//------------------------------// // Magical Perspective // Story: A Bon Bon Which Tugs at Our Heartstrings // by Kimmo Rabies Pronger //------------------------------// A crowd was gathered around Sugarcube Corner. Bon Bon had just been passing by when she observed the crowd in the distance. She heard a harmonious and soothing tune that could only belong to one mare: Lyra Heartstrings, her best friend. She smiled and thought that she must have been asked by Pinkie Pie to perform in one of her parties. Knowing Pinkie Pie, she always tried to make each one distinguishable and special. Bon Bon stood and watched in the distance as the melody continued on. Although she couldn't see her due to the sheer size of the crowd, she could imagine how Lyra was playing just fine. Bon Bon thought that Lyra was a crafty mare in what she did. How she plays that harp, it's almost magical. Magical? Something snapped in her brain. Magic. Lyra is a Unicorn and magic is practically embodied within their blood. Her thoughts soon turned negative. Lyra had magic and an instrument to perform with, but she was just an Earth pony. She had no wings to take flight or magic to levitate stuff with. All she's doing is selling candy she can craft in her store. The thought made her depressed. Lyra is a pretty popular pony for her eccentric outlook, natural beauty, and instrumental dexterity. She felt that in a way, that's to be expected. She thought that it must be fun to be surrounded by ponies that look on after with adulation as she performs. Bon Bon lowered her head. She forgot why she was even on her way here in the first place. Oh yeah. She remembered! She had a present for her, a present that she thought would make Lyra happy. Bon Bon was looking for her and that's why she was strolling through town. But she was too depressed to continue on, let alone approach her best friend. She was in the middle of a performance, so she couldn't interrupt her. Bon Bon turned back and slowly made her retreat back to her candy shop. About an hour later, it was sunset. Not too many other ponies came by to purchase some candy from her. She didn't complain, she just needed some time alone to stave off her feelings of depression. She'd get over it, or so she thought. Bon Bon looked up at the clock on the wall near the door and saw it was closing time. She sighed heavily and started the process of cleaning up for the day. With her back turned to the door, she heard it open along with the wind chime that hung on the top of it. "We're closed. Sorry," Bon Bon said unemotionally as she started sweeping the floor of imaginary dust specks. "Bon Bon, it's me!" Lyra greeted with enthusiasm. "...Hey. Hey there, Lyra." Bon Bon greeted back with hollowness in her voice, still not turning around to greet her best friend. The minty-colored mare grew concerned for store owner. "Bon Bon? Did...something happen?" "No, nothing." "Then why are you like this?" Lyra poked at Bon Bon. Bon Bon sighed again at her. "I'm busy, Lyra. If you don't have anything productive to say or do, then leave." Lyra blinked twice at Bon Bon. Sure, she can be mean but...something had to be bothering her best friend for her to be this down. "Bon Bon, did...I do something wrong?" "No, you didn't," Bon Bon answered as she accelerated her sweeping, still not looking at Lyra. "Then why are you trying to shoo me out of here? This isn't like you to try and push me away," Lyra said with her voice becoming more emotional. Bon Bon growled. She turned around and yelled with anger, "I don't want you to look at me, okay!? I don't have anything magical about myself!" Lyra felt confused. "Magic? What's this about magic, Bon Bon?" "I..." Bon Bon sighed in frustration for allowing her feelings to leak. Knowing she has no choice but to spill the beans, she reluctantly started. "...I saw you playing in Sugarcube corner today, Lyra. I...I thought about how good you are when you play that harp and...magic came into mind...and..." "Go on..." Lyra encouraged after Bon Bon took a pregnant pause. "...and I thought about how I'm an Earth pony and you're a Unicorn. I thought about how great it must be to have the ability to have magic and be surrounded by ponies who adore you every day. Me? What do I do? I'm just a candy maker in a shop. That isn't anything to feel special about. Virtually anypony can do what I do! I have no wings! I have no magic horn on my forehead! I can't play any instrument! I'm nothing special! I'm-" Bon Bon was interrupted by Lyra putting a hoof over her mouth. The former looked at the latter with distressed eyes. "Bon Bon... I thought I was alone with how I felt," Lyra said as she removed her hoof from Bon Bon's mouth. The candy mare's eyes widened. "What?" Lyra nodded. "Yes! Sometimes I wish I wasn't as popular as I am. It sometimes rattles me to perform in front of other ponies. I'm sometimes envious of you of how you have a relatively simple life compared to mine. Just sitting here in this store and selling candy, it must be a breeze! And being a unicorn is no picnic, either! You don't have to worry about a thing! Me? I have to worry about getting my magic down just right in order to do all that levitating stuff. It's not that simple. When I think about how I wish I had a simpler life, I think about you, Bon Bon. And also...whenever I open my eyes as I'm playing, I try to look for you in the crowd." Bon Bon's checks started to become rosy. "R-Really?" A simple life? If only it was as simple as Lyra thought it was, Bon Bon said in her mind. "Yeah. When I see you, I feel like I can go anywhere!" Lyra cheered. "Nopony has been stuck with me as long as you. I'm always happy to be with you, whether we're bored, busy, or whatever! Sure, you can be a grouch and there's some other things I may not like about you, but we're friends, Bon Bon. And...I think that...we shouldn't be afraid to let each other know how we feel once in a while, too." Bon Bon couldn't help but feel a smile curve on her lips. Turns out, she wasn't alone with her feelings of envy, but she had another question. "B-But...still. I can't do any magic. I'm an Earth pony. I sometimes wonder what it's like to be magical..." Lyra smirked at her as she walked closer to her best friend. "I think you're wrong, Bon Bon. I think you do have magic." This perplexed Bon Bon. "I'm an Earth pony! How can you say I have magic?" She nodded. "Yeah, true. You don't have magic of a unicorn. But I think you have magic that only you have. It's right...here." Lyra pointed at Bon Bon's stomach. Bon Bon rolled her eyes. "Lyra, that's my stomach." "I'm not talking about your stomach, Bon Bon. I'm talking about the magic that exists inside of you," Lyra giggled. "Part of that magic comes when you're my best friend." Lyra put her front hooves on Bon Bon's cheeks before continuing. "No pony has ever been stuck with me as long as you have, and part of the magic you had is what rubbed off on me. I learned some things from you, Bon Bon, and you've always been there for me. You know me like the back of your hoof. Nopony knows me the way you know me. I feel the magic whenever I'm around you, Bon Bon. I look at you, and...I feel like I'm home. And nopony has ever made me feel this way but you," Lyra concluded with a smile as she held on to Bon Bon's cheeks. Bon Bon's mouth was gaped open. "I...wow. Thanks, Lyra... I...I feel like I'm home whenever I'm with you, too." The two shared a warming hug, but in the middle of that hug, Lyra spotted something on the front counter out of the corner of her eye. "Hey, what's that?" Bon Bon turned toward the direction of where Lyra was pointing at to see the present. Oh yeah, the present. She forgotten all about that. "Oh, uh, I don't know how to say this, but it's a present that I wanted to give you today." Lyra's eyes glimmered. "A present for me? Aww! You shouldn't have! Can I open it?" Bon Bon's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment as she scratched her head. "U-Uh, sure, if you want to." "Yay!" Lyra eagerly opened up the present to see that it was some kind of peculiar-looking treats. She raised an eyebrow at Bon Bon. "It's some kind of...cookie, or is it a sandwich?" "It's a little bit of both, really," Bon Bon struggled to explain. "I don't usually make baked goods but I thought that if I tried it out, I should give it to you to taste." Lyra picked up the cookie-sandwich to see that there was...white and green filling in between. "Is it just me or does the filling look like the colors on my mane?" Bon Bon blushed once again. "U-Um... I wanted to make my first time making something like this special and...you're the only one who I thought of. So..." she finished with nervous laughter. Slowly, Lyra put the cookie-sandwich in her mouth and slowly took a bite. Her eyes popped as she became astonished by the taste. "H-How...was it?" Bon Bon fidgeted with her hooves. Lyra felt tears coming from her eyes. "I-It's my favorite flavor, Bon Bon... It's perfect." "W-Well, I always had your best interests in mind, Lyra. So...that's why I chose the flavor that I di-Ooh!" Bon Bon felt constricted by a tight, tight hug from her best friend. "See?! I told you! That's how magic exists inside of you! I feel so happy we're best friends, Bon Bon! This is the best present ever!" Lyra yelled with joy. Lyra heard no response from Bon Bon. "...Bon Bon?" She looked at her and saw that Bon Bon was wheezing, out of breath, and looking soulless from her hug. Lyra gave out a sheepish giggle, knowing she got carried away again. "U-Uh, right... Hee-hee..."