30 Minute Delay

Homemade Thabotage

The bell rang for recess. All the fillies and colts began packing away their things as Cheerilee called out a reminder about their homework after lunch. One ginger-haired filly was gathering up her crayons when she heard a regrettably familiar voice.

“Hey, Twitht.”

Oh here we go. She thought bitterly, before turning to the class’ only other bespectacled member.

“What do you want, Thilver Thpoon?” The rich girl’s usual haughtiness was in full effect as she approached.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Yeth, I can thee that. What ith it?” The grey-on-grey pony didn’t immediately respond, she seemed to be watching the last of their classmates leaving. Once the door clicked shut, she continued:

“Your special talent is candy making, right? I’d like some.” Twist just stared. Silver Spoon stared back. Did she not get what was wrong with what she’d said?

“You want me, to make you, thome thweets?”

Yes, that’s what I said.” Silver Spoon drawled, examining her hoof, no doubt recently treated, as she spoke.

“Why thould I? I only make thweets for ponieth I like.” Silver Spoon sighed at this, as if it was obvious.

“I’m not asking you to do it for nothing, candy cane. It’s a job. I’ll be paying you.”

“Oh.” That threw Twist a little. Surely there were better cooks in Ponyville to ask?

“Why do you want my candy?”

“You don’t need to know.” Silver Spoon snapped,

“You just need to say yes or no.”

“……..What kind of thweets do you want and how much do you want to thpend?” Silver Spoon smiled at this, sensing that she was getting what she wanted. Twist would have to watch out, she’d seen the filly in action before, and she was a savvy business pony.

“Well I want top-quality, something special. My m- I mean, I, am all about custom merchandise. I want these to be one of a kind. Use your best ingredients, equipment, don’t rush, the works. These have to be perfect. I’ll need 100…”

“A hundred?!”

“…by two weeks on Sunday, yes. Can you do it?” Inwardly, Twist breathed a sigh of relief. 100! She’d need at least 2 weeks if she was gonna give it her best work.

“Yeth, I can do it by then. Do you have any thpethial requethtth? Allergieth or dithliketh?”

“Oh! Yeah, thanks for reminding me. No peppermint, sh-I’LL bust out in blotches. Absolutely no peppermint involved at any point.”

Twist filed that information, and how strongly Silver Spoon had stressed it, under important.

“Okay, tho: No peppermint, top clathth ingredientth, totally unique, 100 by nextht Thunday? Ith that right?” Silver Spoon was nodding emphatically as each item was checked off the list.

“Correct. You do this right and you can name your price. I’ll cover the costs of all ingredients and accessories. Oh, that reminds me. I want them well presented. Again, costs will be covered.”

She really wants this, Twist was intrigued now, it’ll be almost worth it to find out why.

“Well, I’ve been working on a new blend, very exthpenthive flavourth, thomething I’ve never done before. Rathelberry Thpice, I call it, addth a real kick to the fruit.”

“Sounds fine.” Silver Spoon was feigning nonchalance about the whole thing but it was still obvious how glad she was that it was all going well.

“Fine. Give me to the end of the day and I’ll give you a litht of what I need and a prithe for my time, deal?” She held out a hoof. Seemingly satisfied, Silver Spoon took it with a cocky smile on her face. Twist was still trying to figure out what that meant when Diamond Tiara walked in.

“Silver Spoon! There you are. What are you doing in here with thith thecond-thringer?” All emotion besides contempt had vanished from Silver Spoon’s expression.

“Just showing her that you’re supposed to wear glasses over your eyes, not milk bottles.”

“Hah! Totally!” The two prissy fillies left, giggling, while Twist sat there, fuming.

Oh yes, you’ll get something one-of-a-kind alright, Silver Spoon, you can count on that!

<><><><><><>

Two weeks passed. Silver Spoon had checked with her every few days to see how she was progressing. Finally the Sunday had arrived and the order was finished, wrapped and ready to go. Two servants had arrived to collect the candy. Twist, still wondering what it all was for, had followed to deliver the sweets in person. Her aunt Bonbon had taught her that it helped if you wanted to secure future business.

Surprisingly, upon reaching Silver Spoon’s home, Twist saw her aunt, along with many of Ponyville’s other chefs.

“Twist! What a surprise! What are you doing here?” Her aunt hugged her tightly.

“I was…” she struggled to remember the word Bonbon always used. Oh yes, that was it, “I was commithioned to create thome cuthtom thweetth for Thilver Thpoon.”

“Wow! That’s a big honour,” Twist smiled, happy but embarrassed,

“But I thought this was all for her mother?” Twist’s smile froze.

“Her……her mother?” Bonbon nodded, indicating a mare standing near the centre. Twist could see the resemblance immediately. She was an older Silver Spoon in nearly every way, though she didn’t seem to share her daughter’s need for spectacles. She was currently sampling the different delicacies.

“Her mother’s an important diplomat. She’ll be away from Ponyville for months and her family’s throwing her a going-away party. Her husband commissioned a lot of Ponyville’s finest chefs to make her a ton of Ponyville food for her trip. I guess to keep her from being lonely.”

“Did……did you make her thomething too?” Her aunt nodded, smiling.

“Oh yes. I collaborated with Pinkie Pie on a cake,” she chuckled, “had to be careful with the peppermint o’ course, she’s couldn’t have an important diplomat getting a bad skin blemish.”

Oh no.

“TWIST?!” Bonbon cried out as the filly suddenly took off towards the guest of honour and her family.

“THTOP! THTOP! THTOP!” She pushed through the crowd to reach the table before anything happened but Silver Spoon blocked her path before she could get there.

“What are you doing?” Hissed the filly.

“The thweetth!” Nothing seems to happen for a few moments, then a dainty cough sounded from behind the two. Turning, they saw Silver Spoon’s mother having trouble and, between fits of coughing, talking quietly and swiftly with her father. It was impossible to hear what was said until:

“PEPPERMINT!” The father roared. Silver Spoon went white, turning back to Twist with wide eyes.

“You didn’t?” Ashamed, Twist could only nod.

<><><><><><>

Even after Silver Spoon had been dragged off Twist and a doctor had been called, the scene remained tense.

“HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO MY MOTHER?”

“I-I thought they were for you.”

“You wanted to do this to me?!”

“Twist!” Bonbon walked up,

“What is going on?” Silver Spoon answered instead.

“I’ll tell you what’s going on! Your little niece took my money and then tried to poison my mother!” Unimpressed, Bonbon cocked an eye towards Twist, the unspoken question was obvious.

“I THOUGHT IT WATH FOR HER! I jutht wanted to get thome payback becauthe the’th alwayth picking on me!”

Bonbon was not sympathetic.

“Was her mother always picking on you?”

“……..No.”

“Yet she’s the one you’ve put in danger.”

“But, but….Thilver Thpoon…”

“…paid you for your work. That means she wasn’t the filly who bullied you at that point. She was a customer. A customer you took money from and didn’t give her what she asked for. That’s stealing, Twist.” Bonbon turned to Silver Spoon’s father, who had been listening and was in the process of haranguing his daughter about her part in all this.

“Sir, I sincerely apologise for my niece’s behaviour. Rest assured you will receive a full refund for your patronage and harsh disciplinary action will be taken. This is not acceptable behaviour.”

Then she turned back to Twist.

“You, young lady, stole money from a customer, ignored their instructions, put an innocent in danger and, judging by your actions when we first met, intended to keep quiet about it until it became clear that the situation was not as you thought it was."

"Twist, you CANNOT treat customers this way, regardless of how they act. If you didn’t want to do it you had the right to refuse."

"But you didn’t. You took Silver Spoon’s money and thus entered into a contract with her to provide what she asked for."

"But you didn’t. You purposefully endangered another pony when you should’ve just said no…”

Twist was in tears at this point, knowing everything that was being said was true,

“…But you didn’t.”

<><><><><><>

The next day, at the beginning of their month-long shared detention, Twist and Silver Spoon sat silently in the classroom. The other filly, who had not escaped punishment for her bullying having caused distress and humiliation for her mother, refused to acknowledge Twist’s existence.

<><><><><><>

Dear Printhethth Thelethtia, my friendth Applebloom, Thcootaloo and Thweetie Belle thaid I thould write you thith letter, telling you what I learned about friendthip today.

Today I learned that acting out of anger ith never the right acthion ath it can have unfortheen conthequenthes for you and otherth. Altho, if thomepony athkth you to uthe your thpecial talent and you agree, then that ith thomething you have to take theriously and you can’t dithregard that obligation bathed on your feelingth.

Your loyal thubject,

Twitht

<><><><><><>

Author’s note: Bonbon being Twist’s aunt isn’t my idea. I read it in another fic who’s name escapes me (could have been Past Sins), but I liked the idea so I decided to use it.