“Alright! You did it!“ Spike cheers! “Owlowiscious, the book!“ The owl gives a soft, “Who?“ Then flies up to the top of the large machine and picks up the book with its talons. Lyra backs away from the machine and its quiet hum and lights slowly fade. The bird drops the book into
Spike’s waiting claws, then flies over to the cover on the ground and
starts to fumble with it.
Lyra drops to all four legs and approaches the little purple dragon, “Spike, I-“ Spike puts the book under his arm and holds his other claw up to stop Lyra, “You can explain later. For now-” Spike jumps and points to the door, “Everypony needs to get out! Twilight’ll be back any second now! Rear stairwell and out the window! Go go go!“
Everypony breaks into a run and, lead by Blossomforth, snakes their way to and down the stairs. Once there they each jump out the nearest window, one at a time. Lyra leads the group outside, hugging the wall as they head toward the front of the castle. She then gives a signal to go, “Twilight just went inside! Move!“
Then the group makes their final sprint back toward town.
You feel like you’re falling, and can see bright lights pass before your closed eyes. You try your best to brace for impact, but you don’t know which way is up! You start to feel sick when suddenly the lights disappear and fresh air impacts your face. Then, something soft catches you and you open your eyes.
“Gotcha.” You find yourself on Blossomforth’s back, who has just landed. You roll off and stumble for a dizzy moment. Once you get steady, you take a look at your hand, which has turned back into a hoof. Looks like you made it!
You look around the room. Blossomforth is next to you, looking like she’s ready to dive and catch you if you lose your balance. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are beside one another. Bon-Bon is off to one side; there’s an owl perched on a box near her. And Spike is in the middle.
Spike claps, “Alright! That just leaves Lyra left, right? She’s still coming, isn’t she?“
The portal starts to flash and Blossomforth pulls you out of the way with one of her wings. Then she steps in front of you and bends her knees, ready to fly into action. Literally. The mirror glows and Lyra slowly walks out, standing on her hindlegs.
“I was going to come back, you know.“
You turn around and find Lyra walking past the statue toward where Bon-Bon is standing. You want to stop her, to tell her to leave Aunt Bon-Bon alone, but Bon-Bon turns around with her arms crossed and a stoic expression. The kind she normally has when she’s upset with Lyra. You wouldn’t be able to tell she cried at all, if you hadn’t already seen it.
“You think I knew.“ Lyra spreads her arms out, “I wouldn’t just leave.“ Bon-Bon, arms still crossed, starts to walk toward the statue, “And why wouldn’t you? You’re a free spirit, aren’t you? That’s why you didn’t tell me anything.“ She passes by Lyra and turns her head to say, “That’s why you never tell me anything.“ Lyra yells back at Bon-Bon, “I don’t tell you anything because you can’t ever trust me!“ Bon-Bon pauses in front of the statue for a moment, then turns her head toward you, “Come on, Liza.“ Then she passes through the statue and vanishes.
You and Lyra both stand next to each other in front of the statue. Lyra pats you on the shoulder, “Go ahead, Liza. Unless you think I won’t follow.“
You take a deep breath, close your eyes and, slowly this time, pass through the portal.
Aunt Bon-Bon hugs the other Lyra, “I’ll be back before you know it. And when I get back… I’ll tell you all about Paris. And I’ll have had such a good time. And I’ll wish you could have come with me.“ This only seems to make Lyra cry harder. Then you hear a bell ring and Lyra swings around to look back at the school. She looks back at Bon-Bon with a panicked look on her face, breathing very fast. “Please go.” Bon-Bon grabs Lyra’s hands again, clasps them together, and raises them up to her chest, “You know I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me. It’s better this way. It’s better that you don’t see me fade away.“ Lyra’s face is red and she’s shaking all over. “If you trust me, go before you miss the second bell. Please!“
Lyra abruptly turns and runs toward the school’s main door. Bon-Bon turns to watch her. The front door opens and Lyra stops to stare back at Bon-Bon. Bon-Bon cups her hands over her mouth and yells, “I love you!“ Then Lyra disappears inside.
It’s over, and things become very quiet, and very still. You watch Bon-Bon stand there and stare off into the distance for what feels like a very long time.
“Lyra…“ You step away from Aunt Bon-Bon, who walks towards Lyra. The other Lyra. “Bon-Bon, is everything alright?“ Her expression looks clouded with worry. “Yes,“ Bon-Bon replies, then shakes her head, “No… Lyra, I have to go.“ They both reach for each others’ hands and hold on. “You’ll be back though, right?“ “Yes… But I won’t remember any of this.“ Lyra’s mouth hangs open. “I won’t remember anything that happened before I left for Paris.“ “I-I don’t understand.“ Lyra’s breathing is heavy and you can tell she’s already on the verge of crying. Bon-Bon looks away, “I don’t understand either, but when I come back- the last time I’ll have seen you will be before I left. It’ll be like the last three days never happened. It’ll be like I never got back early.“ Lyra’s lower lip quivers and tears start to drip from her eyes, “Is this a dream?” “I don’t know.” Bon-Bon inhales deeply and you see her start to cry too, ”But I love you,“ you watch Bon-Bon squeeze Lyra’s hand, “And I’ll still love you when I get back. I promise.“
All at once it hits you and you cover your mouth to silence your gasp. This world’s Bon-Bon is in some place called Paris. And Bon-Bon, your Bon-Bon, was pretending to be this Lyra’s girlfriend. You stare at the pain and confusion in this Lyra’s face and… It’s not right. Bon-Bon would never hurt anypony.
“Well,” Blossomforth interrupts, “If you don’t mind, we won’t be waiting for her to get here. You two,” She points to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, “Through the portal, now. And you’d better not try to run off again while I find Spike. Bon-Bon already told me who your parents are.“
With heads held low, the pair walk toward the statue. But before they pass, they both turn toward you. “See you on the other side, Liza.“ Diamond Tiara says. Silver Spoon just waves. Then they both step through the statue and vanish.
Blossomforth approaches the statue after them, “When I get home I’m taking a nice long bath. And I might not get out until Winter Wrap-Up.“ Bon-Bon muffles a laugh and Blossomforth too vanishes through the statue.
Only you and Aunt Bon-Bon remain. She puts her arm around you and pulls you in close, “Well, should we wait for Lyra? How long did she say she’d be?“
“Bon-Bon?“
You and Bon-Bon spin around to find Lyra standing behind you. But it’s not the Lyra you were expecting.
“… Ran around all day like a crazy pony!“ Blossomforth points at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon in turn, “All I asked of you was to say put but no~! You wondered unsupervised in a strange world were you could have been hurt… or worse! And what was I supposed to do, huh? Once the students starting pouring in I had to escape and leave poor Liza behind! What if she was hurt more than I thought?!”
Blossomforth turns her head, sees you, and rushes over. As she walks away, you see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon roll their eyes at her.
“There you are! Are you alright?“ You nod and tell her that your head still hurts a little, but otherwise you feel fine. She looks relieved. This has probably been very stressful for her. You thank her for her help and give her a hug. She seems confused at first, but eventually hugs you back. Then you both let go and return to the statue.
Aunt Bon-Bon claps to draw your attention, “So, what did Lyra say?“ You tell her that she’s coming home, but skip everything else. Bon-Bon closes her eyes and sighs slightly, “I’m glad to hear that.“
After one last glance around town, you head back to the bus stop and wait for the bus. When it arrives the driver, remembering who you are, is worried at first. However, once you show him the green note he seems pleased and hands you two coins in return. You take your seat against the window and watch the world speed by again. It’s a shame you can’t see such a view more often.
Once the bus passes by the school you get ready to get off at your stop. You wave goodbye to the driver on your way out, who returns the gesture with a smile. While you walk back to the school you reflect upon your trip here. The wound on your head still hurts a little. You wonder if it will still be there when you get home.
In front of the statue you find Blossomforth scolding Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Aunt Bon-Bon is there too, but seems to be staying out of it. She sees you approaching and waves. Evidently she was already told you were coming. As you get near, you can hear Blossomforth.
You kneel down and wrap your arms around Aunt Bon-Bon. You don’t fully understand what’s happening here, but it hurts you to see her in so much pain. You tell her it’s okay and give her time to calm down.
After she stops crying you both stand back up and talk about what to do next. Bon-Bon asks you about the ponies you came here with and, after describing her, says she’s seen Blossomforth. She hasn’t seen the Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon you came with, but says not to worry.
“I’ll find everypony you came here with one at a time if I have to. But Liza…“ She puts her hand on your cheek, “This world is a lot more dangerous than ours. And you’ve already gotten hurt once.” She reaches out to the statue and puts her hand into it. You see an image of her hand turned back into a hoof before she pulls it back out. “I want you to go home. Tell Princess Twilight. I’ll suffer whatever punishment I’m due.“
You argue with her. Lyra was the one that went through first. She should be the one that’s punished when everypony gets back!
Bon-Bon looks away, “… I don’t think Lyra is coming back… But don’t worry. She’ll be okay. I promise. For now, I’d feel a lot better if you went home. Will you trust me?“ You nod instinctively. “Then I’ll trust you to go back on your own. Stay safe, and I’ll see you soon.“
Aunt Bon-Bon gives you a tight hug, turns around and races off back toward the school. You watch her until she disappears from view. Then you turn toward the statue and stare. Your hand reaches out toward the statue, and…
The two of you reach the statue in front of the school as you get to the part where you found Bon-Bon and Lyra. You weren’t really paying attention to her while you were talking. You take another good look at Aunt Bon-Bon’s face. She… looks like she’s in so much pain. Her face is red and twisted. You ask her if she’s alright. She looks over at you and smiles through the pain. Then drops to her knees and puts her hands on your shoulders.
“I’m… so sorry, Liza.“ She sobs and shakes her head. “I never… I only meant to come here, find Lyra, and bring her back. But…” She swallows. “At first I was angry. Then confused. Then…“ Bon-Bon’s eyes glaze over and she stares out into the distance, “She’s just like her. She’s funny. And sweet. And smart. And she cares… so much.“ Bon-Bon looks deep into your eyes, like she’s trying to see if you understand. “It was like a dream,“ she whispers. “Here… It was everything I ever wanted. It was like a dream… and I didn’t want to wake up.“ Her eyes go wide and she covers her mouth, like she said something she didn’t mean to. She breaks eye contact and sobs quietly into her hand.
Bon-Bon stands up and grabs you by the hand, “Come on. We need to get home.“ Then turns to Lyra, “I have to go.“ Lyra takes a step back, “What?” She glances at the school, “Now?“ “It’s an emergency.“ “A-alright. Sure.“ She hesitates, “Sh-should I-?“ “No. You go ahead to class. We’ll be fine.“ “Okay.“ Lyra answers slowly. Bon-Bon starts to lead you away when you hear Lyra speak up behind you, “I’ll see you later, right?“ Bon-Bon stops and closes her eyes, “Sure. I’ll see you soon.“ “Alright.“ Lyra’s voice still sounds uneasy, “Bye.“ Bon-Bon never replies. She just continues to lead you away.
You look back as you round the corner and see Lyra still just standing there. That didn’t seem like something Aunt Bon-Bon would do. You start to say something, but when you look over to her face, you see tears crawling down her cheeks. She wipes them away and asks you how you got here. You begin to tell her the whole story, beginning with when you got home from school yesterday.
…
…
…
”HEY!”
The voice sounds foreign. You’re not sure where it came from, but the pair
are both staring at you now. You’re out in the open and your hands are
clinched into fists so tight it hurts. Your entire body is trembling.
The world begins to blur, but you blink back the tears. All you can do
now is stand there.
Bon-Bon’s smile is gone. Her jaw is slack and
the color fades from her cheeks. Her hands fall to her side. Her eyes
are wide with horror. With recognition. She mouths the word “Liza“.
“Isn’t that your niece?“ You hear Lyra ask.
Bon-Bon
turns to look at Lyra, then rushes toward you. Her run is off-balanced
and she almost trips once. When she reaches you, she drops to her knees.
“Liza,
are you alright? I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” She pushes your hair
away from your bandage, “What happened to you? Are you alright?“ She
keeps repeating herself. Lyra catches up to her and bends down to
you, “Hey! Eh Tootsie, right? That’s a nasty bump you got there.” Why is
she acting like she doesn’t know you? “What are you doing here?“ Her
head is tilted to one side and she has a soft, kind smile across her
lips. Why is she acting like she doesn’t know you?
You take another look. They’re holding hands and talking. You try to find some kind of fault- some way to disprove them. The way Lyra is standing? Her weight is on one leg with her other leg spaced out behind her. Her body is tilted forward and her head is curved down. You try to picture your Lyra standing that way. Proud, but humble… it matches up perfectly. Both on four legs and on two.
But Aunt Bon-Bon is always busy. She always looks like she has something else on her mind. She’ll hardly ever look directly at you when she’s talking. You’ve watched her eyes shift down and to the left and right countless times. And sometimes she’ll pause mid-sentence when she does it too! You don’t know anypony else that does that the way she does!
You stare into this Bon-Bon’s eyes and watch her mouth. Sure enough, you catch her mouth hanging open and her eyes dart down and to the side.
They… look like Aunt Bon-Bon and Lyra. The only Bon-Bon and Lyra you’ve ever known. Smiling. Laughing. They look happy here. Happy away from Ponyville. Happy without you…
You’re not comfortable watching them kiss! Not because it’s kissing, but because it’s them kissing! It’s just so… wrong! Kissing is for when you love somepony. But all Aunt Bon-Bon and Lyra do anymore is fight! They don’t sit together. They don’t play together. They don’t even hug!
You’re frustrated and confused and angry and… scared?
You expected them to be in trouble. You thought you were going to be the hero. But now it’s like you’re watching something you can’t understand- impatiently waiting for somepony to come along and explain what’s going on. Only… nopony is coming. You feel helpless. Like a foal. Like a baby.
Why is this happening? Was this a mistake? Was it a mistake to look for them? Should you just… go?
What should you do?
Minus Princess Twilight? Okay… Well let’s see… There was Rainbow Dash. And… Um… Roseluck? Was Aunt Bon-Bon an Element of Harmony? She always seems to be busy.
As you approach the pair you quickly realize exactly why they seem so noteworthy. That mix of pink and blue next to that blend of minty green and white. That’s Aunt Bon-Bon and Lyra! You found them! Although, you still have no idea why they’re here, what they’re doing, or why they left in the first place.
You’d run over to them as fast as you could if your stupid, backward legs would let you! As you get closer you get a good look at their faces. They’re not pony faces, obviously, but it has to be them! You can see it in their eyes! There can be no doubt!
They slowly turn away from you. Fearing they might walk off you get ready to call out to them. But just before you do, Aunt Bon-Bon leans close to Lyra. Is she whispering? Telling a secret? You expect Lyra to turn her head so she can hear, but instead she copies Aunt Bon-Bon. Is this a game? Are they playing mirror?
…
You practically fall behind a column to hide yourself. You try to make sense of what you just saw, but how can you? Nothing makes sense anymore!
Yesterday you were a pony. Today you’re some kind of minotaur-dragon… thing. But this…? This is too much even for fantasy!
