//------------------------------// // -60- Secret of the Anthropologist // Story: The Anthropologist // by Weavers of Dreams //------------------------------// Two little ponies sat quietly in a booth at Sugarcube Corner. Not a sad kind of quiet, but the thoughtful and contemplative kind. The mint mare and the colt with the rusty mane leaning against her waited for their orders to arrive. All the while a pink pony was stealthily placing balloons about the bakery. Bon Bon and Twist, the former carrying four mugs of hot chocolate upon a tray, while the latter balanced a warm cinnamon roll atop her head, arrived to join them. The mare quickly passed around drinks, while Twist deposited the cinnamon roll in front of Henry, nudging him slightly. "Eat up, Henry," she said with a smile. "It'll make you feel better." "She's right, kid," Lyra said, with a nod as she reached for her mug. Henry hadn't really said anything since Bon Bon picked them up at the park and escorted them to the bakery. "Did he take the news well?" Bon Bon asked, giving the colt a pitying glance. "Better than I could have," Lyra sighed. Henry eventually began taking small bites of his cinnamon roll, not looking at anyone or anything in particular. Twist leaned in close on his other side as she sipped from her own mug. Bon Bon thought she could help cheer him up. "Pipsqueak was rather disappointed you didn't show up with Twist and myself," she said in an attempt to encourage a reaction. He looked up at her moment. "Yeah, would've been nice to see him too." "Perhaps later today," Bon Bon suggested. "It's still early. You'll have plenty of time to play you friends after you're feeling better." He nodded again and continued eating the cinnamon roll. "So," the candy maker said, turning to her friend, "have you come to a decision regarding... current events." The good doctor looked her friend in eye for a long moment before nodding. "Of course. I've been thinking about it for a while, actually." "Good, that very good to know," Bon Bon smiled. "And your choice iseeeep!" Noteworthy seemed to have almost come out of nowhere and planted a kiss of his wife's cheek. "Fancy meeting you here, dear. What's all this about?" The mare was slightly miffed at being interrupted in a middle of something important, but gave her stallion a kiss on the nose anyway. "We were just discussing the future of our little houseguest. What are you doing here?" The blue stallion scooted into the booth next to his wife and opened his mouth to explain. Only to close his mouth again in confusion. "You know... I'm not really sure. I just suddenly got a hankering to come here. I'm not even hungry, really." A pink pony quietly snuck a rather large stack of subliminal messages into the back room of the bakery for later use. Their purpose had been served, and more ponies were quietly filing in, also unaware of the sudden compulsion to enter the establishment. A purple filly walking across the ceiling while wearing padded shoes in order to stay silent as she erecting a length of canvas. "Well, since your here, it'll save us from having to repeat anything," the confectioner sighed, offering him some of her hot chocolate. "So, tell us, Lyra, what's the verdict?" Lyra looked between her two landlords and Henry, taking a couple deep breaths to calm herself down before telling them. She looked Bon Bon right in the eyes and cleared her throat. "I'm keeping him." She wrapped a hoof around the colt, who clung to her in turn. "Mama and papa are going be over the moon when they find out the have a grandson. Hehe." "Lyra..." "I know, Bonny," Lyra said, holding up her hooves defensively. "There's not really that much room in the house as it is. And you and Noteworthy are" - she couldn't say "expecting", as that would ruin the surprise for the stallion - "going to be having more kids in the future. Don't worry. I can find us a new house and be out of your mane long before then." "Lyra..." "I've actually already been looking at a few houses," she continued. "Nothing's really out of my price range here in Ponyville, but, I learned my lesson about being swindled a while ago, so I should be better prepared this time. Heck, all our stuff should be really easy to pack, up. It'll be as if we were never there. Honest." "Lyra..." "It's okay, Notes. I won't burden you with having to move any of my furniture out of the house. I'll hire some movers for that. I want to make the move as painless for you all as possible, so we can..." "LYRA!" The mint mare shut her mouth and stared across at housewife with wide eyes. "Yes, Bonny?" The other mare sat back and groaned, rubbing her temples in agitation. "You'll be doing no such thing, young lady." Lyra scowled. "Hey. It's my life. If I want to adopt this kid, there's nothing you can do to stop me." She facehoofed and groaned again. "No, Lyra. That's not what I'm getting at." "Oh," Lyra said, looking a little sheepish now. "Sorry. But, then, what will I not be doing?" "Moving out," Bon Bon said in as clear a voice as she could muster in her frustration. "There's no need for you to go anywhere, Lyra. You and Henry will always be welcome." "But..." "No buts, Lyra," she cut the mint mare off. "That would be wrong on several levels. Not the least of which would be how it would effect my little Twister. The very idea, taking away her auntie and playmate. Shame." Lyra looked down to her side to see a teary eyed Twist looking at her while hugging Henry as though she were afraid he would disappear. "Ah, I didn't think about that." "That's why we're here," Noteworthy said with a chuckle. "You tend to miss things." Picking up both the foals and setting them on her lap, Lyra sighed. "Yeah. I guess I do tend to do that." "Please don't leave, Auntie Lyra," Twist cried, snuggling into the mare's hoodie. "I... I...," Lyra just didn't know what to say. "And were you planning on raising him all by yourself?" Bon Bon added with a stomp of her hoof. "You've done some things of questionable intelligence before, Lyra. But that would just take the cake." Lyra's ears drooped. It was true, she hadn't thought it through very well. "But, I..." "It's going to take an entire herd to help this colt, after all he's been through, Lyra," the earth pony explained softly. "Noteworthy, Twist, and I are more than ready to help you both get through this no matter how long it takes." The resulting silence was so thick you couldn't have cut it with a knife. The gathering audience they were oblivious to began to wonder if they should start placing bets on which direction things would go. With a choking sob, Lyra cried. "I want to, Bonny. I so-so want to be a part of your herd. But..." "But nothing," the other mare said. "This may seem a little underhanded, Lyra, but you need us. You know next to nothing about caring for a child." "And we want to be there to help you," Noteworthy said a kind smile crossing his face. He wanted to be as gentle as possible, Lyra wasn't looking too well. The two foals, not entirely sure what was going on, though Twist probably had a better idea, did their own to comfort the mint mare. "You wouldn't want me if you knew," the doctor sniffed, hugging the two foals. "Please, just let it go." "If we knew what, Lyra?" Bon Bon demanded with a grunt. "We've told you about our past. Our secrets. You're one of our greatest friends. You can tell us anything. We'll never love you less." Lyra just looked down, unable to meet her eyes. "You've always been a part of the herd, Lyra," Bon Bon said, dropping to a softer tone, one which she used to comfort Twist when she was but a infant. "You've always been a part of our family, even though we may not have realized it at first. Even without some binding legal contract, we'll all walk on hot coals if it will help you. What is it you think we don't know?" The anthropologist took a deep breath and sniffed before looking at the mare and Stallion in turn. What was the point of hiding it anymore? They were going to reject her anyway. But, still, it took a great amount of effort She gave away her most guarded secret. "Bonny, I'm human."