//------------------------------//
// Chapter Four: Resolution 
// Story: It's Witchcraft 
// by Gruekiller 
//------------------------------//

Bon-Bon had once had a bad habit of chewing on her lip when she was nervous. When she had finally weaned herself of the habit - mostly at the insistence of her mother, who was always a rather strict nag - it had been a source of considerable pride for the young mare. The conditioning she'd imposed on herself was, however, all but forgotten as she stood outside the front door of the home she shared with Lyra.

The overcast skies had finally opened up into a drizzly downpour of the kind common late in April, but Bon-Bon found herself a bit too distracted to take note of the fact that she was quickly being drenched in the rain. Get a hold of yourself, she berated herself. You walk through these doors every day, and today is no different. What was it that Twilight Sparkle had told her? 'Secrets like this only end up causing you pain as long as you keep them bottled up. You need to go talk to your friend and tell her how you feel.'

The earth mare drew in a sharp breath, back straightening, and released her lower lip from between her teeth. There was no backing down now. With a shove from her hoof, she swung the front door open.





Another sheet of hackneyed lyrics was reduced to confetti in a flash of magic, followed shortly thereafter by Lyra thwacking her head on the desk in frustration. Writing a song had never been this hard for the musically apt unicorn before, and she simply couldn't understand why her lyrical skills seemed to have utterly fled her. Every time she tried to commit her feelings for Twilight Sparkle to words, it just ended up as page after page of saccharine drivel. A little piece of the musician's soul died every time she tried, but she refused to quit until she had come up with something - anything - to win Twilight's heart.

Sighing, she sat up straight again, readying the pencil in her magical grip, producing another blank sheet of paper. Brow furrowing, she set to trying again. After a few minutes of frustration. the hapless piece of paper found itself crumpled into a ball, and tossed into a growing mountain of its fellows surrounding the wastebasket in the corner. Again her head met the desk, where she slouched for a few moments longer.

Lyra's ear twitched faintly at the sound of the door in the den squeaking open, followed by the brief pitter-patter of rain outside before it shut again - Bon-Bon was home. "Heya, Bons," Lyra called weakly in greeting. The dull clip-clop of hooves, dulled by the carpet, approached down the hallway. Lifting her head, the unicorn watched as her roommate stepped through the doorframe into her room. Lyra took a double take, blinking at Bon-Bon's state. "Geeze, Bon-Bon, you're soaked!"

Blinking in confusion as if brought out of a trance, the earth pony lifted one of her legs and eyed her coat curiously. "Oh," she mumbled, a hint of a blush tinging her cheeks as she noticed that she had been tracking water into Lyra's room. Watching with amusement as her friend zipped out in a blur, Lyra waited a moment, before Bon-Bon returned, fur rather comically poofy from drying herself off. The creme-colored mare grimaced in embarrassment as she vainly tried to fix her mane.

Stifling a snortle at Bon-Bon's appearance, Lyra turned back to her work. Her roommate's arrival had, thankfully, lightened her mood a little. Perhaps she could finally set her mind to writing a serenade for Twilight, and--

"I love you."

Oh.

Lyra turned, uncertain, staring at Bon-Bon, who was staring a hole through the floor. "Eh... pardon?"

It took the earth pony a moment to pipe up again, her Equish, for once, almost impeccable. "Ever since I came to Equestria, you have been here for me. You have been my best friend when nopony else was." A silence hung in the air between the two for several moments as Lyra stared her friend down, and Bon-Bon refused to meet her gaze.

"... But you do not love me back," Bon-Bon ventured, a resigned tone in her voice. Lyra took a moment to register exactly what her roommate had just told her. Bon-Bon was in love with her. Where in the world did that come from?

All of the hints which had been piling up over the last week hit Lyra like a speeding train. Bon-Bon had tried to tell her this multiple times. She had tried to seduce her, for Celestia's sake! Lyra had to be the single most oblivious pony in Equestria. By the time she digested all of this, Bon-Bon was sitting on her haunches, sniffling quietly. Hopping from her seat, Lyra stepped over to Bon-Bon with a sigh.

"Bon..." The earth pony blinked away tears, surprised at the sensation of an arm wrapped around her as somepony pulled her closer - Lyra was hugging her. "You're my best friend in the world. I'll always love ya." She drew back for a moment to meet Bon-Bon's gaze with a sad smile. "Just maybe not in the same way."

Bon-Bon rubbed the last traces of tears away from her face with the back of one hoof, smiling faintly at Lyra. Of course the unicorn understood. But the mint-green pony was not quite finished, heaving a sigh. "I'm sorry I've been such a bonehead these last few days, Bons. I got so wrapped-up in all this Twilight business that I... I've been a terrible friend to you."

Bon-Bon shook her head, managing a small smile and briefly brushing Lyra's cheek with a hoof. "You really are not, Lyra. Take you my word for it."

After a further moment's silence, Bon-Bon asked, a serious look on her face, "Do you love her?"

Lyra blinked, before nodding, hesitantly.

The earth pony hugged her friend more tightly in response. "Then that is good enough for me." The two ponies embraced a moment longer, before Bon-Bon released the unicorn from her grip. "She really is a nice pony," she said, her serious expression melting into a light-hearted smile, and lightly cuffing her in the shoulder. "So do not screwing it up, yes?"

Lyra chuckled and nodded. "All right, Bons," she conceded. With a final parting smile, Bon-Bon exited the room, leaving Lyra to her thoughts. It was after a minute or so of standing and thinking that some realization hit Lyra. Lighting up, she hopped happily back to her desk, scribbling words frantically onto the paper. Twilight would love this one!





The next day was bright and sunny, the air crisp and the sky a bright blue, with only a few puffy, white clouds to mar the cerulean tapestry. The last of the night shift of weather pegasi were just now zipping off to their homes in town for some well-earned rest, and the air was filled with a chorus of songbirds and the dying chords of the last night's crickets.

And somewhere, under the idyllic, blue skies and far above the blades of grass, cloaked with glistening drops of dew, under a roof of gingerbread, a pink pony awoke, her bed-head of a mane returning to its cottony state with an audible foomp. Jolting with excitement, Pinkamena Diane Pie leapt from her bed. "This... is gonna be the best party ever!"





Rarity took no notice of the cold breeze which seemed to blow through Sugarcube Corner as Ponyville's resident party animal awoke - for when the fashionista was in 'the zone', not even the most chilling warnings of Pinkie Pie's eldritch party magic could sway her from her task. Although, perhaps, sheer exhaustion would do the trick where even that could not. Rarity had not slept for twenty hours, and it showed. A pair of bags were evident below her eyes, and her usually impeccable mane was in a blasphemous state of disarray.

But if there was one thing that the Element of Generosity understood, it was that, sometimes, sacrifices must be made for friends. Even... sniff... at the cost of her precious coiffure. The banquet hall of Sugarcube Corner had offered no sound for companionship over the past hours but of the echoing of Rarity's hoofsteps pacing back and forth as she went about her task of bedecking the room in festive banners, streamers, and bejeweled hearts. But as Rarity surveyed her work, a new sound greeted her ears - the familiar bounding of hooves down the staircase overhead. Turning with a sigh, Rarity mentally prepared herself for the barrage of Pinkie Pie which was about to assail her, and put on a strained smile.

Somewhat to Rarity's surprise, Pinkie Pie didn't quite barge through the door into the hall, simply pushing it open and trotting happily up to Rarity with the chipperness which only a pony with a full night's sleep under her belt could possess. "Good morning, Rares!" the pink earth pony chirped happily. As the unicorn vainly tried to mumble a greeting in return, Pinkie trotted past her, 'ooh'ing and 'ahh'ing at the decorations. "You've really outdone yourself! This party is gonna be so totally splenderific that Twilight is sure to--"

A soft snore alerted Pinkie to the fact that Rarity had managed to doze off standing up. With a quiet huff, the energetic mare butted her head into Rarity's side, shoving her slowly toward a corner. "Z-wha--?" Rarity mumbled nonsensically.

"Sorry, Rarity, but you're all zonked out! And we can't have you still being all zonked-out at the party tonight!" Even if she was fully conscious, Rarity could not have had a hope of keeping up with Pinkie's chatter. As it was, she merely curled up in a ball in the corner, at Pinkie's assistance, and had soon dozed off into a well-deserved slumber.

Giving a happy hum, Pinkie stared down at the sleeping unicorn a moment longer, reflecting on just how adorable her friend looked when she wasn't working her horn off. Pushing that contemplation to the side, Pinkie bounded to the center of the room, glancing about excitedly. Everything had been set up according to plan! Everything was suitably decorated to suit the Hearts n' Hooves theme, from the pink and white hearts, the record of neighties power ballads on the record player, the empty buffet tables--

OH MY GOODNESS THE EMPTY BUFFET TABLES. Pinkie reared up, forelegs kicking in panic as she realized that she had entirely forgotten to see to the catering for the party. But there was no way the pink mare could hope to complete all the necessary treats in time. She would need another pair of hooves for that.

"Another pair of hooves!" she cried in sudden realization, hopping in place. Covering her mouth with a hoof, she glanced to Rarity, who was still out like a light, and giggled self-consciously. She had to go fetch some friends! Pinkie vanished in a characteristic pink blur, leaving her unicorn friend to sleep in peace for a while longer.





"Dashie! Dashie! Dashie!"

Rainbow Dash's eye twitched involuntarily. She was having such a nice dream, too. Flipping over on the small cumulus she'd been sleeping on, she shot an annoyed glare down at her petitioner. "What do you want, Pinkie Pie?" She furrowed her brow. "... And don't call me 'Dashie'!"

On the ground below, Pinkie was hopping from left to right hooves repeatedly, glancing around worriedly. "We've got a problem!"

"Being?" returned Dash lazily, taking a mental note to pick a higher cloud next time.

"We don't have any food!" cried Pinkie, "And the party is tonight! I have to go pick up flour and eggs and beer and-- any way! Can you go fetch Applejack, prettyprettyplease?" She waved a hoof frantically. "It's crucial to the future of Twilight's love life!"

Rainbow sat up, running a hoof through her mane with a frown. Loathe as she was to disturb herself from her rest, every ounce of her soul was crying 'Loyalty!' at about a hundred decibels. And, frankly, the party would kind of be crap if there was nothing to eat any way. "Yeah -- all right, you can count on me, Pinkie." She shot the earth pony a lazy salute from atop her perch.

Pinkie shot off toward the market square like a parasprite on ecstasy the moment Dash agreed, forcing the sky-blue pegasus to try to blink away the pink after-images in her vision. Sighing and shaking her head, Rainbow Dash repeated her silent mantra of 'Pinkie being Pinkie', taking off towards Sweet Apple Acres.





Applejack thought that the fields of Sweet Apple Acres were the most beautiful place in the world, and never more so than in the midst of spring. Row after row of apple trees covered the rolling hills of the Apple family farm as far as the eye could see, blooming in a wide array of whites and pinks and adding a splash of color to the otherwise uniform green of the leaves. But as much as she would like to appreciate her lifelong home, the levelheaded mare was busy with more important matters - namely the family business.

"... So as you can see, we'll have jus' the right amount of apples ready this Applebuck Season for yer little get-together this October!" Applejack finished her pitch happily, glancing back at her client as they trotted through the orchard. The stallion was impeccably well-dressed, his appearance just as much out of place in his rustic surroundings as his Canterlot accent.

"I must say, Ms. Apple, I'm impressed. The quality of your produce is sure to be a simply smashing hit at this year's Gala! It seems your family may finally make a breakthrough into the Canterlot market, hmm?"

Applejack nodded excitedly. Ever since last year's Gala, she had been hoping to have a second chance at getting Apple Family treats into the markets of the capital city, but had been rebuffed at each turn - until now, at least. It seemed that the Ponyville Apple clan would finally get a lucky break! However, as she stared off and thought of all the repairs to the family farm that this deal could by, Applejack became aware of a prismatic blur rapidly approaching. "Oh, nelly..."

Rainbow abruptly skidded to a halt, hovering just above Applejack and panting. With a sigh, Applejack frowned up at the pegasus. "What's wrong, Rainbow?"

"AJ... We need your help! The party..." The polychromatic flier struggled to catch her breath. "The party is tonight and none of the food is finished! Ya have to go help Pinkie Pie!"

The earth pony blinked a couple times, trying to keep up with Rainbow's frantic speech. "Dash, Ah don't have time! Can't you see I'm busy with farm business?"

"You don't understand! If the party isn't perfect, then..." She squinted, trying to remember what Pinkie had said about the 'future of Twilight's love life'. "... then... Twilight will never get laid!" She flailed her hooves. "Ever!"

Applejack's eyes widened - this was an emergency. Turning to face her client for a moment, she called apologetically, "Sorry, pardner!" With a shrug, she took off after Rainbow as the pegasus flew back towards Sugarcube Corner.

"Ms. Apple! You're forfeiting the deal of a lifetime!" the Canterlot pony called with some exasperation, but the farmpony and her friend had already receded off into the distance. Inhaling deeply through his nostrils, the stallion removed his top hat, monocle and fake mustache, revealing his red-and-white striped mane, throwing each to the ground with disgust.

"Next time, Apples! Just you wait!" Flim growled as she shook his hoof.





Twilight Sparkle had to confess that she had not particularly wanted to get out of bed that morning. She had gone to bed soon after her little pep-talk with Bon-Bon, and despite some small amount of happiness for helping the mare with her romantic ambitions, she still didn't feel particularly good about throwing her own under the bus. With her prospects of confessing her love to Lyra, she was convinced, shot, she had seen little point in bothering to show up to the Hearts n' Hooves bash that evening.

But then, she shuddered to think of the consequences of flaking on a Pinkie party. With a sigh, she sat up and dragged herself out of bed, sparing a glance at the clock: 10 AM. Unacceptably late by her standards. With a huff at her own tardiness, she trotted briskly down the stairs, wondering if Spike was awake yet. As the welcome scent of brewing coffee met her nose, she smiled, question answered for her. "Good morning, Spike!" she called happily as she stepped into the kitchen, where her assistant already sat at the table with a doughnut and the morning paper.

"You seem like you're in a good mood today," the young drake observed, scrunching up his snout a little as Twilight playfully ruffled the spines atop his head. "I take it your conversation with Lyra went well?"

The unicorn paused, halfway through pouring some coffee for herself. "Well," she started, expression flat, "no. I never got to talk to her." She looked downcast for the scantest of moments, but before Spike could voice his sympathy, she continued, smile returning. "But I refuse to let it get to me. I'm going to go to the party and enjoy myself any way!" With a big swig of coffee, Twilight cantered back toward the door, ready to prepare for the party and face the day.

Spike blinked in genuine surprise. "Well, uh. Way to go, Twilight!" And it was true! Twilight refused to not enjoy herself. And if she saw Lyra and Bon-Bon dancing together, she promised to herself not to be sad.

... Well, maybe a little.





"All right, everypony!" crowed Pinkie Pie, pacing back and forth in front of Applejack and Rainbow Dash like a hyperactive drill sergeant. "RSVPs received?"

"Check," reported Dash with a lazy salute.

"Food?" Pinkie continued, casting a glance at the buffet tables, now stocked with all manner of cakes, cookies, and other confections.

"Check!" AJ replied with a firm nod and a tip of her stetson.

"Decorations?"

Rarity mumbled something in her sleep which might have been confirmation, if one stretched it far enough.

Pinkie clapped her hooves together happily, beaming proudly at her friends. "This party is gonna be so super fantastic!" She broke into giggles. "And it's totally gonna get Twilight and Lyra together, too!"

Applejack scratched her head, glancing around with the distinct impression that something was amiss. "But Ah feel like somethin' is missin'."

Pinkie followed Applejack's gaze, pouting. "Hey, yeah! Where's Fluttershy?"





"Um, the safe word is 'bunny'." purred Fluttershy demurely in the dim candlelight, leaning down to grip a whip in her teeth.





Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Probably just off taking care of her animals or something," she quipped. "We probably won't see her at the party."

Pinkie and AJ nodded in response, the pink party pony regarding both with a broad grin. "But you'll both be here tonight, right girls?"

Applejack nodded enthusiastically. "You bet!"

"You can count on me being here, too!" Rainbow supplied. "With Soarin'," she continued more quietly. "Y'know. My coltfriend."

Applejack rolled her eyes.

Oblivious as ever, Pinkie turned her gaze to Rarity, grinning deviously. "You girls keep at it, then! I need to go make some final preparations!"

Before either could respond, Pinkie was off again. Glancing at one another with matching shrugs. Applejack and Rainbow Dash returned to their respective tasks.





It was late in the afternoon when a knock came at Lyra and Bon-Bon's front door. Glancing up from a copy of Equestria Daily, the earth pony mare set the magazine down and trotted over to the door, curious. They didn't get many visitors, at least not in the afternoon, and she was certain that most of her friends would be busy preparing for the party. Pulling open the door, the confectioner was surprised to find her friend, Roseluck, beaming excitedly at her.

It took a moment before Rose's expression turned to one of confusion. "You're not ready to go?" It took Bon-Bon a moment to notice that Rose was clad in a dress, clearly ready for the Hearts n' Hooves bash that evening.

Bon-Bon shook her head. "I am not going."

Rose recoiled slightly in a somewhat melodramatic fashion. To the florist's decidedly romantic proclivities, the notion was scarcely imaginable. "What? Didn't the roses I sold you work their magic on Lyra?" she questioned with an exaggerated wink.

Bon-Bon hung her head, unable to help looking a bit downcast. Roseluck cleared her throat quietly, an awkward expression crossing her face. "Well," she started, "that's no excuse to mope around the house all day! C'mon, I'll be your date instead!"

The creme-colored pony blinked quizzically, regarding her rosey-maned friend. "As a friend?"

She didn't quite pick up the almost-noticeable waver in Rose's smile, and it took the florist a moment to continue. "... Yes, of course! It'll be fun!"

After a moment's consideration, Bon-Bon nodded and smiled. "Well... if you are saying so. Wait a minute, yes?" At Rose's nod, the mare turned around and returned indoors, going to fish out her dress from her dresser.

Humming quietly as she waited, Roseluck craned her neck to peer inside, noting with curiosity that Lyra's bedroom door seemed to be closed. "Hey, Bon-Bon? Has Lyra already left?"

"Oh, she must have," Bon-Bon called back absently, reflecting that she hadn't seen her roommate all day as she left her own room, straightening her dress. "Why do you ask?" she asked with a smile as she came into view.

"No reason," replied Roseluck, shrugging slightly. "We'd better hurry!" she called to her friend, hurrying off with Bon-Bon close after her.





Lyra Heartstrings' eyelids twitched a little, assailed by a rather annoying beam of sunlight. Yawning widely and lifting her head off of the puddle of drool on her desk, she tried to remember what she had been doing the night before. She vaguely recalled hitting on a few rather inspired verses, but she must have stayed up just a little too late and worked herself out.

Wait... Her room was on the west side of the house. And if the sun was shining in, then that meant--

"Sweet Celestia of Equestria!" the chartreuse unicorn cried, bolting upward. Just how long had she slept?!

Her eyes bugged out at the sight of the clock on the corner of her desk - it read 7:10 PM. The party had already started! The musician jumped away from her desk with a cry of panic, rifling through the pile of refuse on her bed in search of her dress. Producing the garment with a triumphant laugh, the frenzied unicorn pulled it haphazardly over her head, hopping over toward the desk.

Of course, fumbling blindly through one's messy room is a recipe only for disaster. Bonking her shin on the chair, sitting askew from its proper position at the desk, Lyra yelped in surprise, tumbling over and tangling herself up in the yellow fabric of her dress. Flipping herself over, the beleaguered unicorn managed to pull her head through the collar, freeing her vision with a gasp.

Propping herself up on two legs again, she tried to free her forelegs from the mess she'd made of her dress, grabbing for the pieces of paper scattered all over the desk with her telekinesis and rushing out the door. Finally freeing all four of her limbs, she galloped at top speed out the door, paper scattering behind her.

If she noticed that everypony was staring as she bolted through town, she did not care, mind fixated only on reaching Sugarcube Corner before it was too late.

As she neared the bakery, she slowed down to a trot, vainly running a hoof through her mane to try and bring it back into a manageable state. It took a moment for her to notice that, given the free hoof in her mane and the fact that nothing was held in her telekinesis, that she had managed to drop all of the sheets of song lyrics she had written on her mad dash through town.

And... forgotten her lyre to begin with.

With a resigned sigh, she pushed open the door and entered. Today was simply not going as planned.





"Ooh! Ooh!" Pinkie whispered (here the narrator uses the term somewhat liberally). "Twilight just came in!"

At each side, Applejack and Rainbow Dash crowded in to see past the throng of ponies. Sure enough, the lavender librarian had just walked into the banquet hall and was glancing around idly with a small smile. "She ain't with Lyra," Applejack observed with a frown, and the three shared worried glances.

On the other side of the room, Twilight Sparkle wove her way through the crowd of fellow party-goers. The room was buzzing with dozens of couples of ponies, all socializing in amiable tones, none of them particularly seeming to mind that the Hearts n' Hooves theme was slightly out-of-season. Spotting a tell-tale splotch of bright pink across the party, she made her way toward the snack tables. "Hello, Pinkie!" She glanced to each side of her friend, taking notice of the others. "Rainbow, Applejack."

"Uh, hey, sugarcube! Nice party, huh?"

Twilight nodded. "I'll say! You've really outdone yourselves this time." She squinted at the trio curiously. "... Even if it is kind of odd to throw a party two months late."

"Well," Dash interjected nervously, "better late than never!"

"Say, Twiley!" Pinkie piped up, craning her neck as if to look behind the unicorn. "You didn't happen to bring a date with you, did you?"

"Well, no," Twilight admitted, still all smiles, "but I've decided I don't need a date to enjoy the party. I'll just have a good time regardless! You three have fun!" The purple pony trotted away happily, leaving the three to exchange concerned glances again.





It was about fifteen minutes after the party started that Lyra finally stumbled into the banquet hall. Taking a second to catch her breath, she glanced around the hall to take in the scene of the party. Everywhere, couples of ponies chatted with one another or danced. Some opted just to respect the spirit of the party and stared lovingly into one another's eyes. She thought she heard a classic Pat Benamare ballad playing somewhere in the room.

Lyra may not have been the most sociable unicorn in Ponyville, but she found herself recognizing a surprising number of the couples attending. She gave Colgate and Berry Punch a smile and wave as she passed the two mares, quietly greeted Derpy Hooves and her strange doctor friend... But there was no sign of Twilight Sparkle anywhere. Lowering her head a little as she stood amongst the crowd, the unicorn felt confusion and sadness knot at the pit of her stomach.

As the distraught musician glanced up, however, the crowd parted slightly as another pair of ponies ambled off of the dance floor. Not ten feet away, Twilight Sparkle was standing, alone. The purple unicorn turned, smile becoming an expression of surprise as her and Lyra's eyes met. There the two stood, gazes fixed on one another in shock.





From across the party, Pinkie observed the situation with interest, clapping her hooves together excitedly. With a quick dart along the side of the room, she had managed to fish Applejack out from the kitchen, and pulled an irate Dash away from her dance with Soarin'. Before the pegasus could protest, Pinkie had turned the two ponies' gazes to more or less the center of the dance floor, where the two unicorn lovebirds appeared to be locked in a staring contest. "You girls know what to do~!" trilled the party's planner.

With a shared nod of determination, AJ and Dash wormed their way through the crowd and into the party.





Twilight Sparkle was experiencing an uncomfortably familiar sensation, namely the same sense of trepidation, anxiety, and what was more or less stage fright, that she had felt as a little filly during her magic examination. She had not expected to see Lyra at the party at all, and if she had, she had expected to see her with Bon-Bon - but it was a pleasant surprise, at least, and the studious mare felt that peculiar feeling of butterflies flapping around in one's stomach. So why was she unable to find anything to say?

Lyra found herself similarly dumbstruck. The energetic unicorn, who always had something to say, was speechless. What would she say to Twilight. What could she say? Should she say anything at all? She had been sure that when she had startled Twilight the previous day, she had scared her off for good.

And so the two unicorns remained deadlocked, until both felt somepony pushing at their hindquarters, scooting the pair together. For a moment too stunned to respond, they both glanced back after a few seconds. There was no apparent sign of whoever was responsible, but Twilight noted that she thought she saw a rainbow-hued tail retreating into the crowd. Turning forward, she found that she and Lyra were now standing only a couple of feet apart. Though both blinked uncomfortably, they knew that there was no way out of talking now.

Twilight reflected, for just a moment, that that might just be a good thing.

"So," Lyra was the first to speak up, glancing away awkwardly. "Nice party, huh?"

Twilight nodded, forcing a nervous grin. "Uh... Yeah."

The two struggled for words a little longer, until they started speaking again, both at the same time. "I was--" With incredulous stares at one another, Lyra and Twilight broke into giggles. "Sorry," Lyra relented with a smile. "You first."

"You're not here with Bon-Bon?" Twilight asked cautiously.

Lyra cast her gaze downward. "Er... No." She rubbed her mane with a hoof self-consciously. "Last night she, ah, confessed her love to me. But..." She shrugged.

The young sorceress couldn't help but feel sorry for Bon-Bon. "After I got her hopes up and everything, too," she remarked quietly.

Lyra blinked. "You mean... you're the one who managed to convince Bon-Bon to finally open up about it?"

The purple unicorn nodded in response. "I ran into her yesterday, and she was just so beat up about it. I knew I had to help her, even if it meant that I couldn't--" Twilight bit her tongue, gaze shifting back and forth awkwardly. While Lyra tried to make sense of what Twilight had said - or, rather, what she had not said - a pair of pink hooves on the other side of the room switched out the record for another, and a new song started to play.

Twilight and Lyra lifted their heads, ears twitching as the familiar opening cello notes of a song reached them - the same song they had danced to for the first time at the reception.

When she was just a girl,
She expected the world,
But it flew away from her reach,
So she ran away in her sleep...

And as the softly lilting tune played, Lyra realized many things at once. Her mouth worked silently for a moment. "You... convinced her to finally do it? Even knowing that it would mean that you couldn't be with me?"

Twilight finally broke her staring at the floor to glance at Lyra, eyes wide with fright. But when their gazes met again, she saw only a smile on Lyra's face, and happy tears in the green unicorn's eyes. A dozen emotions flooded through Twilight Sparkle at once, primary among them simple joy.

Para, para, paradise,
Every time she closed her eyes...

"Shall we dance?" Twilight asked.





"Ooh! I love Coldhay!" Rose chimed excitedly at Bon-Bon's side. The blue-and-pink maned earth pony's attention was elsewhere before her friend had piped up. With a confused blink, Bon-Bon turned to glance at her.

It seemed she had caught the florist staring at her, as Roseluck promptly glanced away, smiling awkwardly. "Um, seeing as it's my favorite song and all... maybe you'd like to dance?" Flashing an uncertain grin, Rose stared at Bon-Bon hopefully for a few seconds.

Despite a brief pause, a warm smile spread across Bon-Bon's face in return, and she nodded.

Life goes on, it gets so heavy,
The wheel breaks the butterfly,
Every tear a waterfall,
In the night, the stormy night she closed her eyes...

Before stepping out to the dance floor, Bon-Bon cast Twilight and Lyra one last glance. The two unicorns were swaying to the music, heads resting on each other's shoulders. Both looked utterly at peace with the world - and each other.

And to her own surprise, watching them, Bon-Bon felt no jealousy. She could only smile.

In the night, the stormy night, away she flies...





Rarity let out a gentle sigh of contentment. Everything, miraculously, had gone according to plan, a refreshing change of pace from her circle of friends' usual antics. Even if it had taken some additional coaxing, Twilight and Lyra's romance looked to be on the right track. The wily seamstress had been painfully aware of Bon-Bon's crush on Lyra for some time as well, and was glad to see that she had found somepony else to spend the party with. Rainbow Dash was... making out with Soarin' on one of the buffet tables.

Rarity wrinkled her snout a little. Well, nothing's perfect. But at least she had woken up on time to get ready for the party, if only just barely.

But what was it that Pinkie Pie had warned her about the other day?

On sheer instinct, the white unicorn ducked, just as the smoldering remnants of a cannon barrel... well... barreled through the air where her head was moments before, bowling through the buffet tables, scattering comestibles everywhere and sending the two amorous pegasi flying. Rarity stood up, staring in disbelief--

Only to be struck instead by Pinkie Pie, careening through the air after the cannon.

Rubbing her head woozily, Pinkie regained her senses, finding herself in Rarity's forelegs. "Oh, she chirped, "sorry about that, Rarity!"

"Pinkie Pie?" Rarity mumbled disbelieving, trying to straighten out her vision.

"The one and only!" Pinkie replied, trying to stop the edges of her mane from smoldering with one hoof. "I was trying to find a way to make the party cannon fire Hearts n' Hooves candies instead of parties, but, eh-heh..." The surprisingly sheepish earth pony gave a shrug.

"Oh!" she cried, bonking her forehead with a hoof. "I almost forgot! Happy Hearts n' Hooves, Rarity!" Without any further ado, the pink pony threw her forelegs around Rarity's neck, kissing her full on the mouth. With a giggle and wink, Pinkie bounced away giddily, leaving a stunned Rarity sitting slack-jawed and blushing amongst the shattered remnants of the dessert table.

This could be para, para, paradise,
Ohhh oh ohho ohoo!





Again, Twilight Sparkle found herself dancing with Lyra Heartstrings - but this time things were a little different. There was none of the awkwardness of the reception, replaced instead with sure steps, fluid movements, and the occasional shy smile at one another. As the song grew softer for a moment, the pair's dancing slowed to a stop and they met each other's gaze one more time.

And in that moment, staring into one another's eyes, all the uncertainties and misunderstandings of the last few days at last melted away. There was no mistaking what the two shared at that moment.

Twilight and Lyra's lips met, and the music carried on...

And so lying underneath those stormy skies,
She said ohohohoho, I know the sun must set to rise.


The End