And Suddenly, I'm Fluttershy

Bon-Bon

Bartholomew

"Wake up!" said a voice.

"Don't hit Bartholomew, Angel!" said another voice.

"Graaargh," I mumbled intelligently.

"Oh look what you've done, Angel!"

I finally managed to get some real words out, "What do you want?"

"Its nearly eleven!" said Angel.

I opened my eyes, "Is it now?" I asked.

"Yes," Angel responded angrily.

I looked at the clock. 10:47 AM.

"Brilliant," I said. I turned to Angel, "Why did you need to wake me?"

"Well, uh..."

I stared at him. "Really?"

I took his silence as a yes.

"Right then, might as well get around to doing something, then," I said.

After breakfast (brunch, really) and a shower (very much like human showers, mind you) I decided to go into town again. I did have a cart to return, after all.

As I walked through town, I got a few stares, I was (in their eyes) a madmare with a cart, traipsing around town while whistling a pleasant tune.

That is, until a ball of fury got in my way.

"Who do you think you are!?" she asked me.

She was a cream colored mare with a pink and navy mane, and her cutie mark was a set of three wrapped candies. Etched into her face was a look of pure rage, and something else, something I couldn't quite place.

"Well!?"

"Probably delusional," I responded.

"What have you done to Lyra?"

"What do you..."

I caught her eyes.

Oh no, not ag-

~~~Flashback~~~

The bell above the door rang as somepony entered the candy shop.

"I'll be there in just a second!" I called.

"Don't worry, I'm just browsing," replied the pony.

I finished what I was doing and quickly rushed to the counter.

I saw a mint green unicorn mare looking around the shop at the variety of candies, chocolates, and other assorted treats on shelves throughout the store.

"Looking for anything in particular?" I asked her

"Nah, not really."

She continued to look at the shelves.

"I've never seen you in here before, are you new to town?" I asked, attempting to make conversation.

"Yes, actually, just moved here from Canterlot a few weeks ago," she said.

"How do you like it here?"

"It's fine. A bit small though, but the people here are pretty nice."

People? That wasn't a word that was frequently said.

"Ah ha!" she exclaimed.

"Did you find something?"

"You do carry it! I was beginning to wonder..."

"What?"

"Plain milk chocolate," she replied.

I chuckled a bit.

"You really should make it a bit easier to find," she said.

"If you just wanted plain chocolate, you should have gone to the grocery store," I said.

"Nah, doesn't taste as good."

I rung up the chocolate and bid her a good day.

"Thanks, uh... I didn't catch your name, actually," she said, trotting towards the door.

"Bon-Bon," I replied. "What's yours?"

"Lyra," she said, leaving the building.

Weeks passed before I saw Lyra again.

It had been a very busy day, so I decided to take a walk in the park to calm down a bit. As much as I enjoy making candy, running a shop, and the like, sometimes I just needed a break, hence the walk.

I saw, sitting on a park bench, Lyra, playing a lyre, with a small cup for bits.

"That's really good music," I said, throwing some bits into the cup.

"Thanks," she said, not looking up from the sheet of music in front of her.

"Did you like the chocolate?" I asked.

She looked up at me. "Oh, it's you, terribly sorry," she said. "Bon-Bon, right?"

"Yeah. Mind if I sit?"

"Of course not."

"Tell me, why did you suddenly perk up when you heard that it was me?"

"Not a whole lot of ponies like me."

"Why not, you seem like a fairly nice pony," I replied.

"Promise you won't laugh?"

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," I said, mimicking the actions while remembering to close my eye.

She looked at me quizzically before continuing, "I think that humans exist," she said.

Humans? The foal stories?

"How," I asked.

Despite her quirks, our friendship grew, and within a few months, we became roommates.

We grew closer and closer, but nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.

It was just another Friday evening, a night in town, going to a restaurant with a bar. I was paying for the whole thing, for which Lyra was extremely grateful.

On our way back to the shop (we lived in the upper floor) she said something very troubling.

"That was great, Bon-Bon, you're a really good friend," Lyra said.

Strangely, however, I felt somewhat hurt at those words. But why? That's what we were, friends, but part of me wanted something...

More.

I attempted to banish the thought, but it continued to return. I couldn't possibly be infatuated, could I?

After a short while, I came to a realization.

I was.

That night, I lay awake in bed, thinking about Lyra. I just couldn't shake the fact that I had a crush on Lyra.

It didn't mean anything, though, it was just a crush, it would pass.

But it didn't.

I decided to talk to someone about this, my good friend Ditzy Doo.

"Thanks for coming, Ditzy, it means a lot," I said.

We were sitting in a plaza outside Sugarcube Corner, sipping coffee.

"Aything to help a friend," she replied. "What's eating you?"

"I think... that I'm in love," I said.

"Who's the lucky stallion?" she asked, before noticing my expression. "Mare? It's not me is it? Because I don't really-"

"No, it's not you."

"Who then?"

I thought for a moment, should I really tell her? I had already indicated that I was going to, so there was no backing out now.

"Lyra."

She choked on her coffee.

~~~End of Line~~~

"What in the name of Celestia are you staring at?" asked a rather irate pony.

I was jolted out of my trance.

"Hmm?" I asked intelligently.

"As I was saying, if you break Lyra's heart, I will end you, understand?"

I nodded and gulped.

"Hmph," she said, trotting away, leaving a human in a pony's body absolutely terrified for his life.