It's In Her Eyes
The sun had gone down about two hours ago. Princess Luna’s starry night was in full swing, and the city of Canterlot was surprisingly empty. Of course, that was probably because of the upcoming wedding. Guards were stationed everywhere, and while a curfew wasn’t being enforced, it was still being highly suggested that ponies stick to one.
Which was why Bon Bon found it so odd that she and Lyra were out walking the streets. The city seemed to be a ghost town, with stern-faced guards on street corners being the only others out.
“So…what are we doing again?” the Earth pony asked ask she smiled meekly at a guard they walked past.
“Princess Cadance asked me to come see her tonight,” Lyra said with a smile. She was really excited to be in the Princess’s wedding, and Bon Bon had to admit that she was a little jealous. Still, at least she got to see Lyra is a bridesmaid’s outfit, and that was a rare sight. The Unicorn didn’t usually wear anything fancy, let alone a full dress.
“Right,” Bon Bon said as the two continued to walk the streets. “But what I mean is, why is she asking to see you tonight? The wedding’s tomorrow. Shouldn’t you be resting? Shouldn’t she be resting? Weddings take a lot out of you from what I hear, and she’s going to need all the rest she can get.”
“Oh, relax,” Lyra said with a wave of her hoof. “It’s only ten. She’ll be fine.”
“If you say so,” Bon Bon mumbled. “Just remember, you have to stay up on stage the entire time, no breaks. So if you get tired, that’s your problem. I’ll be safely in the audience, where I can get a water break or doze off as I please.”
“As if you’d miss one second of me in that outfit,” Lyra said, her eyes narrowing and a grin spreading across her face.
“Sh-shut up,” Bon Bon said as her cheeks warmed. Lyra could read her like a book, and sometimes that gave her an unfair advantage.
“Are you cold?” the Unicorn asked all of a sudden.
“No,” Bon Bon said, raising an eyebrow. “It’s rather warm, actually. I think that protective spell is keeping a lot of the heat in.” She looked up. There was a light pink shell surrounding the city. She and Lyra had had to pass through it when they had arrived last week. It was apparently being held up by the groom to keep out some vague threat that had been made. Bon Bon found the thing rather silly. This was a famous event. Of course there was always going to be one crazy pony out there spewing nonsense.
Still, she was grateful. Lyra was in the wedding after all, and she didn’t know what she’d do if something happened and Lyra was hurt. Or worse.
“Are you sure you’re not cold?” Lyra asked, stepping closer and wrapping her tail around Bon Bon’s flank and nuzzling her mane.
“You know, I am suddenly rather chilly,” Bon Bon replied with a smile, wrapping her own tail around Lyra. She tilted her head slightly so she was resting on Lyra’s neck and closed her eyes, listening to their hoofsteps echo through the street.
They walked on without saying a word for a while, Lyra humming a tune and Bon Bon simply enjoying the company of her love. Eventually, Lyra nuzzled Bon Bon’s head again.
“We’re here,” she whispered.
Bon Bon blinked a few times to wake herself up. She hadn’t realized she had been falling asleep. Before her stood the grandeur of Canterlot Castle. She had never entered the place before, and she had to admit that it was a bit intimidating.
“Wow,” she whispered as she strained her neck to look up at the spires.
“Well, let’s go,” Lyra said, beginning to ascend the stairs to door. “We don’t want to keep Cadance—er, I mean, Princess Cadance waiting.”
Bon Bon slowly followed Lyra up the stairs, all the while looking everywhere she could to take in the castle’s sights. Elaborate wooden doors with intricate designs greeted her once she reached the top of the stairs. The guards there opened them without a word, and as the two ponies walked into the castle, the doors closed behind them.
The grand hall was deafeningly quiet, and seemed to stretch on forever into the darkness. The stain glass windows that Bon Bon had heard so much about were unfortunately dark and dim, with no torches or lamps keeping them lit. She thought that was a shame, but she reminded herself that she’d get to see them tomorrow in the daylight, so it was something to look forward to.
“Her room’s this way,” Lyra said, taking a left and heading down a side hall. She used her horn to cast a small light spell, dispelling the shadows and giving the place a much warmer feel. Bon Bon trotted to catch up with her and found herself huddling close to the Unicorn, despite the fact that she was in the safest city in all of Equestria. There was just something creepy about a castle at night, she decided.
At the far end of the hall they could see light slipping out through the bottom of a door. It spilled into the hallway and offered much more illumination than the few torches that were scattered around the hall.
And in that light stood two familiar ponies.
“Hey Minuette!” Lyra said as she waved her hoof in excitement. “Good evening, Berry.”
“Hello Lyra,” Minuette replied with a perfect smile.
“Cadance called you two here too, huh?” Berry Punch said, and Bon Bon was surprised to see that she was completely sober.
“It’s Princess Cadance, Berry,” Minuette whispered loudly. “You promised.”
“On, come on,” Berry said with a grin. “Princess Cadance seems like a great pony. Any pony who can drink you under the table like that can’t be too big on titles. Loosen up a bit, okay?”
Minuette’s ears went down and she looked at the floor in embarrassment. Bon Bon giggled slightly as she recalled the night of Princess Cadance’s bachelorette party. She had gone to pick up Lyra because the Unicorn hadn’t come back to the hotel yet. On here way there, she had passed Berry Punch carrying a very drunk Minuette on her back. Usually it was the reverse.
“That was a fun night, wasn’t it?” Lyra said, and Bon Bon saw that she was blushing too and scratching the back of her neck.
“At least the parts you can remember,” Bon Bon teased, nudging Lyra in the ribs.
“How were we supposed to know that Alicorn drink is a billion times stronger than regular cider?” Lyra protested.
“Oh, it wasn’t all bad,” Berry said as she slid up next to Minuette. “I got to see a very entertaining show.” She whipped her tail and it slapped Minuette’s flank. The blue Unicorn jumped and her eyes went wide, then she glared at her wife.
“You said you’d never tell anypony about that!” Minuette said.
“And I didn’t,” Berry said with a smile. “Of course, if you want me to give them the details, I certainly wouldn’t mind. Just thinking about it gets me excite—mmph!”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Minuette said, shoving her hoof in Berry’s mouth and smiling weakly at Bon Bon and Lyra. “Let’s, uh…see what Cadance wanted, shall we?”
“I thought it was Princess Cadance,” Berry teased as Minuette opened the door to the room.
“Actually, it is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.”
All four ponies froze. Princess Cadance was standing in the middle of her room, her face a mask of displeasure. She was standing as tall as she could, her head raised slightly so that she was looking down her nose as the ponies before her. Her presence screamed arrogance and contempt, and it was all Bon Bon could do to keep from shrinking back. Was this really the same pony that Lyra talked about with such admiration? The same embarrassed Princess Bon Bon had met over the weekend, who had apologized again and again for Lyra’s condition at her party?
“Where have you two been? I sent for you nearly an hour ago,” Princess Cadance said, and all four ponies flinched at her tone.
“Uh, sorry, Cadance,” Lyra said. “I-I mean, Cadenza,” she corrected when the Princess gave her a look.
“Our hotel’s a bit of a walk away, and it was such a lovely night,” Minuette added.
“Twinkleshine arrived promptly,” Princess Cadenza said, stepping aside to reveal the cream colored Unicorn. She blinked once, but didn’t say anything. “What kept you two?”
“Um…our apologies, Your Majesty,” Minuette said, bowing.
“Yeah, sorry,” Lyra said, looking at Bon Bon quickly.
“See that it doesn’t happen again.”
“Woah,” Berry said, stepping between Princess Cadenza and the rest of the group. “Slow down there. Princess or not, no pony talks to my mare like that.”
“What Berry means, Your Majesty,” Bon Bon said, stepping in front of Berry and pushing the pony back slightly before an incident happened that they would all regret, “is that you seem to be over-reacting a bit. Your message didn’t say this was urgent or anything, so we didn’t rush right over. We’re sorry.”
Princess Cadenza blinked several times and studied Bon Bon. “Who are these ponies?” she asked after a moment of silence.
“Oh, well, I’m Bon Bon, Lyra’s marefriend—”
“Marefriend?” the Alicorn said, raising and eyebrow.
“Um, yes?” Bon Bon said. Did she really not remember that Lyra and her were an item?
“And I’m Berry Punch,” Berry said from behind her, her voice low. “Minuette’s wife. We met last weekend, at your party.”
Princess Cadenza blinked again, and then her expression changed. “Oh, of course,” she said. “Forgive me, but my memory from that night is…a little hazy. I’m sure you can understand.” She smiled and Bon Bon thought the expression looked…wrong. Like she was uncomfortable.
“It’s…fine, Your Highness,” Bon Bon said. “So, um…what did you need to see us for?”
“Not you two,” Princess Cadenza said, her expression instantly back to that stand-offish mare. “Just my bridesmaids.”
“Yeah, of course we know that,” Lyra said, trying to break the tension. “So, what did you need, Princess?”
Princess Cadezna stared at Bon Bon and Berry for a few more seconds, then turned her gaze to the two Unicorns. “I’m afraid there have been some…minor changes to the dresses. I need you three to come with me to get them resized. I don’t want my three favorite girls looking anything less than perfect for my wedding.”
“Oh, is that all?” Minuette said, visibly relaxing and letting out a relieved sigh. “Sure, we can do that.”
“But is there going to be enough time?” Lyra asked. “I mean, the wedding’s tomorrow. Are you sure that—”
“Are you questioning me?” the Princess demanded, stepping toward Lyra and towering over her. Bon Bon suddenly had the urge to smack her.
“Uh, no, I’m just…worried. About the time-frame, that’s all. Like you said, we need everything to be perfect for your big day. I’d hate for the adjustments to not be done in time for the ceremony.”
“It will be fine,” Princess Cadenza said with a wave of her hoof. “Now, I’m afraid I must ask your…marefriend and your wife to leave. Wedding participants only.”
Bon Bon opened her mouth to protest. She suddenly wasn’t comfortable leaving Lyra alone with this Princess, but Cadenza had a point. It was tradition for only ponies in the wedding to deal with the outfits. Besides, Lyra wasn’t alone. She would be with Minuette and Twinkleshine. She’d be fine.
Bon Bon kept telling herself that as she and Berry turned and left the room, but she found that she was having a hard time believing it. She turned to say good-night to her marefriend, but the door slammed in her face.
“She’s lucky it’s her wedding,” Berry growled at the door, her nostrils flaring as she breathed. “Otherwise, she’d be in a world of hurt right now.”
“I’m sure she’s just stressed,” Bon Bon said, hoping to calm the pony down before she crashed through the door. “She was actually rather pleasant the first time we met.”
“So who the buck were we just talking to?” Berry asked, her heading whipping around to face Bon Bon. “Because that pony is a total bi—”
“Okay, calm down, Berry,” Bon Bon said, afraid that the Princess might overheard them. “Let’s just get going. I’m sure the girls will be back in a little bit. Measurements shouldn’t take too long. How about we get a drink while we wait?”
“Fine,” Berry Punch grumbled as she stocked down the hall. Bon Bon scrambled to catch up with her as she stormed out of the castle, drawing a few startled looks from the guards. Bon Bon smiled at them and then ran after the Earth Pony.
“Berry, slow down!” she said as she finally caught up with her just outside of the castle. “Do you even know where you’re going?”
“There has to be a bar or something around here,” the mare said, stopping just long enough for Bon Bon to catch up, then moving forward again as she scanned the city. “It’s Canterlot, after all.”
Bon Bon suddenly realized that she had probably made a huge mistake. Berry Punch wasn’t exactly the most…controlled when it came to drinks, even when she was in a good mood. And right now she was fuming, and mixing any type of drink with that could only end in disaster.
Bon Bon was about to open her mouth to suggest they forget the drinks, but she was too late.
“Ah, here we are,” Berry said. Bon Bon looked up. A small tavern stood before them, it’s wooden door cracked open and a warm glow spilling from inside. She could hear faint music coming inside.
“Luna’s Rest,” Bon Bon said as she read the sign. She wondered if Princess Luna ever came here. It was certainly modeled after her, with its dark blues and twinkling gems adoring the small building. She was still wondering about that as her companion walked right through the door and disappeared. Bon Bon blinked twice and then trotted after her, dreading the situation she was about to find herself in.
The place was deserted, save for the bartender. He stood behind the counter, polishing a glass. He was talking to Berry, and nodded toward Bon Bon as she entered, then went back to talking to the other mare, who was already seated at the bar. She really didn’t waste any time. Bon Bon sighed internally, walked toward the bar, and sat down next to Berry.
“What can I get you ladies?” the bartender asked. “You both look like you’ve had a rough night.”
“You could say that,” Bon Bon said nervously, waiting for the outburst that she knew as coming. She kept glancing at Berry, wondering how bad things were going to get before the two of them were able to return to their hotel rooms. “Wedding plans and whatnot.”
“Sounds rough,” the stallion said as he set the glass down. “You don’t mean the Princess’s wedding, do you?”
“If that’s what you want to call that mare,” Berry said, glaring at the counter.
“That bad, huh?”
“Glass of cider, please.”
“Berry, I don’t think—wait, what?” Bon Bon said.
“And for you, miss?”
“Uh…” Bon Bon looked at Berry, trying to figure out what game she was playing. Was she just going to order a single glass at a time? But she hadn’t asked for hard cider. “I’ll…have the same, thank you.”
“Two glasses of cider,” the bartender said. “On the house.” He poured them out and set the glasses in front of both mares, then conveniently found something else to clean at the other end of the bar.
Berry Punch drank her entire glass in one swing, then slid the glass down the bar. Bon Bon waited for her to order another one, but she didn’t. She just sat at there, staring at the counter.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she said after a moment. Bon Bon jumped and nearly knocked over her glass at the sound of Berry’s voice.
“Uh…um, sorry,” Bon Bon said, taking a quick drink of cider to hide her embarrassment.
“I know that look,” Berry said as she continued to stare off into space. “You thought I was going to get drunk, didn’t you?”
“Well, I—”
“’Oh, Berry’s at it again. Crawling into a bottle.’ That’s what you thought. That’s what you all always think. I can see it in your eyes. In everypony’s eyes.” Berry turned and made eye contact with Bon Bon, and she was shocked to see tears building in the pinkish red eyes. “Everypony’s always looking at me like that…”
“Berry, I didn’t mean…” Bon Bon came up short. Berry was right. She had fully expected the pony to get completely drunk. She hadn’t even meant to think that. It was just what everypony always did around Berry Punch. They just assumed that she was always looking for a chance to get drunk. It had never occurred to Bon Bon that being seen that way might actually hurt Berry. “I’m sorry.”
“Everypony’s always looking at me like that,” she said again, lowering her head. “Like they think they’re better than me. Like they think I can’t take care of my daughter. Do you really think I would get wasted and leave Pinchy alone in a hotel room when Minuette isn’t around? Do you really think I’m that bad of a mother?”
Bon Bon wasn’t sure if Berry Punch was talking directly to her now, or just talking out loud, but she knew that Berry needed some support. “Berry, I think you’re a wonderful mother,” she said. “Pinchy is a beautiful little filly, and I’m sure you take great care of her.”
Berry sniffed and rubbed her rose and eyes, then looked up at Bon Bon and smiled. “Thanks, Bon Bon. Lyra said you always seemed to say the right thing.” Bon Bon felt her cheeks blushed. She wondered how many other things Lyra had told Berry and Minuette. “ It’s just…”
“Just what?” Bon Bon asked, taking another sip of her cider.
“Minuette’s never looked at me like that. Not once. Even when I’m so drunk I don’t know what I’m doing, or when I come home late and can barely walk through the door, she’s never looked at me like all those other ponies do. When I look in her blue eyes, all I ever see is love. Granted, it’s often exhausted love, but it’s still love.”
“That sounds sweet,” Bon Bon said. She got a similar feeling when she looked into Lyra’s sunglow eyes.
“Do you have any idea what it was like, the first time I saw her look at me with those blue eyes? To finally see a pony who didn’t look at me with disgust, or contempt, or judgmental pity? To finally have a pair of eyes look at me and just be happy to see me? All the alcohol in the world can’t give me the same feeling.” A smirk came to her lips. “Believe me, I’ve tried.”
Bon Bon snorted as she was taking a sip from her drink. Her eyes watered as the liquid went down her throat wrong and she spit the drink back into her glass. She started coughing as she tried to breathe. “I…I didn’t say…that!” she said between gasps.
Berry laughed and slapped her on the back. “Relax, Bon Bon. I know what other ponies think of me, and the reputation isn’t exactly undeserved. It’s just…I like to think there’s more to me than just being the town drunk, but for a long time, I didn’t believe that. When Pinchy was born, I thought that would help, but it just made it worse.”
“But I thought Pinchy was—” Bon Bon started.
“Oh no, it wasn’t because of my little darling,” Berry said quickly, waving her hoof and smiling. “Her birth was the happiest day of my life and I’ve never regretted it for a moment. But the looks, the whispers, they got worse. Ponies thought I had no business raising her, being the way I am. But not Minuette. She made me believe that there was more to me again. She became a blinding source of light in my world. I know that sounds horrible, that Pinchy didn’t do that for me, but the truth is that I started to believe what other ponies were saying. Whenever I looked at my daughter, I worried that I wasn’t good enough for her, that she would be a screw up like me, or that I would hurt her. But Minuette brushed all that away with a simple smile, and—”
“And she’s been doing it ever since,” Bon Bon said as she nodded. It was true, now that she thought about it. Berry Punch had been a bit—okay, a lot—of a mess for a long time, but when Minuette had trotted into her life, the Earth pony had seemed happier. And when they had gotten married, Bon Bon had been truly happy for both of them.
Berry smiled and her eyes seemed to fog over as she relived private memories, but then her face soured. “But then Cadenza tonight…”
Bon Bon nodded and drank the last of her cider. “She was rather rude.”
“You’re being too nice and you know it,” Berry Punch said. “If Minuette wasn’t so excited about being in this wedding, if she and Cadenza hadn’t gone to school together, I would drag her out of this wedding right now.”
“I’m sure Princess Cadance is just a little stressed,” Bon Bon whispered. She was playing the conversation with the Princess over again in her head, and she was starting to believe the stressed excuse less and less. Was Princess Cadance really just a stuck up Canterlot Royal Snob? But she had been so kind the other night at the bachelorette party.
“There’s stressed, and there’s being…that,” Berry Punch spat. “Those eyes. Did you see them? Did you see what she did?”
“Um…no?” Bon Bon said. She tried to remember something about the Princess’s eyes, but nothing came to mind.
“When we told her who we were. Lyra’s marefriend and Minuette’s wife. She gave me that look. That same look that everypony is always giving me. But I can deal with that. I’ve been dealing with it for years. But no pony, and I mean no pony, looks at my Minuette like that. I don’t care if she is a Princess. If she ever looks at my wife that way again, I’ll kill her.”
“And then Princess Celestia would arrest you and throw you in the dungeon,” Bon Bon said.
Berry shrugged. “I’m sure it’s a nice dungeon. Everything in Canterlot is always top-notch, after all. Probably has plush pillows and fluffy bed. And Minuette is more than capable of raising Pinchy for a few years.”
Bon Bon couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s morbid sense of humor. “You think assaulting—”
“Killing,” Berry corrected with a smile.
“Killing a Princess will only get you a few years in prison?”
“Well, I’m actually not very sure now that I think about it.” Berry put her hoof under her chin and pretended to be in serious thought. “Can you actually kill a Princess? I mean, does punching them in the face actually make them go unconscious? If I bit her throat, do you think she’d bleed out like a normal pony, or do you think she’d be fine?”
“That’s getting a little dark, Berry. And gross.”
“Yeah, probably not a good idea.” The mare made a disgusted face. “I don’t want to get any of her nasty blood in my mouth. Probably tastes worse than that time Minuette tried to make homemade wine. Celestia, that stuff was awful.”
“Yeah, Lyra isn’t exactly the best cook in Equestria either,” Bon Bon added. “Sometimes I wonder if she even knows how a stove works.” Both ponies burst into laughter and Bon Bon finally felt herself relaxing for the first time since she had left the castle.
“Let’s face it. Those girls would starve to death without us,” Berry said as she wiped her eyes.
“You know, I’ve often suspected that Lyra only stays with me because of my cooking,” Bon Bon whispered loudly.
“Hm, I don’t know,” Berry said as a dangerous look came to her face, “I think Lyra does enjoy what she eats, food or not.”
Bon Bon’s face burned. She felt her ears go so flat and tight against her skull that they hurt. Her mane itched in ways it rarely did, and she could no longer look at Berry Punch’s smirking face. Her eyes darted around the room like wild animals as her tongue tied itself up in her rapidly drying mouth. She reached for her cider, but found that she had already drained the glass. Flustered to the point of despair, the cream colored Earth pony just hung her head and waited for her cheeks to stop burning.
“That good, huh?” Berry asked between laughs. All Bon Bon could do was try to bury herself further into her seat as she let out a small squeak. “Well, I think it’s time to head back to the hotel. Pinchy should already be in bed, asleep, but if I know her, she’s wide awake and waiting by the door. And who knows? Maybe the girls are back. Talking about them has made me rather—”
“For the love of Celestia, please stop,” Bon Bon begged. Thinking about Lyra in that way was not helping her calm down at all.
“Right then. Better get you home quick.” Berry Punch slide off of her seat. “Sounds like an emergency.”
“Berry, I hate you so much,” Bon Bon growled as she slid off of her stool and hoped her legs were strong enough to support her. They were, but she still felt a little light-hoofed. She hoped Lyra was back, but not for the reason Berry Punch was implying. She just wanted to snuggle with her marefriend at the moment.
“That’s what I’m here for,” Berry said as she slapped Bon Bon’s flank with her tail, and Bon Bon let out a little yelp.
Okay, snuggle and then that other stuff.
The two mares left the small tavern, thanking the barkeeper as they did, and made their way back to the hotel. The city seemed eerily quiet and dark, and Bon Bon unconsciously drew closer to the pony walking next to her. She was surprised when she didn’t feel the comforting warmth of Lyra gently brushing up against her, but then she remembered who she was walking with. Blushing again, she pulled away just a little and the two mares walked back to the hotel in silence.
“Good evening, ladies,” the front clerk said as Bon Bon and Berry Punch entered the lobby. “You are Guests Bon Bon and Berry Punch, if I am not mistaken?”
“That's us. Two of the sexiest mares in all of Equestria,” Berry said before Bon Bon could answer.
The clerk just raised an eyebrow slightly. “I have a message for both of your. From Canterlot Castle, no less.” The way the clerk said the last word made it sound like he didn’t understand how a pony like Berry Punch could have anything to do with the castle.
“What’s the message?” Bon Bon asked, stepping forward and slightly blocking Berry’s approach. She didn’t want the mare to embarrass her any more. She could only take so much, especially this late at night.
“Here it is.” The clerk levitated a scroll onto the front desk. Bon Bon unrolled it and read its contents. Her heart sank as she finished.
“Don’t leave me hanging,” Berry said, poking her head over Bon Bon’s shoulder. She let out a low growl and then rested her chin on Bon Bon’s shoulder. “Well that would totally kill my buzz, if I had one.”
The note stated that Lyra and Minuette would be spending the night at the castle, helping Princess Cadenza—the more Bon Bon heard that name, the more she hated it—make some last-minute changes to her dress.
Bon Bon felt tears beginning to form in her eyes, and she didn’t understand why. She blinked them away in frustration. “I’m going to bed,” she said as she left the lobby.
“Yeah, I need to tuck Pinchy in anyway. Girl’s probably bouncing on the couch right now,” Berry Punch added as she trotted to catch up. When they were safely out of earshot of the lobby clerk, she lowered her voice. “Hey, you okay girl?”
“I’m…” Bon Bon paused as she came to her door, her hoof resting on the handle but not pushing it open. “No, I’m not okay.” She turned around to look at Berry Punch and felt her face scowl. “I just can’t stand the thought that Lyra is spending the night in the presence of that…mare.”
Berry Punch chuckled. “I completely understand. Minuette’s going to be making this up to me for a looooong time, let me tell you. But it’s just for tonight.” Her familiar smirk came to her lips. “Although, if you really need some company, Pinchy can wait another ten minutes…”
Bon Bon knew the Earth pony was joking. She knew that, despite Berry Punch’s constant flirting and advances, she would never betray her wife that way. And she would never do anything that would hurt Lyra so badly.
But still, she couldn’t help herself. Hanging around Berry Punch tonight was starting to rub off on her. “Only ten minutes? Boy, do I feel really sorry for Minuette now.”
Berry Punch offered a lopsided grin. “Good night, Bon Bon. Tomorrow’s the big day. See you then.” She turned and entered her room. Bon Bon heard her call out Pinchy’s name before the door closed. She turned to her own door and walked into her room. She walked to the bed and it became painfully obvious that it was meant to comfortably hold two ponies as she slipped under the covers. She sighed as she rolled over to look at the empty spot where a mint green unicorn was supposed to be staring back at her from. She reached out and brushed the pillow with her hoof, then slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
Lyra Heartstrings watched the door close—as well as the flank of a certain cream colored pony—with a surprising amount of fear. She suddenly didn’t want to be alone in Canterlot Castle with Princess Cadance, or as she now insisted on calling herself, Cadenza. It was something about the Princess’s eyes, and the way they had looked at Lyra and Bon Bon when the word ‘marefriend’ had been uttered. They weren’t the same eyes that Lyra remembered from school, or even from the party the other night.
Lyra shook her head. It didn’t matter. Princess Cadenza had come dangerously close to crossing a line, and if she still wanted Lyra’s help with her wedding, she needed to apologize. Lyra turned around to say as much.
“Hey, Cadance?” Minuette said before Lyra had a chance to speak. “Um…look. I know you’re kind of stressed out about the wedding, but that was rather rude of you.”
Good. So I’m not the only one who noticed, Lyra thought. “Yeah. And earlier today, you shot down Rarity’s dress without a second thought. I mean, you barely even looked at it.”
“You’ve been kind of tough to deal with all week, actually,” Twinkleshine said, both to Lyra’s and Minuette’s surprise. When she saw both ponies looking at her in shock, she shrugged and pointed at the Alicorn. “What? She has.”
Lyra hadn’t wanted to say anything, especially not to Bon Bon, but this past week had been the most tiring of her life. Princess Cadenza had been running them ragged, constantly changing her mind about things or making unreasonable demands of them. The only thing that had kept Lyra going was seeing Bon Bon’s smile. Her marefriend was more excited about her being in the wedding than she was, and seeing the joy that that brought to her face made all of Cadenza’s drama more than worth it.
But tonight was the last straw. The utter contempt that had been in Cadenza’s eyes when she had—apparently for the first time—found out that Lyra was into mares had broken her. She sighed deeply and looked at Minuette and Twinkleshine, then up at the Princess.
“Look, Cadance—”
“I told you to call me Mi Amore Cadenza.”
“Whatever!” Lyra spat, her tail flipping up slightly as she stomped her front hooves. “Look, I think you need to find somepony else to be your bridesmaid. I’ve put up with a lot from you over the past week because we used to be friends back in school. But I saw the way you looked at my Bon Bon when she told you who she was. If she disgusts you that much, if I disgust you that much, then I don’t want to be in your wedding. I wouldn’t want to ruin it for you or anything.” Lyra turned to leave when she heard Minuette speak up. She was expecting the blue Unicorn to try and calm her down, but that wasn’t what she heard.
“Lyra’s right,” Minuette said. “I can put up with a lot. I’m married to Berry after all, and that mare is nothing if not a walking bag of headaches and trouble. But you know what? I love her anyway, and I wouldn’t change her or trade her for all the jewels in Equestria. So if Lyra and Bon Bon gross you out, the fact that we’re married must make your fur fall out. I’d hate to ruin your big day like that, so I’m afraid I must step out of the wedding too.”
“I see,” Cadenza said, drawing up to her full height and suddenly looking much more frightening that Lyra had ever seen her. “And you, Twinkleshine? Do you feel the same?”
“Sorry, Princess Cadenza,” Twinkleshine said as she lowered her head. “But I think they’re right.”
“Very well, you are all out of the wedding.”
And just like that, Lyra felt a burden lift from her shoulders. She had expected Cadance, or whoever she was, to put up a fight, to make some sort of fuss, but she just let them all go. Not sure what else to say, Lyra turned back to the door and started to leave, Minuette and Twinkleshine right behind her.
“And just where do you think you three are going?” Cadenza asked in a voice that wasn’t quite her own.
“Um…back to our rooms?” Lyra said, turning around. She was about to say more, but she froze and her jaw dropped. Minuette and Twinkleshine looked at her in confusion, then turned around as well.
“Oh, you’re not going anywhere,” Cadenza said as she was slowly engulfed in green flames. “I need you three to go make sure Princess Cadance doesn’t ruin the Queen’s wedding.”
Lyra watched in horror as Cadenza was slowly burned away by the green flames. What stood in her place was clearly supposed to be a pony, but she was a walking nightmare. Her coat was jet black. Her legs were filled with holes, and her horn was twisted and warped. Her wings were like a torn insect’s, and fangs protruded from her mouth. Her eyes, wide with wickedness and yet somehow lizard-like in appearance, glared at the three ponies with delight.
Lyra wanted to scream. She wanted to bolt out of the room and sprint down the hall. She wanted to find Bon Bon, wrap herself up in her hooves, and pretend it was all a bad dream. She wanted to grab her and flee the city with her, get as far away from this creature as possible. But all she could do was stand there in horror as the creature’s horn flashed green, and then the world went dark.
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Great job as always! Keep up the good work!
4340295
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment. Comments always make me smile. Unless they're mean. Then then make me sad.
4351676 I know the feeling
I feel bad for Twinkleshine, she has nopony to worry over her and fight for her, poor thing.
But little do they don't know that is not Princess Cadence
It's too bad this is during the time before season 5 slice of life came around because Bonbon will detect something is wrong since she's a spy
So it looks like this is during the time of season 2 finale the Canterlot wedding so everybody is getting ready for the wedding tomorrow but unfortunately "Cadence" making things a little harder not just only the Mane 6 but also the Bridesmaids and they didn't like the way how she talked about her girlfriend and so did Minuettes wife and surprisingly twinkleshine they all decided to quit on her but before they could get away from her it looks like Queen Chrysalis have different plans for them and we all know what happened to them