The bell above the door dinged to signal the arrival of a customer into the small candy shop. Bon Bon was currently busy locking the display case so she couldn't see who had arrived.
"I'm sorry. I've just closed up for the day. I know it's early but I've just finished locking everything up." Bon Bon said politely. "I'm terribly sorry. If you want to leave your name and come back tomorrow I'd be happy to offer a special price for the inconvenience." She said turning the final key before standing up to greet the pony properly.
"Well, my name is Rarity. I'm a good friend of the owner of this shop. Will this new discount stack with the friends and family discount?" Rarity asked playfully.
"I don't believe we offer a discount like that." Bon Bon said flatly playing along with the joke.
"GASP! The horror." Rarity exclaimed dramatically while pretending to swoon. Both mares burst into a fit of giggles.
"Sorry, I couldn't see it was you from down there. In my experience, if you're polite and offer a discount before the customer can say anything rude you can usually avoid an altercation when a rude pony wants to be outraged over something silly like alternate hours." Bon Bon explained making her way out from behind the counter.
"Defusing a situation before it can spark, that's pretty clever." Rarity remarked. "I tend to have a more drawn-out experience with most of my clientele and take it on a case by case basis. If a pony is just being generally agitating I just go for the grin and bear it approach. On the other hoof if they are showing a sense of real malice about me, my work, or anypony else I send them right out the door and tell them exactly where they can shove their bits when they try to protest."
"There have been a couple of cases where the other party still wanted to push it furth. I tried asking them to leave but I'm not the best with confrontation so it didn't just end there. I was lucky both times somepony else was around. Once another customer stuck up for me and just realizing somepony else was there to see them unnerved them enough for them to stomp off. The other time almost resulted in Lyra getting in a hoof fight. Once she convinced them to go outside I locked the door and stopped her from going out there." Bon Bon recounted the less than fond memory as she gathered her saddlebag and gave the shop a final once-over.
"Oddly enough I had a similar situation happen with Rainbow Dash once. She came in and heard a model say a few impolite things about having to stand still for too long. She said something about taking it outside and I ended up locking Rainbow out instead. The poor girl I was working with was just having a blood sugar attack but Rainbow didn't know that." Rarity said following the other mare out of the shop and watching her lock up.
"I don't know Rainbow Dash very well but it sounds like she would get along with Lyra. Well, that or they would just get into a brawl." Bon Bon remarked causing the pair to laugh as they began the journey to the spa.
***
"I can't remember the last time I felt this refreshed." Bon Bon sighed happily as she sprawled out on the bench in the spa's sauna.
"It's important to pamper yourself now and again." Rarity agreed from the opposite bench.
The two had just finished the last treatment in the spa's deluxe day package and were finishing up with a thirty-minute private steam room experience Rarity had paid extra for. The standard package included a soak in the mineral hot bath, facials, full-body massages, and pedicures, and would normally end with thirty minutes in the public steam room unless a private room was available and a small upcharge was paid. Bon Bon had tried to talk Rarity into not spending the extra bits but the unicorn insisted.
Bon Bon took a breath. Now that they were here and alone she felt a new sense of calm and readiness. She knew if she couldn't get herself to ask now she would never have the courage again.
"Rarity, can I ask you something?" Bon Bon said softly there was a hint of hesitation but she was committed.
"Anything darling." Rarity said genuinely intrigued at what her friend wanted to know.
"Have you ever thought about having a foal?" Bon Bon questioned. It wasn't the question she needed to be answered but it was the start.
"You know I'm really not sure." Rarity said hiding her surprise. It wasn't the question she was expecting. "I suppose at some point every mare thinks about it at least as some far-off possibility in the future. But I suppose you're asking if I've given it full consideration and decided if it's something I want to work towards. To that, I have to answer no. That's not to say I don't want to just that I've not been ready to properly ask myself that question yet."
"Mmhm." Bon Bon agreed. She understood what Rarity meant growing up she had never really decided yes or no to the question but always had the idea that someday she would probably find her special somepony get married and raise a family but was just how she thought life was supposed to be. A filly's naive daydream of the perfect future. But then the incident happened and life became no foalhood fantasy and she thought for a while she never wanted a family of any kind. But things had changed and now she realized what she really wanted. "I want to have a foal but I can't. Not on my own at least."
"It can be hard to find your special somepony." Rarity remarked with a squeak in her voice. She was a bit flustered by the shift in mood but she still wanted to be there for her friend.
"I don't think I want a special somepony. I haven't really felt that way about anypony much. The only experience I've had in that regard ended horribly." Bon Bon admitted. "I'm perfectly content with being a single mother. I went through a long process and a bunch of tests so I could start pregnancy artificially but in the end, the doctor told me there is some damage and I'd never carry a foal to term."
"Oh, Bon Bon that's so sad to hear." Rarity said she could feel tears starting to form amidst the steam. "And there are no other options? What about adoption."
"It's a little selfish to say but I want my foal to be a part of me. I don't think I can explain it more than that." Bon Bon remarked.
"I don't think it's selfish. But I do know adoption can be a magical experience all its own." Rarity said as she rose to sit next to her friend. "Please keep this to yourself as very few ponies know this but Sweetie Belle is adopted."
Bon Bon had to fight the urge to tense as the words hit or ears. This wasn't news to her but she hadn't expected this to come up now.
"It's shocking I know." Rarity said with a smile. She could see the words had surprised her friend even though she tried to hide it. "Some poor scared mare left her with a note on our doorstep shortly after she was born. My parents never questioned for a moment whether taking her in was the right thing to do or not. They told everyone they knew it had been quite sudden and my mother didn't know she was pregnant till she went into labor. They did have to go through some legal paperwork so there exists a lawyer or two that must know the full situation but after that, they never talked about it again."
"You're parents are wonderfully generous." Bon Bon said wiping away a tear.
"Yes they are and they love Sweetie Belle every bit as much as they loved me." Rarity said adamantly. "But none of that makes you selfish for wanting your child to also be a part of you. I just wanted to share something personal since you opened up so much with me."
"But I am being selfish." Bon Bon said flatly. "I only admitted all this just because I wanted to ask something from you." She started to move away but the unicorn stopped her by grabbing her hoof.
"I'm here for you Bon Bon. We're friends if there's something you think I could help with you only have to ask." Rarity said unaware of the full weight of her words.
"WE BARELY KNOW EACH OTHER." Bon Bon shouted as she tried to pull away again but the unicorn held tight. She couldn't hold herself together and started crying her eyes out.
"Oh, Bon Bon." Rarity said softly she released her grip on the crying mare and gently stroked her mane. "It's okay. It's okay to cry. We are friends. We may still be getting to know each other but we are already friends."
"I. Know. But. You. Wouldn't. Be. My. Friend. If. You. Knew. Every. Thing." Bon Bon said each word punctuated by another sob.
"I'm sure I would." The unicorn reassured.
A long moment passed while the earth mare sobbed as the unicorn stroked her. When she finally gathered herself enough to speak clearly again she broke the pause in conversation.
"You only think that now." Bon Bon said.
"It's up for me to decide who I consider a friend. And there is nothing you could say to me that would make me think any less of you." Rarity said firmly.
"My insides are broken because I had a foal once." Bon Bon said she paused to give the unicorn a chance to speak or show surprise. Rarity just smiled as if asking her to continue there was no judgment on her face, not yet. "I had just graduated. There was a party. I woke up the next morning being thrown out of some strange stallion's bed. I soon found out I was pregnant. I was too young and unprepared to be a mother. I couldn't bring myself to get an abortion. The life growing inside me at least deserved a chance to live. I moved into a small apartment with Lyra and hid away through the pregnancy. I spent a lot of time just staring out the window watching every manner of pony go by outside. And then it happened I gave birth to a sweet little filly. She had the same white coat and horn as her father. It wasn't him I thought about when I looked at her though. I was reminded of a unicorn teenager I had seen out my window once with her parents. They had seemed such a happy family. I knew that family could give my daughter all the love and care she deserved. I found out where they lived and late in the night I placed the sleeping filly gently on the stoop and made sure to knock loud enough to wake somepony up. I ran away as the filly started to cry as the loud banging woke her up. I did everything I could to not look back."
Silence hung in the air when Bon Bon finished her tale. She didn't at Rarity she couldn't bear to see the look of disgust on her face after they had become so close so fast. I should just go. She thought as she moved to stand up. Rarity started to speak. She stopped to listen, she owed the unicorn at least the chance to let out her scorn. Better now than later.
"You?" Rarity only managed to get out a single word.
There was nothing in the delivery of the word that reflected contempt but Bon Bon knew it was coming. As soon as everything sunk in the unicorn would hate her
"Yes." Bon Bon answered flatly. "I'm Sweetie Belle's birthmother. I left a note with the name I gave her and saying it was alright to change it but your parents chose to keep it." She revealed a conclusive piece of evidence Rarity could use to confirm her story if she still refused to believe her. "Just ask your parents if you don't believe me." She added finally getting up the nerve to look at the unicorn again.
Tears were slowly dripping off the unicorn's cheeks as Bon Bon watched her. They weren't tears of anger or sadness. The unicorn wasn't looking at her with any amount of hatred bitterness or sorrow. She was smiling happily. Bon Bon didn't understand. The two just stared at each other for a moment. Rarity with a blinding sense of joy and Bon Bon a deep well of confusion. And then the unicorn embraced her lovingly.
"I always wanted to meet her. To thank her. To thank you." Rarity said her voice was choked up. "You gave my family the greatest possible gift. How could you think I could hate you for that.
"I just left her Rarity. I abandoned a defenseless foal. I'm a monster. Only a monster could do that." The earth mare stammered.
"You went out of your way to make sure she was somewhere safe. Somewhere you believed she would be loved. A monster wouldn't have done that a monster wouldn't have cared." Rarity hugged her friend tighter. "You're a good pony, Bon Bon. Don't let anypony tell you you're not. Not even you." She stroked her friend's mane as she loosened the embrace.
There was a sharp knock on the door.
"I'm so sorry but your time iz up Miss Rarity." One of the spa ponies called.
"Oh dear, I completely lost track of time." Rarity said suddenly realizing where this whole event took place. "We just need a moment to collect ourselves Lotus, I'm sorry for the trouble just put the extra time on my bill." She called.
"Yes. That iz fine. Please do try and hurry, we have another booking soon." The spa pony replied.
"I'm so terribly sorry we have to rush out like this. Do you still need a moment?" Rarity asked sweetly.
"No, I'm fine. Goodbye Rarity." Bon Bon said as she turned to leave.
"This isn't goodbye darling. I believe you had something you wanted to ask of me. We just have to move our conversation somewhere else." Rarity said making it clear she was determined to see this through.
***
"You're home is so cozy." Rarity said cheerfully looking around at the open-style living space that was nestled behind the chocolate shop. It consisted mostly of one large room, several sliding panels that could be used to divide the space were scattered about marking where sections could be closed off but everything was left open at the moment. "I don't mean it's small. A lot of ponies seem to think cozy means small or cramped when actually it's more about comfort and warmth. This place suits you just perfectly."
"Thank you." Bon Bon said nervously as she watched the unicorn bound around her home. She felt numb and fuzzy almost as if she was caught in a dream on the edge of waking up.
"Would you mind if I make us some tea?" Rarity asked looking towards the mostly closed-off kitchen. It and what she assumed was the powder room were the only spaces closed off by doors and walls. There was an adorable little opening below the cabinets and above the stove where you could see into the kitchen from the main room, or out from the kitchen if you were inside.
"Tea?" Bon Bon asked. She still felt lost by what was happening.
"I thought we should have something to drink while we finished our discussion from earlier. But if I'm over imposing we don't have to." Rarity said still very chipper.
"I believe I ran out of tea." Bon Bon said recalling using up the last of it the day before. She had planned to stop by the store for a few things after the spa but things had taken a different turn than she imagined "I believe there is some carrot juice in the fridge. I can pour us some if you like." She said as she moved towards the kitchen.
"Carrot juice sounds lovely but please allow me to get it. I may be the guest but today has been a bit harder on you than on me." Rarity said batting her eyelashes.
"Okay then. The glasses are just above the sink and the juice is in the fridge." Bon Bon said. She pulled out one of the two stools that sat near the small wooden table in the designated dining area and took a seat as the unicorn disappeared briefly into the kitchen.
Rarity entered the kitchen and carefully retrieved two glasses from the cabinet above the sink before turning towards the fridge. Her heart melted and she had to set the glasses down on the counter to wipe a tear that formed at the sight before her. Sweetie Belle's painting hung proudly on the refrigerator held in place by two magnets that looked like chocolate truffles. She never could have imagined what something like this must have meant to Bon Bon back then at the library but now it made perfect sense why she had been both so hesitant to accept it and so interested in it. She retrieved the juice and filled the two glasses before replacing the half-empty bottle in the fridge.
"Did you find everything okay?" Bon Bon asked as the unicorn returned.
"Yes, I just stopped for a moment to admire your lovely kitchen." Rarity said placing the juice on the table. She slid out the empty stool and sat opposite her friend. "So on to business. What favor did you want to ask?"
"I can't Rarity. Really, it's too much. You've already been so understanding about everything and that's more than enough."
"Bon Bon." Rarity said sternly. "I want you to ask me. It's for me to decide how much is too much to do for a friend.
"I..." Bon Bon started but trailed off. She looked at Rarity whose eyes were focused on her. The unicorn wouldn't let her get away with not asking. She considered the possibility of just ordering an extravagant dress from the seamstress, something outlandish and time-consuming. A large project that would justify how big a deal she made about the favor. She knew Rarity would just see through the excuse and force it out of her anyway. "I'm looking for a surrogate." She admitted. She felt relieved. It didn't matter that Rarity would certainly turn her down. She had asked and now they could put this bit behind them at least.
"A surrogate?" Rarity asked she wasn't quite sure what Bon Bon meant.
"When I had Sweetie Belle I did things haphazardly so nopony would know. I didn't get proper postnatal care and there was some damage. If I were to get pregnant I would lose the baby long before it could ever be born. The only way I can have a foal of my own is if I can find another mare to fill in for me. They would take my egg and use somepony else's seed to fertilize it before implanting it in the surrogate. She would then have to go through the whole pregnancy process from that point through delivery and proper postnatal care. See it's a silly thing to ask somepony it's just way too much." Bon Bon explained and then took a sip of her juice
"I'll do it." Rarity said.
"It's okay. I have somepony else in mind as well but it's not a good time for them and that's the only reason I even thought to ask you." Bon Bon said not even having listened to the unicorn denying her silly request.
"Bon Bon listen to me." Rarity said in a commanding voice. "You gave me my precious little sister. You went through a full pregnancy at a much younger age, and you did it alone. You didn't do it for yourself, you did that for Sweetie Belle and even though you didn't know it then you did that for me and my family as well. I want to do this for you. I'm going to do this for you."
Bon Bon stared at the mare before her. They both had tears forming in their eyes but the unicorn had a clear look of determination. She would do what Bon Bon had feared to ask and she would do it happily.
Dear Celestia if this is a dream don't let me wake up.