A pleasant breeze blew across the cloudtops as another 'peaceful' day passed in Rainbow falls. Which is to say, nothing had happened and everypony was on edge, but given that it was already noon and nothing had blown up yet, the tension was dying down.
There was always one exception, though. A shadowy figure darted amidst the shadows and ducked into an alleyway in the residential district. The mysterious pony was obscured by a cloak, and carried a closed basket. Had anypony noticed, they would have found this incredibly suspicious, but years of practice had given the cloaked pony the skills they needed to evade detection.
Sitting down amidst a few broken bottles and trash bins, Juniper Berry looked for any sign of being seen, took off her cloak, and opened her lunchbox.
"Finally!" She quietly cheered to herself. "I think I finally got away unnoticed. Now then, before Arca even tries looking for me, I'll get this out of the way first…" The pegasus carefully removed the crown jewel of her lunch: a delicious-looking lollipop from the local confectioner, wrapped up and ready to eat. She gently tore the wrapping away as slowly and cautiously as she could, careful not to make a noise or-
*crinkle*
"I HEARD CANDY!"
The instant the package started to tear, the door of the long-abandoned house she was sitting behind slammed open to reveal none other than Arca. "I heard candy wheres the candy. Candy candy candy can- Juniper! I knew I heard you opening candy. Wanna trade lunches?"
Juniper facehooved and let out a groan as her boss sat down beside her. "How. How did you even find me here, Boss?!"
"I dunno."
Another sigh and the beginning of a headache told Juniper that pursuing that line of thought was not a good idea for her sanity. "Whatever. And no, you cannot have my lollipop. Go buy your own."
"But I wanna trade lunches! You don't even know what I'm offering!" The alchemist whined, ears drooping. That might have worked on other ponies, but Juniper just shot a disappointed glare at him.
"And you don't know what I have for lunch, either. You just want the lollipop."
"Your point?"
"I don't want your lunch, Boss."
"But I made fresh potato soup!" Arca levitated out a covered bowl from behind him, grinning. "I spent a lot of time on it!" Curious, Juniper lifted the cover, took one look at the dish, and recoiled.
"That doesn't look like potato soup to me! It's not even warm!"
Arca rubbed the back of his head with a hoof. "Well, you eat some soup cold! And this is my own recipe." As his apprentice didn't give a response, he continued. "Well, see, I was making potato SALAD, but then I kinda spilled an entire gallon of water in the bowl. So now it's potato soup! Go ahead. Try it. Eat it. Gimmie lollipop." He levitated it closer to Juniper, who simply turned away and rooted through her lunch box for her sandwiches.
"Don't you have somepony else to go bother while I'm on break?"
"I did, but then Mayor Silver kicked me out of his office. Literally."
The pair had a brief staredown, but suddenly Arca perked up, his ears twitching. "WAIT! Hold up. I have a customer! Rgh… you win this round, Juniper! But next time I'm trading for sure!" Defeated, Arca galloped off in the wrong direction to go back to the shop. Juniper knew better, though. He'd be back before the customer reached the counter, regardless of how impossible it would be for anypony else to travel that far, that fast. Smiling in her victory, she closed her eyes, and bit down to enjoy the sweet treat that she and her boss shared an addiction to.
And her teeth met empty air. Glancing down, she found a hastily scrawled note, with the letters "I.O.U." barely legible. Clearly Arca's best display of penmanship in months. Still, that did nothing to put her mind at ease, and she shouted in defeat and frustration.
"ARCA!"
And as that noise echoed through the town, the denizens of Rainbow Falls knew that the day's fiasco had occurred at last, and they could finally relax. Until tomorrow, at least.
Ah, short but sweet like a lollipop.
Wow. He really can get anything he wants it seems.
Found a typo here!
And one more.
Interestingly, I mistakenly read a chapter title from notification as Potato shop, and was wondering what shenanigans Arca is into now. May be selling potatoes as a natural remedies for everything, secretly injected with experimental potions?
Is it possible that Arca is one of Pinkie's ancestors?
Cause that would explain a lot.
9806110
> Implying Arca has gotten laid, ever.
You really think Razzle would allow that with anypony other than her?
9806111
Maybe he did it and time broke for a few seconds.
9806111
For all we know, he could have made a golem like being with his magic without knowing it.
One that can reproduce with a regular pony.
Will mister splinters ever show up in this story?
It's probably for the best that Arca hasn't thought of making his own candy, the last thing this town needs is Arca passing out enchanted candy for Nightmare Night.
9806257
You sir have just doomed us all
he was probably waiting for nightmare night for that story anyways
Fun story: Razzle spends a day with Arca at the shop and prevents The Potion from being made due to Having a copy of the recipe! or she makes it work...properly and by properly I mean make it go horribly HORRIBLY wrong
Why didn't she buy 2 of them. I would think she'd know better.
9806116
If you think this... then you must've not read his journal yet... There's a reason why he has to see a therapist
Also, I'm now imagining the insanity that would happen if Arca is left alone in a candy store
Are we gonna witness Arca on sugar high?
Im reminded of that scene from Garfield and Friends with the cookie...
9806111
I just assumed that Pinkie was a distant niece or something, considering his biological family left him for dead in a swamp
What kind of lollypop are we talking about here?
Finally! My on source of comedic relief ok this site has returned! Finally!
9806116
Which would explain Pinkie’s seemingly limitless energy and loose requirements for sleep
(looks around nervously well holding a big bag of something unknown trying to avoid the crazy alchemy pony) he will not get this. that client is paying me a huge bunch of bits for this stuff. so arca will not get these pops.
9807247
You know, it's actually really easy to divert Arca from candy.
Just have The Duck nearby, and be really good at avoiding the inevitable collateral damage Arca causes chasing it.
9807369
why do think I have this for? (holds out The Duck)
What the hay.
9806257
9806290
Like I mentioned before in a previous chapter, the implications that Arca would accidentally slip a mane growth potion into anything (Whether it's baking or candy making) is at an all time high. I think the last thing we need is Nightmare Night Floof happening
9808748
Don’t give the alchemist any ideas
9809272
It's more than likely that he's already got them. Heck, one reader at one point suggested that he should have a 'girlfriend' and the next thing that we knew, Razzle Dazzle makes her first appearance
9809279
Oh, gee, it's almost as though the author is listening to fan feedback! How shocking.
#IreadEVERYcomment
9809292
To quote a line from Hellsing Abridged episode 3... "I figured, but didn't want to assume."
sorry for being slow, -I- was the customer *quietly hands juniper 2 fresh lollipop's, already unwrapped*
Lolly pops are weird. You flavor your spit and then drink it.
What a nightmare of a boss -- steals your food no matter where you are on your breaktime
9812963
To be fair, he does give her back other snacks, he just forgot one this time. Usually he brings offerings of chips.
9813441
I mean, if you happened to somehow make friends with Cthulhu, having your stuff be stolen at random and replaced with different things and you knew who/what replaced them would be pretty traumatic I would think. Say you have a hat, and this hat is replaced with an effectively equivalent hat, that would be horrific. Not in the way that would cause any realistic detriment to yourself or those around you, but the fact that you have no control over your own hat's existence -- that's spoopy right there.
I would say that Arca could get his own candy, but I don't remember if he's on a list or not.. If Juniper was a diabetic this would be a real problem
Make it a cuttlefish and asparagus lollipop next time. That'll learn him good!
This was a good, short and... heh, sweet chapter.
*Gibs lolly*
Arca needs a bit of some relaxing time. Don't you all agree?