The Sweetest Music

Chapter Twenty-Two

Now's the Time

***

Lyra didn't stop before entering the building.

Maybe for once in her life, she didn't linger. She just went through the door of the newly-built tall skyscraper that served as an office building, closing the glass door behind her. There was no porter.

Maybe she was just tired of lingering; or maybe she was just too tired to linger. It was probably the latter: she was trying to strain herself - the sleep certainly had helped - to rush through all the affairs weighing on her just to be able to relax, finally. Usually, she'd just be able to relax without making an effort. Now, in this rare, almost impossible situation, it seemed that she needed to make an effort. And she wanted to be through with this effort - just effort, in general - as quickly as possible.

There was no reception table; just a metal glassy plank with the names of the organisations that had already filled up the newly-built block of offices, and the direction to the respective floor. Discreet Heart's Discrete Office, floor sixteen Lyra read. What a ridiculous name. But, it could make sense: the lawyer probably had a separate office, and, well, he was nothing if not discreet, from what Lyra could gather. He was discreet - or, at least, seemed discreet: cautious; wary; restricted; restrictive.

The lift was self-operated, as most lifts now were. They used to be operated by a specially trained pony, but now, with the advance of technology, lifts were automatic. Just like my life, Lyra thought bitterly. Get up. Brush your teeth. Wash your mane. Eat your food. Kiss your mare. Deal with your problems. Bear with your life. Automatic.

Automatic.

Didn't they all live their lives like this? Didn't everypony live their lives in such an automatic manner? Wasn't all of Equestria - and maybe beyond - so? Automatic.

Lyra walked out of the lift, facing a glass door with the company name on it. The building was peculiarly planned, with little space between the lift and the door leading inside the company office that seemed to occupy the whole floor. Just before the door, there was a receptionist's desk - with a receptionist this time.

The present receptionist was a good-looking mare, a young beige earth pony with shining eyes - only slightly younger than Lyra, but with the eyes of a hopeful teenage filly. She reminded the lyrist of the receptionist mare at the Happy Inn, back in Ponyville. It seemed so long ago, so far away... No, actually, it didn't. It seemed near, if only because she'd be -with Bon-Bon - in Ponyville to collect her things soon. As soon as she dealt with this matter.

"How may I help you today?" the receptionist mare chirped, uncomfortably reminding Lyra of Tom. No. Not now. Sometimes, Lyra could suppress thoughts - her thoughts - for a while.

"I'd like to..." Lyra paused. She didn't want to see Discreet Heart. She just needed to make an appointment - on Alexandro's secret behalf. But she...

"See Mr Discreet Heart?" the young mare supplied with a frown even though it seemed that nothing was really troubling her. "I'm really sorry, but he is away for a few hours. Is there anything I should tell him?"

Lyra stared at the receptionist. If Discreet Heart were there at the moment, would it be any different? She just had to make an appointment. And, maybe - just maybe - it was even better - or, at least, more convenient - that the lawyer wasn't present: she could just make an appointment. To talking. No coaxing. No disgust. Just make an appointment.

"I would like to make an appointment. My name is Lyra Heartstrings, and I am one of Discreet Heart's clients." Lyra watched the mare check her schedule with a nod. "I would like to arrange a meeting with him about ineheritance matters. The day after tomorrow, two o'clock-"

"Ma'am, I am afraid Mr Discreet Heart has a very busy schedule-" the receptionist mare began, but Lyra interrupted her before she could elaborate.

"And I am afraid that he will have to make time for me in his busy schedule if he doesn't want to lose a particularly important and affluent client," Lyra said firmly, piercing the mare with cold, steely eyes. For some reason, there was no voice of conscience to be heard. "Lyra Heartstrings, the day after tomorrow, two in the afternoon, Archie's, I'll take care of the table."

The young mare held Lyra's gaze - with a gulp but defiance in her eyes - and wrote down the information. "Will that be all, Miss Heartstrings?"

Lyra nodded. "Yes. That will be all."

***

Bon-Bon had just finished making dinner from what supplies they had in the mansion - and there were quite a lot - and was waiting for Lyra in the dining room, the daffodil meal on table, already envisioning how they would lie in bed, and how she would cuddle up to her mare... Maybe Lyra wasn't in the mood, true, but cuddling with the minty mare would be enough. For now.

The confectioner heard the door open, close, and be locked with a click. She rose to meet her mare in the corridor, but Lyra swiftly entered the dining room, wrapping her hooves around the mare, about her shoulders, nuzzling her neck and pecking her cheeks. Bon-Bon felt pleasantly surprised and aroused by this.

"How did it go?" she wondered as her lyrist buried her nose in the cream-coloured fur. She wasn't sure if she was asking because of that was what good marefriends did - did they? - or because she was (just) concerned about her mare. Or, maybe, she wanted to know if their lucky ticket to Los Pegasus was valid. Bon-Bon scolded herself for such thoughts, but couldn't help having them.

"It went," Lyra replied vaguely. Just went. She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to think about anything. She (just) didn't want to think. Instead, she tossed her lips upon her mare's, feeling the warm softness of Bon-Bon's tongue meeting hers, moaning into the passionate, exhausted, desperate kiss.

Lyra broke the kiss and gazed at her mare. Here she was, the mare she loved. Here she was, confused and afraid of the future. Here she was, concern shining in her gentle eyes. And here was she, Lyra, disregarding the needs of her mare because of the - well-based - apathy. The depression would kick in, she realised. Her mother's death was another terrible - the most terrible - trigger. But she was not alone. And she couldn't leave her mare in the darkness. Suddenly, she felt very, very tired.

But I can't go to sleep yet. I have to make the best of what I have now. "Bonnie." Lyra placed her hooves around the mare's neck, breathing on the cream-coloured cheek as she whispered, much like Bon-Bon herself did - back in Ponyville. "I want to make love to you."

"I think..." Bon-Bon blushed. "That can be arranged. But what about-" Lyra silenced her mare with a kiss. Now, there could be no 'what about's. Now, there was a way to escape adversity, if only for a while: something to make life worth living, if only for rare, precious moments. Something that both mares so desperately craved for and what they seemed to have achieved. Something that hurt so badly when lost and cradled warmly in its embrace when found. Something that made them forget the troubles of the world for a while and go to Lyra's bedroom, silently, without turning on the light, the whole mansion dark, with the shut curtains preventing light from breaking in. Something that - presumably - was worth dying for. Something that - presumably; definitely; maybe - was worth living for.

Love.