//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Pipes and Pancakes 
// Story: Rising from the Ashes 
// by Doctoroctagonapus21 
//------------------------------//

A few days pass and Sparky meets some of the other ponies who live in the village as well as once again escorting Chilly to and from the city.

Everything was going fine until one morning as Sparky and Melody were sleeping, when all of a sudden a great boom was heard and the sink started spewing water like crazy. The shock woke up both of them and they ran outside and saw that almost all the other ponies had evacuated their houses as well. 

"What's going on?" asked Aeron, a grey pegasus with a pale-blue mane and a cloud for his mark.

Water was spilling from all the open doors.

"Who did this?" asked Sandy, a yellow earth pony with a green mane and a hammer and chisel as her mark.

Amidst all the commotion, Brook, a deep-blue unicorn with artificial black wings, and a hammer crossing a saw with wire wrapped around it and dripping water for a mark, came out and said "Looks like something's clogging a pipe. I'll go handle it." and went off, tools at her side, to check on whatever was causing the problem.

Meanwhile, Phyre, a red unicorn with a red mane and a chef's hat for a mark stepped outside and said, "Oh my. I'm sorry everyone. This is my fault. I haven't been cleaning up my kitchen properly and so I kinda dumped all my garbage down the disposal and it jammed." All the other ponies groaned. "Normally, I'd make you all breakfast to make up for it, but my kitchen's a real mess now. But I know someone in the city who's good at making breakfast, she's a brown earth pony who runs a cafe on Canterlot Road. Just tell her what happened and I'll pay the bill." The remaining ponies started groggily trotting through the forest towards the city and Sparky started gretting the others such as the twin actresses Dawn and Luna black and white earth ponies with white and black manes respectively and the masks of comedy and tragedy as their respective marks.

"How are you two today?" Sparky asked as cheerfully as he could.

"Tired." They answered in unison. Clearly they were chatty today.

Sparky caught up with Melody. "Hey there. Sleep well?"

"Yeah, until the whole pipe thing." Melody answered. "How about you?"

"Pretty good I guess."

"Something wrong?" Melody asked.

"No... Have I ever told you you have an amazing singing voice?"

"Thanks." Melody answered with a giggle. "I can also play a few instruments."

"Really? Which ones?"

"Flute, Violin, and Cello. Though I'm not the best."

Sparky and Meloy made small talk as the group headed down into the city along the winding streets to Canterlot Road where Phyre had said the cafe was. They looked inside and saw the brown pony. She had short hair and her mark was a stack of pancakes.

The bell rang as they all walked in and the golden brown pony looked over and said to herself "Oh my, looks like I'm going to have a busy morning." She then walked up to the counter and stated loudly, "Welcome, may I help you... all?"

Sparky stepped forward and said, "Yeah, a friend of ours named Phyre made... a recommendation so we thought we'd come here and check it out."

"Goodness, so I can just make the bill out to her?"

"Eeyup." He said with everyone joining in agreement.

Everyone put a few tables together which was enough to seat them all, Sparky taking a seat next to Melody and Flora. "What would you all like to drink?" she asked the group. Some said water, some said juice and Sandy asked for coffee. The drinks were brought in posthaste. After about a half an hour, Pancakes, the golden brown pony, brought out plate after plate of pancakes until the group was served then proceeded to bring out some powdered sugar as well as other toppings.

The group then began to chat to each other about things they had done before or their plans for the morning before it became vocal chaos with each pony trying to talk to another. At one point, Sandy mentioned that she had once gotten invited to the Grand Galloping Gala and it caught Melody's ears. "The Gala? Oh how I wish I could go someday..."