A crowd was gathered around Sugarcube Corner. Bon Bon had just been passing by when she observed the crowd in the distance. She heard a harmonious and soothing tune that could only belong to one mare: Lyra Heartstrings, her best friend. She smiled and thought that she must have been asked by Pinkie Pie to perform in one of her parties. Knowing Pinkie Pie, she always tried to make each one distinguishable and special.
Bon Bon stood and watched in the distance as the melody continued on. Although she couldn't see her due to the sheer size of the crowd, she could imagine how Lyra was playing just fine. Bon Bon thought that Lyra was a crafty mare in what she did. How she plays that harp, it's almost magical.
Magical? Something snapped in her brain. Magic. Lyra is a Unicorn and magic is practically embodied within their blood. Her thoughts soon turned negative. Lyra had magic and an instrument to perform with, but she was just an Earth pony. She had no wings to take flight or magic to levitate stuff with. All she's doing is selling candy she can craft in her store.
The thought made her depressed. Lyra is a pretty popular pony for her eccentric outlook, natural beauty, and instrumental dexterity. She felt that in a way, that's to be expected. She thought that it must be fun to be surrounded by ponies that look on after with adulation as she performs. Bon Bon lowered her head. She forgot why she was even on her way here in the first place.
Oh yeah. She remembered! She had a present for her, a present that she thought would make Lyra happy. Bon Bon was looking for her and that's why she was strolling through town. But she was too depressed to continue on, let alone approach her best friend. She was in the middle of a performance, so she couldn't interrupt her.
Bon Bon turned back and slowly made her retreat back to her candy shop.
About an hour later, it was sunset. Not too many other ponies came by to purchase some candy from her. She didn't complain, she just needed some time alone to stave off her feelings of depression. She'd get over it, or so she thought.
Bon Bon looked up at the clock on the wall near the door and saw it was closing time. She sighed heavily and started the process of cleaning up for the day.
With her back turned to the door, she heard it open along with the wind chime that hung on the top of it.
"We're closed. Sorry," Bon Bon said unemotionally as she started sweeping the floor of imaginary dust specks.
"Bon Bon, it's me!" Lyra greeted with enthusiasm.
"...Hey. Hey there, Lyra." Bon Bon greeted back with hollowness in her voice, still not turning around to greet her best friend.
The minty-colored mare grew concerned for store owner. "Bon Bon? Did...something happen?"
"No, nothing."
"Then why are you like this?" Lyra poked at Bon Bon.
Bon Bon sighed again at her. "I'm busy, Lyra. If you don't have anything productive to say or do, then leave."
Lyra blinked twice at Bon Bon. Sure, she can be mean but...something had to be bothering her best friend for her to be this down. "Bon Bon, did...I do something wrong?"
"No, you didn't," Bon Bon answered as she accelerated her sweeping, still not looking at Lyra.
"Then why are you trying to shoo me out of here? This isn't like you to try and push me away," Lyra said with her voice becoming more emotional.
Bon Bon growled. She turned around and yelled with anger, "I don't want you to look at me, okay!? I don't have anything magical about myself!"
Lyra felt confused. "Magic? What's this about magic, Bon Bon?"
"I..." Bon Bon sighed in frustration for allowing her feelings to leak. Knowing she has no choice but to spill the beans, she reluctantly started. "...I saw you playing in Sugarcube corner today, Lyra. I...I thought about how good you are when you play that harp and...magic came into mind...and..."
"Go on..." Lyra encouraged after Bon Bon took a pregnant pause.
"...and I thought about how I'm an Earth pony and you're a Unicorn. I thought about how great it must be to have the ability to have magic and be surrounded by ponies who adore you every day. Me? What do I do? I'm just a candy maker in a shop. That isn't anything to feel special about. Virtually anypony can do what I do! I have no wings! I have no magic horn on my forehead! I can't play any instrument! I'm nothing special! I'm-"
Bon Bon was interrupted by Lyra putting a hoof over her mouth. The former looked at the latter with distressed eyes.
"Bon Bon... I thought I was alone with how I felt," Lyra said as she removed her hoof from Bon Bon's mouth.
The candy mare's eyes widened. "What?"
Lyra nodded. "Yes! Sometimes I wish I wasn't as popular as I am. It sometimes rattles me to perform in front of other ponies. I'm sometimes envious of you of how you have a relatively simple life compared to mine. Just sitting here in this store and selling candy, it must be a breeze! And being a unicorn is no picnic, either! You don't have to worry about a thing! Me? I have to worry about getting my magic down just right in order to do all that levitating stuff. It's not that simple. When I think about how I wish I had a simpler life, I think about you, Bon Bon. And also...whenever I open my eyes as I'm playing, I try to look for you in the crowd."
Bon Bon's checks started to become rosy. "R-Really?"
A simple life? If only it was as simple as Lyra thought it was, Bon Bon said in her mind.
"Yeah. When I see you, I feel like I can go anywhere!" Lyra cheered. "Nopony has been stuck with me as long as you. I'm always happy to be with you, whether we're bored, busy, or whatever! Sure, you can be a grouch and there's some other things I may not like about you, but we're friends, Bon Bon. And...I think that...we shouldn't be afraid to let each other know how we feel once in a while, too."
Bon Bon couldn't help but feel a smile curve on her lips. Turns out, she wasn't alone with her feelings of envy, but she had another question. "B-But...still. I can't do any magic. I'm an Earth pony. I sometimes wonder what it's like to be magical..."
Lyra smirked at her as she walked closer to her best friend. "I think you're wrong, Bon Bon. I think you do have magic."
This perplexed Bon Bon. "I'm an Earth pony! How can you say I have magic?"
She nodded. "Yeah, true. You don't have magic of a unicorn. But I think you have magic that only you have. It's right...here." Lyra pointed at Bon Bon's stomach.
Bon Bon rolled her eyes. "Lyra, that's my stomach."
"I'm not talking about your stomach, Bon Bon. I'm talking about the magic that exists inside of you," Lyra giggled. "Part of that magic comes when you're my best friend." Lyra put her front hooves on Bon Bon's cheeks before continuing. "No pony has ever been stuck with me as long as you have, and part of the magic you had is what rubbed off on me. I learned some things from you, Bon Bon, and you've always been there for me. You know me like the back of your hoof. Nopony knows me the way you know me. I feel the magic whenever I'm around you, Bon Bon. I look at you, and...I feel like I'm home. And nopony has ever made me feel this way but you," Lyra concluded with a smile as she held on to Bon Bon's cheeks.
Bon Bon's mouth was gaped open. "I...wow. Thanks, Lyra... I...I feel like I'm home whenever I'm with you, too."
The two shared a warming hug, but in the middle of that hug, Lyra spotted something on the front counter out of the corner of her eye. "Hey, what's that?"
Bon Bon turned toward the direction of where Lyra was pointing at to see the present. Oh yeah, the present. She forgotten all about that. "Oh, uh, I don't know how to say this, but it's a present that I wanted to give you today."
Lyra's eyes glimmered. "A present for me? Aww! You shouldn't have! Can I open it?"
Bon Bon's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment as she scratched her head. "U-Uh, sure, if you want to."
"Yay!"
Lyra eagerly opened up the present to see that it was some kind of peculiar-looking treats. She raised an eyebrow at Bon Bon. "It's some kind of...cookie, or is it a sandwich?"
"It's a little bit of both, really," Bon Bon struggled to explain. "I don't usually make baked goods but I thought that if I tried it out, I should give it to you to taste."
Lyra picked up the cookie-sandwich to see that there was...white and green filling in between. "Is it just me or does the filling look like the colors on my mane?"
Bon Bon blushed once again. "U-Um... I wanted to make my first time making something like this special and...you're the only one who I thought of. So..." she finished with nervous laughter.
Slowly, Lyra put the cookie-sandwich in her mouth and slowly took a bite. Her eyes popped as she became astonished by the taste.
"H-How...was it?" Bon Bon fidgeted with her hooves.
Lyra felt tears coming from her eyes. "I-It's my favorite flavor, Bon Bon... It's perfect."
"W-Well, I always had your best interests in mind, Lyra. So...that's why I chose the flavor that I di-Ooh!"
Bon Bon felt constricted by a tight, tight hug from her best friend.
"See?! I told you! That's how magic exists inside of you! I feel so happy we're best friends, Bon Bon! This is the best present ever!" Lyra yelled with joy. Lyra heard no response from Bon Bon. "...Bon Bon?"
She looked at her and saw that Bon Bon was wheezing, out of breath, and looking soulless from her hug.
Lyra gave out a sheepish giggle, knowing she got carried away again. "U-Uh, right... Hee-hee..."
Bon Bon was very astonished to find that these past two weeks, her business has been booming. She wasn't used to having this many customers in her candy store. She was having trouble keeping up! It started two weeks ago on a Monday, innocently enough, when a trio of children came to her candy store after school. She was astonished but Bon Bon thought that the kids just had their sweet tooth craving.
A few days later, not only was the rate of business consistently high, but it was getting even higher! Parents would accompany their children just to have a few treats on occasions, and sometimes the parents would purchase some candy too! This was both puzzling and amazing for Bon Bon. She didn't do anything remotely different than what she had done before. She wasn't outgoing like Pinkie Pie and she can be a scary mare sometimes. So what exactly was the cause? Of course, Bon Bon thought that she shouldn't complain that her business is booming, but it would be nice of her to know who or what was causing such an influx of business.
Six sharp. It was that time again to close up the store. Bon Bon flipped the sign that said that business was closed for the day and breathed a sigh of relief. Today had been a busy day of business for her. Before she went to sweeping, Bon Bon couldn't help but count the bits she made from recent business. Her eyes glimmered at the money in her hooves. If she had more money, perhaps she could do something nice for herself with it!
Bon Bon scolded herself. She told herself that she shouldn't be getting greedy and should be thankful that her candy treats are bringing smiles for all ponies to enjoy.
A knock sounded at the door of the store. Bon Bon looked out and saw Lyra Heartstrings waving at her. Bon Bon smiled and opened the door to let her in.
Lyra giggled as she walked inside. "I thought you were closed?" she asked sarcastically.
Bon Bon giggled back at her. "I guess you have 'special access'!"
The two mares shared a few more giggles before Bon Bon gave Lyra a broom to help her clean up the store.
About a minute into cleaning up, Lyra smiled as her ears picked up her best friend humming a tune to herself as she cleaned up.
"You look happier these days, Bon Bon! What's been happening?" Lyra asked Bon Bon.
Bon Bon stopped humming to answer Lyra. "I'm just happy that business is finally booming! It all started two weeks ago! Like, a lot of children were visiting my store after a Monday! They bought some treats from me, and they really liked it! Next few days, more children came. Next thing, I knew, my candy was in demand from a lot of different ponies!"
Lyra gasped as her eyes sparkled. "I'm so happy for you! Ooh! It gives me a thrill to see you happy, Bon Bon!"
"I'm just happy to have the best friend in all of Equestria supporting me and helping me clean often," Bon Bon humbly replied.
"Heh. You were due for a boom in business sooner or later. I'm happy you finally got it."
"I just sometimes wonder how exactly it all started with those children."
Suddenly, Lyra stopped sweeping. "What do you mean?"
Bon Bon looked over at Lyra as she put her broom away to start cleaning the counter. "Well, I'm not exactly the most approachable mare to others, and it's not like I did any kind of advertising for my store. I was just wondering what may have caused business to boom."
Lyra put a hoof to her chin and then shrugged. "I don't think it matters, to be honest."
"Why?"
Lyra started sweeping the floor again while looking down, but smirking. "Well, you always told me how you wished you could have more customers come and try out your treats. If I were you, I'd just be quiet and be thankful that people are visiting me now. As long as you're in business, it shouldn't matter how you got your customers, right?"
Bon Bon looked over to one side, thinking about how she should answer as she continued to wipe the counter in circles. "Well, I don't think that-"
"Exactly," Lyra interrupted. "Just stick with making tasty treats!"
Bon Bon thought more about Lyra's words. Eventually, she found herself mentally agreeing that in the end, it probably doesn't matter as long as she's finally having ponies buy her candy treats.
One week later, on a Monday...
The time now read two-thirty in the afternoon. This was around the time that kids were off from school! Bon Bon giggled in excitement. She found herself looking forward to seeing the children again. She didn't like children at first but after spending some time with them in her store, she thought that children weren't so bad after all.
The door chime sounded and in came three children. Bon Bon's eyes widened as she recognized them. It was Rocky Roadster, Cookie Cutter, and Tootsie Roller. Rocky Roadster was a brown skin-colored colt with darker shades of brown for the color of his mane. Cookie Cutter was a filly who has a mixture of dark brown and creamy white for skin with a mane that's mostly white with a lot of dark brown specks on it to symbolize cookies and cream ice cream. The third was also a filly. Unlike the other two, she had a consistent color throughout. She had a brown coloration throughout her entire body but her mane was a swirly shaped hairstyle that spun upward and had eyes of a matching color. Also, her skin tend to have a glossy appearance to it as well.
"Hello, you three! Welcome back to my store!" Bon Bon happily greeted as she waved a hoof at them.
"Hello, Ms. Bon Bon!" All three greeted back at her simultaneously.
"What can I do for you, children?" Bon Bon asked them with playful curiosity.
"I'll have chocolate caramel bars! Make it five, please!" Rocky Roadster declared.
"I'll have...cookies and cream flavored buckeyes..." Cookie Cutter asked with her voice low.
"And I'll take one bag of gumballs, please!" Tootise Roller finally said last.
Bon Bon giggled at the children. "I assume you have enough allowance from your parents to get what you want?"
"Of course!" The trio declared. And then they said simultaneously. "Ms. Bon Bon's candies are the best in all of Ponyville!"
Bon Bon's cheeks became rosy from hearing those children say that about her sweets. "A-Aw, c-cut it out! Anyway, give me a moment, sweeties! I'll be back!"
It took Bon Bon a moment or two to get what the children demanded but she made haste with their request. When Bon Bon reached out with her right hoof, the children gave her their bits, and then Bon Bon gave them her treats.
"Yay! Thank you so much, Ms. Bon Bon!" The three cheered simultaneously again.
Bon Bon giggled at the children, feeling their enthusiasm. "You're welcome, sweeties. Hope to see you again soon!"
She watched the little children make the way out the door. The door started to close behind them but before it did, she heard Tootsie Roller's voice.
"I'm so happy that we trusted that green mare when she said to come here!"
Bon Bon's ears sprung. What did she just hear? "What?! WAIT!"
She scrambled her way out from behind the counter and made her way to catch up to the little children. She gently tapped all three of them on the back, causing them to turn around.
"Um, what exactly did you say about a green mare?" Bon Bon asked hesitantly, not wanting to sound scary.
Cookie Cutter and Rocky Roadster both glared at Tootsie Roller as she sheepishly grinned.
"U-Uh... W-Well, I'm not sure we should tell you, Ms. Bon Bon..." Tootsie Roller said as she was avoiding Bon Bon's gaze.
"We? You're the one who had to open her mouth and say something!" Rocky Roadster yelled as she pointed at her with contempt.
Cookie Cutter ignored her two friends and stepped forward toward Bon Bon. "To be honest, Ms. Bon Bon, she made us promise to not tell you anything about her..."
Bon Bon gasped at the children. "What? You can't tell little old me? Come on. I'm sure you can tell me. What harm could telling me do?"
Tootsie Roll's forehead started to sweat. "Uh... It was Rainbow Dash! She has green!"
Bon Bon giggled at her, knowing that she couldn't be the one. "That's only one of her colors, sweetie. Plus, she's Rainbow Dash. She has a lot more colors than just green."
"Ooh! Ooh!" Rocky Roadster called out. "How about... Spike!? The assistant of Princess Twilight Sparkle?"
Bon Bon softly hit herself in the face with her left hoof. "...He's not even a pony, Rocky. He's a dragon. And I think you're talking about scales. Also, his body is colored purple. What's really green are his scales."
Rocky Roadster and Tootsie Roll looked at Cookie Cutter to conjure something to distract Bon Bon. Strangely, though, she was looking pretty calm compared to her two other friends.
Cookie Cutter pointed behind Bon Bon. "Oh hey. There's the nice mare."
Bon Bon swiftly turned around to see that there was no green mare in sight. She looked around briefly to see if perhaps she was there. But there wasn't any green mare with a harp for a cutie mark around.
She turned back. "I don't see any-" Bon Bon rolled her eyes. She fell for one of the oldest distraction tactics in the book. Those children were more clever than she thought, although it was mostly Cookie Cutter. Still, she almost had them. However, she does know that it was a green mare. It had to be her. There was virtually no other green mare she knew than Lyra Heartstrings, her best friend. She was always good with children, she knows how good her candy is, and she always helps her clean up the store.
Speaking of which, Lyra was supposed to help her out with cleaning out the store at closing time again today, Bon Bon remembered. She's going to have a long talk once she gets back there...
Lyra Heartstrings approached Bon Bon's store, feeling excited to see her best friend again. It was six and the sun was setting. She hummed a jolly tune to herself as she went to the door, but it was unusually wide open. That's odd, she thought. She usually kept that door closed. Maybe she just wanted some fresh air?
She slowly walked her way through the door to see Bon Bon looking directly at her with suspicion.
"Bon Bon?" Lyra called out while feeling confused with her piercing stare at her.
"A little birdie told me that a 'nice green mare' said to come to my store a few weeks ago. You wouldn't happen to know this green mare, do you?" Bon Bon asked rhetorically at Lyra.
The minty-green pony started to feel the stress levels go up. Those kids must have had loose lips. Knowing that she was the only green mare in the room, she had to pass the hot potato to somepony else. "U-Uh, no. No I don't!"
Bon Bon groaned out loud. "Would you really lie to me, your best friend?"
Lyra stood on her hind-legs and waved her fore-hooves at her defensively. "No! No! I wouldn't lie to get you in trouble! I mean, come on! I'm green but it could have been another green mare!"
"Name me one," Bon Bon dared at Lyra.
"Okay! Uh..." A few seconds later, she came up with the perfect choice. "Granny Smith from Sweet Apple Acres! I sometimes see her around town!"
"...But never in my store, Lyra. I have a good memory, and I know Granny Smith when I see her. Especially in here." Bon Bon felt hurt that Lyra was keeping up this charade. It's so obvious that it was her. Especially since she's avoiding her eyes, sweating, and stuttering with her speech.
Lyra knew that there'd be no way out of this sticky situation. So, she had to give up the ghost. "Alright! Alright! You got me, Bon Bon. It was me!"
"Ah-ha! So you're the one who told those kids to come to my store two weeks ago, which caused a chain reaction that caused my business to boom!" Bon Bon was acting that she just caught a criminal red-hoofed. But she realized that she didn't do anything wrong at all. In fact, she realized that Lyra was keeping it a secret that she was doing a favor for her. "Um, why would you keep it a secret, though? You didn't do anything wrong."
Lyra sighed as she lowered her head toward the floor. "Well, Bon Bon, it's because you're such a loner! Other than cleaning up the store, you don't let me help you much with anything else! Not even the housework! You cook, clean, make the bed! I often ask you if you need help but you keep saying no! If I'm your best friend...why does it feel like you think I'm useless?"
Bon Bon gasped at her. Slowly, she walked until she was very close to Lyra. "I'm so sorry, Lyra. I just didn't want to bother you. I wanted you to relax and have fun."
Lyra leered into her eyes. "Have fun?! When I'm with you, that's when I have the most fun! Sure, doing chores bites. But when I'm doing chores with you or doing stuff for you, I don't mind at all! It never bothers me that you ask for my help! It makes me happy because that's what best friends do for each other, don't they?"
Bon Bon glanced downward at the floor, realizing that she wasn't really taking Lyra's feelings into account. "Yes...of course. I'm sorry, Lyra. But...how did you even meet those kids in the first place?"
Lyra giggled at her. "I'll tell you all about it."
It's the next day at the Ponyville Schoolhouse. Class just got done and the children bust out the door feeling the freedom in the air.
Rocky Roadster, Cookie Cutter, and Tootsie Roller were the last ones to exit the schoolhouse, but they were feeling slightly unease from yesterday. They thought that since they very nearly leaked Lyra's secret to Bon Bon, they wouldn't be able to have any more delicious treats!
"There you kids are!" Lyra's voice called out to them.
The trio looked to their right to see Bon Bon and Lyra smirking at them.
The three children gulped, feeling like the jig was up.
"We're sorry! We're sorry!" Tootsie Roller cried out.
"What do you mean 'we'? You're the one who opened up her big fat mouth!" Rocky Roadster called out at her.
"It's okay! It's okay! It's no big deal." Lyra reassured. "We just came here to come say hi to you!"
"Why is she with you, Ms. Heartstrings?" Cookie Cutter asked curiously.
Lyra giggled at Cookie Cutter. "Because she's my best friend!"
"What?! You never told us that!" Rocky Roadster said.
"If I did, you kids wouldn't believe me. I'm sorry about that, though. Anyway..." Lyra turned to Bon Bon. "I volunteered to perform here for the kids. Two weeks ago. Then, when I was finished, I decided to have some of your candy. Three kids came up to me and asked where I got it. Then, I got this idea that if I told these kids where I got the candy, it would help you sell! The boom, though, was a huge surprise for me. I didn't expect word to blow up that much."
"The candy was so good, that we told our classmates about it. It was that delicious!" Tootsie Roller added.
"Ah... So that explains it..." Bon Bon said as she rubbed the bottom of her chin with one hoof. "Still, thank you, kids. Especially you, Lyra."
"Ah. Don't sweat it. It's what best friends are for!" Lyra patted Bon Bon's back. "Oh yeah, they also told me part of the reason why ponies don't often go into your store."
"Yeah? What is it?" Bon Bon was dying to find out.
"...It's because you're always looking grouchy," Lyra said at her monotonously.
"O-Oh..." Bon Bon felt embarrassed. "Th-That's because I'm usually frustrated with how slow business usually was. Now, I'm much happier!"
Rocky Roadster gave a sigh of relief. "At least you're not eating any fillies or colts."
"...What?!" Bon Bon asked, astonished.
"Rumors. Don't ask." Lyra warned at Bon Bon.
