Lavender Café

by IzzyLovesYou

Chapter 6: Late Night Cocoa

Chapter 6:

Thank you for coming to Maretime Bay. It’s really changed my life. Sunny’s words from earlier that day repeated in her head over and over. Izzy was having trouble sleeping. She just couldn’t get the thought of Sunny out of her head! Izzy tried to focus on the ambient noises of the forest. The sounds of the wind swishing through her home’s leafy cover, the sound of crickets singing their songs to the tune of the night, the soft chirps of the crows as they scout the starry sky. Star scout. Sunny Starscout.

No matter what Izzy did, she couldn’t get Sunny out of her mind. Izzy couldn’t figure out why either. Why can’t I stop thinking of Sunny? Izzy laid still in her hammock. Did that Sunstone I gave her have anything to do with it? Izzy had given Sunny a Sunstone earlier that day, but it was just another crystal she’d found in the forest. It had meaning to it sure, but Izzy couldn’t figure out why that would change anything. Why did she start giving Sunny crystals in the first place? She’d given Hitch a few too, but why did she always make sure Sunny got one?

Izzy had heard stories in her past about magical crystals that made ponies change and feel different, but as far as Izzy was aware, Sunstones didn’t have any sort of magical properties. Even if they did, surely Izzy would’ve noticed it earlier? The Sunstone definitely isn’t it. But why can’t I stop thinking about her? It’s not like Izzy minded thinking about Sunny though. In fact, thinking about Sunny made her feel happy. Izzy laid there in silence, ruminating on that thought. After a minute, Izzy sat up in her hammock. I can’t sleep. Maybe a cup of Hot Cocoa will help me think.

Izzy stretched out her hooves for a moment before rolling out of her hammock. Giving a quick glance back to her bed, Izzy turned and made her way to the stairs. As Izzy slowly trot down her stairs, she looked at the paintings on her wall. She’d made all of them to pass the time in Bridlewood. Given the formerly droopy nature of the town, Izzy never really had anything to do. Izzy was never really the most popular pony in town, so she’d spend most of her time working on art pieces for herself and the occasional piece for Alphabittle’s shop. Now I have friends I can make art for. The thought made Izzy happy.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Izzy headed towards the back of the room where she kept her mechanical flower tea set. This old thing may be for Tea, but surely I could use it for some Hot Chocolate? Pulling the surprisingly light machine close to a chair in the lounge, Izzy walked around to the other end of the machine and pressed the button to unfurl the petals. Izzy watched as the petals fell flat, revealing 6 cups of various sizes and a kettle. Grabbing the Kettle and a Pink and Teal cup, Izzy turned and trotted over to her Kitchen.

Izzy’s kitchen wasn’t much to write home about. All Izzy really had was a mini fridge, a sink, and an oven with a stove, but it was enough to get the job done. Reaching into her fridge, Izzy pulled out a carton of Milk and set it on the counter. Setting the Tea Cup and Kettle on the counter, Izzy poured the milk into the Kettle and set it on top of the stove. Turning the dial, Izzy let the Kettle of milk sit on the stove for a minute. While Izzy waited for the Milk to heat up, Izzy thought back to her time earlier that day with Sunny.

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As Sunny turned on the smoothie machines, Izzy leaned over the counter. Sunny was swift in her work, taking ingredients out and dropping them into the machine. Izzy watched as Sunny pulled out some cups and poured the mixtures in, adding whipped cream and topping them with lids and straws. Izzy admired the orange pony’s work. Watching as the orange earth pony turned around to face her, she heard a voice.

“They’re done Izz!” Izzy heard Sunny say as her attention snapped back onto the drinks now sitting on the counter in front of her. Peaking into the top of the closest cup, Izzy saw the rainbow-colored mixture with a coat of white cream on top. It looked absolutely delicious!
“It looks so good!” Izzy replied, mesmerized by the drinks. If they looked so good, then how did they smell? Leaning closer to the drink closest to her, Izzy sniffed the lid. It smelled like Strawberries and Bananas. “They smell great too!”
“Now that we have the drinks, let’s head over to the café to get some food.” Sunny said as she turned around and started turning the dials on the machines. Sunny had to turn them off for when her boss would come in for their shift later.

Izzy watched as Sunny started shutting off the machines. If cutie marks were meant to represent their special talents, then why was Sunny working at a smoothie stand? Izzy couldn’t help but wonder about what Sunny was good at. Smoothie making was definitely one of her talents based on the look and smell of the drinks in front of her, but what does the shooting star represent? As Sunny finished shutting down the machines, Izzy backed away as Sunny dropped the shutter and walked out. That question would have to wait.

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Here Izzy was, making a drink for herself. It wasn’t a smoothie, but it was a drink to call her own. Taking the Milk off of the stove, Izzy poured it into the glass. Opening her jar of Cocoa Mix, Izzy took a spoon and carefully sprinkled 3 spoonfuls of Cocoa into the mug. Stirring it to perfection, Izzy had finished making her glass of Hot Cocoa. Gently levitating the cup, Izzy walked back to the tea set and sat down. Taking a sip of Hot Cocoa, Izzy tried to focus on the noises around her again.

Izzy could still hear the leaves and crickets, and she could hear the light caws from the birds, though quieter now that she was downstairs. Izzy could hear the gentle rattling noises of the mechanical tea set as the springs held it in place. The tea set. I remember when I finally got to use the tea set with my friends when they first visited. It was only a brief time that she got to use it before Sunny had asked her to make fake horns. At least Sunny appreciated my talents.

Not many ponies in Bridlewood really cared for Izzy’s art. For most of them, all they wanted to do was sulk around waiting for magic to return. Izzy couldn’t blame them though, because the loss of magic devastated the unicorns. Izzy didn’t grow up with magic though. She was one of the first generations of Unicorns to do so, so not having magic never really bothered her. The gloomy nature of the village was never really her cup of tea though. Cup of tea. Izzy chuckled to herself at the accidental pun.

But because of the loss of magic, most unicorns fell into a depression. Nopony really wanted to do anything, or found joy in stuff like art and crafts. Izzy would sometimes try and show other ponies her art, but oftentimes, they would just tell her to go talk to someone else or to go away. The only pony who seemed to care about her art was Alphabittle, the owner of the Crystal Tea Room. He would sometimes even commission her to make art for his café, her most notable commission being the now ruined sign that once hung out front.

The only ponies who ever really cared for my art were Alphabittle and Sunny. Izzy felt a pang of happiness as she thought about Sunny. It was nice to feel loved and appreciated by somepony. Sunny had stuck up for her when no one else had. She saved her from a mob of scared and angry earth ponies during her first visit to Maretime Bay. She had encouraged her to go to Zephyr Heights where she got to see a stunning view of the sky and watch a musical performance. She had saved Izzy’s life when she was dangling off the edge of the Lighthouse when Sprout’s mech was trying to destroy them. Sunny was perfect.

Sunny was perfect. The thought replayed in Izzys head. Sunny was perfect? Izzy sat there in confusion. Sure, Sunny was great and all, but perfect? What was she thinking! Flustered, Izzy tried to shake off the thought, but to no avail. Sunny was perfect. What does that even mean?... oh. Izzy realized the feeling she felt when she thought about the phrase. It was love.

A crush on Sunny? Nonono, that can’t be it! It can’t be! There’s no WAY I’d have a crush on Sunny! I’m just tired, that’s all! Izzy tried to convince herself. What would other ponies think if I had a crush on Sunny? They’d think I was losing it! Izzy winced at the thought. While Izzy appreciated Sunny, she didn’t want to believe that she had a crush on her. I’m just tired. After I get some sleep, I’ll feel better. I gotta.

Chugging the rest of her Hot Chocolate, Izzy levitated the glass into the sink and put away the tea set. Flustered, Izzy went back upstairs and got into her hammock. Everything will be better when you wake up Izzy. You don’t have a crush on Sunny, you’re just tired.

Comments

[Starlight Glimmer1]

Chugging the rest of her Hot Chocolate, Izzy levitated the glass into the sink and put away the tea set. Flustered, Izzy went back upstairs and got into her hammock. Everything will be better when you wake up Izzy. You don’t have a crush on Sunny, you’re just tired.

Keep telling yourself that.