A Baker's Love

Second Cupcake

I turned towards the sounds of giggling, mumbled words and many sounds that were disjointed and garbled. I moved my head in a circular motion, trying to pinpoint where the sounds were coming from.It seemed they came from everywhere. Mouths were popping in and out in the darkness that surrounds me. I keep moving around, heading in directions I was never sure about. Mouths and words appearing and disappearing inside of all this darkness as I placed one hoof in front of the other. Then, something stopped me. A blinding white light in this darkness of laughter and incomprehensible words pooled down into this darkness, shoving it back without effort. It stopped. Everything stopped. The words were gone and the mouths were just lines of blackness on a deeper field of black, fading into the back ground. I turned towards the light, a black line shown, turned in a downward arc. It parted, mouthing words in a faint whisper, one barely detectable by normal hearing. It grew louder and louder, until I was able to hear it's ambiguous voice. All it said was 'Don't Go.'

A deaf-inducing scream waved from the mouth-like lines, forcing me out of this dream state to waking consciousness. I brought myself up to a sitting position when I awoke, panting. I felt my forehead and it was wet. I was sweating. Don't Go. Those were the words that continuously replay in my head, like a broken record. The dream is a distant memory now as I sit here in bed, just looking at my hooves as they sit on my lap. Except for those two words. Don't go. Don't go. DON'T GO! That's all I hear in my head now to the point of me not even being able to hear myself think. Its pushing me to a brink that I don't even know where that brink belongs. Insanity is a great possibility. Do I try to push those words out of my mind and forget them, however? Or do I try to ignore those words and get on with my life? I don't know. I just...don't know.

By the time I got out of bed, the sun was coming up. I don't know when I had awoken, but I've been trying to push those words to somewhere I wouldn't be able to hear them. I knew, however, that hearing either of those words would trigger that male/female voice to say it again. And again. And again. Over and over and over until it breaks my frame of mind that'll be the borderline of insanity. But... I'll continue on and try to get through the day.

I left my apartment and apparently was a half-hour late for doing my morning prep. So, I opened the diner a half-hour later and will surely close it a half-hour later.

The day went by slowly. The regulars came in during their usual times from morning to noon. It was the same old song and dance, and it was relaxing. I guess. It still didn't help that I heard snippets of conversations and the words that stood out. Most were the ones that stuck after my dream. They were either in that combination or it was one or the other. I can't even get away from it. Thankfully, it was the evening rush that helped push the words from sounding in my head, or so I hopped that would happen. Somehow it was completely empty this time. I shouldn't say that. We had few customers here and there, but it was almost empty half of the time. So, Caring, Autumn and Piper took the time to hang out in between customers and cleaning, taking turns. Skillet and I, however, just stood behind the counter, looking bored as we took turns cooking.

"Hey Skillet? Can I talk to you about something?" I asked him, looking at him. He nodded.

"Thanks. Please keep this between us, please." Another nod. "I had this dream last night and I can't get a grasp on it." He told him about the dream recapping most of it from beginning to end. "I don't know if this is an omen or something random. However, I still hear these words being said in the back of my mind. Waiting to be said by actual lips." I finished, finding myself fixed upon Piper. Weird. I gulped as my heart began to pick up and looked back Skillet. His lips were in a grin and my heart sunk since he knew something was up. I glared at him, to no avail. For a mute pony, this boy is pretty perceptive.

I placed a marker and some white cardboard in front of him. He grabbed the marker inside his magic. The marker twisted and turned, forming lines, which formed words. Once finished he lifted it so only I could see it. It read:

1. You're in love. 2. What has you so afraid of those words?

A simple question, but the words were powerful. All I could do was shrug, shake my head, and stay quite. I honestly didn't know. Loss? Maybe. But the only thing I know for sure is that this has never happened to me before. Love for another pony, especially one you want to...do things with, is completely different. Like a friend that is more than just a friend. I want to say love like for a wife or a girlfriend but this love is on a completely different scale than that. I think. I don't have experience with it, nor do my other friends, that I know of. I want to talk to Sky, but he's just a play stallion and I doubt he'd even know about dating. I'm jealous, though.

"I don't know," I finally replied. He nodded and accepted the answer. A small smile formed on his face like he knew that was the answer all along. Maybe he was right about. Without even me telling him, I didn't want to talk further about it. He was fine with it. At least, for now.

The night dragged on slowly. It was tough not having those words pop up every five minutes. I got through it though and locked up as everyone else left. I looked up at the moon shining brightly as the stars made their way across the night sky. At that moment in time, I could finally say that my jimmies remained unrustled nerves have calmed down and could actually relax. In order for me to continue this sensation, I walked over to a small park that a friend of mine liked to use for her stargazing during some nights. She was there, fortunately. Maybe she has some advice.

I climbed to the top of the hill, shout out my salutations to Starlight. She's a dark gray mare with light gray and a dark red colored mane. Her eyes were a lovely tiger eye (Coloring of the stone of the same name). She also said her hello as she peered through her telescope, her horn working its magic to write down notes in a notebook she kept by her side. She's an Astronomer. Looking into the stars and the like, while moonlighting as a science-fiction novelist. Go figure. Nice girl though. I asked her if she could help me with something and her answer was a curt nod, moving the telescope away from her eye.

I sat down in front of her and recapped the dream. I don't think I said word for word from what I told Skillet, but it was the same story, at least. I then told her about the mare and what I felt, just omitting her name. No need for that right now. Starlight just looked at me, wide eyed and stunned. She knew I could not make something up like this. This is probably the first time she's heard me say the word 'love' that describes my feelings for a pony. It even felt weird for me to even say the words.

"That is a lot going on," she mustered to say, eyes still wide.

"I know. And even now, in the back of my mind, I still hear those two specific words. I don't like it. I don't like it one bit."  I shook my head. Life is going to be tough from now on.

"I can't really help you Crisp. I've never really fallen in love. I've swooned for good-looking stallions, but that's just because of their looks, like you guys do with us mares. I've never fully fallen in love with another pony. Besides, it'll get in the way of my studying."

"What would you do if the opposite happens?" I asked and her face grew bright. I just looked at her with an eyebrow raised. I knew Starlight since we were both foals. I viewed her as a sister and I always thought she viewed me as a brother, especially since I protected her from bullies and helping her. I might be reading to into the look. She might just be thinking of someone who would be interested in her.

"I-I-I don't know. I never thought of it like that." Her eyes grew bright as she gasped. "That gives me an idea!" She shouted and began writing in her notebook. I took that cue to leave.... She's a strange pony. Smart and nice. Still strange, though.

I made my way back to my apartment, sitting down in my pile of pillows. Comfy and eloquent, but not good for sleeping. Trust me. I tried. I laid back anyway, looking up at my dark ceiling. It was comfy for the first few minutes, until my back started becoming sore. That, and someone was knocking on my door. I stood up, made my way over and opened the door. Neon Glitter posed in front of my doorway. Her lips were pursed, her showing eye sparkled like a light emerald. Her long mane flowed down from her head, its red and lime-green strips reaching towards the floor. Her red coat shone in the moonlight, as did the small splotches of dark red. Her front left hoof was lifted, positioned so her knee was facing towards her right ,back legs spread wide. I audibly exhaled onto Neon and just from that little breath, she fell forward, landing on her chin, one back leg up while both her front legs were under her, wings unfurled and up. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sorry Neon, I kinda had to." I helped her up.

"I know Crisp," she laughed as I allowed her in.

"You back from your tour?" I asked as she sat down. I began making her some Herbal tea.

"Only for the week. We're heading up towards Baltimare next. I came to ask you if I could hold a little get together at your diner." I handed her the tea and she said her thanks. "It'll be a couple of days from now, before we have to leave again."

"Of course! You know you guys are always welcome over. Well, except for one for right now." I looked away and she just gave me a puzzled look. "Sky's been a real pain lately and I've noticed he's been with some "one times" for a while now." I told her and explained that a one time was a mare you'd only be with once in your life. She nodded in understanding. She was a one time once, until Scramble kicked the teeth out of the guy's mouth. Stallions knew after that if she were t be used as a one time, then they'd have their teeth knocked out. It was pretty funny. "Hopefully he's just going through one of his phases, though. Its better for that than something like him swooning for a mare."

"One can hope," Neon said, nodding in understanding and took a sip from her tea cup.

A small bit of silence ticked by. During that time, I debated. Should I tell Neon or not? And my greater consciences said I should and so I asked if she could help me. She said OK and I told her the same thing I told Starlight. She just looked at me wide eyed. Is it that much of a surprise? Jeez, what haters. She also didn't know what to tell me, except what I knew already: Take it slow, spend time with her, and have fun. That's common sense or something at least. Right?

We both said our goodbyes with hugs after Neon finished her tea. Once I shut and locked the door, I went into my room and fell asleep.