Lyra has accepted that the mare she loves is a changeling, but when Twilight searches for the truth.
Lyra has accepted that the mare she loves, Bon Bon, has always been a changeling. Together they face the challenges that life throws at them. But Twilight has other plans. Will her quest for the truth put the lovers in danger, or will their bond carry them through any hardship?
##Note## This story is rated Mature for love scenes in later chapters. If you wish not to read such scenes, please read the 'Clop-lite' versions of those chapters.
Little motes of sunlight began to spread about the darkened room. The glorious sun was starting to rise above the hills that surrounded the sleepy town of Ponyville. Sleepy would indeed be the correct term, for most of the town's inhabitants were still tucked away, snuggled in their beds before the day could truly begin. This is what the sun has done every morning for thousands of years. Well, nearly every morning. As it rose to usher in a new day, it roused ponies from their slumber, its brilliant rays reaching into every window to gently, warmly coax everypony awake. Today, it was having trouble with one window in particular. Even the radiant might of the sun could easily be held at bay by something as simple as a heavy curtain. But it was persistent, and tiny little rays managed to peek through over the top and along the bottom of that curtain.
It wasn't much, but it was enough to slowly rouse the pony inside from her dreams. Slowly, as if she was debating whether she could ignore the sun for a while longer, her golden eyes began to open. As the dim bedroom started to come into focus, her vision was filled with the sight of tattered ears and coarse black fur atop a thick, midnight hide. A wicked fin laying pressed down against the neck of the thing in front of her. Had anypony else awakened to such a sight, they would be horrified at what these things meant, a scream tearing past their lips. But Lyra just squeezed her forelegs tighter around the sleeping changeling, a contented sigh escaping her as she closed her eyes again, leaning in to nuzzle gently at those ears. It was strange how time could make almost anything acceptable, even comforting. It had taking some getting used to, but she was glad she had gotten the chance to.
A loud yawn broke the silence of the room, the changeling's mouth opening wide, those long, sharp fangs gleaming slightly in what little sunlight had reached them. Its ice blue eyes slowly opened, once again taking in the waking world as sleep started to melt from them. A small, happy smile started to pull its lips back as it felt those forelegs around it. The changeling snuggled back warmly, pressing its rump playfully against the pony who was holding it so tenderly. With a little murmur of pleasure, it rolled over, the changeling's nose coming over to press up against the pony's as their eyes met.
"Fang-face," Lyra said in a soft voice.
"Harp-butt," Bon Bon retorted with mirth ringing in her odd, multi-layered voice.
At that the two odd lovers started to giggle. The sound of it grew as it helped them both shake off the sleep they had enjoyed in each other's embrace. Lyra had always been the playful, brash one, and now with nothing left to hide, Bon Bon has started to join in on the sweet teasing that they would toss between one another. Slowly their lips met, a tender, soft kiss that lasted for a few moments. It was joined by another soon after, little pecks that helped the lovers start their day.
"Mmm...are you ready for it?" Bon Bon asked as she slowly reached one of her hooves over to stroke down Lyra's minty green mane. The unicorn had asked her why she had holes through her legs, along with many many other questions. The changeling honestly didn't know the answer to that one. She thought that maybe it made her light enough to fly, but that was only a guess. After that day, when the truth finally came out and nearly tore the two lovers apart, Lyra had bombarded the poor changeling with a seemingly endless stream of questions. Could she turn into a chair? Could they work magic with their horns? What was her real name? Could she only turn into a pony? Bon Bon had tried to answer as many as she could, but it wasn't easy. She couldn't turn into anything that wasn't alive, or didn't move. She couldn't use magic aside from her glamor, the ability to change her appearance, though she had never tried any other sort of magic. Changelings didn't have names, except for the queens, a fact which upset the false pony some. And yes, she could make herself look like most any other kind of creature she had seen, but ponies seemed to be the easiest ones.
Bon Bon had become annoyed at the ceaseless questions after a while, but her minty lover had thankfully relented, her curiosity sated for a time. That had been almost two months ago, and it had taken nearly the whole time for their lives to get back to normal. Well, not quite back to normal. There were, of course, many things that had changed between the two lovers. For one, this was very different. Waking up not as a pony, but as her true self. At first, Bon Bon didn't want to do this, to go to bed without her disguise up. But Lyra had insisted, said that the changeling needed to rest fully. She had worried about what would happen at first, but now she was grateful she had let the mint unicorn talk her into it. Gone were the headaches and feelings of weakness the mornings often brought. She felt refreshed, strong, and above all content that she could let her guard down around her beloved. It had taken Lyra a bit longer to get used to the reality of it, though. Waking up nearly every morning to a changeling had been, well, difficult the first few times. The first morning, she had almost panicked, worried that everything that had happened before was just some bitter-sweet dream. But that tender smile and soft, otherworldly voice had brought her back to reality. This was not one of the monsters that had tried to drain her of all her love and warmth. This was the mare she had loved for years, her whole reason for being. Knowing that had gotten her through those rough first nights, and since then, she had come to look forward to waking each morning to those deep blue eyes. How many ponies could say they were loved by something so unique?
"I.. I think so," Lyra replied after her short musing. A bit of a nervous blush tinting her cheeks. "I mean, I've done this before, but you know how it is. It always makes me a bit nervous."
Bon Bon could just giggle at that, nuzzling in against her lover's muzzle.
"Hehe, oh I know. But your fans are waiting for you, sweety." The changeling said with a wink before slowly slipping out of the unicorn's grasp. Out from under the covers and on her hooves again next to the bed, Bon Bon stretched to get the stiffness of sleep from her limbs. It felt good to flex her wings in the morning, and they buzzed about with energy. Her black, coarse tail flicked a bit as she made her way into the bathroom. Lyra lingered on the bed for a while longer, thinking about what she had to do today.
"I know, but still. I don't think I'll ever get used to stage fright." After a few minutes, Bon Bon came back out of the bathroom to find the unicorn still in bed, though she had managed to sit up, the sheets still draped over her back. A tender smile pulled those black lips upwards as she looked at her beloved, a sort of strange motherly feeling washing over the changeling. Lyra had always been the eager, adventurous one, but this one thing always made her feel like a little foal about to go through some dreaded final exam in school. With a slight skip in her step, Bon Bon made her way over to the bed again, gently nuzzling at her lover's forelegs to coax her up from the mattress.
"Come on, you'll never get anything done if you just stay in bed all day." She said, running her nose up under Lyra's chin. With a little more nudging, she had managed to get the nervous unicorn out of bed and into the bathroom. With one final shove of her nose, she pushed the minty mare in and giggled, turning to give her a little privacy as the changeling went over to where her saddle bags were set next to the dresser with it's replacement mirror. A few things dropped into the bags along with a little coin pouch, and she tossed them over her back with a deft flick of her head. "I think I'm going to go out for a little while. I wanted to get a few things from the market. I'll meet you at the recital later, ok hun?"
Lyra peeked out of the bathroom, a toothbrush still stuck in her mouth as she watched her lover start to unlock the bedroom door. It was a little precaution they had started taking, along with closing the curtains at night, just to help ensure that no one ended up walking in on the two of them to find the undisguised changeling asleep.
"Um, Bon Bon?"
Bon Bon stopped just one step out the door, looking back over her shoulder to her beloved. "Yes?"
"You're um, well, kinda naked?" Lyra said with a silly smile. The changeling looked herself over, her cheeks starting to flush a strange green color. She had gotten so used to how things had changed, she had nearly walked out of the house with her true self exposed for all to see. With a little gasp, and a flash of green, the cream earth pony that everyone knew as Bon Bon was once again standing there, her blush now a bright, embarrassed shade of pink.
"S-sorry...I guess I wasn't thinking..." she said sheepishly as she waved a hoof towards her lover, an embarrassed smile on her lips. The sight of that brightened the unicorn's day, her nervousness over her coming performance forgotten as she made her lover blush so wonderfully.
"It's alright. That's what you've got me here for!" Lyra said before ducking back into the bathroom to finish her morning ritual. Bon Bon lingered half in the bedroom for a few more moments. It was times like this that she was glad she had such a sweet, caring mare with her. Even if she was horrible about getting the false pony to blush at every opportunity, she always looked out for her. She had become so protective of the changeling now that she knew her secrets. It was just one of the many things that reminded her of how lucky she was.
With her glamor firmly in place and her heart feeling light, Bon Bon made her way down the stairs with a little tune humming out through her lips. Today was going to be a good day, she told herself. She'd get to do the shopping, then listen to her beloved's wonderful music before returning home to spend some time together. With a turn of the doorknob, Bon Bon was just about to take the day's first steps out into the world. But her day would have to wait a bit longer, as she found herself blocked by a certain purple librarian.
"Good morning, Bon Bon!" Twilight beamed with a bright, if a bit mischievous smile. The lavender unicorn stood there on the doorstep with her own saddle bags draped over her back. She leaned in through the doorway a bit to glance about the house. "Is Lyra still home?"
It took a few moments for Bon Bon to register what Twilight had said. The unicorn had been coming around an awful lot lately. It had started a few days after the incident, she had wanted to make sure the two of them were alright, and that they weren't fighting anymore. She had continued to check up on them, and had proven herself to be a good friend to the both of them. But still, there was always one thing. That one question that Bon Bon had hoped would never be asked, that she had no idea of how to answer: just what had happened? The disguised changeling took a moment to clear her head with a little shake before she could respond.
"Oh, um, y-yes! She's just upstairs in the bathroom. D-did you need me to get her for you?"
"Oh, that's fine. I just came by to show her a couple new books I thought she'd like. I can wait." Twilight said with a wide grin, a moment's pause before she leaned in close to the earth pony. "Soooo?"
"Um, so what?" Bon Bon answered, suddenly feeling like a deer caught on the train tracks. Out of all the ponies that could learn about her secret, Twilight was probably the worst one. With her connection to the princesses, and her sister-in-law's dealings with the changeling queen, Bon Bon worried what would happen if Twilight ever found out.
"You know what." Twilight had become more and more insistent with every visit she made. Bon Bon knew she had to tell the unicorn eventually, but she just didn't know what to say! She had promised she would, and Twilight had been the only reason she was able to save her beloved that day. But still, the false pony just didn't know what to do. How could she explain herself in a way that didn't end with her being taken away in an angry mob, or banished to the Everfree Forest by the princess? She had to tell the librarian something, but she didn't want to lie anymore. It was bad enough she had to hide her true face from everyone except Lyra, she didn't want to start down that horrible path with her newest friend.
"Twilight? What brings you around?" Bon Bon felt unbelievably grateful for the voice from the top of the stairs. Lyra came down to stand next to the earth pony, having finished her morning brushing only a few moments before. She leaned in, pressing herself gently to Bon Bon's side as she regarded the purple unicorn with a warm smile.
Twilight's eyes narrowed slightly for a moment, a bit annoyed that her attempt to finally get an answer from the creamy earth pony had been interrupted yet again. But with a quiet sigh she looked back to her saddle bags, her horn glowing softly as one of them opened, two books floating up in her magical grip.
"I just got some new books for the library this morning, and I thought you'd be interested in these two, since you're always checking out books about folklore," the librarian said as she floated the two books over for Lyra to see. The magical glow about them changed from a soft violet to a minty green as the other unicorn took them in her own levitation spell, her horn glowing likewise. One was a history book about old Equestrian myths, the other a much more recent pseudo-science book about unknown creature sightings. Lyra's eyes sparkled as she turned that one over, looking at the back cover.
"Ooo! I haven't read this one yet! Let's see. Wampus, Two-foots, the Canterborough Lake Monster. This sounds like a good one!"
Lyra eagerly started flipping through the pages, looking over the illustrations and maps of where these strange creatures were sighted. Bon Bon took this moment to slowly start edging her way out the door while Twilight was too distracted with Lyra's excited examination of her new books.
"Um, I think I'll just leave you two bookworms to yourselves; I've got some shopping to do," she said, thankfully out the door already and starting down the street. She looked back over her shoulder as she started trotting off towards the market. "I'll see you at your recital, love. Don't be late!"
Twilight had just noticed she was alone with Lyra and turned to call after the fleeing earth pony, but it was too late. Bon Bon was already just a cream-colored spot in the distance. With a grumble, she could only narrow her eyes as she watched her target escape. Next time she'd get her answers. Next time...
A polite cough brought the librarian's attention back to the here and now. Turning, she saw Lyra giving her a curious look.
"Um, is everything alright, Twilight?" the green unicorn asked, looking Twilight over slowly. Twilight just sighed, nodding her head a bit as she looked down at the floor for a moment, gathering her thoughts.
"I'm fine. I just had a question or two for Bon Bon, that's all." She said after a moment. Lyra just tilted her head, a bit curious as to what sort of questions they were. With a glance over into the living room, she floated the two books over to a table with her light green magic before she turned back to her purple friend.
"Um, hey, you want to come in? I haven't had breakfast yet, so would you like anything?" she said before trotting her way into the kitchen. Twilight followed behind her, her mood still a bit low at having to wait even longer to finally get the answers she was after.
"Nah, that's alright. But if you don't mind, could I ask you something?" the lavender unicorn said as she followed Lyra into the kitchen, glancing about a bit. If she couldn't get her answers from Bon Bon, perhaps the earth pony's companion could offer some explanation.
"Sure! What ya need?" Lyra called back, her head stuck in the fridge for the moment, looking about for something to eat for breakfast. Eventually she pulled back, a small plate of English muffins held in her levitation magic. Twilight slipped into a seat at the kitchen table, setting her front hooves down on the table for a moment as she looked at them. The gears in her head turned as she tried to carefully word her question.
"Just what happened that day two months ago?" Twilight watched the mint green unicorn closely, the way her eyes shifted as she paused, and how she had almost lost her hold on the plate floating next to her. She was right, they were hiding something. But what? After a moment or two, Lyra recovered from her slight shock.
"I...I thought you knew?" She said, trying to go about as if there was nothing wrong. But in her head, she was on the edge of panic. As she slipped the plate into the microwave, a million worries raced through her mind. Just what did Twilight know already? Did she think something was still wrong? Does she suspect Bon Bon? Using a hoof to tap a couple buttons to start the microwave, she turned back to the lavender unicorn with a forced, but hopefully friendly smile.
Twilight just shrugged a bit as she sat there, still watching the other unicorn.
"Just that you and Bon Bon had some sort of a fight. When she came looking for help, she wouldn't tell me anything else." Twilight let her mind work for a bit, reading Lyra's expression. She wasn't very skilled at reading another pony, not like Rarity or Fluttershy was. But still, it didn't take somepony with a special talent for it to tell that her question had gotten to the green unicorn. If Twilight had had any doubt that something was being hidden from her, there was none now. "She promised to tell me everything after she had found you. But so far she hasn't, and I'm starting to worry about her."
Normally Lyra would have calmed a bit hearing that Twilight was just worried about her beloved. But right now, it just made the minty mare worry more. Not even noticing that the microwave had beeped, alerting her that her breakfast was hot and waiting, she made her way over to the table, trying to give the librarian as reassuring a face as she could.
"I wouldn't worry, Twilight. Bon Bon just takes her time with things like this. Trust me, when she's ready, she'll tell you." The mint unicorn said with a smile, hoping that it would be enough to calm Twilight's curiosity, at least for the moment. To her great relief, the lavender mare sighed slightly, nodding her head slowly.
"You're right, Lyra. I guess I just let my worry get the best of me. Still, I'll be waiting for an answer. Just let Bon Bon know I'm worried for her, ok?" Twilight said with a smile, slipping out of her chair to a nod from Lyra. With a soft smile, she turned and bid her friend goodbye as she made her way out of the house.
As soon as the front door was closed, Lyra was pressing herself up against it, her breakfast totally forgotten. Carefully she pulled back the curtain of the nearby window, keeping her eye glued to the retreating unicorn. This wasn't good. In fact, this was horrible. Lyra hadn't known Twilight for very long, at least not as a friend. But she did know that the librarian wouldn't stop till she had found out the truth. And if she knew about her and Bon Bon, it would be a disaster for sure! She watched as Twilight made her way down the street, heading in the direction of the market square.
Panic rose up in Lyra's chest. Was Twilight heading out to confront Bon Bon in public? Her eyes narrowed at the thought of it, and at what she had to do. She couldn't let anyone else know Bon Bon's secret...
Shadows were few and far between, the harsh light of the noon day sun illuminating everything it could. Everything was cast in that bright light, any mysteries or hidden truths shone out for all to see. But still, in a town such as Ponyville, there were always some shadows lingering about, cast by the scant space between buildings, or the reaching branches of a park tree. Always there were some shadows. It was just that moving between them was more difficult.
But shadows didn't seem to be on Twilight's mind as she happily trotted her way through the market square, her violet eyes taking in the bright colors the sun's light threw back to her. The colors of brightly decorated market stands, of blooming flowers, and busy, happy ponies, each one going about their business, from doing their daily shopping, to selling their wares, to just enjoying the warm day with friends. But one pony hadn't come to the market for these things. One pony tried to avoid the bright, warm sun, and instead she clung to the shadows.
There was a slight flash of green as she darted from between two buildings, making a dash for the dark offered by the shadow of a half-empty fruit stall. Lyra peeked out from behind the stall, intent on her prey. Well, it wasn't exactly her prey; it wasn't like she was actually hunting the lavender librarian. But still, she couldn't afford to let Twilight out of her sight. The feeling of dread, the thought that somehow the other unicorn knew...she had to keep her eye on Twilight, to be there to do something if the librarian tried to expose Bon Bon in public.
Across the market square, Lyra could see the reason for her covert spying. Bon Bon was standing by a flower stand, happily talking with Rose. The two cream earth ponies laughed, chatting away as they talked about things Lyra was too far away to pick up on. Her eyes shifted back to the librarian, watching as Twilight made her way over towards a fruit stand. Good, she's not going right for Bon Bon, at least not yet. As her quarry moved off, Lyra scanned about, looking for another hiding spot.
In her mind, she could hear dramatic music playing as she tip-hoofed her way along the shadow of an overhang. It took all of the musician's willpower to keep from humming along to the tune in her head. Safely behind a pickle barrel, she peeked out again to find where her two marks had gotten themselves to.
Bon Bon had finished her talk with Rose, and was making her way towards the fruit stand. A moment of panic rose in Lyra's chest before she noticed thankfully that Twilight had already moved on. The lavender unicorn waved towards a cart set up with cakes and boxes of sweets. From behind it a blue mare waved back, her plump figure stepping out to greet Twilight. Lyra watched as Mrs. Cake listened to the librarian, her face displaying a momentary shock from something, but Lyra couldn't hear what despite her best efforts.
"Damn it! I need to get closer," she grumbled, her mind starting to form thoughts of Twilight spreading her suspicions around to every pony she met. She looked about frantically, trying to find a closer hiding spot where she could eavesdrop on the two without being spotted. At last, a stack of crates next to an alley between two shops offered her just that. It was close enough to hear, but sheltered enough for her to hide. It was just a long way off, with no easy path to it that would also keep her hidden.
Chewing her lip for a moment, she took a deep breath, composing herself to look natural, as if she was just out for a walk. Satisfied she didn't look the least bit suspicious, she stepped out from behind the shelter of her pickle barrel and trotted her way briskly for the alley. Much to her relief, nopony seemed to take notice of her. All the while, her eyes kept glancing over towards the blue and purple ponies, trying to pick up on their conversation. Mrs. Cake was telling Twilight something about her two foals, not really what the minty unicorn was expecting to hear. But still, as she started to step past the stack of wooden crates, a quick glance to make sure no pony was watching, and she flattened herself back against them, safely in the shade they offered.
Slowly, the aquamarine mare lifted her head up, just enough for her to peek over the top of the boxes, her ears twitching as she picked up bits of the conversation. Something about a spell? Why in Equestria would Twilight be asking one of the Cakes about a spell?
"Um, what are you doing?"
Lyra nearly found out what she would look like without her skin, practically turning inside out in a panic as she heard the voice from behind her. Her back legs in the air and shoulders pressed to the ground after tipping back and flipping herself over, she looked up to see just the puzzled face of an orange filly.
"That can't be comfortable," Scootaloo said as she stood on her scooter, eyeing the flipped over unicorn. Her little wings gave a small flap, pushing herself a bit closer as she looked down at Lyra. The unicorn's face was slowly calming down from the panic she had just a moment before. With some squirming and grunting, Lyra had managed to right herself. The filly just raised a brow as she took in the unicorn's odd behavior. "Are you alri-!"
Scootaloo's words were cut off as a hoof was shoved into her mouth. In one quick motion, Lyra had scooped her up off of her scooter and was pulling the filly close as she pressed herself back against the crates once again.
"Shhh! She'll hear you!" Lyra hissed quietly through her teeth as she peeked back over the crates. Twilight was still talking with Mrs. Cake, though she couldn't quite make out what they were saying. The filly in her arms squirmed about, finally managing to spit the hoof out of her mouth.
"Who will? What's going on?" Scootaloo asked, finally getting free as she sat back in the shadow of the boxes along with the green unicorn.
"I'm following somepony. Somepony dangerous." Lyra answered. Of course, she didn't know for sure how dangerous, or if Twilight even was a danger. But she had started to become wrapped up in the moment. The was something exciting about this, skulking from shadow to shadow, spying on ponies without them knowing. Scootaloo had managed to lift herself up, peeking over the boxes as well.
"Is it Mrs. Cake? Twilight?" The little filly asked, her wings buzzing slightly behind her to help hold herself up. She looked over to Lyra, the unicorn's eyes intent on one of the two mares, her ears twitching to try and pick up bits of their conversation. "Are they spies? Ooo! Maybe one of them is a changeling!"
That made Lyra jerk, her eye twitching for a moment before once again a hoof was shoved into Scootaloo's mouth and both of them were huddled up in the shadows, Lyra's other foreleg wrapped around the filly.
"N-no! I...I don't..." She sighed, hanging her head. Scootaloo was starting to get annoyed at the taste of hoof in her mouth as she started to wriggle herself free from Lyra's grasp again.
"Listen, I don't know. I just need to keep an eye on them, ok?" Lyra said, offering up a smile which she hoped would reassure the filly and maybe curb her curiosity. This was quickly becoming too complex for her to deal with.
"Ohh...ok...hey! Want me to follow them for ya?" the eager pegasus asked as she started to make her way out from behind the crates. A quick hoof to the ground trapped her tail. Lyra was almost in a panic when Scootaloo looked back to her.
"No! It...it might be too dangerous, alright?" A couple more deep breaths to calm herself down. "Listen, just let me handle this, ok? If...if I need any help, I'll come looking for you, ok?" The orange filly just looked at her for a moment, a curious look to her eyes, but eventually she relented.
"Ok..."
Lyra sighed in relief as the little pegasus got back on her scooter, giving her one last look before she flapped her wings and was back on her way to where ever she was headed. The green unicorn slumped back against the crates. How had Bon Bon managed to do this? She was at her wit's end trying to fib her way past one little filly, while the changeling had spent nearly her entire life going from one lie to the next!
With another deep breath, Lyra lifted her head to peek over the crates. Mrs. Cake was back behind her cart, waiting for the next pony to come up wanting to purchase a treat. The green unicorn gritted her teeth in frustration. She had taken so long dealing with Scootaloo that she had missed nearly the entire conversation! She scanned her eyes over the market again, searching for a peek of purple. Finally she spotted what she was looking for: that violet tail swaying from side to side as Twilight walked over to a group of other ponies. The mares smiled as their friend came over, the white unicorn wrapping her forelegs around Twilight's shoulders while the orange earth pony and yellow pegasus came closer. Together, the four friends started making their way through the market.
Lyra watched them go, now more worried than ever. All four of them were in Canterlot when the changelings attacked, and in part Lyra owed them her life. But right now, if her fears were founded, Twilight could even now be telling them the secret behind the green unicorn's reason for living. Looking about, she searched for another hiding place. Thankfully, the day was starting to wear on, the shadows were getting longer and fewer ponies were milling about in the market square. With another quick dash, she found herself curled up in the shadow of a tree, peeking around the trunk to spy on the group of friends.
To Lyra's surprise, they, along with many other ponies, were making their way towards a small cafe at one side of the market square. Several benches were set up around the outside of the little restaurant. Most startling, she could see her beloved Bon Bon making her way towards the same location.
"Why...why would they be...?" Her confusion ended as her eyes roamed about, making their way up towards the market square clock. At that moment, her eyed widened and her heart jumped up into her throat. She was going to be late!
In a panic, Lyra fumbled with her hooves for a moment or two before she got her footing and started to race off back to her home. She was going to be late for her own recital! She had spent the entire day worrying that Twilight was going to expose herself and her beloved changeling, and totally forgot about her job! Her heart racing as she sped down the streets, she had barely enough time to find her lyre at home and make it back before she'd miss her curtain call!
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Lyra waited backstage, or at least what could be considered backstage. It was just a small area off to the side of the cafe, hidden away by heavy curtains suspended by polls, just to give performers a bit of privacy before they went out on stage. It wasn't really needed, though. Lyra was the only one performing tonight. She had performed in concert halls before, going on before and following other acts. But the fact that this was just a small performance for a local restaurant did little to help with her stage fright. The fact that she had ran all the way home and back wasn't helping either.
Secluded behind those curtains, Lyra tried to compose herself, pushing back both her nervousness and her labored pants for air. She had just made it back in time, only a few minutes before her curtain call. Scant little time to get herself in order, much less steady herself to perform. Her case rested on the ground next to her, holding her instrument. She had just managed to get her breathing under control when a hoof gently touched her on her shoulder.
For the second time this day, she nearly did a flip in mid air, her attempt at calming herself ruined for the moment. Half expecting a certain purple unicorn, she jumped back with a yelp, turning to eye who it was. Her eyes met with Bon Bon's, wide as they saw the unicorn's reaction.
"Easy! Are you alright, hun?" Bon Bon asked with concern. Seeing it was her lover, Lyra managed to calm herself down again, reaching out to wrap her forelegs around the earth pony's neck in a tight, warm embrace.
"Heh, I know you get nervous before you have to perform, but that was a bit much, don't you think?" Bon Bon said with a laugh as she returned her sweetheart's embrace, nuzzling softly along the unicorn's cheek. "Is something wrong?"
"No...well, I don't know..." Lyra could just rest her head against the back of Bon Bon's neck, sighing softly as she settled down a bit more. "I'm just...worried. About Twilight."
"Twilight? Wait, this is about her coming over all the time, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Lyra nodded at that, finally letting go and running a hoof through her mane, in part to smooth it out, but also to collect her own thoughts. "I'm starting to worry she might...you know...know."
Bon Bon took a moment to let that run through her mind. In the end she just shook her head at the idea, her eyes shifting to gaze at the ground, a look of seriousness in them.
"No, I'm pretty sure she doesn't." The cream earth mare looked back to her lover, her face a little fallen as they both considered the issue. She reached out, resting a hoof once again on Lyra's shoulder "Don't worry about her though. We'll deal with it somehow. Even if we have to tell her the truth, I know we'll get though this."
Lyra smiled back, leaning in to press her lips tenderly to her beloved's.
"I know. I just don't want to lose you again." Her words ended as Bon Bon's lips pressed back to her own. They both shared a tender smile as the market square clock chimed the hour.
"Heh, well, if you don't get your flank out there, your fans might run you out of town for making them wait." The candy mare chuckled, her expression brightening. "I'll be cheering for you, hun."
Lyra smirked a bit. You don't really cheer at a recital, at least not till it's over. But still, knowing her love was out there in the crowd helped her get through her persistent stage fright. She watched as Bon Bon slipped back out through the curtain. With a deep breath, it was time for her to do the same. Glancing back to her case, it lifted up in the unicorn's green magical glow as she made her entrance onto the stage.
Well, there really wasn't much of a stage. In fact, it was simply just a round area of blue carpet, placed to designate where the performer was to stand. Two elegant candelabras were placed to either side to provide low but sufficient light for one to perform. As she stepped up to her place, she took a moment to look about the crowd.
The front rows of benches were taken up by what high class ponies called Ponyville home. Lyra took in their fancy clothes and expertly groomed appearances. Their faces were impassive, as if it was beneath them to let their feelings show on their faces. No doubt they had all come to listen to a bit of class and sophistication in what was otherwise a very rural town. A few even brought their families along. A nice touch, Lyra thought, though she was sure it was more to give themselves the appearance of being family oriented.
Past them, Lyra's eyes brightened as she looked at the rest of the crowd. The common ponies, the ones she would count as her real fans and friends. Most went bare as the day they were foaled, casual and comfortable. Most had come with their families, fillies and colts held in laps or perched upon shoulders to get a better view. She even saw Twilight among them, sitting with her close circle of friends. Lyra was relieved to find they were on opposite sides to where her true audience was. Almost lost in the crowd, she spied the candy-striped mane of her beloved.
Her lips pulled into a bright smile, and she had to suppress a giggle as she saw Bon Bon waving enthusiastically at her from the crowd.
'Well, I shouldn't keep her waiting anymore.' The thought slipped through Lyra's mind as she unlatched her case. Inside was her lyre. It was a far cry from the golden harp that graced her flank. That was a symbol, the representation of the pony's talent and destiny. But this, the simple wooden instrument that floated in her magical hold, was the simple, beautiful truth of her talent. Hoof-crafted, sanded, strung, and tuned. It was honest and true, and its sound would reflect that.
With a deep breath, she sat herself down on the cushion provided for her. It had a low back, allowing her to rest comfortably even as she let it take her weight in an odd position. It was one the unicorn had gotten used to, and even enjoyed when not performing. Slowly she brought the wooden instrument closer. With her eyes closed she reached her hooves out to it. The feel of the smooth, time-worn wood against them was reassuring. She could use her magic to both pluck and hold her lyre, but this felt more right to her. Not only hearing but feeling each note as it passed from the wooden lyre and up her limbs. Together the sound and feel both flowed together into a harmonious feeling of joy.
As the crowd quieted down, she reached out with the little fingers of her magic, a short moment taken to stroke them along the strings before she found just the right one to start off with.
#PLING!#
The note rang out into the still afternoon air, seeming to blend with the warm glow of the setting sun. Another soon followed, each tone gently flowing into the next as her magic deftly selected the next string and made it give up its voice. The notes were not as soft nor as delicate as the ones made from a true harp, but they carried not the same loftiness. They were simple, honest, and maybe even a bit harsh. But in her hooves, in her caresses, they spoke volumes.
They spoke of days long past, of times almost forgotten. Of great halls and warm fires. They spoke of times both simple and arduous. Of great struggles and grand heroes. When a pony's life could be short, but full of family and friends, glory and honor. A voice from the distant past, wishing only to be heard again. To be remembered.
As each note carried across the crowd, Lyra slowly let her eyes open, just to take in their reaction. Her head tilted slightly towards her lyre, she slowly looked over each pony before her. As always, the upper class ponies were impassive as always. But experience allowed her to pick up on the signs. Many of them were moved, their eyes shifted slightly. A few even had their eyes closed, a slight up turn of their lips showing they relished in the sweet, earthy tones that filled their ears.
Lyra needed no experience to see the reactions of the other ponies. She saw them all wearing their feelings openly. Lovers and close friends in each other's embrace. The dreamers with their eyes closed or cast skyward towards the rising moon, letting the music whisk them off towards fanciful heights. The lonely ones letting themselves be gently moved to quiet tears. This was Lyra's true talent. Her notes, the voice of her music. It brought the emotions, the true feelings out in those that listened. All pretense and illusion stripped away, leaving only what each pony felt, what each pony knew was true in their hearts. Perhaps that was why it happened.
Her eyes drifted towards the edge of the crowd as that thought formed in her mind. She found more tears, but these, she knew, were tears of happiness. The watched them fall slowly from the trembling blue eyes of her lover. It seemed almost funny to the mint unicorn. To watch a changeling cry with such tenderness. Had she not known the false mare, she wouldn't think it possible. But with each note she played, she watched a tear fall, filled with love and desire. It was the few times Lyra could watch her beloved Bon Bon cry without worry.
Lyra let her eyes slide over the crowd, up to the market square clock. Fifteen minutes. That should be more than enough to appease the first row. With a gentle sigh she slowly let her tones relax, each note getting softer and softer as the music slowly faded off into the night sky. Slowly, Lyra let her lyre drop, her magical hold taking it from her hooves as she closed her eyes. A moment or two later she heard the applause. It wasn't loud or riotous. Just the gentle, soft applause of the upper class expressing their gratitude for the sweet tones she played. She heard a few others, more vigorous than the others, the few common ponies not too overcome with emotions.
She was grateful to be sure. But if she was being completely honest with herself, everything she had done was only to get to this moment. It was time for her to enjoy herself, to indulge in what she truly loved about her music. She knew not everyone would enjoy this, that there were those that thought this was too brash, too rowdy. Buck 'em.
A wide, mischievous grin spread across her face as she listened to the applause die down. The crowd was waiting on her, to see what was coming. She shifted her hold upon her lyre, this time taking it fully in the grip of her magic. Testing her hold for a moment, she felt the press of the strings as she pushed gently on them from behind. Sure her hold was true, she took a deep breath, filling her lungs as she pushed herself up onto her hind legs. She let her head tilt back, lifting her face to the rising moon as her lips parted.
"YEAH!"
Her cry pierced the night sky as she brought one of her hooves across the strings. Gone were the sweet, tender notes. In their place was a riotous string of sound, a melodious crash ringing out to the crowd. She heard the shocked gasps closest to her, heard the shuffling of hooves. Many of the upper class ponies leaving, their supposedly delicate ears offended by what they now heard. But she couldn't care less. Lyra heard what she wanted, the excited cries and applause that carried from further back. With their feelings exposed, their hearts moved, her friends now took in the excitement her chords brought to them.
Block and strum, that was what it was called. When Lyra had first heard it, all those years ago in music school, it had excited her like few things had since. Gone were the pretenses of elegance and sophistication. In their place was the raw emotion and feeling of the performer. She came back down on three hooves, the fourth raking across the strings again and again. Each stroke the notes were different, her magic pressing on different strings to mute some and let others ring true. She could feel the rake of the strings against her hoof each time, the sensation making her heart race. This was what she loved to do.
She would sooth her crowd, make them open up with sweet notes and delicate plucks. Wait till their hearts were open and waiting, free from any complications of appearance. Then she would pour into them, let the feeling, the joy fill them as she strummed along. After a moment she let her eyes open to see the effect.
Nearly the whole first row was cleared out, the padded benches empty of the upper class. In their place, ponies danced and cavorted. Laughter danced with them, spinning joyous motions with her music above their heads. Lovers who had been nearly weeping in each other's arms were now holding close as they whirled around each other. The dreamers had come down from their lofty heights to stomp their hooves in excitement. The lonely ones forgot their pains to find others to join in the merriment with. Lyra's smile widened as a chuckle escaped her lips.
She let her eyes close as she continued to rake her hoof across the strings. The great halls and grand heroes forgotten, this voice spoke of crowded taverns and good friends. Of nights spent as the reward for simple labors, warm cider and basic pleasures. The voice called out not just to be remembered, but indulged and embraced. Let your cares drift away and live for the moment. Her music spoke all this and more as she let herself be swept up in the moment.
Plucking the strings wasn't easy, but it had been simple to do, easy to continue. As her hoof moved back and forth in a blur, she could feel the wear it was being put through. This music, as powerful and exciting as it was, was difficult to do for long. She could feel the strength slowly starting to leave her foreleg as she continued. Pushing herself towards exhaustion as the crowd cheered and laughed. She could feel sweat starting to form on her brow as she kept pushing chords out again and again. But then she felt something else, a press against her side.
Her eyes opened to gaze into the deep blues of her lover. Bon Bon had come down from the crowd. Indeed, there was little that separated the performer from her audience now. All around ponies danced and laughed, jumped and spun. She had become one with the merriment. Her beloved's eyes twinkled, drinking in her mate's excitement and adoration. With a deep breath and a tender smile, she felt new strength to her limbs. Pressing herself close to that warm mare, she let her music carry on into the night.
------------------------------
The two mares walked down the street in the soft moonlight, their bodies pressed tightly against each other. Their hearts were still racing from the performance they had left just minutes before. The source of their excited mood rested safely in the black case perched upon Lyra's back as she walked in step with Bon Bon.
"That was beautiful" The cream earth pony said, leaning into nuzzle against her lover's cheek for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. Lyra could just blush, giggling like a school filly at the praise.
"Hehe, nah. It wasn't anything special," she said. Her hoof still ached a bit from her intense performance, but it was easily forgotten with her beloved so close. The both laughed softly as they swayed back and forth, causing Lyra's lyre case to rock slightly on her back. Bon Bon's saddle bags didn't seem to mind.
"Mmm....but it was..." The earth pony smiled, her eyes half lidded as she leaned in close. Her warm breath gently blowing against her minty mate's ear. "In fact, I think it was so special, that you should get a treat when we get home..."
Lyra's blush deepened at those words. Her aching hoof totally forgotten as she almost spun in a circle. Thankfully she wouldn't have long to wait for her reward; their house only a few yards away. But still, she was too eager to wait that long. Leaning into her beloved, her lips pressed softly against Bon Bon's, caressing them slowly.
Together they walked like that, their kiss lasting as they stepped up to the front door. A soft sigh escaped them both as they had to part for a moment, Bon Bon reaching out to open the door to the dark house. Her cheek still burning a warm pink, Lyra watched her mate as she slipped inside, her eyes slowly roaming over that flank as it slipped into the darkness. Her excitement building, she followed it in.
The light slowly rose as Bon Bon turned on a lamp, the soft light coming through the shade leaving the living room dim, but manageable. She looked back to the unicorn as she pulled off her saddle bags, setting them down next to the couch. Lyra was still by the door, her horn glowing softly as it closed. A faint click ringing out as the lock was set. The earth mare raised a brow at that, watching Lyra's lyre case settle on the floor as curtains were quickly closed by that green magical glow.
"Hehe, cant wait till we're in bed, hmm?" Bon Bon giggled as she settled herself down onto the couch, stretching her limbs out as she murmured softly. She watched with her eyes lidded as her mint lover slowly stepped closer, sharing the sly smile she had across her lips. The last of the curtains drew shut, their edges fluttering back and forth for a moment in the unicorn's haste.
"Now it's your turn."
Bon Bon's eyes opened wide in surprise, confusion across her face at her lover's words.
"My turn for what?"
Lyra settled herself down next to the couch, her hooves coming up to gently hold her sweet mare's cheeks. The tender smile and soft eyes welcoming Bon Bon.
"I want you. The real you." Lyra said in a soft, sultry voice. Bon Bon's tail went stiff at that. Could her sweet unicorn really mean what she was saying?
"But...I...I don't know...I mean, we've never-" The soft press of a hoof stilled her lips. She looked down at it, the same hoof that had brought out such wonderful, heart-felt music only a few minutes ago. Her gaze followed from that hoof, up the green foreleg and into those tender, golden eyes. She let the moment stretch out as she looked into those eyes, her apprehension melting slowly in to a puddle of warm, sweet love. Her soft smile slowly returning as she closed her eyes, a green shimmer rippling over her body from tail-tip to nose, replacing the appearance of the common little earth mare with the jet black form of her changeling self.
Lyra watched it, her eyes brightening slightly as that green glow was reflected in them. A faint giggle threatened to slip past her lips as she felt it reach her hoof, making it tingle softly before she pulled it back, only to replace it with her lips. Like this, Bon Bon's lips felt cool and soothing, yet still soft and tender. It was an odd sensation, but one Lyra had come to love.
Bon Bon's eyes opened, a small glint of lingering worry in them as she slowly rolled over onto her back, letting her insect-like wings tuck under herself. Lyra's lips came down to her own again, the kiss growing deeper as a hoof slipped over to her lover's chest. Slowly it started to caress, stroking over the short coarse hairs as it made it's way down. She reached her lover's belly, feeling the gentle folds and ridges of the thick hide. With a tender murr she caressed them, gently stroking her hoof back and forth over them as if they were the strings of a beloved harp.
Together, in that dim room, the two lovers, pony and changeling, explored each other, their limbs slowly entwining, caressing over each other's forms as their lips met again and again. Secluded away behind locked doors and closed curtains, they became as one.
Only, the curtains were not all quite closed.
Faint hoof steps from outside never made it to the lovers' ears. The sounds of a lone pony making her way closer to their home, questions on her mind.
Twilight had said her good nights to her friends, leaving them to make her way back through town. It was late, and they were all tired, but her mind would not rest. Could not rest as long as these questions kept swirling around inside. She knew the only two who could answer them would be at home now, hopefully not yet tucked into bed. Quietly, her curiosity pushing her onward, she made her way up to the house Lyra and Bon Bon shared.
The curtains were drawn shut, but light was seeping through the windows. With a relieved sigh, the librarian realized they must still be awake. She went up to the front door, hoping they wouldn't be too upset at such a late visit as she lifted a hoof to rap on the door. As her hoof started to come down she heard something. A soft, muffled moan. Something wasn't quite right about it. It sounded strange. Twilight held still, straining her ears to listen for any other sound. A gasp, this time sounding like a proper pony's. The unicorn's mind started to wander. Was somepony hurt in there? Was somepony in danger?
In her mind, one part told her to go get help. Another urged her to buck the door down and jump to the rescue. But another demanded that she know what was happening first. Eventually the curiosity won out, taking control of the unicorn's limbs before she could even fully realize it herself. Creeping along the bushes, her mind forming all sorts of scenarios, she spied a window low enough to see inside, with just enough of a gap between the curtains.
Hidden in the bushes, the lavender unicorn pushed herself up onto her hind legs, peeking slowly over the window sill. What she saw inside made her heart forget its purpose for a few moments...
Their lips parted slowly, pulling from each other as if they did not wish to be kept apart. It was the truth, but at that moment, both lovers awaited what was to come with eager anticipation. The changeling slowly opened her eyes, those deep, icy blue orbs taking in the soft green sight of her lover. Lyra's golden orbs looked down upon Bon Bon's before they closed again, her head lowering slowly. This time her lips came to rest at the nape of the changeling's neck. Bon Bon gasped softly, squirming slightly at the warm touch of those lips as they worked their way lower, kissing and caressing down to her chest.
Lyra smiled softly as she worked her way down her lover's body. This was so strange, so different than she had ever experienced before. It was even stranger when she remembered that this was the mare she had always been in love with. The mare she had done this with countless times before. But now, like this, she seemed almost like a totally different pony. Bon Bon wasn't acting any different than she normally would. No, it was the feel of her. Before her fur had been soft and smooth, and it had tickled against Lyra's lips with every kiss. But now, it was rougher, coarser. It scratched slightly, like the teasing of a hoof's edge against tender skin. It almost felt dangerous, like the stories the unicorn had read once or twice in her youth. Stories about delving into the slightly darker sides of intimacy. About the way a pony's pain could blend with pleasure in small doses. Of how something harsh and rough, like the bristles of a brush, could tease and tantalize a pony into greater expectations of pleasure. Lyra smiled a bit at that as her lips pressed softly to the ridges that ran across her lover's chest. She didn't know about delving any deeper into such indulgences, but she knew that she liked what she was feeling now.
She would pucker her lips, closing them into a kiss, then Lyra would slowly drag them across Bon Bon's chest. Letting the bare flesh feel along each ridge and band that thickened her unusual lover's chest. At first it was just strange, and slightly uncomfortable. But as she continued, as she kept brushing herself against those stiff hairs, she could feel the sensations changing. Her lips becoming tender, and she could feel each hair like the lightest of pinpricks against her flesh. She could feel the slight throb to her lips, the tiny spark of contact as she worked back and forth. And she could feel the way her sweet little changeling trembled at the contact.
Bon Bon murred deeply, a soft rumbling in her chest, almost like an overgrown cat purring. She watched with lidded eyes as that silly little unicorn worked back and forth across her chest. The changeling couldn't feel much there, she knew her skin was much thicker, much harder where those bands wrapped around her. It was one of the things that made her kind so tough, so durable. It had been something that Bon Bon had come to consider ugly. A reminder to her that changelings were meant to fight, not to love. But seeing Lyra lavishing such attentions over them brushed all such notions aside for the enamored changeling. She watched in eager anticipation as her beloved started to move lower, her tail curling up as the unicorn made her way down to Bon Bon's belly.
The fur softened here, the bristle-like hairs giving way to a gradual transition to something much more delicate. It was almost like the fuzz that covered a peach. Lyra paused to lick at her lips for a moment, feeling how tender they had become from the rougher hide. As she descended again, the fur that brushed against her was soft and short, it's tender caress now all the more vibrant that her lips had been so slightly stung by the rougher fur of Bon Bon's chest. She felt a shiver run up her spine as she kissed her way lower still, feeling the change from thick, tough hide to tender skin hidden just beyond that light fuzz. Bon Bon's skin was still black as night, but here it gave under her caresses, sinking in softly at her touch as Lyra puckered and kissed at it. She murred softly as she opened her lips, grabbing a hold of a soft bit of flesh and giving it a slight tug. Her teeth gently nipped at it, teasing at this more supple expanse of her lover's body. She was quickly rewarded. A soft gasp and groan escaped from the changeling's lips, Bon Bon's long, forked tongue lolling out a bit as if in a daze.
At last, Lyra decided that she had teased her number one fan for long enough. With an eager grin she scooted her way to the edge of the couch, looking up to Bon Bon's lidded eyes before her own gazed down between her lover's parted hind legs. And she blinked at what she saw, her building anticipation given pause as a look of surprise formed on her face.
The lapse in attention wasn't lost upon Bon Bone either. She lifted her head up to look down to her beloved pony, brow furrowed in concern.
"W-What's wrong, hun?"
"It... It's nothing." Lyra said, smiling perhaps a bit too widely. "It's just... I don't recognize any of this."
Lyra had expected that, even if a changeling looked different from a pony in most respects, that a few things would still be the same. They sure did feel the same all those times before. But she was quickly learning that a changeling's glamor was much more than simply appearing to be another pony. All those nights she had spent with her beloved, before and after learning just what she really was, she had always found something very familiar waiting for her under her creamy mare's tail. It had looked familiar, felt familiar. Even tasted familiar. But now, she wasn't sure just what it was she was looking at.
"Oh... I.. I'm sorry." Once again, Bon Bon's cheeks turned that odd shade of green as she blushed. "I should have warned you about that.."
Her own cheeks starting to redden, Lyra looked down to her lover's nethers once again. There really wasn't anything wrong with them. They were just different. Very different. Where she had expected to see the soft, pouty folds of her beloved's mare-hood, there was now an odd press of mounds. Two plump globes were pressed tightly together, with a smaller third tucked up under and between them. Together, with Bon Bon on her back, the three mounds of bare flesh pressed together to form a small Y shaped crevice. As Lyra's eyes took in how her lover's black hide slowly gave way to lighter and lighter shades of green as it disappeared inwards, she started to look over the rest of Bon Bon's true changeling anatomy.
Below, she found the familiar little pucker, just where it should be. Though she had never had much interest in much involving that, at least something was where she had expected it to be. But as Lyra looked upwards again, she noticed something was missing entirely. Try as she might, she could find no trace of her lover's teats. The unicorn felt a bit disappointed at that. She had always loved to tease and nibble at those tiny nubs. Bon Bon had always seemed to enjoy that, but to find them missing from her lover now, it made Lyra wonder just how much a changeling changed when they took on the appearance of a pony.
"We... We can stop if you're uncomfortable.."
The sound of her lover's crestfallen voice managed to snap Lyra out of her examination of just what secrets changelings kept under their tails. Blinking for a moment, the minty green unicorn realized just how silly this all was. Even if nothing was as she remembered, if everything was new and strange, this was still the mare she loved. Just like one of the treats Bon Bon would often leave for her, this was the dark chocolate center hidden under that bright candy coating. And Lyra wanted to savor this new treat.
"N-no..." Lyra said, her lips pulling into a smile as her hooves slipped to her lover's thighs, holding Bon Bon's legs spread like that before the embarrassed changeling could pull away. She leaned down with eyes half closed, looking up over the black expanse of the changeling's belly as she let her warm breath blow softly against those round mounds. She watched as a tremble ran up Bon Bon's body, and those icy blue eyes closed. Lyra was half worried that changelings wouldn't be able to feel much there, that all those times before had been an act to keep up Bon Bon's disguise. She was more than pleased to find herself wrong about that. "It's perfect."
And with that, Lyra's lips descended, coming down to place a tender kiss against one of those plump globes. A sudden hiss and groan rang out above her. That was something the unicorn was very familiar with. The sound of Bon Bon sucking breath from between her teeth. It had always been the sign that Lyra had hit just the right spot. Perhaps things were more familiar than she had thought. Her grin now reaching up to her cheeks, she pressed her lips once again to the middle mound, teasing where it pressed it's way between the other two. Once again she heard her lover gasp, and felt one of Bon Bon's legs jerk in response.
She had been afraid, worried that the sight of what she was really like would put an end to her more intimate relationship with Lyra. In a way, it was just like the times she had stared into the mirror at herself. That worry that everything would come to a crashing halt. But now, Bon Bon felt the weight of her fears lifting from her, replaced by the wonderful feeling of those lips caressing her bare, undisguised mounds. Every touch felt fresh, as if this was her first time. In a way, it was. She had always hidden behind the appearance of a pony, kept the reality of herself carefully tucked away, even when she would embrace that wonderful unicorn. But now, Bon Bon was bare before her lover, exposed and welcoming the freedom. Every little caress sent a shiver up her spine, and made her wings want to buzz in excitement if they weren't trapped under her body at the moment. Her tail curled as her mouth hung open, legs twitching as the warmth of those lips worked over that one spot again and again, teasing at the most sensitive of her mounds.
Lyra's ears flicked as she heard the long, drawn out moan slip past Bon Bon's lips. She pulled back, watching as a thin trail of spittle stretch between her lips and that plump mound she had just been suckling at. It had turned a brighter shade of green, looking more swollen than before. Before her eyes, the other two mounds seemed to squeeze together even more tightly, rubbing back and forth for a few moments as Bon Bon's legs stiffened. Lyra couldn't help but smile at that. After all this time, with everything that's changed, she could still drive her little candy mare crazy. She watched as Bon Bon's mare-hood pulled open, gaping for a moment, and she could see deeper into the mysteries of a changeling's treasure before it relaxed. Lyra was about to descent again for another taste when she noticed something. She should have expected it, after all, Bon Bon was still a mare. But she couldn't help but giggle slightly as she watched a slow trickle of slightly greenish fluid seeped from between those plump globes.
As she watched Bon Bon's mounds smack together with a little 'whump', more of that thick fluid squeezed out to drip onto the changeling's tail. Lyra's tongue flicked out in eagerness. She was no stranger to suckling her love's nectar, and she wasn't about to stop now. As she pressed her warm little muscle into the crevice between those two mounds, her eyes widened in surprise. This wasn't the tangy flavor she was so familiar with. In fact, the shocked unicorn found she liked this new taste all the more. Sweet, that was the only word for it. Slowly she ran her tongue up between her lover's swollen globes, enticing another tremble from the softly panting changeling. That taste seemed to bloom in Lyra's mouth, faintly like honey, only thicker, creamier. As she worked her way back to where all three mounds met, her lips pressed to them, her tongue probing deeper as she suckled greedily.
Bon Bon's lips parted in a sudden gasp as her eyes grew wide. Her back arched as she felt that warm little muscle slip inside her. Her cheeks and neck were flushed green as she felt her lover working that tongue back and forth inside her. It pressed against her tender inner walls, teased at the tight rings of muscles deeper still as her hips jerked up towards Lyra's hungry lips. The changeling could feel the warmth, the love, the lust flowing off of her sweet unicorn lover. Every gasp that Lyra brought out of her, Bon Bon could feel the primal desires of her mate filling her. This raw, wild love was like a potent cocktail, a drink one might sip at safer times, but one too easy to over indulge in. And right now Bon Bon wanted to indulge. Oh how she wanted to indulge. As her back arched, her hind legs wrapped around Lyra's head, ankles locking together to hold those hungry lips against her as she panted hotly.
Lyra felt those legs wrap around her, her lover's thighs pressing to her cheeks. They encouraged her, though she honestly didn't need it. She was too lost in this new, wonderful experience. She lapped at Bon Bon's delectable nectar like a thirst dog, her tongue working frantically to catch every dollop that threatened to escape. Her lips suckled, squeezing now and then at those plump mounds, feeling them throb softly against her still tender lips. She felt them starting to warm, Bon Bon's normally cool skin becoming flush, turning a bright shade of green as Lyra pushed her to even greater peaks of excitement. She tried to wrap her lips over her lover's opening, suckling hard, encouraging more of that sweetness to flow. Her hooves roamed over the changeling's hips, caressing and stroking over the coarse fur that covered her marefriend's rump.
By now Bon Bon's breaths were short, frantic gasps. She couldn't hold still even if she wanted to, her hips squirming, wriggling, trying to press harder to those lips, to that wonderful tongue that was now snaking it's way back up into her. Each flick of that little muscle made her gasp, made her inner passage squeeze around it, trapping Lyra's tongue for a moment before offering up more of her nectar. The room seemed to be spinning as she tilted her head back, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. It felt as if all the warmth her body could muster was now in her cheeks and her loins, the cool night air chilling her skin elsewhere. At last she couldn't take it anymore, just one last nudge over the edge, the feel of Lyra's teeth gingerly pressing down against her throbbing mound.
The shrill cry filled Lyra's ears, making her pull away suddenly as Bon Bon jerked hard in her grasp. The changeling's eyes tightly shut as she bent backwards, arching her back and thrusting her hips upwards as those swollen mounds squeezed tightly against each other. And then a flood of that sweet, sticky nectar gushed from her. Lyra's eyes shone as she dove back down, kissing and suckling frantically as more and more of the wonderful fluid seeped from her lover's mare-hood. Her tongue lavishing attention on those grinding globes as more juice was squeezed out from between them. She tried to hold Bon Bon still enough for her to catch all of it, but it was an impossible task. Even before she had known Bon Bon's secret, the candy mare had always been given to violent excitement. Her tail lashed, slapping against Lyra's cheeks. Her legs bucked about, nearly catching the unicorn's horn in a kick. But Lyra was used to this. Even without her disguise, the sweet little changeling was still the same mare she had always been, and Lyra had learned what to expect when her lover had reached her limit.
It felt like it went on for hours, but Bon Bon knew it had only been a few brief, glorious moments. Eventually the lightning that had been rushing up and down her body subsided, her wild thrashing calming as her climax ended. The room still felt like it was spinning, but that would take longer to pass. She wasn't sure if she should let her unicorn lover know about that, or if she had already figured it out, but Bon Bon was now drunk off her flank. It always happened that way, the potent mixture of love and lust would always send the changeling into an intoxicated stupor. Bon Bon had always thought herself lucky that she was a sleepy drunk, all to eager to spend her intoxication on pleasant dreams. Lyra never did seem to mind. If anything, the minty unicorn had always been more eager to pleasure her lover than to be pleasured herself. Perhaps she just really liked the flavor of it. Whatever the case, she watched through half lidded eyes as Lyra rose from between Bon Bon's thighs, rubbing a hoof against her mouth before licking the sticky drippings from that too.
As her tongue cleaned the last of that delicious nectar from her hoof, Lyra smiled up to her now rather sleepy mate. Bon Bon always did that, trying to drift off to sleep as soon as she was finished. Lyra could only grin as she watched those large blue eyes droop. She never really minded it much. She loved the fact that she would wear her lover out every time. But some times, she just wished they could spend more time cuddling afterwards. Not wanting to waste any time, she pulled herself up between her little changeling's legs, pressing her underside softly against Bon Bon's. She could feel the soft fuzz of Bon Bon's tummy tickle at her before the rougher fur gently brushed at her coat. Bon Bon nearly purred in a dream-like state as Lyra nuzzled her way up under her chin, her sticky lips working their way upwards till they pressed against her lover's.
Together they both shared in the lingering flavor of the changeling's sweetness as their limbs wrapped around each other, their tails intertwining together.
"Mmm... Silly little pony..." Bon Bon said, her words half slurred as her eyes kept threatening to close.
"Oh hush.." Lyra giggled as she closed her eyes, nuzzling her cheek tenderly against Bon Bon's. She reached up with a hoof, stroking slowly over the changeling's fin as she cuddled close against her atop the couch. When she opened her eyes again, she found that Bon Bon's were still closed, and a soft, rumbling snore was escaping from the changeling's throat. With a giggle the unicorn just smiled, holding her lover even tighter.
The door swung open violently, banging hard against the wall before slowly swinging shut under its own momentum. It was just enough time for the confused and panicked unicorn to slip into the library. Twilight stood in the middle of the tree house's common room, her eyes wide and legs braced as she panted for breath. Hairs were out of place in her mane, and her tail was held high in panic. The mare's outward appearance matched her inside. A million things spun through her mind at once as she tried to process what she had just seen moments before. Tried, and failed. At times like this, the unicorn had always fallen back on her tried and true scientific method, to analyze every bit of information one piece at a time.
First, she was outside of Lyra and Bon Bon's house. That itself wasn't too out of the ordinary, despite the late hour. Second, she was behind a bush, peeking into their living room. All things considered, that wasn't too strange for the lavender mare. Inside the dimly lit room, she had seen Lyra, which was perfectly fine and expected. But, that wasn't Bon Bon she had seen the green unicorn with. The scene played in her mind again as she thought about everything. What Lyra was doing...what she was doing with that changeling. What they had done together...
A tremble ran up Twilight's spine as she couldn't stop the scene replaying in her head. If it had just been two ordinary ponies she had caught, that would have been bad enough. But this. This...
"GAAH!"
She covered her head with her hooves, trying to block the mental images that kept popping up. After a few minutes, she had managed to calm her frantic breathing and get her heart rate back to a more manageable level. Another minute and she had gotten back to all fours, but her mind was still troubled. It had been a few months since the attack on Canterlot, and she knew that many of the changelings had ended up in the Everfree Forest. She knew that there was a chance they would become a problem again, but this? She had always thought that, if they were to try another attack, it would be in force like before. This...this wasn't right.
Trying to keep her mind from wandering back to another re-run of the night's events, she made her way over towards a small writing stand set up in one corner of the room. Spike was, thankfully, already asleep at this late hour. It just wouldn't help for him to see the unicorn's worried state right now. Owloysius was likewise gone, having been told by Twilight that he wouldn't need to assist the unicorn tonight. With a sigh to help steady her roaming thoughts, Twilight tried to make sense of what she had witnessed. Lyra was apparently living with a changeling. Willingly living with a changeling, no less! But why? How could she after what they did? After what had happened? Unless...
Twilight's horn glowed as she levitated a quill over to herself, holding the writing feather in her magical grip as her lips closed around the soft plume. She didn't want to admit it, hoping that she was wrong. Could Lyra really be working with the changelings? She just shook her head at the thought. That made no sense, none at all. If she wasn't working with them, then the only answer was that she was one as well! As her lips chewed lightly on the quill, she let that thought sink in. Changelings were impersonating two of her friends. But why? Ponyville wasn't as well defended as Canterlot, so why didn't they just attack all at once?
Levitating the quill from her mouth, Twilight narrowed her eyes as she looked towards the blank parchment resting on the writing stand in front of her. With a dip into the little ink pot, she brought the quill to the blank sheet.
Dear Princess Celestia
I have dire news to report. It would appear that two changelings are...
Are what? Impersonating two ponies she barely knew before a couple months ago? Hanging out with their friends? Performing concerts for the citizens of Ponyville? Twilight pressed a hoof to her face. Just what was she missing? Just why were these two changelings in Ponyville? It didn't add up. She couldn't just send a letter to the Princess without knowing exactly what was happening. She wasn't even sure if Celestia had fully recovered from her ordeal with the changeling queen yet. Her hoof moved from her forehead to tap lightly upon the writing stand. A moment later the parchment with its half-started message was crumpled up by the unicorn's violet magic and tossed into the nearby waste basket.
She needed more information. Needed to find out just what these changelings were doing here. Standing, she took a step towards the door, intent on finding out exactly what was going on. Then her eyes passed over the clock hanging on the wall. On second thought, she would find out what was going on first thing in the morning...
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Lyra groaned in discomfort, a shaft of light resting right over her face and filtering through her eyelids as she struggled to keep them closed. Like most mornings, she didn't want to open them and admit that it was time to get up. Sunlight wasn't the only thing pestering her out of her dreams, though; there was something poking uncomfortably at her cheek. With a sigh and another groan, the unicorn lifted her head and made to push herself up from the bed. As she did, the bed under her shifted about.
She opened her eyes, only to instantly regret it, the bright light hurting for a moment before she narrowed her eyes to slits. Once her eyes had adjusted she started to take in where she was. She was still in the living room, having fallen asleep on the couch. Blinking back some spots in her vision, she looked down at her 'bed'. Rather than sheets and pillows, she took in the sight of a sprawled out changeling. One of the spines in Bon Bon's fin had been poking her in the cheek. As Lyra looked at her sleeping lover, she giggled a bit as memories of the previous night started to come back.
Leaning down, her lips gently closed around some of the skin stretched between two of those spines. Her teeth gently nibbled upon her lover's fin, coaxing a soft moan from the changeling and causing her to tremble and squirm slightly under the green mare. After that bit of fun, Lyra nuzzled up towards Bon Bon's ears, whispering softly.
"Up and at 'em, sugar-rump."
The sleeping changeling groaned and mumbled something to the negative. A slight nip at her ear left her little room to protest. With a long, toothy yawn the changeling started to wake. Squirming a bit under the warmth of her unicorn mate, Bon Bon started to slowly open her eyes. She still felt tired and wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. She wasn't tired from last night's 'activities,' despite how exerting they were. She had simply gone to sleep with a full stomach. A slight green blush came to her cheeks as she thought about how large of a meal it was.
"Erf...do I have to?"
"Hmm...no, but if I've got to get up, so do you," Lyra chirped, giving another nibble to those tattered black ears before she started to slip off from on top her marefriend. Once on the floor she raised her rump into the air, lowering her head as she stretched her legs out, getting the stiffness out of them. Bon Bon just rolled over onto her back, lifting her hooves into the air as another yawn escaped her wide open mouth. "I've got to head back to the cafe today. It was so late when we left I didn't even think to collect my money last night."
Tucking her legs back against herself, Bon Bon rolled over onto her side to face the minty unicorn. A little smile curled her black lips as she watched Lyra stretch some more, watching the same flank she had nibbled on the night before flexing as its owner worked the joints of her back legs. With a soft giggle she reached a hoof out, gently batting at the unicorn's tail.
"Hehe, alright then. Do you mind if I stay home for now? I was wanting to do a few things around the house."
Her stretching done, Lyra looked back over her shoulder at her unusual lover. With a tilt of her head she turned around to face her.
"You're not feeling sick again, are you, Bonny?"
The changeling blinked a bit at that. Shaking her head she reached a hoof out again, this time rubbing it softly against a mint green cheek.
"Oh! No, no. I'm fine. I was just wanting to do some stuff in the kitchen." Bon Bon smiled, her fangs parting a bit as her long, slim tongue flicked out and ran over her lips for a moment. "I'm thinking I might try making some taffy today."
Lyra could just chuckle at that, watching that tongue flick about for a moment. There clearly were some advantages to having a changeling for a lover. But still, something she had been wanting to ask came to mind.
"Hey, Bon. I've been meaning to ask you something. You're a changeling, so you don't really have a cutie mark, right?"
"Um, yeah." Bon Bon raised an eyebrow at that, wondering what her marefriend was getting at.
"But you're very good at making candy and sweets. Is that because your, um, disguise has a candy cutie mark?" The changeling blinked a bit. She had never really considered it. Looking off into space, she slowly rubbed a hoof under her chin as she thought about what it could mean. Sure, when she used her glamor to appear to be a pony, she had a candy cutie mark. But that was only because the mare she had copied had the same mark. She had never known if that pony's talent was for making candy, or eating candy, or what. She had never even gotten the chance to eat candy till she came to Ponyville, let alone make any herself.
"You know, I'm not sure," she said after a few moments. "I know a pony's cutie mark represents their special talent. I mean, with how well you play, it's no wonder your cutie mark is a lyre."
Bon Bon smiled as she thought back to the previous night's rather energetic recital. Lyra blushed a bit at the compliment, her tail flicking about with mild embarrassment.
"I don't think I can, well, copy a pony's talent just because I can copy their appearance." Bon Bon continued, her eyes shifting to the floor in front of her as she let her front hooves hang off of the couch. "I suppose I'm just good at making candy, cutie mark or not. I mean, I never got the chance to before I came to Ponyville. And since it matched my glamor's cutie mark, I knew I'd have to try to keep people from getting suspicious. I just never thought I was that good at it."
Lyra considered this for a moment, but only just. Leaning in close, her lips gently pressed against the changeling's. She watched as Bon Bon's eyes brightened, a smile curling her lips.
"Mmm...well, cutie mark or not, I can't wait to taste some of your taffy."
A flash of green rippled before Lyra's eyes, and the creamy earth pony had replaced the changeling. With a sly smirk, Bon Bon pressed a hoof against the unicorn's nose.
"Oh go on you silly thing. You better bring home some bits instead of spending them all, or I'll have to charge you for that candy." She winked to her lover. Lyra just blushed at that, trotting over towards the front door as her horn glowed a soft green. Bon Bon's saddle bags levitated over, settling onto the unicorn's back. The two mares shared everything, and wearing each others' saddle bags was just their way of reminding the rest of town that they belonged to each other.
"Heh, alright alright. I'll be back soon. Don't blow up the kitchen while I'm gone." Lyra said as she opened the front door.
Bon Bon just stuck her tongue out at the unicorn, having returned it to its much more pony-like appearance. "Love you!" she cooed as Lyra stepped out the door. Lyra had half expected to find Twilight once again waiting for her on the doorstep, but thankfully the purple librarian was nowhere to be seen. With a happy sigh she smiled at the warmth of the sun as she started trotting down the street, once again heading towards the market square.
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The soft clop of hooves upon cobblestone rang out as Lyra trotted her way down the street, heading towards the market and the cafe where she had preformed last night. It was such a nice day, and her spirits were still high from the night before, so much so that the mint green unicorn was virtually oblivious to everything else around here. Especially the bushes growing along the side of the street. In particular, the fact that one seemed to spontaneously grow a pair of binoculars as she passed.
The lenses gave off a slight glint in the sunlight, but thankfully not brightly enough to be noticed. They slowly followed the minty unicorn as she trotted down the street before disappearing back into the bush. Inside, nestled in the obfuscating cover of leaves, the purple librarian consulted her field journal. Her horn glowing a soft violet, Twilight levitated up a small quill as she laid her journal out on the ground in front of her. After taking a moment to collect her thoughts, the lavender unicorn moved the quill to scratch across the blank page while she quietly dictated to herself
"Research Log
Day One
Suspected changeling Lyra, henceforth referred to as 'Subject A,' left home shared with suspected changeling Bon Bon, henceforth referred to as 'Subject B.' Subject A heading down street towards the market square. Subject B remains in the house.
After some consideration, I have decided to continue observations of Subject A. While observing Subject B at home would be easier, I do not yet know if there are any other changelings involved, and would not want to be alone if they were to find me. While observing Subject A in public will be more difficult, Subject A will be less likely to retaliate in public."
Satisfied with her notes, the journal closed with a soft purple glow before it, the quill, and her binoculars levitated into Twilight's saddle bag. Peeking out from the bush, the librarian could just make out the mint green form of Subject A in the distance. With a deep breath, she slipped out from her hiding place and started to make her way down the street as well, keeping a safe distance.
Twilight didn't like having to spy on anypony. The last time, when she had tried to understand the mysterious 'Pinkie Sense,' everything had turned into a disaster. But this was different, or at least that's what she told herself. These were changelings. Changelings! If they were here, then all of Ponyville could be in danger. Even if it meant she had to sneak around and spy, she had to know what they were up to before it was too late.
All about her, ponies went about their day, moving from shop to shop, walking with friends...some fillies were even chasing a hoop as it rolled down the street. But she didn't have time to stop and watch any of that. She was on a mission, one which the fate of Ponyville might rest upon. Following her target into the market square, Twilight tried to blend into the crowd. Just another pony going about her business. At least, she hoped that's what she seemed to be, even while her eyes were fixed firmly on the green unicorn. Slowly she worked her way a bit closer, slipping from group to group, winding her way through the other ponies to get a better view of where Lyra was headed.
The space in front of the cafe was full of ponies, where the previous night it had been lined with benches. Lyra smiled, waving to a group of passing mares as she stepped up to the front door. Everypony she passed by was talking about her performance, and it gave the musician a thrill to hear how they spoke of her music, although praise wasn't the only reason she had taken the job. Using her magic to push the door open, a small bell chimed, announcing her arrival.
Inside, a number of ponies were seated, dining on small but fancy breakfasts and brunches in one of Ponyville's few upper class establishments. A few of them looked up from their meals, smiling and waving as they recognized her from the night before. Lyra could just smile brightly, practically drinking in the recognition. That is, until somepony came up and addressed her.
"Good morning, madame, how may I..." The regal stallion paused for a moment, looking over the unicorn mare in front of him. "Oh, it is you, Miss Heartstrings."
"Morning, Horte!" Lyra said as she brought her attention from the customers to the cafe's head waiter.
"May I help you?" Horte Cuisine said in his light accent. He had been born and raised abroad, but had lived in Ponyville so long, his accent had been slipping as of late. It wasn't a bad thing by any means, before he had some customers complain that he was hard to understand. Still, he preferred to keep the refinement he was brought up with.
"Um, I'm just here to pick up my bits. Sorry I forgot to get them last night. It was so late I didn't want to bother you about it." Horte just looked at the green unicorn for a few moments, his eyes narrowing a bit more than usual.
"We would prefer it if, next time, you did not run off our most generous customers..." The waiter pony pony let that statement linger a bit as he quietly stared down the green mare in front of him. Lyra shrunk back a bit; she had been worried that her sudden change of style last night may have upset some of the more sophisticated ponies in her audience. In her opinion, it had been worth it to see every pony else enjoying the night. But still, the risk that some would take offense to it had been there, and now it was coming back to bite her in the flank.
"S-sorry about that. I did make sure to play the softer song first though..." Lyra offered up her most apologetic smile, hoping she hadn't just blown her chance at another performance at this particular cafe. Eventually the earth stallion sighed, rolling his eyes a bit.
"It does not matter. The performance was good for business either way. At least we have more customers today, even if they are more," Horte Cuisine narrowed his eyes a bit, an annoyed look coming over his face, "common." After a moment to compose himself, he coughed lightly. "Please wait here. I will return with your fee."
Lyra watched as the waiter pony turned and slipped into the back office of the restaurant. Satisfied that she hadn't caused herself any more trouble, she returned to looking about at the customers again. Horte was right; while there were still a fair number of upper class ponies here this morning, a lot more were dressed casually. That is to say, not dressed at all.
She let her gaze slowly move across the cafe, turning to look outside at the ponies dining out front and...wait. Was some pony just pressed up against the window for a moment? The unicorn didn't have time to investigate as she heard hoof steps approaching her. Horte had returned, a small sack held delicately in his teeth.
"Here you are, madame. Your fee," he said as he held out the bag of bits. Lyra smiled, her horn glowing softly as she levitated the bag from the waiter and over to her saddle bags.
"Thanks. So, when did you want me to do another recital again?" Lyra asked, smiling hopefully to the waiter. All she got in return was a narrowed gaze and a stony expression.
"We will consider it." And with that, Horte turned and headed back towards the kitchen to pick up another customer's order. Lyra watched him go; all things considered, that was probably a good sign, coming from Horte. He never was one to offer another pony a favorable face. With a shrug, she turned and pushed the door open. The little bell chimed again as Lyra made her way back out into the market.
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The green shade of a delicately pruned shrubbery made a convenient, if cramped, refuge for the purple unicorn. Twilight had to dive into the cover of the leaves as she noticed Lyra's eyes settling on her. As she heard the bell and saw green hooves passing by, she cautiously peered out from between the branches, leaves and twigs stuck in her mane.
"Ah ha! Taking money from the cafe, that's suspicious, right?" The librarian whispered to herself as she watched Lyra head over towards a flower stand, talking with some of the ponies there. Pulling herself back into the obscuring shade of the bushes, she levitated her quill and journal out of her saddle bag.
"Subject A seen receiving money from local cafe. Clearly, taking money from other ponies is a sign of suspicious beha-" The quill slowly stopped its crawl across the page. A thought had just dawned on Twilight. Lyra was getting money from this cafe. The same cafe she had performed at the night before. The book made a slight thud on the ground as her horn stopped glowing and her hoof pressed to her forehead.
"This isn't suspicious at all!" She groaned, her mind trying to puzzle out any hidden meaning it could to find the facts she was hoping to find. "Wait. She's a changeling, which means she has to keep up her disguise to prevent ponies from finding out." Twilight's eyes lit up as the thought formed.
"Sooo...if she did a performance, it would be suspicious if she didn't come back to get paid for it. So she's just doing this so she won't look suspicious! That makes it even more suspicious!" A smile curled the librarian's lips, quite pleased with her deductive reasoning. With a flick of her head, she scribbled her notes into the journal and slipped it back into her saddle bag, along with her quill. With a quick look to make sure no pony was looking her way, she slipped out of the shrub, making to follow the supposedly disguised changeling.
She didn't have far to look; Lyra was still standing next to the flower stand. Trying to look as casual as she could, Twilight made her way over to one of the many picnic tables set up around the market square, settling down on the seat to keep an eye on her quarry. She watched as Lyra levitated a few bits out of her saddle bag over to the orange mare tending the stand. In return, the mint unicorn took a bouquet of flowers. Just what would a changeling want with flowers? With a glow of her horn, she pulled out her journal, setting it in front of her as she took down more notes.
Eventually Twilight had lost track of just how long she had been sitting there. She watched as Lyra went from stall to cart, talking with ponies, purchasing things, generally going about her average daily business. All the while, the purple librarian took down notes of everything the mare did. With a sigh she looked over her notes. Nothing added up. Nothing seemed to explain what she had seen last night!
She was sure something was amiss, but nothing else she had seen pointed to Lyra being anything but a normal, average pony. Was she mistaken? Did she really not see what she thought she did last night? No, of course not. There was no way she could have mistook what she had seen for anything else. Changelings were in Ponyville, that was a fact she couldn't argue with. But if so, then why did things seem so, well, normal?
There had to be something she was missing. Something that would prove she was right. That Changelings had infiltrated Ponyville. But try as she might, Twilight couldn't find one damned thing. With a sigh her forehead dropped onto her open field journal. She could just confront Lyra with it, but what would that accomplish? The last time she had tried that, she had risked loosing her friends, her mentor, AND her brother! It didn't matter that she was right that time. If she was wrong about this, she would just make a foal of herself in front of all of Ponyville.
"Well, well. If it isn't the filly-fooler that thinks she knows how to play music..."
The voice brought Twilight's gaze from its up close inspection of her journal to across the small plaza she was sitting in. Ahead of her she saw Lyra, the bouquet of flowers still held in her magical glow. The green unicorn was approached by two fillies, one pink, one gray.
"Uh, what?" Lyra said to the two as they came up to her. Twilight recognized the two fillies. Applebloom had talked about them a few times when she had gone to visit her friend, Applejack. They were the local school bullies. Apparently they had moved on from making fun of foals their own age and had decided to start accosting grown adults.
"Well, if you didn't hear me, I guess you must still be as tone deaf as you were last night!" Diamond Tiara sneered, flashing a malicious smile to her friend, Silver Spoon. The gray filly started to giggle, grinning back to Tiara. Twilight watched the three of them from her seat at the picnic table. Any other day, she'd be inclined to break up the display with a threat to turn the two trouble makers into potted plants. But today, she watched with interest. If anything was going to prompt the supposed changeling into showing her true colors, it would be these two. And it would serve them right to have their insults come back to bite them in their flanks.
Lyra stared at the two fillies in front of her, confused as to just what the two of them were up to.
"Um, you two shouldn't be saying things like that. Especially to somepony older than yourselves." Tiara just narrowed her eyes up at the older mare, a smirk curling her lips as the light of the sun glinted sharply off of the delicate crown that was her namesake.
"Oh? And what are you gonna do about it? Chase us off with more of your awful music?" The little loudmouth fumed up at Lyra, malicious intent burning in her eyes. "I was going to get to stay up late last night, all because father wanted to listen to your music. Then you had to go and ruin it by sounding like a bunch of trash cans being thrown around! I had to go to bed early when we got home!"
"Hey! It's not my fault if your dad didn't like my music!" The older mare tried to defend herself, forgetting that she was a grown mare dealing with two fillies. Rude fillies, but fillies none the less.
"Oh, I wouldn't expect a filly-fooler to understand. That's so pathetic. I bet you scared off every coltfriend you tried to get. So of course you had to hook up with another filly-fooler!" Silver Spoon was, by now, laughing too hard to throw in her two bits. Just laughing and pointing her hoof mockingly at Lyra.
But Lyra didn't see the two laughing, teasing fillies anymore. She had locked up, her mind thrown back to another time. One which she had tried so hard to forget. In front of her she saw not the bright, sunny market square. It was a ball room, brightly decorated. All around here, school fillies and colts dressed in elegant garb. And it was if every one of them was pointing at her and laughing as she stood there. Alone.
The magical glow about her horn started to waver, flicking back and forth before eventually it gave out. Tears started to well up at the corners of her eyes. As the the bouquet, meant for her dear sweet Bon Bon, hit the ground, her hooves turned of their own accord. Tears trailed past her cheeks as she ran for the only safe place she could think of. She ran for home.
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That...
That wasn't the reaction Twilight was expecting. She watched the exchange, waiting for the changeling to spring into action. To attack or at least threaten the two fillies before her. Instead she watched as Lyra turned tail and ran, trying to choke back sobs. At that moment, Twilight wished she had intervened between the unicorn and the two fillies. Even if Lyra was a changeling, it didn't excuse the two foals from teasing her like that.
"Geeze, what a cry baby" Diamond Tiara said as she and her friend both watched Lyra run off down the street. The two fillies shared another laugh between themselves. Feeling quite smug, they turned and started to go back to their planned day.
The field journal glowed a soft violet as it levitated up, closing before it was tucked into Twilight's saddle bag. Those two foals needed to be taught a lesson. Maybe not turned into cacti, but at the very least told off. Her gaze set, Twilight left her seat and started to trot her way over towards the trouble makers. The librarian picked up her pace as she noticed the two fillies walking off, but her plans for disciplining the two were suddenly cut short as something barreled into her.
The impact sent Twilight flying, landing with a thud on the hard cobblestones. Her saddlebags were thrown aside, and she found herself laying on her back, sprawled out and dazed.
"Oh for the love of Peppy..." The purple mare slowly sat up with a groan, rubbing a hoof against her still spinning head. As she opened her eyes, she was greeted by another pair right in her face, the two golden orbs looking at her intently.
"GAH!" She jumped back, startled by the closeness. She eyed the mare sitting in front of her for a moment. "D-Derpy!"
"You ok, Twilight?" The gray pegasus asked, her skewed eyes blinking a couple times as Twilight settled down from her scare. There were letters scattered about the street, having spilled from the mailmare's saddlebags.
"Erf...what have I told you about watching where you're going?" Twilight said as she continued to rub her head, her horn glowing slightly as she started to gather up the scattered mail.
"Sorry, Twilight. But I saw a strange looking pony over there!" Derpy said, pointing her hoof off to the side. Twilight's eyes followed the pegasus's hoof over to where she was pointing towards an empty alley. After a moment, Derpy noticed that the aforementioned pony was gone. "Huh? W-where'd she go?"
The purple librarian sighed as she carefully moved the letters into a neat stack in front of the mailmare. With a shake of her head she looked back up into Derpy's mis-matched eyes.
"Derpy, you need to be more careful. You could get hurt if you don't watch where you're going."
"Sorry Twilight..." The gray mare looked down, her golden eyes drooping for a moment before her head shot up, eyes bright once again. "Oh! Since you're here, I've got something for you!"
Twilight watched as she started to dig around inside one of her saddlebags. After doing the same with the other bag, the pegasus came up with a small package tightly held between her teeth.
"Sorry it's late, though." She said as Twilight took the package in her magic. It was wrapped in plain brown paper with a bit of twine keeping one end closed. After untying the twine, she slowly slid the book from it's packaging.
"Alteration Spells and Their Relation to Pony Physiology; A Theoretical Study, by Star Enchantment M.B.M."
"M.B.M?" The gray pegasus asked, her eyes shifting positions for a moment in confusion.
"Magistrate of Biological Magics," Twilight said with a nod before she looked back to the book. Derpy's confused state persisted as Twilight studied the cover of the book. This had been one of the new books she had ordered for the library. But why? Sure, she suspected it would be an interesting read, but there had been a reason for her to order this particular book. It took a few moments for the memory to come back to her.
"Um...thanks, Derpy. I should probably be getting this back to the library now," she said, a slight blush starting to come over her cheeks as she levitated her saddlebag back to herself. Checking to make sure her field journal was still inside, she placed the new book, back in its paper packaging, next to it before settling her bags back across her back.
"Alrighty, Twilight!" The mail mare gave her a small salute before taking back off into the sky. Twilight watched her drift about from side to side for a moment before heading over some shops and out of sight. Twilight stayed there for a few moments more, looking down at her hooves as she thought about her reason for ordering this book.
It had been a few weeks before everything had started getting strange. Back before she had known that Changelings were in Ponyville. She had ordered the book in hopes that it would help her in her work on a new spell. A spell to help Lyra and Bon Bon start a family together...
