Rich orange and red light bathed the Canterlot gardens as the sun rose slowly across the nation of Equestria. The tranquil moment was interrupted by a loud yawn from the princess of the moon. Luna, unlike her guests, was unused to staying up past her bed time – typically just after dawn. Celestia had yet to return, but she continued to perform her duties from Ponyville.
Evanescence, along with her sister and brother-in-law, had heard the entirety of the history of Equestria (abridged of course), and were wandering the gardens of Canterlot in order to think about what they had heard. They had surprised Luna with their willingness to accept her past, citing that in Hearth, the ponies who presents themselves as free of flaw typically have the largest, hidden from the world but still influential. If anything, the stories made the three foreigners more suspicious of Celestia, since her only fault they saw in her was that she had let her combat training lax in the past three hundred or so years.
Leaving the others to their own thoughts, Evanescence wandered towards a more public part of the garden. She took a seat on a park bench, watching several other ponies come and go, some electing to stay and watch the passersby with her. After a time, the sun rose past the tree line in that part of the garden, and Evanescence began to get up, intending to rejoin her sister. When she spun around however, something caught her eye. Somepony, rather.
A pair of mares were walking along the path – one a cream colored earth pony with a curly pink and blue mane, the other a minty green unicorn with a sleek teal and white mane. Evanescence noticed the two were talking as they came towards her, but something in the way they looked at each other seemed very… familiar… to her. As they got a little closer, she was able to make out their conversation.
“Okay Bon Bon, I admit this may not have been the most fun of vacations, but I grew up here, it’s an important place to me!” The conversation seemed innocent enough, but…
“Lyra, it’s not that I’m having a bad time, this place is just so… boring.” With that last exasperated word, Evanescence finally understood. She hadn’t seen that look before, she had given that look. Before she had learned to hide her emotions – before she learned just what the ponies of Hearth thought about mares who –
“Oh I know what’ll make this less boring.” Before Bon Bon could even raise a curious eyebrow, Lyra swept her up in her forehooves, giving her a big kiss. In the middle of the road… Evanescence launched herself at the duo, knocking them behind the bushes that lined the walkway.
“Are you two crazy!?” Evanescence demanded, not waiting for a reply. “What if somepony saw you? That sort of social exile doesn’t just go away you know!” Evanescence peeked over the bushes, hiding again when she saw a few strange looks from the ponies who had previously been sitting next to her.
“Uh… What?” The two spoke nearly in unison, causing Bon Bon to giggle uncontrollably.
“I learned a long time ago that ponies like us aren’t just accepted. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but… you two can’t be together out in the open.” Evanescence put a hoof on Lyra’s shoulder, trying to comfort her. “If you’re lucky none of the ponies here recognize you. You said you’re from out of town right?” The two gave Evanescence a blank stare, leading to a few moments of some of the most awkward silence she had ever felt.
“What.” Bon Bon said, not really asking a question.
“It’s like she’s never even been outside her house before.” Lyra said, turning towards her marefriend but not taking her eyes of Evanescence. “We can do whatever we want.” She continued, turning back to Evanescence and wrapping a leg around Bon Bon. “We’re married.” Evanescence let her mouth hang open. “Seriously, have you ever even been outside before? Who exactly is it that wouldn’t accept us?”
“I uh… Well, I’m not from around here. Things are… different.” Evanescence replied, poking anxiously at the dirt before her.
“Well, as long as you’re here, you’re free to be yourself. You did say ‘ponies like us’ right? Go out and have a ball.” With that, the two tackled mares climbed from the bushes and continued on their way, leaving Evanescence to sit in the bushes, alone.
“Wow, she’s weird.” Bon Bon casually remarked. Lyra jumped back, pretending to be hurt.
“I thought you liked weird!” She hopped up next to Bon Bon, wrapping her hooves around her.
“Well, I like you, so I guess I do.”