//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Rising from the Fall // by Darkhanos //------------------------------// Jetstream's eyes shot open as the smell of smoke filled his nostrils. In a panic, he got to his hooves and saw that he was outside the city gates and, to his horror, all of Canterlot was up in flames, lighting up the night sky with a sinister orange hue as embers floated everywhere. He could feel the intense heat despite the fact that he was a good distance away from the fires, sending an ice could wave of fear throughout his body, as he remembered what happened the last time he saw a blaze like this. What frightened him most of all were the all too familiar screams of fillies and colts coming from inside the gates. Wasting no time, he bucked the gates open, making short work of it thanks to his martial arts training and ran into the inferno despite his fear in search of the missing foals, hoping and praying that he could find them in time. He didn’t want another child’s life on his conscience. However, he was met with a deafening silence, with nothing but the crackling sounds of the fire and the moaning of unstable building structures surrounding him. "Hello?! Can anypony hear me?!" Jetstream screamed, frantically looking around for any signs of life. "We hear you, son," a deep voice answered. The steel blue stallion turned around and his entire body froze in place, his heart beating like a war drum and his breathing becoming frantic at the sight before him. He saw a Royal Guard earth pony in full armor, looking at him with a pride only a father can know. Next to him was a beige pegasus mare with a light pink mane and tail, sporting a loving smile that only a mother could pull off, and a white earth pony filly with an indigo mane with a silver streak running through it, looking at him with an admiration younger siblings have for their elders. It was as though they were completely unaware of the blaze, focusing only on him. "Mom? Dad?" Jetstream choked out, his entire body trembling as an onslaught of shock, regret, and sorrow began tormenting his already fragile state of mind, "it can't be...you were.." "It's us, Jet," the filly said softly as she stepped forward, giving him a gentle smile that could melt the heart of a manticore on a frenzy. "Starlight?" he said in disbelief. This couldn’t be real; he saw what happened to them with his own eyes. He reached out his hoof to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating, and sure enough, he made contact with her cheek, feeling her soft fur and a gentle warmth coming from her. He gently caressed her cheek, which she responded to by closing her eyes and leaning her head into his hoof, finding comfort from her brother’s loving touch. She opened her sapphire eyes and locked onto his with that same sweet smile. Immediately, he pulled her into a tight embrace as the floodgates of his emotions were released, a cascade of tears flowing from his eyes, afraid that if he were to let go, she'd fade away again.The burning city was all but forgotten as he embraced his beloved sister once more, savoring the moment as his silent tears flowed. Before long he saw a shadow emerge from the fire behind his parents, locking eyes with him as it walked towards them. Jetstream cringed when he sensed malevolence oozing out of its very being, his parents were seemingly unaware of the abomination's presence. "What the..?! Who are you?! What do you want?!" he asked defensively, breaking the hug and standing in front of his sister. The shadow continued its unholy gait as he approached his unsuspecting parents, “MOM?! DAD?! MOVE! GET AWAY FROM IT!!!” “I’m sorry, my son,” the beige mare said somberly, the shadow standing directly behind his parents, placing a hoof on their shoulders. Jetstream stared in horror as the two ponies burst into flames and collapsed on the ground, "NO!" he screamed as he saw his parents reduce to ash "Jetstream! I'm scared!" The filly trembled. "Jump on my back! We have to go now!" Starlight jumped on her brother's back and he took off running as far away from the shadow as possible. However, no matter how hard he ran or where he turned, the fire seemed to block his path every time, forcing him to make a detour. They reached a dead end in a dark alleyway, the fire its only source of light. "Damn it! We're trapped!" he screamed. As soon as he turned around, he saw the abomination turn the corner and give them a menacing stare, full of killing intent. Jetstream's heart was pounding hard as it got close, and he could feel Starlight trembling in fear. "Starlight, I need you to listen very closely: when I tell you to, I need you to run as fast as you can and don't look back no matter what. Understand?" he instructed as the filly jumped off his back. "But what about you?" "Just do as I say!" Jetstream got on his hind hooves and got in a defensive, "You'd better back off! I'm warning you!" The shadow ignored the threat and kept its steady gait, like a lion closing in on its prey. Jetstream charged at it and delivered a flying knee strike, but his attack went through it as if it was a ghost. What in Celestia's name is this thing!? "Run, Starlight!" Wasting no time, the silver maned stallion charged once more, throwing a barrage of punches, kicks, elbows and knees, but no matter how many strikes he threw, they all hit thin air. Worse still, the shadow paid no mind to him at all, keeping its gaze on its target. He felt ice going through his veins when it clicked what it was looking at. "Starlight!" He called out to her, but to his horror, the shadow was standing right in front her, sporting a sinister grin as it stared at her with its hollow blood red eyes, slowly creeping his right hoof towards the filly. "Hush now, quiet now lay on down your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now it's time to go to bed...," the doppelganger sang in Jetstream’s voice, its hoof mere inches from her head. "STARLIGHT!!!" Before he knew it, he saw a dark blue alicorn mare with a starry mane land between Starlight and the doppelganger. "BEGONE!" The mare yelled in her Royal Canterlot Voice, knocking back the shadow. Her eyes became white and her horn glowed with powerful magic. In an instant, she released a powerful spell, blinding the stallion as the entire city faded into darkness. When Jetstream opened his eyes, he noticed he was in a realm of endless space and stars, with nebulae of different colors and shapes off in the distance. Before he could bask in its wondrous beauty, he saw the alicorn gracefully walking towards him in all of her regal glory. Even though his body was shaking uncontrollably, he managed to bow before her. "Princess Luna..." "Thou may rise, Jetstream," Luna said in a motherly tone, placing a hoof on his shoulders. He looked up at her soft teal eyes and slowly rose to his hooves, "Thou hath been plagued with these horrific nightmares for some time now. We fear if this continues, thy sanity will break." The silver maned stallion was trembling from the onslaught of emotions that were running through him, but he tried to retain his composure nonetheless. "Thank you for your help, Princess Luna. I... I owe you so much for everything you and Princess Celestia have done for me." "Thou owe us nothing. Thou hath displayed great courage and sacrifice, and suffered much in thy young life. Tis the least we can do for thee." "I still couldn't save them,” he said, “it didn’t matter what I did or how hard I tried, I still failed them...I failed them as a brother and a son. If anypony deserved to survive that night, it was Starlight, not me. She was just a filly, she didn't deserve to die so young. " Jetstream sobbed as he collapsed, no longer able to contain his sorrow. It was the first time he ever talked so freely about his loss and it opened the floodgates of his sorrow and regret. Princess Luna embraced the grief stricken stallion, wrapping her wings around him and craddling him. "Tis not so, Jetstream. We saw thy courage in thy attempt to save her and thou hath not failed anypony. Thou hath given everything of thyself, and thou shalt not blame thyself for the outcome. Twas beyond thy control," the lunar princess said as she gently rocked back and forth, stroking his mane with her hoof, like a mother would to comfort her foal. Her words, however, brought little comfort to the stallion. "I miss them, Princess," he cried, "I feel so alone, so lost without them. I have nothing left..." "Shhh. Thou art not alone. Thou must allow thyself to open thy heart to others, to weather this storm of sorrow. And the storm shall pass," Luna said. They held the embrace for a long while until the silver maned stallion had no more tears to shed. "Tis nearly time for thee to wake. We shall be by thy side should thou need us. We wish thee peace, Jetstream. We shall be watching thee." Luna broke the embrace and flew off as the stallion slowly started to regain consciousness. He woke up with dried tears matted to his face, still very shaken from his nightmare. He had been having nightmares of that nature ever since the accident and had not had a good night's sleep since. He wasn't sure how much more of it he could take before his mind would break completely. However, his talk with Princess Luna gave him some much needed solace. He was far from okay, but at least the world didn’t seem quite as dark and lonely now. He looked out the window to see that they were nearly at the Ponyville station. I'm here then. He was snapped out of his thoughts when his stomach let out a very loud growl, demanding that it be fed. Under normal circumstances, he would've been very glad nopony else had heard the embarrassing noise. However, he couldn't care less at the moment. On the other hoof, the pain in his stomach still proved to be a nuisance. Maybe I could order something real quick... "Attention fillies and gentlecolts, we will be arriving in Ponyville shortly. Please make your way to the exit and thank you for choosing the Ponyville Express," the conductor said over the intercom. Scratch that, I'll have to get something in town. After that, I'll settle down at a hotel, Jetstream thought flatly as he gathered his luggage. He pulled his hood over his head and exited the train. He was met with fresh country air the moment he stepped out of the train, a welcome change of scenery. Thankfully, it was still early enough that the streets were practically empty, save for a few ponies running their stands in the marketplace so he wouldn't have to wait long to find some breakfast and be on his way.   Jetstream walked through the marketplace, looking at the various goods each stand had to offer. He had to admit, all of the produce on display looked and smelled very delicious, more so than the crops from Canterlot did. Probably because these crops are truly fresh, he thought to himself. When Jetstream pressed on, he saw an orange mare with a blonde mane sporting a Stetson hat at her stand with various types of apples for sale. Jetstream's stomach growled again once he saw the fruit, almost as if it was demanding that he get apples for breakfast. I swear this thing has a mind of its own. He thought as he made his way to the stand. As he approached, the mare noticed him and gave him a friendly smile, "Well, howdy partner! How can Ah help ya?" the mare asked with a southern accent. "Good morning ma'am," Jetstream answered, "I was wondering if it'd be okay to sample one of your apples?" "Why sure! Any apple in particular?" she asked cheerfully. As much as he would've liked to sample them all, he just stuck to his favorite one. "Do you have a Red Delicious?" "Sure do!" the mare said as she pulled out a platter of sliced Red Delicious. He grabbed a slice and took a small bite out of it. The moment the succulent juices hit his tongue, his mind went blank. His mind couldn't comprehend how incredible the apple tasted compared to the ones he would normally have. It was far more crisp, juicy, and it was somehow sweeter than any of its kind. It was, without a doubt, the most delicious fruit to ever grace his taste buds. It was a match made in Heaven. He could've sworn that his stomach was screaming that it must have more of this coveted fruit. "You okay there, partner?" the orange mare giggled. "This...is the most amazing apple I've ever tasted!" Jetstream said as he scarfed down the remainder of the sample which seemed to put him in a strangely good mood, "Did you grow these yourself?" "Sure did! Mah family and Ah grow an' harvest our own apples on our farm, Sweet Apple Acres, just outside of town," she said with no small amount of pride. "Wow! This is even better than anything I could ever find in Canterlot or any place for that matter!" the silver maned stallion exclaimed as he eyed the rest of her stock...well mostly. "Really now? Yer pullin’ mah leg!” the blonde maned mare said, her interest now piqued. "No ma'am. I searched everywhere in the city to find a decent apple but only a hoofful of merchants sold anything worth buying. As it turns out, the merchants never grew their own stock, they imported their goods from all over Equestria and they still don't compare to yours! If you were to sell your apples in Canterlot, you'd put the others out of business!" "Well, Ah'll be. Ah rightly appreciate the compliment, sir. You just made mah day!" she said with a big smile, one that Jetstream found very endearing. "So, did you ever consider branching out to Canterlot?" The mare's smile faded a little. "Well, truth is Ah tried. It didn't turn out like Ah hoped it would," she said, remembering the disappointing turn of events at the Grand Galloping Gala. "Why? What happened?" he asked out of surprise. "With apples this good, you should've sold out within minutes!" "Well, it's a long story, and Ah wouldn’t want ta bore ya," she responded, scratching the back of her head with a forehoof. "I've got time," Jetstream said with a smile. She couldn't help but stare at his amber eyes for a few moments. She didn't know why, but as she looked in his eyes, she felt that she could trust him, even though he was a complete stranger. "Well, it started when mah friends and Ah were invited to the Grand Galloping Gala..." she recounted what she could remember that night, including her run in with the infamous Prince Blueblood and his less than polite reaction to her apple fritters, and how they wrecked the ballroom of the castle. The silver maned stallion listened intently, becoming intrigued by the unfortunate, yet hilarious events, "...We all thought we ruined the Gala for Princess Celestia, but as it turns out she actually enjoyed it more than anythin'!" "Wow, that sounds like a night to remember!" he chuckled, "but I see where you went wrong as far as selling your apples goes." "Ya do? What'd Ah do wrong?" "Your choice for consumers. They were all stuck up nobles. If they were stuck on a desert island, they wouldn't drink fresh water from an oasis to save their own flanks if the water wasn't imported from Prance," Jetstream answered with a smile on his lips.  The mare laughed hard at his comment on the nobles because he seemed to hit their attitudes right on the nail. "Yer...yer sure right about that, sugarcube," the farm mare said in between breaths, her beautiful smile returning once more. He couldn't help but feel enticed by it. "Trust me, if it was anypony else you were selling to, you would've been sold out within minutes. I know I'd be in line everyday."   "Well, that's mighty kind of ya. Tell ya what, why doncha take a bushel of Red Delicious on the house?" Jetstream's eyes lit up on the proposition. An entire bushel of the most amazing apples for free? There had to be a catch, but when he looked into her emerald eyes, he saw nothing but sincerity in them, a trait he admired very much. But still, he had to at least give her something for them, he wouldn't feel right about it otherwise. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose." "Ah'm sure, sugarcube. You ain't imposin' none," the orange mare said with a reassuring smile. "I wouldn't feel right just taking it. Are you sure there isn't any way I could repay you?" She rubbed her chin in thought for a moment. "Ah'll tell ya what, if ya feel that strongly about it, we could use some help 'round the farm for some harvestin'. Now Ah ain't gonna sugar coat it, it's hard work, but if ya think you can handle it you can swing by and help us for a day." "You've got a deal Miss..." Jetstream drew a blank when he realized he made a very basic mistake. "I'm sorry, after all of this time I never caught your name," he said sheepishly. "Name's Applejack," she smiled as she extended her hoof. "Jetstream. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Applejack," he said as he accepted her hoofshake (which was far more firm than he would've anticipated from the blonde beauty.) "Eeyup. Yer from Canterlot all right," Applejack chuckled, "Y'all are the only ponies Ah know who make those fancy greetins'. So what made ya come to Ponyville, Jetstream?" And there it was, that dreaded question he knew he'd be asked. But strangely, he wasn't bothered in the least. There was something about this mare that made him relaxed, like he didn't have to put up a façade with her. It was a nice change for once. "I needed to get out of the city for a while and clear my head. I could use the peace and quiet," he answered. It surprised him how he was so forthcoming with her. But why? He was always so careful on what he told others as a Wonderbolt, yet here he was doing the exact opposite. Must be the apple she gave me, he reasoned. "Ah hear ya. Ah cain't stay there for a day without gettin' all stressed out with all that hustle n' bustle that goes on over there. Ah prefer the quiet of the countryside." "I can see why, it's very peaceful out here. That reminds me, is there a hotel or somewhere I can stay for the night nearby?" "Hmm...there might be a room available at the Haympton Inn just 'round the corner. It's a bit pricey, but the rooms are real nice an' comfy." "Sounds good. By the way, how do I find Sweet Apple Acres and what time should I come by?" "Ah tell ya what, Ah finish workin' at five. Come by 'round then an' Ah'll show ya how ta get there and we'll discuss it then." "Sounds good. I'll meet you here at five then. I'll be..." Jetstream's stomach growled so loud that several nearby ponies heard it, causing him to blush a bright shade of red and Applejack to stifle a laugh, "...going now. Thanks again," he said as he quickly trotted off to find the hotel. Damn! That was so embarrassing! Before he turned the corner, he risked one more glance at the farm mare. She had that same endearing smile on her face and waved before she turned back to her stand. He couldn't help but notice her cutie mark. I see...her talent lies with apples after all. Sure does show in her product. Jetstream trotted on as he found the posh hotel and quickly made his way to check in to feed his vengeful stomach and to avoid any further embarrassment. "Heh heh, poor fella." Applejack chuckled to herself as she watched Jetstream trot off, completely unaware of the big smile she was wearing when he left. She couldn't tell if it was from his compliment, his little joke about the nobles, or his laid back attitude, but there was one thing for certain, she sure did enjoy his company. For the very first time, she was looking forward to the end of work if only to see him again. When she turned back to her stand, she noticed a familiar cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail floating down from a nearby cloud, landing right next to her. "What's up AJ?"  she asked. "Well Ah'll be, I'm surprised ta see you up before noon, Rainbow Dash." Applejack chuckled. "Hey! I don't always sleep past noon!" Rainbow shot back indignantly. "Sorry, Ah couldn't resist!" Applejack chuckled, "So what's on yer mind, sugarcube? Did ya want some apples?" Rainbow Dash couldn't help but notice that the blonde mare had a big smile on her face, and that she had a pep in her step as well. "Well, somepony's in a good mood! Care to explain why?" "Huh? What makes ya say that?" Applejack asked in genuine confusion. Rainbow just gave her an incredulous look. "Oh I dunno, maybe because you have that big goofy smile on your face," Rainbow answered sarcastically. It wasn't until it was mentioned that she felt her cheeks somewhat tense with that smile. "Oh, heh, Ah guess I do don't Ah?" Applejack blushed a little, "Well Ah was just..." "Hello, Applejack, darling!" A white unicorn with a stylized purple mane and tail called out with a yellow pegasus with a flowing pink mane and tail following close by. "Hey there Rarity, you an' Fluttershy off for y'alls spa appointment?" "Um...yes. There's a new oil treatment Aloe and Lotus have for Pegasi and I wanted to try it out...if they don't mind that is," Fluttershy said as she hid behind her pink mane. "Well, enough about us, darling," Rarity interjected, giving Applejack a curious glance. "We were just wondering who that mysterious stallion you were talking to was. You two seemed to have been having a very delightful...conversation," she said with a teasing tone while fluttering her eyes. Applejack's cheeks blushed a light shade of red at Rarity's teasing. "Oh, so that's why you're in such a good mood!" Rainbow teased with a sly smirk, causing Applejack to turn a shade darker, "since when were you into mysterious stallions?" "I...it ain't like that! He just wanted ta buy some apples is all!" the farm mare said while frantically waving her front hooves. "Is that so? Then why didn't you charge him for that bushel of apples?" Rarity rebutted. "Consarnit, Rarity! It was just a gift for pleasin' me! " The moment she finished her sentence, it hit her that it didn't sound right at all. It only confirmed her suspicions when Fluttershy blushed hard and Rainbow Dash and Rarity busted out in a fit of laughter, "GRRRR! THAT AIN'T WHAT AH MEANT!" "Oh! oh ho ho, forgive us darling," said Rarity as she was fanning her face and catching her breath, "We were just curious about your new friend is all." "What were you two talking about?" Fluttershy asked in genuine curiosity. "Well, we were just talking about apples." "Oh come off it!" Rainbow exclaimed, "There had to be more to it than that!" "Let me finish, Dash! He asked ta sample one of the apples, when he did he said it was better than any apples he could find in Canterlot!" Applejack said with her smile returning. "Oh! He's from Canterlot! Well that's quite the compliment considering the amount of goods are imported there!" Rarity chimed. "Eeyup!" she chimed, just like her older brother. "Wait a minute! How's that supposed to be some big compliment? How do you know he wasn't just trying to butter you up to get a free meal?" the cyan pegasus asked suspiciously. "Because I saw nothin' but sincerity in his eyes, and Ah know when somepony's lyin' or hiding somethin'. Even then he didn't feel right just takin' them so he offered to repay me by helpin' 'round the farm for a day. Besides, y'all know how them ponies at the Gala were when Ah tried sellin' mah apples then, and for him ta say that the other’s didn't compare ta mine made me feel real good." "Oh, my. That was certainly nice of him," Fluttershy said with a small smile. "Ah think so too. It kinda surprised me ta see that he wasn't all snooty an' stuck up like most of them folks from Canterlot are." "Not all ponies from Canterlot are obnoxious, Applejack," Rarity chastised, "by the way, did you manage to catch the gentlecolt's name and why he was here?" "Oh yeah! His name's Jetstream. He said he..."   Applejack said was cut off when Rainbow Dash immediately flew in front of the blonde mare's face and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Jetstream?! As in 2nd Lieutenant Jetstream from the Wonderbolts?!" Rainbow asked as she unintentionally shook a very nervous Applejack. "W...well, A...Ah don't know. Ah d...didn't think ta ask...about his profession." "Well what did he look like?!" Rainbow asked as she shook her almost impatiently. "Dagnabit! Would ya stop shakin' me like that?!" Applejack threw Rainbow's front hooves off of her in annoyance, "Ah swear Ah cain't even think straight when ya do that!" "Oh, heh heh, sorry." The cyan pegasus smiled sheepishly, "But seriously, what did he look like?" "Hmm, well, he had blue fur, a silver mane and amber eyes," Applejack answered. "That could fit the description of anypony!" the cyan mare said in annoyance, "Did you manage to see his cutie mark?" Applejack's face blushed hard when she asked that question. "W...well, Ah...um..." Applejack was working up a sweat and was nervously rubbing her forehooves together. "You were staring at his flank weren't you, Applejack?" Rarity asked as more of a statement than a question. "Oh all right! I couldn't keep mah eyes offa them, ya happy?!" Applejack said with surprising volume, making Rarity and Dash laugh once more. "Anyways, his cutie mark looked like a light blue stream goin' through two dark blue rings." Rainbow's eyes went wide and she squealed in delight as if it was the opening of apple cider season. "OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH! THAT'S HIM! HE'S REALLY HERE! DID HE SAY WHERE HE WAS STAYING?! WHAT HE PLANNED ON DOING OR..." Rainbow was cut short when Rarity put her hoof to her mouth. "Really now, Dash, it's very unladylike to ramble on like that. I admit that I find having a celebrity staying here rather exciting, and as such a lady must make a good impression. Speaking of which, we really should get going Fluttershy, we wouldn't want to be late for our appointment now would we?" "Oh, of course not. I have to get back soon to feed Angel his lunch. You know how cranky he gets when he misses a meal. See you guys later!" Fluttershy responded as the duo made their way to the spa. "See ya Rares, see ya Flutters," Dash replied. When they were out of earshot, the rainbow maned mare turned to Applejack, "this is so awesome!" "Well shoot! Ah cain't believe Ah didn't recognize him! He was just so down ta earth that Ah never woulda guessed he was a celebrity!" said Applejack. "Did he say where he was staying?" Dash asked, practically hopping in place with excitement, "I can't wait to meet him! I wanna show him some new tricks I've been working on! Better yet, I wanna see him in action!" Applejack gave the cyan pegasus a stern look. "Look, Dash. He said he came ta Ponyville for some peace an' quiet. Doncha think we should wait a while before we start botherin' him with that stuff? He just got into town after all, so let him relax for a while. Besides, he'll have his hooves full with Pinkie Pie before long." "Oh...crap. I totally forgot about her!"  As if on cue, a pink mare popped out of the apple stand, with two invitations in hoof.                                 * * * Applejack wasn't kidding when she said this hotel was pricey! 90 bits a night is a little steep! Jetstream thought to himself as he was walking down the hallway, looking for his room for the night. He stopped in front of room 223 and used the key to open the door and saw that it looked well equipped. It had a king sized mattress with big fluffy pillows, a full kitchen with tile floor and granite countertops, with a big refrigerator that came equipped with an ice and water dispenser, and a spacious bathroom. It looked more like he was a guest in a wealthy pony's guest room. But totally worth every bit. Jetstream immediately took his bushel of apples to the kitchen and wasted no time devouring the delicious fruit. This batch tasted even better than the sample, if that was at all possible. As he was eating, his thoughts drifted back to his conversation with Applejack. She seemed friendly enough, but he was still confused as to why he felt so at peace around her. On top of that he was pretty straightforward with her as well. He wasn't one to keep secrets, but he did value privacy due to his lack of it as a Wonderbolt. She was also beautiful, but he's been around beautiful mares all of the time and never got that feeling before with them, so why was she so different? Must be these apples. They put me in a good mood to begin with, he reasoned with himself.   She did have three apples for her cutie mark. Her flank wasn’t a bad sight either... Woah, where did that come from? I'm better than that! After his appetite was sated, he let out a contented sigh and was making his way to his luggage to unpack. Suddenly, out of nowhere, confetti burst out of the top drawer of the dresser along with a pink blur that landed right in front of him. "HI!" a pink mare with a fluffy pink mane and tail practically yelled. "GYAH! WHAT THE..?! WHO ARE YOU?!" Jetstream fell back on his haunches as a pair of light blue eyes stared at him with what he perceived as a menacing smile. "I'm Pinkie Pie and I want to invite you to your 'Welcome to Ponyville' party because you're new! I know every pony in this town and I've never seen you before so I figured you were new and I just had to throw you a Welcome party! It's a great way to meet everypony and there'll be food, games, cake, and best of all, FUN!" Pinkie said with seemingly inexhaustible energy as she handed him a pink party card while he was still processing what was going on. "It'll be held at Sugarcube Corner at seven o'clock sharp! See you there!" With that the pink mare dove head first into the top drawer and was out of sight. Jetstream quickly ran to it and found that the pink mare was nowhere to be found. "What...in Tartarus just happened?" He said in bewilderment. Choosing to forget the matter, he looked at the invitation again and sighed. If he was going to stay here, he may as well try to make a good impression with the townsfolk. The food and cake sure did sound appealing as well; it would save him the trouble of finding dinner later on. Jetstream looked at the clock to check the time. Well, I've got plenty of time before Applejack gets off and the party starts a little while after. I don't want to stay cooped up here all day. Maybe I'll take a stroll through the town and get to know the area better. With that, he grabbed his key and saddlebags, heading out of the door.