//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Days of Their Lives // by alexmagnet //------------------------------// --- Lyra smiled, looking at the picture wistfully. She wished she could turn back the hands of time and go to a place where her only concern was whether or not she would win the talent show. Everything had been so simple back then. Life wasn’t so simple anymore, things… well, things had changed. "No way I could lose,” she whispered again, barely loud enough to hear. Lyra chuckled a bit, "I guess I was a bit overly dramatic about the whole talent show thing, huh?" she said. Bon-Bon giggled, "Yes, well dramatic would be one word to describe it. But,” she said, her voice becoming more serious, “what I said then still stands today Lyra.” Lyra closed her eyes, knowing the words she was about to hear. “It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, only that you enjoy yourself. Follow your heart and you can't go wrong.” Lyra smiled slightly. She practically knew those words by heart having heard Bon-Bon say them so many times. Just the memories those words brought up were almost enough to bring Lyra to tears. But, she didn’t want to worry Bon-Bon, not again. So, biting her lip, Lyra fought off her tears and faked a laugh. "Oh Celestia," she said, “I’ve heard that cheesy line so many times.” Lyra laughed again, trying her best to keep any trace of her true feelings from escaping. Bon-Bon made a pouting face. “Cheesy it may be, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true,” she said, wagging a hoof at Lyra. “Okay, okay, if we're done with all this namby pamby feel good talk let's get back to it," said Lyra, tapping a hoof on the photo album. The pink and blue maned earth pony sighed, shook her head, and said, "Fine, fine." They both turned their attention back to the album as Lyra flipped to the next page, lingering for a fraction of a second to look at the picture one last time. Page after page passed in front of them, each one a cherished memory. Lyra quietly reminisced at each new photo. It was like stepping back in time seeing all these young ponies she used to know. Some pictures made her smile and some made her laugh, but all of them made the pit in her stomach continue to grow. It was almost painful to see how things used to be, because she knew nothing would ever be the same. The green magic that was turning the pages stopped suddenly as Lyra noticed one of her favorite photos. She tapped the picture softly, pointing at a pair of young looking mares. A cream colored earth pony sat next to a minty unicorn. The two looked embarrassed at the prospect of having this moment in time immortalized. The unicorn had her foreleg scratching the back of her head, as she blushed deeply. Meanwhile the earth pony was attempting to, unsuccessfully, hide her own crimson face. Neither pony was even looking at the camera. "Oh Celestia, I remember this," giggled Lyra, "This was the picture you and I took on our first date.” She tapped her chin, as if trying to remember something. “Now,” she said, “If I recall correctly this was taken in that photo booth way out near the movie theater.” Bon Bon laughed, "Yep, that’s the one,” she said. “And,” she began, “if I recall correctly, you were so embarrassed you couldn’t even take a proper picture.” "You’re looking pretty flushed there yourself," said Lyra eyeing the photo. “We both look like we have no idea what we're even doing,” she chuckled. The earth pony quietly laid her head on the unicorn's shoulder. "It feels like it's been forever since then," she said. "So much has changed," the other replied, "it all seems so far away now. Like it's part of a dream or something. Almost like it never happened," she said. "But it did happen," Bon Bon replied, raising her head to look Lyra in the eye. "Even if things are… well, different now. It's important to always remember the time we spent together. Never forget that." Despite the tears now forming in her eyes, Lyra chuckled. Bon-Bon was always so serious, she loved that about her. "How could I ever forget you?" She smiled, "You were the best thing that ever happened to me." Wiping away her tears, the green unicorn looked dolefully at the picture. --- Her heart was beating out of her chest. She couldn't believe how nervous she was. Lyra stood just outside Bon-Bon's house, bathed in the light from the street lamp hanging just above her. It was getting to be rather dark outside, and the sun had nearly set over the mountains. She had come in the hopes of convincing Bon-Bon to go on a date with her. Flowers, held aloft by her magic, floated just in front of her. She had picked a handful of deep blue hyacinths and paired them with another handful of lush pink stargazer lilies. She had originally chosen them to match Bon-Bon's mane. But, now Lyra wondered if she wouldn't have been better off picking something more traditional, like roses. Suddenly she felt like she was making a huge mistake. She needed to go get roses right now. What would Bon-Bon think of her if she showed up without roses? All she had were these stupid hyacinths and a couple of lilies? Bon-Bon would be so disappointed. Lyra smacked herself on the back of the head. How could she have been so stupid? Bon-Bon wouldn’t do that, she assured herself. She’ll be happy that I brought her something, no matter what it is. No, these flowers would be fine, they would have to be. But what if they're not? She suddenly grew worried and began to pace back and forth. Having thought it over thoroughly, Lyra realized that Bon-Bon would indeed be disappointed by the lack of roses and would most likely never want to see her again. She was definitely going to need roses. Lyra turned away from the house and began making her way towards the shopping district, hoping she could find a flower shop that was still open this late. “Lyra! Where you going?” Lyra spun around. Looking out the window on the second floor was a beautiful earth pony. She looked stunning, her mane struck Lyra with its elegance. The way the fading light played with her face, and made her eyes shine nearly brought a tear to her eye. A slight breeze made her mane sway softly. As she leaned out the window, it was all Lyra could do to keep her jaw from dropping. Suddenly, Lyra remembered why she was here, standing in front of this wonderful pony’s house. She mustered up all the courage she could and looked right into Bon-Bon's eyes. “Uh…” All of the confidence she had just gathered suddenly left her. Her throat felt dry and her tongue swelled up in her mouth. She began looking around nervously trying to find something, anything, to say. She opened her mouth to try again, “I… uh…” Words escaped her. Why was this so hard? She talked to Bon-Bon all the time, and now this? They had been friends for years, ever since they were just fillies. Why couldn't she say anything? She couldn't even think straight, her thoughts were scrambled. “Are those for me?” Bon-Bon asked, breaking the silence. Confused, Lyra looked around wondering what she was talking about. She then realized that she had unconsciously moved the flowers behind her back when she heard Bon-Bon's voice. The earth pony was pointing at the flowers questioningly. Still unable to speak through her parched mouth, Lyra merely nodded sheepishly in answer. “Aw, they look so pretty. Thank you.” She smiled softly at Lyra. The kindness on her face could have calmed anyone. “Hold on a second,” she said, “I'll be right down.” Her mane swished through the air as she twirled away from the window. Lyra blinked several times, trying to figure out what exactly had just transpired. She slapped both of her fore-hooves on her cheeks in an effort to snap herself out of her stupor. She swallowed trying to return some moisture to her stale throat. Lyra’s mind raced as she gathered her thoughts. Okay, Bon-Bon is coming downstairs right now. This is my best chance, I need to take it easy and calmly ask if she wants to go on a date with me. She drew in a deep breath. “Bon-B-” The front door swung open revealing a beautiful earth pony with three candies tattooed on either side of her flank and a mane whose color was split down the middle. Lyra was completely caught off guard. She hadn't even finished her self-pep talk. Before she even knew what was going on she had already opened her mouth to speak, “Willyougoonadatewithme?” she spewed. The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop herself and what had come out was an incomprehensible mess of syllables and a sorry excuse for a proposition. The green unicorn's face changed to a deep red as she blushed, embarrassed at how incapable she was of simple speech. Lyra shied away, trying to hide her embarrassment. Bon-Bon held a hoof up to her mouth as she giggled, stopping on the top set of stairs that led down from her front door. “Of course I'll go on a date with you,” she said. Bon-Bon, still giggling, trotted over to Lyra and put her snout in the flowers the mint green mare had brought. Bon-Bon breathed in the scent of the flowers, taking in every ounce of the smell she could. With her right hoof she grabbed the flowers and with her left she patted Lyra on the head. “You silly filly.” She smiled at Lyra. “Thank you for these flowers, they're lovely.” Lyra looked up at Bon-Bon and smiled back at her, giggling slightly. “You know, you didn't have to bring me these,” she said. “I would've said yes no matter what you did or didn’t bring me.” “I thought you would be mad that I didn't bring you roses, or whatever else you're supposed to bring,” said Lyra as she kicked at the dirt. Bon-Bon laughed heartily, “You thought I would be mad you didn't bring roses? You really are a silly filly,” she said, still laughing. “I don't care what kind of flowers you bring, just the fact that you brought me anything makes me happy.” Lyra blushed again, mentally scolding herself. She knew all along that Bon-Bon wouldn't be upset about the lack of roses. Why had she even been worried in the first place? But there was one thing she wondered about, “How did you know what I asked you? I didn't even know what I asked you.” “Before you even said anything I knew why you came to my house,” Bon-Bon replied matter-of-factly. “As soon as I saw you standing outside holding those flowers I knew why you were here. It wasn't really that hard to figure out,” she said smirking. “I guess not,” Lyra acknowledged. She scratched the back of her head, embarrassed. “So, where are we going for our date then?” the earth pony said inquisitively. “Well…,” the unicorn started, “I hadn't really got that far yet.” She admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. “Come on,” Bon-Bon said as she led Lyra back towards the house, “let's take these flowers inside first then we can figure out where to go.” The two ponies walked back up the steps towards the front door. Bon-Bon led the way, flowers still held tightly in her hooves. Lyra couldn't help but smile to herself as she followed Bon-Bon. She had done it! It wasn't exactly graceful, or eloquent, but she had accomplished her mission. Lyra – 1, World – 0. There was a clicking sound as Bon-Bon opened the door. Warm air spilled out, greeting the pair of ponies. Its warmth surrounded Lyra, filling her with a sense of calmness. She suspected that it wasn't just the heat from inside the house that made her feel this way, but perhaps from something, or someone, else as well. Bon-Bon had always made Lyra feel welcome whenever she visited her house. It was a strange thing, feeling like you belonged. She enjoyed it. Over the years of their friendship, Lyra had visited Bon Bon's house many times. She would find any excuse she could just to come see Bon-Bon, and to get away from her own house. Lyra had never let Bon-Bon come to her house. Her friend had tried many times, but Lyra would always make up some excuse as to why she couldn't come over. Her house was being fumigated, it had rats, a swarm of parasprites had taken up residence, a family member turned criminal was using their house as a hideout, the Equestrian army was using it as a makeshift headquarters. Admittedly some of her excuses were more believable than others. Bon-Bon always seemed hurt that she never gave a real reason for her refusals. But it was for her own good. Lyra only wanted to keep Bon-Bon from having to meet her family and see the house they lived in. The earth pony may not be happy about it, but it was best this way. “I think there’s a vase somewhere in the kitchen,” said Bon-Bon. Lost in her own thoughts, Lyra didn't respond. “Hey,” Bon-Bon turned around to look at Lyra, “are you okay?” “Sorry?” Lyra, suddenly aware that she was being spoken to, snapped out of her thoughts. “Oh,” she said, “I just got a little distracted is all.” Lyra gave a short laugh to assuage her friend's worries. “Anyways, you said something about a kitchen in a vase right?” “Yeah,” Bon-Bon replied, “only, the other way around.” She chuckled, turning back around and walking towards the kitchen. Lyra followed behind her. She had been in this house many times but she always found herself examining the pictures in the hallway. She only got quick glimpses at each one as they walked past, but she had seen them enough times to know what they were. The one they just passed was a picture of Bon-Bon's family, with a little filly Bon-Bon being held by her grandparents. The green unicorn smiled to herself at the thought of the Bon-Bon she knew now sitting in her grandparent's lap. Another picture passed, it was her parents' marriage. Lyra had always thought Bon Bon's mother looked beautiful in her wedding dress, she hoped to someday have a wedding dress that was just as beautiful. Her father on the other hand looked like a stern stallion. His face was hard, unsmiling. Lyra didn't dislike the stallion, but neither did she actively like him. It wasn't for any specific reason. She just felt a general uneasiness around him. It was probably just because he wasn't exactly the most talkative pony, and he always seemed to have an air of hostility about him. Lyra couldn't help but feel that some of that hostility was directed at her specifically. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind and continued on. They were passing Lyra's favorite picture now. She paused for a brief moment to look at it, a smile working its way across her face. In the picture stood a young Bon-Bon, she was holding a tray of sweets which she had baked, with the help of her mother. On her flank were three wrapped candies, symbolizing her unique talent for candy making. The picture was taken the day after her cutie mark had appeared. But, what the picture didn't show was how Bon-Bon had actually received her cutie mark. The week that Bon-Bon’s cutie mark appeared had seen one of Ponyville's worst storms on record. The weather ponies had pulled out all the stops for their “perfect storm.” They had delayed having small storms for weeks to allow the farmers more time to harvest crops. But, eventually they had to have a massive storm to make up for all the missed ones. It was during this time that Lyra and Bon-Bon had been enjoying a day off of school. They spent the whole day playing in the park, and walking around town. By around dusk the two decided that it was getting late and that they should both probably be on their way. They waved goodbye and went their separate ways. Meanwhile, the weather team had begun to set in motion a storm that would put all their previous creations to shame and be remembered for years as “That storm”. Lyra's house was situated on the outskirts of town, so it had taken her nearly half an hour to walk home. By the time she had reached her front door the wind had picked up and was creeping in. Luckily the rain had yet to start. Opening the door gingerly she stepped quietly into the living room. The sound of glass shattering filled her ears as she narrowly avoided being hit by a bottle thrown magically at the wall. “What in the hell do you think you're doing,” came a voice from the couch, “coming in so late? Do you have any idea what time it is?” Her father's words were slurring as he spoke. “Who do you think you are?” his words now getting angrier with each syllable. “You think you can just come and go whenever you please?” He stood up and made his way towards Lyra. She started backing away towards the door. “Do you think your mother would let you do this?” he yelled. She had heard enough. Lyra opened the door again and ran out, tears streaming down her face. In the short time she had been inside the rain had already begun to pour. It was a heavy rain that pounded loudly on the roof, and the wind too, had also picked up. Lyra didn't know where she was going to go, but anywhere was better than here right now. Her father wasn't always this way, but ever since her mother died he had become drunk and angry more and with more and more frequency. He would always come apologize to Lyra the next day, always begging her forgiveness for his actions. But it didn't change what happened, and it didn't make it any better. So, she always allowed him to apologize but would never respond, choosing to stay locked in her room, ignoring his pleading. But, for whatever reason, she didn't feel like dealing with him this time. She just wanted to leave, she had to leave. The small mint green unicorn wandered aimlessly in the pounding rain, her head down-turned as she stared at the ground. Eventually she had found her way back to Bon-Bon's house. She didn't know exactly how she had gotten here. Her hooves must have carried her here all on their own. She stood outside under the street lamp, looking into the windows of the house. It looked nice inside, warm, cozy, inviting. But, she couldn’t just barge in like that. She didn't want to cause Bon-Bon's family any trouble. Lyra sneezed suddenly. The rain must have been getting to her. She felt tired. She had no idea for how long she had been walking, but she suddenly felt very exhausted. She didn't want to bother Bon-Bon, but it couldn't hurt to just sleep on the porch. At least then she could have some cover from the rain. Lyra dragged herself over to the stairs and lay down on the porch, her head resting on her fore-hooves. Her fatigue got the better of her as she fell asleep quickly despite the harsh rain and the chills racking her body. Lyra spent the night in a fitful sleep, coughing constantly. The next morning she awoke in a white room. Blinking away the grogginess of sleep, she looked around the room she was now occupying. It was stark white, and the bed she was in was the same stark white and it had white sheets and a white pillow. A window revealed that it was still raining outside. The gray clouds hung over Ponyville, preventing Celestia's sun from shining down. Looking around once more, Lyra now noticed that she was actually sharing the room with another pony. In the bed next to her sat a young filly about Lyra's age. She was asleep, but Lyra could see a tube sticking out of one of her legs. Tracing the tube she followed it to a bag that was hanging from a metal stand. “A hospital,” she thought. That must be where she was. But? How had she gotten here, and why was she here? Suddenly she began coughing uncontrollably, stopping a few seconds later. I guess that answers that question. There was a clicking sound as the door across from her bed opened. A light brown stallion with a dark brown mane walked in. He was wearing a white lab coat and he had a stethoscope slung across his shoulders. He must be the doctor that was taking care of her. He was carrying a clipboard in one hoof, and a pen in his mouth. Noticing that Lyra was awake and watching him, he approached her. “Good afternoon miss Heartstrings. How are we feeling today?” His voice was gruff, but not unkind. He had a sort of gentleness about him that put the sick filly at ease. She opened her mouth to respond, but as soon as she did another coughing fit washed over her. The doctor nodded knowingly, writing something on the clipboard. “I guess that answers that question,” he chuckled. Again Lyra opened her mouth to speak, “What happened? Why am I-,” she started coughing again. Once her fit was over, the doctor answered her. “To answer your first question,” he began, “I'm not sure what happened, I was hoping you could tell me.” Lyra shook her head. “As for the second question,” he said turning the clipboard around to show her, “you're here because you have pneumonia.” Confused, Lyra wondered how she had ended up in this hospital bed. The last thing she remembered was leaving her house and wandering to Bon-Bon's house in the rain. “I don't know how I got here,” she told him. “The last thing I remember was standing outside of Bon-Bon's house.” “Bon-Bon? Oh, that must be your friend who brought you here with her mother and father,” he said. Lyra's ears perked up at this, and she sat up straight in the bed. “Bon-Bon is here?” she asked, hope filling her voice. “I'm afraid not,” he sighed, “they were here yesterday when they brought you in but after staying here all night I made them leave. Technically since they’re not family I’m not supposed allow them to stay here without your parents’ permission. But, I told them that you would need more time to rest and that they could come back tomorrow.” Lyra slumped back into her bed. “I'm sorry, but don't worry, you'll get to see them tomorrow,” he said with a smile on his face. It wasn't much, but that smile seemed to tell Lyra that everything was going to be okay. “For now,” started the doctor, “let's just get you some medicine and then you can go back to sleep. You need to get as much rest as you can.” At this the doctor left the room. A few minutes later a nurse entered with a tray of food and a needle filled with medicine. Lyra recoiled at the sight of the needle, but the nurse didn't stick her with it. Instead she injected it into a tube. Puzzled Lyra now noticed that she also had a tube in her arm, and it too was attached to a bag. She wondered how she had not noticed it before. As soon as the medicine entered her veins, she began to feel tired. All she wanted to do was go back to sleep. But, the nurse told her that she needed to eat her food first. The nurse told her that she couldn't sleep on an empty stomach. Reluctantly, she ate the food, barely able to force it down as her drowsiness took hold of her. As soon as she had finished the last bite she fell back into her pillow and closed her eyes. Sleep took her, the warmth of the bed cradling her. The next morning she awoke to the sound of someone entering the room. “Lyra!” shouted a familiar voice. Suddenly she felt a weight on top of her, as she was smothered by a small cream colored something. Bon-Bon hugged Lyra with all the strength in her tiny hooves. Hugging her back, Lyra smiled. She felt the warmth emanating from the earth pony's body. She was overjoyed at the sight of her friend, she felt better already. Once Bon-Bon had finally let Lyra go she could see that her parents had also come. Her mother's coat was a creamy color just like Bon Bon's and her mane was a beautiful pink color. Her father's fur on the other hoof was a light gray and he had a blue mane. His face held the same stern look it usually had, but with a touch of worry edging its way into his eyes. “What happened to me?” Lyra looked at Bon-Bon, and then at her parents. Bon-Bon spoke up first, “I found you on our porch, you were shaking and really wet.” Then her parents chimed in, her mother first. “She yelled into the house and told us that you were outside,” she began. “Once we saw you we knew that you needed to be taken to the hospital,” her father finished. He then continued to explain how they had taken Lyra to the hospital, and that the doctor had told them that she had pneumonia. Then, Bon-Bon spoke again. “Then we waited all day for you to wake up, but you didn't. The next day he told us that we should go home because you needed to sleep, and that we could come back tomorrow. So, here we are!” Lyra listened to them tell the story, wondering why they did all this for her. “Why did you do all this?” she asked out loud. “Why?” asked her mother. “Because we couldn't just leave you sitting there freezing to death that’s why,” she said. “What I want to know is why you were there in the first place, and why you weren't at your own home.” Lyra didn't know how to respond, but she knew that she couldn't tell them the truth. “I just got lost on my way back home, and then the storm started.” she lied. “I didn't know where else to go.” “Well, why didn't you just knock? You could have told us that you were outside,” said her father. “I didn't want to bother you,” answered Lyra sheepishly. “I'm just glad that you're okay now,” remarked her mother. Without warning Bon-Bon produced a sack of candy from behind her. She handed it to a confused Lyra. She smiled brightly saying, “I baked these for you, my mom helped me. I made them so that you'll feel better” Opening the bag Lyra saw an assortment of candies. There were several different kinds of cookies, some caramel, even some fudge, and of course a couple of bonbons. She pulled one of the cookies out, a chocolate chip one, and took a bite. It was the most delicious cookie she had ever eaten. Of course that could have just been because she had had nothing to eat but hospital food for the last day and a half. As Lyra ate the cookie a smile spread across her face. “Wow, these are amazing! Thank you.” she said. Bon-Bon smiled and pulled a cookie out of the bag as well. They both ate the sweets and took turns giggling back and forth. Lyra spent the rest of the day talking with Bon-Bon and enjoying the baked goods she had been given. But, eventually the doctor came back and told Bon-Bon and her parents that visiting times were over, and that Lyra needed her sleep. So with another dose of medicine making its way through her veins, Lyra drifted off to sleep. The next few days went much the same as the first. Bon-Bon would visit as often as she could, usually bringing more sweets with her when she came. A few times Lyra's father would enter after Bon-Bon had left. He said he felt horrible about what had happened and apologized profusely to Lyra. But, she would just lie in bed and pretend to be asleep or just outright ignore him whenever he would come. Lyra slowly recovered and was soon was well enough to be discharged from the hospital. On the day she was to be released Bon-Bon came to visit her one last time. “Looks like you're getting out today,” Bon-Bon said happily. “Yep,” responded Lyra, equally happy. “I've got another bag of candy for you,” Bon-Bon said as she pulled out a colorful bag filled with candy. “Awesome,” Lyra said, looking greedily at the bag she knew was filled with delicious candy. “These are special though,” Bon-Bon said, pulling away the bag. “I made these all by myself.” She proudly puffed out her chest and showed the candy to Lyra. The green unicorn looked surprised, “You made these all by yourself? No help?” She nodded. Lyra cautiously took a candy out of the bag, examining it closely. She sniffed it to make sure it wasn't burnt. She nodded. Satisfied that it had passed the initial test, she took a small bite out of one side. It was amazing. Probably the single greatest piece of candy she had ever eaten. Its savory sweetness filled her mouth and played with her taste buds. She couldn't describe the taste at least not with any words she knew. It was simply amazing. “Sweet Celestia,” cried Lyra through mouthfuls of the delectable candy, “this is the like the best thing I’ve ever eaten!” Tears of joy filled Lyra’s eyes, she was experiencing pure bliss. “I thought the candy you made with your mom was good.” Bon-Bon smiled proudly. “Oh, and guess what else,” she said as she turned to the side. Lyra looked up, her cheeks bulging with candy. She stared at Bon-Bon, suddenly aware that there was something different about her. Her eyes navigated their way down along her sides and towards her haunches. There, where only creamy fur had been just yesterday, were three wrapped candies tattooed on her flank. Bon-Bon displayed her newly acquired cutie mark with pride. Lyra cried out happily, and reached forward to hug her. “Bon-Bon that’s so awesome! I can’t believe you finally got your cutie mark,” she said, squeezing the little filly with all her strength. Pulling away from the hug, Bon-Bon stepped back to show off her cutie mark. She spun around allowing Lyra to get a good view of both sides of her flank. She proudly displayed the three wrapped candies that made their home on her previously blank flank. A smile of unadulterated happiness adorned as she spun around. “It was all because of you,” said Bon-Bon suddenly. “Me?” asked Lyra, confused. “I only got this cutie mark when I made this candy special for you,” she said, pointing at Lyra, “by myself. So really, I owe this,” she pointed at her flank, “to you,” she finished, emphasizing the “you” with a jab of her hoof in Lyra's direction. “I don't know what to say,” said Lyra as she scratched the back of her head, “thanks I guess.” Lyra blushed, unsure of what else to do or say. Bon-Bon smiled and walked over to the window in the corner of the room. “It's a nice day outside,” she said while opening the window, “I'm glad that you're better now.” Warm light flooded the room and cast a sort of angelic glow upon Bon-Bon and in that moment Lyra knew that no matter what Bon-Bon would always be there for her, and in turn she would always be there for her. Over the handful of days that Lyra spent in the hospital the storm had finally blown over and the weather ponies had decided to make up for the dreary weather with nice, warm, cloudless skies. Lyra was about to say something, when the door opened and the doctor entered the room. He told Lyra that she was being discharged and that her father was waiting for her at the reception desk. She started to protest but he just shook his head and led her out of the room. As she walked out of the room she looked back at Bon-Bon and waved a quiet farewell. Bon-Bon waved back mouthing, “Goodbye.” Lyra met her father at the reception desk and as he filled out the final paperwork Lyra’s thoughts turned back to Bon-Bon and how she had been there for her every day, always with a bag full of candy and heart full of love. She smiled. There was a hoof waving in front of her face now, it was a cream colored hoof and it belonged to a certain earth pony who was calling Lyra's name. “Hey,” she said, “are you listening to me? I said I found a vase, so we can go now.” Lyra followed the hoof that was being waved in front of her to the body of the pony that it belonged to. She looked at Bon-Bon. “What were you doing?” she asked. “What? Oh, I was just looking at this picture,” Lyra answered, motioning towards the picture of Bon-Bon. “I was thinking about that time when I got really sick, and you guys brought me to the hospital,” she said laughing. “And you baked me all those sweets.” “You mean when I got my cutie mark,” she said twisting her body to reveal her flank. “Yeah, that time” “Feels like forever ago doesn't it?” “Yeah” The two ponies stared silently at the picture for a few seconds, and then looked at each other. “Well come on then,” said Lyra, “let's get a move on. We can't stand around here all night, we've got a date.” Bon-Bon giggled, “Lead on then,” she said motioning towards the door. Lyra looked over her shoulder at the picture one last time as they left. She turned back to Bon-Bon and grabbed her by the hoof and rushed out the door, laughing as she did. She smiled to herself thinking about how lucky she was to have a friend like Bon-Bon. A fillyfriend like Bon-Bon, she corrected herself. Is that really what they were now? Did this mean they were dating now? Her and Bon-Bon weren't going to be just friends anymore. They were much more now, closer than they ever had been. Although they had always been more than just friends, but it wasn't until Lyra had finally worked up the courage to ask Bon-Bon on a date that their feelings had manifested themselves in a more noticeable way. Things would be different from now on. The two ponies left the house and started walking towards Ponyville's shopping district. They talked to each other on the walk there, laughing back and forth at what the other had to say. Mostly though, they just enjoyed being in each other's company. They were happy just to be together, no matter where they went. Lyra and Bon-Bon trotted along, hoof in hoof, which as it turns out, is quite awkward for ponies. But they managed to get by, awkwardly. Lyra suddenly perked up, “Oh! There it is, this is the movie theater that I was telling you about,” she said excitedly. Lyra pointed at a dilapidated old building that looked like it could barely support itself, let alone an entire cinema. The walls were practically caving in on themselves, and the roof had more holes than actual roof tiles. Bon-Bon looked skeptically at the building, questioning Lyra's choice in movie theaters. “You're not talking about that old building right there,” she said pointing at the wreck, “right?” “What?” responded Lyra, “No, I'm talking about the building behind that one,” she said. Lyra pointed towards the crumbling building. Bon-Bon followed the line made by her hoof closely. At the end of the line she saw what appeared to be a normal movie theater that just so happened to be situated behind the desiccated remains of another building. “Oh. Well.” said Bon-Bon slowly, “What are we doing here then?” This time it was her turn to grab Lyra's hoof and pull her along, as she hurried towards the theater. “So many choices,” said Lyra. The two of them stood outside the movie theater looking at the list of movies, overwhelmed by the large volume of movies. “Luckily, most of these are pretty bad,” Lyra joked, “so we really only need to pick from a few.” “What about this one?” asked Bon-Bon. She was pointing at a poster for a new horror movie, well, new relatively speaking. It was a remake of an old classic, The Wicker Mare. It was about a police sergeant who investigates the mysterious disappearance of a little filly in a bizarre village that is controlled by a cult. Lyra was terrified of horror movies, but she didn't want to disappoint Bon-Bon, so she reluctantly agreed, hoping that it wouldn’t be as scary as she had imagined. “Sure, why not?” she responded. Lyra hoped that her voice didn't betray her, as she could barely contain the nervousness she felt as the spoke. However, Bon-Bon seemed not to notice. She had already walked inside to the ticket counter, bits in hoof. Lyra sighed. This was going to be a long night. She took a deep breath and followed the other mare inside. By the time Lyra had reached her cream colored fillyfriend, she had already purchased the tickets and was holding one in each of her front hooves. The smile on her face told Lyra that she couldn't stop now. Putting on her best fake smile, Lyra cantered over to Bon-Bon who handed her a ticket as she approached. Grabbing the little yellow movie ticket she examined it, The Wicker Mare, was written in small black print, right next to the movie time and theater number. “So,” she said, eyeing Bon-Bon, “where's out theater?” Bon-Bon pointed towards a hallway just to the left of the concession stand. The movie theater itself wasn't all that big looking on the outside. But, on the inside it was larger enough to hold 11 screening rooms. There were two main hallways on either side of the concession stand with 5 screens on each side and in the middle one large screen reserved for major premiers. Bon-Bon was pointing down the hallway towards one of the regular screens, a lonely movie theater employee stood at the end sweeping popcorn off the ground. “But first,” Bon-Bon said, looking back at Lyra, “Popcorn!” Lyra laughed. Bon-Bon had always had a weakness for popcorn, it was probably half the reason she saw movies in the first place. “I'll buy the popcorn and drinks then,” she told Bon-Bon. “Since you bought the tickets, it's only fair.” The earth pony nodded her head in agreement. The two of them approached the concession stand and were greeted by a young looking colt. After giving him their order, one large popcorn and one large drink, he took Lyra's bits and handed over their food. After a minor disagreement over the amount of butter they should put in the popcorn, they made their way to the theater. Fortunately for them the movie they were seeing had been out for weeks, so the theater wasn't crowded. In fact, there were only a handful of other ponies in the theater. They had arrived just in time, the last trailer was finishing as they walked in. “Look out Daring!” shouted a pony. “The roof is collapsing!” Daring Do sprinted through a dark tunnel, dodging pieces of the roof as it slowly caved in. Daring Do and another pony jumped through a window at the end of a hallway, falling into a room lit only by a torch. “Welcome back Miss Do” said a sinister voice. His laughter filled the room as darkness surrounded Daring and her companion, the single torch sputtered out. Then a deep voice spoke to the audience, “Daring Do in, Daring Do and the Search for the Sacred Stone… of the Buakakai” the sound of lightning crackling emphasized the last word ominously. Lyra was a huge fan of the Daring Do novels and she could barely contain her excitement. She was practically jumping up and down. The unicorn started speaking incoherently, “Did you see that? They were at the place, looking for the thing! And that guy, he was there too!” Bon-Bon shook her head, chuckling, “Yes, yes, I can tell you're very excited. But we're here to see The Wicker Mare remember? We should probably find a seat. Ponies are staring at us now.” Horse apples, thought Lyra. She had got so swept up in her excitement that she had forgotten what they had come here to see. She suddenly felt nervous, all of her previous elation gone. Bon-Bon led her unicorn friend to a pair of empty seats near the top row of the theater. By the time they had sat themselves down, and put their popcorn and drinks down, the movie had begun. The theater lights dimmed as the movie screen went black. Lyra's heart started beating faster and faster, she didn't want to be here. She couldn't believe she was doing this, but then she looked at Bon-Bon and remembered why she was here in the first place. It was all for her, so she was willing to pay any price to be here, next to her. The movie started and Lyra gulped, steeling herself for the trials ahead. About half an hour into the movie Lyra had sunken so deep into her seat it was wonder that she could still see the movie. The minty unicorn was ashamed of herself, the movie hadn’t even done anything scary yet, but she couldn't even watch it. The suspense was killing her. Bon-Bon on the other hoof was thoroughly enjoying herself. She watched the movie with rapt attention. Lyra couldn't help but admire the earth pony's courage. She wished she could be strong like her. Nearly an hour into the movie Lyra had given up even trying to watch the movie. She was scared stiff, and had curled herself into a ball in her seat. She figured that if she didn't keep her hooves on the ground then she would be safe from being grabbed. By this time, Bon-Bon had noticed that Lyra was acting strangely. She asked Lyra is she was okay, the unicorn dismissed her saying that she just had to go to the little fillies room. Lyra got up and edged her way past a couple sitting at the end of the row. She tried to get out of the theater as quickly as possible without seemingly like she was in a hurry. Once she finally was outside and alone in the hallway she slumped down against the wall. It's just a dumb movie, why can't I watch it? She mentally berated herself for her cowardice. Lyra pulled her back legs in close and curled up again. She decided that she would wait out here for a while and build her courage back up. Then she would brave the theater again. She heard the door open behind her and she swiveled her head around. Standing there was Bon-Bon. She had a concerned look on her face and once she saw Lyra sitting on the ground she quickly trotted over to her side. “What's the matter Lyra? You practically sprinted out of the theater.” With the most pathetic look on her face Lyra looked up at Bon-Bon, tears forming in her eyes. “I'm such a wimp. I'm terrified of this movie. Well, all horror movies for that matter. I can't even watch them without freaking out.” She hung her head in shame. She was sure that Bon-Bon would think that was stupid and probably laugh at her. “Why didn't you tell me? We could have just seen a different movie,” replied Bon-Bon shaking her head. Lyra blinked away her tears, “You seemed like you really wanted to see this movie and I didn't want to disappoint you.” “Truth is, I've already seen it. I saw it last week with my family,” the creamy pony replied. “I thought you might want to see it too, so I didn't tell you that I had already seen it,” she laughed. “You should have just told me you didn't like horror movies you silly filly. I wouldn't think any less of you.” “Really?” she asked, clearing away her tears. “Really really,” Bon-Bon replied calmly. Lyra laughed, “Why do I keep doubting you?” “It's beyond me,” replied the earth pony. “So now what do we do now?” asked the unicorn. “I mean, I don't want to watch it, but that doesn't mean you can't,” she said. “I can just wait out here and then you can go finish the movie.” “Don't be silly,” retorted Bon-Bon, “I'd rather be out here with you, than watching some dumb movie without you.” Bon-Bon giggled, “Well that, and I've already seen it.” The two ponies shared a laugh then Bon-Bon held out a hoof to help Lyra up. “Let's get out of here,” she said. They spent the next hour or so wandering around doing much the same thing they had always done, just talking and enjoying being around each other. After some time they came across a couple of old stores. In front of one of them was an old photo booth, the kind that takes a bunch of pictures and then prints them out as one long strip. Lyra noticed it first and pointed it out to Bon-Bon. “Hey, look over there. It's one of those photo booths,” she said, leading Bon-Bon towards it. “Come on, let's get out picture taken.” Bon-Bon let herself be pulled along by Lyra, giggling as she went. As they stood outside the photo booth the two ponies looked at each other excitedly. They stepped inside and sat themselves down on the bench, pulling the curtain closed behind them. Lyra became suddenly aware of how close she was to Bon-Bon. She had been next to her to whole night, sat next to her at the movie theater, walked with her hoof in hoof. But, it wasn't until now that she felt nervous about it. She didn't know what it was. Perhaps it was just that the booth was really cramped and so Bon-Bon practically had to sit in Lyra's lap, but whatever it was she felt apprehensive about it. “So, I think we just put some bits into this little slot here, and then we just press this button and it should take our picture,” said Lyra slowly as she tried to decipher the worn away instructions on the wall of the photo booth. Lyra reached into her… wherever it is that ponies keep their money, and pulled out two bits. “Wait,” Bon-Bon said suddenly, “I'm not ready yet.” She looked timidly at Lyra. “I've never done this with someone before.” Lyra looked at her, “What are we supposed to do?” asked Bon-Bon. “Normally you would just press this button,” she said pointing at the button that started the camera, “and then we just make funny faces or something.” “Okay, let's try that then,” said Bon-Bon. Lyra slipped the bits into the slot and pressed the button after making sure that she and Bon-Bon we're both ready. The two ponies pulled at their cheeks and made faces at the camera, each of them taking turns making different faces in between each photo. When they had finished the stepped out of the booth and waited for the pictures to print. They were both in stitches laughing at their ridiculous faces. When the photos finally printed they laughed again at each pictures. In the first one Bon-Bon had stretched out her cheeks and was waving her tongue around, while Lyra had done the opposite and squished her face together making her lips puff out. There was another picture where they had both chosen to puff out their cheeks and stare seriously into the camera. Upon seeing this they both dropped to the ground, laughing hysterically. Once they had calmed down Bon-Bon wiping away her tears said to Lyra, “That was great! Let's do it again!” Lyra was still finding it hard to control her laughter, but managed a simple nod of approval and they stepped back into the photo booth. Sitting down again, they both did their best to calm their laughter before taking more photos. Lyra pulled out a couple more bits and put them in the coin slot again. She pressed the button and still smiling looked at Bon-Bon. She smiled back at Lyra and suddenly they both sobered instantly as they stared into each other's eyes. Lyra bit her lip anxiously, and Bon-Bon blushed. The first picture snapped while they were still staring at each other, both blushing profusely. Lyra leaned in, Bon-Bon followed suit. Lyra was sure that her heart must be visible since it was beating so hard, and she was sure Bon-Bon felt the same. A second flash and they leaned in more, nearly touching their snouts now. Screw it. Lyra plunged in and kissed Bon-Bon, she reached her hooves around the earth pony and pulled her in. A third flash and another picture. Bon-Bon was now returning the kiss and they stayed glued together for the fourth picture. It wasn't the best kiss the world has ever seen, and it certainly wasn't very good, in fact it was incredibly awkward but they kept at it. Neither of them knew what they should be doing, they took turns awkwardly exploring each other's mouths. As the fifth picture went off, they both realized where they were and became extremely embarrassed. Bon-Bon pulled away from the kiss and covered her face with her hooves, doing her best to cover her blush. Lyra looked away from the camera and tried to casually scratch her head, pretending like that didn't just happen… it didn't work. The last picture went off, awkwardly. The two ponies sat in a shared silence, neither knew what to do. After what felt like an eternity Lyra got up and stepped out of the booth, Bon-Bon followed her. They looked at the pictures that had printed. The first showed two ponies staring longingly into each other's eyes. The next one showed them getting closer and closer, still staring deeply at each other. Finally they kissed. Lyra and Bon-Bon blushed as they recalled that event, it seemed like it had happened hours, not seconds, ago, like it wasn't even them. Lyra could still feel the other pony's lips on hers. She could still feel her warmth. She was sure that her cheeks must be on fire on right now, that was the only way to describe the burning she felt. A quick glance at Bon-Bon confirmed that she felt the same, or at least similarly. Further down the photo strip was another picture of their kiss, their awkward, awkward kiss. It showed a unicorn and an earth pony sharing in the most ungraceful kiss ever seen in Equestria or any other land. Lyra blushed again, embarrassed at her own inexperience. She took comfort in the knowledge that Bon-Bon was no better. She didn't have to have a lot of experience to know that her companion was no expert either. But none of that mattered. It may not have been the best kiss, but it made her happier than anything in the whole world. She beamed thinking back on it, ecstatic that she had finally received her first kiss, and the best part was she had gotten it from Bon-Bon. The earth pony looked at her goofy looking partner whose face was contorted in the most excited grin she had ever seen. The look of confusion on her own face was quickly replaced with a smile, then a snort, then laughter. The couple shared in each other's mirth as they laughed away their embarrassment. After calming down Lyra turned to Bon-Bon with a somewhat solemn look on her face. “I'm sorry the date didn't quite go as planned.” she said. “We left the movie early, we never even ate anywhere, and-” Bon-Bon put a hoof to Lyra's mouth, silencing her. “This was the best date I've ever been on,” she assured her. “Sure we didn't see the whole movie or have dinner, but none of that really matters,” Bon-Bon said confidently. “I had a lot of fun, the photo booth, the… kiss, everything. I couldn't have asked for more.” Lyra grinned widely. She really did have the best fillyfriend anyone could ever ask for. “I'm happy that you're happy then,” she said resolutely. “Plus, I got my first kiss out of this, so I can't complain,” Lyra said as she chuckled. “And your second,” Bon-Bon said leaning in towards the unicorn. Puzzled, Lyra began to respond, “sec-?”. But before she could even finish the question Bon Bon's lips pressed against hers. And in a sloppy, yet passionate, embrace they kissed for the second time that night. All the feelings from before swelled up in Lyra, she was overwhelmed with emotion. She was lost in the sensation of the earth pony's tongue against her own. This time however, their kiss was leagues better. It still didn't hold a candle to any of the best kisses, but it was much better, and much more enjoyable. They went back and forth for a while, testing each other. Lyra was the more aggressive of the two, and she was always pushing Bon-Bon farther, stretching her limits. Bon-Bon, being the less dominant one simply enjoyed her partner's actions and let her do as she pleased. Their kiss went on for hours, or at least that's what it felt like to them. However, time at last caught up with them and they decided to break off the kiss, which in reality only lasted a few seconds. “That was amazing,” Bon-Bon said, slightly winded. “Is it always going to feel this good?” asked Lyra. “I hope so,” replied Bon-Bon. “Let’s find out.” “Yeah,” Lyra agreed, “let's do that again!” Bon-Bon giggled as she leaned in for another kiss.