The Scary Truth

Chris tried to open the front door of the cabin with no success. Lyra's spell was still in effect and prevented it from opening. He stretched his arms out over his head and yawned loudly before turning around and making his way back to the couch. The sun was just starting to rise over the horizon, so he had some time to kill before he made breakfast for Bon Bon.

He shivered as he reached the couch and stopped to rub his arms in an effort to keep himself warm. It was an extremely cold morning and his mint-green winter pajamas were doing little to fend off the chilly air. He wished he had some kind of blanket to help keep him warm at night, but using his old laundry as cover did enough to let him fall asleep, so he didn't mind.

Chris thought now would be a good time to start a fire to help warm up the cabin. He threw a few chunks of wood into the hearth and used the enchanted flint and steel to start a fire. He struck the arrowhead-shaped stone with the "C" shaped steel, causing a small group of bright sparks to fly out instantly, setting the logs aflame within a few seconds. It was a pretty handy tool and worked better than any match could.

Chris watched the flames for a moment, then placed the flint and steel next to the hearth. He turned around and picked up the book he was reading off the floor before flopping back on the couch, finding the exact spot where he left off.

The book was appropriately titled Your First Foal and was proving to be an interesting read. He discovered a lot of differences and similarities in the way ponies and humans develop. One similarity was that a foal’s head was just as soft and delicate as a human's when they were born. A big difference was that foals started to walk a lot faster than humans. In fact, they didn’t even have a crawling phase.

Reading about all of these fascinating things made Chris wish he could actually have a foal with Lyra one day. Adoption was still a good option that he would love to look in to, but he couldn't deny how much he would like to have a foal of his own with her. He thought he would make a pretty good father and she would be a wonderful mother, so long as she didn't lock their colt or filly away for two weeks in a cabin.

Chris sighed sadly, thinking it was unfair to assume that Lyra would do anything that extreme to their child. He knew Bon Bon was correct in saying that Lyra got tunnel vision when she was passionate about something, and Lyra was very passionate about him and Bon Bon being perfect for each other. He figured Lyra wasn't acting with a clear mind and she might have honestly thought her actions were justified.

Bon Bon really helped him to see that this bump in their relationship might not be as bad as he originally thought. Plus, he couldn’t deny how much he still loved Lyra, and he couldn’t just give up on her. Sure, he was extremely pissed off, but it was only fair to give Lyra a chance to explain herself and make things right.

"Chris..."

He couldn’t picture his life without Lyra by his side and honestly? He never wanted to. She made his new life in this strange world worth living and just being around her made him feel like he could accomplish anything. He loved her and he couldn’t just leave her like―

"C-Chris..."

Chris paused for a moment. He could have sworn he heard someone or somepony calling his name. It couldn’t have been Bon Bon, she wouldn’t be calling for him. He figured it was just his imagin―

“Chris!”

That time he definitely heard his name being called, and it was pretty clear that it was Bon Bon's voice, but what did she wan―

“CHRIIIIS!”

"BON BON!" Chris shouted as he threw his book down and jumped to his feet. He ran straight to the bedroom door and jiggled the handle hard, trying to open it, but it was locked.

“Bon Bon! What’s going on?” Chris called loudly through the door.

“CHRIS, HELP!” Bon Bon yelled from the other side.

“BON BON!" His heart started to pound in his chest, making him jiggle the handle even harder. "The door's locked, can you unlock it?!” he shouted in a panic. He didn’t want to have to break Lyra's parents’ door if he didn’t―

“HELP MEEEE!”

"Fuck it!" Chris shouted as he brought his leg up and kicked with every ounce of strength he had, causing the door to burst open with a crash. He rushed into the room and saw Bon Bon with her back pressed into the far left corner. “What happened?! Are you okay?!”

“S-S-SPIDER!” Bon Bon yelled, with wide eyed horror, pointing a shaky hoof out towards the wall just above the bed’s headboard.

Chris jerked his head to the right and jumped back a bit when he saw that there was indeed a large white spider on the wall. It must have been eating pretty well because it looked like it was about the size of his entire hand. To Bon Bon's credit the spider was indeed scary-looking at first glance, but there was something about the spider that told him it was safe. He slowly made his way towards the arachnid to see if his suspicions were correct.

“Don’t let it bite you!” Bon Bon cried in terror from behind him.

Chris ignored her as he stepped closer to the wall, squinting his eyes slightly. The spider turned to face him, which caused Bon Bon to let out a terrified shriek. “Be careful! It might jump on you!” she shrieked in a panicked frenzy.

Chris stopped in front of the bed and leaned his head in closer. It was obvious to him now that this spider was one of the most friendly spiders in all of Equestria, or as far as he knew it was. The only reason he was able to identify it was because Fluttershy had one at her cottage that she loved dearly. He also had to help her take care of it in addition to her other woodland critters when he worked with her.

Fluttershy loved to talk about all of her little friends, and she had told Chris a lot about this particular spider. She said they made great pets since they had such a mellow disposition and were wonderful to keep around. They were amazing hunters and ate the more dangerous insects and arachnids that nopony wanted in their home. Plus, they were just so adorable.

The spider itself looked similar to a tarantula. Its whole body was covered in short white hairs, making it look quite fluffy. It had four cute little black eyes that could actually be pretty expressive, which was part of the reason why a lot of ponies preferred this particular spider as a pet. If it was sad, happy, or angry you could easily tell just by looking at it. If he had to make a comparison he would say that these spiders were a lot like house cats.

It was clear that this spider was a male since it had a red ring on top of its abdomen. Or at least that’s what Fluttershy told him indicated the sex.

Chris chuckled as he turned to look back at Bon Bon with a bright smile.

“Wh-what’s so funny?!” Bon Bon asked in worry from the corner, her terrified eyes darting between Chris and the spider.

Chris pulled back and started to laugh, which caused Bon Bon to frown in confusion. “You’re afraid of this guy?” he teased, using his thumb to point back to the spider.

“YES!” Bon Bon yelled, causing Chris to wince. “It’s a creepy, scary, terrifying, spider!”

Chris chuckled awkwardly at Bon Bon’s reaction. He knew that spiders where pretty scary things and it was a common fear, but he thought Bon Bon was overreacting just a little. He figured he better explain to her how harmless this guy was before she had a heart attack. He cleared his throat before looking at Bon Bon with a reassuring smile. “Bon Bon,” he called gently, trying to get her to focus on him. “This cute little guy might look scary at first, but he is actually harmless to ponies. He's called a Theraphosidae afratos.”

Bon Bon blinked a few times in confusion. “Wh-what?”

“A Theraphosidae afratos, or more commonly known as a Fluffy Tarantula,” Chris explained with a friendly, calm smile.

Bon Bon looked to the spider with a horrified expression, then back to Chris. “It’s a terrifying Fluffy Tarantula!” she corrected loudly. “Take it away, please!” she begged with sad, pleading eyes.

“Honestly, it’s harmless and very friendly," Chris tried to explain. "See look,” he said as he reached his hands out towards the spider.

“CHRIS, BE CAREFUL!” Bon Bon yelled, covering her muzzle with her hooves in shock. "DON'T LET HIM BITE YOU!"

Chris ignored Bon Bon's unfounded warning, holding out his hand in front of the spider while using his other to gently push its back side, guiding it onto him. Once the spider was resting in his palm, he turned around and held it out. “See? He’s not doing anything to harm me.”

“EEEEEE!” Bon Bon screeched. “You’re touching it! Take it away, please!” she shouted, shutting her eyes and turning her head away.

Chris could see that he wasn’t going to win this one. Bon Bon was downright terrified, but there really wasn’t anything he could do to get rid of it. He pulled the adorable arachnid close to his chest and used his other hand to help cradle it. “I don’t think I can take him away, Bon Bon. He’s kind of stuck here with us,” he pointed out sadly.

“Just do something! Anything! Please!” she pleaded loudly, keeping her eyes shut tightly.

Chris looked around the room as the tried to think of a solution to this dilemma. “I-I don’t know what to do… I… I don’t want to kill him,” he admitted in a disheartened tone.

“NO!” Bon Bon yelled, opening her eyes and jerking her head towards Chris. “Don’t kill the poor thing! I just want him away from me! Far, far, far away!"

Chris furrowed his brow in deep thought. He put his hand over top of the spider so Bon Bon couldn’t see it. The gesture seemed to help because he could see her body start to relax. There really wasn’t anywhere in the house that he could put the little guy where he wouldn’t crawl back into the bedroom or anywhere else in the cabin. If Bon Bon wasn’t so afraid of him, then he would've just let him roam around.

Suddenly, Chris got an idea. He remembered seeing a decent-sized aquarium down in the basement. They could use that to keep the spider in so he couldn’t crawl around and they could keep an eye on him. "I got an idea," he stated aloud.

"W-what ide―EEEE!” Bon Bon squealed as she scooted up against the corner, pressing herself farther into the tight space as Chris walked passed her and out through the bedroom doorway.

Chris walked down the stairs to the basement and was able to quickly find the aquarium on top of the organized junk pile in the center of the room. He placed the spider on his shoulder and waited to see if it would move, but the spider stayed perfectly still, seemingly content with just resting there. Chris smiled to himself, already feeling attached to the little fella as he picked up the aquarium with both hands before walking back up the stairs.

Once Chris was half way up the stairs he looked up to see that Bon Bon was peering down from the top, but quickly dashed away once she saw the spider resting peacefully on his shoulder. He chuckled quietly at her terrified reaction as he exited the stairwell and made his way to the pile of firewood. He picked up the smallest piece of wood he could find and dropped it into the tank.

"Wh-what are you going to do with him?" Bon Bon asked worriedly from the other side of the room, peering out of the bedroom doorway.

"I'm going to make him a little home," Chris explained brightly as he walked into the kitchen.

“A-a home?” Bon Bon questioned, following Chris, but keeping her distance. “Wh-what do you mean?”

Chris placed the aquarium on the kitchen countertop to the left of the sink and reached for a clean washcloth before soaking it with water. “He needs someplace to stay so we can keep an eye on him,” he explained, taking the aquarium’s lid off before wiping the inside of the glass with the damp cloth, cleaning it thoroughly.

"W-we're keeping him?!" Bon Bon shouted, slowly inching her way into the kitchen. "C-can't we take him somewhere else?" she asked softly, peering around the corner of the bar at Chris while keeping herself crouched down.

Chris put the wet cloth down and grabbed a dry one before looking back at Bon Bon, who was barely visible from behind the bar. "Well, he's kind of stuck here with us," he pointed out sadly before he turned back to his work and began to dry the aquarium.

Bon Bon stepped a few feet into the kitchen and sat back on her haunches, still keeping her distance. "B-but..." she tried to argue, but hesitated.

"Don’t worry," Chris reassured her as he finished drying, setting the cloth down on the counter. "He won't be able to get out of this. I promise you’ll be safe," he said with confidence as he reached out and grabbed a few of the potted herbs and started to pull the plants out.

"W-what are you doing with our herbs?" Bon Bon asked, sounding upset. "We need those for cooking."

"I'm just going to use the soil in the pots to give our little friend a better habitat to live in," Chris explained as he emptied the small pots into the aquarium. "I'll put the plants in water so they’ll stay fresh and won't die on us."

"O-oh... O-okay," Bon Bon answered in a soft, unsure whisper that Chris almost missed.

Chris poured out the last pot into the aquarium. He started to push the soil around with his hand, making a smooth surface before adjusting the small piece of wood. Once everything was to his satisfaction, he gently took the spider off his shoulder and placed him in the middle of the aquarium. As soon as the spider left his hand he could hear soft hoofsteps, creeping closer.

"I-is it safe?" Bon Bon asked in a worried whisper.

Chris chuckled at her question before turning to face her. "It was always safe. We were never in any danger," he teased.

Bon Bon stopped several feet away from Chris, sitting back on her haunches again, but kept her eyes locked on the spider in the aquarium. She made a soft whimpering sound, splaying her ears back before looking up at him. "Y-yeah, but," she began to argue but hesitated, darting her eyes back to the spider. "H-he won't jump out? A-and he can't climb out right?"

Chris couldn't help but laugh at Bon Bon’s questions. "Bon Bon," he chuckled, causing her to gaze up at him. "Trust me. These spiders are terrible at jumping and he can not and will not climb out of this aquarium. You have nothing to be afraid of."

Bon Bon looked back at the spider with a worried frown, biting her lip.

Chris rolled his eyes at her, knowing she wasn't convinced. "Well, he's going to be the new member of our little family now so you have to name him," he stated firmly in a friendly and playful manner, crossing his arms over his chest.

"W-what?" Bon Bon perked her ears up, gazing up at him again. "Why do I have to name him? Can't you give him a name?"

"I think it’s only fair since you're the one who found him, so you should name him," Chris countered with a playful smirk.

Bon Bon blinked a few times before looking back at the spider. "B-but... I'm no good with names," she muttered, drawing a little line on the floor with the edge of her hoof.

"Come ooooon, Bon Bon," Chris softly sang in a motherly tone as if he was trying to convince a small child.

Bon Bon whimpered quietly as she fidgeted with her forelegs. Suddenly, the spider started to crawl towards the piece of wood, causing her to wince. "C-can I name him Scary?" she asked in a timid voice. "He's really scary."

Chris chuckled softly and nodded his head. "You can name him that. Now come here and say hello to Scary,” he ordered gently, stepping aside from the aquarium.

“W-what!?” Bon Bon shouted. “N-no, I’m good here,” she said softly, forcing a bright, but nervous smile.

“Come on now. Don’t be shy. He won’t hurt you and I’m here to protect you just in case. Now come say hi to Scary before you hurt his feelings,” Chris held out both of his hands, gesturing towards Scary as if inviting her over.

Bon Bon darted her eyes back and forth between Chris and Scary. “B-but―,”

“Booooonny,” Chris sang, interrupting her.

“Oh… f-f-fine,” Bon Bon agreed, sighing in defeat. “Just… keep an eye on him, please,” she pleaded, standing up.

Chris chuckled. “Of course.”

Bon Bon took a deep breath before taking slow, timid steps towards the aquarium, keeping her worried and frightened gaze locked on Scary.

Chris watched Bon Bon closely, noticing that her legs were trembling as she walked, which concerned him. He didn’t think she would be this frightened, even with Scary behind glass. She seemed to really be struggling, more so than he thought she would.

Bon Bon stopped a few feet away from the aquarium, placing her hoof on her chest, biting her lip for a moment. She took a few quick breaths before looking up at Chris with a worried expression.

Chris smiled warmly, hiding his concern and nodded his head. “It’s okay. I got you,” he reassured her with a soft and gentle voice.

Bon Bon smiled briefly at Chris before frowning again and looking back at the aquarium. She leaned in slightly, looking right at Scary, who was on top of the piece of wood and facing away from her at the moment. “U-umm,” she started to say, but stopped once Scary started to turn to face her, making her squeal in fright and pull her head back.

“Hey, it’s okay," Chris reassured her softly. "He just heard you speak up and wants to say hi as well.” His words seemed to help her. He could see Bon Bon’s body start to relax.

“Umm…” Bon Bon started again, but hesitated. “H-hi… Scary,” she finally greeted timidly, which caused the spider in the tank to tilt his head and slowly lift one of his front legs in the air.

Chris chuckled seeing the spider’s reaction to Bon Bon’s words. It was amazing to him how expressive and understanding these spiders were. In fact, all creatures in this new world seemed to be pretty intelligent. “See? He isn’t so frightening now that he’s behind glass and has a name, right?”

“I-I…” Bon Bon started to answer, but paused and smiled softly. “I guess not,” she admitted, watching Scary for a moment.

Chris gazed them both, finding the two of them to be quite adorable. Scary seemed to like Bon Bon, but she was obviously still terrified by the spider. She was a jumpy pony for sure, but he had never seen her or anypony that terrified before. It reminded him of that brief moment at The Everfree Moon when she smacked his hand away and only served to raise more questions in his mind.

“Bon Bon,” Chris called softly, causing her to blink and look up at him. “Why do spiders frighten you so much?” he asked simply, leaning back against the counter, giving her a concerned look.

Bon Bon’s eyes went wide for a brief moment before she took a step back and looked away from him. It seemed she didn’t like that question. “O-oh I…” she started to explain, but hesitated. “T-they just creep me out is all,” she admitted, keeping her focus on the ground, obviously not telling the whole truth.

Chris sighed quietly to himself. He could tell this was going to be another one of those things that he would probably never get an answer to, but he had to try and push it this time. She had no reason to fear Scary as much as she did and he wanted to help her in some way if he could.

“Bon Bon,” Chris gently called to her in friendly voice, causing her to slowly look up at him. “I know there's more to it than that. You can tell me,” he said warmly, giving her a comforting smile before continuing. “I think you’d feel a lot better if you talked about it.”

Bon Bon frowned before darting her eyes down at Chris's hand then back to him, which he found peculiar. “I-I…” she started to say, almost as if she was really going to explain, but stopped and looked away. “I-it’s, it’s just a normal fear. L-lots of ponies are afraid of s-spiders,” she explained, not daring to look up at him.

“Yes,” Chris agreed, nodding his head even though Bon Bon couldn’t see it. “A lot of ponies have this fear, but I can tell just from how you approached Scary a moment ago that this fear runs deeper for you.”

Bon Bon stayed motionless, making a soft whimpering sound.

“It’s okay to be terrified of spiders, but if you keep this stuff locked up and never talk to anypony about it, then it’s never going to get any better,” Chris explained in the friendliest tone he could muster. He knew that it was better to talk to somepony you trust about these things and it was doubtful that Bon Bon trusted him at this point, but he still wanted to try and help. “I’m willing to listen,” he added happily.

Bon Bon started to mindlessly rub her right foreleg with her hoof. Chris watched her mouth open a few times as if she was about to say something, but she hesitated and closed it every time.

Chris waited a while, but frowned once it was clear Bon Bon was going to stay quiet. He let out a disheartened sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger before dropping his hands to his side. “I’m… sorry,” he apologised, regretting his actions. Phobias like this were sensitive subjects and he’d overstepped his bounds asking her about it. “I didn’t mean to push you like that, I just wanted to help.” He sighed again, turning around to face the sink. He started to reach for the cupboard, knowing he could use a small dish in there to provide Scary with some water.

“W-wait,” Bon Bon whimpered softly, causing Chris to freeze in place, just before his fingertips touched the handle of the cupboard. He slowly turned his head around to see that Bon Bon was now looking up at him with slightly teary eyes and a troubled frown, making him turn around completely to face her.

“I-I… I found this spider... when... when I was just a filly," Bon Bon began to explain, looking directly into Chris’s eyes.

Chris stayed silent, giving her his full attention, listening intently.

“I was just…j-just so... curious and fascinated by it... b-but I was too young to understand how... h-how dangerous s-spiders could be, and that..." She paused for a moment, frowning deeply as her eyes started to glisten with more tears. "T-that almost cost me to lose... m-my foreleg,” she whimpered, looking down while rubbing her right leg tighter.

Chris frowned, noticing how she was holding her leg. “Was it your right one?” he asked somberly.

Bon Bon closed her teary eyes and nodded.

“What happened?”

Bon Bon opened her eyes and looked up before continuing. “I reached out to the spider and… I let it crawl onto my hoof and…” she paused, taking a deep breath, exhaling slowly before continuing, “i-it bit me...”

“Was... it venomous?” Chris asked in a worried tone.

“I-it was,” Bon Bon explained simply. “I ran home as fast as I could… then when I-I told my parents what happened they... they rushed me to the hospital… I-I’d never seen them so scared before… a-and it really frightened me.”

Chris couldn't imagine how scared Bon Bon must have been as a filly seeing her parents react in such a way.

“O-once they got me to the hospital they gave me anti-venom, b-but the bite... got... infected..." Bon Bon said, pausing and glancing at her leg again. "I was in so much pain... They had to keep me at the hospital for days after that. I-I remember overhearing the doctors too… They told my parents that... my body wasn’t responding to the medicine... and the magical treatment they used only stopped the infection from spreading.” She shut her eyes again and bit her lip, squeezing her foreleg tightly. “I also overheard heard them say… say that they would have to... a-amputate my leg if I got worse…”

“But you got better, r-right?” Chris asked quickly even though the answer was obvious. He hated the thought of Bon Bon having to suffer like that.

Bon Bon opened her eyes and looked up at him with a slight smile. “O-of course I did, silly,” she said, waving her unharmed right hoof at him before dropping it down and frowning again. “B-but I never forgot the pain and how scared I was about losing my leg… ever since then s-spiders have just terrified me,” she sighed sadly. “S-sometimes it’s so bad that even things that look similar to spiders can s-scare me,” she admitted in a soft whisper, glancing down at his hands.

Chris was a little confused by that remark. He wasn’t sure what could look similar enough to a spider that could scare her. A rake perhaps? He opened his mouth to ask, but stopped when he remembered something peculiar about Bon Bon. She would always look at his… hands.

His eyes started to widen in sudden realization as memories of how Bon Bon reacted to his hands flooded his mind. The day right after he became Lyra’s coltfriend and Lyra had invited him to help Bon Bon wrap candies. The night at The Everfree Moon when he was handing her those gifts and when he tried to help her with the napkin set. Even yesterday when he tried to jump out and hug her; she was afraid of his… his...

Chris slowly lifted his hands up, looking down on them in a new light. Everything was starting to fall into place. His hands reminded Bon Bon of spiders! That had to be why she’d hit him at the restaurant!

“C-Chris...” Bon Bon’s soft and timid voice broke him out of his thoughts. He lowered his hands from his view, keeping them out in front of his chest as he gazed down at her. She was looking up at him through teary eyes, sitting back on her haunches and holding her hooves against her chest.

“I-it’s not like that. I-I-I shouldn’t have said that," Bon Bon stammered quickly, trying to defend herself. “I-I didn’t mean―”

“That’s why, isn't it?” Chris asked softly, interrupting her. “That’s why you hit my hand away.”

Bon Bon pressed her hooves to her lips as a tear ran down her cheek. She said nothing for a moment, staring intently into Chris’s eyes, before nodding her head slightly.

Chris didn’t know what to do or say. His first thought was to hide his hands from her, so he quickly put them behind his back.

Bon Bon’s eyes widened. “C-Chris, no!" she cried as she took her hooves away from her lips and pressed them to her chest again. "I’m so sorry! I didn’t want to hurt you! I just saw your hand moving towards me and I, I-I―”

“Bon Bon.”

“―freaked out! You and Lyra were so sweet and kind a-and loving and I had such a wonderful night, but I just slapped you for no good reason!”

“Bon Bon!”

“I was so rude to you! I’m a terrible, mean pony that should be locked away where I can’t hurt you anymore! I just―”

“BONNY!” Chris shouted, taking a knee in front of her so that they were at eye level, which got her attention. She quickly covered her lips with her hooves again as more tears started to stream down her cheeks.

Chris fought the powerful urge to just reach out and hug her. He wanted to comfort her and tell her that it was okay like he often did with Lyra, but he couldn’t now that he knew her fears. He could only rely on his words. “It’s okay. You're not a terrible, mean pony. I understand now and it’s okay,” he reassured her with a friendly, warm smile.

Bon Bon shook her head behind her hooves in disagreement. “I-I am a terrible pony,” she whimpered as more tears started to stream down her beautiful cream-colored cheeks. “I-I was so rude to you, a-and you just wanted me to enjoy the night and have a good time, but I just… I just…” she trailed off, shutting her eyes tightly, sobbing quietly.

This was unbearable for Chris to watch. He felt so helpless and couldn’t stand seeing Bon Bon in tears. He had to do it… He had to hug her.

Thinking quickly, Chris pulled his long sleeves over his hands, hiding them from sight. He stretched out his now completely covered arms and called out to her. “Bonny.”

Bon Bon slowly opened her watery eyes and looked up at Chris. Her eyes widened and she flinched backwards once she saw what he was doing.

“Can... we hug?” Chris asked awkwardly with a kind, friendly smile.

Bon Bon’s eyes darted back and forth between Chris’s hands, or where they would be if they weren’t currently hidden. "I-I... I" she stuttered as her eyes slowly fell back onto him.

Chris kept his smile, moving his outstretched arms up and down slightly, trying to entice her to say yes.

Bon Bon stared at him for a while, making him believe that she was still uncomfortable and was going to say no. He was about to give up, but she started to remove her hooves from her lips, revealing a soft smile underneath. She blinked away some tears before nodded her head a few times in agreement.

Chris’s smile widened as he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her and gently bringing her into his body.

Bon Bon resisted at first, but let her body go limp in Chris’s arms. She kept her hooves pinned to her chest as she fell forward, guided by his embrace. She let her head rest on his shoulder as she shut her eyes.

Chris held her tightly, giving her a moment to gather herself before speaking. “Everything is okay, Bonny,” he reassured her in a whisper.

"I'm so sorry, Chris," Bon Bon responded in a sob. "I didn't mean to hurt you." She sniffled a few times before continuing in a soft whisper. “I-I don't want to be afraid.”

"I know, but it’s okay now. And you didn’t hurt me," Chris reassured her sweetly.

"I-I did," Bon Bon whimpered in protest. "I hit you and hurt your feelings when I ran away."

Chris shook his head. "No, Bonny,” he protested softly. “I was a little surprised and confused, but you didn't hurt my feelings and my hand is fine," he reassured her. "I understand why you did it and I forgive you. Everything is okay."

Bon Bon sniffled a few times and sobbed quietly. Chris could feel her tears on his shoulder, soaking his pajama shirt, but he didn’t care. “T-thank you,” she whispered quietly into his ear.

Chris smiled to himself, feeling happy that Bon Bon could finally open up to him. He could tell that the events at The Everfree Moon had been haunting her this whole time and she needed to let all this out. “Don’t you feel better now that you’ve gotten all of that off your chest?” he asked kindly. He could feel Bon Bon nod her head on his shoulder in response.

They stayed like that for a time, enjoying the friendly embrace. Chris was happy that he could finally get through to Bon Bon. Yet at the same time, this new information was troubling. It seemed like there was no way that they could work as a herd knowing how his hands made her uncomfortable, but he saw hope that they could at least become friends. He slowly pulled back from the hug, letting her sit back on her haunches.

Bon Bon wiped away the tears from her cheeks with her forehoof before smiling up at Chris.

“Don’t worry about Scary, okay," Chris reassured her, smiling back. "He can’t do anything to hurt you and I promise he will never leave that aquarium.”

Bon Bon looked towards Scary for a moment, then back at Chris and nodded her head in understanding.

Chris chuckled lightly and stood up, letting his hands fall out of his sleeves and put them behind his back. “And don’t worry about my hands. They won't go near you,” he added happily.

Bon Bon frowned. “Chris, you shouldn’t have to worry about that. I-I’ll be fine,” she argued weakly. “I mean... I don’t think your hands are that scary…” she added, looking away as she softly tapped her hooves together.

Chris wanted to believe those words, but he knew they weren’t true. She must feel terrible that he had to keep an eye on his hands now, but he didn’t mind as long as it helped her to be more comfortable around him. “It’s okay, really. I don’t mind,” he reassured her.

Bon Bon looked up at Chris through her curly forelock with a disheartened gaze. “But… that’s not fair to you."

“Nonsense,” Chris retorted playfully. “Come on,” he said, walking out of the kitchen. “You’ve had a pretty emotional morning so let’s get you back to your room and I can make you some breakfast.”

"O-okay..." Bon Bon answered quietly, following Chris out of the kitchen, staying close behind him.

Chris stopped before he entered the bedroom and looked to the door. He noticed that a chunk of wood was snapped off where the handle was supposed to be. He reached out to the door and pulled it closed. It worked and stayed in position against the door frame, but locking it was no longer an option.

He looked back to Bon Bon with an apologetic smile, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “I guess I, umm, broke it,” he admitted with a chuckle. “I don’t think you will be able to lock it anymore. Sorry about that.”

Bon Bon looked to the door, then back at Chris. “It’s okay. You did it to help me,” she reminded him with a soft smile. “Thank you for that.”

Chris smiled and chuckled awkwardly. “Of course, but umm,” he started to say, but hesitated looking back at the busted door. “If you keep this closed then I’ll respect your privacy. I won’t bug you or anything,” he said, looking back at her.

Bon Bon frowned for a moment, but smiled again, nodding her head.

“Well, I’ll go check to see if there are any more spiders.” Chris pushed the door open and entered the room. He looked over everything thoroughly and couldn’t find any other insects or arachnids that could scare Bon Bon. He found the door handle under the bed and grabbed it. The handle was still intact and working, so he figured he would save it and buy Lyra’s parents a new door.

With everything checked, he turned back and walked out to the living room. He saw Bon Bon was patiently waiting for him, but she was frowning. “It’s safe. I couldn’t find a single spider.”

“Oh, thank you for doing that,” Bon Bon said, smiling briefly.

“So what would you like for breakfast? We have eggs. I can cook you up a mean omelette,” Chris boasted with a cocky grin.

Bon Bon smiled. “That sounds wonderful. I would love to have one with tomatoes and some carrots if you wouldn't mind.”

Chris chuckled lightly before nodding his head. “Coming right up,” he chirped happily as he started to walk towards the kitchen. He only made it a few feet before he heard Bon Bon start to follow him, which made him stop. He turned around and gave her a confused look. “Is everything okay?”

Bon Bon bit her lip, glancing around the room for a moment before looking back to him. “Would…” she started to say, but hesitated. “Would it be okay if I… if I stayed out here with you for a little while?”

Chris blinked a few times in shock before responding. “Y-yeah…” he answered softly, still trying to make sure he heard her right. “I mean yeah! Of course you can. I would love that,” he added quickly with a joyful smile. “Would you like a book to read while I make you breakfast?”

Bon Bon smiled shyly and nodded her head. “Yes please.”

Chris walked over to the couch with Bon Bon close behind. He had a pile of books that he was reading there and knew of one that Bon Bon might like. It was called Equestria’s Book of World Records and he thought it would help distract her from the terrifying morning she had. He didn’t think she would be interested in the parental guide book he was reading earlier, or the amazing romance novel To Find a Rainbow he read last night.

He picked the world records book up and was about to hand it to Bon Bon, but thought twice. His hands were still an issue, so he placed the book on the couch cushion and turned around. “You can read this one if you like. It's a pretty interesting read.”

Bon Bon looked to the book and delicately bit its spine in her mouth, picking it up. She looked up to Chris and flashed him a small smile.

“You can stay here on the couch and read it if you like,” Chris said as he started to walk into the kitchen to make Bon Bon’s breakfast. He smirked to himself when he heard Bon Bon’s hoofsteps still following him. He thought it best not to question it, though. She must be afraid of a second spider appearing and wanted to be close to him in case he needed to save her again.

Chris placed the door handle he was still carrying on the bar before walking to the refrigerator to gather his ingredients. He pulled out eggs, butter, cheese, and the tomatoes and carrots Bon Bon wanted. He placed all the items on the counter next to the stove before grabbing the skillet, a bowl, and an egg beater.

Once he started to break the eggs over the bowl he could hear Bon Bon walk up next to him. She turned around and laid down on the floor, placing the book down in front of her. Opening it with her muzzle, she began to read while she waited for her breakfast.

Bon Bon was lying on the smaller end of the ‘L’ shaped couch while Chris laid across the larger portion. She used her nose to turn another page of the book she was currently reading called The Theories and Practice of Good Cooking. It was all very interesting and she learned quite a bit, but most of it she already knew.

Chris had gotten it for her earlier that afternoon once she had gotten bored of reading the world record book, which did little to distract her from the frightening and emotional morning she’d had. She couldn’t stop thinking about spiders attacking her, and everything she’d talked about with Chris. She felt lot more comfortable around him, now that he understood her fear. She didn't have to worry about him grabbing at her anymore. Still, just the thought of him touching her sent shivers down her spine.

The sun was setting, so Bon Bon figured it was time for her to start making their dinner for the night. The book she was reading gave her an idea for a pasta and hay salad that she wanted to make, but she didn’t want to be alone in the kitchen.

Bon Bon looked over to Chris and saw that he was still reading that book about foals, which puzzled her. She couldn’t really understand why he would be so interested in something like. Maybe he was thinking about adopting a foal with Lyra and thought he should prepare himself. It was a sweet thought, but she knew that couldn't be it. Lyra wasn’t really looking to have a foal in her life at the moment. So why was he so intent in reading that book?

Bon Bon pushed the thought out of her mind and closed her book with her muzzle. She held a hoof up to her lips, clearing her throat softly in an attempt to get Chris’s attention.

Chris dropped his book down and glanced her way.

Bon Bon smiled once their eyes meet. “I-I was thinking about starting supper, a-and I was just wondering if maybe you could, umm... help me?”

Chris gave her a wide, enthusiastic smile and nodded his head a few times. “I’d love to!” he said almost too excitedly.

Bon Bon couldn’t help but giggle at how willing Chris always was to help. “Thank you. And do you like feta cheese?” she asked, knowing that most ponies didn’t really like feta, but she loved the taste.

“You kidding me?” Chris asked as if he was offended. “Feta is one of my favorite kinds of cheese,” he stated, closing his book before sitting up.

“Oh, good. I wanted to add some in the salad I want to make for us tonight,” Bon Bon explained as she hopped down from the couch and headed for the kitchen.

“What kind of salad?” Chris asked as got up and followed her.

Bon Bon stopped right before the kitchen entrance and quickly looked around, making sure there were no spiders. Scary was there, but he was in his aquarium so that was fine. She walked into the kitchen, making her way to the refrigerator before responding to Chris. “Well I was thinking about making a nice refreshing pasta and hay salad.”

“H-hay?” Chris questioned softly from behind her, stopping right before entering the kitchen.

Bon Bon froze as she was about to reached for the refrigerator handle, looking over her shoulder at Chris with a small frown. “Y-you don’t like hay?” she questioned. She thought everypony loved hay. It was a pretty common thing to eat and she was really in the mood for some.

“Oh no, I-I, umm, love hay!” Chris quickly defended himself with a sheepish smile, walking into the kitchen.

“You don’t like it, do you…?”

“Hay’s great! Honestly, I love it. I eat it with Lyra all the time!” Chris finished, giving Bon Bon a bright and nervous smile.

Bon Bon couldn’t really tell if he was telling her the truth or just trying to be nice, but she figured he must be okay with it. “Well, if you're sure.” She turned back to the refrigerator and opened the door. She gasped in surprise when she saw the whole thing was packed with food. There was even a whole shelf dedicated to all kinds of different cheeses. She reached out with her muzzle to grab the packet of feta, but stopped when she noticed a brown bag that was stuffed towards the back, hidden behind some cabbage. The bag looked familiar and she hoped it wasn’t what she thought it was, but a small talon symbol on it was a dead give away.

Bon Bon frowned before pulling her head back. “Chris…” she called sadly, looking up at him.

“Yes?” Chris answered. “Is everything okay?”

“What's in that bag?”

Chris froze, his eyes widening in surprise. “I-it’s nothing. D-don’t worry about it,” he responded quickly. “It’s just some grapes I was saving for myself.”

Bon Bon knew that was a lie. “I-I know where that bag is from… I see griffons carrying them around when they come from the market on the outskirts of town... and I know what they sell there...”

“Bonny, I―,”

“It’s not a bunny, is it?” Bon Bon asked in a soft disheartened tone, interrupting him.

Chris rubbed the back of his neck looking away from her. “It’s…” he started to say but hesitated, sighing deeply. “It’s chicken.”

Bon Bon gasped, turning her head back to the bag, placing a hoof over her lips. “A poor, adorable little chicken?”

“Yes,” Chris admitted, sadly. “I’m sorry, Bonny…”

Bon Bon knew it wasn’t his fault. Lyra was the one that filled the cabin with food, but she still didn’t like the idea of a cute, little chicken that had passed away was in their refrigerator. She hoped that he wouldn’t eat it in front of her.

“Don’t worry, Bonny, I’m not going to eat that; I promise you,” Chris reassured her, sounding a little closer to her now. “I don’t need to eat meat, and I’m completely fine with eating just fruits and vegetables.”

“I’m sorry,” Bon Bon whimpered sadly, looking back into Chris’s eyes. “It’s just… just…”

“It makes you uncomfortable, I know,” Chris finished as he walked up next to her and knelt down. “And it’s sad that a living creature had to die just to be eaten. Trust me, I understand why it upsets you and I won’t eat things like that around you.”

“Thank you,” Bon Bon whispered softly. “Maybe… maybe I would feel better if you explained why you eat meat.”

Chris frowned a little and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand again. “Well… umm,” he started to explain. “I guess I’m not really sure exactly why I do. I just know that my body needs the proteins and nutrients from it in order to function properly.”

“So you do need it?” Bon Bon questioned in a disheartened tone, frowning.

“No, no, it’s nothing like that,” Chris countered quickly. “I can live off of what you ponies eat and I can get all those nutrients and proteins from stuff like beans and mushrooms, so I don’t need to eat meat.”

Bon Bon smiled a little after hearing Chris's explanation. She was glad that he still had a way to maintain his unusual diet without meat. “That… that does help me feel better, thank you, but...” she paused, frowning again. “Can we get rid of the bag?”

Chris shook his head. “I don’t have a proper way of getting rid of it. If I throw it in the trash then it will just rot and stink up the cabin,” he explained, sadly. “It has to stay in the refrigerator so it doesn’t rot.”

Bon Bon sighed, looking back into the refrigerator. She didn’t like the idea of having the smell of death in the cabin, so if it had to stay where it was then so be it. At least it was in a bag so she didn’t have to see it. She bit the package of feta and closed the refrigerator door before gathering the rest of the ingredients she needed for the meal.

Chris helped her cut up the tomatoes and hay exactly how she requested. It still amazed her how helpful he was in the kitchen. All she really had to do was focus on cooking the penne pasta she picked out from the pantry. She also found some cannellini beans that she thought would be nice to add to the salad. Plus, it would help Chris get those nutrients he needed.

Bon Bon finished cooking the beans and pasta, rinsed them in cold water then let them strain for a while before adding all the ingredients into a large bowl. She mixed everything up before serving up a generous portion in a smaller bowl. “Here you go, Chris,” she said, pushing the bowl of salad across the counter towards him with her hoof.

Chris smiled and picked up the bowl. “Thank you, Bonny.” He turned around and walked towards the dining table, taking a seat.

Bon Bon dished her own salad up and balanced it on her back before making her way to the bedroom, but stopped at the kitchen entrance when she remembered what happened that morning. She figured tonight she would stay out in the living room just a little longer and eat with Chris. Just this once.

She made her way to the stool opposite of Chris and placed her bowl in front of her before sitting down.

Chris stared up at her, blinking in disbelief. “A-are you going to eat out here?”

Bon Bon giggled nervously. “U-umm, yeah… I-I hope that’s okay,” she said shyly, looking away with a small blush. “I-I mean I don’t want to bother you any more than I already have. You’ve helped me so much today, and―,”

“I don’t mind!” Chris said, interrupting her.

Bon Bon giggled nervously, still not daring to look directly at him. “T-thank you.” She leaned down and started to take small delicate bites of her salad, quietly enjoying her meal.

They both continued to eat their meals in silence, but Bon Bon noticed that Chris wasn’t really eating his. She looked up to see that he was using his fork to try and pick around the pieces of hay. After a while he gave up and speared a decent bite sized portion on his fork and slowly lifted it to his lips. He winced a little before closing his eyes, putting the food in his mouth and chewing it slowly.

Bon Bon furrowed her brow as she watched Chris slowly make his way through the meal. “You really don’t like hay, do you?” she pointed out sadly.

Chris froze with his next bite only inches away from his mouth before looking at Bon Bon with his mouth open. He slowly lowered his fork, frowning. “N-no I just―,”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I could have made something we could both enjoy,” Bon Bon interrupted, heartbroken that Chris didn’t like the meal she prepared.

Chris sighed, placing his fork in his bowl. “It’s just…” he started to explain, but hesitated. “I know how much you ponies love your hay and it’s not that I don’t like hay. I mean it’s kind of tasteless to me, but the texture is kind of weird…” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Oh, I just feel awful. I’ll go make you something else,” Bon Bon said sadly, getting up off her seat.

“No!” Chris shouted, causing her to stop and look up at him. “Really, it’s fine,” he reassured her, taking another bite of the salad, chewing it quickly and swallowing. “I do like it. It just takes me a while to get used to it.”

“A-are you sure… I-I can just go―,”

“Positive!” Chris chirped happily, taking another bite and chewing it thoroughly before swallowing. “I really like the beans you added and the feta goes well with the, umm… hay,” he added, smiling awkwardly.

“You’re sure?” Bon Bon asked again, raising her eyebrow.

“Absolutely!” Chris chimed with a friendly smile.

“Really, it’s no trouble. I can make you something else,” Bon Bon tried to reason with Chris, smiling reassuringly.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Please just sit and enjoy the meal with me.”

Bon Bon sighed in defeat and sat back in her seat. It was obvious that Chris was only being nice and she felt terrible about making something that he didn’t like. She made a mental note to make him a sandwich he could eat before she went to bed to make it up to him. She leaned down, and took a few bites of her salad, savoring her meal as the room fell into silence once more.

“So,” Chris spoke up, interrupting the quiet atmosphere.

Bon Bon looked up at him with a mouth full of food. She chewed it and swallowed quickly. “Yes?”

“Well, I couldn’t help but notice that you have candy on your butt,” Chris pointed out with a teasing smirk.

Bon Bon blushed brightly as her eyes widened. “M-my b-butt?” she stammered quietly. Lyra warned her about this. She said that Chris really liked her… butt.

“Yes, you have little pieces of candy for your cutie mark,” Chris clarified, using his finger to point to her flank.

Bon Bon let out a small sigh of relief. “Oh, y-yes I do,” she said with a slight nod. “Making candy is my special talent.”

Chris nodded his head in understanding. “Yes. I could tell from what Lyra told me and from the shop you own in town,” he chuckled, pointing out the obvious. “But I would love to know what it is that you like about making candy so much.”

Bon Bon frowned slightly at Chris’s question. He was trying to get to know her more again, but this time... this time she was okay with that. “Well, there’s so much about making candy that I love, but I would have to say getting to see all the smiling faces of my customers once they bite into one of my treats is the best part,” she explained with a giggle.

Chris beamed brightly at her explanation. "I bet that's an amazing feeling."

"Oh, it’s wonderful," Bon Bon agreed, letting out a dreamy sigh. "Especially when you get to see all the smiling faces of the young fillies and colts when they come by after school."

"So, what's it like running your own shop?" Chris asked, intrigued.

Bon Bon frowned at that question, looking down at her half full bowl of food. "Stressful," she admitted with a heavy sigh. "Lyra helps when she can, but I'm pretty much running the shop on my own and it can be... difficult."

Chris leaned back, scratching his charming beard for a moment as he contemplated. "Have you ever thought about hiring somepony to help?"

Bon Bon looked up and nodded. "Yes I have. But I'm afraid I don't make enough bits to hire somepony that knows how to cook and could help me at a reasonable salary.” She let out a disheartened sigh before continuing. “Business has just been too slow lately, but I saved up some bits to help expand the shop!” she said excitedly with new found energy. “Perhaps then I could get some more customers to come by and then I could afford some more help.”

“That sounds like a great idea!” Chris cheered.

Bon Bon smiled, looking away as she scratched the blush on her cheek with her hoof. “W-well I wouldn't say it's a great idea,” she whispered softly before looking back at Chris. “Risky perhaps, but if it works out then I'll be able to hire somepony else that can help me make the candies and run the shop."

Chris nodded his head in understanding. “So, whats this big expansion going to be like?”

“Oh it’s just a silly idea that Berry Punch gave me,” Bon Bon said nonchalantly, waving a dismissive hoof.

“Berry gave you this idea?,” Chris questioned, raising his eyebrow in disbelief. “This is already sounding questionable,” he teased.

“Oh, she's not that bad,” Bon Bon giggled, waving a playful hoof at Chris. “She has good ideas… sometimes,” she admitted with a sheepish smile.

“So, what was this little idea?” Chris asked is an unsure tone.

“Well, business is usually slower during the winter time, so she gave me the idea to have a place where ponies could come and have a nice warm drink with friends.”

“I guess I really have to ha―ehh, I mean hoof it to Berry,” Chris chuckled, correcting himself. “That does sound like a wonderful idea.”

Bon Bon smiled and nodded, but soon her smile melted to a frown. “It is a idea nice, but I'm still not sure about it,” she admitted, sighing sadly. “There’s still so much that has to be done first, and I’m going to have to close up the shop for a while until the construction gets finished, and it's so stressful trying to find somepony that can work at the ba―,” She stopped herself once she realized that she was rambling. “Oh pardon me. You don't want to hear about all this boring stuff,” she giggled, waving a limp hoof. “So, tell me. What do you like to do?” She questioned with a gentle smile. “I-I know you work for the Elements of Harmony. I'm sure that’s... umm, exciting.”

Chris frowned slightly, but chuckled. “It's great working for the girls and they’re all very nice, but it's not really all that fun,” he admitted with an exhausted sigh. “Especially when I'm working for Applejack bucking trees or running errands all over town for Rarity.”

Bon Bon nodded her head in understanding. “Yes, I can imagine that can get tiring.”

Chris’s frown deepened as he looked down at his still-full bowl of food. “The Elements have been so kind to let me work for them. I know they don’t really need me to do that stuff,” he admitted sadly, causing Bon Bon to frown. “But it’s the only work I can find here… No pony wants to hire the weird new alien. Even after I’ve been here for―,” he paused to take a deep breath before looking back at Bon Bon with a soft smile. “I’m just grateful they're willing to help me out so I can afford a home.”

Bon Bon felt like she was being stabbed through the heart. She had never seen Chris so sad before. Ponies must not be hiring him because of what he is. Though she hated to admit it, she would have done the same if he had asked her for a job. “W-well do you have any plans or dreams for the future?” she asked in a cheerful tone, wanting to change the subject.

Chris scratched that rugged beard of his and hummed to himself as he looked up to the ceiling. “Well,” he mused, before dropping his hand down and looking back to Bon Bon. “Before I was, umm… ripped from my old world I was studying in the arts. You know, like painting and sculpture.”

Bon Bon arched an eyebrow into the air. “Y-you were studying art?” she questioned, not taking Chris for the artsy-type.

“Yeah,” Chris reminisced with a chuckle. “I took pretty much every art course I could apply for. I was still trying to find what I was good at, but all I knew was that I loved creating things,” he explained, smiling briefly. “I even tried a cooking class and ending up loving it. I wanted to keep going with it, but I never got to finish the full course,” he admitted sadly.

“R-really?” Bon Bon questioned. ‘No wonder he knew what the proper technique for cutting basil was,’ she thought to herself.

“Yep,” Chris responded happily. “I was never really a great cook, but after that class I started to really enjoy it and I even started to make plans to open my own restaurant someday.”

“Did... did you ever get to start your restaurant?” Bon Bon questioned, perking her ears up.

“No…” Chris repled with disheartened sigh. “Like I said, I never got the chance to finish the cooking classes I needed. Money got tight for me so I had to take a bunch of odd jobs to try and pay bills,” he reminisced with a deep frown. “Oh!” he shouted suddenly, with a smile. “I did have this one job that I absolutely loved doing!”

Bon Bon blinked, taken aback by his sudden outburst. “W-what did you do?”

“Well, I was a―,” Chris paused for a moment as his smile melted into a cocky smirk. “Actually,” he said, stroking his fuzzy chin with this hand. “I could tell you, oooor... I could show you,” he mused.

“S-show?”

“Yeah!” Chris cheered excitedly as he jumped to his feet and headed into the kitchen. “Come on, it will be fun!” He waved his hand for Bon Bon to follow him.

Bon Bon hopped off her seat and slowly followed Chris, but he stopped at the kitchen’s entrance and turned around. “Okay, you sit on the bar stool over there,” he said, pointing a finger at the stools.

“U-umm, okay,” Bon Bon agreed, walking up to the closest stool and hopping up. She got herself comfortable then looked towards Chris expectantly.

Chris positioned himself on the other side of the bar and placed both his hands on the counter, leaning on them for support. He smiled down at Bon Bon which made her smile as well. She wasn’t really sure what he was going to do, but she had to admit this was kind of fun.

"So, what'll it be, Miss?" Chris asked kindly with a wide grin.

Bon Bon blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Chris chuckled and pointed to the hanging rack of alcohol. "What would you like to drink?"

"Oh! Well, what do we have?" Bon Bon asked with a smile, looking over all her options on the rack.

"Everything!" Chris exclaimed excitedly throwing his hands up in the air. "We pretty much have it all here, so give me your best shot. What's your favorite drink?"

Bon Bon tapped her chin with a hoof in thought. "Well..." she started to answer, putting her hoof down once she thought of something. "I guess I’ve always really liked mojitos. Would that be okay?"

Chris laughed loudly at her order, causing Bon Bon to tilt her head, giving him a puzzled look. "What's so funny?"

Chris quickly stifled his laughter, looking back at Bon Bon with a wide knowing smirk. "I should have known that would be your favorite.”

“What do you mean?”

"Don't worry. That's my favorite drink too," Chris reassured her with a wink. "One mojito coming right up!" he said happily as he bent down behind the bar and opened a cabinet door. He pulled out a two-piece shaker and a small bowl of sugar, setting them on the bar along with a small club-like tool. Next, he walked towards the collection of herbs, picking off a small stem of mint. He then stepped towards the refrigerator and pulled out two glass bottles of fresh squeezed lime juice and sparkling water before placing all the items on the bar. He looked up to the rack and glanced around, before frowning.

"What's wrong?" Bon Bon asked, concerned.

"We don't have the white rum here," Chris responded with a pout.

"Oh, well then I don't nee―,”

"Wait," Chris interrupted her. "I remember seeing some in the cellar," he said as he quickly moved out of the kitchen and opened the door that lead to the basement. He stopped before entering and turned to look back at Bon Bon. "I'll just be a second. Will you be okay by yourself?"

"I-I'll be fine," she answered with a bright blush and sheepish smile.

"Don't worry. I'll be back soon," Chris said with a gentle smile before turning around and heading down to the cellar, shutting the door behind him.

Bon Bon stared at the door for a moment, but with little else to do she started to look around the room. She cringed when she saw some of Chris’s old clothes draped over the couch along with the messy, haphazard pile of books he was reading. He was kind of a messy stallion, but Lyra was a messy mare so she was used to seeing this.

Still, there was no reason that Chris couldn't be a little more organized and clean. He should at least have a dedicated spot to keep his dirty clothes, seeing as he had so many. He might need to wash some of his clothes as well since he seemed to wear that stuff all day for reasons that escaped her. She made a mental note to help him with that later.

Bon Bon continued to look around the room and kitchen until her sight fell upon the aquarium next to the sink, where Scary was currently residing. She squeaked in surprise and flinched when she saw him next to the glass, looking right at her. She blinked a few times and started to relax once she remembered that he was trapped, but he just kept staring at her. “W-what?”

Scary slowly lifted one of his forelegs and started to pet the glass, making a terrifying chill run down Bon Bon’s spine. It was creepy the way his little legs moved. She could just picture how horrible it would be to feel them touching her. Creepiness aside, it seemed like he was trying to tell her something. "D-do you need s-something?” she asked in a shaky voice. “I-I can’t really let you out…" she added in regret. She didn’t like the idea of having to keep Scary locked up like he was, but she couldn’t just let him run around so he could crawl all over her when she slept.

Scary backed away from the glass and turned towards the tiny saucer that Chris had placed in the aquarium as a makeshift water bowl. He slowly crawled up to it and pawed at the center.

Bon Bon could see now that Scary's saucer was empty. "D-do you... need... more water?" she questioned softly, raising an eyebrow. She was no Fluttershy, but it seemed pretty clear what he wanted.

Scary turned back, giving her an expectant look.

Bon Bon whimpered to herself, fearing the idea of having to reach in and change the dish for him. "I-I'm sorry... I-I can't give you more water.” She looked back to the basement door then back to Scary. “I-I’ll ask Chris when he comes back, okay?”

Suddenly the basement door opened, making Bon Bon turn around to see Chris. He walked back into the kitchen with the white rum in hand. "I found some! Sorry that took so long," he apologized as he made his way behind the bar again.

"U-umm, Chris?" Bon Bon called as he placed the rum on the bar, making him look at her. "I-I think Scary wants some water,” she pointed out softly, pointing her hoof to the aquarium.

Chris followed her hoof and turned his head to the tank. “Oh wow, you're right,” he said, scratching his head in confusion. “I didn’t think spiders needed that much water. Guess I should’ve kept a better eye on that,” he admitted, walking towards the aquarium.

Bon Bon squirmed in her seat, holding her breath as she watched Chris reach his hand into the tank. She had to keep telling herself that Scary was a nice spider that couldn’t hurt anypony, but she couldn’t help worrying as she watched Chris lift the saucer out.

Chris filled the small dish with some water and placed it back into the aquarium. As soon as his hand left, Scary crawled over and sat down in the middle of the dish. He started to use his creepy little feelers to rub some of the water over his head a few times then became motionless as he started to drink. “Wow. You were right. He was pretty thirsty.” He looked back at Bon Bon, raising a curious eyebrow. “How did you know?”

“Oh, I just, umm... could tell,” Bon Bon explained shyly.

“Hmm,” Chris pondered as he stroked his beard in mock thought. “Maybe I should have you take care of him for me,” he teased, sticking his tongue out at her.

“NO!” Bon Bon yelled in surprise, looking up at him with wide, worried eyes. “I-I can’t!”

“Don’t worry Bonny. I was only teasing you. I’ll take care of him,” Chris reassured her with a laugh as he pulled out a tall glass from the cabinet just above where Scary was. He moved back to the bar, placing the glass down and turned his attention to the items in front of him. “Now then. Time for your mojito,” he stated as he put a scoop of ice into the glass that he got from the mini ice box that was behind the bar. “Watch closely.”

Bon Bon did as Chris told her and looked down at the items, tilting her head slightly and perking her ears up.

Chris began by pulling the mint leaves off the stem and placing them inside one of the shaker cups. He then sprinkled some sugar on top of the leaves before taking the club-like tool and using it to softly crush them together. Placing the club down, he reached for the glass bottle of lime juice and tossed it into the air.

“CHRIS!” Bon Bon shouted in shock, covering her lips with her hooves, expecting the bottle to come crashing down. She watched in horror as the bottle flew up and arched back down.

Chris turned around with his arm behind his back and caught the bottle then tossed it up again, sending it spinning straight up into the air. He turned back as the bottle started to decent again and caught it by the neck just above where the shaker was and poured a small amount of the lime extract into it.

Bon Bon watched with wide-eyed amazement, keeping her hooves pressed to her lips as Chris reached for the bottle of rum, tossing it up along with the lime juice bottle and started to juggle them for her. He set the lime juice down and flicked the rum bottle up into the air, sending it spinning to his opposite hand. He rolled the bottle down his arm and popped it up with his shoulder, catching it in the air above the counter before pouring in a decent amount of the alcohol into the shaker.

Chris smirked as he set the rum down and picked up the other half of the shaker. He cupped it over the half with the ingredients in it and lifted it up, giving it a good shake. Once everything was mixed properly he poured the concoction into the tall glass and set the shaker down. He picked up the bottle of sparkling water and filled the rest of the glass before handing it to Bon Bon. “One mojito for the lovely mare,” he chuckled with a smirk.

Bon Bon remained motionless with her hooves over her lips. Her wide eyes darted from Chris to her drink as she tried to process what just happened. He was juggling just like Pinkie Pie always did and the way he used his hands was amazing! She never thought of making a spectacle out of mixing drinks and the way he used his hands to spin the bottle was mesmerizing. It was so much fun to watch and it didn’t take him long to make her mojito even with the show. “C-Chris…” she called softly, removing her hooves from her lips.

“Yes?” Chris answered with a cocky grin.

“T-that’s what you used to do for work?” Bon Bon asked in disbelief.

“Yeah! I used to love putting on a show at the bar I worked at,” Chris reminisced with a bright smile. “But what I loved most of all was getting to talk to all the customers. They all had a new story to tell and they all had their reasons for being there. Some sad, some happy, but it was always fun getting to know everyon―I mean everypony,” he chuckled as he corrected himself.

Bon Bon lowered her hooves back down onto the stool and looked down at her drink, thinking for a moment. She thought Chris’s little show would be something that all the little fillies and colts would get a real kick out of, but could he do something like that for more family friendly drinks? “U-umm, do you...” she started to ask shyly, but hesitated, looking up at him. “Do you think you could do something like that with drinks like... chocolate milk or tea?”

Chris scratched his beard as he thought for a moment. “Yeah…” he answered with a pause, thinking a bit more. “Yeah, I think I could make something like that work,” he said. “Why do you ask?”

“W-well…” Bon Bon started to explain but hesitated as she thought more about if asking him to help her was really a good idea. She didn’t have the bits to hire him on a decent salary and he might not even be interested in helping her after the horrible way she treated him in the past…

Bon Bon stared out into space as she continued to ponder what she wanted to do. She had to at least ask him and see what he would say. He could really help her out and he even had prior knowledge about cooking. It was possible that he might be able to help her make candy as well. She could definitely teach him and he’d already shown her that he knew his way around the kitchen, so it would be easy to just―

“Umm, Bonny?” Chris called, breaking her out of her thoughts. She didn’t realize she had gone silent.

“Oh, S-sorry,” Bon Bon responded with a slight blush. “I-I was just wondering…” she started to ask again, looking away as she traced a line into the bar stool, feeling shy all the sudden. “Well, remember when I said I was expanding my shop?” she asked, looking up to him through her curly forelock.

Chris nodded his head. “I do.”

“I-I was actually thinking about adding in a bar... like the one you worked at where ponies could come in and get a nice drink,” Bon Bon continued, keeping her head down as she looked up at him.

“Y-yeah?” Chris questioned, hanging on her words.

“I-I don’t make a lot of bits, s-so I wouldn’t be able to pay you much at first, b-but would y-you―,”

“I’D LOVE TO!” Chris shouted, causing Bon Bon to jerk her head up and flinch back in surprise.

“B-but, I haven’t even told you how much I’d pay you yet,” she tried to argue, thinking Chris might have jumped at her offer a little too fast.

“You can pay me whatever you think is fair,” Chris reassured, giving her a gentle smile. “And I can work something out with the Elements to see if they need any help at night. That way I can work for you full time.”

Bon Bon sat there dumbfounded at how willing Chris was to work with her. Would he really go that extra mile just to help her out? She couldn’t let him do something like that. “Oh, no,” she responded to him sadly. “I-I wouldn’t want you to over work yourself. I-I mean I would pay you more once business picked up,” she explained quickly, fidgeting with her hooves.

“Bonny. If you're giving me an opportunity to do what I love and if you think it could help your shop, then I would absolutely love to do it,” Chris explained happily.

Bon Bon gazed into Chris’s charming hazel eyes as he smiled down at her. It was easy to see that he genuinely wanted this. Plus she was confident that his talent could really help boost her business, and she couldn’t deny how wonderful it would be to have somepony else to help her run things. “Well, then if you're sure…” she agreed shyly. “I would love it if you helped me in my shop.”

“Yes!” Chris cheered, doing an odd arm pumping gesture. “My first real job!”

Bon Bon stifled a small giggle at his excitement. “I’m glad you’re so eager to help, but the bar might not be ready for a while,” she stated sadly, causing Chris to look back at her with a frown. “But, umm,” she started to say as a warm blush started to appear on her cheeks. “I-I was also kind of thinking… well, since you have knowledge of cooking… m-maybe while we’re stuck here…” she started to explain but hesitated as she swayed back and forth on her stool, looking away. She felt so nervous about wanting to show him how she made her candy. The only other pony that she let watch her do what she did best was Lyra, but she couldn’t deny how nice it would be to show him as well. “I-I could, umm, w-well―”

“Teach me how you make candy?” Chris finished for her, smiling again.

Bon Bon giggled, holding a hoof up to her lips. “Yes, exactly,” she said happily, dropping her hoof back down.

“That sounds like it could be a lot of fun,” Chris expressed as he picked up Bon Bon’s mojito. “How about we talk more about this and finish our dinner,” he added walking over to the dining table.

“That would be lovely,” Bon Bon said as she hopped down and followed him to the table.

At the table, Bon Bon explained to Chris how she ran her shop and when they would need to make candy while they both ate their salads. Bon Bon finished hers, but Chris only took a few more bites before he said he was full.

Once their meal was over, Bon Bon insisted that she do the dishes since she left Chris to do them last night. He reluctantly agreed to let her do them and went to lay down on the couch to read that parental guide book book again.

Bon Bon finished putting the dishes away then went into the pantry to pull out some grain bread, as well as some daisy flowers for the sandwich she was going to make for Chris. ‘He should enjoy this. A nice simple comfort food. Everypony loves daisy sandwiches,’ she thought happily as she practically skipped back into the kitchen to make his sandwich.

She placed the offering on a plate and bit it in her mouth, carrying it to the couch where Chris was laying on his back, absorbed in his book. She gently placed the plate on his stomach and smiled at him.

Chris lifted his book up and looked at the sandwich. “What’s this?” he asked in confusion, placing his book down, looking back to Bon Bon.

“Just a little something to make up for dinner,” she explained warmly. “You hardly ate so I’m sure you're still hungry.”

“Oh, Bonny, you shouldn’t have.” Chris picked up the sandwich, giving Bon Bon grateful smile. “You're too sweet you know that?”

“Yes, well I do have candy on my flanks,” Bon Bon teased playfully with a warm blush and a giggle, wiggling her hips slightly.

Chris blushed and chuckled before he shut his eyes, taking a bite of the sandwich. He chewed it thoroughly but stopped suddenly. He slowly opened his eyes and looked back to her.

Bon Bon frowned and tilted her head slightly in confusion. “Is everything okay?”

Chris put on a wide smile and started to slowly chew again before swallowing, letting out a relieved breath. “Yes. T-thank you for the generous food; it’s very good,” he reassured her with a bright, friendly smile.

Bon Bon smiled back, feeling relieved that Chris liked the sandwich. “Well, you enjoy and I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said as she turned around and headed for her room. She stopped several feet before the bedroom and frowned, before cautiously walking up to the doorframe and glancing around. It was dark inside, but the moonlight from the window provided enough light to illuminate the room. She didn’t see any creepy-crawly things on the walls or the floor, so she figured it was safe. Plus, Chris would help her again if she was in trouble.

“Bonny?” Chris called to her gently.

Bon Bon turned her head to look back at him on the couch. “Yes?”

“I just wanted to say, umm, well. Thank you for hanging out here with me and offering me a job,” Chris thanked kindly.

“You're welcome Chris,” Bon Bon replied with a warm smile. “Maybe tomorrow I can show you how I make caramel.”

Chris nodded his head and gave her a big thumbs-up, which confused her. Why was he saying he liked spaghetti now? Did he want her to make him some? No, he wouldn’t want her to do that. He still had his sandwich to eat. “W-well, good night, Chris,” she added turning back to the bedroom.

“Good night, Bonny,” Chris replied as she softly shut the broken door behind her. She got up on the bed and wormed her way under the covers, turning around to poke her head out before laying it on her pillow and closing her eyes. Thoughts of everything that had happened that day immediately clouded her mind. Chris was quite a charming stallion, and a lot of fun to talk to. She was actually kind of excited to show him how she made her candies, and she was happy to call him a friend.

It didn’t take long before Bon Bon drifted off to sleep.

Author's Notes:

There! It's done!

I'm so sorry this took as long as it did. I will try to get the next one out faster.

I'm excited to hear what you guys think of this chapter! I have been wanting to write this one for a while now. And I ship Bon Bon with Scary.

Poor Bonny... I had to sketch this really fast while I was waiting for the editors to do what they do best lol.

Like always, let me know what you think and if anything is missing or misspelled let me know!

Enjoy! And if you want chapter progression updates you can check it out here.