The Sweetest Music

Chapter Twenty-Six

My Favourite Things

***

"This is my studio."

Lyra stared in disbelief at the tall, glossy skyscraper with a sign that read, Philarmonico Records, just above the large front door that seemed to be made entirely of glass. It was surreal. It was fascinating. It - or, maybe, the whole city - was giving her confidence that she hadn't felt before, and a little cheerfulness - a trait that wasn't normally part of her character. Did it mean that her very character was changing? And, if it was - it definitely seemed to be - then was it necessarily a bad thing? Lyra hadn't been used to change - but now she seemed to accept change as a concept if not as a particular thing, after all the change life had put her through recently. She didn't see life or fate as a living being - but the string of events, this chain of enthropic coincidences seemed to have put her - and seemed to be putting her - and her mare - through change. Well, let it be. Lyra could cope. She would cope. And, if the change was positive - well, she would just be glad.

"Are you coming?" Bon-Bon wondered, holding the door for her mare.

Lyra smirked a little. That's what you said twenty minutes ago, Bonnie~ They just couldn't resist a little sexy time after the nap, especially given that the house was new, and they were yet to have neighbours. For now, they were alone on the floor; but they still had to make their walls soundproof, even though they weren't particularly loud while... making music.

Lyra breathed in the fresh, invigorating air. Yes, there was definitely some confidence floating in the air. Or, maybe, it was the fact that she had had a talk with Bon-Bon that seemed to have been very... curing. It had had a nearly medical effect on the lyrist.

The two mares walked along a set of small corridors, ponies passing by them, lost in their own business. Lyra considered putting up a receptionist table with a mare just like she'd met at the Happy Inn (And at Discreet Heart's agency, her brain reminded her unnecessarily), but decided against it. After all, this was a label, meant to record bands. not a hotel or an agency.

What bands would she work with? Lyra concluded, by the portraits of classical composers adorning the walls, that the label currently produced classical music, or, at least, focused on it mainly. If she could, she would sign up some blues bands - and some jazz bands, if she could find those who wanted to work with the label. After all, jazz was fairly new, and was primarily performed and produced in Canterlot. Could she sign new bands? What was her authority within the company? What was within her power? She needed to take another glance at the papers.

"I'm very sorry, we are having a recording session: you can't come in." An amber mare appeared before Lyra and Bon-Bon as the two mares made their way to an open door at the end of one of the corridors.

"Is that how you treat your new employer?" Lyra raised her brow, levitating the papers out of her saddlebags, as well as her passport, so that the amber unicorn could see them. As she read, her yellow mane messy, her neck glistening with sweat, her eyes widened.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Heartstrings! I- We were told that you were arriving, but we didn't know exactly when." Lyra winced a little. Damn, that mare is sure easily scared. But wasn't she herself easily scared? "Let me show you around your studio!"

Lyra stopped the mare by raising her hoof. "Wait. First of all, it's just Lyra. You are?"

"Amber Mane, Miss Heart- Lyra." The mare blushed cutely. Bon-Bon smiled a little, thoughts of the mare's attractiveness battling the upcoming potential jealosy, weak and unbased.

Lyra deadpanned. "Your mane is yellow. You are amber."

"Tell that to my parents," the mare grumbled aside, immediately amending, "I mean-"

"No, that's all right," Lyra chuckled. Definitely the air of confidence. "I like your attitude. Don't hide it." Amber Mane smiled softly.

"Now..." Lyra put her passport and the papers in her saddlebags, taking jut enough of a professional's glance to see what she wanted - and needed - to see. Her lyre resting on Bon-Bon back comfortably,  Good. Full power within the label, with the exception of selling or closing it. "Since I run the place now, I have an order of business first. A few, actually."

"Um, lemme get a pen?" Amber Mane chuckled sheepishly.

Lyra winked - a gesture new to her; but a gesture that seemed appropriate, at the moment. "I think you'll manage to keep eveerything in mind. First, I want the place renamed: from now on, it's Heartstrings." The amber mare nodded. "Next, change those classical portraits in the corridors to modern blues musicians." Another nod. "And, last but not least, I want a golden lyre sign above the front door. See to it." Definitely the air.

"What kind of sign, Miss- Lyra?" Amber Mane asked.

Lyra tapped the cutie mark on her flank, noting, not without a hint of a delight, a small, well-concealed blush on the unicorn's face - the kind of blush she could notice because she had been hiding such blushes for so long. She noted that Bon-Bon had noticed it too, judging by the minute look that the cream-coloured mare tossed to the lyrist. "Just like my cutie mark. We're going to make some changes to this place."

Bon-Bon smiled. Changes. That was what she wanted. That was what they both wanted. Right?

"I'll see to it immediately!" The mare rushed away, still a little pink from embarrassment - a sign that was hard to notice on her amber fur.

Lyra exchanged a short knowing glance with Bon-Bon and walked back, taking another corridor that led to a similarly opened door, nopony blocking the way. The two mares entered the room, which turned out to be empty. A recording room. Equipment, buttons, knobs - everywhere. A wall-large screen of thick glass - or was it plastic? And a small door to the recording room itself, in which Lyra could see a white grand piano - a divine dream, white as snow - and a few microphones. I need to test it out.

"Bonnie," Lyra said, for the first time not afraid to call her mare that name outside the comfort of home - their home. After all, friends did have such names for each other. Right? "Can you hit that button," she extended her hoof, pointing at the mixing panel, "when I tell you to? You'll need to put on the headphones."

Bon-Bon nodded, the delight and awe of Lyra's firm, calm, positive behaviour still bathing her in happiness. Her mare was overcoming. She would overcome. They both would. Together. She watched her lyrist take up her lyre, walk into the recording room and sit on a chair right before the plastic wall - or was it glass?

"Okay, Bonnie, hit the button." And so the cream-coloured mare did.

Lyra took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began to play.

***

Lyra breathed in the fresh air of Los Pegasus as she walked away from her studio, side-by-side with her mare.

Was it really her studio or did she just run it? Did it even matter when she knew that she had a record label she ran, a flat in one of the most progressive towns in Equestria - if rumours were to be believed - and, more importantly, the most wonderful mare in the world? A future; a perspective; love. My favourite things.

Lyra smiled and took a quick look around. The evening street was empty, save for her and her mare, who was smiling blissfully, still under the impression of her lyrist's spectacular performance at the studio. Her first day at the studio had turned out to be wonderful. Bon-Bon hoped for many, many days like this; hoped - knew - that they would come.

Lyra placed a quick peck on the cream-coloured cheek after double-checking the surroundings. Bon-Bon gasped and looked at her mare in shock and awe. Sometimes, it was worth to take risks - if only well-estimated ones. Ones that wouldn't make you - let you - get caught. Lyra smiled and winked at her mare in a spur of cheerfulness and confidence. She took another deep breath.

Yes. It's definitely the air.