//------------------------------// // Chapter Fifteen // Story: Two's Company, Three's a Crowd // by Lithe Kamitatsy //------------------------------// As they neared Ponyville Library, Fluttershy stopped them for a moment. "Um...I'll be right back...there's someone I need to go talk to." She said, hurrying off towards a pair that looked somewhat familiar. Octavia squinted slightly to see who she was going to go see, and felt anger welling within her. "Ugh...of all ponies...it had to be her." Octavia muttered. "Who is it, Octy?" Vinyl asked, confused. She raised a hoof over her eyes, and squinted into the distance. "Oh hey, it's Bonbon and that mare she's dating. What's her name again, Octy?" When Vinyl received no answer, she turned to where her marefriend had been standing only a moment before. "Octy?" Octavia had cantered right over to where Fluttershy was talking to Lyra. Ugh, of all ponies, Fluttershy knows Lyra? What a shame...I was just starting to like this town. Octavia thought as she closed the distance. "Is Mister Feathers feeling any better? I hope the medicine I gave him helped." Fluttershy asked, worried for the little mockingbird that Lyra and Bonbon had trusted to her care. "Oh, he's doing MUCH better now, Miss Fluttershy. Thank you so much for-" Lyra stopped dead when she noticed a familiar face trudging towards her. Bonbon looked over, and sighed. "Lyra, please don't-" "Well well well, I honestly thought that Ponyville did a much better job of cleaning up trash." Lyra said with a mocking smile. "So did I, but I guess I never expected to see a roach the size and shape of a unicorn in my life, now did I?" Octavia returned, Lyra's mocking smile disappearing quickly at the insult. Fluttershy shrunk away from the both of them. "O-Oh my...I hate confrontation..." She mumbled, hiding behind Bonbon. "So what brings you here, Octavia? Did the Canterlot Guard finally realize that your music sounds like cats trying to kill each other and kick you out for disturbing the peace?" Lyra spat. "Not at all. I would not be so quick to judge, seeing as you are no cherub Lyra...well, maybe in stature, but not in musical ability." Octavia fired back. "Well, I can hardly see that wooden box you call an instrument doing anything for anypony other than making them want to cut their ears off." Lyra laughed. "So you say, but I find it quite comical when I look at the lyre. The lyre was most commonly used by cherubs...and guess what? Cherubs are nonexistent...much like your talent." Octavia smirked. As Octavia and Lyra continued to fight, Vinyl finally caught up, and took her place next to Bonbon, as she usually did when Octavia and Lyra tried to proverbially rip each other's throats out. "Hey, Bonbon." Vinyl greeted. "Hi Vinyl." Bonbon returned the greeting sheepishly. "You think they'll ever stop fighting?" Vinyl asked with a sigh. "Probably not...so what brings you two to Ponyville?" Bonbon asked, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Have you and Octavia finally settled down?" She questioned, raising a suggestive eyebrow. Vinyl blushed brightly at this, and rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. "Yeah, we did...we're in Ponyville because...well...Octy's pregnant." "Aww, what a cute petname for her-" Bonbon stopped mid-sentence. "Wait, what?" "Yeah...um...we're having a foal." Vinyl said again, blushing an even darker shade of red. "Oh my goodness! Congratulations, Vinyl!" Bonbon said, hugging her. "Wait...how is that possible?" She asked. Vinyl shrugged. "Uh...chances are it had something to do with my horn." Vinyl turned an impossibly dark shade of red, and averted her eyes when she saw Bonbon blush as realization set in. "Oh my..." Bonbon said. She then looked at Lyra, and began to wonder. Could that mean...we could also...? "Um...Bonbon? Are you okay?" Vinyl asked, waving a hoof in front of her face. Bonbon snapped out of it a moment later. "Huh? Oh, I'm fine...I just realized I have something to do at home." She said, quickly moving over towards Lyra. "Hello, Octavia! So good to see you again, sorry we can't stay we have things to do bye!" She said in one breath as she dragged Lyra away. "B-Bonbon! What's gotten into you?!" Lyra protested as Bonbon dragged her away. "Just be quiet and follow me. We have things to...discuss..." She said with a blush as they entered their home and locked the door. "Well that was weird." Vinyl said. She looked around and saw Fluttershy cowering in a small ball behind her. "Relax, 'Shy. They're not fighting anymore." Fluttershy peeked out from behind her hooves, and gave an audible sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness...I just don't handle confrontation well..." "It is quite alright, Fluttershy. Ponies like Lyra are better off left alone." Octavia huffed as she continued on her way towards the Library, Vinyl and Fluttershy in tow. Fluttershy then gasped. "Oh dear! I just remembered I have to go take care of a vixen that just had a litter." She said. "I'm so sorry for leaving so quickly, but one of the pups is really little, and he needs extra care." She said softly, taking to the air. "That is quite alright, Fluttershy. We will see you later." Octavia said. "See ya later, 'Shy!" Vinyl said, watching the pegasus take off back towards her home. When they arrived at the library's door, Octavia knocked three times. "Coming." A voice said from behind the door. When the door opened, a blue unicorn with a white mane poked her head out the door, looking very much bothered. "What is it? What do you want from Trixie?" She asked rather rudely. "Trixie! That isn't how you greet ponies!" A voice said from inside the library. "Trixie is sorry. What do you want from me?" She said in the exact same tone of voice. "This mare's kinda funny." Vinyl chuckled. Octavia raised a hoof. "We are here to see Twilight Sparkle." "...Enter." Trixie commanded, opening the door for them. The library was surprisingly large for a tree that didn't seem so big. To Vinyl's delight, a certain small baby dragon was keeping track of all the books flying off the shelf. Vinyl immediately walked over to him. "Hey there, cutie. What's your name?" She asked, running a hoof on the spines on his head. "Heh, I am pretty cute. The name's Spike." The dragon said, puffing his chest out. "Can I help you with something?" He asked, trying to keep his voice suave and smooth. "Any idea where Twilight is? We've gotta talk to her about something." Vinyl said. "Oh..." He said, feeling somewhat dejected. "Twilight! There's someone here to see you!" He called out. At the top of the library, a lavender unicorn looked through book after book for something to read. She came across a book with a green cover, coated in a fine layer of dust. She used her magic and pulled it out. "Using the Aether for Fun and Profit? Ugh. I'm not one to judge a book by it's cover, but this one is awful. Ponies really should care a bit more about the fragility of the fabrics of time and space, not traveling instantaneously because they're lazy." She said, putting it back. She slid down the ladder, and turned to face the two ponies that had entered her library. "I apologize if Trixie was a bit rude...we're working on her manners." Twilight chuckled, to which Trixie huffed. "The Great and Powerful Trixie needs not show politeness to anypony but Twilight." She muttered under her breath. Twilight looked at Octavia, and recognized her almost in an instant. "I know you! You're Octavia Philharmonica! It's been a long time since we've last spoken!" Octavia looked puzzled. "It has?" Twilight nodded. "Of course! I used to go to all your performances when I was still living with the Princess. She and I are big fans." Octavia blushed. "I am grateful...is it alright if we take up a moment of your time?" "Of course! What can I help you with?" She asked, the five of them taking a seat at her table. "Well...as it turns out...I am pregnant. With my marefriend's foal...the only thing I am confused about, is how. We came to you because we felt you would be able to give us the answer." Octavia said. "I'm flattered, Octavia. Wait here, I think I know just the book. Spike, you're on book-catching duty!" Twilight said, rushing back up the ladder. "Why can't Trixie be on book-catching duty?" Spike muttered, displeased with his job. "Because The Great and Powerful Trixie answers to nopony." She said haughtily. Twilight cleared her throat audibly. "...Except her Kind and Ever-Loving marefriend..." She chuckled sheepishly. Spike stuck his tongue out at her, and did his job as books flew off the shelf. Eventually, Twilight found just what she was looking for. “Arcane Magicks and the Gift of a New Life” She said as she pulled the violet book from the shelf. She moved back over to the table, and opened it up. She breezed through the chapters until she found something relevant. "I see...it says here, that 'If a unicorn where to unite with a female in an act of pure love, the unicorn can summon a magic so ancient that it is not bound by the laws of nature...the magic of the unicorn melds with the soul of its mate, and from it sprouts a new thread; a new life, created in the beauty of passion and love between them" Twilight read. "The fruit of their efforts will grow like any other nurtured by love, beautiful and free." Octavia was breathless. If what Twilight said was true, Vinyl loved her more than she could ever imagine. Vinyl was blushing wildly. Even she could understand what was being said, and she wasn't sure how Octavia was going to handle it. Much to her relief, Octavia gently held her hoof and smiled. Trixie was speechless. "Trixie...Trixie never knew such magic was possible..." Spike was impressed as well. "Woah...I don't get it." He said, scratching his head with a claw. Twilight giggled. "You're still too young to understand, Spike. You will one day." She said. "Well girls, I hope that helped." "Yes, it did Twilight. Thank you." Octavia said softly. Twilight blinked in surprise when Trixie reached across the table and began to read through the passage as well. "You've never been this interested in reading much of anything, Trixie. What's on your mind?" "The Great and Powerful Trixie does not need a reason to read! She is simply interested in what this book has to say." She said, hiding a blush behind her white mane. Twilight shrugged. "Are you girls hungry? I haven't had lunch yet." Vinyl looked at Octavia, who shrugged. "We could eat." "Great! Trixie, Spike, watch the library, please. I'll be back in a little while." Twilight said, the three making their way towards the door. Trixie ignored her, but Spike saluted. The three then left the library, looking for somewhere to eat so they could continue their conversation.