//------------------------------// // CH10: Deception // Story: Pink Symphony // by DragonLS //------------------------------// Special Thanks to: Editor: DaMobbs Proofreader: Meeester ***** Talk about Naivety at its finest! A mare who doesn’t even know what a date is? That’s a rarity nowadays. ….. Now, I wouldn’t say that. While there are some stupid ponies, Pinkie Pie is much more... entertaining than idiotic, even if she does have a few screws loose. But that doesn’t answer my question. Why would you ask her out on a date? ….. Oh come now, that’s not natural at all. Colts and Stallions are the ones who ask mares on dates, not the other way around! But then again, there was this one time that— ….. Don’t interrupt me! Can’t you see I’m trying to tell a story here!? Now about the… um, wait, what was I talking about? ….. Oh fine, spoilsport. It’s always about you and not me; do I not get the time to talk about myself? Geez… Very well, let’s continue with your story...  Jerk. ***** Chapter 10: Deception “You’re really going to Candy Paradise!? But I thought you didn’t like that much sweet stuff!” A day had passed after Pinkie had asked you out, and you were sitting at Berry’s bar, enjoying a nice glass of apple cider after a performance. She cornered you as you sat down at the bar and began talking about that restaurant. Seeing as you didn’t really pay attention to its name the first time, you were relieved when berry came to your rescue and let slip what it was again. In fact, how did she even know about that place too? She didn’t strike you as a sweets enthusiast like Pinkie Pie did. “Me? Well I’m planning on going to the grand opening tomorrow.” Your face met the counter. Part of you wanted to know why anypony would go to a restaurant that served only candy dishes while the other was wrapped up in a grand conspiracy plot between Candy Pradise and the local dentist. Berry merely giggled at your little scene. “If you chip that counter, it’s coming directly out of your pay. Now listen, I’m just letting my curiosity getting the best of me. Besides, it’s a grand opening; that means deals galore.” You just nod at her in response. While Pinkie Pie did invite you to go with her, you told Berry that it definitely wasn’t something you were fond of. “Wait, Pinkie Pie asked you out? As in a date?” You shook your head, explaining that she didn’t even know what a date was to begin with. Guffawing laughter was her response. “Oh, that’s so Pinkie Pie,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye, ”naive of the most normal of things… But that’s good though.” You raised a brow at that last response, wordlessly motioning for her to go on. She flinched but brushed it off with a hoof. “It’s nothing, just an old mare mumbling. Ha ha…” You downed your last mouthful of cider and hopped off the bar stool. It was about time to head home anyway, and you waved a good-bye to Berry as you made for the door. “Er, wait. You’re still going to that restaurant tomorrow right?” You gave her a firm nod, to which she smiled. “Would you mind if I join you and Pinkie Pie? We’re all going anyway, so it’d be better as a group, right?” She definitely had a point, but the thought of hanging out with both Pinkie and Berry drop kicked you back into reality. It would definitely be fun for them. On the other hoof, you’d probably be on the receiving end of their ‘fun’ for the entirety of the trip. While you didn’t really like where this was going to go, it was a welcomed change to the monotony of daily life. With a sigh, you mumbled your agreement and stepped out of Berry’s Delight. Time to Stallion up, as the saying went. ***** The day of the grand opening had arrived. When one thinks of a ‘Grand Opening’, there are the key events that one has to go through: the long line to get in, the long wait once your in line, and the exorbitant amount of patience one would need to survive such an ordeal. Concerts were pretty much the same thing, now that you thought about it. Nothing as monstrous as a huge line of ponies wanting to see you or anything, but such a thing did happen to the more famous musical ponies out there. Pinkie Pie and Berry Punch were by your side, all eyes locked onto the building before you. It was actually just a normal, brown building covered in candy-esque decorations; lollipops, gumdrops, cherries, and cotton candy. Next to the door were two over-sized chocolate milkshakes, topped off with whipped cream and a bright red cherry. None were edible of course but they looked real enough. There was one problem, however. There was no line. You stood there dumbfounded. Berry had come to the same conclusion as well and looked around for something to shed some light on this. There was a pony greeter at the front, who looked extremely bored, but there wasn’t any line, or pony for that matter, in particular waiting to get inside. It was as desolate as a barren desert. “Whee! No line! C’mon Top Hat, let’s go!” Pinkie Pie said excitedly. “Wait Pinkie Pie, don’t you find this really strange? It’s completely empty out front.” Berry pointed out. “How’s that a problem? It means we don’t have to wait!” You pointed out how this was probably a really bad sign. Berry profusely agreed. “Yeah, what he said. If nopony else is here, then the food can’t be good at all. It’s really odd nopony is here for a grand opening of all things.” Your response was cut short as Pinkie Pie grabbed your hoof and Berry’s hoof, literally dragging the two of you towards the door. Apparently, either she didn’t listen to you two, or she did and didn’t care. After all, there were sweets to be had. She let you go once you all reached the front as she gave her energetic smile to the welcome pony. “Hi there! Table for three please! Ooh, and go easy on the tablecloths too, I almost ate one of ‘em once. Did you know that candy tablecloths exist too? Ooh, actually, do you have candy tablecloths? They’re delicio—Mmph!?” You placed your hoof over her muzzle to get her to shut up. The blue stallion behind the welcome podium seemed rather annoyed with your talkative friend already, and you hadn’t even made it through the door yet. A quick apology later, you asked for a table for three. “That depends. Where do you want to sit?” he said in a slightly annoyed tone. You furrowed a brow in confusion, asking how many ponies were inside. He merely shrugged. “Only two, maybe three ponies are inside. What? Were you expecting a crowd?” The greeter’s attitude was quickly grating your nerves. You could see why there wasn’t a crowd here now: Probably because they were disgusted with this stallion. However, you took the high road and simply refused to respond to his verbal jab, not wanting to stoop to his level. Thankfully, you managed to hold onto your calm demeanor long enough to ask him once more for a table. The blue stallion sighed heavily as he reluctantly grabbed a few menus from inside the podium and led you inside. ***** Where was the candy? That was the first question that popped up in your mind as you stepped inside the restaurant. The outside was clearly decorated in lieu of a candy them. The inside was a completely different story. There was absolutely nothing candy-themed inside. A simple, wooden square room, the floor and  ceiling a bright pink with white walls, was the dining area. The chairs and tables were placed in a systematic fashion to allow for most ponies to sit down while taking up the least amount of space. It looked absolutely dull. The longer you looked around, the more your eyes hurt. Berry couldn’t help but frown as she eyed the owner's taste in interior design . Pinkie Pie was seemingly unaffected, now counting the wooden planks on the ceiling with gusto. The blue stallion growled as he noticed their disgusted faces. “Yes, I know it looks ugly. Got a problem with it?” He certainly wasn’t helping with the mood, though. A bad attitude combined with the interior design made you wonder how this place even managed to place an ad at all. Berry furrowed her brow. “How rude! We come here to eat, and you’re giving us this attitude of yours?” “If you have a problem with it, then I suggest you leave. It’s all you’re getting.” “Why you—“ You placed a hoof on Berry’s shoulder, shaking your head. You give a fake chuckle to the welcome pony and said that you just needed to look at the menus for a little bit. The blue stallion just shrugged and went about his business. Berry smacked your hoof away and growled at you. “Why did you do that!? I could have given him a hoofful if you hadn’t stop me!” You explained that despite the negativity surrounding this place, you’ve yet to try the food. That’s when Pinkie Pie joined in and hugged the both of you. “Yeah! I bet their food is great! You won’t know unless you try!” For once you agreed with her. If it was the other case, then you could all just leave and go somewhere else instead. Berry was about to pout, but she reluctantly agreed. “I was hoping this would be romantic…” Berry mumbled. Your ears perked up, and you stared at her. So she did have other intentions. Berry glanced at you and only giggled. “Oh, it’s nothing. Never mind me.” You raised a brow, confused, but you merely gave a shrug as you looked at the menu before having to shut your eyes once again. Not only was the menu as dull as the interior designs, but it was just plain text; no images or drawings showed what any of the choices are. It got weirder as you read through each of their dishes. ‘Apple Shake’ ‘Mudpie Delight’ ‘Out Of This World’ ‘Hay Fries w/ Cheese’ The first three seemed mediocre at best, but you groaned at the last one. For a restaurant that claimed to only serve candy, that was definitely as far away from candy as you could get. You immediately changed your mind and wanted to leave, now. You frowned at Pinkie and Berry, and they gave similar expressions. “Don’t like the options either?” Berry asked, in which you shook your head. She looked at Pinkie. “What about you Pinkie?” “Ummm, I don’t know! They all look pretty tasty to me!” You both facehoofed. “Pinkie, I really don’t think we should eat here: A rude welcoming, bad interior designs, nothing ‘grand’ to speak of, and that pony in the corner is giving me weird looks. Now, I’m all up for bringing in customers, but that ad they had was as fake as fake could get. Let’s get out of here before that poor excuse for an employee comes back.” You wholeheartedly agreed with her and started to stand up. However, Pinkie Pie grasped your hoof in hers and stared at you with those puppy eyes of hers. “Nooo! Please, stay! Let’s at least give the food a chance!” she implored, shaking your hoof for added effect. You groaned, stuck at an impasse now. You couldn’t exactly ignore Pinkie’s honest request, but you didn’t want to leave Berry all alone when she left. A voice piped up behind you that brought the world to a sudden stand-still. “Yes, please Saxxy, stay. It’s not that bad once you pick the right product. It is mediocre at best though.” Your ears perked up. Of all the ponies to run into, you never thought it would be him. A light black Pegasus with a brown mane and piano keys as its cutie mark, sipping a milkshake, trotted into view and stood at the end of your table. He grinned as you returned his gaze before he stretched his hooves out and placed them on the table. “It’s been awhile, Saxxy. I never expected you to be here. It’s been months, hasn’t it?” There was no mistake. It was Beaver and he managed to find you in Ponyville.