A New Beginning

Luna's moon shone brightly overhead in the beautiful night sky, casting its soft and soothing light across all of Equestria. Most of the snow had already started to melt as the weather began to warm up in preparation for the coming Winter Wrap Up.

Lyra stood in front of The Everfree Moon, waiting impatiently for Chris and Bon Bon to arrive. She tapped her hoof on the ground as she stared down the road where her dates would be coming from. She was wearing the same white and gold dress she had on during their first date together, only she didn't bother with a cloak this time. Although, she was wearing something else with her attire that she wasn't particularly fond of at the moment.

“Stupid... girly... bow thing!” Lyra groaned as she batted the long and frilly purple lace out of her eyes, only for it to fall back in front of her face. “Why did they have to make me wear this?” she grunted in frustration at the large frou-frou bow that was attached to her horn. With a heavy sigh, she used her magic to move the long lace of the bow behind her ear, then looked down the road where Chris and Bon Bon would be coming from.

Lyra had been standing outside for a while now, but there was still no sight of them. It was a little odd that they weren’t here yet, but she remembered Bon Bon saying that they needed to do a few things at the shop before they came down. Still, it shouldn’t have taken them this long. She started to worry and the thought of going out to meet them halfway crossed her mind several times. Bon Bon only recently got out of the hospital, so she might need some assistance getting around. Chris was with her though and that thought helped to ease her concerns.

Just then, two figures appeared in the distance, interrupting her thoughts as they made their way towards her. It was too dark to really get a good view, but the tall stature of the second figure was a dead give away.

“That's them!” Lyra cheered to herself excitedly with a happy squeak. Unable to contain herself, she started to gallop over to them.

Lyra could see them both more clearly as she approached. Bon Bon was wearing a different outfit than the one she had on last time. This new dress was a more simple light pink one that fit snugly around her chest. It had no sleeves like her last one did, but it did have a small skirt attached to it, which draped down her back side smoothly. She was also wearing her firelily in her curly mane as well as her blue gemstone necklace around her neck. Her outfit wasn’t anything too fancy, but that might have been because she couldn’t wear anything else with the pony wheelchair she was using.

The two-wheeled metal contraption held her back end up and fit tightly around her midsection. It was a little clumsy, but it helped her move around easily with just her forelegs.

Chris was walking next to her, supporting her gently with his hand as they walked together. He was wearing the same black dress pants and light blue dress shirt that he always had for special occasions. It was the only nice outfit he had, so it wasn’t too surprising to see him in the same one.

“What took you guys so long?” Lyra asked as she approached, slowing her pace as they got closer.

“Sorry, Lyra,” Bon Bon said softly, coming to a stop in front of her. “It took us a lot longer than I thought it would to get the shop ready for the construction workers tomorrow.”

“What did you guys have to do?” Lyra asked, looking between them.

“Take all the candy off the shelves and store it all in the back mostly,” Chris explained.

“That, and I had to show Chris around. Then we did some much needed cleaning,” Bon Bon added happily. “The shop was a little dusty since I was away for a few weeks.”

“Well, I’m glad you guys made it,” Lyra said with a relieved sigh before wrapping a foreleg around Bon Bon. She pulled her into a gentle embrace, kissing her lovingly on the lips, which Bon Bon returned in kind.

“We didn’t keep you waiting long, did we?” Chris questioned as Lyra let go of Bon Bon and walked over to him.

“Nah,” Lyra answered nonchalantly getting up on her hind legs before wrapping her forelegs around Chris's midsection. “Only about an hour or so." She smirk before leaning in, kissing him on the lips lovingly. He wrapped his free arm around her and leaned into the kiss as they embraced each other.

Lyra let go of him and gently fell back to the ground before taking a few steps back from her dates. “You guys look amazing tonight.”

Bon Bon visibly blushed at the comment, but smiled wickedly. “And you look simply adorable with your little bow, Lyra.”

“Oh, yes. You look so cute; I could just pinch those rosy little cheeks of yours,” Chris teased, making a pinching gesture with his fingers.

Lyra huffed in annoyance at them before turning around, smacking her rear end with a hoof. “If you’re going to pinch something, then you can pinch this," she retorted, rubbing her flank in a taunting manner, playing along with their little joke.

“Careful,” Chris warned playfully. “I might just take you up on that offer later," he added, wiggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Bon Bon rolled her eyes at both of them. “Oh, stop it you two. We’re in public, you know. And besides..." she paused, looking between them as her grin grew wider. "everypony knows I have the most pinchable flanks here." She wiggled her backside the best she could in her wheelchair, which caused Chris and Lyra to start laughing.

"She has a point," Chris agreed with a light chuckle.

"Hey, no arguments here!" Lyra added happily before the frilly lace of her bow fell in front of her, blocking her view again. She groaned in annoyance and used her magic to place it back behind her ear. “Do I really have to wear this thing for a whole month? It keeps getting in the way and it’s kind of itchy,” she complained as she started to scratch behind her ear with her forehoof.

“That’s the deal,” Chris confirmed firmly. “But, don’t worry, honey. We tease you, but you really do look beautiful tonight. And I actually like the bow a lot.”

“He’s right, Lyra,” Bon Bon said softly as she walked up and placed her hoof on her shoulder. “You look wonderful tonight.” She leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek.

Lyra blushed and smiled at them. “Th-thanks, but... it’s just... so embarrassing…” she admitted softly, rubbing her foreleg with a hoof. “I just hope nopony I know sees me with this thing on.”

“Oh, come on now,” Bon Bon replied, holding back her laughter as she started to walk towards The Everfree Moon. “It’s not that bad.”

“Says you,” Lyra grumbled softly, following next to her as all three of them approached the front of the restaurant.

Lyra started to walk ahead of Chris and Bon Bon as they got closer. She stepped to the side and charged her horn with magic, using it to hold the door open for them.

“Thank you, Lyra,” Chris said sweetly, helping to support Bon Bon as they both entered the waiting room together.

Once they were inside and out of sight, Lyra took a moment to squee happily while prancing in place with excitement. She could hardly believe what was happening. The loves of her life were getting along! They were even helping each other now! Bon Bon was even comfortable enough to play along and join in on their teasing. She would have never done that several weeks ago. Whatever they did in that cabin together must have finally brought Bon Bon out of her protective shell. Tonight she needed to get all the juicy details of what went on between them. They both kind of told her what happened already, but never got a chance to talk about everything they did.

Lyra could hardly wait to get this date started and she silently prayed to the princess of love that this date would go perfectly. She happily clapped her hooves together in excitement before taking in a long and deep breath, letting it out slowly to help compose herself. She cleared her throat and tried to wipe the smile from her lips with little success before walking into the restaurant.

“I wonder where the hostess is,” Chris said as he looked around the empty cave-like waiting room.

Just then, the hidden door behind the wooden podium swung open, followed by a familiar dark brown bat pony mare that flew into the room. “Sorry! I’m so sorry! It’s been a crazy night and we had an emergency in the kitchen,” Dusty explained quickly as she landed behind the podium. She got up on her stool, keeping her sights on the reservation book in front of her before clearing her throat. “Hello and welcome to The Everfree Moon! My na―” she stopped herself and gasped loudly as soon as she looked up and saw the trio.

“H-hey, Dusty,” Chris said awkwardly, waving a hand. “We're here for the Heartstrings reservation.”

“Oh, my gosh, you’re back!” Dusty half shouted in surprise. “I saw your name in the books, but I wasn’t expecting all three of you! Ember's going to be so excited!” she cheered, happily clapping her hooves together, but her smile slowly melted into a frown once she saw Bon Bon’s wheelchair. “Oh, no... what happened? Are you okay?”

“Oh, don’t worry about me,” Bon Bon reassured her sweetly, looking back to her pink cast that had a few signatures from friends on it. “It’s just a broken leg.”

“Ouch. Well, that’s no fun,” Dusty said with an adorable pout before looking towards Lyra. “W-whoa! Wh-what… what are you…” she tried to say, but stopped and held a hoof up to her lips as she tried desperately to hold back her laughter.

Lyra stared daggers at Dusty for a moment before sighing in defeat. “Just… get it out of your system.”

Dusty proceeded to laugh loudly, holding her belly with her hooves while flapping her wings sporadically to help keep her from falling off the stool.

Lyra blushed deeply and looked away from the cackling mare, rubbing her foreleg in embarrassment. “Stupid… bow,” she mumbled to herself quietly.

“I’m… I’m sorry… it’s just,” Dusty started to say in between her laughter. She stopped herself and took a deep breath before grinning. “It’s just that I’ve never seen such an adorable bow on a pony’s horn before. I like it!”

Lyra rolled her eyes before looking back to Dusty again. “Yeah, yeah… Well, in my defense, it wasn’t my idea to wear this thing.”

“Oh? What, did you lose a bet or something?” Dusty asked, perking an eyebrow up.

“Yeah… something like that,” Lyra lied with a heavy sigh, feeling terrible for what brought this punishment upon her.

Dusty chuckled a bit at that. “Well, I’m glad you're all back! I know Ember is going to be so excited to see you’re all here!” She jumped down from the podium and bit three menus before putting them under her wing. She turned to the large wooden, double door with the detailed Luna silhouette on it, then looked back to the group. “If you would kindly follow me, I shall guide you to your table." She then opened the door and proceeded to trot inside.

Lyra stood back and let Chris and Bon Bon enter first before following them in. Once she caught up with them, she looked around the restaurant, seeing a lot of ponies and griffins staring at them as they walked. This wasn’t anything new to Lyra. She was used to ponies staring when she was with Chris, but they were getting some unusual looks this time around. Some were looking at her, trying not to laugh while others stared at Chris or Bon Bon with strange, and almost worried looks. She did her best to ignore it, but what really caught her attention was how packed the place was. “Wow, Dusty. This place is really full.”

Dusty looked over her shoulder at Lyra as she trotted along. “Yeah, we always get busy right before Winter Wrap Up,” she explained, looking ahead as she weaved her way through the main dining room. “A lot of ponies like to celebrate the end of winter before the big day hits.”

“I hope you didn’t give our table away. It looks like every spot is taken,” Chris said in concern as he looked around the room.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Dusty reassured him as she approached the back of the restaurant. “Ember has a special table for you guys.”

“A special table?” Bon Bon questioned curiously. “But we reserved a normal one in the dining room tonight.”

“Ember upgraded you guys,” Dusty explained vaguely with a slight giggle as she came up to a round and narrow tunnel that was located in the very back of the restaurant. The cave-like hallway was faintly lit by a string of small crystal lights that hung down from the ceiling, painting an almost mysterious atmosphere.

“I think you guys will like the room she picked out for you,” Dusty said before walking down the tunnel.

Lyra looked to her dates, who were now looking back at her with confused expressions. Chris simply shrugged his shoulders, then followed Dusty in. Bon Bon did the same, staying next to him as they all entered into the hallway. It didn’t take long until they reached the end, where a round wooden door surrounded by a cluster of glowing crystal awaited them.

Just like the entrance to the dining room, this door also had a carving on it as well. It depicted the moon in the center with multiple silhouettes of the lunar guard around it.

Dusty stopped just before the door and placed her hoof on it, then turned to the group. “This is one of our more luscious private dining rooms. Nopony reserved it, so Ember decided to let you guys have it.” She started to open the door slowly, causing the sound of rushing water to fill the air.

Lyra peered in and gasped when she saw where they would be dining. The walls where completely covered in lush, colorful plant life that could only be found in the Everfree forest. Thick vines, spotted with strange glowing flowers extended up onto the ceiling where a giant lotus-shaped crystal hung down. It glowed brightly and illuminated the wooden table and chairs under it. There was also a small waterfall in the back that spilled down into a moat that surrounded the platform the table was on.

“Right this way,” Dusty said as she walked over a wooden bridge that was above the moat, breaking Lyra out of her slight daze.

“D-Dusty! This is too much!” Bon Bon shouted in disbelief as she looked around the room in awe.

“I have to agree,” Chris said sadly. “We’d feel terrible taking such a wonderful private room we didn’t pay for and don’t deserve.”

Dusty stopped and looked back with a smile. “Hey, don’t worry about it. This room hardly gets used anyways. Plus, Ember really wanted to make it up to you guys with how things went last time. She felt pretty bad about it.”

“Oh, no…” Bon Bon said in despair. “That’s so sweet of her, but it wasn’t her fault… oh, I just feel terrible.”

“Hey, come on now,” Lyra said as she walked up next to Bon Bon, wrapping her hoof around her withers. “I think it’s great that Ember wants to treat us. We should accept her generosity and we can thank her when we see her,” she said happily in an effort to help her dates feel more comfortable.

“If it helps you to feel better, this was the only table we had available… we were pretty filled up when you guys made your reservation yesterday,” Dusty admitted softly. “It kind of worked out though. Ember really wanted you guys to enjoy yourselves and nopony had this room reserved.”

Lyra turned back to her dates, who were giving her uneasy looks, but Chris sighed softly before looking around again. “Well, as long as we're not taking this from somepony else, then… we might as well,” he said as he started to walk in.

“I guess it would be rude to turn down Ember’s hospitality,” Bon Bon added, following behind him.

Chris got to the table first and pulled out a chair as Bon Bon approached. He walked over to her and started to help unstrap her from the wheelchair. As soon as she was free, he lifted her up in his arms and set her down gently in the seat before pushing her in.

“Thank you, Chris,” Bon Bon said softly with a blush as he moved her wheelchair to the side and locked it so it wouldn't fall over.

Lyra bit her lip, holding back all the happy squeaking sounds she wanted to make as she watched them. She could still remember the first time Chris tried to help Bon Bon in her seat. She was so hesitant about it before, but now she was comfortable enough to let him pick her up. It was like a dream come true.

Chris walked over to the chair next to Bon Bon and pulled it out. He smiled at Lyra and waited for her.

Lyra practically skipped up to him before taking her seat, letting him slide her into the table. “Thanks, Honey Bear,” she cooed lovingly as he pecked her quickly on the cheek. After that, he took the only remaining seat and sat down.

Dusty giggled softly at the trio. “I was hoping you guys would do that again,” she teased, sticking her tongue out before taking flight to hoof out the menus. Once that was done, she hovered in the air next to Bon Bon. “Well, you already know my name, so can I start anypony off with some drinks?”

“Could you get us a bottle of your best hard cider for the table, please?” Bon Bon asked in a friendly tone. “If you remember what you gave us last time, that would be perfect.”

Dusty rubbed her chin in thought for a moment. “I can’t say I remember exactly what you guys had before, but I know a cider that you’ll love. I’ll be right back with your drinks and I’ll let Ember know you’re here. Hopefully she’ll get to you guys soon, but it's been a crazy night.” With that, she turned around and flew out the door, shutting it softly behind her.

“I can’t believe this place,” Chris said in awe, glancing around the room as he picked up his menu. “It’s like we're actually in a forest.”

“It is beautiful and very romantic,” Bon Bon added happily as she opened the menu on the table in front of her. “We have to thank Ember when she shows up. Maybe we can do something to repay her hospitality.”

“I wonder what we could do for her though,” Chris pondered as he flipped through his menu.

Lyra let out a dreamy sigh, feeling her heart flutter as she watched her loved ones actually holding a conversation with each other. So far, this date had been going much better than their first one, which made her want to cry, but she held back and took a deep breath. “Maybe we should ask her out on a date?” she said, using her magic to hold her menu open in front of her.

Both Chris and Bon Bon looked back at her in shock. “A date?!” Chris almost shouted in confusion.

“Yeah, like… show her a good time,” Lyra explained happily. “She obviously likes us, and she said before that she wanted to be a part of what we have together.”

“I don’t know, Lyra,” Bon Bon added softly. “I-I mean, it’s a lovely idea and she’s a sweet mare, but maybe we should wait.” She started to tap her hooves together with a light blush on her cheeks. “I-I mean... I’m still not entirely sure if I, umm―”

“I know, I know,” Lyra said, waving a dismissive hoof in the air, interrupting her. “It doesn’t have to be like a romantic thing, but just keep it in mind. I think she really misses her herd and would like to spend some time with us. Not now, but maybe sometime in the future we can take her out on the town as a thank you. What do you say?”

Both Chris and Bon Bon looked at each other for a moment with uncertain expressions. “Well…” Chris started to say, rubbing the back of his head as he thought about her proposal. “I… I mean she is really nice... I guess that would be fine… Yeah, I don’t see why not.”

Bon Bon smiled and nodded her head in agreement. “I think I'd like that as well.”

Lyra giggled and clapped her hooves together in excitement. "Perfect! I'll ask her today if she'd be interested in something like that."

“You're not going to lock us in a cabin with Ember next, are you?” Chris joked with a laugh, which Bon Bon quickly joined in, giggling uncontrollably.

"N-no!" Lyra blushed fiercely, pulling the frilly lace of her big purple bow down, hiding herself behind it as she looked down in shame. “I-I… I would never do that to you guys again…”

Bon Bon and Chris stifled their laughter and frowned sadly. Chris placed his hand on Lyra’s back, rubbing her reassuringly, causing her to let go of her bow and look up at him. “I’m sorry, Lyra. We both know you wouldn’t do that. We were just having a little fun.” He leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips which she gladly accepted before he sat back in his seat.

“Chris is right, Lyra. I would kiss you too, but… I’m kind of stuck here,” Bon Bon said sadly, looking down to her cast. “Can’t move that far.”

Lyra smiled and leaned towards Bon Bon, kissing her lovingly on the lips, then sat back again. “I know you guys are just joking around, but I really regret what I did. I just want you to know that I would never do something like that ever again.”

“We know, Lyra,” Bon Bon said casually. “Cause if you do, then there’s a lovely pink dress in my closet with your name on it.” Chris burst out laughing at Bon Bon’s comment before they all joined in, laughing together.

Just then, the door to their private room opened, interrupting them as an older, dark-grey bat pony mare flew in. Her beautiful maroon colored mane was tied up in a bun and she was sporting a pair of half moon shaped spectacles that dangled from around her neck. “I’m so sorry, dears!” Ember said quickly as she landed just in front of their table. She took a moment to catch her breath before smiling gently at them. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long. Things have been hectic all night.”

“No worries, Ember,” Chris said. “We haven’t been waiting long at all actually.”

“Oh, good,” Ember said in relief, holding a hoof to her chest. “I was so thrilled to hear that all of you came back, I just had to rush o―” She stopped herself, blinking a few times when she saw Lyra.

Lyra sighed deeply. “Just... laugh and get it over with.”

“Laugh?” Ember questioned, blinking in confusion. “What ever do you mean, darling? Why would I laugh? You look lovely! That bow you’re wearing really enhances the beautiful gold color in your eyes. Do you not like it?”

“O-oh?” Lyra stuttered with a blush. “W-well… I-I guess it does kind of match my eyes,” she admitted, looking away with a bashful smile.

Ember smiled warmly at her before looking towards Bon Bon. Her smile started to slowly leave her face once she saw the wheelchair and the cast. “Oh, my! What happened to your leg, dear? Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for asking, Ember,” Bon Bon said softly. “It was just a little accident.”

“Thank the stars you're alright,” Ember said breathing a sigh of relief, before looking towards Chris. “No doubt this noble stallion saved you at the very last second, no?” she teased with a playful wink in his direction.

Bon Bon giggled, holding a hoof to her lips before answering her. “No, nothing like that, but the funny thing is... he kind of did save me. He carried me all the way to the hospital.” She looked back to Chris before continuing, “I haven't had a chance to properly thank you for that yet, so… thank you, Chris.”

Chris smiled at Bon Bon. “I wouldn’t call it saving, but you're welcome, Bonny.”

Ember chuckled lightly under her breath at the two before using her wings to place the glasses that were hanging from her neck on the bridge of her muzzle. “Well, I do hope all of you are enjoying the private room. When I heard that you were coming back, I simply couldn’t let you dine at one of our normal tables; not after what happened last time.”

Bon Bon frowned at this. “About that, Ember… It wasn’t your fault that I ran out. You and your staff were wonderful and you have a lovely restaurant. I… I just wasn’t in my right mind at the time,” she admitted sadly. “I hope I didn’t cause too much trouble, and we do appreciate the accommodations, but... you really didn’t have to do this.”

“Oh, nonsense, my dear!” Ember stated as she walked up to Bon Bon, wrapping a wing around her, hugging her gently. “There is no need to blame yourself for what happened. I could sense that you were uncomfortable the last time you were here and I hoped I could remedy that. Sadly, it seemed I failed, and for that... I felt terrible. It simply broke my heart when I heard you ran out, but you couldn’t imagine the joy I felt when I heard you were coming back. I simply had to make sure this night went perfectly for you three.”

Bon Bon smiled and blushed at that, leaning into their hug a little. “Thank you so much, Ember. That’s very sweet of you to do, and this place is lovely.”

“It’s like we’re actually in the Everfree forest,” Chris added happily. “Thank you so much for doing this for us,”

“Yeah!” Lyra shouted excitedly. “It’s awesome! We can’t thank you enough. We really owe you one.”

Ember stepped back, letting go of Bon Bon and smiled at the group. “Having you three back here and enjoying each others’ company is thanks enough.”

“Well, actually, Ember… we were all talking earlier an―” Lyra started to say, but was interrupted once Dusty came in from the entrance with a tray of cider and several glasses on her back.

“Ahh, my little Star Dust is back with your cider it seems. I see she brought some of our finest from Canterlot as well,” Ember said as Dusty placed the tray on the table before hoofing out the glasses.

“I figured you guys would really enjoy this,” Dusty said as she held up the bottle, showing off its label to the group.

“I’ll just have to take your word for it,” Chris said as Dusty started to open the bottle for them. “I’m not too familiar with the quality of hard ciders.”

Ember smiled at him, but then sighed deeply. “I’m terribly sorry about this, dears. I would love to stay and chat, but it's been such a busy night. Has everypony decided on what they would like to order?”

“Yes, I’m ready.” Bon Bon closed her menu before pushing it over to Ember, who took it under her wing. “If it’s not too much trouble, I would love to try that carrot soup again.”

“It’s no trouble at all, darling. We would be happy to make that for you,” Ember reassured her sweetly as Dusty filled her glass with a generous amount of cider. “And for you, Miss Heartstrings?”

“Oh, umm,” Lyra said quickly, fumbling with her menu. She got so caught up talking to her loved ones that she nearly forgot to pick out a dish to eat. “W-well, I never did get a chance to try that hay and rose petal salad... Yeah, I think I'll take that, if you don’t mind.” She used her magic to close her menu and floated it towards Ember, who placed it under her wing with the other menu.

“And for the handsome and heroic stallion?” Ember asked with another wink in his direction while Dusty filled his glass next.

Chris laughed briefly, picking up his menu. “I was thinking I’d ge―” he started to say, but hesitated, glancing towards Bon Bon for a moment, which she quickly noticed. “I-I, umm… I’ll just have the carrot soup as well, please.”

“Chris…” Bon Bon said softly with a frown. “We talked about this. I’ll be fine.”

“I know, but―”

“No ‘but’s, I don’t want to hear it,” Bon Bon said firmly, shaking her head at him as Dusty filled Lyra’s glass with the cider. “When was the last time you had any meat?”

“U-umm, it’s been about… maybe… two months now?” Chris answered regrettably.

“Exactly! It’s been far too long. You need to eat some.” Bon Bon turned her head towards Ember with a sweet smile. “He’ll have the rabbit with coconut cream sauce, please.”

“Is that what you really want?” Ember questioned, while Dusty placed the half-full bottle of cider in the center of the table.

Chris nodded his head. “Yeah, I’d really enjoy that, actually,” he confirmed, holding his hand up, making a thumbs up gesture.

“No!” Bon Bon shouted quickly, looking back to Ember, who was now giving her a confused look. “Don’t listen to him, and don’t give him spaghetti!” She turned back to Chris with an angry scowl. “Chris, you need to eat some meat! I know it’s been awhile and you need the protein!”

Everypony in the room looked at Bon Bon with a baffled expression. Even Chris was confused for a second, but eventually he started to laugh loudly.

“You still think…” Chris started to say, but started to laugh again.

“What’s going on?” Lyra asked in confusion. “What’s so funny? And what's this about spaghetti?”

“Yeah, he didn’t ask for spaghetti… did he?” Dusty asked as she put the empty tray she carried in under her wing, then looked to Ember who shrugged her shoulders.

Chris calmed himself from his laughter. “I told Bonny that a thumbs up means I like spaghetti,” he explained with a soft chuckle.

Lyra raised an eyebrow at him before smirking and laughing loudly. “Y-you believed that?”

“W-wait… it doesn’t mean…” Bon Bon started to ask, but frowned and looked towards Chris. “Well, then… what does it really mean?”

Chris wiped a happy tear from his eyes before taking a breath. “It means I’m happy, or I agree. It can even mean I think something is awesome, or I approve.”

“O-oh… T-that… makes more sense,” Bon Bon said in a whisper, blushing brightly in embarrassment. “N-never mind, Ember.”

Ember laughed uncontrollably before shaking her head at them. “Oh, my. You three are just too much fun. What I wouldn’t give to be a part of what you all share again.” She took a deep, calming breath before sighing softly. "Oh, to be young again.”

Lyra was going to try and bring up the date a second time, but Ember spoke up before she could.

“I’ll inform the cooks of your orders right away and your food should be ready in just a moment,” Ember said as she and Dusty took flight, making their way out of the room. Ember stopped just before the entrance and turned back to the group, hovering over the wooden bridge. “I’ll try to come back if I can, but if I don’t see you again, then I hope all of you have a pleasant evening. Enjoying your meals and… each other.” With that, she flew out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Lyra sighed sadly, causing Bon Bon to look back to her.

“Are you okay, Lyra? What’s the matter?”

“Huh? Oh... yeah, I’m okay,” Lyra said her, perking up again. “I just never got a chance to ask Ember if she would be interested in a date sometime.”

“Well, we can always ask her later,” Chris said, picking up his glass of cider. “It might be better to wait, anyways. I mean, I don’t know if we’ll have a lot of time to take her out with how busy we’re going to be.”

“That’s right,” Bon Bon added. “The construction in the shop will be done in a few days, and we'll be getting things ready for the grand re-opening. Then, we’ll be pretty busy for the first couple of months if everything goes smoothly.”

“How’s that going, by the way?” Lyra asked as she placed her elbows on the table, propping her head up with her foreleg.

“Lyra, elbows off the table,” Bon Bon lightly scolded.

“O-oh, right,” Lyra replied, quickly putting her hooves in her lap. “Sorry, Bonny.” She smiled sheepishly, then continued with her question. “But, how are things going with the shop?”

“Kind of scary to be honest,” Bon Bon admitted with a heavy sigh.

“Don’t worry,” Chris reassured her, placing his hand in her lap, giving her thigh a gentle squeeze. “Everything will work out fine. I know ponies are going to love the bar.”

Bon Bon smiled up at him. “I sure hope so… I still need to teach you how I make the candy too, and we need to buy supplies for the bar, and… oh, there’s just so much left to do.” She groaned loudly, sounding stressed and worried as she rubbed her temple with a hoof.

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Lyra said, hoping she could help Bon Bon relaxed a little. “Besides, Chris is a great cook. He’ll learn pretty fast.”

“And you don’t need to worry about getting supplies for the bar. I know what we need. I can shop around for it once the construction is done,” Chris added, helping to ease Bon Bon’s worries.

“See, Bonny? It won't be that bad," Lyra added happily. "I can even pitch in when I can. I’ll help stock shelves or whatever you need me to do.”

Bon Bon smiled at both of them. “Thank you both. It makes me feel better knowing you'll be there for me. It’s just such a risky move. I’m using all my savings to expand the shop and it might not even help, but with you two by my side … I know it has work out in the end.” She beamed brightly at them, then perked her ears up, as if she remembered something. “Oh, Lyra... speaking of helping out.”

Lyra raised a curious eyebrow at her, tilting her head slightly. “Yes?”

“Well, Chris and I were going to ask you if you would be interested in playing some shows at the shop.”

“Shows?” Lyra questioned. “Like, play my lyre for the customers?”

“It was Chris’s idea,” Bon Bon said, looking up at him for a moment. “He thought that you might like to play during the more busy hours. You know, like when you're not with your orchestra group.”

“You kidding?” Lyra questioned with a bright smile. “I’d love that! I could definitely use some more work in between our concerts, and I’d love to work with you guys!” She took a moment to fantasize about what life would be like, running the shop with her loved ones. She had to bite her lip to suppress all the happy squeals she wanted to make.

“I think it would really help to bring in more customers, especially with your music, Lyra,” Chris added before taking a small sip of his cider. “You really don’t see a lot of places around here with music playing in the background unless it's a nice fancy restaurant like this one. Back on my home world, you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing some music playing, and I know ponies would really like it.”

“Really?” Bon Bon questioned, looking up to him. “So, you mean everywhere in your world, there is music playing?”

“Well, not everywhere. But, a lot of shops and restaurants would have a radio or some other device playing music in the background. ”

“Wow, ” Bon Bon said in awe. “I remember you telling me about that before. It must’ve been nice.”

“Ehh, not… really,” Chris admitted softly, rolling his cider glass around in his hand. “I prefer the live bands and stuff that you get here. Plus, you get pretty sick of hearing the same pop song being played over and over again.”

“Yeah, I kind of get sick of playing the same songs every day when we're on tour,” Lyra added, using her magic to levitate her glass to her lip, taking a small sip. “I can see why hearing the same songs everywhere you went would get old.”

“It just sounds so fascinating to me,” Bon Bon said as she looked up to Chris. “Every time you tell us about this world of yours, it makes me wish we could see it somehow.”

“Yeah!” Lyra agreed excitedly, cutting in with an eager bounce, causing her big bow to bob up and down. “That would be the best! We should go see where you came from sometime!”

“I-I don’t know about that…” Chris said nervously. “My world isn’t like Equestria.”

“All the more reason to check it out!” Lyra added happily. “I think it would be fun!”

Chris opened his mouth to say more, but closed it as he thought for a moment. “Well… if there ever was a way for all of us to just visit it for a while, then I’d really like to introduce you guys to my family.”

“Your mother must have been really sweet,” Bon Bon added softly. “I’d really like to meet your sister too.”

“That reminds me,” Lyra said, cutting in as she leaned towards Chris. “You still need to meet my mom and pops. I think you and Dad would get along great!”

“Yeah?” Chris questioned with a chuckle. “I’d love to meet them someday. Still not sure why I haven’t yet...” he deadpanned, giving Lyra a mock glare of disappointment.

Lyra shrugged. “It just hasn’t happened yet, but it will. Maybe once they come down from Canterlot this summer, then you can meet them.”

“That would be nice,” Chris said before sighing deeply. “I still need to fix all the damage we caused to their cabin before they get back. That might take a while.” He took a sip of his cider before looking towards Bon Bon, who was now looking down at her lap sadly. “So, how about you, Bonny?”

“Wh-what?!” Bon Bon half-shouted in surprise, jerking her head up. “Wh-what about me?”

“Well, what about your family?” Chris clarified with a smile. “I don’t think we ever talked about them before. What are they like?”

“O-oh...” Bon Bon answered awkwardly with a nervous laugh. “Well, y-you know, they’re, umm… they're like any other family. Both my mothers and father still live together, and my siblings are all off doing their own thing.” She ended with a bright and forced smile as a bead of sweat started to roll down her forehead.

“So, you were raised in a herd with two mothers and one father?” Chris asked curiously, facing her a little more.

“She’s got three sisters and a brother, too,” Lyra added with a smirk.

“Wow, really?” Chris asked in disbelief, glancing at Lyra before facing Bon Bon again. “So, you had a pretty big family growing up then?”

“Y-yeah…” Bon Bon answered softly, looking down and away from him as she fidgeted with her glass of cider.

“Well, I’d love to meet them all one day. I mean… you know... if you want that is,” Chris said with a sheepish smile.

“Y-yes, umm, p-perhaps someday...” Bon Bon said awkwardly, pausing to take a generous sip of her cider before looking towards the room’s entrance. “I-I wonder what’s taking them so long with our food... I hope everything is okay.”

“Oh, I’m sure it’s fine,” Lyra reassured her, waving a dismissive hoof.

“You saw how packed this place was. I’m sure it’s going to take a little while,” Chris pointed out before taking another sip of his drink. He placed the glass down and tilted it back and forth a few times, watching the cool liquid move around for a short moment. “So, umm... speaking of the future and… family stuff…”

Both Lyra and Bon Bon gave each other curious glances before looking up to him.

“Y-yes?” Bon Bon asked softly.

“Well, umm…” Chris started to say, but hesitated, taking a large gulp of his cider before placing it back on the table, then sighed deeply. “I know it’s kind of soon and all for this kind of talk, but…” He looked toward Bon Bon with a worried and almost fearful expression. “I know you're still not sure about the herd and everything, but... you said back in the hospital that you… you want to… have a foal of your own someday?”

Bon Bon frowned sadly at this and looked back to her drink. “Oh, I… I-I guess I did kind of say that.”

Chris sighed sadly, taking another large gulp of his cider. “So... you both want to start a family then?”

Lyra rubbed the back of her head awkwardly as she remembered what she told Chris all those months ago. She didn’t want him to learn about the spell until they were ready for that kind of talk, but now that he knew the truth about Bon Bon, she had to come clean. “Chris… I… I don’t necessarily want a foal of my own,” she admitted softly, looking up at him. “At least, not anytime soon.”

Chris looked back to her, seeming baffled. “What do you mean? I thought you wanted to start a family.”

“She does, Chris,” Bon Bon cut in, grabbing his attention. “But, I’m the one who really wants to have a foal.”

“I-I don’t understand,” Chris replied, sounding bewildered. “Then, why did you ask me all those questions, Lyra?”

Lyra took a deep breath and let it out slowly before putting on a more serious expression. “I did it because I knew it was Bonny’s dream to start a family someday,” she explained softly, looking towards Bon Bon with a smile. “I needed to make sure that was something that you wanted as well before we asked her out on a date.” She looked back up to Chris before continuing, “I wasn’t going to ask her to join our herd if you were uncomfortable with the idea of having a foal.”

“It’s true, Chris,” Bon Bon cut in sadly. “Ever since I was little, I've always dreamed of one day holding my little filly or colt in my hooves and having a family, much like the one I grew up with.”

“It’s been your… dream?” Chris repeated in a disheartened tone, slumping down into his seat with a troubled frown. “But… you both know that I… I can’t really give us a foal… as much as I want one myself, it’s simply impossible for us to… well, we just can't... conceive.”

“That’s… not completely true,” Lyra admitted placing a hoof on his thigh.

“What do you mean?” Chris questioned, curiously.

“Do you still remember the question I asked you before we talked about bringing Bonny into our family?” Lyra asked softly.

“Of course I do,” Chris confirmed.

“And you remember when I said the foal would be a healthy pony if we did do it?”

Chris nodded his head. “Of course, but I know it was just a hypothetical question.”

Lyra shook her head before smiling up at him, rubbing his thigh gently. “Actually, it's not as hypothetical as you think. There might be a real way for us to have a healthy filly or colt.”

Chris’s eyes widened in disbelief. He stared at Lyra for a moment as if searching her eyes to see if she was telling the truth. “Are… you serious?”

Lyra nodded.

“I didn’t believe it at first either, but it does seem to be true,” Bon Bon added.

“Well, what is it then!?” Chris half-shouted, perking up a bit more as he looked between them. “Please, tell me what it is. Do I have to do anything? What can I do?!”

“Well…” Lyra started to explain, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. “I’m not entirely sure myself. From what I could gather, it’s a spell that only Princess Cadance knows. The spell is supposed to help couples that are a different species have foals together. It worked for one couple that I know of. It was a griffin and pegasus pony and they successfully had a healthy pegasus colt.”

“That’s… that’s great!” Chris shouted excitedly. “So, it can work for us then, right?!”

“It’s not guaranteed to work,” Bon Bon pointed out sadly.

“Wait, w-why not?” Chris asked sounding nervous and worried again. “If it worked for the pony and griffin... then why can’t it work for us, too?”

“Magic affects you differently,” Lyra said with a heavy sigh. “I can’t really explain why. It might be because you're not from this world, but you seem to be somewhat immune to spells. I have to focus if I want to use my magic on you.” Lyra lit up her horn, using her magic to embrace Chris’s hand. Her golden aura flickered a few time before leveling out, then she slowly lifted his hand into the air as a demonstration. “It’s a little easier for me to do now, but that's only because I’ve been doing it with you for so long. I basically had to figure out the right amount of magic to use and how to use it.” She released his hand, and Chris looked at it, flexing his fingers a few times.

“Well… if you know how to use magic on me… then can’t you tell Princess Cadance how to do it so she can make the spell work?”

“That might be possible, but I really don’t know how Cadance’s spell works,” Lyra pointed out sadly. “There’s just too much uncertainty right now. We just won't know for sure until we talk to the princess about it.”

This didn’t seem to help Chris feel better at all. His frown deepened as he looked into his almost empty glass of cider. “What… what if it does fail…” he whispered sadly. “Bonny,” he called to her, placing his hand on her hoof. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to give up your dream to be with us. If you don’t want to do the herd, then that’s fine. We’d still be your friends.”

Bon Bon smiled warmly at him, placing her other hoof on top of his hand. “That’s very sweet of you, Chris. But, I’ve actually thought about this quite a lot.”

Chris gave her a confused looked, which caused her to smile even more.

“I know there's a chance that we won't be able to start a family like I want, and honestly... I’m okay with that. You both make me very happy and I want to give things a try. If I do join the herd someday, and the spell doesn’t work out, then... we’ll look into other options,” Bon Bon reassured him, rubbing his hand gently. “It’s like you said before, Chris. We could always adopt, and I’d be happy to give a little colt or filly a deserving home. But, that’s far into the future from now.” She let go of his hand, and sat back in her seat, taking her glass into her hooves again. “Right now, I think it’s best to just concentrate on the present and see where that takes us.”

Chris seemed to relax after hearing her words. His smile returned, and he nodded his head in understanding. “You’re right, Bonny.”

Just then, the sound of the door opening caused them all to look over. They all watched as Dusty trotted in with a tray of food being balanced on her back.

“Dinner is served!” Dusty said as she placed the tray on the table with her wing. She panted softly a few times before taking in a quick breath. “I rushed over as fast as I could. Ember told me to give you guys her best, but she won't be able to come by again.”

“That's too bad,” Bon Bon said with a frown. “I was hoping we could see her again. Please tell her thank you for us.”

“Oh, I definitely will, next time I run into her,” Dusty reassured them as she took flight and picked up the plate of hay salad. She glided over to Lyra and gently placed the plate in front of her before going back for the carrot soup. “Now, be careful with this soup,” she warned as she carefully brought it over to Bon Bon. “It’s still really hot.”

“Thank you, Dusty,” Bon Bon said sweetly as Dusty placed her bowl of soup in front of her, then flew back to pick up the rabbit dish.

“Same with this one,” Dusty warned, as she guided the plate over to Chris, setting it in front of him. “This came straight from the kitchen, so I would let it cool a bit before you dig in.” She picked up the now empty tray with her forehooves before turning to the group again, hovering next to the table. “Is there anything you guys need before I head out? Another bottle of cider perhaps?”

“I think we’re okay, Dusty. Thank you,” Chris said, picking up his napkin set that was next to his plate, unfolding it before placing it in his lap.

“Well, then I hope you guys enjoy your meals!” Dusty said with a bright smile. “I’ll be back to check on you guys in a little bit, okay?” With that, she turned away and quickly flew out the door, shutting it behind her

Lyra charged her horn with magic so she could unfold her napkin set, but stopped when she saw BonBon looking down at hers. She was about to help her with it, but Bon Bon spoke up before she could.

“Chris,” Bon Bon called in a kind and gentle voice, grabbing his attention, “could you please help me with my napkin and silverware? These things always give me trouble.”

“I’d love to, Bonny,” Chris replied sweetly, reaching over to pick up her napkin set. He unfolded it and placed her silverware in front of her before laying the napkin in her lap.

“Thank you, Chris.”

Lyra gazed at her loved ones as they helped each other, feeling tears well in her eyes. It was a beautiful sight to see them getting along so well now. This whole date had been an amazing dream, and she never wanted to wake up. She silently prayed to all the princesses that things would only get better from here.

With a soft, loving sigh, Lyra used her magic to unfold her napkin and place it on her lap. She levitated her fork in front of her before digging into her salad.

Bon Bon leaned down to her soup and gently blew on it a few times, helping it to cool.

Chris, on the other hoof, had picked up his fork and knife, but seemed a little apprehensive about diving into his meal. He used his fork to poke at the steamed vegetable, taking a few bits from the side, before moving to his roasted potatoes.

Bon Bon seemed to notice this and watched him as he ate everything around the meat. “Chris… are you still worried about me?”

Lyra lowered her fork down and watched them both to see what would happen.

Chris froze as he went in for another bite of his vegetables, looking over at Bon Bon with a sheepish smile. “I-I, umm… kind of...”

“Chris… I want you to eat a piece of that meat while I watch.”

“B-but… I-I...” Chris stuttered, worriedly.

“Please, Chris. I want to be okay with this side of you. Just take a bite, for me.”

Chris opened his mouth as if he was going to protest more, but closed it and looked back to his plate. He pierced the meat with his fork and cut himself a piece, then looked back to Bon Bon who was still watching him with a soft smile. She nodded her head for him to continue, and he obeyed, placing the fork into his mouth and bit down. A soft moan escaped his lips as soon as the juicy meat hit his tongue, causing his eyelids to fall slightly.

Bon Bon smiled a bit more as he closed his eyes completely, slowly chewing his first bite of real meat in a long while. “That good, huh?” she asked with a giggle.

Chris stayed silent for a moment, chewing his food in content, then nodded his head. He swallowed and opened his eyes, looking back to Bon Bon, who was still happily watching him. “It’s just been so long since I had this,” he admitted. “It's really good.”

“See? And I’m fine,” Bon Bon reassured him sweetly. “Now, will you promise me that you’ll finish your meal and try not to worry about me, okay?”

“I promise,” Chris agreed, as he went in for another bite.

Lyra couldn’t help the wide grin that spread across her lips as she watched them. It was still hard for her to believe how far they’ve both come after only being with each other for a little over a week. She just had to get the juicy details of what went on in that cabin from them.

Bon Bon picked up her earth pony-friendly spoon with her forehoof and dipped it into her soup. She placed it into her mouth and hummed in delight, savoring the sweet flavor.

“That good, huh?” Chris teased.

Bon Bon only nodded as she went in for another spoonful.

“Is it better than my soup?” Chris asked with a light chuckle.

“Sorry, Chris,” Bon Bon said, taking another spoonful, “It's a lot better then yours.”

“I told ya, you'd like it Bonny,” Lyra boasted proudly.

“You were right, Lyra,” Bon Bon admitted as she continued to enjoy her soup.

Lyra glancing between her loved ones as they ate together in a comfortable silence before a wicked smile appeared on her face. “Sooooo…” she cooed innocently, twirling around the long lace of her bow with a hoof.

Bon Bon looked up from her soup, giving Lyra a questionable look. “Soooo, what?” she asked in confusion.

“So, tell me,” Lyra said, glancing between them again, placing the lace behind her ear again. “What happened between you two in that cabin?”

Chris chuckled a bit before responding. “A lot, actually,” he admitted. “Bonny locked herself in the bedroom for the first two days.”

“You did?” Lyra questioned, looking towards Bon Bon in surprise, finding that hard to believe. She knew Bon Bon was afraid of Chris to some extent, but she didn’t think it was that bad.

Bon Bon frowned sadly and nodded her head. “I did… I was afraid he would eat me,” she admitted softly, sounding ashamed of herself.

“You thought he was going to eat you!?” Lyra half-shouted before bursting into a fit of laughter. “B-Bonny! That’s ridiculous!”

“I-I know…” Bon Bon admitted shyly, stirring her soup around a little. “I was being… really silly…”

“But, you came out eventually,” Chris reminded her gently.

“Only after you saved me from Scary,” Bon Bon pointed out, smiling a little more.

“Yeah, then we finally started talking and getting to know each other."

“We had a lot of fun cooking things together too,” Bon Bon said, with a soft blush.

Lyra coughed into her hoof, grabbing their attention. She smirked at them both and flicked her tail in eager excitement as she gazed at them in a sultry manner.

Chris raised an eyebrow at her, bringing his glass of cider to his lips. “What’s with the goofy look?”

“Well, you guys already told me about all the stuff you did together, but there's something you still haven’t told me about yet,” Lyra said, confident in her assumption of what really went on in that cabin.

“What do you mean? I’m pretty sure we told you everything,” Chris said, taking a sip of his cider.

Lyra shook her head, keeping her wicked smile. “When did you two... buck?”

Chris almost spit out his drink, practically choking on the liquid. He set his glass down, trying to hold back his coughing and hitting his chest a few times. He swallowed hard and quickly caught his breath. “I wasn’t ready for that question,” he admitted, taking a calming breath. “What makes you think we did?”

Lyra’s smile only grew wider. She pointed a hoof to Bon Bon, who was now blushing in a bright crimson all over her face, giving away everything Lyra needed to know. “So, what did you guys do!?” she asked excitedly, bouncing a few times in her seat, making her big bow flop around on her horn. “Come on, I need details! How did it start!? And how many times did you do it?!” Her ears swiveled forward, ready to pick up any sound as her tail started to wag from side to side, eager to hear the juicy details.

“J-just once!” Bon Bon shouted quickly, but squeaked and covered her lips with a hoof in embarrassment. “W-well… w-we just… I-I mean, w-we didn’t do… that much,” she stuttered, trying to explain it as she stared down at her soup, tapping her hooves together nervously.

“Is it okay if I tell her?” Chris asked, rubbing Bon Bon’s back reassuringly.

Bon Bon nodded quickly, looking away from them both as her blush deepened, making her look redder than a apple.

“So, you guys did do it!?” Lyra shouted, clapping her hooves together as she squealed happily. “I want to know every detail! Tell me what your first time together was like!”

Chris laughed awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “Man, this kind of thing sure wouldn’t fly in my old world,” he said as a warm blush started to appear on his cheeks.

“Well, you're in Equestria now!” Lyra pointed out quickly with another bounce. “So, tell me, please?! I really want to know!”

“Okay, okay, just calm down,” Chris said, holding back his smile as he placed a hand on Lyra’s lap to get her to stop bouncing. “You're embarrassing Bonny.”

Lyra looked over to Bon Bon, who was now hiding herself behind her curly forelock and forehooves.

“She’s fine!” Lyra said nonchalantly, waving a limp hoof in the air. “Now, tell me already!” She beamed up at Chris like a eager filly, awaiting her new bedtime story.

Chris rolled his eyes at her. “Well, we were both on the bed an―”

“Where these things tend to start,” Lyra interrupted quickly with a smirk.

“Indeed,” Chris deadpanned before continuing. “Anyways, we were both kind of excited since, Bonny just got over her fear of my hands an―”

“What?!” Lyra shouted in shock, interrupting him again as she glanced towards Bon Bon, who was trying to make herself as small as possible. “She was afraid of your hands?!”

“Umm, y-yeah,” Chris answered. “Wait, you didn’t know that?”

“No!” Lyra shouted.

“Yeah, they reminded her of spiders. That's why she smacked my hand away on our first date,” Chris explained.

Lyra’s eyes widened in disbelief. Suddenly, all her regret seemed to consume her again with this new information. She knew of Bon Bon's terrible phobia of spiders, but she had no idea about her fear of his hands. Was that what she was afraid of this whole time? As ridiculous as it sounded, it made a lot of sense and Lyra mentally kicked herself for not seeing that issue sooner. But, why didn’t Bon Bon say something about it? “B-Bonny, why didn’t you tell me that?”

“I-I know, I-I should have told you,” Bon Bon answered softly, still hiding herself behind her hooves out of embarrassment. “B-but it’s... it’s okay now. C-Chris will tell you.”

Lyra looked up to Chris with worried eyes, which he seemed to notice.

“It’s okay, Lyra. She got over her fear with the help of my magic fingers,” Chris teased, wiggling his fingers at her. “We started off slow, but then one thing lead to another and we…” He hesitated for a moment, grinning a little. “You know that thing we do when we’re watching movies together, or just laying on the couch?”

Lyra thought for a moment, but then quickly remembered. “Oh, yeah, I do... Wait! Is that what you guys did!?”

“That’s what we did,” Chris confirmed with a nod and a small chuckle.

Lyra gasped loudly in excitement, covering her muzzle with her hooves. She turned to face Bon Bon, feeling giddy as she started to bounce in her seat again. She never had a chance to talk to anypony else about the magical experience that is Chris’s fingers, and she was eager to talk about it. “Did you like it, Bonny!? Wasn’t it great!?”

Bon Bon slowly dropped her hooves down and pressed them together in front on her face, not daring to look at Lyra in the eyes. “I-It was… very nice,” she answered simply in a whisper.

“Did he touch that spot?” Lyra asked with a smug grin and an eyebrow wiggle, trying to mimic the way Chris always does it, but failed miserably. “I think you know the one I’m talking about.”

“Oh, my gosh, Lyra!” Bon Bon said in embarrassment, hiding herself behind her hooves again. “Y-yes, okay!? Yes, he did, a-and I liked it a lot!”

“A lot better then my tongue, eh?” Lyra teased, sticking her tongue out slightly.

“L-Lyra!” Bon Bon shouted from behind her hooves, slumping down in her chair a little more.

Lyra giggled at her bashful friend. “So, what happened next? You guys didn’t stop there did you?”

“Nope,” Chris said, looking over to Bon Bon. “After that, Bonny got a little curious about me, so I showed her the equipment.”

Lyra rolled her eyes at how Chris described his dick, then turned to Bon Bon to ask her some more questions. She opened her mouth, but Bon Bon beat her to it.

“Yes, Lyra!” Bon Bon shouted with a hint of annoyance, dropping her hooves down to scowl at her. “He looked very nice, okay?”

Lyra giggled softly and was going to ask what else happened, but Bon Bon continued before she could.

“I-I touched him, alright!? A-and… played with him a little too…” Bon Bon admitted awkwardly, rubbing her foreleg in embarrassment.

“She gave me a blow-job,” Chris clarified with a chuckle. “Which she was amazing at, even though she tried to actually blow on me at first.”

“W-wha―” Lyra started to ask, but bit her lip and contorted her face, trying to hold back her laughter.

“I-I didn't know what to do!” Bon Bon shouted quickly, trying to defend herself. “I-it was my first time doing something like that with a stallion...”

Lyra calmed herself and shook her head. “Don’t worry, Bonny. I’ll teach you some new tricks later.”

“Oh? Can I be the test dummy?” Chris teased with a smirk.

“Of course you can, big guy,” Lyra cooed lovingly at him. “You’re always the dummy.”

“S-shouldn’t we wait a bit before we start doing that?” Bon Bon asked nervously, tapping her hooves together.

“Don’t worry, Bonny. We’re just joking around,” Lyra reassured her with a playful wink. “So then, what did you guys do after that?”

“Well… nothing,” Chris said, much to Lyra’s disappointment. “We just cuddled up and slept together.” He smiled at Bon Bon, looking deep into her beautiful eyes before continuing. “It was just a wonderful night.”

Bon Bon smiled softly at him, still blushing brightly. “I-it was really nice… and you were so warm. I think I had the best sleep ever that night.”

“B-but…” Lyra started to say, pausing as she looked between them. “That’s all you guys did? You didn’t like… you know?” She tapped her hooves together in a very lewd-looking gesture.

“Go all the way?” Chris questioned. “Umm, well, I guess not… Why? Is that bad?”

"No... I just kind of hoped you’d..." Lyra started to say, but trailed off, sighing deeply. “Did you guys do it anymore after that at least?”

“N-no,” Bon Bon answered her softly. “The first time we became intimate was the day before we got out of the cabin.”

Lyra groaned in disappointment and hung her head down, letting the frilly lace fall out from behind her ear. “So, I guess that means you guys didn’t get to use the sexnasium either?”

“S-sexnasium?!” Chris half-shouted, raising his eyebrow in confusion. “There wasn’t a sexnasium in the cabin!” He started to laugh at the ridiculous idea, and Bon Bon joined him, giggling softly.

“Yes there was! It was in the basement.”

“Lyra, honey,” Chris deadpanned, rolling his eyes. “Thats a very funny joke, but we both know that there wasn’t a sexnasium in the basement. It was just some random stuff and a wine cellar down there.”

“I know,” Lyra replied quickly, using her magic to move the lace out of her eyes. “The sexnasium was next to the cellar.”

Chris paused at this, giving Lyra a strange look. “Wait… you mean there was an actual sexnasium behind that locked door!?”

“It was locked!?” Lyra shouted in surprise. “Oh, no! No wonder you guys didn’t use it… I forgot to unlock it for you!”

“L-Lyra…” Bon Bon stuttered in shock. “A-are you saying that… your parents have a sexnasium?! And you wanted us to use it?!”

“Y-yeah?” Lyra replied awkwardly. “What's wrong with that?”

“That's so gross, Lyra!”

“What? It’s not like they don't clean it…” Lyra said as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“Eww, Lyra!” Bon Bon shouted in disgust.

“That’s…” Chris started to say, but hesitated as he tried to process all this new information. “Actually… that’s kind of hot…”

“Chris!” Bon Bon shouted at him in wide-eyed surprise.

“What?” Chris questioned, not daring to make eye contact with her. “ I-I mean… I wouldn’t use it or anything, but… I don't know. It just sounds kind of fun and... kinky.”

“Hay yeah, it is!” Lyra cheered loudly, holding her hoof high in the air towards Chris so he could bump it with his fist.

“Oh, sweet Celestia,” Bon Bon groaned, placing a hoof on her temple before shaking her head in disapproving shame. “What am I going to do with you two…”

The trio walked together through Ponyville, heading towards Bon Bon’s home after their date. The rest of the night went perfectly in Lyra’s eyes and she couldn’t have been happier to spend time with her loved ones. The only problem was that it had to end. She would have stayed with them, laughing and enjoying their company in that private room for all of eternity if she could. But, it wasn’t all bad; they had plans to get together again in the near future. It just sucked that she had to wait sixteen hours, thirty-two minutes and twenty-one seconds until they could all be together again. She mentally kicked herself for having to be at practice with her orchestra group all day tomorrow, but at least Chris and Bon Bon would be together while she was busy.

Lyra wanted to try and find Ember at the end of the night again, but she was nowhere to be found. Dusty did say she would tell Ember their goodbyes though. That helped Lyra to feel a little better about leaving without seeing her.

Bon Bon’s home came into view, and they all approached the front door. Once they were in front of the entrance, Lyra used her magic to open it for Bon Bon, then they both turned around and faced Chris.

“Well, this is us,” Bon Bon said as she smiled up at him. “Thank you for a lovely evening, both of you. I can’t remember the last time I had such a wonderful time. It was really nice.”

“I have to agree,” Chris said as he walked up to them, putting his hands in his pockets. “It just sucks that it had to end.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Lyra added with a sigh.

Bon Bon giggled at them both. “Oh, come on now. We’ll all see each other again tomorrow. You both just need to be a little more patient.”

“But, it’s hard!” Lyra whined. “I hate being patient!”

“Yes, we know. Chris and I learned that first hoof,” Bon Bon retorted with a smirk, causing Chris to laugh.

Lyra whimpered sadly, making an adorable pouting face at her, quivering lip and all.

Bon Bon giggled before leaning in and kissing her pronounced bottom lip. “You know we’re just teasing you,” she reminded her softly before yawning. “Oh goodness… I forgot how late it is.”

“Yeah, we stayed at the Everfree Moon for a while. I think it’s almost midnight now,” Chris added, looking to the moon to try and gauge the time.

“Midnight!” Bon Bon shouted in surprise. “Were we really out for that long? Chris, we should head in soon. We need to get up early in the morning for work.”

Chris nodded his head. “Yeah, I’m going straight to bed as soon as I get home.”

Bon Bon smiled tiredly at him, extending one of her forelegs out before waving him to come closer, since she couldn’t stand up in her pony wheelchair.

Chris obeyed and knelt down next to her.

Bon Bon wrapped her foreleg around his side and pulled him into a tight hug. She laid her head on his chest as he embraced her in his warmth, wrapping both of his arms around her. “Thank you so much for a lovely night, Chris,” she said in a soft whisper. They stayed like that for a time before breaking up their hug and stepping back from each other.

“I should start getting ready for bed now. With this broken leg, it’s going to take me forever,” Bon Bon said in despair, sighing sadly.

“Don’t worry, Bonny. I’ll be there to help you,” Lyra said sweetly.

“Thank you, Lyra. I’ll go start the bath now,” Bon Bon said as she turned towards her home and walked inside. She stopped just in front of the entrance and turned back with a gentle and exhausted smile. “Good night, Chris.”

“Good night, Bonny,” Chris replied gently. “Sleep well.”

Bon Bon nodded and continued into her home, heading straight for her bathroom.

Lyra watched her as she wheeled along, then turned to face Chris once she was out of sight. “Tonight was pretty amazing, wasn’t it?”

Chris nodded. “It was,” he agreed softly.

Lyra smiled at him, before looking back into Bon Bon’s home, then up to Chris again. “Are you going to be okay living by yourself for a while?” she asked in concern, before smiling wickedly. “I know how lonely you get at night.”

Chris chuckled. “I’ll be fine. I still have Rosie Palms to keep me company,” he teased, holding his hand up and exposing his palm to her.

Lyra gave him a confused look. She knew almost everypony in town and never heard of a Rosie Palms before. “Is that somepony you know...? Is she nice?”

“No, it’s… you know,” Chris started to explain awkwardly, pointing to his palm. “When I masturbate, it makes my palms look all rosy and red...”

"I-it... does?" Lyra said, contorting her face trying to hold back her laughter from the silly idea. "N-no... I had no idea." She calmed herself and shook her head in disappointment. “You know, when you have to explain a joke, then it kind of kills the joke.”

Chris shrugged his shoulders, putting his hand back down. “I guess that one worked better on my old world. Can’t win them all.”

Lyra rolled her eyes at his failed attempt at humor, before putting on a more concerned expression. “Seriously though, Chris. Are you okay with me moving back in with Bonny for a while?”

“Of course I am,” Chris reassured her. “Plus, it’s not like I can’t come down and see you two all the time. Trust me, I’ll be fine. You just focus on helping her heal.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of our little Bonny,” Lyra reassured him, with a gentle smile.

Chris smiled down at her for a moment, but his expression started to slowly melted into a more serious one. “Lyra…”

Lyra blinked at him a few times in confusion at his sudden change in tone. “Y-yes?”

“I know I told you that I was really upset that you locked us in that cabin together, but honestly…” Chris started to say, but hesitated as he looked back into Bon Bon’s home. “I really can’t be too upset with you.”

“Umm, what do you mean?” Lyra questioned, giving him a confused look.

“Well, I can’t really be mad when you were right.”

Lyra tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “You mean… about you and Bonny?”

Chris nodded his head. “Bonny and I… we both had a really great time in that cabin together,” he admitted happily. “I don’t know what it is, but there's just something about her. We just seem to click, like you and I do.”

Lyra smiled at him before looking over her shoulder, into Bon Bon’s home. “She’s a wonderful mare, isn’t she?”

“She really is amazing,” Chris agreed. “But, I don’t think we would have ever truly met if you hadn't pushed us together like you did. I’m just… really happy that you got us to meet.”

Lyra looked up at him, letting his words surround and consume her. It was heartwarming to hear him say how happy he was to have met Bon Bon, and her stomach fluttered with excitement. She wanted to jump for joy, but held back the urge. “W-well… it was pretty obvious that you two would get along.”

“Still, I would prefer it if we talk about things together from now on.”

“I know…” Lyra said with a deep and sad sigh. “It was just dumb luck that things didn’t end up worse. If… If Bonny… If she―”

Chris leaned down and wrapped his arms around her, taking her into a his warm and loving embrace. Lyra quickly latched onto him, getting up on her hind legs as she leaned into his body, laying her head on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Lyra,” he cooed softly. “Bonny is fine and things turned out for the better. I now have two wonderful mares in my life.”

Lyra smiled and giggled softly at that, nuzzling herself against his neck lovingly.

“That bow of yours kind of tickles,” Chris teased with a chuckle.

Lyra just shook her head before leaning back, gazing into his beautiful hazel colored eyes. “You know… I really missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” Chris admitted, closing his eyes as he leaned in slowly before kissing her on the lips.

Lyra shut her eyes as well and pushed into the kiss, tilting her head slightly as she tightened her grip around him. Chris started to rub her back as their kiss lingered, but before long, they both broke the kiss at the same time, leaning away from each other.

“I love you, Lyra, and I always will. No matter what you do,” Chris said in a soft whisper as they gazed into each others eyes.

“I love you too, Chris,” Lyra replied, rubbing his sides slowly with her hooves. “I should probably go and help Bonny with her bath, so she can sleep. She gets cranky when she doesn’t get enough sleep.”

“Yeah, she looked pretty tired on the way here,” Chris said, before yawning loudly into his fist. “I don’t blame her though. It is pretty late and we both need to get up soon.” He let go of Lyra and stood up. “Take good care of Bonny, and cuddle up really close to her for me, okay?”

“I will,” Lyra reassured him sweetly. “Rest well, Big Guy, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Lyra,” Chris said as he waved a hand and turned to walk back to his own home.

“Good night, Chris.”

Author's Notes:

This chapter is just like the first date only better!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxU2eqZtYmc

It's how the date would have gone if Bon Bon wasn't such a bitch the last time. I mean can you believe her! God, Bonny... But, I am happy to finally be at this point in the story. It felt so good to have all these characters being happy and enjoying each others company.

Oh, and guess what? We got one more chapter! And it's going to be a big one... I'm not sure when I will have it done, but it might be a while... There is a lot that is going to happen, but I think it's gonna be great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0248pUAteWk

Also, I was planing a small bonus chapter after the end if you guys want it. Still not sure if it will be an extra chapter at the end of this one, or post it as it's own story, but we will see.

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

I hope you guys like this chapter as much as I did.

And If you don't know what a sexnasium is, then think of a gymnasium only it's built for sex.