Sweet Sweet Music - Chapter One
First Impressions
It all started on a day like any other. BonBon had got up early, as per usual, and set up her sweet shop just off the main high-street of Ponyville. With the bell at the front of the shop to announce any customers, BonBon was busy in the back carefully tempering a batch of milk chocolate made of the finest ingredients available in Equestria.
These ingredients, combined with BonBon’s innate skill at crafting sweets, were the reason that BonBon’s Confectionary Emporium was well known as one of the finest provider of fine sweets outside of Canterlot.
BonBon had just finished the batch and was about to prepare a second batch when she heard the doorbell ring, signalling a customer had just entered. BonBon quickly removed her hairnet with her hooves and then used her teeth to remove the overalls, which she wore to avoid getting any mess on her coat. Finally, before heading through to the front of the shop, Bonbon peered through the magic viewing glass installed by the door, which gave her a perfect view of the inside of her shop.
Through the enchanted mirror BonBon could see that the customer was a mint-green unicorn with an unstyled mane striped white and a very pale blue-green. The mare was wearing a large pair of saddlebags, slightly straining at it’s fastenings with it’s contents, and floated a black case of some sort next to her by magic.
BonBon’s mind processed this information on a business level.
Profession: Professional something judging by the stylish black case
Hometown: Canterlot, Manehatten or other similar location based on the way she held herself
Age: Mid-twenties at a guess though she seemed to have an extremely youthful air.
Current Status: Looking fairly well fed, well rested and well outfitted
Overall: If played right this mare could earn BonBon a nice few bits
BonBon took a few moments to prepare herself for sales, working up a smile that she had spent years mastering. Finally ready, she pushed open the door to the shop floor.
On entering the front of House BonBon was greeted with a gentle and very tuneful humming emanating from the minty mare. BonBon would have usually started on introductions and asking the mare if she wanted any help, however the music that came from the customers throat was just too good to interrupt. Finally however the mare turned around in the course of her browsing and spotted BonBon.
“Oh, hi there.” said the mare, her voice had a happy almost tuneful lilt to it; perhaps the vague hint of a Shirish accent. “I didn’t see you standing there, m’names Lyra Heartstrings and I was just admiring all your wonderful looking sweets.”
Broken out of her trance BonBon quickly shook herself and responded, “Hello there, I’m BonBon and this is my little world of wonder known as BonBon’s Confectionary Emporium. Nearly all that you see before you are hoof-made by myself to the highest standards in all of Equestria, please let me know if I can be of assistance”
“Nearly all?” queried Lyra.
“Well the candy canes that you see over there are made by my new apprentice, despite her young age she is turning out to be quite the confectioner.”
Lyra seemed happy with this and went over to investigate the candy canes. Before reaching the canes however her attention was drawn to some mint drops, and before reaching these her attention was caught by the sugar mice. This cycle repeated itself as she bounced from item to item, the net effect of which was that she walk herself round in a circle. BonBon had to try hard to suppress her giggles at the mares filly like attention span.
Lyra was getting confused with so much choice feeling, quite literally, like a young filly in a sweet shop. Turning to BonBon she said “Errr. I’ve kinda got too much choice here, what would you suggest?”
“Well it depends what you’re into. If you are a big fan of chocolate then I would suggest some of my finest range of singular chocolates in a wide range of flavours.” BonBon replied indicating one display cabinet. “Or if you prefer hard candies then I have the selection over to your right including lemon drops, mint humbugs and assorted flower pastilles. However if you wanted my honest opinion of single most delicious sweet in this whole town; I would tell you it was these bonbons you see before me.
“Each of these bonbons is lovingly hoof crafted with a soft chewy sweet interior covered by a layer of my finest chocolate, finished off with a crisp outer shell before being lovingly and individually wrapped in fine foil. These are my finest creations and my ultimate passion when it comes to sweets.” BonBon reeled off her sales pitch by heart, and judging by the slack jawed almost drooling expression before her it had worked.
“So have you come to a decision?” BonBon enquired after a couple of moment silence.
This time it was Lyra’s turn to shake herself back to reality. Quickly setting down the case she had absentmindedly been levitating she now pulled out a small money pouch from one bag and upturned it; catching the coins that fell out in her telekinetic grip. The amount of coins that actually came out of the purse was rather small and after a moment Lyra asked “How many of those bonbons can I get for eight bits and seventy three cents?”
BonBon was about to respond when she caught herself. Taking another look over the bits in midair she cleared her throat and said “Is that all of your money?”
Lyra, looking sheepish and a bit upset at the comment replied “Well... yeah... I mean there were these bags and then train was more expensive than I thought and...” She lapsed into silence for a moment before continuing in a more irate tone “Anyway it doesn’t matter how much money I have. I will spend my money how I wish. How much for the bonbons?”
“They are a bit apiece or five for four bits. I’m sorry for...”
“Save it. I’ll take ten of those bonbons and less backchat.” Lyra said tersely slinging four bits down on the counter. Canterlot indeed thought BonBon.
Meekly BonBon put the bonbons in a bag and handed them to the mare across from her, all the while cursing her blunt manner for getting her into yet another awkward situation. 'Not that it was entirely my fault,' she muttered inwardly, 'that snooty mare didn’t have to be so uptight.'
As soon as Lyra had received the sweets she abruptly turned on the spot, picked up her black case and left the shop. BonBon watched as she quickly trotted away past the storefront and towards the town centre. 'Good riddance!' she thought.
Shaking her head BonBon slipped into the back room to continue her work on the sweets. Before long she was engrossed in her work and didn’t realise as she started to hum out a tune she had heard for the first time only a few minutes before.
Happily humming she slaved away over chocolate, candy, nougat and all other manner of sweet treats lost in her own little world. Little did she know that today’s excitement was far from over and that her chance encounter with one mint green unicorn mare would turn her life upside down.