//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Gears of Romance // by Phoenix999 //------------------------------// The Sun lowered towards the horizon. The myriad of clocks adorning the storefront chimed in different melodies to signal that closing time, six o’clock, had arrived. Widget stretched, getting up from his workbench and putting his tools away. A few ponies had stopped by the shop and greeted him, but for the most part the time after he got back from lunch was spent in the back room finishing various clock commissions. Looking down at his now empty mug, Widget sighed. Well, I could go and visit the bar again. With any luck, I’ll remember what happens this time. Nodding to himself, Widget closed his shop for the day and made his way to Berry’s Delights. Entering the bar, Widget noticed a few ponies gathered around a table to the side, up against a wall. They all had grim expressions as they eyed the playing cards in front of them. Berry stood behind the bar as Bon Bon finished off a swig of her drink. Berry had noticed his entry and waved him over with a smile. Bon Bon looked at Widget and sighed, passing Berry a few bits. Widget raised an eyebrow as Berry smirked at Bon Bon’s scowling face. “I told you he’d come.” “Making bets on me already?” Widget said, chuckling. “I’m glad I made such a good first impression on you two.” Bon Bon’s cheeks reddened. “Well, I didn’t think you’d come back so early.” “I told you, he’s the type that you just can’t keep away. Besides, I’m pretty sure we left our own impressions on him that won’t be going away anytime soon.” Berry laughed and slapped Bon Bon affectionately on the shoulder. Berry winked at him. “So, what can I get you this time?” “Surprise me.” Thinking better of his choice of words, he added, “As long as it doesn’t have liquid dragon’s fire in it, that is. I’d like to remember tonight, thank you very much.” Berry hummed to herself, tapping a hoof on her chin as Widget took a seat next to Bon Bon at the bar. Berry turned around and started mixing various alcohols together, stirring it and adding a splash of cola. She topped it off with a lemon slice and passed it to him. Widget smiled, taking a sip of the tall glass of brownish mixture. “Long Island Iced Tea, always a good choice.” Widget placed a few bits on the bar. Berry leaned on the wooden surface and directed her attention on him. “So, how was your first full day in Ponyville?” Widget shrugged. “Eh, it was alright. After you left I finished unpacking, then Bon Bon showed up and we had lunch. Then it was just finishing my clocks, not many people come into my shop needing repairs normally.” Berry and Bon Bon shared a glance, each with a calculating gaze. Did I say too much? Before Widget could follow that train of thought, Bon Bon and Berry both gave each other toothy smiles and turned their gazes to him. “So what was the favorite part of your day?” Bon Bon asked. Widget paused and raised an eyebrow. I’m not that foolish you know. “Breathing.” Bon Bon’s muzzle scrunched up as she stared off into the distance. Berry took one look at Bon Bon and snickered. Berry punched Widget on his shoulder. “Oh c'mon, be serious. What was the favorite part of your day?” “Honestly?” Widget scratched his chin for dramatic effect as both mare’s attentions firmly placed back on him. “Right now. Talking and drinking with the two of you.” Bon Bon seemed to perk up a bit at that as Berry shook her head in mock defeat. Widget raised his glass for a toast. “To new adventures.” Bon Bon and Berry smiled and grabbed their drinks. The three ponies clinked glasses and took a long pull from their drinks. Placing his drink down, Widget gave a satisfied sigh. “That’s a great Long Island. Berry, you’re my personal bartender from now on.” Berry laughed and gave Widget a wink. “I’m also the only bartender in Ponyville. But I’ll let you think that you’re making me feel better.” Widget just smiled back at her and took another sip of his drink. “Regardless, you blend these flawlessly. Just take the compliment, will ya? I’ve been to my fair share of nightclubs and bars in Canterlot, so I know a good bartender when I see one.” Berry blushed a bit, coughing into her hoof to regain her composure. Bon Bon took her chance to get a word in. “So, how does Ponyville compare to Canterlot?” Widget scratched his chin as he thought of how to best answer her question. “Well, for one, Ponyville is much smaller. I know that sounds obvious but if you’ve ever been to Canterlot, even the atmosphere makes it feel big and impressive. In Canterlot there’s a lot of aristocrats and nobles, but they pretty much keep to the day time. The nightlife is something else entirely, it’s almost as if the night in Canterlot is completely opposite. It’s the time where all of the working class ponies come out to party, and there’s a lot of dance and techno clubs, as well as tons of different bars that are always packed. The night in Canterlot keeps going non-stop, and doesn’t end until about five in the morning, when everyone goes home to catch a few hours of sleep before their work shifts. Here it’s much more of a small-community feel, where somepony can feel welcomed easily. It feels cozy in comparison to the busy, spacious feeling of Canterlot.” The mares are also only after money, power, and influence, he almost added. Thinking better of it, he decided to let it slide. Widget could tell that both mares were giving him their full attention, and he replied to the inevitable question before it could be asked. “But all in all, I like it here. Canterlot is nice, and I won’t say I won’t miss a few things about it. But the ponies here all seem much more friendly and genuine, and the fact that I’ve felt welcome since the moment I stepped hoof in Ponyville definitely helps. Despite the fact that I blacked out,” he said. Widget gave Berry a playful glare, garnering a bit of mirthful laughter from all three of them. He finished off his drink. “Berry, let’s get a white russian this time.” Berry raised an eyebrow. “I thought you wanted to remember tonight?” “Don’t worry, I’ll remember everything so long as it’s not liquid dragon’s fire. I don’t know what it is about that alcohol, but it gets me every time.” Widget replied. Berry just shrugged and made the drink and passed it over the counter. “So how long have you two known each other?” Bon Bon said, “We’ve known each other ever since we were foals. We grew up in Ponyville and went to the same school as everypony else here.” “Oh? Were you two close?” Widget asked. “Not all the time. There were a few times during our school days that we would fight, but eventually we made up. It was usually a silly fight over something inconsequential, like who got to use the bucket in the sandbox,” Bon Bon said. “Or the shovel,” Berry added, causing both mares to giggle. Widget smiled as he basked in their moment of shared memories. Something out of the corner of his eye, caught his attention. Turning to view it properly, he realized it was a karaoke machine on a small stage at the far end of the bar. How did I not see that before? A smirk grew on his face as he devised a plan. “Berry, does that thing work?” “Huh?” Berry looked over to where his hoof pointed. “Oh. Yeah, it hasn’t been used in a while though.” “Perfect.” Widget’s smirk grew into a wicked smile as he turned back to the mares, his voice taking on an almost sinister quality to it. “Let’s play a game.” Bon Bon tilted her head to the side as Berry raised an eyebrow. “What kind of game?” “Simple. Each pony will make three statements about themself. One of those statements must be a lie. It doesn’t have to be anything big; it could be as simple as saying that your favorite color is green when it’s actually red. Both other ponies will have a chance of guessing which statement is the lie.” Widget paused, making sure that both mares understood him. A spark of interest showed in Bon Bon and Berry’s expressions. “Since you both have known each other for so long, I’ll guess first regardless of who is speaking. This will give everypony a level playing field.” Both mares nodded in silent agreement. “Now, if one of the two ponies guesses which statement is a lie, the pony who guessed it gets to choose what song the speaker sings. If both ponies guess it right, they can make an additional condition, such as ‘you must sing the song while doing the chicken dance’.” Both mares’ eyes gleamed at this development. Widget’s wicked smile grew larger. “However, If neither pony can guess the statement that is a lie, the speaker gets to choose a song that the other two ponies sing as a duet.” Bon Bon smiled widely, clapping her hooves together. “That sounds like fun! Let’s play!” “Oh, I’m going to have fun with this,” Berry replied in a teasing tone. Widget’s evil grin came back. “Good! I’ll start and then we’ll work clockwise from there.” The other two nodded. “Ok. My favorite color is green, I have a younger brother, and I love to take walks in the woods.” Bon Bon tapped a hoof against her chin, her face scrunched up and her eyes narrowed as she looked off into the distance. “Umm... this is hard!” Widget laughed. “That’s the point. Every statement should sound like it’s true.” “Hmmm.” Bon Bon stared at Widget with increasing intensity, eventually removing her hoof and pointing at him accusingly. “You don’t love to take walks in the woods!” Widget had trouble keeping a straight face, Oh Celestia, that’s just too precious. He turned to Berry. “And your guess?” Berry evaluated him carefully. Something caught her eye, causing her eyes to widen. A predatory smile grew on her face. “Your favorite color isn’t green, it’s blue.” Widget looked stunned for a moment. Oh, right. The watch, I forgot about that. Widget laughed and shook his head. “Didn’t think you’d notice that, but yes, you’re correct. My favorite color is not green, it is blue.” Bon Bon looked more shocked than Widget had. He raised his left forehoof to show her his watch, showing it’s deep blue faceplate with intricate silver lacing in the shape of his cutie mark. “This was a gift from my grandfather from before he passed away. He gave it to me as a present when I finally got my cutie mark.” Widget looked at his watch lovingly while Bon Bon smiled. Snapping out of his daze, Widget turned to Berry. “So, you won. What do you want me to sing?” Berry smiled. “Oh let’s see...” She pulled the songlist book out from a cupboard. “Hmm. How about this one. Just go up to the machine. I’ll set it up.” Widget laughed. “Oh I get it. I don’t even get to mentally prepare; you are ruthless.” She returned the laugh and responded in a playful tone, “Yes, yes I am. And don’t you forget it. Now get your flank up there!” “Yes, ma’am!” Widget gave Berry a mock salute and made his way up to the stage. He took hold of the microphone and the small screen in front of him light up. The words ‘Fillies Just Wanna Have Fun’ appeared as the music started. Widget face-hoofed and groaned. Berry was giggling insatiably, a hoof covering her mouth in a failed attempt to muffle her laughter. I’m so gonna get you for this... The lyrics appeared on the screen. Widget inhaled and prepared himself as he sang the first line. “I come home, in the morning light...” Widget’s voice was an octave too low for the song, which made it even more ridiculous. Bon Bon had caught on to Berry’s antics and could be seen joining Berry in her giggle fit. The ponies at the side of the bar looked up from their game, some with amused grins on their faces, and a few covering their ears with their hooves. Widget had given up on trying to harmonize his voice to the song’s tune and just sang it in his normal singing voice, which wasn’t all that terrible. After the song had finished, he heard a mix of hooves clopping and laughing from the card playing ponies. Widget took a comical bow and made his way over to the bar and sat down next to the two mares who were still laughing from the display. Berry used a hoof to wipe a tear from her eye. “Oh, Celestia... that was priceless!” Bon Bon nodded in agreement, still giggling as she said, “Oh, and the part when you squeaked out the chorus... that was hilarious!” Both mares succumbed to another giggle fit. Widget patiently waited for the mares to settle down. “Need I remind you that revenge is imminent?” Berry managed to calm herself down and snorted her reply. “Only if you manage to guess correctly.” Widget smiled. “Indeed. In the meantime, it’s your turn Bon Bon.” After several moments of attempting to compose herself, Bon Bon finally replied, “Ok... just... give me a minute...” Taking the opportunity to return to his drink, Widget watched the two mares as they recovered from the after effects of the comical display. Berry left for a moment and tended to the ponies at the table. She brought them a few drinks and took the empty mugs to the sink behind the bar. Berry returned with a smirk on her face. “They congratulate you on your bravery, Widget. They said not many stallions would be willing to emasculate themselves in front of an entire bar full of ponies.” Widget rolled his eyes, which caused Bon Bon to go into another fit of laughter. After a few minutes, Bon Bon took a deep breath and exhaled, leaving a calm exterior. “Ok, I’m ready. I like to fly kites, I love candy, and my favorite food is pizza.” Widget set his drink down, scratching his chin in thought. After several moments, he lowered his hoof. “You don’t like to fly kites.” Berry looked at Widget for a moment, deep in thought. She then turned her head to Bon Bon. “You hate candy.” Bon Bon looked aghast. “Berry! You know I don’t like pizza!” Berry scratched the back of her head and looked off into the distance, a guilty look on her face. “I guess I forgot…” Bon Bon glared at Berry, not buying into the ploy. Interesting, Widget thought. Releasing her glare, Bon Bon sighed in resignation. “Well I guess that means you two get to do a duet together. As for the song, how about number fifty five.” Bon Bon pointed to a track on the open tracklist book, the title read ‘YMCA by The Village Ponies’. Berry scowled while Bon Bon held a triumphant smirk on her face. “Didn’t think I’d let you off that easy, did you?” Pressing a few buttons behind the counter, Berry left and went to the stage with Widget. The group of ponies at the table glanced over as they took the stage. Berry turned to him. “You ready for this?” “This is nothing compared to what you made me sing.” “True enough,” Berry said as she giggled into her hoof. The music started to play as the screen light up. Both ponies leaned in close to their microphone. “Young mare, there's no need to feel down…” Berry and Widget sang the song together, and soon they were able to harmonize fairly well. Widget soon found himself rubbing his side against Berry’s as they sang into the microphone together. They both had smiles on their muzzles as they gave each other fleeting glances while keeping their voices in sync. At the end of the song, Bon Bon sat in her stool clapping her hooves together and whistling. The card playing ponies had once again suspended their game, applauding the pair. One mare shouted, “Woo! Go, Berry!” Several of the stallions joined in, and soon enough the group was chanting, “Encore!” Berry sighed and turned to them. “You’ll have to wait until we finish our next round. Now calm down or I’ll cut you off!” A resounding sigh and groans of disappointment emitted from the crowd, who subsequently returned to their card game. Berry and Widget returned to Bon Bon at the bar. He snorted in amusement. “Well, that was actually pretty fun. Good choice, Bon Bon.” Berry nodded. “Agreed. I actually didn’t think that would be that fun.” “Well, I’m not evil you know,” Bon Bon replied with a smirk on her muzzle. Berry blushed a bit. “Ok, so my turn. I have a little sister, I love the starry night sky, and I hate coconut.” “Too easy. You don’t hate coconut,” Widget said. Berry cringed as Bon Bon laughed. “He’s right. You don’t hate coconut. It’s in half of your favorite drinks.” “Bon Bon, why don’t you pick the song? I’ll pick the condition she has to fulfill while she sings.” Widget glanced sinisterly at Berry’s pale form. “Ok! How about ‘Love Shack’?” Bon Bon excitedly said; Berry breathed a sigh of relief. “Sounds great, Bon Bon. For the condition… I think Berry will sound great up there while she pretends to run away from timberwolves.” Widget’s toothy smile was met with a scowl from Berry. “Oh, you are so going to pay for this.” Berry set herself up on the small stage, the music starting as she got into position. With a terrified expression, Berry looked behind her and started jogging in place, singing into the microphone, “If you see a faded sign at the side of the road that says…” Widget and Bon Bon held onto each other to keep from falling off their seats in laughter. The ponies playing cards looked at the sight with mixed expressions of confusion and amusement. Berry ran in place, looking behind herself periodically with a terrified face while she sang ‘Love Shack’. As the song ended, Widget walked up to Berry and patted her on the back. “Oh that was great! I can’t... I can’t stop laughing. It’s too much.” Berry rolled her eyes as she aimed a defiant glare at Widget. He smiled playfully. “That was payback for making me sing ‘Fillies Just Wanna Have Fun’.” Bon Bon jumped over and grabbed the two in a friendly embrace. “That was a lot of fun! We should do that again sometime!” Widget laughed. “Yes, yes we should.” Berry walked over to the ponies at the table and exchanged a few chuckles and jabs with them. The ponies cleared the cards and left, settling their tabs with Berry. Berry took the empty mugs back to be cleaned and rejoined Bon Bon and Widget at the bar. The clock on the wall chimed, and Widget checked his own watch out of habit. Midnight! Is it really that late? Widget turned back to Bon Bon and Berry. “Well, ladies, I’m going to have to get going sooner or later. I have to wake up in the morning to finish some orders.” Bon Bon expressed a need to leave as well and said her goodbyes to Berry as she gave Berry a hug. Bon Bon walked over to the door and Widget scooted closer to Berry. “Berry, I had a good time tonight. I’d love to see you when you’re not working though. Are you available at all this week?” Berry tilted her head to the side. “Oh?” Widget shrugged. “I’d just like to have a little time between just us. You know, without the hangover.” Berry smiled. “I work nights, obviously, but I’m free during the day most of the time. Just come by my house on the corner of Pine and Cherry street.” Widget nodded. “Pine and Cherry, got it. I might drop by tomorrow at lunch then.” Berry winked at him. “I’ll be expecting you then.” Widget smiled and exited the bar with Bon Bon, who said. “So What did you talk to Berry about?” “Oh, nothing really. I just thanked her for not giving me any dragon’s fire,” Widget replied. I’d really like to avoid another treehouse incident. Besides, Bon Bon doesn’t need to know about my plans with Berry. Bon Bon looked down at her hooves, staring intently. “Um, Bon Bon, do you want me to walk you home? I know Ponyville’s a lot safer than Canterlot, but it’s kinda dark outside.” Bon Bon looked up hopefully. “Are you sure? It’s kinda out of your way.” Widget gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m sure.” Bon Bon perked up and trotted alongside him. The walk to her house passed by in relative silence, both ponies content to bask in the other’s company. They stopped in front of a house and Bon Bon turned to Widget. “This is my house. Thank you for walking me home.” “It’s no problem at all.” Bon Bon closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking into Widget’s eyes with conviction. “Widget, would you like to come with me on a picnic on Saturday?” Widget smiled. “Sure, that sounds like fun. If it’s a nice day we could even find a nice clearing in the forest to have it. I always love a picnic in the forest.” Bon Bon had an elated look on her face, her voice brimmed with happiness. “Oh that sounds great! Well, I should get going. I’ll see you on Saturday!” “See you Saturday,” Widget replied. He waved goodbye to Bon Bon and made his way to his own home.