well, can’t you just lie…a little?” asked Rainbow Dash.
Pinkie gasped. “Never!”
Twilight interceded. “I think what Rainbow is trying to say is that you should, um, hide certain details not suitable for small ears. You know, so they don’t get too spooked…or grossed out.”
“I agree,” added Fluttershy.
Pinkie grinned. “Are you all just too chicken to hear the rest of my story?”
“We’re not,” said the fillies in unison.
“It’s not that we’re scared per se,” said Applejack. “It’s just that we’re…cautious about the content of your lil' tale.”
“Like I said,” said Pinkie, crossing her hooves. “Chickens.”
“Don’t listen to them,” said Apple Bloom, glaring at her much older and much more nervous sister. “We can take a little scarin’.”
“Yeah,” added Sweetie Belle, also glaring at her older sister. “Do you want us to cover your little ears?”
Rarity sighed. “Just tell it, Pinkie.”
“Alrighty! “
The little fillies cheered then laid themselves over the table in Pinkie’s direction.
“I walked in, not knowing what to expect. A monster? An alien? A zombie? Maybe even a manticore!”
The fillies gasped.
“All I could think of was saving those two poor ponies that went in before me. I thought, They must’ve been captured by one of the monsters! I wandered in the darkness for what seemed like hours, but then…”
“What?” cried the two small ponies.
“I saw the ghosts!”
The gasps that escaped the quaking lips of the two fillies were followed by a mixture of cocked and jerked heads by the older ponies.
Pinkie explained. “There were two of them. Two scary and smelly ghosts, jumping up and down. Up and down! I could also hear the two ponies moaning. They were trapped inside the ghosts! That’s when I realized that they had been eaten by the ghosts, and they were being digested inside their stinky, slimy stomachs! It was too late to save them now, so I escaped the scene, burst through the door, and slammed it shut behind me, nearly escaping the horrid fate of those two poor ponies.”
“Wait,” said Octavia, coming out from under the table. “You saw ghosts?”
“Yeah, two of them.”
“And they were jumping?”
“Yes indeedy! There were going up and down. Up and down! And those poor ponies were groaning for their lives as they were being eaten!”
“That’s horrible,” exclaimed Apple Bloom.
“Terrible,” added Sweetie Belle.
They both looked over at the older ponies. They were silent, trying to hold back smiles and making scratchy noises with their throats. Finally, Rainbow Dash belted out a raspy laugh and soon the others followed.
“What’s so funny?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Yeah, what’s the big idea?” added Pinkie Pie, waving both hooves in the air. “I could’ve been pounded like those two!”
The ponies laughed even harder. Even the refined Octavia couldn’t help but pound the table. The shy pegasus wiped tears and the apple farmer hollered and hooted. The magician giggled and the proper lady cackled something awful.
“Y'all are jus’ crazy,” said Apple Bloom.
“You said it,” added Pinkie Pie.
The laughing continued for a few moments.
“I am so sorry, Pinkie Pie,” said Octavia after she managed to calm down. “But I must thank you, honestly.”
“Thank me? For what?”
“I haven’t laughed like that in so long! That was a delightful story with so many hidden twists!”
“Hidden twists? I didn’t put any hidden twists. I only told you girls what really happened.”
“And it was very entertaining darling,” added Rarity, still fighting back poking giggles. “Bravo, I say!”
The older ponies gave their riveting storyteller a round of applause, which she received with a bow and a snorting giggle. The resulting giggles from the other ponies were stopped by the crackle from the hospital’s PA system.
"Will an Octavia please come to the front desk? Octavia, please come to the front desk in the North building. Thank you."
“I wonder who that could be,” said Apple Bloom.
“Yeah,” added Sweetie. “Who would want to see Octavia at the front desk?”
Every eye turned to the mare with the bow tie.
“Uh, well I guess I should be on my way to find out then. Excuse me.”
She stood up from the table and turned facing the hallway.
“Want some company?” asked Twilight.
The cellist turned back. “Pardon?”
“Yeah, we can all come, if y’all like,” said Applejack.
“Well, I don’t feel it is absolutely necessary, but…”
“Ooh! We can have a parade down the hallway,” exclaimed Pinkie. “That would be super-dee-duper!”
“It wouldn’t be a problem at all, Octavia,” said Fluttershy with a smile.
“It would be our pleasure to accompany our new friend,” added Rarity.
“Yeah,” cried the fillies in unison.
Octavia scanned the whole group, their eager and willing faces bringing forgotten warmth to her heart that surfaced on her face as a soft smile.
“So whaddya say?” asked Rainbow Dash, turning the wheels on her wheelchair. “We goin’ or what?”
“I…I…”
The herd of ponies awaited an answer, but the cellist was too concerned on fighting the tears their friendly offers had brought.
“Octavia?” said Fluttershy.
The cellist shook her head and looked up at her new friends with shining eyes. “I’d love for you all to come with me.”
“Woohoo!” shouted Pinkie.
The ponies all got up and followed Octavia’s lead to the front of the North building. Fanfare from nowhere sounded out through the halls as Pinkie hopped along, her head grazing the ceiling. The others simply walked, save Rainbow Dash who wheeled herself across. Apple Bloom followed closely behind her older sister and Sweetie Belle behind hers. As the light that filtered through the glass front doors became visible, the ponies turned their heads in the direction of the front desk.
Two police ponies in uniform.
Octavia halted her pace, and so did the others. Pinkie was a little late, smashing her head against Rarity’s rump.
“Hey,” she cried. “What happened?”
In the distance, the police ponies caught sight of the cellist and waved her over.
“What do you think they want?” asked Twilight.
Octavia didn’t respond.
“Are y’all in some kinda trouble?” asked Applejack.
Still, she remained silent.
“You’re not going to jail, are you Octavia?” asked Sweetie Belle, tugging at the grey mare’s side.
Finally, the cellist let out a sigh and turned to her group of friends with a smile. “Don’t worry about me, girls. Everything will be fine. Trust me.”
“Are you sure?” asked Fluttershy, her voice a little shaky.
This time it was Octavia who perched a hoof on the pegasus’s shoulder. “Yes, dear Fluttershy. I will be just fine. It’s not like I’ll run into ghosts on the way to the station. Right Pinkie?”
“Yup yup yup!” she replied.
Octavia turned and faced the cops. She swallowed hard and took small steps towards them.
“Are you Octavia?” one of them asked.
“Yes. Is there a problem, officer?”
“We’re gonna have to take you down to the station for some questioning,” said the other.
“Fair enough. May I ask if I am in some sort of trouble?”
“Well, it depends. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” The police stallion pointed to the door, allowing the cellist to walk first. As they exited the building, Sweetie Belle stepped out in front of the group.
“Where is she going?” she asked.
Rarity met up with her. “I don’t know Sweetie. I’m guessing to the police station for some questioning.”
“But why? Did she do something bad?”
“I don’t know,” she said, her face fallen just like everyone else’s. “I just don’t know.”
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Damn that was awesome as always.
Ah if it had been Octavia's mother or Frederic it would have been awesome for the whole gang to tear them apart backing Octavia.
NOOOO frederic and octy's mom better not have framed octy!!!!
also good chapter, i thouroghly enjoyed it.
Sweetie felt extremely out-of-character.
Besides that, interesting chapter. Can't wait to see what happens at the police station.
... The moment at the beginning though hilarious was extremely strange and rather off-putting.
Lyra is a rather... heart-wrenching interruption of her. I've seen quite a few version of her and seeing this in contrast to the others... its startling and attention grabbing.
Octavia's comment about 'played the same tune for years' is confusing, but I suppose it shall be explained later on?
The rest of the story is great. Pinkie's story with Octavia knowing what she was talking about, followed by Pinkie's ignorance and how the others all got it and found it absolutely hilarious save for the filles which should be.
The police officers turning up was a mild surprise but it does make sense considering.
Also, good to see Dash being so happy again, I guess Tavi really must of helped her... and it is simply heartwarming to see the Mane 6 + Sweeite & Applebloom willing to go with her!
... Also, when I Scootaloo going to appear?
Edit:
Can't believe I didn't notice a really large sentence mistake that Brad pointed out...
Excellent as always though I can't help but be a little confused at what was happening at the start, but that may have been the point :P
“Yes. Is there a problem, officer?”
“problem, officer?”
There is only one thing in the world that came to mind.
25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lc1p047nZB1qf087qo1_500.jpg
“How ouwld want to see Octavia at the front desk?” Oh god, this sentence is a train wreck.
826431 OH MY GOD. BLUE. LOOK, BLUE TEX. OH MY GOD GUIZE HAY GUIZE LOOK AT MY BLUE FUCKING TEXT.
827086
I take it you have a problem with a little habit of mine?
Something along the lines of that it is done purely to draw attention?
826431 Played the same tune for years is already understandable. Just look at how broken the relationship between her and her mother is. I can see that she had probably been the submissive wanting-to-please-her-mother pony for so long until her father (whom she clearly loves beyond words) sat her down and had a heart-to-heart chat. Octavia making her own decisions and not following the script her mother is clearly trying to get her to stick to has torn them irrevocably apart.
That's what I see, anyway.
Great chapter as always!
May the Grace of the Valar Protect You
Shire Folk
827189
Well... now you put it that way, it certainly makes a lot of sense!
Wish I could read such deep messages like that with ease...
... I wish to say more, but its basically asking the most hated question for any author... be it story, webcomic or video series.
827201 Well I didn't pick up on any of that until Tavie said that line of playing the same tune. I had just always thought that her and her mother had never seen eye-to-eye and that Octavia was a daddy's girl through and through. Now I can understand what the root of their relationship problems are. Octavia's mother is a manipulative, controlling, psycho bitch who won't let her daughter become her own pony. It's like the parents of the theatre kid in Dead Poet Society.
May the Grace of the Valar Protect You
Shire Folk
827233
Its amazing what one line can do isn't it?
826431
I thought the "Played the same tune" comment was very clear. Lyra and Octavia both spent there entire lives being subservient to there parent(s).
827280
Some people get things, whilst other people don't. *shrug*
I get it now of course thanks to Shire Folk, but still. Some people will miss it.
827081
Dear Celestia you're right!
Fixed and fixed!
So, I think I missed a step at the beggining, or forgot something that happened earlier...
I thought the Lyra scene was very touching, and extremely well done! (Much more... emotionally intense than alot of other stories you see on here.)
Though I guess I should just say what else is on my mind:
In the scene where Pinkie is retelling her side of the events of (yesterday, I think?) Sweetie Belle says "Then what you do?"
Another thing: fillies are female horses and ponies under 4 years old, and it's assumable that all of the mane six are mares, so you might want to say " "We're not," said the mares in unison.
And... I'm going to guess they're questioning her on Susie Tuba killing herself? If not, then I have no idea....
*reads*
...
*dook* *dook* *dook*
oh dear... I hope that Susie's okay... that she's testifying against her dad and Octy's mom... and that the officers need Octy to comfort her friend.
When things couldn't get any sadder...this happens. Dare I say it, Lyra's parents may be worse than Octavias.
If Octavia gets thrown in jail for that stupid accident, I'm going to rage so freaking hard
That was an hour that was decidedly well spent, reading this story!
I don't know about this story any more. It started out as introspective and sad and, most importantly, about Octavia taking the bus. Through her taking the bus she was going to grow and change. And yes, sometimes that meant seeing sad things happen. But now there's far too much character torture. Every time we get a new character it comes with more problems and tragedies and it's getting really annoying.
Oh and the Sweetie Belle/Fluttershy episode at the beginning? I still can't figure out what's going on there. It's out of character and out of place and the dialogue makes no sense.
I am disappointed with this story.
It is an honor to read your work *bows*
Damn, Lyra's story is and odd and depressing one.
I'm guessing that this is about Susie or that old guy. We'll see how it goes.
Other than Sweetie's character traits gone completely to the wayside, I really don't know what to make of this chapter.
Let's have a look at your errors shall we?
"My word, this all just turning into a ridiculous mess of..." I trust you see the error.
"This is such an insignificant matter to be causing sweet dear Fluttershy to shed tears for." Avoid ending sentences with prepositions.
"You have an ailing friend to go make their day brighter!" Awkward phrasing.
When Bon-bon was mimicking Lyra's tattle taling, shouldn't there be quotation marks?
"No, I won't go jail for it." I've actually never heard this expression, is it grammatically correct?
One last thing, Fury, I'm not sure we're reading the same story. Dorkside made QUITE a big deal of Octavia's broken family a few chapters back.
That is all.
When did Equestria switch currency?
And then Bon Bon died of D'awww poisoning.