Day 1

How did it end up like this? I really don't know anymore. I had so many aspirations to become the most wonderful chef in Equestria, but I guess I never really had this planned out. From auditioning (and failing) to be a head chef in Canterlot, to getting kicked out and working at some low-class shop called "Sugarcube Corner." Still, working full-time at Ponyville's "best" bakery isn't so bad. The shop owners are nice, and were kind enough to let me stay upstairs once I arrived, without having to pay anything out-of-pocket.

Oh, I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Cream Grass. Silly name, I know, but it's only because my parents named me after my coat color.
My parents...

They told me that their only daughter should have been part of the family business, working on our hay and vegetable farm, nearly a hundred miles from civilization. But...

I HATE farming! All that hot sun, sweaty work, everything! I'm just not cut out for it. Working with food is where I'm most comfortable. My mother never understood why I wrote recipes so much, even for food we never made before, but I did. I wanted so much more for us, to eat more than simple flowers and hay and everything but what we grew ourselves. I don't think I'd ever seen my parents laugh so hard as when I told them I wanted to go to Canterlot's best culinary academy. My dad couldn't form a sentence, he was breathing so poorly, and my mother glared at me in-between fits of hysterics. She told me, 'Go ahead, try it. The moment they see ya', they'll kick ya' out!' I knew that ponies might laugh at me, an earth pony trying to compete with unicorns, especially with such delicate work, but I didn't think they could be that cruel.

I was wrong. Horribly, unbelieveably wrong.

Not only did I have to do more than twice the work to get in as the rest of the students, none of the teachers took me seriously! They babied me through the simplest of steps, ones I'd mastered before, and would abandon me the minute I started to try and work ahead. They never answered when I asked questions, and the students weren't much help either. I couldn't afford an apartment, so I tried to live in the dorms, but the mares there made life a living hell for me. I would come to my single room every day, just to find something torn up or broken, or even find the entire room in tatters. I just couldn't handle it.

I came home several months later. Strolling down our farmland's winding road, I could barely see my mother sitting on our front porch, a dark brown beer bottle next to her. I knew she would be expecting me; she had recieved every letter I sent, even though she never sent any back. As I stepped up on the porch, I saw that she had a wide, smug grin on her face. The way she looked at me sent chills up my spine.

'I'm sorry, mom,' I had said. 'I tried my best.' I stepped towards the door to go inside, but suddenly felt something break over my head and just toppled over. I really don't remember much of what happened in those few moments, except hearing, 'who the hell do you think you are, trying to step into MY house?'

Standing up, I put a hoof on the back of my head, and felt something wet. It stung horribly, and I fought to hold back tears as I turned to my mother.

'Why did you do that? I'm your daughter!'

My mother's grin instantly faded, her visage twisting into a jagged grimace. 'You ain't no daughter o' mine. No daughter o' mine woulda' left her ma' and pa' to rot alone in some Celestia-damned farm! No, you ain't her. You ain't mah Cream. Not anymore.'

So I left. I stopped sending letters, and I never heard from them again. I don't know what my father would have said, but it doesn't matter anymore. 4 months passed, and I had been holding my own in a small, dirty town, working odd-jobs until one day I saw an advertisement for a Ponyville bakery. The stallion putting it up told me he could use some help in the shop, and he was looking for anypony with cooking skills to apply. I told him I'd need a place to stay if I came, and he just smiled.

'Well, then don't we have something for you,' he said.

'What is it?' I asked.

'How 'bout we take a small fee from your paycheck, and you can stay in one of the rooms upstairs.'

'Wow! Do you mean it?'

'Sure. I'll give you a few days to get your things ready, and I'll have a carriage sent here to pick you up and off to Ponyville.'

And here I am now, just a few hours away from my first real job. No more scrounging around for bits, no more shying away from ponies to avoid their glares and harsh looks.

I just hope this turns out okay.

******************

"Welcome to Sugarcube Corner!"

Cream Grass gently shut her journal with her hooves and placed it into her saddlebags as she heard a familiar stallion's voice outside of the carriage. Carrot Cake stepped over to the side and helped her out of it, paying the drivers generously before waving them off. Cream had missed much of the town she passed by while writing, and took a moment to take in the shop before her. It looked as delicious as the name implied, and her brain stuttered for a moment as she felt her mouth salivate eagerly.

"I can tell you've never seen something like our shop before," he chuckled, nudging her shoulder. "My wife and I worked very hard to make this shop look as appealing as we could. Come on in, and I'll show you to your room."

Cream followed the shop owner through the front door, taking in the sweet smell of baked goods and smiling slightly. Nopony was in the shop at the moment, aside from a light blue mare waiting patiently at the register. She waved for Cream to come over, and nudged a small piece of paper across the counter towards her.

"Hello, I'm Cup Cake, the co-owner of Sugarcube corner," she said, smiling. "I'm happy to have some new help here. All I need you to do right now is sign a little bit of paperwork, and you'll be set to move in." Cup Cake looked around Cream, noticing that the mare was carrying only a small pair of saddlebags. "Where are your belongings, honey?"

Cream blushed slightly, looking down. "T-these are my belongings, ma'am."

Cup Cake coughed lightly as she caught on to the nervous stare her husband was giving her, realizing her mistake. "Oh, that's alright," she said anxiously. "I'm sorry, I didn't know any better."

"It's no problem. Let me get my pen from my bag."

Cream reached around and deftly drew out a small black pen in her mouth and began to read the contract in her head.

Full work and full pay, rent taken only from my paycheck, insurance coverages... Cream gasped and nearly choked on the pen, astonished at the paper's contents.

"You're really doing all this for me? You don't even know how well I can bake." Carrot Cake grinned heartily.

"Of course we are! We provide a lot of care for ponies helping us, so long as they do their best work in the shop."

Cream raised an eyebrow. "What's the catch?"

Carrot and Cup exchanged looks for a moment, inciting Cream to read the rest of the contract. ...provided that the signee cooperates with other assistants...

"You have more ponies working here? But it's such a small shop!" Cream gasped, surprised.

Cup Cake spoke up quickly. "It's only one other mare. We spend so much time with our foals and trying to advertise elsewhere, we leave most of the work here up to her now. I do hope you'll get along with her." she said, holding back a frown.

"Oh, I don't think it should be much of a problem," Cream replied cheerily, hoping that what she said would be true.

"In that case," Carrot broke in, "How about you take the contract and head upstairs? Your room should be at the end of the hall, on the right."

Cream nodded slowly, picking up the contract in her mouth and taking her leave towards the stairs, unaware of the silent sighs of relief coming from the shopowners behind her. She made her way up the creaking staircase and winced slightly as the fading light from outside the hall window got into her eyes, Leaning her head down, she eyed the walls and ceiling as she looked for her room. Unlike the eccentric exterior, the second floor of the shop was very quaint, and made of a very sturdy wood, one that Cream couldn't remember the name of. She passed two rooms across from one another, one of which had a small sign on it that read "Enter with caution." Must be their children's room, she thought to her self, chuckling quietly. She saw two more doors down the hall, and approached the one to her right. She raised her hoof to open it, but looked curiously at the slightly ajar one behind her.

"Can't hurt to take a look, I guess."

Cream turned around and quietly pushed the open door, hoping she wouldn't knock anything over behind it. Inside, she saw a small bed covered in a flowery spread with balloons on it. The ceiling boasted a small fan, as well as several large dents that would have confused Cream, had she not locked her attention to the bed. Laying on it was a pink earth pony with a fluffy, air-soft mane and tail. She slept quietly, the grin on her face widening and her ears twitching as she dreamed. Cream looked at the clock on the mare's wall, which read just after 6:00 P.M. Must've had a hard day, Cream wondered. Scanning the mare's body, she noticed the mare's cutie mark: a set of colored party balloons. Given where she was, this mare was likely the other pony mentioned in the contract. But why were Cup and Carrot Cake acting like that? Cream couldn't find anything wrong with her. As a matter of fact, Cream actually thought she was beautiful, just sleeping peacefully. Suddenly, she realized just how long she had been watching the mare sleep and felt the burning in her cheeks growing. Embarrassed, she rushed to close the door, slowing down only to make sure that it didn't make too much noise.

"I shouldn't stare at somepony like that when they're sleeping!" she chastised herself, shaking her head. "Even if they're as pretty as she is." she added.

Hastily, she entered her room, which vaguely resembled the other room, sans ceiling dents. Laying her bags down beside the bed, she plopped down onto it, smiling lazily.

"It's so nice to have a real bed again," she whispered, yawning. "Maybe getting a nap wouldn't be such a bad idea." She turned over onto her side and closed her eyes, the image of the pink mare appearing in her mind. She couldn't understand why, but there was something special about her, something she couldn't pin down. Cream wasn't into mares at all, and didn't think anything inappropriate about her, but something about the pink pony made Cream want to keep thinking about her anyway. Drifting into unconsciousness, it was all Cream could do.

Author's Note

I took some artist's liberty in my view of the shop's second floor. Oh well.

Hope you all enjoy!
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