The Sweet Spot
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The jangle of the spring bells announced another customer opening the door. I cheerfully called out, “Welcome to the Sweet Spot! Best sweets in Ponyville! Happy Nightmare Night!”
The pony before me was an ugly orange, with a black mane and tail. He had a bulging loot bag but no costume. He did have a sneer on his face. “Don’t feed me none of that Nightmare Night crap! Just hoof over the Foal Bowl so’s I gets my free treats!”
I stared straight back and said, “No. The sign on the door is specific. To get the free Foal Bowl treats you MUST be in costume and you must say the traditional chant.
“If you don’t comply, you must buy!”
He snorted, “Just hoof over your goodies or I will kick your case in and take whatever I wants! Might just do that anyway! What do you say to them apples?”
I smiled widely at him, which made him nervous, and replied, “Leroi, I know you! If you try that, and you won’t be the first, you will regret it.”
Goaded, Leroi kicked. Just as I hoped he would. It never connected. His loot bag sat, partly spilled on my otherwise perfectly clean floor. Whistling Berloize’s infamous Night on Ghoul Mountain, I carefully cleaned up the spilled candies. A quick check proved them all to be safe, so I poured them all into my nearly overflowing Foal Bowl. I took the empty loot bag back to my living quarters and added it to the two others under some trash for burning in my hearth.
There was some thumping and muffled sound coming up from my basement. I opened the trap door and, looking down at Leroi and the other two miscreants, chained to the wall, said, “I told you not to do that.”
The illusion of a smallish unicorn faded, letting him see the twin horns and tan fur, biggish ears and black nose. “Right,” I told him, “a deer. And it is far too late to grab me and make a wish. I got you first!”
My horns flashed a pale light and Leroi, like the others, was muzzled. His chains pulled up tighter too. Can’t really have too much noise.
I returned to the store. The spring bells jangled again. Before I could say anything, the foals chanted, “Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!”
Smiling happily, I hoofed over the big Foal Bowl. “Help your selves, youngsters, there is plenty!”
Under the approving eyes of the light blue pony in her witch costume, the gaggle of foals in every sort of costume, took my advice and grabbed hoofs full of candies and other treats. When they were done, she said it too.
“Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give me something sweet to bite!”
She got her treats as well. I was almost sorry to see the cheerful little ones go.
The next jangle of the bells brought three, looking like a grave digger, a zombie, and a ghoulish creature. Deeper voices chanted, “Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!”
I smiled up at them and said, “You are in luck! I have something special, just for you!” I led them into the back and opened the trap to the basement. As they trooped down the stairs, I said, “Enjoy your treats!”