Grievance
Princess Celestia’s sun had begun to set. The ponies of Ponyville were closing their stores for the day. It was Friday. The weekend had just begun. After a long day at work, the ponies wanted to relax for the rest of the evening and commune with their friends. To these ponies, it was a time for relaxation and happiness.
However, this wasn’t the case for a local candy shop owner, Bon Bon. Unlike the other ponies around her, Bon Bon was not in a good mood. She had a very stressful day at work. Not because of the stress of managing her shop, but of another problem. The source of her stress came from her friend, Lyra Heartstrings.
Lyra had always caused Bon Bon a lot of headaches before. She was a mare whose carefree attitude stood out in town. She did not seek attention like the extroverted pegasus, Rainbow Dash, nor was she hyper as the town’s party pony, Pinkie Pie. It was Lyra’s personal hobbies that made her stand out in a bad way.
She had a strange fascination for any species that stood bipedal, and was very vocal about it. Bon Bon did not mind Lyra’s weird antics at first. She was very private with her hobbies when the two met each other. But over the past several months, Lyra’s antics had become worse.
Lyra would do things in town that would garner the attention of others. She would sit on benches awkwardly, sitting upright instead of laying on the bench on her belly. There were times she attempted to walk on two of her back legs instead of all four. During conversations with friends, she would bring up her hobbies when it wasn’t necessary. The worst of it all was her fascination with these things called “hands.”
Most ponies around town found it uncomfortable being around Lyra. They gawked at her when she does her weird antics and try to avoid her when possible. Bon Bon can understand. Dealing with Lyra is both awkward and frustrating. Now, Lyra was in the hospital due to an accident from this morning.
Earlier today, Lyra attempted to stand bipedal when taking a shower. She slipped when exiting the tub due to the wet surface and landed awkwardly. Bon Bon remembered Lyra clutching her back hooves, moaning in pain. It seemed like the fall might have caused a sprain.
Bon Bon did not waste any time and took her friend to the hospital. She had to wait in the ER for several minutes before she got a response from the doctors. They told her that Lyra had to stay in the hospital for a whole day while they examined her condition.
Bon Bon grumbled. She was furious that Lyra had injured herself in the most ridiculous way possible. The two were roommates, and they have known each other for some time. Lyra was always an ecstatic mare, but her sudden fascination with these bipedal creatures made it difficult for Bon Bon to deal with. She even pondered why she stayed with the mare when her antics kept getting worse.
As she finished cleaning up the shop’s counter, Bon Bon examined her candy dispensers around the store. Looking around, something caught her eye. It was a suitcase. Not just any suitcase though. It belonged to Lyra. The suitcase contained Lyra’s instrument, the lyre. Bon Bon recalled Lyra playing in her shop a few days ago. Perhaps she forgot about it. Either way, it would be best if she brought the instrument along with her.
Picking up the handle with her mouth, Bon Bon placed the suitcase on her back. She trotted towards the door and checked her shop one last time. Satisfied of how things looked, Bon Bon exited the store and closed the door with a loud bang.
As she was locking her store up, Bon Bon’s ears perked up. She heard hoofsteps approaching her, and it was coming at her fast. Turning around, she saw an earth pony mare running toward her. She recognized the mare immediately. The mare’s cutie mark stood out the most. It was Carrot Top, the local carrot merchant of Ponyville.
“Bon Bon!” said Carrot Top, stopping in front of Bon Bon. “I heard Lyra is in the hospital. What happened to her? Is she alright?”
Bon Bon froze. News about Lyra’s pitfall have already started to spread. Ponyville was a small town and the towns ponies love to gossip about the latest news. It was only a matter of time before ponies would talk about Lyra. As Carrot Top waited for an answer, Bon Bon struggled to reply.
“Oh Lyra is fine,” Bon Bon lied. “She just had a small accident when she...um.”
A Pegasus pony was flying above Bon Bon’s shop and overheard the two earth ponies speaking. Her googly-eyes made her stand out among the rest of the town’s pegasus ponies. It was Carrot Top’s roommate, Derpy Hooves. She swoops down towards the two mares, hovering awkwardly above them.
“You know, I heard Lyra got herself injured trying to stand on two hooves,” said Derpy with an innocent smile on her face. “Like those weird two legged creatures she is always fond of.”
Bon Bon bit her lip. The news about Lyra’s injury have already spread. There was nothing she can do. Carrot Top looked at Derpy with wide open eyes, then at Bon Bon. Her expression turned into a frown.
“Bon Bon, just what is happening with Lyra?” asked Carrot Top, shaking her head. “For Celestia’s sake, she is taking her obsession too far.” She looks at Bon Bon straight in the eye. “She needs to change, Bon Bon. You know that more than any other pony in town.”
Bon Bon did not say anything. She could not argue or defend Lyra. Her friend needed to change. If she doesn’t, who knows what was going to happen?
As Carrot Top and Derpy walk away, Bon Bon looked around to see if there were any other ponies looking at her. Gossip about Lyra’s injury has spread, but she didn’t know if news has already spread far around town.
“Perhaps I should take a different route to the hospital,” she thought.
Picking Lyra’s briefcase up, Bon Bon trotted towards the alleyway behind her shop. It would take her longer to get her the hospital, but she wanted to avoid other ponies. As she continued her walk, Bon Bon thought about Lyra. She always had a fascination with bipedal creatures, but she was not always vocal about it. Overtime, she changed.
It started when that minotaur, Iron Will, came into town with his assertive lessons. Lyra went to see him, but she didn’t go for the lesson. She was just there because Iron Will had hands.
Then rumors about Princess Twilight started to spread. Ponies gossip that she had visited a world inhabited by creatures called, humans. Apparently, Twilight obtained a magical portal in her castle. Rumors say she visited that world many times and made friends there. Lyra would beg Twilight to come with her, but the Princess refused.
Bon Bon sighed and held her head low. Even an old friend of the Princess can’t even get any favors.
Gathering her thoughts, Bon Bon looked up and realized that she had arrived at the hospital. She looked at the pathway leading towards the entrance and noticed not a lot of ponies were present. Pacing herself, Bon Bon walked towards the hospital entrance; hoping that nopony saw her.
The main room of the hospital was almost empty, except for a few ponies. Some of them had various injuries. Ignoring them, Bon Bon walked up towards the counter and saw Nurse Redheart filing some paperwork. She approaches the nurse and calls her.
“Hello Nurse Redheart,” said Bon Bon, gaining the attention of the mare. “I’m here to check on Lyra Heartstrings.”
The nurse nodded in response. She looked at some paperwork that was laying on her desk and found what appears to be Lyra’s. She put the paper in front of her and read them to Bon Bon.
“Ah yes, Ms. Heartstrings was admitted to the ER this morning,” she said, browsing the content of the paper. “Ms. Heartstrings has an injury on the fetlocks of her back hooves. Apparently, she had sprained them and cannot walk properly without assistance. However, her injury is not severe and does not require any intensive surgery. The doctors have already cleared her to be released tomorrow morning.”
Bon Bon sighed in relief. Lyra’s injury wasn’t severe as she thought. She was going to be alright. Nurse Redheart let the mare collect herself before continuing with Lyra’s diagnostic.
“Ms. Heartstrings is in the hospital’s recovery room. Go to the hallway on my right. Look for the third door to the left, her nametag will be on the wall.”
Thanking Nurse Redheart, Bon Bon trotted towards the recovery rooms. She was glad that Lyra was going to be alright; however, there is still the issue of her obsession.
“I have to talk to Lyra about her obsession,” thought Bon Bon as she trotted towards Lyra’s room. “If something doesn’t change now, I may have to put an end to our friendship.”
It did not take long for Bon Bon to reach Lyra’s room. The room itself wasn’t far off from the main entrance. Placing her hoof on the door knob, Bon Bon was about to open the door, but she hesitates. Thoughts began pour out. What would she say? How would Lyra react? What if Lyra did not want to change?”
She shakes her head and slaps herself with her hooves. “Get a hold of yourself, Bon Bon.”
Taking a deep breath, Bon Bon opens the door. A creaking sound can be heard, but ignores it. Opening the door half-way, she peeks into the room and looks inside. She calls out her friend’s name.
“Lyra?”
A response came immediately.
“Bon Bon!”
A familiar voice made Bon Bon’s ears perk up. Opening the door wide, she scans the room for her friend and finds her laying down in a hospital bed in the corner. Lyra Heartstrings was there, waving at her. Her rear hooves were bandaged and held up with support. Despite the injury, she was smiling, happy that her friend came to check on her.
Bon Bon smiled back and trotted towards her. “Hello Lyra.” Despite being frustrated at her; Bon Bon did her best to hide her anger against Lyra. She put the suitcase down on a chair and sat next to the injured mare.
“How are you feeling?” asked Bon Bon.
“I’m alright,” Lyra responded. “The doctors said that my injury is not severe, but I can’t really walk around just yet. They want me to stay for the night and let my legs heal.”
She looks at Bon Bon, and then the suitcase that she brought with her. Lyra smiles and giggles in delight.
“You brought my lyre!” said Lyra, happily. “I left it at your candy store the other day and I completely forgot about it!”
Concentrating, Lyra activated her horn and used her magic to open the suitcase. She lifts her lyre with her magic and places it on her chest.
“Thank you so much Bon Bon!” Lyra said with a joyous expression. “I want to hug you, but I can’t right now. I’d hurt myself if I try.”
Bon Bon smiled back. She watched Lyra hug her lyre, cuddling it next to her cheek. The mare then turned to her best friend.
“So, how was your day?” asked Lyra. “Were you able to make a good amount of money? Oh, did you sell your newest batch of candy? Those new hard candies you made are so good. I bet even Pinkie Pie would like them!”
Bon Bon smiled nervously, averting her eyes to the floor. She started to fidget on her chair. She wanted to talk, but she did not speak up. Lyra just kept talking.
“Hey do you think that I can have some of those candies you made?” asked Lyra. “Maybe I can give them to Twilight later.” A smile crept up on her face. “If I give her some as a gift, maybe she will let me through that portal to see the humans.” She looked at her friend. “What do you think, Bon Bon?”
As she turned, Lyra noticed that Bon Bon was frowning at her. The look from her friend caused Lyra’s excitement to fade away. Her ears wilted and soon averted her eyes away from her friend. There was an awkward silence in the room. It lasted for a minute before Bon Bon broke it.
“Lyra, there is something I want to talk about,” said Bon Bon, stumbling a little bit as she tried to speak. “It’s about your hobby—.”
“I’m sorry.”
Bon Bon blinked. Did she hear that right? She could have sworn that Lyra had just apologized to her. The room was silent again until Lyra spoke up.
“I’m so sorry, Bon Bon,” she said. “For everything.” Lyra hugged her lyre tight. “I’m sorry I embarrassed you in public. For making you worry. For getting injured in the most stupid way possible.” She shakes nervously on her bed. “I’m sorry.”
Bon Bon looked at her friend. There was nothing left remaining of the joyous, carefree mare. Lyra was staring down on her bed, frowning. Her ears were wilted and she avoided eye contact. Tears started to form on her eyes. Bon Bon opened her mouth, but could not think of anything to say.
Silence filled the room again. Lyra continued to deviate her eyes away from her friend, staring down at her lyre unhappy. Bon Bon grumbled. She had seen enough of this. Despite being mad at Lyra, she did not want to see her friend so upset. With one ditch effort to break the silence, Bon Bon raised her right hoof and touched one of Lyra’s bandaged hooves.
Immediately, Lyra recoiled, “Ow!” She jumped on her back on her, reacting quickly to the sudden pain on her leg. Once the pain resided, she looked at her friend in confusion.
“Bon Bon what was that for?” asked Lyra. Her ears wilted a little bit. “That really hurt!”
Bon Bon chuckled. Although Lyra was upset with her, at least she stopped crying.
“I didn’t want to see you cry, Lyra,” Bon Bon replied.
“You didn’t have to touch my sprained leg!” whined Lyra in response. “It still hurts even if I don’t move.”
Bon Bon continued to chuckle as Lyra whined about the pain. The atmosphere in the room has lighten up a little bit. Once Lyra had calmed down and her pain receded, the two continued their conversation.
“Lyra what happened to you?” asked Bon Bon. “You’ve changed. You’ve always had an obsession with those creatures, but not as outspoken as you have been these past few months.”
Lyra sighed and looked down on her bed.
“I don’t know,” she replied. “I guess it all started when that minotaur came into town. I had never seen one before, so I decided to go. During the rally, I got excited. Not because of his speech, but because he had hands.”
Lyra hugged her lyre again, squeezing it tight.
“Then the rumors about Princess Twilight started happening,” she explained. “Shortly after she got her own castle, there was gossip around town saying that she had a portal to another world. I don’t know who spread the rumors, but some ponies said that the portal led another world. A world inhabited by creatures called, humans, who stood on two legs and had hands and feet.
Lyra turned her head to her friend, finally looking her in the eye. Her face showed a bit of sorrow and regret.
“I’m really sorry Bon Bon,” she said. “I promise I’ll change. I won’t give up my hobby entirely, but I’ll keep it to myself. I’m not going to embarrass you in public any longer.”
Bon Bon smiled at her friend. Lyra had shown a bit of confidence in her statement. She wanted to change for the better; it seems this accident had made Lyra realize that.
“It seems Lyra will finally make some progress,” she thought. “It is good to know that she wants to change for the better.”
Lyra smiled back at Bon Bon. She was happy that she was given another chance. Using her magic, she levitated her lyre in front of her.
“Hey, why don’t I play you a song before you go home,” asked Lyra. “It’s a thank you for visiting me in the hospital.”
Bon Bon looked at her friend, smiling, and said, “Thank you, Lyra. But I was thinking about staying here for the night. I thought you might need some company.”
A wide smile crept up on Lyra’s face.
“You’re staying for the night!” asked Lyra in delight. “You mean it?”
Bon Bon nodded her head in response. Excited, Lyra focused her magic on her lyre, plucking the strings as she started playing a tune. Bon Bon laid in her seat and started to relax. A smile crept up her face. Despite the incident, her friendship with Lyra will continue. Everything is going to be fine.
Music began to echo across the room. Lyra had begun playing a soft melody. Bon Bon closes her eyes. She relaxes on her chair, listening to the soft harmonic tune.