//------------------------------// // Sweetie and the Colonel // Story: King Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bon // by Fanon Canon //------------------------------// Bon Bon was in quite the state, as she attended the counter of the confectionary the next day. It was not particularly perceptible state, for it was all an internal struggle that prevented the earth pony from properly enjoying the day, as she really should be. Bon Bon was never really the type of mare that made such a big deal over being rejected, regardless of what the issue was. Yet something about her little ordeal the previous night had taken quite the toll upon her usually bubbly disposition, like her former unicorn friend had represented some kind of key piece of the paradigm of Bon Bon, and the fact that she had swiftly ended their prosperous relationship had wrecked the very identity of the earth pony entirely. What she did not feel, therefore, was not like Bon Bon. It was a whole new type of pony, one that had tasted the bitterness of betrayal, and had thus been warped into something that no longer resemble the name she had been calling herself all this time. It was as she was having that particular epiphany that a certain unicorn entered the building, looking around only for a second or so before approaching the counter. Bon Bon recognised the familiar blue coat with an ice coloured mane and a blue streak, giving off the appearance of toothpaste. How fitting it was then that Bon Bon remembered this particular pony was a dentist, which made her briefly question why she would seek business within a confectionary, but swiftly dismissed the thought, happy for the company. "Minuette!" She exclaimed. "Nice to see you, what brings you here?" The unicorn known as Minuette eyed Bon Bon with an obvious suspicious glare, looking quite baffled by the manner in which the earth pony had addressed her. "Minuette?" She parroted. "I'm gonna assume you have no idea who the hay you are talking to civvie?" "Err." Bon Bon replied awkwardly. "I… assume I'm talking to Minuette, local dentist of Ponyville, right?" "No you are not!" Minuette barked backed. "You are talking to Colonel Minuette Gate, part time dentist and current advisor and confidant to Princess Celestia herself!" Bon Bon observed the unicorn through wide eyes. "…Oh! Well in that case… hiya… Colonel. What brings you here?" Her renewed attempts at appearing amicable seemed to have no effect on the Colonel, who simply maintained her eye of suspicion. Nevertheless, she surveyed the counter intently, her eyes scanning the various sugary and savoy delicacies available. Eventually she settled on an item and pointed her hoof at one of the packets of chewing gum on display. "That one there." She requested. Bon Bon acknowledged her gaze, but upon the sight of chewing gum, she simply could not resist attempting to dissuade the Colonel. "Chewing gum? Are you sure?" She asked sincerely. "Of course I'm sure!" The Colonel snapped back. "Err, Colonel. There's one or two things I'd like to say, if I may?" Bon Bon requested politely. "Go on." The unicorn accepted wearily. "Now, judging from your stance." Bon Bon began. "I'd say you're in a particular hurry. If I may make a wild guess here, I'd say it probably involves something pretty darn important." "Go on." The Colonel repeated. "I imagine something tense and quite hectic." Bon Bon continued. "Now I know chewing gum can be good exercise in something like that, but if you go ahead and chew a load of gum, it's only gonna make you all the more hungry for something more fulfilling and will probably interfere in whatever business you got going." Minuette observed her with a stoic stare. "Your point being?" "My point being." Bon Bon stated. "If you're going into something pretty darn important, you can't afford to let your stomach start acting up. So what I would suggest, is that you take something a lot more satisfying, that way you can keep your mind set on doing the task at hand well, and not get constantly distracted by a growing stomach." Colonel Minuette raised an eye at Bon Bon, still with suspicion, but a look that said she was taking in the earth ponies' advice nonetheless. "Okay then." She said at last. "Would would you, the expert, suggest?" "How about a cupcake?" Bon Bon suggested, gesturing to the selection she had available. "Great for your stomach, the red ones my favourite." "No, no." The Colonel remarked with obvious disgust. "They do crazy stuff to the teeth and make me wish I simply had a proper cake." "Okay then." Bon Bon said. "What about... these doughnuts?" "Eggh." Minuette remarked. "If I take those I'm gonna be dead thirsty." "Okay, how about some soda to wash it down." Bon Bon did her best to satisfy the Colonel's increasingly choosy culinary habits. "Well fine whatever." The unicorn relented. "If I stay here all day I'm gonna be late. And Celestia help us all if I am..." "You said it." Bon Bon agreed, not sure why the Colonel had ushered that last part so forebodingly, attending to picking out the treats for her. Minuette paid for her sugary snack, but bought a few packets of chewing gum, just as a precaution. "Much appreciated Miss, err, what was your name again... bomb bomb or something like that?" She added. "Actually." Bon Bon replied. "Its Drops. Sweetie Drops." "Sweetie... Drops?" Minuette repeated back slowly. "Arighty then." The Colonel bid her farewell, making her departure with a noticeable growl in her stomach. The confectionary worker, meanwhile, had to register what exactly she had just told her. Sweetie... Drops. What mysterious wave of thought had possessed her brain to possess her mouth to utter christen such a name upon herself. It certainly puzzled her more then immensely, until she realised that somehow, it fitted her quite perfectly in a very peculiar way. Had she not felt like the pony she once was, she was no longer, having been dealt quite the emotional blow by her former partner. Maybe this new sporadic turn of events for her would usher in a new direction for her to go in. Just as she fondly rolled the new name off her tongued, she was suddenly reminded of her other job, that of a speech therapist, and that she had an appointment that very night. And for some reason, she felt a little more excited then usual at the formality. But poor little Sweetie Drops was surely kidding herself. What could possibly happen that very night that would be different from all the other previous sessions she had had in the past...