Norrath, Earth, Equestria. A Construct's Journey

by Nimnul

Trying to Help

"Do you think you and Bon could afford to keep a dog?" Landshark looked up from her desk. It was lunch break at the smithy, and the construct had long ago learned to take the same breaks as her peers. Besides, her apprentices needed the break. She had finally started calling the changeling No-Toes as a joke after he had been unable to decide on a name for himself.

Lyra had gotten it into her head to occasionally drop by and play her lyre for Landshark and her workers, but right now she just tilted her head and considered the question. "I think we could, yes. Why?"

Landshark pulled open a drawer and produced a hand-written list. She waved it in Lyra's direction until the unicorn levitated it to herself. "Properly trained dog would be good for Bon. I made a list of things dogs can be trained to do, temperament permitting." She performed her usual smile-substitute jaw twitch. "Seen you do some of it when the two of you are out and about."

Landshark had found it difficult to accept her inability to help Bon Bon beyond just being a good friend, but she knew that she was completely lacking in qualifications when it came to the mental well-being of others. But she couldn't stand to not try and find some way to help. The service dog idea promised to be helpful while carrying a seemingly minimal risk of making things worse.

Lyra started reading, looking surprised. "Crowd control? That's got to be unfortunate wording."

"Yes," Landshark admitted, adding a brief chuckle. "But I've seen how you sometimes start hovering about Bon, using your own personal space to keep other ponies out of her space, when she feels agitated. It's the same thing. The dog is trained to stay perfectly calm, but either by its own judgement or on command gets in the way of other ponies so the dog's partner has their space. Needs to be a dog with presence, though. Nothing you'd fit in a saddlebag. And if absolutely needs to be as stoic as possible. An agitated, barking dog is the last thing she needs when she's stressed herself."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Presence is right. I tend to make a show of it when I do so people focus on me. Same idea?" Lyra continued reading. "Hypervigilance?"

Landshark shrugged. "Bon doesn't like going out by herself. When she doesn't have a friend around she's always wired up, I think. Well, I think around me and the girls she's starting to be okay too. What it boils down to is fear. Some folk in Bon Bon's situation cannot trust their perception of danger. Having a confident dog with them supplies a second opinion. If the dog is calm, it's easier to belief that there is no danger."

Lyra was becoming increasingly fascinated while reading. "You can train a dog to do all this? Demand walkies on cue to escape upsetting situations? Wake her up from nightmares? Hm. Coping with emotional overload, reality affirmation ... huh." She grinned. "Someone's trying to steal my jobs! Is there a breed for this?"

Landshark just shook her head. "I think it's all personality. And I realize you do a lot of those things for her. But if you hang around her every waking moment she isn't at work, you're putting your own life on hold, she feels at least a little guilty, and not being able to cope on her own in unfamiliar situations is bad for her confidence. A dog is different. It may help her a great deal, but it will still feel like she is taking care of the dog, not the other way. It'll feel better for her, and you both achieve some flexibility that other couples take for granted."

Lyra nodded seriously. She had never really felt resentment for the fact that Bon Bon relied so much on her presence, but after a certain shared nightmare, they had both talked about it, again. It had hurt her partner more than it had hurt Lyra. "I see what you're saying, and I appreciate the thought. But that seems like it takes a very well trained, very confident dog, and that's not cheap. Sounds more complicated than guide dog training. Although I wouldn't know for real." She paused, considering the problem. "Well, we'll just need to talk to Fluttershy. She could probably help us find a dog with the right personality, maybe help train it too. How'd you come up with this?"

"Something they started doing back in the old world. It wasn't very common yet, I think. Had two friends who were really impressed with theirs." Landshark didn't mention the fact that she had been reading textbooks at the library about mental health to even remember some of the right terms for problems that a dog could help with. But it hadn't really been a chore, she still harbored some fascination for the ways complicated problems could be handled without any magic at all.

She wasn't so conceited as to think she knew any way to cure Bon Bon, but she had seen how people managed the symptoms. And she did not think having a reliable dog around would make the situation worse. It was a pretty safe way to help despite her lack of other qualifications. Oddly enough, making use of her library had apparently been apology enough for Twilight, who seemed happy that Landshark was still willing to come around after meeting her brother. The construct was blaming herself more than Twilight in any case.

"But with our job, the people upstairs were actually pretty concerned with making sure everyone knew what some options where, and to seek help when they needed it." She paused again, sounding regretful when she continued. "I have been told some military forces have problems because people think wounds of the mind are shameful and weak. But we fought some unconventional things. Perhaps that made it easier to accept for our people."

Lyra looked out of the window towards Ponyville. She thought about Bon Bon before answering. "I think Bonny will accept that this is a good idea. She trusts our judgement." She mentally repeated earlier calculations. "Yeah, we could afford to support a dog, and care for it, but it still sounds very complicated to train it like that."

"Perhaps. But I think your idea to talk to Fluttershy is the right one. This type of training is very demanding and I would not know who else to trust with that but her. I'd been hoping for her assistance. Surely she would be willing to put out some feelers to other animal shelters to help find a dog of suitable personality if none of her guests are fit for it, once we explain it to her."

"Just don't call her Shirley." Lyra grinned expectantly.

"That was low-hanging fruit. And I'm pretty sure Pinkie called dibs on that joke anyway."

Lunchbreak seemed to be over. Greywack, the changeling and Berry Punch had apparently gotten lunch for two of them at the Hayburger that day and were now returning to work, passing through the front office. They were chatting amicably among themselves when Landshark stopped Berry.

"Hey Berry. I'm heading out for a while. You mind holding down the desk here and going over my accounts, check my numbers? You know you're better at this. The guys knows what needs to be finished today, nothing they can't handle." She had mostly set them practice tasks and uncomplicated orders. The business was slow to get off the ground.

Berry Punch nodded without great enthusiasm. "Sure thing, boss." She put on a wry smile. "One of these days I'll crack open that empty brain case of yours and jam an abacus in there. You can't possibly be this bad at keeping your affairs in order."

"Thanks Berry, I appreciate it." Landshark wasn't precisely bad at math, but she had to admit that she had difficulty mustering any great motivation for the minutiae of running a business, even a small one. Bellikos had not been crafted with that sort of thing in mind. A good excuse to be lazy about it. Having friends with experience in that regard was a convenience she gladly made use of. She clapped her hands together before adjusting her beret for a jauntier angle. "Alright, time to see a mare about a dog. Let's go, Lyra."

"I think we should see Bonny first," Lyra cautioned. "And it lets me go put away my lyre."

"Too right, of course. You can ask her how much you can tell Fluttershy, too. In case she agrees to the whole dog idea in the first place."

"Me? I thought this was your sale, Shark!" Lyra seemed suddenly nervous.

"It's just not my place. Keep the list, it might help." Landshark tilted her head. "I'll be there of course. But I think you should do more of the talking. You lived with Bon for years."

"Alright, true enough." Lyra looked weary. "Seeya, Berry."

"Hmm, good luck." Berry waved distractedly while wishing Landshark's accounting was as uniformly perfect as her handwriting.

---

Landshark made an effort to keep any jaw-snapping to a minimum. She could, after all, simply keep her jaws open just a crack to speak. Unlike Applejack, who had seemed to have some sort of problem with anything the construct did to seem more alive, Fluttershy seemed mostly troubled by having her attention drawn to Landshark's teeth. If she judged the pegasus correctly by the anecdotes she had heard, she would easily be able to overcome that anxiety if ever the construct needed her help in some way.

Fluttershy was one of those people Landshark found it easy to be fond of. They weren't close friends, not really, but the construct, unfamiliar with the visceral terror that organic beings could experience, had considerable respect for those who overcame their fear when it really mattered. And Fluttershy seemed to be more fearful than most.

Right now though, the pegasus was serving tea for Lyra and herself while Landshark looked on. Fluttershy finished pouring and offered a small smile to Lyra. "It's wonderful that you want to adopt a dog. I'm sure I can find a cute puppy for you and Bon Bon to raise." Lyra was sharing the couch with Landshark, sitting human-style, as usual.

Lyra returned the smile. "Oh well, we're not looking for a cute dog, Fluttershy." She started looking uncomfortable. "Well, it's ok if it starts out adorable, they usually do, but she should be pretty sturdy, that's more important." She took a quick peek at the list Landshark had given her. "We need a service dog."

Fluttershy slowly nodded. "I see." She took a sip of tea. "So temperament is most important. I'd love to help find a dog that is up for, well, a job like that." Suddenly she seemed to shrink away, taking another sip to buy time. "Well, I mean if it's not too private ... but what for?" She didn't remember a pony who would need some kind of service dog all of a sudden. She didn't want to jump to conclusions either, of course.

Lyra sighed. She hadn't wanted to have this conversation, but Bon Bon had allowed her to inform Fluttershy to an extend. "It's complicated. Please, you gotta promise me, you gotta promise to tell nopony about this."

Fluttershy gulped nervously, but went through the proper ritual. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." It unsettled her to see Lyra like this. True, Lyra wasn't Pinkie Pie, not even Pinkie-Lite, really, but the mint unicorn tended to have her own amusing quirks and exuberance. Normally, at least.

Lyra muttered something about Fluttershy hoping that Pinkie would catch her first, then ran a hoof through he mane and tried to lock eyes with the timid pegasus. "It's Bonny. She's got problems. She's wound up most times she has to leave her store."

Fluttershy motioned for Lyra to continue with a patient smile.

"I know you're timid and all, but Bonny, sometimes she'll react to someone or something or nothing with extreme fear. I don't know how she keeps herself together. And I'm not always there to ..." Her voice caught and she looked down at the list again. "She needs 'reality affirmation' to deal with emotional overload, sometimes. She needs a dog that'll trust its own judgement of the situation. When Bonny is starting to get stressed really bad, but there's no real danger, it really needs to obnoxiously get on her case to distract her. So she can keep doing what she was doing."

"I had no idea." Fluttershy looked down. "About Bon Bon, I mean. Dogs have a great sense of smell, they can tell blood sugar levels, for example. I'm sure they can be trained to notice mood changes before the pony does ... sorry, please keep going."

Landshark had listened to the exchange so far and grabbed an empty brass casing from a pocket. Now she was idly toying with it to see if it might distract Fluttershy from looking at the construct's teeth. "Bon Bon is always, always looking out for signs of danger. It's exhausting to always be so anxious, and it makes you worse at socializing. It's connected to what Lyra said. When you're always wired for a crisis, even harmless things can leave you in a state of terror. I've seen this before."

The construct looked at nothing in particular, sounding distant. "I've seen engineers develop a near-magical ability to detect mechanical noises, and especially their variations. Some of these people work with extremely dangerous, temperamental machines, and the ability to quickly diagnose strange sounds can be the difference between life and death for you and everyone nearby." She shook her head. "But you can't easily lose that habit, and it makes you a different person to your family and friends even once you no longer work a job like that. There can be a lot of odd noises in our society." It was true, but Landshark had mostly used it as a way to try and avoid explaining why Bon-Bon might be hypervigilant.

Lyra took over again, having gathered her thoughts with one final look at the list. "A calm, confident dog can be helpful, because everyone knows that dogs have great senses and are naturally alert souls. When you think the wheels are about to come off you can look at the dog and start believing that whatever you thought you heard or saw wasn't a real danger," she recited.

Fluttershy nodded cautiously. "I'll see what I can do. Not every puppy is suited to be trained to be a service dog." She hesitated. "A-and I think we would need Bon Bon's help to raise and train it, so they get a feel for one another."

"Thanks, Flutters." Lyra was slowly finding back to her usual up-beat self. "I do a lot of those things for Bonny, but we're not joined at the hip, I think we'll both feel better if this works. I'd never let her down, of course, but it'll make her feel more normal." She grinned again, just as suddenly. "We might even be able to be seated at a table someplace without her having to be able to keep an eye on all the exits."

Landshark stood up and pocketed the empty casing. "And remember, you Pinkie Promised." She snapped her jaws, making the pegasus flinch. "Sorry, old habit. Anyway. I think Pinkie knows there's something going on with Bon anyway, cause she's a lot less grabby and huggy with her than she's with most ponies. She can be considerate, you know."

Lyra's grin did not waver. She summoned up a telekinetic hand and used it to finally take a sip from her cup of tea. She remembered to extend the pinky finger. "When Bonny first opened the store, we came to an understanding. Pinkie Pie shows some consideration for her, Bon Bon shows up to parties when she's feeling up to it and knows all the exits, and I don't cut anypony for making my mare miserable."

Fluttershy nodded meekly, but Landshark actually laughed briefly. She was pretty sure Lyra wasn't prone to violence, but the unicorn would probably look pretty convincing if she waved a knife around with that grin of hers behind it. "Ah, don't worry Fluttershy. Lyra's too worried about Bon to get herself in trouble with the law."

"Okay." The pegasus took a deep breath. "It'll take time. I'll need to find a dog that might work out a-and the training can take months. I'm sorry this isn't fast. I'll keep you informed."

"Hah, yes!" Lyra startled both Landshark and Fluttershy when she suddenly leapt up and did a little victory dance on hindlegs before settling on all four again. She maintained admirable telekinetic control of her tea. "You have no idea how good it feels to DO something again that might help. None! This is excellent." She grinned. "Even if that something is just setting something in motion that might help half a year down the line."

Some invisible weight on Lyra had clearly lessened. She squinted briefly in concentration and summoned up a second projected hand to high-five Landshark. "Two-fisted unicorn! Nothing's gonna stop us now!" She suddenly calmed and took a sip of tea. She had no illusions about ever mastering multi-tasking to the extend that Rarity had, but nothing could bring her mood down now, it seemed. "Flutters, if this works out I'll owe you a yak-lifedebt."

"Um, why a yak, if you don't mind me asking?" Fluttershy was happy to see Lyra happy and smiled. The unicorn was a little more energetic than she was comfortably with, but at least was significantly less prone to sudden startlingly loud noises than some other mare she knew.

"Well, obviously you can't have my lifedebt, I'm with Bonny." Lyra rolled her eyes at the supposedly silly question. "But I'm sure if I ask Shark, Pinkie and our other friends nicely they'll help me arrange a scenario where you can save a yak's life and bam, he's yours."

"P-Please don't. That wouldn't be very nice to the yak." Even though it had obviously been a joke, she still shrank back timidly when she rejected the idea.

"Well, it looks like you two don't need me here anymore," Landshark said with obvious amusement. "I'll head back to work, then. Thanks for your time, Fluttershy. Say hello to your friends from me." She patted Lyra on the withers with affection before stage-whispering in passing, "Ask her if she'd prefer a caribou or moose instead."

Lyra shook her head, laughing. "Nah, it's alright. I'm going to head home before Bonny closes up shop. Thanks again for the idea, Shark, and Flutters, I owe you. Have a good one." She turned to leave with the construct.

"It's no problem, I love to help." Fluttershy got up herself to walk her guests to the door and waved after them.

Author's Note:

I'm always fascinated by how many things a dog can be trained to do, given time and dedication.

It was mighty impressive for me to learn more about service dogs, since I grew up only associating them with visually impaired people.

Comments

[Greatazuredragon]

"Well, obviously you can't have my lifedebt, I'm with Bonny." Lyra rolled her eyes at the supposedly silly question. "But I'm sure if I ask Shark, Pinkie and our other friends nicely they'll help me arrange a scenario where you can save a yak's life and bam, he's yours."