The Happiest Light
of Day
..............................................................By sierra_seven_
***
"Come on sleepyhead, we've got a pretty long day ahead!" a voice chattered happily, somewhere next to the mint-coloured mare.
"Ugh. Bon-Bon, can't you be a bit more gentle with your waking?" Lyra grumbled, snuggling further into their bed. She was in the metaphorical bed-heaven, still on the verge of full consciousness. Maybe if Bon-Bon left her alone, she could go back to her dreaming...
Bon-Bon slid open the curtains with a flourish, opened the window to allow a cool stream of air to enter and poked Lyra in the belly. "Bonny! Why do you have to get up so early..." Lyra moaned, rolling over and batting half-heartedly at Bon-Bon.
"But we've got work to do!" Bon-Bon retorted, trying to pull the stubborn green mare out from underneath the covers. Lyra just looked at Bon-Bon with big, round eyes, begging her to come back to bed.
"Fine..." the cream-coloured mare sighed, crawling under the heavy, snug blankets. Lyra nuzzled into her neck, wrapping her soft, fluffy forelegs around her marefriend. They spent the next several minutes nuzzling each other, cuddling in the toasty, safe sanctuary of the bed.
'This isn't so bad...' thought Bon-Bon affectionately, rubbing Lyra's warm chest with one hoof. They laid there, quietly embraced in each other's hooves, sharing their warmth and their love. Eventually, however, Bon-Bon had to drag herself away from her beloved. They had a busy day.
The mint-coloured mare began to drift off again, her head slumping against Bon-Bon's neck. "Oh no you don't!" Bon-Bon laughed, pulling the duvet off of their luxurious bed, exposing Lyra to the frosty morning air blowing through the window. Lyra reluctantly sat up, surveying their messy room. The modest space wasn't messy by choice, but Lyra was a compulsive slob and Bon-Bon simply didn't have the time to clean up after the mare.
"Silly filly, you're gonna be sorry!" giggled the minty mare, diving towards the stolen blanket. Bon-Bon squealed, jumping back and bumping into the wall.
'Heheheh, now's my chance!' Lyra thought sneakily, belly-crawling across the bed towards the stricken confectioner. Lyra landed atop Bon-Bon, mercilessly tickling her with her horn. The duo rolled around on the floor, giggling and tickling for a good few minutes.
"Lyra! Ha- have mercy!" Bon-Bon shrieked, rolling around in fits of laughter. Lyra reluctantly stood up, nuzzling her marefriend in the process. She and Bon-Bon had been a strong, happy couple for several years, and Lyra couldn't imagine living with anybody else.
***
The couple trotted downstairs into their small kitchen, a constant reminder of the size (or lack thereof) of their tiny flat atop Bon-Bon's sweet store. While Bon-Bon tried to brush her mane into some semblance of order, Lyra busied herself making pancakes. She switched the small oven on, taking the chance to warm herself against the hobs.
'Eggs?' wondered the mare, hunting hungrily through the cupboards and fridge. Bon-Bon was in charge of food shopping and Lyra was in charge of eating said food. 'Oh no...' thought Lyra, listening to Bon-Bon's hooves clop back into the room.
"Lyra! Let me do that!" demanded Bon-Bon, rushing towards Lyra. Suddenly she tripped, falling head first into her marefriend and sending them crashing into the fridge. Lyra just lay on the floor, shocked by her marefriend's
"What the hay Bonny? I thought you'd forgotten about the breakfast in bed!" muttered Lyra guiltily.
"As if! You don't forget lettuce being mixed up with stinging nettles!" Bon-Bon accused, provoking laughter between them. Lyra was known throughout Ponyville for being one of the clumsiest chefs around. There were so many ingredients to keep track of!
Bon-Bon quickly took over from Lyra while the unicorn trotted upstairs, grabbing her wash-kit. She certainly had time to freshen up and get rid of what she supposed were icing stains on her coat. "Ugh, I'm a mess!" muttered Lyra, stepping into the shower. The mint-coloured mare happily turned the shower on with her magic, relaxing in the steady stream of steaming water.
"Ah, this is brilliant," the mare giggled, letting her mane soak in the warm water. The smell of cooking pancakes gently wafted up the stairs, making Lyra's stomach growl with anticipation. She quickly scoured the icing stains out of her coat, making sure that her pale green pelt was spotless. She'd undoubtedly gather more marks as the day progressed, helping Bon-Bon wasn't always a clean task, but she liked to start her days as fresh as possible. 'Mmm, pancakes' the mare thought idly, scrubbing away. After breakfast, she and Bon-Bon would head out to buy more supplies before opening the shop and making more sweets!
"Sweetie, you almost done up there? Breakfast is going on the table, and if you're not down here, I'll eat them all!" sang Bon-Bon, causing Lyra to leap out of the shower enthusiastically. The mare quickly dried her mane with a rough, abrasive towel before throwing it in the dirty laundry bin.
***
The two mares trotted happily down Ponyville's busy market street, occasionally pausing to examine stalls or to talk to passing ponies. The air was thick with the laughter of foals and the gentle chattering of the older ponies wandering through the marketplace, while the gentle splashing of the nearby fountain washed away their stress and tension.
"So, whadda we need to get again Bonny?" chirped Lyra inquisitively, examining the wares hanging from Zecora's exotic stall. The air was thick with the fragrant aromas wafting from the curiosities dotting her stand.
"Well, we certainly don't need to go and see Applejack today! I'm still trying to get through that sack of apples Applebloom 'sold' me!" Bon-Bon laughed, casting her gaze over to Applejack's stall, relieved at the absence of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"Well, doesn't mean you have to put apples on everything." Lyra grumbled, slightly peeved that instead of caramel on her pancakes, she'd received a sliced apple and some apple sauce. She poked a small plait of garlic hanging from the stand, squealing as it fell off and landed in the dusty path.
"Use caution when browsing my wares, or you shall be paying for the items, young mares." The striped zebra looked up from her mortar and pestle, noticing the pair for the first time. "Ah! If it isn't Bon-Bon and the poker of goods. What brings you to this neck of the woods?" she rhymed, her thick accent temporarily confusing the duo.
"We're fine, thank you! Just out to buy some supplies for the store," Bon-Bon answered kindly, subtly nudging Lyra away from the stand. "Well, I guess we'd best be off! Lots to do!" The cream mare spoke hurriedly, ushering Lyra back towards the main marketplace.
"What's wrong Bonny?" Lyra whispered nervously, slightly worried about her marefriend's behaviour.
"Nothing! It's just... well, I don't completely trust her yet." Bon-Bon shifted nervously, scuffing one hoof against the dry cobblestones underhoof.
***
They trotted back to Bon-Bon's store, carrying the heavy pots of syrup, sugar and almonds that they would use up that afternoon. As they chatted happily in the cool morning breeze, three enthusiastic fillies bounced up to them, eyeing the goods curiously.
"Howdy Miss Lyra! Whatcha got in them pots?" Apple Bloom questioned, motioning at the goods with one tiny foreleg. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo tried to grab the containers out of Lyra's magical field. The green mare danced back, keeping the pots safely out of the reach of the two buccaneers.
"Now girls, these are ingredients for our sweets. We're taking these back to my store so we can make more to sell!" Bon-Bon explained, keeping her ground while the inquisitive Apple Bloom paced back and forth, rubbing her muzzle with one hoof. Finally, after much deliberation, her little ears perked up and her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint.
"So ya'll need more sweeties made, and we need cutie marks! Ah'm sure we can come ta some sorta arrangement!" The filly started bounding with excitement, overjoyed at the prospect of having another challenge ahead. Lyra was still ducking, weaving and dancing, desperately trying to keep the vital ingredients out of the reach of the other two Crusaders.
"Lyra, me and Scootaloo can carry them for you! Maybe we'll get our carryin' cutie marks!" Sweetie Belle... squeaked loudly, high-hoofing Scootaloo. Lyra used the distraction to dart away from the three crazy fillies, rejoining Bon-Bon behind Twilight's library. They caught their collective breaths for a second or two, resting in the leafy shade that Twilight's home provided. The cool breeze quickly calmed them down; the crystal clear water of a drinking fountain refreshed them.
"Wow, that was close! I'm certainly not letting those little monsters anywhere near my kitchen!" Bon-Bon laughed, collapsing onto a bench with an exhausted sigh. Lyra joined her, cuddling up close while shifting the heavy urns onto the dry dirt below. There they laid for several minutes, watching the world roll by. Before their eyes lay the life, nay, the soul of Ponyville. Ponies of all races, ages and genders mingled together in perfect harmony, enjoying the crisp Autumn noon and the rural attractions the backwater village offered. Ponies bought apples and sold trinkets; bartering and haggling amongst themselves happily.
Eventually Lyra sat up, prodding her marefriend in the belly. "Come on Bonny!" she exclaimed, "We've got to get started on those sweets! You're the one thats been pushing me all day, I'm supposed to be the slacker!" Lyra whined, levitating the pots back into the air.
Bon-Bon trotted, albeit reluctantly, alongside her marefriend back to the store, keeping an ever-watchful eye out for three fiesty fillies.
***
Bon-Bon's small store was mostly taken up by the large kitchen in the rear. It was a neat, clean space, decorated with flowers and various decorations. As the sun began to sink below the horizon, the room was lit with a strong bronze glow, casting golden shadows throughout the room. Lyra sparked up her horn, lighting several lamps dotted around the room. The cozy glow illuminated the space; the golden light shimmering off of Bon-Bon's coat. Lyra thought she was the most gorgeous mare in the world.
The cream-coated confectioner trotted unsteadily through the kitchen, a tray balanced atop her nose. Lyra would have happily helped her, but she was busy making the complex (for her) mixture of syrup, sugar, almonds, vanilla and specially sweetened milk, courtesy of Dairy Delight. The aged mare was always happy to cut her a deal on milk, seeing as they used so much. They'd spent several hours working through these exact steps, making batch after batch of tasty bonbons.
The mint-green mare looked around sneakily, carefully eyeing Bon-Bon placing another tray of soft fondant into the oven. The small, pastel-coloured kitchen was neat and tidy; trays of unbaked bonbons lining one counter while finished products occupied another. Lyra licked her lips slyly, casting a glance over the freshly made sweets. 'Surely Bonny won't notice if just one goes missing!' Lyra mused, still mixing the ingredients by hoof. Bon-Bon didn't like magic being used in the kitchen. As with many other earth ponies in Ponyville, she strongly believed in continuing the town's proud traditions.
A single bonbon floated towards Lyra's mouth, glowing slightly under the influence of her telekinesis. "Lyra! Bad pony!" Bon-Bon chided, making the mint-green pony smile sheepishly.
"Erm... quality control?" Lyra muttered, embarrassed. Bon-Bon sighed, relenting. The mare flicked the bonbon into Lyra's mouth, watching her guiltily chew it.
"Come on Lyra, I guess that's enough bonbons for tonight! That should keep us in stock for another week, at least!"
***
For the second time that day, Bon-Bon flopped into the bed, next to Lyra. The green mare immediately wrapped her hooves around Bon-Bon, hugging her tightly and nuzzling into her warm chest. "Lyra, at least let me get under the covers first! It's freezing out here," the confectioner mumbled, hugging Lyra closer to her. Her warm breath felt lovely against her cold coat, making Bon-Bon sleepier within seconds. Eventually Lyra loosened her grip, allowing her marefriend to slide under the duvet. The cold autumn draught felt odd against Lyra's face, contrasting sharply with the toasty covers atop her and Bon-Bon rubbing her soft, warm muzzle against Lyra's neck.
"I love you Bonny," Lyra mumbled sleepily to her quiet companion. Bon-Bon replied with a squeeze, drawing her beloved closer with a simple hug. Together they lay, intertwined, drifting off to sleep.
