The sun rose, as it usually does, in its own unique way. A slow, earth-warming glow that spread across the land, like honey creeping across a warm slice of bread, reviving the earth with its gentle touch. As it billowed out over the viridian fields, the gentle sounds of nature slowly awoke with it, the sweet birdsong rising at a slow, deliberate pace.
As the birds sang, and the sun bathed Ponyville in its radiant glow, some of the light filtered through her window, casting a ray of light no wider than a candle’s width upon her bed. It slowly continued to encroach on the bed, eventually coming to rest on her eyelids.
Groaning tiredly, the cream-coloured mare turned over, burying her face in her pillow. The sun warmed her back, but made no attempts to wake her further. She dozed peacefully, the sun’s rays holding her in place, making the pull of sleep irresistible. The day seemed too perfect, too comforting to risk getting out of bed. It was all the better that she stay in her warm, safe bed, where absolutely nothing could go wrong.
“Power up the Bass Cannon!” a bizarre metallic voice rang out, silencing the birds. The sunlight seemed to become askew, and the gentle breeze stopped. The mare in bed stirred, but only a bit.
"...Fire!"
An impossibly loud noise completely destroyed the tranquil noises of nature, obliterating the gentle drone of the early rising ponies in the streets. She bolted upright in surprise as the noise thrust her into the waking world. She stared around blearily, trying to find the source of this horrible racket. The noise finally registered as music as she listened to the metallic, rhythmic beats, and a look of resignation dawned on her face. She knew this song. Everypony knew this song.
She crawled out of bed and approached the window. She peered at her neighbor’s house, which was shaking from the tremendous force of the bass reverberating from within. The windows rattled in their frames. Heck, even the things in her own house were rattling. Her alarm clock bounced and jiggled. The pictures on the wall swayed precariously. Ripples were forming in the glass of water she had set next to her bed. The noise was unbearable, and she was across the street from the source. If things were like this at her house, how in Equestria was her neighbor’s house still standing? She didn’t know or care. It was time to for it to stop.
She trekked through the hall, down the stairs and out the door. She didnt have time to stop or appreciate her surroundings, how could anypony appreciate anything with this racket? Instead, she kept her eyes focused on the source of the problem, the open window on the second floor. Her neighbor had been told before that she had to keep the soundproof windows she’d bought closed. It was part of the bylaws in Ponyville, yet she still ignored it.
She trotted up to the front door and knocked, but there was no response. She tried again, louder this time, accompanied by ringing the doorbell. You could barely hear her knocking over the pulsing bass from within. Her neighbors were getting flustered. Several ponies shot dirty looks at the house, to whom she smiled apologetically. Abandoning all attempts to attract the tenant’s attention through subtle means, she moved to the front window and peered into the kitchen.
Inside she could see the culprit, a white unicorn mare with a wild blue mane. Bobbing her head to the music, the mare poured herself a generous glass of orange juice, then topped it off with a large can of some energy drink. Sunlight glinted off her shades, and a wide, confident smile seemed permanently attached to her muzzle. This was her signature look. A lot of ponies envied her happy-go-lucky lifestyle. A lot of ponies, save for the one peeking into the window at the moment.
She knocked on the window, her hoofs clonking against the glass. The noise wasn’t much louder, but it was much more localized, so it got the unicorn’s attention. She waved at the mare outside, who motioned to the door. The unicorn misinterpreted and waved back, pointing at her orange juice. The annoyed mare tried again, and the confused mare inside pointed at her drink. Angrily, she shook her head and pointed to the door; the mare inside shrugged, while the cream colored mare facehoofed. One last time she pointed to the door, and the pony inside finally understood. They moved to the door in unison, but the outsider still had to wait a minute before the door opened.
As the door opened, a proverbial wall of bass rocketed out the house, nearly sweeping the agitated mare off her feet. Swaying a bit, she got her balance, and attempted to address the pony inside.
“Vinyl!” she shouted over the speakers.
“What?” the other mare didn’t seem to hear her.
“Close your window, please!” she shouted again.
“No thanks! I’m allergic to cheese!” the wild-maned mare shouted back.
“No! Close your window!”
“Filly please! Everypony has seen that movie!” Vinyl laughed while the other facehoofed. This was getting nowhere.
Still, she tried again. “Your window is open!”
Vinyl frowned. “I’m pretty sure freezers are supposed to be frozen!”
Exasperated, she shouted as loud as possible. “Vinyl Scratch, you irritating foal! Close your freaking window!”
“Oh.” the mare turned around and trotted upstairs. A moment later, the noise was substantially dulled as the window closed, followed by the heavy door leading to Vinyl’s room. A moment later, the rave pony reappeared downstairs, still grinning.
“Sorry Bon Bon, I couldn’t hear you over my new sound system.” she didn’t look the least bit sorry. “Did you want something?"
Bon Bon sighed. How anypony could stand Vinyl was beyond her. She was totally clueless, not to mention loud and immature. How could somepony even stand to be in the same room as her? Still, she gave her a thin smile.
“I just wanted to see if you could remember to keep you window closed in the morning? I’m sure I’m not the only one who would appreciate it.” They had been neighbors for years, and yet the same routine occurred every week.
“Yeah, no problem.” the mare seemed totally unruffled by the request. Sometimes you had to wonder if she even heard a thing anypony said. Maybe the speakers had blown out her eardrums. That might explain some of the troubles they had with her.
“Well, I’m glad that’s settled.” Bon Bon masked her impatience with a small smile. This was far from over, she knew. Next up, her neighbor would be asking her to—
“You wanna come inside for some breakfast?” Vinyl asked, on cue.
“No Vinyl, I don’t want breakfast.” Bon Bon replied. As usual.
And then came the—
“Well, how about we hang sometime? We never hang!”
“No we don’t. And we won’t today, either.”
And lastly, here came the-
“C’mon, throw me a bone, pal. At least come check out one of my shows. It’ll be cool to see a familiar face!”
Bon Bon shook her head. Same old routine, every week.
"Vinyl, we've been through this before," she began. "One, I don't like loud music. Two, I don't like the club you work at. The drinks suck, the place is always crowded, and it's a pain to get to."
Vinyl’s grin didn’t waver as she shrugged. “Whatever you say. I’m just trying to find somepony to hang with. Tavi never goes to the clubs with me."
Probably because she’s got decent taste in music, Bon Bon thought.
"Anyway, thank you for closing your window, try to keep it closed next time and have a good day." Bon Bon turned around and trotted away, allowing her facade to slip away, scowling a bit. It was the same thing, all the time. Every morning, Vinyl woke the neighborhood up to the same song, and every morning, Bon Bon had to fix it. But it was fine now, and it was time for the day to begin. She trotted quickly back to her house as the world slowly resumed it's normal activities.
The birds began to sing again, or maybe they'd been singing the whole time, it was hard to tell when the speakers next door had been blasting. Everypony else had returned to their homes, probably to fix up breakfast.
Her stomach growled. Bon Bon wouldn't mind a bit of breakfast herself. She envisioned an enticing cup of coffee with her friends, and a delicious blueberry muffin from Sugar Cube Corner. But she had things to do before work, so she returned upstairs and stepped into her bathroom. A nice warm shower was always the best start to a day like this. Hay, a nice warm shower was the answer to everything. She closed the door behind her and climbed in, allowing the hot water to soak away her early morning stress.
Fifteen minutes later, she returned from her shower, refreshed and ready to begin another day of work. She had the entire day laid out already. She would have breakfast with her friends, then she went to work, followed by goofing off with friends until she got tired. Rinsdiscardedeat. Every so often she got tired of this endless cycle, and wished for a change from her routine. But she usually put these thoughts down, while she wasn't as organized as other ponies, having a good sense of direction was a great way to go. So once again, she discarded the thought of abandoning her schedule and began the trek downtown.
Before departing, she caught herself casting one last glance at her neighbor's house. You could still see the windows shaking if you looked hard enough. Shaking her head, she continued moving. Her friends were probably already at their usual table, waiting for her. And she had no doubts that they'd have a field day with Vinyl's antics this morning.
"You're kidding!" Lyra laughed as she finished her story.
"Yup," Bon Bon responded, taking a bite of her muffin. "Woke me up with a bass drop again."
"I really don't get her." Lyra commented. The mint green unicorn shared a table with Bon Bon. Joining them for breakfast were their two other friends, a blue unicorn with a mane reminiscent of a toothpaste stripe. This was Minuette, the resident movie fanatic. Also at the table sat a pale yellow earth pony with a brilliant orange mane. Her name was Golden Harvest. However, there was a fifth seat that was normally occupied whenever they ate breakfast together.
"So where's Berry today?" Bon Bon nodded in the direction of the vacant seat. Berry Punch, one of her other friends, usually ate with them every morning. But for some reason, she'd been scarce lately. It was probably nothing, as the mare was notorious for forgetting things.
"Probably sleeping in," Lyra quipped. "She talked about taking a vacation last time I saw her. I guess it's not over yet."
"Any ideas for the weekend?" Bon Bon asked her friends.
"We could see a movie." The blue mare suggested.
"Oh please, Minuette," The orange mare rolled her eyes. "We always go to the movies!"
"So? I like to watch movies!" Minuette protested. "Besides, I don't see you coming up with any great ideas, Carrot Top!"
Golden Harvest, or Carrot Top to her friends, opened her mouth to argue, but was cut off by Lyra.
"How about a mare's night out?" She exclaimed. "We could go to some clubs and dance all night!"
Everypony looked happy with the idea, even Bon Bon. It had been a while since they'd ever gone clubbing.
"Sounds good," She admitted. "Anypony know a decent club?"
"Oh!" Minuette waved her hoof enthusiastically, like a filly in school. "There's this great new club in Canterlot opening up! We could check it out and spend the night in a hotel!" She looked excited at the prospect.
"Sounds great!" Lyra beamed.
"Sounds fun!" Carrot Top chimed in.
"Sounds like a plan," Bon Bon finished.
"Then it's settled!" Lyra declared. "This will be the best weekend yet!" Everypony was in agreement. Bon Bon looked up at the clock on the wall and yelped in surprise.
"I'm late!" She jumped from her chair, knocking it over on accident. Righting the chair, she bade a hasty goodbye to her friends and dashed out of the store. Her friends watched her run down the street.
"Hey look." Minuette picked up the remnants of her breakfast. "She forgot her muffin." Everypony at the table groaned comically as Minuette took a big bite of the leftovers.
The day in the store was mostly uneventful. Customers came and went, a few friends stopped by to chat a bit, and a certain pink pony came in and cleared out her licorice supply, claiming it was "a matter of fun or death". Really, where in Equestria did Pinkie come up with this stuff? Still, she paid nicely, so Bon Bon didn't complain.
The real excitement occurred near the end of the working day, an hour before she closed up shop.
She sat around in the back shop, taking stock when the bell rang, followed by a jarring crash. Bon Bon ran to the front of the store to see a grey pegasus toppled over at the front counter. Letters in pristine white envelopes were scattered around the shop, most of them crumbled or battered from the sudden impact of the mail pony colliding with the hard wooden counter. Bon Bon peered curiously at the mare, who got to her feet, eyes spinning almost comically. She blinked a few times, and they stopped rolling, trapped in a perpetual walleyed stare.
"I'm okay!" the mare announced happily, causing Bon Bon to roll her eyes and laugh.
"Ditzy, you've got to be more careful." She leaned over the counter a bit. "Didn't you see the sign in the window?"
The mail pony turned to the window, confusedly trying to spot the sign Bon Bon had pointed out. She eventually spotted it and pointed to it with a hoof.
"The sign means 'no flying'. If every pony flew around in my shop, the place would be a wreck." she told the mail pony.
"Okay!" the pegasus stamped her hooves in understanding.
"Good," she stopped leaning over the counter. "Now, what did you need?"
"Mail for you, Bonnie!" The walleyed mare announced, causing Bon Bon to flinch. She hated that nickname. She didn't totally understand it, but she hated it. The earth pony watched as Ditzy picked up a large package—how it fit into her mail bag was beyond anypony's guess— and dropped it on the counter, along with a form to be signed. Bon Bon looked around for a pen, to no avail. She'd need to go in the back of the shop.
"Listen closely, Ditzy," She spoke up suddenly. "I'm going into the back to get a pen. Can you watch the store for me?."
"Okay, Bonnie!" The pegasus replied cheerfully.
She turned around and walked into the back, looking around the clutter workplace for a pen. She picked one up from her desk, when there was another jarring clatter from the front of the store. Bon Bon bolted to the counter to see a large display case of jellybeans overturned, Ditzy was buried in the sugary avalanche.
Sighing, Bon Bon dropped her pen and wandered to the front of the store, helping Ditzy out of the mess.
"What did I say?" She demanded in a stern voice, causing the pegasus' ears the droop.
"S-sorry" It was obvious that she'd completely forgotten already.
Bon Bon rolled her eyes,helping the Pegasus to her feet.
"Its fine. Just... Be careful, okay?" She clenched the pen in her mouth and moved it about in swift strokes, After signing the form and picking up her package, she watched as Ditzy picked up the form and the undelivered letters, and trotted out the door, brushing past a grey earth pony who stepped into the messy confectionery.
"Sorry about the mess, Octavia." She apologized profusely.
The earth pony smiled in understanding. "It's fine, I'm sure. It's been one of those days, has it?" She looked behind her at the mail pony, who collided with another pegasus in flight. Letters scattered everywhere.
"Yup," She giggled as she watched the mail pony snatch up her letters. "One of those days."
"Indeed." Octavia observed the spectacle outside. Bon Bon didn't mind Octavia that much. She was normally polite and friendly to everypony, and was down to earth and realistic as well. They weren't exactly friends or anything, but she enjoyed the musician's company, as well as her patronage to her store.
"So, what can I get you?" She asked, tapping the counter with her hooves.
"A bag of saltwater taffy today, please." Octavia responded in her Hoofington accent. It was a nice affectation to her voice, but it was a dying one. Bon Bon was counting down the days until the mare lost all of her upper class values and started talking like everypony else.
"Sure thing!" Bon Bon scooted from the counter to the display case of colored taffy, which, thankfully, hadn't been knocked over by Ditzy. "Which kind would you like?"
"The white ones, please. With the little blue stripes." The mare responded swiftly.
The confectioner stopped suddenly. She never expected something like this, especially not from Octavia.
"Planning something special?" She asked, forcing a smile.
Octavia blushed profusely, soliciting an inward groan from Bon Bon as she filled the bag with sweets.
"Vinyl's headlining a new club in Canterlot. She doesn't know that I know yet."
"So what's with the Vinyl colored taffy?" She nudged the bag onto a scale.
"Think of it as..." Octavia paused. "...an early Hearts and Hooves day gift."
Bon Bon rolled her eyes. She would never have pegged Octavia as the romantic type. Bon Bon herself found the notion of romance ridiculous.
"Here you go." She said brightly, hiding her annoyance. Just because she wasn't a huge fan of romantic expression didn't mean she had to act like it.
"Wonderful!" She picked up the bag, stuffing it into her saddlebag. "How much do I owe you?"
"About 10 bits." In truth it was probably a bit or two less, but it didn't really matter. Bon Bon didn't mind playing off of ponies' generosity around Hearts and Hooves day.
Octavia paid her due and turned around. "Have a good evening!" She called to the confectioner.
Bon Bon eyed the mess of Jellybeans that the earth pony skirted around.
Too late. Bon Bon thought. She picked up a broom with her teeth and started sweeping up the technicolor landslide.
An hour later, the candy store was cleaned and closed. Bon Bon had taken inventory, noticing she'd lost over half of her jellybean supply in the commotion. But that didn't really matter. She could just order a new shipment with the little bits she earned this week. But that was a worry for another day. For now, it was time to go home.
The walk home was always different, which helped Bon Bon forget her nagging sense of repetition that followed her like some dark, malevolent spirit. The dark was always unique, with candle light illuminating different houses on different nights, while the moon overhead changed phases constantly, night after night. It was comforting to have that small bit of chaotic indecision whenever the sun went down. But even the moon is limited, and it eventually repeats its forlorn cycle.
Bon Bon wandered home alone, through the quiet streets. The only ponies around were the young and the restless, ponies with no place to go, and nothing to look forward to in the following days, except the prospect of untainted possibility. These were the ponies who hadn't fallen into the curse of schedule, the ponies who still had a spark of individuality, of spontaneity. Oh, how she envied them. She walked past them, towards her home. As she drew closer, she began to hear the muffled noises of electronic music, mostly bass, blasting through her neighborhood.
Vinyl was still going strong, though she had kept her promise to close her windows. Bon Bon spent a moment staring at the light in the DJ's house, reflecting briefly on her conversation with Octavia earlier. She and Vinyl were always very close, to the point where most ponies expected the pair to be inseparable. It wasn't impossible for such a thought to be truth, but then again, a relationship was just routine.
Bon Bon stepped into her home and crawled upstairs, climbing into bed, still thinking about the routine aspects of romance.
Relationships are a lot like a daily routine. She thought as the bass lulled her to sleep.
And routines eventually fall apart. They always do.
Author's Note
Here it is! The first chapter finally done!
Special thanks to Avox for proof reading!
The train station was bustling with activity when Bon Bon arrived. Ponies stood in line at the ticket booth, while others rested on or near the benches next to the track. Fillies and Colts darted between the legs of the adults, who stood around chatting amiably. Bon Bon noticed Lyra and their friends standing next to the ticket booth talking amongst themselves. Lyra spotted her and, with a grin, waved her over.
"Glad you could make it!" Lyra greeted her.
"About time!" Minuette chimed in. "The train will arrive soon."
"Sorry," She apologized to her companions. "Inventory took longer than expected." Bon Bon had actually dropped her key somewhere in the store, and had spent nearly half an hour trying in vain to find it. She couldn't tell her friends that, though. They'd never let her hear the end of it. They had a funny way of bringing up embarrassing moments at the worst of times.
Carrot Top waved dismissively. "Don't even worry about it. We've got your ticket already." Lyra produced a ticket, which Bon Bon accepted gratefully. Stuffing the bit of paper into her bag, she looked around the train station.
"So, has anypony heard from Berry yet?"
"Nope," Carrot Top replied simply.
"Nu-uh," Lyra seconded.
"I went by her place this morning. It was locked up, so I think she might be on a trip." Minuette said.
Weird. Normally Berry didn't leave town much. And on the rare occasions she did leave, she brought a friend along. Berry really wasn't fond of leaving Ponyville, for any reason. Bon Bon hoped her friend was safe. She'd be much happier if she knew where her friend was.
Lyra gave her a smile.
"Aw, quit worrying! I'm sure she's fine. Besides, it's not your job to care, right? What are you, her mom?"
"Guess not." Bon Bon said with a small smile.
"Nope! They're like sisters!" Carrot Top teased, earning a few laughs. Bon Bon tried hard to suppress a giggle.
"Sisters? Come on, you can do better than that!" She fended off her friend's jokes.
"That's right, they're not sisters at all!" Minuette grinned evilly. "They're lovers!"
Bon Bon halted at that comment.
"Lovers?" She repeated, confused.
"Lovers!" Minuette said. "That's why she cares so much about her, she misses her marefriend!"
It stopped being funny after that. Bon Bon fell silent, and Lyra fixed the unicorn with a stare. Minuette saw Bon Bon's reaction, and her teasing nature was cut short. The four stood still for a second, to the point where the silence became uncomfortable. Everypony knew Berry was a fillyfooler, but while they all accepted their friend no matter what, it was still something they took very seriously, especially after Berry had reacted so poorly to their teasing. Bon Bon suspected that was why Berry spent less time with her friends than normal. She still hadn't got over some of the careless things they'd said.
Minuette kicked at the platform, sheepishly.
"Too far?" She managed to say.
"Too far." Bon Bon said flatly.
"That's not something you joke about, Minuette." Lyra scolded. Now she sounded like the mom. "Even if they were a couple, you don't get to talk like that!"
"It was just a joke!" Minuette defended. "I know they aren't a thing!"
"Still..." Carrot Top didn't look nearly as upset as Lyra. She just looked like she was following the crowd.
Minuette exhaled loudly. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean it."
Bon Bon hadn't realized that she was talking to her. Quickly she regained her senses and stared at her chastened friend.
"It's cool, I know you didn't mean anything." Minuette relaxed visibly at her words.
"There!" Lyra said satisfied. "We're all good again."
"Besides," Carrot Top commented mildly. "If Bonnie was into mares, she'd tell us right away."
"Yup." Bon Bon said with a devilish grin. "You'd be the first to know, Goldie."
"Oh, shut up." Her friend rolled her eyes and laughed. Bon Bon growled playfully at the earth pony and pounced at her, causing her to squeal in surprise. Bon Bon chased her in circles, the duo running around the platform. Lyra and Minuette watched in amusement as the duo barreled around for a minute until they sat down out of breath. A few ponies glared at them, but the majority appeared confused, which only compounded the hilarity of the moment. Finally, the train pulled up, drowning out their raucous laughter. The friends got to their feet and crowded around the entrance as a stallion wearing a uniform climbed out.
"All aboard for Canterlot!" The train whistled in response. Bon Bon and company flashed their tickets and climbed aboard, hunting for their seats. Lyra, compulsive spender that she was, had went the extra mile, scoring first class seats near the front of the train. Bon Bon settled into one of the seats and sighed. Her bed wasn't even this comfortable. Her friends did the same, relaxing in the seats as they waited for the train to start moving. Slowly, the noises outside began to fade, and the train began to lurch forward.
Bon Bon found herself looking out the window as the familiar landscape disappeared, making way for rolling hills and faraway mountains.
"So, what do we have planned?" She asked her friends.
"The better question is what don't we have planned?" Minuette joked.
"We're going to head to the hotel from the train station." Lyra said.
"Which hotel?" Bon Bon asked curiously.
"Canterlot Towers!" Lyra replied eagerly. "It's one of the greatest hotels in all of Equestria!"
"Really?" Bon Bon looked at her friend in surprise. "Isn't that a bit....pricey?"
Lyra waved her away good-naturedly. "Oh please! All it takes is good connections!"
"Oh?" Bon Bon raised an eyebrow. "And who exactly do we know?"
"That's easy! I know a mare--" Minuette began.
"--who knows this mare--" Carrot Top cut in.
"--who knows this stallion's cousin-- Lyra piped up.
Minuette shot her friends a look before finishing. "Who works at the hotel."
Bon Bon blinked. "What was that all about?"
Lyra winked mischievously, but didn't say a thing.
Minuette grumbled something under her breath, but nopony paid her any attention.
"And after we get checked in, we can check out some of the local stores!" Lyra enthused.
"They've got so much cool stuff in Canterlot, I can hardly stand it!" Carrot Top agreed.
"So hotel first, followed by shops, then the club?" Bon Bon asked. The mountains had drawn closer, to the point where the strange blue illusion that was created by distance slowly dissipates, revealing the majestic mountains in more vivid detail.
"Exactly! And the next morning, we go out for breakfast and catch a movie after some sightseeing!" Her friend said.
"Sounds great." She smiled broadly before turning back to the window.
The land continued to roll past, moving past the stark stone giants towards the city of the princesses. Bon Bon found that her eyelids slowly began to grow heavy.
"I think I'm going to doze for a bit." She said with a yawn.
"Good thinking." Minuette yawned as well. "I could use a nap."
Carrot Top didn't respond. She just yawned before falling asleep.
Before Bon Bon went to sleep, she remembered something important.
"Lyra?" She turned to her friend.
Lyra showed no intention of falling asleep like the others. She appeared wired, caffeinated even. "What?"
"If I wake up with a mustache again, I'll kill you." She turned over and went to sleep, despite Lyra's laughter.
One need only see the city of Canterlot to understand why it was so popular. Aside from being the home of the Princess' Catsle, not to mention the Princesses themselves, it housed much of Equestria's most prestigious citizens. It was a home of great architects, artists and master cooks. Because of this fact, it was also the home of the wealthy and famous, making the city a shining example of decadence and glamor. It was a drastic change from her routine, and while Bon Bon could certainly understand the need for a change of pace, she secretly longed for some sort of familiarity hidden amongst the hustle and bustle of the city.
Bon Bon and her friends dismounted the train upon their arrival, where they stopped at the platform to get their bearings. The city was incredibly large, and even though she'd been here before, it was difficult to recognize. Carrot Top appeared to have the same impression of the city.
Lyra, on the other hoof, appeared absolutely comfortable with the grandeur of her hometown.
"Isn't this great, girls?" She squeaked in excitement. She looked over the colorful buildings with a childish vigor that Bon Bon had to admire.
"It's pretty impressive." She stepped out of the way to allow a well groomed stallion to step past her.
"Oh! There's our hotel!" Minuette pointed excitedly at a building nearby.
Bon Bon looked at where she pointed and laughed in amazement. Canterlot Towers was a sight to behold, a large, mostly glass and stone structure that almost outshone the Princesses' Castle. It was tall, taller than any other building in the city, and the very definition of modern art. A dazzling crystal elevator ran up the side of it, rising and falling in a soundless tempo, stopping for mere seconds on each floor. And to top off the entire effect, there was a second tower erected next to the first, a mirror image connected by two large bridges, one near the top and another by the bottom.
"I can't wait to get checked in!" Bon Bon declared to her friends. "Let's get moving!" She began approaching the tower at an impatient pace. Her friends followed suit, all except Carrot Top.
"Wait for me!" She shouted, struggling with her friends bags. Minuette and Lyra lent a hoof, using their magic to pick up the luggage.
Lyra lead the way to the hotel, pointing out some of her favorite locales along the way, reminiscing about childhood memories associated with each particular spot. Canterlot held a great deal of importance to Bon Bon's friend, to the point where you wondered why she had left the luxurious city in the first place. The four mares made good time while paying attention to her stories and soon found themselves at their destination. Bon Bon took a look at the hotel, and stepped back involuntarily.
If the hotel was impressive at a distance, then it was near monolithic up close. The doors themselves were made of finely polished crystal--probably from the Crystal Kingdom itself--and were completely spotless. Behind the transparent front doors was an exquisite looking modern foyer that seemed to capture a rare blend of luxury with a contemporary look. Bon Bon didn't have an eye for home furnishing like most ponies, but she still found herself in awe of the sheer decadence of the entire display. From the main room, one could tell that this hotel was a place of refuge from stress. It was a place you couldn't stand to leave.
Bon Bon and company approached the front desk slowly, almost like their very existence in this room had made themselves more dignified. She wouldn't have been surprised if they'd all sprouted wings and horns if they stayed here long enough. The mare behind the desk was every bit as grand as the room, her mane styled to reflect the high authority she held as the receptionist.
"Good afternoon!" She greeted the quartet with an aired voice.
"Hiya!" Lyra beamed at the mare.
"Do you have a reservation?" She asked, turning to a computer on the desk.
"Yup! It's under Minuette." The blue unicorn piped up from behind her counterpart.
Lyra slapped her lightly on the muzzle.
"Minuette, hush! The adults are talking!" She cut down her friend. Turning to the receptionist, she relayed the exact same information.
"Could you check under Minuette please? It should be there."
Minuette rubbed her muzzle ruefully, while Carrot Top tried to suppress a laugh. The receptionist checked her computer before procuring two key cards for them.
"Your rooms are on the seventh floor, girls. Please enjoy your stay." She smiled kindly at them as they departed for the elevator.
The elevator was sent to their floor almost in an instant, and when Bon Bon pushed the button for their floor, it shuttled upward just as quickly. There was no muzak echoing through the elevator like most. Instead there was the near silent sound of air buffered glass rising upward. Bon Bon tried to avoid looking downward, as the floor was made of crystal too.
"Hey Lyra?" Minuette was still rubbing her muzzle.
"Hmm?"
"Was hitting me really necessary?" She stared at her friend.
"Of course not." She laughed.
"Then why'd you hit me?"
"Because its fun." Lyra said with a smirk, earning a look of exasperation from her friend.
"It still hurts, you know." Minuette grumbled. The doors slid open, and the party stepped into the hall. As luck would have it, their rooms were opposite the elevator upon exiting.
"Oh, lighten up." Lyra opened the door to the first hotel room, and the party shared a collective gasp of delight.
The room, if anything, was a dream come true. With two large beds dominating the far end of the room, there were several items of interest that added to the luster of their temporary retreat. A large hot tub was featured in one corner, with a massive TV on the wall facing it. The room was plush and comforting, the scent of vanilla lingered in the air. And above all, one of the walls was comprised completely out of crystal, and from it you could behold a breathtaking view of the entire city.
Bon Bon stood close to this window, absorbing the scenery, while her friends took stock of their belongings. While she wasn't even close to the top of the building, it was possible for her to feel in control from this vista. It was an amazing change of pace for her, and she was glad for the break in routine.
She thought back, for a moment, to Octavia back in the store. Maybe her Hearts and Hooves Day surprise had been her way of breaking routine, too. If so, it was probably a good idea, now that she'd thought about it. A routine was nice, but a change in routine was always welcome. In some cases, it could be outright amazing. She sincerely hoped that there was a change in pace waiting for the couple. They seemed like they might need it. Then again, the cellist was dating a pony who spent her nights partying. Bon Bon suspected there wasn't much routine there to begin with.
Bon Bon thoughts were interrupted when Lyra called to her from the door.
"C'mon, Bonnie! We're losing daylight here!" The other two were already out the door. Bon Bon hurried to catch up with Lyra as they entered the elevator.
The shopping district of Canterlot found Bon Bon and her friends doing a great deal of window shopping before actually buying anything. The four friends stared, fascinated, at the wide variety of garments that each new store contained, with something bright and colorful catching their eye beyond every pane of glass. There was truly something for everypony to fawn over, even though none of them were that interested in fashion.
Lyra had her eyes fixated on a large, white sweater made of some fabric Bon Bon couldn't even pronounce.
"I love it!" She declared looking through the window.
"Then go buy it." Minuette encouraged her friend, leading her into the store. "I wanna buy a scarf while we're in here, anyway!"
Carrot Top followed suit, looking back at the other earth pony. "You coming, Bonnie?"
She considered, briefly, before shaking her head. "I'll just wait here."
She watched the other ponies wandering about the district. It was always strange being in a public place in a different town. There wasn't anypony you recognized, nopony to strike a conversation with. It was actually kind of lonely, really. Bon Bon wouldn't have minded at all if she saw somepony she recognized, anypony at all in fact. She glanced behind her, where her friends were watching Lyra model the sweater. Maybe, if she didn't have anypony to talk to, she should go in the--
"Hey Bonnie!" A loud, exuberant voice caused Bon Bon to flinch, squealing in surprise and falling into the dirt.
"Oh man, this is awesome! I never thought I'd see you in Canterlot!" The familiar voice caused the earth pony to cringe.
No, no, no, no, Bon Bon thought with dread. Not her, anypony but her!
She got to her hooves, and turned to the familiar white unicorn. Vinyl grinned at her like a madmare. A large, transparent soda cup hovered alongside her, filled with a sweet purple liquid. A white saddlebag was slung across her back, with her cutie mark on the flap.
"Hi, Vinyl. It's so..." She struggled to think of a word. Pleasant? Unexpected? Totally against all odds, a cruel twist of fate's hoof destined to mess with Bon Bon's weekend?
"It's awesome to see you, too, pal!" Vinyl's grin grew wider, if that was even possible. "Who would have guessed you'd be in Canterlot at the same time I was?"
"Yeah...talk about luck." She replied lamely.
"What are you doing here anyway? I never figured you'd be the type to go shopping." Vinyl looked around her into the store, where Bon Bon's friends were finishing up their purchases.
Bon Bon shrugged. It was one of the few things, thankfully, that she and the DJ actually had in common. "I'm just waiting for them to buy some stuff so we can move on."
"Great!" I'll keep you company until get out of the store, and we can all hang! It'll be fun!" Vinyl too a sip of her soda.
"You don't have to do that, Vinyl, I'm sure you've got things to do." Bonnie protested. The weekend was supposed to be about escaping routine. Having Vinyl tag along would not be any different from her days in Ponyville.
"It's cool, neighbor! I'm just killing time until my show!" She didn't look like she had anywhere she would rather be.
She struggled to find some excuse. "What about the club? Shouldn't you be making sure that the speakers work or something?"
"You know, Bonnie, I'm starting to think you don't wanna hang with me." Vinyl almost sounded hurt. "We never hang, and I don't know many ponies in Canterlot. Let's just chill for a bit."
It occurred to Bon Bon that she might have a point. She was as much a stranger in Canterlot as she, and she might feel just as lost as the earth pony was.
Of course, neither of them were truly alone. Bonnie had her friends, and Octavia was wandering around here someplace. Vinyl didn't know that, though, and to tell her would spoil the surprise.
"Well, I guess--" Bon Bon relented.
"Awesome!" Vinyl gave her a quick squeeze. "This'll be awesome! We finally get to hang out!"
Bon Bon suffocated a bit from the embrace. "O-okay...lemme go..."
At this moment, the rest of her friends stepped out of the store. Vinyl dropped Bon Bon to greet them.
"What up, everypony!" She was jubilant.
The others seemed incredibly taken aback by Vinyl's sudden appearance.
"Oh...hello Vinyl." Carrot Top was the first to speak up.
"Wow! What are the odds that she'd find us here of all places? It's like she's following us or something!" Minuette said.
That made Vinyl laugh out loud. "Don't get any ideas, Minnie! I'm just here for the music!"
"Minnie?" Minuette blinked, confused.
"Where are you fillies headed?" The DJ asked the group.
"Well, the four of us we actually doing a bit of shopping." Lyra took a moment to glance at her reflection in the glass.
"Make it five, then! I wanna come!" Vinyl was full of enthusiasm, the kind that seemed almost unbreakable.
"Sorry, Vinyl, but this was supposed to be a mare's night out." Lyra replied bluntly.
"So...why can't I come?" Vinyl looked genuinely confused.
Lyra noticed her fault and tried to recover.
"Not that you aren't a mare." She added quickly. "It's just..." She couldn't think of anything to say.
Bon Bon rolled her eyes.
"Just let her come with us, Lyra. I'm sick of shopping anyway."
"It's pretty much twelve o'clock." Carrot Top noted, staring at a nearby clock. "Let's go get some lunch."
Lyra sighed. "Oh, alright." She relented. She stared at the DJ uncertainly. "Do you want to tag along, Vinyl"
"Hell yeah, I do!" The mare thrust a hoof in the air in triumph. Her celebration knocked her soda from the air, where its contents spilled out over the area, covering everypony nearby in a fine spray of purple juice. Bon Bon, fortunately, was spared, as was Vinyl. Lyra and her sweater, however, were not.
Minuette and Carrot Top stared at Lyra, her mouth agape as she stared at her ruined sweater. She looked at the sweater, then to Vinyl, then back to the sweater again. Bon Bon feared she might start screaming.
"Ah, buck, this again." Vinyl stepped closer to the green unicorn, who didn't react. "I did the same thing with Tavi's blouse once. I'm such a klutz." She turned around and started down the road.
"Don't go anywhere!" She called over her shoulder. "I know how to deal with these stains!" She turned around the corner and vanished from sight.
Lyra reacted the moment the unicorn turned the corner.
"Come on, girls. Let's get out of here." She tugged off the purple sweater, and stuffed it inside her bag.
Bon Bon was taken aback.
"What about Vinyl? She said she was going to fix the stains."
Lyra tapped her hoof impatiently.
"Exactly why we should leave before she gets back. She's going to make things worse!"
The other three were had already turned to leave, leaving the cream colored Earth pony standing alone, conflicted. On one hoof, she wasn't looking forward to spending any more time with the DJ pony than necessary, but on the other hoof, her moral integrity wasn't making it easy to ditch her neighbor, either. She closed her eyes and tried to reason with herself. On a routine basis, she would hold her ground and wait for her neighbor, no matter how inconvenienced she might be.
"Bon Bon! Hurry up!"
Bon Bon obediently stepped into line, following her friend.
It was supposed to be a weekend away from her routine, after all.
Vinyl rushed around the corner with another sweater, exactly the same, right down to the size, or so she assumed. In truth, Vinyl wasn't any good at getting stains out of things. It just wasn't her style to undo messes. She was good at spending money, though, impeccably good, so it was no big deal for her to go and buy Lyra a replacement sweater.
Vinyl was thoughtful like that.
However, as she returned to the place where she had left her companions, they were nowhere to be found. They appeared to have left abruptly, leaving behind her half empty soda and little else. She peered into the store for a minute, trying to see if her friends had taken refuge inside, but her search was fruitless. She looked at the sweater she bought, and stuffed it into her bag.
She'd give it to Lyra the next time she saw them, she promised herself. Without much else to do, Vinyl picked up her soda and started wandering aimlessly down the road, trying to find something to do to kill the time.
Author's Note
I'm not totally happy with how this chapter ends, but I figured I should get something released sooner rather than later.
A very special thanks to Avox for proofreading this for me! I couldn't access his proofreading notes from my school computer, so I had to do most of the editing from memory. I'll probably fix some of the more obvious mistakes after school.
