Love or Lies?

Lyra galloped hard, running as fast as she could through the dense forest. She ignored the aching pain in her legs and the cold, stinging sensation on her cheeks as she pressed on. Her horn glowed with a bright golden aura, helping to illuminate her path as she weaved through the trees, quickly approaching the cabin.

“PLEASE DON’T HATE EACH OTHER! I’M SO SORRY!” Lyra yelled as the cabin came into view. She could see that the lights were on, which could be a good sign. But there was something off about the dwelling that made her slow her approach.

Her eyes widened in horror once she noticed the now completely open entryway. The front door looked like it was ripped off its hinges and cracked in half. Both pieces lay in the snow only a few feet away from the cabin. She could barely sense her spell, which meant that the barrier must have been down for a while now.

Did some monster rip the door off and attack Chris and Bon Bon?!

Lyra’s heart pounded in her chest and she jumped into a wild sprint. “CHRIS! BONNY!” she cried as she leaped through the doorway and skidded into the living room, almost running into the dining table. She quickly stopped herself and stepped back a bit, noticing that the table was different now. It was completely covered with a red cloth and had two melted candles on top, with a bucket of water next to it. There was also an empty wine bottle floating in the center of the bucket.

"Wh-what?" Lyra whimpered in confusion, but was snapped back to reality once the sound of skipping music invaded her ears.

"CHRIS, BONNY! WHERE ARE YOU!?" she shouted into the empty room as she looked around, seeing that the bedroom door was broken into as well. She gasped in horror at the sight and bolted into the room, half-expecting to find two lifeless bodies in there, but there was nothing. The bed was a mess and Bon Bon's saddle bags were in the corner of the room. If they left the cabin then why wouldn't they take their belongings with them? They had to still be in here somewhere.

Lyra ran out of the bedroom and headed down into the basement, frantically calling for her loved ones between her heavy breathing. She received no answer, finding the basement just as empty as the rest of the cabin.

"Where are they?" Lyra whimpered in a shaky voice as she dashed up the stairs, almost tripping herself in her hysteria. She checked the bathroom before heading into the kitchen pantry, finding both areas completely empty.

Lyra walked out of the pantry scared out of her mind, but stopped when she noticed the aquarium that she used for her old pet fish sitting on the kitchen counter. She moved closer to investigate and could see a fairly large and white fluffy spider that was looking right at her in the tank. The strange arachnid was waving a foreleg at her.

"What in all of Equestria are you doing here?! Bonny hates spiders!" Lyra half shouted before turning around and quickly trotting into the living room again. She looked around frantically and saw Chris’s backpack tipped over on the floor next to the couch. Some of his clothes were scattered around, but why would both Bon Bon and Chris leave their things behind if they left?

Lyra also saw her old phonograph on the floor that was still playing one of her swing records, but the song kept skipping as the needle jumped around. Why was that even out?

There was a small fire in the hearth as well, but it was already starting to die down. It was obvious that Chris and Bon Bon left the cabin in a hurry. They must have left recently, but where did they go? Something horrible must have driven them out, but what?

Lyra ran out into the cold winter night and lit up her horn. She inspected the shattered remains of the front door that were lying in the snow. She wasn't even sure what she was looking for, but there had to be some clue that told her where they went or what happened. Nothing jumped out at her until she turned her head to the snow and discovered a single set of tracks, separate from her own, that lead away from the cabin. She must have missed seeing them in her panic when she ran into the cabin. The trail seemed to be heading straight into Ponyville and followed the path where the snow was the thinnest.

"That must be them!" Lyra shouted as she charged off, following the trail. She ran on through the night, ignoring her body's pesky pleas for rest. She couldn’t stop now, not if the ones she loved were in danger. The bright street lamps of Ponville started to come into view, helping to light her way as the trail turned to the right, heading away from her loved ones’ homes. Why wouldn't they head right home? Where could they be going?

Lyra looked up and stopped completely when she realized where the trail was taking her. Her eyes widened, and her pupils constricted into small dots as she gazed at the large, white and terrifying hospital building that was only a short distance away from her. "N-no..." she whimpered helplessly as her mind instantly thought of all the worst possible scenarios imaginable. Her heart sank into her stomach and she started to feel light headed. Her vision blurred for a moment and she nearly toppled over, but she caught herself before she could fall.

"No!" Lyra shouted, bursting into a frantic gallop, heading straight for the hospital entrance. ‘Please be okay! PLEASE JUST BE ALRIGHT!’ she thought to herself as she ran. She slammed into the double doors and slid into the large waiting room before coming to a complete stop. Her body tried desperately to fill her lungs with much needed oxygen as she quickly looked around, hoping to see her lovers in the waiting room, safe and sound. Her sights instantly fell upon Chris, who was sitting on an empty bench with his head in his hands. She should have felt relieved to see him, even excitement or joy, but all she could feel now was fear.

Where was Bon Bon?

“C-Chris,” Lyra called softly in a scratchy, hoarse voice, barely audible to her own ears.

Chris moved his head up slightly, as if he was surprised to hear his named being called. He slowly moved his hands away from his face and looked towards Lyra. She could see the tears trailing down his cheeks and the fear in his eyes. He smiled briefly as if he was happy to see her, but his happy expression soon melted into a more neutral and unreadable one. He slowly got up and walked over to Lyra, keeping his eyes locked with hers.

Lyra froze in place and her ears fell flat as she tried desperately to form words, but only soft whimpers and heavy panting managed to escape her lips. She had so much that she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry, that she loved him, and ask where Bon Bon was, but nothing came out. Her breathing slowed down as they continued to stare into each other's eyes.

"Why?" Chris finally asked after an agonizing silence that lasted for what felt like hours.

Lyra felt a sharp stinging pain shoot through her heart at his question. She could feel all of Chris’s anger and disappointment just from the tone in his voice, and it ripped at her very core. Tears started to well in her eyes and her mouth felt dry as she tried desperately to answer him. Her mouth opened and her lips quivered, but she could only manage to make a few soft whimpering sounds. What could she even say?

Chris’s frowned deeply when he didn’t receive his answer. “Why, Lyra?” he asked again, louder this time. “Was this really the only way? Couldn’t we have sat down like adults and talked things out?”

Lyra knew what her older self would have said to that, but she knew it wasn’t right. She bit her bottom lip and took a step back, hanging her head low and averting her eyes away from him as tears started to stream down her cheeks.

Chris scowled and clenched his teeth together in anger. He balled his fists up tightly before opening his mouth like he was going to say more, but hesitated as a tear rolled down his cheek. He glared at her for a moment before shutting his eyes and turning his head away. “Bonny…” he started to say, but paused as his fists started to relax. “Bonny was... hurt in the cabin, Lyra.”

Lyra whipped her head up. “Wh-wh-wha...” she whimpered softly as she tried to reply.

“She broke her ankle,” Chris said flatly, looking back to Lyra with a somber expression.

Lyra sat back on her haunches in shock. “N-no… no…” she muttered softly, shaking her head in disbelief at his words. Her stomach twisted into a sickening knot, making her want to throw up.

“Did you even think about what would happen if one of us got hurt or sick?!” Chris asked loudly, scowling at her. “What do you think would’ve happened if we couldn’t get out?! Did you ever think about that?! Was that in your little plan, Lyra?!”

Lyra sat there, speechless. That thought never once crossed her mind when she planned to put them together. How could she have overlooked something as important as their safety? Why did she ever think this plan would work, and why did she put her loved ones in so much danger!?

“I-I, I… I-I... ” Lyra sobbed helplessly, clenching her eyes shut tightly as tears poured freely down the side of her face. She messed up more than she could have ever imagined. There wasn’t anything she could do to make up for what she did and now... her loved ones hated her.

"How could you think forcing us into a small space with no way out was a good idea?" Chris asked dryly. "What were you thinking?"

Lyra started to whimper, desperately trying to hold back more of her tears as she sat there in front of Chris. “Y-you... hate me now,” she sobbed in a whisper, hanging her head in shame.

This was it… Her fear was now a reality. It was all over now.

She pushed the ones she loved away thanks to her reckless actions. Her plan to get Chris and Bon Bon together failed and there was nothing she could ever do to save her relationships with them. She had to run away from here and go somewhere far, far away where she couldn't endanger her loved ones’ lives anymore. Maybe she should just turn herself in to Twilight and confess everything. If she was lucky, then Twilight would banish her to Tartarus where her lovers would be safe from her.

Lyra was about to get up and bolt out of the hospital, but something large surrounded and embraced her, pulling her into its warmth. Wasting no time, she quickly latched onto Chris, wrapping her forelegs around his barrel and pressed her cheek into his chest. Her tears streamed down endlessly, staining his nice button down shirt as she cried out, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean for this to happen! I love you! I love you both and now you hate me!”

Chris held her tightly and rested his head on her and he rubbed her back reassuringly. “I don’t hate you, Lyra."

"You do! You both do!" Lyra sobbed loudly between her cries. "There's nothing I can do to make this right! I pushed you away!"

"You didn’t push me away," Chris reassured her firmly. "I love you.”

“I love you too!” Lyra cried in a shout that she couldn’t control and let out everything she ever wanted to say to him. “I love you both so much! Please forgive me! I’m so sorry!” She squeezed him tightly as if he would drift away at any moment and buried her head into his shoulder. “I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry!”

Chris’s grip on Lyra tightened, pressing her into his body. He rubbed her back, letting a long moment pass by them as he slowly rocked back and forth.

Lyra’s cries started to slowly die down as she took in the calming warmth of his body, letting herself be lulled by the gentle rocking motions he was making. She just wanted to stay there in his arms forever. “I’m... so sorry,” she repeated in a quiet whimper.

“You can't be doing stuff like this, Lyra,” Chris said sternly. “If we’re going to make this work, then we need to be able to talk to each other. No more secret plans or rash actions. We need to be able to work things out and find solutions together.”

“I’ll never do this again…” Lyra half babbled softly. “I don’t want to lose you two.”

“I don’t want to lose you either, Lyra. I love you, but we need to work this out. I need to know that you won't pull stunts like this anymore.”

Lyra sniffled and nodded her head in understanding. “I’m so sorry,” she mumbled quietly, almost to herself. They stayed like that, embracing each other on the floor in the center of the waiting room. Every pony in the hospital might be watching them, judging them or giving them dirty looks, but Lyra could care less. She was with Chris again and he was safe, but... what about Bon Bon?

“Is Bonny going to be okay?" Lyra asked in a soft whimper. "Please tell me she’s going to be alright.”

“She’s in surgery now,” Chris answered sadly. “The doctors wouldn’t tell me how bad it was. They just rushed her into the O.R.”

“Bonny has to be okay,” Lyra sobbed and shook her head as she pressed her face into Chris’s shoulder even harder. “She just has to be!”

Chris shut his eyes and ran his hand through Lyra's mane, helping her to calm herself.

This whole week had been a living nightmare. Lyra felt so tired and sore. Everything from her heart to her worn out muscles hurt. Her body and mind screamed at her to sleep, but she still couldn’t rest, not when Bon Bon was still in surgery. There was no way she could ever forgive herself if something awful happened to her. She should have never pushed Bon Bon and thrown her into a situation that she wasn’t comfortable with. But, what happened in the cabin? How did she manage to break her ankle? She was about to ask, but Chris started to push her back, locking eyes with her.

“Lyra, I need you to stay here and make sure Bonny’s okay. I have to go back to the cabin,” Chris stated in a somber tone with a deep frown.

“Wh-what?!” Lyra cried, grabbing onto his arm tightly. “N-no, no, no, no! Don’t leave! Please don’t leave me! I’ve missed you so much. Please don’t go!”

Chris placed his hand on Lyra’s cheek before leaning down to gently kiss her. She shut her tired eyes and leaned into his kiss, but before she could enjoy the moment, he pulled back. “Lyra, I’m not going to leave you. I love you and I promise I’ll be back shortly. But, I need you to stay here for Bonny.”

“But, why?!” Lyra half shouted, opening her eyes to look up at Chris as she squeezed his arm tighter. “Why do you have to go back to the cabin?”

“I have to pick up a friend.”

Bon Bon groaned, slowly rocking her pounding head left and right. Her whole body ached, but her back right leg hurt the most. There was a painful, sharp burning sensation there that wouldn't go away. She tried to open her eyes to see, but found that to be a difficult task. Her mind felt fuzzy, and she couldn't recall anything. The only thing she could really think about was the pain in her leg and the throbbing in her head.

She laid there for a moment, fighting the powerful urge to just go back to sleep before trying to move, but her body wouldn’t respond. Every muscle she had felt weak, like she’d just finished galloping a hundred miles uphill.

After a while, Bon Bon was able to crack one eye open, but her blurry vision made it hard to see. She closed her eye and moaned softly, before giving moving another shot. She managed to get her forelegs to respond and she raised her left one up and placed it on her temple, trying to sooth the powerful headache she had.

Bon Bon finally managed to open her eyes. Her vision started to focus, revealing an aqua colored room with a green ceiling. She looked down at her leg that was still hurting and saw that it was wrapped in a thick, pink cast. It was elevated up, suspended in the air by a sling that was connected to the bed.

“W-what?” Bon Bon mumbled quietly, then looked around for somepony that could tell her what happened. The room was completely empty with nopony in sight. She groaned, weakly rubbing a forehoof against her temple as she tried to think back.

Suddenly, the sound of soft tapping on glass broke her concentration. She frowned, glancing toward the source of the noise. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw an aquarium on the nightstand with a giant white spider in it. The frightening, but somehow familiar arachnid was up against the wall of the tank, looking at her worriedly.

Bon Bon studied the spider for a moment. She squinted her eyes as she tried to think back, but her foggy mind made that difficult. “S-Scary?”

“Oh, you’re awake!” a bright and cheerful voice called from the doorway, interrupting her thoughts.

Bon Bon looked over and saw a snow-white earth pony mare with a light pink mane approaching her bed.

“How are you feeling, Dearie?” the mare asked, checking the clipboard that was attached to end of the bed for a moment.

“Tired,” Bon Bon admitted weakly, taking her hoof off her forehead. “W-what happened?”

“You fractured your ankle pretty bad, sweetheart,” the earth pony said, placing the clipboard back before walking to the side of the bed. “We were able to repair the fracture with a small plate and a few pins, but you’ll need stay in the hospital for a few days so we can treat it with magic.”

Bon Bon moaned in response, closing her eyes as she tried to take in all this new information. “I… can’t... remember,” she half mumbled.

“You might have some temporary memory loss from the pain medication and healing spells we used on you. Your memory should start to return to you shortly,” the earth pony explained sweetly. “Do you remember me? I come by your shop a lot.”

Bon Bon opened her eyes again and looked to the white mare. Her clouded mind started to clear up a bit as her thoughts went back to her little candy shop. “Y-you’re… Nurse... Redheart?” she said, questioning her own answer, but started to remember more details about the earth pony. “You… you like those... chocolate-covered peppermint sticks I make.”

Redheart nodded her head. “You always have the best peppermint candies around, Bon Bon. I can never get enough of them,” she said with a friendly smile.

Bon Bon smiled at her comment. “T-thank you,” she said weakly, making a move to try and sit up more, but a sharp pain from her leg shot through her body, making her wince and fall back onto the bed.

“Careful, dear,” Redheart warned softly. “It’s best to just take it easy for now.”

Bon Bon nodded her head weakly in understanding.

Redheart turned and walked over to the end of the bed to inspect the pink cast for a moment before turning back to Bon Bon. “I’ll be looking after you today, so if you need anything at all, you can press that little red button on the wall next to you and I'll come down,” she explained, pointing a hoof to a spot on the wall next to her bed.

Bon Bon tilted her head to the side and saw the bright red button she was talking about.

Redheart picked up the clipboard at the end of the bed, then bit the pen that was attached to it before jotting down a few notes. After she made a few more scribbles, she placed it back on the end of the bed before speaking again. “Your, umm, tall friend brought you in last night. He’s in the waiting room right now.”

“Tall... friend?” Bon Bon questioned.

“Yes, he’s that, umm… what did Twilight call it,” Redheart said as she looked away and tapped a hoof on her chin. “Hoo-men? You know, that tall alien creature that moved into town? He stands on two legs like a minotaur,” she explained, looking back to Bon Bon. “Oh, I always forget his silly name. It sounds like ‘kiss’ or something.”

Bon Bon eyes widened as more of her memories started to return to her. “Y-you mean... Chris?”

“Yeah, that sounds right,” Redheart said, happily. “He brought in your little spider friend there too,” she said, looking towards the aquarium. “He said you’d really like to see him.”

“He did?” Bon Bon questioned, looking towards Scary.

Redheart nodded. “He’s with Lyra in the waiting room right now. They've both been worried sick about you.”

Bon Bon frowned as she started to remember everything that happened to her. The cabin, Chris, Lyra and even how she got to the hospital. “I… remember now,” she said sadly to herself.

“That’s good!" Redheart said with a bright smile. "It seems like your memory’s finally coming back. Would you like to see them now?”

“Wh-what?” Bon Bon asked, almost missing what Redheart said as she thought back to last night.

“Your friends. Should I send them in to see you?” Redheart asked softly. “They've been in the waiting room all night. I’m sure they would love to talk to you and make sure you're okay.”

That was a good question. Did she really want to see them right now?

Bon Bon looked away for a moment as she thought about what happened with Chris. She did have some questions for him, like how did they get out of the cabin so soon? They had at least six more days if she was remembering right. If the barrier spell was down, then why didn’t he tell her?

And what about Lyra?

Bon Bon still had no idea what to even say to her yet. She wanted to see them both, but after what happened, she just wasn’t sure if she should. Her mind was still feeling clouded, but there were so many questions floating around in her mind with no answers. She looked up after a while and saw Redheart giving her a worried look.

“Would you like me to send them in?” Redheart asked again.

Bon Bon sighed and forced a smile before she nodded her head.

Redheart smiled as well. “Okay, dear. I’ll tell them you're awake. You just take it easy now and don’t forget to call if you need anything.” She turned and started to walk out of the room. “I'll be back later today to help brief you on your medical treatment,” she added on her way out, closing the door softly behind her.

Bon Bon looked over to Scary, who was still staring at her with a worried look. “I'll be okay, Scary. I’m glad to see you’re here with me,” she said softly with a smile before frowning again. Her head was still killing her, but she couldn’t stop thinking about what happened yesterday. She just couldn’t understand how they were able to leave the cabin. Did Chris find a way out and not tell her?

She groaned, placing both hooves on her brow, then shut her eyes. It was so hard to think straight with her mind as fuzzy as it was. The urge to just go back to sleep overwhelmed her, but the sound of the door creaking open put a stop to that.

Bon Bon dropped her hooves down and opened her eyes to see Chris standing in the doorway―that was way too small for him―with a weary and saddened look in his eyes. He was still wearing the same dress shirt and pants that he wore on their date last night.

Lyra was in front of him, sitting back on her haunches with her hooves covering her mouth. Her eyes were glistening in the light with tears. Her mane was a disaster and it looked like she hadn’t slept in days.

"B-Bonny..." Lyra whimpered softly. “BONNY!” she shouted, galloping up to the bed before getting up and wrapping her hooves around Bon Bon's barrel, hugging her in an airtight death grip.

“H-AHH, Lyra!” Bon Bon shouted, wincing in pain.

Lyra immediately let go and rested her forelegs on the side of the bed. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you, I-I just―”

“It’s okay,” Bon Bon said softly, putting her hoof on top of Lyra’s forelegs. “My leg just... it really hurts right now,” she grunted, trying to get comfortable again.

Lyra quickly looked to her cast as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I'm so sorry, Bonny...” she whimpered softly, looking back at her. “I didn't mean for any of this to happen!” She clenched Bon Bon’s hoof in her own. “I-I was an idiot to think what I did was right. I should have never forced you to be with Chris like that!”

Bon Bon furrowed her brow sadly. She was about to say something, but Chris started to walk up to the bed, interrupting her train of thought. She watched him as he moved over to stand next to Lyra, staring at her cast sadly as he approached.

“How are you... feeling?” Chris asked in a sad and tired voice, looking back into her eyes.

Bon Bon forced a small smile. “I’ve… been better, but… I’ll be okay,” she tried to reassure him softly.

Chris let out a sad, deep sigh. “The doctor told me that you should be able to make a full recovery."

"That's... good..." Bon Bon replied awkwardly, trying to sound happy.

“I’ll never do this again! I promise!” Lyra half-shouted, cutting in as she gripped Bon Bon's hoof tighter. “I-If you don’t want to do the herd, then that’s okay! I love you and I want you in my life, even if we just remain friends. I-I don’t want to lose you.”

“L-Lyra… I-I... ” Bon Bon stuttered softly, unsure how else to respond. She still loved Lyra with all her heart and she cared for Chris, but with what happened yesterday… she was just so confused.

“I’m… really sorry, Bonny,” Chris said, walking a little closer to the bed. “This is all my fault…”

Bon Bon looked up at him with a frown. “N-no, it wasn’t your fault… I was having a lot of fun and we... we both just got carried away,” she admitted sadly.

Lyra blinked a few times, relaxing her grip on Bon Bon’s hoof. “Wh-what?” she whimpered in confusion, looking back and forth between Chris and Bon Bon. "Y-you had... fun?"

Chris sighed softly, rubbing his eyes with his hand. “I still feel responsible,” he admitted, dropping his hand to his side. "I'll make this up to you, I promise."

“It’s okay… really,” Bon Bon reassured him awkwardly, looking down and away from him. "It was... just an accident."

Lyra's eyes darted between Chris and Bon Bon as the room went quiet for a moment.

“W-why?” Bon Bon asked suddenly in a whisper. “Why didn’t... you tell me?”

Lyra looked up at Chris, perking her ears up at him, eagerly awaiting his response.

“I…” Chris started to say, but hesitated with a deep frown. “I just… I just wanted you to enjoy the day.”

Lyra’s eyes widened in surprise and twinkled in the light. She jerked her head over to Bon Bon, awaiting her response.

"But, why?" Bon Bon asked sounding confused, looking up at him again with a confused expression. "Don't you think I would have liked to know that we could leave?"

Lyra quickly turned her sights towards Chris again.

"I..." Chris paused, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "I wanted to give you a special day. Something fun and romantic with just the two of us before we went back."

Lyra gasped, covering her muzzle with her hooves in shock as her eyes darted between them. “R-romantic?” she muttered quietly behind her hooves.

Bon Bon didn’t hear or see Lyra’s reaction. Her mind was overwhelmed with conflicting thoughts. If what Chris was saying was true, then why keep it a secret? Did he think he could get lucky again? “I-If… if that's true… then why didn’t you tell me that? I would have understood and stayed with you.”

“I-I…” Chris started to say, but hesitated and looked away from a moment as if he trying to gather his thoughts. “I don't know, I just... I didn’t want you to have to stress about going back,” he tried to explain, softly. “I wanted you to relax and enjoy yourself and not worry about things.”

Bon Bon looked away from him as she thought to herself for a moment. Could she believe what Chris was saying? Sure, it sounded sweet and innocent enough, but so did Silver Wing all those years ago. She remembered all the things that Silver would say to her and how she thought he was the nicest stallion alive, but it was all an act. Was Chris just another Silver Wing waiting to happen?

That couldn’t be true… Chris was so sweet and kind hearted. His words felt so genuine and warm, but she used to think that about Silver too…

Bon Bon shut her eyes and groaned, causing both Chris and Lyra to flinch forward. “Bonny?!” they both called to her in concern.

“Are you okay?” Chris asked.

“I’m just…” Bon Bon started to say, but paused and opened her eyes to look back at Chris. “H-how long… How long was the spell down for? Was it… was it before we… we―”

“No,” Chris answered quickly, interrupting her. “I didn’t find out until the very next morning. It was right after you tried to cook breakfast.”

“W-what?!” Lyra shouted as her head quickly darted back and forth between them. “Wait, what do you mean? What did you two do?”

Bon Bon’s mind was overwhelmed with so many questions now. If Chris was keeping the spell being down a secret from her, then what else could he have lied about? That thought scared her more than anything. How much of what Chris told her in the cabin was real?

Was the whole cabin a lie?

Bon Bon whimpered sadly at that thought. She didn’t want to believe it, but it seemed so possible. The whole cabin could have all been a part of Lyra’s plan to get her to agree to the herd and Chris could have been playing along. He seemed so perfect for her, almost too perfect. Not only that, but the spell that Lyra put up could have just been a clever ruse. She never once tried to open the door herself to see if it was still in effect after the first day. Maybe it wasn’t real…

‘No! That couldn't be true!’ Bon Bon thought to herself as she bit her lip, clenching her eyes shut tightly. There is no way Lyra of all ponies would do that to her… But, she was so persistent about Chris being right for her. She very well could have… ‘NO!’

Bon Bon placed both her hooves on her temples as her headache deepened and tears started to well in her eyes. “I’m just… so confused,” she whimpered sadly, almost to herself.

“I’m really sorry about lying to you like I did,” Chris apologized, kneeling down next to the bed. “It was wrong of me, and I shouldn’t have done that. I should have told you like you said.”

“Chris means well, Bonny,” Lyra said, cutting in. “He would never hurt you.”

“I…” Bon Bon tried to say, but stopped herself. She didn’t know what to say to Chris or Lyra right now. The fear of Chris becoming another Silver Wing consumed her mind. She didn’t want to go through that pain again. There was just so much uncertainty, and she didn’t know whether to believe Chris or Lyra at this point.

“Bonny,” Lyra called to her, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“Was… was it all a lie?” Bon Bon whimpered sadly, taking her hooves away from her temple to look up at Chris. “Was anything you said in the cabin true?”

“W-what?” Chris asked confused. “Of course it was... I wouldn’t lie to you about any of that.”

“E-even the stuff about your family and you wanting a foal some day?” Bon Bon asked weakly. “O-or did Lyra just tell you that I wanted a foal of my own, so you made that up to make me happy?”

“W-what?!” Chris shouted in shock. “Wait, you want―”

“Wh-what about you loving to cook and wanting to work with me?” Bon Bon whimpered sadly. “Was that a lie, too? Were you just trying to impress me?”

“How can you say that!?” Chris asked loudly, dumbfounded. “Everything I told you in the cabin was true!”

Bon Bon groaned softly and averted her eyes. She couldn’t believe what she was saying, but she felt so hurt and betrayed. “I just… I’m sorry, but I need to be alone…” she whimpered sadly.

“Alone!?” Chris questioned in disbelief. “Bonny, please just talk to us. You always try to isolate yourself like this when you're scared or confused, but we can talk about this. We can work this out together! Please, I’m so sorry about how I lied to you, but everything I told you in the cabin was real! My feelings for you are real!”

Lyra jerked her head towards Chris and her eyes lit up at his words.

Bon Bon shook her head slightly, not sure how to respond. Her mind was such a mess now, and she couldn’t make coherent thoughts anymore. She still had feelings for Chris, but wasn’t that the problem? She didn’t want to get hurt a second time.

“Bonny, please just talk to me! You don’t have to be alone anymore. We can work this out," Chris almost begged, sounding disheartened. "I care about you, and I want us to work.”

Bon Bon winced at his words. Silver Wing said the same thing before he... used her. "Chris... I just... I really need to be alone right now."

"You... you don't trust me... do you?" Chris asked softly in disbelief. "A-after everything we've been through together, you're just going to shut me out… just like that?"

“Please, just leave," Bon Bon whimpered softly, not daring to meet his eyes.

"Bonny... I..." Chris said in confusion, but paused as he clinched his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose before he rubbed his tired eyes with his fingertips. He dropped his hand down and stood up quickly. "If you want to be alone, then fine," he said firmly. "I'm sorry for what I did, but I'm not going to give up on you." With that, he turned and walked out of the room.

"Chris, wait!" Lyra shouted reaching a hoof out to him, but he was already out of the door. She turned to face Bon Bon again with a demoralized look. "Bonny, what happened in the cabin?"

"Leave Lyra," Bon Bon said flatly, still looking away.

"Chris cares about you. Couldn't you see that?” Lyra questioned, moving a little closer, gently placing her hoof on Bon Bon’s chest. “Didn't you see how hurt he was? He... he lo―”

“You know, I have half a mind to report you to Twilight for what you did!” Bon Bon snapped in anger, jerking her head towards Lyra with a deep scowl.

Lyra quickly pulled her hoof back and stared at her in shock, but frowned sadly and hung her head. "You’re right... you could, and maybe you should..." She looked over to Bon Bon's cast. "Maybe that's what I deserve."

Bon Bon frowned at her friend’s despairing words and sighed deeply. "I'm... sorry Lyra… I just need to be alone. Please, just go."

Lyra looked back to Bon Bon and stared at her with a worn out and desolate expression. She opened her mouth, as if she was going to say something, but stopped and shut it. Without saying another word, she turned around and slowly made her way to the door. She stopped just in front of the open entryway and turned her head to look back for a moment. “I’m… the one that should be sorry,” she admitted. “I just want you to know that… no matter what happens now… I love you.” She turned back and walked out, closing the door behind her.

Bon Bon stared at the door for a moment. She felt a tear run down the side of her cheek, and she sniffled as she looked around the dark and quiet room. Her sights fell upon Scary, who was looking at the door. He slowly turned around and looked up at her with a sad and disheartened look in his small eyes. She frowned and sighed. “He... lied to me, Scary… They both could have lied,” she tried to explain herself to him, but it only served to make her feel worse.

She groaned, looking away from Scary before shutting her eyes. Maybe she could think more clearly once her body and mind were well rested. She tried to rest, but the room felt so cold and eerily empty all of the sudden, making sleep a difficult task.

Maybe… she made a mistake.

Author's Notes:

I'm sorry this short chapter took me so long to write... I was really struggling with it.

Poor Bon Bon. She's so confused and still can't let things go with Silver Wing. Hasn't she learned anything from the cabin? Or will she just fall back into old habits? I guess we'll see if she comes around in the next installment!

I have a feeling that people are going to hate this chapter, but this is the part of the story when the heroine is tempted to repeat her last mistake. It's just like The Everfree Moon all over again. Also, idk if people have noticed this, but a big theme with this story has been communication. That's a lesson that all these characters need to learn. I'm sure people will be pissed at me anyways, since people can't seem to take a little drama, but I want these characters to bond in a real way. If this does upset you, just member that there is no sad or tragic tag on this fic.

Tell me what you think! Let me know if stuff is messed up or missing. You can check for chapter updates and progression here!