Author's Note
this... might turn into a longer story
A candy for my harp!
“Cmon Bonnie, can I pretty please have a piece of taffy?” I stared at her with the biggest puppy dog eyes I could muster. Sweeping my hair aside and making a illusionary halo above my head, I looked like a true saint. This would totally get me that candy.
“No.”
“AWWWWWW,” I flopped into a chair and crossed my hooves with a huff. “You’re no fun.”
BonBon looked at me with a flat expression “You can’t just eat all my candy Lyra, I have to sell those confectionaries to pay our rent.”
I frowned at that. She had me there, the town had been hit by a few too many monster attacks recently. It drove rent up a hundred bits in the last few months. Bonnie had to sell more candy to keep up with the rent. I told her I would handle it but I was told she is a strong independent mare who doesn’t need my handouts.
“It’s just one piece, it won’t make us homeless!”
“That’s what you said about the other thirty pieces you took!” BonBon said. Uh oh, I could see her scowling at me from the corner of my eye.
“Ya we-” A long bang, crash and roar could be heard from the street. From the road, a two-headed dog the size of a market stall barreled down the street with half a cart in its mouth. It disappeared from sight with a purple unicorn chasing after it, magic blasts coming from her horn.
“Stu--d d-g! P-- d-wn --e --rt! I SAID PUT DOWN THE CART!” She ran after it, skirting around the corner and out of sight again. I could only hear the end of that with the glass muffling her but she sounded mad.
Bon Bon sighed and finished the last of the candy she was working on. “That mare, since she came to town it’s been crazy.”
I sat up and leaned to see if I could still see her while laughing “Ya, that twilight is a crazy gal, I missed her when I moved to ponyville.”
She shot me a surprised look. Why was she surprised? I’ve told her me and twilight use to hang out. Right? Now that I thought about it, I haven’t told Bonnie much of my Foalhood. Maybe I should have a storytime someday before bed. Before that, I need me some candy.
“You use to be friends with Twilight Sparkle? The princesses protege Twilight Sparkle?” Wipe that surprised look from your face girl! I totally had cool high up friends!
“Duh, I was super cool, only the most high class friends for Lyra Heartstrings” I rubbed a hoof on my chest. Nailed it.
Bonnie shot me a glare that spoke of the couch so I explained “Ya me and twilight and a couple other gals use to hang out when we went to school together in canterlot,” I frowned at some bad memories “We all got through alot together, I should send some mail to my old friends.”
Bonnies face softens when she heard me speak “Sorry for not believing you, it’s just a surprise, friends with THE Twilight Sparkle....”
Telekinesis is really handy, I watched Bon Bon pound the last of the taffy for the day while playing my harp. It was a calming way to settle down for the night. The darkness peeking in from the window was the perfect distraction to grab a bit of that taffy.
“Cmmooonnn….” I muttered. I was so close, a small hunk of taffy floating behind Bon Bon now. I was home free when a hard candy flew through the air and smacked into my horn.
“AGH BONNIE WHY?! I LOVED YOU!” Clutching my aching horn and rolling on the floor I yelled at that candy horse. She gave me the look. You know the look. That look you get when your mom catches you with a hoof in the cookie jar look.
“I plead to luna, It wasn’t me!”
“Lyra stop, go upstairs and get dinner ready,” with a sigh, she shook her head and continued pummeling that gooey gooey treat
The floor was cool, so I slid along the floor towards the stairs “Oh Lyra, go make dinner Lyra, you still don’t get any candy Lyra,” pulling myself off the floor I made my way up to the second floor.
I waved to the stallion leaving the shop. He had a red coat and a wheat mane, applejacks brother, Applemac? He seems to come in a lot, I think he’s sweet on Bon Bon. To bad for him, BonBon was taken.
My creaky chair sliding out from under me, I trotted to the door and flipped the sign from open to closed. Day over.
“BOONNNIIEEEE STORES CLOSED!” I yelled, getting me a weird look from a stallion walking by the window.
I began cleaning up the pans and bowls used to make the candy for the day. Having a clean kitchen helps Bon relax, and gets me in her good graces. Killing them with kindness is how I was taught by Celestia, and luna darn it, I would stick by those lessons! Greasy pans were always the hardest part of cleaning the candy equipment. Scrub scrub scrub! I hummed away as dishes were dried in a field of magic.
My ears flicked to the stairs as I heard hoof-clops heading towards the main floor. The surprise in her voice was palpable “You’re cleaning the kitchen? I thought you would run out to go play your harp in the park after helping.”
“Why would you think that? I’m here to serve my lady,” I said feeling satisfied by her face “I felt I should help out since I’ve just been annoying lately, you know as an apology.”
She gave me a kiss on the cheek and a nuzzle “well thanks, I’m going to go start tomorrow’s batch if you want you can come help? I’ll let you have a little.”
Oh boy, time with Bonnie and some sweet treats? Yes, please. I followed after the two-tone tail into the candy making part of the kitchen. The machinery most would expect from a large candy maker like Bon Bon is nowhere to be seen. Old Fashioned candy making is the only way to make it according to Bon Bon. She says that pounding it herself makes the candy taste better. Having a hoof in everything she feeds ponies makes her feel good.
I begin dancing across the room sweeping up extracts and sugars for mini-pies, jawbreakers, gummi-bears, and my favorite the Bon-Bons. Placing the Supplies next to Bon Bon, I trot to the invisible beat of life, swaying towards the oven and setting it to the correct temperature.
“DUMDUMDUM living with the sweetest treat is such a dream,” I shake my tail at bonbon as the music begins to swell in the kitchen. Bon Bon is hiding a smile as she watches me go. Whistling I put a hoof out towards the window for a bird to land. Flying in was a soft colored blue jay, as it neared the window the music cutout as I remember I didn’t open the window.
SMACK
Poor bird poofed into feathers, sliding down the window with a hurt look on its face. “Sorry” I mouth to the bird and turn around to see Bonnie still giving me an amused smile. It’s probably not for what it was for though.
“Next time you wanna break into song in the kitchen, make sure the window is open first.”
“Hehehe… ya…” I said, blushing and rubbing my leg. I made my way over to the ready to bake candies, hoping to get a taste of some cookie dough.
“Ah ah ah, no candy yet, wait till it’s done.” Bon Bon said.
I gave her the biggest doe eyes I could In hopes of licking the spoon clean. “Ppllleeaaassee? You know cookie dough is my favorite.”
I got an eyebrow raise at that. “I thought bonbons were your favorite,” she gives a little smirk at that “but if you don’t want them I guess you can have the cookie dough…..”
“NO! Ahem, I mean no, bonbons tonight would be a lovely dessert.” Score. It takes an hour but the kitchen is cleaned and the candy for tomorrow prepared. I follow Bonnie’s tail up the stairs like a filly in a candy store, she’s a bit of a tease though. First a shower before bed. Then brush your teeth, now get in your PJs. Finally getting into bed I crawl and lay my head on the pillow.
“So tell me the story between you and Twilight. How did that start?” Bonnie asks, cuddling up and laying her head on my stomach.
“Well, way back when I was a teeny tiny Lyra,” I wave a hoof in the air staring out at the flashback. Bon Bon gives me a queer look.
“What are you doing?”
“SHHHHH flashback time,” I say and the world wobbles.
I trotted through the door into Counterlots Malt’s looking for the girls. Craning my neck to find my friends, I see them sitting in the corner. Huh. Whos that other filly sitting with them? Weaving my way over to them I get a couple hello’s from patrons who know me. I wave back and come up to the table.
“Oh my Celestia Lyra, what took you so long?” The pink haired filly said.
I snort “Cmon Twinks you know I had to get that homework for Mr. Notes done before I came out.”
She frowned at my nickname, laying her head on the table and groaning “you know I hate when you call me that.” I knew that, so so much, it’s why I never stopped.
“You know I’m never going to stop, why haven’t you accepted it yet?” I say smiling, taking a seat next to Colgate. “So whos the filly?” I thrust my head at the mare sitting in the corner of the booth with her head in a book.
She seemed absorbed in it, peeking at the title I could make out Starswirl’s foal thaumaturge learnin- before the book dipped below the table. My eyes crossed at the long title. She looked a year or so younger than the rest of us but she was reading a book for a class two years ahead.
Colgate leaned in and whispered in my ear “That’s Twilight Sparkle, She’s new to the school,” Looking over at Twilight “Princess Celestia took her as her protege so we decided to show her around but that books kept her attention for the whole tour.”
I whistle, this Twilight must be pretty smart to read that and be taken on as the Princesses protege. Ponies got the chance when they first entered the school to be put up as the protege, I never got the chance cause the last protege was still here. Sunset Shimmer? I think that was her name, I wonder what happened to her that the princess can take a new protege this year.
Leaning into the purple filly I said “Hi Twilight! Im Lyra Heartstrings, it’s nice to meet you.”
The Filly peeked over the book “U-um… Hello,” she gave a nervous look down at her book “I’m Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight seemed to ignore me after saying that, going back to her book.
Not very outgoing was she? A waitress came by and I ordered a hayburger and hayfries. Caught off guard by a small voice coming from the other side of the table. “Can I have two hayburgers and a chocolate shake please miss?”
The girls began to whisper among themselves but I frowned. That was a lot of food for someone so young. Could she actually eat that much?
“Are you sure you can eat that much Twilight?” I ask her.
“Uh-huh, it’s yummy,” she said nodding at me and looking back at her book.
Food ordered I looked around at my friends chatting and Twilight sitting in the corner. The world going on outside her and her paying it no mind. I would make a friend out of her.
Landing on Twilight’s bed, I felt the soft constellation blanket under me shift as she tried to tug it from under me.
“Lyra! You know I hate when you do this!” Twilight said. She tugged one last time, realizing it was futile she dropped the edge. “Were you not going with Minuette to that concert today? I have homework to do for the Princess and you being here is ruining my schedule!”
Celestia, she was mad. Sad for Twilight that she was pretty cute when she got angry. I rolled off the bed and laid on the floor wrapped in the blanket. Looking around the room I could see pegasi flying off in the distance through the window and the trinkets she kept on her walls. A Certificate of acceptance to Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns.
I shuffled over to Twilights hooves and looked up at her face. “I am having a bad day Twilight, I will be going back to the isles very soon.”
“The… Shets Isles? Why would you go there?” Twilight said looking down at me. That’s pretty neat. I never see twilight looking down.
“Well I’m from there, and my father said I could study and live in Equestria as long as I didn’t fail any classes,” I climbed onto my hooves and dusted myself off. “I seemed to have failed my Musical Theory class.”
“What!? That’s crazy! You are a great musician.” Twilight said and hugged me. Awwww I love getting hugs.
“Cmon I want to go talk to the princess about this, maybe she can do something.”
I was then dragged out of the room by a purple filly.
The beginning of the end as some say “Then Twi and I went on an epic adventure.”
Bon Bon said, “so did Princess Celestia work everything out?”
“Celestia no, we had to go to my dad and ask for another chance,” I said pulling BonBon close. “Which he gave me after twilight hit him with the puppy dog eyes.”
“That’s anticlimactic.”
“I know right?! Anyway, it was a good bonding experience so now Twilight and I are friends to this day,” I say. “I’ll see if I can drop in and say hi tomorrow.”
Bon Bon said “You should, I like seeing you happy,” Kissing me on the cheek, she rolled over and snuggled into her pillow “Good night.”
The lamp next to me let out a sad little hum I could agree with. Where was the fun time? I gently shook Bon Bon on the shoulder “Hehe we aren’t having any candy tonight?”
“Not tonight, tomorrow if you don’t steal any candy like I know you did.” She didn’t even roll back over when saying that. I probably deserved this but it didn’t make it any less saddening. I rolled over myself and clicked the light off for the night.
