“Chocolates, candies, and goodies! All the sweets you could ever eat, we’ve got them here at Bon Bon’s Bonafide Bonanza!” Lyra shouted into the disinterested crowd. “Come get some sweets from the sweetest treatery all the way from Ponyville!”

Bon Bon had long given up on correcting her wife with each escalation of her little candy stand. She wasn’t even sure treatery was a word, but the candy-maker always appreciated Lyra’s perseverance, even if it was often over-the-top. Still, it didn’t seem like many ponies at the Wonderbolt Reservists Race Day were too interested in what she had on offer. It was hard enough just keeping the chocolate from melting from the bright sunshine.

“I knew I should’ve brought the ice cream machine.” Lyra kicked the ground and sighed bitterly.

“No we shouldn’t have. Lugging that thing around would’ve cost us more than we’d make back.”

Lyra puffed her cheeks out. “I’ve got magic.”

“And you would’ve been exhausted long before we got here.” Bon Bon trotted to her love’s side and stroked her mane. “I don’t want you wearing yourself out for a milkshake. If this whole day is a wash, we can still enjoy spending time outside of Ponyville for once.”

Lyra tried to look away, but Bon Bon wouldn’t let those golden eyes escape. Her hoof shifted down the side of her mare’s face and she turned them back to where they should be: only on her. The unicorn melted into a smile seeing her candy mare ready to melt in her mouth. Ever-so gently, they pulled closer together and—

“One bag of bon-bons, Sweetie Drops.”

The tender moment was shattered with an old third wheel’s sudden surprise interruption. She whipped around to face one of the ponies she thought she’d left in the past a long time ago.

“You’ve got the wrong mare.” Bon Bon hissed.

“What?” The bouncy pegasus asked. “But isn’t that your name?”

“It’s Bon Bon and always has been. What are you doing here, Surprise?”

“Buying bon-bons from your something-treatery bonanza, I think. You always made the yummiest trail mix for long trips.”

Bon Bon stopped herself from blowing a fuse. The pegasus had always acted the way she looked, a white cloud with her head lost in the skies. She was a fast flier and spontaneous thinker whose stupid brilliance seemed like an enigma. Still, she was somehow more grounded than the local bubble-headed party mare back in Ponyville.

“I didn’t know you knew a Wonderbolt, Bonnie,” Lyra said with a smile.

“Did you forget about Rainbow Dash?”

Lyra blew a razzberry. “We’ve known her for years. She doesn’t count.”

Bon Bon rolled her eyes and went back behind her stand to get a bag for her old acquaintance.”So, a bag of bon-bons is two bits. Anything else?”

The pegasus scratched her chin. “Maybe. But I’m not sure if the weather schedule will be favorable tomorrow.”

Bon Bon froze in place. No. This wasn’t happening. She hadn’t even asked the right question for the call sign. After finally disposing of that stupid bugbear, she’d left her life of monster hunting and espionage behind her. Agent Sweetie Drops was retired. At least Surprise was able to read through the unspoken lines and had the decency to look apologetic.

“Bonnie? You okay?” Lyra asked.

“Just fine, Ly-Ly. She just hasn’t kept up with the weather schedule.” She gave Surprise a pointed stare. “Right?”

Surprise nibbled on her lip and shook her head. “Please? It’s super-duper important.”

Lyra tilted her head. “What is?”

“It has nothing to do with me now.”

Finally catching onto the conversation, Lyra leaned over to Bon Bon’s ear. “Is this that secret spy stuff you told me about before?”

“If it was, Surprise should know better.”

Her marefriend glanced back at Surprise, who was still pleading silently for help. “Come on, Bonnie. Don’t be so stubborn. Your friend might really be in trouble.”

“Lyra, please. I’m just a candy maker now. I shouldn’t get involved with this.”

“We,” Lyra corrected. “There’s no way that I’m missing out on this. Ever since you told me your little secret, always wanted to see my sweet candy spymare in action,” Lyra purred before bumping her flank into Bon Bon’s, sending a thrill through her whole body.

Bon Bon wanted to say no, but her wife was throwing surprises of her own now. Stupid sexy Lyra. “What about the other Wonderbolts?” Bon Bon asked.

Surprise shook her head.

Potentially compromised. Fantastic. This day was going from zero to a hundred lickety-split. “Fine. But you’re buying my entire stock, melted or not.”

“Oh, thank-you-thank-you-thank-you!” Surprise grabbed the couple and gave them both a big hug. “Don’t worry. I’ll buy it all up myself. And after we’re done, my friend can use them with her strawberries!”

Bon Bon blinked in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“There’s no time! Sunrise is keeping an eye on things for me, so we gotta get to HQ ASAP before 3-2-1 goes bad.”

“Sunrise? You mean Strawberry Sunrise?” Bon Bon nearly buried her hooves into her face. “Don’t tell me you got a civilian wrapped up in whatever is going on.”

Surprise opened her mouth before thinking better of it and nodding. “Okay. Then I won’t!”

Bon Bon balked at the Wonderbolt, but kept her swears to herself. Whatever was happening, Bon Bon only knew one thing for sure: today was going to be a long day.

Author's Note

Exquisite ~~Corpse~~ Horse is a chaotic writing collaboration between members of Cafe Hay. This prompt's theme was "Reverse Course Horse" where the last chapter was written first with subsequent authors having to write the preceding chapter. Each author was only given access to the chapter written before theirs and a 200 character message. Results certainly varied.

My stories are usually dedicated to the Audience of One, but it wasn't just me writing this. So... I hope you enjoy the fun anyway!