Uniformity

by adcoon

V. What Follows

Heya Twi,

We’re sending Bonbon on her way back to Ponyville. It took some convincing, but I think Lyra did the right thing there. We met a group of griffons at the crash site, friendly bunch, and one of them is showing her a safe way back through the mountains. I think she’ll need some cheering up once she gets back, so maybe you should tell Pinkie to prepare something for her.

The crash site was as we left it. I don’t know if Lyra got anything from it or the griffons, but she wanted to see it and I get the impression that’s what was important to her anyway. She’s decided to continue east across the sea when we get to the nearest griffon port, which is a few days journey north-east from here according to the griffons we met. Lyra hasn’t said anything more, but I trust her direction. It looks like it’ll be a long journey as expected.

The griffons couldn’t tell me much. Lighting Dust probably didn’t return this way after Manehattan, and the griffons haven’t been here that long, but I had to ask. Still, we’re going to be traveling through griffon territory as we head east, so I’m bound to meet others who may have seen or heard something from further south. I don’t care what it takes. I just hope I’m right.

I’m going to miss you, Twi. You don’t think you could take a few nights off from being a princess and teleport up here for me? I’ve got a tent with room enough for two, you know, if we squeeze together real tight. You know how chilly it gets up here in the mountains.

Love you and miss you.
Dash

*

Sorry, dear. You know I would love to go with you, but I barely have time for my own bed. There are more things to do than ever and just never enough time. It’s a good thing that Luna and I can manage most of our discussions in my dreams, it has saved me a lot of time. All that time going to waste just sleeping, finally I can use it for something productive.

But if you’re that lonely, I could always send you a plushy to keep you warm and snug. I saw they had one designed like me in the window of a shop in Fillydelphia the other day when I was visiting there. They had it in several sizes, the biggest one was almost full size.

How does that sound?

♥ Your Princess,
Twilight Sparkle, who misses you very much too.

*

A plushy? Are you kidding me? I’m way too cool to be sleeping with plushies. My last plushy was when I was, like, two years old.

*

You’re just jealous of all the little fillies who get to cuddle me at night. Are you sure I can’t tempt you? I already bought the biggest one they had. It’s very soft and cuddly.

♥ Twi

*

Ooooookay, this is officially weird now. You better hope none of the papers find that book and read that line out of context. Anyway, I think Lyra is done packing, so I better go grab my bag and get going. Don’t go crazy crazier than you already are without me. I know it’s hard to live without my awesomeness to keep you grounded, but you’ll just have to stay strong.

*

The book is quite safe. I devised the protection spells myself.

I did see they had a Wonderbolts line of plushies too, now that you remind me. I bet I could find a matching doll of you, my dear.

In fact, I think I shall!

♥ Twi

* * *

The light of the sun slithered across the mountains like a massive serpent of flames, coating the cruel and jagged peaks in a thin veneer of gold. It was met with a wall of gray clouds, choking the light like smoke burning with red and orange flames. Bonbon watched Lyra and Dash in the distance, and she watched in particular how Rainbow’s hoof rested on Lyra’s back as they wandered through the snow together.

Ethel and Maurice trailed along with them for the first part of the journey, loaded with their tent and bags. The two griffons intended to head in a different direction soon and leave the two alone. After that it would be just Lyra and Rainbow Dash … alone together in the mountains.

Soon they were only dots against the white blanket of the mountains. Bonbon kept watching the two dots in the middle, growing closer together as the distance between them and Bonbon increased until they were practically a single dot. Or so it seemed.

A very ugly thought entered her mind. Bonbon studied it closely, letting it sink like a growing weight in her chest and slowly fill her up with its bitterness.

She had at one time been a fan of Rainbow Dash, not all that long ago if she was honest. A member of the official fanclub and everything. She still had an autographed picture of the pegasus in a drawer back home—it used to be on the wall. Then the pegasus had won the princess’ heart without barely even making an effort, while Bonbon was doing everything to win Lyra’s heart and got nothing. It hadn’t seemed fair, but she could hardly blame the pegasus for her success, even if Bonbon wished she would get just a little piece of that luck herself.

But now Rainbow Dash was walking off with Lyra like they had known each other for years. Bonbon had known Lyra for years. Bonbon had been there all that time. Bonbon had cared, and Bonbon had been loyal. Where had Rainbow Dash been? What had she done?

Would Twilight believe Bonbon if she lied and told her that she had seen the two making out in their tent at night? What would Twilight do if she thought Rainbow Dash was really cheating on her? Perhaps she would banish the pegasus from Equestria forever, or throw her in a dungeon, or turn her to stone and use her as a lawn ornament for birds to … sit on. The growing bundle of spite in Bonbon’s chest liked that last idea.

If Bonbon could get her hooves on that book and find out how to get it open … the things she could write to the princess, who would think it was from Rainbow Dash herself. Bonbon rubbed her hoof absently, vaguely remembering the pain and the shock from trying to open the book.

But the princess might take her anger out on Lyra instead. That would not do. Bonbon’s eyes drifted to the jagged teeth of the mountains, no longer covered in gold, just snow and heavy dark clouds. They seemed to mimic Bonbons thoughts. Accidents could happen in the mountains, and ponies could get lost … or die. The thought felt like the clouds above her, and it filled her mind and weighed down on her heart. She could get rid of Rainbow Dash. She only had to sneak up on the pegasus in her sleep and—

“All packed and set to go? It’s looking like we may have some bad weather if we stay.”

Bonbon turned her head as Abigail broke her out of her thoughts. She looked down at the saddlebags still waiting for her nearby. The dark thoughts retreated slowly and left a hollow feeling in her chest. Only a second ago she had contemplated murder out of jealousy and bitterness, but the revelation didn’t shock her as she thought it would—or should.

Bonbon looked across the ice and snow to where the four dots had now disappeared entirely, lost behind a peak. She didn’t really feel anything right now. After a moment she turned around and strapped on her saddlebags without a word.

Abigail turned and walked ahead, leading the way. The griffon looked back over her shoulder as they walked, giving the crater a long and careful look. “I think it is good that we leave now. Something weighs on this place today,” the griffon remarked. “Something dark and heavy. It makes me wary. It is not a good omen.”

Bonbon nodded vaguely, lost in her own brooding thoughts.

* * *

They walked for half an hour in silence across the plains of snow and ice. A sense of sadness and a feeling of being lost slowly replaced the earlier anger Bonbon had felt weighing upon her. What was she going to do now? After all this time with Lyra in her life, albeit only as a friend, was this going to be the last she would see of the unicorn? What would she do when she got back home? What was there for Bonbon in a Ponyville without Lyra?

“We are going around the mountain here,” Abigail spoke up without looking around and pointed at the peak to their left. The cloud cover was not as thick here. “It’s a longer path, but it’s easier terrain. I’m also interested to see what I can find this way, since we’re here.”

Bonbon nodded again. She didn’t much care which path they took. It all mattered the same to her.

“I want to see if I can pick up any traces of the creature we were tracking before we came upon the crater and you three,” the griffon continued chatting. “There’s little point in hunting it now, but if I can pick up some kind of trail, I may have something to go on for our next hunt.”

Bonbon looked up, her eyes heavy. She gazed around at the endless ice and snow among jagged rocks and unforgiving stone. “What were you hunting?” she asked in a dull tone. “Why do you hunt?” The thought of hunting was strange to her. She didn’t know of any ponies who hunted other creatures, except maybe monsters from the Everfree to keep them away from Ponyville and other nearby villages.

“Most of the time we hunt to eat, but fishing is much more popular. The vast majority of the meat we consume is fish. I have never had the patience for fishing myself, although I find it a wonderful food with a million uses.”

“You strike me as a very patient griffon,” Bonbon interjected, trying not to imagine eating a fish. Wonderful was not the first word she would choose to describe the idea.

“Most certainly, in my own way. But fishing requires a very special kind of patience that I simply do not possess. It is a kind of patience which is not too different from the patience you need to write, and as you have seen, I happily employ Maurice for that. The hunting I do is a different kind of hunting. I rarely hunt for food. And since you asked, the creature we were hunting for out here was a yeti.”

“A yeti? I remember a story about a yeti and a pony who went on a grand adventure together beyond the northern mountains. My mom used to read it for me when I was a filly. I didn’t know they were real.”

“They aren’t, or so I believe. Many of my colleagues believe otherwise. They believe such a creature exists and lives in these mountains. It is described as tall and covered in white fur, which you may be excused for thinking could easily describe a polar bear standing on its hind legs. Am I right? Perhaps someone once saw such a sight—which is not a sight soon forgotten—and got a little carried away when they got back home and told about it, possibly over a drink or many.”

“I can picture that,” Bonbon said and looked around for any polar bears. On one hoof it would be a majestic sight. On the other, you might be lucky to be able to tell the tale later.

“It is also possible that we’re talking about a feral minotaur who has made these mountains his home. I believe and hope to prove that either of these explanations is the case.”

“You think you can do that?” Bonbon looked at the griffon. “How do you prove that it was just a polar bear?”

“You ask a good question, and the answer is that you never truly can, but if you look long and hard enough without finding anything but polar bears, then the chance that you’ve missed the yeti grows quite small. But that is why I hope it’s a minotaur. If I can show them a feral minotaur who fits the description, that should satisfy most of the scientific community. Of course, the biggest believers will never be satisfied unless I give them an actual yeti.”

“What if you find it really is a yeti?”

“Then I shall certainly be surprised, but also famous, and I am not adverse to that in the least.”

“Unless it’s someone else who proves that it’s a real yeti.”

“Yes, that would certainly not look good on me, but so far no one has and not many are trying. It’s a cold and unfriendly place out here, not somewhere most griffons—or ponies—would wish to spend their days, not even for the sake of fame.”

Bonbon could only agree with that. It made her wonder what a creature which looked like it was even less suited to survive in these mountains than a pony or a griffon was doing here, and seemingly without having prepared at all, if it needed to go through Lyra’s bags for clothes. She turned her head back the way they had come, following their track with her eyes. “Abigail?”

“Yes?” The griffon followed Bonbon’s gaze to find nothing but snow and ice.

“Do you think you could follow the trail of the creature I saw? The one I mentioned when we talked last night?” she asked and looked back at the griffon. “If I show you where I saw it?”

“I should think so, yes. Where did you see it?”

Bonbon thought for a moment, trying to remember the name of the mines. “We went through the Micadrift mine and came out of the Glass Bore mine. That’s where I … followed Lyra and saw the creature by a lake. If you can show me back to the mine, I think I can find it again.”

Abigail stopped and looked around. “It’ll be a detour, and the terrain is not very friendly between here and the mine. Are you sure it’s worth it? It was probably just a young dragon.”

Bonbon nodded. “I’m sure.”

“Alright, then.” Abigail turned around. “The Glass Bore Mine, you say? It’s been quite some time since I passed that way, but I should be able to find it.”

Bonbon turned and followed. Lyra hadn’t told her she couldn’t go back to the mine and look around. Bonbon wasn’t even sure why she wanted to do it, but something about the creature and the whole situation wouldn’t leave her thoughts.

* * *

Heavy gray clouds gathered once more over the mountains as they descended along narrow and treacherous paths back towards the mine entrance. Bonbon had to assume that Abigail knew the way, because this was certainly not the way they had left the mine. At times, the griffon had to carry her past particularly difficult passages, but at least they were making steady progress.

Abigail paused and rubbed her eye at a tickling snowflake. She looked up at the clouds through the falling snow and gave a little grunt which Bonbon wasn’t sure how to interpret.

They continued in silence, although with frequent glances towards the sky. After a while, Bonbon decided to break the silence again. “Do you know much about these mines?”

“Sadly, no.” Abigail took another glance at the sky. Snow was coming down harder now, and the wind was picking up. “Technically they are on Equestrian soil. The original mining company went out of business ages ago, and rights to the mines passed from business to business after that. They are currently owned by a private collector in Canterlot; can’t remember her name. A colleague of mine tried a few years ago to obtain permission to explore the mines, but the answer was a definite no.”

“Do you need permission?” Bonbon asked curiously.

“Technically, yes. It’s private property. Of course, I doubt anypony pays much attention unless someone were to start up business there again or do anything else to draw attention to it, such as publishing your findings. I doubt you need to worry about a lawsuit simply for passing through.”

“That’s something, at least,” Bonbon muttered.

They scrambled down a rough incline, and Abigail helped her down from a short cliff onto a wider path. Bonbon turned and saw the ruined mining village in the distance, clouded in white. This was the path they had taken when they left for the crater. She looked down at the hoof prints they had left behind, still barely visible under a fresh layer of snow. There were two sets of four hooves, belonging to herself and Lyra. Rainbow Dash rarely walked, even while following her earth-bound traveling companions.

Bonbon looked around and paused suddenly. They were not the only tracks. A third set of prints came from the mine, much more recently after they had left. They weren’t even pony or griffon, that much was clear even to Bonbon’s unskilled eyes.

Abigail had noticed them too and had stopped to follow them with her eyes. “These are strange tracks,” she concluded and echoed Bonbon’s thoughts exactly. The griffon turned and followed the tracks for a while in the direction away from the mine. “Perhaps you did see something unusual after all. They don’t look quite like any dragon I know, but details are hard to make out.”

“I told you,” Bonbon said firmly. She didn’t like the implication that Abigail hadn’t believed her. She wasn’t sure if this was the same creature, however. Only one thing was certain, it had followed them at least as far as from the mine.

Her thoughts drifted back to the thing that had chased them out of that mine in the first place. But the exit had been blocked by snow. Bonbon really hoped that would have been enough to keep it inside. And it had been terrified of the light, had it not?

Bonbon’s gaze turned inadvertently to the heavy gray clouds, completely blocking out the midday sun and covering the mountains here in something close to darkness. So it could have been the monster from the mine following them after they left, and not the one she had seen by the lake.

“This thing walks like no creature I have ever known,” Abigail said in a serious tone as she looked around at the tracks around them. “No sane creature, at least. I would probably say it seems confused out of its mind. It can’t seem to decide whether to walk on two or four legs, for one, and just look at these tracks …” She gestured around them.

Bonbon tried to see what the griffon wanted her to see. There were a lot of tracks, and the snow had been disturbed in several places. It did look confused. Confused was a good word for what these tracks were. They seemed to go around in circles, and here and there the creature had clearly run or scrambled back the way it had come or tried to climb up cliffs or under rocks.

It looked frightened out of its mind, Bonbon clarified to herself. Frightened was a better word.

Abigail looked around thoughtfully and once again echoed her thoughts. “I’d almost say it seems like it’s afraid of its own shadow. It’s not wounded, though—no signs of blood that I can see at least—and I can’t see any other tracks except yours; if it was itself followed or hunted, it must have been by something with wings.” She continued along the track. “This is most interesting.”

* * *

They had continued for maybe twenty minutes without getting very far. Following the confused trail took a lot of time. Bonbon looked up as something small and hard hit her back. The clouds were getting darker, the wind harder, and the snow was turning to hail now. A storm had been gathering here for a while but had reached a critical point and was now growing very fast.

Abigail too was staring up at the sky. She had been glancing up frequently for the last while, as if something was worrying her. “I think we need to find cover,” she said at last, turning her attention away from the tracks and back towards the massive storm clouds moving towards them.

It almost looked like the storm was following the same trail they were. Bonbon shivered, feeling the cold seep under her skin. “Is something wrong?” she asked but couldn’t help feeling that she somehow knew the answer already.

“I don’t think this is a natural storm.” There was a heavy silence, broken only by the deep rumble of the skies. “And I don’t think we want to be caught in the open when it passes over us.”

“Not natural? You mean—”

“It’s a magical storm. Someone’s summoning and giving it strength, and it’s been building for quite a while now. But that’s not what worries me.” A flash of white shot through the dark clouds coming towards them, and a thousand tiny dots of lightning followed in its wake, lighting up the black cloud and the air beneath it for a second, almost like stars.

“Quick!” Abigail grabbed Bonbon and pulled her away from the storm.

They rushed along the rough path, following the trail of hooves and strange circling tracks. Bonbon was confused, but the storm was moving fast, and getting caught in a storm—magical or otherwise—was generally not a good idea. “What’s wrong?” she called over the wind.

“Lightning bugs!” the griffon called back and looked around. She spotted a large mound of snow and rushed towards it. “Quick, help me dig a hole for cover.” The griffon quickly began digging a hole in the mound of packed snow.

A hissing and rumbling noise could be heard from within the approaching storm. Bonbon looked back at the dots and streaks of lightning flashing behind them now, forming a near-solid wall of dangerously blinking lights. The wind pulled at her mane, blowing it wildly behind her.

“Lightning bugs?” she called, searching her saddlebags for the small portable hoof shovels she knew she had somewhere. She found them and strapped them on quickly before digging into the dense pile of snow at speed. The shovels were small and not very sturdy, but they were better than digging with bare hooves.

“There’s a reason unicorns don’t manage your weather!” the griffon yelled back and left the digging to Bonbon as she searched her own saddlebags. “Magical weather like this tends to cause lightning bugs!”

The hissing and howling of the storm was growing stronger fast, nearly drowning out Abigail’s voice as she shouted. Bonbon didn’t dare to look back, digging as fast as she could. She wasn’t sure she would make it. The hole wasn’t very deep.

Behind her, Abigail pulled something out of her bag. “Damn it! No time. Get in the hole, now!”

Bonbon gasped as she was pushed inside the hole she had dug, the griffon right behind her. A sheet of white cloth billowed around them and settled over the entrance, shutting out the last vestiges of light outside. Bonbon squeezed herself as far into the darkness and cold of the hole as she could to make room for the griffon.

The howling and hissing hit their shelter like a wall of solid noise and shook the ground around them. Bonbon closed her eyes tight and prayed that she would live as the snow around her crumbled.

* * *

The storm raged above them, crackling with energy. Bonbon tried to hold her breath, finding it hard to breathe in the small confined space of the hole she had dug. She wondered how much longer she could stay here before she ran out of air. She tried not to think about how much snow now covered her. Had this really been a better idea than staying outside and weathering the storm? She imagined getting stung and shocked by a few hundred or thousand lightning bugs and decided that it would be certain death. But so was being buried alive under a mountain of snow and ice.

The noise of the storm passed overhead and began to fade. Bonbon listened breathlessly as the howling disappeared, slowly leaving behind a heavy silence. She waited a minute until all she could hear was the heavy beat of her heart and a low, distant rumble.

Her eyes searched the darkness around her. Carefully, afraid to disturb the snow and collapse the tunnel over herself, Bonbon turned around and dug at the snow, trying to find Abigail or the outside world. There was just barely enough room to move.

A gray light peeked through the snow as Bonbon’s hoof poked through into the open. She took a deep breath of the fresh air as she widened the hole and scrambled out of the shelter. The storm had passed and moved on. Its howling could still be heard in the distance, and Bonbon could see the dark clouds and flashes, but here the weather was calm and bits of sunlight poked through the scattered clouds.

“Abigail?” Bonbon called and coughed as she crawled the last bit out of the hole. Bits of white cloth stuck out of the snow around her. Bonbon scrambled off the mound and began digging around the opening. Her hooves moved quickly as she shoved away snow and pulled at the cloth to get it free.

Dark feathers poked through the white, a wing held up against the roof of snow. Bonbon dug into the pile and got ahold of the griffon, pulling her out of the snow. Bonbon slumped down beside her and checked her pulse. The griffon was alive but currently unconscious. Her feathers and coat had been singed badly—the hole hadn’t been quite big enough for them both after all, and Abigail had been stuck in the entrance when the lightning bugs passed over. How much worse it would have been if they had been out in the open when the swarm passed through. Bonbon winced and looked up.

The storm was still raging, but now it was ahead of them in the distance. It really did seem like it was following the same path to the crater that they had followed yesterday, the same path the creature—whatever it was—had followed. Abigail had said it was magical, but Lyra would never summon a storm, would she? Bonbon couldn’t even imagine that Lyra was capable of such magic, but who knew what Lyra was really capable of?

Bonbon sighed and stood up carefully. She looked up and around, trying to think. Something had followed them towards the crater, something which seemed frightened and confused. If it was the thing from the mine, then it didn’t like bright light. A storm would block out most of the sun. It certainly had been cloudy today, not just with the storm.

Something was following her friends, and Bonbon couldn’t imagine it had good intentions. And a storm of lightning bugs was not far behind, probably summoned by the same creature. A magical storm infested with enough lightning bugs to possibly fry a dragon.

Her thoughts drifted back to that morning at the crater, and the thoughts and emotions filling her mind and heart at the time. The ugliness made her cringe now. Those were not her own thoughts or feelings. Bonbon shook her head. No, she would never think such ugly thoughts, but she hadn’t been thinking straight all day.

Why had she left her friends? Why had she left Lyra? Because Lyra had told her to leave. Because she had threatened to force her to leave. Bonbon shouldn’t have left, but she did, and now Lyra needed help. Bonbon didn’t care what she said or thought. Bonbon was going to stick by her and help her no matter what she said! That was what she had promised back in Ponyville, was it not? To the end of the world if she had to, whether Lyra liked it or not.

She turned and looked down to find Abigail sitting up unsteadily. Bonbon held out a hoof to help the griffon up. “Do you think you can walk on your own?” she asked.

“Not very fast, and not immediately.” Her voice was hoarse. She dug around in the snow for her bags and found a small bottle. She opened it and took a long drink. “Why the hurry? The storm has passed and isn’t likely to turn back around.”

Bonbon frowned at the distant storm. “I need to catch up with my friends.”

“Your friends made it clear that you should turn around.”

“What they want and what they need are two different things. I’m not going to get turned away, especially when they’re in danger.” Bonbon gave the griffon a look, daring her to object.

Abigail raised her claws. “Well said, and by all means, don’t let me stop or delay you. I’ll follow in my own time. I’d only slow you down anyway.” She didn’t look terribly worried.

Bonbon looked around. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

“Frankly,” the griffon said and stuffed the bottle back among the other things in her bag, “I think the safest place to be right now is behind you. And I can survive better on my own, as well. It’s easier when you only have yourself to worry about, sometimes.”

Bonbon adjusted her own saddle bags a little and looked towards the storm on the horizon again. “I can’t waste any more time. Thank you for your aid.”

Abigail nodded and stood up to watch as Bonbon adjusted her weight a bit and pulled herself up. With a deep breath of determination, she turned and began trudging through the heavy snow left behind by the storm. She would find her friends and prove to them that she was worthy of their trust!

* * *

The crater loomed before her, like a dark maw in the ice and rock. As best as she could tell through the dense cloud cover, night was not far away, and a gloomy feeling hung over the place now. Bonbon wasn’t sure what it was, but she was sure that she didn’t want to stay long. Memories of ugly thoughts that were not her own surfaced. She let her bags slip off her back for a moment and allowed herself just a brief rest.

She couldn’t afford more than a moment if she wanted any chance of catching up with her friends in time. She hoped they hadn’t managed to make it too far ahead today. With the storm behind them, perhaps they had decided to take shelter somewhere.

Bonbon searched through her saddlebags. She dug out a bottle of water, some crackers and the piece of sugar she had saved from the sugar trees. She ate a few crackers quickly and downed half of the water along with a bite of the sugar. She could chew on the sugar on the way, it would give her a boost of energy which she sorely needed.

Five minutes later, Bonbon strapped her bags back on and took a deep breath. That was all the time she could spare. She turned and headed down the path in the mountains which she knew her friends had taken, and where the storm now loomed.

* * *

The storm had stopped moving. Bonbon, shaking with exhaustion and aching with the freezing wind, looked up at the prismatic flash darting across the sky underneath the dense black clouds. Dots and flashes of lightning trailed around the Wonderbolt as she attempted to tame the storm. Even from this distance, where she was barely a tiny blue dot, watching Rainbow Dash in her element was impressive. Bonbon only hoped the pegasus could handle this storm all on her own.

Remembering her purpose, Bonbon tried to ignore her body calling for rest and instead pushed on. The wind had sharp teeth and tore at her coat, but no wall of lightning bugs faced her, instead they were drawn off to chase the pegasus in the distance.

Something much worse than the storm made her pick up pace despite the pain. Bonbon wasn’t sure what it was, only that the chill on her spine could not be caused by the wind and snow alone. Something was wrong, terrifyingly wrong.

A cry of pain and a call for help from somewhere to her left made Bonbon’s ears stand to attention. She spun around and galloped over the icy ridges, stumbling into the open to find Lyra on the ground further ahead. Something loomed above her, black and strangely familiar in a way that was impossible for Bonbon to define.

The creature lashed out at Lyra, who was struggling on the ground to get away, and wrapped its limbs around her neck. Bonbon cried out and stuck her head in her saddlebag. She came back out holding a flare as the creature turned its attention to her and hissed. Bonbon stopped and struck the end of the flare hard against a nearby rock. It lit up with a sharp red flame, burning brightly in the darkness around them.

Bonbon growled incomprehensibly as she charged at the creature, the red light of the flare in her mouth reflected in her eyes. As if by some magic of good timing, the storm began to break up. The clouds fell apart and dissolved to let through the pale light of the moon.

The creature threw itself at Bonbon in defiance, for a moment lost between fury and fear of the light. Bonbon charged on and slammed into the creature, holding the flare in front of her and feeling it burn the creature. The creature howled, and fear seemed to win at last. It threw Bonbon aside before swiftly disappearing among the rocks.

Bonbon ignored it as she turned towards Lyra. She stopped and dropped the flare, which hit the snow and hissed as it kept burning in a small but growing puddle. The silvery moonlight filtered through the clouds and fell upon a shivering figure in the snow, bleeding from a wound in its shoulder. Lyra’s bags lay scattered all over the ground around it.

It was the same creature she had seen down by the lake. It was tall and almost hairless, light brown and definitely neither pony nor dragon. It was also lying naked and wounded in the freezing snow.

Bonbon’s mind stopped thinking, ignoring all the many currently unimportant questions without ready answers. She acted by instinct as she quickly rushed to the creature’s side. She dragged it off to shelter from the wind, then swiftly ran back and grabbed some of Lyra’s clothes off the ground. She wrapped the creature as best she could in the clothes to keep it warm before searching her own bags for the first aid kit to treat its wound.

She worked in a daze, treating the wound and bringing more clothes to cover the shivering and unconscious creature. It was practically covered completely now. The flare kept burning brightly behind her as she worked, quietly wondering in the back of her head if Rainbow Dash was okay. Surely the pegasus would see the burning flare if she was. Bonbon certainly couldn’t go looking for the pegasus now. She could only hope she wasn’t in need of help too.

Bonbon stood up and looked around. There wasn’t much to burn in these parts; she would have to make do with what little she had. Any fire was better than none now. She gathered what she could and used the flare to get it burning. Soon a small fire lit up the surrounding darkness.

Confused and afraid, Bonbon huddled up next to the fire and the bundle of shivering clothes. Answers would have to wait; right now she had to stay alert and wait.

* * *

Bonbon woke with a start and jumped up. She hadn’t intended to fall asleep, but exhaustion must have won out over worry. The bundle of clothes was still untouched beside her and shivering a little less than it had at first. A quiet breath from within suggested that what was snuggled up inside was currently asleep.

The fire was burning on its last fuel, but still cast a flickering light across the ice and snow. Bonbon scanned the surroundings, sure that something had woken her up, and the last thing she wanted was for the monster to attack them again while she was asleep.

Something was coming towards her, but it wasn’t the monster. It was swaying slightly and holding a hoof up to clutch its chest and shoulder. Bonbon rushed over, but Rainbow Dash waved her off and continued on her own. “Is Lyra okay?” she demanded.

“She’s sleeping,” Bonbon said quickly. Did Rainbow Dash know? About … whatever it was Lyra was? Bonbon decided the least said the better, still unsure what to even think herself. “She’s fine. Something attacked her, but I chased it off. I think it was the thing from the mine.”

Rainbow Dash noticed the bundle by the fire and seemed to relax. She turned to look at Bonbon for the first time. She looked like she had flown straight through a thundercloud, which was likely not far off, but she didn’t look seriously hurt. “The mine?” She held back a swear and frowned. “Where’s Abigail? Weren’t you two supposed to leave?” The question did not contain as much anger as it might have, had the situation been different, but it still had a sharp edge.

“She got caught in the storm and told me that she would catch up.”

“Bloody lightning bugs,” Rainbow Dash muttered and grimaced at some of her own burns. She picked up a hoof full of snow and pressed it against her side, giving a sigh at the cooling effect.

“Anyway, I saw that something was following you from the mine and decided to head back and warn you. It looks like I showed up just in time.”

Rainbow Dash glanced at the bundle again, then around at the mountains. She sighed. “Yeah, thanks. I guess I owe you one.” She looked at Bonbon awkwardly. “It’s still up to Lyra whether you can stay, though. I will have to tell you to leave if she says to, even if you did save our flanks.”

“I’m not leaving her again,” Bonbon said firmly. “And I intend to tell her that myself when she wakes up. You’ll have to drag me off and lock me up to keep me away!”

Rainbow Dash looked at her long and hard, making it clear that she would do just that if it came to it. Bonbon hoped it wouldn’t. Rainbow Dash broke the gaze and turned around. “I’m going to sleep. Thanks again.”

Bonbon watched her as she began setting up her tent. “Rainbow Dash, I have to ask … You and Lyra, you aren’t …?”

Rainbow Dash gave her a quizzical look. “What?” She glanced at Lyra, then back at Bonbon. Her eyes lit up in understanding. “Hay no! I’d never cheat on Twilight. Ever!” She turned around. “And not just ’cause she would totally turn me into an orange and then peel me very slowly if she found out.”

“I’ll trust you,” Bonbon said after a moment and settled down with a sigh next to the bundle. She looked into the fire longingly.

Rainbow Dash kept watching her for a while. “Hey,” she said after some time. “If it helps, I really think Lyra likes you too. I just don’t think she’s ready. Give her time, and don’t be so damn pushy. You’re really, really pushy, you know that?”

Bonbon didn’t reply. She kept staring into the fire as the pegasus crawled into her tent and rolled up, obviously trying to conceal her groans of pain. As silence fell over the camp, Bonbon’s mind finally turned its attention to what was currently sleeping under a pile of clothes beside her, and all the many questions without answers.

* * *

Bonbon opened her eyes. It felt like she had barely closed them, but the sun was now peeking above the horizon, so it must have been longer. Rainbow Dash was still sleeping in her tent nearby. Bonbon hadn’t bothered setting up her own tent, simply wrapping herself in a blanket as she kept watch next to the bundle of clothes. The fire had long since burned out, but at least the monster had not returned again. Bonbon wondered where it was hiding and whether it would be troubling them again. She only had one more flare and nothing more to burn.

She turned and looked at the bundle of clothes. There was no movement or sound coming from it, but Bonbon knew something was still wrapped up within. The question was what she would find if she pulled away the layers. Bonbon was almost afraid to find out, afraid to confirm what she already knew but didn’t quite know how to accept.

So that was what Lyra hid under all her gold and lies. It didn’t answer many questions at all, only provided a wealth of other questions. Bonbon stared at the horizon before nudging the bundle with a hoof. “Lyra?”

The bundle gave a frightened whine and tensed at her touch, more tense than it already was. Bonbon imagined if she tensed any more she would probably turn into a rock.

Bonbon sighed. “Lyra, you can stop hiding what you are from me. I saw what happened tonight. I think I deserve to hear the truth. It’s the moonlight that does it, isn’t it?” Lyra never came out at night except when it was overcast and foggy. Bonbon couldn’t be sure, but it made more sense than anything else she could think of.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lyra whispered. Her voice was desperate, begging Bonbon to believe her. “I-I don’t know what you thought you s-saw. You must have been dreaming.”

“Lyra, if you say one more lie, I won’t be held responsible for what I’ll do! Perhaps I’ll tie you up and show everypony the truth.” She grabbed the clothes and pulled them off. Lyra—looking just like Bonbon remembered her, with four hooves and a minty coat—huddled up like a foal, avoiding Bonbon’s eyes. “Does Rainbow Dash know?”

“K-know wh—”

“Lyra!”

Lyra sobbed and shook her head without looking at Bonbon. “P-please don’t hurt me,” she cried.

Bonbon reached out a hoof to rub her shoulder, but Lyra immediately pulled away from it. She lowered the hoof slowly. “Why in Equestria would I hurt you? I saved you from that monster, and I treated your wounds and gave you clothes to keep you warm.” She reached out again, managing to place a hoof on the shivering pony’s back. “I’ve known you for years, Lyra. How many times must I say that you can tell me anything?”

“P-please don’t tell her,” Lyra sniffed.

“Rainbow Dash?”

A quiet nod and a sob.

“Okay, I promise. I won’t tell anypony anything,” Bonbon said. “But then you have to tell me everything. No more secrets, do you hear me?”

“Y-you promise you won’t hurt m-me?” Lyra looked up at her through tearful eyes.

“Pinkie Swear! With cupcakes in the eyes and all that nonsense.” Bonbon stood up slowly to not frighten the wreck of a pony and pointed at a hill not far away. “Come on, let’s find a place where we can talk in private.” She held out a hoof to help Lyra up. The unicorn watched it like she still expected it to turn into a snake and bite her, then took it gingerly and stood up.

Bonbon picked up a hoodie from the pile and wrapped it around Lyra’s shoulders. “There.” She tried to smile to cheer Lyra up a little, but it didn’t seem to have any effect. She placed a hoof around Lyra’s back, and together they walked slowly towards the hill as the sun rose above the mountains, painting the white caps in gold and orange. “Come on, Lyra. It’ll help to get it off your chest, believe me.”

Comments

[AlexShrub]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.
Exposition time!

[The Fanfic Crusader]

GASP! Now I have to wait for the NEXT chapter! Darn cliffhangers!

[The Fanfic Crusader]

If I have a critique, it's that it's a little hard to distinguish between "creatures" in this chapter, because there's the creature from the mine, and the one from "down by the lake." Still, I'm being nitpick-y.

[adcoon]

2935757
Hopefully I can get the next chapter out faster than the last few. It's been a bit too slow

2935779
Some of it should be cleared up next chapter, at least. Take comfort in the fact that Bonbon is just as lost as you are, when it comes to these creatures

[Crystal wave]

Another chapter?

[Snowybee]

So Lyra is an anthro...thrope?

[adcoon]

2937376
Or a unicorn who can change into a human? Read on, and you may find out

2937965
Hehe, or an anthroquine? Anthropony? Equinthrope? Ponythrope? Yeah, I dunno about any of those, but wait for next chapter and find out the horrifying truth

[Snowybee]

2939026

Also:

The griffons couldn’t tell me much. LD probably didn’t return this way after Manehattan, and the griffons haven’t been here that long, but I had to ask.

LD? Did Dash bring her up before, or is this the first time? What's Lightning Dust have to do with this? Did the mesmeric fiend that used Trixie also employing her? Find out next time?

[adcoon]

2939069
Twilight mentioned her in chapter 3, but I guess it's a mystery which just has to wait for answers

[adcoon]

2986876
Chapter 6 should be close to completion soon, so no worries. I'm glad you're liking the story. It's definitely fun to have this from Bonbon's perspective and to play around with this rather unusual dynamic. Dash is a really fun pony too, but she's slightly in the background for now

As for Lightning Dust, there is no mention of her before chapter 3, and it's deliberately unknown what she's got to do with anything. Dash and Twilight can leave out a lot of context in their letters because they both know that context, which is a great way for me to make you all wonder

[Noradora]

I think I found another single error earlier on in this chapter, but I lost it by copying something in a Skype conversation. Eh.

Anyway, it's a crime that this story doesn't have more views. Hopefully the numbers go up eventually--this is really good. And the whole Bon Bon+human Lyra thing... Well, you said yourself how fun it is to write this dynamic, and it sure as hell is fun to read. Or... seems that it's going to? Eh.

Another hour or two before I sleep, so onward I read.

[Meneth]

I devised the protection spells myself.

Not clever.
It's easy for anyone to construct security that they themselves cannot break.

[James Washburn]

HOODIE. Because reasons?
We know it's already Lyra, you don't need to remind us like that.
Still, a reverse-werepony is a pretty neat idea. Worth it for that.

[Pinklestia]

So she is the cursed princess...