Chapter 3: Sweet and Sour
It occurred to Celestia, in between the little morsels of heaven, that she hadn’t properly introduced herself to Benny. ‘Benny’ was such a peculiar name. It didn’t sound Griffonian, nor Zebrican, it didn’t even sound Draconian. Of all the years that Celestia had been on Equestria, she hadn’t heard of such a curious name. Yet… it fit. It had suited the store as much as it suited the ‘human’ that sat opposite to the princess with that ever-present smile.
“I’m—”
“—Celestia,” he cut in. He chuckled at her frown. “Oh sorry, I couldn’t resist. You are on every poster and billboard in your country, it’s hard not to know who you are.” He waved a hand nonchalantly. “But I don’t want to know Princess Celestia, I just want to know Celestia.”
Certainly an enigma begging to be solved. He wanted to know Celestia, but she hardly knew anything of him. Though it seemed that his almost philosophical introduction was an appropriate stand-in. Celestia didn’t think Benny would give a more comprehensive answer than the one already given. She pondered her next question, her brow wrinkled thoughtfully as she had done so.
Around her the soundscape continued with unfamiliar sounds and her ears twitched, trying to track the movement of those carriages, or the chatter or humans beating the pavement with their muffled footing. She smiled, realising that around her was a greater puzzle and perhaps a more accessible topic than the current predicament of deciding if Benny had told her the whole truth about himself.
Celestia set her jaw. She would learn more about this strange world.
“I’m surprised there aren’t any more ‘humans’ stopping by. I would have thought one or two of them would be curious?” Celestia let the query hang in the air, an invitation of sorts.
Benny seemed distracted. Instead of paying attention, he had lain back in his seating, basking in the rays of sunlight that occasionally broke through the shade of the trees framing the paths. Mere moments before he had been engaging in animated conversation with the alicorn, but now he drifted off. Celestia would have been more affronted if the cake hadn’t been so delectable. She tapped the table with a polite hoof.
Benny flinched and met her eyes ruefully. “Hmm? Oh! Not to worry, they aren’t real.”
“Real?” Celestia inquired, curious.
“I mean, oops, we’re not real. Not to them.” He sat up in his chair and gave Celestia a somewhat embarrassed look. “I thought to mention it, but you were enraptured at the time… It’s not often I get visitors. None that would take it as well as you have. Biscuit?”
Celestia blinked. The sudden whiplash in the conversation topic left her confused. She was also unable to comprehend how his hands suddenly held a plate of—admittedly sumptuous looking—chocolate chip cookies. Where did they come from? From the smell of it, they were freshly baked… Chocolate and butter wafted in the air. Celestia resisted their influence.
“H-How?” she asked, struggling to change the topic. The cookies could wait. She wanted to know more.
“I guess you could call it a type of magic. It’s not really, but some of us used to call it so.” His gaze drifted slightly as if focusing on something far away, then snapped back. “Have some,” he offered. “They’re fresh.”
Celestia’s hoof gingerly plucked a cookie from the platter. She set it on the plate, deciding for now that her cravings could be indulged later. She could sense there was a hidden truth. No lies, but the truth can obfuscate as much as any good deception.
She decided to be more direct with her questions.
“Are you saying that these humans are illusions?”
Benny smiled, though the warmth somewhat faded from his eyes.
“No, not illusions.” He sighed. “They’ve… lost something…”
It obviously pained the human to speak of them. Celestia couldn’t understand his explanations, but prodding him to elaborate when he’d done nothing but shown her kindness was not in her character. She wasn’t the Princess right now, she was simply Celestia. And Celestia would do the right thing, if nothing else.
Benny quickly recovered. He twitched, a rueful grin sprouting from his lips. He offered a hand, like a noble asking a mare out to dance at the ball.
“I think it is time to leave,” he announced, rising from the table. Celestia placed her hoof in his open palm. Surprisingly, the appendage was soft, like padding in a cushion. It was an addictive feeling. She caught his look and flushed. She rose from her seating a little too quickly to maintain dignity and quickly withdrew her hoof.
“Thank you, Benny,” she mumbled and the human dipped his head in response.
With a beckoning gesture, he lead the way to the mirrored doors. Celestia followed behind him, weaving through the humans on the street.
“Come, come,” he urged with that amused smile of his. “A little further and then a decision.”
“A decision?” was all Celestia was able to say, before the doors slid open and they were thrust into a new world.
Except it was not a new world. As Celestia reoriented herself, her eyes fell upon the quiet bakery within Canterlot. She looked around, trying to find something different, but the palette seemed cheerfully familiar. Relaxing slightly, Celestia trotted to the centre of the room, where Benny was fiddling with the ornate wooden box.
A little snick and the box opened. Instead of bits, as she expected, small shards of light spilled out to coalesce in his hand. The human reached into his clothes and withdrew a small orb. It was a deep black, blacker than anything Celestia had ever laid eyes on. The orb seemed to suck the light out of the room. With a slight tug, like a magnet near filings, the shards of lights tinkled into orb, sounding for all the world like the faint whisperings of a garden chime.
“What was that?” she asked, coming forward. “What did you do with that box? Where are the bits?” She couldn’t help herself, a million more queries swirled around in her thoughts.
“A fascinating mystery, don’t you think?” he teased, a playful smile dancing upon his lips. He raised a finger, as a performer would on a stage. “But only answered if you can answer this question.”
Celestia hesitated, she had a feeling that this was some sort of trap, but she couldn’t see the shape or form of it. She shook her head. Years of diplomatic experience were the tips of her hooves. She needn’t worry.
“Name your question,” she spoke confidently.
Benny grinned at her, then gently placed the box back on the simple wooden table. He glided more than walked across the room and placed a hand on the mirrored door. The door they had just gone through.
“Stay,” he offered. Then he gestured to the other doors at the far end of the room, the doors that lead to the streets of Canterlot. “Or go?”
He seemed expectant, a smile frozen to his lips. His eyes no longer bore that confident warmth that she’d seen him with during their little conversation at the café. He seemed… hopeful?
Celestia bit her lip. A world of adventure beckoned to her. A week around Equestria seemed hardly glamorous in comparison. There was everything Celestia wanted. A little mystery, an adventure, something to escape the small tediums and predictability of castle life…
Then her thoughts drifted back to Luna, her sister, struggling with the kingdom. Princess Twilight steadily growing into her role and the many ponies that depended on her and looked up to her as a constant leader. An eternal symbol to her citizens, one that would never abandon her duties… As much as she yearned otherwise, she was their Princess. She knew she couldn’t go.
But she could see it in his eyes. A faint longing it seemed they both shared. His own imperturbability was thrown to the winds. As the silence wore on, his bearing seemed less than an offer, but more of a plead. Celestia knew it was inevitable. Already her head shook from side to side. His smile wobbled uncertainly, then collapsed.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered softly, breaking that heart-wrenching silence. “I-I have a responsibility to my ponies.”
Benny sagged briefly, but then straightened. His smile was back, though it was a shadow compared to what it was before.
“I understand,” he said, and the smile grew more genuine. “I shouldn’t have– Making you choose between the two was an impossible choice.” He waved at her. “I enjoyed our time together, Celestia.”
The Princess dipped her head formally.
“It was a very pleasant meal. Your baking is almost magical,” she replied. Celestia inclined her head, the familiar aura of command shrouding her shoulders. “Farewell, Benny.”
“One moment, Celestia.”
She turned back as the human ran a finger along the countertop and stopped abruptly at a particular dessert. With a series of quick gestures, the dessert was wrapped in a box and offered with outstretched fingers. Celestia took the package gently in her telekinetic grip and smiled at the kind chef.
“To remember me by,” he murmured, giving her a quick stroke down her mane. She was so surprised by the gesture that she forgot her parting words. The human had a sordid habit of breaking her composure. Certainly, this pony wouldn’t forget the capricious creature that inhabited the Benny Bakery.
With a smile, Celestia exited the store, with box in tow.
She glanced inside and was greeted by the faint aroma of coffee. A small portion of tiramisu sat in the centre of the box, enticing as ever. The princess realised that in the short span they had shared together, she really had enjoyed his company. She felt almost… normal. She studied the store guiltily, one last time.
And it truly was the last time.
For a day later, Benny and his Bakery were gone.
*were* gone.
You know, sometimes I'm almost hesitant to read your stories; they're so good they make most others seem bland. Great work as always!
Huh. Well, that was sudden. Not what I expected to happen, certainly. I'm very curious to see where you'll go with this now.
5931195 I'm actually not sure. I know that were is in relation to plural objects in question, it sounds a little strange when I say it out loud. That could just be me, though. Thanks for the pickup, I'll give it a thorough check.
5931210 Well then, I'll have to write more so you won't run out.
5931219 There's a lot of exploration to do with characters back in the castle. Don't worry, the story is yet to finish, it's only just begun.
Damn you and your cliffhangers, sunny!
5931321 It's the only way anyone would ever read my stories. I'm told I'm good at them. So much so, people start to hate me for it. An example was: 'sunnypack write the next chapter or so help me I will hunt you down, after which I sit on your lap and watch you while you type, as you type the next chapter'. Which is the best and also most disturbing compliment I've received so far.
5931332
As Spike would say?
"Dude, that's creepy".
He's plotting something...
Luna never got to go...
Why did he want Celestia to go?
Too many questions.
It's not the end.
...
Yet.
Goddamnit Cellybeans you FUCKED IT UP FOR EVERYONE!
... Really? We're just going to end it there?
YOU HAD AN ENTIRE WEEK OF CAKE PLANNING TO DO GODDAMN IT!
And you left us with more questions than answers about the mysterious Benny and his shop!
Alright, me sad now... PINKIE DIDN'T EVEN GET TO GO!
Well....that really...sad.
I will say...fantastic.
It remind me my last adventure.
So Benny's a Time Lord expy?
Is he an angle/god? What if Celestia said yes? I NEED TO KNOW!!!
This is great!
5931782 Time Lords have trouble going between dimensions. Benny does so with a casual ease.
He could be Merlin, for all we know. There are a vast number of mythical men and gods to pick from.
5931694
Yes, it's not often that an adventure ends quietly or doesn't starts at all
But it is not unheard of
I suppose what those adult humans lost were their belief in things that are 'magical', seeing that only a child (typically fueled with imagination) could see Celestia. 'Benny' might have been the last one, and that black orb thingy might have something to do why he's the only one to go to Equestria. It may be Harry Potter-esque, but it seems like a plausible cau-
...HE'S A WIZARD!
*ahem*
Still, this story has a lot of mystery for me to go over. Like Celestia's choice, It's only a matter of the reader whether to stay to find all the answers and decipher it all or go with the usual routine.
Hope to see a conclusion where ponies all around commit widespread chaos and anarchy when they found out Celestia got the last ever treat from the shop then think she 'caused' it to disappear. Enough to make Discord appalled.
5932426 Just like you end your games.
Wow, this is one of the most intriguing stories I've read on this site, I can't wait to see where it goes.
Got a little too odd on the subject of humans for my taste but still fun to read....
5931580
Heh, "Cellybeans".
That's a new one.
Such a facinating story! It certainly fills me with so many questions!!
I really hope you continue this story, as the more you unfold, the more questions are gained, with few answered!
I've a theory: Those "people" outside the shop...they're Benny. Benny is like GLaDOS. He is stalling. Once he's ready, ponies won't suspect his ultimate plan.
5934194 Everyone seems to like that one
Ooooooh, a mystery baker indeed, Willy Wonka ain't got nothing on Benny!
Tabernae vagantes?
derpicdn.net/img/2014/10/12/741504/large.gif
Princess Celestia will find you
this sort of choice is kind of blind since if she chooses to stay could she leave later or not at all?, if she chose to go can she return again or is she banned?
trapped or banned?
since she chose to leave and the store is now gone, I assume she's banned
I confused.
5947449 Annealed: A biochemical process from which DNA is recombined. Also the process of cooling slowly so that a material is toughened. Physics: To cause to disappear through the rearrangement of atoms.
5934693 Dun Dun Dun!!!
I must say, you have confused me, and that is VERY hard to do. I do not understand WHO benny was or even exactly WHAT benny was. If it was meant to be confusing then you have accomplished your goal immensely. But i DO think you may need to clarify things more.
5962441 I do apologise. Could I just get some clarification? Did you find the specific prose unclear, or was it just the plot? Right now, my intention was to reveal just enough of Benny to tantalise, but not enough to satisfy. Of course, this story is merely beginning, so it's constructed in this way so as to increase the mystery factor and reveal things slowly. I want the reader to feel like they're following Celestia as she journeys to make sense of this strange creature and his shop. That was my goal, but I do apologise if my story didn't actually convey that.
Ah! I see. You INTEND him to be mysterious! Then i shall continue reading. :) Good work then. :)
5969169 Absolutely.
Shortest story ever. I have actually filled the void by wondering how Luna is doing instead.
5986724 It's still incomplete. This is pretty much the first arc of interaction. It does read like a complete story, though it is nowhere near that. Quick question, is it showing as 'complete' or 'incomplete', because I get the feeling that it might be showing up as 'complete'.
5986843 its showing as "incomplete" don't worry. But your right. It reads like a completed story.
Some therapist just got rich.
i made the cake
Well, that was decidedly odd, though I must say that I saw the end coming.
Caution, contains spoilers for the next chapter.
Though now I'm thinking Celestia found a Time Lord; Lonely and looking for a companion (preferably one that won't die of old age), an unassuming building that no one is really sure when it came to be present, yet none find it particularly odd that it's there (adaptive camouflage on a TARDIS that actually works, with the bakery itself just being another room of the craft), recipes that haven't been used in hundreds of years, there was an episode of Doctor Who where the doc and his companions wore keys and no one paid any attention to them (save that one girl that noticed Celestia in the case of this fic, but fah), seems to use magic, but in reality it's just REALLY advanced tech. Then, in the next chapter when Celestia leaves the shop an entire YEAR has gone by since she entered. The 10'th Doctor was infamous for getting time-destinations slightly (relatively speaking) wrong.
Maybe I'm just seeing patterns where there are none to be found.
I am not exactly sure what happened.
This is great. The words are almost as good as cake...
I think I'll stop here.
6271945 you and me both
Aww. Sounds like he was a lonely man, who just wanted a friend. I guess he means that most humans have lost sight of the magical?