"Lyra, what are you doing?"
"I'm making a doghouse!"
"...out of the bricks that ponies throw through our windows?"
Lyra waved her spade at Bonbon. "It's called ironic repurposing. They want to attack us? I use their attacks for useful things!"
"Lyra, we don't have a pet. That's not nearly enough bricks to make a doghouse. And you're four and a half months pregnant." Bonbon bit her lip. "I don't know if you should be doing manual labor right now..."
"Well I don't want to be cooped up in my own home for who knows how long worrying about random brick throwers." The unicorn stuck her tongue out petulantly, before turning back to her project.
"Where did you even get the cement?"
Lyra glanced around furtively. "I... know some ponies."
Bonbon brought her hoof to her face. "Please tell me you didn't do anything illegal..."
The unicorn paused, considering her spade. After a moment, she put it down. "And now I'm feeling the morning sickness coming."
"Lyra!"
"Nope, totes serious." Lyra galloped for the door. "Sorry Bonbon, we'll continue this after I finish puking!"
"It's two thirty PM! It's nowhere near the morning!"
"HARFLBLARFIGANIFA..."
The changeling groaned. "Sometimes I could swear she times these things..."
***
"YES. OH MY YES. THIS IS SO YES."
Lyra squeezed the plush in her magic, rubbing her face against it. "This is just perfect! I think our kid would love this, what do you think?" She levitated the plush doll over to the decidedly unamused Bonbon. "It's adorable!"
"It's Chrysalis."
"It's still adorable!"
"It's an insult to changelings everywhere is what it is. If we buy it, I'm going to burn it." Bonbon looked around the brightly coolored toy store, and eventually plucked a stuffed bear off a nearby shelf. "Aren't these considered more normal?" she asked, holding it out for her wife to examine.
Lyra grimaced. "Ew, bears. Bears are like... big muscle mounds with loads of teeth, and they smell funny. I am not going to teach our kid to like bears."
"Right." Bonbon put the stuffed animal back. "I forgot we don't like normal for a second there..."
"Normalcy and us have a permanent mutual embargo," Lyra agreed brightly.
Bonbon snorted. "Lyra, I was being sarcastic."
"I wasn't!" Lyra chirped brightly. "We're the quirkiest quirks that ever did quirk! QUIRK IT BABY!"
Bonbon tried her hardest to avoid snickering as Lyra suddenly started swishing her hips back and forth, her bulging belly swaying a few seconds after the tail. But the fact of the matter was the whole scene was so ridiculous, she couldn't help but let out a little giggle. "S-Stop that! We're in public!"
"Smooth Lyra don't care." The unicorn danced up to Bonbon, hipbumping her shoulder. "Smooth Lyra just keeps moving. She's so smoooooth."
"Pfft, Ly, Lyra, toy store. Foals will be around." Bonbon spun around, putting a firm hoof on the unicorn's withers. "I don't want you to get in trouble again..."
Lyra stopped her prancing, her ears folded back. "Oh. Right. The whole... thing, with the taboo about telling... yeah." She kicked the floor idly. "I was actually liking the dance, though..."
Bonbon bit her lip.
After a moment, she put her other hoof on Lyra's hip, giving her a gentle smile. "I prefer a waltz, myself."
Lyra blinked, her ears perking. "Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Green hooves took their place on black chitin. "Well, who am I to turn down a dance with a beautiful woman?"
The two of them spun slowly through the aisles of the toy store, shopping forgotten in the moment as they danced to a song that only they could hear, watched by the eyes of a few hundred stuffed animals, action figures, gamebox art portraits, and one frowning pegasus who left the building shortly thereafter.
***
"So when did Arsenic and Lace say they'd be done with the whole help out the town thinger thing?"
Bonbon rolled her eyes. "Around five. We're meeting them at Sugarcube corner for dinner, remember?"
Lyra nodded, absently glancing around the town square as they walked through. "Hard to believe only a week ago this place was covered in Great and Powerful banners."
"Ugh..." Bonbon shuddered. "At least it got the heat off of us for a while..."
"I keep telling you, the trial was horseapples." Lyra waved a hoof. "More than likely one pony from Ponyville, three at the most, traveled throughout Equestria to find other ponies who were afraid or hated changelings. That's like, less then half a percent of the total population of Ponyville! It was an outlier. A very determined outlier. That's all."
"I know, I know...." Bonbon sighed. "It's just.. the idea that I would actually... to the pony I love...! It gets to me."
"Well, it's all over now." Lyra grinned broadly as they turned down Broadhoof lane. "Smooth sailing from here on out..."
Bonbon didn't reply.
"...Bonbon?"
"We're being followed." She flicked her mane. "Pegasus, high left."
"Well... maybe he's just curious?"
"...sure." Bonbon shrugged. "Maybe he... oh silk."
Two earth ponies had just exited a nearby bookstore, their saddlebags completely empty, and were marching toward them with matching frowns.
"Lyra, run." Bonbon crouched low, her eyes flicking between the two earth ponies rapidly. "They're after me, not you."
Lyra shook her head. "What?! No! Whatever happens, we'll face it together--"
"Lyra Heartstrings you are five months pregnant with our foal and that means you need to get out of here now. Find Arsenic and Lace and get them back here, do you understand?"
"...Yes ma'am." The unicorn turned around... only to find two other unicorns walking with clear intent. "Uh, cancel that, we're boxed in."
Bonbon glanced behind her for a moment and scoffed. "You took on the royal guard once!"
"Yeah, but I wasn't five months pregnant then!"
Bonbon groaned, looking around quickly. "Come on, this way!" She rushed down a nearby alleyway, leading Lyra behind a set of trash cans and unopened crates. "Set up a barricade, I'll try to lead them away!"
"Got it!" Lyra's horn lit up as she began slamming wooden boxes together to form a ramshackle wall. "What are these even doing here anyway?"
Bonbon buzzed up into the air. "Who cares? See you later h--OOF!"
The next thing Bonbon knew, she was slammed into the ground by the scowling pegasus. "I knew it! You're hypnotizing ponies into trapping themselves in alleyways so you can PLANT YOUR SPAWN IN THEM!"
"...what?"
"He said he's an ignorant douchbag conspiracy theorist," Lyra supplied helpfully from behind the crates. "Oh, also, GET YOUR DIRTY HOOVES OFF MY WIFE OR I WILL RIP YOU APART!"
"What's the matter, changeling?" The pegasus pounded his hoof against the chest. "You afraid to fight without your thrall?"
"Oh please, I know how this goes. The moment I attack one of you, you'll run off to whoever and say that I started it, blah de blah de blah."
"Don't worry Lyra," the pegasus snarled, his eyes darting to the four ponies now galloping into the alley. "We'll have you free of the bug's mind control soon enough."
"Oh, fine, sure, you think I'm controlling her now!" Bonbon grumbled. "Where were you half a year ago when I tried to get her out of prison by claiming I hypnotized her?!"
"So you admit it!"
"Oh for the love of--!"
"You two, hold her down!" the pegasus barked, gesturing toward the earth ponies. "Verdant, Shimmer, find whatever spell she's using and rip it apart." The pegasus turned to the barrier, wings flaring. "No doubt she's going to try to use her power over Lyra to her advantage. I'll have to hold her back."
"You ain't getting past my wall of wooden crates!" A trash bag was hurled over the boxes. "EAT GARBAGE, YOU GARBAGE EATING GARBAGE!"
"AUGH!" The pegasus stumbled back as half-eaten meals, shreds of containers, and used diapers exploded over his face. "Bleaghu pfft! Ugh! The things I endure for justice..."
"See?" Bonbon shouted, struggling against the hooves pinning her down. "If I were controlling her I'd have made her make a much better quip!"
"YEAH! Hey wait a minute..."
"Mere words will not belay deliverance of truth! Or justice!" The pegasus glowered at the crates. "NOR WILL THROWING GARBAGE AT ME!"
The two unicorns knelt down, their horns glowing as they waved them slowly over the writhing changeling's head. Bonbon winced at the magic currently prodding inelegantly at her mental self, letting out a little grunt of pain. "Could you two be more blunt with your magic, please? I don't have nearly enough of a headache as is."
"She's not defending," one of them muttered. "This is too easy."
Bonbon growled and winced again. "Come on! You can see I'm not casting anything!"
"I can't find anything...." The other unicorn looked up. "Windbreaker, there's no constant spell. We can't break what isn't being cast."
"But how...?" Windbreaker paused. "Of course. It's a dormant spell on Lyra... Quickly! We must get past this wall of flimsy crates!"
"YOU COME ANY CLOSER AND IT'S FACE DIAPERS FOR EVERYPONY!" A garbage bag hovered menacingly over the boxes, gripped in a golden glow. "I'M SERIOUS! THIS HOUSE IS HOME TO NEWBORNS AND I HAVE REAPED THE SPOILS!"
The pegasus stared at the bag, his wings caught midflap. Some of the trash dripped off his leg and onto the ground.
"...Alright then." He turned back to the unicorns. "Plan C."
Once more the two horns lowered to Bonbon's head, but this time the force against her mind was not limited to a simple prod. No, it was a rippling mass of untrained clutching tentacles trying trying trying around and gripping and prying and she struck back quick and hard but they struck harder and she yelled as one cast a pain spell and the other reached in in the moment of weakness and every memory jumbled round and up and about and oh Lyra you are so so sorry Rainbow I'm so sorry you are such a bitch Chrysalis you can just go and jump off a slice of pie please miss Cake I have the bits right here is where she is buried Twilight what are you going to do wait that sound that sound that sound what is that sound--
Screaming. Familiar screaming. Not of terror...
Rage.
The crates burst apart, Windbreaker covering his eyes as wooden splinters scattered through the alley. He barely had time to look up before he was slammed to the ground, a golden glow pinning him in place. Lyra glowered at him for only a moment before her face snapped to the four ponies surrounding Bonbon, glaring at them through glowing white eyes.
"She's surging.... She's surging!" One of the unicorns backed away. "RUN! SURGING PREGNANT UNICORN!"
With an inarticulate cry of pure fury, Lyra lit her horn.
The next few minutes... Bonbon, still recovering from her own torture, wasn't quite sure what happened. She knew she had never seen Lyra's magic so bright. And ponies probably shouldn't bounce off the walls so quickly and repeatedly. And... was that a rope spell...? There was just so much going on.
By the time she had managed to get on her hooves, though, it was all over. Lyra was panting heavily, her eyes beginning to loose their mystic glow.
"What..." Bonbon looked at the unconscious ponies for a moment, before turning back to her wife. "What was that?"
"Surge." Lyra smiled giddily, walking to the changeling and nuzzling her. "Pregnant unicorns, if they feel really threatened, can become very dangerous, for, uh, very short periods of time... I'mgonafaintnowkay?"
She collapsed at Bonbon's feet.
Hah~!
Oddly enough, I like the idea of the pregnant unicorn magic surges. It even makes sense from an evolutionary perspective as a defense mechanism.
The only other thing I can get from all this is how stupid the bigots are. Seriously, they obviously don't know enough about magic to even understand what they are saying, yet they think they know enough to claim mind control is involved. That's just stupid.
Edit: Okay, since it seems to be the only thing people draw from my comment...I never said I found it unbelievable. Just that it was the only other thing to stand out for me this chapter. The only thing other than the surges I could comment on...and also my general opinion of bigotry in any form in general.
5435435
To be honest, that doesn't surprise me at all. Biogtry is born from and maintained by ignorance combined with a mindset that's averse to re-evaluating one's worldview.
5435447
True. But at this point I'd say have Discord screw with their minds to fix it...except then I remember that we haven't hit "Keep Calm and Flutter On" yet.
...speaking of, author, any idea how that will play into this? Oddly, I'd love to see pregnant Lyra literally whip Discord into making the food dish she's craving.
Okay, how did that not get the attention of the Town guard or any of the Mane 6?
5435457
They're still cleaning up after the Alicorn Amulet incident.
5435453
Yes, I have a plan for that.
You didn't tell me there was morning sickness...
Enough times...
You'd think ponies would stop being stupid for just long enough to think about what they're doing.
You'd be wrong if you thought that. People keep messing with Lyra and Bon Bon and walking away not quite alright.
5435447 Well, it's kinda easy to explain when a race of bug ponies invades with the express purpose of enslaving your entire nation in cocoons and sucking your love out.
I'm shocked there's not much MORE bigotry after that.
And in the show, it's like the ponies don't even remember changelings ever existed!
Yep, as if some cosmic writers just kinda glossed over the aftermath because it was too complicated for a kids' show or something...
5435435 You act like that's not realistic? It's like that in Racism, gay hate, hate of fandoms, and generally most things that people hate they only hate because their parents told them they should hate it or society told them they should hate it.
So, where did she get it? Go Lyra!
5435453 Discord would probably do it, just cause he LOVES how crazy those two are! How CHAOTIC!!!
Toy store with chrysalis plushie hmm not sure who would buy it looking that changelings hate her ponies too (not counting lyra, lyra is lyra)
Interesting that I should come across this story after asking FiMFiction to sort by "heat".
5435435
The thing about ignorance is that the less you know, the more things seem perfectly logical. Someone with no understanding of vehicles could easily be convinced that having a high and narrow body would make cornering easier, for example (provided they weren't very knowledgeable about physics, that is). Since these dumbasses don't understand magic very well, they don't see all the ways in which Lyra is obviously not enthralled.
If you've ever been really good at a game and spoken to a new player, you might understand the principle really well.
Shit has hit the fan.
"her" maybe?
I know it is meant to be a little confusing, but this doesn't really seem to match the rest of the sentence.
I feel I should read the last chapter. Why isn't Bon-bon walking around in her normal disguise? I think it would make things a little easier. Wonder what sort of bigotry Dash has to put up with.
... is it wrong that I want to see the results of a Pregnant Cadence surging just to compare Unicorn and Alicorn surges??? Mama Bear mode at its finest. I can totally see it being cannon. I mean, if Filly Twilight can turn her parents in potted plants and make newly hatched Spike grow bigger than a good sized building... imagine Cadence or even Twilight as a more powerful Alicorn getting that serge...
5437349 Indeed!
5437866 Well, it probably hit the bigots' faces as well considering what Lyra was threatening to fling at them if they didn't let Bon Bon go.
5435435 Don't forget that mental magic is highly regulated in this 'verse and performing it without a licence like they just did is extremely illegal... of course even with a licence using it the way they did is still extremely illegal.
5438314
Alicorn Twilight surging is a scary thought. Twilight is already the embodiment of magic. A surge from her could wipe Equestria off the map.
5439378 Or ascend everypony into Alicorns. Actually, that would be a good master plan for Celestia:
Step 1: Break Twilight's Social Awkwardness by helping her make friends
Step 2: Get her to Ascend to Alicornhood
Step 3: Have her meet a nice Stallion
Step 4: Rejoice when news of impending Foalhood is announced
Step 5: Let next baddie make mistake of pissing off Twilight by threatening her foal
Step 6: Watch all ponies ascend, declare no more being a princess and finally get a vacation.
5439575
that's actually not the worst plan I've ever heard.
My Little Pony: Pregnancy is Dangerous
Well, this is certainly going to lead to an interesting trial. If nothing else, the clumsy mind magic is probably illegal, and any court that doesn't want to convict for mental assault on a changeling is going to face pressure from some very high places.
In any case, hopefully the SPU will be enough to deter ponies for a while. Looking forward to more.
you guys are idiots.
Really, attacking a changeling who is the mate of the mother of her child?
Also
Lyra's already pregnant, you nimrod! How could Bonbon impregnate a mare who's already pregnant?! What, you think she's like the predator-alien crossbreed from Alien VS Predator 2?
When Twilight and Dash learn about this those ponies will have tartarus to pay
Congratulations, your Lyra evolved into Ultra Lyra!
And then fainted.
Quick, to the Poké center!
5435463 *Slowly Reloads Elephant Tranq-gun and aims at Lyra* Should I use something stronger next time?
Adorable
So, that's what, 5 cases of Assault By Idiocy? Plead insanity?
I guess when the Princess of Dreams herself comes down and tells you to cut it out there's no mind magic, and you don't, the only solution left is a straightjacket.
I also love that even IF Bon Bon was really evil, and they HAD uncovered some kind of evil mind control plot, they would still be guilty of assault and using illegal mind magic. Don't vigilante, kids.
I don't know if the trying trying trying was on purpose or if it was for dramatic effect.
Best fight scene ever...
So she basically just...
boxmash.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Hyrule-Warriors-01.jpg
Awesome.
Great chapter as usual. I like the surge idea. I hope your situation gets better really soon for your sake, and for your readers' sake (sakes?). I would help out with something, but I don't have money either.
Morning sickness is a misnomer, Bon Bon, its really all the time all daybjust agree with her sickness. 100% truth.
5453164 fair enough, garnny smith and all
i102.photobucket.com/albums/m95/puh_02/tiger-scared.jpg
5453164 No they aren't. In fact, the only time age has ever even been implied was when Sweetie was talking about her fifth birthday, and that only tells us that they have a longer life-span than real horses. That's just a popular fanon, like the "changeling hive-mind" or "Discord was Starswirl"
5455237
We know that granny smith is at least 100 because twilight said that ponyville has been around for hundreds of years and granny smith was a kid when her family founded it (this one is most likely a writers glitch though). Fluttershy is a year older that pinkie but there is no obvious difference which means that there life spans must be similar to ours or she would look older.The twin cakes look like month olds when they are a month old and through out the show they are still small infants. if they aged like a normal horse they would be older if not talking age by their most recent cameo. It is safe to assume that the ponies live either almost as long or much longer than humans.
Huh
Remind me of this: Dont prank or scare a pregnant female. Bad stuff happens. And smelly diapers being thrown at you are certainly not good
Smell. Awful.
That about explains it
I think
Looks like somepony developed a thing for changelings
Ohhhh fuck. This is like Twi's surge when she got her cutie mark, isn't it?
Remarks and corrections:
> beginning to loose their mystic glow
beginning to [lose] their mystic glow
This was hilarious and the part where Lyra and Bon Bon were dancing in the toy store was so adorable!
"smells like somepony needs me to changey-wangey their diaper-wiper right now-wow-wow."
one of my favorite lines...
5435435
Basically, that's how conspiracy theorists work. In short, they reject reality and substitute their own. It's why there are people who believe the earth is flat, we never landed on the moon, and there's a cure for cancer.