The sweet smell of baking came wafting through the air as Daisy approached the store she had come to understand to be Sugarcube Corner. After taking a deep breath, she opened the door and took in the scene in front of her. All around were delicious looking baked goods: fresh loaves of bread, elaborately decorated cupcakes, all shapes of cookies. The sight made Daisy’s stomach grumble, making her wish she had more bits left as she approached the counter. A bright pink face popped up from out of nowhere and squeeled at the sight of a new face
“HI THERE MY NAME’S PINKIE WHAT’S YOURS!”
“Pinkie dear, let the poor mare get her bearings.” A second pony, a pastel blue mare with kind eyes, approached Daisy and held out a loaf of bread.
“You must be new around here. Take this as a welcome of sorts to Ponyville.”
Daisy turned a deep shade of red, but accepted the gift. “Thank you. I’m Daisy.”
The pink mare behind the counter lit up at the sound of a name. “Daisy? That’s such a pretty name! Pretty names are so much fun! New ponies are so much fun! Oh my goodness so much fun in one day!” She then proceeded to bounce around the shop exclaiming how much fun she was having.
Daisy giggled, and the blue mare shared a knowing smile with her.
“I’m Mrs. Cake, and that’s Pinkie Pie. She can get a little overexcited at times, but she’s a real sweetheart. In any case, you’re welcome here anytime, so don’t be a stranger.”
Stranger. That word had a different meaning to Daisy, but she didn’t let it show in her expression.
“Thank you so much. This is definitely more than I had hoped to buy.” Daisy smiled as she glanced down at her pitiful sack of bits.
Mrs. Cake caught the look in Daisy’s eyes and offered a warm smile.
“Like I said dear, don’t be afraid to stop in whenever you need to. Moving can be rough on a young pony like yourself.”
After expressing her thanks one more time and promising a certain bouncing blob of pink that she would return soon, Daisy made her way back down the path towards her new home. Tomorrow she would look for a job; today she was just happy to have a loaf of bread to eat. As she walked, her mind wandered back to the mysterious character she had met on the road to Sugarcube Corner. He had disappeared as quickly as he had arrived, only allowing his name to slip into the brief conversation. Ashen. Such a curious name for a curious stallion, especially with his sudden change in direction. Daisy shook her head. She knew nothing about him; he probably just remembered something important he had to do at home and hurried off. Putting him out of her mind, Daisy opened the door to her cottage and settled down for an evening of loneliness and bread. She reminded herself that this was the price she had to pay. A new start meant she would be alone, more alone than she had ever felt in her short eighteen years. Besides, she had plenty to turn over in her mind. Between meeting Pinkie Pie, the kindness of Mrs. Cake, and the accidental meeting with Ashen Eclipse, Daisy was exhausted. Tomorrow she had to find a job, maybe writing like she used to. But tonight, she would picture all the new ponies she had met and wish she could unravel the new mysteries she had discovered.