Chapter 1: The Sweet-maker And Her Room-mare
“Discord?” Bon Bon exclaimed quizzically. “Who’s that?” she asked. Mayor Mare took a deep breath before answering.
“Discord is the God of Chaos. Just like the Princesses have the Sun and Moon under their control, Discord is Chaos’ master. He is a Draconequus - with the head of a pony, and a body made up of many different creatures, he is the embodiment of Chaos.”
Bon Bon stared, wide-eyed, at the Mayor. “You’re kidding, right? Ha ha haaaa, that’s very- you’re serious, aren’t you?” she said, eyes darting. “Where is he now?” she added, now on the verge of freaking out.
“I don’t know. A crazy pony came in here and tied me up! She really caught me off guard! She kept mumbling something about her Daddy too. Very strange,” the Mayor said absentmindedly.
“It’s okay, Bon Bon.” Lyra comforted. “He probably can’t reach us in Ponyville.”
Meanwhile, in Canterlot, a certain Draconequus grinned and gave his fingers a snap.
Mayor Mare looked out the window at the Town Hall, and saw the color of the clouds shifting. From grey, to black, and finally, to pink. Suddenly, the clouds gave a lurch and let loose a stream of rain. Bon Bon looked over at Lyra. Lyra’s eyes were wide, and wild.
“Forget what I just said, Bon Bon. If our friendship doesn’t survive this, know that you’ve been a great friend,”
Mayor Mare looked at the two room-mares and said: “Discord uses mind magic to invert your personality. I think that if you stay away from him, he won’t pay you much attention. Stay indoors, you two. Run home, and lock the doors!”
Bon Bon hesitated. “What about you, Mayor?” “I’ll be fine!” the Mayor exclaimed. “Now go, before the chaos can take hold!”
Bon Bon and Lyra ran faster than they had ever done in their lives. Long-legged bunnies were rampaging in the streets, the clouds seemed to be made of cotton candy, and it was raining chocolate milk. Suddenly, a blast of magic swept outward from Sweet Apple Acres, engulfing everything in its path. Bon Bon hadn’t noticed the shockwave. In an act of desperation, Lyra threw herself on Bon Bon to shield her from the torrent of magic. Instead, the wave swept harmlessly above them, leaving Lyra on top of Bon Bon, grinning awkwardly. Bon Bon smiled warmly at Lyra before getting up and running the last stretch toward the house. “Bon Bon, I-” Lyra began, breathless, but Bon Bon cut her off with a hoof over her lips and a smile.
“Thank you. I’d do the same for you. J-Just so you know,” she quickly added, blushing.
"Well, we can't sit around here much longer! Let's go!" Lyra exclaimed as she trotted the last few steps into the house, and shut the door.
Well inside, both ponies flopped onto the couch, exhausted. “I haven’t run like that since the return of Nightmare Moon!” Bon Bon said wearily, panting for breath. Outside, chaos continued to reign, as a group of six mares boarded a train to Canterlot.
A few hours later, Lyra and Bon Bon were eating sandwiches and talking. “What do you think will happen?” Bon Bon asked, looking at the floor.
“I don’t know, Bon Bon,” Lyra replied, downcast. Bon Bon looked out the window. The chocolate rain was pouring down, the roads were turning into soap.
“Ponyville... Our beautiful town... Like this...” Bon Bon sighed. “Why did this have to happen...?” Bon Bon looked at Lyra, tears in her eyes. “Why did this have to happen to us?” Bon Bon slumped to the floor, defeated. She closed her eyes, but the tears started leaking out.
“Bon Bon...” Lyra whispered softly. “It’ll all be ok,” Bon Bon continued to cry, the tears wracking her body with every sob. Lyra slid off the couch to sit down on the floor next to her best friend. Lyra reached out and pulled Bon Bon into a hug. “I’ll always be your friend, Bon Bon,” Lyra spoke softly, in a comforting tone. The sweet-maker looked up at Lyra, her eyes still wet with tears, and leaned into to the comforting embrace.
“Thank you...” she murmured, before the tiredness of the days events hit her, and she drifted off into sleep. Lyra looked at Bon Bon, before she too succumbed to her weariness, and slipped into the land of dreams.
Bon Bon was running through the forest. An ominous shadow was chasing her through the Everfree Forest. Adrenaline coursing through her veins, she put on another burst of speed. Not paying enough attention to her surroundings, she tripped on a root. On her back, with the shadow closing quickly, she let out a loud scream. All of a sudden, the shadow dissipated, and in its place stood Lyra.
“What the-?! Lyra?!” Bon Bon was screaming. Lyra closed on Bon Bon, her eyes fiercely golden, all of the warmth and friendship gone. Bon Bon started crawling away, terrified.
“What’s the matter, Bon Bon? I thought we were friends,” Lyra sneered. “You abandoned me in Discord’s hands!” she screamed. Bon Bon was stunned speechless.
“B-But I...” she began, only to get interrupted by Lyra.
“It doesn’t matter. Our “friendship” is over,” Lyra growled “And you’ll pay for it!” she raised her hoof to hit Bon Bon, but in the same instant, was intercepted by another hoof, blue and clad with a shoe made of what seemed to be pure moonlight. There was a flash, and she was alone.
Bon Bon heard a serene, yet powerful voice from far away, as if it was in her thoughts. “Sleep, my little pony, and may the night terrors not afflict thee again,” it said, and Bon Bon was swept away, to a flowery meadow with her friends.
When Bon Bon awoke, she looked out the window to see Twilight Sparkle, the town librarian, rushing toward Sweet Apple Acres as fast as she could on the soapy roads. Bon Bon looked over at Lyra, sleeping soundly. Bon Bon smiled warmly at her room-mare. As Bon Bon scuttled closer to Lyra, she accidentally bumped Lyra, causing her to fall over. Lyra stirred, and smiled at Bon Bon, who was grinning sheepishly.
“Sleep well?” Bon Bon inquired.
Lyra nodded wearily and stood up to go prepare a meal. The day and night were shifting rapidly, about once every five minutes, and the clocks in the house were spinning like tops. Still, both Bon Bon and Lyra were hungry. Bon Bon stole a glance out of the window during a flash of day. She saw a hot air balloon streaking across the sky in pursuit of a fast-moving cloud. She assumed it was only one of Discord’s shenanigans and paid it no mind.
While eating, Lyra had her back turned toward the kitchen window. Bon Bon saw a stream of colored projectiles flying at the silhouette of what she presumed was Discord. Soon after, she saw a wave of rainbow-colored energy arc across the sky, come down on the silhouette and explode in a wave of magic. Not knowing if this was good or bad, Bon Bon acted on instinct. She dove across the table, knocking Lyra to the floor with a surprised squeak. Shielding as much of Lyra as possible, she looked back over her shoulder to see the wave closing rapidly. She looked down at Lyra and smiled, just as the wave hit.
The wave felt hot, and as it swept through the house, it blinded Bon Bon. Specks of light flashed before her eyes, and she wasn’t sure if she was alive. In the same instant, a deafening boom shook the whole world and left Bon Bon disoriented and dizzy. As her brain struggled to comprehend all the different sensations and started to slip into unconsciousness she screamed
“LYRA!”
“Bon Bon? Wake up! Please, wake up!” it was Lyra’s voice. Bon Bon cracked open an eye. Lyra was standing above her, along with Nurse Redheart.
“I’m fine...” she managed to croak “...I think,” she added. Bon Bon managed to open both of her eyes, and looked at Lyra. It looked like she had been crying. “What happened?” Bon Bon inquired.
It was Nurse Redheart who responded. “Your house was near where Discord was defeated. The blast and shock wave were effects of the Elements of Harmony. Since you were so close, the magic still had some potency when it reached you. You were in no danger though, the Elements can’t kill anything!” Bon Bon looked at Lyra and blushed. Lyra just stood there, grinning wider than ever.
A few days later, Lyra was standing on the spot where she had been knocked to the floor. Bon Bon walked in and stood beside her. No words were needed between the two of them. Lyra moved closer and wrapped her hooves around Bon Bon to lock them in a close embrace.
“Thank you,” Lyra whispered. And in that moment, Bon Bon knew that she would never lose Lyra’s friendship, and never be afflicted by that nightmare ever again.
Prologue: The Return Of Chaos
Bon Bon shuddered in the cold weather. She hadn’t brought a jacket, and had not looked at the weather ponies’ storm schedule.
Lyra let out a little chuckle. "Is it cold, miss I-won’t-need-a-jacket?"
Bon Bon frowned. "Well, I wouldn’t need a jacket if it wasn’t for this crazy weather, would I?" she said, her voice cracking.
Lyra burst into laughter and Bon Bon started laughing not long after that. Although she was cold, she was most definitely in a good mood.
"Hey, actually. What’s up with the weather? I thought the storm was next thursday," Lyra said, with a hint of confusion in her voice.
Bon Bon looked up to see a lot of giant storm clouds forming. "We should tell the Mayor!" Bon Bon said, eyes wide, panicking. Lyra agreed and they both galloped to Town Hall.
"Ms. Mayor! We-" Lyra stopped mid-sentence. The Mayor wasn’t there!
"Ms. Mayor?" Realization struck Lyra, as she slowly realised where the Mayor was. "Bon Bon! Did you hear that? It’s coming from upstairs!"
They ran upstairs, hoping for the best, but fearing the worst. The Mayor was tied to the wall, her eyes in a state of panic. Lyra approached the mare and untied the knots. The Mayor fell down to the floor, panting.
"What happened, Ms. Mayor?" Lyra asked, undoing the last knots.
"He's back..." She whispered, her voice low, words barely audible. "Who is?" Bon Bon asked, desperate for answers. Mayor Mare looked downcast and said: "Discord.”
