A golden lyre, held in a golden magical embrace, gently floated in midair. Music wafted from the instrument's plucked strings: one could almost see the notes floating into the air like a flock of paradisal birds, to be joined with the most beautiful voice in Ponyville.

Bon Bon, a blissful smile on her face, sang one of her favorite songs as she sorted out the candies on her shelves.

"Who can take a rainbow
Sprinkle it with dew
Mix it up with chocolate and a sunny day or two?"

"The candymare can," Bon Bon's voice was joined with her wife's, Lyra Heartstrings. The mint unicorn sat next to the counter as she played the lyre, watching as if hypnotized as Bon Bon twirled around the aisles of the shop.

"Who can take tomorrow,
Wrap it in a dream,
Take out all the worry and whip it into cream?
The candymare can."

Bon Bon did a little spin and, in doing so, selected a bag and pulled some of her homemade rainbow toffees into them, singing, "The candymare can 'cause she mixes it with love and makes the world taste good." She handed the bag to the eager Cutie Mark Crusaders. "There you go, dears. Just the thing to cheer you up."

"Thank you, Ms. Bon Bon!" the three fillies said in unison, giving her a couple of bits as they headed out the door, Scootaloo carrying their plunder in her mouth. "Say hi to Tootsie for us!" Sweetie Belle called over her shoulder as the trio headed out on their next adventure.

"I will!" Bon Bon called after them as they disappeared down the street. Bon Bon carried the bits to the register as Lyra put the lyre down. The two wives shared a quick nuzzle.

"You really should try out for the Ponytones," Lyra said.

"Lyra, you know I don't like singing in public," Bon Bon protested.

"You sing in front of me and the ponies who come into the store," Lyra pointed out.

"That's different. I get stage fright something terrible."

"What's so scary about the stage?" Lyra said with a grin. "Get it?"

Bon Bon laughed loudly, leaning against the mint green unicorn. "You...you always know how to make me laugh!"

At that, there was the sound of the bell ringing, signaling the entry of new customers. Looking up, Lyra and Bon Bon spotted Twilight entering, followed by a male pegasus that neither of them recognized.

"And this is Bon Bon's Bonbons," Twilight said to the stallion. "The best candy store in town." She nodded to the two mares. "Good morning, Bon Bon, Lyra."

"Hey, Twilight. Now who's this handsome stallion?" Lyra said.

"Girls, this is Flash Sentry," Twilight said. "He's my new Guard."

"Pleased to meet you both," Flash nodded in greeting.

"And you, too," Bon Bon said, exchanging a knowing look with Lyra.

"Flash is new in town," Twilight explained. "I'm showing him around. He needs to know the area, of course."

"Well, welcome to Ponyville, Flash!" Bon Bon said. She reached behind the counter and selected some of her speciality, hoof-mixed bonbons with caramel swirls. "Here, have a couple. On the house."

"Oh, no, I couldn't," Flash protested.

"Consider it a welcoming gift," Bon Bon said, waving it off.

Flash spotted Lyra's lyre on the counter. "Oh, you play the lyre?"

"Yup. Me Da got me into it, and it turned out to be my special talent," Lyra said, picking up the lyre with her magic and playing a simple scale.

"I play the guitar," Flash said.

"Well, string me out!" Lyra said with a grin. "Get it?"

Bon Bon laughed loudly again. Twilight groaned and rolled her eyes. "Yes, I get it, Lyra."

"I'd love to hear you play sometime," Lyra said.

"Sure," Flash said with a smile.

"We should get going," Twilight said. "I've still got a lot to show him."

"Always rushing, eh, Twilight?" Lyra chuckled. "You go have fun with your new colt...friend. Your new friend!"

Blushing, the two said their goodbyes and left the store. As they exited and stood outside, two other ponies walked up to the store. One was a unicorn with a pink coat, violet mane and tail, amethyst eyes and a cutie mark of three cut diamonds. The other was a unicorn filly with baby blue coat and lavender mane, tail and eyes.

"Hi, mom and mom!" Tootsie Flute sang as she came through the door.

"Hey, sweetie!" Bon Bon said. "Did you and Amethyst have fun?"

"We sure did! We went to the park and flew a kite and had a picnic and watched the clouds!"

"She was very well behaved," Amethyst Star, Ponyville's number one foalsitter, said with a smile.

"I'm sure she was," Bon Bon said, tussling her daughter's hair.

At that moment, a unicorn stallion walked up. This pony had soft yellow fur, a black mane and tail, blue eyes and a cutie mark of a pair of clouds.

"Hey, Amethyst," he called. "You free for the rest of the day?"

"Sure am, Dreamy," Amethyst said with a smile.

"Who's this, Sparkler?" Bon Bon asked, eyeing the stallion curiously.

"This is Dreamcaster, my coltfriend," Amethyst replied. "He just moved here a couple months ago, and we met at the market." She gave a little giggle that reminded Lyra and Bon Bon of the days when they were first dating.

Dreamcaster nodded hello. "Amethyst has told me a lot about you. I'd really like to get to know you better."

"And we'd like to get to know you better," Lyra said. "But maybe later, eh?" she added with a knowing wink that made the other two ponies blush.

"So, movie night?" Dreamcaster asked Amethyst.

"Sure! See you later!" Amethyst said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. The two ponies departed.

Lyra stepped outside for a moment to collect the mail from the mailbox. When she did, she noticed a plain envelope amongst the mail. The only marking was "SWEETIE DROPS" in typewritten letters on it.

Wasn't that Bon Bon's name before she moved? Lyra thought. She took the letter and brought it inside with the other mail. "Bon Bon, there's something for you," she said, handing the envelope to her.

Bon Bon frowned as she was given the envelope. She pulled it open with her teeth and took out the letter. As she started to scan it, her eyes widened, then hardened.

"No!" she suddenly shouted, and began to furiously rip the paper into shreds, letting out a flurry of language that would make a sailor wince. "Bon Bon! What is it?" Lyra said in concern, but Bon Bon furiously shoved her off, throwing the torn-up letter into the trash can and running upstairs, frightened tears running from her eyes. Lyra was left standing in the candy store, bewildered at the sudden turn of events.

Author's Notes:

I would've gotten this up sooner, but I came home for Christmas vacation to find that the power was out due to a severed line, and it only came back on yesterday.

In any case, here's the newest Phillip Finder mystery, featuring Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon! What is this mysterious message and why did it have such an effect on Bon Bon? Stay tuned...