Adam squinted through drooping eyelids against the noonday sun as he stepped off the train and onto the Ponyville platform. He adjusted his heavy saddlebag, trying fruitlessly to make it sit comfortably on his back. His hoof went to his face, rubbing the deep-seated sleep out of his eyes. The train chugged back to life behind him, pulling out of the quaint station with all the reluctance that Adam had felt upon arrival. He blinked once, twice, and started to head into town. He knew that his new house was the sixteenth on his right coming from the east, but since the train station was at the south end of town he was going to have to take a little walk before he would be able to unload his luggage. As he trotted down the street he steadily shook off the drowsiness left over from his sleep on the train, and after a couple minutes of walking he was alert enough to notice the sharp gasp from behind him. Adam turned around, wondering what somepony found so shocking, but there was no one there. Before he could contemplate whether his ears were playing tricks on him, his stomach let out a loud growl. He decided to put off any contemplation until after he had something to eat.
When Adam arrived at the market square, what he saw baffled him. There were dozens of stalls, each completely unique and designed to show what wares the vendor was selling. The market gave off an air of vibrancy and life, bartering and haggling, and satisfaction at a deal gotten or a sale made. None of this was terribly baffling though. What was so surprising was how empty it was. There were only two salesponies in the entire market, and no other customers. Now that he thought about it, ever since Adam heard the gasp he had seen less and less ponies. "Oh well, no other customers means no lines I guess," he thought to himself.
The two ponies were running neighbouring stalls, and though both were orange in hue neither sold oranges. Which was good, because Adam always had trouble with the peels of those things. The vendor on his left was a blonde maned pony with a Stetson and a southern accent, and the pony on the right had a lighter orange coat and a richly coloured curly orange mane. Both of them were Earth Ponies, and both had cutie marks matching their wares, apples and carrots respectively. The apple one noticed him first, and let out a friendly "Howdy, stranger!"
"Hi. Um, is it normally this quiet at this time of day? Isn't it about lunch time? Where is everypony?" Adam asked the two ponies.
"I think everyone else is already getting ready for the party. We were just about to head there, but if you want to buy some carrots first feel free. They're two bits each," The carrot vendor told him cheerfully.
"Oh, uh, yeah I'll get-" Adam was cut off by the apple pony before he could get any more out.
"Ah'm sure y'all'd rather have some juicy, delicious apples am Ah right? Only a bit each, and fresh out of the tree this morning."
"Really? Hm, well then I guess I-" The carrot vendor interrupted before Adam managed any apple buying related commitments.
"Well since you look like such a nice pony I'll give you a deal. How does a bit each sound? Best carrots in town, and at a price you just can't beat." Carrot pony beamed a professionally cheerful smile at him.
"Oh. Um, then I think I'll..." Adam paused for a second and looked at the apple pony. "Aren't you going to try to out bid Miss Carrot over there?"
Apple pony flashed a warm smile at Adam. "No siree. Ah'm confident y'all can see the quality of mah apples. Ah don't need to go lowerin' any prices to convince you of something anypony can see, and that's that these apples are something that ponies all over Equestria would die to get a bite out of."
"Huh. Well then. Anything to say to that, Miss Carrot?"
"The name's Golden Harvest, but my friends call me Carrot Top." She paused for a second. "I can say for sure that nopony has ever died trying to get any of my carrots, but they're still pretty good."
Adam and the apple salespony laughed. "Well I'll get one carrot and one apple, and then I'll let you two head over to that party that everyone else in town seems to be at. What's the party for? Some sort of town celebration? Gotta be something big, right?"
"Y'all didn't hear? There's a new pony in town today and Pinkie Pie's throwing him a welcoming party."
"Hm, another one eh?" Adam was surprised that another pony would move in on the same day that he did. "Must be someone pretty important to deserve a whole town welcoming him," Adam thought to himself.
"Yep, after the success of Pinkie's last welcoming party she's decided that she should throw more of them. It's at Tropical Spring's old house if you want to go," Golden Harvest told him as she packed up her stall.
