"So, how do we do this then? I mean, what are we shopping for?" Bon Bon asked Lyra as they trotted farther down Cremini Street.

It was busier than it had appeared from the start. Several ponies had set up particularly large and attractive displays for their yard sales, which had in turn inspired others to set up impromptu sales of their own. Free advertising is free advertising after all. In no time at all the whole street had become a bustling bazaar vending all manner of secondhoof goods.

"First rule of treasure hunting," Lyra replied with a grin, "Never go in looking for something specific. Do that and you'll miss out on everything else."

"What-? But we have to have at least some idea of what we're looking for. Otherwise how do we know when we've found it and can move on?"

"You going about this the wrong way," Lyra replied as she walked between the tables of the first stand. "This isn't a job that you can schedule and optimize to get the best deal as fast as possible. This is about having fun. Finding new and unexpected things, and maybe buying them. Look for things that, I don't know, jump out at you."

Bon Bon raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Okay... I'll try. Just remember your promise; don't buy anything before showing it to me."

Lyra saluted smartly before turning back to the table she was investigating. Bon Bon sighed and turned to look at the array of junk to her left. Find something that jumps out at me? What does that even mean? Whatever, I guess I can try looking for something for the shop.

The section before was mostly housewares and cutlery, with a few misplaced odds and ends from where earlier visitors had changed their minds on an item and set it down wherever they felt like. Bon Bon analyzed it all with a critical gaze, her judgments came quick and harsh. Boring. Boring. Heavily used. Bland. Missing part of the set. Have one already. Boring. Ugly. Overpriced. She took a step forward to see the next section. Also boring. This should go with that piece from before, but I still have one already. Don't need it. Would never use it. Don't want it.

She sighed. This was not nearly as fun as Lyra had made it out to be. If anything, it felt like doing inventory in her store. Going row by row, checking what items are selling well and what aren't, which are about to expire and which should be moved to the discount shelf. Yes it was quite like that, except everything here she would place in either the closeout tray or the donations box. She turned to see if Lyra was having any luck. Maybe it was just a bad yard sale?

Lyra, however, seemed to be having the time of her life. Her eyes flittered across the tables in front of her, resting for a moment on one object like a butterfly on a flower before off to the next. She picked up seemingly random pieces in her magic, bringing them in close for a more detailed examination. She spun them around in front of her, taking in every detail, every angle. Soft 'oohs' and 'aahs' fell forth from her mouth on occasions. Most items she put back after looking, others she placed nearer to herself; a short list of sorts of items to compare against later. Teacups, books, linens, there seemed to be no pattern to what struck her interest.

Bon Bon turned back to her table. Maybe she was still doing it wrong? Maybe a more analytical approach was needed. She focused on the items once more, this time giving each object a full cost-benefit analysis.

Item: Three piece lavender Princess-size bed linen set. Estimated price new: Fifteen bits. Asking price: Five bits. Conclusion: Don't own a Princess size bed. Pass.

Item: Weathered book titled Adventures of Dr. Expedition, Spymaster. Estimated price new: Twelve bits. Asking price: Four bits. Conclusion: Spy thriller targeted at teenaged stallions, likely full of inaccuracies. Pass.

Item: Wing preening brush. Estimated price new: Unknown. Asking price: One bit. Conclusion: I am not a pegasus. Pass.

Item after item passed beneath Bon Bon's machine-like gaze, each summarily analyzed, quantized, and passed over. It wasn't long before she fell into a steady pattern. Observe, estimate, conclude, pass. Observe, estimate, conclude, pass. She likely could have continued on through the entire table if it weren't for the small portion of her brain not dedicated to value analysis detecting a voice calling out to her.

"Bon Bon? BoOOoon BOOooOOn...? Hello, Equis to Bon Bon. Bon Bon do you copy?"

She snapped out of her concentration to find that Lyra had finished looking things over and had come over to her side. "You okay in there? You've just been staring at the table with this kinda angry expression for a solid three minutes." Lyra giggled. "Find something interesting?"

Bon Bon sighed. "No... I'm sorry Lyra, but I just don't think I'm cut out for this. I tried and tried, but I look at this table and all I see is junk. Then I look over and see you so invested in everything you find like it's the coolest thing in the world, and I just can't see any value."

Lyra glanced at the items strewn before them. "I see your problem. It's cause all that's on this table is junk."

Bon Bon's mental gears ground to a halt. "What."

"Oh yeah, nothing interesting here at all." Lyra's eyes passed over the whole table in seconds. "Nothing we don't need, already have, or can't use."

"But- but-" Bon Bon's brain tried to turn over. "But you seemed so interested in everything!"

"Uh yeah, that's because my table had cool stuff on it." She placed a hoof to her forehead. "Okay, maybe I started too fast on you. Let me try hitting you again with the basics." In a sudden move, she grabbed Bon Bon's shoulders with her forehooves and pulled herself in close until their muzzles nearly touched. Lyra looked deep, deep into her eyes as though about to part some world changing wisdom. "You're not going to find something interesting every single time." She lowered hooves. "Fact is, most yard sales are ninety-five percent junk. A good hoofful are a hundred percent as well. You don't have to force yourself to find value in stuff. Just take a look, and if you see something you like, take a closer one."

Bon Bon smiled meekly. "Thanks, but I think I'll just let you handle it, and I'll stick to supervising to make sure you don't get swept away in your own enthusiasm."

"Me? Swept away in enthusiasm? Pshaaw!"

"A-huh, right, sure." Bon Bon replied with a small smile. "So, did you find anything worth our time after all?"

Lyra's ears perked straight up as her eyes widened. "Oh yeah! I did find something neat. Super neat in fact. Just wait right there, I know you're going to love it!"

Bon Bon sat where she was pushed, content to wait for the big reveal. It didn't take long, as all Lyra had to do was step back to the other stand and remember where she'd set down her find, and within moments Lyra was back with a wide grin on her face. "Okay, are you ready?"

"Sure, why not. Hit me with your best shot."

With a dramatic flair, Lyra whipped around the item she'd been holding in her magic behind Bon Bon's back. And before Lyra could even begin, Bon Bon settled back into her old familiar role as the voice of reason.

"It's-"

"No."

Lyra's mouth hung loose for a moment, her train of thought delayed at the station. Fortunately, the engineer kicked the engine a few times and managed to get it back and running promptly. "No? But you don't even know what it is yet!"

"I don't need to know. I can see it just fine."

What Lyra held aloft in her magic could most simply be described as a fish. It's body was long and flat, with bands of white, black, and yellow that formed triangles close to the tail. It was mounted on a slab of polished tan wood with a blue gemstone inset beneath it. It was also very ugly.

"Ah, taken an interest in that one, have you?" A rickety voice called out to the pair. They turned to see an elderly stallion who owned all the items they'd been pondering over. "Yes'm, I remember when I got that'un. The missus an' I went to the Bovinian Islands for our thirtieth anniversary. Bought it from a local bull there." He gestured with his cane. "You can press that button an' it's got a spell which'll predict the weather."

Mildly curious, Bon Bon raised a hoof to the stone and pressed it. With a slight creaking sound, the fish turned it's head forward and spoke in a strange unidentifiable accent. De weatha today will be... cloudeh, wit a nice lite rein in de evenin'. Bon Bon looked up at the clear blue sky, then turned back to the seller, visibly unimpressed.

The old earth pony shrugged. "Eh, he's old. The spell's worn off a bit. But he's still right about seven times out o' ten. Six bits an' he's yours."

Bon Bon laughed awkwardly for a moment before putting her foreleg around Lyra's shoulder. "Heh heh, right. Could you give us a minute?" He nodded as Bon Bon whipped Lyra around so they faced away.

"We are so not buying this."

Lyra's ears lowered. "But why not? Just look how cute he is." Lyra petted the fish lightly with a hoof. "And so useful too. How else will I know if I need an umbrella?"

"Oh, I don't know, ask any random Pegasus in town maybe? They're likely to be just about as accurate as that thing." Bon Bon replied sarcastically, "And if you really care about the weather, you can stick your head out the window and ask Sassaflash next door. She's vice chairpony of the local weather council for goodness sake!"

"But it's so foreign and exotic!" Lyra pleaded, putting a bit more force into her voice, "Where else can you see fish like this huh? Nowhere. Not unless you go all the way to-" she glanced at the maker's mark on the back of the wooden plaque. "Honomoomoo."

"I don't care if it's from the lost temple of the First Ascendant!" Bon Bon hissed, "Foreign junk is still junk." Seeing that there was still light in Lyra's eyes despite her arguments, Bon Bon tried a different approach. "And besides, where would we even put it? It doesn't match the house's color scheme, and wall space is at a premium due to all your... other purchases."

"Well," Lyra began wistfully, pictures forming in her mind, "I was thinking of hanging Mister Weather-fishy here right by the door, off to the side. Then we could check the weather just before leaving."

"A-huh, I thought it'd be somewhere around there." Bon Bon replied, "Unfortunately, that area is already occupied by your stuffed boar head that you use as a coatrack."

Lyra snapped out of her musings in surprise at her own forgetfulness. "Oh yeah, right right. How could I possibly forget about Rear Admiral Boaregard?"

"Excuse me, missies," the stallion chimed in from behind their backs. Lyra and Bon Bon turned around to face him. "I'm thinkin' you must've either underestimated my hearin' or overestimated your ability to whisper." He continued as the mares' cheeks reddened. "Let me tell you somethin' that might change your minds a bit. My missus and I, for all our faults, tend to agree about most things. With the exception bein' that fish there. For thirty years I've held the same thoughts as you young miss," he nodded to Lyra, "While my missus thinks like you." He nodded to Bon Bon. "But despite all I've argued, lately I've been startin' to see what she's been sayin'. The long and short of it is that we need to sell some clutter, and Mr. Huma there is on the choppin' block. I've made my peace with it that he's got to go."

Lyra opened her mouth to speak but the stallion cut her off with a raised forehoof. "Now don't go thinkin' I'm tryin' to guilt you into buying somethin' just for the bits. Or that I want you to treasure it forever or some nonsense. Keep it, give it away, toss it over a fence the moment you turn a corner if you want. I just need to be rid of it." He noted the still skeptical look on Bon Bon's face. "I'll even cut the price, just to show I'm bein' sincere. Three bits only, just for you fillies. How's about that?"

Lyra and Bon Bon met each other's gaze through the corners of their eyes. It was an unexpected situation to be sure. Lyra heard a heartfelt farewell between owner and treasured possession. Bon Bon heard a very well emotionally choreographed sales pitch. Either way, they both heard the price drop by fifty percent. And as the price dropped, their endorphin levels rose. The idea of a personalized discount, even for something one of them hadn't really wanted in the first place, triggered the parts of their brains responsible for rewards and accomplishments. The strange fish slowly became more and more of a tempting offer in their minds.

"Well..." Bon Bon began, breaking the silence as she turned more fully towards Lyra, "Do you know any animal lovers with a birthday coming up?"

"...Fluttershy, I guess?" Lyra offered with a hesitant shrug, not entirely confident with her own suggestion.

"I don't know..." Bon Bon mused, "I know everyone says she loves all animals equally, but I'm pretty sure she prefers fur and skins over scale and fins." Her ears perked up as an idea came to her. "Oh, what about Sea Swirl?"

"Sea Swirl? You mean with the double dolphin cutie mark? Doesn't she usually deal with live fish?" Lyra retorted.

"Yes, but she decorates her store with all sorts of fake sea life as well. I don't know about her birthday, but I believe I heard somepony mention that the anniversary of her shop opening is in a week or two. I wasn't really planning on going, but if we have a present..."

Lyra nodded slowly as the good sense of the idea became clear to her. "That does some like a pretty good plan," she admitted, before letting free a halfhearted sigh, "And I suppose I can agree to not keeping Mr. Weather-fishy if he's going to be a present to somepony who'll appreciate him more."

"Fine. So long as we're not keeping it permanently." Bon Bon lowered her voice so Lyra couldn't hear it. "Stars we have enough talking stuff on the walls as it is." She turned back to the stallion who had been kind enough to wait patiently while they hashed out a decision. "I guess we'll take it then. Three bits you said?"

The earth pony nodded and grabbed a simple lockbox and set it in front of him. Opening it revealed a decent pile of bits and a notebook containing a simple ledger. "Yes'm. Three bits for one weather predicting fish." Quill in mouth, he jotted in his notebook with a penmanship that made Bon Bon cringe. "Since you said you were gonna give it away, you want it gift wrapped for a bit more? I got an old hat box. Nice blue ribbon on it, eh?" He held up the cylindrical box teasingly, but Bon Bon waved it off immediately.

"No thank you, we have plenty of boxes at home."

He shrugged as he set the box down. "S'fine. No fur off my muzzle." He snatched the three bits Lyra had been levitating to him with a hoof and practically slammed them into his moneybox, locking and returning it to it's place at his feet. "Thank ya kindly, missies. An' remember, if you recall anythin' else that struck your fancy, I'll be here every couple o' days until I get rid of enough stuff to satisfy the missus."

"...We'll keep it in mind." Bon Bon turned to walk away, "Come on Lyra, better get going if you want to visit too many more spots."

"Coming~!" Lyra trilled as she happily placed her new acquisition into her saddlebag. She paused before leaving to thank the vendor. "Thanks for the deal mister! I'll make sure to find you after we give Sea Swirl the fish and let you know what she thinks of it!" She continued to walk away while still spouting thanks and goodbyes.

The old stallion chuckled in return and waved lightly as Lyra left, before turning to greet the next set of ponies who'd wandered into his domain. "Morning lads, jus' let me know if you see anythin' you wanna know more about. All prices negotiable."

Author's Notes:

Bits Spent: 4
Bits Remaining: 22
Acquisitions:

-One (1) explorers hat

-One (1) wood mounted weather predicting fish