//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Single Parent Seeks Special Somepony // by angelofrombelow //------------------------------// Berry Punch opened her eyes drowsily, weary from an irregular night’s sleep. She groaned and rolled onto her back – the mattresses in the restaurant’s guests rooms weren’t as comfortable and soft as her own, and her neck was aching from where she had been resting on it. Memories of last night came back to her. She thought again of Twilight Sparkle and the brief but agreeable conversation they had shared. Lying there, alone, she found herself beginning to over-analyse what had happened. The princess’s reaction to Berry’s come-on had been unusual. Until then she had been talking about her sexuality quite openly, almost matter-of-factly. The second the prospect of anything happening between them was suggested, she shied away. Given what Twilight had said, it was almost certain that she had no experience when it came to relationships. The fact she went home to study the subject, which was another thing that Berry found odd, implied that she’d never even considered the idea of romance until then. All of this added up to the conclusion that Twilight wasn’t interested in finding love, or at the very least it was near bottom on her list of priorities. Not the sort of pony that Berry should be pursuing. The purple-coated earth pony stared up at the ceiling, knowing she should get out of bed but lacking the energy to do so. She cricked her neck, trying to ease out the soreness in her joints. Then she scolded herself for being so negative. Her pessimism was probably stemming from the fact she wasn’t feeling at her best yet, it would wear off once she had taken the chance to wake up properly. She had no reason to be second-guessing how Twilight felt, nor did she know her well enough to make any accurate assumptions. She had been friendly last night and there hadn’t been a definite yes or no answer, just a maybe. There was still a chance of romance, though there was no way of knowing how likely it was. She didn’t enjoy the uncertainty but at least the possibility was there. And that wasn’t a bad result, considering that the weekend had only just begun. She could allow herself to daydream. Twilight was an attractive pony, although she was naïve when it came to love. That could even work to Berry’s advantage. She had been a student all her life and Miss Punch had a few lessons she could teach her. Berry stretched her limbs and decided it was time to get up. She only had two days free from responsibility and she wanted to make the best of them. After making the bed, she trotted downstairs to find Horte already behind the bar preparing for his breakfast customers. “An early riser, that’s what I like to see,” he said. “Food’ll be ready in a few minutes – it’s self-service.” He frowned as she mumbled an answer and slumped into a seat away from the bar, resting her head on her forelegs. “Are you alright?” he asked, “You didn’t drink that much last night.” “I’m just a bit out of sorts this morning. Not used to sleeping in a different bed,” she said. He nodded an acknowledgement and resumed his busywork, laying out plates and cutlery. Once he had finished the job to his satisfaction, he wandered over to Berry for a chat before the rest of his guests arrived. “So, what are your plans for the day?” he asked. “I’ll probably just roam around the Saturday market for a bit, before I go to see Bon Bon. Don’t want to bother them too early.” “Very considerate of you,” he said, then leaned in conspiratorially. “I have a titbit of information that you could look into in the meantime. There was somepony asking about you last night.” Berry raised her head, suddenly feeling more alert. “There was? Who was it? How’d you find out?” “One of my guests spoke to me before you came back for a room. They didn’t know who they were and, by the description, I don’t recognise them either – a white pegasus with a blonde, bubbly mane.” That clicked with Berry and for a moment she couldn’t work out why, but then she remembered. It was the same pony who had glared at her when Twilight left the bar. Berry hadn’t really given her more than a brief glance but she could have sworn the pegasus had had an aggressive demeanour. Perhaps she had that part wrong – their eyes had only met for a couple of seconds. “What was she asking about me?” she asked. “Only a few questions in passing. Apparently she was quiet for much of the evening, keeping herself to herself. She’d heard that you were a party animal and she asked about your job, where you like to go, general things,” he said. “It’s possible that you have a secret admirer.” She gave a short chuckle. “And on the very day I decide to get back into the dating game. What are the chances of that happening?” She twisted her mouth to the side, not fully convinced. “If she did like me, why didn’t she try speaking to me last night?” “Perhaps she’s shy?” he suggested. “Or maybe she just didn’t see an opening. You spent most of the night talking to me, except for the brief time you attempted to chat up Twilight Sparkle.” “Perhaps,” she said thoughtfully. “Anyway, I’ll keep an eye out for her. Thanks for the heads up.” By now a few of the other guests had come downstairs. Horte resumed his duties and Berry indulged herself in a large breakfast, then headed out to enjoy the morning. **** It was approaching noon when Berry decided to head round to Bon Bon’s house. She hadn’t made any headway on discovering the identity of the white pegasus – she had asked a few of her friends if they knew anything about her but there was no information forthcoming. Berry figured that she must be from out of town. Bon Bon lived in a small cottage near the outskirts of Ponyville that was well-tended. The walls were painted in cream and the roof was a bright pink. If one half of the roof had been tinted blue, it would have matched her colours exactly. She ran a small business selling sweets, mainly via a market stall in the town centre. It was nothing to rival the Cakes’ enterprise but it was enough to make an adequate living. She sometimes took odd jobs to bolster her finances. Berry hadn’t seen her at the Saturday market, but her sweets tended to be more popular with children and the town was currently a youth-free zone. The purple pony gave two loud taps at the door and waited patiently for an answer. There came none. She left it for about a minute before knocking again, louder this time. Still no response. She was just about to give up and walk away when the door opened slightly and a mint-coloured unicorn poked her head through the gap. “Oh, hi there Berry. What’s up?” asked Lyra, for it was she. Her tone was noticeably understated, which was unusual for her. Berry smiled in greeting, though she couldn’t help but notice an air of awkwardness. “Hi Lyra. I was hoping I could chat with you guys. I mean, unless this is a bad time. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” “Oh, no, no.” Lyra waved her hoof dismissively. “Nothing really. We were just in bed.” She blushed, then hastily added: “Lying in. Having a lazy Sunday. Been a busy week.” Berry raised an eyebrow. “It’s Saturday.” “It is?” She blinked. “Oh yeah. Bon Bon didn’t want to put the market stall out today. I got mixed up. Anyway, could we get back to you? I don’t mean to be rude, but…” She trailed off, unsure of how to end her sentence. Berry chuckled. “It’s alright. It’d be good to speak to you guys at some point today though. You see, Pinchy’s out of town so I’m taking the chance to get back into the dating game, or at least attempt to. I was hoping you guys might be able to help.” Lyra’s ears pricked up and she became more receptive. “Aw, you want to find your special somepony? We’d be happy to help. We know how hard it can be.” “Thanks, I appreciate it,” she said, lifting up a leg in readiness to move away. “I’ll probably be at Horte’s bar for most of the day, so if you could swing by whenever you’ve finished… whatever it is you’re doing, that’d be great.” Lyra hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. “Ah, don’t be silly. Come on in, we’ll chat. I think the moment’s lost now, anyway.” A slightly apprehensive Berry followed her inside. The cottage’s interior was small and cosy – a single downstairs room that was divided down the middle into a kitchen and separate living quarters. A set of stairs led up to a bedroom and bathroom. After the front door clicked shut, a voice cried out from upstairs. “Lyra, where are you? What’s taking so long?” The unicorn went to the foot of stairs and called: “Bon Bon, we have a guest.” “Awesome. Bring them up.” Lyra put her hoof to her face. “Come downstairs. It’s Berry Punch, she wants our help.” The only response was an exaggerated groan of frustration. Lyra tried again, her voice more insistent this time. “It’s important. She’s in need of your services as a love guru.” There was a brief pause, then: “Okay, I’ll be right down.” Berry was by now feeling a little uncomfortable. “I don’t want to put you guys out or anything,” she said. “Don’t be daft. It’s not like we had anything important planned for the rest of the day,” Lyra said breezily, before going to a kitchen cabinet. “Would you like some tea?” “Um.” Berry had never spoken to Lyra at much length before, but it was becoming rapidly apparent that she and Bon Bon were well suited for each other. “Okay.” A few seconds later the owner of the house entered the room, her fluffy mane slightly bedraggled and a barely noticeable mark around her throat, apparently caused by wearing a collar of some kind. Berry thought it wise not to ask. “Berry! Hi!” said Bon Bon, grinning wide. “So you’re in need of my help, eh? Things must be pretty dire. What is it, relationship trouble?” The other earth pony began to relax after receiving such a warm welcome. For all their eccentricities, they were a very friendly couple. “Yes – to be exact, my lack of one,” she said. “I’ve got the weekend to myself for once and it’s made me realise that I’m feeling lonely. I’ve been single too long and I figured if there’s anypony who can help me out with that, it’d be you guys.” “Hmm.” Bon Bon pouted as she set her mind to thinking. “Have you got your eye on anypony?” “That’s the main problem. I don’t know any gay ponies other than you and, well, you’re clearly already spoken for.” She smiled. “You never stood a chance anyway. Lyra was always the only pony for me, even when she didn’t know it. In fact, it took an awfully long time to convince her that she was.” The unicorn used her magic to levitate the teapot over to pour out the freshly brewed beverage and the three of them settled around the table to chat. “So how did you two get together? I’ve only heard rumours but I know it came as a surprise to some ponies,” said Berry. “I think most of us were certain that Lyra was straight.” Lyra shrugged. “Oh, I was never fully sure of that myself. It was just kind of an assumption I made. Everypony else was, so why wouldn’t I be? There weren’t any stallions I was attracted to, but I put that down to the lack of choice.” Bon Bon nonchalantly sipped her tea. “I thought she was straight as well – I was just determined to change her mind.” She looked at Berry, who was staring at her with some degree of shock. “What?” she asked. “It’s not like we have some sort of built-in radar for figuring these things out. I just thought she was cute.” The other earth pony leaned forward. “Come on, spill it. I want to know how you guys got together. Last I heard, you were writing all sorts of sexual stories and poems about Lyra and she was just laughing them off.” Bon Bon frowned. “I hope you’re not criticising my artistic talents. The only reason she wasn’t receptive to them at first was because she didn’t realise she fancied me. She loves my stories now, don’t you, honey?” Lyra was in the middle of taking a gulp of tea and had to control herself to not do a spit-take. “Oh yes, of course,” she said half-heartedly. “Still, it’s great that you don’t have to write them anymore because we’re together now, isn’t it?” She smiled confidently. “You see? I’m a storytelling genius. It’s not my fault that nopony else understands me.” “But there was one story that she didn’t like, wasn’t there?” Berry said with feeling. “That’s how this all started. That’s what brought your emotions to the surface.” The atmosphere changed noticeably, growing uncomfortable. Bon Bon grimaced, not really wanting to recall this part of her past, while Lyra’s face grew considerably paler. “Oh, that one,” said the unicorn with a groan. “I’ve tried to repress my memory of it.” “What was so bad about it?” asked Berry. “Don’t go into detail or anything, just give me a précis.” Bon Bon looked at her partner for permission, then sidled round to Berry’s side of the table. Her voice was low. “Here’s a very brief description, just to give you an idea. The story starts with Lyra practising her magic – oh, I should tell you beforehand that she’s the one who’s Celestia’s student in this, not Twilight. That’s why she has the power to do some of the stuff that comes later.” That last sentence set an alarm bell ringing in Berry’s head, but she still nodded for Bon Bon to continue. “She’s practising her magic but she gets one of her spells wrong. Through a process that’s far too complicated to explain, her horn gets turned into a two-foot-long tentacle.” Lyra interrupted, already backing away. “I’m just going to go upstairs for a moment. Got some stuff I need to sort out. I’ll be back when it’s over.” Berry watched her go upstairs as Bon Bon continued her story. “So Lyra’s horn is now a tentacle and Celestia’s all like, meh, don’t worry about it. Lyra goes back home to me – oh, I’m her marefriend in this – and asks me what we should do. So I suggest that she uses it to have sex with me.” “Right,” said the perplexed purple pony, drawing out the word so it lasted a good five seconds. “You don’t need me to go into detail on that, do y… right, okay.” Berry was shaking her head furiously. “So we have sex and everything’s great, but then we wake up the next morning to discover that I’ve fallen pregnant. And that’s when things start to get weird.” “Okay, you don’t need to go any further,” said Berry. Bon Bon appeared to be a bit put out by this, so she blustered out an excuse. “It’s not because I’m scared or anything, it’s just that I think I can see where the story’s going, so you don’t need to go into it.” The other earth pony didn’t quite believe her. “You can see where it’s going? I’d be very surprised. I didn’t even mention the part with the swamp monsters.” “Lyra didn’t react well to the story, did she?” Berry was determined not to hear any more. Bon Bon’s expression changed and she looked down at the floor. “That’s putting it mildly. There was stuff in there that actually terrified her, that’s what she told me. She said my stories had crossed the line from being funny to downright disturbed. She didn’t want to see me anymore. The next few weeks rank among the worst of my life. Bad times.” Her face was so sad that Berry couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. “I’d always thought that you’d been joking about your feelings for her. You were just so blasé when you spoke about her that I didn’t think you cared whether you got with her or not.” “I didn’t fully realise what I felt about her either. I mean, we spent so much time together that we were practically a couple already. It didn’t matter that we were only friends. But when she shut me out, it was like a huge part of my life had gone. It felt like a break-up.” A thin smile flashed briefly on her face. “But the time apart gave Lyra the chance to reassess her feelings. Once she’d recovered, she came to understand that the reason we had such a good time together was because we cared about each other. She got in contact a while later and we had a conciliatory meeting. Things started slowly because there were a lot of things that were new to us, especially for her. But, at the end of it all, it felt right.” She fell silent then, for there was little else to say. There was a strange sense of happy melancholy – Berry had never seen her serious before. The atmosphere was interrupted by a call from upstairs. “Is it safe to come down now?” Bon Bon wasn’t able to answer, so Berry gave the affirmative. Lyra trotted back into the kitchen and noticed her mate was upset, so offered her a reassuring snuggle. It was a heart-warming sight for Berry, though accompanied by the slightest pang of loneliness. “You guys make a really sweet couple.” “Naturally,” said Bon Bon, slowly regaining her sense of humour. “My name’s Bon Bon and she’s a delicious minty green. With a connection like that, I knew we were perfect for each other.” “Yep. She’s my sweet little pony,” said her partner. “My little Sweetie Drops.” It took a second for the words to sink in. When they did, Berry had to suppress a giggle. “She’s your what? Sweetie Drops?” she repeated. Bon Bon’s cheeks developed a faint tinge of red. “It’s her pet name for me. I think it’s cute. Anyway, we need to find you a mare. Is there anypony you’re interested in? Did you come to us first, or have you already started looking?” Berry hesitated, unsure of whether she should share what happened last night. “There was one pony. Spoke to her in Horte’s bar,” she said reluctantly. “I’m not sure what to think about it, I was going to leave it on a wait-and-see basis.” Lyra raised her head. “You got a maybe? Yay! That sounds positive.” She raised a hoof, trying to stop the others from getting too enthusiastic. “It’s far from a sure thing. She’s been single all her life and had never given much thought to her sexuality before. She wasn’t even aware that I was interested in her. She was perfectly friendly but she’s going to need time to think it over.” Bon Bon started pacing the floor excitedly, already scheming. “This is perfect! This is so similar to how it happened for me and Lyra! We’ve got to start thinking. You’ve got to start writing. A few steamy stories and she’ll be putty in your hooves. Do you know if she likes reading?” Berry clenched her teeth, a prickle of anxiety passing down her back. “I think that’d be a fair assumption, yes.” “I’m not sure this is the way to go about it, sweetie,” said Lyra apprehensively. “We had a very close relationship beforehand, remember? Even then, most of your stories didn’t have the desired result. Several of them were of the ‘burn after reading’ variety.” “Then we can try something else,” said the cream-coated pony, completely ignoring the criticism. “I know what I’m talking about here. This is the proven and patented Bon Bon method of seduction – find somepony you fancy, tell them you belong together for the most tenuous of reasons, then wear them down until they have no alternative but to give you a chance or have you arrested.” She stopped her pacing and gesticulating to ask the vital question. “But who is this lucky pony? Which mare has caught your eye? Whose family are we going to have to send the wedding invitations to?” Berry’s response was so quiet that it was barely audible. “Twilight Sparkle.” The two other mares were shocked into silence. When that brief respite ended, they exploded into a string of questions so intense that it could only be described as a verbal assault. “Twilight Sparkle?” Bon Bon nearly shouted. “You’ve set your sights high there, haven’t you? Good girl, that’s ambitious, I like it, I like it! You’ve got so many things to consider. What’s the proper etiquette for dating a princess? Do you have to bow when you meet her at the door? Do you need Princess Celestia’s consent? What happens if you get married, will you become an alicorn too? Imagine it – Princess Punch!” “That sounds really risky,” said Lyra at the same time. “She’s royalty, isn’t she? Wouldn’t she already be betrothed to a prince from another country? Is she allowed to date outside her social circle? Would it cause a scandal?” “Calm down!” cried Berry, silencing them both. “Look, it’s not a big deal.” Their incredulous looks forced her to admit otherwise. “Okay, it would be a big deal if she actually said yes. But all I’ve done is ask her. She’s very down to earth and she said herself that she just wants to be treated like any other normal pony. If she decides that she doesn’t want to date me, then it’s not going to change anything.” The other two were quiet for a moment, then Lyra spoke. “But what if she says yes?” Her voice was low, but she was clearly becoming excited. “I mean, I was worried at first but what you just said sounds really positive. If she behaves in the way you describe her, then I don’t think you’d get in trouble no matter what happens. And think of the prestige. Even if things didn’t work out, your name would be known. You’d become a real catch.” “Well… that’s true. But I need to actually score a date with her first and I think that’s gonna be pretty tough.” “Nonsense. You’ve got us on your side,” said Bon Bon. “All you’ve got to do is work out why you two belong together.” Berry exhaled, then decided to accept the other pony’s advice. It couldn’t hurt, after all, and she might even end up providing some insight. “Okay, so what sort of thing are you talking about?” “You’ve got to find reasons why you’d make a good couple and put them to her,” she said. “Then, if she starts arguing against them using logic, you have to throw in a few things that she can’t possibly counter. Here’s one, just for example: you’re both purple.” Berry frowned. “Yes. Yes we are. What’s that got to do with anything?” She smiled in triumph. “It means you can have matching wardrobes. No chance of any clashes here – you won’t get anypony looking at the two of you and saying yeah, they’re a nice couple, but their colours just don’t match together.” “I really don’t think that’s a sensible reason…” “Here’s another thing. They all say that opposites attract, right?” she said, leaning forward. “Well, she’s a princess with wings and a horn, while you’re a simple earth pony. You can’t get much more opposite than that. Oh, and here’s a clincher: you should tell her that you’re destined to be together. Twilight’s all about destiny.” Lyra walked over to Berry and smiled apologetically. “She was like this all the way through our initial friendship. You should have heard some of the stuff she came up with. I think your wait-and-see approach is probably the best way forward, but don’t give up on her. In the meantime, we should start thinking of other ways of finding you a date.” The three ponies chatted for most of the afternoon, with Bon Bon making several interjections about Twilight throughout. By the time Berry left their house, she was feeling a lot more confident about her chances. She knew it wasn’t a sure thing, far from it, but she had been convinced that the possibility was there. The trio had agreed to meet up later in Horte’s bar for a night out and Berry intended to head there now. The others would take an hour or so to get ready and then they’d go on the prowl. The purple-coated pony had a happy buzz about her, buoyed by seeing Lyra and Bon Bon so happy together and encouraged by the thought that one day she’d be able to find a partnership like that. She trotted through the streets of Ponyville, paying scant attention to the other ponies passing by as she went to update Horte on her efforts. But her good mood was not going to last long. She was so lost in her own daydream that she didn’t hear the voice at first – it was timid, unassuming. The other pony actually had to call out to her a second time before she noticed her. It was Lyra. The unicorn had a sorrowful expression on her face and she seemed hesitant, almost nervous – a far cry from the pony Berry had been speaking to just a few minutes ago. “Lyra? What are you doing here? Where’s Bon Bon?” she asked. “I managed to get away from her for a moment. I just wanted to speak with you. It won’t take long.” She appeared reluctant, uncomfortable – much as she had been when Berry first spoke to her this afternoon, though this time the circumstances were clearly different. There was something she wanted to confide. The unicorn let out a sigh and looked her in the eyes. “I’m not happy.” Berry felt her heart sink. “What do you mean you’re not happy? You mean, you and Bon Bon?” She moved in closer and lowered her voice, mindful of any nearby ponies who might be listening in. “No, it can’t be. You guys get on so well with each other, you belong together.” “That’s what everypony says, but I’m starting to wonder. I’m starting to feel trapped. You hit the mark just then when you said that I belong with her. If everypony says that’s how it should be, then you feel like you should just accept it. But deep down, in my heart, I’m not sure” “Stop. Just stop.” Berry’s head was swimming. She wasn’t able to make sense of it. Lyra and Bon Bon had seemed perfectly in tune with each other, a loving couple. Yet here Lyra was, suddenly telling her the opposite was true. That Bon Bon’s happy ending could be nothing more than a lie. “Have you spoken to her about how feel?” Berry felt a rush of urgency when Lyra shook her head. “Lyra, you have to talk to her about it. You have to try to work things out.” “But it’s so difficult. We’re so close that it’s hard to even raise the issue. I need to speak to somepony else to get a different perspective on things. I was hoping I could speak with you.” She shook her head adamantly. “No. You need to speak to Bon Bon.” Lyra was insistent, her voice almost pleading. “Please. If we could just go somewhere private. You’re easy to speak to and I need somepony to confide in. Please?” Berry was starting to become upset and it was an effort for her to keep her temper. From Lyra’s attitude now, her near desperation, it seemed that her behaviour around Bon Bon this afternoon had all been an act. She had been deceiving a pony who couldn’t bear to be without her. She was unable to be honest with the one pony she should have been closest to, one who depended on her. Her unwillingness to take responsibility was enough to make Berry furious. “Speak to Bon Bon. She deserves that much.” She kept her voice preternaturally steady. “I just want somepony to speak to, work it all out,” said Lyra. “If we could just go somewhere quiet.” “No. Speak to her.” That was Berry’s final demand and Lyra could see it as such. The unicorn winced, almost as if she was cursing herself. “Okay. I will,” she said, then adopted a more inquisitive tone. “Were you heading to that bar?” “Yes. You know that. You were there when we talked about it.” Berry spoke slowly, forcing herself to be patient. “Guess I’ll be entertaining myself tonight.” “Perhaps,” said Lyra. “Though maybe we’ll be able to patch things up. These are just misgivings I’ve been having, some doubts. I’ll talk it through with Bon Bon and maybe things won’t seem so bad. Just please, if we do come out, don’t mention this. That we talked. It’d only raise bad blood.” Berry nodded, feeling thoroughly sick of this conversation. It seemed she had badly misjudged Lyra’s character. “If not, maybe you could ask some of your best friends to join you tonight. Maybe you could convince that Twilight Sparkle to come out of her library.” “Come out. Right. Yeah, I’ll do that,” Berry deadpanned. “Good. And I’m sorry I dragged you into all of this.” Lyra turned to leave, hesitated, then spoke one last time with an uncertain, testing tone. “I like what you’ve done with your coat. It suits you.” “Right, thanks.” Berry was too fed up to bother working out what she meant by that last remark. The other pony appeared to relax a little, then Berry watched her walk away until she was out of sight. Her entire day had been turned upside down and her previous good mood was nothing more than a memory. And Lyra’s near insistence on trying to get her alone was also quite troubling. Life had just become a lot more complicated.