Another day, another hiccup
“Bon-Bon!…BON-BON!” The unusually eccentric mint unicorn bellowed with unrestrained glee.
Years of unhealthy obsession and some very questionable habits had all led this moment! She’d told them before but none took her seriously, instead choosing to mock her and even go as far to declare her a “few marbles shorter than Pinkie Pie.” The nerve! Clearly Pinkie was putting something in her diabetus filled baked goods to change their opinion… perhaps even causing addiction to the sugary treats! With them hooked all Pinkie had to do was wave a cupcake and she had their support. It was brilliant! Maybe after his, she’ll began a new project? Perhaps prove that a creature could have hands and survive, possibility thrive? Possible now that her lifelong obsession was finally in hoof, or hand.
The faint clickety clack of approaching hooves singled the mare in question was on her way. The minty unicorn grinned madly with anticipation. If anypony in all of Equestria would understand, it would be her best friend Bon-Bon. From this day forward it was going to be nothing but a glorious and bright future of possibilities!
“Lyra? What is it?” Bon-Bon’s rapidly growing voice confirmed she was indeed closer than before. “Did you tape those enchanted forks to your hooves again!? I can’t wrap candy every time you feel like being a silly filly!” That didn’t sound too well. Lyra’s vibrant mood was slightly dampened by Bon-Bon’s sudden change in tone. She rubbed her chin (and it felt good) thoughtfully, debating whether or not to continue but the more she thought about it the more Lyra quickly voted against backing out. After all did she back out several months ago when she abducted spike to better further study his claw/hands?
She momentarily shot a glance at the framed restraining order that hung just above her work station. It may have caused her public image to suffer greatly but the research from it had proved invaluable. Hayfries! It even led to her first and slightly successful mechanical “hand”. Its only drawback was the incredible amount of magic it took just to channel into the glove; nearly “Twilight” levels of raw magic to pick up a single playing card. If anything Lyra greatly miscalculated the amount of power, and strain having to manually operate each gear and pulley just to get the motions down.
A failure, but a successful failure that later led to her newest prototype the “Hand 3.32”and even later than that her current and by far most successful test.
“Not this time Bon! I promise you this is truly it! The final experiment involving hands again!” She added that last part in more for Bon-Bon than for her sake. Just the possibility of never leaving her precious little candies again was well worth a look see what the mint unicorn wanted, so Lyra waited a moment longer until the creaking announced the door opening. She made sure to be facing the opposite wall else she would spoil the surprise.
“Fine Lyra, let’s see this…” Bon-Bon rolled her right hoof in a somehow perfectly explainable circular motion. “this new experiment of yours and finally get on with our lives. Remember you promised this is the end of these “hands” and you’ll put it behind you..” Bon-Bon paused ready to let Lyra speak before quickly changing her mind. “Maybe you’ll finally meet a decent stallion and move out of my spare bedroom! Oh! Look at all the figurative doors opening before us!” Bon-Bon suddenly fell into one of her imaginative perfect world dreams.
“Hey! I’ll move out and find a stallion when I’m good and ready!” Lyra rebutted successfully, letting a small feeling of pride fill her.
“Or when you work up the courage to go ask Big Mac out?” Bon-Bon smirked knowingly, watching Lyra’s moment of pride and confidence welt to be replaced by a now red and embarrassed mare. By Celestia she was so easy to fluster.
“Wha… WHO SAYS I LIKE BIG MAC! I could like another stallion just as easily!”
“Lyra besides Mr. Cake, what other stallions live in Ponyville, and don’t go saying Carmel or that Time Turner pony either! Applejack has already laid claim on Carmel and danger prone Derpy hangs around Mr. Turner a lot so best just avoid them altogether .” Bon-Bon cut Lyra off has she opened her mouth in hopes of verbally countering her friend. “End of discussion Lyra. Now what did you have to show me? I really need to get back to wrapping the candy for tomorrow before the day ends.”
“Alright Bon-Bon I clearly can’t win this round, and I give. I surrender.” Lyra turned around raising her hands in the air, in a mock surrender and waiting for her friend to process what was happening. “Wha..Lyra! Your…your hooves are gone!” The cream colored mare wisely pointed out. In a blur, like the flying vanilla pudding that’s known to happen at Pinkie Pie’s parties, Bon-Bon was in front of her friend, admiring her new appendages.
She said nothing at first, just plain mind blown at the amazing aspect her longtime friend managed to pull off. Bon-Bon’s mind was clouded with a tornado of different feelings and emotions as she continued to marvel at Lyra’s work. Most was a mixture of happiness and a feeling of pride that after all this time; the criticism, the restraining orders, the court fees, the occasional angry mob of ponies and that one time Discord appeared in their house and personally complimented Lyra for the good job she was doing at spreading Chaos while he was away. Not so much that last one, but nonetheless Bon-Bon was happy for Lyra and that’s what mattered, and not about the major improvements this would bring to Bon-Bon’s life now that Lyra’s experiments were done for good… nope definitely not about that. It was all about Lyra, and her success, and not her personal and social well being.
“Very cool and all Lyra, but what can you even do with them?”
Lyra’s face nearly imploded at her friend’s lack of imagination. WHAT CAN SHE DO WITH THEM!? The possibilities were limitless! With hands the entire pony race could literally do anything and everything, to the point of goddess like status. None of the other races could even come close to completing with them, and their wonderful hands!
“WHAT CAN I DO WITH THEM? I’ll show you what I can do with them. Ask me something, anything and I’ll show you what they can do.” Lyra said, almost parodying Twilight’s obsessiveness perfectly, even though she wasn’t trying.
“Alright” Bon-Bon said, running a hoof back and forth across her chin while deep in thought. “I want you to… pick up that pencil!” She indicated the one sitting lazily on Lyra’s desk. “And no, you can’t use magic to help you either!”
“Deal” Lyra said without hesitation. This was going to be too easy. The pair walked over to the desk, Lyra taking a bit longer since she still wasn’t used to walking with her hands yet but still managed to make decent time. Lyra looked over at Bon-Bon who in turn looked back expectantly. This was the moment to mare up! It was Lyra’s time to put her bits on the table and stand by her beliefs…and rub it in Bon-Bon’s face as well!
“Watch and be amazed Bon-Bon! Prepare to have your easily dazzled mind be, uh..dazzleder!” Bon-Bon faced hoofed hard enough to momentarily forget Lyra’s stupid comment. “Just get on with it already or admit that your hands are not as impressive as you thought.” She taunted the minty mare.
“Alright, fine!” Lyra simply said before reaching a hand toward the pencil and clamping her fingers around it; diverting most of her brain power toward the task at hand. It gave her goosebumps just saying that! The good kind, not the bad kind you get when you’re terrified or our forced to get out and find a job. But the good kind you get when doing something you thoroughly enjoy, like talking about hands!
Both mares watched with morbid fascination as she lifted the pencil of the desk. They stared at it with way too much interest; way more than any sane pony should find in a piece of wood. Everypony knew quills were better, ask Twilight. She’ll vouch for the quills.
They continued to stare, not saying a word when Bon-Bon caught the sudden movement of the fingers. At first it was nothing, most likely Lyra still marveling at their dexterity. Then the mind dazzling began anew!
It was subtle, but quickly blew Bon-Bon’s mind. Lyra’s tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth as she performed this amazing feat of wonder. The fingers were moving separately and in a strange sort of way together in an organized chaotic mess. It wasn’t until the pencil started moving as well that just made Bon-Bon drop her bon bons. The pencil, with its lead tip pointing down started in dramatic fashion to ascend upward! The eraser, not wanting to follow the crowd went the opposite way until both were in the other end’s original position.
“YOU JUST FLIPPED THE PENCIL WITHOUT MAGIC!” Bon-Bon yelled in complete disbelief. “How in flying Celestia did you just do that!”
Lyra was panting from the excursion, but smiled nonetheless. She did it. Without looking away from the pencil in her hand she replied with a bit of too much pride, “Its magic Bons. I don’t have to explain anything.” She smirked harder at her friend’s annoyed face. “Fine! Don’t explain it. It was likely a fluke anyway.” She turned her head frantically, looking for something that would prove the pencil business was a fluke.
She paused before letting a knowing smile creep along her face. “Alright Lyra how about this time… oh I don’t know… open the door using only your hands!” Lyra nodded. Accepting the challenge while only being mildly creeped out by her friend’s crazed look.
Lyra walked up to the door, standing to the side so Bon-Bon could see. She grasped the doorknob and with a swift, expertly twist turned the knob and watch with slight interest as the door opened completely. “There what’s next Bon.. Bon?”
The Mare in question only looked on wide eyed and slacked jawed at what she just witnessed. “H..how did..did you just do that!” Bon-Bon asked while quickly recovering from her mini heart attack, and suddenly appeared next to Lyra. Her mind still trying to comprehend all of this.
“What do you mean? I just opened the door.”
“That’s what I’m asking. How did you do it? I have to keep all the doors cracked just to get anywhere in the house!”
“What!” Lyra yelled. Clearly she must have heard wrong. “What do you mean you keep all the doors cracked? I’ve seen you open them all the time!”
“Well yea, I just close them but not all the way to shut them so later I can just push them open.” Bon-Bon pushed her hoof into Lyra’s face. “Have you seen these hooves? How did you ever think I could open a door using a door knob?” She retracted her hoof, “Besides they’re only there for the sake of unicorns.”
“Now just what do you mean by that? What about the pegasi?“
“Please Lyra, if that door knob wasn’t there than all the unicorns would starve in their own homes because they can’t open the doors to the outside or the fridge. As for pegasi, what about them? They have cloud homes! They can just go through the door!”
“But what about Fluttershy! She’s lives on the ground in a small tree!” Lyra retorted in defense.
“She takes care of all those animals! I wouldn’t be surprised if she uses one of those critter doors to get out.”
“I’ve seen her open it before!”
“Well I haven’t. She could have easily just gotten one of her animal friends to open it for her, but enough of this arguing. What you have is a gift that must be shared with ponydom!” Bon-Bon raised her hoof, waiting for Lyra to do the same. “ Bro-Hoof?”
Lyra nodded happily at the suggestion. Celestia knows this was one of those moments, a simple acknowledgement of their current pivotal moment. A sacred gesture some ponies claim to be older than the Princesses themselves, maybe a gesture Discord himself created? Who really knows other than it’s a gesture of publicly noticing ones triumphs and accomplishments.
“Bro-Hoof.” Lyra agreed. She lifted her hand, forming it into a fist and leveled it with Bon-Bon’s hoof before both mares initiated their Bro-Hoof. It wasn’t until the close proximity of their appendages did something so glaring obvious came to light. “No…” Lyra’s eyes widen further, her hand trembling in controlled fear at the prospect before her.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not when she was so close! It was perfect up till this point, every task and demonstration was met and surpassed with flying colors, and now this happens!?
“IT ISN’T POSSIBLE.” the statement ran through her broken mind as a loop, repeating its vile message over and over.
“Oh, uhm… this is somewhat awkward. What do we call this?” The cream mare asked her friend, not nearly as affected by the situation. “A bump or a tap? Honestly this hand now really is a letdown uh Lyra?” Bon-Bon asked her who now seemed closer to a panic attack. Lyra’s uncontrollable trembling only proving further the need for Bon-Bon to act.
Bon-Bon moved closer to Lyra, wrapping her hooves around the mint colored mare in a friendly, and comforting hug. “There, there Lyra. It’s not all bad, your hand thing was rather impressive and cool, but that doesn’t mean it was a complete failure because it can’t perform a simple Bro-Hoof.” She patted her friend’s back while she tried to comfort her friend emotionally. “I mean what in all of Equestria doesn’t have that one flaw that completely and utterly crushes someponies life work or dreams? Look at Celestia, she had to use the Elements of Harmony against her very own sister, causing her a millennia of grief and despair.”
Bon-Bon broke the hug to push her friend back enough to look her in the eye. “Does that make you feel better?” Lyra shook her head no, but it did confirm her beliefs that Bon-Bon would be make a terrible mother. Her clue was when they first moved in together and she tried to feed them candy for every meal, and after 3 days finally admitted that candy was all she knew how to make. Lyra from that point made every meal since then.
“Oh, well how about a treat? Say some Bon-Bon candies, or a muffin?”
“Could it be a cupcake?” Lyra weakly responded, still a tad depressed.
Bon-Bon nodded. “Yes, you can have a diabetes Pinkie cupcake OK?”
“OK.” Lyra nodded, her spirits raised at the mouth watering treat she was about to devour. They broke their embrace and headed for the door with Bon-Bon in the lead. She extended her hoof out to push the door open but was met with its harden resolve. She gave another shove, than another and another…
“We’re locked in! Oh by Celestia’s sweet golden flank we’re doomed!” Bon-Bon yelled before collapsing in hysteria. Lyra looked unfazed by her friend’s outburst, watching her continue to lose her mind and mumble things that would haunt her for some time to come. She looked down at her hands, and then at the door that caused her friend’s current misery.
“Well at least I can get one last use out of you.” Lyra walked over to the door and with a quick motion, twisted the doorknob and opened the door, thus freeing them from their confinement and fate to live the rest of their lives in Lyra’s workshop. Lyra looked longingly at her hands and with understanding, released the magic that held her hooves in such a form. With the magic no longer in place, she watched as the magical appendages seemingly melted back into her normal, plain old hooves.
“Equestria just isn’t ready for them.” Lyra whispered a bit mournfully to herself, before moving next to her friend who still looked dazed.
“How long has it been? How long has it been since we’ve last seen the outside?” Bon-Bon muttered before lifting her head to look at Lyra, like she was waiting for an answer from the mint unicorn. Before Lyra could retort something back had Bon-Bon quickly turned her head, looking in the opposite direction.
“What's that Wilma? Its been that long already?”
Lyra raised a brow. “Uh Bon-Bon that's a ball you’re talking to.” The cream mare lazily looked back at her friend. “She is not just a ball Lyra, shes a friend and her name is Wilma.”
Lyra sighed, and chalked it up as likely one of probably numerous “friends” she had likely just imagined up during their brief isolation from the world. Bon-Bon turned her head so that it looking back at the ball. “Do you think that…”
“I opened the door already Bon-Bon. We can leave anytime we want to.Honestly Bon-Bon, I sometimes worry what you’ll do without me.”
Bon-Bon immediately recovered from her mild hysteria and wrapped her hooves around Lyra.
They broke their hug and started making their way to the door. “Then we better hurry before some other disaster befalls Ponyville again. Oh look, I’m the socially awkward and one trick pony Trixie!” Lyra erupted into a fit of giggles, which Bon-Bon sooned joined in.
“Well that, and what other town could we say is nearly as entertaining, and adventures as Ponyville Lyra?”
“Canterlot. I read it in the Sunny Day Magazine. It claims theres going to be an alien invasion! ” Lyra sadly stated with such resolve,and acceptance that it almost rivaled her obsession with hands. She truly did believe just about every word in that magazine and Bon-Bon sometimes felt pity for her... and other times she would laugh at the other things the magazine would claim was going to happen. The last issue claimed of some lost empire returning from the void... HA!
“The Wedding Lyra! Your suppose to be a bridesmaid for the Princess! You agreed to it remember?!” Bon-Bon added that last bit when she noticed the lost look that still proudly donned Lyra’s face. When the seconds continued ticking blissfully by did Bon-Bon decide to take matters into her own hooves.
She had managed to dodge most of it, only getting her ear clipped by it. “Ah, hey Bon-Bon!” Lyra yelled before the door closed in her face. “There's some reading material Lyra! See you in a few couple of days!”
Lyra watched as the train slowly accelerated away from the depot, Ponyville moving further behind her as it gained speed for its new destination. She grumbled under her breath, likely profanities and acts to come at the creme mare. Lyra walked over to the object that had assaulted her just moments ago, and was slightly surprised to find it was her favorite magazine, The Sunny Day, and it was the newest issue too!
“Well, at least she has nice taste in reading material.” Lyra thought to herself as she picked the magazine up and took a seat next to an available window. She briefly looked around, noticing she was the only one in the car and for that was thankful that nopony witnessed such an embarrassing outburst.
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza an Alien!
“What horseapples is this!” Lyra shouted with displeasure. She flipped the magazine back to the front cover, and sure enough in big, bold, black and white font was the article headline; how she missed it she’ll never know, but one thing was for certain..
“Wait! She yelled suddenly. Bolting up to a seating position as she looked around the train car until turning her gaze back to the direction of Ponyville.
“I never got my cupcake.”
Author's Note
Just some crazy and random Idea I felt like writing. Couldn't write for my other story until i got this one finished.
