mylittlejamjar | First Licorice [Visual, postdated to after the event]

First Licorice [Visual, postdated to after the event]

Hello, everypony. Some of you may not recognize me from around town, which is fair... I only just got one of these scrolls. My name is Bon Bon, and yes, that means I'm the one who runs the candy shop downtown. Either way, I've got a few announcements to make, now that the nasty business with the eclipses is over.

Firstly: Since it's only a month until Nightmare Night, I'm accepting suggestions for varieties of candy to make for the big day-before sale. Last year's celebrations being cut short by the actual Nightmare Moon I entirely blame on my stocking of way too much black licorice, so I want to know if you all can help make the holiday not a catastrophic failure this year.

Secondly: thanks to that eclipse, I actually do have a bit of a surplus here, so until the end of the month, all taffy is 75% off. Something to chew on for a while. [The mare chuckles, quietly, at her own joke.]

Finally: Until further notice, Zetta and all of those who collaborated with him are blacklisted from the Sugar Shack. I understand that it was apparently some super-secret plan to lure out the evil mastermind keeping all of the offworlders here, but you caused Lyra and Fluttershy to work themselves into exhaustion, made one of my employees sick, and turned the other into a bear! [Yes, Zetta, she's blaming you for that too even if it happened after the fact. And was technically Teddie's fault.] If you want me to lift the ban, then I'm expecting a pretty big apology. Yes, your majesties, that includes you two, too. I'm a businessmare, not a politician, and you hurt my bottom line, so I have to take action.

Thank you all for your time.

---
[Private to Dame Trixie]

Trixie? I wanted to thank you for pulling Fluttershy and Lyra out of that mess. There was only so much I could do at the time, and... yeah. Thanks.

That said, maybe it'd be best if you don't talk to Lyra about the version of her you know just yet. She's getting capital-i Ideas, and she needs time to rest before she starts getting more and ending up right back where she was.

---
[Private to Kyouko and Teddie]

Kyouko, Theodore.

Just so you know, I'm still gonna need you guys to come in tomorrow. I know it's a really stressful time, but if there's one thing I've learned in life it's that you've got to roll with what life throws at you. If nothing else, a day at the shop might be a good way to help Kyouko learn how to... [she hesitates, before glancing aside and coughing into a hoof.]...bear it, maybe.

---
[Private to Lyra and OU!Shy]

You two are on strict bed rest orders for the next week. Doctor Bon's orders.

If you two so much as think of sneaking out on me or not getting the rest you need, you're on poison joke harvesting duty for a month. And I'll figure out a way for you to have to do it without your unicorn magic, too.

I'm serious. Equestria is okay now, get some sleep.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

FOREVER!

[And Pinkie slowly lowered back into the sock drawer.]

Okay. We're happy now.

[A few seconds go by before she turns to Bonbon.]

...Hey, whatcha got for sale? Anything really bitter?

[...Damn it all, now she's going to have to wash those socks all over again.

It was worth it if it means Lyra actually listens, though.]

Only my resentment for a mare who thinks it's okay to storm into someone's house to break their best friend's nose.

[No, she's not going to let you live that down, miss Reaper Challenge.]

Anything bitter would have to be a custom order right now, I think... closest I've got is a stash of chocolate coffee beans from last time I visited Canterlot.

[Cruelly doesn't make any iundication that she heard that resentment comment.]

Great. We'll take two packs of those.

...They come in packs, right?

...Hey, we'll have to show you to this really good coffee place. They make the most bitter coffee here.

I'll pass. I'm more of a mocha mare.

[Bon Bon turns to glance at Lyra, worry obvious on her face.]

I'll be right back, Lyra... okay?

Go ahead. I'm just going to rest up here. [And she flips back on her bed.]

[With a simple nod of her head, Bon Bon beckons Fluttercruel to come downstairs with her. It'll be a simple transaction, but one she needs to make.]

[Fluttercruel lingers for a few more seconds, casting a watchful gaze at Lyra, before following Bonbon. She licks her lips, the prospect of really bitter candy being able to be ordered.]

Nice shop you got here. I like that you can order the most bitter things. Might go well with the type of coffee I like. What else ya got that Pinks ain't got?

[She catches that attempt to butter her up, Fluttercruel, but no, she made up her mind as soon as you changed the subject to candy.]

I've got the family chocolate recipe, as well as a wider selection at any given time. We have different specialties, my shop and Sugarcube. I deal with confections and they deal with baked goods.

[Calmly, Bon Bon pulls out a scoop, rooting beneath the counter before pulling out a large bag and scooping out candy into two smaller bags.]

In fact, a lot of the candy Sugarcube uses, they buy from us. I think we both have our own taffy pulls, though, and I'm pretty sure Cup Cake makes her own gumdrops. The hard candies definitely come from here, though.

[Fluttercruel cackles with glee a little, sounding like a child as she does so, as she hears what the store has to offer. It's about now that Fluttershy takes over control.]

U- um! Um... W- we'll just also have a few candy bars.

[She nervously shuffles a hoof.]

N- not the entire stock of her candy shop, Fluttercruel... I'm sorry about Fluttercruel...

[...And then Fluttershy comes back out. Well, that made it a bit harder to do what she was about to do. Well-played. She grabs two chocolate bars and puts them with the pouches, before nudging them towards the pegasus.]

Five bits.

[...If Fluttershy is perceptive, she might notice that Bon Bon is only charging her for the candy bars.]

[Sorry, but bodies with two different people can be a bit unpredictable at times. Espcially when it comes to those in control. After a slight mental reprimanding toward Fluttercruel not to be greedy, Fluttershy pays the five bits needed, missing that the price was low. Bonbon DID say 75% off, after all.]

Thank you. Fluttercruel says thank you, too.

[Okay. Deep breaths. Being angry at Fluttershy for what Fluttercruel did was kind of like kicking a puppy for not being a cat. ....or like punching a unicorn in the face for getting hurt.

That second thought did the trick, she's not afraid to say it now.]

It's no problem, Fluttershy. However, tell Fluttercruel that while I'm always happy to do business with you, she can have those coffee beans with a heaping spoonful of stay the hell out of my store and one of keep your hooves off of Lyra. She's on the list too until she can learn what "being cruel to be kind" really means. If she wants something from here, she's gonna have to get it through you.

[Fluttershy looks shocked... then disappointed.]

...I could have easily stopped Fluttercruel from punching Lyra in the nose. But I didn't. I trust that she did the right thing.

[Her voice then becomes firm.]

But please don't tell me my child's cutie mark and special talent is wrong. She helped me realize something. Back in my Equestria, there was a time where I was in denial of the harsher truths of nature. She took control of this body to force me to look at it, and... I didn't react well. I turned into a nightmare... Nightmare Whisper, and I did things which I still regret. I took away everyone's pain and bought it all to myself. Every agony, every hubris, every obsession, every heartbreak, all of it.

I couldn't stand to see things be so vicious, so I tried to create a mask over all of Equestria. Everypony would be just innocent foals, never learning, never growing, never changing.

And worst of all...

[Fluttershy's voice takes on a pained tone.]

...If things had gone a little differently... if I had made one slightly different choice... I would have killed millions of unborn foals. But Fluttercruel helped me realize that the dark and vicious needs to be accepted or else things would never get better. They would only stagnate.

[Fluttershy then hands back the candy bars over to Bonbon.]

We're in this together. Her punishment is mine, and vice versa. We're sorry to have bothered you.

[She then turns to leave, not even taking back the five bits.]

I was never telling her it was wrong. I was telling her that she used it in a way that wasn't as helpful as she could have been. And letting her go without punishment at all would have been negligent of me. You'd be just as upset if someone hurt her. Moreso, probably.

I respect your decision, though. Hopefully you can help her figure out where she crossed a line tonight.

[There's a quiet headshake and Bon Bon stops the Flutters long enough to hand the candy back - along with a little bit extra.]

But somepony else had a point earlier, too. Just because you did bad doesn't mean you aren't hurting. Take what you paid for, please. Just... I know you can do better with those talents. I've heard it. There's a reason Lyra trusted you enough to even let you that close.

[Cruelly used it wrong...? Both of their minds flashed back to the New Fluttershy incident. Cruelly had tried to help and things spiraled out of control. It was even worse in their Equestria due to Fluttershy having a religion about her in the form of 'Her Kindnesty'. Ponies took after New 'Shy's vicious and bullying behavior.

Fluttershy solemnly nods as she takes the candy back.]

...Fluttercruel and I have only known each other for a little over a year... We still have a lot to learn about each other, we see. Thank you.

...And please tell Moth we said "hello".

I will, don't worry.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

First Licorice [Visual, postdated to after the event]

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