//------------------------------//
// Love Languages 
// Story: The Potion Shop 
// by Ashfur 
//------------------------------//

"Princess-boss!  Princess-boss!"  The door to Alchemiracles swung open as Arca dashed in like a dog with the zoomies.  "I just discovered something amaaaazing!  Look!"

Princess Celestia Solaire, goddess of the sun and ruler of Equestria, had about two seconds to react as Arca lunged over, grabbed her disguised form, and pulled her into a passionate kiss, dipping her backwards like a romantic movie.  That lasted all of three seconds before she was suddenly let go, landing on the wood floor with a hard THUD.  "Huh.  Weird… that didn't give me butterflies in my stomach this time.  Must be a succupony thing.  Boy am I lucky!"  Humming to himself, he left the completely confused Celestia on the floor as he trotted back into the lab, likely to work on an order that had been cooking for the past few hours.

Then the door jingled, and Razzle walked in, practically glowing with pride and happiness.  She glanced over at the disguised princess.  "Sunny, it finally happened!  Arca kissed me~"  She swooned, teetering back and forth with practiced drama.  "And now I'm his marefriend!"

Sunny let out an annoyed groan, slowly twisting her body into a position where she was at least laying on her stomach.  "That would explain a lot.  Maybe tell him that tackling ponies to make out with them is a no-no?"

Razzle squinted her eyes shut, a hint of frustration tracing its way along her face.  "I… will do that.  And I presume that's why you're on the floor?"  She rolled her eyes as Sunny got to her hooves, nodding.  "I'll talk to him about it.  Do me a favor and don't smooch my prince of potions, though."

Sunny nodded resolutely.  "I think the only pony you need to worry about stealing kisses from Arca is Meadowbrook, Razzle.  And those aren't romantic, just familial."

"Good.  ARCA!  GET YOUR sexy FLANK OUT HERE!"

"Yes, Razzle?"  The stallion poked his head out the lab door, not coming out further.  "Whayever it is you need, make it quick.  The polyglot potion for the Prench ambassador's family is in a critical step and I need to make sure to turn off the heat no more than twenty seconds after it turns red!  They need it to speak Equish while they stay here without needing a translator, and they are paying me a lot of bits for this!"

"Fine, fine.  I'll make this as fast as possible.  New rule: Romantic kisses are for members of your herd only.  That means me."

"...did I do something wrong?"  Arca cocked his head to the side, his unkempt mane shifting as he did so.  "Or is this a relationship thing?"

"Both."

"Okay, explain it later.  I have to get back to work."

"Boss?"  Juniper stepped out of the lab and into view, along with Starry Sky, the disguised princess Luna.  "What do we do if the potion turns blue instead of red?"

"Oh, that's easy!"  Arca smiled cheerfully.  "In that case, we duck and cover, because something would be wrong and the potion's getting unstable.  But there's no way it would turn blue!  Unless Starry made a mistake prepping the ingredients this morning and added babblegrass instead of babelgrass.  They look really similar."  Not sparing another second, he trotted back into the lab, alone, leaving Juniper and Starry in the store proper to talk with Sunny and Razzle.

"And look, it's not even blue!  I'd call this more of a navy, perhaps even an indig-"

FOOM

A silence hung in the air for a good ten seconds before the lab door opened again.  Arca's entire face and barrel were covered in blue soot, and his mane was shot backwards in a spiky pattern that made him look like a comet streaking through the atmosphere.  Not bothering to wipe or open his eyes, he addressed the room.  "Tu avais raison, Juniper. La potion était bleue.  Ne vous inquiétez pas, je vais nettoyer."

"Uh… no comprendo, señor boss?"

Arca slipped back into the lab.

"Wrong language," Starry whispered at Juniper.  "We doubt he notices, though.  He was too busy being sacre'd by the blue."

"So, now that that's out of the way… tell us EVERYTHING, Razzle," Sunny remarked, sitting at full attention.  "Or should I call you the future Mrs. Catalyst?  By the way, I want grandfoals within the next three centuries, if possible."

Juniper looked like she was both mortified and relieved at the same time.  Starry, on the other hoof, was ecstatic.  "Ha ha!  We win our wager, Sister!  Our selected date of thine union t'was closest to the true day!  That means we get to officiate the wedding, once it occurs!"

NOW Juniper looked mortified.

"Okay, so we were going for that picnic, and…"