SNOWBALLS
&
SWEETS
Trixie sneezed, then took another sip from the mug. Bon Bon smiled nervously and apologetically. The room was quiet, peaceful, and most importantly warm compared to the cold, light snowfall outside. The three mares occupying said room didn’t seem to think so, though, as two of them, both unicorns, had practically cocooned themselves in blankets while another, an earth mare with a blue mane that had pink highlights (or perhaps pink with blue highlights), fed the fireplace to heat the room up even more.
“So...” Bon Bon started, but patiently stopped as the other unicorn sneezed and gave a loud sniff. Bon Bon waited, then shook her head. “So, um, you can stay here for a while, Trixie. You shouldn’t be outside with that cold.”
“Trixie is well aware of that. She wouldn’t have to deal with this if she wasn’t blasted with a snow cannon.” The blue unicorn interrupted, sniffing.
Bon Bon winced, but nodded. “Um... right, sorry about that... again... erm... again. I got carried away. Lyra doesn’t usually agitate me so much.” The seafoam colored unicorn stuck her tongue out in response to her name being said. “I should have been the bigger mare in the snowball fight.”
“Yeah, you should have!” Lyra yelled (croaked, more like). “I’m totally the victim here too, you know!” She sniffed and buried herself in the mountain fortress of quilts.
Trixie took another sip of her cocoa. She felt no pity for the loud, drinkless unicorn next to her. “The GREAT and-” Trixie coughed and sneezed, then grumbled. “Trixie would like to know what exactly led to THIS.” She motioned to herself.
Lyra poked her head out from under the blankets. “Bon Bon doesn’t have a sense of humor and turned one snowball into the Frozen North. Yay.” She fell back, getting swallowed by the blankets again.
Trixie rolled her eyes and looked at Bon Bon, the slightly saner of the two ponies whose home she had unwillingly occupied. Bon Bon winced again at the glare she got, then began. “Well, okay, I guess you deserve to know, even if it’s completely embarrassing...”
Bon Bon smiled to herself as she closed the register. Another day done, and no odd shenanigans or distractions or filly trios asking for free samples to ruin her business. So far, this winter was turning out to be a good one. She took stock of her candy and counted up the receipts with the profits, giving a satisfactory nod as everything checked out.
As her back was turned, however, the sound of a mare giving a yelp and crashing into her counter was enough to tell her that her week had reached its high point. She turned around to see none other than Lyra, crumpled up on her counter and groaning. “Lyra, I was just about to close up shop for the day. Why are you here?” Bon Bon said with nary a hint of concern as she stepped to the other side of the counter, grabbing her scarf and hat. “And where’s your clothes, it’s freezing outside.”
Lyra shook herself out of her daze. “Um... I forgot them at home.”
“You forgot them at home.” Bon Bon repeated, fastening her snow-boots.
Lyra blushed. “Yes.”
“So you came here, in the ice and snow, wearing nothing.”
“Yes.”
“Why?” Bon Bon said, taking a few steps to make sure her boots were properly placed. Wouldn’t want to slip after all.
“I got lonely?” Lyra whimpered. “On the bright side, I got here in record time with all the ice...!”
Bon-Bon gently rubbed her forehead, wincing as she had hit it far too hard with that facehoof. “You really need a new hobby. Especially since you keep breaking your lyres.”
“Maybe.” Lyra offered.
Bon-Bon fetched her saddlebags, pulling the store keys out and clasping the bag closed once again. “Honestly I’m impressed you managed to slide perfectly through the door and into the counter.”
“Hehe, thanks!” Lyra smiled wide.
“You’re still dumb, though, now come on, let’s go for a walk.”
“Wh-what? But I’m unprepared!” Lyra protested, smile turning into a frown.
“Well you can stay here and get locked in the store while I go do some last minute shopping. Alone. With nothing to entertain you” Bon Bon smirked.
“M-must you punish me for my obvious mistakes?” Lyra sniffled.
“Yes. I must. It is sworn my duty.” Bon Bon stepped outside, the sound of slush getting crushed under her boots and a cool chill breezing through her mane confirming her decision to actually leave her store-slash-house. She jingled her keys in front of the door. “I’m leeeeaving, Lyra~”
Lyra sulked as she stepped outside, shivering. “This is unhealthy.”
“Probably.” Bon Bon shrugged, making her way towards the market. Lyra frowned, trudging after her cruel and merciless faithful companion. She stared at the ground, following Bon Bon’s hoofprints, lifting her head up to see, with little surprise, Bon Bon still walking ahead of her. She stopped in her steps, then grinned sinisterly, using her magic.
Bon Bon stepped forward in a steady rhythm, humming a small song to herself that matched the rhythm. No setbacks so far. Perhaps she had overreacted, she’d been doing that alot. Today was a good day.
And that’s when the first snowball hit her right in the flank. She gave a startled ‘eek’ from the ice, turning around and glaring at her assaulter.
And that’s when the second snowball hit. Right on her forehead. Bon Bon yelped and wiped the cold slush off of her face. “Lyra!” She growled, glaring at the unicorn, whose horn was alight, the same color as the magic surrounding the snowballs hovering behind her threateningly.
Bon Bon, on the inside, hoped the yellow was just from Lyra’s magic. “You wouldn’t dare throw that at me.”
Lyra laughed mockingly. “I would! And I did!” She launched another snowball at Bon Bon, who dodged swiftly. “Now we can BOTH be cold on this little trip of yours!”
Bon Bon glared at Lyra, then gave a ‘hmph’ and turned around. Lyra laughed victoriously and let go of the snowballs. Bon Bon took this opportunity to kick a mound of snow right at Lyra, drenching her in icy slush. “Ack! Bons!” Lyra shivered and shook the snow off of her, then growled. “This means war, you know.” She prepared her magic.
Bon Bon took a battle stance, scuffing the snow-covered ground with her hoof. “You’re going to lose.”
Lyra smirked, and Bon Bon took a nervous step back at what the unicorn had in store for her. “I don’t plan on it!” She unleashed her barrage of snowballs on the earth mare.
Bon Bon jumped out of the way of the first few snowballs, and as Lyra aimed ahead of her, she began swerving to avoid the shots, scooping up a ball with one hoof and making her way closer to Lyra.
Lyra stepped back, sweat (and maybe a little bit of ice water) dripping down her brow as she doubled the power of her snow barrage. She continued stumbling backwards as Bon Bon got closer and closer, panting, the missed shots taking their toll on the unicorn. She hadn’t expected Bon Bon to take this so seriously, she knew how... dedicated Bons could get when she set a goal for herself.
And currently, that goal involved a snow-Lyra.
Lyra gave a gasp as Bon Bon was in her face, grinning as she tossed the snowball between her forelegs. “Just about done, Lyra?”
Lyra glanced around nervously, then gave a small gasp and grinned. “Just one more thing.” She said, her horn already glowing.
Bon Bon frowned. “Really, Lyra? Give up and take your punishment! I win!”
Lyra smirked, a shadow hovering above the two mares. “I have one last tactic!”
Bon Bon looked up, and dropped her snowball. “You wouldn’t.”
“I would.”
“Lyra... this... if you do this...”
“I’m prepared to take you with me.”
“Lyra! Seriously! No! Bad! I swear if you go through with this I’ll...”
“You’ll what?”
“I won’t make you any cocoa when we get to your house.”
Now it was Lyra’s turn to reel back in shock. “YOU wouldn’t!”
“I would, Lyra!”
Lyra winced, then considered her options. She sighed, eliciting a smile from Bon Bon, then smirked, which got the opposite expression from the earth mare. “Worth it.”
And then they were crushed underneath a giant snowball. Many passersby stopped to stare at the sight, a few kind ponies even going over and trying to dig the two mares out after neither emerged a few seconds later.
A sense of dread and impending doom filled the surrounding ponies as they stepped away from the eerily silent snow pile, watching, waiting for something that just wasn’t coming. Something shook in the pile, and a few brave ponies went for a closer look.
This was the very moment a (very damp) Lyra chose to charge out of the pile. “Everypony run she’s gone mad! Aaaaaaah!” She screeched, leaving several knocked over confused ponies in winter gear in her wake. They all looked between her and the snow pile, giving each other confused looks and murmurs.
They all panicked as the ground shook beneath their hooves, ponies that weren’t even paying attention to the event ran into the nearest building, whether it was a store or home, for safety.
Bon Bon charged out of the snow pile, knocking innocent ponies into the air and walls as she growled. “Lyyyyyyyyyyyraaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!” She screeched demonically, steam practically venting through her nostrils. “Get back heeeeeeeeeeeeeere!!”
Lyra shook in her hiding place behind the corner at the end of the street, panting, catching her breath and shaking, both in fear and to remind herself that, yes, it was still the middle of winter and she was drenched in ice water and slush. She wiped a bit of snow off her muzzle and peeked around the corner, gasping as she saw a VERY enraged Bon Bon running straight for her. “Oh sweet Celestia what I have done.” She muttered, quickly running down the road, looking for cover.
She dived behind a lamp post, gathering some snow for the upcoming attack that she just knew was coming. She caught her breath, horn fizzling as it worked for its already exhausted master. She noticed a familiar pony looking at her nearby.
“Uh... Lyra?” Carrot Top asked.
“Oh... h... hi, Carrot.” Lyra gave a nervous smile, gathering up another 3 snowballs. “Lovely day, isn’t it?”
“...Yeah... um... what are you doing?”
“Oh... yo... you know...” She stared at the street corner, a sense of dread filling her as she prepared a barricade, using the lamp post as a base. “Just a snowball fight.”
And that’s when an enraged earth mare skidded around the corner, charging towards Lyra. Carrot Top screeched and (probably for the better) dived for cover in an alley, meanwhile Lyra launched a barrage of snowballs at the charging mare, trying to slow her down or trip her up or pretty much ANYTHING at this point.
But no, this only made her go FASTER. Lyra quickly abandoned her strategy and continued running down the street. Behind her she heard the sounds of metal being ripped out of dirt and concrete, and this only motivated her to keep running.
….........
Carrot Top stepped out of the alley, brushing the snow off of her clothes and shopping bags, watching the two ponies chase each other down the street and around the corner. “Goodness...” She screeched and jumped back into the alley as a lamp post smashed the ground right at her hooves.
….............
Lyra ran passed Sugarcube Corner, gasping for breath, slowing her pace. It had been silent behind her. A part of her told her this wasn’t a good thing. The rest of her told it to shut up before she collapsed. “C-curse... my... couch... augh...” She leaned on a wall, shivering. “Curse this cold! Curse that Bon Bon! Curse everything!” She whined, panting heavily.
Lyra froze in her spot as a noise rang out in Sugarcube Corner, the sounds of ponies screaming, a surprisingly angry, familiar, high pitched scream standing out. She dared turn around to see what was happening.
Bon Bon jumped out the window of Sugarcube Corner, a cannon in her hooves, and a VERY unamused Pinkie on her tail. “LYRA!!!!” She growled, wheeling the cannon towards the unicorn.
“Oh sweet Celestia that just isn’t fair!” She gasped and ran away, face red from all the running. She yelped as a giant snowball sailed over her head, putting an indent in a lamp post. Lyra inwardly lamented; all this property damage meant she wasn’t getting a new lyre any time soon, for sure.
“HEY! That cannon is for parties and parties only! Not revenge and revenge only!” Pinkie cried out, Lyra barely hearing her over her own pained grunts.
….........................
Trixie flipped a page in the book lying on the bench with her. She adjusted her cape, inwardly thanking her (GREAT and POWERFUL) self for having it enchanted to protect her from the weather. She lifted her book, exposing the cover, ‘DEALING WITH PONIES YOU CAN’T STAND’. She smiled (an oddly peaceful smile) as she flipped another page.
A shadow was cast over her book for a second. She frowned and looked around, and saw a very messy looking minty unicorn hiding behind her bench. “WHAT in the WORLD are you doing?”
“Shhhhhhhhhhh!” Lyra motioned to Trixie, shaking her soaked head.
This, of course, only made Trixie more annoyed. “Can you do... whatever it is you are doing somewhere else? Trixie is reading a VERY good book.” Trixie shuddered and muttered to herself “Ugh, Trixie is becoming Twilight...” before going back to her book.
She only read a word before she heard the other unicorn give an annoying ‘yelp’ and start shivering. She grimaced and turned to Lyra, watching her shiver, although Trixie couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or not. Her ears twitched as she heard hoofsteps, and turned to see a very... unsettling looking mare staring in her direction. What made it really unsettling, however, was the large cannon she had aimed at her. “Wh-wha? Um, if this is about Trixie’s last show, she must let you know that she already paid for the property damage caused by the fireworks!” The blue unicorn said, shielding her face with her book.
The earth mare growled in response. A pink pony bounced over to her side. “Hey! I saaaaaaaaaid give me back my party cannon!” She whined, frowning. This did little to ease the tension in the air.
“B-Bon Bon, ahaha... I’m sorry about the snow, okay? Now... um... just give Pinkie the cannon and we can go back home, hahaha... please? I give up! You totally win! I bow to your frosty might, girl!”
Bon Bon aimed the cannon at Trixie and Lyra. Lyra, in a last ditch effort, grabbed a hold of Trixie and used her as a pony-shield. “Y-you wouldn’t get an innocent involved! Right, Bon Bon? You’re better than that!”
Trixie gasped and glared back at Lyra. “You MUST be joking! Unhand Trixie at once, you crazy mare!” she exclaimed, trying to worm out of the mint unicorn’s grasp.
“Gimme back my cannon!” Pinkie whined.
Bon Bon glared at Lyra. “Lyra...”
“Wh-what, Bon Bon?” Lyra gulped, clutching Trixie tightly, much to her protests.
Bon Bon grinned sinisterly, aiming the cannon. “I win.”
Lyra and Trixie both winced, and exchanged last words. “Tell my parents I loved them.” Lyra cried.
“Trixie will tell them you went out a dirty coward.” Trixie growled.
The cannon fired, engulfing the two unicorns in snow.
Trixie sneezed and grumbled. Bon Bon gulped. “And that’s pretty much how it went. Um. Besides the part where Pinkie took her cannon back, banned me from Sugarcube for a month, and I dragged you two to Lyra’s house.” She muttered. “I never did get the shopping done either, oh well...”
Lyra climbed back out of her quilt pile, her mane matted down. “So yeah. Bon Bon took one snowball and turned it into destroying lamp posts and thievery.”
“I apologized at least, Lyra!”
“Not to me!”
“Cause you started it!”
“Well you enabled it!”
“Shut up Lyra!”
“No!”
“Both of you SILENCE!” Trixie screamed, taking a sip and giving an unpleasant noise, the cocoa having gone cold somewhere along the story. Bon Bon took the mug into the kitchen and prepared another cup for Trixie, returning to the room in the meantime. Trixie thanked her before continuing “You are both at fault here. Really. Just... ugh. Trixie hopes you plan on paying for that book because she certainly will NOT go to Twilight with that responsibility. Even the GREAT and-” Another sneeze “POWERFUL Trixie can’t handle THAT level of crazy.”
Bon Bon sighed and nodded. “I-I’ll pay for it. And you can sleep he-” Lyra groaned. “...at my house until you get better, Trixie. It’s the least I can do for... um... you know, shooting you.” She winced.
“Hmph. Trixie supposes that will do for now.” The blue unicorn stuck her nose up in the air as Lyra fainted back into her fortress of warmth. She grinned. “However, Trixie must warn you both.” The two other mares in the room glanced at Trixie, eyebrows raised.
“Once the GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie feels better from this... minor distraction, she’ll just have to show BOTH of you ponies how a REAL snowball fight goes down.” Lyra and Bon Bon traded glances, then gulped nervously.
It was an average winter, for all involved.
-THE END-
