It was a typical day at Sugarcube Corner. The smell of fresh-baked treats filled the air, ponies bustled in line for their chance to buy some baked goods, and the ever-exuberant Pinkie Pie stood behind the counter, ready to serve. A mint-green unicorn with a harp on her flank stood awaiting her turn with an excited grin on her face.
When she reached the front, she greeted Pinkie with a friendly, "Hi!"
"Hi, Lyra! What can I get for you?" Pinkie asked.
"I need four cupcakes: two chocolate, two vanilla," Lyra said.
"Okie-dokie-loki!" Pinkie disappeared for an instant and came back with a small box containing Lyra's order. "There you go! That's eight bits."
"Alright." Lyra placed the money on the counter and took her package. She then turned to leave, but Pinkie stopped her.
"Hey, Lyra!" Pinkie called. "Just asking, but what's got you so happy today? I think that's the biggest smile I've ever seen on you!"
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just having a picnic with Bon-Bon today, and it always makes me happy when we get to spend time together. That's what these cupcakes are for, in fact."
Pinkie smiled knowingly. "I see. Say no more; I understand."
Something about the way she said that made Lyra uncomfortable. "Uh, Pinkie, what exactly do you 'understand'?"
"Well, duh, Lyra. You and Bon-Bon are marefriends," Pinkie stated. "It's pretty obvious."
Lyra just stared at her for a moment. "Are you serious?"
Pinkie nodded energetically. "You two spend sooo much time together, it's hard not to notice."
"Bon-Bon and I are friends. I mean, you and Rainbow Dash spend lots of time together. Does that make you two a couple?"
This caused Pinkie to explode in loud, high-pitched giggles. "Me and Dashie?" she gasped through her laughter. "That's a good one, Lyra."
"You see? Just because two ponies spend time together doesn't mean they're a couple," Lyra explained.
Pinkie considered this, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm...nope!"
"What do you mean 'nope'?"
"You and Bon-Bon are super-special soulmates!" Pinkie declared.
Lyra could tell this was a battle she wasn't going to win. "Alright, Pinkie. You think what you want about me and Bon-Bon. I'm leaving."
Lyra turned and left the bakery, Pinkie's words still hanging in her mind. Bon-Bon was her best friend; they couldn't be a couple. Furthermore, they were both straight. Pinkie was just spouting nonsense.
Lyra gave her head a shake to dispel these thoughts, and instead focused on the prospect of fun with her best friend. She walked to Ponyville Park, where Bon-Bon had agreed to meet her, and soon spotted the creamy beige mare.
"Hi!" Lyra called, trotting up.
"Hi, Lyra! I brought us some daisy sandwiches," said Bon-Bon, holding up a picnic basket.
"I got the cupcakes!" Lyra announced proudly.
Bon-Bon produced a blanket from her basket, which the two friends spread out and sat down upon. They then began eating. Lyra chewed her sandwich in silence, thinking. She wondered if she should tell Bon-Bon about what Pinkie had said, but thought better of it. Lyra knew her friend well enough to know that something like this would just embarrass her.
"So," Bon-Bon began, "how was your day?"
"Well...let's just say it was interesting. You?"
"Good."
"That's good. Bon-Bon?"
"Yes?"
"You know you're my best friend, right?"
Bon-Bon smiled. "You're mine too, Lyra."
Lyra smiled back and wrapped Bon-Bon in a hug.
Suddenly, a high-pitched, bubbly, annoyingly familiar voice rang out, "Come on, Lyra, kiss her already!"
Lyra broke the hug to see Pinkie Pie standing right beside their picnic blanket, watching them intently.
"Umm...Lyra...what did she just say?" asked Bon-Bon.
Lyra couldn't lie. "She told me to kiss you, Bons."
Bon-Bon blushed furiously. "Oh my..."
"Yeah," Lyra continued, "Pinkie Pie thinks you and I would make a good couple."
Bon-Bon turned an even deeper shade of crimson.
"But you would!" Pinkie protested.
Lyra sighed heavily, exasperated. "Do I have to spell it out for you, Pinkie? Bon-Bon and I are F-R-I-E-N-D-S!"
Pinkie looked confused. "But you're not French!"
Lyra facehoofed. "Friends, Pinkie! We're just friends. Besides, Bon-Bon and I aren't even filly-foolers. You like stallions, don't you, Bon-Bon?"
Bon-Bon, still too shocked and mortified to speak, just nodded.
Pinkie would not accept defeat, however. "But everypony thinks you two would be great together!" she insisted.
"They do not," said Lyra skeptically.
"Fine, let's ask them!"
"Pinkie, wait-"
"Hey, everypony!" Pinkie shouted, drawing the attention of all the ponies in their immediate vicinity. "Raise your hoof if you think Lyra and Bon-Bon would make a good couple!"
Lyra felt like disappearing as hooves shot up all around them. Unfortunately, she didn't know the spell for that. Had she and Bon-Bon really been putting those kinds of signals out there? They were really good friends, nothing more, and she didn't know where everypony got the idea that they were in love. Now that she thought about it, no stallion had asked her out in months, since about the time she and Bon-Bon became friends.
"I told you," said Pinkie smugly.
"Pinkie Pie!" came a voice, scolding.
Lyra, Bon-Bon, and Pinkie all turned to see the yellow form of Mr. Cake approaching them.
"Uhh...hi, Mr. Cake," said Pinkie nervously. "What brings you here?"
"You do, Pinkie. I turned around to ask you to make more muffins, and you were gone," he said.
"About that..." Pinkie looked like a foal that had been caught with her hoof in the cookie jar.
"Were you bothering these nice girls?" Mr. Cake demanded.
"Well...kinda," Pinkie admitted.
"Pinkie, go back and help Cup."
"Yes, sir," said Pinkie, and dashed off back to the bakery.
Mr. Cake turned to Lyra and Bon-Bon. "Sorry about that."
"That's okay," said Bon-Bon, who was beginning to return to normal.
"By the way," he continued, "I think what you two have is wonderful, the way you can be so open and honest about your love for each other. It's great." With that, he walked off.
Bon-Bon's blush returned with a vengeance.