//------------------------------//
// Chapter Two: The Chapter After the First One 
// Story: Interdenominational Travels  Of  Connor Shadows 
// by Connor Shadows 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 2:	The Chapter after the First one.

Pinkie was in daze she was vaguely aware of the movement, but wasn't sure to where or for how long she was too tired to care anyway. She finally began to wake up when she heard the scream of a terrified pony and a door slamming.
“Aw, come on I’m not gonna hurt you! I just want to ask you a question!” Connor’s strained yell waking Pinkie even more.
“Uhg, what happened?” She nodded out, while freeing a hoof from the tightly wrapped cloak to rub her eye.
“Oh great you’re awake.” Connor had been trying to find where Pinkie lived, but the three ponies he had tried to ask just slammed doors in his face. “You are awake right; I didn't imagine that or anything?”
“No I’m awake,” Pinkie was still shaking away sleep, “what ..”
Before Pinkie had finished talking Connor let a sigh of relief, “Great I need my cloak back.” With one quick flip of the wrist Pinkie was whirled out of the cloak, sending her tumbling into a pile of snow.
The quick change from cozy to frigid made Pinkie come around rather quickly, she jump out the pile and start shaking the snow off frantically, “Ah! That’s cold why’d you do that?!”
Connor had already put his cloak back on and had his arms crossed rubbing his shoulders to warm up. “It’s cold! You have that scarf I was freezing! I swear I got goose bumps and I don’t have any skin.”
“You could’ve been a little gentler dude.” Pinky laughed at the shivering specter, while she wiped snow from her face.
“Yes I could have but all that aside can we go somewhere, preferably warm?”
“Of course let’s go to my place fallow me.” Pinkie chimed out.
“Please don’t pass out this time.”
“I won’t, I promise.” Pinkie took a look around taking in her surroundings to find out where in town they were. They were only a few minutes from Sugar Cube Corner.
Connor began to fallow Pinkie through the abandoned streets of the sleeping town. “So where do you live.”
“At the best bakery in all of Equestria” pausing for dramatic effect, “Sugar Cube Corner!” Pinkie exclaimed, forgetting what time it was.
“Wait, you live in a bakery?” He said with skepticism.
“Yeah.”
“Do you own it?” 
“No Mr. and Mrs. Cake do.” Pinkie informed the question full Connor.
“Cake, there last name is Cake?!” Connor laughed.
“Yeah what’s so funny?” Pinkie usually got funny stuff.
“You really don’t see it?” Connor had stopped laughing now and spoke slowly trying to get Pinkie to understand. “They own a bakery right?”
“Yeah, I just told you that.” Pinkie said while hopping over a pile of snow.
“And there last name is Cake, like you know cake that you bake, and they’re bakers.” Connor continued, trying to hold back his laughter. “You don’t think that’s funny?”
“I guess maybe to you but I’m used to calling them that it’s not that funny to me.” 
“Fine.” Connor scoffed, “How much farther?”
“Not far we’ll be there in minute.”
“Will I know it when I see it?” 
“Oh yeah you can’t miss it, well I guess you could if you had your eyes closed.” Pinkie’s random thought made Connor shake his head.
“You’re a little crazy aren't you?”
“Naaahh, my friends had me tested.” Pinkie joked with her new friend. “Hey we’re here.” She pointed.
Connors stopped looking at Pinkie and looked straight ahead to where Pinkie was pointing “Wow that looks delicious.” Connor gawked at the edible looking building. Its walls were made from the same white stone as the rest of the building in Ponyville, but it had a ginger bread house vibe to it. Its roof had shingles that Connor, at first, thought were made ginger bread cookie. He was tempted to float up and take a bite, but even he knew how foolish that would be. He felt the same way about the windowed cupcakes on the roof. The snow on the roof and cupcakes made them look like it was covering in powdered sugar. There was smoke coming from the strangely shaped chimney. One of the widows, who had pink shutters, was still lit. This made Connor think, “Pinkie are they gonna care about you letting me in here.” One thing Connor always worried about was going into other people’s houses uninvited. You never know Mr. and Mrs. Cake could be fire breathing serpents. That would be bad.
“Yeah it’s ok they won’t care,” she assumed while walking up the few steps to the door. She then withdrew a key from somewhere.
“Does her scarf have a pocket?” Connor pondered. 
Pinkie quietly put the key into the hole in the knob and turned. Pinkie opened the door, took the key out, and put it back in her mystery pocket. She opened the door and began to walk in and notice Connor wasn't fallowing. “You coming?”
“No.” Was Connor’s simple answer
“Why not I said it would be OK.” Pinkie reminded Connor.
“I’m not going in unless they say its OK.” Connor shot back with a bit of fear. 
Pinkie rolled her eyes walked into the dimly lit store front of the bakery, even in the low light you could tell that the space was very decorated and had a theme of sweets and pastries. Pinkie could see that Mr. Carrot Cake was still awake. He was cleaning the counter of all things.
“Oh Pinkie, I thought you were up there sleeping. Guess I’m not the only one who can’t sleep.” Said the lanky, orange maned, yellow stallion. He was still wearing his apron but not his trademark red and white baker hat and bow tie combo. 
Pinkie walked in, Connor took no chances and hid from Mr. Cake’s view. He was huddled behind open door and waited to see how this would play out. “Yeah I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk.” Pinkie told her employer.
“Oh you went for a walk. Did you see that purple comet? It was so big and bright I thought it was going to crash into Ponyville.” He said while leaning onto the counter.
“Yeah I did, and that bring me to a question you don’t mind if my friend stays the night do’ya?” Pinkie asked sweetly. 
Carrot thought this over for a second his under bite protruding even more than it did naturally. “What friend? I don’t see anybody with you.”
“Oh he’s outside waiting for answer.” Pinkie informed Mr. Cake while saying it loud enough for Connor to hear.
From outside they heard, “Don’t patronize me woman! It’s impolite to enter someone’s house without permission!
This outburst cause both Pinkie and Mr. Cake to laugh.
Mr. Cake who was still chuckling answered Pinkies question. “Sure he can stay come on in!”
Connor bent over and streamed into the door, his dark essence spilling into the room. His glowing eyes shined mincingly in the darkly lit room.
This imposing form is not what Mr. Cake was expecting. His eye grew wide and he made contact with Pinkie and squeaked out. “Th-this is your friend?”
“Yeah! Mr. Cake I introduce you to Connor shadows.”
“Nice to meet you Mr. Cake, Pinkie has told me, well she hasn't really told me all that much about you.” Connor babbled with his had extended in the friendly gesture of a handshake.
“N-nice to meet you.” Mr. Cake stammered as he grasped Connor’s ghoulish hand.  The feeling of Connor’s writhing hand was the last straw. Mr. Cake’s eyes shut and his legs went weak. He then promptly fainted. 
Connor let the hoof go letting it slide off his hand and it then slumped to the floor with the rest of Mr. Cake. He raised his nonexistent eyebrow at Pinkie. “You guys not get much sleep here or what?”
Pinkie prodded Mr. Cake with her hoof. “No, it’s not that you just surprised him is all.”
“Really you don’t say.” He grinned. He then looked back down at the unconscious baker. “Is he going to be alright here?”
“Yeah I don’t see why not.” Pinkie said while relocking the door. “Come on I’m ready for sleep how about you?”
“I could go for some shut-eye plowing through a forest with your face really takes it out of a guy.” Concluded Connor.
Pinkie went for Stairs, walking past the candy cane support beams. “My rooms up in the loft you can bunk with me.” She chimed
“Good, a loft that sounds nice and cozy.” Connor said as he shadowed Pinkie up the stairs.
They reached the top of the stairs and Pinkie literally leaped into bed. “So tired.” She yawned. She threw him her other pillow. “Sleep where ever.” She then let her head slam into the pillow, making the muffled noise of air being push out of the cushion.
There wasn't really much in the wood floored room. There was a bed which now contained it owner. There was an unpainted dresser, with a standing mirror on top. Connor looked out the window of the rounded room and could tell that where in the cupcake. “I’ve never been in food before.” Connor chuckled inwardly.
“Thanks for the pillow Pinkie.” The only response Connor got was the Pinkies soft snoring. The small noise made him smile; he was quickly forming a soft spot for Pinkie. He floated of to the carpet in the middle of the room, now got to the task of falling asleep himself. He dropped the pillow, floated down to the floor slowly, and let his head be cradled by the soft down pillow. “This place is going to fun.” Connor concluded with himself.” With that he closed his dimming violet eyes and let the simple comfort of sleep take over.