//------------------------------// // Sugarcube Corner // Story: Fun Fact Contest: The Apple behind Operation RedHeart // by FandomAnvil //------------------------------// Ponyville was a little town with many simple thatched-roof cottages. It was well kept, clean and had a warm fuzzy feeling to it, welcoming any newcomers and putting a smile on their faces. The only known exceptions to that are cranky donkeys who retire in the one place they did not include in their Equestria wild search for the love of their life and rampaging centaur lords that blast away the first most eco-friendly structure in sight. The village even had a gentle river running through the centre with small bridges overlapping the parts adjacent to the roads. Api was walking on one of those bridges towards the town square. Set in the centre of the public space was Ponyville’s enormous town hall, one of the better landmarks for ponies to find their way around town. There were vertical flags of different colours hanging from posts located around the open area, a small fountain with a pony statue also helped with the aesthetics. Among the crowd of pastel-coloured ponies, Api spotted one of her fellow cutie mark crusaders, a silver pegasus pony with a violet mane. “Echo! Wait up!” Api broke into a gallop that made her mane and tail fly like flags. She quickly caught up with her friend and was greeted with a warm smile and nod. “Where are you off to this morning?” “Sugarcube Corner,” Echo replied politely. “I’m on my way there too. We can go find Pixel after. That way we have more time to spend crusading and adventuring today!” Api exclaimed in delight. Echo nodded in agreement. “Pixel told me yesterday after school that she and her family will be visiting Claire and T’s family at Carousel Boutique. Her mom is back to Ponyville for the weekend,” Echo informed their group’s de facto leader. Although Api was two years younger than both Pixel Bit and Echo, she was still the most adventurous. The fact that Pixel had a go with the flow kind of attitude while Echo was a follower only contributed to the Apple’s self-proclaimed position. “Great. We’ll head there once I’ve talked with my cousin.” Api continued walking towards Sugarcube Corner with Echo beside her. “What’s he doing there? Isn’t he usually bucking apples on the farm during this hour?” “He’s helping June make her delivery today because she wanted time to dream about her prince.” “Huh?” Echo cocked her head to the side in confusion. “Prince Valiant Heart. Apparently Claire introduced them to each other before I was born and they kept in touch by writing letters. Can you believe it? Here am I trying to find adventure and she doesn’t even tell me of her connections with the Crystal Empire’s prince. Can you imagine how many adventures are just waiting for me at the CrystaI Empire and beyond? “I mean sure we have the Everfree forest right next to Ponyville but it isn’t really exciting or dangerous like it used to be. Just last week, we managed to sneak out of the farm to the Castle of the Two Sisters and nothing interesting happened along the way. “Unless you count Nighty being a wuss as interesting.” Api grumbled softly to herself. Unfortunate for her, Echo managed to pick up on her whining. “I still think you two should have made out,” Echo commented nonchalantly. “I hate you.” “Just be glad I haven’t told Pixel about it.” Echo flashed a grin at her brooding friend. “Don’t you dare!” Api loudly warned her friend “I’ll never hear the end of it. She’ll probably make it into one of her game achievements thing.” “I know.” A gleeful smile was pasted across the pegasus pony’s muzzle. A bell rang as Api pushed open the front door of Sugarcube Corner. The two fillies entered the shop to find that they were the first customers today. The counter only had a table top sign reading: ‘back in five.’ Then, a bright blue aura surrounded the sign and float behind the table before an orange maned yellow unicorn pony with bright blue eyes popped out. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner where everything is delicious and sweet. What can I get you?” The unicorn recited with a slight jingle. “Hello Miss Pumpkin Cake,” both Api and Echo greeted in unison. “I’ll have an eggless vegan carrot cake cupcake please,” Echo chimed. Api shook her head slightly at Echo’s choice of food. She was always eating weird healthy stuff, which apparently included weird healthy cupcakes. “Is my cousin Del still here? He was supposed to make a delivery here.” “Yep, he’s still here. He’s in the kitchen sorting the things out with Candy. Why don’t you go on in and check on them. Those two should have come out by now.” Pumpkin looked over her shoulder at the door that led into the back kitchen. Api tried to jump up the counter in order to get to the door but only reached half of the furniture’s height. Echo attempted to help by pushing Api up from behind during her second try but gravity was still proving to be the greater force. Pumpkin Cake finally noticed what the two fillies were striving to accomplish and held back a humorous giggle at their shenanigans. A bright blue aura then covered Api and made her magically float over the counter to the other side. With the door in sight, Api offered the unicorn a “thank you” before continuing on behind to where all the baking magic happened. Pumpkin cake smiled and turned back to Echo, levitating the eggless vegan carrot cake cupcake into the filly’s hoofs. Inside the kitchen, Api had again found herself stumbling upon a very awkward moment to say the least. Beside the kitchen counter where a puddle of water soaked the floor, her cousin Golden Delicious was laying on the floor with his front elbows keeping his back up. It looked like a perfectly normal position to be in, like one would be in if he or she were to fall over. However, the thing - or rather the mare - that made the situation so awkward was the mare straddling him with her hoofs on his chest and their lips locked in a kiss. As both the blue and golden eyes of Golden Delicious and Cotton Candy respectively stared saucer wide into each other in shock, they failed to notice the new pair of brown eyes. “Is it Hearts and Hooves Day already? Why is every pony getting all lovey dovey?” Api groaned in frustration, bringing a hoof to her shaking head.