Part 2
Throughout spring, Ponyville had become a hub of hustle and bustle for out-of-towners on their way to or from Canterlot. Despite the short walk to the capital, ponies came from miles around to spend the night in Ponyville. As the spring faded into summer, the visitors from out of town began to wane, and Ponyville again became the sleepy village that it had always been. The business owners of Ponyville were sad to see the ponies and their bits go, but they were thankful that the work had returned to a normal pace. It was about a week after everypony had left that the mail orders began rolling in to again fill the registers of Ponyville with business.
Flush with bits, Bon-Bon opted to expand her candy shop by adding a new wrapping machine. In doing so, she found that she cut her finish time by a quarter. By lowering her prices she made even more by selling sweets at a discount than she had at full price. Sure, she was busier than ever, and maybe she had overextended herself a hair, but, if her math was right, it would all be worth it.
Lyra too had become unusually busy in the past few month, with demands for her performances coming in from all over Equestria. While she was happy to be performing in so many new places and in front so many new ponies, she was forced to leave Bon-Bon behind to travel to far off places. After all, there was a candy shop to run and a home to maintain. The past few months had left them strangers passing in the night, but much like a treat delayed, it made the time they spent together that much sweeter.
“Miss Bon-Bon?” called a lispy voice from the kitchen. Bon-Bon snapped from her thoughts and turned to face the curly haired filly. “Your taffy is burning.”
“That’s silly Twist,” said Bon-Bon. “I took the taffy off the stove an hour ago, and…”
She looked above Twist to see that her taffy puller vibrated with an alarming grind. The taffy itself was engulfed in flames, scorching the metal frame of the machine. Bon-Bon dashed to the grab the fire extinguisher off the wall. She turned the canister over a few times in her hooves before pulling the pin. The crackle of freezing taffy and the hiss of frigid gas drowned the shrieking of the smoke detector in the background.
Bon-Bon stared at the machine in disbelief. Her perfect safety record lay ruined by a faulty puller and now an entire day’s worth of work lay in a burnt and frozen mess. She slammed the fire extinguisher to the ground and let loose a torrent of profanity.
“What does ‘horn-polishing-son-of-a-nag’ mean, Miss Bon-Bon?”
Bon-Bon bit her tongue and put a hoof to her mouth. She had forgotten Twist was still standing there. She turned to her assistant with a weak smile.
“Nothing, dear,” said Bon-Bon. “Have some sweets and go home. Please don’t tell your mother I said that.” Twist only shrugged and helped herself to some licorice whips on her way out the door.
Bon-Bon wiped a bead of sweat from her brow and stared at the puller in disbelief. There was no way for it to fail like that, and she hadn’t done anything different from the last time she had used it. The puller had been worked on the other day and now it was completely destroyed. She kicked the machine with another burst of obscenities.
This nightmare, combined with the expenses of her minor expansion, meant even less for the wedding fund. Their joint account was already dangerously low on bits because Lyra hadn’t gotten paid in two months and they had been living day to day on the candy shop’s profits. Bon-Bon only hoped they had enough to cover their mortgage until Lyra got paid.
“...and then Bon-Bon starts screaming at Mom and Dad, and scares them halfway back to Canterlot,” said Lyra.
“My word,” said Ceaser. “Your little candy-maker is quite the ball of fire.”
“That’s why I love her,” said Lyra. “I know you don’t care for her because she’s a commoner, but she makes me happy.”
“That’s really all that matters,” said Caeser.
“I’ve already gotten quite a few nasty letters from some of the upper castes about the whole thing. One of them even tried to set me up on a date with Blueblood!” She shook her head. “I’m really kind of surprised that you of all ponies aren’t up in arms about the whole ‘commoner’ thing.”
Caesar only chuckled. “Oh, I got over that a long time ago,” said Caesar. “It really doesn’t matter now. Those aristocratic twits are just hanging on to the last vestiges of power before they’re swept away into the dust bin of history. At least the younger generations has a choice of who they choose to spend their lives with. Even if your Bon-Bon is commoner and a mare, wherever you find love is just fine with me.”
“You sure you don’t want an invitation?” asked Lyra. “We’d be honored to have you there.”
“No, I’m afraid I really can’t,” said Ceaser, “I’m off as an envoy to the griffin lands for the next few months.” He put a hoof to his head and, with a dramatic sigh, looked to the ceiling. “Such are the trappings of the upper echelons of nobility, my dear Lyra. Be glad you’re not part of them.” He flashed a winning smile and stood to greet the grey earth pony that had come to join them.
“My lord,” said the pony. “Princess Celestia requests your presences at the castle this evening.”
“Very good,” said Caesar. “Would you care to join me, Lyra? I’m sure the Princess Celestia would be more than happy to meet a musician of your caliber.”
“I appreciate the offer,” said Lyra. “But a friend of mine is waiting for me just a couple blocks away at the Palace Shadow Cafe.”
“Very well then,” said Caesar. “I’ll look into making sure you get paid properly. I haven’t any idea why your checks have been getting delayed, and with the wedding, I'm sure you’re going to need every last bit."
The two nobles walked through the majestic halls of Caesar's manner among the staring eyes of a hundred pony portraits. Lyra felt as if they were all watching her and judging with their painted stares. She turned away from their unmoving gaze, and tried to ignore them as they approached the foyer.
"No matter what, don’t let the nobles get you down," said Caesar. "Look at these portraits. They're all miserable because they had arranged marriages to ponies they hated. What you have is true love, and that is a miracle. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is an unhappy fool with an axe to grind.”
Lyra walked from Caesars estate, happier than she had been in weeks. The pep talk from had left her with a clear head and a warm smile. Of all the ponies she could have asked for advice in dealing with nobility, Caesar was the one she knew would give her the straightest answers.
After a short walk, Lyra came to a small café along the streets of Canterlot. Soups and sandwiches floated in the air as unicorns snacked on their mid day meals. A grey earth pony sat near the kitchen, trying to grab the attention of any waiter to no avail. They simply walked by her, their platters of sandwiches floating on trays before them.
Lyra trotted over to the pony and stood at her table. “Hi, ‘Tavi.”
“Thank Celestia you’re here,” said Octavia. “I’ve been waiting for a half an hour and I haven’t even seen a waiter so much as slow down.” She shook a hoof at a passing waiter. “I’ve got money too, you jerks! My bits spend the same as anypony else’s!
“You just don’t know how to flag someone down in this joint,” said Lyra. “Allow me.”
Lyra stuck her hoof out from beneath the table to catch the leg of a passing waiter. The waiter flailed, trying to keep his balance. The tray wobbled in the air and clattered to the mare’s table. Octavia raised a brow at Lyra, who had already started eating.
“What?” asked Lyra with a mouthful of sandwich. “It’s legit.” She turned to the waiter, who had started to pick himself off the ground. “Two glasses of tea for us, thanks.” She turned back to Octavia. “Anyway, I asked you here to give you your invitation.”
Lyra floated a heart-shaped piece of dark chocolate from her bag. The wrapper was cleverly embossed with hearts and underneath, imprinted on the candy, was the date of the wedding and all the relevant information that a pony would need to attend. Octavia looked at the invitation, then back to Lyra.
“You’re kidding me,” said Octavia. “It’s an adorable idea, but how am I supposed to not eat this?”
“Well, the wrapper is also an invitation,” said Lyra. “So unless you eat that too…”
“You two are the most nauseatingly adorable couple in Equestria,” said Octavia. “Why can’t I meet a nice young stallion who will sweep me off my feet and shower me with candy?”
“Because the ratio of mares to stallions is something like eight to one,” said Lyra. “Don’t worry, ‘Tavi. Your soul mate is out there. Maybe if you got out of the house more often, you’d find him. Or her.” Lyra affixed a sly grin. “Maybe you’ll meet somepony at the wedding. After you’re done performing, of course.”
“You want my ensemble to perform at your wedding?” asked Octavia. “I’m so honored that you’d consider us.”
“I just figured you’d do it on the cheap,” said Lyra.
Octavia answered by throwing a roll at her friend.
“So that’s a yes?”
“Of course,” said Octavia. “I know you’ve been having money troubles recently, so consider it a wedding gift.”
Lyra looked down at her sandwich with an embarrassed blush. “I didn’t think anypony knew about that,” she said.
“We all know about it,” said Octavia. “I know you got stiffed for your last six concerts. That’s got everypony worried that they’re not going to get paid either.” Octavia looked over her shoulder, then back to Lyra. “If you need money…”
“I can’t borrow anything from you,” said Lyra. “That’s the fastest way to lose a friend.”
“FOREVER!” shouted Pinkie Pie.
Lyra nearly flipped backward over her cushion at the sudden appearance of her wedding planner. She sat wheezing on the floor as Pinkie’s thousand watt smile beamed down upon her like a spotlight of maniacal hope.
“Where did you come from?” asked Octavia.
“Well, when a mommy pony and a daddy pony love each other very much…” Pinkie started. Octavia only sighed as she helped Lyra back to her feet. “I was making a delivery in Canterlot and then I was going to go to some of the wedding shops here to get some more ideas. Then I saw you two in the window and…”
“I can’t believe she hired you,” said Octavia.
“Well, duh,” said Pinkie. She tousled Octavia’s ebony mane. “I’m the best at parties. Why wouldn’t she hire me?”
“You could start by not scaring the living daylights out of me,” muttered Lyra. “I was getting ready to head back to Ponyville. Would you care to walk with me?”
“That sounds like super fun!” said Pinkie. “I can tell you all these great ideas I’ve been having about your wedding. You should invite more people. Why not everypony here?” She stood on her back hooves and bellowed to the restaurant. “Hey everypony! Who wants to come to a wedding?”
Lyra grabbed Pinkie by the scruff of her neck and forced her onto a nearby cushion. Pinkie opened her mouth to protest, but was met with a hoofful of bread. Despite the mouthful of bread, she continued to try to expound on the virtues of attending the biggest wedding in Ponyville history.
“I’m sure all these classy ponies wouldn’t want anything to do with a little old Ponyville wedding,’ said Lyra. “So let’s not bother them and head home instead, shall we?”
The message seemed to dawn on Pinkie Pie as the crowd stared at the two ponies. She nodded and swallowed her bread.
“I’ll see you later ‘Tavi,” said Lyra. “Say goodbye, Pinkie Pie.”
“Goodbye, Pinkie Pie!”
“That’s funny,” said Pokey. The reservations that had arrived in the mail earlier that day floated to the schedule book he kept on the back wall. Pokey scanned between the two. He grumbled a bit, and tossed the papers to the side.
A knock on the back door distracted him from the book. The door opened to reveal Carrot Top, all smiles and curls, wheeling a crate full of carrots. Pokey floated the reservations up to her face.
“Does this say what I think it does?” asked Pokey. Carrot Top looked at the slips for a moment, then over them at Pokey.
“You really should really learn to read better one of these days,” said Carrot Top. “But it appears that you’ve overbooked yourself for the third weekend of August. According to these reservations, you’ve got six catering contracts for that day, not including Lyra’s wedding.”
“Look at these numbers,” said Pokey. “They’re offering me triple what I normally charge.” The reservations floated back down to the scheduling book. “I’d be stomping my own hoof if I turned down one of these for Lyra’s wedding, and it’s not as if she actually booked me for that day. I mean, she hasn’t put a deposit down and she did say they might have to make payments…” He looked over his books again. “Carrot Top, what should I do?”
“Seriously?” asked Carrot Top. “You can’t be considering canceling on their wedding. Think of how disappointed Lyra will be if her favorite chef isn’t there with all their favorite dishes. Think about how disappointed she’ll be if you’re not there to see her and Bon-Bon get married. There’s no way you should let a little thing like money get in the way of a friendship.”
Pokey hoofed at the ground with a guilty cough. “Well, that’s just it,” said Pokey. “I kind of need the money…”
“Not her again,” groaned Carrot Top. “You’ve got to stop loaning Trixie money! I know she’s your sister and all, but she never pays you back. Heck, even when she was in town a couple weeks ago, what did she do? She ate at your restaurant, she parked her wagon on your lawn, and then she left the remains of it for you to clean up.” Carrot Top hefted the crate of carrots to her back and came inside. “Look, I’ve got a deadbeat uncle who does the same thing. Breezes into town, eats all my food, and leaves a mess for me to clean up. I mean, Derpy does that already. It’s not like she needs the help.”
She threw open the walk-in refrigerator to find a grey pegasus standing behind the door. With a shriek, the crate crashed from Carrot Top’s back, spilling carrots all over the floor. Carrot Top pinned herself to the wall, clutching her chest. Derpy’s saddle bags overflowed with vegetables and sauce containers. She pointed to the empty shelving.
“I emptied your fridge,” she said.
“Why in the name of Equestria is Derpy in your refrigerator?” demanded Carrot Top.
“She’s delivering leftovers to the school,” said Pokey. “Thanks Derpy. Be sure to take some muffins for yourself and Dinky.” The carrots floated from the floor and to the sink with a wave of Pokey’s horn. “Look, Trixie is family,” continued Pokey. “And where I come from, you don’t abandon your family.”
Carrot Top only moaned in aggravation. “Talking to you is like pounding your head into a wall,” said Carrot Top. “You are the most bull-headed stallion I’ve ever met. You never give up on anything, even if it’s a lost cause. Your sister, your job, your various failed relationships…”
“Did you need something else or are you just going to berate me for my life choices?” asked Pokey.
Carrot Top paused a moment. “Actually, there was something else,” said Carrot Top. “Pinkie wanted us all to meet this evening around eleven to discuss plans for the wedding. Something about reservations. Berry will bring the wine, if you’ll be so kind as to bring snacks.”
“Got it,” said Pokey. “Anything else?”
Carrot looked around a moment. She started to say something, but stopped herself. She shook her head and held a hoof to her lips.
“I’ll tell you later,” she mumbled. “Remember: eleven o’clock. Sugar Cube corner.”
As Carrot Top’s cart rolled away from Balloon’s Cafe, she paused to glance inside the majesty that was Carousel Boutique. Inside, Rarity hummed to herself, while Sweetie Bell scribbled something on a scroll. Surrounding the sisters were a pile of orders and finished garments that had poured in over the past few weeks. The last of the dresses floated to its box.
“And done,” said Rarity. A handkerchief floated to dab a drop of glistening sweat from her brow. “Are you finished with those numbers Sweetie Belle?”
“Almost,” said Sweetie Belle. She tapped a pencil against her chin for a moment before turning back to her sister. “I give up. What’s a four letter word for a baby horse?” The handkerchief fell to the ground and Rarity looked down at the scroll her little sister was writing on. The crossword puzzle was mostly filled in, though most of the simpler words had been left blank. Rarity simply shook her head and trotted to her register.
“Never mind then,” said Rarity. She looked over a few receipts as they floated from the register. “That was the last of the paid orders; now I can get started on the unpaid ones. Now if I could just find Lyra’s order... “
“Oh, Miss Bon-Bon stopped by earlier today and asked if she could have some more time to pay for their dresses,” said Sweetie Belle. “She said something about a taffy puller and she was covered in soot.” Rarity stared at her sister for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to believe her.
“I’m going to run down to Bon-Bon’s,” she said after a moment. “Look after any customers for me, would you?” Sweetie Belle only nodded as she continued with her crossword.
The sun beat down upon the streets of Ponyville, bringing with it the familiar warmth of summer and a glisten to Rarity’s mane. She walked through the city center, and toward the candy shop. Bon-Bon wasn’t known for being tardy with payments and although she rarely purchased anything from Carousel Boutique, her good credit had been widely accepted all over town.
Rarity rounded the alley to find Bon-Bon dragging a scorched piece of machinery from her kitchen. The machine flipped end over end into the alleyway just ahead of Rarity’s hooves. Bon-Bon dented the machine’s cover with a swift kick before unleashing a verbal tirade that left Rarity’s jaw slack in horror. Bon-Bon reared back to kick the machine again when she noticed Rarity standing there in shock. Bon-Bon dropped back to her hooves.
“Didn’t see you there,” said Bon-Bon with a weak smile. “Um… wonderful afternoon we’re having isn’t it?” Rarity’s eyes glanced at the battered machine, then back to Bon-Bon. “Can I get you something? Peppermint stick? Lemon drop? I’m afraid fresh taffy is out of the question because this,” she kicked the machine again, “bucking thing is broken.”
Rarity took a step back from the mare. Bon-Bon was known for her sweet nature but relatively short fuse and it appeared that whatever that thing was that she was kicking had set her off. Bon-Bon’s mane, normally curled and elegant despite her long hours in the kitchen, now resembled a pink and indigo rat’s nest of tangles and taffy.
“I can see this isn’t a good time,” said Rarity. “I’ll just come back…”
“No, no, please come in,” said Bon-Bon. “Let me get you some coffee and a sweet. My coffee maker still works.” She glared into the kitchen with eyes twitching. “At least, it had better be working.”
The gurgle of brewing coffee was the only healthy sound coming from the kitchen as the two mares entered. Half of the electrical appliances were sparking like some sort of vicious telsa coil, while the other half were smoking craters of wires and enamel. A pile of discarded fire extinguishers littered the kitchen floor and several large wrenches hung from the pipes along the ceiling. With a shaking hoof, Bon-Bon poured cups of coffee for herself and Rarity.
“Had some trouble here today,” she said. “Seems like everything gone on the fritz all at once.” She giggled with a sort of nervous laughter as she spooned sugar into her mug. “When the stove started shooting flames at the ceiling, I figured it was probably a good idea to call it quits for the day.” She continued to spoon sugar as she talked. “But other than that, it’s been great. I mean, I have to basically replace every piece of equipment I have, and I’m going to be closed for a few days for repairs, but I can handle it. I’ll be fine.” Her cup overflowed with sugar. “Just fine. Sugar for your coffee?”
“Um, none, thank you,” said Rarity, eyeing Bon-Bon’s sugar filled mug. “I came to ask about your dress, but I think…”
“Ah, yes,” said Bon-Bon, taking a sip. “I’ll, um…” She looked down at her mug, then back at Rarity as tears filled her eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Rarity,” sobbed Bon-Bon. “I’ll get your bits as soon as I can. It’s just… I sank everything I had into expanding because we were doing so well. Bits were rolling in and I thought we had enough for it all. But Lyra hasn’t gotten paid in months despite all the shows that she’s been putting on, and to top it off, all my new equipment has been breaking down on me, and…” Her face froze in horror as the realization dawned on her. “Oh goddess, I can’t even afford to book the preacher! Rarity, I can’t afford to get married! What am I going to do?”
“Bon-Bon, calm yourself,” said Rarity. “I’m sure that it’s not that bad. Even if you can’t afford the trappings of a Pinkie-planned party, you can still get married in the park by the Mayor.”
“That’s just it!” wailed Bon-Bon. “The park is booked solid for the next three months! Every chapel within a hundred miles is full up for weeks. Our wonderful Mayor got called away to Canterlot, and no one has seen her in a week. I can’t even find a real priest to marry us.” Bon-Bon slumped to a sit amid sobs of defeat.
“Uh…” Rarity searched for the right words, unsure of what say. “I’ll go talk to… somepony, and I’ll see if they have any ideas. Don’t worry about the dresses, dear. We’ll work something out.” Rarity fled from the smoking remains of Bon-Bon’s kitchen, leaving the confectioner weeping on her floor.
It was late that evening when Pinkie and Lyra arrived back in Ponyville. Along the way, Lyra had shot down nearly every single idea that Pinkie had about the wedding. When she questioned Pinkie about the reservations, Pinkie only said that she was working on something “Super special and so awesome it’ll make you lose your mind.” Lyra tried to remind Pinkie of their budget several times, conveniently leaving out any mentions of their current state of finance.
“Oh don’t be silly,” said Pinkie. “I mean, I know that parties are expensive, but a super-duper party doesn’t cost that much more than a regular party, and this is going to be the most super-duper party Ponyville’s ever seen!”
“Pinkie, what makes you think we want all that?” asked Lyra. “We’re both pretty simple ponies, Bon-Bon and I. I know you love your parties but this is a wedding. It’s completely different from your normal affairs.”
“I know that,” said Pinkie. “Don’t worry! I got you covered like frosting!” As Lyra tried to process the idiom, they came to a halt in front of Bon-Bon’s Bon Bons.
“Ooh!” said Pinkie. “I want some gummi bears.”
Pinkie bounced inside the candy shop through the thin haze of blue smoke that hung in the air. From inside the kitchen, soft sounds of fretting and sweeping filtered out into the shop before the clatter of a broom and the trotting of hooves came to greet them.
“I’m sorry,” said Bon-Bon. “We’re close… Oh, hello Pinkie.”
“What’s wrong?” asked Lyra. She looked past Bon-Bon, into the sparking and smoldering ruins of her kitchen. “What in the name of Luna happened here?”
“I don’t know,” sniffed Bon-Bon. “One minute everything was fine. The next, everything starts self-destructing around me.” She looked up at Pinkie. “Can I have a minute alone with Lyra?”
“Okie dokie,” said Pinkie Pie with a smile. “I’ve got things to do , so I’ll come back tomorrow with all sorts of new ideas.” As the door slammed behind Pinkie, the shop bell snapped off the frame and clattered to the ground below.
Lyra wrapped her arms around Bon-Bon, and softly kissed her head. Her horn twinkled, closing shutters and locking the doors with a simple nod. Without a word, the light switches twinkled and the shop went dark. Alone at last, Bon-Bon fell sobbing in Lyra’s arms.
Pinkie watched as the shop closed up behind her. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for Bon-Bon and her destroyed shop. She put a hoof to her chin for a moment before her eyes narrowed. With a snarl, Pinkie galloped across the city toward Sugar Cube Corner. She was moving so quickly that she blew past Pokey and Haute Cuisne closing Balloon’s for the evening.
“Goodness,” said the mustachioed stallion. “I wonder where Miss Pie is headed in such a hurry.”
“She’s late for a meeting,” said Pokey. “Anyway, what do you think I should do?”
“Well, if I were the owner of your establishment, I’d only cater to the paying customers,” said Haute. “I do realize that Lyra is your friend and a regular customer, but she hasn’t even put down a deposit yet.”
“Lyra’s not just a friend,” said Pokey. “She’s the first friend I had in Ponyville after I moved here. When I think back to all the things she’s done for me…”
“And what has she done for you, sir?” asked Haute. “Or Bon-Bon for that matter? What have they done for you?”
Pokey paused to consider. Lyra hadn’t really done anything in particular for him. She played for the restaurant on special occasions but she’d always been paid for that. She was there for him after his disastrous pursuit of Pinkie Pie and numerous other failed relationships. Pokey shook his head.
“Friends don’t have to do anything for you, Haute,” said Pokey at last. “Just being there is enough and Lyra’s always been there for me.”
“I’m just suggesting that you mind the business side of the business,” said Haute. “I’d hate to see you go under because you can’t keep your occupation and personal life separate.”
“You worry about your job and I’ll worry about mine,” said Pokey. He glanced over at a wall clock. “Look, I gotta go. I’m already late. There’s a new wine for you in the kitchen next to the calendar. Let me know what you think of it and if we should put it on the menu.” Haute nodded and shuttered the restaurant’s blinds.
Pokey walked back through his darkened restaurant, thinking about what his waiter told him. Sure, Lyra hadn’t paid him, but she was always good for it and she’d never given anypony reason to doubt her word. Still, the rumors that were starting to surface about Bon-Bon and Lyra were reaching a fever pitch. It was as if somepony had flipped a switch in Ponyville to turn all the mares into cackling hens. Everything about those two seemed tainted recently, even to those who had known them forever.
He wasn’t sure what to make of it. Even with all the rumors and conjecture surrounding the couple, Pokey knew it was truly love, and that the nagging of a few busy-bodies would do nothing to stop Ponyville’s happiest couple from their big day.
As the streets passed beneath his hooves, Pokey looked up to the sky to see the moon rising behind Sugar Cube Corner. The silhouette of a few ponies hung in the window as somepony, probably Pinkie, set the table in her apartment. It was a few minutes before Pokey found his way upstairs to a motley assembly of Pinkie’s closest party ponies. Pinkie was inexplicably wearing reading glasses.
“Gentlecolts,” she said. “We must stop the Batmane.” The sea of confused expressions prompted Pinkie to look down at her notes again. With a nervous giggle, she slipped the top page off her notes, and passed it to Gummy. The alligator scuttled away into the closet and the clatter of a filing cabinet could be heard before he returned to the table. “We’re here about Lyra and Bon-Bon’s wedding,” said Pinkie.
“Go back to that Batmane thing,” said Berry Punch. Pinkie ignored her and continued.
“Pokey, if you’d get the lights, Carrot Top has short presentation.” The apartment lights dimmed, and Carrot Top stood to address the ponies as the projector flickered to life. The slide showed a chart correlating months with increasing profits. She cleared her throat before starting to read her notes.
“One cup flour, one egg, two thirds…” Carrot Top looked down at the card again, paused, and shuffled it to the rear of her stack. “Around the time that Lyra and Bon-Bon got engaged,” Carrot Top continued, “business in Ponyville started booming. Bits were coming in from everywhere and every baker, florist, farmer, and shop owner seemed to be doing really well for themselves. The biggest change that we’ve seen thus far is in the service industry. Next slide.”
The next slide was a picture of Lyra and Bon-Bon sitting in a row boat. Lyra was serenading Bon-Bon with her lyre as the two floated on the lake beneath the setting sun.
“Lyra, as we all know, is nobility, and her engagement to a commoner has provoked ire among the nobles.” The projector shuttered again to reveal a diagram of Equestira’s political system. “The nobility, while not having any real power anymore, still control a great deal of Equestria’s wealth. They come from old money and they use that money as influence in events all over Equestria.” Carrot Top turned away from the slide to face the assembled ponies. “Rarity, if you will?”
“As I’m sure Pokey will tell you,” said Rarity, “business for all of us has been absolutely astounding. Ponies from all over Equestria have been coming to our little town to do business with us. I only wish I could say it was our style and class that brought them here, but unfortunately, I have reason to suspect it’s something else entirely.” The projector shuttered again to reveal a picture of Pokey laying on a bed of petals with a rose clenched in his teeth. It shuttered again to reveal another chart.
“Whoa, wait,” said Berry. “Go back one. That was way more interesting.”
“Where the hell did you get that picture?” demanded Pokey.
“Remember who your friends are, ponies,” said Carrot Top. “And keep in mind that sometimes what seems like a blessing can actually be a curse. It’s really convenient that the whole town’s been booming for the past couple weeks. Everyone’s paying full price and it seems like a lot of goods are headed out of town. I suspect that the nobility is trying to get us to forget about our friends with the promise of money.”
“I know Lyra hasn’t paid any of you yet,” continued Carrot Top. “From what Rarity has told us, Lyra hasn’t gotten paid in three weeks, and there’s been some sort of huge catastrophe at Bon-Bon’s.”
“Sorry what?” asked Pokey. “What do you mean?”
“All her equipment was broken,” said Pinkie. “I saw all her mixers and pullers and candy makers when I dropped off Lyra. They were all ruined.”
“That’s odd,” said Carrot Top. “She just had maintenance from Canterlot come in the other day after she…” The table went quiet as the word came to them.
“Sabotage,” said Pokey.
“It all makes sense now,” said Berry Punch. “Lyra’s getting cheated out of paychecks while they drain Bon-Bon’s finances. They keep all of you distracted with bits so when it comes time for those two to pay, they can’t.” Berry Punch punched one hoof to another. “That’s pretty insidious. Now I wanna find someone to bite for this.”
“What I don’t understand is how they would even know about such a thing,” said Rarity. “Lyra is the only nobility in town, and I’m certain our Mayor wouldn’t be a toadie for some noble. Unless somepony like Twilight Sparkle was behind this, and I can’t imagine she would be, I haven’t the slightest idea of who could be feeding the nobility information.”
“That’s not the most important thing either,” said Pinkie. “The important part is that they’re not going to be able to get married if they can’t afford their wedding!”
As the group talked about raising money for the couple, Rarity looked out of the window into Ponyville. She spotted Lyra and Bon-Bon on the streets, walking slowly toward Sugar Cube Corner. Rarity turned away from the window to find Pinkie drawing an elaborate scheme on a flip chart.
“And then we all place bets on Rainbow Dash to win, and…”
They were interrupted by a loud knock at the door. The group turned to stare as it swung open, revealing the tear stained faces of Lyra and Bon Bon.
“Pinkie told me you were meeting here,” said Lyra in a near whisper. “And, uh, I wanted to thank all of you for what you’ve done for us already…” She swallowed hard as she forced the next sentence. “But I don’t think that we’re going to be able to get married any time soon.”
“What?” asked Pinkie. “Oh, no, no, no! You can’t not get married! This should be the easiest thing you’ve ever done!”
“With everything that’s happened in the past few days, we just can’t afford any of you,” said Bon-Bon. “We have so little at the moment that we wouldn’t even be able to pay the mayor to marry us at city hall.” She wiped away a tear. “So, maybe next year, when things are better…”
“You must be joking,” said Rarity. “As if I’d let such a thing like money get in the way of a love like yours. I’ll do your dresses for free. Consider them a wedding gift.”
Pokey nodded in agreement. “Lyra, you and Bon-Bon are the most perfect couple I’ve ever seen. A love like yours comes along once in a lifetime and if you think we’re going to let you stay apart for one day longer than you need to, then you’ve got another thing coming.” Pokey stood from the table. “Not only will I cater your wedding, but I’ll pay for the priest too.”
“I’ll handle the flowers,” said Carrot Top.
“I’ll handle the booze,” Berry hiccupped. “My private stash even.”
“And I’ll make the cake!” said Pinkie. “Plus I’ve still got that surprise!”
“We couldn’t possibly ask you for that,” said Bon-Bon. “Rarity, your dresses alone are worth…”
“Not another word!” said Rarity. “I won’t take no for an answer, nor will any of us.” The ponies all nodded in agreement. “Even as the lions circle, we will take care of you.”
“What do you mean, lions?” asked Lyra.
“How did you guess that a circus was the surprise?” asked Pinkie. “Shoot! Now I’m going to have to come up with something else.”
“Don’t worry about it,” said Carrot Top. “The important thing is that you two get married in spite of it all.”
Lyra could only smile as tears formed in her eyes.
“We couldn’t ask for better friends than you,” she said. “I… I don’t even know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” said Rarity. “We’ll make sure that you get your happily ever after.”
It was two weeks after Pinkie’s meeting when the Ponyville Chamber of Commerce had its monthly gathering. Every small business owner in town was in attendance to discuss the recent boom in Ponyville’s economy and the rumor was that things were only going to get better as the Grand Galloping Gala drew near. Pokey and Rarity stood discussing some of the aspects of the wedding as the Mayor came out to greet her citizens.
“Business owners of Ponyville, I want to congratulate you all on a fantastic second quarter,” she said. “Increased traffic through town has contributed to the resounding success of all of our businesses in the past few months. The increased traffic is coming from none other than the nobles who have decided our quaint village is the perfect place to rest.” The audience responded with polite stomping and clopping of hooves. “Joining us today from Canterlot to discuss the recent uptick in business is the Duke of Everfree Providence, Duke Afferio.”
A blue earth stallion with a tightly curled orange mane took the stage amid the polite applause of Ponyville’s business owners. He nodded to the mayor, then to the crowd.
“My fellow business ponies,” he began. “On behalf of the nobility, I’d like to express my gratitude for the fantastic accommodations and charming atmosphere that your town has to offer. Because of your delightful boutiques and quaint restaurants, Ponyville has earned a place in the hearts of the nobility as somewhere they can go to be pampered and appreciated for their hard work.” He paused to allow for more polite stomping and clopping of hooves.
“However, I must caution you that your nobility tends to be fickle in their favors. While we enjoy the pleasantries of your city, we must caution you that any business that provokes one noble will inevitably find themselves being blacklisted by the rest.” A murmur of confusion ran through the crowd as the ponies tried to figure out what he was hinting at. “Now, I’m sure that won’t happen to any of your fine establishments, so long as you remember that the nobility has its own traditions and formalities to uphold. Our long lines of heritage exist as an example of good grace and respectability to the common pony everywhere. I, for one, am glad that Ponyville has become such a wonderful place to spend my time and bits. I look forward to telling every noble to come and enjoy all that your wonderful city has to offer.”
Despite the confusion, the ponies stomped and clopped politely as Duke Afferio left the stage. Pokey and Rarity turned over the statement in their heads for a moment before turning to each other.
“Did he mean what I think he did?” asked Pokey.
“Yes, I heard it too,” said Rarity. “Any business that caters to Lyra and Bon-Bon’s wedding is going to be boycotted by the nobility.”
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...Heartstrings...
Great fic so far. Can't wait to read the rest! Lyra & Bon Bon are my favorite!
26289 Hearts don't have strings. They have chambers.
Shit's about to go down. Anticipating the next chapter.
This remains a beautiful wedding story. And you've got a beautiful pair, struggling but loving together.
Thank you for writing this story!
CONSPIRACY
How Ironic that Pinkie wants to stop the one pony that could save everyone:
Batmane.
Note to self: write story where Batmane and Batman team up to beat up the ponies who oppose the wedding.
Too bad Twilight isn't a closer friend of Lyra and Bonbon: If she told the princess about what was going on, things could get pretty interesting!
Nice s***, dude. Nice s***!
Moar please! *addicted*
My reaction to reading this was "wow" then i lost myself and went into a state of reading i have not entered since i had read the grapes of wrath, this fan fiction rivals a masterpiece and i have not read anything this good in what feels like an eternity, i have never liked romance stories but this defiantly takes the muffins you have my praise for this and i await anxiously for the next chapter
"Love is just a chemical, no matter the origin. We give it meaning by choice."
―Eleanor Lamb, Bioshock 2
Awesome story! Can't wait for more.
The only bit i have trouble with (and it's entirely my fault) is reconciling Lyra and Octavia's relationship with my other favorite ShipFic, Allegrezza. lol
Thankfully, years of Nerd-ery have given me the power to conjure multiverses at will!
Welcome to Equestria-2!
One Wedding
seven friends
a dark conspiracy that will leave nothing untouched.....
great story, cant wait for the next chapter
I love how there's all these background side-characters in this story, with only one of the main cast so far. x3 They totally deserve their own spinoff show!
Sorry, -two- main cast characters. Forgot Rarity for a second there. xp
I love this!^_^
I'm a big fan of filly/filly fics, especially with this couple!^_^
It's so sweet/cute!^_^
Just really great!^_^
A really good fanfic here!^_^
Just one thing...
How does Lyra know about humans, are they living on Equestria... visited..... or just myth/legend?
they have been shown the carrot (the increased sales in the past months)
now they get shown the stick
your ability to flip between more literary tones to the comcial slapstick of mlp fim canon is awesome! the one thing i would say is not to write to much plausible side stories (eg octavia, trixie, etc.) b/c readers will want a good majority adressed... avoid this unless you actually are planning to create a really long series (which i totally hope you do!)
all in all im really excited for what you have here, and i can't understand anyone who doesnt feel the same way
ROCK ON!
is this on hiatus? D:
31180
Not at all. I've just been busy this week. Don't worry! There should be an update by Wednesday.
Argh!!!! Damn Capitalists!!!!!!
God this story is one of the best! its very moving.
I nearly got a tear in my eye where they held the meeting and offered their services for free
and this chapter makes me wanting to tollerate and love the shit out of this Capitalists (with a crowbar, an M4A1 and a lot of Grenades)
Oh he'll no! No messes with lyra! She best pony.
So we got the nobility essentially blacklisting shops who help lyra and some one handling mail that could only possibly be derpy, but she never oo that would she.
Poor Bon Bon! (And Lyra) I hope they have a happy ever after!
Great story, but I have to stop here, if I'm going to get any sleep tonight.
Only two chapters in and I love this story so far!
google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.wikia.com/mlp/images/b/be/Hddoctormix.png&imgrefurl=http://warriorcatsrpg.com/index.php%253Ftopic%253D952986.0&usg=__BH-6ahXCNaqk_YTj9-Cjy4EF8Es=&h=298&w=307&sz=89&hl=en&start=6&sig2=MpzoBWZp7JHrntsCzzZGsw&zoom=1&tbnid=uj3DHUYDM3oNWM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=117&ei=j4FrUYCOBujB4AOg-oCABA&prev=/search%253Fq%253Dmlp%252Bthe%252Bmaster%2526hl%253Den%2526authuser%253D0%2526biw%253D1024%2526bih%253D600%2526site%253Dimghp%2526tbm%253Disch&itbs=1&sa=X&ved=0CDYQrQMwBQ
Is it ok that i thought of him but with curlyer hair? EXCUSE MY SPELLING I AM NOT VERY GOOD AT IT.
SABOTAGE!
OOOOOOOOH! I really want to....
OOOOOH!
Look, girls, I know of this awesome stallion by the name o Fancy Pants, give him a call. Maybe Cadence as well, we are going to need all of the ammo we can get. And as for worrying about Pinkie's party skills? Ah, the days before we knew that she had a party in a cannon. Those were fun times indeed.
What I am beginning to appreciate about this is that, this is not JUST a Lyra/Bon Bon story, but a Pinkie and Rarity story. Though they are not the focus, we are seeing how thier skills and virtues are able to help those around them. Rarity is generous enough that she will do a job for free on top of all the other stuf that she has to do! Pinkie Pie is determined to see two girls to be happy together, and she will do it even if Tirek comes in to try and take her magic away.
Is this Caesar guy immediately suspicious or is it just me?