//------------------------------// // Part 5: Monsters // Story: Non-Bon // by Mel //------------------------------// - “Carrot! Carrot!” The yellow pony with the elusive name looked up. It was the same pony that bumped into Bon Bon at the market. She acknowledged the approaching Non-Bon with a wave. “I was starting to get worried! What took you?” Taking over my life. “Oh, you know… busy busy busy.” Non-Bon took a seat opposite the carrot pony at their table. Bon Bon recognized this as one of the nicer restaurants in town. She would usually be seated with all her friends at the table on the edge over there… “I’ve heard! By the sound of things, you’ve been all over. It seems to be a miracle you could make it over at all! How do you find time in your schedule?” “Oh, you just have to learn to be in seven places at once!” They both laughed, and Bon Bon gritted her teeth. “You’re a real character. How have we not met sooner?” “I’ve just been… keeping to myself for a while. Family troubles, you see. Never thought I had the time for friends. Had to work to feed my brother and sisters. Sometimes it seemed like we didn’t have enough love between all of us to keep going.” Brother? It didn’t surprise Bon Bon that there was a colt imitating her. Though this particular Non-Bon was an exception, most of them already sounded like colts. “That’s terrible! Whatever happened?” “One of my sisters had an idea. She got lucky, found a way to keep us from ever being like that again. Since then, there’s been so much love between us we don’t know what to do with it! I’m just so happy; I couldn’t keep it all to myself.” Bon Bon left the scene before she ground her teeth to stumps. That overgrown housefly! That tart little snake has everything wrapped around her putrid fangs! How can nopony notice that none of these monsters are me? I can’t be- woah! Bon Bon’s train of thought crashed just before she did, coming to a stop inches before a mirror she recognized very well. It was the same as the large pane in the back of her candy shop, left over from the previous owner of the building. She kept it because she enjoyed the top-down view it gave from the ceiling of her workplace. As Bon Bon focused on the mirror, her ears began to catch the sounds of a conversation. “You should really just go and see the doctor. I’ve talked to her, she’s nice.” Five of the Non-Bons were gathered in her workshop. All but one were undisguised, broadcasting their nauseating bug-like forms. The one that still wore Bon Bon’s face was covered in taffy. “Not a chance! Unh…” The moaning bug pony had a large bandage affixed to her head. “Some of them are already getting suspicious! If I show up to the hospital with a head injury that none of you have, we’re as good as done! No, I’ll have to tough it out in here until it goes away. Ow…” “Hmph.” One of the monsters was constantly hovering, darting about the room between sentences. “Tough love, Sting. That’s what you get for standing next to a mirror.” “It’s hardly her fault.” One of the undisguised creatures followed the flying one’s movements with obvious difficulty. “How was she supposed to know it was going to fall on her?” The buzzing one crossed her arms and flew with her back turned. The candy coated copycat who still wore a disguise walked over to Bon Bon’s oven and took a peek inside. As a confectioner, Bon Bon couldn’t help but feel a little curious as to what her counterpart was making. “Buzz, will you please land and stop making that noise?” When the colt at the oven didn’t try to disguise his voice, it was much less grating. “It can’t be helping with Sting’s headache.” Buzz landed with a grumble, her wings slowly winding down. The injured changeling, Sting, groaned and then pointed at the other two bugs. “I’m staying here and that’s final. If you really want to help, go get me some aspirin. Mandible, you go and check for any rumors that might concern us. If you hear anything, come straight to me.” The other two nodded. One took Bon Bon’s shape and the other took the form of an unfamiliar mare with a white coat and pink mane. They both trotted out of the workshop. When the tinkling bells at the door announced their departure, Buzz took to the air again. “That was way too close. Sorry, Sting, I didn’t mean to almost spill the-” “Shush!” Sting put a perforated hoof to her mouth and glared right at Bon Bon. “Can’t you see we have a guest?” Sting’s wings vibrated as she floated up to the mirror in the ceiling. Buzz caught on and whirred in angry circles before it, glaring. The unnamed colt pretended to fiddle with the oven. “Well, aren’t you a clever little pony,” Sting purred at the mirror, “And so persistent too. Shouting and banging and…” She winced. Bon Bon felt a defiant pride at the lump on this monster’s head. “What’s the matter, feeling a little sore? Let me out right now and I’ll consider not giving you a ride in my taffy stretcher!” “Don’t joke about that!” The candy covered copy-colt shuddered. Sting rolled her eyes. “This bruise isn’t even a minor setback. Don’t you see? The only way you’re getting out of there is if we let you go. We’re changelings, you know. We feed off of love. The more we get, the stronger we are. And you should know how potent your little lyre-pony’s love is. It allowed Buzz, Web, and I to cast a spell stronger than your tiny candy-brain could even imagine. You’re not getting out of there.” “This is not over!” Bon Bon slammed a hoof into the mirror and was rewarded with Sting flinching. “Get out of my life! I’ll topple every mirror in this town on your fat head! Lyra won’t leave me here. She can hear me! She knows something’s wrong!” Bon Bon recoiled as Buzz smashed into the mirror. “Listen, you! If you don’t stop shouting-” Sting pushed her off. “If you don’t stop trying to warn the little lyre-pony, we’ll suddenly take a disliking to every mirror in the house. They’ll be gone, and you’ll never be able to see her ever again, let alone talk to her.” Slowly, the changeling turned around and receded to the floor. “You can’t do this! You monster!” “A monster? Oh, right. I almost forgot.” She blinked into the shape of Bon Bon. Buzz followed suit, though her flawed disguise had a pair of pegasus wings holding her above the ground. “Much better.” The two left without a word.  Bon Bon leaned on the glass, covering her sobs with angry yells. “You can’t do this!” The colt fiddled with a few knobs on the oven. “You monsters! You horrible monsters!” He went to check some of the supplies on the shelves. “Lyra!” His ears flattened against his lowered head as he quickly trotted out of the room, keeping his eyes to the ground. “Lyra!”