Thirty-Minute Pony Stories

by Silvernis

257: Seven Seconds Past Three

257: SEVEN SECONDS PAST THREE

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Lyra and Bon Bon fell in love on a Tuesday afternoon at precisely seven seconds past three o’clock. Minuette knew this because she watched it happen just as the small silver clock on the shelf above the counter chimed. She had been meaning to fix the clock for some time, but it was one of those things she had never quite gotten around to doing—there were lots of those things—and the clock was still seven seconds slow. All of the other clocks in the shop chimed and jangled and donged and dinged as they marked the arrival of the afternoon’s third hour, but the little silver one waited seven seconds longer before it, too, sounded.

Lyra and Bon Bon giggled at the latecomer as they approached the counter, and they glanced at each other. Minuette saw it then. She watched that beautiful little something flicker between them. It only took a moment, an instant, a tiny fraction of a second she would need a new timepiece to measure properly, but it was there, silent and awful. She wanted to scream and run back to her workroom, but she forced herself to continue to the counter, Lyra’s clock floating after her in the turquoise glow of her magic.

That one’s a bit off, she explained a little too cheerfully, but don’t worry—your clock is keeping perfect time now. She gave Lyra the smile she had been practicing all week while working on the clock. Technically, she smiled at Bon Bon, too, since the cream-colored earth pony was standing right beside the lovely mint-green unicorn, but really, the smile was for Lyra and Lyra alone. It made little difference now, of course.

Lyra and Bon Bon were thrilled with the better-than-new clock—Minuette had spared no effort in rebuilding it—and they thanked her profusely. Bits changed hooves, and then the two ponies waved goodbye and departed with the clock. Minuette waved back. She waited until the door had closed behind them before letting the tears start to leak out. Trembling, she snatched the silver clock off the shelf, threw it to the floor, then savagely brought a hoof down on it, stomping again and again until it was almost as broken as her hopes.

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