Chapter Sixty-Three - None to One [Hundred]
“What the— he was a reporter?” Cotton cried. Then she brought a hoof to her forehead. “Y’know, I should’ve realized something was up when he asked to take a picture. I mean, what else was he gonna do with a photo of a pie?” She broke out into a smile as she put her hoof down on the counter. “Well, I’m gonna have to thank Daisy. And Blueblood. I wanted word to spread; that’s one way of doing it.”
“Yeah, I’d say so,” Dreamweaver responded with a chuckle. "Definitely better than the signs Cutter put up."
Cotton's eyes widened slightly. "Wait, Cutter put up signs?"
"Yeah. Big flashy ones in his windows. Hired a colt to flip one around on the street corner, too. He's been advertising everything half-off for about two weeks. Guessing you haven't gone down that way for a while?"
"…No." Cotton sank to her haunches as both her forehooves smacked her face. "And I've been open for a little less than two weeks. I can't believe I didn't think to put up signs…"
Dreamweaver cocked a brow. "You haven't been doing any advertising?"
Shaking her head, Cotton replied, "I took my 'Grand Opening' sign down the next day. Whyyyyyyyyy did I do that. I am such an idiot… I only even thought about it after I did this swap with Central Perk."
"Wait, nopony told you to advertise? Or help you get the word out?"
Cotton let out a sigh. "After my grand opening I asked everyone not to help me. Like, at all. Guess they took me literally. Only Aunt Celestia told Blueblood to come here, and I practically tore into her about it. I should've thanked her outright; that article wouldn't've been published if not for her."
Putting on a soft smile, Dreamweaver reached across the counter and patted Cotton's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it so much. I can't see Princess Celestia holding a grudge. Especially not against you. You really should be more open to asking for help, though."
With a nod, Cotton responded, "Yeah, I really should. It's just… I don't want help from the Royal Family. I feel like it's cheating."
"Don't think of it that way. Everypony asks their family for help from time to time; your family just happens to be a royal one," Dreamweaver chuckled.
Cotton let out a little giggle. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Glancing at the newspaper on the counter, she added, "But it doesn't really matter now, huh?"
Following her gaze to the newspaper, Dreamweaver laughed, "Yeah, guess not. But still, don't be afraid to ask for help from now on, okay? Or accept it if it's offered."
With a nod, Cotton replied, "Yeah, alright. Thanks."
"Sure. So, how 'bout I go from being 'reassuring friend' to 'customer'?"
Cotton smiled and replied, "By all means. Take your pick."
After surveying Cotton’s display case, Dreamweaver smirked. “Well, I already know how awesome your cookies are. Is that the last slice of the famous ‘Catapulted Coconut Crème’?”
Giggling into her hoof, Cotton replied, “Yep. I was about to go make another one anyway, so it’s all yours if you want it.” She took the pie tin out of the case, removed the slice, then put it on a plate along with a fork. As she slid it across the counter, Dreamweaver put three bits next to the register, but she pushed them back to him. “Since you let me know about what's going on, on the house this time.”
Dreamweaver let out a huff with another smirk. “Oh, come on, don’t do that. All I did was show you the newspaper.” He pushed the bits toward her again.
“And gave me a nice pick-me-up.” She let out a single, defiant breath as she pushed the bits back once more.
Deadpanning at her, he asked, “You’re just not gonna let me pay, are you?” Cotton shook her head with a smirk of her own before sticking her tongue out at him. Rolling his eyes, he muttered, “Mares.” Then he smiled and added, “But seriously, thanks a lot. That’s really nice of you.”
“Sure thing.” When Dreamweaver sat at a table close to the counter, she continued, “So what have you been up to? Still writing at Cutter’s shop?”
“Oh, heck no,” he replied, shaking his head. “Not since what he did to you. I’ve been— Oh wow, dis ish good… I’ve been going to the place across the street from him. They let me sit and write, too. But yeah, that should answer the other half of your question. I think I’m almost halfway through with this one, based on my outline.”
Cotton raised her brows slightly as she nodded. “Nice. What’s it about?”
Dreamweaver smirked after he swallowed another bite, the fork hanging out from between his teeth. “No thpoilerth.”
Cocking a brow, she responded, “Fine, don’t tell me. And don’t talk with your mouth full.” She snickered as she headed towards the kitchen. “Hey, could you let me know if someone comes in? Since I propped the door open, the bell doesn’t ring.”
“Okay, but y’know, if you were propping the door to lure customers in, I don’t think you need to do that anymore,” he called as she walked into the kitchen. “Especially if you think you’ll spend more time in the back and need a warning, I’d just leave it. Unless you— heh, somepony’s here.”
Cotton poked her head back through the kitchen door, and she smiled when spotting two more familiar faces. “Sun Flower! How are you doing? Hey, Comet!”
The little colt galloped up to the case and pressed his muzzle against the glass. “Cookeeth!” Cotton and Sun Flower both laughed.
Sun Flower pulled the little colt back by his tail. “Comet, stop it, you’ll smudge the glass.” She looked back at Cotton and said, “I saw the article this morning. Looks like it found you some new customers.” She glanced at the display case; noticing a doily with no pie on top, she chuckled as she added, “You didn’t throw the Coconut Crème again, did you?”
“No, I got the last slice,” Dreamweaver responded from behind her, pointing at it with his fork when she turned around.
“I’m just about to make another one,” Cotton replied. “A few things, actually— cookies included. Are you here to collect?” she asked with a giggle. “You’ll have to wait for a new dozen.”
Sun Flower tilted her head. “My husband already came for the second dozen last week—your fee is paid in full.”
“But I said I’d make three,” Cotton said as she walked back to the counter.
Shaking her head with a small smile, the mare responded, “Your lease agreement only requires two dozen for the fee. Pro Rate and I agreed we would pay for anything after that. Just because you’re our tenant, it doesn’t mean we can’t be paying customers also.”
“Thanks,” Cotton replied with a little smile of her own. “You’ll still have to wait a bit if you want chocolate-chip cookies, though. Do you wanna try something else?”
“Cookies!” Comet cried.
Chuckling as she shook her head, Sun Flower told him, “Cotton’s all out of chocolate-chip cookies, sweetie. We need to get something else.”
The colt’s rear plopped to the floor as his eyes watered. “But… but…”
“You can have one if you can wait.”
“Don’ wanna wait!”
“Then you’ll need to try something else. How about a slice of chocolate pie instead?”
“Cookiiiies!” Comet whined. Sun Flower rolled her eyes.
“I have snickerdoodles, Comet,” Cotton said with a smile. “They’re cinnamon cookies.”
Sun Flower turned to him with raised brows. “Oh, one of the fillies at the orphanage likes those, sweetie. Want to give one a try?”
Tilting his head at his mother with a sniffle, the colt asked, “Sssimanim?”
As Cotton giggled, Sun Flower answered, “That’s what I put on top of the whipped cream in your hot cocoa.”
Comet’s eyes widened, then after a moment, he wiped away his tears and silently nodded his head. Sun Flower smiled as she looked back to Cotton. She reached into her bit pouch and said, “I’ll have both of those snickerdoodles. I’d like to try one also.”
Cotton shook her head as she pulled the last two cookies out of the case. “No charge. Call it a sample.”
“Ah-ah-ah, don’t you do that, young lady,” the mare scolded, firmly putting four bits down on the counter. “Like I said, we’re still paying customers.”
“Yeah.” Sun Flower turned and looked at Dreamweaver as he brought his plate and fork up to the counter and put three bits next to hers. “You don’t need to trot in Lady Rarity‘s hoofsteps twenty-four-seven.”
Tilting her head at him, Sun Flower began, “What about Lady Ra— Oh, yes, the Element of Generosity herself.” Dreamweaver smirked as she nodded her head. A moment later, her eyes widened. “Oh! And… Technically your adoptive mother too, if— I’m sorry Cotton, am I getting too personal?”
Cotton shrugged as she let out the tiniest of sighs. “It’s okay, I never knew her. Just what my dad’s told me. Oh, here.” She held out the bag of cookies, which the mare gladly accepted.
“Still, my apologies.” Smiling down at her son, she took out one of the snickerdoodles and held it down to him. “Okay, sweetie. Give it a try and tell Cotton what you think, hm?”
The colt reached out and hesitantly took the cookie in his hoof, then took a bite. His eyes lit up before he took several more and chewed with a happy grin.
The three of them chuckled before Dreamweaver said, “Looks like a new obsession is born.”
“I’d certainly say so.” Sun Flower took the other cookie and took a bite herself, then mirrored her son’s facial expression and nodded with a hum.
Cotton smiled. “Great! Well, then I definitely need to make more.”
Swallowing first, Sun Flower replied, “I’d say that’s a good idea; we’ll get out of your mane. Have a good one.” She waved after putting the rest of the snickerdoodle in her mouth and leading Comet out the door, his cheeks still stuffed like a squirrel.
After the two had left, as Cotton took a cloth and wiped the face print off the case’s glass, Dreamweaver asked, “You really pay your landlord with cookies?”
Cotton nodded. “It covers the extra gas I need for the second oven. Otherwise it’d be like, another hundred bits to rent. Two dozen cookies are less than half that,” she answered, before getting up and disappearing through the kitchen door.
“Hey, do you mind if I just sit and write here instead? If you still wanna leave the door open I’ll let you know if anypony comes in.”
“Sure! That’d be great!”
Dreamweaver looked down into the case again before he called, “Hey, Cotton? Before you get engrossed…”
Her head appearing in the kitchen’s door frame, Cotton cocked a brow and asked, “Yeeeeess?”
He put two bits on the counter. “My dentist is gonna kill me, but could I try one of those donuts?”
Cotton snorted as she walked back up to the case with a smirk. “Sure.” As she picked up a piece of tissue paper and reached inside, she heard the clip-clop of hooves that stopped just inside the door. When she stood up and held the donut out to Dreamweaver, she looked behind him with wide eyes. “Uh-oh.”
Dreamweaver turned around just in time to hear, “I thought I raised you better than that, young lady.”
Ж
As Cotton touched down in front of the castle, she placed her twine-wrapped box on the ground to give her teeth a rest, and to let her broad smile reveal itself once again. Just as she stood up, the doors opened and an older, amber griffon wearing a satchel walked out.
“Oh, hello, Ambassador Gulliver,” Cotton greeted him. “I forgot you were meeting with my aunts today. How are you?”
“Quite well, Miss Cotton, thank you,” the ambassador replied. “Yourself? You look like you had a good day, if that grin is anything to go by.”
Cotton nodded. “I did, thanks. I finally had customers.”
With a rather un-diplomatic smirk, Gulliver responded, “I can imagine; I read the paper this morning.”
Her face flushed, and Cotton rubbed the back of her mane. “You did, huh?”
With a nod, he replied, “As did some of my assistants. I heard a few of them considering stopping by; they have insufferable sweet beaks.”
“Really? I mean… That’s good to hear.”
“Indeed. I’ll admit, I’ve picked up a bit of one myself in my travels.”
Cotton tilted her head. “Really?” She lightly nudged the box in his direction with a hoof. “Since I had a ton of customers today I didn’t have a lot left, so I was bringing the rest home. It’s just a few slices of pie— would you like one?”
The griffon’s brows rose as he slipped a small smile. “Thank you for your kind offer, Miss Cotton, but I wouldn’t want to deprive your family of the delicious fruits of your labor.”
“Aunt Celestia will live with one less slice of pie,” Cotton giggled. “Heck, take them all; give ‘em out at the embassy.” She pushed the box toward him and added, “There’s blueberry and key lime.”
“Oooo, key lime is my fav— I mean, that’s quite generous of you, Miss Cotton. Are you certain your family wouldn’t mind?” the ambassador asked.
“Pfft, if they do, they can deal,” Cotton scoffed. “It’s not like I can’t make more.”
Licking his lips, the ambassador responded, “Oh, s-s-some of my colleagues would be thrilled. Thank you very much, Miss Cotton; I will gladly accept your offer.”
Cotton cocked a brow. “Are you alright, Ambassador? I don’t think I’ve ever heard a griffon hiss before.”
The ambassador’s eyes shifted back and forth briefly before he tilted his head at her. “…Did I? My apologies, that was… my feline side.” He swiftly picked up the box in his claws, shifting his weight to his back legs. “Once again, thank you for your delicious offer, Miss Cotton. I will be certain to recommend to my fellows at the embassy that they should visit your establishment.” He then quickly took wing and flew off.
“Make sure you keep them chilled until you serve them!” Cotton called after him. “They last longer that way!” The only response she received was a wave. “Hmm. Probably has a lot of work to do. Can’t blame him for wanting to get back so fast.” She furrowed her brows as she moved toward the castle entrance. “Wait…feline side?” After a moment, she shrugged her shoulders and pushed the doors open.
After shutting the doors closed behind her, Cotton let out a happy sigh, then glanced at the massive clock on the wall beneath the second level’s railing. “Nice, just in time for dinner.” She smiled as she looked between the guards in the foyer. “Evening, gentlecolts!”
“Good evening, Cotton!” they chimed in unison, stomping their spears.
She giggled, “Please, never change, any of you.”
“No intention of it, Cotton,” one of them replied with a smirk.
With another sigh, she said, “Guess what?” When they tilted their heads at her, she pranced on her hooves as she quickly cried, “The store got cleaned out! Like, the whole city came today!”
They all smiled as they stomped their hooves for her.
“What’s all the noise about, gentlecolts?” Celestia asked as she descended the stairs.
When she reached the floor, Cotton quickly rushed up to the princess and gave her a hug. Cotton nearly knocked both of them down as she stopped Celestia short in front of the stairs. “I had tons of customers today! I had almost nothing left!”
“Congratulations!” Celestia responded, wrapping her forelegs and wings around the filly.
Giggling, Cotton looked up at her and asked, “Did you read the paper today?”
“I haven’t had the chance yet,” the princess replied, folding her wings back. “Why do you—”
“We did!”
Forgoing all formalities, Luna hopped over the second-story railing and glided down to the floor beside them with a manic grin, immediately launching into a tickle attack. “Thou art a most wicked filly!”
“Aunt Luna, stop it, stop it!” Cotton cried as she rolled on the floor, giggling uncontrollably.
Luna laughed as she finished her assault. “We are quite amused by thine antics with the nobles.”
“Luna, what are you doing up so— wait, how have you already read the paper?” Celestia asked.
“Tacca doth provide Us with a copy upon Our awakening. We both applaud thee for thy treatment of Blueblood, dear Cotton— he doth indeed deserve it.”
Putting a hoof to her muzzle, Celestia snickered as she asked, “That made it into the newspaper?”
Luna’s eyes widened as she turned to her sister. “Thou wert aware of this occurrence?”
“Cotton told me the night it happened,” Celestia replied with a nod.
“And why didst thou not inform Us?”
Gesturing a hoof at the still-giggling filly, she answered, “It was Cotton’s story to tell, not mine. That’s a question for her.”
Luna pouted as she sat on her haunches and crossed her forelegs. “Why were We not privy to this tale, Cotton?”
Finally standing back up, Cotton answered, “Sorry, Aunt Luna. I was just distracted that night and then it slipped my mind. I only told Auntie Tia ‘cause I was mad at her for sending Blueblood in the first place." Walking up to Celestia, Cotton gave her a hug. "I'm sorry for yelling at you about that. I should've said 'thank you' from the start. Turned out to be exactly what I needed," she giggled.
Celestia chuckled as she returned the embrace. "It's quite alright, Cotton. I did go against your wishes, so you had every right to be angry. I'm glad it ended up working in your favor."
"It definitely did. Hey, do you know if Dad's read about it yet?”
“I have,” Spike said, trundling down the stairs behind them with a smirk. “I would be scolding you if I hadn’t laughed so hard when I read the article.”
Cotton snickered as she looked up at him. “So I’m not in trouble with you?”
“Hardly. I want to hear what Blueblood says next time he comes to Court.” All four of them laughed at that. Then Spike cocked a brow. “Why specify me?”
Cotton blushed as she looked away with raised eyebrows. “Well, I mayyyyy have gotten chewed out by Mother Matron…”
There was another round of laughter.
“Sounds like she didn’t listen to First Scoop,” Spike chuckled. “Well, if as many ponies read the paper as it sounds, how many customers did you get?”
Cotton beamed as she replied, “Like, the whole city. Aside from a couple extra pie slices that I gave to Ambassador Gulliver when he left, I got wiped out.” She let out a deep breath, then added, “In more ways than one.”
“You gave the leftovers to Gulliver?” Celestia asked, exaggeratedly puffing out her lower lip.
“Yes,” Cotton responded, sticking her tongue out. “I offered them to the Dancers upstairs, but they still had some of what they bought from me.”
Smiling, Spike said, “I’m sure Gulliver appreciated the offer.”
“Well, he said some other griffons at the embassy that read the paper had thought about going. Figured giving them samples might be an incentive to come get more.”
Luna nodded. “‘Tis good business practice. We are quite impressed.”
“Thanks.” Cotton sat on her haunches as she looked at the three of them. “I’m exhausted. Any idea what’s for dinner?”
Celestia smirked. “It depends; did you eat any of your own stock before you came home?”
“Once! I did that once!”
Now that's more like it, eh, Cotton? All it takes is a noble with a stick up his plot to get business going. 
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“Once! I did that once!” And like good family members they will never let you forget about it.
The griffin ambassador reminded me of a lost Ship. (RIP Cotton Candy-X-Steadclaw. You were as sugary sweet as Cotton's Coconut Pie.
)
10380071
You had to bring it up. Can't you just suffer in silence like the rest of us
Hrmmmm... I have a suspicious mind, I do. Hissing griffons indeed.
Great three chapters
Griffons have themselves a bad infestation of the love bugs it seems. Good to see Cotton is really coming into her own with that bakery.
<stares at the lack of a next chapter button>
...
Heresy
I am so glad my worries about the journalist were unfounded
I still think that the ambassador wasn't what he seemed. A bug maybe trying to get a treat?
This was a great chapter and my favorite part that blueblood got is a*s handed to him and tia pouting when she heard cotton give the left over pies to the ambassador
>hissing
[Large Concern]
10380071
But we got a much better ship now.
All aboard the SS Cottaca!
While the hissing ambassador might hint at a changeling. After all, Cotton got into a Gryphons pants so she should know of the feline side. But I personally think this is a red herring and this is how purring sounds with a beak.