Helping A Friend

Bon Bon!  Open the door!  Bon Bon!  I know you're home!  Lyra beat on the door several more times, then raised her voice to an even more obnoxious level.  “BON BON!  It's me, Lyra!  Open the door.”  There was no answer.

Lyra looked paused, then sat down on the front porch.  She was supposed to meet up with her friend Bon Bon today, but that obviously wasn't working out to well.  She untied her saddle bag and placed it beside her.  The soothing smell of freshly made soup filled her nostrils.  She had made it for Bon Bon, who had told her the night before she was under the weather.

Lyra looked disappointed as she scooted herself back and leaned up against the door, but not before a jabbed pain shot up her left butt cheek.  She shot up, rubbed her rump, and lifted the front door mat.  She smiled as she picked up the key that Bon Bon had so un-cleverly hid under it.

Rising to her hooves, Lyra stuck the key in the slot and twisted it.  The front door opened, and there was silence.  She grabbed her saddle bag by the teeth and helped herself inside.

“Bon Bon, I'm here.” She said gritting her teeth.  There was no answer.

Lyra put the soup in the fridge then looked in the living room, no Bon Bon.  She then looked in the bathroom . . . because . . . well, why not?  She went up the stairs and then opened Bon Bon's bedroom door.  A lump lay on the bed.

“Bon Bon?”  Lyra whispered as she slowly got closer.  She reached her hoof out then slowly lifted the blanket.  “Bon . . . Bon?”

With the blanket aside, it revealed a sleeping mare, with a two tone mane.  It was Bon Bon, with a reddened nose, and under a pile of used tissues.

Lyra smiled and tucked her back in.  She trotted out the room and closed the door.

“I'll just go hang out downstairs.  She won't mind.  I'll take care of her like she took care of me that time . . . and that other time . . . and that other other time.”  She leaped off the second to the last step and landed almost perfectly on the rug, except the rug slipped forward and she pushed her hoof forward which resulted in her landing snout first onto the floor.

BAM!  Lyra whipped up as fast as she hit the ground, acting as if nothing had happened.  Her snout now a rosy red.  “Ugh . . . I meant to do that.”  Wearily Lyra stumbled over to the couch where she sad down then pulled out her smartphone and began playing away.

Time passed when Lyra finally heard a rustled upstairs, then a sneeze, and another, and another.  Following that was nose blow.  Lyra tossed her phone aside and jumped to her hooves.  “BON BON!”  She galloped up the stairs and slid across floor, sliding her side right into Bon Bon's bedroom door with a loud thud.

“AHHH! Whob's dere?” Screamed a frightened Bon Bon from inside.  “I'b gob a code and I'b dot afraid to use id!  Acchoo!”

The door slowly creaked open to reveal Lyra rubbing her head.  “Ugh.  Ouch.  Hey Bon Bon, it's me.”

Bon Bon, who was holding a tissue box in front of her for protection, slowly lowered the box.  “Ib's you?  How did dou ged in here?”

“I used your key out front.  Hey, you sound pretty bad.”

Bon Bon frowned.

“So I got you some soup downstairs if you would like me to bring it up to you?”  Lyra continued.

Bon Bon cracked a smile.

“Thank you, dab be dice.”  She rubbed her nose with a tissue, then sneezed into it.  “Accchooo!  Choo!”

Lyra turned around and went downstairs to get the soup for her friend.  She pulled it out of the fridge and placed it in the microwave, and let it warm for about a minute.  She then pulled it out and because it was so hot, she quickly placed it on the edge of the counter.

“I need to get her a spoon.”  Lyra bent over and opened a drawer to get her friend a spoon, but unfortunately her rump bumped the hot soup and is spilled on her rump and ran down her back, scalding hot.

“AAAHHHH!!!”  Lyra jumped a mile as she spun around and caught the bowl from fully spilling.  Only about half had spilled out.

“Is eberyding okay dowb dere?”  Bon Bon called from upstairs.

“Everything is fine!  You just relax!”  Lyra cried back.

Lyra threw a towel on the floor and tried drying up the spilled soup as much as possible, then looked at the remaining soup.

“Uhhh, that should be enough.  Maybe I'll add a pinch of salt and pepper.”

Lyra grabbed the salt and pepper shaker from beside the sink, and shook them slightly so a pinch of each dissolved into the soup.

“Perfect.” Lyra said with a pleased smile.  She balanced the soup on her back, on top of a towel as to not burn her back even more, and carefully headed for the stairs.  She looked at the stairway as it loomed before her.  Using a simple magical spell, she held the soup bowl in place and trotted up the stairs.

“Soup has arrive.”  Lyra nudged Bon Bon's door open with her snout and walked in.

“Hhaaaschoo!  Two visible spittle droplets shot into the darkness of the room.  Bon Bon had all her blinds down, and the room was dark, since no lights were on.  Bon Bon sniffled and said, “Thangks Lyra, you shouldn't habe.”

“It was my pleasure.”  Lyra nodded as she placed a tray in front of her friend, and the soup right in the center, with a spoon on the side, a napkin on the other side, and a bit of green garnish on the edge of the bowl.  Lyra then tenderly tied a bib around Bon Bon's neck.  “You don't want to spill, my lady.”  Lyra bowed.

Bon Bon rolled her eyes.  “Pwease, I dob deed a bib.”

“Sure you do.”

Bon Bon just shook her head until suddenly her nose twitched, right nostril flared, and her breath hitched.  “Heh, heeeh.”

Lyra watched with an innocent grin.

“Heeeacchhoo!!!!”  Bon Bon sneezed straight into the soup as it's contents b-lined it straight for Lyra's face.

SPLASH!  “OH CELESTIA!”  Lyra held her face as the hot soup burned in her eyes.  “Oh gosh!  Why must the good suffer!  WHY?”

“I'b so sorry, Lyra!  Here, use by bib.”  Bon Bon untied the bib around her neck and tossed it to Lyra.

With her eyes closed and tearing up, Lyra began wiping the hot soup from her face and chest with the bib.  Lyra quivered as she dabbed off the last bits of soup from her face.

“I'b sorry.”  Bon Bon said, still in bed.

“No, no.  It's okay.  I've done way worse to you all those times you've helped me.  I can take it.  I'm a big mare.”  Lyra said confidently.  “Well go ahead and eat your soup I made for you, before you lose even more of it.  I can just sit here and we can talk if you want?”

Bon Bon sniffled and took a sip of her soup.  “That'b be dice.”

“Wanna talk about the weather?  Oh oh oh!  How about games, or HUMANS! Yes humans!  We should talk about humans!”  Lyra's eyes came alive, but the excitement quickly ended.

“No, lets just sid here anb rebax bor a bid.”

Lyra raised an eyebrow.  “I think I understood you, but I'm not quite sure.  Want to talk about stallions?  Oh I love talking about that too.  Why just the other day, Sky Comet commented on how beautiful my . . .” Lyra was interrupted again.

“Haachoo!”  Bon Bon sneezed, but this time turning away from her soup and sneezing on her bed stand.

Lyra put a hoof to her mouth and snickered.  “Bless you, Bon Bon.”

Bon Bon grimaced and tried not to acknowledge the act of kindness.  Her snout twitched again, raised, her eyes closed, then . . . “Haaacchoo!”

“Oh!  Another one?”  Lyra grabbed a tissue and wiped Bon Bon's nose, but not without her twisting and turning to avoid contact.

“You're being fussy now.  I can leave you if you want?”

Bon Bon crossed her hooves.

“Okay then.”  Lyra spun around on one hoof and walked for the door.

Bon Bon frowned and made a whining noise.

“Oh?  Did you say something?”  Lyra stopped and put a hoof to her ear.

“Thangs.  I abpreciate youb helbing be.”  Bon Bon sucked in mucus rolling out her nostrils.

Lyra smiled.  “Anything for my best friend.  I'll stay here with you till you fall asleep again.  Maybe we can play a . . . “ Lyra reached into her saddle bag and fumbled around until she pulled out a deck of cards.  “card game!”  The cards escaped her grasp and fluttered around the room.  “Blasted butter hooves!”  Lyra grumbled to herself.

Bon Bon just smiled and laughed.

“That'd be dice.”