//------------------------------// // Ep 13 - Silver Streak and the Chocolate Shop // Story: My Little Pony: Small Town Life // by Mythic Night //------------------------------// It was a rainy day in Ponyville, which meant little business for shops like Succulent Sweets when everypony preferred to stay inside and wait out the storm. Sunny had decided to close the shop, knowing that nopony would brave the storm for something as frivolous as chocolate. She and Silver were sitting in her dining room, drinking her delicious hot cocoa and enjoying some idle chatter as they savored the extra day off the storm gave her. It was during this conversation that Silver brought up an idea that he’d had for the past few days. “You can’t be serious,” said Sunny, looking skeptically at the unicorn sitting across from her. “I am serious, Sunny,” Silver insisted. “You need help, and I’m available. What’s wrong with that?” He knew how much work she put into running the shop, and how difficult it was for her keep up with it alone. He was determined to help her out, in any way he could, and relieve her workload. Sunny frowned, staring at her cocoa. “I really appreciate that, but what about your studies, or your sculpting for that matter?” She knew she needed the help, but she didn’t want Silver to abandon his own ambitions just to help her with the shop. He smiled and told her, “It doesn’t take me all day to sculpt, and I can study anytime.” He saw she was still unconvinced, and decided to be a bit more straightforward. “It’s obvious you’re overworked, and you need help with the shop. Please Sunny, let me help the mare I love.” She smiled sheepishly, blushing softly. “Yeah, you’re right.” She sighed, and continued, “I’m sorry, I really do appreciate you offering to help me. I guess I’ve just gotten so used to doing everything alone…” “Well you don’t have to anymore,” he declared. She smiled and nodded, reaching over to squeeze his hoof. “Thank you Silver. It’ll take me a day or so to figure out what exactly you can do to help, but I promise I’ll let you know when I’ve got a plan.” She pondered something, then asked, “Just what sort of experience do you have, anyway? It would help to know what jobs you’ve worked before.” Silver smirked and told her, “None. This would be my first job.” It was true; by the time he got old enough to start working, Winter Gust had begun to sell his sculptures, so he never needed a regular job to earn a living. Sunny snorted and shook her head. “Unbelievable… Figures I’d fall in love with a slacker,” she said with a smirk. “But I’m your slacker!” he replied with a grin. She just laughed and ruffled his mane. “Yeah, well, you shouldn’t feel so proud of that!” = = = = = = = = = = The next morning, Sunny spent some time  making a list of her various tasks, and as she went over the list, thinking about her various responsibilities, she came up with a few duties she could give Silver that would greatly help her out around the shop. That afternoon, when Silver entered the shop to greet his girlfriend, she was ready to assign him some responsibilities. She walked up to him, and they shared a tender kiss before she told him, “You got here just in time; I finished looking over my responsibilities, and I have some things you could definitely help me with.” Silver grinned. “Great! What do you have in mind?” She turned to face the display counter, motioning to it as she told him, “I’d like you to work the register and run the storefront while I work on making chocolates. A lot of my free time is spent making chocolates to refill my stock, so if you could work the counter then I could spend time during my normal work hours making chocolates instead.” “And thus have more time for your wonderful boyfriend?” he asked with a grin. She smirked and rolled her eyes, turning to face Silver as she replied, “Actually, I was thinking I’d spend all that free time catching up on my reading.” She saw him pout at her, and she snorted and laughed, pulling him into a hug. “Yes dear, less time making chocolates means more time for us.” He smiled and nuzzled her softly. “So, where do we start?” he wondered. She pulled away and smiled as she told him, “Well, you’ll need training on the register, of course. Beyond that, I’ll show you how I stock, how I package the goods, what sorts of bundles I sell and how to put them together, and anything else that comes up.” “Sounds good,” he said with a nod. “I promise I won’t let you down.” “I know you won’t, sweetie,” she replied, giving his hoof a reassuring squeeze. “Now, let’s start your training.” With that, she led Silver behind the counter to start training him on the register. He was a fast learner, and he picked up on things quickly, though he had to admit that things weren’t nearly as difficult as he worried they’d be. On top of training him how to run the shop, Sunny also got to work making tags for the trays of chocolates, showing their names and prices to make sure things went smoothly when Silver was working alone. With just a glimpse of the shelves, he’d know how much to charge their customers for their selections, and he was extremely grateful for her effort. After his first day of training, for the last couple hours of business, Sunny let Silver work the register with her nearby to lend assistance, giving him a taste of the job before working a proper shift. They hadn’t yet worked out his schedule, and how long a shift would be, but she knew they would figure that out after getting used to this new rhythm. With any luck, he’d only have to work a few hours a day while she made chocolates, and then she’d take over again so he could focus on his normal responsibilities. Even though he said he wanted to help, she still felt somewhat guilty for having him work at her shop, and hoped it wouldn’t take up too much of his life. Silver spent a couple hours a night for the next couple days working the register and helping the customers with Sunny by his side, and by the time the shop closed on Saturday he felt that he had a pretty good grasp of his new job. That weekend, Sunny encouraged Silver to gather some spellbooks and parchment to bring to the shop, so that he could continue his studies if she didn’t need him for very long at the counter. By the time the weekend ended, everything was set and they were both ready to see how things would go. = = = = = = = = = = The alarm rang on Tuesday morning, causing both ponies to jump awake at the sudden noise, and Silver groaned and buried his head into his pillow while Sunny reached over to turn off the alarm. “Morning…” she yawned, laying her head back down to rest just a minute more. Silver grumbled something unintelligible as he curled up and fell back asleep, as per usual for every morning he woke up in Sunny’s bed. As he was a jobless, yet successful unicorn, he was not used to waking up early for work, and the blaring of an alarm clock wasn’t reason enough to leave dreamland behind. Sunny wasn’t exactly thrilled either, having turned the alarm on out of habit, her normal day starting early to get chocolates made to fill stock sold the day prior. If everything went well that week, then they could both simply sleep in and worry about such things during normal work hours. Still, she was already awake, and so she reluctantly rose from the bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. At least there was some good that could come from waking so early; they could both enjoy breakfast, go over some last-minute details, and perhaps spend some time together before the day began. She looked over to Silver, still laying in the bed, his rump raised in his new curled position. The cobwebs cleared out as the gears in her head began to turn, and a mischievous smile grew on her face. If I’m awake, then so are you! she thought with a grin. “Up and at ‘em, stud muffin!” she shouted as she spanked the stallion’s rear. Silver jumped up with a shout at the sudden swat, and Sunny fell over cackling. He looked around in a daze, before he noticed Sunny laughing and realized what happened, and he scowled at her. “Sunny, that wasn’t funny.” She stifled her laughter to reply, “Are you *snort* k-kidding me? That was… *hehehe* hilarious!” He grumbled in response, blushing in embarrassment as he rubbed his rump. “Well, I’m up… Why’d we have to get up so early?” Her laughter faded, and she got up off the bed to look sheepishly at him as she answered, “Well, actually, we didn’t. I kinda forgot that I didn’t need to set the alarm today, or anymore for that matter…” She kissed him softly and whispered, “Sorry for the rude awakening, even though it was funny.” He sighed, and smirked. “I forgive you, though I’m still wondering why you felt the need to wake me up.” She smiled and nuzzled him softly. “Well I knew I couldn’t get back to sleep, and I could use some help in the kitchen making breakfast,” she added with a wink. “Sounds like a plan,” he yawned, stretching out before following her out the door and down the stairs into the kitchen. When they got there, they made some quick plans before they got to work, pulling out pans and ingredients to get breakfast put together. Silver got to work chopping up green peppers, onions, and tomatoes for some hearty scrambled eggs, while Sunny worked on cooking some hash browns. When he finished chopping the vegetables, he began working on mixing them up with some eggs and frying it all while Sunny worked on pancakes and toast, and together a hearty breakfast was made. They got settled at the table, sitting across from one another with plates full of food, and began digging in. They ate silently for a few minutes, Sunny favoring the pancakes while Silver focused on the eggs, and soon he broke the silence to ask, “So, what’s the plan today?” She finished her bite to answer, “Well, you’ll start working the storefront at the normal time while I work in the kitchen making sweets to restock the shop. I’ve already got the cocoa beans made into chocolate, so it’s just a matter of turning it into a variety of treats.” “And how long will that take? Will I be working the whole shift?” he wondered. She shrugged, and told him, “At least a few hours, considering I have to refill all the stock I sold on Saturday. I don’t think you’ll have to work the full day, but it’s going to take me a while to get all those sweets made.” He shrugged in return. “At least it’s an easy day, from what you’ve told me. And I assume you won’t need to make so much during the week?” “Nope! Saturdays are my busiest days, as you know, so there’s a lot more to make than I normally need to,” she explained, finishing off her pancakes before washing them down with some ice-cold milk. “The rest of the week should only need you working half-days, though I might need you to help me all day Saturday to deal with the crowds.” “Sounds good to me,” he said with a nod, happy to know that he could help her. If everything went well this week, then Sunny could focus on work during her normal business hours, leaving the rest of the day free for her to do whatever she wanted. The fact that they could spend more time together was simply a bonus that he was happy to enjoy. They finished their breakfast, and still had a few hours until opening time. Silver decided to leave for home, wanting to gather a few extra spellbooks and reference guides to bring over to Sunny’s, as well as to get something appropriate to wear on his first full day of work. Sunny, meanwhile, decided to head out to buy Silver a little present for his new job. A half-hour before the shop opened, Silver returned, saddlebags full of books and some clothes. He went upstairs and put his books with the others in Sunny’s spare room before the mare, already dressed for work, dragged him to her bedroom to get him into uniform. He took off his saddlebags, and pulled out the dress shirt he brought from home. “You don’t think this will be too fancy, do you?” he wondered as he put on the shirt. “Nonsense! I think you’ll look quite handsome,” Sunny replied. “Make sure to roll up the sleeves, though, or it will look like you’re overdressed.” He nodded and got dressed, using his magic to roll up his sleeves as he made a mental note to buy some short-sleeved dress shirts for work. He buttoned up his shirt, and turned to Sunny as she pulled out the gift she bought earlier; a new tie. “I thought you could use a bit of color in your wardrobe. Do you like it?” she asked, offering it to him. Silver smiled and nodded, the tie enveloped in a green glow as he looked it over. It was chocolate-brown, with a pattern of crème-colored swirls throughout. “It’s great Sunny, thank you.” He carefully put it on with his magic, and finally finished his wardrobe by putting on the white apron and hat that would be part of his work uniform. “How do I look?” he asked, looking himself over in a full-length mirror. As she looked him over, Sunny’s cheeks slowly turned red when she realized just how hot he looked to her. The crisp shirt, the clean apron and hat, all of it made him look respectable and very attractive. Forgot that I had a thing for stallions in uniform… she thought as her gaze wandered all over his body. “…Sunny?” asked Silver, turning to look at the mare. She jumped, startled out of her gawking to look up at his face. “W-what?” He frowned, and told her, “I was asking if I looked okay.” She grinned, fighting down her blush as she told him, “You look great! Very handsome, I’ll have you know.” She nuzzled him and giggled as she added, “I may have to keep an eye on you, just to make sure you don’t get stolen away by some other mare!” He smirked and nuzzled her gently in return, telling her, “I’ve only got eyes for you, my love.” She smiled wide as an idea popped into her head. “Go downstairs, into the shop. I’ll meet you there, okay?” He nodded and left the bedroom to head down the stairs, while Sunny went into her closet to pull out her camera. She checked to make sure it had film, then she went downstairs to meet Silver in the shop. “What’s up with the camera?” he wondered as she met him in front of the counter. She lifted up the camera and explained, “I thought it would be nice to have a memento of your first full day of work. Go over there, by the wall, and I’ll take your picture.” He complied, walking over to the far side of the room next to the display case, and offered a smile as she raised the camera up and snapped a picture to commemorate the event. His horn glowed green, and the camera felt lighter in her hooves as he told her, “Come on over, and we can take one of us together.” She giggled and nodded, letting the camera hover there in Silver’s magic as she trotted up next to him, wrapping a foreleg around his as she leaned against him. His smile grew brighter as he focused, and snapped a picture of the two of them together, both in uniform and ready to start the day. Sunny kissed his cheek as he brought the camera over, and she took it before walking over to the front door. “So, ready to start your day?” “I think so,” he said, feeling nervous at the thought of running the shop alone. She noticed his apprehension, and smiled warmly as she reassured him, “I know you’ll do just fine, sweetie. If you have any issues, don’t hesitate to call for help, alright?” “Got it,” he replied, though he hoped he wouldn’t need her help. He was determined to help Sunny run the shop, but if he had to keep bugging her with questions then there was little point in having him around. He took a deep, soothing breath, then nodded and told her, “I’m ready.” She snorted in amusement and rolled her eyes, grinning as she said, “Jeez, you’d think you were heading into battle or something…” She turned back to the front door, unlocking it and flipping the sign to “Open” before she went behind the counter. “Just relax, and remember what I taught you,” she told him, giving the stallion a quick kiss on the cheek before trotting through the door to the kitchen. He stood at the register, prepared for a swarm of customers all hungry for chocolates, and instead found himself rather bored for a while as he realized that not everyone in Ponyville was after chocolates at eleven o’clock in the morning. - - - Sunny trotted into the kitchen, putting her camera on the counter by the fridge before she went up to the island to open the cabinets beneath and gather the necessary pots to start her work. She had spent time the day before turning some of her cocoa beans into chocolate, and now she would begin turning it into delicious treats. She poured water into a big pot, then put a special smaller pot atop it before bringing both to the stove. She turned on the stove, starting to heat up the water in the lower pot before she went to another cabinet to fetch a large, metal bowl, and after that she turned back to the island and the pile of chocolate chunks that she would make into a variety of chocolate treats. She filled up the bowl with chocolate chunks until she felt content at the amount, and she emptied it into the upper pot on the stove. She let the steam from the lower pot melt down the chocolate while she went to get a couple chocolate bar molds, deciding to start with her most basic treat. - - - It wasn’t until fifteen minutes after opening that Silver received his first customer, announced by the jingle of the bell above the door. “Hi there, welcome to Succulent Sweets! How can I help you today?” he asked the mare, reciting the greeting that Sunny gave him. The mare looked at Silver curiously, not expecting a stallion at the counter. “What happened to the mare running the shop?” she wondered. He smiled, expecting such questions. “Sunny’s in the kitchen, making more chocolates. She hired me to help run the shop, but if you need her help I can go get her.” “No, no, that’s quite alright,” said the mare with a wave of her hoof. “I was just worried about her, that’s all.” “So, what can I get for you?” he asked her, eager to make his first sale of the day. The mare looked into the display case, eyes wandering over all the delicious gourmet chocolates, before she made her selection. “I’d like two chocolate bars, and three bundles of Orange Slices please.” “Coming right up,” Silver answered as his horn lit up and he levitated a bag over, gathering the treats and making note of the prices as he put them in the bag. He walked over to the register and rang the mare up, and she gladly paid for her sweets before heading out the door. He smiled, glad that his first sale for the day went so smoothly. “That wasn’t so hard…” he muttered to himself, right before another customer entered. He straightened up, and greeted the new customer, “Hi there, welcome to Succulent Sweets! How can I help you today?” = = = = = = = = = = The next couple hours went smoothly for both Silver and Sunny, the former getting a lot of sales while the latter kept on making chocolates, filling up the display here and there as she finished one batch of treats after another. Each time she would linger at the counter, slowly stocking her chocolates while constantly ogling Silver in his uniform. Just a few minutes after Sunny finished putting out her latest batch of chocolates, Frosty came through the door. She paused and looked incredulously at Silver when she noticed him waiting at the counter instead of the mare she expected to be there. “Hi Frosty!” he greeted the pegasus. She looked at him curiously. “Silver? What are you… Oh,” she said, realization striking her, and she smirked mischievously. “I think I get what’s going on here.” His brow furrowed in confusion as he said, “Huh?” She giggled, and answered, “Let me guess; you’re the candy colt, and you’re here to give Sunny some sugar, right?” He began blushing and sputtering helplessly, and she grinned and gave a dismissive wave as she told him, “Oh don’t be ashamed, it’s pretty common for couples to spice things up now and then.” Somehow Silver turned an even darker shade of red as mental images flashed through his head, thoughts of him and Sunny together in different costumes and scenarios… Frosty turned and headed back to the door. “I guess I’ll leave you guys to it. Rookie mistake though, you forgot to close the shop.” She flipped the sign to “Closed” and opened the door to leave. “Have fun…” she murmured before heading out the door. He just sat there, waiting to get his blushing—and other parts of his body—under control before he would open the shop again. Outside, Frosty flew up to a nearby cloud before she lost her composure and fell over laughing. She heard from Sunny that Silver would be working at the shop, so she wasn’t really surprised when she saw him behind the counter. Still, the idea to tease him about some kinky roleplaying was too good to resist! - - - Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, Sunny hummed a happy tune as she worked her own kind of magic. For some time now, the joy of chocolate making had been lost to her in the rush during her off-hours to keep the shop stocked. Now that the pressure was gone, being able to make chocolates during normal business hours while Silver worked the storefront, she began to feel a renewed passion for her craft. She looked at the chocolates she was making, delicious but rather plain looking. When’s the last time I really tried decorating my chocolates? she wondered. Maybe I could finally work on my presentation! A smile grew on her face as she thought about practicing techniques she hadn’t used in far too long, and she imagined how she could make her treats every bit as beautiful as they were tasty. What about making something new? Sunny thought with a grin. I could try experimenting with flavors, and come up with new goods to sell in my shop! It had been so long since she had worked on her recipes, too long since she tried making anything different beyond her seasonal selections, and now she would have the time to create again. She couldn’t wait to see what she could come up with. The ideas continued to flow as she thought about the possibilities opened up to her now that she had help, now that she had so much more time to do things while the shop was open. She gave a happy little giggle as she realized how easy Saturdays could be, with Silver at the register while she stayed in the kitchen making chocolates to keep her best sellers in stock. I could even get into catering! Sunny realized with glee. The shop was busy enough with the usual amount of customers she got every week, and she barely managed to keep up without trying to fill outside orders. Now she could work on making large batches of her chocolates, made to order for parties and events, and Silver could even help her with setup! I just have to figure out what to sell and how to price it, she mused with a smile. - - - While Sunny formed grand plans for the shop, Silver had calmed down and opened the shop once more. It was quiet for a short while, until a familiar pink mare came in through the door. Pinkie Pie trotted up to the counter and grinned at the unicorn. “Hi, Silver! What are you doing here? Wait, let me guess; are you and Sunny trading places for the day?” His brow furrowed as he asked, “Huh? Trading places?” Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! You’re here selling chocolates, and Sunny’s at your house studying magic, right?” Silver just felt more confused. “What? No. Sunny hired me to help her with the shop.” Pinkie grinned. “Oh, yeah, I guess it’d be hard for an earth pony to cast spells anyway.” “That’s true…” he replied. “Then again, when’s the last time an earth pony tried to cast a spell?” Pinkie wondered, stroking her chin thoughtfully, and gasped. “What if earth ponies can cast spells and we just don’t know it?!” She turned away from the counter, holding a hoof to her forehead while her other hoof reached out, and she stuck out her tongue as she concentrated on casting a spell. What kind of spell, though, he had no idea. Silver felt a headache forming from Pinkie’s display. “Was there something you needed, Pinkie?” he asked tensely. “Oh, right. I almost forgot why I came in here!” she giggled, facing him once more. “I need my usual order, please.” He cocked an eyebrow at her, the stallion having no idea what her usual was. “Uh, right… Hold on a second while I get Sunny.” “Okie-dokie-lokie,” she replied, waiting patiently. Silver turned around and opened the door to the main hallway, going back there to meet with Sunny in the kitchen and find out about Pinkie’s “usual” order. He knocked on the doorway to get her attention. The chocolatier was dragged out of her daydreaming, and she grinned at her boyfriend. “Silver sweetie, just the stallion I was hoping to see…” She trotted over to him and pulled him into a passionate kiss, feeling giddy over the possibilities she saw in her shop. Yet again, Silver felt himself blushing at Sunny’s enthusiastic greeting. He reached a hoof up to caress her cheek as his eyes slowly drifted closed, enjoying the kiss. After a few long moments, they broke the kiss, and he felt weak in the knees. “W-what was that for…?” he stammered. She giggled, her own cheeks reddened. “Just a little thank you for your assistance. So, did you need some help, sweetie?” He stood there, blinking. “What? Help…?” It took him a moment to remember why he came by. “Oh, right, Pinkie needs something.” “Pinkie… Oh! She needs her usual, right?” Sunny asked, turning to her smaller pile of chocolate chunks on the island. Silver nodded, rubbing his head as he got out of his daze. “Yeah, but I didn’t know what that meant.” “Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” she reassured him as she put a large batch of chocolate chunks into a bag, and she held it in her mouth as she walked out of the kitchen and to the storefront with Silver following behind. “Hey Pinkie! Here’s your chocolate,” she told the pink mare as she placed the bag on the counter. “Great!” she said, and she pulled out some bits to pay for the chocolate. “What’s all that chocolate for?” Silver wondered. Pinkie took the bag and explained, “Well as you know, when I throw a party for somepony I make sure it has everything they like. For instance, some ponies like dipping fruit and sweets in a chocolate fountain, and Sunny here makes the best chocolate in town!” “Pinkie used to buy a lot of my candy bars, until I asked her what she was using them for,” Sunny explained further. “When I found out it was to fill a chocolate fountain, we came up with a deal for her to buy chocolate chunks for a fair price.” “Ah, I see,” Silver said with a nod. “I’d better go, I’ve got party supplies to pick up. See you later Sunny! Bye, Silver!” She turned and walked out the door as the couple waved goodbye. A few moments after she left, Silver tapped a hoof in realization. “Darn it, we didn’t tell her that we’re dating…” Sunny giggled and nuzzled him. “Don’t worry, we’ll tell her later. Though just so you know, the minute she finds out she’ll throw us a party to celebrate.” He chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Anyway, thanks for your help.” “Anytime dear, just let me know if you need more help.” With that, Sunny kissed his cheek and trotted through the door back to the kitchen. Silver went back to the register just as a new customer came through the door, and he got back to work. He served several more customers before another familiar face entered; his friend, Strawberry Jewel. “Hey there! What brings you by, Jewel?” She smiled at him. “Just thought I’d stop by for a visit. Love the new look, by the way,” she added, looking the stallion over. He grinned at the compliment. “Thanks.” She went over to the counter. “So, first proper day of work, huh? How’s that working out so far?” He smirked and shrugged. “It’s been going okay so far. Busy enough that I’m not bored, and except for Pinkie’s unusual order I’ve been able to hold my own.” “And where’s Sunny?” she wondered. “She’s in the kitchen working on her chocolates,” he told her. “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you went back there to visit.” “Okay, thanks,” Jewel said, going behind the counter and through the door toward the kitchen. She smiled when she saw Sunny finishing up with another batch of chocolates. “Hey there Sunny. Having fun?” “I sure am!” Sunny replied with a grin, looking up at her fellow earth pony. “I tell you Jewel, I haven’t had this much fun making chocolates in years! No pressure, no rushing, just me making lots of delicious treats.” She giggled and clapped her hooves together as she added, “And now that Silver’s helping me with the shop, I’m having all sorts of ideas to improve things around here!” Jewel giggled at Sunny’s enthusiasm. “Well I’m glad to hear things are going so well.” Sunny’s grin turned lecherous as she asked, “And speaking of Silver, did you see him out there? So hot…” Jewel snorted and grinned, surprised at this new aspect of her longtime friend. “Wait, what?” Sunny glanced over to the hallway as she told her friend, “I tell you Jewel, I have half a mind to just close the shop and ravage him…” Jewel laughed at that. “Oh jeez, Sunny! Down girl!” Sunny pouted at Jewel. “I can’t help it! I have a thing for stallions in uniform, and Silver just looks so yummy right now…” She bit her lip as some lewd thoughts floated around in her head. Jewel giggled at Sunny’s lusty expression. “You know you’re starting to sound a lot like Frosty, right?” Sunny waved her hoof dismissively. “Hey, he’s my boyfriend, and I’m allowed to enjoy him any way I please.” She grinned and looked thoughtful as she added, “Including covered in chocolate…” Jewel snorted and rolled her eyes, catching a glimpse of the clock hanging on the wall. “Say, isn’t it about time for your lunch break?” she wondered. “Huh?” asked Sunny, looking over to the clock. “Hey, you’re right! I guess I just got so caught up in making chocolates that I completely lost track of the time.” She turned to Jewel, and asked, “Hey, have you eaten yet? I’m sure Silver would love to have you join us for lunch.” Jewel smiled. “That sounds nice, thank you.” The pair of them headed to the storefront, where Silver was waving goodbye to a mare and her colt as they left the shop. “Hey Silver, feeling hungry?” Sunny asked, though before he could respond they all heard a loud grumbling coming from the stallion’s stomach. “Yeah, I figured as much,” she giggled. “I was starting to wonder about lunch when you came by,” he admitted. He and Sunny had previously discussed the break schedule at the shop; first break was a half-hour lunch due to the shop opening late, then two fifteen-minute breaks, assuming he’d have to work a full day. “Yeah, sorry, got caught up with the chocolates,” Sunny told him. “I invited Jewel to join us. I’m sure you don’t mind, do you?” He smiled and shook his head. “I’ve got no problems with it.” He smirked at Jewel and added, “Though it’s going to be weird seeing you without Mystic at your side. Jewel blushed and glowered at him. “I’ll have you know that I don’t need to be around Mystic all the time. I’m my own mare!” Sunny snorted and nudged Jewel playfully. “Really? Seems to me like you guys are attached at the hip!” Jewel’s blush grew and she sputtered, “L-let’s just get some food already!” She turned her nose up at them and walked out the door while the couple chuckled to themselves. = = = = = = = = = = The trio left the shop, and decided to head to the Hay Burger for lunch. After a short while, the three got their food and settled at a table, where the mares idly munched on their hayburgers while Silver eagerly feasted on his. Jewel sipped her drink before asking, “So Sunny, what were some of those ideas you had about the shop?” Silver perked up at that, glancing curiously at his girlfriend. She finished munching a hoofful of fries and explained, “Well, the first thing I want to do, now that I have help, is try to make new chocolates to sell. It’s been a while since I tried a new recipe, and I’m eager to flex my creative muscles.” “Sounds like fun,” Jewel said, taking another bite of her hayburger. “And that’s just the first thing?” asked Silver. “What else do you have planned, Sunny?” “Well I’d also like to work on my decorating as well,” she told them. “For a while now, I’ve been focused only on stocking the shop, and I’ve been letting my presentation slide. I want to get back into making my treats just as beautiful as they are tasty.” Sunny had more ideas, but she wanted to do some research before she announced an expansion of her business. “I can’t wait to see what you come up with,” Silver said, before looking over to Jewel. “And how are things going for you, Jewel?” Jewel perked up at that. “Me? Oh, well enough I suppose. I’ve been busy helping my sister plan her wedding. She and her fiancé didn’t want to wait too long to get married, so it’s been a lot of work trying to get everything ready for the wedding in just a couple months.” “Why are Summer Breeze and Storm Chaser so eager to get married?” Sunny asked. “She’s not pregnant, is she?” “What? NO! She and Storm just don’t believe in a long engagement, that’s all,” explained Jewel. “I can’t say I disagree with them either. I mean really, if the pony you love agrees to marry you, then why wait?” “You bring up a valid point,” Silver agreed. “And how’s the rest of your family?” Jewel smiled. “Oh, they’re doing okay. Dad’s been keeping out of the wedding planning, just happy to let us mares figure it out, and my brother Snow Storm is doing well in school.” Sunny grinned as a thought occurred to her. “You know, I bet you’ll be planning another wedding in a few years, the way Crystal and Snow have been hanging out lately.” Jewel grimaced at the thought. “Crystal’s a nice little filly, but she and Snow are way too young to even think about dating, let alone getting married.” She frowned at Sunny as she added, “And I better not hear about you pressuring my brother into anything, missy!” Sunny chuckled and raised her hooves submissively. “Don’t worry, I won’t! Jeez… I feel sorry for whoever your brother does end up dating; she’ll have to deal with you and your mom!” “I’m only watching out for him,” Jewel replied as she reached for her fries. “You and your brother are close?” asked Silver. “She’s like a second mother to him,” Sunny told him. “They’ve been close since the day he was born.” “You said you have a brother, right?” Jewel asked Silver. “Are you two close?” He snorted derisively and shook his head, just looking absently at his food as he thought back to all those times he and his brother argued. “Swift Wing and I have never really gotten along. He never thought much about my studying or my dedication to magic, always making fun of me for being a bookworm and telling me I couldn’t help anypony being cooped up in my room all the time…” He sighed and sipped his drink, before adding, “To be honest, I think our relationship is at its best now that we’re miles apart.” Jewel frowned. “That’s so sad.” “I know, right?” Sunny agreed. “I don’t know what I’d do if Crystal and I fought like that.” Silver grimaced. “Can we talk about something else, please?” This talk about his brother and their relationship brought up feelings and memories he didn’t want to reflect on. Sunny winced, and nodded. “Uh, sure Silver…” She hadn’t meant to upset him, and she quickly thought of something else to discuss. “So, uh, Jewel! Didn’t you do some foalsitting this past weekend?” Jewel brightened up, and began talking about her weekend foalsitting a couple precocious foals while Silver quietly ate his lunch. Part of him was envious of Jewel and Sunny and the bonds they had with their siblings, and he wished that he could have had a better relationship with his brother. Would have been nice to have had a friend for all those years, he thought glumly. As the conversation continued, his mood brightened, and by the end of lunch he felt fine once more. Jewel bid them farewell before leaving to run errands of her own, while Sunny and Silver headed back to the shop to continue their work. When they got back to the shop, Sunny went back to the kitchen while Silver stood at the counter, ready to help more customers. For the next couple hours, Silver helped every customer who came along, while Sunny worked to fully stock the shop. With a couple hours left in the workday, she went to the storefront with her last batch of chocolates, telling him, “I’m finished with the chocolates, so you’re done for the day, sweetie.” “Are you sure? I can stick around if you need me to,” he told her, determined to make sure she got the help she needed. She began putting the chocolates in the display. “I’m quite sure, thank you. You’ve done a lot just by running the counter, and I truly appreciate that, but I can take it from here. Go upstairs, work on that magic of yours.” She turned and shared a tender kiss with him, which he lovingly returned. “Be the great and powerful wizard I know you can be.” He chuckled and nuzzled her softly. “Okay dear, but if you need me then don’t hesitate to ask, alright?” She nodded and motioned him to the door, and he trotted into the hallway and up the stairs while she turned back to the counter to finish stocking the last of her chocolates. Upstairs, in the spare room, Silver began looking through his books, trying to decide what to study next. He settled upon a tome about the creatures of the Everfree Forest, specifically looking to learn about Timberwolves. Since he first heard about them, he’d gotten an idea to try using something similar to them to protect Equestria, and learning about the creatures was the first step toward that goal. = = = = = = = = = = Hours later, at the end of the day, Sunny sighed with relief as she flipped the sign at the door from “Open” to “Closed” and locked up the shop for the night. The day had gone smoothly, and she looked forward to seeing how the rest of the week went with Silver’s help. She went to the rear hallway and began trotting up the stairs to tell her boyfriend that her day was over, when she heard him talking. “…Could be as simple as just casting a ‘Come to Life’ spell on a bunch of rocks? But then again, that might just cause ALL the rocks to gain sentience and act independently, you know? That would just cause a lot of issues… Assuming sentient rocks could do anything, anyway,” Silver said to whoever he was talking to. “And then there’s the issue of the spell working as intended, but making a TOUGHER version of a Timberwolf. There’s no guarantee that something brought to life with that spell would obey me, so I’d need to add some kind of obedience spell to the mix…” Funny, I don’t remember him letting anyone in the shop, Sunny thought. He would have told me if he was going to have a guest over. She glanced into the room, seeing no one but Silver sitting there as he looked between a couple spellbooks that hovered in his magic. She knocked on the doorway, causing Silver to jump in surprise. “Gyah!” he shouted, the books falling from his magical grasp as he quickly turned to look at her. She smiled sheepishly. “Hey Silver, didn’t mean to scare you. Um, who were you talking to?” she asked, looking around the room. He flinched, his gaze shifting about nervously. “Y-you heard that?” She nodded slowly in response, concerned by his nervousness. “I was… The thing is…” He sighed, ears folding as he quietly admitted, “I was just talking to myself, that’s all.” He saw the confusion on her face, and he reluctantly explained, “I have a habit of talking to myself whenever I’m alone.” “Oh…” she said simply, wondering why he seemed so nervous. “I never knew that about you.” “That’s because I hid it from you,” he explained, wringing his hooves as he cowered fearfully. “I hid it be-because I was afraid you’d break up with me.” He refused to meet her gaze, and missed the look of shock on her face. “I mean, really, who wants to date a crazy pony anyway?” Sunny frowned, and brought her hooves up to his face, forcing him to look at her. “Silver, you’re not crazy, and I don’t want you saying that about yourself. I’ll have you know that everyone talks to themselves now and then.” She knew she talked to herself from time to time, thinking aloud about things, and she didn’t understand why he was so worried about this. He gave a bitter snort. “Not everyone holds a one-sided conversation with themselves though…” “That doesn’t matter to me, sweetie.” She smiled, and added, “As far as I’m concerned, that’s just a quirk, and everypony has their quirks. It’s not hurting anypony, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” His vision went blurry as he looked at her, scarcely believing that she could be so understanding. “You mean, you’re okay with it? You… you don’t think I’m crazy?” She smiled and shook her head. “Not at all, my love.” He hugged her close, and said, “Thank you Sunny… Thank you for accepting me, even with all my issues.” She nuzzled him softly as she held him close, whispering to him, “There’s no need to thank me for that, sweetie. I love you for who you are, and it’s going to take more than one little quirk to get rid of me.” It nearly broke her heart to know that he thought so little of himself, and she felt determined to show him just how fine a stallion he really was. They held each other for a time, Silver just weeping quietly in relief, so very glad that Sunny wasn’t going to reject him. It seemed to him that he was just a broken stallion, and he couldn’t understand just what he did to deserve someone as wonderful and understanding as Sunny. I promise I’ll try to be worthy of you, my love, he thought to himself. After a short while, Sunny slowly broke their embrace, and Silver rubbed at his eyes. “What made you this way, Silver?” she wondered. “I was a very lonely colt growing up,” he explained. “Other fillies and colts made fun of me for being an egghead because of all my studying, and I didn’t really have anyone to discuss magic with. Because of the bullying, I decided to give up on friendship, and focused all my effort on my studies. One day, I guess I just started thinking aloud, and felt comforted by hearing a voice, even if it was my own. My therapist figured that it was some kind of coping mechanism, a way for me to deal with my loneliness.” Sunny’s ears folded. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Foals can be so cruel sometimes…” She didn’t understand magic, being an earth pony herself, but she admired his intelligence and dedication to studying magic in his quest to help Equestria. If only those foals had been more understanding all those years ago, she lamented. He merely shrugged in response, having accepted it a while ago. “Just something I had to deal with, I suppose.” “Well, not anymore,” she replied with a warm smile. At his questioning look, she explained, “You said you start talking to yourself because you get lonely, right? Well, you don’t have to be lonely with me around, sweetie. If you ever need someone to talk with, then you can just come over to hang around, okay?” “A-are you sure?” he asked, not wanting to impose on the kind mare. “I don’t want to seem clingy or needy…” She chuckled and nodded. “It’ll be fine, trust me. Even if you just want to grab a few books and study in the corner of the shop, that’ll be okay with me.” She caressed his cheek, and told him, “Please understand; I have absolutely no issues with you talking to yourself, but I do have issues with my sweet stallion being lonely. You have friends now, and a special somepony who cares for you; there’s no need to be alone anymore.” He smiled and nuzzled into her hoof, reaching a hoof up to hold hers gently. “Thank you, Sunny. I’ll definitely keep that in mind from now on.” Sunny smiled, glad that another unforeseen crisis was averted. So many problems for such a sweet stallion to have, she lamented. If only I had met you sooner, my love, then maybe your life would have been better. She remembered why she came upstairs, and told him, “By the way, I came up here to tell you that we’re closed for the day.” He nodded at that. “Yeah, I figured as much. Did everything go well after I left?” “Yeah, no issues at all,” she told him. “I’ve got to say, I really like how today turned out; I had a lot of fun making my chocolates during normal business hours, with no need to rush through my free time to get stock made.” She grinned, and added, “And speaking of free time, are you feeling hungry? I thought that we could go out to dinner to celebrate your first full day of work, and discuss a proper wage to pay you.” He shook his head, telling her, “Oh no, Sunny, you don’t need to pay me. I get plenty from my sculpting, and besides that I’m happy to help you out.” She touched his lips with her hoof to silence him. “Uh-uh, you’re not working for free, Silver. You worked hard today, and you deserve a fair wage for your time.” She wasn’t about to exploit some free labor from Silver just because he loved her, no matter how happy he was to help. She wouldn’t feel right making him help her without some kind of monetary compensation. Though with that cute outfit of his, I’m sure I can give him some bonuses, she thought wistfully. He chuckled softly, and gently lowered her hoof. “Well, alright I guess. We can figure that out while we’re eating. Where are we going?” She broke out of her little daydream, and told him, “A nice little restaurant in town, something offering fancier food than simple hayburgers. Come on, let’s go!” She grabbed him by the hoof and led him out of the room, grabbing her bit bag before they left the shop. The two of them had a lovely meal together, both talking about how their day in the shop went, as well as discussing a fair wage for Silver. He tried to argue for less money, considering he already made a living from his sculptures, but Sunny wouldn’t have it. They also discussed what his normal schedule might look like in the days ahead, between Sunny’s need to stock and her desire to try new things in the kitchen. He agreed to stay in the shop after she was done stocking so that she could try new recipes, and practice her decorating techniques. By the time they left the restaurant and headed back to her home, both of them were feeling happy about her decision to hire him at the shop. Silver noticed how relaxed Sunny seemed after just one weekend of rest and a normal workday, and he felt glad that in some small way, he could repay her for her kindness and patience towards him. Sunny felt grateful to Silver for offering his help; her free time was once more her own, not just time spent working on her shop outside of normal business hours. She hadn’t felt pressured to rush through her chocolate making, and after all this time the thought of working in the kitchen to make her delicious treats brought joy to her heart once more. No longer would she consider abandoning the shop, now that the pressure of running it was gone, now that she felt renewed passion for her craft. Sunny grinned mischievously as they trotted along towards home. It doesn’t hurt that I’ll get to ogle Silver in that uniform either, she added mentally. In fact, I think I’ll give him a nice sign-on bonus tonight…