Like many romance novels this one starts with a party, what they don’t all start with is a pinkie party and that’s what my story (sort of) starts with.
My story begins with my moving to Ponyville, I used to live in Canterlot for a long time until a relative in the family passed on my uncle to be exact, he hated the city and on first chance ran off to Ponyville to be a small time writer. He never got big but he led a happy if not lonely life. When I heard of his death I was sad, I won’t lie I did cry a good while mostly due to the unsaid things that should have been said. Needless to say when I was young my uncle had always been the odd one out of the family.
When I was young and he visited I would always avoid him and call him weird or worse, I deeply regret it now but in truth my uncle never held it against me because in truth foals at my age at the time say some stupid things. But even so our relationship had always been strained. He even asked if I wished to live out with him due to my special talent.
My talent is in some ways boring. I always loved reading and writing as a foal but I was never any good what I was good at though was proofreading I excelled at grammar spelling and all those technical sides to writing. My uncle was so impressed he asked me to come live with him and proofread his writing’s. At the time I was unsure of my future if I did that and I was a bit selfish at the time and if I could I would have went with my uncle had I known how the job market would turn out. As I got older the market got worse and worse and when I got out of school all the big publishers had plenty of editors and I no matter how good my resume was I never got a single job, worse yet I grew to hate the city. I became shyer and after I time I would have rather spend time alone in a library than even talk to a member of my age group.
So when my uncles will told me that he left his little house to me I took it, plus a small time newspaper was starting to branch out in to publishing short stories in and around Ponyville. I needed the work and could no longer stand Canterlot, it was the best opportunity I had and possibly the only one I would have.
Well I contacted the publisher there who was ecstatic saying he needed all the help he could get with this, but of course he said he would like some of my work and sent me a short story to edit. On the train I read this story. A classic type of story, a romance between opposites one a perky party mare and the other a boring stallion who loved reading and quiet who somehow clicked with each other. I chuckled dryly at this story and edited it finding plenty small errors and a few large ones. Very run of the mill, the only problem I had with it was I could not believe it much that opposites could attract.
As I stepped onto the platform after the train had rode up to a stop I was caught off guard by a vigorous hoofshake.
“Thank you so much for coming out you don’t know what a life saver it is to have a professional editor come all the way from Canterlot!” he says enthusiastically, I would have been flattered if I did not have to tell the truth to the poor stallion.
“i-I’m not exactly a professional more of a rookie actually.” I admitted “I never had a job at a publisher before; I’m barely out of school.” As the words left my lips his face drained of enthusiasm.
“But, but you said you had special talent with editing” he said to me, I nodded to that
“I do.” I turned my flank showing a red marker and paper with red lines and circles on it, indicating an editing themed mark. “See?” the stallion looked then a shadow of his original excitement tried to smile
“Well there that. I will look over your work and we will see how skilled you are, while I’m a bit disappointed I’m still happy you’re here kid… go get settled and we will talk later.” He said as he walked down the steps with then parted from my company as I walked towards my new home. As I enter the smell of wilting flowers and pen ink hits my nose images of my quirky uncle come to me and tears well up. I simple just drop my bag and immediately go out.
“I need a pastry or something.” I mutter as I begin to take one of many nice walks. I loved to walk back home a nice morning walk kept me in shape and let me watch the world as it created its own story. A story that needs no editing, that has no plot holes, that just unfolds perfectly. As I approached what looked to be a frosted gingerbread house, I looked to a sign that said Sugercube Corner, fitting for a bakery. As I entered the smell of baked goods assaulted my senses, I breathed in with a happy sigh. No matter how bad a day goes the nice smell of baking always lifts my spirits. There were all sorts of wonderful baked goods, cakes, cupcakes, pies, even loafs of bread. A little bell had rung as soon as the door had opened and I slipped in. a bubblegum pink mare had come from the back, most likely the kitchen as her equally pink hair had sugar , flour, and what I hoped was chocolate frosting.
“Hi there!” her perky voice chimed making me jump at the level of excitement in her voice. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner!” she said. “What Can I get you today?!” she asked she asked as I blinked at how much she said in the blink of an eye.
“Umm I...” what did want usually I would get maybe a donut or a bagel or something but today it seems I did not want as my hoof pointed to a pie. “I want that” I said simply to which the pink mare just nodded.
“Oh that pies great! All pies are, especially pies like me!” she notices my blank look as I wonder what the heck she means “oh are you new here?!” she asked excited to which I nod and she jumps in the air and gasps and runs away. I’m stunned unsure what to think, my first day here and I make a mare run away in what I think was fear or something she did not just run away for nothing. The pie sat there on the counter making me look left and right then set down the allotted bits on the counter and take the pie. A timer went off in the back and a low boom was heard and pie flung against the wall by the door as I opened the door, looking back I notice bright pink cannon making me wonder what the quirky mare was doing in there. I shake my head at my own short coming, how could I judge somepony with a stable job when I barely had a job at all. Who was I to judge, I asked myself as I walked back towards my house. The pie smelled lovely, no matter what she did in the kitchen the mare knew how to cook and coupled with her cuteness she would make a nice catch for some lucky stallion I thought. What was I thinking I barely just got here and I already was sizing up the mares... not like I had much luck in Canterlot. I mean who wouldn't want a stallion with a proofreading talent it’s not like I was considered a nerd in school or nothing.
Why was I even thinking about this?! I ask as I see uncles house, it has been dark for about a week now and looking at it brought awkward memories to my mind. I sighed rather sadly as I entered the dark front room as suddenly my ears are assaulted by loud music making me jump in fright, the pie flying into the air as I clutch my heart as the same pink mare rushes up to me and (by pure chance) catches the pie in her jumble of a tail.
“Surprise!” she yelled in a voice that could only be described as jubilant. It would be the first of many surprises…