Lyra has a secret. One that her life as a human reseacher depends on and could ruin everything she had worked for if it gets out. But she is not going to let this golden opportunity of furthering her research slip away, and by any means necessary.
Lyra Heartstrings is a well known unicorn within Ponyville, although not in the most positive of ways. Her strange fascination with the make believe creatures called 'Humans', has throughout her life elicited many rolling eyes, head shakes, and even harsh ridicule. But she had never given up hope that they do indeed exist, no matter how she had been treated or told otherwise. So when a fateful day comes to pass, where the one gift she had been dreaming for finally arrives, she is practically ecstatic at the chance to learn everything she can of him. And she is not going to let this golden opportunity slip away... or escape.
“Quick, lets cross the street. She might be contagious.”
“Did you see those drawings she made? They’re so freaky…”
“Shh! Here she comes!”
“Don’t even bother sitting with her, she’s not normal.”
“Have you heard? She’s talking about those things again.”
“She’s crazy.”
“Totally crazy.”
“Absolutely crazy.”
“Crazy...”
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“I’m heading out!”
“H-hey!” the ivory mare shouted, shuffling from her stool and peeking her head out from the kitchen. “Where are you going now? I’m almost done with the sweets!”
Pausing in the doorway, the leaving unicorn brought a hoof behind her head as the expression of surprised then guilty look crossed her face at the fact she was not going to help taste test for the baker like she would normally do. At least it would have looked genuine were it not for the half suppressed grin she held. “Oh… uhm, sorry Bon Bon, but there’s really something I need to go take care of.”
“Ugh,” the mare replied in dissatisfaction. “You’ve been gone from the house for like three days in a row! Last night is the only time I can even remember you sleeping here lately.”
“Well I’ve been busy,” she simply replied with a smile, the one she always wore in her normal carefree attitude that Bon Bon had grown to admire and loathe at the same time.
“What could you possibly be doing that is demanding so much of your time that you can’t even sleep in your own bed?” she asked skeptically.
“Uhm…” Lyra began, trying to figure out the right words.
“… don’t tell me,” Bon Bon groaned after seeing the unicorns eyes roll up and to the left, the sure tell sign she wore whenever she was thinking about them. “When are you going to get over that stupid idea they exist?”
“Hey it’s not stupid!” Lyra retorted quickly, giving the earth pony a scrunchy face.
Bon Bon merely rolled her eyes, giving the unicorn a pitiful head shake at still believing in such a thing. But it was then she saw an expression on her, one she had never seen before on the mare. “Lyra, are you… blushing?”
The unicorn’s scrunch quickly changed to shock before she turned her ahead away and stammered, “N-no I’m not!”
But the earth pony had seen it, and her sour mood at her roommates delusional fascination on a fake creature turned into curiosity and excitement. “Lyra! Do you have a crush!?”
The redness in the cheeks of the unicorn only grew more fervently as she repeated, “NO!”
“Oh my Celestia, you do!” Bon Bon nearly squeed. At last! Something normal! Lyra likes something that isn't about that stupid obsession of hers!
“H-hey! Why are you grinning at me like that?” Lyra spoke while raising a hoof, unsure of the quick change of the pony’s mood.
“Oh come on Lyra,” she said in a knowing tone. “I never figured you had it in you, but I can tell. You got a special somepony in mind." Now interested in what the unicorn was up to, she tilted her head and asked, "Do you mind if I ask who it is?”
“No!” Lyra quickly responded. “Besides, you wouldn’t know him,” she pointed out as she turned back to the door.
“So you do have some pony in mind!” Bon Bon nearly shouted.
“No! I… UGH! I’ll be back later!” Lyra shouted as he ran out into the street, slamming the door behind with her horn and hastily speeding off.
Bon Bon remained staring at the door for a few moments, a sly and happy grin on her face at finally something normal happening to her crazy but dear friend. “Hopefully this means no more humans,” she spoke while heading back to her baking.
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“That’ll be forty bits,” the stallion said behind the counter. The correct amount of coins wrapped in golden magic floated over the counter and dropped neatly into an organized pile. “Come again!” the stallion shouted as he raked the coins into the drawer below, waving goodbye after to the mint unicorn heading out the door, a saddlebag strapped to her side with various brand new tools.
“Why does she need all that?” A curious mare asked who was next in line, both of them watching the unicorn trot of quickly.
“Said she needed some things to fix a broken fort or something,” the clerk responded nonchalantly, just happy to see younger ponies have a desire to build things with their own hooves.
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“That’ll be eight bits,” Applejack stated after loading the last apple in the bought basket.
“Here you go,” Lyra cheerfully responded, wrapping the basket in her magic while simultaneous floating coins onto the market stand.
“Are you sure you got it?” the farmer asked in concern as she watched the unicorn precariously balance it atop her back and in between the bags on her sides. “I can ask Big Mac to carry it back to your place if ya want.”
“Nope, I got it,” she simply replied, deciding to have the load resting atop her constantly supported by her magic to prevent tipping. “Have a good one!” she replied, quickly walking away from the stall and onto her next purchase.
Applejack stared off at the unicorn with a half interested gaze. “Wonder if Bon Bon is making some apple candy or something? Sure is a lot for just one pony to eat…”
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“Why yes, I believe we have some extra bandages. Why did you need them again?”
“Because… you can never be too careful to not have bandages nearby?” Lyra hesitantly spoke, coming up with the first thing that popped in her mind.
The nurse gave a curious eyebrow raise before shrugging it off. “I suppose that is a good reason. But if you do suffer an injury, please come to the hospital right away. We have a staff who are more than qualified to wrap bandages properly.”
“Of course! Wouldn’t dream of trying to take care of myself!” Lyra eagerly agreed, smiling as wide as she could while wishing mare would simply hurry up and give her what she came for.
After following her down a few hallways and into a storage room, the nurse pulled out sealed packages of cloth marked as ‘Bandages’ atop them. “I can only give you one pack I’m afraid, will that be enough for any emergencies that may arise?” The nurse knew full well how dangerous some ponies can be, acting on their own and often refusing to seek medical aid until it became absolutely necessary. Whatever the unicorn had in mind, she hoped that she would at least her take a look after she patched herself up.
“Perfect! Thanks so much!” Lyra wasted no time on grabbing onto the package and quickly speeding down the hall, only pausing outside to float the basket of apples back onto her back and proceeding to walk as fast as she could away from the building.
The nurse stared mouth opened at the fleeing unicorn who left the room rather rudely and not to mention loudly. Her face turned into a frustrated scowl as she shook her head. “Youngsters these days.”
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Lyra ran over her mental checklist, ensuring she had gotten everything she needed while she headed out of Ponyville. Food? check. Tools? Check. First Aid wraps? Check.
She followed the main road out of Ponyville, traveling nearly a mile out before taking a sharp turn off the marked road and onto the grass, a direct beeline for Whitetail Wood, idly thinking at what laid ahead of her. I hope the apples will be okay, he didn’t seem too keen on anything else I tried to feed him.
Shortly she entered the birch wood and oak forest, passing through the undergrowth and around bushes. She entered the woods from a different spot each time to prevent any pony from finding out a worn path. Even though it was rare for anypony to come out this far and into this region of the woods, Lyra was not taking any chances. Eventually after navigating forest obstacles, she came upon the trail that had formed from her hiking, patted down with the help of a little magic to assist her in finding the way back.
Taking a deep breath of the forest, she exhaled happily as she passed by the greenery. It was a beautiful day in spring, the trees had complete foliage, the ferns were full and large, and to top it all off, nopony would have any reason to be here until fall.
Lyra let a happy smile grow on her face as she reminisced the day she had found him that day in these very woods. She had wanted to take a break from everything pony, and decided to hike as deep into Whitetail as possibly, half to be lost in thought and half in adventure to find something exciting. It was something she never really grew out of as a filly, that sense of wonder that maybe if she peeked around that next corner, or went in just little further, she would find something new and wonderful. Little did she know that it would actually happen to her someday! And while he had been injured from what she assumed was related to the matter of his arrival, Lyra had been devotedly dedicated all her time to him.
It was only a few days, but to her it seemed like a month. A wonderful and exciting month filled with a sense of awe and fear at something so new but had yearned for her whole life.
Lyra snapped out of her thoughts as a small structure came into view. Giggling to herself at being able to see him again, she pranced towards the cabin, eager to get started right away.
Upon reaching the building she quickly threw open the door with a little more force than she had intended, unable to contain herself at finding out more things. She hastily put the saddlebag of tools next to a pile of lumber she had drugged to the cabin, extra pieces that were not being used by one of her neighbors who happened to be a construction worker. Hopefully these will help reinforce this place. I don’t want it to leak on him if it rained.
Having set aside what she would no doubt be using later, she trailed the bandages and a few apples of the basket behind her, heading towards the next door across from the front door and to the left that lead to the bedroom. She had been very lucky that she had found the two roomed building, probably left over by somepony who enjoyed camping and spent the nights here in rest. The place had been abandoned for some time by her estimate of how worn down it had been, but that did not discourage her in the slightest in her restoration efforts. After all, a home for a very special guest deserved to be nice. That’s one of the reasons why she had bought the tools, finally able to have proper equipment to repair and restore the place. I really should pick out some paints soon. I’m thinking something happy, like yellow.
Reaching the bedroom door, she glanced over to the window sill and onto the quill in notebook she had been busy filling the last few days. Her smile only widening at the prospect of filling more of its pages with important information. Information on something nopony had believe had existed no matter how much she told everypony. Hehe, if only they could see me now, she thought giddily. Nopony is going to doubt me when I bring all this data to them. They will finally see that I’ve been right all along! Grabbing the quill and notebook, she took a breath to calm her building nerves, and grasped at the door with her hoof. I hope he isn’t feeling to sad today to not talk.
Slowly she pried open the door, eliciting a echoing creak with every inch it swung open. While the living room had been bright from the open windows that filtered the sunlight, this room was nearly pitch black. It had windows, but Lyra felt it best to cover them with blankets should somepony chance upon the cabin and peek through them. The revealing light from the door way casted a beam across the floor and onto the bed, where a still form laid beneath the blankets. “Hello? Were you sleeping?” Lyra cooed softly. A shifting about the covers along with a small groan indicated that he was awake now.
“Sorry about that,” she said while entering the room. “I know you need your rest to recover but I just couldn’t wait any longer!” She walked confidently across the dark room, setting the apple down onto an end table that she had memorized. Honestly it had been hard not to memorize every detail in the room considering how enthralled and focused she had been whenever he would explain to her another golden detail of his world. “I brought food! And I think you’re going to like it this time. I promise it’s not hay or oats.”
The figure on the bed mumbled something else as it slowly woke up, moving the covers slightly in its small movements. “Here, let me get the light,” Lyra said quickly, eager to see his face again. His unique and wonderful face she had come to know so well.
Hopping onto the chair next to the end table, Lyra sat a few feet away from the side of the bed, levitating the lamp she had placed the apple next to. Carefully she turned the dial and brought an orange glow from it, revealing the entire room and the figure on the bed. “Oh no!” Lyra immediately shouted while bringing a hoof to her mouth the moment she saw him. “Your wrists! They look so red and raw! Here, let me get the bandages.”
Worryingly she moved closer to him, unwrapping the sealed package at the same time and floating the items to the sore sight. However, the moment she got close to inspect the wounded area, the arm quickly pulled away a few inches, flinching at her presence.
Lyra gave a scowl at the reaction before softening her features and looking into his face. “I told you, if you keep tugging at the ropes you’re going to hurt yourself,” she said with sadden eyes, only receiving fearful ones in reply. “Now I’m going to have to be frugal on the bandages,” she sighed. “Your first injuries when you appeared were bad enough. But all these other one you keep inflicting to yourself aren’t helping! You got to stop doing these things.” Lyra spoke in a gentle but commanding tone, feeling like a mother would speak to her foal when it would get in trouble.
She removed the blanket and began to work on replacing the bandages, giving a grumpf of disproval every time he would flinch at her touch. He still fussed whenever she would try to take care of him, but it was much more manageable than in the beginning. The ropes she had bought really did help on keeping him still while she worked or inspected his features. After wadding up the last used wrap she spoke cheerfully, “There isn’t that better?” Silence was her only reply. “Don’t worry, I’ll get some silk soon to help your wrists and ankles. I don’t want you hurting yourself when you're asleep or awake.”
Humming to herself she propped herself back into the chair, sitting down like how she imagined he would; something she would attempt to see if it wouldn’t mean so much trouble. “Also, I got some extra wood for that leak in the room, and to help reinforce the door and windows. We don’t want a repeat of last time do we?” Once again, she only received silence from him.
“Okay, I got my quill and notebook. Last time you were right in the middle of explaining airports, so let’s finish that," she announced while flipping through the book. "But first, I want a nod in agreement that you promise not to yell once I remove the mouth gag. I already told you that there’s nopony around to hear anyways. Otherwise, I’m going to just inspect your hands again. Do we have a deal?”
A slow and hesitant nod from the human confirmed his acceptance, and he watched with wide and nervous eyes as the mint unicorn horn's glowed, followed by the sensation of restraining piece around his mouth begin to un-work itself.
Smiling happily at his cooperation, she leaned forward and intently stared at him with equally wide but instead fascinated eyes. “Good lets start.”
Lyra stood motionless a short distance from the trail, unable to fully process exactly what she was seeing. She had stumbled across it while on her walk through Whitetail Woods, one of the few activities lately that she would do besides playing her lyre that seemed to help. She felt better out in the woods away from other ponies, free to let her thoughts run wild and without prejudice. To roam and blur the lines between her world and the one she believed in. It was where she could truly be herself, even if it had to be when she was alone.
But right now she wasn’t alone.
The forest smelt of old trees and fresh plants, along with the pure scent of rain as the water droplets dried a top the foliage they rested on. The pegasi had scheduled a light rain today, ending around the afternoon so the evening sun could dry it all. The woods had a pleasant and refreshing smell to it after the rain shower, the mixture of dew and moss bringing out the smells of the forest vividly. So when she had picked up a peculiar smell that had wafted by her nose —a smell that most definitely did not belong in her now well-traveled forest— that she paused and craned her neck in further search. It was familiar and faint, so much that she nearly assumed she had simply imagined it. But when she caught another whiff of it, she began turning her head about to find the source of the scent. And when she saw what emanated the smell, tucked away in the woods only a few stone’s throws away from the path, she curiously picked her way between the overgrown plants to inspect it.
She had mistaken its form as an unconscious pony lying down when she had first spotted it, half hidden between tall ferns with only parts of its body exposed. When she realized whoever it was appeared to be eerily still as she approacged, she worriedly rushed the rest of the distance to see if they were alright. But before she could ask aloud if they were alright, she froze in her tracks at the sight of a very un-pony like appendage sticking out covering ferns.
Laid gently a top of the forest moss, was a hand. It wasn’t a claw of a griffin, or the fist of a minotaur, but a pink and five fingered human hand.
Lyra’s voice became caught in her throat, making her unable to form audible words as she silently mouthed in disbelief, ’human…
She couldn’t believe it at first, her mind coming to a complete halt as she looked upon the appendage with wide eyes. Every detail about it, from the number of fingers, to the creases in the palm, was exactly how she imagined it would look like. Its soft texture held a glow from the reflection of the sunlight off of the trees and dew. It was almost magical to see it in such a serene setting.
After a minute of staring in awe, she snapped herself out of her trance and hesitantly moved closer to inspect the hand, half thinking that it might disappear on her if she took her eyes of it or blinked. She had to make sure it was real, that it wasn’t her imagination. It simply seemed to good for it to be true after all these years of desperate faith. But her doubts melted away as she gently touched it with her hoof. It was real, and it was warm.
The smile that grew on her face as she gently felt the hand, and the tears that built up in her eyes, were minor expressions of how she felt inside. It was as if a massive weight holding down her chest had suddenly floated away, releasing a flood gate of relief and happiness that filled her from horn to tail. She had to stifle herself at falling to her knees and breaking down there and then, almost unable to control the wave of emotions inside of her as her hoof gently traced the palm. Wiping away a stream of tears that threatened to run down her cheek, she thought to herself still in half disbelief that she would ever think these words in full confidence, They’re real… they’re really real!
She was right. She was right about everything. Humans existed, and she had one right in front of her.
But it was only a hand, a hand was attached to the rest of the body that was hidden beneath large fern leaves. Snapping herself too once again from her shock, she took a step over the hand with wide eyes and a hanging mouth, apprehension filling her at being able to see the rest of the human.
With a held breath she extended her hoof, pulling back on the fern to reveal the rest of the body. And for the second time that day, her voice became caught in her throat with only a whisper of a gasp escaping her lips.
It was a whole human, legs, arms, clothes and all. Everything she thought she knew about them was confirmed as she checked each every little detail she could see, a grin fluttering on her face as her eyes ran up and down the body. She felt torn between shouting with joy or crying in relief, the two emotions pulling her shaky smile as suppressed shudders twitched her body. But what held her attention the most as her eyes observed everything they could see, was the sleeping face of the human. Every curve, every indent, every line, all of it was exactly how she believed humans to look like.
And she simply did not know what to do with herself.
She wiggled with joy, she squeed as quietly as she could, she danced on her hoof tips in excitement, and she finally let a few tears break free from her eyes from all the years of being told she was wrong. When in fact she was oh so right all along, and now she finally had the human to prove it.
Oh my gosh what do I do? AHHHHH! I FOUND A HUMAN! OH SWEET CELESTIA! I KNEW THEY EXISTED. Everypony’s heads going to spin when they see him! At least… I think it’s a him. Lyra brought a hoof to her mouth for a brief moment before nodding as her grin retook her face. Yeah, it’s a him. I know it is. I wonder how he got here? Are they’re more? Is there a way for him to go back? Is there a way for ME to go with him? This is just too much!
Lyra shook her knees again at the amount of energy that filled her body, trying her best to not explode at the sheer amazingness of the situation. What should I do!? What should I ask him first!? What would HE ask first? Is he-… Lyra trailed off in her mind as looked down onto him again. Is he… alive?
“…”
A moment passed before the overwhelming excitement was suddenly replaced by worry and fright. “Oh no no no no!” Lyra whispered quickly.
When she had touched his hand it was warm, but that didn’t mean he was still alive. She pranced about in panic as her mind raced about on what to do to check if he was still with the living, deciding the best way was to check his breathing. If he wasn’t, then she was going to hyperventilate and kill herself for passing up CPR lessons.
Bending her head down she turned a cheek and held it only inches away from his mouth, closing her eyes in concentration as she tried to feel the faintest of breaths. Come on come on! Please be alive!
When she did finally feel his soft and warm breath brush past her coat, her eyes snapped open as she lifted her head to stare at his sleeping face, mouth open in relief and happiness as a few more tears began to build in her eyes. “Oh thank Celestia you’re not dead.”
But he did not appear to be completely well she realized. His breathing while existent was faint, and she did not know if he had any injuries. But as she lifted her head in contemplation, the above broken branches was a sure sign the human had most definitely been injured, if the height of them were any indication that he had fallen.
Lyra didn’t know how tough humans were, but she didn’t figure them to be durable enough to not receive any damage from a fall that high. But to the extent of his injuries she was unsure of, and that lead her to her next decision.
“Y-You need to be fixed up! We got to get you feeling better!”
She needed to get him out of these woods and to a doctor right away, there was no way she was going to let him die off here in the forest. There was no way she was going to let something so important fade away from the rest of ponykind. She knew they were real, and it was her duty to prove it. With a determined look she stomped to his side, ready to save his life no matter what.
But her face fell away as she then wondered exactly how she was going to get him out of here.
After checking his injures the best she could to ensure nothing was serious enough to warrant him to be kept still, she spent the next some minutes carefully lifting him with her magic and onto her back. She eventually concluded that the best way to move him was to rest him atop her back and keep him stable with her magic. She wasn’t strong enough to keep him floating, and despite her best efforts she had been unable to wake him. So it was with careful maneuvering and a bit of magic that he eventually laid stomach down on her back, his head hanging near hers. He was big so his hands gently brushed the ground, and she had to keep his legs lifted with her horn, but she could move him. She just had to be careful and only walk on smooth ground.
Heheh, a human is riding me, she giddily thought. “Okay, let’s get you out of here fella.”
Lyra slowly moved through the plants and back onto the path, heading back the way she had originally come from that lead to Ponyville. She constantly craned her head back to make sure she had a good grip on him, ensuring that not too much of his body was dragging across the ground or readjusting every time she felt him begin to slide. But all the while she steadily moved back home, thoughts of how everypony was going to react dancing across her mind when she walked into the town with him slung onto her.
Everypony is going to flip when they see him! I can’t wait to see how they will react! Oh Bon Bon’s jaw is going to hit the floor when I show her! EEEEEEEEEEE I CAN’T WAIT! A grin was plastered on her face as she tried to imagine each pony’s reaction to her, and how her life may change. No more playing for small gigs with my Lyre! I’m still going to play, but now everypony is going to see me for what I really am. A human expert! Oh how they will ask ‘Lyra, how in Equestria did you know they existed?’. To which I will respond, ‘Oh just a lucky hunch. But my hunches are never wrong!’ AHHH! I can’t wait!
After some minutes of travel she paused to take a quick breather and readjust the human. But first we need to get you better big guy. We’ll take you to the hospital right away. They will probably freak out at first at seeing you, but I’m sure I can convince them you’re safe. After that they will most likely transport you to Canterlot so the finest doctors and experts can help you become better. Oh the Princesses will be crawling at the door just to meet you! A giant function will probably be held in your honor and all the elites will be there to welcome you. You’ll be living the life in the best we can offer at our capital and… you will be swarmed by everypony… and… you’ll be away from Ponyville… too busy with… every other pony…
Lyra slowly stopped as her mind worked through those last thoughts. He was a human, he was going to attract big attention. But she painfully realized she was being naive in her role in all of her fantasies. She may be the pony that found him, but he would most likely be taken to Canterlot right away. And she wouldn’t be able to go with him. He would attract too much attention from everypony to allow some unicorn from Ponyville to tag along with him. She was not nearly important enough to even have the hope of the authority or opportunity to see him with the guests that would visit him.
Or the Princesses could even consider him a national secret, swept away from the prying eyes of the public to further investigate him. If Lyra’s theories that humans could be a bit violent at times were true, then that might be reason enough alone to keep him under wraps. And to top of either of those two theories, he might wake up after he was taken away from her, never to know the unicorn that carried him from woods and all the way to town. Even if she did see him later, how in Equestria would she prove that she knew about him and his kind all along? He would have spoken to so many ponies about his world that he would just think she copied what the reporters knew.
Lyra bit her lip as possibility after possibility ran across her mind, making her original and wonderful outcome of learning more about him and being by his side slowly dwindle into a foalish dream and impossible reality.
Lyra took a step backwards as the painful truth played out across her mind. No… this wouldn’t work. I won’t be able to see him or learn first hoof about humans. I… I’ll never prove that I was right like this. I won’t convince other ponies that I’m… that I’m not… c-…cr-…
She was unable to finish that thought, instead swiftly turning away from her original direction and heading back the way she had found him. With a growing sense of panic that began to fill her body, Lyra shifted her eyes about the forest as she moved away from Ponyville. No, none of that will work. I have to think of something, something else that will make everything okay. I have to be the first pony he sees when he wakes up, I can’t take him to a doctor just yet.
She knew it was a risk to not get him seen right away from a medical provider, but judging from what she saw she hazard a guess that he wasn’t that injured. For all she knew he wasn’t even really hurt at all. In fact, when he did wake up he could tell her exactly what was wrong with him if there even was anything. And if there was she could just go get a book on first aid practices and take care of him herself. But where do I take him? she then thought.
She needed a safe place to keep him so he could rest and for her to watch over him. As previously worked out, the hospital wasn’t an option. Her home wasn’t an option with how she imagined Bon Bon would react and also be unable to not tell everypony about him. And there was nowhere else in Ponyville she could think of that would fit what she needed. As he eyes darted back in forth as she shakily moved forward down the trail from her overwhelming panic at the situation, a sudden thought crossed her mind that washed away all her worries.
A place where he can rest, away from every other pony until we’re ready, and a place nopony would stumble across…
A relieved grin spread across her face as she recalled a place that was exactly what she needed, and was located in these very woods. A place that she had found one time during her walks, and for all she knew, the only pony that even knew it existed.
“Don’t worry fella, I have just the place in mind,” she said as she moved with renewed confidence. “A nice little tucked away place. Somewhere where nopony will find us.”
Lyra backtracked on the trail before breaking off into the woods at a familiar point, passing by the large ferns and tall trees as she slowly made her way to the secluded spot in mind. It took little over an hour for her to make the distance while carrying the human, having to go around fallen logs or dense brush, but she made it nonetheless. She was a little out of breath, but her spirits were renewed when the wooden structure finally came in sight.
She had found it sometime ago while wandering the woods one day, having wanted to get away from the main trail when it was unusually busy with hikers. She did not know how long it had been there, or if anypony else even knew it was there, but it had served her well as a spot of seclusion when she just need to get away from everypony and the world.
“Almost there fella,” Lyra said over her shoulder with a grin before shifting him in place for the last trek. Stepping out of the sea of ferns she walked up the little path that lead to the cabin. While this small trail lead back into the woods a fair distance, wherever it connected to the main path had become overgrown long ago, completely shutting off any entrance to the area and preventing casual hiker from finding it.
As she approached the door she slowly eased her magic off the human to let his limbs rest onto the ground while she opened the front door. Swinging open all the way, she picked him up again with her golden glow and carefully made her way in, minding the shoulders and limbs of the human that hung over the edges of her body.
After getting him inside, she passed through the entrance room and repeated the same action with her magic for the bedroom door. Once again navigating her and him through the doorway, she sped the rest of the distance to the bed and plopped him onto an old and bare mattress. “Whew!” she exclaimed with a heavy breath. Lifting his arm that dangled off the side and placing onto his chest she said, “Sorry for the state of the place, but I’ll get it spruced up as quickly as I can. After all, who knows how long we’ll be here.”
As she said the last sentence she looked about the room before commenting, “Yeesh… it’s worse than I remember.” The place looked exactly how one would imagine an old and abandon cabin would be, caked with dust, littered with debris from small animals, and random rusted objects that were scattered about. Lyra kicked a dirty tin can away from her in disgust. “Yeah… definitely going to need a lot of TLC.”
As she began to form a mental list of things she would require to fix the place up, her eyes were drawn to the sleeping human, causing her thoughts to drift away as she regarded him again. She watched wordlessly how the light from the cracked windows played a crossed him, and how his chest slowly raised and fell with each peaceful breath, lifting his hand along with it. Taking a hoof step forward, she bent her head down to inspect the hand again, marveling at its minor details.
Everything about it was just fascinating. There looked flexible and capable of any delicate work they would need to be used on. She wondered just how well she could play her lyre if she had hands like his, to feel each vibrating string beneath her fingertips. Her eyes remained wide as her gaze drifted about the rest of his body, from his shoes to his hair, feeling her previous joy that overwhelmed her when she first found him begin to build again.
She sucked in a smile as tears began to form on her eyes, feeling so relieved that a human was right next to her. A living, breathing human that was only a hoof length away. If she wanted to, she would only have to reach out and she could touch him. “I’m so happy that you’re real…” she whispered to him gratefully.
Feeling that she might actually cry if she continued to stare at him she raised a hoof to wipe her eyes, and then recoiled when she realized she smudged dirt and dust onto her face. “Ugh, I need to clean this place right away.”
Looking about the room again with a dissatisfied expression, she flared her nostrils in irritation. “You are not staying in a place this filthy,” she stated. “I need to get some cleaning supplies here asap, but…” she turned back to the human with a worried look. “I don’t want to leave you alone. I mean, what if you wake up while I’m gone?”
When he did not provide any input to her problem, she sighed again. “Guess there’s no helping it. I’ll just have to be quick. But just in case you do wake up,” she said as she spotted a dust laden notebook and pen. Flaring her horn, she brought the two objects towards her and ripped out a page. She gave a happy grin when she scribbled the pen across the paper and found that the ink had not dried up yet. “I’ll just leave a note for you.”
Dear Human Stranger,
I found you in the woods. You we’re hurt and unconscious, so I brought you to this cabin. I’m out right now to get something’s to help fix up the place, so please don’t leave until I return. You shouldn’t be walking around with your injuries and I don’t want you to strain yourself. I will bring some food for us so don’t worry about dinner. Be back as soon as I can.
Lyra
Nodded to herself in satisfaction, she placed the piece of paper onto his chest and headed towards the doorway. Pausing to look back at the human, she frowned at thought of having to leave him so soon after finding him. But he needed food, he needed treatment, and everything else she would bring him. So it was with a heavy heart that she gave him one long last look before shutting the door quietly and rushing out the cabin.
“I’m only going to be gone for a little bit,” she told herself as she raced away from the building. “I’ll be back before I know it. Just a few things from the house, then back to taking care of him.” Taking a sharp turn where she had first walked onto the small trail, she retraced her path back to the main path. She was a mint blur amongst the green foliage around her, pumping her legs beneath her to make the trip as quick as possible. “Just please, don’t be gone,” she prayed between her breaths.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lyra threw open the door to her house and bolted up the stairs, eliciting a loud sound in the kitchen from a pan being dropped. “Sweet Celestia!” a mare yelled. “Lyra!? Is that you?” Bon Bon shouted.
“Yes!” Lyra’s muffled voice called from upstairs.
Bon Bon gave a sneer to the ceiling as she heard the unicorn stomp about the second floor. “Lyra! Just what are you doing!?”
“Just a minute!” Lyra shouted again.
Bon Bon waited a few moments before sighing and bending down to pick up the pan she had dropped. Resuming her cooking again, she ignored the crashes and thuds of the unicorn doing who knows what upstairs. However her patience was drawing close as she pounded the dough for some pastries more furiously with her hooves each second she had to listen to the commotion of her eccentric roommate. “I swear, sometimes I forget why I room with her,” she said aloud.
Her ears pricked up at the sound of hooves descending the wood stairs quickly, then across the living room and into the kitchen. Turning her head, she saw the unicorn rush into the kitchen and began to frantically looked about the drawers, the saddlebag she wore swinging to and fro from not having been strapped on all the way. “Bon Bon! Where are the bandages?”
Raising an eyebrow she replied, “Their in the chest over there.”
“Thanks!”
Bon Bon watched in confusion as Lyra threw open the lid and rummaged through its contents. She didn’t know why Lyra needed them so badly, but she had learned to keep an ample stock due to the history of knowing the unicorn; it was number five on the list of items she made to always keep around when living with Lyra.
When she had resurfaced from the chest she triumphantly raised a pack of bandages and cloth wraps above her head. “Aha!”
“Y-you’re taking all of them?” Bon Bon stuttered as she watched the unicorn stuff the package into her saddlebag.
“Yup! I’m also taking my bed sheets and a few spare blankets,” Lyra replied before dashing to the fridge and stuffing various produce into her bag.
“Lyra! What in Equestria is going on!? Where are you going with all that stuff?” Bon Bon exclaimed in shock.
“No time! It’s almost dark! Gotta go!” Lyra said stated as she shut the fridge door and tore out from the kitchen. “Be back later!”
“Lyra!” she cried out again, but the prompt sound of the front door slamming showed she either didn’t hear or simply lacked the decency to reply. Bon Bon stood staring at the archway into the living room in confusion of what just happened, before her eyes trailed downwards and onto the dirt shaped hoof prints the unicorn had left.
“DAMMIT LYRA!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lyra breathed heavily as she turned onto the little path that led up to the cabin a short distance away. She had not been able to keep up her frantic pace for long, and had to walk the whole distance back through the woods after sprinting to Ponyville. But she made it in time before the sun set, smiling happily as she caught her breath at the dimming light through the trees. Shadows were beginning to form about the woods, and the cabin was taking a darker appearance than what it looked like in the day, giving a slightly eerie look to it.
Ignoring all of that however, Lyra opened the door with her magic and proceeded inside in one stride, only pausing to give a quick look back out into the woods before shutting the door gently. Exhaling as she caught her breath, she began to remove her saddlebag when a muffled voice called from the bedroom. “Hello?”
Lyra froze as she heard the masculine voice, realizing instantly that it was the human she had found. He was still here, and he was awake. “Hello? Is somebody there?”
AH! He said somebody! Lyra silently fangirled, resisting the urge to dance on her hoof tips. Clearing her throat, she replied loudly, “Y-yes! I’m here! I’m the one that found you. I just got back with some supplies and food. I was just doing what I said in the note I left for you.”
“Oh, uh… thank you miss!” he replied back, causing Lyra to bend her knees in excitement as she bit her lip.
I don’t believe it! I’m having a conversation with a human!
“Do… do you know what happened to me?” he asked.
Lyra’s excitement died as she stood back up, her face falling somewhat at his question. “N-no, I’m sorry but I don’t. I was actually hoping you would be able to tell me since I just randomly found you in the woods.”
“Oh…” he said with a heavy tone.
Shoot, he sounds to sad, Lyra thought. She instinctively yelled through the wall again, feeling bad that she couldn’t help him in that regard. “But don’t worry! Luckily I found you so you’re going to be alright!”
“Uh, thanks,” he responded. “Is there a reason why we’re still shouting through the door?”
“I… I was just setting down some things, I’ll be right in!” Lyra quickly answered. Setting her saddlebag down, she slowly made her way to the closed door of the living room, her hoof steps ominously echoing about the cabin. She paused in front of the door and took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself at the face to face encounter she was about to have. “A-Alright, I’m coming in,” she called louder than she intended, then flared her horn and pushed it open.
She let the door swing open the entire way open first before cautiously stepping into the room. She ceased her hold on the door as her head came into the room, then turned her eyes to the human sitting up on the mattress. She sucked in a breath as her eyes came into contact with his, and what she saw made her blush slightly. He was staring at her so intensely, those detail and wonderful eyes that she could now see for the first time. He was poised, calm, and firm as he locked eyes onto her, his face expressionless as he regarded her.
When he did not say anything at first, Lyra decided to break the ice with a cough. “Uh… hey,” she sweetly said with a smile.
Little did she know, that she had mistaken his calm and passive demeanor for speechlessness and shock.
“WHAT THE FUCK!?” the human shouted while simultaneously spinning off the bed and away from her. He flinched in pain as he brought one hand to hold his side, but remained defensive as he held the other palm open to her as if to push her away.
“Don’t hurt yourself!” Lyra exclaimed as she trotted a few steps closer to him.
“STAY BACK!” he shouted. “STAY THE FUCK BACK WHATEVER YOU ARE!”
“But-“ Lyra said worriedly as she took another step closer before he interrupted her.
“STAY AWAY!”
Lyra narrowed her eyebrows as she looked upon the panicking human in confusing. “Why are you so afraid? I’m the one that found you. You’re safe!”
“Look,” the human said as he gulped audibly before beginning to side step on the edge of the room “I don’t know what you are, but just stay away from me!”
Lyra watched wordlessly as he slowly hugged the wall, and in the direction of the door behind her. “Are you… are you trying to leave?” she asked in concern.
“Just… just let me go,” he repeated in a shaky voice.
“You can’t leave though,” Lyra tried to explain as she moved another step closer.
“STAY BACK!” he yelled again at her advancement, backing up into a chest set against the wall and rattling the pieces that remained on top of it.
“You don’t understand,” she pressed. “You have to stay here, the others can’t see you yet.”
“OTHERS!?” the human shouted. He rain his free hand through his hair as his eyes went wider in shock. “Where the fuck am I?” he whispered to himself as he looked about the cabin.
“You’re in Equestria,” Lyra answered with a smile.
“Equi-what!?” he asked before shaking his head in anger. “No, no fuck this! This is crazy!”
Lyra froze in place, the overwhelming feeling of a deep dread and anxiety build up in her at the sound of the word. Feeling as if she might cry, she looked onto him in confusion and sorrow at how horrible the introduction was going. This wrong… it wasn’t supposed to be like this…
“I’m getting out of here! You just stay right there and let me go!” he stated as he resumed his side stepping towards the door.
“You can’t though!” Lyra suddenly shouted loudly, trying to get through to the increasingly panicked human that wasn’t an option.
Reactively he grabbed a hold of a picture frame on the chest and threw it at the unicorn while screaming, “GET AWAY!”
Lyra quickly ducked the picture frame, watching it bounce about the wooden floor behind her. She opened her mouth in a gasp and turned back towards the human, but quickly found a foot come across her vision as he kicked her with all his might.
He knocked Lyra onto the ground and back a few feet to clear a way for a mad dash through to open doorway. “WAIT!” she screamed, flaring her horn to grab a hold of his feet. The action however ended up tripping the human rather than freezing him in place and watched in shock as he fell through the doorway and onto the hardwood floor. His hands grasped for anything on the way down, and managed to get a hold of the door handle, tearing it off along with a chunk of the old wood surrounding it. He gave out a loud groan as he fell on top of the piece of woods, sending splinters into his arms that managed to draw blood.
Lyra jumped onto her hooves as chased after the human scrambling back onto his legs, giving chase into the next room as he half stumbled and sprinted his way to the front door. Acting in the moment, Lyra focused her magic on holding the door shut just as his hands reached for the handle, tugging against her pull with all his might.
Caught in the heat of the moment, Lyra full on tackled the human knocking them both onto the ground. The human screamed and thrashed about with his legs and fists against the mint unicorn on top of him, also trying to get a hold on him in efforts to hold him still to calm him down.
“GET THE FUCK OFF ME!” he scream before shoving her aside with all his might. His hands ran up the wall and grasped hold of a window sill, pulling himself up while wincing in pain. He took a quick glance at the door and stared in horror at the golden glow surrounding the edges of it, unable to comprehend what it was but knowing full well it was the reason why he could not open the door.
Looking about in panic, he decided to act drastically to get away from the strange creature and punched his fist through the window, yelling in pain as the glass shards cut through his arm. “STOP!” Lyra screamed as she watched him pull apart the window and begin to climb the sill to roll out onto the other side.
Gritting her teeth in panic, Lyra did the first thing that popped in her mind to stop the human from escaping and hurting himself more. Letting go of the door to wrap a block of wood with her magic, she swung the object through the air and up against the human's head as he managed to get a footing onto the sill.
The solid ‘thunk’ of the wood making contact with his skull send the human limp as he fell backwards into the room, landing on the wooden floorboards with a force that kicked up the dust around him.
Lyra held the block of wood in the air as she breathed heavily, staring in horror at what she had just done. Everything had happened so quickly, and he was hurting himself to get away, she had to act desperately to prevent any more of it.
Swallowing a buildup saliva, she got onto her still shaking hooves from the adrenaline, and cautiously moved towards the human. Her mouth hung open as if to ask a question as her eyes searched his face for an answer, wondering how everything had escalated so quickly. “Why…?” she quietly asked. “Why did you have to go and do that?”
But like this morning, she only received silence as her response.
Before her was the human lying unconscious atop the old bed, on his back with his arms and legs spread. Watching him sleep again, she was reminded of how peaceful he looked when she had first found him. His serene face that looked content with his eyes closed, his lips faintly parted for soft breathes, and the slow and gentle rising of his chest. This was what a human was supposed to be like, how they were supposed to act like.
They were advanced, rational, and understanding creatures. Sure they had their violent times, but they were so much more than soldiers and warmongers. They were artists, thinkers, dreamers. They were capable of things that ponies had not even imagined yet, and their potential was even beyond the stars themselves. That was how Lyra imagined them to be, not at all what she had actually experienced only a few short minutes ago. They weren’t supposed to have that contorted, anxiousness, and above all, terrified expression on their faces.
It wasn’t supposed to go like that.
What had gone wrong?
Lyra asked herself that many times while she brought him back to the bedroom, carrying him on her back as carefully as possible lest he become injured further. The small trickle of blood on the side of his head worried her greatly, and was painful to look at knowing she had been the one to cause it. She was also in turn responsible for the slivers on his body and bits of glass in his arm, injuries sustained during his flight from her.
But I had to…
She told herself that over and over again. If he had escaped, a number of things could have happened to him. He could have become lost, might have injured himself more than he already was, and even perhaps have made his way into the Everfree forest. But even worse, he could have wandered into Ponyville.
Lyra still needed to learn more from him before she could reveal his existence to the world. She needed to know everything she could so she might be considered an expert on humans, if not more than she already was. She needed to be by his side, to see him every day, to have a living reminder that she had been right all these years.
But that wouldn’t happen if he got swept up into the politics of Equestria. And it wouldn’t have happened if his reaction to her would have been repeated again in Ponyville. While she knew he wasn’t a monster, who’s to say that the other ponies wouldn’t view him that way? While they might eventually figure it out, there was too much potential damage and chaos that would be caused from it. It could very well destroy the first human to pony contact between her and his worlds.
Like it isn’t already destroyed, she thought sarcastically.
The situation that had escalated beyond anything she had expected came rushing back to her when she had gently set him onto the bed, and decided to inspect how much damage he had suffered. Carefully removing his shirt, her breath caught as she looked upon his previous and newly acquired injuries. While his breathing was more regular and not as faint before, the deepening purple bruise on his side along with the cuts and scrapes worried her greatly.
“You need to be taken care of right away,” Lyra commented. She took a step towards the door to fetch the bandages, but paused when the thought of him possibly waking up and trying to run away again popped in her mind.
“But first…”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“There, much better,” Lyra said with a smile.
She had cleaned his wounds and wrapped them as carefully as possibly, and currently watched him as he slept away his blow to the head. The sight of him sleeping with his shirt off and wrapped in various bandages brought a happy sigh to Lyra. He was just positively fascinating to watch, and his presence alone held a calming effect like she had never known before. It was like pressure that had been built over years being suddenly lifted.
The scene might have been just perfect if it weren’t for the ropes holding him down.
She couldn’t risk him repeating his irrational and frantic behavior before, and she didn’t want him injuring himself further. He did not appear to be in a stable mind set and risked being a threat to her and himself. So she figured the best option would be to restrict his movements, and some old rope she had found in the cabin was just the ticket. She would of course replace them later with stronger rope once she made a trip back to town, but for now they would do. She wrapped one piece on both wrists and ankles, securing the other ends to the metal bed frame beneath. While it pained her to have to resort to such measures, she just couldn’t risk his escape or damaging himself further. She made sure to keep his limbs spread tightly so he could not gain any foothold to yank on them, but if her knowledge on their strength and craftiness was any indication, his restraints would not last long.
But they would hold for now. And that’s all that mattered.
For now, she was simply content on sitting next to him and watching him sleep. Noting every curve and line that was on his body, the details of his dexterous hands, and everything else she could observe.
While she had taken off his shirt she had stopped to consider undoing his pants to check for other injuries. But a sudden blush at the notion made her think otherwise and she decided rolling up his pant legs temporarily would suffice to check for any wounds his legs. She may have had him tied up in an abandoned cabin in the middle of the woods, but she wasn’t a pervert that would have her way with an unconscious human. If he wanted to pursue such a relationship after he mentally stabilized would be entirely up to him she decided. However, her being unable to resist a quick peek made her wish that he would make such a decision later down the road.
But with future planning aside, she needed to focus on three things at present. The first was to help him heal and recover his strength, as well as his mind that was clearly not working properly as indicated by his behavior. If she wanted to get anywhere he would need to be better both physically and mentally. The second was in line with the first, and that was to ensure he did not escape and announce his presence earlier than should be done. And the third and final goal, was to learn everything about him and other humans as much as possible.
And for that goal, Lyra would rely on the same notebook she had found earlier that day, seemingly empty as if it had waited all its life for just this occasion. Really at the end of everything, how had this not all been just perfect? The abandon cabin she found months prior, the empty notebook with a unbelievably working pen, and even the still capable ropes that would unknowingly serve a purpose.
It seemed as if everything had gone as if it was planned.
Please wake up soon… I know you’re scared and confused at what’s happening… but I just want to help and learn as much about you as possible. Reaching a hoof to touch his outstretched arm, she looked upon him with tenderness. Please help me help you, and wake up soon…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three days later, and at present time…
“Wow, airplanes sound like they would be a lot of fun to travel on,” Lyra commented as she skimmed her newly written notes. Humming happily at the few pages she managed to fill for today, she turned her attention back to her reluctant informer. “Alright, that should be enough for today John.”
“Great…” John mumbled, turning his head away to avoid eye contact.
“Are you not feeling good?” Lyra asked in concern. She was tempted to put her hoof on top of his forehead to feel if his temperature had gone down today, but she knew full well of his reaction to her touch, and decided to wait until he had at least fallen asleep again; the most opportune time to check on him she had found.
“No, I’m trapped in an abandon house in the middle of nowhere with a freaking psycho unicorn,” he grumbled.
“I told you,” Lyra said as she furrowed her brow,” that it is for your own good. You are obviously not acting as you should be and need to be kept in check.” Lyra spoke like a mother would to their foal, scolding them for wanting to do some outdoor activity while they needed to rest in bed. “Honestly, I’m pretty worried about your temperature. I figured that besides any damage to your head from your appearance in Equestria, I’m assuming you fell by the way, that this strange fever you have is still making you delirious.”
Lyra waited patiently for John to respond, and blew a raspberry when he refused to look or answer her. She hated when he acted like this, refusing to acknowledge her points or concerns when she tried to express them to him. He behaved as if he simply did not want to have anything to deal with her when she tried to convince him she was right and he was wrong. It was infuriating because she was right, and had his best interests in her heart and mind. He just simply did not understand everything and had no idea how things were like outside.
So she needed to keep him inside, and have him remain under her watchful eye until she could explain it all to him.
“Is there anything I can bring you from town tomorrow? I realized I forgot a couple of things, and I need to go back and show some face so nopony catches on to anything,” Lyra said sweetly as she closed the notebook.
“… I wouldn’t mind more apples,” John answered.
“Okay, apples it is then.” She looked at him in satisfaction that he was beginning to settle somewhat in his outbursts and general behavior. At least now she could have a somewhat normal conversation with him instead of fighting her at every point and turn. At first he was completely uncooperative in any manner, and had to be forced fed just to keep his strength up. But over the last few days his resistance had dwindled, and his compliance was meet with much relief from Lyra. She felt like it wouldn’t be too much longer before he finally saw her side of things and could be untied.
“Well, it’s time to go to bed now. I’ll get the light.” Lyra hopped off her chair and fell back to her four legged stance, briefly wishing that she could feel the sensation of one rising themselves up with their arms instead of falling off. Slowly she walked around the bed to her own makeshift one—a pile of blankets along with a few pillows—and magically flipped the light switch, bringing the room to complete darkness.
She snuggled under covers with a content sigh, happy to have made some more progress today with John. It was all very difficult, but she needed to keep a positive outlook if it was ever going to turn out the way she wanted it to. Just one hoof step at a time, slowly making progress, and she would have everything she need and convince John that it was all okay. That she was right, and he had nothing to truly worry about.
As she laid motionless for her body to be swept away into a peaceful sleep, eager anticipation for what might be learned during tomorrow, the faint sound of heavy breathing could be heard.
And the muffled noise of someone trying to hold back flowing tears.
“Oh! Hello there Bon Bon, how are you today?” the elder pony behind a fence said with a wheeze.
“I’m doing just fine thank you,” Bon Bon replied happily. “Did you enjoy the last batch of soft taffy I made for you?”
Fiddlesticks wrinkled eyes brightened as he look up in reminisce. “Ah, they were absolutely delightful. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget their sweet taste. Truly, a tasty treat to remember for all time.”
“That’s what you say every time,” Bon Bon said, her smile still holding. She occasionally brought her goods to the senior pony due to his avid sweet tooth and his request to be the first to try any new recipes that she may consider. Regardless of what she gave him, he always treated it like it was the candy to end all candies, a rare sweet that would be met with applause from Manehatten to Vanhoover. Though Bon Bon knew he was over praising them, he was still a sweet stallion and she enjoyed his company. And the small ego boost she would get always helped pick up her day.
“Well, I’ll make sure you bring you another batch,” Bon Bon said. “But I stopped by today to ask you if you had seen Lyra lately.”
“Yes, a mint unicorn with a lyre for a cutie mark,” Bon Bon said as cheerfully as she could. Not only did Fiddlesticks repeat how amazing her treats were, she would always have to re-explain who Lyra was to him, despite how many times she had asked in him about her before. Whether he was indeed senile or if he simply enjoyed pretending to be old, Bon Bon tried to keep conversation a minimum with him when it was not on topic of her treats.
“Hmmm, yes I think I remember her,” Fiddlesticks said.
“Have you happened see where she’s been going these past few days? I know she comes down this road but I can’t figure out where or what she has been doing. To be honest, I’ve become a little worried about her, and more than the usual.”
“Well, let’s see… “ Fiddlesticks said as he scratched his flank idly. “She has been coming by the house more recently. Hmmm, I think if I had to guess, she’s been visiting White Tail Woods.”
“White Tail Woods? Are you sure?”
“There isn’t much reason for ponies to come down this street besides that,” Fiddlesticks said with a chuckle.
Bon Bon remained quiet for a few moments in thought, wondering exactly what reason her eccentric roommate would have to visit the forest. “Okay… thank you very much Mr. Fiddlesticks. I’ll be sure to stop by later next week.” Bon Bon gave a small wave to him before continuing down the road.
“Take care!” Fiddlesticks called as she departed the front of his house.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bon Bon had traveled the trails of White Tail Woods for the better part of an hour, scanning the forest about her for any sign or indication of Lyra or something that might have demanded her attention as of late. She couldn’t imagine what would keep the unicorn so busy in the woods, but knowing her roommate, she figured that she would know it once she saw it.
The way Bon Bon saw it, looking after Lyra was the least she could do considering the two of them were childhood friends; and one of the few Lyra had in her entire life. And she promised to Lyra’s mother that she would take care of her the best she could. After all, a pony like Lyra needed all the help she could get.
Come on Bon Bon, don’t think like that, she mentally scolded herself. You know how Lyra grew up. The poor girl has had it hard. Bon Bon flared her nostrils at the thoughts she had of her roommate, reminding herself of the promise that she wouldn’t go over such a touchy subject, even if it was in her own head.
Still, that doesn’t mean that when I do find her I can’t give her a nice hoof smack to the head for abandoning a gig she had lined up. Bon Bon would not treat Lyra as the unicorns mom had done. Even if she had been just a filly at the time, she didn’t agree that such methods would work. Bon Bon remembered the times she nearly had to force herself into Lyra’s house just to convince her parents that it would be alright to let her come play outside.
Besides weird tactics like holding a filly inside, Bon Bon felt no sorrow at giving Lyra some tough love when she needed it. Her mind could bounce around a hundred subjects at the drop of the hat, and Bon Bon would often yell at her for losing focus or forgetting about something simple. But no matter how angry Bon Bon got, or how many sorry’s Lyra would give with her half smile, Bon Bon felt that the unicorn secretly enjoyed the way she was treated. It was how a pony should act to another, and it helped her feel normal.
Thinking over her past with the unusual unicorn, Bon Bon suddenly came to a halt as a familiar tune reached her ears through the dense woods. It was a mare humming a sweet tune, the same melody she had heard Lyra practicing the week before; the same song she was supposed to play at her performance last night.
Bon Bon opened her mouth to call out for her, but then decided against it. She wasn’t entirely sure why she chose to instead jump into the nearby bushes and look outwardly while hidden in the tall ferns. It might have been a simple whim, or perhaps a faint memory spurring her actions, such as the one of the two of them playing hide and seek in woods similar to these.
But it may have been with the fact that Lyra was good at keeping secrets when she wanted to, and it was harder than pulling teeth to get her to spill whatever project she was working on. While Bon Bon normally did not bother herself with the small details of Lyra’s life, feeling that unicorn old enough to handle things on her own, Bon Bon had a sneaking suspicion this wasn’t one of her normal fascinations. That instead, it was somehow connected to her delusional obsession of those things.
Ever since she thought she saw one as a filly, they have been at the fore front of her mind for the better part of her life. And the reason why Lyra had been acting oddly a few days ago when Bon Bon had thought it might be because of a crush, she recalled that Lyra gave the same defensive look whenever the topic of them came up.
And Bon Bon was not going to be able to get anything out of her or help in any way if Lyra chose to refuse. Thus when she suddenly saw Lyra hop onto the trail some distance away, out of nowhere from the surrounding foliage, Bon Bon’s suspicions only sunk deeper.
Thankfully for Bon Bon, Lyra had appeared down the trail, and headed off towards Ponyville instead of where Bon Bon was concealed.
Waiting until she could no longer hear the melody Lyra hummed, Bon Bon stepped out of the ferns, and headed to the spot she saw Lyra appear from. When she reached it and traveled in a few feet, she spotted a well-worn path between the ferns, a sure sign that the unicorn had been travelling through her frequently the past few days. With a reluctant sigh at not wanting to but feeling obliged to check it out, Bon Bon proceeded along the path and deeper into the woods.
It wasn’t too long before a more developed trail suddenly appeared before her, one she had never travelled on. While it was overgrown in moss on some parts, a sign that it hadn’t been used in a long time, it still held the familiar wide form beaten down dirt of ponies walking over it. To her further surprise, she spotted a distant cabin nestled in the woods down the trail; its appearance had only been visible once she had exited the overgrowth.
Figuring that the old structure was the place Lyra had been spending her time at, Bon Bon trotted down the path, curious as to what might be inside.
As she approached, she winced at the fact that it looked much more pleasant from a distance. The wood almost appeared to be rotted, the roof tiles had mushrooms and moss growing on top of it, and one of the windows near the door looked completely smashed as if something had been thrown through it. Shaking her head at why Lyra found this place of all things to be the source of her attention, Bon Bon opened the door while touching it as little as possible, and stepped inside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Thanks again for the apples!” Lyra said with a waving as she left the Apple Families market stand. She was thankful that Big Mac had been attending it today, and that she wouldn’t have to explain to Applejack how she had already needed another basket of apples. Even though Lyra felt bad that apples were practically the only thing she was feeding him, John had been insistent that was all he craved. Reminds me of when I was a filly. Apples were just about the only thing I would eat for a time.
Shrugging her shoulders thinking that it may just be a phase, Lyra headed off in the direction tools & supply store. She needed to find a window pane that might fit in the frame, and she needed to fix the doorknob of the bedroom door. Hay, at this point, I might as well just put in a new door, she thought with some reluctance.
But the idea of working on fitting in a new door while John watched brightened her spirit on the task. Maybe if he seems me working for his best interests, he will be more willing to work with me. I mean after all, who wants a broken door?
As Lyra walked into the store, eliciting a soft jingle from the bell above, her head immediately turned to the dark glass like material set on a shelf in front of her.
“Hey Mister,” Lyra said without turning away to the clerk stallion at the counter. “What kind of windows are these?”
“I see you noticed our newest items,” he replied cheerfully. “Their tinted windows, but they have some magic worked in them so one side is perfectly visible, while the other is so dark you can’t see through it. They are best when you want to look outside but desire the extra privacy.”
“How much are they?” Lyra asked eagerly.
“Thirty bits apiece.”
“What?” Lyra said, finally breaking her gaze of the glass and looking at the clerk with a shocked look. “That’s way to expensive!”
“Sorry,” the clerk pony shrugged, “but that’s what they cost.”
Lyra scowled at stallion before moving off to get the few items she did need before walking in. Ponyfeathers, I’ll just have to play a few gigs to save up for them. Her sour mood however quickly changed as she thought about buying the glass. But still, I can only imagine how happy he will be at being able to remove the curtain and look outside. And if I keep saving up, maybe I can renovate the entire cabin all together! I bet he would even help me with it!
Lyra wore a silly smile at fantasizing about working on the roof with him, watching his hands grip the hammer and swing down with his arms. Just the thought of seeing him work with his hands at all made her pause in a happy daydream. All I need to do is save up a little more and…
The words ‘save up’ and ‘gigs’ echoed in her mind.
While she froze in mid grin, Lyra’s mind was running a mile a minute. She needed to save up, which meant that she needed to perform, which reminded her of her scheduled performance last night, which in the end, made her think of how mad Bon Bon would be.
“Ponyfeathers…” Lyra mumbled beneath her breath before tearing out of the store.
The store clerk had watched in confusion of how the mare had gone from wonderment at seeing the glass, to anger at hearing the price, to weird smiles again as she shopped, then the sudden horrified expression like she had seen a timber wolf itself before running out the door.
“That one… is crazy,” he said aloud.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I hope Bon Bon isn’t to mad at me when I do finally see her,” Lyra said as she walked along the forest trail, her head hanging down and a basket of apples balancing on her back.
She had rushed back to the house immediately to apologize to Bon Bon, knowing full well she would be upset with her missing a performance and not making money to help with the rent. That, and Bon Bon always seem to end up as the pony everypony else goes to whenever Lyra messes up. She didn’t know why, but everypony wanted to complain to Bon Bon first who in turned passed onto Lyra; and she could tell that it had begun to wear on the candy makers nerves.
But Bon Bon was nowhere to be found. She wasn’t making something in the kitchen, nor was she in the various shops she liked to visit. Bon Bon was a pony of routine, and it baffled Lyra why she couldn’t seem to find her. In the end she figured that she would run into her eventually, and decided to head back to the cabin. Even if she had not gotten anything else on her list, she still had apples and was set on getting them there tonight.
As she left the makeshift trail between the main one and the cabin, Lyra turned up the little path and looked upon it, feeling her mood brighten at just the sight of it. Even now she could picture how it would eventually look like. The roof clean of debris, the walls stained in a bright color, the walk redone with new cobble stones, and perhaps even a small flower garden in the front. It would be the perfect dream home, one she could come back to every evening. She could also picture John standing at the open door, waving her back home from a long day at of playing her lyre. The only person in the world who would understand her and that she could open up to. The only person who…
The words ‘opened door’ rang across her mind in a gut sinking realization that the door to the old cabin, was open.
“Oh no…”
Forgetting about the basket that fell from her back, Lyra rushed up the path and barged into the house, her eyes in a wide panic as she looked about frantically. She paused only a moment to take in the front room but dashing into the next, barely registering the fact that even with the approaching evening, she could see light through the doorway of the next room.
As Lyra rushed in, her breath became caught in her throat at the sight before her. The curtains had indeed been taken down, Bon Bon was standing nearby with a startled expression from Lyra’s sudden entrance, and the bed was empty.
John, was nowhere to be seen.
“Lyra!? By Celestia don’t scare me like that!” Bon Bon commented as she brought a hoof to her chest.
“B-Bon Bon?” Lyra asked with a high tone. “W-what are you doing here?”
“I was worried about you so I came to see what had been demanding your attention so much that you missed a performance,” Bon Bon said. “Honestly, do you know how long the restaurant owner talked to me about how his customers failed to have any music to serenade them during dinner?”
“I-I’m sorry,” Lyra said, her eyes still bouncing back and forth between the bed and Bon Bon. Where is he? Did she see him? Did he disappear before she got here? Or did she let him go? She’s not acting any different. But what if she did? Where is he!?
“Lyra?”
“Hmm!?” Lyra replied, snapping out of her thoughts.
“Is… there something about that bed?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s just, well… you keep looking at it. And you’re acting stranger. Stranger than normal. Why are you so tense? It’s like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I…I… “ Lyra stammered. “I-it’s just… have you seen… anybo- I mean… anypony here when you came in?”
Bon Bon blinked a few times as she gauged Lyra, trying to figure out just what she may be getting at. “No, the place was empty when I came in. But seriously, fixing this place up made you miss a performance? I’m glad you found a hobby, and I wish you could have taken a more… desirable place to work on your woodcraft, but this what’s been taking your time?”
Lyra remained motionless, barely registering any of the words Bon Bon had said to her. She didn’t see him. That’s good, but that means he somehow figured how to get out and is probably wandering the woods. Oh no! What if somepony sees him? I’m not anywhere ready and he is in no condition move about like that! He can’t even recognize the fact that I’m a friend, what will he do to another pony?
“Lyra?” Bon Bon said again, clearly becoming annoyed at Lyra spacing out while she spoke to her.
Bon Bon waited a few moments for her to respond, but instead got a sudden goodbye as Lyra turned out and ran back out the door. “I gotta go!”
“LYRA!” Bon Bon called out to her, following behind and standing at the edge of the front doorway, watching the unicorn tear off into the woods. “I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING BUT WHEN YOU GET BACK WE ARE GOING TO FINISH THIS DISCUSSION!”
Flaring her nostrils at the retreating unicorn, Bon Bon slowly made her way down the path and back home. “Honestly, where does she think she’s going? It’s going to be dark soon and were in the middle of the woods. And what was that about seeing a pony?” Bon Bon thought over the small mention if she had seen anyone else, causing her to wonder just who might be out here with Lyra in such an abandon building, tools everywhere as if she was going to fix the place up to live in.
Maybe… there is a pony she has a crush on, Bon Bon thought. Wondering who the stallion that could get past Lyra's strange qualities might be, she made her way back onto the makeshift trail and towards the main path that would take her home.
