It was a just another great summer day in Ponyville. The sun was high in the sky, light beaming down on the small town, casting it's residents with a comforting warmth. Down at the train station, a large passenger train was unloading. Families walked about on vacation, trying to make out their schedules. Couples walked around happily, holding hooves, looking for the most romantic spots in town. A light brown pegasus stepped off the small train and onto the crowded platform, dragging along two suitcases and a saddlebag. Her light blue eyes searched around hopefully, looking for a cab. After a few minutes of trying to get through the large crowd, the mare managed to reach the edge of the station and next to the main road.
"Taxi!" she called, waving out her hoof. In no time a carriage stopped nearby.
"Need a ride, miss?" the blue colt connected to the taxi asked.
"Yes, please." the pegasus replied, loading her stuff inside.
After she hopped in, the brown colt controlling the vehicle turned to her, "What's your name, sweet-cheeks?"
"Oh, Rosemary. But feel free to call me Rose."
"Alright Rose," the driver said, as if testing out how the name sounded. "Where to?"
Rosemary pulled a small piece of paper out of her saddlebag, then read aloud, "221b Bakers Street, I think."
The stallion nodded, then shouted to his friend pulling the carriage, "Go to 221b Bakers Street!" Soon they were on their way.
As they rode, Rosemary and the driver-whose name happened to be Gear-struck up a conversation.
"So, what's you're business here in Ponyville," Gear said. "If you don't mind me asking."
"Oh, it's fine," Rose said, "I'm moving."
"Moving? From where?" Gear asked.
"Manehattan."
"Manehattan? So you're one of them city folk, huh?"
Rosemary chuckled, "I guess so. Lived there since I was just a filly."
Gear gave a big laugh, then spoke once again, "Well I saw your cutie mark-the two faces. The laughing one and crying one. So yall are in theatre business?"
"Oh, yeah." Rosemary sighed, and looked out the window. That was one of the things it stood for. She was an actor-preformed in plays and what-not, but the cutie mark, that wasn't the only think it was there for. Two faces. Two sides. Two personalities...
"Trust me, Ponyville is great, i'm sure you'll love it here!" Gear said, jolting the mare out of her thought
Rosemary smiled and nodded, then learned her head against the window, watching the scenery roll by. Her mind raced. Ponyville did seem like a nice place. Lots of nature, the locals seemed kind, it looked quiet... peaceful. But small. How fast could rumors could travel through the place? Like a certain mare switching personalities and waking up the next day with the city's chief of police... again. Or finding her self with three wallets from three different colts in the middle of a bar.
Shut up, stop beating up yourself. Rosemary though. She was going to try to be optimistic. Those things happened at Manehattan-a more rugged, crazy, dangerous place. This was her new home. There would be new friends, a new town. A new life. She smiled to herself. Like a second chance.
And besides, it was her first day, what could go wrong in such short time?
"Scuse me, miss, but we've arrived." Gear said. Rosemary sat up slowly, just realizing she had fallen asleep during the ride. Outside the window was a small house. Her small house. After getting her luggage out, she said thank you to Gear and the blue colt that had pulled them along. After the taxi drove away, Rosemary dragged her stuff to the front door. It was a slightly bigger then normal wooden door, painted with a coat of red. Rosemary fished a small set of keys out of her saddlebag, and unlocked the door. The door opened a small hallway leading to a living room-nothing much, just a recliner, a book case, and a fireplace. Next to the living room was a kitchen with a glass table and two counters. Back near the hallway, a door lead to a bathroom and shower. The room over was a bedroom. Rosemary's bedroom. She hauled her luggage through the doorway, then set her bags on the queen sized bed. There were two nightstands, a bookshelf, a clock, a closet, a desk, and a clothes drawer. It was perfect.
After unpacking all her things, Rosemary finally decided to check out the town. Learn where things were. Meet some of the residents. Soon she was out the door, with a bag of bits-which also held her keys. Her house was one of many, and down the road was a store. It looked like a candy shop. When she approached, Rosemary read the sign hanging near the door:
Sugarcube Corner
it read. Sugar. That's what the place looked like-it seemed like the candy shop was modeled after a gingerbread house. Rosemary's stomach growled. She hadn't eaten anything since the train-perhaps some food wouldn't hurt.
"Hello?" Rosemary called as she walked into the sweets store. The place was warm and smelled of fresh baked cookies, and it looked great too. Pastries were scattered all over, from lollipops to cupcakes. There were two counters and two stairs leading up, but no one was there. She approached the counter and pressed the small bell.
Ding!
The small noise resonated in the room. Rosemary was about to turn around and leave when the sound of hoofsteps came from the set of stairs behind the counter.
"One moment!" a mare's voice shouted. A blue pony in a yellow paron trotted down the steps, her pink mane bobbing up and down. From the fact that she wore an apron, and her cutie mark was three cupcakes, Rosemary deducted that this earth pony worked at the shop.
"Hi," the pony said when the got to the counter, "sorry, I was taking care of the foals."
Rosemary smiled, "Oh, it's fine."
"Are you new here?" the blue mare asked.
"Uh, yeah, I just moved in. I'm actually down the street, over there." Rosemary pointed towards the door.
"Oh, it's so nice to have new residents. Well, i'm Cup Cake, but everypony calls me Mrs Cake. What's your name, sweetie?"
"Oh, Rosemary. But some ponies call me Rose."
"Well, Rosemary," Mrs. Cake said, "Welcome to Ponyville. Here, have a cupcake, on the house." she handed the brown mare a cupcake.
"Thanks!" Rose said, then she took an experimental bite of the small yellow treat. Then another. Then another.
"Oh, man, this is good!" Rosemary said through a mouthful of cupcake.
"Thank you deary, and here, have a napkin." Mrs. Cake said, handing Rose a small white napkin. After finishing off her cupcake, wiping of her face, and buying some cookies-Rosemary was prepared to leave.
"Thanks so much for the food Mrs. Cake."
"Any time, sweetie."
Rose turned toward the door and began to leave, when suddenly a pink pony zoomed through, almost crashing into her. The strange pony almost bolted up the stairs, but then stopped, and turned back to Rosemary.
"Who are you?" She asked, her blue eyes brimming with curiosity and energy.
"I'm Rosemary, some ponies call me Rose. I, uh, just moved in over at-"
"OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!" the pink earth pony then turned around and zoomed out the door.
Rosemary turned-stunned-to Mrs. Cake, "Um, what?"
"Oh, that's Pinkie Pie. She lives upstairs-and trust me, she's always like that. To her-well-life's a party."