Ponyville The After-Race Party [Open]

[BaconofChaos]

(OOC: Continued from The Photo Finish - Placements)

Lyra was feeling rather content now. After having time to rest and getting her pie, she was glad to simply have a place to sit and talk. Some of the other ponies had already left. Lyra couldn't blame them; It was starting to get late, and the large tent in which the buffet and dance floor had been set up was starting to get a bit stuffy. Lyra considered going outside for a breath of fresh air, but she felt nervous about simply getting up and leaving when so many ponies were still around her. She was a sort of guest of honour, she supposed. Her ears pricked up, however, at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Lyra! Lyra! I just heard you won! I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner!" came the voice of Lyra's roommate.

"Bon Bon! I'm so glad you came!" she said, leaping off her stool to go and greet her best friend. "It's okay, I know you had to work late. Oh, what happened? You're all sticky!" Lyra used her hoof to gently brush some dried chocolate from a strand of Bon Bon's mane that had stuck to the side of her face. She giggled a little at her friend. "You must have really been focused today!"

Lyra then eyed Bon Bon's basket. The unicorn hoped that her earth pony friend wasn't going to try and sell her sweets from work; with the free buffet and the Apple family cart, she was unlikely to get much business at this stage. "So tell me," she asked, "what you got there in the basket?"

[Mojo]

Mojo was tired, sticky and spent after the race. Misty's magical 'net' had caught him after he dashed across the finish line, but now it had vanished. While his friends set off in different directions, Mojo decided to trot up to the winner and congradulate her, the beautiful Lyra!

It was true that during the race, the Paint stallion had misinterpreted a note left along the road as a 'love note' from Lyra directly to him, and the lovely unicorn did tell him of his error. Still, Mojo thought there might be a chance, a chance that she might still accept him.

The hippie brony trotted up to her, smiling widely.

"Oh, there you are, miss," Mojo began, "I know we might've gotten off on the wrong hoof, but I'd still like to congradulate you on a fine race! Y'know Lyra, you are by far the most beautiful filly in this entire race. Will ya do me the honor of going out on a date with me?"

[knight]

Bon Bon's face went a soft scarlet when her unicorn friend brushed a hoof across her face, moving a strand of sticky hair aside.

"Well, Lyra, I actually made these especially for y--" Bon Bon's cheeks reddened darker, but she was unable to complete her sentence as she was interrupted by a brown and white pinto colt trotted in.

"Oh, there you are, miss," Bon Bon frowned. She already didn't like this colt--not anything personal, of course, she just hated when anyone came between her and Lyra, especially when it was something that she considered special, "I know we might've gotten off on the wrong hoof, but I'd still like to congradulate you on a fine race! Y'know Lyra, you are by far the most beautiful filly in this entire race. Will ya do me the honor of going out on a date with me?"

Bon's jaw slacked, and the basket balanced on the top of her muzzle slipped to the earth, and the contents rolled out. She gasped as her perfect chocolates fell to the earth--and one she had made especially for Lyra--it had taken her numerous attempts at designing her friend's cutie mark on the top--and now it was broken. She gaped at the crumbled chocolate--and tried to hide her devastation. Her right lower eye lid twitched, and she forced a smile, though there was the glassy hint of tears over her bright blue eyes, "That...That's okay! Oops! Don't worry about it! I mean it was my fault anyway..."

Bon Bon was having issues comprehending what the male pony had said, and to hide her confusion, anger, and....other strange arrays of emotions, she knelt and busied herself with cleaning up the mess of crumbles and tried to save the few unbroken pieces.

[ZephyrBurst]

Zephyr continued to rest and eat slowly. He remembered eating too fast after a large amount of physical activity made him sick to his stomach, that wasn't a desirable state. There weren't any ponies at the after party that Zephyr knew. Since the griffon wasn't much for chatting, and the rainbow unicorn seemed to ignore him, he kept to himself. He glanced around to the ponies seeming to have a good time and enjoy one each others company. Then he saw Swift Breeze. Zephyr had a few curious questions for him and thought to go ask, but then, the rainbow unicorn was approaching him. Maybe she had heard him and was just fixated on the griffon, or maybe she was just as bad at introductions as he was. It didn't matter, she was approaching, so Zephyr looked toward her and waved a forehoof in greeting, still keeping his sitting position.

He spoke a bit louder than normal, maybe the unicorn was just hard of hearing, though there was a lot of noise in the area. "Uh, hi there. Finally decided to acknowledge me?" Zephyr instantly put his right forehoof to his mouth and leaned back a little, he didn't mean to actually say that, the words he was thinking just came out. He slowly lowered his hoof back down and drooped his ears.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that..."

'Great, she's actually coming to talk to me and I screw it up right away.'

[knight]

Holly Dash turned to the green pegasi. She had been heading towards him, but in the rush of crowding ponies, had almost missed him. She smiled. He was kinda awkward--if she were a more classy filly, she might have actually been offended by what he had said.

"No worries, pal," She smiled brightly, her white smile an obvious contrast to the pale color of her coat, "Ah just thought it mighta come across as rude of me to have been so short with you, not answerin' yur greeting and all. I just thought I'd come to congratulate you, and apologize for mah behavior. "

She paused, and tapped her chin with her forehoof, "Let's see now....yur name was.....Ze.....Zeee....." She put her hoof down, one eyebrow lowered and a frown of confusion on her face, "I'm sorry, yur gonna have to spell it out for me. I plum forgot--I s'pose I did only hear it once when they announced the winners..."

[ZephyrBurst]

'Did she say plum forgot?' He thought to himself. Zephyr found her way of speech to be odd, not bothersome, just odd. After his disaster of an introduction, Zephyr was surprised to find that it was her that apologized to him.

With his mind settled, he responded calmly, and waved a hoof. "It's all right, you don't need to apologize, but thanks. Uh, my name is Zephyr Burst." He paused a moment to think.

When his thoughts gathered, he spoke with more enthusiasm. "Oh yes, the race! You did really well yourself. We were neck and neck there at the end. You run really fast for a unicorn." He did a double take. "I mean, not that unicorns are slow or anything, it's just..." He stops to ponder the next thought, he was already not sure where to go with that.

He figured he'd try his introduction again from before. "Your name is Holly Dash, right?" Zephyr stood up and extended his hoof in greeting. "I heard you say it earlier, it's nice to meet you."

Zephyr decided it would be best if she did the talking.

[Boss_Hoss1]

(ooc; I had the RotL pegged as before Big Time's party, but the rp fun with Jubilee during the race turned that around.

Finally cleaned up, Shanna trotted into the After-race party.

She stretched her wings in relief, glad all the syrupy sap was completely gone from her feathers.

Looking up she saw her brother and Jubilee dancing in air. The bay stallion waved a hoof "Hay sis! Good news! I'm going steady with Jubilee!"

Shanna waved back "That's great!"

She sighed, wishing that handsome stallion from Fillydelphia was here. Oh well, at least she can dance with some of her new friends.

She stood up on her hind legs and smiled "Who's ready to make this place shake with their dancing?"

[knight]

Holly, oddly enough, found herself giggling at the stallion pegasi. He was just so awkward! It honestly made her more comfortable. She sat down, and smiled at him as he inquired to her, "Yes, mah name is Holly Dash. Though ah'm sometimes not sure why I was named it--I mean sure, ah got the Dash--as you can see ah'm a dang fast pony."

She grinned as she boasted of her abilities, "But my real talent is fruit! Not Holly...."

She tapped her chin at the thought, but truly, when she thought of her awful parents, it was a miracle that they didn't name her something worse, "What's that you said about unicorns bein' slow? I betcha two bits I could beatcha in a one on one! I just got stuck in the sap this time, but I was out there at the front of the pack for a good long while, y'know!"

She smirked, and stooped her front end down, bringing her rear in the air and wagging her multi-colored tail fervently, "I'll race ya to prove it!"

Her knees wobbled, and her rump plopped to the ground, bringing her to a lying down position, "Err...Maybe after Ah've rested a while. Ah am pretty beat..." She grinned sheepishly, blushing a bit.

[ZephyrBurst]

She sure did have that competitive fire in her, which Zephyr admired a little. It sounded odd with her accent, though it felt friendly and genuine. He grinned at her challenge and was going to tell her that he would gladly accept once he had rested. He didn't need to though, and nearly giggled when she laid down and confessed to needing rest herself. Zephyr slide his front legs forward and laid down as well, laying just a pace in front of the mare. It would be much better than his sitting a moment ago.

"Yeah, I'll race you again. Just say the time and place and I'm all for it!" He kept a smile and made a little gesture with his right fore-hoof.

"I need to rest first as well." He giggled, and thought about what she said her talents were. Fruits, she said. Zephyr glanced down at her cutie mark, and stared for a moment... It was a strawberry. His face lit up with excitement.

"You said your talent is in fruits? You can make strawberries?" Zephyr thought about the taste of strawberries and his mouth watered a little, despite just snacking on the buffet food. "I'd love to taste yours, strawberries are my favorite!" He said, raising his right fore-hoof a little. This was turning out to be fun. Cute mare with a fun accent, AND she could make strawberries... well hopefully. Zephyr had to know more.

[Mojo]

At the party, Jubilee rejoins Hoss.

"Hi hi! Just had to go freshen up! Hi Shanna! Hope you're having a good time! Hoss, are you ready for another dance or would you like to get some refreshments?"

Meanwhile, Starflower walked in with Professor Krashkop.

"Y'know Clyde, why should we let these youngsters have all the fun. Wanna dance?"

"Nein fraulein. I'm not really much of a dancer."

"C'mon Professor! It'll be fun! I'll lead."

"Vell, if you insist," the elderly green Pegasus said as the two older ponies move out to the dance floor.

Meanwhile, Mojo still awaits Lyra's response.....

[knight]

"You said your talent is in fruits? You can make strawberries? I'd love to taste yours, strawberries are my favorite!"

Holly giggled. This stallion was turning out to be rather interesting, if not a tad bit awkward. She noticed every now and then he seemed perturbed by her accent. She supposed it was odd. There was not too many ponies from Beakbreak--it was mostly a town of Griffons, Hypogriffs, and hardened criminals--or other creatures. So it was no wonder he found her dingy accent strange. It had the high-altitude mix of the Ridge, with a natural southern-dinge taint to it. Not unlike Applejack's, but very...different. She had often thought about her accent, as once she came down from Beakbreak, it was brought to her attention for the first time that SHE was the one with the accent--not the rest of the world. It was almost baffling.

"Well, Ah don't MAKE the strawberries, silly--Ah grow 'em!" She laughed at that, and remembered the basket of fruit she had stashed at the foremost part of the race, "Y'know, Ah think Ah may be able to get you some. Y'see, what Ah did was the day before the race, Ah hid mahself a basket of fruit just after the start of the race--Ah'm always oversleepin', so o'course I missed breakfast!"

She closed her eyes, and grinned widely, beaming at her own cleverness, "Purty smart, if Ah do say so myself. Genius, Ah'd say." She opened her eyes, still beaming, "We could walk there, if you'd like. I left the basket just near them maple-ey trees."

[ZephyrBurst]

The mare hadn't run off or tried to come up with some reason to leave, so she must be enjoying his company. He thought about that. She had even invited him to walk with her to retrieve some hidden strawberries. His wings rustled lightly at his sides.

"A walk... the two of us?" Zephyr was dazed a moment, but quickly snapped out of it and stood to his hooves. He extended his hoof forward toward the mare.

"I'd really like that!" He smiled. "I would agree that hiding some strawberries for yourself is smart." Zephyr thought about all the implications of her offering to get her strawberries with her. Zephyr would never have allowed himself to be anywhere possibly alone with any pony that could be a threat to him. Does this mean she's trusting him? Then he realized that most ponies did not have ill intentions and he was simply scaring himself from his own actions. His past life seemed to be in the minority. The mare simply wanted to enjoy another pony's company is all. It wasn't about trust. He stopped his over-thinking and returned his thoughts to the mare.

"Just lead the way." He kept a smile and hoped the mare would strike up some sort of topic for conversation. He was always at a loss and he didn't want to seem boring.

[BaconofChaos]

Lyra waited for a reply from her best friend. As Bon Bon blushed, Lyra couldn't help thinking it was kinda cute. Completely oblivious as to why she was blushing, she wondered what had caused this sudden embarassment.

"Well, Lyra, I actually made these especially for y--"

"Oh, there you are, miss."

Lyra turned as Mojo approached again. She wondered what her new friend was up to.

"I know we might've gotten off on the wrong hoof, but I'd still like to congradulate you on a fine race! Y'know Lyra, you are by far the most beautiful filly in this entire race. Will ya do me the honor of going out on a date with me?"

Lyra went pale. D-did he-? But I said-! We're just-! And that's-! Buh- She could only stare blankly for a few seconds, before looking away to hide her awkwardness.

This wasn't the first time this had happened to her. She'd been quite popular at school, despite her shyness, and been asked out on several occasions. The first time, she'd panicked. She was too scared and ran away. She'd later had to force herself to go back and apologise to the young colt. She reluctantly accepted his invitation to go to the park for what she had assumed was supposed to be a romantic picnic. She'd felt uncomfortable the whole time, and the date ended with the pair politely parting ways and barely speaking to each other after. She had declined all other offers from that point. She simply admitted that she wasn't into boys and dating at the time. And she had been young then. But as time went on, she still felt like stallions never interested her like that. She'd often wondered why...

"That...That's okay! Oops! Don't worry about it! I mean it was my fault anyway..."

Breaking out of her train of thought, she finally noticed Bon Bon picking up the dropped chocolates. Absent mindedly, she began picking them up herself using magic, placing them one at a time into the basket.

"Um, Mojo..." she said at last "I... I'm not- well, what I mean to say is- I don't know if-" she stopped, frustrated at her inability to communicate. Why did this need to be so hard? "I just think that-" and here, her thoughts were derailed again. She'd just picked up half of a large chocolate... with part of a golden line and a few thin white ones on it. Even broken, anypony would recognise her own cutie mark when she saw it.

[Mojo]

Mojo sensed Lyra's discomfort.

"Didn't mean to put ya on the spot, Lyra," the Paint stallion said, almost apologetically. "I understand completely. I'd never force meself upon any mare, that wouldn't be cool. A lovely mare such as yourself could probably have any guy she wanted. Well, if ya want to talk later, I'll be around this hip and happin' party. Perhaps we could share a dance later on. See ya around."

As Mojo turned to walk into the dance, Jubilee was already there with Hoss.

"I'm so glad we met! I'm sorry your sister didn't do any better in the race, but I certainly hope she had a good time."

The petite blonde Pegasus wore a beaming smile, happy to be with such a handsome stallion!

[Boss_Hoss1]

Hoss nickered warmly to Jubilee as they headed back to the dance "I think refreshments would be a good idea after all that running around just now."

As he headed over to the refreshments, Jubilee commented on his sisters' placement in the race.

He nodded "Yes, She was in high spirits after the race, organizing ponies to walk off the fatigue poisons before their legs cramped up from it."

Meanwhile, As she was on the dance floor, Shanna was trying to share the joy of the race by dancing. She saw a pony mare run past the entrance on the verge of tears, her mane and tail a unique swirl of blue and pink.

Curious she went to the entrance and looked in the direction the mare went, hoping nothing was terribly wrong...

[knight]

"Um, Mojo..." Bon Bon looked up at her closest friend, eyes wide. She knew that this had happened before to Lyra--Lyra was a beautiful mare, and had mentioned before that a colt or two had asked to take her out in school, yet she hadn't seen her friend with a stallion their age since they had moved together in Ponyville. Bon Bon tried to hide the fear, hope, and general anxiety that she was feeling as she watched her friend, waiting on her answer to the stallion.

"I... I'm not- well, what I mean to say is- I don't know if-" Bon Bon found herself leaning closer to the minty colored mare, eyes wide, but her head was still turned towards Mojo, even as she went about magicking some of the chocolates into Bon's basket, "I just think that-"

She didn't go on from there, and as Bon Bon leaned closer, hoping to hear her friend's response to the stallion, Lyra turned away from him, the broken chocolate with the golden lyre on it held in her magic. Their faces were almost touching, Bon Bon hadn't realized she had leaned so close to her friend.

"Oh....um...well, you see....I...um...I just...well...." Bon Bon couldn't control her eyes, they were drawn to her friend--her crush, the light of her life, her one and only--Lyra's lips. She could barely focus. It would have been easy enough, just to say 'Hey! I made a candy with your cutie mark on it!', but nothing came out of her mouth, she was too busy concentrating on vision to even consider speech. They were just so....

*chuu*

Bon Bon jumped back, and her ears immediately flopped down. The look on Lyra's face said everything.

What had she done? What had she DONE!?! She had...she had....she had KISSED her. Actually KISSED another filly! Right...right here....in front of....in front of EVERYPONY!!!

She could feel her face heat up--it felt hotter than the hottest days under Celestia's sun--heck, it might have been hotter THAN Celestia's sun. She blushed with her whole body, and found her hooves moving before she could even stop them.

'I'm sorry, Lyra...' She could not speak, but as she turned and ran dead-set into the Whitetail Woods, barrelling through the dissipating crowd of ponies, tear streaking down her face from the overload of shame and embarrassment, 'I'm so sorry.'

(OOC: Holly Dash. Please let me know if this image is not working on your computer. Unsure why, but it isn't appearing on this site, but is on imageshack.)

"A walk... the two of us?"

Holly grinned, almost ready to burst out laughing. Honestly, she was beginning to find his awkward fumbles cute! She was a bit puzzled by that. She had never really though anypony was 'cute' before...she'd called her little baby strawberries cute a time or two...maybe even an grape or melon that didn't grow in all the way...but never a pony. Least not a stallion. Maybe she had thought it about a little foal or two...but....never an adult....She found herself blushing at the thought, and in her mumbled train of thoughts, missed all but the last of what he said after that.

"Just lead the way."

She looked up, blinking. He was ready to go, and had extended a hoof her direction, "Oh! uh, right. Yeah. Go. Time to go. It's go time!"

She suddenly felt a little more embarrassed to be going alone with a stallion into the woods, and her knees wobbled a little bit as she got to her feet, "Ah'll uh...lead the way, yeah....lead it."

She must have sounded so STUPID! She felt heat crawl across her face from the embarrassment, and shook it off. Durnit! Gotta stay focused! Gotta get me that fruit, "Sorry...it's this way."

She shook her head, her colorful mane splashing about playfully on her neck and face, and then smiled, getting out of her kittywampus state, and started at a brisk trot towards the maple trees--cutting through the woods, of course, since they were no longer required to stay on the path.

[ZephyrBurst]

(( OOC: The image is fine there, it's not showing on the others though. ))

Zephyr hadn't though about the possibility that the mare would be nervous about making an impression until she too, started fumbling a bit. 'It's go time?' Zephyr found that humorous. He realized he needed to keep himself composed, it was just a simple mare is all. A really cute one with a nicely colored mane and tail, but definitely no need to get so worked up. He took a deep breath while she spoke. 'She's just showing me her hidden strawberries, that's all.'

Zephyr chuckled lightly at her odd statements before as she started her trot toward her strawberries. He followed alongside her, trying to think up a conversation topic. They went off the path, cutting through the woods. It made sense, she wouldn't hide her strawberries where other ponies could find them easy. 'Come on, think! What can I say to a mare like this? What do I know about her? ... Nothing... great. She grows strawberries, talks weird, has a nice fla... no no, don't think about that. I shouldn't compliment her on her beauty. That would be silly, she already knows that, besides I just met her. Just... say... SOMETHING!'

"You have a really nice tail." ... 'Uuugh. I'm so dumb!' Zephyr wanted to jam his head into the ground to hide. 'It's not like I have to actually impress her, we're just going to part ways after this and never see each other again... She's looking at me, gotta act like a normal pony.' Zephyr smiled at Holly.

"How close are these strawberries of yours?"

[knight]

'A nice tail?' Her face turned bright red at the thought. That meant he must have been lookin' at her rump! She shook her tail, trying to hide her rump a bit,"Uh...uh....th-thank ya...."

What a terrible delayed reaction. He was already asking about her strawberries when she had peeped in her tiny gratitude. It wasn't really what a mare wanted to hear, but it was still nice, she supposed. No one had ever really complimented her before. Sure, she'd have the off-hoof comment every now and then about her colorful mane, but not since one occasion back home in Beakbreak, when she was just a little filly, and the teacher had been a bad pony that got fired--had she been called pretty.

She didn't really want to think about that. She shook her mane again. How crazy she must look. Always shaking her mane around. Like some show off trying to emphasize her colors. They were nearing the maple grove again, and she was very careful to avoid the sticky sap this time--she even noticed the spot where she had gotten stuck was littered with strands of her multi-colored mane. She skirted around the place as though it was sacred ground.

"They're over here...Ah magicked them here when Ah got stuck," she trotted off the trail and into the maple trees, finding the basket hanging neatly on a tree spout. The sticky air had left the basket itself and the fruit in its carriage glistening with a thin, sweet coat of sap. Not that that was a bad thing, sap was sweet and yummy and ponies were perfectly fine eating it before it was turned into syrup. She magicked the basket over, "Well, they're a little sticky--but that should only make them taste better!"

She magicked a blueberry from the basket of assorted fruit into her mouth, sure to leave the strawberries for him. She was astounded. They were delicious! The tangy, fragrant sweet of the berry was perfectly complimented by the sugary, sticky taste of the sap, "So yummy! Ah'll have to start puttin' these on mah cart--they'll make me a fortune!"

[ZephyrBurst]

Zephyr realized he had practically interrupted the mare with his question when she gave her gratitude for the compliment. First he gave an awkward compliment out of nowhere about her tail, which she gave a visual response to by swishing it around, though Zephyr didn't quite know what that meant. Now he's interrupting her. This wasn't going so well in Zephyr's mind. He was agitated, yet again, at his social inabilities. The mare hadn't answered right away, she seemed to have been in thought for a moment and she shook her mane again which waved in a beautiful colorful arc around her neck. Maybe her delayed response to his question meant she was trying to remember where those strawberries were.

They passed a few of those puddles of sap, though getting stuck in them wouldn't be a problem at all since they weren't galloping about. Zephyr nearly giggled out loud when she had stepped around a puddle with various strands of colored hair. Did she get stuck here?

"They're over here...Ah magicked them here when Ah got stuck,"

Zephyr was relieved to here it and again, had to keep back a laugh when it was confirmed. As he followed her toward the maple trees, he walked next to her silent, trying to think of something else to talk about. He kept his mouth shut this time, he didn't want to blurt out something like before. Just then, there they were. The strawberries had some sap on them, but what she said was probably true. He was about to eat one of the sappy strawberries when she mentioned she could sell them and he hesitated.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to eat these when you're going to sell them?" He completely missed the point when she said she would have to start selling them. "I don't want to take anything from you that you use to make your bits from."

[knight]

((OOC: Any other posters for this thread out there??? XD))

"Huh? Oh, no no no no! Go right ahead! These are already damaged a bit, so I couldn't sell them anyway," she paused, and considered what she had just said, and suddenly felt bad, "Not--not that you aren't good enough to have my fruit at a regular rate--I just....this is all I have with me, is all...."

She rubbed the back of her head with a hoof, and magicked out a strawberry that was still miraculously undamaged--the entire basket had flown when she had tripped, and in haste to get them out of the way of oncoming hooves, she had just tossed them in the basket and then magicked them over the tree nozzle. Luckily, Applejack had come to her rescue. She floated the strawberry over to him, offering the glistening berry to him, "Here. This one isn't squished. Don't worry about payment--I had planned on eating these ones, anyway."

She winked at him before grabbing a more squished strawberry for herself with her hoof and munching it down.

[ZephyrBurst]

((OOC: Wait, this isn't a private RP between Zephyr and Holly Dash? [Achievement Unlocked] Hijacked a Thread! ))

Zephyr smiled while Holly magick'd a delicious looking strawberry toward him. He waves a hoof toward her. "It's okay, I understand what you mean."

He caught the wink... Zephyr never understood winks and could never figure out what the intent behind them was. He sat back on his rump and ate the strawberry offered to him. His face beamed with delight and his wings began rustling at his sides. The strawberry tasted amazing and he ate it slowly to hold the taste in his mouth longer. He closed his eyes momentarily and gave a satisfied sigh after finishing it. Smiling still, he looks at Holly.

"Wow thanks. That was the best tasting strawberry I've ever eaten!" He adjusts his sitting posture a little to lean back more. "You're both lovely and tal... OW!!" Zephyr stood to his hooves quickly as a sharp pain rose around his lower back side. He took a step back from Holly and looked back to see what had caused the sudden pain, and saw the bumps. It was the hornet stings from before, one of which, still had the stinger in it. He must've irritated it when he sat differently.

Zephyr sighed when he realized he would have to remove it himself. He turned to Holly and gave a fake laugh. "I forgot I had gotten stung a few times during the race. It's nothing to worry about."

[BaconofChaos]

Lyra could only stand in meek silence at Mojo's response. She felt so terrible for the poor guy, disappointing him twice in one day. As the painted stallion walked away she mumbled an apology, her head hung in a mix of guilt and embarassment. She continued to stare, however, at the cutie mark chocolate. The lines were perfectly smooth and the details so fine... It would have been tricky even for a unicorn to perfectly create that mark, let alone for an earth pony like Bon Bon. She smiled a little. Even though she felt terrible for Mojo, her friend had gone to so much trouble for her.

As she looked back up, the lyre cutie mark sweet still in her magical grasp, she stared straight into the eyes of her best friend. Bon Bon had moved in so close without Lyra even noticing until now. What she did notice now, was how pretty Bon Bon's eyes were... and how her breath smelled so sweet... she was so pretty... maybe Mojo would like her... she could introduce them to make up for-

*chuu*

!?

Lyra's heart seemed to skip a beat as Bon Bon... Bon Bon... she... did she just kiss me!? Lyra's face went bright red, her heart was pounding in her chest, and she lost concentration on her spell, dropping the chocolate treat to the ground. Her mind wasn't functioning. She could barely comprehend what had happened. Did she imagine it?

No. One look at Bon Bon's face told her that it had happened. She had kissed her, and even now the cream coloured pony's face was turning as red as Lyra's. Time seemed to slow down for the aquamarine unicorn, the background noise, draining away to nothingness as she and Bon Bon looked into each other's eyes.

Until Bon Bon ran. The spell was broken and Lyra was shaken from her daze only to see the earth pony mare running away as fast as her hooves could take her, back into the woods.

Lyra only then realised that she was sweating, that her heat was pounding. That kiss... she... she had liked it. It had only been a quick peck on the lips but... it was Bon Bon. Bon Bon... the friend that had been there for her ever since she'd first come to Ponyville. Lyra had always admired her strength of personality... her amazing cooking talents... her beauty. Only now did she realise why...

"B-Bonnie! Please wait!" she yelled at the top of her voice, rushing after her friend. Bon bon had gotten one heck of a lead on her...

...but Lyra wasn't wearing that gold medal for nothing...

[knight]

Bon Bon ran and ran for what seemed like forever. If her unicorn friend was following her, she did not even check. But her lungs burnt, and her legs quickly tired. She was a confectioner, and born into high society--running was definitely not a talent she possessed! But she was so embarassed...only one thing to do, she supposed. She could hear the clip clop of heels behind her, catching up rapidly. In her rush she had totally forgotten that her friend had one first place. She may not have been able to run, but she could sure jump! She had been in pony gymnastics when she was a little filly. She turned to the highest tree she could find, and rushed up to it, leaping up onto the lowest, thickest branch of its trunk, and scrabbling quickly into the the thick heart of the trees, all but disappearing in the thick branches.

"B-Bonnie! Please wait!" Bon huddled down tighter, holding her breath as she heard her friend's hoofsteps get closer. She must have stopped when she no longer saw Bon Bon running in front of her. Bon Bon bit her lip, and then with a start noticed that the tip of her tail was stuck on a branch, and was slightly visible. She had not felt it because the branch was close enough that it hadn't jerked on her rump yet. She tugged lightly, as quietly as possible, but her tail was tangled to well.

She felt angry. How dare this stupid branch grasp her mane and try to give away her position? How dare it! Her anger was irrational to say the least, fueled on by her embarassment and confusion, but it made her ill-focused. She tugged at her tail, gritting her teeth and wrapping her hooves around it, making a bit more noise than a normal pony who was trying to hide. She grunted in frustration and pulled harder, the branch bending as she leaned away from it. Her tail still trapped in its clutches, she put all her weight against the branch and---SNAAAAAPPP.

"Wa...Wa..WAAAAAAAGH!!!!" *CRRSSSH* Bon fell in a heap into a thick bramble bush below the tree, the branch still in her curly tail.

Holly was eagerly listening, ears perked at the compliment he was about to give her. Then, as he was sitting...he yelped. She was taken aback by it, initially, and her ears flattened against her head, lost as to why he suddenly screamed.

"I forgot I had gotten stung a few times during the race. It's nothing to worry about." he said.

"Oh.....I'm glad I was lucky enough to avoid them...." She muttered, honestly she was a little disappointed. She had thought she heard the word 'lovely' but she could not be certain, "If you'd like another, you're welcome to them."

She set the basket down between them, and folded the handle down, "Really, have as many as you like. I'm happy to share with anypony who thinks my fruit are delicious!"

[Boss_Hoss1]

Shanna watched as Lyra raced on by, following after the pony with a bon-bon cutie mark.

She caled after Lyra "Do you need help?"

Apparently not having been heard, she left the dorway to the dance and went to where Mojo was walking up to the building.

She trotted up to the hip earth pony "Hi Mojo, I'm having trouble finding dancing partners if you were up for one. You wouldnt happen to have seen what made that earht pony with the blue and pink mane race past me would you? Lyra was trying to catch up to her"

[Mojo]

"Haven't a clue what happened, Shanna," Mojo said. "I'd fancy a dance with ya! I did try to make one more play for Lyra, but I believe she turned me down. I wonder if that mare she was chasing was upset with me over that?"

Watching closeby was Julibee who was still dancing with Hoss.

"Hay Hoss, look at that! Ol' Modge is dancing with your sister! Didn't think this type of dancing was his thing." the blonde Pegasus mare said as she continue to dance with the dashing brown Pegasus. "Hoss, are you alright? How's your injured leg?"