A Changing Duet

Berry Punch laid, sprawled out, on the park bench.

She'd been there for a few hours, having wandered into the park in question and flopped down unceremoniously, half her limbs spilling over the edge. The day had hardly been off the ground, late morning at best, when she had made her way to the worn wooden thing. Now the late summer sun cheerfully beamed down at the pony, well on its way past high noon.

Pinkie Pie had been keeping an eye on her from a-far. The plum mare had hardly moved the whole time, and the party pony was getting concerned. It was normal to take naps and laze about, but this was getting silly. The plum pony was in a depressing state, it was practically leaching into the air around her, and Ponyvilles premier party pony, the master of glee and smiles, wouldn't stand for it!

She looped around the edge of the field, all the while pondering upon the best way to cheer the other up. A surprise! Something loud and unexpected and cheerful and bright! She began slinking forwards, the back of the bench looming closer and closer as she made her way across the open field, silent as a ghost. Well, maybe not a ghost, those where supposed to be scary and not fun (unless it was Nightmare Night,) so maybe like a friendly ghost? Amidst her thoughts, Pinkie suddenly found herself at the back of the bench. Grinning, she oh-so-quietly took in a huge breath, jumping out from behind the bench and-

-Found her muzzle filled with a cupcake.

Berry looked up at her, very softly shaking her head and looking quite dead to the world. "Head hurts. Quiet."

Pinkie Pie looked simply stunned for a moment before breaking out into a great big grin, cupcake already having vanished into her seemingly bottomless stomach. The only thing that seemed as bottomless at this point was Berry's eyes, the mulberry spheres lacking that shine of life. Pinkie sat herself down beside the other mare, looking her over. "Hangover?"

Berry blew her mulberry mane out of her face, taking up a new position so the party pony wouldn't be sitting on her, and looked over the arm of the bench, draping a forehoof over and resting her chin on it. "Something like that, yeah..." Pinkie followed her gaze, the cottonwood trees on the parks edge swaying in the breeze, like they where dancing.

Pinkie was quiet for a moment, something of an oddity for herself, the feeling of depression from the other mare dampening her mood.  She looked over at the limp form laying across the bench from her and, without really thinking, leaned over and softly hugged the other mare, resting her chin atop Berry's head. "Looks like you need some love."

Berry shook a little, mumbling something grumpily. Her head remained looking to the treeline, apparently lost in thought. Pinkies face split into a wide grin. She was all for sending out a search party to recover the other. It was a party after all! "Come on miss grumpy-grump-pants! Just a little help from your friends!"

"Get off me."

"Nope! Hugs-until-you-smile!"

"...You can't even see my face."

Pinkie laughed, Berry wincing a little under her, ears pulling back to smack at the party ponies face. "Oh, sorry!"

Punch was probably rolling her eyes at the stage whisper.

"But really! You need a bit of looooove and it will alll be A-OK!"

Pinkie could tell for sure that Berry was rolling her eyes. "Love is hard to find."

Pinkie gasped loudly at the mulberry maned pony's muttering. "Love is soooo easy to find! I mean, lookit me! I've got lots and lots of love!" She beamed as the thought crossed her mind, each and every friend she had, all the ponies in Ponyville. "Each and every friend gives a little and a little and suddenly it's a lot!"

Berry made a raspberry noise. "Friendship," She slowly, and quietly explained, "Is not quite love. It is friendship, and something all to itself. It is an understanding that you and they get along and that you will help each other out. Love is much more."

The pink party pony bodily raised Berry into the air and turned her about, staring into her eyes again. They had a little sparkle to them as Berry stared back, apparently not bothered by her actions, but a very small smile on her lips never-the-less. Pinkie chortled "Still the best!"

That comment got the Plum coated mare's eyebrow to raise. Pinkie kept going, her enthusiastic voice raising a little. "Anyways, friendship is actually love!" She gestured with one hoof, holding Berry close with the other. "You're loyal to friends, you're honest with friends, and you share with friends! You do your best to understand your friends and make them happy!"  She smiled like a mad mare, hugging Berry close in a crushing embrace.

Berry gasped for air. Pinkie let out a little giggle. "Whoopsy!" She laughed again, flopping the other mare onto her bench. "But yes! Friends love you very very much!"

Berry chuckled a little, a smile seemingly firm on her face as she relented. "I suppose so," She looked off into the middle distance. Pinkie could watch her eyes follow the trees. "I guess it does make it a little less empty," The smile flickered a little, and the mulberry eyes dimmed for a moment.

Pinkie Pie snortled. "Maybe it can make it a little more full?"

Berry seemed to realize she'd spoken out loud, and it carried over to her voice. "Oh, ah, maybe, yeah. A bit better way to put it..." She glanced over at the other, a worried little look on her face.

The party pony smiled at her, hoping to ease the mood along. "Anyways, I'm having a party at Sugarcube Corner later tonight, I was going to ask if you where going to be there?" She paused for a moment before adding "Lyra and Bon-Bon will be there."

Berry looked off into the distance again. Her voice was as distant sounding as the trees looked. She replied slowly. "Maybe... Ask me again  later, I'll be at the shop doing some restocking. Don't know what will come up."

Pinkie Pie was silent again. The soft breeze seemed to die. Then, when she spoke up at last, it was probably the quietest Berry had ever heard her.

"I wanted to ask you. Please come."

Berry's head shot up, staring wide eyed at where Pinkie had been, only to find the other mare was gone. Sighing, she looked back to the still trees, eyes dimming once more.

Lyra hovered the two top sheets of music on the table, golden glow softly covering them. She'd just gotten back from her early morning errands, having left before the sun was up to visit the post office and, later, at noon, waking Berry Punch up (She'd passed out just inside her door again) and had sat herself down in the middle of her mess of musings only to notice the two out of place sheets. One looked vaguely like her hornwriting, the other was definitely Bon-Bon neat work. Frowning, she noticed that they where the same song.

Bon-Bons writing was more complete. lyrics flowing well with the rhythm, but...

Lyra went over the structure of the unfamiliar song, quill making small notes, variations in the bass line, switching some Minor notes out for Majors along the other instruments. The lyrics had some sadness to them, but the feel and the end was upbeat, so she tweaked it to fit. Something about the simplicity of it made her smile. It reminded her of when she was just starting out, she guessed.

Lyra warbled a few lines softly, studying the melody while mentally playing the notes in her head. "'Cause inside you're working; You're mending what's broken-"

"-'Cause our love, ain't easy; It changes with seasons," Came the pitch perfect conclusion to the lyrical line, the sound coming from the kitchen's entrance.

Lyra turned, beaming over the back of the couch at Bon-Bon. "Sweets."

Bon-Bon made a soft little sound, nuzzling Lyra over the back of the couch. "So, what do you think, Hmmm?" Bon-Bon tilted her head softly towards the sheet music, Lyra's fresh scrawlings over top of Bon-Bon's precise work, the two complimenting each other quite well the unicorn figured.

"It's simple, it's basic, there's almost nothing to it." Lyra stared down at the sheets again, Bon-Bon's head resting on her shoulder. "It relies on layers of simplicity to make something more complex. But it reminds me of..."

They had just fought. Lyra didn't understand why, but she'd been met at the door by Bon-Bon, fire in her eyes.

She had screamed and yelled and even thrown a punch or two and the unicorn had stood there quivering as she took it.

She remembered Bonnie screaming something about hating her, about how she'd never leave her alone, about being nosy and writing terrible music and how she was so weird, with her strange habits and weird sitting and and and.

Lyra had just stood there, shaking and crying as the other mare screamed and vented and raged.

And now she stood there as she cried, spent, on the threshold of her house.

Lyra didn't know why she did it, but she very softly picked Bon-Bon up in her magic, the pale golden light surrounding the other mare as she weakly struggled and sobbed. The unicorn took the crying, angry mare into the house, gently laid her on the couch, and smiled. It was careful and warm and full of emotion.

Bon-Bon looked up at her, eyes ringed in red. Her voice was a soft, ragged whisper. "Why won't you just leave?"

"Becasue you said 'I love you.'"

Bon-Bon went quiet as Lyra draped a blanket over her softly.

Lyra looked at Bon-Bon, who was still smiling over her shoulder. "...It's just right."

The musical laugh that escaped the pink and blue maned mare was perfect punctuation to the memory, showing where it had eventually led.

Lyra bit her lower lip as she looked over the sheets again. "Though... Who wrote the first draft?"

Bon-Bon just smiled.

Berry groaned as she made her way into Bon-Bon's shop. She was expecting a full day of work ahead of her, and Lyra's call to work had been less then helpful, waking up Ruby. Between the little bit of pain from Fridays drinking (What a night that had been!) and her falling out of bed, Ruby's enthusiasm had made the poor mother's head throb.

Then on the way, some royal guard stopped her and questioned her for a good few minutes before Twilight had rescued the still sleepy mare, politely telling the guard to go away. Berry's words were much less kind. In any case, she had arrived, later then usual. Nursing her headache, she opened the small door to the rear room and let her jaw hit the floor.

Everything was already done. Everything. The taffy puller in the corner was cleaned out, the stove was clean, the pots where on the rack, there was a full batch of said treat in wrappers, bon-bons sat on trays under covers, rock candy was carefully wrapped up, even the fudge was done and put neatly where it belonged. The small cluttered kitchen was full of completed treats and clean pots and pans.

Berry was used to coming in and finding little bits of her prep-work done. She'd never come in to find Mondays work finished on Sunday. Never. It was not a thing that happened. Somepony had definitely outdone themselves.

As she mentally ran down the list of ponies who could possibly have done this, she was interrupted by the sound of rock candy crunching behind her. Punch twirled, one hoof coming up aggressively-

-And stopped as Pinkie Pie beeped her nose.

Berry fell over backwards. Pinkie giggled, holding out a hoof to pull the mulberry maned pony up.

"She really outdid herself," Pinkie mused, taking another crunch at the rock candy. "The sour apple is just so, mmmmmm!" The party pony tilted her head a little. "I'm going to have to ask her about it later!"

Berry just stared at her, more then a little confused. It showed in her voice as she asked, "So, uh, you know who..?"

Pinkie beamed at the plum mare. "Yep!" The pink menace crunched down on the candy again, head bobbing a little as she enjoyed the treat. Berry was waiting for an explanation, but it seemed she wasn't getting one. She reached up and massaged her temple; Her headache was getting worse.

She was about to press for more, but Pinkie Pie started up first. "Well, looks like all you have to do for the day is restock! That's pretty nifty! It's a lot less messy then doing the prep-work and you won't get sugar everywhere again like the last time, remember, you missed the pot by like, a mile, but not really because then you'd have to be outside the store and-" Berry called her name, hoping to stop the torrent of words. Pinkie kept rambling. The berry pony tried louder this time, the result the same as the last attempt. Finally, Berry just screamed - and regretted it immediately, head feeling like it was going to split open. She held her pounding skull in her hooves, head down on the ground as she whimpered at her stupid, self inflicted pain.

Pinkie leaned down, still rambling. Berry groaned and Pinkie stopped, the silence the single most wonderful experience that the Plum coloured pony had ever had the pleasure of living through.

Pity it didn't last.

"Anyways, After you're done, there's a party down at Sugarcube Corner! She asked me to ask you to come, which was silly because I totally was going to ask you anyways!"

Berry groaned again, waving a hoof weakly, a metronome for her head. "Ok, ok, I'll come, just... Just please, go'way."

"Oh, kay!" And with that joyous exclamation, the party pony vanished, leaving Berry alone on the floor nursing her pounding head. At least the rest of the day would be easy.

Once the room stopped throbbing in time with her head, that was.

The sun shone in through the kitchen windows, a startling contrast to the candle lit den just through the doorway. Through the openings, the world outside could be seen, birds singing in the tiny maple tree that stood proudly in front of the small building, a bastion of shade in the bright late afternoon sun. A small breeze, invited in like the sunlight, swirled through the kitchen, it's two occupants enjoying the view as they lazed about, Tea and sweets on the table.

Not that it mattered, as Lyra was perched upon the counter, hind legs swinging back and forth over the edge, one foreleg pressing down on the tiled counter top, the other wrapped around a glass of fruit juice, bendy straw  in the mares mouth as she slurped away. The other occupant was sensibly sitting on a cushion, sipping gently at her tea, occasionally stopping to sample some of the chocolate coated treats on the table - purely for quality control back at the store, of course.

Lyra bounced the back of her rear hoof off the cupboards handle, a soft 'tink' ringing through the air. Bon-Bon glanced away from the window to look at Lyra, who repeated the motion, absent mindedly sipping on her beverage.

Tink. Tink. Tink.

Bon-Bon twitched an ear to the slow metronome, and, without thinking, began acting to the rhythm. It started with her sips of tea, timed on the off-beats, and began to spread. Lyra, as if sensing this, began tapping the counter top, an impromptu tom beat as the cupboard door became a kick drum, slowly increasing in tempo. Bon-Bon added in a little bit of a cymbal, tea spoon tapping out a rhythm on a half opened jam jars lid.

Suddenly the room was alive with a beat.

Before the absurdity of the moment could reach her mind, Bon-Bon was humming a melody, tea forgotten as the make-shift drums intertwining with her wordless vocals. She shut her eyes, the song just blossoming forth, going from being a young green beat to a lively red flower, opening to the sun and saying hello. A second melody line sprung forth, intertwining with hers, the high pitched notes flitting through her mid-range tune, accenting and harmonizing, almost as if it could tell what she was doing beforehand.

The drumming became more complex, Lyra apparently working  all her hooves, the kick and tom doubling as the song built to a Crescendo, Bon-Bon working along the octaves and building up, the second vocal line taking on her original rhythm, letting her play with the tune. It was glorious, like rainfall in a forest, each sound a droplet as it caressed along a piece of foliage. They let it fade, Lyra ending on a single kick and the wordless humming just softly fading a niente.

Bon-Bon opened her eyes to smile at Lyra. The unicorn's bright sunny eyes shone like the heavens as she beamed back. They both giggled. The moment was perfect.

Well, except that Pinkie Pie was there.

"That was great! We should do it again!" The Pink pony was half-ways through the window, leaning over backwards, smiling at the couple upside-down, hair refusing to reach for the ground in it's gravity defying fashion.

The reaction was nearly instantaneous. Lyra, startled, fell off the counter top sideways, drink bouncing once off the tiled surface before splashing the last of its contents on the mares pale cyan and white mane, glass looking for all the world like some bizarre party hat. Bon-Bon scattered a half dozen of her namesakes over the length of the table as she flailed in surprise, barely managing to avoid knocking her tea to the floor and remain upright. "Celestia's sake!" Lyra gasped out, heart hammering in her chest as she attempted to rise from the floor. "Do you not know what a door is Pinkie?!"

"Of course I do silly!" The pink pony grinned. "The question is why I used a window instead!"

Pinkie rolled into the room, flipping back onto her hooves as Lyra went to the sink, washing the juice out of her mane, the unicorn floating a tea towel from the drawer beside the sink to dry herself, then the floor. As Lyra worked, Pinkie leaned in close, whispering conspiratorially. "Becasue this was way funnier."

Lyra reared up on her hindlegs, leaning back and bracing herself with her forelegs against the counter. "I suppose, but I'd rather you use a door," Pinkie opened her muzzle, only to have herself cut off by the mint coloured pony. "And not the fridge door. I still have no clue how you did that."

Pinkie giggled. "That was great! The look on your face was just perfect!"

Lyra stared down her muzzle at Pinkie, who looked back up with one of her trademark smiles. Bon-Bon watched passively from her seat, popping the formerly scattered treats into her mouth as she watched the stand-off, counting down silently to herself. She her internal count hit one, and, on que, Lyra grinned. "Yeah, I suppose it was pretty awesome."

"Aaaanyways, party tonight!"

Bon-Bon looked at Pinkie. "Most of us have work tomorrow. We can't just drop everything for a party tonight."

Pinkie bit her lower lip. "You have to come! I promised her you'd be there!" She squeaked before continuing. "She looked pretty bad Bon-Bon, I really think she needs this! You've gotta come, you've gotta!" The largest, saddest eyes ever accompanied the pink ponies demands.

Bon-Bon looked puzzled for a second. "Who...?" Then it sunk in. Pinkie knew every pony in Ponyville's name, and as such referred to them all as such. Except one. "Oh. OH! Yes, we'll be there then. For a little bit, but yes."

Lyra, however was confused as all get out. She looked at Bon-Bon questioningly. The earth pony smiled up at her before looking over at Pinkie. She was balancing a bon-bon on the end of her snout, doing her best to not laugh and send it flying across the room. Seemingly growing bored of this little game with gravity, she flipped the treat up and caught it in her mouth, loudly chewing it. "Mmmm, great work Bon-Bon! Never did figure out how they always turn out so great from you! Gotta go now, thanks!" And with that, the party pony was gone, a blur of pink escaping through the window.

Lyra looked over at Bon-Bon, alone with her again. "Care to explain..?"

Bon-Bon looked out the window and sighed. "It's... Complex Lyra." Her voice dipped down as she said it, and she tore her look away from the scene outside as Pinkie tore across their lawn to look at Lyra. Her eyes shimmered with worry. "You know I'd never do anything to hurt you, but right now..." She nibbled on her lower lip worriedly before continuing. "I can't really explain."

With two quick strides on her rear limbs, Lyra was across the kitchen before falling on all fours to give Bon-Bon a little kiss in reassurance. "Well then. Let's not worry and go see this party Sweets."

Raindrops was alone.

Well, that wasn't true to be entirely honest. Sugarcube Corner was stuffed, ponies everywhere as Vinyl (here on a favour to Ms. Pie) had the music flowing, keeping it above the chatter of the ponies crowding the space but not roaring. Life was everywhere as the party got into swing.

Raindrops just chose to sit in the far back corner or the party room and be alone. Her cyan eyes where tired, the shimmer of life the pegasi usually showed a dull gleam, just barely holding on. From across the room, Minuette regarded her with sapphire eyes.

This morning, before she'd said she was heading out to Cloudsdale for the day and would probably be back later, the pegasi had been a whirlwind of energy, her enthusiasm for the trip showing exactly why Rainbow Dash and her got along. Now the canyon running, cloud bucking, usually energetic Pegasus was slumped in a corner, observing the party with tired eyes. It was worrisome.

The blue unicorn made her way across the crowded floor, stopping and regarding the golden pegasus for a moment before turning and plopping herself down beside her friend. Raindrops didn't even look over at her as she spoke up. "You shouldn't worry about me."

Minuette's eyebrow raised as she glanced over at the wilted looking pony beside her. If anything, there where a thousand reasons to be worried, and the fact that she spoke up like that just added to the worry sitting like a baked bad in her stomach. "Yes I should. What happened, you were so excited this morning?" Her eyes went wide. "If you're back early that means... Did something go wrong?"

Raindrops refused to look her in the eye. "No, no, I'm just tired." She let out a sigh before blowing at her hair, stray strands falling right back into her eyes as she looked out on the dance floor. Applejack had shown up, Lyra and Bon-Bon filing into the building right behind her, an enthusiastic Pinkie Pie waving them towards the punch.

The pegasus's friend noticed the small smile tweaking her friends mouth, and followed her eyes. Pinkie was talking to Bon-Bon, energetically gesturing towards their corner, Lyra not paying attention as she grinned and waved madly at Vinyl, the DJ simply thrusting a hoof up in reply, head bobbing to the music.

"Hard to imagine we almost lost them two weeks ago, huh?"

Raindrops head snapped around to stare at the unicorn beside her. "What?" The cyan maned pony's voice almost cracked, worry and confusion on her startled face.

Minuette looked at her friend in confusion, worry slipping into her mind as she looked her over. "You don't remember? I told you about it when we came back." She looked over at Lyra, who was chatting with the DJ, leaning over the console and waving a hoof around energetically. "Me, Twinkleshine and Lyra were brainwashed by this... Changeling-Bug-Pony-Thing," She heard Raindrops inhale sharply in shock. "Said she was the Queen, tried to take over Equestria, huge army of these ugly black bug ponies, huge fangs and all. Lots of fighting and running and ponies getting rounded up."

Raindrops was staring blankly into the middle distance, shock clearly on her face. Her unicorn friend looked over her again, worry clearly etched on her face. "Are you sure you're ok? I told you all this already," She rested a hoof on the yellow pegasai's shoulder, the gesture meant to reassure but she wasn't certain it was working. "Besides, they where all blasted out of Equestria by Princess Cadence! Nothing to worry about!"

Both were quiet for a moment, the pegasus looking at the unicorn, looking a touch haunted. "T-that's why..." She paused, looking at her friend carefully. She was quiet, so quiet that the blue mare had to lean in to catch it. "Oh Celestia..."

The Pegasus looked like her world was crumbling around her, eyes unfocused and pupils shrunk down as the information sank into her mind. Minuette shook her friend gingerly. "Rainy, you okay?"

The yellow mare nodded, the action so lethargic that it felt like hours past. The party seemed to slow infront of them, inherently oblivious to the mood killing conversation blossoming in the corner, but seeming to be affected by it. Minuette glanced at her friend, who had a strange expression on her face. "After all..."

It was then that Pinkie Pie sprouted from the crowd, dragging Bon-Bon after her. "What's with the long faces?! This is a Paaaaaartay!" The mad mare swung Bon-Bon around, Raindrops expression flashing to one of horror as Pinkie spun the earth pony about like some rag doll would be by a child, the force of the motion lifting Bon-Bon into the air, tail and mane trailing behind her spinning body like streamers. There was a sudden flash of gold and cyan, and Pinkie fell over, her counterweight stolen, Raindrops hovering, hugging Bon-Bon close as she lightly set down back in the corner. There was a fair bit of laughing and some panicked shouting from the crowd, the incident not escaping notice.

Glaring at Pinkie, Raindrops let Bon-Bon go. The cream colored mare, still a bit rattled, thanked her breathlessly. Minuette was shocked, panic and anger in her voice as she stared down the part pony. "Pinkie, you could have hurt her!"

"I knew Rainy would catch her!"

Raindrops was busy comforting Bon-Bon, getting a little too close to her in some ways. If her stallion-friend saw this, he would probably flip out. Minuette prodded the pegasus in the side softly before returning to Pinkie, calming down a little. "Do you ever think, Pie?"

"Yep, and I think it worked perfectly!" With that, Pinkie bounded off, hopefully to harass someone else. A strangled yelp from Applejack, followed by laughter from a few others -audible over Vinyls bass heavy music selection - proved this to be the case.

Bon-Bon muttered under her breath, Raindrops hovering over her like a concerned mother hen. Minuette just sat there shaking her head. "I can't believe that mare sometimes, really..."

A voice pierced the crowd's chatter, more from being close then anything. "Bon-Bon!" Lyra bounced out of the mass of dancers, pulling the cream coloured mare close, both teetering on their hind legs, before spinning her carefully outwards, then back into an embrace. Raindrops grinned at the show.

"You heard the mare, this is a party!" Raindrops stood from her corner, grinning as she moved to join the dance floor. Minuette looked confused for a moment, then just shook her head and let her friends good mood overflow into her.

The party had died down in the last while, Minuette, Lyra and Bon-Bon amongst those who had retired already, the sun beginning to set. Raindrops was sitting by the back door, looking a bit pensive as she stared at her hooves.

Lyra had told about the Changelings invasion on several occasions, Minuette embellishing at times, each retelling getting grander as she consumed the punch Berry had spiked numerous times (she had kept forgetting she had already done it.) Every retelling had found a feeling of fearful panic generally come over them, until they had finally decided to just cut Lyra off, telling her to party instead of gab.

As it was, there was AJ, Raindrops, Pinkie, Dash and a whole lot of cleanup left, thought the latter seemed to be on hold for a bit more relaxing. Applejack was sipping some cider, listening to Rainbow ramble on about the Wonderbolts, only half paying attention as she watched Pinkie Pie. The party pony had been darting about, as usual, but she'd noticed she kept returning to Raindrops, dancing or cartwheeling or moving food about in front of the depressed looking Pegasus the whole party. Raindrops had smiled when Pinkie forced a slice of cake upon her, and had eaten the confectionery treat, but still had looked generally depressed most of the time. When she had brought the Yellow ponies mood up to Rainbow, someone who usually hung out with Raindrops, she just shrugged it off. Something wasn't right though.

As if the world agreed with her, Raindrops head shot straight up, looking towards the front of the shop and Pinkie Pie stopped dead, vibrating like mad. Before the premier party pony could stop, Raindrops was out the back door, mumbling something about the night. Applejacks eyes narrowed as she looked at the door, the slightest twinge of fear tugging one edge of her mind, before she shrugged it off. Everypony was a little on edge after the ordeal at Canterlot, even through they knew that Cadence and Shining Armors combined powers had flung all the Changelings out of the land. Celestia herself had even said as much, though a few royal guards had been posted around the various towns and cities to calm nerves.

As she turned, however, her eyes went wide. Yellow and Cyan walked calmly past the storefront, head bouncing happily. Applejack barely heard Pinkie exclaiming about the doozy she had just felt as she took off out the front door, barreling right into Raindrops in a tackle. The pegasus loudly yelped as she was knocked off her feet. "Applejack, whoa, what?!"

Pinkie and Rainbow where suddenly beside her, both looking a bit bemused. Rainbow looked over at Applejack, eyebrow raised. Pinkie smiled down at Raindrops, chirping out a greeting before the other two. "Hey there Rainy!"

The pegasus grunted out a reply, Applejack still standing on her chest. Wordlessly she moved her hooves, pinning the pegasai's legs instead. The yellow mare squirmed. "What gives AJ? Get offa me." It was a wheeze, the floored pony still winded from where the orange mares hoof had impacted in the middle of her chest.

"Rainbow," Applejack slowly started. "Ah just saw Raindrops take off like somethin' fierce was after her." Rainbow just shrugged, not seeing it. "She left out th' backdoor. And whatever spooked her was out front."

Raindrops looked confused. "But I've been in Cloudsdale all day. I just got back and then-"

Applejack cut her off, looking at Dash. "Ah recon we have a Changeling on th' lose." She peered down at Raindrops suspiciously. "Or have we already snagged th' critter?"

"Hold on there, I'm the only me there is!" Raindrops protested loudly and energetically. "Besides, I though that the Princess had dealt with all the Changelings? You know, huge magical spell and all."

"Oh, shut it! You're totally a changeling spy!" Rainbow scowled down, stomping a hoof on the ground.

Raindrops flinched before protesting loudly. "Am not! And we've all been told they're all gone!"

"Nothin' to stop 'em from crawlin' back here though." She heard a scuffling sound in the alleyway beside the 'Corner and looked into it's dark depth, eyes narrowed. Rainbow continued to scowl. Pinkie, who had been silent, started to vibrate. Fear and worry slowly seeped into Applejacks mind, little drops slowly building into a pool that sat in the back of her mind.

"We should rough it up and get it to fess up!" Rainbow stomped again, a bit of that worry and fear there, barely noticeable under her anger. "Dibs on bad cop!"

There was a green flash from where Applejack was staring and a familiar voice cracked out of the dark alleyway, fear and anger coluring it. "Leave her alone!" A multi-hued blur exploded from the darkness, Rainbow Dash getting bowled into the side of the building across the street as the object impacted. Applejack's eye twitched. Pinkie Pie continued to vibrate like jello in an earthquake.

Rainbow Dash stood over herself, huffing and puffing like she'd run a marathon, rainbow mane a wind-swept mess as she glared down at herself. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," It was muttered under the doppelgangers breath as Rainbow groaned from the cobble stones. Applejack wasn't sure who it was directed at, but she didn't stop to find out.

Raindrops found herself suddenly free as Applejack threw herself across the street, ramming the double of her friend and sending her crashing down the roadway. As the cyan pony bounced, little spouts of green flame burst off her before solidifying back into the changelings disguise. Before it could get up, Applejack was on it, pinning the thing down. Magenta eyes stared back up at her, locking with her green ones.

The thing that looked like Rainbow Dash flinched under the gaze of the orange earth pony. "Appleja-"

The orange mare cut it's pleading line off with a growl. "Yer in fer it now. Nopony hurts mah friends."

It coughed, grimacing as Applejack applied more weight to its limbs. Then it smirked like Rainbow did. "Oh yeah? What-" It wheezed for a second before continuing, voice wavering. "-Where you about to do to Rainy then, AJ?"

Applejacks eyes narrowed as she listened to the thing wearing her friends face. "We figured she was th' spy."

'Rainbow' coughed again, bright green flaring up before suddenly Applejack was staring at herself. "Nopony hurts mah friends."

Applejack snorted. "Changelings don't have no friends."

"You didn't think that when ah helped ya harvest all them apples."

Applejack looked down at her double. "Beg yer pardon?"

Another flash. Caramel looked up at her. "He was sick, remember? I took his place for the day and you kept bugging me, asking if I was ok-" It coughed again, wincing, before carrying on, voice low and pleading. "-And I just laughed it off. You asked him later, and the poor guy was so confused. Didn't know a thing about no harvest."

Applejack wavered for a second. "Yer trying ta trick me." She flicked her tail angrily. "Well, It ain't gonna work!" She glared down at the thing that was wearing a friends face, scowling as she heard Dash groan a little from behind her, Raindrops voice asking her if she was OK. Pinkie was silent.

"You're trying to hurt me," It coughed again, before laughing nervously. "I remember you bandaging my knee after Scootaloo crashed us into that tree, asking why the hay I wasn't over with Twi like I was supposed to be. I was terrified and began babbling and crying." Another flash, and the large amber eyes that looked up at her watered. Red mane, sans bow messily haloed around her pale yellow face as she pleadingly looked up at Applejack. "AJ, Ah'm scared. Yer hurting me."

Applejack, remembering the moment and fear taking hold again, rushing around her like a tide, let up for a fraction of a second. The thing that was pretending to be her sister- her sister! -took the opportunity and bolted, smaller frame and Applejacks hesitation letting it slip out of her pin and run off down another alleyway, stumbling slightly as it turned a corner.

"Celestia damnit! Of all the low-down, dirty tricks-" She took off down the alleyway, shouting behind herself at Dash and Raindrops. "Get Twi! I'll catch this varmint!" She didn't look back to see if they'd listened as she tore through the dark foot paths

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." Lyra was pacing back and forth in the living room, mane frayed and out of place, eyes darting around, the single candle hardly giving the room any illumination. Panic was practically seeping out of her, red eyes taking in everything. "The night's here, I... But I can't..." She groaned, a little sob escaping her as she she continued her frantic circuit around the room, wobbling a little as she turned.

Bon-Bon watched from the top of the stairs, the light green mare's frantic pacing making her chew her bottom lip as worry seeped into her mind. Something was terribly wrong, she could feel it, a cold pressure building in the back of her mind. Slowly, carefully, the cream colored mare made her way down the stairs, stopping at the bottom and calling out softly. "Lyra?"

The feeling spiked as Lyra spun rapidly, eyes widening as she stumbled back a step. "I-I-" The mare stuttered as Bon-Bon watched her. "D-Did I wake y-you up?" She was mumbling, anxiety dripping from every word.

Bon-Bon slowly made her way across the room. She murmured wordlessly at Lyra, ignoring the rising panic that tugged at the back of her mind, and nuzzled the other mare, keeping her close. Relief flooded her, the minty mare letting out a soft sob as tense muscles relaxed, burying her muzzle into Bon-Bon's blue and pink mane. "What's wrong hun?"

Panic and fear spiked again as Lyra fumbled and stuttered out words, mentions of "the night," "can't leave," "should go," and at least ten different reiterations "I'm sorry," tumbling out of her as her red eyes watered and went wide, pupils shrinking down to pin pricks. It was as if the room's light was dimming, and taking hope with it, the rambling mare's panic rising with the shadows.

The cream earth pony shushed her, pushing all the fear to the side as she lovingly gave the panicking pony a kiss, running a hoof over her striped mane. Lyra sobbed gently, clinging to her love like a drowning pony would cling to a plank of wood to keep its head above the waves of fear. "Lyra, Hun," Bon-Bon gently shushed the other mare, kissing her again as Lyra continued to cry. "Just calm down, It'll all be okay."

Lyra sniffled, keeping close. "I-I should go, b-but its night and they're there and oh Celestia-" She began to ramble again, fear lapping at the beach of the ponies minds a little with each passing thought about the dark outside. Bon-Bon cut off her ramblings with a chocolate, followed immediately with another warm kiss. She gently stroked the others mane, letting calm slowly work its way back into the room.

Bon-Bon gently turned Lyra about and stared right into her big red eyes, the face around them puffy from crying. "I promise you Honey, I'll keep you safe, even if it means taking on the Princess herself." Bon-Bons sapphire eyes shone with fires of determination. Lyra's face fell, guilt plain on her features even as her disheveled mane covered her eyes.

"Don't. Just..." Fear spiked in the room again, rising like some dread tide, the mint colored pony stumbling back onto her feet with it. "I-I-I've got to go."

Bon-Bon moved forwards. "Wait-!"

Lyra didn't, sprinting out the door, the pale green pony panicking as she dashed off into the dark, crescent-moon-lit night.

Bon-Bon stood still, attempting to gather her wits. Lyra peered down at her from the top of the stairs, the unicorns amber eyes tiredly blinking. "Bon-Bon? Who where you talking ta?" The look of confusion on Lyra's face was adorable, she idly thought.

"Nopony, harp-butt. Go back to bed hun," She looked out the door, still ajar from the other mares flight. "Just got a little thing to take care of."

She had to move fast.