Cy-Lyra - Day 3

BEGIN DAY 3

>You are Anonymous, and you are having an incredible dream.
>Lyra, in the full flesh, is lying on top of you in the middle of a field, gazing into your eyes, and feeding you cherries, mouth to mouth.
>Glorious.
>You place your arms behind you head as she reaches out a bit to give you a cherry.
>It’s delicious, and happen to mingle your tongue with hers for a bit.
>You fucking love cherries.
>Lyra starts to lightly grind on your crotch.
>You are already hard enough to pierce her.
>She increased her pace a bit and her breath starts to become labored.
>Holy shit, she’s getting into this.
>”hah...I’m...sorry, anon.”
>That was…different.
>You’re almost certain that sounded like Twilight.
>”...you don’t know...how bad…I need this…”
>Yup, definitely Twilight.
>Oh well.
>”please...forgive me…”
>...’please’...
>...’Please’...
>...’Kill me’...
>Slowly, the world seems to get a bit darker.
>Lyra’s eyes have also changed to a brilliant violet.
>And she has wings at full mast.
>And now you’re back in your bed room.
>And holy shit, Twilight is actually on top of you, grinding your shit like her life depended on it.
>Her mouth is hanging open, gaze fixed squarely on your own.
>It takes her a minute, but she realizes you’re awake and actively watching her pretty much rape you.
>Her face was priceless.
>You are still coming out of sleep, so you weren’t really complaining.
>”O-oh m-my...I-I-I’m s-so sorry! I-I d-don’t, I mean, I c-can’t...”
>By now, you’ve felt a few tears hit your bare chest.
>You’ve also taken note that she has barely slacked up in her grinding.
“Were the cherries real?”
>”Wh-what?”
“Were. The. Cherries. Real?”
>This was important, apparently.
>Honestly, your mind was just along for the ride at this point.
>Your body was doing most of the work.
>”I-I didn’t b-bring any cherries, a-anon.”
>You fiercely sit up, abruptly hoisting the princess off of your now soaked crotch.
>Wow.
>She’s dripping wet.
>Still not a good angle to see the goods though, and the lights are out.
>oneofthesedaysalice.tiff
>Blood properly running to your brain somewhat, you grasp the situation at hand and toss Twilight onto the floor.
>She lands with a hard thud and yelps.
>You get out of bed and stand to your full height.
>”Anonymous!”
>She’s terrified.
>”Please! I-I can explain!”
“Then you’d better hurry up.”
>The adrenaline of the moment has woken you up entirely, and you are pissed.
>”I-It’s my season! I’m in heat! I’m sorry! I couldn’t control myself! I just had to find a release!”
“Oh, and I was the closest dick around so you decided to go with me, is that it?”
>Twilight is back to having snot and tears rolling down her face.
>”No! Well, yes! But! ERRRRRR! Stupid, stupid, stupid!”
>She’s started hitting herself on the head repeatedly.
>It’s quite comical.
>But you don’t want her to cause any severe damage, so you stop her by harshly grabbing a foreleg and holding it up.
>You’ve seen a mare in heat and you can sympathise with Twilight to an extent, but there are some things that don’t add up.
“Stop it before you really hurt yourself! Who's going to help Lyra if you end up with brain damage?”
>She stares at you, eyes wide as if realizing a huge mistake.
>Duh.
“So tell me. It was all a plan, right? Back at the castle? You didn’t forget you could carry me with magic. And earlier you opted to stay so you could take what you wanted before anyone woke up. And even later on, with your door open. I know I closed that door tight when I left your room, but you knew that I’d look in when I walked by. You were trying to warm me up to the idea, huh? Implant yourself in my subconscious? Try to seduce me?”
>”NOOOHAAHAAHOOOO!!!!”
>Twilight all but screamed her reply.
>”I SWEAR to you! On my title as a Princess! I did not plan ANY of that!”
>She struggles and breaks free of your grip.
>Note to self: Need to work on that grip strength, brah.
>She’s backed up by your door now.
>”I should have seen the signs sooner, but I didn’t catch it in time! My estrus schedule has been haywire ever since I became an alicorn, and now I can’t predict when it happens! Please! You have to believe me!”
>It’s sounds kinda fishy, but you’re no expert on alicorn biology. Or biology in general for that matter.
>She’s pretty upset about it though, and looks thoroughly disgusted with herself.
>That, and there’s the overpowering smell of Twilight’s arousal.
>Lavender and...oak?
>Some kind of wood.
>A taste would be more definitive.
>Anyway.
“...I believe you.”
>She looks up to meet your eyes.
>”Thank-”
“Get the hell out of my house.”
>Aaaand she’s back to broken again.
>”B-But, what about L-”
“I’ll get word out to you when we need you. So you can get out of my sight. Take care of your ‘business’ while you’re gone.”
>Twilight gulps audibly.
>She quickly stands up and disappears in a flash of light.
>...
“Jesus…”
>This is not how you wanted to start your day.
>A quick look outside and it’s apparent that it’s still the middle of the night.
>You slip off your drenched boxers and fish for a new pair to slide into.
>Curiosity latches on again before you discard your old pair.
>A taste certainly wouldn’t hurt.
>A quick flick across the front and your curiosity is sated.
>For now.
>Yup, definitely lavender and oak, with an addicting earthly tinge aftertaste.
>You could get hooked on that mare juice.
>Damn, Twilight, you scary.
>With the excitement of the situation falling rapidly, you collapse back into bed into a fitful, nearly sleepless night.
>It just hit you that you were almost raped.
>I mean, you stopped it in time, and it was all just a biological misunderstanding, but still.
>Had Twilight been serious, there’d have been nothing to stop her from completely dominating you.
>...
>The thought provokes you a little, but it is more terrifying than anything.
>Sleep eventually finds you a couple hours after you’d lied down for a second time.

>You are woken up by something new.
>You feel nudges in the side of your arm.
>Lyra must have woken up before you.
>She is standing next to your bed, poking you with a free forehoof.
>”Anon!”
>Her voice carries a sense of urgency to it.
>You are instantly awake and place a hand on her hoof.
“What is it? Are you okay?”
>Lyra’s hoof twitches back to he a little in your hand, but stays put before it is yanked out entirely.
>”U-Uh, no. Wait. Yes. I’m fine. It’s just that, Twilight isn’t here, and her room is a mess.”
>Didn’t have the decency to take her stuff with her.
>Oh well. You always wanted that spare bedroom furnished.
>You need to come up with something to tell Lyra.
>You both probably won’t be seeing Twilight very soon, so it’ll have to be clever.
“Twilight remembered that she has some stuff to do back at her castle. Could take a while, like a few days or something.”
>Genius.
>You should become a master lie artist.
>”Oh, well that sucks, I guess.”
>You’re still learning the nuances of body language, but it seems as though Lyra isn’t as put out by Twilight’s absence as she claims to be.
>There’s definitely something going on.
>You decided to approach the subject and sit up in your bed.
“So, uh, yeah. About Twilight. You had quite a reaction yourself when you saw her yesterday."
>"W-well, yeah. I mean, she's a princess."
>No, it was more than that.
"It was more than that. You've known Twilight since before she was a princess."
>She stays silent.
"What happened between you two?"
>You grip her hoof a little more.
>"...It's stupid."
"C'mon now. If there's something going on between you two, it certainly won't help this recovery process, considering she's the one doing it."
>She curls her hoof in your hand, squeezing you back slightly.
>You're still not sure how p0ny hooves work here.
>"Promise you won't laugh?"
>You look straight into her lens.
"Unless it's actually funny."
>She giggles a little.
>Holy shit. That's the first time you've heard her  laugh since she's showed up.
>You make it a point to make sure Lyra laughs as much as possible while she stays with you.
>That laugh needs to be heard.
>"Well, we kind of got into it a bit...over a uh...over a colt..."
>Ah. So they both liked the same guy once.
>Surely that's been settled by now.
>I mean, you're fairly certain she has a thing for you and was about to confess it yesterday.
>If it was anything recent, that would mean...
>Not good.
>You gotta figure this out and fast.
>Nonchalantly throw out some super investigative questions.
"Well, I can see that, then. Was this something that happened recently?"
>"N-No, it was a while ago."
>PHEW.
>IN THE CLEAR.
>But not really. Lyra could have had her fling back when you were all about her, maybe even before that.
>You continue questioning.
“Did one of you end up getting the guy?”
>”No. I just couldn’t get close enough to him. And I honestly don’t think Twilight ever went out of her way to talk to him.”
>Twilight’s beta as fuck.
"And neither of you has moved on yet? How stubborn are you two?"
>"Pretty darn stubborn, I guess. Hehehe!"
>That laugh again.
>Beautiful.
>But don't get distracted. This could be a dangerous situation if you are caught between two mares.
>...
>Your dick twitches at the thought as your mind falls into the trap of arousal.
>Shit, you need to get this under control before Lyra sees your excitement.
>Wait.
>You have an awful idea.
>You gaze at Lyra's "headless" form.
>Yup, that did it.
>Dick retracted like an animal clawing its way into a cave for shelter.
>And you feel horrible for using your friends’ current state as a means to repulse you.
>For shame, anon.
>”What’s wrong?”
>She took notice of your glaring.
>You hear her microwave getting louder and a bit erratic.
>She frees her hoof and turns to leave.
>”I-If I make you that uncomfortable, I’ll leave.”
“No!”
>You reach out and touch her back.
“Lyra, if there’s anything that you make me, it’s NOT uncomfortable.”
>Truth.
>She doesn’t turn her head.
>”It’s OK, Anonymous. I know I’m a pretty awful sight. I’m sorry you have to look at me.”
>Wow, okay. So where did that come from?
>The humming gets a little louder now.
>Just what kind of look did you have on your face?!
>You jump out of bed and run to her before she clears the door.
>You half-trip and reach a hand out to grab whatever you can, which happens to be Lyra’s tail as she get half-way through the doorway.
>Smooth.
>She lets out a cute squeak as she whips her head back around to see you on your knees, tail in hand.
“Nononono! You should NEVER be sorry about your appearance, Lyra. I know things aren’t exactly…ideal at the moment, but you should never feel like you have to leave just because of how you look now.”
>You start to stand.
“I told you that you could stay here, and I meant it. I’ll never feel like I can’t look at you, Lyra. Because I know what you really look like.”
>You give a warm smile.
>The humming has evened out, but is still fairly noisy.
>You hope that she understands.
>Suddenly, the sound of a sliding window-
>”So what’s going on here, big guy?”
>JESUS FUCKING CHRIST ITS RAINBOW DASH.
>She’s chilling out in your window across the room with a dirty smile on her face.
>From her vantage point, she can only make out you standing in your boxers with Lyra’s tail held up high in your hand.
>Only Lyra’s rear half is inside the room, so hopefully she hasn’t seen the rest of her.
>It’s a little dark, so you pray to God or whoever that Rainbow can’t make out Lyra’s cutie mark.
>You quickly shove Lyra the rest of the way through the door, and slam it shut.
>”Whoa there, buddy. Didn’t mean to stop you from getting some action. Just figured I should stop by.”
>Dash starts to ease herself through.
>Slowly, and sensually, showing off her curves.
>She’s a rather trim mare, and a joy to fuck. Just doesn’t have enough meat for your tastes.
>Sometimes you like to get a handful.
>”Especially after last night.” She has a killer smirk on her lips.
“Whoa, what do you know about last night?”
>Seriously, was she stalking or something?
>”Oh, I know everything. A rather upset princess came pounding on my door in the middle of the night. She told me what happened. She also said that she’s still really super sorry and hopes that you’ll forgive her.”
>You doubt she used those exact words.
>However, considering the new information you got from Lyra this morning, you don’t know if you can forgive her or not.
>If Twilight really was attracted to you, that makes it difficult to know if she’s telling the whole truth about her heat cycle.
>”Don’t give me that look, Anon.”
>You weren’t aware you had a look in the first place.
>Really gotta keep your face in check.
>”Look, I know my girls better than anyone. Twilight wouldn’t hurt a fly. All that business about her heat was true. Trust me, I know. I’ve had to help her out with it more than once.”
>That’s new.
>”I just figured she left you a little dry is all, and I wanted to help out.”
>Certainly wouldn’t have minded if Dash came around shortly after that whole ordeal.
>Hold up.
“So wait, you’ve helped Twilight with her estrus?”
>”Hoof to Celestia!”
“Oh man! What’s she like?”
>You are suddenly a teenage child at hearing this new potentially sexy info.
>”She’s a bit slow, but she can take a hit, that’s for sure. Pretty stubborn, too. You gotta really drive it home for her to feel it.”
>Dash stretches and cracks her back.
>”Really takes a lot out of you, but it’s totally worth it when she cums.”
>You are at half-mast just imagining it.
“What makes it so great?”
>A devious smile crosses her face as she paces towards you.
>”You’ll just have out yourself, stud.”
>Bitch.
>”So who’s your new toy?”
>Dash makes her way to your door.
>Fuck that.
“First off, she’s not a ‘new toy’.”
>You step in front of her and block the door.
“And secondly, none of your damned business.”
>She’s a bit taken by surprise by this.
>”Hey now, I gotta know who my fuck buddy is fucking, alright?
>She tries to wrestle you from the door.
>You hold your ground.
“Look, can you just leave? Now’s not a good time.”
>”Oh, so this one’s getting a little serious now, is it?”
>She’s toying with you.
>You know she could rip you from the door if she was serious.
“No, well, n-not yet anyway.”
>Fuck! Why did you say that?!
>”Not yet, huh? How many times have you done it?”
“None!”
>”Awww, so you're just going on looks and personality? That’s not like you, Anonymous.”
“Fuck off, Dash! Can’t I have some fucking privacy?”
>”Nope! I just sat here and told you that I service our dear princess in her time of need. You gotta spill it!”
>You shove her from you hard.
“That’s your own fault! Just get out of here!”
>”What’s with you? Why such a big secret?!”
>She comes back and slams you against the door with her forehooves.
>Shit, that fucking hurt.
>She really doesn’t know how to control her strength sometimes.
“Ahh, dammit, Dash! That fucking hurt!”
>She slams you again.
>”Who is it, Anon?!”
>Holy fuck, she’s out of her mind.
“AAHH!, FUCK! IT’S LYRA! THERE, HAPPY?!”
>She eases up and steps away.
>She looks perfectly calm now.
>WTF?
>Bitch is crazy.
>”Ol’ Heartstrings, eh? Yeah, she’s a pretty good fit for you.”
>She starts to make her way back to the window, but suddenly stops.
>”Speaking of Lyra, nop0ny has seen her for a while now. What, like over a month or something?”
>GOD
>DAMMIT
>Is there not just a day where everything just works out? No Crazy loopholes or stupid things to make up or try to explain.
“I don’t know, but we started seeing each other a couple days ago.”
>You don’t elaborate to hopefully sell your point that you want Rainbow out of your house.
>”Hmmm… Well, tell her to give me a shout sometime. Would like to catch up one day.”
>Dash starts to climb through the window as gracelessly as possible.
>You see her flare her wings out in preparation for take off.
>”Oh, and just so you know Anon? Friends tell their friends who they’re dating. It’s not good to keep secrets like that.”
>And she’s gone.
>LE SIGH
>You head back over to your door so you can apologize to Lyra for shoving her through it.
>Oh shit! You hope you didn’t accidentally shove her on her stomach!
>You immediately throw the door open and fly out of your room-
>-only to run your crotch into Lyra’s head thing.
>It’s not as forgiving as an actual head, and you promptly double over in the pain only a man can know.
>”AHHH!”
“GOD WHY. WHY WERE YOU STANDING THERE?!”
>You can’t see Lyra with your eyes closed as tightly as they are, but you can hear her little hoofsies going nuts.
>”O-Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you’d come out of the room that fast an-
“BUT WHY WERE YOU SO CLOSE TO THE DOOR?! GOD HELP ME.”
>”It’s just that, you were talking so loudly-”
“WHY DOES IT HURT MORE THE LONGER I SIT?!”
>”-and I couldn’t help b-but overhear you say something abo-”
“IT NEVER ENDS.”
>”-us seeing each other, and it sounded like you were fighting s-”
“I CAN’T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE CLEVER TO SUMMARIZE MY AGONY.”
>”-I wanted to make sure I was close by incase you needed my help.”
“Lyra, you shouldn’t even think of putting yourself in a situation like that.”
>The pain has subsided instantly.
>Balls are weird as shit.
>”What do you-”
“Do you know how easy it would be for someone to seriously injure you? Lyra, your guts are literally exposed to the world. Anyone could reach in there and just start pulling shit out. You’d be dead in seconds.”
>Dammit. She’s starting to shake again.
“Look, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
>You scoot across the floor and take a forehoof in your hand.
“I just want you to be careful. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you are safe from harm. Got that?”
>You ‘boop’ the top of her lens with your other hand.
>She’s still for a moment, but then slowly hangs her head down.
>”...I want to be normal again.”
>She’s feeling it pretty hard right now.
>You need to do something to cheer her up.
>But what can you do that would make her happy?
>Going outside is strictly a no-go. Can’t have anyone seeing her like this.
>You can’t even imagine the ramification of such a thing happening.
>There’s a weird noise coming from her again.
>Ah hell. She’s gotten herself crying again.
“Hey, look.”
>You gently move her head up to meet yours.
>You are within inches of each other.
>Well, you know one thing that will make her happy.
>You muster up the courage of your ancestors and block out all senses and lean in.
>You kiss Lyra on the front of the larger cylindrical component of her head.
>Of course she can’t reciprocate, but you’re sure she’d have her tongue half-way down your throat if she could.
>You ease away from her and gaze into her lens once again.
>For a moment, just a brief moment, you swear you see her face, blushing madly.
>You blink, and it’s gone.
“You’re gonna be fine, Lyra. I’ll make sure of it.”
>She still seems stunned by your amazing kiss.
>”I…”
>The microwaves are getting loud as shit right now.
>”...I love you, Anon!”
>Welp, cat’s out of the bag now.
>The noises coming from her bodily implants are continuously growing.
>This must be pretty stressful for her.
>Her hooves are doing a little dance. Likely because she doesn’t know what to do with herself at this point.
>”I uh, I’ve always had a thing for you, Anon. Ever since I first saw you. I’ve always wanted to be closer to you, but I just couldn’t find time or something always came up.”
>She gets a little quiet there at the end.
>The machinery is still going strong.
>”I don’t…I-I don’t feel good, anon.”
>She sounds weak.
>This can’t be good.
>You are completely out of your element here.
>You start to stand when you are suddenly scared shitless as something breaks in Lyra’s stomach and starts to spew out an inky black liquid on the floor.
“Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck!”
>Lyra is trying to stand, but the liquid is making it hard for her to keep steady.
>She ends up falling, stomach first, onto the ground.
>A horrible, guttural yell tears through you.
>You can hear Lyra sobbing words out.
>”Pleeease...heheelp me, A-Anon…”
>Again, you are completely out of your element.
>The dark fluid keeps coming, and it doesn’t show signs of slowing down.
>You have no idea what to do.
>Should you move her?
>What good will that do?
>Is there anyway you can stop the leak?
>First things first, you need to get her off of her stomach.
>Lyra is yelling as you try to roll her to her side.
>”GODDESSES ABOVE! IT HURTS!”
>This mare just confessed her love to you and, because of it, she’s in unimaginable pain.
>Dammit. Not a good time to start crying.
>You have to do something.
>You peer inside of Lyra’s open cavity.
>Yup. Still as horrifying and disgusting as it was before.
>You can see the source of the dark liquid.
>A small line that is running to one of the little motors attached to her “lung” has come off.
>Time for some surgery.
>You dive your hand inside Lyra, your arm grazing her exposed ribs and rubbing against the lining of muscle tissue along her chest.
>Lyra has started to convulse and is mumbling incoherently.
>She’s going fast.
>You have to fix this now.
>With little grace and fanfare, you snatch the loose line and shove it into an identical place you referenced from the other “lung”.
>The leak has stopped.
>The motors are still humming loudly, but they are slowly dying down.
>Lyra’s convulsions has eased up a bit.
>You are rubbing her side up and down her body to calm her down, one hand just sitting aside having been covered in blood and whatever that other fluid was.
>You are like this for several minutes.
>Finally, the motors seem to reach a steady soft whir.
>You stay by Lyra’s side, still petting her gently.
“...Lyra?”
>There’s no response.
“Lyra? Can you hear me?”
>Still no response.
“Dammit. C’mon, Lyra. Please. Just say something.”
>The tears are back and they brought the whole family to take a trip down your cheeks.
>Lyra still hasn’t moved or responded.
“Lyra, I swear to God, if you don’t answer me…”
>Threats don’t seem to be doing anything either.
>Fucking hell, man.
>There hasn’t been a response or any sign of life from her for several minutes now.
>Damnit. You didn’t know what you were doing back there.
>You probably messed something up digging around inside of her blindly.
>And here you just warned her about that very same fate.
>You cry to yourself quietly.
>Don’t want to wake her up, right?
>She’s just asleep, right?
>That’s all it is.
>You know that Lyra’s a heavy sleeper.
>She’ll wake up and it’ll all be fine.
>Any minute now…

>You’ve sat in your hall listening to the soft humming of the motors in Lyra’s chest for over an hour.
>She still hasn’t moved.
>You’ve been busy though, destroying yourself emotionally.
>If only you’d tried harder to reach Lyra back when you had a crush on her, you’d both be together and none of this would have happened.
>If only you’d kissed her while she was still whole.
>If only you’d never walked down that alley that particular day.
>If you hadn’t arrived, Lyra would still be walking around, talking with her friends.
>Playing her lyre.
>That you never got to hear.
>You’re the worst.
>...
>A small feeling catches you off guard.
>Lyra’s rear legs just moved a little.
>Oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god
>Please be alive please be alive please be alive
>You slowly pet her side again.
>It’s greasy and clumped in places where you had switched to use your other hand to pet her.
>Painfully slowly, Lyra’s head moves around until it is facing you.
>”...A-...Anon?”
“It’s me, Lyra. I’m here for you. I’m here.”
>You’re overcome with emotions when you hear her voice.
>You view is blurred once again by the onset of the salty navy.
>”I’m...I’m tired.”
“Ok, Lyra. I’ll get you to the couch so you can sleep, that ok with you?”
>”Mmmm...yeah...I-...I like the couch.”
“Yes, you do like the couch, Lyra. I’ll get you over there and tucked in.”
>Just as you said, you promptly carry Lyra to the couch on her back and settle her down with a blanket.
>”Hey...Anon?”
“Yeah?”
>”...Thanks.”
“...Yeah.”
>It’s all you can say. ‘You’re welcome’ doesn’t really cut it when you save someone’s life.
>Neither does ‘Yeah’, but whatever.
>You’re not in the right mindset to think.
>Lyra is already fast asleep.
>At least you hope so.
>It terrifies you that you can’t tell the difference between her sleeping and the experience you just went through.
>Well, there’s only one thing you have left to do now:
>Fix Lyra.
>Which means you need to go and track down a moody princess.
>Jesus…
>Some morning, eh?

>While Lyra sleeps (you pray to God), you take a quick shower and get dressed.
>Follow that up with some breakfast and you’re on your way to Dash’s house.
>Living on what some consider the outskirts of the town, your house isn’t that far from Rainbow’s place.
>About a 15 minute walk.
>It’s on the way that you spot a familiar p0ny.
>Tan (beige), blue and pink two-tone mane and tail, kinda curly,
>It’s Bon Bon.
>She looks rough, and that’s from a distance.
>She spots you coming down the road and trots up immediately.
>Her eyes are bloodshot with dark trails clearly marking the path from where she’d been bawling her eyes out.
>You really don’t have time for this bitch.
>”Give her back.”
>Her voice is horse (hue) and broken.
>But the words aren’t what stop you. It’s the desperation in their delivery.
>You stop and turn back to her, eyeing her curiously.
>How does she even know you have Lyra?
>”Please. I know you have her. Rainbow Dash said that you two were seeing each other.”
>You fucking knew it.
>This is NOT the publicity that you need.
>It is now ten times more important to find Dash.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
>Best to play ignorant for now.
>”You’re LYING!”
>She just went from frail to furious in 2 seconds.
>She holds your stare for a few seconds.
>You start to see her break down again.
>Dammit.
>You’ve seen too many tears over the past two days.
>”Please tell me you’re lying! I don’t care if you two are dating or whatever! I just want my friend back!”
>She’s sitting on the ground now.
>”She’s all I have. Everyp0ny hates me.”
>Probably because you’re a manipulative bitch.
>You do feel sorry for the mare, but Lyra is first priority.
“Look. I’m sorry. But Dash is just spreading lies. We got into it pretty bad last night, and now she’s just making up stuff to spite me.”
>You pat her head.
>She doesn’t resist.
“I promise you as soon as I see any sign of Lyra, I will let you know.”
>You remove your hand and step back a few, heading towards Dash’s house.
>You look back as you walk away a bit.
>Bon bon is still sitting there.
>Must really break her heart, knowing that the only lead she had to her friend was a cruel attempt at revenge.
>But it wasn’t though. It was the truth.
>You are protecting everyone’s interests by sheltering Lyra.
>Seeing one p0ny’s reaction to Lyra was enough for you.
>And that was Miss “Mental Fortitude”.
>No telling how someone closer to her like Bon Bon would react.

>You arrive under Dash’s floating mansion of unreasonable proportions.
“DASH! WE NEED TO TALK! NOW!”
>No frills here.
>Sure enough, she pops her head out of her door.
>"Uh, hey Anon! What’s the matter? Lyra not cutting it for ya?”
“SHUT THE HELL UP AND GET DOWN HERE.”
>She rolls her eyes and quickly falls from her porch, slamming her hooves into the ground.
>”What’s got your tail in a twist, Anon?”
“Shutup and take me up to your place.”
>”Mmmmm. You must want it bad, huh?”
“Dash, I’m not here for that, so just shut up and take me up to your goddamned house!”
>”Sheesh. Wrong side of the bed, much?”
>Dash circles behind you and slips her forelegs under your arms, hoisting you to her house.
>Once inside, you release your full rage upon her.
“Ok, first off, I JUST TOLD YOU this morning that Lyra and I were seeing each other, and FIRST THING you do is go and blab about it? Why the HELL is it anyone else’s business?!”
>”Whoa, dude! Chill out! I only told a couple p0nies about it!”
“WHO?”
>Rainbow is backing away from you. You are towering over her right now.
>You’ve never seen Rainbow back away from someone.
>Good to see that the severity of the situation isn’t lost on her.
>”U-Uh-”
“WHO DAMMIT?”
>”Twilight and Bon Bon! That’s it, I swear!”
>The damage seems to be contained. Twilight isn’t going to say shit, but this could cause problems if she really is interested in you.
>You’ll deal with that later.
>You’re sure Bon Bon is already taken care of with your lie.
>You have calmed down a little at hearing the names and, going over the details, you back off some.
“Alright, so listen. Bon Bon thinks that it was just a lie because you and I had a fight and you’re trying to get back at me.”
>”How does-”
“I lied to her.”
>”But, why?”
“It’s best you didn’t know, alright? It’s better for everyone if they just keep their fucking noses out of my business.”
>Rainbow shifts a little on her hooves.
>”Anon…You know I didn’t mean to hurt you, right?”
>SIGH
“Yes, Rainbow, I know. But you take things too far sometimes, and when I ask for privacy, I would like to have it.”
>She goes quiet momentarily.
>”Anon...I saw Lyra.”
>fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck
>”She’s been missing for a while now. Why is she in your house? Why did you stop me from seeing her?”
>Shit.
>She’s turning the tables on you.
>Now you’re the bad guy, and she’s implying that you’re some kind of kidnapper, too.
>P0nynapper.
>Whatever.
>You rub your hands over your hair quickly and pace the floor.
>”What did you-”
“I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING TO HER, DASH, AND DON’T YOU DARE GO DOWN THAT ROAD.”
>Your nerves are failing you, and you start to shake a bit.
>Feeling exhausted, you plop down into a nearby chair.
“...I’m trying to save her.”
>”Wha-”
“I can’t explain, and even if I did, you wouldn’t believe me.”
>”Now hol-”
“Dash I, don’t have time for twenty questions. What I really came here for, was for-”
>Twilight.
>She enters the room cautiously , wings flared in an offensive stance.
>Upon seeing you, she loses some of her tension, but not all of it.
>”Anonymous.”
>That’s all she says.
“Just who I was looking for.”
>You stand to move towards her.
>”Anonymous, you know it’s not right to yell at your friends like you did to Rainbow Dash.”
“I get it. I’m sorry. But I don’t have time for a lecture right now.”
>Twilight is a little peeved by your blunt attitude.
“It’s getting worse, Twilight. Something bad happened a couple hours ago. We need to start soon.”
>Her features immediately take a look of concern.
>”What was it?”
“I can’t tell you here. We’ll talk on the way back.”
>”Right. Let me clean up a bit first, and we’ll head back.”
>You are both about to part ways when Rainbow Dash stomps on her floor.
>It didn’t really do much, since it’s mostly made of cloud.
>”Whoa whoa whoa. You can’t both just sit here and talk about this right in front of me and leave me in the dark! What’s going on? What’s happened to Lyra?”
>You and Twilight share a look.
>You have to tell Dash. There’s no way around it.

>Twilight gathered her things and cleaned up a bit while you tried your best to explain the situation to Dash outside on the ground.
>She was, of course, skeptical the entire time.
>When Twilight finally came down and talked about it as well, Dash started coming around.
>She had a firm look of determination on her face at the news.
>She was ready to help a friend.
>You all arrived back at your place, stopping before you open the door.
>Lyra is likely still on the couch.
>You never got to go over what happened earlier in the hall, but seeing the mess left behind will aid in your explanation.
>Now, comes the reveal.
>Dash is new to this, and it breaks your heart to have her witness Lyra like this.
>You don’t want to see her lose any of the luster in her eyes like Twilight did.
“Rainbow, I’m going to tell you this. Everything we have told you is absolutely true, but that doesn’t make seeing Lyra any easier. This will probably be a huge shock. Just be mindful that she is still alive, and that we are here to help her, got it?”
>”Y-Yeah, I got it.”
>She’s getting nervous.
>You open the door slowly, already giving way to see some of the couch.
>You can see Lyra’s tail hanging  limply just above the floor, a slight twitch here and there.
>It warms your heart to see it moving.
>Rainbow is doing her best at avoiding and trying to get a better look at the same time.
>The door is open fully, and you all step inside.
>You look to Dash, and she that she has already started down the landslide of shock.
>Twilight notices as well, and quickly goes for a hug.
>You see a single droplet fall from Dash’s eye.
>Might as well get the rest out in the the open.
>You remove the blanket from Lyra carefully.
>You hear a gag and hasty hoof steps.
>Rainbow has bolted outside.

>Rainbow threw up, cried, screamed, pissed herself when Lyra started moving, cried, then threw up some more.
>It was a 30 minute ordeal with 10 minutes of cleanup.
>Lyra is off the couch and sitting on the floor with you by her side, softly stroking her back.
>She seems a little tense.
>If you didn’t know any better, you’d almost say she’s strongly glaring at Twilight, but it’s hard to tell if it’s a glare since Lyra doesn’t have a face.
>Twilight, on the other hand, is comforting Dash, who is lying on the floor with a blanket around her, a steaming beverage at her side.
>Dash reaches out and takes another sip.
“Are you alright, Lyra?”
>You’ve moved your attention to the mare beside you, keeping your voice down so it isn’t too obvious that you’re talking.
>”I’m fine, I guess.”
>Not convincing.
“You don’t sound fine.”
>You start to rub a finger under her lens.
“Will you talk about it?”
>”I...I can’t. Not here.”
>It’s gotta be about Twilight.
>Dammit. This makes things a million times more complicated.
>Really don’t need this drama.
>Twilight starts talking, not taking her focus away from Dash.
>”So, Anonymous...Is it true?”
She had a strained voice, as if she was trying to keep the conversation casual, but something was boiling underneath.
“Uh, is what true?”
>”That you and Lyra are seeing each other?”
>Fuck.
>Not what you need right now.
>You feel Lyra’s skin tighten under your hand.
“Look, now’s not the time to talk about this. We have bigger issues here. Besides, there’s something you and I need to discuss as well.”
>Twilight shakes a little, then lets out a heavy sigh.
>”Y-You’re right, Anonymous. I shouldn’t be worrying about that right now.”
>Crisis averted.
>With little to no effort, at that.
>”Back to the reason we’re here. You’d said something happened to Lyra, but didn’t get to elaborate on it. I’m glad she seems fine now, though.”
“Right. Well, earlier on-”
>A long discussion took place about the events that led you to the present, avoiding Lyra’s confession.
>You pointedly mention that at one point you thought you saw Lyra’s face.
>A quick look down the hall, and you were able to set the scope of the situation.
>Fuck, it looked like a murder scene, but with a thick black liquid instead of blood.
>Twilight was very fixed upon the fact that you’d seen her face.
>”So, what did she look like? Was her head whole, or was it just her face?”
“Um, whole, I believe. It was bizarre at the time, like it just looked like it was back. Then I blinked and it was gone.”
>”Hmmm… This is great news, Anonymous. There’s a chance that Lyra’s natural aura is combining with her magic to restore herself.”
“Whoa! Really? So, she’ll just get better on her own?”
>”I’m afraid not. In fact, the opposite.”
>Twilight has gone full lecture mode, pacing the floor, all drama forgotten.
>If there’s one quality you like about that mare, it’s that business comes first.
>And if that business happens to be centered around a friend, there’s no stopping her.
>”If Lyra’s dormant magic is to start recovering her body on its own, she’ll be dead before she even gets just a fraction along in her repairs.”
“Wait, what? How does that work out?”
>”Magic of this nature is a delicate thing, Anon. When Lyra’s body starts to repair itself, it will slowly erode away the foreign objects that currently make up her being: the foreign objects that are keeping her alive. If she were to, say, start self-repairing her head, eventually communication from the current head would be cut off from the rest of her body, which would only leave as a mindless husk until eventually her aura would dissipate, leaving the rest of her bodily functions to fail.”
>The new info is difficult to process.
>Basically, if you don’t find a way to help Lyra soon enough, she’ll die anyway.
“So, explain to me how this is good news. It just seems like we’ve just found out that not only is she in mortal danger just because of her current state, but that there’s a time limit attached to it.”
>”I’m glad you asked that, Anon.”
>Twilight is beaming, and you HNNNGG a little on the inside.
>”You’d said that the line in her chest had burst while her machines were running abnormally loud shortly after you saw her face. I believe what happened was that there was a surge of power that caused the self-healing to kick into an “overdrive” as you might call it. This realm of self-healing magic should never produce such a violent and physical result as a line bursting.”
“Well, that still doesn’t sound good. So instead of just gently passing away, she’ll go out with a bang?”
>”It’s possible, but that’s not what I’m commenting on. Having such a large amount of magic surge through her at once nearly brought a piece of the implants completely out of her. What I’m saying, is that in a controlled environment, if we can stabilize Lyra’s vitals while triggering a large enough surge like this, it’s possible that she could be fixed in a relatively short time. In fact, it would be near instantaneous as long as the surge was strong enough. Actually, it would almost have to be instantaneous. If the surge was only enough to remove part of her implants, she may die on the spot.”
>Wow.
>Magic is insane.
>But this is fantastic news!
>There’s actually a solution in sight!
>”Which brings me to my next question.”
>Twilight’s pacing has stopped, and she is focused squarely on you.
>”You concluded that her body tends to make more noise when she is engaged in strenuous activity or in a stressful environment.”
>You nod.
>”And that her body was louder than ever just before the line burst.”
>Uh oh.
>You nod again, but a bit hesitant.
>”So...what exactly happened that caused those machines to run so loudly, Anonymous?”
>Not good.
>You look to Lyra, who’s already looking at you.
>You turn to Rainbow, who can’t be more interested in her drink.
>And you turn back to look at Twilight, her eyes waiting and expecting.
>This is where is all comes crashing down, isn’t it?
>You’re going to spill the beans, Twilight’s going to freak out and not help out, Lyra will die, and Rainbow will forever be locked in a staring contest with a mug in the middle of your living room.
>And interesting conversation started, but she’d start to smell after a few days of basking in herself under that blanket.
>In the effort to have a Dash-odor filled future, you man up, and tell Twilight like it is.
>The truth shall set you free.
“Lyra-”
>”I love Anonymous!”
>Lyra blurted it out to the heavens.
>Hearing it again with such conviction made you smile. You remember why you kissed this mare.
>Because you couldn’t bare to see her sad.
>Her happiness means more to you than your own.
>After the brief high of her declaration, you hear the hum of her chest start to rise.
>This situation is probably causing a lot more stress than she needs right now.
“Lyra, you know they can’t hear you, right?”
>”What did she say?”
>Twilight moves towards the two of you.
>Lyra repeats herself again, louder.
“It’s...not really my place to say.”
>The noises are getting louder still. Lyra isn’t calming down.
>”Is that...Lyra? Making all that noise?”
>You don’t acknowledge Twilight’s question as the broken microwave only gets angrier in volume.
>Lyra is starting to shake uncomfortably.
>Twilight is still getting closer.
>The situation is spiralling out of control. You have to fix this.
“Twilight, I need you to leave.”
>Surprise slaps across her face.
>”B-”
“Twilight, I’m not asking. You have to go.”
>Twilight looks pained.
>”So, I’m causing the stress?”
“YES. NOW GO.”
>She takes a few steps back, hurt apparent in her features.
>One last glance, straight into your eyes, and she gallops out the door.
>Damn, that look nearly killed you.
>You stay looking towards the door until you no longer hear Twilight’s hoofsteps.
>Turning back to Lyra, you immediately start rubbing her back, whispering calming words to her.
“It’ll be alright, Lyra. She’s gone now. Just calm down a bit. You’re not in any danger.”
>You keep petting Lyra’s back until the motors have calmed down. They are still a little shaky, but at a much more reasonable volume.
“Shhhh shhhh. There you go. It’ll be alright, okay Lyra?”
>Lyra nods.
>You sit together for a while as you look back towards the front door.
>Man, how are you going to explain this to Twilight?
>Hell, you’re still not certain if Twilight has feelings for you, although her recent behavior seems to be pointing in that direction.
>”I get it.”
>Dash speaks out of nowhere, her voice is subdued in a manner you’ve never heard before.
>She’s staring directly at you.
>”You really are together with Lyra, aren’t you? That was just a lie when I asked you, wasn’t it?”
>Reluctant nod.
>”So what I don’t understand, is how Twilight fits into this. Why was she the one causing the stress?”
“I think...Twilight might be interested in me.”
>”Seriously? You’re just now noticing?”
“Wait, so you knew?”
>You’re starting to get pissed.
>”Well of course I knew. I’m one of Twilight’s best friends. We tell each other everything. Hell, I fuck her silly when she’s in heat sometimes.”
>Sometimes?
“Sometimes?”
>”She’s got other friends, you know.”
>Rainbow sounded a little hurt with that last remark, but you weren’t really paying attention.
>”So, what does Twilight wanting some of the bald monkey to herself have to do with all of this added stress?”
“Um, the fact that me and Lyra are already together? She might not take that too well.”
>”Anon, Twilight’s a big filly. She can take it.”
“Lyra and her had already gotten into it once over me.”
>”Whoa, what? That’s news to me. When did this happen?”
>You look to Lyra.
>”...Two months ago.”
>Lyra sounds ashamed. Well, you were wondering what happened. Guess you’ll find out the details now.
“Lyra, you said it happened a while ago.”
>”Two months is a while!”
“No, not really. That’s a ‘little while’. A ‘while’ is like, six months, tops.”
>Dash clears her throat to gather your attention.
>”Just so you know, I’m not up for figuring out a one-sided conversation.”
>You eventually settle on having Lyra tell the story of that fateful day two months ago with you repeating her words for Rainbow to hear.
>You understand why Lyra kept quiet about it.

---TERRIBLE TRANSITION TO TWO MONTHS AGO---
>It’s a rather moody morning in fall, with low clouds blocking out Celestia’s sun.
>You are Lyra, and you are in the central market of Ponyville.
>Tomorrow is your roommate's birthday. Your roommate also happens to be your best friend, Bon Bon.
>You are going to treat her to a surprise dinner of her favorite fried dishes.
>Although Bon Bon may be an expert on sweets which proves to be a great boon at times, it’s nice to have some balance for your tongue’s palette with some greasy and savoury things.
>It works out somehow.
>You are just finishing up at a hay stand when you see your favorite eye candy enter the area.
>Anonymous.
>The tall, bald, bipedal being that can only be described in your mind as enticingly exotic.
>Other mares thought similar based on what you’ve heard around town.
>There have been a number of p0nies gossiping about the latest scandal involving anon, how many hearts he’d broken, how many he’d lured into taking their innocence.
>Horseapples, if you say so yourself.
>Although...the stories about his mating performance has definitely piqued your interest from time to time.
>Some talk about how “well off” he is, if you catch my drift.
>Other’s talk about his endurance and stamina.
>Some even go as far as talking about some of the positions they’d used.
>Thinking about it gets you a little hot under the tail, so you put your mind elsewhere.
>Good mares don’t let p0nies smell what they’re thinking.
>You’ve been trying to get closer to him ever since he showed up in Ponyville, but things always seem to get in the way.
>An urgent reason to get back to the house.
>A quick errand to run for a friend.
>A new candy that you just HAD to try that instant.
>It seemed as though Anonymous was rather busy as well. He was never in the market for very long before something drew him away.
>But on the occasions when you did get to speak to one another, he was very nice and well mannered.
>You’d “accidentally” bump into him just to be able to start a conversation.
>Certainly hope you weren’t hurting him.
>Even though conversation was lacking during the market visits, neither of you ever felt the need to leave.
>Just being in each other’s company was enough.
>This was all long ago, though. You hardly speak to each other now.
>Anymore, you just stare at him from afar, hoping one day that he’ll see you in the crowd and start up another conversation.
>Word has gotten around about your infatuation with the otherworldly being.
>In a small town anything is news, so it doesn’t bother you too much and you can trust that it only ends up in the ears of those who need to know.
>You’d accidentally zoned out one evening talking with Bon Bon about him, droning on and on about what it must feel like to have those...hands...scratch behind your ear, or grasp your hooves, or tussle your mane, or rub your back, or kneed your haunches, or rub your barrel, or massage your horn, or pull your tail or…
>Getting a little carried away again it seems.
>The cool breeze of fall was doing nothing to quell the heat building inside, so you hardened your resolve and reminded yourself of your task.
>You are here to surprise your best friend on her birthday with a favorite meal of hers, and no lanky, tall, sexy Anonymous is going to get in your way.
>You’re about to head off when you bump into Twilight Sparkle, the resident librarian turned princess.
>You never really considered Twilight a princess while she lived in the old tree library.
>It wasn’t until after the new castle had emerged that it sat in that she really was royalty.
>Before, she just seemed like another part of the community.
>But now, it’s a little imposing.
>She still tries to fit in though. You can see where she wouldn’t want her title to get in the way of everyday activities and social situations.
>You wish her the best.
>”Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there!”
>Twilight was quick to apologize about the bump, a hefty list carried by her magic in front of her quickly shifted to the side.
”Reading and walking, Twilight. You really should cut that out, or at least not in crowded places like the market.”
>You smile and offer a chuckle to ease her.
>She responds in kind.
>”You’re right, Lyra. I’ve just got so much to get. I’m preparing a big feast for my family this coming weekend and I need to make sure I have everything that they like! Need to leave a good impression. This will be their first visit to the castle!”
“You’ll do fine, I’m sure.”
>You smile and turn your head back out to the distance, hoping that you didn’t miss Anonymous leaving.
>Sure enough, he’s still poking around some of the stalls.
>”H-He’s something else, isn’t he?”
“Hmm?”
>You turn towards Twilight, and she nods in the direction you were looking.
>”Anonymous. He’s so...different from us.”
“Yeah, he really is. But it’s not a bad thing.”
>”No, no! Of course not! Different can be good.”
>Twilight’s vision was locked onto Anonymous as he moved from stand to stand.
>You sat, waiting for her to say something else, but silence seemed to be the only topic.
>It was a bit unsettling.
>Was Twilight interested in Anonymous also?
>”Have you met him?”
>The sudden question threw you off.
“I’m sorry, do what now?
>”Have you met him, Anonymous?”
“Oh! Well, actually, I haven’t really gotten to sp-”
>”I have. He used to live with me, you know.”
>This you did know, but didn’t really care for the details.
>Word has it that Zecora came into town one night, getting Twilight to follow her back into the Everfree.
>They both came out with an extra individual, which happened to be Anonymous.
>It was then that Zecora had entrusted Anonymous with Twilight.
>Beyond that, no one really knows what had happened.
>But for Twilight to cut you off like that, it was rather...odd.
>”We’d stay up late, running through different tests. It was a miracle that we happened to speak the same language! That made things so much easier. Anonymous told me about his past, his people, his heritage, his culture, his skills, practically everything! He shared so much with me...”
“Well, that sounds nice. I’m sur-”
>”OH, it WAS nice! It was just so… so nice! Anonymous is a really great p0n-uh person. He prefers person. After all, he isn’t a p0ny! Hehehe! I mean, that’d be a ridiculous p0ny if you asked me!”
>Twilight has started rambling, which is never a good sign.
>You sense a bad situation coming on like a storm rolling in.
>Little did you know that you were already caught in the eye. The worst had yet to come.
“Yeah, haha. He would be pretty ridicul-”
>”Yes yes, but I wonder-”
>Twilight has turned towards you now, slowly closing in.
>”-what would Anonymous look like if he actually WERE a p0ny?! Could you imagine?!”
>It’s actually kind of hard to image it. There is little to go off of what color his coat would be, or what style his mane would hold. Build wise, he’d probably be a little slim.
>Twilight is still closing in on you, and you have begun backing away unconsciously.
“He’d probably be a lit-”
>”He’d be the most handsome stallion in Ponyville, that’s for sure!”
>The situation has gone beyond uncomfortable.
“I’m sure he would! Hey! I really need to get back to-”
>”Anonymous would be the perfect stallion! He’d be strong, and handsome, and nice, and caring. Omigosh, I’m getting giddy just thinking about it! Ehehehe!”
>Yes. Time to leave.
>You can’t get a word in before she’s already talking over you again.
>”Oh my! Could you imagine me and Anonymous together?! Haaa! He’d stay up, while I working on my magical studies, right there to lend me a hoof if I needed something.”
“Isn’t that what Spi-”
>”We would lay by the fire at night, and tell each other secrets, whisper sweet nothings into each others ears. He would confide in me again.”
>Again?
>Whatever. You need to leave.
>You realize that you’re both out of the common area by now, the sound of the crowd barely reaching your ears.
>”Ehehehe! Ahh, but of course, Anonymous would never be a good fit for you.”
>What the hay was that for?! That’s way out of line!
“I don’t think you have the right to judge me like that, Twilight.”
>Keep civil, stay level headed. It’s the best way to deal with p0nies like Twilight. The more outrageous you get, the more it spurs them on.
>”Oh, I know what you want Lyra. You want Anonymous just to fulfill your carnal desires.”
>First off, no p0ny talks like that...Except Twilight, so you guess you can let that one slide.
>Secondly, where does this mule of a mare get the gaul?!
“You don’t know WHAT I want from Anonymous! And it’s obvious that you are CLEARLY obsessing over him!”
>”ME? OBSESSING? You’ve GOT to be joking! And for the record, I DO know what you want. I could smell your awful intentions before I even saw you.”
>Darnit. You were sure you kept yourself under control.
>It’s tough being a mare sometimes.
“Alright! I admit it! I find Anonymous attractive!”
>”Because you’re nothing but a wh-WHORE!”
>It’s seriously time to leave now. Twilight’s pupils have become pinpricks.
“I don’t have to take this from you, PRINCESS. Why don’t you go home and fantasize some more?”
>You go to head back towards the common area when a cold chill runs down your spine.
>Your legs are not moving.
>Examining yourself, you find that your limbs have been engulfed in a familiar purple glow.
>Twilight is holding you down.
>Magic of this sort is considered illegal unless all parties involved are aware and informed of it’s intended use.
>You are not informed or aware of its intended use.
>You try to use your own magic to fight back and counter her hold on you, but you fail miserably.
>Twilight’s power swats yours aside like a mountain swatting a gnat.
>It becomes abhorrently obvious why Twilight is the living embodiment of magic.
>And you have no fighting chance.
>Twilight could easily wipe you from existence with a single thought.
>Terrified is not a strong enough word for your current state.
>Twilight is still glaring daggers at you.
>”I WON’T LET YOU RUIN HIM ANY FURTHER, YOU LYING, DECEITFUL, HAND-LOVING FREAK!”
>Your mind goes to the worst outcome as to the implications of that statement, and you break.
>You void your bladder and collapse into a sobbing mess.
>You were going to die right here.
>You didn’t even finish shopping for Bon Bon’s birthday dinner.
>You never picked up your lyre from the music shop after having it serviced.
>You never got to tell Anonymous that you loved music.
>You never got to fall in love.
>All because Equestria’s newest princess is beyond obsessed with him.
>All because the Element of Magic can’t cope with rejection.
>All because this young mare can’t let go of her crush.
>All because this scared filly is too insecure to pursue her own happiness.
>And it breaks your heart to know that you are going to die at the hooves of somep0ny so weak.
>...
>And then the wind stopped, and the storm calmed.
>You dare to open your eyes.
>Twilight is still looking at you, wings flared, legs spread, head lowered, tears streaming down her face.
>”W-...w-weak?”
>Her voice is broken and quiet. It’s a struggle to hear her.
>How did she know you thought she was weak?
>Well, it is Twilight. She can probably read minds.
>Twilight softens her stance, and backs away harshly.
>”Dear Celestia, what have I done?”
>You are still looking at her, snot and tears clinging to your face, lying in a puddle of your own urine.
>”I-I’m s-s-so s-sorry. I-I didn’t… I mean I-I n-never…”
>Twilight shudders and more tears pour from her eyes.
>Her mouth opens and closes a few times while looking around her.
>”I…I need h-help.”
>And with that, she disappeared.
>You are left to sit in a vacant area, mind still reeling from the near death you convinced yourself of.
>You stand on wobbly legs, your side matted with dirt and urine.
>You head straight for your home.
>Bon Bon’s birthday has been forgotten.
>You take a shower in silence.
>You lie in your bed.
>And you bawl yourself to sleep.

---TERRIBLE TRANSITION BACK TO THE PRESENT---
>You are Anon, and you are speechless.
>Lyra’s recount of the events has left you in a state of confusion.
>There are so many things you could have done to prevent what had happened.
>A part of you feels guilty for possibly leading Twilight on during your original stay at the castle.
>You just figured that p0nies were unnaturally friendly. That seemed to be the case for everyone you’d met.
>You didn’t know that you’d left such a powerful impression on her.
>There was no way you would have even considered a relationship at that point anyway. You’d only just arrived and were primarily focused on finding a way back home, and p0ne did not appeal to you.
>Interspecies relationships must be a fairly normal occurrence in this world for Twilight to have latched on so quickly and mistakenly.
>You are also left with a feeling of immense rage.
>What the hell was Twilight even thinking?!
>If you’d known what had happened between them…
>You’re not sure what you would have done, but it would have been something.
>You glance over in Rainbow’s direction. She has a heavy look of disappointment and anger played across her features.
>It must be hard to hear something this traumatic about one of your close friends.
“So-”
>You turn back to Lyra.
“-what did you do after that? Did you report the attack or anything?”
>Dash perks up at this. It almost looks like she’s ready to fight.
>”N-no! I couldn’t do it! I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.”
“What?! Why not?!”
>”Because I felt sorry for her!”
“SORRY FOR HER?! Lyra! She could have killed you!”
>”TWILIGHT WOULDN’T DO THAT!”
>It’s Dash’s turn to enter the yelling match, and she’s picking up on the conversation through your responses.
>She looks very frustrated and unsure of herself, eyes glistening with unfallen tears.
>”Twilight...wouldn’t do that…”
>Her voice hitches and squeaks as she struggles to maintain her aggressive stance.
>”And she didn’t.”
>Lyra continues her explanation with you relaying it to Dash.
>”She’s confused, and scared. P0nies get attached to other p0nies that aren’t interested. It can happen. And it hurts when it does. Twilight just takes it to heart too much.”
>Understatement of the decade. But you get where Lyra’s coming from.
>Dash speaks up at this remark.
>”Yeah, Twilight’s always had a bit of a problem with judgement. P0nies judging her, that is. She’s never really been in that many relationships, either. Actually, I can’t think of one at all, unless she had some flings back in Canterlot.”
>Doubtful.
“So, did anything happen after that?”
>Lyra fidgets and doesn’t say anything, opting instead to stare at the floor.
>Even Dash can see that she’s uncomfortable.
>”What’d she say?”
“She hasn’t said anything yet. C’mon, Lyra. You’ve told us this much.”
>Lyra doesn’t move her gaze from your living room floor.
>”...It was about a month later. After the run-in with Twilight…”
>Lyra’s voice is low and sorrowful.
>”I’d stayed in my house. I didn’t leave for anything. Bon Bon begged me to go out and do something with her several times. She eventually stopped asking. We didn’t talk for days, until one day she blew up and yelled at me, asking me what happened, why I was so distant, why I never left… I couldn’t tell her. I couldn’t do that to Twilight. So I just stayed quiet… Bon Bon left that day.”
>You reach out to pat Lyra’s back while you summarize to Dash.
>”I finally left the house. It was late one night. I just had it in my mind that I was going to talk with Twilight. I had to talk to her about this. We used to get along so great before all of this mess.”
>Lyra’s voice has taken on a quiet whimper.
>”I just wanted to make sure she was okay.”
>You see her body shudder as you try to relay the info to Dash carefully.
>”I’d gone to her castle to see her. I was going to schedule an appointment and everything! But when I got there, Spike had told me that she’d gone to visit Zecora for some special training she’d been having. I wasn’t interested, really, but I needed to see her.”
>Oh God.
>No.
>”S-so, I went into the Everfree to find Zecora’s hut, based on the directions Spike gave me.”
>God no.
>Lyra is shaking hard. The machines are getting louder by the second. You’ve stopped relaying to Dash.
>”And...and th-that’s when…”
>Lyra couldn’t finish the rest over her choking sobs.
>You already knew how it ended.
>Jesus Christ...
>...
>That’s just…
>Fuck...
>That pretty much lines up with Lyra’s disappearance according to the locals.
>”What else happened? Did she make it to Zecora’s?”
>Dash was tired of being left in the dark and hearing nothing but the unsettling hum of Lyra’s implants.
>You turn your gaze to the floor with Lyra.
“She never made it to Zecora’s.”
>”Never made it? Then what-...Oh.”
>Dash recalls our explanations from Lyra of when she ended up in her predicament.
>A sound catches your ears. A gasp.
>You turn your head to the door, just as you see a flash of light.
>Yup. Things just got WAY more complicated.

>The search for Twilight was long and unrewarding.
>After hours upon hours of searching, there was still no sign of the purple princess.
>Spike hasn’t seen her since she came to your house yesterday.
>None of her other friends knew anything about her whereabouts.
>Dash searched the skies for any sign of her, but she returned empty hooved.
>It was late now, the sky burning in the evening sun as it sat just above the horizon.
>Dash had agreed to come back in the morning to start searching again.
>You are in your kitchen preparing a quick meal for yourself while Lyra watches idly.
>You turn to look at her as you stir a spoon in your squash soup.
>She’s standing a respectable distance from you, but it makes you worry that she’s afraid to get closer.
>You beckon her with a free hand, and she slowly trots over, the clip clop of her soft hooves barely over the sound of the boiling stew in front of you.
>When she is close enough, you place a hand behind the abomination that claims to be her head.
>You stroke your hand slowly from the top to the back near where machine and body meet, brushing over a few wires and lines running from various components.
>Just feeling them wriggle and spring back between your fingers is a little unnerving.
>Nevertheless, you keep stroking her head in hope that you’re comforting her.
>”I can’t feel it.”
“Feel what?”
>”Your hand.”
>Damn. So much for comforting her.
>Wait, if she can’t feel that, then-
“Does that mean...you didn’t feel...earlier this morning?”
>She slowly shakes her head.
>lifeissuffering.png
>The one romantic gesture you tried to give, and Lyra couldn’t even feel it.
>You should have known. Her head is a machine after all.
>That really brings your mood down.
>”Th-that’s not to say that I didn’t get to appreciate it!”
>She shuffles her legs a bit.
>”U-um...it was, uh...v-very nice of you.”
“Well, we’ll just have to do it again when you’re back to normal.”
>Did you just say that?
>I mean, you’ve already kissed her, but this is pretty forward.
>Lyra is in shock, and the motors in her chest are making themselves known again.
>”Y-you mean…!”
>You have to calm her down, quick. You do not want to experience what happened in the hallway again.
>Once is enough for an entire lifetime.
“Let’s focus on getting you fixed first before we start day-dreaming, okay?”
>The motors stay steady at a slightly higher than normal volume, and they are humming in nearly perfect sync.
>It’s almost soothing.
>”...O-okay.”
>For the first time, you actually find Lyra to be...adorable.
>Even with her horrific appearance, she’s still the same filly on the inside.
>Ok, so not so much on the inside either, but in mind and spirit.
>That works better.
>You crouch down a bit further to give a playful scratch across her back.
>She crouches down as well, one hind leg raised slightly off the floor, arching her back upwards like a cat.
>These p0nies, man.
>They will be the death of you.
>You chuckle at the sight and turn the heat off on your stove.
>Lyra leaves the kitchen when you fix yourself a bowl.
>The soup smells fantastic, a testament to your cooking prowess.
>By your third spoonful, you realize what smell you haven’t noticed for a while now.
>Lyra was pretty rancid when you first took her in, but it doesn’t seem to affect you much anymore.
>In fact, you’d almost wager that the smell is gone.
>You finish your meal and head into the living room.
>Huh.
>You were certain Lyra would be in here.
>You start searching through the house.
>Not in the guest bedroom.
>Not in the bathroom.
>Well, that leaves your room.
>Sure enough, she’s standing in your room, just looking around.
>You clear your throat and startle her.
>”S-Sorry! I was just curious is all. I’ve never got the chance to look around when I came in here last.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
>”I’d already taken a look around in the other rooms. This was my last stop.”
>You walk over to the bed and sit on the edge close to Lyra.
>You both enjoy each other’s company and bask in the dying light of the sun through your windows.
>It’s dark out when you noticed that you’d dozed slightly.
>Stretching, you stand up.
“Guess it’s time to hit the sack!”
>You rub Lyra’s side in the direction of your door.
>Holy shit, her side is gross as fuck!
>All of the blood and dark fluid that she was lying in dried and matted her coat in odd large chunks.
>That can’t feel good to her.
“Lyra, you’re dirty as hell.”
>She whips her head around to stare at you.
>”B-b-but!”
“Easy now! Don’t take it personally. It’s just that we need to get you cleaned up. That can’t be comfortable, having your coat matted to your side like that.”
>”It’s not that bad, honestly. Nothing compared to...well, you know.”
>Ah, dammit.
>You need to get her cleaned up, though. Given the state of your couch, you’d rather her sleep in the guest bedroom.
>If you can avoid that bed ending up like your prized couch, you’re going to do what you can.
“Would you like to try to shower?”
>It might be a bad idea, considering she basically has open wounds on her neck and her barrel.
>”Y-yeah. I can try.”
>You follow her to your bathroom and explain how the shower works and where towles, rags, and soap are located.
>You turn the water on and get it to a nice temperature.
>Lyra turns to you, turns to the shower, back to you, then hangs her head.
>”C-could you, maybe, step outside?”
>Oh shit! What are you thinking?
“Dammit, sorry. Yeah, I guess you would want some privacy. Heh!”
>You step out of the bathroom and close the door.
>You hear the water change as it stops hitting the shower floor and starts to hit Lyra’s back.
>There are a couple grunts and strained sounds coming from inside.
>It sounds like she’s hurting.
“Lyra? Are you okay?”
>”Just-erk...Just f-fine!”
>She doesn’t sound fine.
>You crack the door open a little, so your voice is heard better.
“Are you sure? I can help if you need me to.”
>”No! No, I’m f-fine! I just need to-AAHHH!”
>The door is flung open at Lyra’s sudden wail.
>Lyra is standing on her hind legs, back arched inwards, one foreleg placed against the wall opposite of the shower head to keep her balance, letting the water run straight onto her back, avoiding her head.
>She has her other foreleg reached under her, trying to scrub her side from below.
>You can see water dripping off of her exposed ribs, darkened by the filth that clung to her coat.
>Her tail is completely soaked and heavy as it sagged and pooled behind her, coaxed away from her slightly by the water running towards the drain.
>It is apparent that she cannot reach her sides well enough to get a good wash.
“Lyra!”
>”No! Stop! I can do this!”
>She’s frantic and starts trying to scrub her side again.
>She’s clearly putting pressure on her ribs to try and reach as high as possible.
>Her ribs are digging into her foreleg.
“Lyra, you have to stop! You’re going to hurt yourself!”
>You cross the bathroom in very few steps.
>”I...I can do this!”
>You can hear her sniffling in between words.
>You never questioned it, but how exactly is she sniffling when she doesn’t exactly have any lungs or a vocal chord?
>Whatever. It’s magic.
>Besides, only you can hear her, so that just adds more to the mystery.
“You’re just causing more damage!”
>You reach and grab the foreleg supporting her against the wall.
>From this distance, you can hear how unruly the microwaves sound.
>She finally looks up at you and her other foreleg goes limp.
“Lyra...What’s gotten into you?”
>”I guess I’ve never had to live without magic.”
>That’s right. She is a unicorn. She’s probably washed herself a ton of times with her magic, but this is a first.
>You’re not sure what to do in this situation.
>The sound of the running water accompanied by some light sniffles from Lyra are all you hear for a couple minutes.
“...I’ll wash you.”
>”Wh-what?!”
>Lyra recoils at this and tries to jerk her hoof away from your grip, but you hold firm.
>”N-no! That’s way too- I mean, there’s no way- It’s too embarrassing!”
>You do admit that you are probably crossing over some personal lines, but she can’t do this by herself without causing more harm.
“Lyra, I’m not going to sit in this house while you hurt yourself taking a shower!”
>”Then go for a walk!”
“No! I said you could live here, so you’re going to play by my rules. And putting yourself in danger or hurting yourself is not something I'm going to tolerate! Understand?”
>Her head hangs in defeat.
>”...You win.”

>By the goddesses, you can’t believe this is happening!
>You are Lyra, and Anonymous is actually washing you!
>It’s like one of those naughty dreams you’ve had of him, except you weren’t a disfigured abomination and Anonymous was naked.
>You don’t really know what he looks like naked, so your mind had to make up some stuff.
>You are still standing on your hind legs and propped against the wall to avoid getting water near your mechanical head.
>Anonymous is washing your front, beneath your neck and around your chest.
>He’s very gentle with the rag he’s using.
>The lathered soap soaks into your coat and feels fantastic, especially with the lovely kneading his fingertips provide against your skin.
>It is in this moment you feel more alive than you have since the beginning of this whole ordeal.
>And it is in this moment, you realized something even greater...
>You were right: Anon’s hands are a slice of paradise.
>He wrings the rag out and applies more soap to it as he moves to scrub your forelegs.
>One leg at a time, he slides up and down their length, removing the soil that has clung to the fine hairs.
>Anonymous works at a snails pace to ensure that he isn’t causing you any discomfort.
>Such a gentlestallion.
>Or gentleMAN, rather.
>He gets up to put the rag into the small sink in the bathroom.
>”I’m gonna grab a few more rags. That one’s too dirty to use anymore. I’ll just be spreading dirt around if I keep going.”
>He’s out of the bathroom before you could even reply.
>You let out heavy sigh.
>If you could, you would have a huge dreamy smile plastered on your face.
“And p0nies thought I was crazy to dream about his hands.”
>”What’s that, Lyra?”
>You stiffen.
>”N-nothing!”
>Anonymous shrugs and kneels next to you again.
>You glance over and happen to see that he’s nearly soaked his clothes.
“Anon! You’re clothes!”
>Upon second glance, the floor in the bathroom is getting wet as well.
>Guess it would with the curtain open.
“And the floor!”
>”Eh, don’t worry about it. The running water is getting a lot of this stuff off of you. Feels good too, right?”
>You nod.
>It does feel good.
>”See? Plus it’s just water. I can dry it up with a towel and change my clothes.”
>He smiles.
>You declare that you love that smile.
>”Well, thanks, I guess. I like my smile well enough, too.”
>You stiffen and your footing slips a little in the shower, but you correct it quickly enough.
“Did I say that out loud?!”
>Anon laughs at your reaction.
>”As clear as day. But it’s alright. It’s, uh… It’s nice to hear things like that every once in a while.”
>Anon starts on your back and eases his way down your left side.
>You can feel him press his fingers between every rib on your body.
>It’s a very unnerving sensation.
>Feeling your coat shift into its natural position after he passes his delicate fingers over you with the lathered rag makes up for it.
>The soap slides off your left side in the water as he gets closer to the gaping opening that is your mid-body.
>He stops just before he gets to the edge of the carnage.
>”I’m not sure what to do here, Lyra. I really don’t want to risk getting any closer.”
“That’s fine. You’re doing-er its fine, Anon.”
>”Alright then. Well, I’m not sure how to get to your other side without you turning around.”
>You’re too afraid to risk getting water on your head to turn around.
>You tense a little at what could what could happen.
>Anon notices your reaction to the suggestion.
>”Uh, well, I guess, I could just reach over you.”
“You’ll get your clothes wet!”
>”Eh, they’re already soaked as it is.”
>Anonymous grabs another rag and stands to lean over you.
>The water stops hitting your back as he interrupts its flow with his body.
>He is propping himself up with one arm on the wall, while the other is reaching down and cleaning your right side.
>Again, Anon is pressing his fingers between your ribs.
>The lack of constant running water over your back allows you to focus on the feeling of your skin stretching and moving over your strained rib cage as he works his way down your side.
>It nauseates you.
>You are disgusted with the state your body is in.
>Mood = ruined.
>He finishes soon enough and moves out of the way so the water can remove the suds and grime.
>You hear him wring out what is probably the fourth or fifth rag and place it in the sink.
>You don't bother to look.
>Inwardly, you reflect on the situation.
>There's no way Anonymous would look at this as more than cleaning a dirty, injured, helpless animal.
>A walking open wound he is forced to dance around.
>You've nearly convinced yourself that Anonymous has only helped you out of sheer pity when a new feeling startles you.
>He has already grabbed a new rag and started on your hind legs.
>He's about half way up your leg when he stops.
>"Uh-"
"Keep going."
>You spoke automatically.
>He obliges and slowly starts moving up your left hind leg again.
>He breaks the halfway point and has reduced his speed considerably, putting more focus on kneading and lightly scrubbing.
>Your skin is considerably tighter in the rear quarter of your body, and the feeling of Anon's fingers springing against the tight muscles in your legs is otherworldly.
>It's as if he was sent from the skies just to use his hands to clean you.
>His hand reaches close to the inside of your thigh.
>Your senses are alight, tracing every movement of his fingers and palms as he nears your precious flower.
>You can’t help but release a small, short moan, which you are unsure was heard over the running shower.
>Time has slowed down as you wait for him to reach the prize.
>Surely he knows what he's doing to you.
>You’ve noticed there’s been a constant buzzing in your ears.
>Your ‘lungs’ are getting worked up again.
>Anon must have noticed because, to your unfathomable disappointment, he removes his hands.
>”Lyra, are you alright?”
“I’m fine! Just fine! Please…”
>You turn to look him square in the eyes.
“...don’t stop…”
>Anon’s face goes from surprised to serious.
>”Lyra…”
>You can tell there’s a lot going on behind those eyes of his.
>You did just put him in probably one of the most awkward situations he’s been in.
>He turns his head away and continues where he left off.
>Immediately, he grazes the side of your lips with the rag as he travels upwards towards the bulk of your flank.
>There’s no chance of hiding it.
>You are totally aroused, and all but certain that Anonymous can smell you.
>A small sting in the area your stomach would be has made itself known, but it is soon overshadowed by Anon’s touch.
>He slowly lathers up your rump using both hands, the rag now dropped and forgotten, gripping, smushing and spreading the flesh.
>You like to think you don’t have a large flank, but there were times when you noticed a slight ripple in your step.
>The attention Anonymous is giving your backside is incredibly relaxing as he loosens the coiled up tension.
>You moan again as his slender fingers wrap around the dock of your tail and begin to stroke it lightly.
>The feeling was so alien, and yet so intensely pleasurable.
>The way his hand traveled with the hair was smooth as silk, providing only a slight tug at your rump.
>You wonder if he’s ever done this for any other mare.
>You consciously arch your back inwards to raise your rear end higher.
>The sting in your stomach has spread into a low burn, but your lust is driving you to ignore it.
>Raising your tail and moving it aside has proven difficult thanks to the added weight of the water, but the intention was not lost on Anon.
>Without warning, one of Anon’s hands immediately slip over the entirety of your marehood, fingers placed flat like an extension of his palm, as he intimately rubs you from your dock to well between your legs and back again.
>You can’t hold back as you wink into his hand, spreading some of your arousal onto him, making subsequent passes over your lips ever smoother.
>For the first time since you’ve been horribly disfigured, you feel like a mare.
>And you wouldn’t give it up for anything.
“Ah!”
>A small noise escapes you as Anon applies more pressure to your sensitive marehood, spreading your juices outwards to the inside of your legs where it trickles down.
>You hate to admit it, but the noise didn’t come from Anon’s actions.
>The burning in your stomach has reached a point that can’t be ignored, but your lust is driving you to compete with it.
>You beg yourself to keep going and to hold on, but you know you’ll never finish before this pain rips through you.
>Still, you push on.
>You start to move opposite of Anon’s hand and push into him, arching your back further.
“ACK”
>You struggle even more as the pain increases.
>Anon must still think these are cries of pleasure.
>The burning builds and builds, and you hiss in pain.
>Small whimpers escape you as it becomes unbearable.
>It goes on for what feels like hours until you are stopped.
>Anon takes his attentions to the next level and pushes a finger inwards, your lips hungrily spreading and engulfing it, bringing it inside of you slightly.
>Wonderful as it may have been, the feeling is lost immediately as you double over in the most horrendous pain.
“AAAAAHHHHH!!! G-GHK!!”
>Anonymous pulls away immediately.
>“LYRA! WHAT’S WRONG?”

>You are Anonymous, and you are terrified.
>Your heavy petting has just been derailed by Lyra's intense cry.
>Boner is kill.
>Her front hooves slipped and fell into the shower, her hind legs buckling slightly.
>At least now you know water doesn't harm her head as it continually beats down on her.
>She spreads all of her legs out against the sides of the tub in fear of falling on her stomach.
>"S-s-s-someth-thing's ha-ha-happening! AAGGH!"
>She is trembling harshly.
>You lunge and wrap your arms around her front and neck, eyes clenched, holding her tightly.
>She is still screaming her head off, even more so now.
>You smell something burning.
>Like meat.
>Lyra's screams have become the stuff of nightmares
>You are certain that you will not get a good nights rest for weeks to come.
>Her body is vibrating violently.
>The motors are nearly as loud as the hallway incident.
>You can't tell if you're crying or if the water is running down your face as you hold onto Lyra during this turmoil.
>You curse yourself for not having any way to relieve her of this torment as she shakes and screams in your arms.
>Opening your eyes slightly, you see a glow reflecting from the floor of the shower.
>A beautiful, warm, golden glow that brings you comfort just by seeing it.
>The world seems to stop as you lose yourself unwillingly in the calming nature of the light that plays in front of you, your surroundings slowly disappearing before your eyes, sound reduced to distant murmurs.
>The golden light seems to speak to you in the most beautiful voice you've ever heard, and you can't turn away from it.
>It triggers a basic emotion inside of you.
>Happiness.
>To be as happy as possible.
>That's all you want in life anymore.
>You seem to float in the comforting grasp of the glow for days until you are forcibly returned to reality as you blink away the hypnotic trance.
>Lyra gives one last throat splitting scream (if she had one) and the glow flashes intensely, and too quickly for you to close your eyes in time, but you still try to shield them.
>...
>Silence.
>Lyra shudders slightly in your grasp, the shower drilling now cold water onto your back.
>You slowly release her, and start to pull away, when the loud clang of a small metal object draws your attention.
>You're seeing spots in your eyes from the glow earlier, but what lies in the floor of the tub next to the drain is unmistakable.
>A considerable chunk of the tubing you identified as fused to Lyra's intestine has fallen out.
>It looks as though it was cut away with a torch.
>Color is returning to your vision and you see that a small trail or red is heading for the drain.
>Lyra is bleeding into the water, but not threateningly so.
>Lyra doesn’t seem to notice that something fell out of her.
>First things first. This was huge, what just happened.
>Not just the screaming and the weird light and the pain, but the foreplay earlier as well.
>You never intended for the shower to end up like that, honestly, but you just got caught up in the moment.
"Lyra."
>"Y-yeah?"
>Thank God. She responded immediately.
"Are you alright?"
>"I...I don't know. I think so."
"Do you hurt anywhere?"
>Get all of these questions out of the way so you can actually comfort her.
>"No, actually. I don't hurt at all. Just a little shaky I guess."
>You reach over and shut the shower off.
>The bathroom goes quiet, save for the water dripping from Lyra and yourself.
>You exhale loudly, and peer back into the tub.
>Lyra has stopped bleeding now, so that's good news.
>You rise up and go for the multitude of towels you brought with you, lying them across the floor to soak up the water.
>Helping Lyra step out of the tub on wobbly legs, you dry her off, being mindful of her peculiarities.
>You both head out of the bathroom, and lead her to the guest bedroom, leaving you to get a change of clothes out of your own room.
>Back in the guest room, Lyra has already climbed onto the bed. She flops onto her side as usual, back facing you.
>You finally get a good look at her now that her coat is clean, and she is amazing.
>Despite the sickly thin appearance due to the implants, Lyra's coat shone very well and evenly, the bright, cheerful color nearly radiating into the room.
>You've never paid that much attention to a mare's coat before.
>Then again, you'd never washed one, either.
>Time to look into the question that's been tearing away at you.
"Lyra, I need to look at your, uh, stomach."
>She doesn't respond.
>She hasn't said anything since you dried her off.
"Lyra?"
>"I'm sorry."
>Her voice was fragile and broken.
"For what?"
>"For putting you in that situation. I shouldn't have encouraged it."
>Oh.
>The fun time in the shower.
"Don't apologize for it. There's nothing to be sorry for."
>"Yes there is!"
>She still hasn't turned to look at you.
>"I-...I was desperate, Anon. I wanted to feel like a mare again. I was afraid, that if I never do get fixed, that I'll-"
"Stop. Right now."
>You put yourself on the other side of the bed so you can look into her lens.
>You stare at the intricate mess of wires and canisters and tubes and hydraulics that make up her head and nearly falter.
>If only you could see what her face was telling you.
>Instead, you have an emotionless contraption staring at you with the blank stare of a deer in headlights.
>You wonder if that phrase works in Equestria or not.
"You. Are. Going. To. Be. Fine."
>Against your better judgement, you to lean down and peck her again on the same larger canister on the side of her head.
>Her motors seem to purr at the act, but nothing more.
>You guess nearly getting fingered for the first time will kill the impact of a small kiss.
“I’ll make sure of it, alright?”
>She nods her head.
>You crouch down next to the large opening in her stomach.
>Holy shit.
>There it is.
>The flexible metal tubing clearly has black singe marks on the end that is still connected to her intestine.
>And right where that chunk that fell out, is a perfect continuation of her intestine, about three inches in length.
>You can see it squirm and wriggle involuntarily. Probably due to whatever process these machines are nourishing her.
>This is the power of magic.
>You are in absolute awe.
>This is the first sign of recovery, and it happened right before your eyes.
>You were there when her dormant magic or whatever tore away the metal intruder and grew a perfect organic replacement.
>Magic, man.
>Shit’s nuts.
>You don’t want to worry Lyra, so you don’t mention your findings.
>This is, after all, a sign that Twilight’s prediction is most definitely coming to pass.
>If something isn’t done soon, Lyra will die.
>You play off your inspection as just making sure everything is still hooked up correctly due to last time’s outcome.
>You tuck her in and rub a foreleg a few times before heading out of the room.
>”Hey, Anon?”
“Hmmm?”
>She fidgets a bit under her covers.
>”...Could we...forget about earlier?”
>Damn, that kinda hurts, but you see where she’s coming from.
>You don’t need to put anymore stress on her, so you agree.
“Yeah, I can forget.”
>”Thanks. I’m just...so ashamed of myself.”
“Don’t worry about it, Lyra. You gave in to temptation. It happens.”
>She sighs.
>Hopefully she’s content with that.
“Get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”
>You flick the lights off and close the door.
>Next stop, your bedroom.
>You don’t strip out of your clothes. Instead, you shut off your lights and lie in your bed, staring at the ceiling.
>There’s a lot swimming in your mind right now.
>How much longer until Lyra’s self-healing thing ends up threatening her life?
>You recall Twilight’s earlier deductions on the matter:
>’There was a surge of power that caused the self-healing to kick into an ‘overdrive’.’
>’Self-healing magic should never produce such a violent and physical result.’
>You think you know what’s causing the surge.
>There’s been a clear connection between the intimate activities you two share and when these horrible happenings take place.
>Which brings you to your next question:
>How far were you going to take it in the bathroom?
>You were honestly having a pretty good time in there, and Lyra seemed to be enjoying it immensely. At least, you hope she was.
>Your focus was fixed on Lyra’s ass the entire time to avoid a boner kill from the rest of her body.
>It’s unfortunate, but that’s how it is.
>’Walking corpse on life-support’ isn’t really your thing.
>It wasn’t hard to stay focused, though.
>Lyra has a pretty choice ass out of the other mare’s you’ve wrecked.
>You are beyond thankful that her ass and everything in the area avoided alterations by whatever soulless creature turned her into the nightmare she is now.
>Jesus, these are some harsh words against Lyra.
>Thems the facts, though.
>No use in sugarcoating it.
>However, what troubles you is that if these intimate actions are triggering the surges of power within her, your only chance at prolonging her life span means that you’ll have to avoid pursuing your relationship.
>...
>This won’t be easy.
>The two of you are growing closer the longer you are in each other’s company.
>Today was a bit of a weird happenstance, and she asked you to forget about it, which will be hard as you use the memory of her tone, pliable ass squishing between your fingers as fap fuel.
>What’s more, where the fuck is Twilight?!
>This is bothering you more than anything.
>She’s the only one who knows what’s going on with Lyra, and the only one you trust to have that information.
>Without her, there will be no way for you to save Lyra.
>There is the option of contacting the princesses, but you haven’t been on good terms with them since your arrival.
>Apparently they aren’t very keen on having aliens randomly appear that infatuate their kin with stories of war, death, sex, capitalism and democratic governments.
>Fuck ‘em.
>Can’t change where you came from.
>You’ve been lying in your bed for roughly two hours before you get back up.
>Tip-toeing through the house, you reach the guest bedroom and quietly open the door, peering inside.
“...Lyra?”
>Dead to the world.
>Perfect.
>You sneak back to the bathroom and pick up the discarded piece of Lyra’s faux-intestine, stuffing it into your pocket.
>You slip on some shoes, and head out the front door, locking it again.
>Can’t be too safe anymore.
>You breath in the night air and look to your destination:
>The Everfree forest.
>You are going to find Twilight Sparkle, and you have a hunch as to where you can find her.