Sunshine Smile's Spells and Sparkles
It's never in the same place for more then a week.
The owner's at least polite enough to warn you about this. Canterlot rent control and all, she explains with a giggle. That's corroborated by the prices on the various knick-knacks that line the shelves; they tend to cost double that of a usual trinket shop, although they also seem to be of a higher quality then you'd expect in a nook-and-cranny shop like this. You'd never even heard of the shop before you entered the first time, and it took you seventeen whole days to find it again--somewhere completely different. Not the best business for repeat customers. You'd expect maybe four ponies could fit in here without crowding each other.
And that's rather odd, come to think of it--from the outside, the building certainly didn't seem this small. You were certainly surprised when you passed through the door with an odd star sparkle the first time; in this upscale distract, the whole room would be considered a mop closet at best, and certainly wouldn't be accessible from the street. There's also the way the shelves are arranged--while everything is for sale, it's hard not to see the objects as more of a display case then a vendor's store--no item next to something like it, arranged in rhythmic patterns that forced the eye up and down as they moved the length of the shelves...
...and behind the elegant desk, flanked on either side by opened and unopened cardboard boxes, grins the owner herself. Whenever you look at her, she waves eagerly, and she's certainly animated when you're talking to her, but... sometimes, when you're browsing the shelves, she's so quiet you forget she's there--right up till you glance at the desk and see her smiling right at you.
She's a pink unicorn, with green eyes and a messy blonde mane. Honestly, she seems a touch too young to be running a shop like this--at least in Canterlot. You could see her pulling this off in Ponyville, or maybe Manehattan. But Canterlot? The capital? How can she get by with all the competing curio curators? One time, you did hear another customer ask how old she was.
She said she'd lost track of her age.
You've been coming and going for a while, actually. You try to drop by the shop once a week--ostensibly to ask where it will be next week, since it moves around. She always gives you the street, but not the address--it's a good way to explore the city, actually. You've seen so many things that you never thought you'd see, following her mysterious shop around. You've noticed not too few other customers warily taking an item off a shelf and carrying it over to the register, discussing things with the shopkeep quietly.
And sometimes, she walks through the door behind her. You can just see a curtain behind it when she does, and she never pushes it aside--she goes around it. And whenever she comes back, she has some shiny new item that she gives the desperate pony, who thanks her sincerely and walks out the door.
You've never seen them come back.
You're beginning to wonder why, though. It could just be that they never find the shop again, except... a number of them seemed to know to skip over the shelves and head straight for the desk. Which implies that they were directed here, that... there was a reason for them to drop by. And on second glance, the objects on the shelves aren't just kistchy art pieces; every one comes with a promise. Make money come your way, be the talk of the Gala, find your true love... if it were only one or two items, you'd dismiss it as just another unicorn quick-grab, but this seems to be a full on charms shop.
Of course charms are well known--enchanting items is an idea almost as old as the use of magic itself. In fact, they're a part of everyday life--light charms in lamps, cooling charms in fridges, a number of support charms keeping Canterlot itself from falling off the mountainside. But for such personalized construction, one needs an expert. Maybe not a graduate from CSGU, but at least somebody with a whole lot of talent and experience--there's a difference between your run of the mill cooling charm and a necklace that will keep you comfortable no matter the temperature. And what this shop offers is a touch more... intimate.
You look around the shop one last time, before turning to the unicorn herself. She smiles, and it's almost the same as all the other smiles she's sent you--cheery, welcoming, and overall eager... but her eyelashes descend, just a fraction of an inch. She has you. You know she has you. She knows she has you. There's not going to be any deception in what happens next. You steel yourself, glancing at the door behind you, and gently step forward.
"Welcome to Sunshine Smile's Spells and Sparkles, home to trinkets, tricks, and treats of all kinds! How can I help you today?"
"I've been coming here for a while now," you point out, managing a small grin despite your nervousness.
A giggle escapes her lips. "Oh, I know. You're one of my few repeat visitors." She leans on the desk, giving you a small smirk. "Now, if you had ever bought anything, you could have been one of my repeat customers. Slightly more common."
"Well... yes." You rub the back of your head. "I... kind of just came in to look."
"Do you like what you see?" she inquires, fluttering her eyelids coquettishly.
"Eheh... it's a very nice little shop..."
"Are you curious about what you don't see?"
You swallow nervously. "Maybe a little."
Her green eyes lock onto you, peering into your soul. "Mmhmm."
"I..." You take a breath. "I... want to know, what it is you do here."
"I make trinkets, tricks, and treats, and sell them to those who want them. I also do personalized commissions."
"No I mean... I want to know. What goes on in this shop. I want to know what... makes it so interesting to your customers."
She smiles. "Ah. You want to find out what I do. How my little shop is... different. I see."
You nod.
She studies you for a moment or two. "...What would you be willing to give? And don't bring up bits," she clarifies quickly. "This isn't going to be something that costs money."
"I... I just... I need to know. I don't know why, I just need to." You pause. "I'd be willing to volunteer to help. I... don't really have anything else going on in my life."
"Nothing at all?"
"No."
"No... family, no job, no friends?"
You consider for a moment or two. "No, nobody would... miss me if I disappeared."
"Aw," she coos, "You poor little thing. How about you stay with me, and I'll make sure you get a front row seat to the action?"
You perk up. "Really?"
"Mmmhmm. Give me ten minutes in the back. It's a slow day, I'll have it all set up in a jiffy."
You nod. "I guess that works."
And, like she says, ten minutes later she's back, with a tiny snowglobe that has a little house in her hoof. "You'd be amazed how many of these things there are," she says with a grin. "Now, you're certain you want this? No backing out when you do."
You steel yourself. "I'm certain."
"Good. Just touch your hoof here...."
Sunshine Smiles gently nudged the snowglobe on her counter, looking at the tiny house and the glowing lights within. "It's always fun to make new friends. Especially when you don't have to say goodbye."
Her eyes shot up as the door opened, and she gave a broad grin. "Welcome to Sunshine Smile's Spells and Sparkles, home to trinkets, tricks, and treats of all kinds! How can I help you today?"
Author's Note
This is going to be an interesting ride. Especially since I'm not the only one driving.
I'm taking suggestions.
That's right, if you're reading this, you can give me ideas. Post a pony, and what they want, and Sunshine Smiles might sell them a spell.
But be wary--both Sunshine and I have very, very interesting ideas on what constitutes a fair price...
