Life, Lies, and Love

by

TheDeinonychus

Part 1

The Web We Weave

Little motes of sunlight began to spread about the darkened room. The glorious sun was starting to rise above the hills that surrounded the sleepy town of Ponyville. Sleepy would indeed be the correct term, for most of the town's inhabitants were still tucked away, snuggled in their beds before the day could truly begin. This is what the sun has done every morning for thousands of years. Well, nearly every morning. As it rose to usher in a new day, it roused ponies from their slumber, its brilliant rays reaching into every window to gently, warmly coax everypony awake. Today, it was having trouble with one window in particular. Even the radiant might of the sun could easily be held at bay by something as simple as a heavy curtain. But it was persistent, and tiny little rays managed to peek through over the top and along the bottom of that curtain.

It wasn't much, but it was enough to slowly rouse the pony inside from her dreams. Slowly, as if she was debating whether she could ignore the sun for a while longer, her golden eyes began to open. As the dim bedroom started to come into focus, her vision was filled with the sight of tattered ears and coarse black fur atop a thick, midnight hide. A wicked fin laying pressed down against the neck of the thing in front of her. Had anypony else awakened to such a sight, they would be horrified at what these things meant, a scream tearing past their lips. But Lyra just squeezed her forelegs tighter around the sleeping changeling, a contented sigh escaping her as she closed her eyes again, leaning in to nuzzle gently at those ears. It was strange how time could make almost anything acceptable, even comforting. It had taking some getting used to, but she was glad she had gotten the chance to.

A loud yawn broke the silence of the room, the changeling's mouth opening wide, those long, sharp fangs gleaming slightly in what little sunlight had reached them. Its ice blue eyes slowly opened, once again taking in the waking world as sleep started to melt from them. A small, happy smile started to pull its lips back as it felt those forelegs around it. The changeling snuggled back warmly, pressing its rump playfully against the pony who was holding it so tenderly. With a little murmur of pleasure, it rolled over, the changeling's nose coming over to press up against the pony's as their eyes met.

"Fang-face," Lyra said in a soft voice.

"Harp-butt," Bon Bon retorted with mirth ringing in her odd, multi-layered voice.

At that the two odd lovers started to giggle. The sound of it grew as it helped them both shake off the sleep they had enjoyed in each other's embrace. Lyra had always been the playful, brash one, and now with nothing left to hide, Bon Bon has started to join in on the sweet teasing that they would toss between one another. Slowly their lips met, a tender, soft kiss that lasted for a few moments. It was joined by another soon after, little pecks that helped the lovers start their day.

"Mmm...are you ready for it?" Bon Bon asked as she slowly reached one of her hooves over to stroke down Lyra's minty green mane. The unicorn had asked her why she had holes through her legs, along with many many other questions. The changeling honestly didn't know the answer to that one. She thought that maybe it made her light enough to fly, but that was only a guess. After that day, when the truth finally came out and nearly tore the two lovers apart, Lyra had bombarded the poor changeling with a seemingly endless stream of questions. Could she turn into a chair? Could they work magic with their horns? What was her real name? Could she only turn into a pony? Bon Bon had tried to answer as many as she could, but it wasn't easy. She couldn't turn into anything that wasn't alive, or didn't move. She couldn't use magic aside from her glamor, the ability to change her appearance, though she had never tried any other sort of magic. Changelings didn't have names, except for the queens, a fact which upset the false pony some. And yes, she could make herself look like most any other kind of creature she had seen, but ponies seemed to be the easiest ones.

Bon Bon had become annoyed at the ceaseless questions after a while, but her minty lover had thankfully relented, her curiosity sated for a time. That had been almost two months ago, and it had taken nearly the whole time for their lives to get back to normal. Well, not quite back to normal. There were, of course, many things that had changed between the two lovers. For one, this was very different. Waking up not as a pony, but as her true self. At first, Bon Bon didn't want to do this, to go to bed without her disguise up. But Lyra had insisted, said that the changeling needed to rest fully. She had worried about what would happen at first, but now she was grateful she had let the mint unicorn talk her into it. Gone were the headaches and feelings of weakness the mornings often brought. She felt refreshed, strong, and above all content that she could let her guard down around her beloved. It had taken Lyra a bit longer to get used to the reality of it, though. Waking up nearly every morning to a changeling had been, well, difficult the first few times. The first morning, she had almost panicked, worried that everything that had happened before was just some bitter-sweet dream. But that tender smile and soft, otherworldly voice had brought her back to reality. This was not one of the monsters that had tried to drain her of all her love and warmth. This was the mare she had loved for years, her whole reason for being. Knowing that had gotten her through those rough first nights, and since then, she had come to look forward to waking each morning to those deep blue eyes. How many ponies could say they were loved by something so unique?

"I.. I think so," Lyra replied after her short musing. A bit of a nervous blush tinting her cheeks. "I mean, I've done this before, but you know how it is. It always makes me a bit nervous."

Bon Bon could just giggle at that, nuzzling in against her lover's muzzle.

"Hehe, oh I know. But your fans are waiting for you, sweety." The changeling said with a wink before slowly slipping out of the unicorn's grasp. Out from under the covers and on her hooves again next to the bed, Bon Bon stretched to get the stiffness of sleep from her limbs. It felt good to flex her wings in the morning, and they buzzed about with energy. Her black, coarse tail flicked a bit as she made her way into the bathroom. Lyra lingered on the bed for a while longer, thinking about what she had to do today.

"I know, but still. I don't think I'll ever get used to stage fright." After a few minutes, Bon Bon came back out of the bathroom to find the unicorn still in bed, though she had managed to sit up, the sheets still draped over her back. A tender smile pulled those black lips upwards as she looked at her beloved, a sort of strange motherly feeling washing over the changeling. Lyra had always been the eager, adventurous one, but this one thing always made her feel like a little foal about to go through some dreaded final exam in school. With a slight skip in her step, Bon Bon made her way over to the bed again, gently nuzzling at her lover's forelegs to coax her up from the mattress.

"Come on, you'll never get anything done if you just stay in bed all day." She said, running her nose up under Lyra's chin. With a little more nudging, she had managed to get the nervous unicorn out of bed and into the bathroom. With one final shove of her nose, she pushed the minty mare in and giggled, turning to give her a little privacy as the changeling went over to where her saddle bags were set next to the dresser with it's replacement mirror. A few things dropped into the bags along with a little coin pouch, and she tossed them over her back with a deft flick of her head. "I think I'm going to go out for a little while. I wanted to get a few things from the market. I'll meet you at the recital later, ok hun?"

Lyra peeked out of the bathroom, a toothbrush still stuck in her mouth as she watched her lover start to unlock the bedroom door. It was a little precaution they had started taking, along with closing the curtains at night, just to help ensure that no one ended up walking in on the two of them to find the undisguised changeling asleep.

"Um, Bon Bon?"

Bon Bon stopped just one step out the door, looking back over her shoulder to her beloved. "Yes?"

"You're um, well, kinda naked?" Lyra said with a silly smile. The changeling looked herself over, her cheeks starting to flush a strange green color. She had gotten so used to how things had changed, she had nearly walked out of the house with her true self exposed for all to see. With a little gasp, and a flash of green, the cream earth pony that everyone knew as Bon Bon was once again standing there, her blush now a bright, embarrassed shade of pink.

"S-sorry...I guess I wasn't thinking..." she said sheepishly as she waved a hoof towards her lover, an embarrassed smile on her lips. The sight of that brightened the unicorn's day, her nervousness over her coming performance forgotten as she made her lover blush so wonderfully.

"It's alright. That's what you've got me here for!" Lyra said before ducking back into the bathroom to finish her morning ritual. Bon Bon lingered half in the bedroom for a few more moments. It was times like this that she was glad she had such a sweet, caring mare with her. Even if she was horrible about getting the false pony to blush at every opportunity, she always looked out for her. She had become so protective of the changeling now that she knew her secrets. It was just one of the many things that reminded her of how lucky she was.

With her glamor firmly in place and her heart feeling light, Bon Bon made her way down the stairs with a little tune humming out through her lips. Today was going to be a good day, she told herself. She'd get to do the shopping, then listen to her beloved's wonderful music before returning home to spend some time together. With a turn of the doorknob, Bon Bon was just about to take the day's first steps out into the world. But her day would have to wait a bit longer, as she found herself blocked by a certain purple librarian.

"Good morning, Bon Bon!" Twilight beamed with a bright, if a bit mischievous smile. The lavender unicorn stood there on the doorstep with her own saddle bags draped over her back. She leaned in through the doorway a bit to glance about the house. "Is Lyra still home?"

It took a few moments for Bon Bon to register what Twilight had said. The unicorn had been coming around an awful lot lately. It had started a few days after the incident, she had wanted to make sure the two of them were alright, and that they weren't fighting anymore. She had continued to check up on them, and had proven herself to be a good friend to the both of them. But still, there was always one thing. That one question that Bon Bon had hoped would never be asked, that she had no idea of how to answer: just what had happened? The disguised changeling took a moment to clear her head with a little shake before she could respond.

"Oh, um, y-yes! She's just upstairs in the bathroom. D-did you need me to get her for you?"

"Oh, that's fine. I just came by to show her a couple new books I thought she'd like. I can wait." Twilight said with a wide grin, a moment's pause before she leaned in close to the earth pony. "Soooo?"

"Um, so what?" Bon Bon answered, suddenly feeling like a deer caught on the train tracks. Out of all the ponies that could learn about her secret, Twilight was probably the worst one. With her connection to the princesses, and her sister-in-law's dealings with the changeling queen, Bon Bon worried what would happen if Twilight ever found out.

"You know what." Twilight had become more and more insistent with every visit she made. Bon Bon knew she had to tell the unicorn eventually, but she just didn't know what to say! She had promised she would, and Twilight had been the only reason she was able to save her beloved that day. But still, the false pony just didn't know what to do. How could she explain herself in a way that didn't end with her being taken away in an angry mob, or banished to the Everfree Forest by the princess? She had to tell the librarian something, but she didn't want to lie anymore. It was bad enough she had to hide her true face from everyone except Lyra, she didn't want to start down that horrible path with her newest friend.

"Twilight? What brings you around?" Bon Bon felt unbelievably grateful for the voice from the top of the stairs. Lyra came down to stand next to the earth pony, having finished her morning brushing only a few moments before. She leaned in, pressing herself gently to Bon Bon's side as she regarded the purple unicorn with a warm smile.

Twilight's eyes narrowed slightly for a moment, a bit annoyed that her attempt to finally get an answer from the creamy earth pony had been interrupted yet again. But with a quiet sigh she looked back to her saddle bags, her horn glowing softly as one of them opened, two books floating up in her magical grip.

"I just got some new books for the library this morning, and I thought you'd be interested in these two, since you're always checking out books about folklore," the librarian said as she floated the two books over for Lyra to see. The magical glow about them changed from a soft violet to a minty green as the other unicorn took them in her own levitation spell, her horn glowing likewise. One was a history book about old Equestrian myths, the other a much more recent pseudo-science book about unknown creature sightings. Lyra's eyes sparkled as she turned that one over, looking at the back cover.

"Ooo! I haven't read this one yet! Let's see. Wampus, Two-foots, the Canterborough Lake Monster. This sounds like a good one!"

Lyra eagerly started flipping through the pages, looking over the illustrations and maps of where these strange creatures were sighted. Bon Bon took this moment to slowly start edging her way out the door while Twilight was too distracted with Lyra's excited examination of her new books.

"Um, I think I'll just leave you two bookworms to yourselves; I've got some shopping to do," she said, thankfully out the door already and starting down the street. She looked back over her shoulder as she started trotting off towards the market. "I'll see you at your recital, love. Don't be late!"

Twilight had just noticed she was alone with Lyra and turned to call after the fleeing earth pony, but it was too late. Bon Bon was already just a cream-colored spot in the distance. With a grumble, she could only narrow her eyes as she watched her target escape. Next time she'd get her answers. Next time...

A polite cough brought the librarian's attention back to the here and now. Turning, she saw Lyra giving her a curious look.

"Um, is everything alright, Twilight?" the green unicorn asked, looking Twilight over slowly. Twilight just sighed, nodding her head a bit as she looked down at the floor for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

"I'm fine. I just had a question or two for Bon Bon, that's all." She said after a moment. Lyra just tilted her head, a bit curious as to what sort of questions they were. With a glance over into the living room, she floated the two books over to a table with her light green magic before she turned back to her purple friend.

"Um, hey, you want to come in? I haven't had breakfast yet, so would you like anything?" she said before trotting her way into the kitchen. Twilight followed behind her, her mood still a bit low at having to wait even longer to finally get the answers she was after.

"Nah, that's alright. But if you don't mind, could I ask you something?" the lavender unicorn said as she followed Lyra into the kitchen, glancing about a bit. If she couldn't get her answers from Bon Bon, perhaps the earth pony's companion could offer some explanation.

"Sure! What ya need?" Lyra called back, her head stuck in the fridge for the moment, looking about for something to eat for breakfast. Eventually she pulled back, a small plate of English muffins held in her levitation magic. Twilight slipped into a seat at the kitchen table, setting her front hooves down on the table for a moment as she looked at them. The gears in her head turned as she tried to carefully word her question.

"Just what happened that day two months ago?" Twilight watched the mint green unicorn closely, the way her eyes shifted as she paused, and how she had almost lost her hold on the plate floating next to her. She was right, they were hiding something. But what? After a moment or two, Lyra recovered from her slight shock.

"I...I thought you knew?" She said, trying to go about as if there was nothing wrong. But in her head, she was on the edge of panic. As she slipped the plate into the microwave, a million worries raced through her mind. Just what did Twilight know already? Did she think something was still wrong? Does she suspect Bon Bon? Using a hoof to tap a couple buttons to start the microwave, she turned back to the lavender unicorn with a forced, but hopefully friendly smile.

Twilight just shrugged a bit as she sat there, still watching the other unicorn.

"Just that you and Bon Bon had some sort of a fight. When she came looking for help, she wouldn't tell me anything else." Twilight let her mind work for a bit, reading Lyra's expression. She wasn't very skilled at reading another pony, not like Rarity or Fluttershy was. But still, it didn't take somepony with a special talent for it to tell that her question had gotten to the green unicorn. If Twilight had had any doubt that something was being hidden from her, there was none now. "She promised to tell me everything after she had found you. But so far she hasn't, and I'm starting to worry about her."

Normally Lyra would have calmed a bit hearing that Twilight was just worried about her beloved. But right now, it just made the minty mare worry more. Not even noticing that the microwave had beeped, alerting her that her breakfast was hot and waiting, she made her way over to the table, trying to give the librarian as reassuring a face as she could.

"I wouldn't worry, Twilight. Bon Bon just takes her time with things like this. Trust me, when she's ready, she'll tell you." The mint unicorn said with a smile, hoping that it would be enough to calm Twilight's curiosity, at least for the moment. To her great relief, the lavender mare sighed slightly, nodding her head slowly.

"You're right, Lyra. I guess I just let my worry get the best of me. Still, I'll be waiting for an answer. Just let Bon Bon know I'm worried for her, ok?" Twilight said with a smile, slipping out of her chair to a nod from Lyra. With a soft smile, she turned and bid her friend goodbye as she made her way out of the house.

As soon as the front door was closed, Lyra was pressing herself up against it, her breakfast totally forgotten. Carefully she pulled back the curtain of the nearby window, keeping her eye glued to the retreating unicorn. This wasn't good. In fact, this was horrible. Lyra hadn't known Twilight for very long, at least not as a friend. But she did know that the librarian wouldn't stop till she had found out the truth. And if she knew about her and Bon Bon, it would be a disaster for sure! She watched as Twilight made her way down the street, heading in the direction of the market square.

Panic rose up in Lyra's chest. Was Twilight heading out to confront Bon Bon in public? Her eyes narrowed at the thought of it, and at what she had to do. She couldn't let anyone else know Bon Bon's secret...