Shellstrings

by shortskirtsandexplosions

Lyra Drama Strings

Lyra and Bon Bon's Home – Sigh O'Clock

"So what's the excuse this time, huh?" Bon Bon grumbled, sitting on the edge of their sofa and glaring at Lyra with a frown and a half. "You got sick on the way to Schrinkenfurter's office? You got mauled by dogs? A parasprite infestation ate your mane and you had to buy a wig?"

"Uhhhh..." Lyra teetered left and right on her fetlocks, fidgeting. "Can I take the physical challenge?"

"Lyraaaa." Bon Bon gnashed her teeth. "This is serious."

"I'll say." Lyra arched an eyebrow. "Did Lemon Hearts really come all the way to Ponyville just to rat me out?"

"That and other things. That's not the issue here."

"Says you. Yeesh, Lemony..." Lyra blew out the side of a bitter smirk. "There's being a female dog... and then there's scampering twenty miles away to bury a bone and dig it right back up."

"She cares about her friends, Lyra," Bon Bon said firmly. "She cares about you."

"And I respect that!" Lyra's voice cracked. "I really do! But... like..." She grimaced, brushing a hoof over her mane. "Can't she learn a new tune, already?! I'm pretty sure I've made it abundantly clear how I feel about Dr. Stinkenfarter."

"These therapy sessions are to help you emotionally cope with the trauma you went through over a year ago!"

"By doing what?! Running it into the ground?" Lyra paced across the room and leaned against the wall. "You're never there to listen to all of that mental medical malarky, B-Squared. Stinkenfarter's a total bit-digger: rambling on and on in circles... devouring our time with pointless exercises... milking poor anxious ponies for all their money's worth!"

"Don't you think you're being hyperbolic?" Bon Bon's muzzle twisted. "The stallion's a medically trained professional!"

"The Wonderbolts are trained professionals," Lyra retorted. "And they give ponies their money's worth in fifty minute air shows!"

"Lyra, it's not the same," Bon Bon said, her voice turning breathy and compassionate. "What you and your two friends went through was horrific. And you can't patch all of that up overnight!" She waved a hoof. "It takes time and—most of all—patience."

"It's more than 'patience' that pays that skull-slicer's head, lemme tell ya."

"Okay. Fine. I get it." Bon Bon folded her hooves as her face returned to a frown. "You don't dig psychiatrists. Hell, that's only natural in this day and age. But what might seem flippant and pointless to you is immensely important to your friends."

"Yeah." Lyra genuinely winced. "Kinda sucks to be them..."

"So that's it, then?!" Bon Bon gestured wildly. "You're just going to conveniently forget that promise you made... to your friends... ages ago when Lemon Hearts first suggested therapy in the first place?"

"Nnnnngh..." Lyra face-hoofed with an exasperated sigh. "Here we go..."

"Is it coming back to you now?" Bon Bon raised a sharp eyebrow. "Or did you never forget it in the first place?" She pointed. "You promised Minuette, Twinkleshine, and Lemon Hearts that you would be there for them through the whole process! You would be their shoulder to lean on! And—you know what? If you don't feel the need to take stock in the Doctor's advice, then so be it! Take that as a sign of strength and progress! The next step, then, is to utilize that strength and help show your support for Minuette and Twinkleshine! Because—heh... Celestia knows... Lemon Hearts can't support them all on her own!"

"Boy, ain't that the truth," Lyra smirked bitterly. "Every time I see her, it's like she's eaten razor blades for breakfast and enjoys nothing better than belching them back out at me. That mare seriously needs to lighten up!"

"Then help her, Lyra!" Bon Bon exclaimed. "Be her friend! Be their friend! What happened to them happened to you as well! Don't... don't pretend to be some emotional stone that's immune to absorbing and releasing the feelings of others around you! I know it might seem uncomfortable at times, but wouldn't you want Minuette and Twinkleshine to do the same for you?"

"Only they don't need to do the same for m-me!" Lyra squawked. "Going to those sessions might seem run-of-the-mill for those mares, but it's torture for me, Bon Bon! And I don't see them getting much help out of it either! All we do is sit around and smell each other's farts until the timer's up and the doctor's bit bag has gotten fatter! Beats the Tartarus out of me why Lemon Hearts thinks there's any progress to be made in these regularly scheduled absurdities. So... y'know..." Lyra fumbled. "Today... I just... uh... decided to take c-control of my time and do something for me and my music career! Ha! How's that for self-affirmation?!"

"Oh Lyra..." Bon Bon face-hoofed. "Don't tell me... this was another desperate attempt to perform a music gig?"

"Yeah?" Lyra folded her forelimbs. "So what?"

Bon Bon lowered her hoof, frowning. "Alright. So tell me." She cocked her head aside with a sarcastic smirk. "Just how did it go?"

"... ... ..." Lyra blinked.

"Hmmm?" Bon Bon tilted her head to the other side. "I'm waiting." A breath. "Did you make lots and lots of bits? Impress a record dealer? Brush elbows with any other famous lyre instrumentalits?"

"I... got... s-some exposure!" Lyra smiled cheekishly.

Bon Bon stared.

With a cough, Lyra sputtered: "Imayhavegottenthrownoutofalittlefoal'sbirthdayparty."

"Did you earn any bits, at least?"

Lyra could only wince.

"So... in other words..." Bon Bon huffed. "You lied through your teeth to me about going to the therapy session... completely blew your friends off at the office... and couldn't even manage to squeeze some profit or notoriety from the whole kerfluffle?"

"That's not entirely true." Lyra smiled crookedly. "I did throw up in the party host's kitchen sink."

"Ugh... Lyraaaa..."

"What? That's something she'll remember me by! Stranger events have led to ponies becoming popular! You've ever read Sapphire Shores' autobiography? Lemme tell you... that mare briefly went by another 'S' word due to a cloudy performance at a Mexicolt barbecue."

"Lyra..."

"Heh... and they say that Starswirl the Bearded discovered the 'brown note.' Uh uh."

"Did you actually ditch your best friends just so you could fail at a birthday party and vomit in a stranger's kitchen?"

"Not like I m-meant for it to happen!" Lyra sputtered. "They made me play 'Itsy Bitsy Spider'—" Just then, Lyra's pupils shrank. She shivered in place.

Bon Bon blinked. "Lyra...?"

"Uhm..." Lyra swallowed a rising column of bile down her throat and stumbled towards the kitchen. "Whew... it's hot in here."

"You had a panic attack, didn't you?!"

"Think I could use a cold bottle of Dr. Pony!" Lyra hurried.

Bon Bon hurried after her. "See! This is exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about!"

"I'm a Pony... she's a Pony... don't you wanna be a Pony too?"

"Lyra, get back here!" Bon Bon frowned, stomping with each step. "We're not done talking!"

Comments

[crossed]

Well, shit. Tensions are high and it seems we're finally closing in on the Shell's creation.

[Razzy]

Nah, she's completely fine.

[Skeeter The Lurker]

And she's having an attack now, it seems.

~Skeeter The Lurker

[Doctorfoxwolf]

I have had my fair share of psychiatrists, and I can tell you right here and now that Dr. Schrinkenfurter is completely full of shit.

[A Random Guy]

At least she isnt substance abusing, yet.

[NikitaKitten]

Looks like we should only be four or five chapters away from the story outlined in the synopsis. Which I guess is good news. I guess we're in for a long, long, long story.

[Booster Spice]

People leaving it to the care of th profesionals, without checking to make sure the profesionals aint self proclaimed, certified and licensed from the University of Flim and Flam, have no idea why the person they cant understand the mental trauma first off is refusing to go as though they were a loyal dog getting yet another kicking.

Officer:Suck it up man, get up there and walk slowly into the face of that machine gun, or I will shoot you myself for cowardice.

The problem with wanting the stairway to heaven, is that some poor sod has to take the long and winding road first in order to build it.

[FanOfMostEverything]

Well, that went nowhere. Don't get me wrong, it's excellently characterized conflict, but the argument itself didn't do anything productive. Lyra won't let it. At least her friends are confronting the issue; she's avoiding it outright.

[The_K_Man]

What? That's something she'll remember me by! Stranger events have led to ponies becoming popular! You've ever read Sapphire Shores' autobiography? Lemme tell you... that mare briefly went by another 'S' word due to a cloudy performance at a Mexicolt barbecue

Heh. Sapphire Shits.

I'm wondering if Lyra will offer to go to any therapist other than Shirkenfurter.

[QueenMoriarty]

twenty miles away to bury and bone and dig it right back up.

a bone

[Scorch215]

7391470 actullu there are plenty of therapist who are certified from legitimate schools and are only in it for the money and don't care about helping their patients.

It's hard to find truely good therapist even with research as you have to actually go to a session or two to be able to judge.

[KMCA]

Nice use of the old Dr. Pepper jingle.