A Change of Face
by
TheDeinonychus
Epilogue
or
Bon Bon's Out of the Bag
The silver moon hung in the sky, its slow descent towards the mountains getting along in earnest now. The crisp glow from the perfect full disc shed light on the dark landscape of rolling hills and open fields that kept the Everfree Forest a safe distance from the sleepy town of Ponyville. The roads this far out weren't lit, no lamps ensuring that weary travelers were safe. But it didn't matter to the two ponies now making their way from the dark, foreboding shadows of the forest. For them, the lights they carried in their hearts seemed ample enough to see them through to their home.
It wasn't all perfect, Bon Bon knew this. After the emotional reunion deep inside the Everfree, things had grown, well, a bit colder. Lyra had barely looked her way after they had both stopped sobbing and managed to pull out of each other's embrace. As they walked side by side down that dark road, she could tell that things still weighed heavily on the aquamarine mare. Oh, how she longed to throw her forelegs around her again. But she knew she shouldn't. She had risked so much with her foolishness already, she didn't want to risk any more with such a sudden move.
Lyra couldn't stop questions from flooding her head. So many things she was unsure of. So many things she didn't know. It all seemed too much to take in at once. In part, she hated herself for how she had acted. Her fear taking a hold of her like it had. It had almost cost her her love and her life. But now, now she knew the truth, or at least part of it. Could she really, truly, be in love with a changeling? Could a changeling really and truly love her? What Bon Bon had done, what this changeling had done, it spoke of love more loudly than any song or verse ever could.
This whole time, they had walked apart, never letting themselves get too close to the other. But slowly, ever so gradually, Lyra's steps slanted. Her direction skewed just a little. With every step, every moment, it happened. Closer, closer. After what seemed like an eternity, Bon Bon felt the press against her. She managed to choke back a gasp in her throat as she felt it, looking over to see her beloved unicorn. Lyra's head was still held low, her eyes more intent on the road than anything else. But her side was pressed close to the false pony's, her soft fur slowly rubbing warmly against her lover's.
Bon Bon had felt warmer then than she had ever been. Slowly, carefully, she let her own head drift downwards, her chin gently resting on the back of her lover's mane. It was a moment she wished could stretch on forever, that the moon would never set on this perfect, tender embrace.
"Bon Bon, I..."
"Please don't." Lyra looked up in surprise. She saw her lover's neck draped over her own, the embrace of two ponies who trusted each other more than anything else. "Please don't say it. You...you did nothing wrong"
"But I did! I...I should have..."
A nuzzle cut off her words. A sniffle made it clear that nothing more needed to be said about it. In truth, Lyra didn't think her heart could handle much more right now either. With a slow, tender sigh, she slowly, gingerly, slipped herself from that warm, soft embrace. Her eyes finally met those of her lover's. She didn't look into the cold, heartless eyes of a monster, but the warm, fragile eyes of a pony whose heart had been torn apart and then delicately stitched back together again.
"But...I still have...questions." The words came from her slowly, as if each one took way too much effort to create. Her gaze melted into her lover's, and she knew those questions would have to wait. They were both dead tired. It was taking all their strength just to keep walking back towards home. Again, she slowly leaned into her sweet candy mare's side, closing her eyes as she let Bon Bon guide her onwards. "When we get home, I'll have questions."
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The walk back into Ponyville had nearly taken the entire night. Lyra was just thankful she had the strength and presence of mind to realize they were both about to walk into town with Bon Bon covered in green blood. A moment of panic had taken hold of the disguised changeling before the minty unicorn could calm her down again. A quick stop at a nearby pond had helped hide everything, though several of Bon Bon's wounds looked pretty bad, and would continue to bleed for a bit longer. Thankfully they seemed to all be on the same side, and it was pure luck that Lyra could manage to keep them hidden, walking with herself pressed tightly to the worried Bon Bon. Neither of them really minded having to walk like that, but they both decided it would be best to get home and inside sooner rather than later.
Thankfully not many ponies were out this night, so no one stopped them to ask what had happened. Bon Bon didn't think she could handle having to come up with any more lies for now. Their house was empty, of course, the front door still hanging wide open, just as Lyra had left it when she stormed out and when Bon Bon had begun her frantic search. Lyra reached back with her magical fingers, slowly closing the door, as if she didn't want to disturb the perfect silence that now filled the house. It was dark inside, pitch black, though it mattered little to Bon Bon; she could see through the gloom well enough for the both of them.
In the darkness, there was no need to hide Bon Bon's wounds, but neither one of them seemed quite willing to let the contact end just yet. Up the steps they both pulled themselves, the exhaustion of the day starting to truly take hold as they made it up to the second floor. Lyra gave a soft sigh as the bedroom door was opened, looking up into the darkness. Light coming from a street lamp filtered in through the uncovered window, illuminating the shattered remains of the dresser’s mirror. A quick glance over to her candy mare rewarded her with a slight blush. Lyra could only smile. If there were any doubts left, the fact that she could still cause those cheeks to redden told her that this was the mare she had loved for so long.
Finally letting herself step from the contact with her lover, Lyra turned to look over Bon Bon's wounds. They weren't serious, but several still needed to be cleaned and covered. As she slipped into the bathroom, Bon Bon lifted herself up onto the bed, a grateful groan escaping her lips as she let herself collapse into the soft mattress. Lyra returned, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, some cotton balls, and bandages floating in the grasps of three magical hands next to her. In short order, she had her lover cleaned and bandaged. She silently hoped that the bandages would stay in place even if Bon Bon-
Well, one thing at a time. There were things she needed to know, and her mind wouldn't let her rest till she heard them. With a sigh she pulled herself onto the bed as well, settling down to look over her stretched out candy mare. Part of her didn't want to do it, to just lay there and enjoy the peace and warmth. But she knew that she couldn't just let it go. Not if she wanted to have things back to the way they were. Not truly.
"Bon Bon? You need to tell me."
The creamy mare just laid there for a few moments, staring out into the window as she let her reply turn over in her head for a bit.
"I had kinda hoped you wouldn't say that," she spoke quietly. For a moment, Lyra had wished she hadn't, worried that she had gone all the way back to square one. But eventually Bon Bon sighed, turning to look over at her beloved unicorn. Her muzzle slowly pulling into a soft, tender smile. "But you're right. I can’t keep it all from you. Not anymore."
Bon Bon shifted a bit atop the bed, turning to face her lover fully. This was going to be hard for her, and she had no idea how difficult it would be for her beloved unicorn to hear, but it had to be done. With a slow nod to herself, she turned her eyes up to gaze into those sweet golden orbs of Lyra's.
"Ask away."
"Why?"
This wasn't what she was expecting. Maybe to be asked for an apology. Or to explain what had happened to the 'real' Bon Bon. But just this? It took her a moment to straighten her mind out again before she could speak.
"W-why what?"
"Why me? Why here? What am I to you? Why did you come looking for me? Why did you come to Ponyville? Why did you kill that-" Lyra froze for a moment before the word could escape her lips. It was looking her in the eye. No, she was looking her in the eye. Lyra was sure of that, that this was the mare she loved. But still, to say it out loud? It made her feel guilty just to say it. "That other changeling..."
Bon Bon let her eyes drift down to the sheets. Fights between changelings weren't uncommon. Even fatal ones. She wasn't sorry about what she had done. How could she be? If she hadn't, she would have lost something more dear to her than anything. But it wasn't something that ponies did. Not if they could help it. With a deep sigh, she slowly looked up again.
"I...I guess I should just start at the beginning..."
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We...we changelings come from the north. It's cold there. So very cold. We live underground, down where the frost can’t reach. In tunnels and caverns. That's where we make our hives. There's not much else up there, so we have to search. For food, I mean.
You...you already know what we live on. What we have to do to get it. To.. To take it. And there's a lot of us. Swarms of us. We have to feed. To starve, that's the one thing we fear. So we have to search for others. Ponies, griffons, anything we can find. Sometimes, we have to go a long way to find anything. That...that's how I came here.
I didn't know what this place was like. What you ponies were like. I only knew that I had found a rich, green land, full of love that would keep the starvation away for years. Maybe even decades. I am...I was, a scout. A drone sent out by the hive to find places like this. Like Equestria. I was supposed to go out and find a place we could feed from. Someplace full of love. I was supposed to learn all I could. How best to harvest everything here. So I waited, and I watched. I kept out of sight, at least at first. And then, I saw her.
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"Wait. Wait. You feed on love, I know that. But..." Lyra interrupted her lover's story, her eyes slowly looking over Bon Bon's form for a moment. "But how?"
"I...I thought you knew." Bon Bon had a confused look about her as she tilted her head, studying her beloved’s face as she wondered what she meant.
"I mean, YOU feed on love. But, I've never seen a cocoon around here. You're clearly not starving. You...you haven't been taking it from some other pony, have you? You haven't been taking it from me?" Lyra's worry melted away as she felt two hooves take hers gently. She could see a soft blush creep over her lover's face, and a tender smile curl those lips.
"No, Lyra. I...I don't need to. Not for a long time."
"I don't get it."
"I haven't needed to take anything! You've been giving it to me. Feeding me. Every smile, every caress. Every kiss you left on my lips. They were sweet in ways you could never imagine. I've been kept alive and happy all this time, just from your love." Those blue eyes shimmered delicately in the dim light. They spoke words no ears could understand, but Lyra's heart heard them perfectly. As long as she loved her, Bon Bon would never need for anything else.
"I...I think I understand. But who was this 'her'?"
Bon Bon took a deep breath before continuing. Her hooves still kept her lover's in a tender caress.
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She was a pony. A pony I think you might have recognized had you been there. I saw her pulling a cart up the road, so I hid in a tree and watched her for a while. She had all kinds of things in her cart. Books, pans, clothes, boxes. I didn't know what she was doing, or where she was going, but I still watched her. She had made her way up to an old, small bridge over a river. The river was swollen from a thunderstorm the night before.
Maybe it was weakened by the storm. Or maybe it was just too old. Or her cart was just too heavy for it. As she was crossing the bridge collapsed under her. By...by the time I got down there, she was crushed under the wreckage. I...I pulled her body from it. She was so broken. So mangled. I...I took her body and I hid it, under the tree I had used to hide from her. Then I took her shape, her face. I went back down to the broken bridge and looked through some of her things. It looked like she was moving from Manehatten, and that her name was Bon Bon. That was all I needed to know. I...I didn't even bother to look and see if she had any friends. Any family. I...I...
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Bon Bon had started sobbing. The false pony's cheeks ran with tears as she pulled herself up and leaned into her lover's forelegs.
"I...I didn't care!" she wailed, pressing her face hard into Lyra's chest as emotions she never knew she had flooded her, making up for all those years they were never there to feel. "I should have saved her! I should have done something!"
Lyra watched this with wide eyes. Was her beloved really breaking down over something that had happened so long ago? Something she couldn't have prevented even if she had tried? The minty unicorn wrapped her forelegs around her, pulling her tightly against her as she cooed and nuzzled, trying to calm the distraught mare.
"It wasn't your fault. You didn't know the bridge was going to collapse." She slowly ran her hoof down Bon Bon's mane. It was tangled and dirty still, but its softness was still a delight. Slowly, the warm embrace and tender caresses calmed the sobbing mare down. Sniffles still tried to hold back tears as she nuzzled herself deeper into that warmth, as if it was the only thing keeping back the cold past she was reliving.
"It...it should have been her...she should have been the pony you fell in love with." The words were a whisper, spoken between tightly held teeth that still felt the pain of regret. Bon Bon was pulled up at that, a hoof slipping under her chin to tilt her head back. The eyes she looked into were tender but firm.
"Don't you ever say that! I couldn't have fallen in love with that pony. She wasn't you. Even if you have the same face, she wasn't you. She wasn't the pony I love" These words dripped with a sweet honey that Bon Bon could feel like a warm dinner. They slipped past her ears and down to her belly, filling it with such tenderness, such joy.
She spent several long minutes in that embrace, feeling the tenderness and warmth her lover's words had given. Feeling it fill her limbs with strength, and banishing doubts she had held onto for far too long. Eventually she looked up again, her face softened from the despair that had once covered it.
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I wish I had known her. Had known then what it was like to be a pony. To be loved. But I didn't. I just knew what I was told to do. What I was ordered to do. I just made sure my glamor, my disguise, was as good as I could make it. I didn't know what she sounded like, though. It took me forever to settle on a voice that sounded right. I was never very good at making voices. But I guess it didn't matter, I didn't think anyone would know her where I was going. I just took a couple things from her broken cart and continued down the road. Eventually, I made it to Ponyville.
I thought this place was perfect. So full of love. So full of life. I'd never have to feel the pain of starvation again now that I had found this place. I didn't know then that my life would change so much. That I would start to feel things I didn't know were possible. That I would be able to feel. That was almost four years ago. The rest, finally, you know...
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Bon Bon looked up into her lover's eyes. It was a lot to take in at once. What she had been like, what she had done. How everything for her had changed all because she ran into a certain mint green unicorn. Slowly she closed her eyes, just letting her cheek press against that wonderful green coat, feeling the warmth and softness envelop her like a beloved blanket. She wished she could stay like this forever.
"Bon Bon, when I came home early, why were you..." Lyra struggled with the word for a moment, trying to find the right way to say it before she just let it come out. "Well, you?"
She didn't even bother opening her eyes, the delicious feel of her eyelids covering them was too good to let slip away. "You mean, why I wasn't disguised?"
"Mmhmm."
A soft sigh escaped her lips. "I can’t do this forever. I didn't know just how long I could. I can keep my glamor up for a couple months, maybe a bit more. But then...it gets to be too much. It starts to hurt. That's why I would get terrible headaches and feel sick sometimes. I have to let it go. Let myself get some rest before I have to do it again. I...I didn't want you to find out."
Lyra couldn't help but feel a bit guilty at this. Her sweet candy mare, she had been hurting herself just to keep her happy. To keep her from knowing the truth. Slowly she let her chin hang down, nuzzling softly at the top of Bon Bon's head.
"I don't want you to do that anymore. I don't want you to hurt yourself. Not for me, not for anypony. You understand? You mean so much to me. I don't want to see you in pain. I don't want to see you cry." She could feel the slow, tired nod against her chest. It was almost morning, and neither one of them had gotten any rest at all. The entire day had been one long nightmare for both of them. All the pain, all the fear, right then they were both just glad it was all over. She could feel this wonderful pony, this wonderful changeling in her arms, slowly relax, letting sleep creep in on her. A slow smile started to spread over Lyra's lips. This was what mattered, that they were together. That they knew they loved each other. She knew, at that moment, that she couldn't let anything ever pull them apart again.
Slowly, she leaned down, her lips just tenderly brushing Bon Bon's ears as sleep finally took the false pony.
"I love you, Bon Bon. I always will."
And slowly, with her beloved cuddled safely in her arms, sleep came for Lyra as well, their hearts full with the love they knew would keep them going till the end of their days..