//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: Night One // Story: A Canterlot Ghost Tale // by volrathxp //------------------------------// A Canterlot Ghost Tale Chapter Two: Night One ******************************************** One Week Later ******************************************** “I think that's everything,” Lyra said, glancing about the living room.  Towers of boxes loomed over the two mares, making Lyra feel like they had built a fort of cardboard.  “All the boxes at least.  Kind of glad we brought in most of the furniture first, right?” “Sweetie, we probably couldn't get the furniture in if we hadn't brought it in first,” Bon Bon said.  Lyra chuckled, leaning against her pregnant wife on their new couch.  Bon Bon's nose was stuck in a candy magazine. “Why do we have so much stuff again?” She said.  “I didn't know we even had this much junk.” “Most of it's yours, sweetie,” Bon Bon replied.  “You collect things, remember?” “Oh yeah,” Lyra said thoughtfully.  “Well... do you want to go to bed now or hang out for a bit?  It's getting kind of late.”  Bon Bon glanced up at the clock, before sighing. “Is the bed ready?” She asked flatly.  Lyra grinned sheepishly.  “So... it's not ready.” “I can get it ready!  Just you hang out, Bonnie.  I'll get it ready pronto!” She said, standing.  She rushed up the stairs, leaving Bon Bon by herself in the massive living room.  Like most of the other rooms in the house, the living room was decorated in a classical Equestrian fashion, complete with gaudy striped wallpaper and a bronze trimmed fireplace/mantle.  Bon Bon hated the wallpaper, personally, but Lyra had been adamant about keeping everything as it was, stating that the history of the place would be tarnished if Bon Bon so much as lifted a paint brush. Bon Bon glanced across the hall from where she was sitting.  The viewing room on the other side of the main hallway had been left relatively untouched except for the addition of Lyra's lyre.  Even on downtime, a member of the Orchestra was still expected to be at the peak of performance.  Thus, Lyra had claimed the viewing room as her practice area.  Bon Bon smiled at this as she stood, trotting into the hallway.  She looked up the stairs for any sign of her wife. “Lyra?  I'm gonna go unpack some of the boxes in the kitchen.  Just let me know when you're ready for bed,” she called up the stairs. “Okay!!!” Lyra yelled from the master bedroom, her voice muffled by the thick walls of the house.  Bon Bon rolled her eyes and walked down the hall into the kitchen.  The room itself was grandiose, far greater than what the cream colored earth pony was used to.  A beautiful white stove sat at the far end of the room, accompanied by lovely white counters.  A marble island sat in the middle of the kitchen.  Stacked on the side were dozens of boxes.  Bon Bon trotted up to them and pulled one aside and opened it. “Silverware,” she muttered.  “Plates.  Where did I put my baking supplies?”  Bon Bon sighed, reaching for another box.  A clattering sound echoed from the hallway.  The cream colored mare's ears perked up immediately. “Lyra?  Is that you?” She called out softly.  No response.  Bon Bon scrunched her nose up.  “Lyra?  If you're playing a joke, it isn't funny.”  When she again received no response, Bon Bon stood.  Another clattering sound came from the hallway, followed by the sound of breaking glass.  She moved cautiously towards the entryway, peeking her head out and looking down the hall.  She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the source of the noise. Two of the pictures that Bon Bon had managed to hang up had fallen off the wall onto the ground.  Tiny glass pieces shined around one of them.  Bon Bon sighed, trotting back into the kitchen and grabbing the broom and dust pan.  Carefully moving the pictures back from the glass on the floor, she began to sweep it into the dust pan.  Bon Bon looked back at the two pictures.  Both of them were ones of her and Lyra from some time ago. The first was a picture of the two at one of Pinkie Pie's parties back in Ponyville.  Lyra was grinning widely, hanging off the side of Bon Bon, who appeared to be bored.  The other was taken just the year before, showing Lyra and Bon Bon on their vacation to Los Pegasus.  The glass had broken on that one, shattered right over Bon Bon's face.  Bon Bon sighed.  I'm going to have to get a replacement frame, she thought, glancing back up at the wall.  How did they fall, though?  I could have sworn I got the picture hangers up right.  I even had Lyra check.  Bon Bon picked up the picture that wasn't broken and placed it on the wall hangers.  It stayed right in place and didn't seem to lean at all. “Huh,” Bon Bon said, turning back to the other picture.  “Weird.  Well, nothing to do then but put you aside to be fixed.”  She picked up the other picture, yelping loudly as a shard of the glass broke off from the frame and cut her across her leg.  A thin red line of blood appeared.  “Ouch!!” “Bonnie?” Lyra called out, stomping down the stairs.  She turned the corner, her eyes catching her wife's injury.  “Oh my gosh, Bonnie!  Are you alright?” “I'm fine, Lyra.  Just cut myself, is all.  I'll be alright,” Bon Bon replied. “And the foal?” Lyra asked excitedly.  Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “The foal is fine, being completely disconnected from my leg where the cut is,” she said flatly.  “Still...  Go run and get the antiseptic and a bandage.”  Lyra nodded, trotting down to the bathroom and grabbing the medicinal kit.  She returned shortly, floating out the tube of antiseptic cream and a bandage.  Bon Bon winced as she applied the cream, sighing with relief as it began to numb the pain. “Guess we're glad we unpacked the bathroom stuff first, right?” Lyra said.  “What were you doing anyways?” “Two of our pictures fell off the wall,” Bon Bon said, pointing to the two pictures.  The one that had cut her was laying to the side, blood dripping from the shard of glass poking out.  It ran down into the photo itself, obscuring Bon Bon's face in it further.  Bon Bon groaned loudly.  “Great, and now our vacation photo is ruined.”  She sighed, hanging her head, tears beginning to drip down her cheeks.  Lyra smiled softly, putting a hoof on her wife's shoulder. “It's alright, Bonnie.  It's just a photo,” she said.  “I remember how awesome our vacation was.  Don't need a picture to tell me that.”  Bon Bon glared at her with red puffy eyes.  Lyra gulped loudly.  “Look, sweetie buns... the bed's ready upstairs.  Why don't you go on up and sleep, and I'll take care of this?”  Bon Bon sighed loudly, but nodded nonetheless as she tried to clear her tears with her fetlock. “Alright.  Thanks, Lyra,” she said, pushing herself up off the floor and walking past the unicorn.  Lyra smiled as Bon Bon disappeared up the stairs, turning to pick up the picture and dust pan with her magic.  Lyra grimaced as she deposited the shards of glass and the picture into the trash can. Meanwhile, Bon Bon slid into the cold bed, sighing to herself.  The cream colored mare winced as she lay down, shifting so that she wasn't directly on her wounded leg.  After what felt like an eternity, she heard hoof steps coming up the stairs.  They got louder and closer.  Bon Bon looked back at the door to the bedroom, smiling softly. “Lyra?” She called out.  The hoof steps resounded loudly and stopped in front of the door, but nopony came through.  Bon Bon shivered in the darkness, waiting for something, anything to happen.  Bon Bon shook her head.  “Maybe I'm hearing things... I could have sworn...”  The earth pony rested her head on the pillow, sighing again.  She rubbed her swollen belly and started drifting in and out of sleep.  Soft steps soon entered the room, and Lyra plopped onto the bed next to her wife. “Bonnie?  You still awake?” The seagreen mare said, placing a hoof on her lover’s shoulder. “Lyra?” Bon Bon said groggily.  “When did you get here?” “A few minutes ago.  You alright?” Lyra asked softly. “I'm a blubbering beached whale who just cut herself.  How do you think I am?” Bon Bon snapped, stopping and lifting a hoof to cut off Lyra.  “Sorry, sweetheart.  This is just... it's a bit much.  New house, the foal, and everything else.  I just need some time to adjust is all.”  Lyra smiled softly, wrapping her foreleg around Bon Bon's neck. “It's alright, sweetie buns,” she breathed softly.  “Why don't you take the day off tomorrow?  Go out and see Canterlot and get some fresh air?  I'll take care of the rest of the boxes.  I don't have to be to the Orchestra Hall until tomorrow night anyways.” “I don't know...” Bon Bon said.  “I really should just stay home and --” *THUD* A loud banging sound tore the cream colored mare's eyes away from her wife.  Lyra peered over Bon Bon's shoulder at the door to their bedroom. “What was that?” Lyra said. “I don't know,” Bon Bon replied.  “I thought I heard something before you came upstairs earlier.” “Maybe it's the ghost,” Lyra offered, grinning.  Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “Sweetie, you don't believe in ghosts any more than I do, you said so yourself,” the cream mare said. “Yeah, but you heard that old fart last week,” Lyra said.  “This place is supposed to be haunted!”  Lyra waved her hooves about, making an ‘oooo’ sound.  Bon Bon sighed. “Either way, we should go check out what that noise was, ghost or no ghost, it could be a robber,” she said, pushing herself off the bed.  She winced as she stepped down on the leg she'd cut, forcing a pained expression upon the mare's face.  Lyra was off the bed in an instant and at her wife's side. “You okay?” She said.  Bon Bon nodded silently. “I'm fine.  You got anything for the robber?” The earth pony asked.  Lyra grinned, her horn glowing softly.  From under the bed came out a baseball bat, floating along in Lyra's telekinetic grip. “Naturally,” she said, moving in front of Bon Bon.  Lyra opened the bedroom door quietly and moved into the hall.  The stairwell was dark, the hard wood creaking softly beneath the two mare's hooves.  As they inched closer to the stairs, they could hear shuffling noises down in the living room.  Lyra grimaced, taking the first step down.  She quietly set hoof onto the first floor, and the shuffling stopped.  Lyra stopped cold in her tracks, peering down the dark hallway.  Nothing.  Lyra started forward, the only light the soft glow of her magic carrying a baseball bat. The sea green mare stopped at the entrance to the living room before glancing back at Bon Bon.  She nodded once and stepped into the archway, flicking the light on. “Alright you – huh?” Lyra started to shout, stopping and staring.  Bon Bon stepped past her love, sighing.  The boxes that had been stacked in the living room had all fallen over, many of them opened with their contents spilled out on the floor.  Bon Bon walked inside the room, sighing. “Lyra... you stacked the boxes wrong!  Everything fell over!” She said. “Bonnie, I swear I did it right.  There's no way this could have happened,” Lyra replied.  “Geez, everything did kind of fall over though.” “Guess I know what I'm doing in the morning,” Bon Bon said.  Lyra stomped a hoof. “You're gonna go have a good time in the city,” she said forcefully.  “I'll take care of this stuff.” “Really?  You're going to clean all of this up?” Bon Bon said as she picked through a box of clothes that had fallen over onto the couch.  The cream mare lifted an eyebrow, looking back at her wife. “Sure!  C'mon Bonnie... I'll have the place spotless before you even get home, I promise.  Just go and have a good time, you deserve it,” Lyra said.  “All this stress isn't good for you or the foal.”  Bon Bon sighed. “Fine, I'll go out and see the city.  But I want this to be spotless, you hear me?  No getting distracted with your music until we're all settled in,” the mare said, pointing a hoof at Lyra.  The unicorn responded by nodding ecstatically. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Lyra said, mimicking the motions of the famed Pinkie Promise.  Bon Bon narrowed her gaze at her love. “Alright, alright.  No need to bring her into this,” she said.  “Let's just get some sleep, alright?  I'm tired and all this standing around is starting to ache.”  Bon Bon moved towards the living room archway and into the hall. “Right behind you, sweetie,” Lyra said as Bon Bon started up the stairs.  She looked down at the boxes and sighed.  Tomorrow was going to be a very long day. *************************************** Bon Bon stretched her legs in the garden outside their new home, getting ready for the day ahead of her.  She sighed as she perused the plants growing in the garden.  They looked dreadfully pitiful, almost like nopony had taken care of them in ages.  The earth mare grimaced.  The previous owner appeared to have been fairly fond of roses, with several dead looking varieties of the flower growing all around the tiny garden. “Gonna have to see if Roseluck can come up and help me with these things,” she said softly.  “I don't know the first thing about gardening.” “Bonnie?” A voice called from the garden's entrance.  Lyra appeared, smiling brightly.  “Oh, there you are.” “You're awful chipper this morning,” Bon Bon said.  Lyra grinned even wider, floating out a pair of saddlebags. “Just getting your bags ready for you,” she said.  “You go have fun now, alright?  I'll take care of everything.”  Bon Bon nodded, letting her wife lift the bags over onto her back. “Remember what I said, Lyra.  Spotless.  Not a single spot,” she said, pointing a hoof before smiling and leaning in for a kiss.  “And remember, I love you.” “Love you too, Bonnie.  Now get going, you're wasting daylight,” Lyra said.  Bon Bon exited the garden and made her way out onto the street, walking up towards the center of Old Canterlot.  The sun was high in the sky and a gentle breeze tickled the mare's coat, coaxing a wide smile out of the cream colored pony.  She trotted by the house that belonged to the unicorn stallion they met the night they looked at the house.  Bon Bon grimaced.  His house looks even creepier than ours! She thought.  The door to the house opened, revealing the older unicorn.  He appeared to be on his way out to work.  He reached his gate, stopping as he saw Bon Bon. “Miss,” he said, pushing open the gate with the soft glow of his magic.  “Out for a morning walk?” “Yes... it's a lovely morning, isn't it?” Bon Bon replied as the stallion began walking beside her. “Indeed it is,” he said.  “Forgive me, young miss.  I was... rather forceful with you the last time we spoke.” “It's alright.  I'm Bon Bon, by the way,” the earth mare said, offering a hoof.  The older stallion took it and shook, smiling. “Archibald,” he said.  “I am a professor at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.  I suppose we are neighbors now.” “That's correct,” Bon Bon said.  “And what do you teach, Professor?” “Ah, I teach Paranormal Studies and Theoretical Magic,” he said.  “A very specialized field in my line of work.”  The two continued up the street, making their way to an old looking town square.  Bon Bon narrowed her gaze at the older unicorn. “Paranormal studies?  You mean --” She started to say.  Archibald raised a hoof. “Ghosts, my dear Bon Bon,” he said.  “I study magic as it relates to the paranormal realm of spirits.” “I... I see,” Bon Bon replied.  “And you believe our house is haunted?”  Archibald chuckled.  He motioned at one of the park benches along the square.  The two sat, the elderly unicorn looking at his watch. “I have time,” he muttered to himself before looking up at the cream colored mare.  “Miss Bon Bon, I don't believe that your house is haunted.  I know it is.  Did the realtor not tell you anything about the history of the house?” “He said the previous occupant had moved out,” Bon Bon said casually.  Archibald's eyes widened, causing Bon Bon to hesitate.  She spoke after a few tense moments, her voice shaky.  “Professor?  Are you... are you okay?”  Archibald closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “My dear Bon Bon, the previous occupant of your house did not vacate the house intact,” he said.  “In fact, if she vacated anything, it was this mortal coil we call life.” “You... you mean she...” Bon Bon tried to say.  Archibald nodded. “The mare that lived in that house before you was murdered.”