Chapter 1
THE STRINGS TO MY HEART: Lyra and Octavia
A Lyra x Octavia story
Written by TheCrimsonDM
The sun was shining brightly on Ponyville today as ponies moved about their daily routines. Almost no clouds could be seen in the sky at all, allowing a clear view at the blue sky above. With how warm the weather was, it was a perfect day to lay in the grass and take a nap, or in this case a wonderful day to go out and get something to eat with your best friend.
Lyra Heartstrings sat at a small table admiring the sky as she drank from her glass of ice cold cola. Across from Lyra sat her best friend Bon Bon, Lyra however barely even noticed her friends presence as she continued staring at the blue sky.
“Lyra,” Bon Bon said in an attempt to get Lyra’s attention.
Lyra pulled herself away from the view slowly and acknowledged her friends existence just enough to ask, “What?”
“You weren’t listening to me again, were you?” she asked.
Lyra laid her face down on the table and said, “Sorry, Bon Bon. I’m just out of it today, I feel like…I’m trapped or something. It’s weird.”
“You aren’t having weird dreams about hairless monkeys again, are you?” Bon Bon asked in concern.
“Nah, I think it’s just that concert that’s happening on Friday. It feels like it’s taking forever to start,” Lyra explained in a bored tone.
“So you’re just bored?” Bon Bon asked.
“Extremely bored, I’m trapped in an endless cycle of boredom and I need something, anything to pull me out of it,” Lyra answered. After a few seconds she added, “Why don’t you tell me how things are going between you and Minuette?”
Bon Bon was quiet for a few seconds with a blank face before she finally asked, “Why are you interested all of a sudden?”
“We live together and you haven’t talked about her in two whole days, what’s going on?” Lyra asked more seriously.
Bon Bon’s gaze fell onto her untouched sandwich lying on the table. “We had a fight…and of all things it was about my candy shop. I’m sure we will make up…but I don’t like fighting with-“
“IS THAT REALLY HER?” Lyra shouted at the top of her lungs, effectively cutting off her friend.
Bon Bon turned around to see whoever it was that Lyra was staring at and giggled as she saw who had captured Lyra’s attention. Across the street just exiting a small house was a gray earth pony with an even darker gray mane. Lyra’s eyes widened in excitement as she watched said pony locking her front door. Lyra quickly stood up from the table and began walking towards the gray pony.
“Lyra, don’t bother Octavia today. You know how this always ends up for you,” Bon Bon said in a concerned tone.
“Today is the day, Bon Bon. My forty first attempt is gonna work, I can feel it in my gut. Today is the day that I, Lyra Heartstrings, gets a date with Octavia,” Lyra said confidently before trotting off to go meet the gray mare.
Lyra slowed a bit as she approached the gray mare, but she retained a small bounce in her step. Lyra began walking besides her and received a flat expression from the mare. Lyra looked up at the sky and said, “Hi, Octavia. Beautiful day isn’t it?”
“It’s always quite lovely here,” Octavia replied joining Lyra in staring at the sky.
The two continued walking as they stared at the sky for a few seconds before Lyra looked down at the road before them and said, “You know there is this concert playing on Friday. It’s gonna be fun.”
“Yes, I heard about it. In fact that was why I came back home so soon. I simply couldn’t miss out on an opportunity to play in a concert for Ponyville,” Octavia said happily.
Lyra looked at Octavia and stared into her purple eyes and said, “I’m gonna be there too. I’m playing the lyre, isn’t that awesome?”
“Hmm…” Octavia replied a small frown forming on her face.
“Oh and one more thing, do you wanna go out?” Lyra asked in a joyful tone.
Octavia stopped walking all of a sudden and Lyra stopped with her. Octavia covered her face with a hoof and asked in a flat tone, “Did you really just ask me that…again?”
“Yep, so wanna go out?” Lyra asked again.
Octavia stared into Lyra’s eyes for a long moment before saying in a very low tone, “No, I will not. You have to stop asking me this, every, single, time that I come home. It is not amusing to have you doing this to me. I mean it’s not like you are even trying to get to know me first, you are far too blunt about this and I find myself appalled at your behavior. I’m sorry Lyra, but this should be the last time that I hear you speak of this subject.”
Octavia then began walking again leaving Lyra to sit there silently. Lyra sat there in the middle of the road for what felt like an eternity. It was like she had fallen into a trance, her heart was still, and her mind was frozen. She was unable to do anything other than sit there in complete and utter silence.
“Well…that was a little worse than the last time she turned you down. Are you okay…Lyra?” Bon Bon asked from Lyra’s side.
Lyra looked at her friend and opened her mouth and stopped just before speaking as something inside her heart broke. Lyra clenched her eyes shut and felt the hot tears running down her cheeks. Lyra managed to speak very quietly, “I…I…but…why?”
Bon Bon quickly wrapped her hooves around Lyra and held her close saying in a quiet voice, “Shh, it’s okay. You don’t need that snobby music pony to be happy. I’m here for you after all.”
Lyra broke down completely and began sobbing into Bon Bon’s shoulder. Lyra opened her eyes just one last time to see Octavia standing a few houses down and watching her. Lyra closed her eyes again and continued sobbing. Bon Bon helped Lyra stand up and together they began walking home.
***
Lyra found herself laying on the couch and still sobbing her heart out. A bucket of ice cream was sitting next to her and she was eating a large spoon full of the substance in between sobs. Bon Bon sat next to her, petting her mane gently in an attempt to help her friend.
“Lyra, it’s going to be okay,” Bon Bon said gently.
“No, it won’t. She…she was so mean to me, why would she do that?” Lyra protested before returning to her ice cream.
“I’m so sorry she did that to you, if there is anything I can do for you…” Bon Bon offered.
There was nothing she could do though, for Lyra’s heart was broken and was not going to heal anytime soon. Lyra knew that Bon Bon was going to try her best though, because that was what friends did for each other. A sudden knock on the front door however changed that.
Bon Bon stood up and said, “I’ll be right back, I promise.”
Bon Bon went to the door and opened it finding a very special pony standing behind it. With her blue fur, and dark blue and white striped mane, Minuette stood before Bon Bon. Minuette looked a little nervous as she stood in the doorway. A long silence fell over the two ponies for a while until Minuette finally managed to say, “Hi…Bonnie.”
Bon Bon stomped her hoof down and said in an anger laced tone, “You call me a cavity peddler and then come back and use that name with me. What gives you the right?”
“I’m sorry,” Minuette said.
Bon Bon was quiet for a moment before saying in a much softer tone, “You’re really sorry…then…I forgive you.”
Bon Bon leaned in and kissed Minuette on the cheek before adding, “You’re wonderful you know that.”
“No you’re the wonderful one. You’re so beautiful Bonnie,” Minuette replied.
Bon Bon leaned in and said, “No you are.”
“I’m rubber and you’re glue. Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you,” Minuette replied before sticking her tongue out.
“So whatever I say sticks to me…what if I said, Minuette?” Bon Bon said.
“Then I guess I’ll just have to stick to you,” Minuette nearly whispered as she leaned in and returned the kiss.
At this point Lyra couldn’t stand to listen to these two ponies being happy any longer. She got off the couch and began dragging herself towards the staircase. It was far too painful to be around two ponies who loved each other so much right now.
Bon Bon was quiet for a few seconds before saying, “Alright. I want you to come back later tonight; I know of a few places that you can stick too…” The two of them then kissed on the lips and Bon Bon added, “But right now I need to take care of Lyra. She got her heart broken.”
“What happened? Was it Octavia?” Minuette asked.
“Yeah she asked Octavia out again, and Octavia finally snapped at her. She’s hurting pretty badly right now, but I’m here for her,” Bon Bon explained.
“Yeah, I guess anypony would get angry after…what was it ten attempts now?” Minuette asked.
“Actually it was her…forty first attempt,” Bon Bon admitted.
“Holy Celestia, how has she not gotten it yet? Octavia is clearly not interested in her by now. How many times has she had her heart broken?” Minute asked in surprise.
“Hey now, that’s not fair to Lyra. It just takes her a little longer… lot longer to understand things sometimes… and this was actually the first time that Octavia has broken her heart,” Bon Bon said.
“Wow, she must have the patience of a monk if she could keep her cool until now. Well I should let you go, you need to take care of Lyra right now. I’ll come back tonight,” Minuette explained.
The two lovers kissed one last time before Minuette turned and walked away. Bon Bon closed the door slowly and turned back to find Lyra walking up the stairs, slowly. Bon Bon took a few steps forward and asked, “Lyra, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just going to go to sleep…just…go be with her. You deserve it,” Lyra said before disappearing into the upstairs hallway.
Lyra heard the front door open and close downstairs just as she entered her room. She made her way to the window and watched as Bon Bon caught up with Minuette and the two ponies kissed again. The two then took off at a brisk pace towards Minuette's house; it didn’t take a genius to figure out what they were going to do there.
Lyra laid her head down on her bed gently and loathed herself for being alone. She had tired, she had waited, and she had wanted it so badly. In the end however it would seem that Lyra had no chance, and never did, of obtaining her true heart’s desire. That gray pony of such beautiful sound, Octavia.
***
Octavia sat at a small kitchen table while staring at her black coffee. She couldn’t stop from thinking about the way that Lyra had cried. Octavia had known Lyra for just over a year now and even with how many times she had turned Lyra down, Lyra had never cried before. It felt wrong to hurt the unicorn’s feelings like that, but Octavia didn’t have a choice…right?
“What’s wrong,” asked the mare sitting at the opposite side of the table from Octavia.
Octavia looked up from her coffee to see her pink coated friend with a green mane. Octavia stared into her green eyes and said, “I don’t know Flower, I think I might have made a mistake.”
“Please call me Daisy, we’ve been friends forever and you still don’t use my nickname,” she replied.
Octavia nodded and said, “I’m terribly sorry, it just doesn’t feel right not to use your real name.”
“I understand…I guess. Anyways tell me what’s bothering you?” Daisy said.
“I just can’t stop thinking about how Lyra was crying when I turned her down today. It feels wrong. After all the time I’ve known her, she has never looked sad after being turned down, not even for a moment. Was it so wrong of me to be so rude?” Octavia said.
“Well she has been asking you for, like a year now. Eventually you were going to have to put your hoof down and tell her that you were simply never going to be interested,” Daisy said. After a long moment of silence Daisy added, “You aren’t interested, are you?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t interested before because she was always so blunt about it, but now that I’ll never hear her talk to me like that again…I feel as though I’ve lost something important,” Octavia admitted.
“Hmm so you weren’t interested in her when she was asking you out, but now that she’s heartbroken and she will never ask you out again…you’re interested?” Daisy asked.
“It does sound crazy when you say it like that, doesn’t it?” Octavia said.
“Nope, that sounds pretty normal to me. Alright I have a plan, and it’s sure to win over her heart,” Daisy offered.
“I don’t know if I want her heart, I…I just feel as though I should have given her a chance, at least one chance,” Octavia lamented.
“Then we will do that, trust me, have I ever let you down?” Daisy asked with a wink.
Whatever plan Daisy had was surely doomed to fail, but at this point it was worth hearing her out. Maybe if Octavia could give Lyra that chance, she would feel better. If nothing else it would be nice to try and become friends with her. After all Lyra didn’t seem like a bad pony to get to know.
***
The next day Lyra was walking home from the market around noon, she had a saddle bag full of goodies at her side. It wasn’t odd for Lyra to go out and buy a bunch of food for the house, especially considering that if she bought the right ingredients then Bon Bon would cook for her. Even though Lyra’s heart still ached from the let down that she got from Octavia the other day, she decided that she was going to continue moving forward anyway.
Along her walk home she saw the very same gray mare that had hurt her the day before. This time Octavia was walking towards Lyra with intention and something inside Lyra’s heart told her to worry. She couldn’t help but wonder if Octavia was still mad at her from yesterday? If so then what would Lyra do?
Octavia didn’t look mad as she stopped in front of Lyra. In fact it would seem to Lyra that, Octavia actually looked a little sad. Had Lyra hurt Octavia’s feelings by accident somehow? Was that why she was mad with her?
“Lyra, may I speak with you for a second?” Octavia asked her head hung low.
Lyra nodded and then after realizing that Octavia couldn’t see it Lyra said, “Sure.”
“I made a mistake yesterday when I got upset with you, and I wanted to apologize for my behavior,” Octavia admitted.
Lyra couldn’t believe her ears for a second as her brain tried to process the idea of Octavia apologizing. Lyra couldn’t see any possible way for Octavia to ever love her but maybe they could be friends. Lyra smiled and said, “Thank you. You…you don’t know how much it means to me to hear that.”
Octavia looked up and she smiled gently back at Lyra. It looked like Octavia had something else she wanted to say but whatever it was, was beyond Lyra’s imagination. After a few awkward seconds Lyra looked at her bags and said, “I need to get these home, but maybe we could hang out sometime…as friends of course.”
Octavia simply nodded in reply and Lyra began walking past her. Lyra stopped when Octavia hastily asked, “So you don’t want to date me anymore?”
Lyra couldn’t put her hoof on what it was, but there was a kind of desperation in Octavia’s voice. Lyra didn’t turn around but she said in a quiet and cautious tone, “I still want to be with you, Octavia, but now I that I know you will never return my feelings…I just want to be your friend.”
Lyra nearly jumped when she felt a hoof being placed on her shoulder and Octavia saying kindly, “I’ve been turning you away for so long, Lyra. I understand if you don’t trust me anymore, but I just wanted you to know that…I enjoy it when you flirt with me.”
Lyra couldn’t help it as her feelings built up and she retaliated in an attempt to protect herself. She said quickly and angrily, “Then why would you tell me no for so long? Why would you never give a second glance? Why would you break my heart like that?”
Octavia’s was taken aback for a few seconds at the surprise anger and then she accepted it as she realized just how much of a good thing she had wasted. Octavia looked down again her heart sinking as she asked, “So…even if I asked you out…you would say no, wouldn’t you?”
This was not what Lyra had expected from Octavia at all when she had said that. Now quickly regretting her anger Lyra tried to find some way to fix this. All she could do was say, “If you asked me to date you…I’d still say yes. I’m hurt, and I’m sorry that I got angry with you…but I know that you would never really date me.”
Octavia looked up and met Lyra’s eyes, and they stared into each other for a long unchanging moment. Octavia saw the pain and the anger hidden inside Lyra’s eyes and for the first time she saw the love that existed there. Lyra saw all the guilt and regret that Octavia held inside, but also for the first time Lyra saw something new; a pony who was truly alone.
Octavia cleared her throat and asked almost meekly, “Lyra, would you like to go on a date with me?”
Lyra smiled and she closed her eyes as her entire body began shaking. Lyra couldn’t help it as she reached out and embraced Octavia and shouted, “YES, YES, YES, YES!”
Octavia was stunned for a moment before returning the embrace and then gently pushing Lyra away. “Okay. Then I’ll see you tonight?”
“I’ll be at your place at seven, and then I’ll give you a night to remember,” Lyra replied overjoyed.
***
Octavia waited impatiently in her living room as she paced back and forth. Lyra was going to be here any moment and she felt like time was dragging on forever. Daisy’s plan had been to ask Lyra out and then treat her to a nice dinner but Lyra seemed to already have a plan in place for this.
With every passing second Octavia was becoming more terrified of the idea of going on this date. It was nothing to do with Lyra, no all her fear was her own fault. She had not been on a date in so long now that she had no idea what to expect. What if she ruined the date, would Lyra ever forgive her for such a thing?
A sudden knocking on the door had the usually strong mare jumping in the air. Octavia stared at the door for a few seconds wondering if it was really her, until she remembered that she was supposed to open the door when somepony knocked on it.
Octavia trotted over to the door and opened it quickly finding the teal colored unicorn staring back at her with a giant grin on her face. Octavia smiled nervously and said, “Good evening, Lyra.” After seeing the black case that was hanging off of Lyra’s saddlebag Octavia asked, “What’s in there?”
“That’s a surprise for later,” Lyra said with a wink. Lyra then asked, “Can I store this here for now? I wanted to take you somewhere nice and this is just a little bit heavy.”
Octavia wasn’t sure what was in the case but she couldn’t help but wonder. She nodded and then after storing the saddlebag and case inside the house Octavia asked, “What are we going to do?”
Lyra couldn’t help but smile even more as she said, “Oh you are going to love this.”
***
A short walk later Octavia found herself sitting inside of Sugarcube Corner as the afternoon sun was draped across her side of the booth. Lyra was sitting on the other side of the small booth and nearly bouncing in her seat as the two of them waited patiently for their meals to arrive. Sugarcube Corner was the best sweets and ice cream restaurants in town, well in truth it was the only one, but that didn’t stop it from being the best as Pinkie would say. Speaking of the pink pony.
Pinkie Pie walked up and with a platter balanced on her rump she said, “Here you go.” Pinkie Pie bounced slightly in the air and the platter with the two ponies smoothies went up into the air and landed perfectly on the table. Octavia couldn’t help but stare at the drink which had landed perfectly without spilling a drop and Lyra who was grinning and clapping her hooves together at the performance.
Pinkie Pie smiled and said, “Wow, that only works right about half the time.” Pinkie Pie then bounced away without another word as Octavia was left to contemplate exactly what the implications of Pinkie’s words were.
“So do you like it?” Lyra asked before taking a drink of her smoothie.
“I have to admit that I’ve almost never had reason to enter here before. The service is definitely unique,” Octavia said before leaning over and taking a sip of her chocolate and vanilla oat smoothie.
The delicious flavor of the drink surprised Octavia, she had never tasted something so sweet and yet so good. Usually sweets were not on the top of her snack list, but this smoothie was something else entirely. As she continued to drink the smoothie she quickly drank a quarter of it before realizing that Lyra was staring at her with a small smile.
Octavia pulled away from her heavenly smoothie just long enough to ask, “Is something wrong?”
“I’m just glad to see you enjoying yourself,” Lyra explained.
Octavia felt her cheeks warming up as she began feeling embarrassed by Lyra’s staring. Although embarrassing, it wasn’t bad…in fact she rather enjoyed the feeling she got from Lyra. She was begun to wonder why she ever turned Lyra away in the first place. After all this was a pleasant, peaceful, and…fun date so far.
The two of them made small talk for awhile before finishing their smoothies. As the Lyra paid for the meal Octavia found her mind returning to the black case still sitting in her living room, what could Lyra have planned for her?
***
Back at Octavia’s house the two ponies stood in the living room. Lyra picked up the black case and looked at Octavia with her happy smile. A warm feeling began filling Octavia’s heart as she stared at Lyra standing there before her. Octavia wanted nothing more than to do whatever it was that Lyra had planed but that was the problem, she still had no idea what that was.
“You should rest on the couch, get all nice and comfy first,” Lyra suggested.
Octavia did so willingly and watched as Lyra opened the case to reveal a golden lyre. As Lyra picked it up with her hooves and sat down on the floor, Octavia realized with sudden interest exactly what Lyra was about to do. Octavia couldn’t help but say, “You’re going to play music for me.”
Lyra gave a kind smile to Octavia and said, “You play music for other ponies all the time. Now it’s your turn to enjoy some in return.”
Octavia smiled at Lyra and despite trying, she couldn’t make the smile go away. She knew that she must look goofy with a smile stuck on her face but this simple act of kindness and romance by Lyra had touched Octavia’s heart. Octavia was now considering a second date with the unicorn mare, and she enjoyed the prospect of it.
As Lyra began playing music to Octavia something in the room changed. It was like everything became warm, and happy. Octavia watched in fascination as Lyra played her instrument with her hooves, like an earth pony. It was so strange for her to watch Lyra play the instrument like that, but the music that came off the strings was so enchanting, so different then she imagined a lyre could sound.
She listened deeply to the soothing music for a long time. Each note struck played itself not only to her ears, but to her heart as well. If it wasn’t for the fact that Lyra’s horn wasn’t glowing Octavia would have accused the pony of using magic, but no such thing was going on…at least from Octavia’s understanding.
***
Lyra’s music had always had a unique property of touching pony’s hearts. It was like the music would sink deep into their souls and allow Lyra to connect with them on a level deeper then music should ever be. She never felt that using her horn was right for how deep her music was, so she learned to play with her hooves and to much appreciation. Now Lyra was playing this music for Octavia she could only hope that the music would show just how deep her feelings went for her.
***
Octavia at some point had closed her eyes and was lifted off into a world of musical dreamscapes. Lyra’s music created fantastic imaginations for Octavia to enjoy and explore. And everywhere she turned she found herself surrounded by a deep love, something that went so deep that she felt like nothing could ever break it. After what felt like hours the music, much to her disliking, began slowing down and she was brought back down to her body.
Octavia opened her eyes and felt a little woozy as she tried to sit up from where she had been lying down. Lyra had stopped playing now and was watching Octavia with caring, loving eyes. Octavia wouldn’t stop smiling now, even if she could.
“That was beautiful,” Octavia said.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it…I made that song for you,” Lyra admitted her cheeks turning a little pink.
Octavia sat up carefully and opened her mouth to speak but stopped short. It occurred to her that nopony has ever done that to her, for her before. And it was possible that nopony would ever do it again…Octavia was staring at something special right now, something that she couldn’t replace even for the entire world.
Octavia closed her eyes and said quietly, “I’m so sorry that I’ve taken so long to come around, Lyra. I promise you, that I won’t ever hurt you like that again…just please stay with me.”
Lyra giggled a little before returning the instrument to its case. “I wasn’t planning on leaving you, Octavia. You’re something special and I’d like to continue dating you if you wanted.”
“Yes, I would like that very much. And please call me Melody,” Octavia said.
Lyra smiled and said, “Awesome. We are going to be so awesome together, Melody.” Lyra then looked up at the clock on the wall and said, “Wow, it’s ten already. That explains why it’s so dark outside.”
Octavia looked out the window and it was indeed night time in Ponyville. She didn’t want to be away from Lyra quite yet, and especially not after that beautiful song. Octavia closed her eyes and a sly grin grew across her face as she knew exactly how to keep Lyra here with her tonight. “It’s too late for you to walk home, Lyra. It wouldn’t feel decent to send you away now. Why don’t you stay here tonight?”
“Like a sleep over? That sound’s fun…I mean if I’m not imposing that is,” Lyra said, her innocence showing.
“Oh you aren’t imposing at all. Why don’t you come upstairs with me to my room? We could make some sweet music together,” Octavia offered.
“Cool, I’ll bring my lyre and-“Lyra began saying.
Octavia cut her off as she said, “Oh we won’t need any instruments for this.”
It took Lyra a little too long to understand what was being implied and then suddenly her face became bright red. Octavia stood up from the couch and smiled at Lyra enjoying the blushing mare’s expression. Octavia guided Lyra up the stairs and into the bedroom, the entire time she was thinking about just how cute her new special somepony was.
The End