Bedridden Bonbon

by DexThePony

First published

Bonbon's stuck in bed, leaving her wife and daughter to have to deal with the things to come with this

The owner of SweetieDrop Shop has been bedridden (well, obviously). In other words, the confectionary store has been closed for awhile and two unicorns have a cream colored pony to care for. Can Lyra and Tootsie Flute handle the changes happening to Bonbon while she's stuck on the mattress and under the blanket? (note: the Alternate Universe Tag is there since there are some minor differences between this story's universe and that of the show's) Cover art by Slackerburst. Rated T for references to adult themes

Chapter 1

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In Ponyville, all the little fillies and colts knew that SweetieDrop Shop was a place of joy. After all, not only did it have an assortment of candies to choose from, but the friendly Lyra Heartstrings would also be there. On weekdays, the mint unicorn would play on her lyre for the little foals to enjoy. But on weekends, she would often be off practicing somewhere else.

The reason why Lyra was there was because she was married to the shop's owner. Bonbon SweetieDrops was her name, and you could tell that it was her once you spotted her pink and blue curls.

Together, the couple warmed the hearts of many. It seemed that they were perfect for each other, and many would agree. Many would also agree that their daughter Tootsie Flute was one of the luckiest fillies. What more could a kid ask for than a free sample of delectable treats every evening or the sound of beautiful music every morning?

Indeed, Tootsie Flute was lucky.

As a result, the little family of three was one full of joy.

That is, until that fateful month of anxiousness arrived.

===

Lyra trotted nervously, waiting near the door to her room. It had been quite awhile since Nurse Redheart dropped by to check on her wife. The long minutes passing by had fed her fear.

"Calm down Lyra, calm down, remember what Bonbon told you whenever you got nervous. Only--Bonbon's not with me right now!", Lyra exclaimed to herself tearfully.

Seated across the door, Tootsie Flute looked at the cuckoo clock on the wall then at the paper bag on the table beside her. The pale blue filly was usually hyper and joyous, but seeing her Momma Lyra worried got to her. If the situation was so serious that Momma was nervous, then it was that serious. On the other side of the door, her Mommy Bonbon would be getting examined by the kindly white coated nurse pony.

What exactly was wrong, Tootsie Flute didn't know, which made her all the more scared.

Wanting to find a way to pass the time and calm herself down, Tootsie Flute decided to write to a friend. Getting out her paper and pencil, she thought about what exactly to put in the letter.

At first, she thought of writing to Dinky or Pinchy. But they were the same age as her, so they'd probably react the same way she would.

Then she thought of writing to her foalsitter Amethyst. But whenever she wasn't foalsitting, Amethyst was either busy in the jewelry store or in some other dimension with her dad.

It took a bunch of other names being mentally crossed out of her mind before little Tootsie found one to write to. Quite sure of herself, she proceeded to levitate the pencil and make it write down what she thought of.

"Dear Crackle Pop,

Mommy's getting her daily checkup. It usually didn't take too long, the nurse would just ask her questions then would give Momma a list before leaving. I'm really worried about Mommy, especially because Momma's nervous now. Before, Momma was able to keep her cool and still smiled the whole time. Now, she's going back and forth like your Mom during that one time she hit her head while trying to deliver something. Maybe you could ask your Dad what happens if it's like this? Everyone calls him Doctor, so he probably is one, which means he probably knows what's going on.

Your pen-friend,

Tootsie Flute"

With her magic, Tootsie Flute folded the letter then placed it in an envelope. Concentrating hard, she casted the teleportation spell her Momma Lyra taught her. Lyra had learned the spell during her time in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.

It took two minutes of concentrating before the young filly managed to accomplish it. Soon, the letter would be teleported to Crackle's home in Cloudsdale.

The little unicorn smiled to herself, happy that she had a friend to confide in during times like these. Crackle had started out as a family friend, his mom was good foalhood friends with Tootsie's Moms. And his sister was Tootsie's best friend, Dinky. Tootsie Flute had grown close to him during the few months before summer and even more so once summer rolled around. Being a bit older than her, he had slightly more experience and advice when it came to things.

The door suddenly opened, and Nurse Redheart came out. "Lyra? A word with you please," she said while leaving the door half-opened.

"Well kid, why don't you go and check up on Mommy? I'll just have a little chat with the nice nurse," Lyra urged kindly while gently nudging her daughter.

"Okay Momma, I'll even see if she'll like my cookies!" Tootsie Flute said happily as she levitated her small paper bag into the room.

"Such a sweet filly. You and Bonbon did a fine job raising her," Nurse Redheart told Lyra while Tootsie went inside her mothers' room.

===

While Lyra talked with Nurse Redheart, Tootsie Flute went to Bonbon's side. The cream earth pony smiled as her daughter used her magic to pour water into the glass.

"There we go~!", Tootsie Flute said while levitating the pitcher down. Happily, she then levitated the glass to her mother.

"So, how was your day sweetie? Anything unusual happened?", Bonbon asked while getting the glass.

"Not really, I just practiced some funny magic with Dinky and Pinchy. But Pinch had to leave early 'cause her mom walked passed us and kept bumping into stuff," Tootsie recalled.

Bonbon put a hoof to her mouth in surprise, though she was slightly amused at the image of Berry Punch walking around dazed and drunk. That mare would usually pass out after one too many drinks.

"So it was just you and Dinky after?", Bonbon asked.

"Oh, no Mommy. Pinchy came back after awhile, she bumped into her stepmom on the way while guiding her main mom. So she was able to go back since her stepmom took care of things"

Tootsie Flute had opted for referring to Berry Punch as "main mom" whenever she was including Colgate in the same sentence as her. It started after the unicorn dentist married Pinchy's mother. The whole thing made Tootsie slightly jealous since it meant her friends were now cousins.

Well, step-cousins. But nonetheless, still cousins

"Dinky's getting curious about the drinks Pinchy's mom really likes. She kept bugging Pinchy about getting a taste. I don't know why Pinchy keeps saying no," Tootsie Flute said while sitting beside the bed. Normally, she would sit on the bed but she was worried about stressing her Mommy out if ever she accidentally sat on a leg. And the last thing her Mommy needed was stress, Nurse Redheart said so.

"Because it's not for foals, sweetie. Honestly, I still wonder why Berry Punch drinks when Ruby Pinch is around. It's a good thing your friend didn't get a taste because she was curious too," Bonbon said.

"Well, she actually got a taste once but she didn't like it and her stepmom caught her, so she's not allowed any," Tootsie responded.

"Well, I think we've been discussing too much about the drinking habits of your friend's mother. Tell me about the other parts of your day, dear",

Bonbon said after drinking from the glass.

"Oh! Oh! I saw Tornado Bolt doing loops in the sky! She was being guided by her dad, the pegasus with a blue mane," Tootsie Flute replied.

"How cute~" Bonbon said while putting the glass back on the side table.

All of a sudden, Tootsie became a bit sad. She sighed while resting her head on the bed, careful not to do so on her mother's leg by accident.

"Sweetie? What's wrong?" Bonbon asked. Tootsie looked up at her mother, her purple eyes also conveyed her sudden sadness.

"You'll be okay? Right Mommy?" Tootsie Flute said.

Bonbon gently stroked her daughter's head, "Of course Tootsie, I will be okay. Probably sooner than you think. Mommy just has to rest now but once I'm okay, then we can all have family bonding Fridays." she said with a smile.

"Yay, okay~!" Tootsie Flute said.

Bonbon could only giggle and watch as her daughter happily trotted out of the room.

Not too long after she did, Lyra came in, a happy sigh coming out of her mouth.

"Well, it looks like it won't be long until this can all be done with. Nurse Redheart said it helps if I stay by your side more often. So I'll take some day offs, Bonny." The mint unicorn said while she walked over to her side on the bed.

"I'm glad to hear that, dear. It's been getting quite lonely here~" Bonbon responded with a wink.

Getting the hint, Lyra climbed into bed then went close to her wife. Bonbon started going all over Lyra, placing kisses on her forehead then neck

"Are you sure it's okay to do this? I'm still worried about your condition and all." Lyra said, concerned as Bonbon kissed her neck.

"I'll be fine dear~" Bonbon replied.

"Okay then, if you say so~" Lyra said while using her magic to close the door.

Chapter 2

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Bedridden Bonbon Chapter 2

Lyra levitated the spoon to her wife's mouth. Bonbon sipped up some of the soup.

"Well, how does it taste Bonny~?" Lyra asked with a smile.

"Darling, I lost most of my sense of taste remember?" Bonbon replied.

"Oh..oh yeah. Sorry, I'll make sure to prepare you the best meal after this is all done with~!" Lyra said while putting her forelegs up in the air happily.

Unfortunately, Lyra had forgotten that her hoof was carrying the bowl of soup. The bowl flew out of the window.

"MY EYES!", yelled a stallion who was passing by their house.

Both mares turned their heads to the window. "Sorry!" Lyra apologized while rubbing the back of her head with a hoof.

"Oh gee..I didn't know I made it that hot..." the mint unicorn said while she flushed in embarrassment.

"I think...I'll just make the meal once this is all over...and probably for all of us too" Bonbon said.

"Well, looks like you'll have to prepare more food than you used to prepare. But don't stress yourself out, especially since it'll be after this whole ordeal." Lyra said while fluffing the pillows to make them more comfortable.

"I'll help you out, more hands--er hooves, means more work done~" Lyra continued, giving her wife a kiss on the forehead.

"I'm really lucky to have you~" Bonbon giggled.

===

Tootsie Flute tossed the iron shoe, it landed perfectly and made a satisfying clank!

"See? I told you girls can do it too!" Tootsie said happily while perking up and turning around.

Behind her, Rumble and Crackle Pop sat beneath the shade of a tree. Crackle smiled then nudged Rumble while giving him the I-won-the-bet-now-pay-up look. Grumbling, Rumble got three bits from his pouch.

"What are you even gonna use the bits for CP? Your older sister secretly slips you some of her bits from foal-sitting anyway." Rumble asked his friend.

Suddenly, Crackle's ears perked up. "Oh, well uh..." the blonde colt stuttered, a blush coming to his face.

"Yeah? What're you gonna use the bits for Crackle?" Tootsie asked as well, her curiosity spawning from that of Rumble's.

"I'm saving up for that handbook on roller derby races!" Crackle Pop blurted.

"Oh, okay!" Rumble responded. Tootsie, on the other hand, wasn't convinced but she decided to leave it be.

"So, what do you wanna do now anyway? I'm pretty much free since 'Lane's on a date with Flitter and Cloudchaser." Rumble said.

"Well, my moms are staying at home the whole day." Tootsie piped up.

"Count me in, all my relatives are busy." Crackle Pop added.

"Wait--all your relatives?" Rumble cut in, giving Crackle a questioning look.

"Yeah. Pretty sure they are." Crackle Pop responded.

"Your parents?"

"Mom's making some package deliveries today. Dad's dealing with weeping pegasi, whatever that means."

"Your sisters?"

"Amethyst is going with Chirpy to the trading market to find someone willing to swap a a jar of peanut butter for the quill. Dinky and Dizzy are hanging out with Pip."

"Your grandparents?"

"Bingo with the Apple Grandma and the Pear Grandpa."

"Your mom's unicorn cousins?"

"Uncle Ponet's having a day out with Dipsy. Uncle Pokey's doing community service cuz of the hot air balloon incident."

"Your mom's cousin Cloudkicker?"

"Out to give one of her special massages to Solar Winds. Whatever the heck that means"

"Your tenth half-cousin, four times removed through your mom's great uncle--"

"I think we get your point now, Cracks." Tootsie Flute immediately cut in while shoving a hoof in Rumble's mouth, aware of the huge size of the Doo clan. Not to Apple family levels mind you, but still long enough to give one Q and A after another (which would effectively waste their day).

"Well, that still leaves the question of what to do." Crackle Pop pointed out.

Rumble shoved Tootsie's hoof out of his mouth before spitting out some dirt. "Bleck! What have you been holding with your hoof?!" Rumble questioned his friend.

"Well, the last thing I held was the iron shoe, and I just found it lying around..." Tootsie Flute replied.

Both pegasi looked at her. At least, Tootsie thought they were looking at her. Unbeknownst to the filly, Big Mac was behind her busy searching for something on the ground. And both pegasi noticed that he was missing a shoe...

===

The three friends sat in the waiting room to Nurse Rosemane's office.

"I know that you're worried and all, but don't you think you're overreacting a bit Rum? You already gargled enough water to make sure your mouth's clear." Crackle Pop said.

Forelegs crossed, Rumble shook his head then responded, "If my mouth doesn't get checked, I might get sick. And if I get sick, I might not be able to fly again. And if I won't be able to fly again, then I won't be able to be a Wonderbolt. And if I won't be able to be a Wonderbolt, then my life is over."

Crackle face-hoofed.

"Well, at least we found something to do." Tootsie pointed out.

"Well anything would've been better to do than just sitting here for forever!" an annoyed Rumble said, hooves in the air.

"But..you're the one who suggested to sit here." Tootsie responded.

Rumble paused...

Then he replied, "Correction: I suggested we wait here I didn't suggest we sit here."

Before Crackle could point out the holes in his friend's logic, a familiar mare walked into the waiting room. She was guiding a dark blue pegasus stallion with his head in a bowl.

"Okay, okay. Just follow my voice Winds. Follow the sound of my voice..." Cloudkicker said gently to her stallion companion. Solar Winds ended up crashing into her.

"Aunt Cloudkicker?" Crackle Pop said.

"Huh? Oh, hi Crackle! What're you doing here?" Cloudkicker asked.

"Same as you. Going with a friend who got into a stupid sounding situation partly because of his fault." The grey colt replied, much to Rumble's displeasure.

"Hey! The only reason this bowl is stuck on me is because Heartstrings threw it out the window!" Solar Winds responded.

"Oh dear! I'm sorry my Momma did that, Mr. Winds!" Tootsie Flute said. It was always in the little filly's nature to apologize on behalf of other ponies. Usually, on Rumble's behalf.

"Also, we're not exactly friends..." Cloudkicker added, rubbing her foreleg with one of her wings. She had a light blush on her face.

"Oh that's weird. If you're not friends, then why did you bother bringing him all the way here? I get into lots of trouble and the only reason Crackle brings me here is cuz we're friends." Rumble asked.

"Yeah, continue getting into trouble, and the 'friend' part might get debatable." Crackle Pop responded, once again, displeasuring Rumble.

"Oh no no no! It's not that we're not friends..." Cloudkicker immediately replied.

"We're actually...more than friends..." Solar Winds said. A blush was probably on his face, based on his tone.

"Oh, best friends then~! That's what my mommies called each other before they got married~!" Tootsie Flute responded.

The two adults looked at each other (though it was a bit hard to tell in Solar Winds' case). Nervous laughter came from both of them.

===

Bonbon panted heavily, tongue out. Her eyes were looking right into Lyra's. Sweat was trickling down her body. The cream earth mare felt strange feelings throughout her entire body.

"Lyra..." Bonbon called out.

"Yes Bonny~?" Lyra asked her mate.

Bonbon's words were incoherent to the mint unicorn, much to her frustration.
Unable to hold it any longer, she yelled.

"WILL YOU PLEASE STOP STICKING SO DAMN CLOSE TO ME!? FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA, I AM HEATING UP HERE!"

Lyra winced at the sudden outburst. "Wh-why didn't you say so earlier?" the still somewhat petrified unicorn asked.

"I HAVE BEEN TELLING YOU THAT FOR THE PAST HOUR! HOW COULD YOU NOT HEAR IT!?" Bonbon yelled. Shakingly, Lyra levitated a fan into the room then set it near her wife. Although she loved her Bonny very much, the poor unicorn couldn't help but cower in fear from her unbroken eye contact. Bonbon watched intensely as Lyra turned on the fan.

"There~! All taken care of!" Lyra said, a nervous smile on her face.

It took awhile, but Bonbon's anger subsided. Eventually, the earth pony settled into bed and fell asleep.

Sighing, Lyra wiped a sweat from her brow then looked up at the ceiling. "Faust, I wonder if I'll have to tolerate this any longer..." Lyra looked at her wife, who was now in a deep sleep (thankfully). Leaning closer (but not too close so as not to enrage her again), Lyra gently brushed Bonbon's mane out of her eyes.

"I know Nurse Redheart said it's most likely because of your condition but... I can't help but worry." Lyra said to the sleeping cream colored mare.

Chapter 3

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Tootsie Flute and Ruby Pinch watched as Dinky moved the die with her magic.

Three dots looked up at the three unicorns.

A yellow glow surrounded Dinky's piece, making it move three boxes ahead. Dinky grinned while she made her piece move up a set of stairs that was on the last box it landed on.

"Aw mare! I can't believe that you got another stair! It's like this game keeps making you win!" Ruby Pinch said, pointing a hoof at Dinky.

"Weww, it's not my fauwt that I keep suggesting this game." Dinky responded.

Tootsie couldn't hold back her little chuckle. Fortunately, neither of her friends minded, not even Pinchy.

"Okay, maybe we can play another game! I'm sure we've got something besides Stairs and Serpents." Ruby Pinch said while using her magic to put all the parts back into the game's box. Once every piece was stored safely in the box, the unicorn trio trotted over to the shelf filled with other boardgames.

"Maybe we can try Monarchy?" Tootsie Flute suggested while pointing at a box that had a picture of a smiling white unicorn with a mustache and top hat.

"We already tried that two days ago, let's play something we never tried ever." Ruby Pinch responded.

Suddenly, Dinky hopped in place happily, hoof pointed at a box. "Oh! Oh! Let's twy that one! It's pwobably about astwonomy! It's gotta staw inside a ciwcle--" Dinky's suggestion was cut off by a blue aura of magic levitating the box. The three fillies looked back to see Colgate standing by the room's entrance.

For a second, her face looked worried. But after levitating the box away from the three, she returned to her usual dentist's smile. "Hey you three! I didn't know today was game day! Also Ruby, what did we say about Mommy's box with the circle-star?" The blue unicorn asked her stepdaughter.

Ruby sighed then said, "Don't think about it."

"Good, and hi Tootsie and Dinky~! Nice to see you two over!" Colgate said.

Tootsie raised an eyebrow as she saw Colgate levitate the box to a chest, then proceeded to lock it. Since it wasn't important now, the pale blue filly shrugged it off.

Colgate trotted over then hugged Ruby before giving her a small kiss on the forehead. "Mom! My friends are heeeere!" The pink filly responded while rubbing her forehead. Colgate simply giggled as an overjoyed Dinky embraced her.

"Auntie Cowgate! Dizzy's gotta woose tooth now! When can you puww it off?!" Dinky asked.

"I'll see what I can do dear. But remember, I can't make exceptions just because you two are my nieces." Colgate said.

Looking over to the trio member she hadn't greeted yet, Colgate smiled at Tootsie. "Hey there Tootsie Flute. How's your mommy been doing?" she asked kindly.

"Oh! She's still in bed. But momma says she just has to rest and get taken care of then it'll all be done~!" Tootsie responded. Dinky's eyes looked off in different directions out of confusion at her friend's statement.

"Uh...sowwy Tootsie, but who's mommy and who's momma again?" The purple unicorn asked.

"Mommy's Bonbon. Momma's Lyra." Tootsie said patiently while she levitated her saddlebag.

"Oh yeah, Mrs. Colgate, my Momma wanted to give you this..."

===

"I know it's partially my fault but I hate this. I feel all hot. My stomach keeps asking for food. My head feels nauseous. And to top it all off, the electric fan broke down!" Bonbon said while Lyra used her magic to fan the frustrated earth pony.

"Come on Bonny, you know what Nurse Redheart said. Just a few more weeks of resting and this'll all be done and we can go back to all the happy family bonding." Lyra responded then kissed Bonbon on the cheek.

The mint unicorn's magic wasn't only in making golden hands out of her aura. It seemed that Lyra Heartstrings could also magically get rid of her wife's grumpiness for Bonbon's frown melted away after the kiss. In place of the frown, was a smile. A tired and small one, but still a smile.

"I'll be here with you for the whole day. I'm sure the band found a sub for me." Lyra said while getting more pillows from the closet.

"Well, if they did, I bet it took a long time. It's not always easy finding a replacement for the best." Bonbon said lovingly. This prompted a smile and another kiss on the cheek from Lyra. Lyra would've been happy to give her a full kiss, but Bonbon's condition made her think it probably wasn't the best choice for now.

===

Somewhere in Canterlot...

The conductor groaned and rubbed his forehead with his hoof. "I knew accepting that pink earth pony's offer was a bad idea! Even if we were desperate!"

As if on command, Pinkie Pie bursted through the door while riding a vicious bird-fish hybrid.

"HI EVERYPONY! I'M HERE FOR THE REHEARSAL! YOU SURE HAVE GOT A WEIRD SHOW FOR TODAY!" The probably psychotic pink pony said while her strange steed screeched and flew around the auditorium.

Screams filled the room as ponies ducked.

"WHY IN FAUST'S NAME DID YOU BRING THAT THING IN HERE!?" the conductor yelled.

"You wanted a harpie, so here's a harpie~!" Pinkie responded.

"I SAID HARPIST! HARPIIIIIST!!!"

===

"Well to be honest babe, anything's better than Canterlot. The ponies there are all either stuffy or boring." Lyra said while she levitated a glass of juice to Bonbon's side table.

"I'm pretty sure those are just stereo--"

"I'm not kidding. They may be all high class and rich, but they can't tell the damn difference between a harp and a lyre." Lyra said while sipping from her own glass. The unicorn frowned a bit from just even mentioning her original home. Bonbon quickly took notice of her wife's sudden change in mood, making her take initiative.

"Hey now, I made the same mistake when you got your cutie mark. But you told me, and now I learned something new that day. Those upper-class snobs, on the other hand, are really hard-headed. It's why you're now here in Ponyville, dear~" Bonbon said while hugging Lyra.

"You say the sweetest things, Bonny." Lyra responded with a smile.

"Well, my name is Sweetie Drops." Bonbon said with a wink.

Lyra chuckled a bit, she loved it whenever her wife made some small mentions of her second life as a secret agent. Though admittedly, that was quite far behind her now since there wasn't much for the organization to do.

Wanting to pass the time, Lyra decided to knit a little something. Levitating her basket of yarn beside her, the unicorn got her two needles and set out to work. Bonbon giggled a bit watching her wife get so engrossed in making fuzzy socks that were dark orange "Lyra, are you sure she'll need another? Tootsie has already a dozen of those."

"You can never have too many socks! And besides, this isn't for our little Flute..." Lyra responded, a small grin on her face.

"Oh honey, Twist doesn't like socks.You know that." Bonbon said.

"It's not for Twist either, it's for that grey pegasus colt." Lyra answered, grin slightly bigger.

Bonbon noticed the grin too, it was Lyra's scheming grin. Usually, Bonbon's response would be a hoof to the face. But such a reaction was reserved for Lyra's human-related antics being the cause of said grin.

"Crackle Pop? Now why would you be making Derpy's son--Ohhhh..."

Silence and unbroken focus on the knitting (plus the grin) confirmed Bonbon's theory. "I see the way he looks at our daughter. That colt is smitten with Tootsie. But since our dear Derpy raised him to be a gentlecolt, he's not going to make a move until our little Flute will make one. And we all know that Tootsie is even shyer with him."

Bonbon sighed, a smile on her face. "Now, while they are quite cute together, I think it's best we leave this for Tootsie to take care of. I also want them to admit it to each other dear, but we can't keep doing everything for our daughter." Bonbon said, hoof over Lyra's.

"At least let me finish, if I leave it incomplete, it's gonna drive me mad." Lyra responded.

Chuckling, Bonbon pulled the blanket closer to herself. "Sure thing." With that, the cream pony shut her eyes back into Luna's realm.

Chapter 4

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The hearth was warm and gave off an orange inviting glow.

Tootsie lay on the floor, coloring a drawing of her and Crackle. Seated on her favorite armchair in her favorite position, Lyra gently strummed her favorite instrument with her eyes closed. Meanwhile, Bonbon rested on the couch as she read a Ronald Dole novel.

Lyra looked over to her daughter's drawing and smiled a bit. Putting the lyre down, she got off her armchair and made a little announcement. "Why don't we have our nightly camping tonight? Wouldn't you two like that?" The unicorn lyreist asked with a smile.

Tootsie perked up and immediately stopped drawing. "Really? Tonight? Even with Mommy's condition?" Tootsie asked while looking over to her Mommy Bonbon.

Bonbon simply nodded and smiled. "I'm feeling a bit better now sweetie so I guess it's okay. Besides, it's been awhile since we've done that and I miss it", The earth pony then got up and trotted over to her wife. The response elicited a squeal from Tootsie.

"Then it's settled. Tonight is camp night!" Lyra said while raising her forehoof as her daughter did a happy little dance.

===

Tootsie wiggled into the pillow fort she and her mothers had finished setting up. Waiting for her inside, Lyra and Bonbon were spreading out lots of blankets.

"I still don't know why you call it 'camping' when it's done indoors and with a pillow fort at that!" Bonbon said with a giggle.

"Eh, I couldn't find another word." Lyra admitted, smiling once she saw her daughter.

"What're we gonna do this time Momma? Share stories? Puppet shows? Play I Spy~???" Tootsie asked, unable to contain her excitement. Lyra chuckled then went over to her.

"Tootsie, we've been over this. We can't play I Spy since it wouldn't be that fun in here." Lyra said with a hoof around her daughter. Tootsie's ears flopped down in disappointment.

"Aww, then what are we gonna do this time Momma?" the pale filly asked, trotting over to her favorite blanket that Bonbon just spread out.

"We'll just chat and share stories, sweetie" Bonbon replied, hoof on her daughter's back.

===

"And then TB ended up landing headfirst into a cloud!" Tootsie laughed while sharing what had happened that day. Lyra chuckled from imagining Tornado Bolt squirming around, head literally in the clouds. Bonbon chuckled too, though it was quieter in her case.

"So me n' Alula had to try to pull her out. Alula kept worrying about how Tornado's mom would react." Tootsie Flute continued.

"I bet she got cross with her husband" Lyra suggested.

"Next time, I'm gonna tell TB to be more careful!" Tootsie said.

Lyra chuckled a bit, then realized something with Tootsie's story. "Wait...you said you tried pulling Tornado Bolt out of the cloud...does that mean you were in Cloudsdale?" The question made the little unicorn bow her head down in shame once she caught on to what her mother figured out.

"Yes Momma..." Tootsie replied.

Lyra sighed then crossed her forehooves together, "Tootsie, what did we say about the cloud walking spell?"

"Don't try it unless I'm with a grown-up pegasus or unicorn I trust", Tootsie responded.

"That's right. But why did you do it anyway?" Lyra asked.

"I kept practicing it this week and I finally got the hang of it today Momma! Can't I at least try it on my own now that I got it?" Lyra's daughter asked pleadingly, purple eyes giving into her mother's golden ones the pitiful look.

Normally, Lyra would try two options.

The first option was to ask Bonbon's opinion or choice on the matter. But upon looking at her side, Lyra saw that her wife had fallen asleep, probably not too long after contributing to the chuckles earlier.

Time for option two, Lyra thought.

"Ohhh, how can I stay upset at you when you look at me like that?!" Lyra said whole hugging her daughter. "I'm gonna let you off this time but I'll have to tell Mommy about this, okay Tootsie?" Lyra continued on, hoof gently stroking Tootsie's mane.

"Okay, I understand Momma" Tootsie said, sighing happily while snuggling into her mother's embrace. It was both a sigh of relief and a sigh of contentedness. It had been so long since they could all just have their family moments like this one.

Ever since that fateful visit to the clinic, Tootsie found herself not spending as much time with her mothers as she used to. Bonbon was confined to within the house and Lyra made herself extra busy with work and taking care of her wife. It didn't help that with it now being summer, Tootsie wouldn't at least be occupied with school and the like.

"Hey, do you still wanna stay up Tootsie?" Lyra asked her daughter softly. Tootsie replied with a nod, which Lyra returned with a smile.

Even if Bonbon was asleep, Tootsie could still have parent bonding time. And as long as there was still parent bonding time, the unicorn filly would be happy.

===

Tootsie held up the kaleidoscope flashlight, watching as its beam of light presented a wonderful variety of shadows of different shapes and sizes.

"You know, I've always wondered why you love that thing so much", Lyra asked with amusement. Her daughter being fascinated or interested in things in certain ways was always cute to her. One such fascination was with onesies, but Tootsie immediately outgrew that.

"Cuz it reminds me of the ponies I love", Tootsie replied. Lyra raised an eyebrow up, a bit surprised by her daughter's answer. Then again, Tootsie was a bit eccentric for her age. Not that this stopped Lyra from asking another question.

"Oh? And how does it remind you these ponies?" Lyra asked.

"Well, it gives light, just like the ponies I love. Whenever I get sad, you or Mommy brighten up my day~! Or, that time when I was upset that Twist liked somepony else, but then Dinky cheered me up. Or that other time I got my cutie mark, and then Crackle and I celebrated by going to Sugarcube Corner. And and uh their shapes and sizes...well, they're all different and unique, like the ponies I love."

As soon as Tootsie was finished with her answer, Lyra felt a warm glow of sorts in her chest. It really filled her with joy to hear how much her daughter appreciated not just her and Bonbon's love, but that of others. This was enough to cause an emotional reaction that consisted of happy tears and a runny nose.

Meanwhile, Tootsie just kept staring up at the unique shadows her flashlight casted. Her ears perked up when she heard the sniffing. "Momma, are you okay? Do you have a cold?" Tootsie asked, concerned and innocently unaware of what her mother was really doing.

"No, no. I'm fine Tootsie, just just..." Lyra moved closer to her daughter then wrapped a forehoof around her.

"Sleep now kid, tomorrow's another day."

Chapter 5

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Bedridden Bonbon Chapter Five

Tootsie inspected the flowers carefully.

Hmmm, can't be this...it's not Mommy's favorite..oh! There it is!

Pulling out the single petunia hiding among the daisies, Tootsie felt pleased with herself. As she trotted to where she and her Mommy Bonbon were having a picnic, she sang a song her Momma Lyra taught her.

The sea and sky are a brilliant blue
The grass and leaves are an emerald green
Birds chirp and fish swim as the flowers grew
It is time for spring so the pegasi shall preen

Tootsie couldn't go on because she forgot the rest of the song, but it didn't matter now. Her Mommy Bonbon was now within her view, lying down on their picnic blanket.
Though a short trip from the flowers to the picnic area was to be expected. They were having a picnic in their garden after all.

Her Momma Lyra wished to join them, but the conductor sent a letter stating that he wouldn't want to risk another "harpie fiasco" (whatever that meant). This meant that Lyra had no other choice but to attend the next rehearsal, unless she wanted to lose her job that is.

So it was now just Mommy and Tootsie.

Not that Tootsie minded. Being an understanding filly, she knew that her Momma was needed. Besides, quality time with Mommy Bonbon had been scarce lately.

"I found your favorite flowers Mommy!", Tootsie said while she levitated the petunias to Bonbon.

"Thank you sweetie, the shop could really use some more decorations", Bonbon replied with a gentle smile.

Snuggling up to her Mommy's side, Tootsie got a jelly donut from the basket. Taking a bite out of the donut, she watched the clouds pass by.

"That one looks like a duck~!" Tootsie said energetically, free hoof pointing at a cloud.

"Huh. It looks like a rabbit to me" Bonbon responded after looking up.

"Really? Then can we call it a rabbit-duck or duck-rabbit cloud?" Tootsie suggested.

Bonbon giggled then rubbed her daughter's head lovingly, "You can call it whatever you like Tootsie~"

Tootsie grinned, jelly and donut bits all over her teeth. Bonbon got a napkin then wiped her mouth. This caused the filly to chuckle a bit in between protests of her being old enough to do it herself.

===

somewhere in Cloudsdale ...

"Eh, I say it looks like a bunny", Crackle Pop said while tilting his head a bit.

"Nuh-uh! It's definitely a duck!", Rumble replied.

"Hey Mom! What's this supposed to be?!", Crackle asked with his hoof pointed at the painting.

"It's an optical illusion, so it's basically two things Crackle-Muffin", Derpy responded from the living room. The two colts had been arguing about it for the past hour, so she was fully aware what exactly they were arguing about.

"Huh...cool, so these paintings really inspire your Mom for cloud making?" Rumble asked.

"Yeah, wanna go see the one with the three mules sharing ears?" Crackle said.

After a nod from Rumble, the two friends walked on to find the aforementioned painting.

===

"How come my cousin Sunny Strings gets to have wings while I get a horn?" Tootsie asked, leaning against her Mommy's belly (she was careful not to lean too much so as not to upset it).

"Because she has more pegasi genes dear. Skyra and Bons are both pegasi so it's quite expected for their foals to also be the same." Bonbon replied, watching more clouds but still paying attention to her daughter.

"How come Aunt Skyra and Aunt Bons Away get to be pegasi then, Mommy?" Tootsie asked, gently climbing onto her mommy's back.

"Aunt Skyra takes after Grandpa Harper Chord more sweetie. And my sister took after our grandfather" Bonbon answered, now reading the latest Ronald Dole book.

"Genetics can be so weird..." Tootsie said. She was now sliding off her Mommy's back.

"Sweetie, what's with all these questions about our family genes and whatnot? You usually didn't pay any mind to that till now. Not that it's a bad thing, I'm just wondering about the sudden curiosity." Bonbon questioned her daughter, now halfway through her book.

"I'm a kid mom! Curiosity is gonna be expected! And lots of it even, Miss Cheerliee herself says so!" Tootsie responded, now climbing onto her Mommy's head this time.

"Heh, I hope you never stop getting curious sweetie~" Bonbon said, looking up at her daughter, rather literally too.

"Really? But I thought my questions annoyed you and Momma." Tootsie asked as she rested her hooves on top of her Mommy's ears.

Hearing this from her daughter, Bonbon couldn't help but get a little sad. Four weeks ago, Harper Chord had come over to visit. It wasn't the most pleasant of visits and the things he had said left quite the impact on Tootsie. One of these things was about noisy foals being a nuisance and quiet foals being well-behaved.

Bonbon contemplated on the straining relationship of their family with the elderly pegasus. As Bonbon did so, Tootsie hopped off her dual colored curls then faced her.

"Oh Tootsie...they never did, and it's a good thing even that you have lots of them.", Bonbon said after some more contemplation. Tootsie cocked her head to the side a bit and perked one ear up.

"Why is it so good Mommy? Won't asking too much questions end up landing me in trouble?" Tootsie asked.

"It's good because it means you want to learn more, and always wanting to learn more will bring you farther in life. Trust me and your momma when we say that it's good to ask questions all the time."

===

Somewhere in Canterlot...

"So give me the deets. What's doing it like with Bonbon in her uh...current state and stuff?" Vinyl asked, shades near the tip of her nose and eyebrows wiggling a bit.

"For the last time Vinyl, I'm not gonna tell you that...so please stop asking those questions." Lyra replied with annoyance.

But it seemed that the unicorn DJ wasn't going to give up yet.

"Okay okay, I understand...so...new topic, if you were to say...think of how to--"

Vinyl's question was cut off by a sudden slap to the mouth with some duct tape through some golden magic aura. After seeing that she had managed to keep her friend quiet, Lyra went back to peacefully eating her sandwich.

===

"Will Aunt Blueberry bring CC with her when she comes over?" Tootsie asked while she used her magic to stir the lemonade she was making.

"Probably, but we can't be completely sure. Your cousin's been a bit preoccupied with trying to earn his cutie mark. And he's very intent on making sure it's not going to be an 'embarrassing one.'" Bonbon replied while she arranged the cookies on the plate.

Blueberry Curls, unlike Bonbon's other siblings, didn't live in Ponyville. Instead, the eldest of Bonbon's siblings lived in Manehattan with her chubby little son. Not that this stopped Bonbon from keeping in touch with her.

"What do you mean an 'embarrassing one', cutie marks are cool in different ways!" Tootsie responded, her mommy's last statement gaining the most attention.

Bonbon sighed then simply patted her daughter in the head. The pale blue unicorn filly already had an enstranged relationship with her grandfather on Lyra's side. What more if it was the same with the one on Bonbon's side?

"I'll explain when the time's right but for now, can you please help mommy by getting the tea set?" Bonbon said kindly.

"Okay! But what about the lemonade? I made it for all of us!" Tootsie said.

Bonbon mentally choked on her guilt, then explained to her daughter that her cousin would probably want to have lots of lemonade. In truth, she didn't have the heart to tell Tootsie that her lemonade was seriously lacking in sugar.

"Alright~!" Tootsie responded, levitating the lemonade pitcher to the living room.

Bonbon breathed a sigh of relief then looked up at the clock.

It wouldn't be too long till Blueberry Curls would arrive.