Strawberry Kiwi's One Night Stand

Part One

It was a bright and sunny day in Ponyville, a day that was often described by locals as a “Pinkie Pie” sort of day. The sun was out and a light breeze breathed life into the town’s residents. Even old Cranky Doodle Donkey was seen in the town with his bouncing pink friend, Pinkie Pie. Sadly however, one pony was not enjoying the wonderful day, this pony being none other than Strawberry Kiwi. Strawberry was a pretty mare, with a magenta mane that complemented her green coat to a tee. Her eyes were the same shade of magenta as her mane and usually held a playful spark in them, today however was an exception. It was her 5th month in Ponyville and things just weren’t going her way. Starting fresh had always been fun as a filly with new faces and new friends at every turn, but now it meant bills to pay and boxes to unpack. Sighing, she looked around the dingy apartment that was now hers. Barely big enough to pace in, it was only slightly better than the broom closet of a dorm room that she had lived in for the past four years at Canterlot’s Agriculture Academy, and at least that had had a window. With another sigh, she uncrumpled her sheets and made the small bed that had been provided to her. Granted, she was grateful for the room. It had been rented out to her by some of her parents’ friends, the Cakes.

The Cakes were the couple that ran the best bakery on this side of Equestria, and fresh fruit was often needed for recipes. Many of these fruits happened to come from her parents’ farm and she had been the one that had made deliveries before she went to the academy. Upon hearing that she needed a place to stay, they gladly opened their doors, mainly because it meant another babysitter for their newborns. The rent was inexpensive. Still, Strawberry had to find work in order to eventually make enough to move into her own place and open a real shop. For now though, she was stuck working at the counter for the Cakes when they, or their assistant Pinkie Pie, were out of town on one errand or another. She had mixed feelings about their assistant, Ms. Pinkie, although a very nice pony, Strawberry found some of her antics to be quite annoying, especially when they interfered with her garden. The garden was how she planned to escape the closet and start living on her own. The garden contained her namesakes, as well as a few other varieties of fruit, but none held a candle to her strawberries or kiwis. The Cakes bought some of her fruit for use in their baking and Strawberry had stored it away so that she could take the first step towards a shop, a food stand. The food stands of Ponyville were a common sight around town, and were often the main sources of income for most of the town’s farmers. Even Sweet Apple Acres had one, but it was merely a formality as they supplied cider for all of the local watering holes.

Looking around the room, Strawberry decided that today was going to be the day. Heading downstairs, she began to think of how great things would be. She began planning her store in her head, The curtains will be Magenta to match my mane and the walls will have to be painted green. The window of the first level will display kiwis and the top level will— her thoughts were interrupted when she bumped into somepony.

“Oops, I’m sorry” Strawberry looked up to see who had interrupted her precious planning. It was Pinkie Pie.

“Oh! Sorry Pinkie, I was just… uhhh…”

“Thinking about your shop again?” The pink pony giggled. “It’s ok, I think that it’s a Supercaliliciously fantastic idea! Your fruit tastes so yummy!”

“Err, thanks Pinkie.” Strawberry went to move by her.

“Where ya goin?” Pinkie asked, bouncing to block her. Strawberry smiled,

“To go rent a stand.” Pinkie blinked for a second,

“Like a stand that you set things on?” A stand suddenly materialized under Pinkie. “Look at me! Standing on a stand!” she started laughing so hard that she fell over with a crash. Strawberry let out a nervous chuckle. She was one weird pony.

“No Pinkie, like the one that I can sell fruit at.” Pinkie blinked twice before screaming in her face,

“OHMYGOSH!!!!THAT MEANS LIKE YOU ARE LIKE GETTING A SHOP!” Strawberry started to answer but before she could finish Pinkie had flown at the door yelling something along the lines of, “THIS CALLS FOR A PARTYYYYYY!!!” Strawberry let out a real laugh.

“I guess it does,” she muttered to herself, smiling.