The table was wide and somewhat battered. The wood was lacquered, almost smooth, but powerful hooves had made a few dents in the wood, leaving behind lasting impressions. Bucky watched as Bon Bon rose up on her hind hooves. She took a few steps to the sink, washed her front hooves, placed them under a hot air dryer, and then returned to the table.

Still standing on all fours, Bucky lowered his head down level with the tabletop for the best view. On the table was a rolled up mass of caramel that Bon Bon said needed pounding. Something about getting air into the caramel and making it chewy. It was about six inches thick and eighteen inches long, and the flat mass that Bon Bon had peeled from the resting pan was now rolled up, which is why it was so thick.

“Now Bucky, you have to pound it into submission,” Bon Bon said as she raised her hoof.

With one smooth motion that caused every muscle in Bon Bon’s body to ripple, Bon Bon brought her hoof down upon the rolled up caramel. There was a terrific thunderous crash and then Bucky saw that the six inch thick caramel was now less than an inch where Bon Bon had struck it.

Bucky gulped and realised that Bon Bon was perhaps one of the strongest earth ponies in Ponyville. He remembered the day they had battled the undead; Bon Bon had been used as a pack pony, and she had carried Bucky without effort. Bon Bon could pull wagons that it would take two, four, or even six ponies to pull.

And she had just smashed six inches of hard compacted caramel into a smooshed lump that was less than an inch. For reasons that would only make sense to the suicidal and those attracted to danger, Bucky began to feel more than a little aroused.

“So what you have to do is pound all of it flat, the whole length, then you roll it up, pound it again, and you keep doing it until the caramel changes colour. As more air bubbles get trapped, it turns a nice creamy colour,” Bon Bon said, offering Bucky an explanation and some insight into her trade secret.

Lifting her hoof, Bon Bon clobbered another section of the eighteen inch length of caramel upon the table, pounding it down into a thinness of less than an inch in one strike.

“A lot of candy makers buy a machine to do this… a repurposed pneumatic hammer that pounds the candy flat. I don’t understand why though. This is so easy.” -WHAM!-

Bon Bon was a big mare by any standard. Broad backed, broad shouldered, thick, yet well curved legs, a neck like a graceful pillar, and solid fetlocks meant to absorb shock. And yet, for all of her musculature, she was still soft, her body was warm and welcoming, even if it was terrifying. And it was ever so terrifying. As Bucky watched, Bon Bon did rapid fire slams upon the caramel and pounded it all flat. She rolled up the big sheet of caramel and then began to pound it once again.

As Bucky stood there watching Bon Bon, who stood on her hind legs, Bucky was struck with a wonderful idea, the sort of idea that could change the world.

“It was really nice of you to join us for the day,” Lyra said to Bucky. She smiled a coy smile. “I think you wanted to check out our goodies.”

“Mayfe,” Bucky said around a mouthful of taffy.

There was a crash followed by a frustrated grunt. Bucky did not turn to look. He was still watching Lyra as she worked. Lyra was making pecan logs, a dozen at a time, and using her magic for a very practical purpose.

“You okay Helia?” Bon Bon called to the back of the store. “What about you Golden Harvest?”

“We’re fine, butter hooves here dropped the marehood mold pans,” Golden Harvest replied.

“Hmm, I could totally go for a nice chewy marehood,” Bucky said, his taffy now swallowed.

“I bet,” Lyra said, her eyebrows bouncing up and down in a lewd manner.

“Ponyville is recovering from the flu,” said a customer standing at the counter and looking at candies, trying to be conversational. “I feel bad for those who relapse and get a second bout of stomach flu right after they got over the first.”

The bell over the door rang and Twilight Sparkle entered. She walked in, looking miserable, staring down at the floor as she approached the counter.

“Hello Twilight,” Bon Bon said. “You look miserable… what’s wrong?”

“I need lots of chocolate,” Twilight replied. “I’ll take… the Super Sorrow Sampler pack.”

There was a gasp from Lyra, Bon Bon, Helia, and Golden Harvest that happened in unison. Bon Bon cringed just a little. Lyra looked pained. In the back room, Golden Harvest and Helia exchanged a look with one another.

“Okay Twilight… twenty six pieces of chocolate in a variety of flavours. A double baker’s dozen. Around fifteen thousand and six hundred thigh destroying calories. Included with your order is the Black Melancholy, a dark chocolate bon bon filled with creamy black truffle, black walnut, and creme de menthe liqueur,” Lyra said in a voice smoother than silk.

“Sounds good. I’ll be in the booth over there. Bring coffee and chocolates,” Twilight replied. She then turned and began to walk away, dragging her hooves.

“Oooh… she’ll be eating them here,” Bon Bon said, frowning. “Poor dear must be broken hearted about something, and it must be awful. Bucky, go talk to her.” Without warning, Bon Bon gave Bucky a hard shove to get him moving.

“You have your creepy eye and your metal talons back,” Twilight said in a low voice as Bucky slipped into the seat across from her. “You’ve wasted no time over these past few days.”

Reaching up, Bucky tapped the snowflake pendant he wore around his neck. “A little illusion. It kicks in whenever I leave the house. Have to keep up appearances.” He set his talons upon the table. “So, uh, Twilight, what’s wrong?”

“Flash Sentry is sad and I can’t fix it. It feels like it is my fault,” Twilight replied.

Two cups of coffee appeared on the table.

“Want to talk about it?” Bucky asked.

Twilight Sparkle shook her head. “No.”

“Okay.” Bucky shrugged and picked up one of the cups of coffee. Cream and sugar had already been added. He took a sip.

“Flash wanted to adopt… there was a diamond dog puppy named Tinta…”

Bucky looked up from his coffee. Twilight had just told him no, but here she was, spilling her guts. Confused, Bucky said nothing, but allowed Twilight to keep going.

“I told you about her… anyway, I dragged my hooves… I had to think about it. I had to be me.” Twilight’s voice was filled with misery. “I had to be little Miss Twilight I Have To Overthink Everything Sparkle. And because of how I am, because I had to stall, because I had to think it over and make lists, because I had to weigh the pros and cons, because I couldn’t be spontaneous, she’s gone. Adopted. Taken by somepony else. And Flash is left heartbroken and it is all my fault because of how I am.” Twilight banged her hoof down upon the table and the coffee in her cup sloshed over the edge.

“Twilight, you can’t blame yourself, for this,” Bucky said in the sort of gentle voice he usually reserved for foals.

“Oh yes I can! And don’t you dare try to stop me!” Twilight snapped.

“Twilight, you were being responsible—”

“No I wasn’t! Because this is what I hoped would happen! Don’t you get it? I was dragging my hooves and hoping the issue would fix itself so I wouldn’t have to make a tough decision or tell Flash no and I figured if I waited it out, the issue would fix itself and it did and I feel terrible about it! I got what I wanted and it turns out, I don’t want it!”

Not knowing what to say, Bucky took a sip of coffee.

“All these checklists, all of these schedules, it is all well organised procrastination so I don’t have to face my own crippling indecision. If I wait and I’m patient, things sort themselves out and I get to look good for being so organised and I seem to take care of every single detail when really, I just keep checking off boxes and waiting for the situation to resolve itself.”

Lyra came trotting out to the booth, dropped off a pink box with a red ribbon, bowed her head, and then trotted away back to the counter. The box made a muffled thump when it hit the table.

Twilight opened up the box, peered inside, dug around, and pulled out the Black Melancholy. She stuffed the entire thing into her mouth and began chewing. She smacked her lips and her eyes closed. Her body slumped down into the cushioned booth seat and her wings quivered.

“Twilight, there will be other chances to adopt… but you shouldn’t adopt something just for the sake of having a well rounded family or to satisfy the public image—”

“Says you!” Twilight snapped, her cheeks bulging as she cleared her mouth so she could speak. “You’re always in the paper! Herd this, herd that, Mister Champion of Adoption who just scored a zebra foal on his last trip out of Equestria!”

“It isn’t a contest,” Bucky said in a low voice. He watched as Twilight resumed her angry chewing.

Twilight Sparkle swallowed. “I know… I’m sorry. I’m angry with myself.”

Bucky gulped down some coffee, not caring that it was still too hot. The hot liquid flooded his body with the sensation of warmth.

“I kinda feel like I made a mistake on this one… somepony I love got hurt. There’s something they don’t print in the papers.” Twilight picked up her own cup of coffee and began to blow on it.

“No, what they print in the papers about you is all of these new harmony scouts and harmony clubs. You’ve become a celebrity in the Sea of Grass and they are begging for your return. You’re the hero that everypony wants… you’re the public face for world peace and the Princess of Friendship. I go out and get bloodied and beaten and get my ribs all broken and my leg smashed to splinters and my balls crushed and you get all of the recognition for making the world a better place.”

Twilight’s eyes brimmed over with tears and her lower lip began to quiver.

“Meanwhile, I have to keep looking like this… I have to. I don’t have much of a choice because I can’t appear to look weak when we have so many enemies just waiting to nip at our heels and tear out our throats if we show even the slightest bit of weakness.”

“We’re both stuck playing our part,” Twilight said as a tear rolled out of the corner of her eye. “Have a chocolate Bucky, they’ll make you feel better.”

“No thanks. You look like you need them. If I want chocolate, I’ll go hug Bon Bon and act sweet.” Bucky glanced over at the counter where Bon Bon and Lyra were standing together.

After taking a sip of coffee, Twilight reached up and wiped her eyes with her foreleg. “I think I’m going to finish off my coffee and take these chocolates to go. They might cheer Flash up and I know that Rainbow Dash will want some later.”

“How is Slippy?” Bucky asked.

“Right now she is with the Cakes and having the time of her life. She loves Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich,” Twilight replied.

“I guess I’ll be seeing you at our secret hideout… ready to create unspeakable abominations?” Bucky grinned in a halfhearted sort of way at Twilight.

“Crown approved abominations… so they can be spoken about.” Twilight gave Bucky a sad smile. “I’ll see you tonight. Try to get some rest at some point today. Tonight, we’re making history.”

Author's Notes:

This night... a shadow is born.

With unpleasant typo afterbirth.