//------------------------------// // Corporate Image // Story: The Potion Shop // by Ashfur //------------------------------// “Why.” “Because we need to bring in more customers, Juniper!  You never know when somepony is thinking about needing a potion and doesn't know where to find an alchemist!” “We are the only alchemy shop in town.  Again, why?” “I saw an ad at the dentist and thought we could use one.  Now stop whining. I have just the thing to finish this up in my ‘rejected recipes that I might need later’ book.” “Boss, we don't need a mascot!  Where did you even get an Erlynmare flask this size?” Arca turned around to face her as he began brewing a large potion from the dreaded book of rejects.  “Says you, and I think I got it at a yard sale. Now, hush. I need to finish this potion breathing potion so that you don't suffocate in there.” True to his word, being submerged in a potion that lets you breathe in other potions did prevent Juniper from drowning.  Unfortunately, this also meant that Arca's plan would continue. “Now then, that's perfect!  It fits you perfectly. Now, just let me put the finishing touches on… and THERE!”  He smiled happily. “It's perfect! Now, go get us some customers, Bubbles the Pushy Potion!”  With that, he trotted inside, trying to close the door, leaving Juniper stuck on the porch, partially in the doorframe. Juniper sighed in her impromptu prison.  Yes, some stores had mascots. Yes, some potion stores had smiling potions as mascots.  But what Arca failed to realize was that they weren't real potions, just costumes.  Instead, here she was wearing a massive novelty chemistry flask with legs, filled with potion breathing potion, and two giant adhesive googly eyes obscuring her vision.  And thanks to the sheer weight of the potion around her, she couldn't even move, blocking the door to the shop. And so, as luck would have it, Mayor Silver happened to need a prescription filled that day, and Juniper saw him trotting up the long, lonely path that separated the shop from the rest of the market.  Once he reached the porch though, he took one look at the obstruction blocking his path and sighed. “Good morning, Juniper. Arca having one of his crazy marketing ideas again?” Juniper nodded and tried to reply, but the potion surrounding her prevented her from talking.  Thankfully, the motion sensor/recording crystal embedded in the giant flask kicked in for her. Arca's voice rang out from the crystal, although he was clearly trying to imitate the high-pitched voice of a cheery mascot.  It sounded terrible. “Hi there, sir or ma'am or other!  I'm Bubbles, the Pushy Potion! Buy some potions!”  Juniper, hearing this, clonked her head against the glass with a look of both annoyance and disappointment on her face. “Alright, take two.  Hi colts and fillies!  I'm Bubbles, the pu- hey, that's odd.  It says here the recording is almost full.  Wasn't this thing supposed to hold four hours worth?  Huh. JUNIPER! YOU BOUGHT THE WRONG RECORDING CRYSTAL!”  Juniper clonked her head on the glass again. “Oh, dear.  Yup, that looks like Arca's work.  I suppose I'll just pick up my prescription tomorrow instead.”  Juniper gave Silver a pleading expression as he turned to leave.  “Look, I don't want to set whatever motion sensor he has attached to that off again any more than you do.  See you tomorrow, Miss Berry.” As he left, juniper sighed, trying to get herself unstuck from the door frame again.  Unfortunately, that set off the motion sensor crystal. “Well, Juniper certainly outdid herself finding this recording crystal doodad.  I wonder how you get it to start recording. Oh! It's glowing. That must mean it's charging for later.  Guess I'll do my laundry now. I should have a good three hours before I'm needed at the store to get all these lab coats clean!”  Sounds emitted from the crystal that sounded like somepony moving fabrics around, followed by running water. And then, something nopony liked to hear.  Arca, singing outside his normal vocal range. “Winter WRAP up, win-win-win-winTER wrrrrap up, da, da da DA BOP BOP BIP!” Juniper's constant clonking noises didn't really improve the percussion section of the ‘music’, as she quickly found out, but it did distract her.  Hours later, Arca would question why business was so slow that day.