//------------------------------// // Lyra is a Widow-Maker // Story: Lyra is a Mother // by Paton Pendeng //------------------------------// Bon-Bon watched as her crazy marefriend depart. As much as she loved her, that unicorn was something else entirely. How could she not at all remember or recall that day when Twilight was announced to be a princess? That was almost as bad as Lyra having no recollection of being a bridesmaid during the changeling invasion, and she was dressed for it when she came home! With a worried sigh, she washed the coffee pot and began plotting her day out. No candy orders for today. The house needs a decent cleaning. Groceries- Bon-Bon paused. She would need to get food for the baby. What do baby humans eat? She hoped to Faust that it wasn't meat. It was legal to buy meat in Equestria, but to use meat in the house was a bad omen. She turned to look at the small home she and Lyra lived in. It was small, but not too small. It was a perfect home for a couple like them. A nice little love shack. She shook her head of the slightly disturbing thoughts and concentrated. Groceries. She needed them for dinner tonight. She decided to opt for an all green meal. Green beans, spinach leaves, green apples, asparagus- Her train of thought was interrupted by a loud cry from upstairs. With a sigh, she consigned to write it down later, and strolled up to the bedroom. What she saw melted her heart. "Aww... poor baby..." She quickly approached the young human who writhed around on the bed. The blanket she was swaddled in was kicked off and askew. Bon-Bon, seeing the sad and adorable scene, scooped up the little human and gently held her to her chest. "Shh... It's going to be alright... Shh..." The little bundle in her hooves began to calm down as she listened to the heartbeat of the mare. Then, Bon-Bon, began to gently set the child down on the bed. Needless to say, the baby began to cry again. Bon-Bon sighed and held the baby again until it calmed. She knew a pattern when she saw one. The earth pony still needed to go and get groceries. How could she do that if- The mare paused in her thought processes. She couldn't just leave the baby at home! "Lyra, your crazy is getting contagious," she murmured. Her gaze looked around the room before falling upon a pillow... specifically a pillowcase. "Very, very contagious..." Bon-Bon walked through town as if walking on glass. Each step felt slow and gentle, and she bit her lip in preparation for the eventual sharp piece. Her eyebrows were creased in worry as she scanned the crowd, hoping she wouldn't be spotted. She felt a great deal of regret for actually leaving the house... with the baby. The baby was thankfully swaddled and hidden to prying eyes, but any pony could seethe bundle hanging from her neck. Being a crafty mare, she fashioned a papoose from the pillow case. She could now shop and carry the baby hooves free, which was good. Being seen with said baby so suddenly in public... well... She quickly approached the closest stall, and bought the greens at current price... before being stopped by the mare. "For moms, it's half price," she said in a deep manehatten accent. There was a small smile on her face. "Oh, uh..." Bon-Bon stuttered while sliding her change into her saddlebag. "Thank you..." She creased her brow in worry and pleasant surprise. "No thanks needed, ma'am," the stall mare said with a wave as Bon-Bon left. Bon-Bon let out a sigh of relief once she was out of earshot. She glanced around quickly and approached the next stall. "Ok, listen... I need asparagus, cucumbers, and-" "Bon-Bon!" a familiar voice called. The cream colored mare froze in place as her eyes widened to the size of plates. Her head glanced to her side where not one, but three mares trotted down the way. She knew each and every one of them. Rose Luck, Lily Valley, and Daisy. On any other day, she'd relish the moments she could spend time with them if not for the simple idle gossip. They'd share a laugh or two, and swap rumors. She tried to steer clear of pony-watching with them. That was something she saved for Lyra and herself... Today, however, was a special case. She had a papoose swaddled around her neck with a baby that wasn't there yesterday or the day before. She simply threw the bits for the cucumbers and asparagus onto the stall counter before taking the produce and running. Thinking quickly she ducked down an alley in the market and began to walk normally as to not attract attention. She could hear her friends calling out to her, and hoped that they assumed she was in a rush or something. She also hoped that they didn't see the bundle. Last thing she needed were for some gossipy mares poking their noses into her business. Her small, secret, adorable and possibly dangerous business. "Just get the rest of the groceries and go..." she told herself. Just then, over the roar of the crowd, she heard a small noise. Bon-Bon was a mare who many in Ponyville considered very level-headed. In many ponies' opinion, she needed to be the most level-headed mare in town if she was living there and dating Lyra. In summary, the disasters that happen on a semi-regular basis added to Lyra's behavior have left her almost as stone-faced as a granite boulder. However, there were few things that could rattle her. Sometimes she would jump several feet into the air if she so much as felt a leisurely breeze blow gently up her spine. At this very moment, as the small, near inaudible sound floated into her ear, she seemed to seize up. All other sounds in the market seemed to just drop off. Her ears flattened and tried to pick up the sound she heard. It came a lot louder than before. It was near deafening to Bon-Bon, and could just let everyone in town make up their own stories. Ponies knowing what she had was one thing, but leaving it to the incredibly panicky, gossipy and strange minds of those ponies was surprisingly more terrifying. The baby was getting fussy. Bon-Bon tried to calm the child right away and took a moment to sit and try to do so. However, the loud, and noisy ponies at the market talked, laughed, argued and shouted. The area colored mare scanned the area to find secluded area to pacify her child. She found only one option, and it was perhaps not the greatest idea. With only a moment's hesitation, she galloped towards Sugar Cube Corner.