Lyra / Bon Bon move to Canterlot, in this dark / horror story.
When Lyra gets a new job with the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra, things are looking up for her and her love Bon Bon. Moving out of Ponyville, the two find themselves in a new home in the old district of the Equestrian capital. But not all houses are a home, and these two ponies are about to find out why this particular house is not at all what it seems...
“Bonnie?” The soft voice of the mare called up the stairs. When she received no response, she called out again. “Bonnie? You still asleep?” No response, again. Lyra Heartstrings returned to the kitchen and sighed. Her stomach rumbled as she looked across the tiny room. She was decidedly hungry, but due to past incidents she wasn't allowed to use the stove. Bon Bon would have her hide if she knew she was even in the mare's inner sanctum.
Lyra grumbled to herself, pulling a box of cereal out of the cabinet. It was nearly empty, but it would suffice. The sea green mare sighed once more as she opened the refrigerator and took the milk out. She poured it and put it back. She closed the door and turned towards the living room.
“Aahh!” The unicorn shouted, dropping the bowl of cereal out of her magic to the floor with a *splash*. Lyra grinned sheepishly as Bon Bon frowned at her. The cream colored earth pony stood in the entrance to the kitchen, bags under her eyes. There was milk and bits of cereal all over her bathrobe.
“Lyra, how many times have I told you about the kitchen?” She said flatly. Lyra's ears drooped back.
“Not to touch anything unless you were present,” the unicorn mare said in a monotone voice. “But it wasn't my fault. I was being careful. You scared me!” Bon Bon sighed, grabbing a towel and wiping off her front. When she finished, she nuzzled her wife against her neck softly.
“It's alright, Lyra. Just be more aware next time. It's not like I didn't announce myself coming down the stairs. I'm a bit of a wide load, after all,” the earth mare said. Lyra rolled her eyes.
“You're pregnant, Bonnie. You're supposed to be a wide load,” she said, running her hoof along her wife's slightly swollen belly. Bon Bon snorted, pointing at the living room.
“Just go on, I'll make us some breakfast,” she said.
“Are you sure? I can make do with the cereal,” Lyra replied. Bon Bon shook her head firmly.
“I'll be alright, Lyra. I'm pregnant, not dying. The day I stop using my kitchen will be a sad day indeed,” she said. “Now get. I don't need any more dishes to clean up than I plan to dirty. Why don't you go check the mail or something?” Lyra nodded mutely, planting a kiss on her wife's cheek.
“Thanks Bonnie, you're the best,” she said, happily trotting out of the kitchen and into the living room. Bon Bon glanced down, seeing the half full bowl of cereal laying overturned on the floor. She grumbled and grabbed a mop with her teeth to start cleaning. Once that was taken care of, the earth mare carefully pulled out a skillet and a few plates out of the cabinet. Breaking a few eggs over the skillet, she fired up the stove and started to cook.
The eggs on the skillet began to sizzle as Bon Bon shoved a few pieces of bread into the toaster oven. Returning her attention to the stove, the earth mare took the padded handle in her teeth and carefully flipped the fried eggs. Lowering the skillet back onto the stove, Bon Bon turned back to the toaster oven. A soft *ding* echoed from the device, the golden brown toast popping out. With what one might call precision and grace, but usually a lot of luck, Bon Bon tapped the button on the front of the toaster, ejecting its contents into the air as she brought the plates over. The pieces of toast landed easily on the two plates as Bon Bon grinned.
She looked up at the clock. It was almost nine in the morning. She sighed, grabbing the skillet again and pouring the eggs onto their plates.
“Lyra.... breakfast is ready,” she called out into the living room. No response. Bon Bon frowned. That's odd, usually Lyra is right here when it comes to food, she thought. The cream colored mare cleared her throat. “Lyra? Where are you?” Still no answer. Grumbling to herself, Bon Bon left the kitchen and made her way into the living room. Lyra was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at something that she held in her hooves. It appeared to be a letter.
“Lyra? Are you alright? What are you doing out here?” Bon Bon said. Lyra tore her gaze away from the letter for a brief moment and flashed a bright smile.
“You are not going to believe this, Bonnie,” she said, folded the letter over and hoofing it to her wife. Bon Bon carefully unfolded it and began to read.
Dear Miss Heartstrings,
I am pleased to announce that you have been formally selected as second chair lyre for the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra. Allow me to wish you a fond congratulations on being chosen, the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra is the crowning gem of achievement for musicians of your caliber. You were selected out of many, many potential applicants, but we feel that your raw talent more than makes up for your limited experience, and as such we look forward to working with you.
As per all members who are employed by the Orchestra, it is required that you (and any significant others you may have) live in the residency of Old Canterlot, where it will be easier to reach you for practices and performances. This is merely a formality, should you choose to accept the position.
Now, we understand that relocation to a new town is a difficult prospect. In order to make this transition easier for you and your family, we have included a stipend for the purposes of purchasing a new home and living expenses until your first official paycheck. If you choose to accept the position, a member of our administration office will put you in touch with a reputable realtor to select a new home.
Again, congratulations on this momentous achievement.
Sincerely,
Frederick Horseshoepin
Director, Canterlot Symphony Orchestra
Bon Bon's eyes widened as she looked up at Lyra's widening grin. She reached out and grabbed her ecstatic wife in a hug.
“You did it, Lyra! You really did it!” She said. Lyra returned the hug and pulled back, grabbing the envelope in her magic.
“Yeah, I knew I could do it,” she bragged. “I'm awesome that way." Bon Bon snorted.
“Way to be modest there, Rainbow Dash,” she said. Lyra grinned sheepishly.
“Okay, so I was a little worried about it, but that's all in the past now, Bonnie. I'm in!” Lyra exclaimed. “And wait til you get a load of the check they sent.” The unicorn's horn glowed softly, lifting out a piece of paper from the envelope. Bon Bon's eyes scanned the check, her eyes widening.
“Lyra? That's... that's a lot of zeros,” she said. “What are we going to do with that much money?”
“We're going to Canterlot, that's what!”
**********************************
One Week Later...
**********************************
“Ladies, a pleasure to meet you,” the dark brown unicorn stallion said from behind his desk. The name listed on the placard sitting upon the oak desk was Proper Place, Canterlot Realty Division 3. Across from him sat Lyra and Bon Bon, the former's excited grin complemented by the latter's annoyed look. Proper Place smiled softly, turning to Lyra. “I am to assume you are Miss Heartstrings?”
“That's me,” Lyra said, grinning goofily. “And this is my wife, Bon Bon.”
“A pleasure,” Bon Bon said, offering her hoof. Proper Place took it and smiled.
“You are quite a lovely young couple. This your first time ever looking into living in Canterlot?” He asked.
“I used to live here before I moved to Ponyville,” Lyra said. “Bonnie's lived in Ponyville all her life.”
“I own a candy shop there,” Bon Bon said stoically. “Bon Bon's Bon Bons.”
“Clever title,” Proper Place replied. “Well then, let's get started. As I understand it, you have payment all squared away thanks to our friends in the Orchestra. I spoke with them yesterday concerning your new employment, and I must offer my congratulations. It's not every day the second chair opens up.”
“Thank you,” Lyra said.
“I have several homes lined up in Old Canterlot for us to visit. However, that being said, there is... one home I think in particular a musician of your caliber will appreciate,” Proper Place said. “It belonged to the former second chair lyre player.”
“Oooh... that's so awesome!” Lyra squealed. Bon Bon raised a hoof, getting a raised eyebrow from Place. The mare cleared her throat.
“And just... just where did this other musician go to?” She said.
“I believe she moved out of Canterlot, retired from what I heard,” Proper Place said. “It is a lovely house though. She was a unicorn too, from what I know of her. I only just took over the account after she moved out.”
“Mister Place, give us a moment if you would,” Lyra said. The stallion nodded.
“Take all the time you need. I'll be right back. Have to fill out some paperwork,” he replied. He stood and exited the room, leaving the two mares alone.
“Bonnie, what do you think?” Lyra asked the cream colored mare. Bon Bon sighed and leaned over and looked at her love.
“I guess we can look at it. Are you sure we have to move to Canterlot, though? I mean, we have the shop and everything...” She replied pensively, her ears pinned back. Lyra smiled softly.
“Bonnie... we've been over this already. I have to live in Canterlot in order to accept the position. This is a very big deal to me,” she said. “I'll be making enough money for the both of us, and you were going to take some time off work anyways to deal with the foal.”
“I know, I know... and Twist is old enough to deal with the shop... I just hope she's ready for it,” Bon Bon said. “I guess I'm just nervous about this.” Lyra smiled, reaching over and giving Bon Bon a sweet kiss on the cheek.
“Don't worry about Twist. She's a grown mare. She can take care of herself. It's not like she'll be on her own. Her friends will help her out,” Lyra said. “We can do this, Bonnie. Trust me.”
“I do, love. I truly do,” Bon Bon replied. The door behind them opened suddenly. Proper Place trotted in, several stacks of paper floating along behind him.
“Well, ladies. Have you made a decision yet?” He said, sliding into his seat across from the two mares.
“We have,” Bon Bon said. “Show us the house.”
“Excellent,” Proper Place said. His horn glowed softly, levitating out a piece of paper and a pen. The pen began to flow across the paper, scrawling out an address on it before sliding over across the desk. “Here's the address. Meet me there tomorrow evening and we'll take a tour of the place. If all works out we should be able to have this deal closed out by the end of the week.”
********************************
The next evening...
********************************
The pristine columns of Canterlot loomed over the two mares as they trotted along towards their destination. Lyra's eyes were bright and sunny, while Bon Bon hung back from her wife. Celestia's sun was beginning to wane for the evening, preparing for the time when Luna's moon would reign over the night sky. The two were already several minutes late for their appointment with Proper Place. It didn't help that Lyra wanted to stop by the Orchestra Office and drop off some paperwork that she had forgot to mail in.
The clean white streets gave way to old worn cobblestone as the couple entered the Old Canterlot district of the city. Bon Bon scanned the old brick buildings for the address they were looking for, glancing down at the piece of paper before grimacing. There was no doubt about it... they were lost.
“Lyra, do you see this place anywhere?” The cream colored mare said. Lyra shook her head.
“No... I could have sworn it was down this street,” the unicorn replied. “I haven't been out of Canterlot that long...”
“Sweetie, it's been at least seven years,” Bon Bon said, rolling her eyes. She stopped in the middle of the road, groaning loudly. “I give up, Lyra. We're lost. Let's ask for directions.”
“But Bonnie... I told you, I can find this place!” Lyra whined. Bon Bon glared daggers at her wife.
“Lyra...” She said. The sea green unicorn sighed, throwing her hooves up in the air.
“Okay, okay, fine. We'll ask for directions,” she said, stopping and pushing open the gate to the nearest brick house. The two mares trotted up to the lit porch, knocking on the sturdy iron door. The door creaked as it opened. An elderly unicorn stallion peeked his head out from behind the archway.
“May I help you?” He said softly.
“Yes... we're a little lost,” Bon Bon said. She lifted the piece of paper with the address on it. “We're looking for this house. We're sort of new in town.” The older unicorn's horn glowed softly, taking the piece of paper in his magic. His eyes widened when he saw the address. Clearing his throat, he passed the paper back to Bon Bon.
“You... you moving into that house, ladies?” He asked.
“Just looking right now,” Lyra said. “I just got a job with the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra. Second chair lyre.” She turned, revealing the lyre on her flank.
“I... I see,” the elderly unicorn replied. He glanced around, motioning for the mares to step closer. “If you take any advice in this matter, please take this. Do not, I repeat, do not move into that house.” Bon Bon narrowed her gaze at the older stallion.
“Why do you say that?” She said.
“That house... it's haunted,” he said. Lyra grinned widely.
“Seriously? Haunted? Give me a break,” she said. “There's no such thing as ghosts, everypony knows that.”
“Young miss, I am warning you. That place is bad news. Stay away from there,” the older unicorn replied. Bon Bon sighed.
“Do you know where the place is or not?” She said. The stallion put a hoof up, pointing down the street.
“You'll find it down the street. It's the last house on the left,” he said. “Please... heed my warning. You don't want to move into that house... You won't live to see a week in there.”
“Are you threatening us?” Bon Bon said forcefully. The elder unicorn shook his head under the gaze of the cream colored mare. Bon Bon glared at the older unicorn before turning away. “Come on Lyra. We're late as it is. Let's get this over with. Thank you for the directions.” Lyra grinned sheepishly.
“Sorry, she gets kind of moody sometimes,” the younger unicorn said. “Thanks again!” She trotted off to follow her wife, leaving the elder unicorn standing alone on the stoop. Cursing under his breath, he walked back inside his house and closed the door. Lyra and Bon Bon continued down the street as the sun finally dipped beyond the horizon, allowing Luna's moon to take its place in the night sky.
The two mares trotted along, finally finding themselves at the tail end of the long road. Lyra stopped in her tracks cold as she looked up at the house. It was a modest two-story affair, made out of red brick and trimmed with a black roof. The windows were dark, lined with soft velvet curtains. A beautiful fence surrounded the structure. The house loomed ominously over the couple as they walked up and opened the gate.
“Wow...” Lyra said. “This place is...”
“I know, right? Talk about your creep factor,” Bon Bon replied. “And of course, Proper Place is nowhere to be seen. I swear...”
“This place is awesome!!” Lyra exclaimed. “Oh can we buy it Bonnie, can we can we can we?!”
“Ladies!” A voice cut through the darkness. Bon Bon looked up to see Proper Place standing in the doorway of the old house. She narrowed her gaze at the unicorn. He trotted down the walkway, meeting the couple halfway. “So... what do you think?” Lyra jumped forward before Bon Bon could get a word out.
“I think that's everything,” Lyra said, glancing about the living room. Towers of boxes loomed over the two mares, making Lyra feel like they had built a fort of cardboard. “All the boxes at least. Kind of glad we brought in most of the furniture first, right?”
“Sweetie, we probably couldn't get the furniture in if we hadn't brought it in first,” Bon Bon said. Lyra chuckled, leaning against her pregnant wife on their new couch. Bon Bon's nose was stuck in a candy magazine.
“Why do we have so much stuff again?” She said. “I didn't know we even had this much junk.”
“Oh yeah,” Lyra said thoughtfully. “Well... do you want to go to bed now or hang out for a bit? It's getting kind of late.” Bon Bon glanced up at the clock, before sighing.
“Is the bed ready?” She asked flatly. Lyra grinned sheepishly. “So... it's not ready.”
“I can get it ready! Just you hang out, Bonnie. I'll get it ready pronto!” She said, standing. She rushed up the stairs, leaving Bon Bon by herself in the massive living room. Like most of the other rooms in the house, the living room was decorated in a classical Equestrian fashion, complete with gaudy striped wallpaper and a bronze trimmed fireplace/mantle. Bon Bon hated the wallpaper, personally, but Lyra had been adamant about keeping everything as it was, stating that the history of the place would be tarnished if Bon Bon so much as lifted a paint brush.
Bon Bon glanced across the hall from where she was sitting. The viewing room on the other side of the main hallway had been left relatively untouched except for the addition of Lyra's lyre. Even on downtime, a member of the Orchestra was still expected to be at the peak of performance. Thus, Lyra had claimed the viewing room as her practice area. Bon Bon smiled at this as she stood, trotting into the hallway. She looked up the stairs for any sign of her wife.
“Lyra? I'm gonna go unpack some of the boxes in the kitchen. Just let me know when you're ready for bed,” she called up the stairs.
“Okay!!!” Lyra yelled from the master bedroom, her voice muffled by the thick walls of the house. Bon Bon rolled her eyes and walked down the hall into the kitchen. The room itself was grandiose, far greater than what the cream colored earth pony was used to. A beautiful white stove sat at the far end of the room, accompanied by lovely white counters. A marble island sat in the middle of the kitchen. Stacked on the side were dozens of boxes. Bon Bon trotted up to them and pulled one aside and opened it.
“Silverware,” she muttered. “Plates. Where did I put my baking supplies?” Bon Bon sighed, reaching for another box. A clattering sound echoed from the hallway. The cream colored mare's ears perked up immediately.
“Lyra? Is that you?” She called out softly. No response. Bon Bon scrunched her nose up. “Lyra? If you're playing a joke, it isn't funny.” When she again received no response, Bon Bon stood. Another clattering sound came from the hallway, followed by the sound of breaking glass. She moved cautiously towards the entryway, peeking her head out and looking down the hall. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the source of the noise.
Two of the pictures that Bon Bon had managed to hang up had fallen off the wall onto the ground. Tiny glass pieces shined around one of them. Bon Bon sighed, trotting back into the kitchen and grabbing the broom and dust pan. Carefully moving the pictures back from the glass on the floor, she began to sweep it into the dust pan. Bon Bon looked back at the two pictures. Both of them were ones of her and Lyra from some time ago.
The first was a picture of the two at one of Pinkie Pie's parties back in Ponyville. Lyra was grinning widely, hanging off the side of Bon Bon, who appeared to be bored. The other was taken just the year before, showing Lyra and Bon Bon on their vacation to Los Pegasus. The glass had broken on that one, shattered right over Bon Bon's face. Bon Bon sighed. I'm going to have to get a replacement frame, she thought, glancing back up at the wall. How did they fall, though? I could have sworn I got the picture hangers up right. I even had Lyra check. Bon Bon picked up the picture that wasn't broken and placed it on the wall hangers. It stayed right in place and didn't seem to lean at all.
“Huh,” Bon Bon said, turning back to the other picture. “Weird. Well, nothing to do then but put you aside to be fixed.” She picked up the other picture, yelping loudly as a shard of the glass broke off from the frame and cut her across her leg. A thin red line of blood appeared. “Ouch!!”
“Bonnie?” Lyra called out, stomping down the stairs. She turned the corner, her eyes catching her wife's injury. “Oh my gosh, Bonnie! Are you alright?”
“I'm fine, Lyra. Just cut myself, is all. I'll be alright,” Bon Bon replied.
“And the foal?” Lyra asked excitedly. Bon Bon rolled her eyes.
“The foal is fine, being completely disconnected from my leg where the cut is,” she said flatly. “Still... Go run and get the antiseptic and a bandage.” Lyra nodded, trotting down to the bathroom and grabbing the medicinal kit. She returned shortly, floating out the tube of antiseptic cream and a bandage. Bon Bon winced as she applied the cream, sighing with relief as it began to numb the pain.
“Guess we're glad we unpacked the bathroom stuff first, right?” Lyra said. “What were you doing anyways?”
“Two of our pictures fell off the wall,” Bon Bon said, pointing to the two pictures. The one that had cut her was laying to the side, blood dripping from the shard of glass poking out. It ran down into the photo itself, obscuring Bon Bon's face in it further. Bon Bon groaned loudly. “Great, and now our vacation photo is ruined.” She sighed, hanging her head, tears beginning to drip down her cheeks. Lyra smiled softly, putting a hoof on her wife's shoulder.
“It's alright, Bonnie. It's just a photo,” she said. “I remember how awesome our vacation was. Don't need a picture to tell me that.” Bon Bon glared at her with red puffy eyes. Lyra gulped loudly. “Look, sweetie buns... the bed's ready upstairs. Why don't you go on up and sleep, and I'll take care of this?” Bon Bon sighed loudly, but nodded nonetheless as she tried to clear her tears with her fetlock.
“Alright. Thanks, Lyra,” she said, pushing herself up off the floor and walking past the unicorn. Lyra smiled as Bon Bon disappeared up the stairs, turning to pick up the picture and dust pan with her magic. Lyra grimaced as she deposited the shards of glass and the picture into the trash can.
Meanwhile, Bon Bon slid into the cold bed, sighing to herself. The cream colored mare winced as she lay down, shifting so that she wasn't directly on her wounded leg. After what felt like an eternity, she heard hoof steps coming up the stairs. They got louder and closer. Bon Bon looked back at the door to the bedroom, smiling softly.
“Lyra?” She called out. The hoof steps resounded loudly and stopped in front of the door, but nopony came through. Bon Bon shivered in the darkness, waiting for something, anything to happen. Bon Bon shook her head. “Maybe I'm hearing things... I could have sworn...” The earth pony rested her head on the pillow, sighing again. She rubbed her swollen belly and started drifting in and out of sleep. Soft steps soon entered the room, and Lyra plopped onto the bed next to her wife.
“Bonnie? You still awake?” The seagreen mare said, placing a hoof on her lover’s shoulder.
“Lyra?” Bon Bon said groggily. “When did you get here?”
“A few minutes ago. You alright?” Lyra asked softly.
“I'm a blubbering beached whale who just cut herself. How do you think I am?” Bon Bon snapped, stopping and lifting a hoof to cut off Lyra. “Sorry, sweetheart. This is just... it's a bit much. New house, the foal, and everything else. I just need some time to adjust is all.” Lyra smiled softly, wrapping her foreleg around Bon Bon's neck.
“It's alright, sweetie buns,” she breathed softly. “Why don't you take the day off tomorrow? Go out and see Canterlot and get some fresh air? I'll take care of the rest of the boxes. I don't have to be to the Orchestra Hall until tomorrow night anyways.”
“I don't know...” Bon Bon said. “I really should just stay home and --”
*THUD*
A loud banging sound tore the cream colored mare's eyes away from her wife. Lyra peered over Bon Bon's shoulder at the door to their bedroom.
“What was that?” Lyra said.
“I don't know,” Bon Bon replied. “I thought I heard something before you came upstairs earlier.”
“Maybe it's the ghost,” Lyra offered, grinning. Bon Bon rolled her eyes.
“Sweetie, you don't believe in ghosts any more than I do, you said so yourself,” the cream mare said.
“Yeah, but you heard that old fart last week,” Lyra said. “This place is supposed to be haunted!” Lyra waved her hooves about, making an ‘oooo’ sound. Bon Bon sighed.
“Either way, we should go check out what that noise was, ghost or no ghost, it could be a robber,” she said, pushing herself off the bed. She winced as she stepped down on the leg she'd cut, forcing a pained expression upon the mare's face. Lyra was off the bed in an instant and at her wife's side.
“You okay?” She said. Bon Bon nodded silently.
“I'm fine. You got anything for the robber?” The earth pony asked. Lyra grinned, her horn glowing softly. From under the bed came out a baseball bat, floating along in Lyra's telekinetic grip.
“Naturally,” she said, moving in front of Bon Bon. Lyra opened the bedroom door quietly and moved into the hall. The stairwell was dark, the hard wood creaking softly beneath the two mare's hooves. As they inched closer to the stairs, they could hear shuffling noises down in the living room. Lyra grimaced, taking the first step down. She quietly set hoof onto the first floor, and the shuffling stopped. Lyra stopped cold in her tracks, peering down the dark hallway. Nothing. Lyra started forward, the only light the soft glow of her magic carrying a baseball bat.
The sea green mare stopped at the entrance to the living room before glancing back at Bon Bon. She nodded once and stepped into the archway, flicking the light on.
“Alright you – huh?” Lyra started to shout, stopping and staring. Bon Bon stepped past her love, sighing. The boxes that had been stacked in the living room had all fallen over, many of them opened with their contents spilled out on the floor. Bon Bon walked inside the room, sighing.
“Lyra... you stacked the boxes wrong! Everything fell over!” She said.
“Bonnie, I swear I did it right. There's no way this could have happened,” Lyra replied. “Geez, everything did kind of fall over though.”
“Guess I know what I'm doing in the morning,” Bon Bon said. Lyra stomped a hoof.
“You're gonna go have a good time in the city,” she said forcefully. “I'll take care of this stuff.”
“Really? You're going to clean all of this up?” Bon Bon said as she picked through a box of clothes that had fallen over onto the couch. The cream mare lifted an eyebrow, looking back at her wife.
“Sure! C'mon Bonnie... I'll have the place spotless before you even get home, I promise. Just go and have a good time, you deserve it,” Lyra said. “All this stress isn't good for you or the foal.” Bon Bon sighed.
“Fine, I'll go out and see the city. But I want this to be spotless, you hear me? No getting distracted with your music until we're all settled in,” the mare said, pointing a hoof at Lyra. The unicorn responded by nodding ecstatically.
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Lyra said, mimicking the motions of the famed Pinkie Promise. Bon Bon narrowed her gaze at her love.
“Alright, alright. No need to bring her into this,” she said. “Let's just get some sleep, alright? I'm tired and all this standing around is starting to ache.” Bon Bon moved towards the living room archway and into the hall.
“Right behind you, sweetie,” Lyra said as Bon Bon started up the stairs. She looked down at the boxes and sighed. Tomorrow was going to be a very long day.
***************************************
Bon Bon stretched her legs in the garden outside their new home, getting ready for the day ahead of her. She sighed as she perused the plants growing in the garden. They looked dreadfully pitiful, almost like nopony had taken care of them in ages. The earth mare grimaced. The previous owner appeared to have been fairly fond of roses, with several dead looking varieties of the flower growing all around the tiny garden.
“Gonna have to see if Roseluck can come up and help me with these things,” she said softly. “I don't know the first thing about gardening.”
“Bonnie?” A voice called from the garden's entrance. Lyra appeared, smiling brightly. “Oh, there you are.”
“You're awful chipper this morning,” Bon Bon said. Lyra grinned even wider, floating out a pair of saddlebags.
“Just getting your bags ready for you,” she said. “You go have fun now, alright? I'll take care of everything.” Bon Bon nodded, letting her wife lift the bags over onto her back.
“Remember what I said, Lyra. Spotless. Not a single spot,” she said, pointing a hoof before smiling and leaning in for a kiss. “And remember, I love you.”
“Love you too, Bonnie. Now get going, you're wasting daylight,” Lyra said. Bon Bon exited the garden and made her way out onto the street, walking up towards the center of Old Canterlot. The sun was high in the sky and a gentle breeze tickled the mare's coat, coaxing a wide smile out of the cream colored pony. She trotted by the house that belonged to the unicorn stallion they met the night they looked at the house. Bon Bon grimaced. His house looks even creepier than ours! She thought. The door to the house opened, revealing the older unicorn. He appeared to be on his way out to work. He reached his gate, stopping as he saw Bon Bon.
“Miss,” he said, pushing open the gate with the soft glow of his magic. “Out for a morning walk?”
“Yes... it's a lovely morning, isn't it?” Bon Bon replied as the stallion began walking beside her.
“Indeed it is,” he said. “Forgive me, young miss. I was... rather forceful with you the last time we spoke.”
“It's alright. I'm Bon Bon, by the way,” the earth mare said, offering a hoof. The older stallion took itand shook, smiling.
“Archibald,” he said. “I am a professor at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. I suppose we are neighbors now.”
“That's correct,” Bon Bon said. “And what do you teach, Professor?”
“Ah, I teach Paranormal Studies and Theoretical Magic,” he said. “A very specialized field in my line of work.” The two continued up the street, making their way to an old looking town square. Bon Bon narrowed her gaze at the older unicorn.
“Paranormal studies? You mean --” She started to say. Archibald raised a hoof.
“Ghosts, my dear Bon Bon,” he said. “I study magic as it relates to the paranormal realm of spirits.”
“I... I see,” Bon Bon replied. “And you believe our house is haunted?” Archibald chuckled. He motioned at one of the park benches along the square. The two sat, the elderly unicorn looking at his watch.
“I have time,” he muttered to himself before looking up at the cream colored mare. “Miss Bon Bon, I don't believe that your house is haunted. I know it is. Did the realtor not tell you anything about the history of the house?”
“He said the previous occupant had moved out,” Bon Bon said casually. Archibald's eyes widened, causing Bon Bon to hesitate. She spoke after a few tense moments, her voice shaky. “Professor? Are you... are you okay?” Archibald closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“My dear Bon Bon, the previous occupant of your house did not vacate the house intact,” he said. “In fact, if she vacated anything, it was this mortal coil we call life.”
“You... you mean she...” Bon Bon tried to say. Archibald nodded.
“The mare that lived in that house before you was murdered.”
“Murdered?” Bon Bon said incredulously. She moved to get up from her seat. “You're joking. Why would the realtor not tell us that?”
“I don't know, Bon Bon, but I'm not joking around here,” Archibald said, motioning for the mare to sit back down. Bon Bon grimaced, but sat anyways. “The house you are living in has a very long history, my dear mare. In these parts it's well known as Murder Manor.”
“Murder Manor? Sounds like something out of one of Lyra's cheesy horror flicks she likes to watch,” Bon Bon said.
“This... Lyra. The unicorn that was with you that evening?” Archibald said. Bon Bon nodded. “I see. Many of the house's prior occupants have been unicorns, this being Old Canterlot.”
“And what happened to those occupants?” Bon Bon said.
“Some were murdered, some committed suicide. Others went crazy and murdered others,” Archibald replied. “Some simply vanished into thin air, never to be heard from ever again.”
“How... how many?” Bon Bon asked weakly. Archibald grimaced.
“That is of no matter, Bon Bon. What matters is you must take your loved one and get out of that house. If it hasn't started already, it will,” the elder unicorn said. Bon Bon frowned, causing Archibald to pause. “What? Something happened, didn't it?”
“I... I don't know. I was in the kitchen last night... unboxing things, when I heard a noise from the hall. Two of my pictures fell, shattering the glass on one of them,” she said. “And then later that evening, we heard noises downstairs. Every box that we hadn't unpacked yet in the living room had practically fallen over, like they hadn't been stacked correctly.” She looked up at Archibald. “What is it, Professor?”
“I don't... I don't know, Bon Bon. I moved here to study that house, and I've never been able to so much as make contact with any spirit there, but I've felt the oppression in the air. For your sake, and for your wife's sake, you must leave there immediately,” he said. Bon Bon sighed loudly.
“Look, I appreciate the concern... but to be honest, Professor... I don't really believe in this stuff. The boxes falling over was just Lyra stacking them wrong, and the pictures... we've got a lean in the house, that's all,” she said. “Now, if you'll excuse me... I was going to have a relaxing day shopping in Inner Canterlot.” She stood, trotting off, leaving Archibald sitting there. The stallion sighed.
“Bon Bon!” He shouted, causing the mare to stop in her tracks. “If you need anything... please let me know. If I can't convince you to leave... if it gets worse, come to me. I'll help.” Bon Bon nodded curtly and continued trotting forward, leaving the elder unicorn standing in the center of the square by himself. Archibald glanced down at his watch and grimaced.
“Late, I'm going to be late,” he muttered to himself as he made his way towards the university.
***********************
“Lyra, I'm home!” Bon Bon called out as she pushed open the door to the house. There was no response. Bon Bon set her shopping bags by the door and carefully trotted down the dark hallway to the kitchen. “Lyra? You here?”
Her eyes caught a note attached to the refrigerator. The cream-colored mare pulled it off, sighing.
Bon Bon,
Practice is late tonight. All the boxes have been put away and I will be home pretty late. Don't wait up for me.
Love ya!
Lyra
Bon Bon rolled her eyes at the little x's and o's scribbled on the note. “Well, that's just dandy.” Her stomach growled loudly. “Ugh. I should eat something. I haven't eaten since lunch.”
Bon Bon glanced around the kitchen, noting that Lyra indeed had been pretty busy and had put away the kitchen things exactly where she had left her sticky notes. Pulling a pot out of the cupboard, Bon Bon went to work. Within a few minutes, she was boiling a lovely smelling hay stew. She placed a cover on the pot, bringing the heat down to allow it to cook.
A clatter from the hallway caught her attention, her ears perking up.
“Lyra?” She called out, cautiously edging towards the door to the hall. She peered out, seeing no indication of her wife's entrance. The front door was closed shut, her shopping bags sitting neatly against the wall next to it. Bon Bon frowned. She turned back to the stove and lifted the cover, giving the stew a quick stir before putting it back on.
A crinkling sound, like a bag being moved came from the hallway. Bon Bon trotted back into the hall, her expression furious.
“Alright, Lyra, this isn't funny. Come out or --” She said, her voice catching in her throat. Her bags at the end of the hall were all strewn across the floor. Bon Bon made her way over to them, carefully picking up each item and placing them back in its respective bag. She counted quickly, her eyes widening when she realized one of the bags was missing.
“What in the...?” She said, thinking about what Archibald had told her. Could... could he be right? Is this place really – She started to think. A loud clattering noise came from the kitchen, interrupting her train of thought. She turned tail and ran back into the room, nearly slipping on the wet linoleum. Her hay stew was spilled all over the floor, the pot laying overturned in front of the stove. Bon Bon narrowed her gaze at the ruined meal.
“Really? You'd better hope this is one of your pranks, Lyra, or I'm going to kill you,” she said,carefully stepping over to grab a dustpan and mop. Dilligently, she cleaned the mess up, clicking off the stove as she finished. By the time she was done, she felt tired and worn out, and had nearly forgotten about the missing bag. Her stomach rumbled again.
“Well... I guess I need to eat something,” she said, grabbing a bag of potato chips off the shelf. They weren't her favorite things to eat in the world. Lyra loved them far more than she did. But the foal growing inside her wanted food, and it was going to get it. Munching on them, Bon Bon made her way to the living room to inspect Lyra's handiwork.
Bon Bon was... surprised, to say the least. The boxes had indeed been cleared out, and Lyra had taken the opportunity to lay out all the furniture the way that the cream-colored mare had wanted it. Pictures of the two mares hung on the wall along the side of the room, and Lyra's bookshelf was neatly crammed into the corner. Bon Bon smiled as she ran her hoof along the spines of Lyra's book collection. Her wife had even organized them, something that Bon Bon had been trying to get her to do for ages.
Sections of the books were devoted to music theory and sheet music for the lyre, while the vast majority of it was devoted to Lyra's hobby: fantasy novels. Lyra greatly enjoyed the worlds that her books delved into, including everything from Daring Do to the Game of Ponies series, the latter of which Bon Bon had felt was far too violent for her own tastes. Still, Bon Bon thought. It's something she loves, much like I love my cooking and baking.
Content with the job her wife had done, Bon Bon moved from the bookshelf to the fireplace. A metal screen separated the logs sitting inside it from the living room. Above it, a grand marble mantle sat against the old wall. Lyra had placed various pictures and trinkets along it in a bit of a haphazard fashion. Bon Bon smiled softly, making her way from the fireplace over to her chair. Lyra had made sure that everything in their previous house was accessible to the pregnant mare as possible. Bon Bon carefully climbed up onto the chair, resting comfortably against it as she popped another potato chip into her mouth. She sighed loudly.
“There is absolutely nothing to do,” she said, glancing up at the clock. It was already nine thirty. Deciding that bed time was probably for the best, Bon Bon popped out of the chair and started to make her way to the hallway. As she reached the doorway, a *fwoosh* sound came from inside the room. Bon Bon craned her neck back, seeing that the wood in the fireplace had suddenly caught fire.
“Huh...? How did...?” The cream-colored mare said. She turned back and headed to the fireplace, grabbing the poker next to it with her teeth. With a careful flick, she prodded the wood on top of it, shifting it so the fire wouldn't have any air to breathe. Smoke wafted from the inside of the fireplace as the fire slowly died, causing Bon Bon to cough and drop the poker. It clattered loudly against the marble as Bon Bon pulled back from it.
A loud thumping noise interrupted Bon Bon's coughing fit. She stopped mid-cough, looking up at the ceiling. Another thump. The ceiling shook slightly. Bon Bon's eyes widened. The thumping stopped as the furnace in the house kicked in, causing the cream-colored mare to breathe easy.
“It's just an old house, Bon Bon. Nothing to be afraid of,” she muttered to herself. “I swear, I need sleep. I'm starting to hear things.” She trotted back into the hallway and realizing she'd forgotten them, grabbed her remaining bags. Bon Bon was sure that one of them was missing, but wasn't quite sure which one. She carefully made her way up the staircase, using the bannister to steady herself until shewas at the top of the stairs. Down the hallway she went, depositing her bags into a closet to be sorted later.
Yawning, Bon Bon pushed open the door to the master bedroom. After her shock of talking with Archibald that morning, and the full day of shopping she'd done, she was beat. Sliding the covers back, she climbed into bed and rested her head on the pillow.
*CREAK*
Bon Bon's ears perked up instantly at the sound. It had come from the stairs down the hallway. Chalking it up to the house settling, Bon Bon returned to trying to sleep. She lay there for what felt like hours, unable to acquire the sleep she desperately desired. Groaning, Bon Bon sat up in bed. A quick glance at their alarm clock revealed it was almost eleven-o-clock. Where in the heck is Lyra? She thought. It's not like her to be this late.
*CREAK*
Another creaking sound came from the stairs. This time it was further up the stairs. Bon Bon looked over at the door to the hallway. It was cracked open. The cream-colored mare slid out of bed, walking over to it. Peeking out from the entrance, she saw nothing down the dark hall.
“You're letting it get to you, Bon Bon,” she said to herself. “It's just an old house.” She went to turn back to her bed when she heard it again. Her gaze returned to the hallway.
*CREAK*
Out of the corner of her eye, Bon Bon saw something moving down the hall. A loud crashing noise echoed from the far end of it, and the cream-colored mare's eyes widened. She stepped back, closing the door and locking it. The noise stopped. Bon Bon was about to open the door again when she noticed that the handle was jiggling. She took a few more steps back.
“I don't know who you are, but this isn't funny,” she called out. Something started slamming on the door, making loud thuds and shaking the handle. Bon Bon's eyes filled with fear as she nearly tripped over herself. The thuds continued, the floor outside the bedroom creaking like there was something jumping up and down on it repeatedly.
The lock started to turn. Bon Bon scrambled to her hooves as the door began to open. She charged straight for the closet, pulling it shut. As she did, she swore that she saw shadows moving into the bedroom behind her. The cream-colored mare was crying, startled by the sound of steps in the room beyond. She sat there in the dark, her forelegs wrapped around herself as the steps stopped in front of the closet door.
The door began to shake, like something was pushing on it from the other side. Bon Bon pressed herself against the door, holding it closed. The shaking grew forceful, jostling the pregnant mare about.
And then... it stopped. Bon Bon sat there for several long moments, waiting for something else to happen. What was that? She thought to herself as she cried softly. She curled up against the door, panting and weeping. Her weeping grew louder as she waited inside the closet for Lyra to come home.
****************************************
“Bonnie? You home yet?” Lyra called softly as she entered their home. The main hallway was a little dark, illuminated only by the table lamp next to the front door. Lyra grimaced as she levitated her lyre behind her. Setting the instrument in the drawing room, she trotted back out into the hall.
“I guess she went ahead and went to bed,” she said, glancing up at the wall clock. It was almost midnight. Lyra made her way to the stairs, her ears perking up at a sound coming from the next floor. It sounded like... crying? Lyra trotted up the stairs to the landing. The sound got louder. It definitely sounded like a mare crying.
“Bonnie? Where are you?” Lyra said as she entered the bedroom. The bed was empty and the room dark. The covers lay in a crumple on the floor next to the bed. The crying was louder, appearing to be coming from the closet. Lyra walked up to the closet door calmly and tried to open it. It wouldn't budge. A thump could be heard on the other side, and for a moment the crying stopped.
“Bonnie?” Lyra said. “It's me. It's Lyra. What are you doing in there?” Silence. Lyra pushed on the door again. It swung inwards easily, revealing Bon Bon. The cream-colored mare was curled up across from the door, hyperventilating. Tears streamed from her face. Lyra's eyes widened. “Bonnie! Oh Celestia, are you alright?”
Lyra's horn flickered to life, clicking on the bedroom lights. Bon Bon's mane looked ragged, and when she met Lyra's gaze, she saw fear there.
“Bonnie, what happened? Did somepony try to break into the house?” She asked as calm as she could. So help me if anything is wrong with the foal I'll... She thought to herself as Bon Bon tried to speak.
“I-I-I-I I don't...” she tried to say.
“Shh...” Lyra said, pulling the mare close in a hug. “It's okay... It's alright... take your time.” The two mares sat there for several long minutes while Bon Bon tried to speak.
“There was a... a noise and something... something tried to get me, Lyra...” Bon Bon finally managed to say. Lyra sighed, helping her wife to her hooves. She moved Bon Bon to the bed, the cream-colored pony lying on her side. Lyra stood, trotting around the room and back into the hallway. She walked back into the bedroom, sighing.
“I don't see anything,” she said. “If there was somepony here, they're gone now. Are you alright, sweetie?”
“I... I'm a little better,” Bon Bon said. “What time is it?”
“It's a little after midnight,” Lyra said. “How long were you in there?” She motioned at the closet.
“I don't... I don't know,” she said. “I don't even know what time it all started...” Lyra nodded, sitting on the bed next to her.
“What happened, Bonnie?” She asked. Bon Bon sighed, and explained everything that had happened over the course of the night. She ended her tale and Lyra looked at her hooves.
“And that's when you showed up,” Bon Bon said softly. She laid her head against Lyra's shoulder. “I was so scared...”
“Shh... it's alright, it's over now,” she said softly, rubbing her wife's back. “I'm sure it was nothing, Bonnie.” Bon Bon's eyes widened.
“It wasn't nothing! Something tried to attack me!” She exclaimed. Lyra frowned.
“Bonnie, there's no evidence of anypony being in the house,” she said. “It's an old house, it was probably the furnace or something. I'll get somepony to come out and check it tomorrow.” Bon Bon glared at Lyra.
“I know what I heard and what I saw, Lyra,” she spat. “It's just like Archibald said. This place... it's... it's haunted.”
“Archibald? You don't mean that unicorn down the street do you?” Lyra replied. Bon Bon nodded.
“I ran into him this morning on my way into town,” she said. Lyra sighed.
“Bonnie, that pony is a quack. Some of the other lyrists in the orchestra are students at the University,” she said. “When it came up that we lived on this street, they instantly knew who lived near us. He's completely discredited by the other professors, and comes up with all these nutjob theories about haunted houses.”
“But... but he seemed so sure...” Bon Bon said. “And after what happened tonight, I'm inclined to believe him. There was something in this house, Lyra. I don't know what it was, but it was here and it tried to get me.” Lyra sighed loudly.
“Look sweetie, I know you're under a lot of stress with the foal and this move and all,” she said, continuing to rub her wife's side. “Let's not fight about this, alright? Let's go to bed and try to get some sleep.”
“Fine, alright. I'm sorry I snapped at you,” Bon Bon said softly, turning over on her side. “Maybe you're right. Maybe it was just stress. Can you get the light?”
“Sure thing, sweetie,” Lyra said, her horn flickering to life. The light switch clicked down, bathing the two mares in darkness. Pulling the sheets over herself and Lyra, the seagreen mare looked up at the ceiling and sighed. As she tried to get to sleep, one nagging thought seeped into her mind and would not let go.
Lyra looked up at the sound of the voice, shaking her thoughts away. Her director, Frederick Horshoepin, was looking at her expectantly. His eyes showed concern and he wore a soft smile.
“Sorry, Frederick,” she replied, realizing she'd been staring off into space. She grinned sheepishly. “I'm fine. Just... rough week at home.”
“It's quite alright, my dear. If you could see me after we're done with practice, I'd like to talk to you in private. Now, please play the section under verse three, the solo piece if you will,” Frederick said. Lyra nodded and began to pluck at the strings of her lyre with her magic, following the sheet music in front of her. Despite the fact that it sounded technically good, it wasn't up to par with her usual playstyle. When she finished, Frederick thanked her and moved on to the next section of the orchestra to play their parts of the song.
Lyra felt a hoof nudge her side. She turned to the second chair lyrist, a bright young unicorn mare by the name of Honey Dew.
“Lyra, you okay? You were like, staring off for like five minutes straight there,” she said softly.
“I'm alright. Sorry, just... after last week I haven't been getting any sleep,” Lyra whispered back. “I'll try to not let it happen again, Honey.” The creamy brown mare smiled.
“No worries. I'm sure everything will be alright,” she said. “We still on for practice tonight?” Lyra shrugged.
“I probably shouldn't,” she said. “Bonnie's upset enough as is. I really think I'll stay in tonight with her, if that's alright with you.” Honey nodded.
“That's fine, I'll see if any of the others want to come over and play,” she said. “I hope Bon Bon feels better.” Lyra sighed.
“Thanks,” she said, returning her attention to Frederick's instructions. The earth pony stallion raised his baton and finally brought together the whole orchestra to play the piece they were scheduled to play the following week. It was going to be Lyra's first performance with the orchestra. She smiled as she led into her solo, still feeling like it was nothing more than technicality. There was no feel to her music. Once they finished, Lyra packed up her lyre and bid farewell to the others in the string section before making her way to Frederick's office. She rapped softly with her hoof.
“Come in, Ms. Hearstrings,” Frederick called out. Lyra stepped inside, setting her lyre case by the door. The stallion was sitting neatly at his desk. “Please, have a seat.”
“Sure,” she said, trotting over to take a seat in front of the desk. “What's up?”
“Lyra, I am simply wondering what is going on with you as of late. This whole week has been the same. You've been caught staring out into space, not practicing the pieces, and your playing has quite frankly suffered for it,” Frederick said, his amber eyes glowing with concern. “I just... I don't know what to do. Some of the other players have questioned why I even brought you on to begin with.”
“I know things haven't been up to my usual standards,” Lyra said. “I'm sure you remember that my wife was attacked in our home last week.” Frederick nodded.
“You mentioned it,” he said. “A travesty of an occurrence in Old Canterlot, no less.”
“Yes, well, that's part of why I've been kind of... out of it,” Lyra said. “My wife was pretty upset about the whole thing, and I haven't been sleeping well because of it.”
“I don't quite understand what you mean, Lyra,” Frederick said. Lyra sighed.
“Bon Bon seems to think that our house... well she thinks that it's haunted,” she said. Frederick raised an eyebrow.
“Haunted?” He asked. Lyra nodded.
“I don't know what to make of the whole thing, Frederick. It's just an old house. But it keeps Bon Bon up all night, which keeps me up too,” she said grimly. “I promise that I'll be alright for the performance, Frederick. You just need to give me a chance.” Frederick mulled over this for several long moments before looking back at the seagreen mare.
“Alright, Lyra. I'll give you a chance. But just one,” he said. “Take this weekend off, see if you can help your wife. I expect you back on Monday bright and early for practice.”
“I won't let you down, Frederick,” Lyra said. “Thank you for this.” Frederick nodded.
“You are one of the most talented lyre players I've met in a long time, Lyra. It would be a shame to lose you,” he said. “Now go on, then. I have a staff board meeting in an hour to prepare for.” Lyra turned from the earth stallion, grabbing her lyre case as she opened the door. She closed it and started off towards home.
******************************************
“So you say that something attempted to open the door, and then proceeded to pound on the closet door. But it made no attempt to open it?” The unicorn stallion said as he poured another cup of tea. Archibald carried the cup in his magic from his kitchen into the dining room where the cream colored mare sat. He carefully set the cup in front of Bon Bon, who frowned.
“Yeah, that's about the gist of it,” she said. “What do you think, Archibald?” She took a sip of her tea.
“I think that we can reasonably assume that my assumptions of the situation are correct,” Archibald said, pouring another cup for himself. “You and I both know that there is something dreadfully wrong in that house. Has there been any more activity since that night?”
“A little,” Bon Bon said. “But nothing like a week ago. Small stuff.”
“Like what?” Archibald said.
“Well... things like cooking supplies disappearing for one. I'll use something one moment and it'll be gone the next,” the mare explained. “Sometimes, when I'm alone I'll hear thumps upstairs. I'm... I'm too scared to go up and see what they are. I usually just leave the house if they start happening.”
“I see,” Archibald replied. “And do any of these things ever happen when Lyra is home?”
“No,” Bon Bon said. “Other than what happened that first night we stayed in the house, everything has been happening when Lyra's off at practice. Does that mean anything?”
“You said on the first night that you had a photo fall off a wall in your hallway. It smashed your face in the picture. Based on that reasoning, I can only guess that whatever is in your house has targeted you,” Archibald said, sighing. “You shouldn't stay there, Bon Bon. It's only going to get worse, and it won't stop just because Lyra is home.” Bon Bon looked away briefly.
“I can't... I can't leave,” she said. “Lyra doesn't believe me. She thinks you're... well, she thinks you're crazy. I love my wife, Archibald, but I know I'm not making these things up.”
“Yes... well, I can see that my reputation has gotten around to her,” the unicorn said. “I taught several of the students that are now in that orchestra. My reputation and obsession with that house are well known.”
“Your reputation? What does it have to do with the house?” Bon Bon asked. Archibald sighed.
“It's a long story from a long time ago,” he said finally after several long moments of silence. “I had just started as a professor for Celestia's school. I taught an obscure field called auramancy, otherwise known as the ability to see magical auras. It's a rare skill to learn, and difficult to teach, but it is useful in determining certain things about the thing it is used upon, whether it is a magical object or even another pony.”
“Interesting,” Bon Bon interrupted. Archibald raised an eyebrow, causing the mare to avert her gaze. “Sorry, continue.”
“Yes... well, I was new, well learned in the magical arts, but still new. One of my students... a young unicorn mare much like your Lyra, came to me after a class one day. She wanted my help studying the aura of something she'd seen in her dorm,” Archibald said. “I arrived there later that night to the most horrendous of stories. The young mare said that something in the house had been attacking her roommates, slamming doors in the middle of the night, and had even heavily bruised the legs of one mare. She believed it had something to do with one of the mares had brought back from an expeditionary field trip. She was... an anthropology student.”
“I see,” Bon Bon said. “What does this have to do with what's going on with my house again?” Archibald waved a hoof.
“I'm getting to that,” he said. “Now... the other mare, the anthropology student, she disappeared shortly after she returned from her trip, but not before a delivery had been made to the student's dorm. A package containing a very ancient statuette. The young mare who'd reached out for my help believed the statue was the cause of all the problems.”
“Was it?” Bon Bon said. Archibald frowned.
“No. The statue was only an enabler. Whatever power it had, it had been used up a long time ago. But there was enough left there to wake something up,” he replied. “When I used auramancy on the statue, it yielded nothing. The young mare was... disappointed. I advised her that if there was somepony getting into the dorm, that she should contact campus security to come out and watch the place.”
“You didn't believe her,” Bon Bon said, narrowing her gaze.
“I didn't,” Archibald said. “As I was leaving, I must have forgotten to cancel my auramancy spells, because I saw something following the mare down the hallway. I shrugged it off because I thought it might have been her aura, but it wasn't. Something else that I simply couldn't perceive was floating behind her.”
“What... what happened after that?” The cream mare asked.
“I left. I was tired and I chalked it up to overuse of my magic,” he said. “But then the young mare and the rest of her roommates failed to show up for classes the next few days. I went back to the dorm to find out if she was alright. As I was walking up to the house, I prepared my auramancy, and stopped dead cold when I saw the entire house was covered in one giant aura.”
“It was already strong enough to take over the whole house,” Bon Bon said, her eyes widening. Archibald nodded silently.
“In my stupefied nature, I failed to realize that the house was also on fire,” he said. “I heard the mare's in the house screaming for help. By the time the fire ponies got there, it was too late. I couldn't do anything but watch the entire dorm burn to the ground.”
“But then...” Bon Bon said, realization dawning on her face. “It can't be. That's where... where our house is built?” Archibald nodded.
“The land was sold to an independent contractor by the name of Fancy Pants,” he said. “A wealthy philantropist of a sorts, he turned it into upscale living. I bear no shame in admitting that I had him build my house near yours because I felt I was responsible for what happened. I began to research, formulating theories on what had caused the fire and the attacks. The only logical conclusion that I kept reaching was malevolent spirits inside the house.”
“Ponies didn't quite like that idea, did they?” Bon Bon said, taking another sip of tea.
“I was branded as a crazy pony. They called me mad. Celestia herself had to intervene in the school board's attempt to fire me. Even she looked at me with disdain, but she allowed me to keep my job as long as I kept teaching the younger generation magical talent,” Archibald said.
“What happened after that?” Bon Bon said.
“Ponies moved into the house. After a time, they disappeared and the house was put back up on the market. More ponies moved in and disappeared. This cycle repeated itself. It baffled everypony, but no one would believe me that the house was haunted,” Archibald said. “You're the first one, actually.”
“I don't know exactly what to think,” the cream mare replied. “Still, I'd better get home. Lyra's going to be wondering where I'm at.” She stood, pushing the cup of tea in. “Thank you for the tea, Professor.”
“Bon Bon,” Archibald said, placing his hoof on her shoulder. “Please think about convincing Lyra to leave that place. I like you. I don't want to see another...” Bon Bon nodded.
“I understand. I'll try,” she said.
***************************************
“Bonnie? Are you alright?” Lyra asked. The seagreen unicorn was laying next to her wife in bed. Bon Bon's eyes were rooted firmly on the door, watching for any sign of anything. Bon Bon grunted.
“I'm fine, Lyra. Go back to sleep,” she said softly. Lyra sighed loudly.
“Bonnie, you need to sleep more than I do,” she said. “Now you barely ate your dinner, and you haven't slept well all week. What in the world is going on? Is this still about last week?”
“You wouldn't understand, Lyra. I tried telling you at dinner why we need to leave this place, but you wouldn't listen,” Bon Bon replied.
“Because that Archibald pony is crazy? Seriously, Bonnie. There's no such thing as ghosts. Didn't you say that already?” Lyra said. Bon Bon grumbled under her breath, digging her head into her pillow. Lyra rolled her eyes. “Fine. If you don't want to talk about it tonight, we don't have to. But we will talk about this tomorrow. Good night.”
Lyra lowered her head, closing her eyes.
*THUD*
Lyra's eyes snapped open at the sound. The mare looked over at Bon Bon. She was huddling, shivering in fear.
*THUD*
The sound came from beyond the closed bedroom door again. It was muffled. Lyra sat up.
“What was that?” She whispered. Bon Bon pushed herself up next to her.
“Be quiet,” she replied softly. Lyra narrowed her gaze at her wife.
“Bonnie, look... I'm sorry,” Lyra started to say. Another loud noise sounded from the hallway, cutting her off.
*THUD*
“Quiet,” Bon Bon hissed. “I'm not kidding, Lyra.”
*THUD*
The sound was closer. Bon Bon shivered visibly. Lyra place a hoof on her shoulder.
“I'm going to go check it out,” she said. Bon Bon shook her head fiercely.
“No!” She said sharply.
“Bonnie, if somepony is messing with us, I'm gonna set them straight,” she said. Lyra shuffled off the bed and strode towards the door. Bon Bon's eyes widened as Lyra opened the door. Lyra peeked down the hall, sighing. “There's nothing there.”
“Then come back to bed, I'm sure it was nothing,” Bon Bon said. Lyra grimaced.
“I'm going to go check the stairs,” Lyra said. Before Bon Bon could protest, Lyra began moving down the hallway. She stopped at the head of the stairs. Nothing but the noises of the old house. She turned around to head back to the bedroom.
*SLAM*
The bedroom door slammed shut hard. Lyra's eyes went wide as she rushed down the hall. She pushed on the door. It wouldn't budge.
“Bonnie!” She shouted, bracing herself against the door. It still wouldn't budge.
“Lyra!” She heard Bon Bon call out. “Lyra!!!”
“Bonnie!!!” Lyra shouted again, slamming on the door with her front hooves. The seagreen mare turned around, kicking out in a buck. Her rear hooves hit the door, breaking it off at the hinges. She charged into the room, panting. Bon Bon was curled up on the bed, shivering. The door creaked loudly as it swung back and forth.
“Bonnie... are you alright?” Lyra said softly, pulling her close. Bon Bon pulled away.
“Don't you see, Lyra?” She said. “There's something in this house. It's not going to stop.” Lyra narrowed her gaze at her wife.
“Bonnie, you're stressed. The door just got caught on the jamb,” she said. “There is nothing in this house.”
“I'm not crazy, Lyra,” Bon Bon said angrily. “I just... I don't want to argue about this right now. I'mgoing back to sleep. I suggest you do the same.”
“Bonnie...” Lyra said pleadingly. Bon Bon glared at her venomously.
“Lyra... fix the door,” she said. “And good night. We'll talk about this more tomorrow.” Lyra grimaced, but nodded. She stood and ignited her horn, putting the bits of broken door back into place. She sighed as she went to go back to the bed. Bon Bon's eyes never left the door, even though she was supposed to be sleeping. Lyra sighed, sliding into bed next to her.
“I never said you were crazy,” she said, rolling to her side. “I'm... I'm sorry.”
Bon Bon forced her eyes open at first light, pulling herself out of bed. Lyra still lay slumbering in bed next to her. Try as hard as she could, the cream-colored mare could not bring herself to remain angry with her wife. Lyra hadn't seen the things she had noticed the night before... the shadows of the room moving the very instant the door had slammed, coming ever closer until Lyra had busted in.
Bon Bon made her way to the stairs, grunting as she started down them. With a hint of morbidity the mare wondered if the stairs would do her in faster than the ghosts that haunted the old house. With a grim realization, Bon Bon noted that she didn't really know much more about the place other than Archibald's brief history of it.
Bon Bon stopped in the kitchen, taking the time to put a note up on the refrigerator for Lyra. It was time she learned a little more about what was going on in the house, she'd decided. Strapping on her saddlebags, she stepped out into the crisp morning air and made her way towards the Public Archives.
Lyra awoke as the door slammed shut, sighing as she tried to wrap her mind around what had happened the night before. Bon Bon was clearly upset about the whole thing, and Lyra didn't want any stress to hurt their foal. She trotted down the stairs.
“Bonnie?” She called out. No response. Stopping in the kitchen, she looked up and saw the note. Lyra sighed again.
“Guess I'm on my own for the day,” she said. “Great. Might as well see if Honey Dew is up for practice.” She started down the hallway, stopping halfway down. One of the pictures that had fallen the first night in the house was back on the floor. Lyra frowned as she picked it up in her magic. The glass had shattered completely, but only over Bon Bon's face in the photo.
Grimacing, Lyra carefully removed the photo and took the frame with her. Placing it in her saddlebags, she collected her lyre case and left the house. She made her way up the street, stopping only to regard the house that belonged to Archibald. The elder unicorn was outside, watering his plants. Fuming and without thinking, Lyra stormed up to him.
“What did you tell Bon Bon?” She said angrily. Archibald stopped his watering, setting the can down calmly.
“Good morning, my dear,” he said flatly. “What can I help you with?”
“Bon Bon. You've got her head filled with all these ghost stories,” Lyra said, pointing her hoof at the other unicorn accusingly. “You're just trying to prove that you're right. I bet it was you who's been messing with her last night.”
“Lyra, my dear, I quite frankly don't know what you're talking about,” Archibald replied. “Did something happen to you last night?”
“You know what happened,” Lyra said harshly. “Stay away from Bon Bon. I am warning you.”
“I do apologize, Ms. Heartstrings, but Bon Bon is a good friend, and I consider you both to be very good neighbors,” Archibald said, ignoring the mare's threats. “Do note, if either of you need my help, I will be very glad to render any assista--”
“We don't want your assistance,” Lyra said, cutting him off. “I don't care what you think of us. Leave us alone.” She turned, kicking over Archibald's watering can, causing water to splash all over. She trotted off, leaving the elder unicorn standing in the center of his garden with a small puddle forming at his hooves.
“Oh dear,” he said softly. “That's far too much water for these plants.” His horn flashed, clearing as much as he needed to as he watched Lyra make her way up the street. His gaze narrowed as he followed the mare's progression. “As for you, dear Lyra... I fear things are much worse than I initially thought...”
*****************************
“Can I help you, miss?” The voice snapped Bon Bon out of her thoughts. She looked to find the source of the voice, one of the Archive's assistants sitting behind the front desk. A bright pink unicorn mare with a pinned back brown mane. She wore a badge that marked her as an employee with her cutie mark of a gilded scroll emblazoned on it.
“Um... yes, sorry,” Bon Bon replied, smiling sheepishly. “I'm looking for public records and old newspapers, Old Canterlot district.”
“Down the hall, take the elevator down to the basement. Ask for Dusty,” the assistant said, smiling widely. Bon Bon nodded, thanking the mare before heading down the hallway. She stopped at the elevators. While she waited for one to come up, she sighed. She'd left Lyra without telling her where she had gone really, just that she'd gone out. Would Lyra be upset with her? Bon Bon waved away her thoughts, stepping into the elevator that was waiting for her. No... Lyra would need to understand. She had to hope that she would understand why Bon Bon needed to know this information.
The elevator descended down the levels, depositing the pregnant mare out into the basement level. She carefully stepped out into the dank and dirty hallway. A sign on the wall pointed down to her left that said Old Canterlot District Records. She trotted down the hall, pushing open the old wooden door at the far end of it.
“Hello...?” She called out. “Is anypony back here? I'm looking for the old records room.”
“Hello!” A voice came out of nowhere, startling the pregnant mare. She yelped as a gray earth pony stallion wearing glasses appeared from behind a large oak desk. Aisles of old boxes and papers stretched on for miles behind him. “Oh my, I'm terribly sorry for startling you like that. Can I help you with anything?”
“That's... that's alright,” Bon Bon replied, catching her breath. “Are you Dusty?”
“Dusty Tome, at your service,” the earth pony said, taking a bow. “What can I do for you today, miss...?”
“Bon Bon,” the cream-colored mare said. “I'm looking for some records on an old house in the Old Canterlot District. It's down on the other side of what used to be University property.” Dusty nodded, trotting over to his desk where he started pulling out reference cards from a drawer.
“I'm guessing this house used to be a dormitory?” He said. Bon Bon nodded.
“How did you know?” She asked.
“You're looking for that house, aren't you?” Dusty replied evenly. His eyes narrowed at the mare.
“H-H-How...?” She sputtered. Dusty sighed and motioned for the pregnant mare to take a seat.
“You're not the first one to come in here looking for answers about that place,” he said as Bon Bon moved to the chair. “Every time it's a young pretty mare like yourself who thinks things are happening there.” The earth pony reached into one of the desk drawers and pulled out a large bundle of papers. “This is all I have on the place.”
“You keep it up here?” She asked. Dusty nodded.
“Never know when it's gonna be needed,” he said. “Most of this stuff is tabloid material, but there's some honest to Celestia bad stories in there.” Bon Bon grimaced, pulling the top papers off the bundle. Much of it was newspaper clippings, disappearances in the old Canterlot district and the like. No real mention of any murders. Then she found it.
The report on the dorm fire. Complete with a picture of the dorm, on the very land she now lived in, ablaze while several fireponies struggled to contain it. Listed as well were pictures of the mares whose lives had been claimed in the fire.
“What about before the fire?” She asked, looking up at Dusty. The gray earth pony was busying himself with straightening a few boxes.
“Hmm? Oh, I don't quite know much more than what's in those papers, miss,” he said. “Nopony's really ever asked.”
“Do you have any records from the university prior to the fire?” She said. Dusty nodded.
“It'll take me a few minutes, but I think I have some of that,” he said, dipping behind an aisle. After several long minutes he emerge with another box. Bon Bon set it down in front of her and began to go through the papers inside. Every so often she would find references to the dorm in question, transfer requests that were approved for students wishing to move somewhere else. How far back does this go? She thought. Was the fire when things started getting more serious?
“Miss, if you don't mind me saying,” Dusty interrupted her thoughts. “But I think if you're living in that place, you oughta consider finding a new place to live.”
“I have, thank you,” Bon Bon replied. “Can you make me copies of all of this? I'd like to show them to my wife.” The earth pony nodded, dutifully picking up the papers and taking them back to their magical copier. Within moments, the stallion had bundled up what she'd needed in a box for her. Bon Bon gave the old stallion a few bits for his trouble and left.
**********************************
“Bonnie?” Lyra called as she opened the door. Nothing. The main hallway was dark, like nopony had been home all day. Lyra sighed as she trudged inside. She knew that she'd been wrong for arguing with Bon Bon, but she also felt like she was still right about the house. There was no such thing as ghosts, she reasoned. That crazy old professor was just putting ideas into her wife's head.
Lyra trotted down the hall, taking the time to place the picture back on it. The new frame hadn't been cheap, but she'd been able to get it completely replaced and the picture cleaned up too. She hoped that maybe it could serve as a sort of peace offering between the two ponies. She had to do something. She couldn't have Bon Bon mad at her, after all, it would affect the foal.
Mulling over her thoughts, Lyra made her way towards the living room when something stopped her dead in her tracks. A loud scratching noise was coming from upstairs. She trotted over to the landing.
“Hello?” She called up. Nothing. Lyra frowned, taking a step up. The scratching noise ceased, further confusing the seagreen mare. After a few moments, it started once more. Deciding that enough was enough, Lyra calmly strode up the rest of the stairs and made her way into the hallway. The scratching was unbearably loud. It sounded like it was coming from the bedroom. Lyra carefully walked until she reached the door. It was closed.
“Who's in there?” She called out, reaching for the door handle with her magic. It wouldn't budge. Lyra stopped for a moment. Wait... didn't I bust this door in last night? She thought. The door looked like it had never been touched. She blinked. The scratching noises continued, as if whatever was making the noise was right on the other side of the now-repaired door.
“Alright, whoever you are... this isn't funny!” Lyra yelled. “Get out of my house and leave us alone, you hear me?!”
The scratching noise stopped suddenly. Lyra sighed loudly. Suddenly, a powerful force struck her in the chest, sending her flying into the wall. She struck hard, grunting as she felt something crack. Something started pounding on the door loudly, almost as if it were trying to get out. Lyra forced herself to her hooves, wincing as she realized the pain was coming from one of her forelegs. It felt broken. Her eyes widened as the door started to creak. It was beginning to open.
Lyra ran. At least as well as she could run with an injured leg. Limping along as fast as she could, the unicorn made her way to the stairs and took the first step. Unable to balance herself with her injury, she toppled over and began to fall down the stairs. Lyra landed in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, thanking her stars that she was alright. She attempted to crawl along to the front door. If she could reach it, she could get out and get some help.
Lyra stopped in her quest. Something cold and clawlike wrapped around one of her back legs, holding her down. She struggled to look, but she couldn't see what it was. Then she felt herself begin to be pulled. Lyra tried to pull free, but couldn't. Her leg was too injured to stop her movement. With a tug, the thing holding her pulled her up the stairs and into the upstairs hallway.
“Help! Help!” Lyra screamed and shouted. “Somepony please help me!!!” Lyra cried as she laid upon the cold wood floor. The pressure on her leg was gone now. Did it stop? What in Tartarus was it? Lyra thought frantically, trying to scramble up to her hooves. Bonnie was right, this place is haunted! I have to get out of...
Before she could continue that thought, the thing pulled her hard, scraping along the wood flooring. Lyra kicked, crying and screaming for help as she was suddenly pulled into the open bedroom door, which promptly slammed shut.
The hallway grew quiet.
**********************************************
“Lyra? Are you home?” Bon Bon said, pushing the door open to the house. It was late, but she'd had some grocery shopping to do after going to the Public Archives. Even with a house that was supposedly haunted, a pony still needed to eat after all. The kitchen light was on, and Bon Bon could hear humming. It stopped as it heard her voice.
“I'm in the kitchen!” Lyra called back. Bon Bon sighed, picking up her bags in her teeth. She made her way down the hallway. She stopped, noticing the picture in the hallway. Dropping the bags, her mouth dropped open. Lyra had not only replaced the picture of their vacation photos but had done her best to enhance it and even bought a new silver frame for it. Tears welling up in her eyes, Bon Bon sighed once more.
“Hey there,” a voice said, breaking her out of her moment. Bon Bon looked up, seeing Lyra in the ktichen entrance. She wore a simple apron. She stopped as soon as she saw Bon Bon crying. “Oh, sweetie. Wha'ts wrong?”
“I... I'm sorry, Lyra,” Bon Bon replied. “I'm sorry I snapped at you... and you went out and still did this... for me... I just...”
“Oh honey buns,” Lyra said, trotting up to her wife's side. “Of course I would do that for you. I love you, remember? Besides, we just had a fight. That's all. No bigs.”
“But you...” Bon Bon said, fighting back the tears. “You didn't believe me...” Lyra sighed.
“Look, I may have just been a little too stressed. This place is new for me too, remember?” She said. Bon Bon nodded. “I'm not saying that I believe there are ghosts in this house, though. I still think that's crazy. I do think something is going on, and I intend to find out what it is. But I just... I don't want to fight with you Bonnie. Now come on, I made dinner.”
“You made dinner?” Bon Bon said, raising an eyebrow. “Who are you and what did you do with Lyra?”
“Heh, I figured you'd say that,” Lyra said, chuckling. Bon Bon's eyebrow remained raised. Lyra grinned sheepishly. “Alright, alright. I ordered Neighponese takeout. Happy?” Bon Bon grinned.
“Very,” she said. “I wasn't feeling like cooking today anyways.” She followed Lyra into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. Her wife set a plate with food on it in front of her.
“So what'd you do today?” Lyra said as she levitated a pair of chopsticks over her food. “You left kind of early.”
“I went down to the Public Archives,” Bon Bon said. “Wanted to see if I could find out any more information about this place.” Lyra's gaze narrowed.
“Bonnie...” she said.
“I just wanted to see if there were other... incidents,” Bon Bon replied. “That's all.”
“And what did you find out?” Lyra said. Bon Bon grimaced.
“The land this house was built on used to be an old dormitory. It caught fire and they had to tear it down. Since then the house has been fraught with strange disappearances from the ponies who've moved into it over the years. Nopony knows why,” she said. Lyra sighed, but nodded. The two continued to eat in silence. When they were finished, Lyra cleaned up the plates and escorted her wife upstairs. Bon Bon was surprised that Lyra had the time to even fix the door she'd broken the night before.
The two ponies crawled into their bed. Bon Bon reached over and latched onto Lyra, snuggling close to her.
“I love you, you know. I'm sorry if I'm difficult... just, the hormones,” she said. Lyra nodded, turning away so the two could stay close. As she looked up at the ceiling, her eyes glowing green briefly.
“So since that night there has been no further activity?”
“That's right.”
“Strange. Very strange. That's not like it at all...” Archibald mused. Bon Bon sat across from the unicorn stallion's desk. She had shown up out of the blue and asked to talk to him after a class.
“What do you mean?” Bon Bon asked. “That's good right? That means it's gone?”
“No, my dear,” Archibald replied, adjusting his glasses. “That means that it's planning. But that isn't like it. It's not like it at all. It doesn't plan. That would suggest that there's a form of... intelligence there that simply doesn't exist.” Bon Bon frowned. “How is your dear Lyra handling this?”
“Lyra? She's just fine,” the cream-colored mare said. “Her next performance is next week, and she's been practicing pretty much nonstop for it. She thinks that maybe somepony was messing with us, and that they found out we were on to them.”
“And what do you think, my dear Bon Bon?” Archibald said, raising an eyebrow.
“I think... I think there's more going on than that,” Bon Bon replied. “I also... I also feel like it's targeting me.” Archibald nodded.
“Indeed. That is well within the research I've been able to gather on this thing,” he said. “It seems to attach itself to a single member of the household, preying on that member. But I've never heard of it just... stopping.” Bon Bon slumped in her chair.
“I can't convince Lyra to leave. She likes it here,” she said, frowning. “She's been all... clingy lately too. Like wanting to help out with all the chores and stuff in addition to her practices. She even cooked for me, and I don't normally let her in the kitchen!”
“Interesting...” Archibald said. “Sudden shift in spousal personality... Something to add to my research books.”
“What do you mean?” Bon Bon asked, raising her eyebrows.
“It could be nothing,” the professor replied, sighing. “Sometimes if there is a significant other involved, the spouse can dramatically shift their personality to fit closer to the other in a stressful situation such as this.” Bon Bon stared at him blankly. “I did take psychology too, of course. It means this is just Lyra's way of reacting to the situation. She's most likely feeling like this is her fault for you being here, and she's trying to make up for it by changing her attitudes towards you.”
“But it could be something else?” Bon Bon said. Archibald shrugged.
“It's doubtful it's anything else, really. Give her some time and try to approach things logically with her,” he said. “And keep me updated on what happens in that house. If the activity has truly stopped, then maybe... maybe it's gone for good.”
******************************
Lyra pushed open the door to the house, closing it quietly behind her. She trotted to the stairs, making her way up to the bedroom. She stopped and stared at the wall. Her eyes glowed a sickly green.
“I've been keeping quiet,” she said to the air. There was no response. “I know. She doesn't suspect anything. No. She'll play her part. Don't worry.” A door opening downstairs drew her attention away from the wall. Her eyes stopped glowing.
“Lyra?” She heard Bon Bon call up the stairs. “Are you home?”
“Yeah,” Lyra called back. “I'm here. Was thinking about taking a shower. Long day of practice. Are you alright?”
“Yeah I'm fine,” Bon Bon replied after a short moment of pause. “Go ahead, I'm just going to go read in the living room.” Lyra waited until she heard the mare shuffle off the stairs and looked back at the wall.
“See? It's fine. I've got this taken care of,” she muttered. She trotted out of the bedroom and down the hall to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Bon Bon made her way to the living room and grabbed her reading material. It was a compilation of all the reports made about the house back to the dorm fire. A few more trips down to Public Records while shopping had managed to fill a binder's worth of material. Not even Lyra knew she had this.
She narrowed her gaze at where she'd left off. It was two years after the house was built on the site, and a happy earth pony couple had moved in. Flash forward two months, and the Royal Guard found the house completely empty after neighbors reported that they hadn't seen the couple in weeks. Bon Bon grimaced, trying to make sense of her readings. Every owner of the house since the dorm fire had been predominantly a couple. Is there some sort of connection between them all? Bon Bon thought to herself as she read on.
The cream-colored mare heard hoof steps coming down the stairs. Bon Bon hastily marked her place in the binder and shoved it into the bookshelf next to a few encyclopedias, books she knew Lyra would never glance at. Lyra trotted into the living room, smiling. She gave her wife a peck on the cheek and settled into the couch next to her.
“Long day?” Bon Bon asked. Lyra nodded.
“Yeah. Practice was pretty brutal. Frederick is really riding us hard for this performance,” she said.
“I can't wait to hear it,” Bon Bon replied. “I'm sure it will be absolutely lovely.”
“Oh, I hope so,” Lyra said, sighing. “Frederick keeps hinting that somepony really important is going to be there, so it needs to be perfect.”
“I'm sure you'll be just fine,” Bon Bon said, leaning in and giving her love a kiss. “Are you hungry? I was thinking maybe we could go out tonight for dinner.”
“Go out?” Lyra said, raising an eyebrow. “Like to a restaurant? You know how my manners are, Bonnie.”
“I know, but we've been here a few weeks now. I feel like we should celebrate a bit,” Bon Bon said. “Come on, it'll be nice. We'll even go to one of those weird Neighponese places you like so much. I've been craving that for days.” She chuckled.
“I dunno... Can't we just order in takeout? I don't really feel like going out,” Lyra replied apprehensively.
“That's usually my line, you know. Just trust me, would ya? Please? For me?” Bon Bon said, giving the best puppy dog eyes she could. Lyra sighed.
“Alright, alright, fine. Stop giving me the eyes,” she said, grinning. “Get your coat.”
*****************************************
The two mares trotted happily down the lane to their home. It was late, and the moon was high over the suburbs of Old Canterlot. Lyra rustled the keys out of her bags with her magic, unlocking the door with a soft click.
“I am officially a stuffed potato,” Bon Bon said as she made her way into the house behind Lyra. She pushed the door closed and sighed. “I ate way too much.”
“Hah, you and me both,” Lyra replied. She stopped for a second. “Bonnie, thanks for getting me out of the house for the night. I guess I needed it.”
“It's alright, love,” Bon Bon said, smiling. She yawned loudly. “I think perhaps it's time we get to bed, though.” Lyra chuckled.
“Agreed,” she said. The two mares quietly made their way up the stairs, heading towards their bedroom. Bon Bon shuffled under the sheets, smiling softly. Her eyes closed and she bade Lyra good night.
Bon Bon's eyes opened wide. Her forehoof slid over curiously, feeling nothing there. She turned over so she could see. Lyra wasn't in bed. A glance at the alarm clock revealed that she had been sleeping for four hours. Movement out of the corner of her eyes drew her attention to the wall. Standing in front of it was Lyra. She was just... standing there.
“Lyra?” Bon Bon ventured. Lyra said nothing in response. Bon Bon pushed off the bed. “Lyra? Can you hear me?” She cautiously stepped closer to the catatonic mare. Bon Bon's steps grew uneasy as she neared her wife. Lyra was standing straight, facing the wall. Her eyes were wide open, but unresponsive. Bon Bon waved a hoof in front of her. Nothing. Bon Bon frowned.
“This isn't funny, Lyra. Come on, snap out of it,” she said, reaching out and placing her hoof on Lyra's shoulder. The mare's coat was cold as ice. She didn't move. Bon Bon tried shaking her, but found she couldn't make her move at all. It was like she was frozen.
*SLAM*
The bedroom door slammed shut, snapping Bon Bon's attention away from her wife. A roar erupted from the window beyond, indicating the beginnings of a thunderstorm. Rain began to slam against the side of the house out of nowhere, followed by the flashing of lightning.
“But... it's not supposed to,” Bon Bon said, before something latched onto one of her rear legs and pulled her to the floor. The mare grunted loudly as she landed on her side, and a sharp pain lanced up her hock to her hip. She looked back, seeing nothing there, and yet... there was something. Something still had a hold on her leg. It yanked hard once, dragging the mare across the room towards the bedroom door.
Bon Bon screamed, her cries muffled by the thunderous wrath of the storm taking place outside. She called out for Lyra as the door began to creak open. Lyra turned, her eyes glowing a sickly green. Her expression remained vacant.
“Lyra!!!” Bon Bon shouted, tears filling her eyes. “Lyra, please!!! Please help me!!!” The pressure lifted off of her leg, and she found that she could move forward. She tried to push herself up, her back leg giving out underneath the weight. More pain arced up her back. It's broken, Bon Bon thought to herself as she started crawling towards the closet door. It was the only place she could think of to escape to.
The force latched onto her leg again, pinning her to the ground. Bon Bon flailed with her other rear leg, but to no avail. It wouldn't let her go. Bon Bon cried and screamed, trying to find purchase on the wooden flooring with her forelegs. Again, as if by luck itself, the force released her leg and she was able to move again. Lyra stood impassively still, a malevolent grin forming on her lips. Bon Bon's eyes went wide.
Then it hit her. The force picked her up, lifting her entire body into the air. She went soaring towards the closet, slamming into the door hard. Pain lanced all up and down her body, and the last thing that Bon Bon remembered before passing out was hearing hideous laughter coming from Lyra's mouth.
*******************************
Bon Bon's eyes fluttered open to a sea of white. She heard beeping coming from somewhere above her. Briefly the mare wondered if she had died, and this was the Summer Lands. Her vision began to coalesce into what appeared to be a hospital room. She was lying on a bed, her back leg strung up in a cast and bandages all over her body.
The cream-colored mare sighed loudly, feeling pain as she did so. She racked her mind, trying to remember what had happened the night before. She had gone to bed and then... Lyra! Lyra was standing in front of the wall... and then something had attacked her. Lyra had just watched, she waspossessed! Bon Bon's mind began to run a mile a minute as her eyes focused on the other occupant of the room – Lyra herself.
The unicorn mare looked unkempt. She was sleeping, but her mane was in tatters and she appeared as if she hadn't showered. The edges of her eyelids were red with puffiness, indicating prolonged crying. At the sound of Bon Bon's stirring, she awoke. She tried to smile.
“Bonnie?” She said meekly. Bon Bon glared at her as Lyra began to approach the bed.
“Lyra, stop,” she said forcefully. “Stay away from me.” Lyra's eyes widened.
“Bonnie, wait. I can explain everything,” she said. Bon Bon grimaced.
“Just... go away, Lyra,” she said.
“No,” Lyra replied. “Whatever you think happened, isn't what happened. You had an episode, Bonnie. You got out of bed and you tried to kill yourself.” Bon Bon's eyes widened this time.
“What?” She said. “I saw you Lyra. I felt it grab onto me. That wasn't all in my head. You were there. You did nothing to stop it. You... weren't you.”
“That's not true, Bonnie. The doctor referred to it as a stress disorder brought on by the pregnancy. You're inventing things that aren't there because it makes sense rather than dealing with the real problem,” Lyra replied, tears filling her eyes as she began to break down. “This is all my fault. I never should have accepted that job.”
“What... what about the foal?” Bon Bon asked curtly.
“Everything is fine,” Lyra said sullenly, more to herself then anything. “You know how we didn't want to know what it was? Well, guess what... we're having a unicorn. The doctor said that sometimes unicorn foals can bring on this stress disorder after a particularly large change in the life of the mother. Guess what change that was?”
“You're telling me I invented the whole thing? The ghost?”
“The doctor believes that you finally broke last night when you tried to harm yourself,” Lyra said, nodding. “You've been asleep for several days now.”
“But... I couldn't have... Professor Archibald, the records I have... I didn't invent that! There's something in that house!” Bon Bon argued vehemently. Lyra frowned.
“Bon Bon,” she said softly. The cream-colored mare stopped talking. Lyra never called her by her full name unless she meant it. “I hate to tell you this... there is no Professor Archibald. He doesn't exist. He never existed.”
“But... but you saw him! You talked to him!” Bon Bon said angrily.
“Bonnie, I went along with it because the doctor told us that he thought it would help you to play it out a bit. When we first moved, you had some issues with depression. We saw Doctor Care about it, andhe suggested going through the motions. I guess it didn't work,” Lyra replied, sighing. “Please, Bonnie. You have to believe me. I'll even go get the doctor, if you want.” Bon Bon narrowed her gaze at her wife and glared at her for several long minutes of awkward silence.
“Fine. I want to talk to this 'Doctor Care',” she said finally. Lyra nodded, moving to the hospital room door. She pushed it open and muttered under her breath to somepony in the hall. After several agonizing minutes alone, the door opened again and a unicorn stallion trotted inside.
“Ms. Bon Bon, I'm glad you're awake, we need to discuss your situation.”
Bon Bon's eyes widened. The stallion was older, his coat the same dull grey color, his mane the same wizened white, the same voice. He wore horn-rimmed glasses and a doctor's uniform, but it was the same stallion.
“As you well know, Ms. Bon Bon, you came into my care a few weeks ago due to extreme depression after your foal doctor referred you to me,” Doctor Care said simply as he sat down next to the mare's bed side. “That depression blossomed into what we call 'Unicorn Foal Syndrome', of U.F.S. For short.”
“I... I don't remember any of that,” Bon Bon replied, looking confused. Doctor Care sighed as Lyra took the seat on the other side of the bed.
“We'd been trying an experimental treatment,” he finally said. “Something to help patients with these kinds of problems. By playing out the fantasies, we often help the patient see how ridiculous the made-up situation is, and it helps bring them back to reality.”
“But it didn't work,” Bon Bon stated. She looked down at her forelegs. They were strapped into the sides of the bed. “Is that right?” Doctor Care nodded silently. Bon Bon narrowed her gaze at him. It was so uncanny. He looked just like Professor Archibald! It was right down to every last detail!
“The treatment was a failure in your case. The stress got too much for you and your foal, and you attempted to end your own life,” he said. “You're very lucky that Ms. Hearstrings here got you to the hospital in time. You very likely would have been dead if she hadn't.” Lyra looked away, her expression solemn.
“I see,” Bon Bon said. “And the foal?”
“Your unborn foal is fine. Better than fine, really. It's quite odd. I've never seen anything like it,” Doctor Care said. “Most of the time in these cases, the foal doesn't make it. The stress is simply too hard on them. In your case... she's just fine.”
“She?”
“We're having a little filly,” Lyra said softly. Doctor Care nodded.
“In any case, we're going to need to keep you here for a few days at best, to see how the medication is working,” he said. His horn glowed, undoing the straps on Bon Bon's forelegs. “There should be no need for these any longer. They were mostly a precautionary measure anyways. I will be checking in on your regularly while you are resting and getting your medicine. Lyra is of course, free to stay with you as long as she likes.” Bon Bon grimaced, but did her best to put on a smile. Something wasn't adding up. She couldn't place a hoof on what it was though.
“Thank you, Doctor,” she said. “Can I... Can I be alone with my wife now?” Doctor Care smiled and nodded again.
“Of course, I will leave you two to talk. If you need anything, don't hesitate to press the button to call for the nurse,” he said, standing. He trotted to the door and left. Lyra sat still, looking in the direction he'd come from.
“Lyra?” Bon Bon said softly. The seagreen mare looked back at her. “I... I'm sorry I scared you. Are you alright?”
“I just... this is all my fault,” Lyra replied. “If I'd have never been so insistent on moving to Canterlot... none of this would have ever happened.”
“Don't,” Bon Bon said. “It's not your fault, Lyra. I'm the one with the problem.” Lyra sighed loudly.
“I should have told the doctor that we wanted a more traditional treatment. I just didn't want to upset you,” she said. “Can you please forgive me?” Bon Bon smiled as she looked at Lyra. In the back of her mind, she kept seeing her wife, grinning hideously and laughing. The cream-colored mare tried to push it out of her thoughts, but found that she couldn't.
“I forgive you,” she said quickly. Internally, she grimaced. If it would appease this Lyra, she'd play along. Something about the whole thing felt off to Bon Bon, and she resolved to find out why.
**********************************
Five Days Later...
**********************************
Bon Bon sighed. She was by herself, the soft beeping of the heart monitor her only accompaniment. In fact, it was her only entertainment. Lyra had brought a Daring Do book for her, but it sat on the table next to her bed, unread. She couldn't bring herself to pick it up and actually look at it.
The Doctor is Archibald... and he said that I had some sort of... psychotic episode, she thought. What in Tartarus is going on? Why am I only remembering that house?! I don't understand!
Bon Bon grumbled as she itched at where the IV drip was attached. There was something very wrong about this place. In the five days she'd been there, she'd only seen Lyra and Doctor Care. No nurses, no other patients even. Something wasn't right. When she'd asked Doctor Care about it, he'd told her that the hospital was in the middle of remodeling, and that they'd moved a lot of the patients out of this wing to redo rooms. Bon Bon's just happened to be at the edge of the wing and wasn't scheduled to be redone until the end of the month, after she'd be gone.
Yes, something felt very wrong. Lyra was withdrawn, anguished over the state of her wife. Bon Bon had tried several times to crack the mare's shell, but had been unsuccessful. It was like she wasn't the same mare anymore.
She sighed again. The only thing truly on her mind was the house. It sat there, waiting for her. When she slept, she was there. When she was awake, she thought about it constantly. She saw the pictures along the main hall, one of them falling and smashing on the ground. She saw Lyra, her eyes glowing green, maniacally watching as something dragged her towards an open door. She felt the grip on her back legs.
A soft giggle drew the mare's attention away from her mental torment. At the foot of the bed a small seagreen filly stood, a unicorn. Bon Bon's eyes widened. The filly had a dark blue mane, much like the own blue in her mane.
“Umm... hello there,” the cream-colored mare said. “Can I help you?” The filly turned wordlessly and trotted out of the hospital room. “Wait! Come back, please? I only want to talk to you!” Bon Bon pushed herself off the bed, ripping the IV drip from her foreleg. She stumbled on her hooves, but managed to find purchase on the flooring. She moved to the door, peering out beyond it. The filly stood at the far end of the hallway, giggling.
Bon Bon looked down the other end, not seeing anypony. For once, she was thankful that there wasn't anypony else around. Bon Bon made her way down the hall, watching as the filly trotted towards the far door marked with construction tape. She stopped briefly and then pushed her way through.
Bon Bon pushed open the door after her. The reconstruction project the Doctor had mentioned had left the hallway beyond a mess. Debris littered the floor while several large tools sat on workbenches. There was no sign of the filly. Bon Bon continued deeper down the ruined hallway until she reached a large open room. It had most likely been a medical ward prior to the construction project, now it was a hazard. Brick and mortar lay strewn about like a set of foal's blocks. Plastic curtains hung over large holes in the walls. It was apparent that nopony had been here in quite a long time.
“Hello...?” Bon Bon called out. A pony giggled from somewhere inside the room. “Little filly? Is that you?” No response. Something ran past behind her. Bon Bon spun around as well as she could. Nothing. Nopony there at all. “I'm not going to hurt you. Please, come out.”
The pattering of hooves came past her again. Bon Bon stood in the center of the room, turning all about but unable to see where the filly was running off to. The giggling was getting louder and louder. Bon Bon turned back around and came face to face with the filly. Her eyes were glowing a deep green, and a wide grin etched in her expression. Bon Bon yelped loudly, falling back to the ground.
“I... You scared me, little one,” she said. The filly giggled, her grin growing wider. Her eyes pulsated as she took a step towards Bon Bon. The filly continued to giggle as Bon Bon tried to scramble backwards away from it. She found herself trapped against a wall.
The filly's grin split wider, revealing row upon row of sharp, pointy teeth. A hideous gurgling noise erupted from the thing's mouth.
“Mommy...” the thing rasped.
Bon Bon screamed.
******************************
Bon Bon's eyes shot open and she sat up, panting hard. A crack of lightning illuminated the dark hospital room. Her eyes glimpsed the alarm clock. It was one in the morning. She sighed loudly, her adrenaline finally slowing down.
“It was a dream...” she whispered to herself. “It was just a stupid dream.” The mare felt something jerk in her stomach, reminding her of the foal she carried. Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know you're in there.” She rolled over on her side, thinking about the dream and trying to get back to sleep.
A loud thumping noise echoed from beyond her room. Bon Bon sat up, ears back as she pushed off the bed. She stepped closer to the door, the thumping noise getting louder and louder. She opened the door, and her eyes widened. The hallway beyond was not the hospital's hallway. It belonged to the house. It was the house's hallway. Bon Bon nearly screamed.
The cream-colored mare hesitated for several long moments before finally gathering the courage to step through the entrance. The hall was cold and dark. The door closed behind her as she stepped out. She yelped as the entryway dissolved and became a part of the wall. The thumping noise started again, coming from down the stairs. Bon Bon grimaced.
“Is anyone there?” She called out tentatively. Her voice was shaky and unsure. Nothing responded. The mare edged closer to the stairwell, glancing down it. The thumping continued on, but nothing appeared down the stairs either. As she placed a hoof on the steps, Bon Bon wondered if she really was going crazy or if this was just all part of a very vivid dream. Shaking her thoughts away, she started down the stairs.
The hall at the bottom of the stairs was still, the thumping sounds coming from even farther below. Bon Bon glanced into the kitchen, grimacing. It was clean as a whistle and not a soul in sight. The cream-colored mare kept moving forward towards the thumping sounds. At the end of the hallway, she found a door. Bon Bon blinked.
“That wasn't there before,” she said. The door was set into the wall, and it appeared that the paint was peeling away from it, almost as if it had been hidden by somepony. The old wooden door creaked open at Bon Bon's touch, revealing another set of stairs leading downwards. The stairs were made of iron, sturdy and strong as the mare found herself going down them. She descended into the darkness, the only light coming from a flickering bulb at the very bottom.
Arriving at the landing, Bon Bon turned and found herself in what could only be described as a basement of sorts. A long shelf lined the side wall, filled with boxes and old junk. Support columns dotted the room, filled in between by more piles of trash and boxes. A second light bulb illuminated the dark room just barely enough for her to be able to see a path through the junk jungle.
The thumping noises were sounds of metal banging against metal now, incredibly loud and painful to the mare's ears. Pinning them back, she took a step forward, her hoof landing on dirt. The floor of the entire basement was dirt. Taking note of this, Bon Bon moved forward gingerly, taking care to not slip in case there was any wet spots. The banging noises got louder as she walked.
Bon Bon thought about calling out, but decided against it. If something was down here, she didn't think announcing her presence would be helpful. Then again... she was pretty sure whatever it was knew she was down here anyways.
Bon Bon stepped around a massive trash pile, the rest of the room flickering underneath the soft yellow light of a fire. An incinerator sat at the far end of the room, open. In front of it, a shadowy form pounded on something large made of metal. Bon Bon took a step forward. The form stopped it's pounding. Stillness filled the void the lack of noise left behind.
“You shouldn't have come here,” a voice said from the shadows. “You're going to ruin everything.”
“Who... who are you?” Bon Bon ventured shakily. The shadowy form turned, revealing Lyra. The seagreen mare was wearing a black shawl that had been obscuring her form. “Lyra?”
“Bon Bon, you should have stayed put,” she said. “You should have done what you were told to do.”
“Lyra, what is going on?” Bon Bon said angrily. “What are you doing down here? Why does this place even exist?”
“It exists because he wants it to,” Lyra replied solemnly. “I'm here preparing the way.”
“The way for what?” Bon Bon said, narrowing her gaze. Lyra stepped aside, revealing the object she had been pounding on. It was a crib, made of iron and steel. A mobile of sharp little knives orbited above the macabre bed. “Lyra, what is this for?”
“It's for our little one,” Lyra said, her eyes glowing a sickly green. “She will be the vessel. The one who lets him back into this world. She will be his.” She started forward. “We just need his mother to cooperate.” Bon Bon's eyes widened as Lyra lifted a knife from a pile of rubbish. She grinned hideously, her teeth pointed and angry as she made her way towards the frightened mare.
Bon Bon barreled across the basement, tossing trash to the ground as she ran. A hideous growl emanated from behind her. Stumbling onto the stairs, she caught a glimpse of Lyra's green eyes. They were filled with murderous rage. A knife soared through the air, striking the wall as Bon Bon began moving upwards. Lyra howled.
The cream-colored mare quickly reached the top of the stairs, bursting out into the main hall of the house. Tears filled her eyes as she pushed the door to the basement closed. She charged towards the front door, pulling it open.
Instead of the outside world, another long hallway greeted her. Bon Bon screamed.
“No!” She shouted, panting and crying. “This is all a dream, it's all a dream, it's all a dream...” She closed her eyes, trying to will the house away and wake up. Her eyes opened. The hallway was still there. Bon Bon's face drained of color. A sharp pounding behind her drew her attention.
Lyra slammed on the door, sending it off its hinges to the ground. She growled as she stepped into the hallway.
“Nowhere to run now, Bonnie. Nowhere to hide,” she snarled. Bon Bon yelped and galloped through the open doorway into the hall beyond. The hall was dank and decaying the farther she ran. She could hear Lyra behind her. Doors lined the hallway, but each and everyone of them was boarded up or padlocked. Turning a corner, Bon Bon began to wonder when the corridor would end. When would Lyra catch up to her? And what would happen when she did?
Shaking the thoughts away, the cream-colored mare resolved to try one of the doors. She pushed hard on one of them, but it wouldn't budge. Growling under her breath, she turned around and kicked at the doorknob until she felt it give way. The door cracked beneath the pressure, swinging inward. Bon Bon quickly jumped inside.
She was elsewhere. Another long hallway drew on forever, this time the white walls belonging to the hospital where she'd been in. Bon Bon rubbed her eyes. Was she dreaming this? She couldn't tell. She closed the door behind her, hoping that Lyra wouldn't notice in her fervor to catch her. She took a tentative step into the hall, her legs burning up from all the running. She heard hooves behind her. Taking a look back, she noted the door was still closed. Perhaps Lyra had ran by after all.
“Mommy?” A voice whispered. Bon Bon's head shot forward. There. The filly from before was standing at what now appeared to be the end of the hall. She giggled and turned the corner. Bon Bon grimaced, starting forward in a trot.
“Hello?” She called out softly. “Is anypony there?”
Bon Bon turned the corner, stopping cold. The walls had been getting noticeably deteriorated the more the walked forward. Around the corner though, the walls were completely rotted. Sludge and debris littered the floor. The lights above barely worked, creating spaces of complete darkness in the hall. Tentatively, Bon Bon began to walk on. Parts of the walls were missing wood, revealing broken piping. Bon Bon's hooves felt gross, and once or twice she nearly slipped on the wet flooring.
The floor creaked as the cream-colored mare found herself in a vast open warehouse at the end of the hall. It was filled with running machinery that was crunching up old pieces of metal from horseshoes to shovels. Bon Bon grimaced.
“Mommy...” The voice whispered again. Bon Bon's eyes shot up to one of the machines. Standing at the top of one was the same filly from before. She giggled as Bon Bon laid eyes on her.
“Who are you?” Bon Bon called out. The filly giggled even louder and then jumped off the side of the machine. Bon Bon yelled, running forward as the filly hit the ground and just... disappeared. Bon Bon stopped, panting, her eyes wide with fear. What is going on in this place?! She thought frantically. I have to get out of here!
“Bonnie...” A voice interrupted her shock. Lyra stood on one of the catwalks high above her. Her eyes glimmered with green. Her grin widened as she locked onto Bon Bon. “There you are... why are you running, my love? Don't you want to help me?”
“I don't know what's going on here, Lyra,” Bon Bon said angrily, tears filling her eyes. “But all I really want is my Lyra back.” Lyra chuckled softly.
“You can have her back when I'm done with her,” she said, her voice deepening to a throaty growl. It wasn't Lyra who really responded, Bon Bon realized. “But not before. She's been very... helpful to me.”
“Who... who are you?” Bon Bon ventured. “What do you want with me?”
“I want what's inside of you, my dear Bon Bon,” Lyra said with that unequine voice. Her eyes glowed brightly as she focused on the cream-colored mare. “I want your foal. Isn't it obvious?”
“My foal?” Bon Bon said, her eyes widening. “No... you can't have it. I won't let you have it.”
“Won't let me? Tsk, dear Bon Bon. How long can you keep running like this? How long before I let little Lyra catch you and rip the foal from your belly?” Lyra replied casually. “I am sure you are getting tired, after all.” Lyra tipped over the side of the catwalk, soaring towards the ground. Bon Bon yelped as the seagreen mare hit the ground with a sickening *splat*. Lyra pulled herself up from the ground, her neck bent at an awkward angle. With a *crack* she moved her own head upright. Blood streamed from her mouth and her eyes were wild. “How long before I kill you, Bon Bon?”
“I don't know who you are,” Bon Bon said. “But you aren't getting my foal. No more running. Give me Lyra. Now.” Lyra snorted, laughing heavily.
“So strong willed you are,” she said throatily. “I can see why this one loves you so much. But even love is no match for me. She was mine since you moved into the house.”
“The house,” Bon Bon replied. “So it is real. I did experience all of... that.”
“Of course it was real... I had hoped that by luring you into a false sense of security with the hospital would have allowed me easier access to your foal, but alas... you proved to be far too strong for that,” Lyra said. “No matter. Lyra, kill her.” Lyra's eyes gleamed and her horn glowed, raising two sharp knives into the air. She started forward.
“Lyra, please...” Bon Bon said as she stepped backwards. “You don't have to do this! Fight it! I know you can... you're stronger than this!”
“Oh, Lyra isn't in control of herself...” the voice replied. “She's mine, Bon Bon. And now you will be too.” Lyra raised one of the knives, grinning widely. Bon Bon shrank away, stepping back until she found herself pinned against one of the machines. She growled, turning and kicking out at Lyra. Her hooves connected solidly against Lyra's chest, bucking the unicorn mare backwards to the ground. The knives clattered on the cement flooring. Taking the opportunity to move, Bon Bon galloped as best as she could towards through the machine room.
“You can't run from me for very long, Bon Bon!” The demonic voice uttered all around her. “I make the rules here!” Bon Bon cried out as a piece of the flooring fell away beneath her back hooves, revealing a hole as black as night. She slipped on her fronts as more of the floor disintegrated. She scrambled to climb back up, but the floor would not give her any purchase. Feeling utterly defeated, Bon Bon fell away into the darkness.
*********************
Bon Bon coughed. Dust filled her nostrils and her eyes, stinging her awake. It was pitch black all around her. The ground felt hard and earthy. How long have I been out? She thought, pushing herself up to her hooves as best as she could. Her back legs hurt all over, and she was pretty sure she'd broken a rib from the pulsating pain along her barrel.
The cream-colored mare took a step forward in the darkness, shivering as she managed several steps before stopping due to the pain. Her heart pounded as she listened for anything that would give her an idea of where she was. Nothing. And then suddenly, a faint giggle in the distance. Bon Bon's ears perked up as she started walking towards where she thought the sound was coming from.
The sound grew louder and louder as she walked, until finally Bon Bon could see a light in the distance. It hung over the front door of a house. The same house that she and Lyra had moved into. Hesitant, the earth mare pushed open the door and stepped into the hallway. She wasn't even really sure if this was real or not anymore, she just knew she had to keep going. The giggling sound was much louder, coming from the living room.
Bon Bon paused at the entrance for a moment, regarding the unicorn filly inside the small room. She was sitting on the floor, playing with several dolls and toys. She looked up at Bon Bon as the mare entered.
“You shouldn't be here,” she said eerily. Bon Bon grimaced, but took a seat at the couch across from her.
“And where exactly should I be, darling?” She asked as best as she could.
“You shouldn't be here,” the filly replied. “He might find you.” Bon Bon narrowed her gaze at the filly.
“And who is he?” She said.
“The bad pony. He wants me. He wants you to give me to him,” the filly said nonchalantly. “I've been hiding from him.” Bon Bon's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak but the filly cut her off first. “No. You can't know anything, Momma. Not even my name. You haven't given it to me yet, after all. I can't help you stop him. Only you can help Momma Lyra and stop him.”
“How... How do I do that?” Bon Bon said. The filly looked down at her toys. A door slammed somewhere above. The filly looked up quickly.
“He's in the house,” she said. Hoofbeats shuddered from the floors above. “You have to help Momma Lyra remember. She has to remember. He has no power over you, so he can't make you do what he wants. I don't know why. But you can stop him, Momma. You have to stop him... I don't... I don't want to go with him.” Her eyes began to tear up. Bon Bon slid off the couch and put a hoof around the young filly's shoulder.
“Don't worry, dear. I won't let him get you. I would never let him get you,” she said. She stood shakily. The hoofbeats from above got louder and closer until they were on the same level. “I think perhaps you should go hide now.” The filly nodded. She scampered off, hiding behind the bookshelf as Lyra appeared in the entrance. A sick and twisted grin appeared on her face.
“Well, well, well,” she said. “Look what we have here.” Bon Bon glared at the other mare, standing as firm as her back legs would let her. “You came back here after all. I knew you would.”
“Lyra,” Bon Bon said. “You have to stop him. Don't let him do this!”
“I've already told you, Bon Bon,” Lyra's voice said. “I'm not in control of this. He is. I let him in. He was very persuasive.”
“I don't believe you, Lyra,” Bon Bon said coldly. “I don't believe for one second that the mare I love would do such a thing. Fight him, Lyra. Show him how strong you are! Show him how strong our love is!” Lyra growled throatily, taking a step forward before stopping cold. She put her hooves to her head, thrashing backwards.
“No! I'm in control here!” She shouted. Her voice mixed between the growling and her own as she struggled. After several antagonizing moments, she stopped and her eyes opened. The green glow was gone from them.
“Lyra?” Bon Bon ventured. The seagreen mare nodded.
“Bonnie? What happened? Where am I?” Lyra asked groggily, pushing herself to her hooves.
“Is it really you?” Bon Bon replied, warily. Lyra narrowed her gaze at her wife.
“What do you mean, is it me? Of course it's me,” she said. “Now would somepony clue me in on what in Tartarus is going on here?” Bon Bon started to reply, but was cut off by a thick and heavy laughter that emanated from all around them.
“You think you've won just because you took away my plaything? Pitiful,” the throaty, growling voice said. “My ascension will not be delayed by creatures such as yourself.”
“I don't care who you are,” Bon Bon said angrily. “Show yourself! I'm tired of all these games!”
“Very well,” the voice replied. “If you insist.” The walls of the living room began to shake, one of them falling inward. Rubble sprayed everywhere. As the dust cleared, something stepped into the room in front of the two mares. Bon Bon's eyes widened. The thing was something out of one of her worst nightmares. Vicious fangs sat on each side of rows of nasty teeth. Red eyes gleamed in the darkness. The smell of rotten flesh assaulted each mare's senses as the monstrous beast lowered a massive claw.
“What...?” Bon Bon tried to say. Lyra shrunk behind her wife. The monster began to laugh.
“You wanted me to show myself,” it said, it's voice heavy and thick. “There is no escape for either of you. But you can run, should you so desire. I do so like it when you run.” The beast licked its lips.
Bon Bon screamed until she was hoarse. She had to run, but where? Where could she run that the thing could not find her? I can't move... she thought to herself. Why can't I move?!
Lyra's eyes widened with fear. The thing that had been controlling her was this monster? She had to get Bonnie out of there. She tried to take a step but couldn't, paralyzed by the creature's unblinking red eyes.
The beast licked its lips, grinning widely.
“Yes... you see now how futile it is to run,” it said in it's grunting voice. “This place belongs to me. There is nowhere you can go that I cannot hunt you down.”
“L-l-leave us alone!” Lyra shouted shakily.
The beast chuckled softly. “How quaint,” it said. “The little pony wants to be the hero now. I'd choose your words carefully, pony. I'm feeling rather peckish at the moment.”
Lyra tried to nudge Bon Bon, but couldn't even lift her leg. The thing was going to eat them! They had to get out of there! She growled underneath her breath, struggling to move even just a tiny bit.
A light caught Lyra's attention out of the corner of her eye. A picture hung on the ruined wall behind the monster. It was the picture of her and Bon Bon on vacation. It shimmered brightly until something else appeared in the image between the two mares. A filly. She smiled happily up at them.
You can do this! A voice in Lyra's head shouted. He can't touch you right now. You can beat him! Grab Momma and get out of there! Help is on the way!
Lyra blinked. Shaking her head, she moved to lift her hoof, finding the action far easier this time. She grabbed onto Bon Bon's shoulder, shaking her as hard as she should. “Bonnie! We've got to move!”
Bon Bon's mouth closed and her head turned to Lyra. “Lyra...?”
“That's right, it's me. Bonnie, come on. He can't touch us, otherwise he'd have done so already. So let's get out of here already!” Lyra replied.
Bon Bon nodded, following behind Lyra towards the doorway. She heard chuckling from behind her.
“Yes... run. I want to see you scamper, little pony,” the creature said. “I want to taste your fear. It will make the inevitable so much sweeter.”
Bon Bon shuddered as she pushed open the door after Lyra. The door had deposited them back into the hospital hallway from before. The cream-colored mare sighed and slumped against the concrete wall.
“We can't get out of here, Lyra. It's over. This thing... whatever it is, it has us for good,” she said.
“Bonnie,” Lyra said. “We have to keep moving. We can beat this thing. After all... we've got each other, right?”
“It's no use,” Bon Bon replied. “This is the kind of stuff that the Princesses handle, Lyra. How can we even begin to stop this thing?”
Lyra grimaced, placing a hoof on Bon Bon's side. “You've got to believe. Believe like you did for me. Remember? You're the one who helped remind me who I was.”
“I had a little help with that,” Bon Bon said.
“Cute little filly?”
“How did –?”
“Yeah, I saw her too,” Lyra said, sighing. “I'm not sure what's going on here, but she told me that help's on the way. We have to trust that. Now come on, let's keep moving before that thing decides that it's done playing with us.”
Bon Bon looked down at her hooves and only nodded. She followed behind Lyra as they began to navigate through the maze of the hospital. After what felt like an eternity, the two mares stopped to get their bearings.
“I could have sworn we've seen that orange cone already,” Lyra said.
“We don't have time for this,” Bon Bon said, pushing past Lyra to open one of the nearby doors. Darkness pervaded the room beyond it, but from what the cream-colored mare could make out, it was an operating room. “Nothing here.”
“That thing is messing with us,” Lyra said. “Trying to get us turned around. We can't let it.”
“Too late, Lyra,” Bon Bon said. “It already has us right where it wants us.”
“But why the hospital then? Why are we here and not the house? It doesn't make any sense,” Lyra tried to reason.
“What do you mean?” Bon Bon asked. “That thing made up the whole hospital thing, didn't it?”
Lyra grew quiet. Bon Bon raised an eyebrow.
“Lyra? It made that part up, right?”
“No... there really was a hospital visit. You really did try to kill yourself,” Lyra said, sighing. “At first I thought it was because of the problems we had with the house, that obsessing over it so much had finally made you snap. But that wasn't it. It was that thing. It made you try to do that to yourself, by using me. It had already gotten to me.”
“I... I see,” Bon Bon said quietly. “So then... Doctor Care was real. The whole Unicorn Foal Syndrome thing, too.”
“Yes. You were repressing your first visit to him for some reason,” Lyra replied. She put a hoof up to her chin. “You know... come to think of it, I don't even really remember your first visit either.”
“So... what, I'm crazy?” Bon Bon said.
“No!” Lyra protested. “You're not crazy, Bonnie. I mean... look at where we're at. If you're crazy, so am I. I just... I wanted to help you. The stress was getting to you, so I took you in for an evaluation. And then that night happened, and you tried to... you know.”
“It's fine, Lyra. I understand. I'd have done the same for you, after all,” Bon Bon replied, reaching in to give her wife a nuzzle.
Lyra frowned. “Still doesn't explain how we ended up here, though.”
“You're right, that doesn't make any sense,” Bon Bon said, kicking a hoof. “If the hospital was real then how does this thing know about it?”
“We could both be dreaming,” Lyra said. “And this is some sort of shared dream space that the monster has chosen to inhabit.”
“If we are dreaming, then where's Princess Luna? She usually helps guard against bad nightmares, you know that,” Bon Bon said softly. “No, we're really here. Something about the inside of that house... it brought us here.”
“Regardless of how we got here, one of these doors has to go somewhere,” Lyra replied. The seagreen unicorn grimaced and reached out with her magic, opening the next door further down the hall. She blinked. It opened to the outside world. The dark streets of Old Canterlot greeted her eyes. “Bonnie, over here!”
“What is it?” Bon Bon replied. Her eyes saw the outside as well. “You found it. You found it!” She jumped up and down in place.
“Easy there, sweetie. We can't assume anything. This could be one of that monster's tricks,” Lyra said softly.
Further down each side of the hall, the lights began to shake and rattle. Bon Bon looked up and flattened her ears. One by one the lights began to shut off. The walls began to discolor and rot under the sway of the darkness. The floor started cracking and something very big in the dark was moving closer and closer to them. The doorway to the outside world began to stretch away from the two mares. A deep laughter filled the air.
“You will never be free of me,” the voice of the creature said. “Feel free to keep running. I do so enjoy the hunt.”
Two giant red eyes popped open in the darkness. Bon Bon's own eyes widened as she stared into the smoldering pits of despair. The beast was close. Very close. There wasn't any time to consider that this might be a trap.
“Not enough time!” she shouted, pushing Lyra down the hallway.
The two mares galloped down the hall, the floorboards cracking and rotting beneath their very hooves as they soared towards the open door at the end. Howls of glee echoed down the hallway, and the darkness began to get closer. Bon Bon yelped as something nicked her on the rear. The monster would take them. It would have her foal. She couldn't stop it!
“Keep running, Bonnie!” Lyra yelled. “We're almost there!”
Bon Bon growled under her breath and kept trying to keep up to her wife, but her pregnant frame could only take so much. She tripped, falling forward to the ground. The darkness roared above her. “Lyra!”
Lyra stopped on a dime and turned around. “Leave her alone!” she shouted. Her horn glowed, spewing forth a burst of magic light at the darkness. It shrank back, giving the unicorn enough time to help lift her wife with her magic. Steadily, Lyra and Bon Bon made it to the exit and leaped through.
The lights turned off behind them, a fevered howling piercing the still night. It continued until the door finally closed. Bon Bon sat up, blinking. The house stood there, mocking the two mares with its very existence. Howls of pain and rage erupted from the structure until finally they died down.
“We did it,” the cream mare said. “We got out!”
“I... I can't believe it,” Lyra said, shuffling to her hooves. “It can't have been that easy...”
“Are you two alright?” a voice said from behind them.
Lyra turned to see an elder unicorn standing up the road. Her eyes narrowed at the pony.
“Archibald?” Bon Bon interjected.
The unicorn blinked and continued on as if he hadn't heard her. “I came out of the house to see what was causing such loud noises, and I found you two instead. Are you alright?”
“We're fine,” Lyra said shortly.
“We... we escaped the house!” Bon Bon shouted. “It almost had us, but we got out!”
The elder unicorn frowned. “I see. You both appear to be in some distress. Please, follow me to my house. I will brew up some tea and get you calmed down.”
“We'll be alright,” Lyra replied.
“Lyra, we could use his help, he knows how to beat the house,” Bon Bon said.
Lyra grimaced and then sighed. “Bonnie... Archibald never existed,” she said quietly.
Bon Bon looked down at her hooves. “Oh, right. Well we could still use the help. We have to let somepony know about the house.”
“Ladies?” the unicorn said. “Are you okay? What happened to you?”
Lyra turned and smiled. “Sorry, you were saying something about tea?”
********************************************
“So you're saying that the house at the end of the street is...” the old unicorn said as he dipped his sugars into his tea.
“Haunted,” Bon Bon said. “More like possessed, really.”
“I see. And you also say that I look like a neighbor, a professor of some sorts,” the unicorn replied.
“You'll have to excuse that part, sir,” Lyra interjected. “My wife... she's on a program to assist with some medical issues she's having. She believes you are this Archibald she says she met. Rest assured, we only moved in a few weeks ago.”
“Yes... the lyre player for the Orchestra,” the old unicorn said. He took a sip of his tea. “So, this house... it tried to trap you inside then?”
“Yes,” Bon Bon said. “We only just escaped with our lives. We have to call the Princesses, the Royal Guard, anypony to come and stop that thing!”
“Calm down, Bonnie,” Lyra said. She turned and rubbed on her wife's shoulder. “Remember the foal.”
“Yes... well, how do you know for sure that you actually escaped the house?” the unicorn suddenly asked, interrupting the two before their argument could take place. Lyra's eyes snapped up to meet the older pony's own.
“What? What do you mean?” she said.
The older unicorn grinned. “I mean, how do you know that you're not still trapped inside?”
“Because... wait...” Lyra started to say. “I... I don't understand.” Her eyes widened.
“Yes... you are starting to figure it out,” the older unicorn said. His horn glowed and his features suddenly began to shift. They started to take on the appearance of another, notably the same that Bon Bon had described to her as that of Professor Archibald.
“Professor...?” Bon Bon said, eyes widening.
Archibald raised an eyebrow and grinned again. Sharp teeth lined his jaws. His eyes glowed bright red. Two leathery wings sprouted from the older unicorn's back as his coat began to shift to the same consistency as dragon scales
“I told you before, you cannot outrun me,” he said, grinning menacingly. “I will have your foal, and I will be reborn.”
“Archibald,” Bon Bon said. “This doesn't make any sense. Why are you...?”
“Here? It should be rather obvious,” the dragon-like unicorn replied. “I'm here because I am trapped here.”
“What do you want with us?” Lyra asked, scowling.
Archibald narrowed his eyes at the unicorn. “I want what any other sentient creature wants. I want to be free. I want life, dear Lyra, and I am willing to do whatever I can do claim it.”
“This whole thing... it was you all along,” Bon Bon said. “You were pushing me and prodding me into looking into the house's story. All so you could corner me there.”
“Yes...” Archibald replied. “I thought it was quite clever, posing as someone you thought you could trust. I had hoped to shake your senses enough that you would give in, but it seems you are stronger than I estimated.” His clawed hooves clacked on the floor.
“The other thing, that was you too, wasn't it?” Lyra said.
“Indeed,” the dragon-like creature said. “I thought maybe the traditional notion of a demon would scare you into giving up. I was wrong about that, too. It is of no matter, though. I will have my revenge on Equestria. I will be reborn. You're the first ones in a long time that have been suitable for my needs.”
“First ones?” Bon Bon said. “So the stories about the rest of the owners were true?”
“Quite,” Archibald said. “I've been here for a very, very, very long time.”
“In the house,” Bon Bon continued. “You've haunted the house, searching for a way to become... wait... what exactly are you?”
Archibald glowered. “I am in no mood for twenty questions while you search for a way out of this situation. I assure you, there isn't one. I will be free of this place.”
“I don't think so,” Lyra snapped. “You're not taking my Bonnie or my foal, so you can just back off!” She took a threatening step towards the creature.
“Hah,” Archibald tittered. “As if you can actually do anything against me.” The creature spread its wings and took a few steps forward. Almost as if by magic, he stopped within several feet of the two mares and froze in his tracks.
“What is the meaning of this?!” Archibald said, snarling loudly. He attempted to lift its claws, but could not. “Why can't I move?!”
“You have no power over them here, foul creature,” another voice answered. “This is my realm.”
Bon Bon and Lyra's eyes followed the sound of the voice. Standing tall across the room and bathed in the black of night itself was a deep navy alicorn. Her crown glinted in the darkness.
“Princess... Princess Luna?!” Lyra shouted. “What are you...? What are you doing here?”
“We answer the call of all our subjects, Miss Heartstrings of Canterlot,” the princess responded. “We are here to break you free of this creature's influence.”
“Well, well... one of Equestria's pretty little princesses,” Archibald interjected. It grinned toothily as it glared at the alicorn. “You truly think you can break my influence over these pathetic little ponies?”
“We shall not allow such a creature as you to torment ponies,” Luna replied. “You have played your hoof too far this time, and now we have you.”
“This time?” Bon Bon managed to croak out, her voice hoarse.
“Yes... this is not the first time that we have come close to catching this foul creature,” Luna said. “The last time was when it caused the fire.” She narrowed her gaze at the beast. “This time, you are ours.”
“I don't think so, Princess. I will be free of this accursed prison, and when I am I shall come for you,” Archibald replied. “I'm honestly surprised that you were able to pierce through my spell. I prepared it specially for you.”
“Lyra, Bon Bon,” Luna said. “Run. We shall deal with this beast in a manner most befitting of it.”
“But what about you?” Lyra asked curiously.
Luna grimaced. “We shall be fine, Miss Heartstrings. Now you must hurry. The doorway out of this place is hidden, but we believe you will know it when you see it. The house cannot keep you here, not with our magic straining the boundaries of its reality. Now run, little ponies. Now!” Her horn shone a bright blue, sending a wave of magic at the monster.
Lyra latched onto Bon Bon as Luna's magic took hold, pulling both of the mares towards the exit. They pushed through the door together as Luna slammed it shut behind them. They landed in a heap in a dank dusty hallway. Lyra stood immediately.
“Princess!” she shouted. She turned and started banging at the door. “Princess Luna!”
“Lyra!” Bon Bon said. “We have to get out of here! The Princess is dealing with it!”
“No... something's not right about this, Bonnie. We can't let her fight that thing alone,” Lyra replied. She banged at the door harder. “Princess!”
“You would be correct about something not being... right,” a voice said from down the hall. The soft clip clop of hooves accompanied it. Archibald came into view, his eyes gleaming red in the darkness.
“But... Luna... she's fighting you,” Lyra said.
“Evil is subtle. The Moon Princess should know that all too well, given her past,” Archibald said. “Suffice to say, what Luna thinks she is doing is fighting me, but she's really just fighting herself. She will not be bothering us.”
“You can't have her,” Bon Bon said fiercely. “I won't let you.”
“Won't let me? Please, Bon Bon. If it came down to that, would you even be here in the first place? You're right where I want you to be,” Archibald said, taking a step forward. The hallway rotted around his very presence. The smell of death hung in the air.
“Bonnie... you need to run. Get out of here,” Lyra said. “I'll... I'll hold him off.”
“What? What about you? I'm not leaving you here,” Bon Bon replied.
“This isn't the time to argue about this! Get running!” Lyra shouted. She turned to the cream-colored mare and kissed her full on the lips. She pulled away, smiling. “I love you. Just remember that. But if you don't get a move on, he's going to get what he wants. Find the exit, find the Princess. I'll be alright.”
Bon Bon grimaced. “I... I love you too.” She turned and started running down the hall.
Lyra turned back to where Archibald stood, calmly watching as Bon Bon retreated.
“You believe that I will not find her?” the dragon-like creature said. “I can see everything in this place.”
“She'll get out of here, and you'll be sorry when she does,” Lyra spat. Her horn shone brightly.
“And how do you propose that you will make it out of this alive?” Archibald said. He took a step forward, baring his teeth.
“I don't know, really,” Lyra replied. She grimaced. “But as long as Bonnie gets out of here alive, I don't care.”
“I see. Ponies... how interesting you are, I think I shall enjoy ruling your kind,” Archibald said. His mouth opened and a massive forked tongue rolled out of it.
Lyra responded with a blast of light from her horn. The light burst into the dark room, blinding the seagreen mare. She staggered backwards, her vision dazed from the magic. Lyra coughed. Did I get him too? She thought.
“Afraid not,” a voice said from behind her.
Lyra felt a set of fangs clamp into the side of her neck and she began to scream until she screamed no more.
**********************************
The sound of Lyra's screams echoed down the hallway until they reached Bon Bon. The cream-colored mare stopped cold in her tracks.
“Lyra... Lyra!” she shouted, tears streaming from her face. No, I have to get out of here. This is all just a dream world. If I can get out of here then I can stop this. I can save Lyra! She thought.
Bon Bon gulped back her tears. She had to be strong, for Lyra's sake. For Princess Luna's sake. For her own sake. She called out to the hall around her. “Hello? I know you're there. I need your help. Please...”
“I can't really help you get out of here,” a voice said from behind her.
Bon Bon yelped and turned about, seeing the filly from before standing there. “But you know where the exit is, right?”
“I... I do,” the filly said. She cocked her head. “It's worse now. I can't feel Momma Lyra. What happened?”
“Archibald... he... he attacked us. Princess Luna came, but he claims he's locked her up as well,” Bon Bon said. “Lyra... sacrificed herself for us to get to safety.”
“This is no good... no good at all,” the filly replied, grimacing.
“What? What do you mean?” Bon Bon said, cocking her ears in confusion.
“You were supposed to both escape!” the filly cried out in frustration. “The only way out was together. Only both of you could have opened the door!”
“The door? There is a door?” Bon Bon asked. The filly only nodded in response. “Show me where it is.”
“It doesn't matter now, not with Mommy Lyra... gone...” the filly protested.
“Maybe not, but we won't know until I see it. I'm not giving up. Not on you, not on Lyra. Not ever,” Bon Bon said forcefully.
The filly, appearing defeated by Bon Bon's answer, nodded again. She motioned for Bon Bon to follow. Together they strode through the never ending halls, seeing the same featureless gray walls that adorned every inch of the place. Occasionally, the older mare would hear screaming coming from somewhere inside the labyrinth. The very thought of something happening to somepony made her think of Lyra, and of the scream she had heard. It made her shudder with dread.
Eventually the hallway dead-ended into a large open room. Standing in the middle of the room was a door. It had no wall to speak of. It was simply a freely standing door inside an iron frame. Bon Bon trotted up to it and pulled it open. All she saw was the other side. She pushed it closed, sighing.
“See, I told you. There's no way out. You needed Momma Lyra to get out of here,” the filly said.
Bon Bon grimaced. Why was it so important to have both of them there? Was there something about the two of them that was special?
“Why? Why does it need both of us?” she asked.
“Because it requires you to admit to a fault of yours to each other. It wants payment to open. A payment that only comes with the price of pain,” the filly said.
Bon Bon thought of her connection to the wonderful mare that she'd had the pleasure of calling her wife for so many years. She sighed. Lyra and her had shared so much over the years. There was one tiny piece of their relationship that had while the two had made peace with, the very presence of it had hung over their lives. She knew that in her heart, that Lyra was hers. And to accept that fully, she had to do something she never thought she could do. Perhaps that one big fault would be enough for the both of them.
“I have... I have a confession to make then,” Bon Bon said softly.
“A what?” the filly asked.
“A confession. Everypony always asks how we were able to afford it, the whole magical spell to get you a foal thing,” the older mare said. “But we didn't. We couldn't have afforded it. Ever.”
“What do you mean?” the filly said.
“I mean... you weren't conceived by means of magic. I... I cheated. I found a stallion, we had a little too much to drink... and there you have it,” Bon Bon said, hanging her head. “I never even found out his name.”
“And... Momma Lyra knew about this?” the filly asked.
Bon Bon nodded. “Lyra knew. We were on the outs at the time. We'd had a huge fight over money. When we found out about the pregnancy... we decided to play it off as a magical birth. Nopony would be none the wiser, but we knew. We both knew.”
Something reacted with the door as Bon Bon finished speaking. Crimson smoke billowed out from under the door jam. The cream-colored mare blinked as red light arced across the wooden surface.
“What...?” she said. She took a step forward, reaching out her hoof to open the door. A loud *splat* stopped her cold as the lifeless body of Lyra landed next to her. She turned in horror to see Archibald standing at the other end of the hall.
“Well, well... I finally meet the little filly who's been causing all my troubles,” he said, his eyes gleaming as he looked the younger pony up and down. “And you lead me right to the exit out of my prison. You even opened it for me. How quaint.”
“Lyra!” Bon Bon shouted, looking down at her wife's body. Lyra had been broken in several places, including her horn. The rest of her injuries were too horrifying for the cream-colored to even being to process. “Lyra... no... no... you monster! You killed her!”
“Yes... do you want to know how much she screamed for you when she died?” Archibald said. He grinned widely. “She thought she could stop me from getting to you. It looks like she was wrong, because here we are again.”
Bon Bon looked down at Lyra. She closed her eyes and sighed. “I'm so sorry, Lyra...”
“Are you ready to give up now, Bon Bon? Are you ready to give yourself over to me?” Archibald said.
“Never,” Bon Bon said, returning her gaze to the dragon-like creature before her. She grunted and kicked backwards, slamming her rear hooves into the door.
The door buckled under the blow and opened inwards, revealing a glowing red portal on the other side. Bon Bon grimaced.
“I'm sorry, Lyra... I can't take you with me,” she said quietly.
Archibald growled, leaping forward at the cream-colored mare. Bon Bon yelped as bared fangs tried to sink themselves into the side of her neck. She jumped to the side, landing on the ground away from the doorway. Archibald stood triumphantly over her.
“That was easy,” he said, stepping towards her. “Now then, where were we?”
“Right about here,” Bon Bon said, kicking out with her back hooves. She connected with Archibald's chest, sending him flying against the wall.
“Momma!” the filly shouted. “You have to hurry! The portal is closing!”
Bon Bon glanced at the doorway. The portal had indeed gotten smaller! She clamored to her hooves and started running towards the door. She had touched about three feet away when Archibald slammed into her side. She hit the ground hard and felt pain shoot up through her legs. She struggled to stand, but found that her right back leg was broken. She grunted, crawling towards the doorway.
Archibald growled and appeared over her. He grinned widely. “That door is not for you. It will only bring more pain to you if you go through it. Give in, and your foal will be heralded as the darkest of dark, the bringer of the purest pain!”
Bon Bon grimaced, trying to move from underneath the dragon beast. A set of claws descended, clamping her forelegs to the ground, pinning her.
“Let me... let me go...” Bon Bon said, squirming and struggling from the creature's grip.
“Oh, we can't, dearest Bon Bon. It's very nearly time. Time for you to give up, time for me to ascend to the greatest power in all of --” Archibald started to croon before he was hit in the face by a blast of golden magic. He went rocketing back into the wall.
“Get away from my wife,” Lyra said, standing shakily. She appeared perfectly fine, a sharp grin on her face.
Bon Bon blinked. “L-L-Lyra? I thought... thought you were...”
“Thought I was dead?” the seagreen mare said. “I probably could have been, but I had an idea. Luna said this was her realm, right? The realm of dreams? Well... I'm a unicorn and all. I can modify the parameters of this world with magic.”
“Since when did you learn to do that?” Bon Bon said.
“Beats me,” Lyra said. “We don't really have much time. We've got to get out of here. The portal won't stay open for much longer.”
Bon Bon tried to stand, aided by the other mare. They marched past the filly towards the doorway and stopped.
“Momma, Momma,” the filly said. “You won't remember me here. But we'll be seeing each other pretty soon.”
“Good, I can't wait,” Bon Bon said, chuckling. She took a step towards the door before a cruel laughter pierced the room.
“You think you've won, because you're escaping?!” Archibald said. “I will be there, around every corner... waiting for you Bon Bon. You think you're safe out there? Do you?! Well, you're not! You're not safe! I will find you!”
Bon Bon grimaced and said nothing. She limped along with Lyra right into the portal.
Bon Bon's eyes fluttered open to the soft beeping noise of a heart monitor. She grunted under her breath. She was in a hospital bed.
“Not another hospital,” she said quietly.
“I think you will find this one is much more to your liking,” a deep voice said in response.
Bon Bon's eyes fully opened and she took in the alicorn sitting next to her bed. Princess Luna looked haggard, but still somehow eerily beautiful. A soft smile graced her face.
“Princess?” the cream-colored mare said. “What happened?”
“You escaped the clutches of that terrible creature,” the Princess of the Night said. “However, I am reluctant to admit that we were not as lucky to capture it. It has escaped our grasp yet again.”
“You mean... Archibald? He's out there somewhere?” Bon Bon said.
“I do not know of this... Archibald of which you speak. The creature you encountered is a most unusual beast,” Luna explained. “It's roots are said that it used to be a changeling that delved into terrible forgotten magic and turned itself into something far more dangerous. A daemon. A thing of pure evil. It was sealed away centuries ago, and has been seeking re-entrance into Equestria ever since.”
“Where... where's Lyra?” Bon Bon said, grimacing.
“Your wife is just fine,” Luna replied. She motioned across the room with a wing, where the still form of Lyra lay sleeping. “She has been through just as much as you have, I'm afraid. The touch of raw dreamstuffs is not for mortal ponies, but it can be done by a strong heart. Her love for you must be powerful, indeed.”
“She... she nearly sacrificed herself for me... for her...” Bon Bon said.
“Yes... the foal inside of you,” Luna said. “We are certain that she will grow to love just as fiercely. Take care of her well.”
“I will,” Bon Bon said.
“Then I am afraid that I must end my visit with you, dearest Bon Bon. Royal duties await me back at the castle, and I must speak with Princess Twilight about this latest development,” Luna replied. “Perhaps her keen mind will share some insight into how we may capture this creature for good.”
“Thank you, Princess,” Bon Bon said, bowing her head.
Luna bowed in return and stood. She trotted out of the hospital room as Lyra began to stir. Luna smiled and nodded at the seagreen mare before leaving. Lyra's eyes drifted over to Bon Bon.
“Bonnie? Are you awake?” she said.
“Yeah... I'm awake,” Bon Bon replied. “Are you alright?”
Lyra stood and made her way over to the side of the bed. “I feel like several hammers have been pounded into my skull, but other than that... I'm fine.”
“Good,” Bon Bon said, sighing. “It's... it's not over is it?”
“For us, it is,” Lyra said. “With Luna on the lookout for that thing, it won't bother us anymore.”
“I suppose... I suppose you're right,” Bon Bon said. “I'm just glad you're alright.”
Lyra glanced down at her hooves. “Right... I'm sorry about that. I was hoping to try and catch him off guard...”
Bon Bon smiled and grabbed her love's hoof. “It's alright, Lyra. I love you.”
“I love you too, Bonnie.”
“Now that we've got that squared away, it's time for a little rest,” Bon Bon said, smiling as she laid her head back against the bed. A sharp pain echoed up her sides and she suddenly felt... warm and wet. She glanced down, seeing Lyra's eyes widening.
“Umm... I think my water just broke,” Bon Bon said, blinking. “Lyra... our foal... she's coming! Go get the doctor!”
Lyra stood, an amused smile emerging on her face. “Alright. I will go get the doctors! This is wonderful! Our foal is coming!”
For a brief second, Bon Bon thought she saw a flash of green in Lyra's eyes before the other mare turned to leave. The cream-colored mare's own eyes widened and then shut immediately as the first contraction hit her with a realization that struck fear into her heart.
