I peered over Bon-bon, hoping to get a glance at what was in the box that she held in front of Lyra. I couldn't get a good look yet. So I leaned in closer, hardly noticing my cheek graze against Bon-bon's.
Bon-bon immediately panicked and I fell to the floor with my second slap of the day. THUD! Went my head as Bon-bon quickly pushed the box to Lyra and began checking my cheek for a bruise. "OMGOSH! Glass! Are you okay? I'm sorry, I forgot you were even here!"
'Thanks a lot...' I thought to myself, still a little too surprised to speak.
Lyra looked down at us. "He's tougher than that, Bon-bon. I think he wanted to see what your gift to me was." She giggled.
I got up slowly and laughed it off. "I'm alright, Miss Kyandi. I was just shocked, not hurt." I said, trying to sound cool. Truthfully, my cheek hurt a bit. But what stung more was my pride. I didn't think myself to be a tough stallion. Certainly no Big Macintosh... But I couldn't help but feel like now I had made a strike on my "Stallion Card".
I looked at Lyra. Then at Bon-bon. Two mares, who both wanted my affection. (Though, Bon-bon seemed to have slightly weaker feelings, mostly because we hadn't spent much time together as of yet.) I should feel like I'm in heaven... So why do I feel so... bad? "W-what's even in the box anyway?" I asked, nervous as to the contents and how it affects the situation.
"OH! That's right!" Lyra said as she showed me the box. Opening it up.
I was confused as I looked at the small object in the box. 'A jewel? No wait... a piece of round plastic? No, that can't be it.'
I think Lyra noticed my confusion, so she explained. "That's a project that Bon-bon has been working on for three years. Her "Magnum Opus Candy". Only one exists in the world right now. And if it becomes successful, Bon-bon will have enough money to open up a candy store!" She turned and looked to Bon-bon as I pieced together what to do next. "Bon-bon. You can't give me this. It's too important!"
Bon-bon smiled and giggled. "Well it's not like I made it to be placed on a pedestal. I made it to be eaten! And who better to test it than my best friend?" She said happily.
As if nothing happened, Lyra hugged bon-bon. I smiled as the two had a moment as best friends. Though, I must admit that my dirty mind had been smiling at the hug for other reasons. 'Dammit. I need to not think like that in public.' I thought to myself as they finished hugging.
Lyra ate the candy and her eyes widened. I wasn't sure why at first, but I was about to find out as Bon-bon turned to me. "I made another. would you like it?" She said as Lyra chewed her candy, making abnormal "MMMN!" Noises.
I nodded and held out my hoof. Bon-bon gave me the candy and I placed it in my mouth.
Instantly I was drawn aback by the chewy confection. with an outer chocolate shell, that melted almost instantly into a yogurt form like on a Clop-tart and in the very center, strawberry filling. "A-A-a-amazing!" I said. "T-they don't make candies this good in Fillydelphia!" I swallowed the chocolate treat and smiled. "I need to work with you some day, Bon-bon."
Bon-bon blushed and looked to Lyra. "And what's your opinion, Lyh?" She asked, happy and hopeful.
Lyra looked at the two ponies standing in front of her, and with a sly grin she said. "It tastes like success!" She hugged Bon-bon and smiled. "Now..." Her face turned serious and she looked away from us. "Glass... Why can't you leave well enough alone? Why do you give me reasons to like you?"
I stayed silent. There was nothing to say. Even if there was... There was nothing I COULD say. I decided that it would take some thinking, I had to get out of there and figure out my shit. "I... I need to..." I said.
Bon-bon stopped me as I tried to walk for the door and finish my sentence. "What are you doing, Glass? We're here to cheer her up!" Bon-bon said, sternly. I looked at her, and then at Lyra. Lyra was still looking away from us, but there were soft squeaks and sniffs coming from her. She was crying... And with each whimper a piece of the appeal Ponyville had, washed away. I turned back to Bon-bon.
"I really need to leave..." I said sadly. It felt awful... I had only recently gotten the boost in confidence I needed, and now... Now I felt like I was home... Not in a good way. I felt like there was sadness in the air, but somehow it felt worse than home. I was the reason everypony was sad.
Bon-bon knew what I meant, and let me through. "I'll talk to you later, Glass. I can't go, I'm her best friend. So when you figure things out, let me know so I can do what we need to to fix this." She said as I walked out the door.
I nodded solemnly and closed the door behind me. I avoided eye contact with everypony as I left the studio.
Everything was wrong... I needed to take my mind off of things so I could fix them. I needed to see somepony who had very little care in the world. Who had one mission and one alone. Who had no clue about the harshness of love, fear, anger, hatred, or life in general.
As I walked, I heard tiny hoofsteps behind me. I turned sadly, tears streaming down my face, to see a little... Orange... Pegasus filly. Scootaloo was standing right behind me.
"Are you okay?"