The Thought IS What Counts
The ringing. That infernal ringing.
There were few things that Lyra Heartstrings hated more than the sound of her alarm clock waking her up from a deep sleep. Very few. If she was making a list of things she truly hated, “alarm clocks” would be very close to the top of that list, ranking only behind subjects such as “kicking puppies” and “war crimes.”
Having been rudely torn away from her slumber by the irritatingly shrill bell, Lyra’s first impulse was to take a swipe at her clock and send it flying across the room and against the opposite wall. The only thing preventing her from doing so was the voice in her head telling her that she would then have to buy a new clock. Or worse, that her clock might be so sturdy that it wouldn’t break, and then she’d have to quickly jump out of bed to turn it off.
So instead, Lyra fumbled to press the switch that silenced the alarm. After the traditional three minutes of wanting to fall back asleep but instead coming to the understanding that the entire reason she had set her alarm was because she needed to get out of bed, Lyra looked out her bedroom window. The sun was just barely beginning its ascent over the horizon. It was far too early for Lyra to get up.
But then she remembered why she had set her alarm, and so she stumbled out of bed. She hadn’t had much of a chance to see her best friend Bon Bon over the past few days, and Lyra was beginning to miss the opportunity to simply spend time with her. Furthermore, today was a holiday – Lyra hadn’t been able to keep Bon Bon company during the last major holiday, and she wasn’t about to let that happen again.
It was unfortunate, though, that the next major holiday had to be Hearts and Hooves Day. Lyra knew that putting forth this much effort to see Bon Bon on the most romantic day of the year wasn’t going to help her sort out the feelings she had been struggling with every day since she moved to Ponyville. But unless Bon Bon had been keeping something from Lyra, Lyra knew that Bon Bon was also single on this day. And if a pony had to be single on Hearts and Hooves Day, then at the very least, her best friend ought to be there to make her feel less alone.
So after a quick breakfast and some basic grooming, Lyra stepped outside and made the short walk toward Bon Bon’s second-story apartment, just two doors down from her own. Earlier in the week, Bon Bon had told Lyra that if she wanted to see her on this day, Lyra would need to head over early. Bon Bon wasn’t much more of a morning pony than Lyra was, but Bon Bon had assured Lyra that she would already be awake on Hearts and Hooves Day, even at the awful crack of dawn. Lyra trudged toward Bon Bon’s apartment. If nothing else, the crisp morning air Lyra felt as she moved along the balcony walkway helped to wake her up.
Lyra knocked on Bon Bon’s door. Usually, Bon Bon would open it, but this morning, Lyra only heard her call out, “Come on in.”
Lyra entered to find Bon Bon’s dining table stacked with heart-shaped boxes tied with ribbons. The scent of chocolate filled the air.
Lyra walked into the kitchen to find Bon Bon pouring chocolate into chocolate molds, enveloping the fondant-coated cherries that had already been placed within. When she finished, she opened her icebox, pulled out the molds contained inside, and replaced them with the chocolates she had just poured. She dumped the cooled chocolates onto a piece of wax paper, then, using a pair of tongs gripped between her teeth, carefully arranged the candies in an open box.
Bon Bon closed the box and tied it with a ribbon. She was just about to pick it up when it began to levitate in the air – Lyra had picked it up with her magic. Lyra floated it out to the table and placed the box with the others.
“Thanks,” Bon Bon said.
“Please tell me you haven’t been up all night doing this,” Lyra said.
“No – I just set my alarm for two hours ago. Hearts and Hooves Day is a big day for me.”
“Apparently,” Lyra said, staring at all of the boxes on the table. “It looks like you’re trying to romance half of Ponyville.”
Bon Bon laughed. “So, you finally found out about my reputation as the town hussy,” she said.
“Now that you mention it, this is the first year I wasn’t hit on by a desperate stallion in the weeks before the holiday.”
“Seriously though,” Bon Bon said, “did you scrounge up a very special somepony for today?”
“You know I’m not looking,” Lyra said, “so no. I assume you also didn’t have a chance to find a date, since it seems like you’ve been holed up in your kitchen for the past week.”
“This is one of the busiest times of the year for me,” Bon Bon said. “And I need every sale I can get. After this and Spring Renewal Day, there aren’t any major candy-related holidays for moons. Over a third of my income comes from this holiday alone.”
“But you’ve still been making tons of chocolates,” Lyra said. “Hasn’t everypony gotten gifts for their sweethearts by now?”
Bon Bon laughed again, this time somewhat more derisively. “You’ll be amazed at how much candy I can sell to stallions who’ve forgotten that Hearts and Hooves Day is today.”
“Stallions?”
“It’s never the mares. Last year, I didn’t realize how many stallions would be looking for last-minute gifts – I could have made a lot more sales than I did. This year, I’ll be ready. I even rented Cornhusker’s stall in the marketplace for the day for better visibility. I just need to be out there before everypony starts going to work. Since you’re here, can you help me carry these down? Cornhusker also let me borrow her cart.”
“What about the ones you just put in the icebox?”
“Emergency backups in case sales are really amazing. I’ll come back for them when the market dies down after lunch.”
Lyra helped Bon Bon load the cart, then they walked to the marketplace. Bon Bon unfurled a new sign she had made for the occasion, which depicted hearts and chocolates, and placed it over the stall’s usual depictions of corn.
“And now I wait,” Bon Bon said to Lyra. “What are your plans for the day?”
“Well, tonight, a stallion hired me to accompany him on my lyre while he serenades his marefriend. But until then, nothing.”
The two looked around. It was still early in the morning – not too many ponies were yet out and about for the day.
“Hey, I know!” Lyra said. “Do you want me to drum up some business? Go around town, find ponies desperate for gift ideas, and tell them to come here?”
“I don’t know,” Bon Bon hesitated. “I don’t want to annoy anypony.”
“I’d be the one annoying ponies.”
“And you’re very good at it, too,” Bon Bon said. Lyra took a swing at Bon Bon’s foreleg. Bon Bon anticipated it and stepped out of the way. “But you’d be annoying ponies in my name.”
“I promise I won’t come on too strong,” Lyra said. “I won’t say anything unless it’s obvious that the pony is looking for a Hearts and Hooves Day present.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, I promise.”
“Okay,” Bon Bon said. “I do appreciate the help.”
“I only ask for one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“That I get to go take a nap in the park around ten o’clock,” Lyra said. She yawned for emphasis. “It is too early for me to already be awake for this long.”
As Bon Bon had anticipated, she did a decent amount of business that morning from stallions who had woken up to learn that it was Hearts and Hooves Day, and that if they didn’t return home that night with something thoughtful, they were going to be in big trouble. This was followed by additional sales at lunchtime from the stallions who hadn’t had time to pick something up before they started work in the morning. Bon Bon didn’t need to go home to retrieve her emergency inventory, but she had already made enough sales to justify renting the stall again next year.
The evening crowds came, and more chocolates were sold. As the sun disappeared behind the horizon, Bon Bon looked at her remaining inventory and decided that it was time to pack things up. Sales had tapered off – the day was at the point where if anypony suddenly came to the realization they had forgotten to buy a Hearts and Hooves Day present, it was too late to make it up. Plus, Bon Bon was exhausted from having woken up so early.
As Bon Bon loaded the remaining couple of candy boxes into the cart, a white unicorn with an expertly-styled violet mane approached.
“Bon Bon!” the unicorn greeted her warmly.
“Hi, Rarity,” Bon Bon said, a little confused by the visit. The two knew of each other by virtue of living in the same small town, but they rarely had a reason to talk to one another.
“I just closed up my boutique for the night, and I decided to stop by the marketplace,” Rarity said. “It’s so nice to see you out here, also making some extra money this Hearts and Hooves Day.”
“Also?” Bon Bon asked.
“Of course,” Rarity said. “I take it you’ve never dated a stallion who was so thoughtless as to forget the holiday. They always go for the heart-shaped box of chocolates, yes, but they know that candy alone isn’t enough to calm a mare who’s been overlooked by her lover on the most romantic day of the year. Frequently, they wind up in my boutique, hoping to find a… more romantic gift.”
“They buy an entire dress?” Bon Bon asked. “Wow, they’re more panicked than I realized.”
Rarity chuckled. “Oh, you really are fortunate that it’s never happened to you. No, I’m afraid that if a stallion is… let’s say, imperceptive enough to not realize Hearts and Hooves Day has approached, then his romantic skills are such that he thinks a meaningful gift to give to a mare would be… well, delicate undergarments, shall we say.”
“Ohhh,” Bon Bon said, catching on.
“I always try to persuade them to purchase something else, of course,” Rarity said. “Not something as extravagant as a dress. More in the vein of a tasteful silk pajama ensemble or an imported cotton robe. Or even just a set of cozy slippers. Inevitably, though, they insist on the undergarments. I hate to sell them a gift that I know their special somepony will hate, but on the other hoof, I can always use the business. They are adults, after all – there is only so much I can do to stop them from making such a mistake.”
“I’m just glad that everypony likes chocolates,” Bon Bon said.
“Indeed. That’s what inspired me to stop by tonight. As one of my customers was leaving with his ill-advised gift, I saw your friend Lyra approach him and inform him that you were selling last-minute candies here in the marketplace. I’ve only seen your products being sold at Sugarcube Corner – I wanted to congratulate you on the new location.”
“I’m only here for the day,” Bon Bon said. “I’m sure I made a few extra sales at Sugarcube Corner today, too, but I didn’t want to miss out on anypony who didn’t think to go there.”
“I trust you had a good day, then?”
“I only have three boxes left over, so I’d say it went great.”
“That’s wonderful to hear,” Rarity said. “Perhaps I can help you further. I find myself, sadly, alone this Hearts and Hooves Day. To take my mind off the matter, I desire a treat. What kind of candies are you selling?”
“Cherry cordials,” Bon Bon said, stepping aside so Rarity could see the boxes in the cart.
“Oh, that does sound delightful. What is your price?”
“Seven bits.”
“Only seven bits?” Rarity said, surprised. “For that size box of cherry cordials? What would you normally charge?”
“Seven bits,” Bon Bon said. “I did think about raising the price for today, but I realized I’d feel too guilty taking advantage of desperate ponies like that.”
“That’s very admirable of you,” Rarity said. She levitated seven bits toward Bon Bon. “I’d be happy to purchase a box.”
Bon Bon accepted the payment and gave Rarity one of the remaining boxes. Using her magic, Rarity untied the ribbon, opened the box, lifted up a candy, and took a ladylike bite.
After swallowing, Rarity said, “This is delectable. Honestly, you could get away with charging even more than seven bits for these.”
“Thanks,” Bon Bon said modestly.
“I must say,” Rarity said, “knowing what I do about your goods, that operating your own stand in the marketplace, even if it’s only on holidays, will do wonders for your business. Tell me, will we be seeing you here again on Nightmare Night?” She placed the remaining bite of candy in her mouth.
“I’m not sure,” Bon Bon said. “I was thinking about it, but there aren’t as many ponies who put off buying Nightmare Night candy until the last second. And when they do, they aren’t looking for high-quality chocolates like this. They just want whatever’s affordable and moderately good, since they’re just giving it out anyway.”
“A reasonable concern,” Rarity said. She replaced the lid on her box of chocolates. “May I offer you some advice?”
“Sure.”
“Sell them the moderately good candy, of course, but don’t do it under your own name. You don’t want to diminish your brand by associating it with anything less than the best.”
Bon Bon thought about that.
“Take me, for instance,” Rarity said. “When I make sales to the desperate stallions on days such as today and their anniversaries, I make certain that the undergarments have a tag identifying a fictitious label rather than my own. That way, when the mare is disappointed at receiving such a thoughtless gift, she doesn’t associate that disappointment with me.”
“What if she asks the stallion where he got the gift, and he says it was from Carousel Boutique?”
“That does happen a fair amount of the time, yes. You’d be surprised at how many mares come to my shop the day after, asking if they can return the unworn undergarments. I always agree to it, which gives me an opportunity to explain that I only sell such items as an ancillary business. I can then talk to them about the dresses which are my true passion and pride. At worst, now the mare knows what I specialize in, and at best, she decides to spend her refund on a tailored item which is more to her liking.”
“That’s really smart,” Bon Bon said. “Thanks for the advice.”
“Think nothing of it, dear,” Rarity said. “I’m more than happy to assist a savvy, principled pony such as yourself. Us independent business owners have to stick together.”
After Rarity left, Bon Bon rolled up her sign and then took the remaining two boxes of chocolates to Sugarcube Corner, which she sold to the Cakes at a reduced price for a day-after-Hearts-and-Hooves sale. Although she was relatively certain that at least one of the boxes would be enjoyed by the Cakes themselves rather than resold.
Bon Bon returned to her apartment, where she heated up some leftover spaghetti sauce from the previous night. After dinner, she sat in her living room with a book, digesting her meal and trying to stay awake before her usual bedtime. There was a familiar knock at her door. Bon Bon got up and let Lyra in. They took their usual spots on Bon Bon’s loveseat near the middle of the living room.
“How did it go?” Bon Bon asked.
“The serenade?” Lyra said. “Pretty much the way I expected it to. There was no mistaking him for a musician. His song – if you can call it that – was basically a seventh-grade love poem. He tried to give me an idea of what he wanted the music to sound like, but it kept changing every few measures. I tried to keep up with him as best I could… he didn’t seem annoyed by me, so I guess his lack of musical ability kept him from hearing how awful the whole thing sounded.”
“Could he at least sing?”
“Let me put it this way – it would have sounded better if he had asked me to sing his song.”
Bon Bon chuckled – Lyra harbored no delusions about her ability to carry a tune with her voice.
“But the important thing to his marefriend was that he put forth the effort to make this really romantic gesture,” Lyra said, “so she loved it. Afterward, they sat down to a special dinner she had made, and he asked me to stick around outside the window and play romantic music that would waft in while they ate together.”
“Aw, that sounds really sweet.”
“Yeah, it was. But it wasn’t great for me – I had to sit there next to the window and listen to them talk baby talk to each other for half an hour. You’d think they would have realized that if they could hear me, then I could hear them, but apparently not. When they left for their bedroom, I realized that that was my cue to leave. Fortunately, he paid me in advance.”
“And that’s what Hearts and Hooves Day is all about.”
“Exactly. So, what are your plans for tomorrow?”
“Well, last year, I started what I think is going to become a Hearts and Hooves Day tradition for me – after working myself so hard to make so much candy, I’m taking the next few days off. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to do more with you this past week. If you want to come over tomorrow, I’ll be here all day – after I’ve slept in late into the morning. I’d be happy to do whatever you want, so long as it doesn’t require me to do any work or preparation whatsoever.”
“How about I bring over the dominos tomorrow afternoon?”
“That sounds like exactly the amount of effort I want to put into thinking about anything. It’s perfect.”
Bon Bon unexpectedly began to yawn. She hurried to cover her mouth with her hoof.
Lyra giggled. “I hear you. I think I’m going to head to bed early, too. My nap in the park didn’t last nearly as long as I wish it had.” She got up from the loveseat and took a step toward the door.
“Oh, about today…” Bon Bon said, getting up from her spot on the loveseat. “I wanted to say thank you. A few of the ponies who stopped by the stand said they heard about it from a green unicorn. I assume they meant you.”
“Well, I wasn’t able to find any other green unicorns to help spread the word, so probably. Anyway, it was no big deal – after all the times you’ve talked ponies into hiring me to do odd jobs for them, promoting you was the least I could do.”
“Wait here a second,” Bon Bon said and stepped into the kitchen. After a few moments, she returned with the emergency backup chocolates she hadn’t needed to retrieve, still in their molds. Bon Bon would have packaged the candy first, but she didn’t want to make things weird between the two of them by giving Lyra a heart-shaped box. And she knew that Lyra would return the molds to her before she needed to use them again.
“Thank you,” Lyra said with genuine gratitude as she picked up the molds with her magic. “Have I ever told you that you’re the best best friend a pony could ask for?”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t hurt my ego for you to tell me again,” Bon Bon grinned. “See you tomorrow.”
Lyra opened the door. “See you tomorrow. Happy Hearts and Hooves Day.” She said it with just enough exaggeration to make it clear that she wasn’t trying to imply anything deeper with the sentiment.
Bon Bon waved good-bye with a nod and a smile as Lyra shut the door. After a moment, Bon Bon spoke to the now-empty room, summing up the day. Her words were matter-of-fact with the slightest tinge of wistfulness.
“Happy Hearts and Hooves Day.”
