I was watching. I had to. Well, I suppose that's not technically true. I could have left the floor manager on the case, and I had informed them, trust me. But I was also keeping an eye on Bon Bon.

"She causing trouble?" Starlight trotted in closer, rearing up to plonk her hooves down on the arm of my chair, which wasn't floating for a change.

"Where were you?" I gently mussed her mane around her horn, she liked that. "When we were all doing the spell?"

"Twilight's thing?" Starlight shrugged softly. "Someone had to keep doing their job. I got a copy of the spell, er, spells. One for boy and one for girl, and both long and complicated."

"Speaking of that." My hand wandered under her chin, tickle-scritching and keeping her looking up at me. "No casting that around the other spellcasters. We don't need another cascade."

"Private spell, got it." Starlight nodded firmly, her eyes darting towards Bon Bon on the screen. "Why are we watching her?"

I thought news traveled fast, wait... "How do you even know that's Bon Bon?"

Starlight slid to the floor, back to all four hooves. "I'm a good girl, which lets me peek at a few files so long as I stay good." She inclined her head. "I've seen her files. The spell worked, I assume?"

"It did, but..." I waffled a hand vaguely. "No promises it'll stay that way, and I'm not sure how to get around that. Imagine someone who's giving off cheeto dust all the time, and you need to make sure the same person has not a speck of cheeto dust even after you stop them from putting it off anymore. A single mote lands on them, you lose."

Starlight cocked a brow, likely imagining the situation I had created. "Do it... underwater, in a strong current?"

It was my turn to get a funny mental image. "Not sure how practical that is, but I'll toss it on the pile." I reached over and tapped at the monitor with Bon Bon. "She isn't feeling well already. Pretty sure she's gonna Ponid all over again."

"Once was enough," sighed out Starlight. "I'll keep my hooves, thanks."

Elsewhere, Lemon pointed at a board with odd runes on it. "Show me the next one."

Twilight's horn glowed with the next magical note. "Thank you for helping us with this."

"Not a problem." Lemon drew with floating chalk the next rune in the line, going on as Twilight did, just to pause. "Woah, that's a funny note. What are... Ugh, we have no language for this." She applied a hoof to the side of her head. "What is that? I can see the magic you're making, but I can't see inside you to see how you're doing it."

Twilight adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. "It's... like pinching." She gestured lamely with her hooves. "Like whistling, up there."

"Oh!" She began a new rune. "Not many spells use that one. I saw it like... gosh... three times?" She folded her arms. "I bet you wish I had turned into other-you."

Twilight inclined her head slowly. "I'm perfectly happy being the only Twilight Sparkle. And they would likely be upset at suddenly facing a doppelganger."

"You're not wrong." Lemon frowned faintly. "I wonder how that works. Have there been any doubles so far? I didn't see any."

"I have heard no such case." Twilight tapped at the board with all the runes. "While this is fascinating, and I do plan to study it, I need to know the methodology behind it." Her phone floated into view, snapping pictures.

Lemon inclined her head. "Do you mean how spells are made? I told you, I don't make new spells. I'm not a wizard."

"You did say that." Twilight set a hoof on Lemon's closer shoulder. "But our magic is music. What is your magic?"

"What is... our magic." She tapped her hooves together slowly, musing on it. "Words." She nodded, confidence regained. "They are specific magic words. You put them together to make sentences." She reached up and began tapping along each rune. "With/having leg/projection straight, grasping sensitive, not one or two but five." Lemon inclined her head. "This is about a human arm and their hand."

Twilight inclined her head sharply. "It's a whole language?! You're... You're programming!" She began clopping her hooves with obvious excitement. "But the spell is too long to be that vague."

Lemon tapped at the runes with growing intensity. "This is just a little part. Humans are complicated. You have to describe their funny little noses." She pointed at her own snout. "Their little wrinkly ears." Her large furry ones quivered. "Even how their rump's shaped. It's not like ours." She wriggled her back end. "There's a lot to say to get it right."

Twilight thrust a spiral notebook at Lemon. "I need you, please, to write down as many runes as you remember and their meaning. If you can then give us our note, that would be ideal."

"It's not that easy." Lemon crossed her arms. "Your notes are... syllables. I can't translate the 'duh' sound until it's in a word. You with me?"

"I almost wish I wasn't." Twilight sagged, realizing the problem. "But you can still write out what notes are each rune. However many or few notes are in each one."

"That makes more sense...." Lemon rubbed at her cheek. "I will need to see more magic done with the notes so I can learn them myself. Gosh, this is a big project."

"Enormous!" agreed Twilight, looking more excited than scared. "Let's get to it."

"It's happening." Bon Bon curled on her bed, phone propped up under her head. "I can feel it, the slimy oil. That... wretched sick, spreading..."

"You're being dramatic," came the calming voice of Lyra through the receiver. "We both made it through this before. You'll be alright. And I'm here! I won't go. Bonnie, we'll make it."

Bon Bon let out a little choked laugh. "Why are you here? You've been stuck to me for a while. I'm not a magic unicorn like you, so why are you so fascinated with me?"

"It's hard to explain exactly." Lyra gestured wildly, not that Bon Bon could see. "The pony in me likes the pony in you. And that's good enough for me."

"You're kidding." Things went quiet a moment. "Why aren't you fighting this? You're just... letting the pony take over you?"

Lyra cocked an unseen brow. "I like the pony I've become. And I like you, Bon Bon, even when you're really grumpy. I mean, I get it! I do. I want to be free too, but I'd be happy being a free pony. I'd clip-clop all over the country." Her hooves could be heard striking tile as if she were walking.

"You would," half-laughed Bon Bon before a sneezing fit brought her to a forced pause. "Ugh... I hate this... I'm going to wake up with hooves again, aren't I?"

"At least you had pretty hooves."

Bon Bon raised a brow at the receiver, gaping at it a moment. "Hooves are not 'pretty'."

"Yours were," argued Lyra. "And your eyes... I... was kinda sad, seeing your eyes change like that. Um, sorry, sorry! Sorry... I'm here for you, right now, as you are. Whatever that ends up as... Alright?"

Bon Bon rolled over onto her belly. "I want to keep my hands."

"Maybe you will."

"Hm?"

"Well, the way I hear it." A soft click was heard, the receiver set down. "If you're poked with Ponid, you get to be a pony. If you're just around Ponid, you only kinda sorta become a pony. So..."

"So..." Bon Bon licked over her lips, sniffing congestedly. "I may keep my fingers."

"Yep!" cried Lyra with far more cheer than her friend. "And if you do, I demand ear scritches."

Bon Bon snorted softly. "That's demeaning, being pet like an animal."

"Animals ask for it because it feels great," argued Lyra, her smile audible. "So, you know, once you're feeling better, expect me to set my head right on your lap and you'll give me some good pets. Nothing's off limits, just go full ham with those fingers."

"You have successfully made that sound as lewd as possible." Bon Bon rolled her eyes slowly. "I swear, Lyra..."

"Is that a yes?"

"Lyra."

Lyra sat up. That word sounded far more dire than the words before it. "What? You alright?"

"I may not be..." Bon Bon tapped at the receiver softly. "If I become another pony... I may lose it... Will you drag me back? Don't let me... fade. You're weird, Lyra, but I can trust you... Will you keep me here, together?"

"Yes!" Lyra blurted before clearing her throat. "I mean, yeah, of course. I'll call every single day, we'll talk. If you sound... off, I'll let you know, and I'll help as much as I can, I promise!" She couldn't see it, but Lyra was making some kind of gesture. A sign of ultra promise? It ended with a hoof against an eye. "How are you feeling right now?"

"Terrible." A little chuckle escaped from her. "but that's Ponid, being Ponid. Man, fuck this disease!"

"It's not all bad," lamely defended Lyra. "But I'm not happy you're so knocked out. Hey, wanna watch a movie?"

"Huh, over the phone?" The receiver had no display for such a thing to happen on. "Don't think that's gonna work."

"No, silly, wow. I'll be over in a hot second."

"Wait!" There was a click, the phone hung up. Bon Bon set her own receiver down and grunted. She closed her eyes and tried to not think of things. But then the knocking came. "How?" It had felt like a few seconds? "Lyra?"

"Yes," came the muffled reply through the door. "You feel good enough to open this door, or should I get a guard?"

Bon Bon reached for the door around the corner, but she was not a unicorn, and her will alone was not enough to open it. "Show off."

"Since you asked." Her magic took hold of the handle on the other side of the door, on Bon Bon's side, and pulled it down, bypassing the lock entirely. "You heard her ask me to do it. I'm not being naughty!" They knew they were being recorded. Breaking into another person's rooms would have gotten Lyra in trouble.

Fortunately, Bon Bon had asked for it. Lyra came trotting in, the door clicking behind her. "Bonnie!" She hopped up onto the bed and sat next to the sick human. "Remember, you can't get me sick, so we're totally safe."

Bon Bon gave her furry friend an impotent shove, not even moving her. "You sure got here quickly. Ugh, go ahead, stare. This is... The original me, that I'm going to lose all over again."

"You're pretty." Lyra inclined her head. "In a different kind of way."

Bon Bon's cheeks warmed. "You're joking!"

"Why would I joke about that?" Lyra shrugged softly. "Now, movie time. What do you want to watch?" Lyra grabbed a remote control in her magic, bringing it over speedily. "Or would you just like some background noise?"

"You are that, dummy." Bon Bon grabbed Lyra and dragged the squeaking Unicorn in. "You asked for this."

"Asked for--oh! Ohhhh, yeah..." Lyra melted in against Bon Bon as talented human fingers began working over her ears. "Like... that, oh Celestia yes."

"Ponyisms are so strange," huffed out Bon Bon as she played Lyra like a well tuned instrument, enjoying the way she reacted. "You have magic, why not pet your own ears?"

"Why don't you tickle yourself?" retorted Lyra with an extended tongue. "It'd work about as well."

"Smart aleck." Bon Bon wrapped her arms around Lyra, squeezing her for a moment without the ear pets. "I don't understand why you like me so much... But thanks, for being here."

Author's Note

Bon Bon gets to 'enjoy' Ponid, yay! At least she has a friend.

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