//------------------------------// // Love Will Always Find A Way (Bon Bon's Poem) // Story: The Big Book Of Small Stories // by LordOfTape //------------------------------// Love Will Always Find A Way (Bon Bon’s Poem) Love is a funny thing It makes you feel all wibbly-wobbly inside You can’t control who you fall in love with either It just, happens ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That’s how it worked for me at least I never really wanted to find my special somepony It wasn’t more than a passing thought That was, until she came along ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A beautiful minty green unicorn with a mane of blue and white She could play a melody that would soothe a raging dragon And her voice would bring a shaking earth into a harmonious accord But most of all, she was unique, unlike any other pony ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Perhaps that is why I fell in love with her Seeing her sitting her flank on the bench The mare was filled with wonderment and exciting new possibilities; intriguing me, perplexing me even Unfortunately, not everypony sees love the same way ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It all started after the Nightmare Moon incident here in Ponyville She was new in town, and came in looking for something to eat Although not quite as famous as the Cake’s pastry shop, my candy confectionaries were well known Everypony with a sweet tooth, young and old, came into my store looking for a bag of tasty treats ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She was no different than the rest back then, heading into my shop “Hey, can I get this small bag of chocolates?” she asked quizzically, almost unsure if the question was ok “That’ll be four bits please” I smiled back The mysterious pony pulled out two bits and then began to frantically search herself for more money ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It was then that the realization hit me; I didn’t know this mare So I decided to ask her, “I haven’t seen you here before have I?” Still rummaging through her bag, she hastily replied “Nope, just moved here” It was surprising the hear that she moved here and wasn’t visiting, as there weren’t any houses for sale ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Oh? Where did you move into? I don’t remember seeing any houses for sale” As I spoke, the unicorn began to blush, turning her minty coat from green to red She looked like a lit up Hearths Warming tree “Well, uh, you see, I, uh don’t really have a house per say” she replied, words stumbling from her mouth ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Then where on earth do you live?” “Well, I’m kinda hard pressed for bits, so I’m looking around to see if there’s anywhere I can crash” “At least for a night” she frowned, her own situation displeasing her previous pleasant mood Against my better judgment, I offered a deal to the lost unicorn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Considering you don’t have the bits to pay for that chocolate” I began “Why don’t you work for me to pay it off, and maybe earn some extra money too?” A beaming smile, bright-flashing white, shot over her face, her eyes widening far past their average size “You really mean that!?” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Of course, you seem like a nice enough pony” The minty mare bounced up and down all over my store, making me extra thankful for the slow day She scooped up the bag of chocolates in her foreleg and bounced straight out the door Chucking at first, I realized that I needed to give her a schedule of when to be here ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I ran out the door as quick as I could, only to find my new employee sitting happily on the bench outside I stared at her for quite some time, my head tilted in inquisition She sat on her flank, with her hind legs hanging off the front of the bench, a sight I’d never seen before The unicorn looked back at me and waved happily; I could feel a light smile work its way across my face ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I hadn’t realized it, but I was staring at her for quite sometime She began to give me an odd look, as if to tell me subliminally to stop I shook my head, blinking my eyes rapidly to snap myself out of the trance I trotted over to her bench seat to ask her about her, sitting position ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Excuse me, but, why do you sit like that?” The bubbly pony answered “Because it’s fun!” “I’ve always enjoyed doing things that are outside the norms” “Being an average, everyday pony is boring” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Her blatant self expression showed me that she was not afraid of being criticized or bullied Her proud nature and fun loving personality drew me in somehow I didn’t know what she did, but whatever it was, it worked I just had to know more about my new employee, my new friend ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “You said you needed a place to stay, isn’t that right?” “Mmhphm” she garbled contently while chewing on her chocolate pieces “Well why don’t you stay with me? You are working for me after all” Chocolate still in her mouth, she hopped off of the bench, bouncing crazily across the street ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I couldn’t help but laugh this time She took the time to pause her fanatic antics for a moment and laugh with me Still laughing hard, I posed the question to her “What IS your name?” Settling down from the uproar, but still chuckling, she replied “Lyra; Lyra Heartstrings” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It was the beginning of a great friendship, actually, more than friendship now I took her in and set up a sofa in the extra room upstairs for her to sleep on She worked hard every day, earning her pay like a honest, hard working pony The days went by like the usually did, but this time around I had a friend to pass the time with ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I was glad to have company, as it often did get lonely in the shop Things kept up for a while, until one day when I heard something I wasn’t supposed to Two fillies had just bought some candy, but as they were leaving I noticed they had left one of their bags I snatched it up quick and ran outside to give it to them ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As I opened the door and trotted behind them, I overheard the elder “Two mares shouldn’t be living together, it’s just weird” I stopped in my tracks, a surprised look formed on my face causing the bag to drop from my mouth Did they think that Lyra and I were together? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Confused and agitated I went back into the shop to confront Lyra It was true, I had some unexplainable feelings for the mare, but I never openly displayed any intimacy “Lyra” I tapped her on the shoulder “Can I ask you something?” “Sure” she agreed with her usual wide grin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “How do you, um, feel about me?” I stuttered over a few words “You’re my best friend, Bon” she smiled encouragingly “Oh, yeah, good” I sighed, somewhat relieved yet still feeling a stiffening sadness “That’s what I thought” my eyes lowering towards the floor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “What is it? Did I say something wrong?” a concerned tone in her voice “I just, no, nothing really” I tried to respond, but my emotions got the best of me My green friend blushed, just like she did on the first day we met, and slowly walked closer to me Before I knew it, I felt the warm sensation of another pony’s lips on my cheek ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “You know, I wouldn’t mind being more” her eyes gazing right into my own The once cloudy storm of emotions and thoughts that rattled throughout my heart and mind faded Only one feeling remained, and that feeling was love Love for a wonderfully unique unicorn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We took our relationship slow, neither one of us having been in one before It started off with simply going to the park to relax and enjoy the day with one another She shared all of her greatest desires with me, all of her secrets Her love for the unconventional bemused me, and I became enthralled in her endeavors ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She moved to Ponyville from Canterlot where she worked as a traveling acrobat She could walk on only her back hooves, and had a perplexing ability to grip things with her hooves Her movements were often awkward, but she explained that it is merely hard to do Everything about her old life just made me want to know more ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Of course, such avid and numerous adventures had a downside We received plenty of hateful glares from other mares and stallions Two mares being in a relationship together was not only unconventional, but also looked down on Each day it would get worse, people avoiding us or even ceasing all communication ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I was able to deal with it for the most part, until they started getting physical Some young colts threw stones through the store’s windows, shattering glass everywhere After the incident, fewer and fewer ponies came back to buy candy We were quickly going bankrupt ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Lyra, we’re running out of money” “I know Bon, I know, but there’s nothing we can do” she frowned “But we need business, I can’t just close down the shop” Lyra said nothing, but came over to hug me and keep me close ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I went to sleep that night, almost crying at our poor situation My sleep did not relieve me of my problems either, I was tossing and turning the entire night When I awoke, I hoped for the comfort of my dear Lyra, but there was no one else in bed My body jolted awake and I searched the shop frantically, calling out her name ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I searched for days, but there was no Lyra to be found It didn’t take long for the town to learn of Lyra’s disappearance To my dismay, few ponies cared They were all far more concerned with a huge party planned for Friday night ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My only thought was, perhaps there will be somepony there who knows where Lyra is? I waited another day, alone inside my suffering shop It was sorrowful, my shop and I were both withering away without the one thing that made us special Friday night did come though, and I made my way, ever so slowly, to the grand party ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I got there just as they announced the bands playing “Tonight we’ve got a hot new band playing their brand new song, Playing My Heartstrings!” “Let’s give it up for Scratching Symphonies!” The crowd cheered louder than a passing train, nearly bursting my eardrums from their booming chants ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The curtains on the stage opened, and to my surprise, Lyra stood in the front, gripping her golden lyre The music began to play, a battle between orchestra and electronics, constantly vying for control Lyra’s harmonious lyre strokes graced my ears and lifted my tried soul back to its hooves Everypony listened intently to the swaying music of both opposing sides, entranced in the tune ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ During a lull in the ever pressing tone of the piece, Lyra placed her lyre on the stage in front of her and walked towards the unoccupied microphone “Hey there everypony” she chuckled “I know that a lot of you have had problems with me in the past, and I’m sorry for that” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “I’m in love with another mare, yes” “She is just as wonderful and beautiful and caring as any stallion could be to me” “I know what I and my marefriend have isn’t normal” she sniffled twice, water falling down her face “But I don’t see why there needs to be any cruelty towards her” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “You’ve all known Bon Bon your entire lives, and have always enjoyed her great candies” “Why does the fact that she loves me have to change that? “She is still the same old Bon Bon you all knew, the same Bon Bon you were friends with” “So I guess, what I’m asking is that you all just give us a chance” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I had never expected Lyra to do something like this, however it did fit her well I rushed my way through the crowd, trying my hardest to get to the stage When I finally made it, Octavia helped pull me up, smiling I headed straight for Lyra, running into her so fast I nearly knocked her over with my embrace ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Lyra” I sobbed “I thought you left me” My musical mare patted me on my head, “I’d never leave you Bon, not in a million years” “I just had to find the right way to get everypony in one place so that I could tell them this” I laughed, both of us were smiling now, something I hadn’t done in quite some time ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lyra turned her attention back to the apprehensive crowd Many of them had equally large smiles on their faces, although there were some disapproving frowns “I don’t know if we’ve changed your minds everypony, but I am thankful you listened” “And Bon” she took in a deep breath “No matter what, I can tell you this” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Her heart opened to me, the same as when we first met, and she said “Love will always find a way”