BiE 22: Side Quest.

=BiE 22=

 

>The damn sun woke you up again.

>It seemed to be closer then it normally was.

>Maybe this was Celestias payback for ruining her fun over estrus.

>You peek at the clock, 10:00.

>Aloe and Lotus had given you the day off for helping them over estrus.

>You didn't want to do it, but you had some stuff to take care of and it provided the perfect opportunity.

>You rolled out of bed and made your way to the kitchen, ignoring the sounds from Anon's room.

>Damn kids.

>Your 'special delivery' should be arriving soon, might as well get ready while you wait.

>The abundance of pancakes at the market has allowed you to upgrade to eating them regularly.

>The pancakes putting you in a good mood, you made your way to your shower and started going over the day's game plan.

>Assuming magic worked the way you thought it did, it would just be a matter of practice.

>You were screwed if it didn't.

>You hoped they had enough room.

>Considering who you were dealing with, you hoped you didn't get a hoof to the face first.

 

>You hear a knocking at your door after your shower.

>Just as you expected, Twilight was standing on your front porch.

>"Hey, Twilight. You look like you handled the estrus as well as Celestia said."

>She gets an embarrassed look.

>"She uh...she told you that?" she stammered out.

>"Only that you thought of everything and handled yourself well."

>She still looks embarrassed, but she's wearing a smile now.

>Twilight levitates a small box over to you, as well as a book.

>"Force fields and barriers.". Promising.

>"I have to say, I was a bit surprised when you asked for these things." Twilight said.

>This WAS a bit out of it for you.

>"Just trying to take care of a minor problem, I'm a bit surprised myself that Anon got the day off today."

>She looks like she's blushing a bit. "Hehe...yeah...the Library isn't really fit for anypony to be in right now."

>Well, there goes your mental image of Twilight being a paragon of willpower and toughing it out.

>"Where is Anon, anyway?" she asks.

>"Oh, he's around. It's not like he and Rainbow are FUCKING IN THE OTHER ROOM!" you yell.

>Silence settles in before four knocks come from Anon's room.

>"Yeah, they're fine."

>Twilight looks like she's about to die of embarrassment as she cocks her head to the side inquisitively.

>"They're on round four, if they get to round ten by noon; I win ten bits and have to call an ambulance."

>The awkwardness can be cut with a knife.

>"...I'm gonna go inside now."

>Twilight just nods with a fake smile and a rather intense blush and walks away.

>Damn, how can someone that smart get weirded out by mating?

 

>You step into the town proper and start your search.

>A quick study of the book Twilight gave you showed that, yes, force fields worked exactly how you thought.

>The only question was whether or not she could do it.

>You don't know where Lyra and Bon Bon live, but if they're 'together' then there's a decent chance finding one will find the other.

>Bon Bon apparently ran a candy shop that rivaled Sugarcube Corner, so you start your search in the center of town.

>You were getting an awful lot of looks.

>Probably because of the big box you were carrying around.

>You eventually break down and ask Carrot Top where Bon Bon lives.

>Let it never be said that you fall into gender stereotypes.

>You mentally prepare yourself for the situation ahead.

>Best to play it arrogant.

>You open the shop door and spot Bon Bon behind the counter.

>She looks pissed.

>"What do you want?" she asks.

>You still can't get used to her different voice thing.

>"Hey Bon Bon, Lyra here?"

>Her frown gets deeper.

>"No, Lyra is not hear. I imagine that she's blowing all her money at that spa of yours again."

>That was true, Lyra came in pretty often.

>Still, if she was out looking for you then she'd be back once she realized you weren't there.

>"That's cool, I'll just hang out till she shows up."

>Bon Bon walks out from behind the counter.

>"I don't think that's a good idea." she says.

>She still looks pretty mad.

>"Aw, come on. We can swap stories about candy and junk."

>She seems to not like your shit eating grin.

>She opens her mouth to say something but is interrupted by the door opening.

>"M-Mous!?"

>"Lyra!" you and Bon Bon call out.

 

>"Lyra, wha-

>You interrupt Bon Bon before she finishes.

>"Lyra! Hey, you were looking for me? Cause I was looking for you."

>"Y-you were?" she asks.

>"Lyra, I do-

>"Yep! Got something to show you, you guys got a basement or something here?"

>"Well, we have one for storage..."

>"Great, lead the way!"

>"Lyra!" you hear from behind you.

>Bon Bon looks a bit hurt, still mad, but also hurt.

>"Lyra...are you really going to go with him without knowing what he wants?"

>"Bon Bon...I..." she says.

>Fuck. Now you have to be the asshole.

>"It's all good, Bon Bon, I'm a great guy. I'll get her back to ya in one peice."

>You put your hand on Lyra's shoulder as you say that.

>You can feel her tense up, this is exactly what happens when she used to come to the spa.

>If Lyra was only considering leading you downstairs before, she just caved.

>"It'll be fine, Bon Bon. Mous'll show me this thing and I'll be right back up."

>She opens a nearby door and reveals a long stairway down.

>You follow her down the stairs as Bon Bon comes up behind you.

>"Well then why can't he show us both!" she shouts.

>You turn around.

>"This is kinda just for Lyra."

>You don't wait for a response and shut the door.

 

>A few minutes later, you're both sitting in a small circle of candles you removed from your box.

>You were amazed that Bon Bon didn't kick the door in and throw you out.

>People and ponies do weird things for the people they care about, it seems.

>Lyra speaks up as you light the last candle.

>"What's all this for, Mous?"

>"Ambience."

>Go hard or go home.

>Might as well begin.

>"Lyra, you're a unicorn, can you make force fields?"

>She looks a bit confused.

>"What's this about, Mous?"

>"Please answer the question."

>She sighs

>"Yes, I can make force fields."

>You don't move a muscle.

>"Show me."

>A minty glow envelops Lyra's horn and a similar colored sheet of light floats above the center of your circle.  

>You poke it with your finger, it has resistance, but gives if you push.

>Perfect.

>You extend your hands over to Lyra.

>"Okay Lyra, I want you to make a force field around both of my hands.

>She looks confused but complies.

>A green bubble seals both of your hands, stopping at your wrists.

>"Okay, now, shrink the force fields to match the contours of my hand. Be as precise as you can."

>"Mous, I don't know if I can do that." she said.

>"Have you ever tried?"

>"Well...no...bu-"

>"Then try. It's one of the most human ideals there is."

>She gets a determined look and the glow from her horn intensifies.

>As it does, the bubbles around your hands begin to contort and twist.

>They shrink down further until both of your hands are on a mint green energy glove.

>Lyra sighs.

>"I did it..."

>You nod.

>"Yes, you did. Now comes the hard part."

 

Music - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK4gv11PTI8

>The next few hours were spent in the basement with Lyra.

>She was trying to learn how to bend her force fields the same way as your hands.

>It was slow going, she had to stop more than a few times to rest.

>Eventually though, you'd gone through almost every way a hand can bend you can think of.

>"Okay, Lyra, final step. You ready?"

>She nods her head.

>"Okay, I want you to take these off my hands and put them on the end your hooves."

>"What?" she says.

>She doesn't look convinced.

>"Do it. Worst case scenario is that we just lost a few hours over nothing."

>Lyra shuts her eyes and hold up her hooves.

>The magic gloves you've grown used to over the past few hours slip off your hands and float over to Lyra.

>The 'hands' spin around and slowly lower themselves, connecting the wrists to the end of Lyra's hooves.

>They hold themselves there as Lyra opens her eyes and smiles.

>Her smile only grows bigger and bigger as she wriggles her new fingers.

>"Mous...I..."

>She looks up to you.

>She has tears in her eyes.

>"I-I don't know how to thank you."

 

>You sigh.

>"You want to thank me?" you ask.

>You extend an arm down to Lyra.

>To her credit, she gets the idea and grabs your hand with her new ones.

>"Do two things for me."

>She nods her head as she stands on her hind legs.

>"One: Stop coming into the spa so damn much, you have 'hands' now, satisfy your own fetish."

>Aloe and Lotus could never know of this, they'd kill you for getting rid of a customer who came this often.

>"And Two:"

>You gesture with your thumb through the floor above you.

>"Go talk to your girlfriend. I could see the looks she was giving me when we came down here."

>Lyra's face drops.

>"Bon Bon...I don't know what I'm going to do about her..."

>"Do you want her gone?"

>Lyra jumps back.

>"No! No, no...I lo-really like Bon Bon...it's just...I don't know what to do."

>You put your hand on her shoulder, even on her hind legs, she was a bit shorter then you.

>"Go talk to her, work something out, if this did what I wanted and got you over whatever was making you come to the spa so often, then it should be pretty simple."

>You start your way up the stairs

>"I don't know why she thinks I'm so worth it..."

>You stop and look at Lyra over your shoulder.

>"Lyra, you're probably the most important person in the world to Bon Bon, of course you're worth it to her."

>You head out the basement door and head for the exit when a voice stops you.

>"Homewrecker."

 

>You turn to see Bon Bon sitting on a couch in the other room.

>She's holding a pillow tight to her chest.

>She looks like she's been crying.

>She gives you a death glare as you walk into the room.

>"You took the most important person in my life."

>Bingo.

>"And stole her away from me."

>"Bon Bon, nothing happe-"

>She tosses the pillow across the room at you.

>"SHUT UP!"

>She looks furious now.

>"Don't tell me nothing happened! Nopony spends four hours in a basement and does 'nothing'!"

>She has her head in her hooves now.

>"It just-I always tried to be so understanding! Everypony called her fascination with humans weird, but I looked past it. I looked passed her sitting, I looked past her trying to walk on her hind legs, Celestia knows I even looked past her going to that spa to see YOU so often!"

>She jams a hoof in your direction.

>"But I don't think I can get past her ignoring me just because you fell into our town..."

>She keeps staring daggers at you.

>"...Bon Bon?"

>You both turn to the basement door to see Lyra walk out, on all fours, it seems.

>"Bon Bon...nothing happened." She says.

>"I really wish I could believe that Lyra..."

>Lyra takes a few steps closer. "Hey, I may be weird."

>She gets up on the couch next to Bon Bon and throws a hoof around her.

>"But I'd never hurt you."

 

>Bon Bon throws Lyra's hoof off her and retreats to the other side of the couch.

>Lyra tries again only for Bon Bon to shoot her down.

>The room is quiet for a long time.

>You start to back away towards the door

>"I should go."

>Lyra looks up at you.

>"Thanks Mous...for everything."

>"Yeah, right..."

>You start to walk to the door.

>Quick, say something to lighten the mood.

>"Play nice, you two."

>Fuck.

>You walk out the door and hurry home before the idiocy of that remark comes back to haunt you.

>The sun was setting, the perfect setting for the relationship you just ruined.

>This blows.

>Dammit, you were trying to help.

>This always happens when you try to help.

>You trudge into the living room when you get home, Anon and Rainbow are there.

>"Hey dude...you okay?" Anon asked.

>"I'm fuckin' fine."

>You didn't need to talk about it.

>You fucked up.

>It was your responsibility.