Chapter Ten: Reptiles and Rainbows

"I thought you had a lot more animals in here Fluttershy. Where are they?"

Fluttershy gently placed the thick textbook down on the coffee table. She had many books on animal anatomy and veterinary medicine, but very few had anything on hydras. "They are probably hiding in the other rooms, they aren't used to being around many carnivores." With a gentle smile she continued, "It took some of them over a month to get used to Harry."

"Who's Harry?" Bonbon asked. She didn't see Fluttershy very often anymore. Without a pet there was little need to come by the cottage.

"Oh, Harry is the bear that lives in the woods just over there." Fluttershy said, pointing towards the northeast window. "I guess you never met him, he came around after you stopped coming." She poked at the carpet, "Sorry to hear about your cat."

Bonbon nodded. It had been about two years since her cat died, so it didn't bother her too much anymore. It was a solid grey shorthair with a white tail. Lyra had given it to her as a kitten before they started dating. "Things happen."

After flipping a few pages Fluttershy gave a small sigh. "You might not want to be around for this. Looks like I may need to do some surgery."

Zecora, who had been mostly quiet since she arrived, looked up from her coffee mug. "If that is the case, I had best move along. When it comes to blood, my stomach is not strong." Standing up from the easy chair she gulped down the last of her drink. "Where shall I put your coffee cup? It would be rude to not help clean up."

Fluttershy directed her to the kitchen. After a brief dispute over whether it was necessary to help wash the breakfast dishes Fluttershy gave in and let the two guests wash and dry the few plates and mugs while she put them in the cabinets. Afterwards, with a few words of thanks and a goodbye, Zecora was on her way back to her hut.

"Are you sure you want to stay Bonbon? I admit, I could use the help, but it's not for the faint of heart."

Bonbon chuckled, "That's kinda funny coming from you." Catching herself, she blushed, quickly adding, "N-no offense, it's just that… well, you're probably the most nervous pony I know."

"Oh don't worry, I know I have problems around other ponies. But it's just that, it's only around other ponies." Fluttershy smiled warmly, she had gotten used to ponies saying these kind of things long ago. "My parents took me to a foal psychologist when I was little, he said I have 'Social Anxiety Disorder'. I took pills for it when I was little, but I can't afford them on my own, so…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know." Bonbon scratched her mane. "Ya know, my uncle had something like that. He couldn't afford his pills so he drank a lot instead."

Fluttershy's cheeks darkened. She took a step back, opening her mouth to speak, she managed "Oh"

A spark of recognition ignited in Bonbons head. "Fluttershy, is that why you were acting weird at the party the other day?"

"I don't want to talk about this Bonbon."

"Does anypony know? Fluttershy, I'm saying this as a friend, what you are doing is replacing one problem with another. You need to talk to somepony." Bonbon placed a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. Fluttershy brushed it aside.

Fluttershy took a breath, quieting her annoyance at Bonbon's intrusion. "I know you are just trying to help, but I really don't want to talk about it." Turning her attention to the baby hydra on the couch she placed a hoof on one of it's two necks. After a silent moment she removed her hoof and spoke, "His heartbeat is good, and he seems to be breathing well. It's time."

Bonbon reluctantly gave in, there would be time to talk later. She moved into position beside the couch, as close as she could get. Slowly, Fluttershy scooped her hooves under the sleeping creature, lifting him onto Bonbon's back. She pointed to an open door at the end of the hallway, and slowly they walked together.

The room was very bare compared to the rest of the cottage. The walls were painted a plain light blue and were mostly empty save for two paintings of early Ponyville, a framed certificate, and a large wooden cabinet. In the center of the room was a long metal table and a small, rolling tray.

Fluttershy looked up at her veterinary certificate and sighed. Caring for animals had always meant tending to their medical needs, but she never liked having to use this room. "We'll set him down on the exam table, I'll get the instruments ready while you clean his head."

"Okay," Bonbon said, gently lowering her patient onto the metal table, "which one?"

Fluttershy stopped, realizing she hadn't actually told Bonbon what it was they were about to do. "It's the one on the left, wash it all the way to the shoulders." She motioned at the tiny head, lying limply on the table. "You see, a hydra's head will grow back when it's severed. This little guy's neck is broken and the spinal cord is cut, meaning this head is dead. If the head is not completely removed then it will become necrotic and poison his bloodstream. So what we are going to do is remove the dead head so a new one can grow in it's place. Normally if something like this happened in the wild, an adult will bite the useless head off, but he is much too small to manage that."

Bonbon, head cocked, stared blankly at Fluttershy. "Okaaay, I don't really understand, but I trust you."

A tense half-hour, one nausea bucket, and a smooth surgery later, the two ponies were quietly watching the tiny hydra.

"This is the most important part." Fluttershy said, her voice hushed. "Hydra's heads grow back instantly, so if we did everything right the new head should pop out any second."

For an anxious moment neither pony spoke, both pairs of eyes fixed, unblinking, on the clean cut stump. Slowly, the stump began to move. Jerking back and forth, the neck began to glow softly as the stark cut-off end seemed to reassemble itself from nothing. Popping and cracking sounds rang out as the newly formed bones settled into place with their first slow movements. Soon, there was a fully formed, bright and clean new head atop the now awake and alert body. Quietly burbling it's first new sounds.

Both ponies breathed a sigh of relief. Fluttershy began a thorough examination of the seemingly happy patient while Bonbon stepped outside for some air.

Bonbon trotted along the small stream that ran in front of the house, enjoying the autumn air and losing herself in thought.

The air was crisp and sweet. Thinking back, Bonbon remembered the foul stench of the chicken coop that would greet her every time she would visit. After complaints from many visitors, Fluttershy had finally gotten a group of unicorns to create a magical deodorizing field around the more smelly parts of her animal sanctuary. Apparently, now, Twilight Sparkle was able to cast the same spell that would take several talented unicorns all by herself.

Lyra would often confide her jealousy to Bonbon. It wasn't hard to feel inferior with such a powerful unicorn in town, and now, a princess. Bonbon was secretly positive that having all six elements of harmony in the small town made everypony feel at least a little inferior.

She had admired Applejack long before she was the element of honesty. Her and Lyra had been in the same class as Applejack and Rarity in her school days. The last year of school was when, with help from Lyra, she had decided to finally announce her feelings.

Since the fight yesterday, Bonbon had thought constantly about those times. When she had mustered her courage and asked Applejack on a date, AJ had indeed laughed. But was she laughing at her, or something else? Could it have been a nervous laugh while searching for words to let her down easy? Had Applejack even been aware of it?

As Bonbon settled deeper into her thoughts, she sat down by a short oak tree and gazed into her reflection in the stream.

Focusing on that year, she tried to remember why she cowered from Applejack. Lyra may have been right, she couldn't remember any time she and AJ even talked directly between her confession and when she opened her confectionery. That may also be why, through all the perceived taunting, Bonbon never let go of her feelings for the orange mare.

None of that mattered now. Lyra was gone, and after her outburst she was sure she would never have a chance with Applejack. Especially since AJ was with Fluttershy.

After all that had happened since yesterday, Fluttershy's cottage was one of the last places she expected to find herself. Though she was relieved to just be away from her embarrassing visit with Zecora.

Bonbon closed her eyes. Hoping that if she wished hard enough she could wake up yesterday morning and see Lyra smile as she crawled out of their bed and said 'I love you.' A tear fell down her cheek as she made her wish.

"Bonbon."

She could hear her name being called from far away.

"Hey Bonbon."

The voice was closer now, she squeezed her eyes tight, answering in her thoughts, "I'm right here Lyra, please come back."

"Um, Bonbon?"

The voice was right next to her. Her heart leaped. A smile formed instantly on her face. In an instant she rose up, spinning around and grasping at voice. Her eyes still closed she felt soft fur under her hooves and pulled the unseen body into an embrace. She knew it wasn't Lyra. It couldn't be. She didn't care, it was somepony, and as long as it was somepony then she wasn't alone.

The unseen mare's body stiffened, a breath was drawn but not let go. For a moment neither spoke. Finally the mare shifted on her hooves, expelling the stale breath, she spoke, "Bonbon, is something wrong?"

Allowing herself a peek through her tightly closed eyelids, a multicolored mane filled Bonbon's vision. Loosening her grip, she spoke, "I'm sorry Rainbow Dash, I'm not myself today. It's a long story." She took a step back and finally opened her eyes. Dash was standing still, her legs locked straight, wings outstretched and eyes wide. "Did you want something?" Bonbon asked, with a feeble smile.

"Are you okay Bonbon? I just stopped to chat, but…" Rainbow Dash trailed off.

"It's nothing, I'm just feeling kinda lonely. Sorry if I startled you."

"If you say so." Dash's body relaxed. She trotted in place for a few seconds, having tensed up all at once left her with a bad leg cramp. With a slightly embarrassed look on her face, she folded her wings. "I was just finishing up my weather duties and saw you sitting here. I was gonna ask you when your store is going to be open again, I need to get some of those little mints you make with caffeine in them. Pinkie Pie fell asleep yesterday while we were having lunch and I was telling her about this new trick I'm working on. It's gonna be awesome, I get a big cloud spinning really fast and do a sonic rainboom as I fly through it, that should make the rainboom spread out in an orb of twirling colors. I'm thinking of calling it the "Disco Rainboom" but I dunno. Anyway, I thought I might get Pinkie some of those mints to help her stay awake."

Bonbon thought for a moment, she hadn't slept at all last night. To her embarrassment, she had lost track of the date. "Um, Is today Saturday? The renovations are supposed to be complete on Monday."

"It's actually Sunday. Monday is tomorrow, that's not long to wait, thanks!" Dash said with a smile. Turning around , she spread her wings and remarked, "I'll be sure to drop by early so I can get the freshest batch."

"Hey wait!" Bonbon shouted, reaching a hoof out, "I have a small box of those mints in my saddlebags. If you come with me I'll grab them for you. No charge."

Dash twirled around, a huge grin on her face. Bonbon could have sworn it was literally ear to ear. "That. Would. Be. AWESOME! Thank you SOOO much! Lead the way!"

The baby hydra was waddling around the room, both heads burbling and cooing as it took in all the sights. Fluttershy had finished her examination, he seemed to be fit as a fiddle. Now she just had to figure out what to do with him. Hydras grow fast and she definitely didn't have room for an adult in her cottage. Perhaps the zoo in Vanhoover had a spot open in their giant reptiles program.

The sound of the door opening caught her attention. "Bonbon, is that you? I finished the exam, he's looking great." She scooped up her charge, placing him on her back, and trotted to the living room.

Rainbow Dash turned to Bonbon, slightly confused, "'He?' Did you get a new cat?"

"Not exactly."

Fluttershy hummed quietly to herself, and to her passenger. She had never seen any creature make such a fast recovery. Most creatures need weeks of therapy or more after a major surgery. But he was in tip top shape in mere minutes.

Dash's back was turned to her when she entered the living room. A devious thought crossed her mind. She began tiptoeing as quietly as she could.

"I thought I put my bags right here by the door. They must have gotten moved." Bonbon said, catching sight of Fluttershy slowly creeping up behind Dash, she suppressed a smile. "Say, do you know what they look like?"

"I know I've seen you walking around with them, but I can't picture them in my head."

Bonbon giggled, pointing a hoof behind Rainbow she said, "They look kinda like that."

Dash raised an eyebrow, something weird was going on. She cautiously turned around…

A large flock of crows lifted off from the roof of Sugarcube Corner, startled by a distant scream.

"Rainbow Dash…"

Between ragged, panting breaths Dash answered, "Yeah?"

"I can't breathe." Bonbon's face was firmly planted in the soft blue fur of Dash's chest. All four of Dash's hooves were wrapped around some part of her. Fluttershy sat on her hindquarters, the hydra held between her front hooves just inches from where Dash's face had been a split second ago. She was laughing hysterically.

Bringing the hydra into a close hug Fluttershy looked at Dash through eyes teary from laughter, "I can see why you and Pinkie love pulling pranks so much." In an instant her laughter stopped as a realization struck. With and earnest plea she said, "Please don't prank me back, I don't know if I could handle it."

Rainbow Dash placed her hooves on the floor, letting go of Bonbon she folded her wings again. "That's three times I've been taken off guard today. I'm gonna have to do so much preening tonight." She cast a grin at Fluttershy, "That was a pretty good one. I suppose I can let you have this one for free, but any more and I'll have to getcha back good."

"I'm glad you're here Dash, we need to give this little guy a name." Fluttershy said, bouncing the hydra on her knee. "You read a lot of books, surely you have some ideas."

Rainbow Dash squinted at the creature on Fluttershy's knee. "Wait, that thing's real? Aren't hydras poisonous? That's dangerous!"

"Oh Rainbow, he's an orphan, and hydras don't get their poison glands until they are full grown." Fluttershy smiled serenely, still bouncing her knee. "Oh, Bonbon, look at this." She poked the hydra, causing him to stand up straight, both necks extended upwards. "The left neck, the one we fixed, is an inch shorter than the other one."

Dash snorted a laugh, "Call him Lefty!"

"That's not nice." Bonbon scowled. "Why not a traditional animal name. How about Melvin? Like my cat."

The three mares nodded in agreement.

"Melvin it is!" Fluttershy held him in the air. "Who's a good Melvin? Is it you? Yes it is!" Melvin cooed.

"Where did you find him anyway?" Dash asked.

"I was visiting Zecora when we heard a loud rumbling outside. When we went to investigate we found a rockslide a little under a mile away. Melvin's mother was dead under a huge pile of boulders and he was lying a couple yards away, badly hurt." Bonbon explained, gesturing wildly. "We rushed him here immediately. Fluttershy worked her healing magic on him and now he's good as new."

"Healing magic, huh? Where do ya keep you horn Flutters? Your sock drawer?" Dash prodded.

"Eep!" Fluttershy's face turned a bright red. Bonbon giggled.

Dash tapped her chin, "Wait a sec, you said he was hurt in a rockslide? The only rockslide I know of recently happened during the third shift weather patrol this morning. Why were you at Zecora's place before the sun rose?"

"Um… well…" Bonbon felt her knees threatening to give way under her. She sat down. She glanced between two other mares. Their eyes seemed to burn into her. "You guys can keep a secret right?"

"Wow, we can. I dunno bout you though. Ya just kinda caved like we were threatening you with rusty pliers." Dash half joked. "You don't have to tell us if it's private."

Bonbon sighed, defeated. "If I don't tell you now it'll just look suspicious. But you really really have to promise me you won't tell anyone."

Dash and Fluttershy drew their right hooves across their chests in an "x", then placed them over their right eye. "Promise." They said in unison.

Bonbon giggled slightly, then turned serious. "After the fight in the market yesterday, I panicked. I had to get Lyra back but I felt so hopeless, like there was nothing I could ever do to fix it. So I went home and gathered some things and decided to leave town. I started walking into the forest and after a little while I remembered that the path led to Zecora's hut. I remembered that she makes all kinds of potions so I… well… I went to ask her for a love potion." Her ears drooped, she closed her eyes, ready to receive whatever reprimand was coming.

"Aren't love potions illegal?" Fluttershy asked. There was concern in her voice. Bonbon was ready for anger, hostility, disgust. She wasn't prepared for concern.

"Yeah, they are." Bonbon hung her head. "Zecora almost turned me away at the door when I asked her for one. Then I started crying. She invited me in for tea and we talked for a long time. It got so late that we fell asleep on her couch. We woke up when we heard the rockslide."

"Is 'we fell asleep on her couch' code for something?" Rainbow chided. "It just seems awfully suspicious that you break-up with your marefriend and immediately spend the night at another mare's house with all your things."

"NO! Don't even joke like that Dash. Zecora was just being kind. There is nothing more to it. Please don't go telling that to everypony." Bonbon's voice wavered between outrage and pleading. Her mind never seemed to think rationally during confrontation. At least past the point she had planned for.

"We won't say a thing. You have our word." Fluttershy said confidently. Dash nodded in agreement.

Fluttershy continued, "But what was that about a fight in the market? I haven't heard anything about that."

Bonbon began to sweat. Here goes nothing. "Well, ya see…"