//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: Establishing the Relationship 
// Story: My True Self 
// by _Undefined_ 
//------------------------------//

Because the train had to travel up the mountain, the trip from Ponyville to Canterlot took longer than the journey in the opposite direction. For the four friends, that just meant more time to sleep.

The train pulled up to the platform. “Canterlot Station!” announced the conductor, waking them all up. “I believe this is your stop?”

The four slowly got to their hooves. Lyra rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Her vision gradually focused as her eyes adjusted to the daylight.

…The daylight?

Lyra snapped to attention and looked out the window. Sure enough, the sun was in the sky, right where it usually was.

“The sun came up?” Lemon Hearts remarked toward the general direction of the conductor.

“About three hours later than usual, by my watch,” he replied. “There must’ve been some sort of hang-up during the Summer Sun Celebration. Have to admit, I was getting a little worried – I’ve never heard of Princess Celestia ever being late to raise the sun before. First time for everything, I guess.”

The four unicorns looked at one another, relieved smiles spreading across their faces. They eagerly left the train and stood on the platform, staring at the sky.

“She beat Nightmare Moon,” Lemon Hearts said.

“That was fast,” Twinkleshine noted.

Lyra yawned. “I don’t know about you three, but I am exhausted.”

Minuette nodded. “After all that, I just want to curl up in my bed for a good, long while.”

The others agreed.

They exited the train station and left for home. Lyra turned left, Lemon Hearts went straight ahead, and Minuette and Twinkleshine started off to the right. They decided that because the danger had passed, they’d wait and go over everything during their next weekly lunch.

“Happy graduation, Lyra!” Minuette called out as she walked away.

Lyra snorted in laughter. “Thanks for the experience, guys.”

When Lyra returned home, the first thing she did was give her parents a big hug and tell them about Nightmare Moon. She then excused herself to her bedroom so she could catch up on her sleep.

As Lyra crawled under her covers and closed her eyes, she thought about Bon Bon. She felt bad about just running away like that. She assured herself that Bon Bon would have run straight for her apartment and would have stayed safe for the short time that Nightmare Moon did whatever she was doing to Ponyville.

Lyra’s last thoughts before she fell asleep were of Ponyville, apartments, and Bon Bon.





Bon Bon had spent the additional hours of night locked in her apartment while sitting backward on her loveseat, looking over the backrest and out the window located on the adjacent wall. When the mass panic had broken out in town hall, she had lost sight of Lyra almost immediately. Once she had made it outside, it was impossible to pick Lyra out of the swarm of multicolored ponies galloping everywhere. When the crowd thinned out, Lyra was nowhere to be found. Bon Bon then thought about staying to help battle Nightmare Moon, but the mayor had made it clear that everyone was supposed to go home. Besides, it had been a while since she had been on one of her field missions and even then, those were against mindless monsters – not an evil supernatural force.

However, once Bon Bon was safely inside, she tried to keep vigil from her living room window. It was unlikely that wherever Lyra went, she would wind up passing by Bon Bon’s apartment building, but on the off chance it happened, Bon Bon didn’t want to fail to help her.

The streets, though, were empty the entire time. Bon Bon drifted in and out of consciousness as she stared out the window at nothing. Eventually, the sun rose abruptly, signaling Princess Celestia’s victory. Relieved that Nightmare Moon was no longer a threat, and knowing that whatever Lyra’s location, she was now safe, Bon Bon went to bed.

Several hours later, she woke up, still a little tired from the long night before, but awake enough to finish off what was remaining of the day. As she prepared breakfast – or more accurately, breakfast foods that she was about to eat in the middle of the afternoon – she thought about Lyra.

Bon Bon still didn’t know whether Lyra was looking for a relationship. Let alone with a mare. Let alone with her. Regardless, it was undeniable that she and Lyra had made some kind of connection during the party the previous night. Bon Bon had gone her entire life without having a really close friend. And now that Lyra would be returning to Ponyville in a little over a week, it seemed like she was about to get one. Bon Bon wanted a pony who she could laugh with, who she could do things with, who simply enjoyed sharing her company. She knew it was unlikely that Lyra would ever be her marefriend. But even if Lyra was just willing to be a good friend, Bon Bon would be happy.

Still, she couldn’t help but daydream. Maybe the fact that she met Lyra at that party was some kind of positive omen. After the night she had come out to her parents, Bon Bon hadn’t revealed her sexuality to anyone else – she didn’t want to go through that kind of drama and heartache again. Besides, no other ponies – mares or stallions – had expressed any interest in her romantically, so it didn’t much matter.

But maybe it was fate that she met Lyra. In just one night, Lyra had helped Bon Bon discover a fun-loving part of herself that she had forgotten she had. Maybe, Bon Bon thought, she and Lyra were truly meant for one another. Bon Bon liked who she was when she was around Lyra – maybe Lyra was the one who could find the real Bon Bon beneath her outer shell.

Bon Bon looked at her calendar. It was going to be a long week. The Monday after next couldn’t come quickly enough. Whether it would be as best friends or as marefriends, she knew that she and Lyra were meant to be together.





Lyra wasn’t late for the weekly lunch at the Canterlot Outdoor Café, but when she arrived, her other three friends were already there. The waiter had just brought the four their usual drinks.

“Did you read the news?” Minuette said to Lyra, levitating a newspaper practically into Lyra’s face as she sat down.

“Everypony’s read the news,” Lyra said, gently pushing the newspaper down with her hoof. “I still can’t figure out which thing I’m more shocked by – that Princess Celestia really does have a sister or that Twilight Sparkle is so powerful, she could defeat Nightmare Moon.”

“No wonder she kept to herself,” Twinkleshine said. “She probably had to do a lot of studying to find out what she needed to do to defeat her.”

“I’m more shocked at the ‘Princess Celestia really does have a sister’ thing,” Lemon Hearts said. “This has been a crazy week for us. Not only having to suddenly prepare multiple celebratory feasts, but learning the likes and dislikes of a brand new member of royalty. And not just any new member of royalty – the actual biological sister of Princess Celestia.”

“Why did Twilight have to go to Ponyville to find friends to control the Elements of Harmony?” Twinkleshine said. “She already knew us. Can you imagine – saving all of Equestria from eternal night? All the perks that would bring?”

Minuette put away the newspaper. “So much for trying to get her to hang out with us. It was hard enough to get her to break away from her studies before she became the hero of Equestria.”

“Plus, she’s living in Ponyville now,” said Twinkleshine. “I’d say we should go congratulate her, but she probably doesn’t even remember our names.”

Lyra saw the opportunity to reveal her news. “Well, I could find out for you in a couple of days if you want.”

The other three looked at her.

“I’m moving to Ponyville.”

Lyra’s three friends turned to one another, smiles on their faces. They all spoke at once: “I knew it!” “You were right!” “I’m not surprised.”

Lyra looked at them quizzically.

“Did you ask her out or did she ask you out?” Twinkleshine said.

Lyra nearly choked on her drink. “What? Who?” she sputtered.

“Bon Bon, of course,” Lemon Hearts said. “It was obvious that you two were into each other at the party.”

“Neither of us asked the other anything,” Lyra protested. “I don’t even know if she swings that way.”

“What?” Minuette exclaimed. “You two were alone together for the entire night!”

“I didn’t want to be too forward,” Lyra said. “That’s backfired on me before. And besides, you know that earth ponies are the least likely to be tolerant of same-sex relationships.”

“Lyra,” Lemon Hearts said with a hint of scolding in her voice, “you’ve gone out with lesbian earth ponies before.”

“Yeah,” Lyra countered, “and some of the most hurtful things that have ever been said to me have come from other earth ponies.”

“She looked friendly and tolerant enough to me,” Minuette said.

“So did Rosette, that guitarist from the academy,” Lyra said. “But when I told her during our first conversation that I was into her, she suddenly had to be somewhere else. And then things were awkward between us for the rest of the semester.”

Lemon Hearts placed her hoof on the table. “Lyra, that was just one pony.”

“But I don’t want that to happen again,” Lyra said. “Look, I just want to get a better feel for what she’s like first. What Ponyville is like.”

“What Ponyville is like?” Twinkleshine asked.

“It is a small town founded by earth ponies,” Lyra explained.

Lemon Hearts raised one eyebrow slightly. “If you’re so worried about Ponyville not even accepting you, then why would you move there in the first place?”

Lyra’s eyes briefly glazed over as she stared into the distance.

“Oh, Lyra,” Lemon Hearts said. The other two “mm”ed their mutual concern. “You’ve really fallen for her.”

Lyra broke from her reverie. “There are other reasons to move there!” she said. “For one thing, it isn’t too far away from Canterlot, but still far enough away that I can be on my own. And the cost of living is a lot lower – I can get a one-bedroom apartment all to myself there for half the price of a tiny studio apartment here. I won’t even have to get a roommate.”

Minuette smirked. “Plus, Bon Bon is there.”

Lyra opened her mouth to object, but then just sighed. “I hate that you three know me so well.”

Lemon Hearts looked Lyra directly in the eyes. “You’ve got to find out if she likes you back.” The other two nodded in agreement.

“That’s why I’m moving there!”

“So does this mean this is your last lunch with us?” Twinkleshine asked.

“Well, I’ll come back and visit occasionally,” Lyra said. “Ponyville isn’t that far away. But yeah… it is.”

“Then we have to celebrate!” Minuette said. She stopped to think. “Even though this’ll be the second week in a row we’ve done that. You’re lucky we like you so much.”

“I’m going to miss this,” Lyra said, gesturing around the table.

“Urbane!” Minuette said, calling to the waiter. “Bring Lyra here a chocolate lava cake!”

“I’m really going to miss this,” Lyra said.





It was early Monday afternoon. Lyra stared out the window of the train – the faint outline of Ponyville was beginning to come into view. This was real. She was actually moving to a new town.

And why? she thought to herself. This is all because of one pony. One pony who single-hoofedly convinced me that this is the right town to move to.

Well, there’s more than that. For instance, Spike said that everypony in Ponyville is really friendly. And the cost of living is lower here. If I’m going to be unemployed, I might as well do it in a town where I won’t be out on the street in a month. See? There are other reasons I’m moving here besides Bon Bon.

…I can’t lie to myself. This is primarily because of Bon Bon. This is crazy. I barely know anything about her. All I know is that we get along really, really well.

Well, that’s good enough. No matter what, I’m moving to this town knowing that if nothing else, Bon Bon and I are going to be very good friends.

And if I’m really lucky, maybe more.

The train pulled into the Ponyville train station. Lyra dragged her luggage out of the passenger car and then went around back to pick up her dresser, her bed, and a couple of cardboard boxes that had been shipped on a freight car the day before. Her parents, although they didn’t know all of the reasons Lyra was doing it, were supportive of her move to Ponyville. Still, they recommended not taking everything right away, just in case.

Soon, two muscular earth ponies from the moving company arrived and took Lyra’s belongings to Beech Tree Apartments. She had never found out where Bon Bon was living before the Summer Sun Celebration abruptly ended, but the moving ponies told Lyra that that was the only apartment complex in Ponyville.

As Lyra followed them to the address, she grew a little worried. Even though she had already decided that she wanted to move in near Bon Bon, she wasn’t so completely set on the idea that she’d do it no matter what the condition of the apartment was. She really hoped there weren’t any cockroaches running around or mildew stains, because she had no backup plan.

When the moving ponies arrived at the apartment complex, Lyra began to feel better. If the outside was anything to go by, she wasn’t going to have anything to worry about. The building’s exterior was well-maintained and done in the same two-story thatched-roof style as the majority of the residences in Ponyville; however, it was considerably longer and slightly curved. It also branched off at both ends and extended away from the street. From above, it was shaped similarly to a horseshoe.

As the moving ponies unloaded the cart, Lyra asked them how she should get ahold of them once she decided whether to take the apartment. They told her that they didn’t have any other business scheduled for the day, so they’d be happy to wait for her so she wouldn’t have to worry about moving her things, no matter what her decision. Lyra, who had grown up in Canterlot, really was amazed at how nice the ponies in Ponyville seemed to be.

Lyra walked through a small archway that passed through the center of the building and admired the courtyard. A tall beech tree rose from the center, providing shade to four benches distributed among neatly-trimmed bushes. The open side of the complex faced the river. Lyra worried that Bon Bon might have quoted the wrong rent – in Canterlot, an apartment like this would have been completely out of her price range.

Lyra began to look for where the property manager’s office might be. Before she had made much progress, an excited voice got her attention. “Lyra!”

Lyra turned around and saw Bon Bon descending a staircase from the second floor. Lyra ran over, met Bon Bon at the bottom, and gave her a friendly hug. Bon Bon seemed a little surprised at the gesture.

“Bon Bon! It’s so good to see you again!”

“You too! And I see you found the place okay. After Nightmare Moon was defeated, I realized I never told you where it was.”

“Yeah, sorry about running away like that. I sort of panicked.”

“I completely understand. Where did you hide?”

“Actually, we immediately jumped on the train back to Canterlot.”

Bon Bon laughed. “Smart move.”

“Say, do you know where the property manager’s office is?”

“Oh, of course! You’re in luck – the apartment near mine is still available. I think you’ll like it.”

Bon Bon showed Lyra to the property manager’s office and asked her to show Lyra the empty unit near hers. When Lyra stepped inside the apartment, it exceeded all of her expectations. The carpet had just been cleaned and the walls were freshly painted. For a one-bedroom apartment, it was larger than Lyra was expecting – her two pieces of furniture would easily fit in the bedroom with space to spare. There was a modestly-sized kitchen and a living room that was surprisingly spacious. It was going to feel especially open since Lyra hadn’t brought any living room furniture.

Lyra asked the property manager about the price, dreading a number significantly higher than what Bon Bon had told her during their prior conversation. When the property manager confirmed that the price was as low as Bon Bon had said, Lyra accepted right then and there. The property manager went downstairs to draw up the paperwork.

Bon Bon had a huge smile on her face. “I’m so excited you’re moving here! I can’t wait to show you around town. Do you have some time to do that now before you head back?”

“Actually,” Lyra said, “I was pretty sure I was going to move to Ponyville, so I already brought my stuff with me. Let me go tell the moving ponies to start bringing it up here.”

“That’s great!” Bon Bon said, and it was clear in her voice that she really thought it was. “I’ve got just the thing to celebrate. I’ll be back as soon as you finish signing the contract.” She trotted across the walkway and went inside her apartment, which was just two doors down. Lyra was all smiles as she walked downstairs to begin the process of officially moving in.

With only two pieces of furniture, some boxes, and a few pieces of luggage to carry, the movers were finished well before Lyra had completed all of the paperwork. They patiently waited until Lyra returned back upstairs, then, so she wouldn’t have to struggle to do it herself, reassembled her bed exactly where she wanted it in her bedroom. Lyra thanked them for being so nice and gave them a generous tip. They left and she looked around at her new living space.

Before long, there was a knock at the door. Lyra opened it to find Bon Bon holding a large plate wrapped in aluminum foil.

“I was going to give you this as a ‘come back soon’ present, but it works even better as a housewarming gift.”

Lyra picked up the plate with her magic, carried it across the empty living room, and set it on the kitchen counter. She removed the aluminum foil to find a large stack of chocolate candies sitting in paper shells.

“They’re peanut butter cups,” Bon Bon explained. “I wanted to see if this is more what you were thinking of.”

Using her magic, Lyra picked one up, removed the paper, and took a bite. “Mmm, yes,” she said before swallowing. “That’s exactly what I was thinking of.” She popped the rest of the peanut butter cup into her mouth. “Actually, this is even better than what I was thinking of.”

“Thanks,” Bon Bon said. “Now, if you’re going to be living in Ponyville, then you need to know where everything is. Especially during the daylight, when you can actually see it all. And… did you not bring a table to eat at?”

Lyra blushed a little bit. “I… may not have thought about that. Although it’s not like I could have taken my parents’ table anyway.” She eagerly picked up another peanut butter cup.

“Then I’ll show you where you can get a table, too. Let’s go!”





“You’ll find plenty of stalls open in the marketplace every day of the week,” Bon Bon explained. “But Saturday is when all of the merchants are here – and as a result, it’s also the day things are the busiest.”

“Check,” Lyra said. “Hey, speaking of food, how did the reverse apple bonbons go?”

“Oh yeah, those,” Bon Bon said. “Well, they tasted really good. But what I didn’t realize until I made them was that a bright red coating with a dark brown filling looked way too much like a rotten apple. I don’t think they’d sell very well.”

“That’s too bad,” Lyra said with sympathy in her voice.

“It’s no big deal. It’s all part of the creative process. Not everything is going to work the way you want it to.”

“Tell me about it,” Lyra said. “Sometimes, I’ll think I have this amazing idea for a song, but when I start strumming the notes, I’ll find out it just isn’t going the direction I hoped. Or that I’ve accidentally written a song that already exists.”

“I know what you mean,” Bon Bon said as she led Lyra over a bridge. “One time, I thought I’d make something brand new by combining chocolate, nuts, and cinnamon with peppers to give it a unique kick. It wasn’t until I was three days in that I figured out I was just working my way toward a weird, chewy, bite-size version of mole sauce.”

Lyra laughed. “Hey, maybe you’ve got something there. You just have to market it to campers for when they’re out in the wilderness. Just melt a few over the campfire, and boom! Instant sauce!”

Bon Bon laughed back. The day couldn’t have been going any better for her. Not only had Lyra decided to make the move to Ponyville, but she had already officially moved in. And even though Bon Bon had never doubted it, it was evident that the night of the party hadn’t been a fluke – they still had the same rapport with one another. As a result, Bon Bon, for the first time in her life, was doing something around town with a friend. She tried not to act too excited about it, but she was sure she probably had a little more spring in her step than usual.

“And over there is the library. Obviously, you’ve been in there. If we go this way, we’ll pass by Suitcases and Dining Sets – that’ll be the best place for you to get a table.”

“Oh, I almost forgot about that,” Lyra said. “Hold on – let me get a quick idea of what they have available. I’ll be right back.”

Bon Bon watched Lyra enter the store. Which gave her mind an opportunity to wander. Okay… at this point, it’s clear that Lyra and I would be great friends, she thought. But is there more? How do I find out whether she’d be interested in me romantically without ruining that friendship?

Bon Bon sighed. The other ponies make dating seem so easy. I wish I knew how to flirt so she’d know I was interested. Life was easier before I went and got this crush.

Don’t rush this, she cautioned herself. Remember, this is only the second time you’ve talked to her. Maybe you just need to wait for the right moment.

Lyra walked back out of the store. “Those tables are all really nice,” she said, “and really pricey. Maybe I’ll just eat off of the counter until I know what kind of job I can find around here.”

“I can’t have you doing that,” Bon Bon said. “We’ll find something else for you. But for now, come on – I want to show you Sugarcube Corner.”

Bon Bon led Lyra to a relatively large building near the center of town. The roof looked like it was made of gingerbread and drizzled in icing, although Lyra knew that that couldn’t actually be possible.

“If you’re craving baked goods, this is the place,” Bon Bon said as she opened the door for Lyra. “Check it out.”

Lyra stepped inside and was immediately taken by the inviting aroma of freshly-baked cake. As she looked around, she saw baked goods of all kinds displayed on tables and shelves. A small seating area was set up in front of a wall lined with additional sweets.

Bon Bon pointed to the wall behind the seating area. “See all those candies?”

Lyra looked at the array of lollipops, gumballs, peppermint sticks, and other sugary treats.

“Those are mine,” Bon Bon said proudly. “The Cakes sell them on my behalf. That way, I don’t have to worry about operating my own storefront and the Cakes don’t lose any business. Yeah, I’d make more profit if I sold them directly myself, but with all the time and stress it would take to run my own store, it isn’t worth it to me. I’m still making enough money to support myself, and this way, we don’t have to compete with one another.”

Bon Bon stepped up to the counter and rang the bell. After a moment, a blue, slightly plump earth pony came out from the kitchen. “Hello, Bon Bon!” she said warmly.

“Hi, Mrs. Cake!” Bon Bon replied. “This is Lyra – she just moved to Ponyville.”

“Why, hello there, dearie,” Mrs. Cake said to Lyra. “It’s always wonderful to see a new face around town.”

“We’ll have two slices of apple cake, please,” Bon Bon said.

“Right away!” Mrs. Cake said. She disappeared into the kitchen.

“You’re going to love this cake,” Bon Bon said. “Ponyville has the best apples.”

In no time, Mrs. Cake came back, balancing two small plates across her foreleg. She placed them on the counter, Bon Bon gave her some bits, and Bon Bon and Lyra each took a slice of cake over to one of the tables in the seating area.

As they began to eat their cake – which was just as delicious as Bon Bon had promised – Lyra couldn’t help but wonder: Did this just turn into a date? Or was her imagination running wild again?

After all, Lyra still didn’t know whether Bon Bon could even be interested in her as a marefriend. Contrary to what some of Equestria’s pulp fiction writers liked to imply, only about 4% of the kingdom’s ponies were in same-sex relationships. Mathematically speaking, the odds were that Bon Bon was just being friendly.

Still, Lyra had to try and find out. But she didn’t want to be too overt, just in case she was jumping to conclusions. She chose her words carefully. “So, Bon Bon… is there any stallion you’re seeing right now?” She put a subtle emphasis on the word stallion.

Bon Bon had just taken a bite of her cake. For a moment, she stopped chewing. The motion of eating concealed it, but she couldn’t help but frown. She knew it had been too good to be true. Based on the way Lyra had phrased the question, Bon Bon had her answer: Lyra was straight.

Straight ponies always automatically assumed that everyone else they talked to was also straight. Bon Bon knew they didn’t mean any offense by it, and during her time in Ponyville, she had gotten used to it. But this time, it stung. Badly. Lyra had assumed that Bon Bon would be going out with a stallion. Lyra was straight.

Bon Bon resumed chewing. So much for fate, she thought, trying not to let the disappointment show on her face.

Before she swallowed, she mentally composed herself. So she’ll never be your marefriend. You knew that was a long shot anyway. She’s still a really good friend. And you don’t want to mess that up.

She swallowed, then quickly said, “No, there’s nopony I’m seeing.” There was no reason to elaborate. There was never any reason to elaborate.

Bon Bon turned her head, looking for an excuse to change the subject. To her relief, it was at that moment that Pinkie Pie walked in the door, having just returned from a delivery.

“Pinkie Pie!” Bon Bon called. Pinkie hopped over to the table.

“Hiya, Bon Bon!”

“Pinkie, you remember Lyra from the Summer Sun party?”

“Of course I remember Lyra! It’s great to see you again!”

Lyra opened her mouth to respond, but her air was cut off as Pinkie Pie compressed her in a hug.

“Lyra just officially moved to Ponyville,” Bon Bon said. “So you know what that means.”

Pinkie Pie released Lyra from the hug, drawing back while inhaling abnormally deeply.

“You need a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party!” she said, pointing at Lyra. “I’m on it!” In an instant, she was gone.

Lyra struggled to regain her breath. As she did, she came to the conclusion that this wasn’t a date – this really was Bon Bon simply showing her around town.

After the two finished their cake, Bon Bon took Lyra to a few other Ponyville locations of note. Eventually, they found themselves back at Beech Tree Apartments.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Bon Bon said as the two made their way up the stairs. “You head to your place – I have to get something.”

As Bon Bon entered her unit, Lyra walked two doors down and opened the door to hers. Lyra stepped inside. She still didn’t quite believe that this was her new home. Her eyes scanned the completely empty living room. She realized that she still needed to get a table.

Bon Bon walked in through the still-open door carrying a box on her back. “After the Nightmare Moon thing happened, I realized you left your red velvet cake behind,” she said, “so I went and got it for you and kept it in my icebox. The sides where you cut a piece might be a little too dry now, but the rest should still be good to eat.”

Lyra was touched. “You didn’t have to do that,” she said, picking up the box with her magic and placing it in the kitchen.

“It was no problem,” Bon Bon said. “Your friend Spike was happy to get it for me. Although the unicorn – Twilight, I think it was? – was really upset at the idea of ponies storing food in a library.”

Lyra laughed. “That’s Twilight Sparkle for you. She really loves books.”

“From the way she was ranting, I gathered that,” Bon Bon said. “Well, I should let you get settled in. If you have any questions, or if you need to borrow anything, don’t hesitate to come over and ask.”

“Thanks, Bon Bon,” Lyra said. “This has been really nice of you. Thank you for all of your help.”

Lyra lifted her foreleg, then realized that she wasn’t sure whether she should give Bon Bon a hoofshake or a full hug. Bon Bon shifted in a similarly uncertain manner.

Lyra decided to go with her gut and gave Bon Bon a hug. They were friends, after all. Bon Bon hugged Lyra back. On the whole, the exchange wasn’t carried out as awkwardly as it could have been.

Bon Bon left Lyra’s apartment, closing the door behind her. Lyra went into her bedroom and began to open the few boxes that she had brought. One of the boxes contained a few plates and other items for the kitchen. Lyra used her magic to carry the box into the other room and place its contents in the cupboards. Doing so made her realize that she still needed to go grocery shopping.

Just as Lyra closed her kitchen cupboards, there was a rapid knocking at her door. Lyra walked over to open it.

As soon as she did, she found herself inside a shower of confetti. At the door stood Pinkie Pie.

“Welcome to Ponyville, Lyra Heartstrings!” Pinkie Pie shouted. Lyra worried that the residents of the other apartments were going to complain about the noise. “Actually, I can’t give you a proper welcome here, so come with me to Sugarcube Corner! It’s time to party!”

Lyra had to maintain a brisk trot in order to keep up with Pinkie Pie. In no time, she was back at Sugarcube Corner. Although the building had been relatively empty a couple of hours ago, it was now crowded with streamers and ponies, all of whom cheered when Lyra walked in the door. Confetti fell from above.

It was a surprise, but not so overwhelming that Lyra couldn’t handle it. “Thanks for the great welcome, everypony,” she said to the room.

“Thank you for moving here!” Pinkie Pie said, positioning herself directly in front of Lyra’s face. “Now let’s party!”

Another explosion of confetti went off and music filled the room. As the party guests began to mingle, Lyra walked over to Bon Bon, who was standing near the front of the group.

“So, every new resident gets a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party,” Lyra concluded.

“Yep. Ideally, Pinkie likes it to be a surprise,” Bon Bon explained, “but since you were at the last one, that wasn’t possible. You’ll get used to attending these as new ponies come to town. Now come on – a lot of ponies want to meet you.”

Bon Bon stood to Lyra’s side as pony after pony greeted Lyra and welcomed her to Ponyville. Lyra realized that it was going to take a while to learn the names of so many friendly faces. She looked around for Twilight, but Spike, who was at the party, told Lyra that Twilight was over at an apple farm, trying to help out.

It had been a while since Lyra had had a conversation of any length with Twilight, but still, that didn’t sound like the Twilight she knew. Lyra accepted that Twilight had found a new identity in Ponyville and that they had simply grown apart. Besides, there were plenty of new friends for Lyra to focus her attention on.

She looked over toward where her first Ponyville friend had been standing, but Bon Bon had stepped away to talk to Pinkie Pie. After a minute, she returned.

“Pinkie says that Cherry Berry just redid her house,” Bon Bon said. “Maybe she could sell you her old dining table.”

The two walked over to Cherry Berry, who was more than happy to find a buyer for her table. After the party, Bon Bon helped Lyra pick up the table and move it upstairs into her apartment. She then offered to accompany Lyra as Lyra bought some groceries so she would have something to eat the next day besides red velvet cake and peanut butter cups.

If it had been any other pony, Lyra would have felt uncomfortable with all of the attention. But Lyra was really enjoying spending time with Bon Bon. At the end of the long day, Lyra went to bed and for the first time, fully realized that she was on her own, alone.

But she felt a lot less alone when she realized that Bon Bon was just two apartments away. Lyra smiled as she drifted off to sleep.





It had only been a little over a week since Lyra had moved to Ponyville, but she had already embraced the small town as her new home. Canterlot may have been bigger and busier, but Ponyville was much more pleasant. And Bon Bon had been right – even though there weren’t as many choices of things to do, there was always something to do if you looked for it.

With the exception of one day early on, Lyra had seen Bon Bon every day since she moved to town. Bon Bon was often busy making candy, so Lyra didn’t always see her for long each day, but Bon Bon had been exceedingly helpful in helping Lyra out with whatever she needed to get acclimated. At one point, Lyra asked whether she was being too imposing, but Bon Bon assured Lyra that she truly enjoyed spending time with her. Lyra was glad to hear it – she truly enjoyed spending time with Bon Bon, too.

On this day, the two were strolling through town, looking for something to do. Bon Bon didn’t have any orders to fulfill, so Lyra was accompanying her on her day off. As they walked around aimlessly, they passed by the bowling alley.

“Ooh, bowling,” Lyra said. “Wanna do that?”

Bon Bon didn’t immediately respond. “I don’t know… I can’t even remember the last time I’ve been bowling. I wouldn’t be very good.”

“That’s the great thing about bowling,” Lyra said. “Most ponies aren’t very good at it, so no one cares how well you do.”

“The regulars there are practically professionals,” Bon Bon said. “I’m going to look like an idiot in front of them.”

Lyra stepped in front of Bon Bon. “We’re not bowling against them,” she said. “The only other pony who’s going to be on your lane is me, and I haven’t gone bowling in a while, either. We’ll be terrible together. I promise – it’ll be fun.”

Bon Bon thought about it for a moment. “All right, I’m in.”

“Great!”

The two stepped inside. While it wasn’t particularly busy, there was still a decent amount of activity for it being the middle of the day. Roughly a third of the lanes – mostly on the far side – were being used by ponies wearing custom bowling shirts. The sound of bowling balls crashing into pins filled the space. In the back, a small concession stand was selling greasy snack foods.

Lyra and Bon Bon walked up to the counter, paid their money, and were assigned to one of the empty lanes closer to the entrance, away from the regulars.

Bon Bon stared at the heavy, colorful balls lined up in a row near the lane. “I don’t even remember how you’re supposed to aim these at the pins,” she said.

Lyra examined the balls. “If I remember correctly, different leagues have different methods,” she said. “The unicorn league uses magic and the earth pony league bucks the ball. But ponies in the mixed league do something with their front hooves.” She looked across the lanes at the regulars, then picked up a ball with her magic and rested it in her upturned hoof. “Yeah,” she said, judging the weight of the ball, “I can balance this from here to the throwing line.”

Bon Bon used her muzzle to nudge a ball onto her hoof. “Well, I’m not very good at bucking, so I might as well try it this way,” she said.

They each returned their balls to the rack. “So, who goes first?” Bon Bon asked.

“I’ll give it a shot,” Lyra said. She lined herself up with the lane, placed a ball in her hoof, then walked forward on three legs. As she approached the foul line, she lowered her hoof while simultaneously thrusting it forward. The ball fell from her hoof onto the wood and rolled in a diagonal line down the lane. Roughly three quarters of the way down, it fell into a gutter.

Lyra snorted with amusement. “Zero,” she announced. “Make sure you get that right.”

Bon Bon, standing at the scoring desk, smirked. She picked up a pencil with her teeth and wrote a zero on the scorecard. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I haven’t shortchanged you any of the points you’ve earned so far.”

“You’d better not,” Lyra said. She picked up another ball, took a step to the left to compensate for the angle of her previous throw, and heaved it down the lane. This time, she knocked over the 6 and 10 pins.

“Oh yeah,” Lyra said, performing an exaggerated victory strut. “I’m unstoppable. Good luck trying to beat that.”

Bon Bon wrote a two on the scorecard, then stepped over and took a ball. She carried it toward the foul line, but stepped forward onto her other foreleg while she was still trying to release the ball. As a result, she stumbled forward and her ball promptly fell into a gutter.

Bon Bon looked over to see if any of the regulars had seen that, but they were all too engrossed in their own games to pay any attention to her. She turned her attention to Lyra, who was already writing a zero on the scorecard. “You wish you could be as graceful as that,” she said.

“I can honestly say that I’ve never seen anypony throw the ball quite like that before,” Lyra said. “As of the first half of the first frame, we’re tied.”

Bon Bon took another ball. This time, she walked all the way up to the foul line, then stopped. While standing in one place, she focused all of her attention on releasing the ball. As a result, the ball didn’t travel down the lane as quickly, but it moved more accurately. It gently knocked over three pins.

“The game ends after one frame, right?” Bon Bon said. “That means I win?”

“Yuh-huh, nice try,” Lyra said, writing a three on the scorecard. “If you’re so confident you can keep up this hot streak, why don’t we make things more interesting? Loser pays for lunch. And winner decides what we’re eating.”

Bon Bon looked at Lyra. “You’re hustling me, aren’t you?” she said. “You’re secretly an expert bowler and you want me to pay for your lunch.”

“If I was going to hustle somepony, I’d do it for a lot more than lunch,” Lyra said. “It looks like we’re pretty evenly matched. You game?”

“Oh, what the heck. You’ve already got me bowling in the first place. You’re on.” They shook hooves.

As the game progressed, it became evident that Lyra was not a hustler. Still, she kept refining her approach and was beginning to hit the pins more reliably, even if she was never able to knock them all over. Bon Bon stuck with her strategy of standing at the edge of the lane and throwing the ball from one spot. She was more consistent than Lyra, but also wasn’t able to knock down all ten pins. After five frames, Bon Bon led by a score of 27 to 24.

Lyra placed a ball in her hoof. “Let me try something,” she said. She reared up onto her hind legs and walked two-legged toward the line. To Bon Bon’s surprise, Lyra was able to maintain the stance pretty well… until it came time to release the ball. As Lyra swung her foreleg, it threw her too far off balance and she flopped down onto her belly.

Still, the extra momentum from Lyra’s fall propelled the ball more quickly than Lyra had thrown it before. And it stayed on course long enough to strike the pins near the center of the grouping, knocking down eight of them. Only the 1 and 3 pins remained.

“Ow,” Lyra said as she got up. She examined the two pins left standing. “…Not worth the pain,” she decided.

“I’d give you bonus points for style,” Bon Bon said, “but there’s lunch at stake.”

Lyra picked up a ball and went back to her three-legged stance. She carefully lined herself up. Then she walked forward and released the ball with a little more attention to accuracy and a less attention to power.

The ball rolled through both of the remaining pins.

“Yes!” Lyra exclaimed, pumping her hoof.

“Sure, that’s great for you,” Bon Bon said, drawing a slash on the scorecard. “But now I have to go find out how you’re supposed to score a spare.”

Entirely because of that spare, Lyra took the lead and held it for the remainder of the game, finishing with a score of 64. Bon Bon entered the final frame with 51.

“So I have to get a strike or a spare to even have a shot at this,” Bon Bon said. “No pressure.”

“I know it’s rude to gloat,” Lyra said, “but should I go place our lunch order now?”

“You do realize you’re bragging about a 64.”

“When else am I going to get to brag about a 64?”

Bon Bon smiled, rolled her eyes, and stepped up to the line. She heaved the ball down the lane and knocked over the 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 pins.

“Are you ready to see an amazing comeback?” Bon Bon asked. “Then I suggest you go watch one of those other lanes over there.”

Bon Bon threw her final ball, but not accurately enough. She knocked over three pins, giving her a final total of 59. “Good game,” she said to Lyra.

“Great game,” Lyra replied. “Are you hungry? I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”

“Okay, okay,” Bon Bon said good-naturedly. She was, in fact, hungry – she just wanted to let Lyra enjoy her win.

Lyra led Bon Bon over to the concession stand. “You know, I could have forced you to buy me a thick, juicy portobello steak,” she said. “You’re lucky I’m picking something cheap.”

“So, what are we having?” Bon Bon asked.

Lyra got the attention of the stallion behind the counter. “Garçon! I will have an oatburger with a large side of hay fries,” she said, acting as though she was ordering off the menu at a five-star restaurant. “And my friend here will have…” Lyra scanned the counter. Her eyes stopped on a flat metal grill with rollers.

“…a carrot dog.”

Bon Bon’s eyes registered the tiniest amount of fear. “You wouldn’t,” she said. “Nopony actually eats those things. I’ve always assumed they were just for show.”

“One carrot dog, my good sir,” Lyra said with a mischievous smile. She turned to Bon Bon. “I’ll even be nice and let you decide what goes on it.”

The tint of Bon Bon’s face changed slightly. “Ketchup and mustard,” she said. “Lots of ketchup and mustard.”

“And two root beers,” Lyra concluded. After Bon Bon paid for their food, Lyra carried the tray over to a small table, where they sat on opposite sides.

“Mmm, this is delicious,” Lyra said, telekinetically lifting her burger and taking a bite. “Thank you very much, Bon Bon.”

“It’s a bowling alley oatburger,” Bon Bon said. “It can’t be that delicious.”

“It’s delicious because I won it,” Lyra explained. “That makes all food taste better. Go on – enjoy your carrot dog.”

Bon Bon looked at her lunch. She liked carrot dogs as much as the next pony – but only when they were grilled properly. Not when they had spent who-knows-how-long rotating on a greasy metal plate.

Bon Bon leaned down and took a tentative bite. The ketchup and mustard masked the flavor of the carrot, but not its texture, which was mushy on the outside. Yet the center had just the wrong amount of give to it – it was no longer crisp, but not really cooked, either. The closest thing Bon Bon could compare it to was biting into a really thick strand of moderately cooked pasta.

“I am never taking another bet against you ever again,” Bon Bon said.

“Come on,” Lyra said. “It’s a carrot. It’s good for you.”

Bon Bon frowned at Lyra. “There is nothing about this carrot that could possibly be good for me.”

Lyra tried to suppress her laughter. “If you eat the whole thing, I’ll let you have some of my fries.”

“If I eat the whole thing, I won’t live long enough to have some of your fries.”

Lyra levitated a fry over toward the carrot dog and dragged it across the top. “Hurry up,” she said with a smile, “or I’m going to take away all of your ketchup and mustard.” She popped the fry into her mouth.

Bon Bon responded with an insincere glare.

In the end, Bon Bon finished the carrot dog, primarily to prove that she wouldn’t back down from the challenge. The hay fries were a much-needed palate cleanser.

“You know I was always going to share, right?” Lyra said. “I wouldn’t actually order that many fries all for myself.”

“I know,” Bon Bon said. “But just because you beat me at bowling doesn’t mean I was going to let you beat me at lunch, too.”

“I just made you eat an entire greasy carrot dog,” Lyra said. “I think I did beat you at lunch.”

Bon Bon threw a fry at Lyra.

The two of them finished eating and continued to chat about whatever topics came to mind.

“I’m still not completely convinced you didn’t just hustle me,” Bon Bon said. “When was the last time you went bowling?”

“Not since my first year at the music academy,” Lyra said. “A bunch of us went bowling as kind of a combined celebration of midterms being over, slash singles party. But you can’t say that that helped me win here – we were all unicorns, so we used magic to throw the ball.”

Bon Bon pretended to be skeptical. “A likely story. How well did you do?”

“Terrible all around. I only scored eighty-some points and I didn’t meet anypony.” 

Bon Bon laughed. She then realized that while she knew a lot about Lyra’s past at the music academy, she didn’t know whether Lyra was currently in a relationship or whether she was looking. Since there was no chance of Lyra ever dating her, Bon Bon figured it wouldn’t be out of line to ask. After all, friends were supposed to help one another with that type of thing, right?

“You asked me once, but I never asked you,” Bon Bon said. “Are you seeing anypony right now?”

Lyra, who was sucking up the last drops of root beer through her straw, stopped short. She still wasn’t certain how Bon Bon felt about same-sex relationships. She had tried a couple of times during the week to find out, but Bon Bon’s responses to her subtly-worded questions had never led her to a definitive conclusion one way or the other.

She decided to play it safe. “For the past year, I was focusing too hard on my studies to have much of a dating life,” she said honestly. “The last pony I went out with for any length of time was a bass clarinetist named Cosmic Dust, during my junior year.” Lyra omitted the fact that Cosmic Dust was female. “But after a couple of months, I realized we weren’t really right for one another.”

“What did he do?” Bon Bon asked.

Lyra deflated a little. Well, at least now I know she’s straight, she thought to herself. Because I definitely didn’t say “he.” So much for ever asking her out. I bet we would have made a really good couple.

“It wasn’t anything either of us did,” Lyra said in response to Bon Bon’s question. “It felt more like our classmates were expecting us to date each other just because we were both… musicians. Who, um, sat near each other. But we just never were a really good fit together.”

“That’s too bad,” Bon Bon said. “I’m sure there’s somepony perfect for you out there.”

“It’s all right. Being single for the past year has been good for me. It’s made me realize that I shouldn’t focus so much… on whether somepony would want to go out with me.” She cleared her throat. “So… what about you? Who was the last pony you dated?”

Bon Bon looked down at her empty plate. She shifted in her seat. “Oh… um…” she said. She looked up at Lyra. “Promise you won’t think I’m weird?”

“I’ve got no problem with weird,” Lyra said. “You can tell me… who was it?”

“That’s the thing,” Bon Bon said. “I’ve never really been in a relationship with anypony.”

Lyra was surprised, but she kept her facial expression in check. She didn’t want to make Bon Bon feel any more uncomfortable than she had just become.

“That doesn’t make you weird,” Lyra said. “Maybe it’s a little different than the average pony, but that doesn’t make it a bad thing. I am a little surprised, though – is there a reason? Are you just not looking?”

“Well, when I was growing up, my parents moved around too often for me to date any of the other students at the secondary schools I went to. So by the time I got out of school, I already felt like I was behind the curve. Then I never met anypony that I thought I could ask out. And now I’m too old to have never been on a first date. It’s just embarrassing.” Bon Bon couldn’t even look Lyra in the eye as she confessed it.

Lyra wanted to take Bon Bon’s hoof in hers to show her that it was okay, but Bon Bon had both of her forelegs on her seat. All Lyra could do was hope that her tone of voice was sympathetic enough. “Don’t be embarrassed, Bon Bon,” she said. Bon Bon still didn’t look up.

Lyra looked around the bowling alley. “If I knew anyone in town well enough, I’d find somepony for you who wouldn’t judge you just because you’ve never been on a date before. Have you tried asking any of your Ponyville friends to set you up?”

Bon Bon started to lift her head toward Lyra, but then went back to looking at the floor. “I… don’t really know anypony in Ponyville well enough for that. To be honest, you’re the first really good friend I’ve ever had.” She winced. “And now I wish I hadn’t just told you that. Because I just realized how sad that makes me sound.”

Lyra looked at Bon Bon. She got out of her seat, walked around the table, and put her hoof on Bon Bon’s shoulder. “Bon Bon,” she said. Bon Bon turned her head to look at Lyra. Lyra could see that Bon Bon’s eyes were beginning to water. “It’s awful that you haven’t had the chance to make friends before now. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re a great pony. Just because you didn’t have any close friends before doesn’t make you sad.” She looked at Bon Bon’s eyes. “I mean, sad meaning ‘pathetic.’ You’re not sad that way. Are you sad meaning ‘unhappy’?”

Bon Bon picked up a napkin and dabbed at her eyes. “Not about the no friends thing. I’m an only child – I’m used to being alone. To be honest, now I’m worried you’re not going to want to hang around with me now that I admitted this.”

Lyra gave Bon Bon a reassuring smile. “I like you too much for that to happen. You’re not going to get rid of me that easily.”

Bon Bon gave Lyra a small smile back.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Lyra said. “It’s a nice day outside – I think we should go to the park again.”





Lyra and Bon Bon spent the rest of the afternoon in the park, chatting idly, pony-watching, and sometimes just sitting quietly and enjoying the weather.

As the sun began to set, Lyra turned to Bon Bon. “Feeling better?” she asked.

“I’m sorry about that back at the bowling alley. I shouldn’t have put you in that position.”

“You said you’ve never had a real friend before me?” Lyra said. “Well, guess what – friends help each other with that kind of thing. You need me; I’m there for you. I’m not going to let a friend who’s as great as you feel bad about herself.”

Bon Bon had a grateful smile on her face. “Thanks, Lyra.”

“Any time, Bon Bon. I mean it – you’re a lot of fun to be with.”

As the two watched the setting sun, they each had the same thought on their minds: So what if I can’t date her. I’m glad she’s my friend.