//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: The Story of Jack 
// by Jack_The_Lonely_Pony 
//------------------------------//

The Story of Jack

It was sixteen years before the third season, and a filly was being born. The Manehattan Hospital staff was readying for the new arrival. The mother, Apple-Pie, already had three fillies and had been readying her home for the fourth. Unfortunately, the father had died in a horrible applebucking accident two weeks prior to this. Apple-Pie knew that she would need her mother's help in raising the newest filly, but she didn't know how to ask.

Soon, the clock struck 7:35pm. Screaming could be heard throughout the Maternity Ward. Apple-Pie tried to cope with the pain using whatever methods she learned from the first three fillies, but nothing helped. She began to bleed as doctors frantically tried to save the baby. Then, at 7:43 pm, the small blue filly took it's first breath. One of the doctors walked over to hand over the filly, but the mother was unresponsive. 

Doctors tried to revive the unconcious mare, but it was too late. Apple-Pie died, leaving behind four fillies. Three in the care of her mother, Granny Smith, and one alone in the hospital.A nurse went to the filly and carefully picked it up, caring for it while a secretary called Sweet Apple Acres with the bad news.  But, the secretary didn't know that the filly had survived.

A week went by as the nurses cared for the young filly. Soon, a local orphanage agreed to take in the young filly. The orphanage went by the name of "Under Celestia's Wing" and as the name implied, it was a delightful place with many fillies who would soon be adopted. The nameless foal went through the first years of his life normally, but he soon began to question where his parents were. Everyday at Magic Kindergarden he would see parents picking up their fillies or hear stories about a filly's parents. One of the caretakers finally answered his questions on his fifth birthday.

"Listen, your parents both loved you. But-" Said the worker
"But what?" questioned the young filly
"But, they're both... dead..."

The filly then silenced completely, and remained the same way for two years. The young colt noticed that almost everyday one of his friends would be adopted by stallions and mares, but the soon-to-be parents would always pass by him. Some would turn up their heads at him, while all the others just looked away. 

Soon, a message was sent to the orphanage. It stated that a human would be coming. This human would adopt one filly and care for it. This would prove to Celestia that humans could be trusted as caretakers and helpers to the ponies. If this went successfully, Celestia would open a portal through the fourth wall, allowing ponies and humans to join each other for the first time in history.

The date that the human would be arriving was originally set for the next week, but due to the closing of the orphanage being set on the exact same date, it was moved to three days from monday. The young colt thought it wouldn't be him that was chosen, even though he was the only pony left... Well, except for Fallen Star. Fallen Star had been found outside of the orphanage when he was only a filly. Of course, that had been 5 years ago. 

Soon, the nurses started to try to name him in time for the arrival of the human. 
They tried a bunch of names:
"Hey, Brian!"
"Good Morning, Jeffery."
"Here you go, Tom."
The young colt didn't respond to a single name that was given to him.

Two days before the human was set to arrive, he left the orphanage and vowed he would never again live by a single name. He was scared while walking around Manehattan alone.Suddenly he heard someone coming. In his panic, he ran directly into a tall figure. The figure tripped over the frightened pony and landed with a hard thud on the ground.

The pony was scared stiff. He was afraid that the thing would be mad. It spoke:
"Whoa, watch it, Jack!"
"Uh... sorry..."
It straightened itself into a sitting position and spoke again.
"What's the matter, little guy?" asked the figure
"I was just..."
"Just what?"
"Running away..."
The sun was beginning to rise and as the sunlight hit the large figure, the young colt could finally see what had been talking to him. In his surprise, he spoke.
"Wait, are you a human?"
The human was still sitting. He almost laughed at the colt's question, but he answered.
"Yes. I was sent here by Princess Celestia to adopt a filly like you from the orphanage."
The colt was shocked. This was the human that was coming to the orphanage. The human spoke again.
"Do you know where the orphanage is?"
"Yes," answered the timid filly, "the orphanage is the place I was running away from..."

The human had reached it's knees. It looked at the colt with a look of surprise and sorrow in it's eyes.
"You want to see the other ponies, don't yo-"
The human cut the filly off mid-sentence.
"You know what, I don't need to see any of the other fillies."
The colt's eyes lit up. He knew what the human was saying.
"What's your name, little dude?"
"I... I...don't have one..."
"What? No name?"
"Eeyup..."
"Hmm, I remember the minute I met you, I called you Jack... that sound good?"
Jack nodded his head, but noticed his glasses were dirty. He went to wipe them on his greasy-looking mane, but the human stopped him.
"Let your buddy Jace handle that."
Jace wiped the dirt off of Jack's glasses, and then took a wet napkin out and cleaned the lenses vigorously.
Jace then noticed that the filly had a small limp.
"What's wrong with your leg, Jack?"
"Well, I hurt it when I climbed out of a window."
Jace then motioned for the filly to climb into his arms. Jack nestled himself into the generous embrace. Then, the two walked back towards the orphanage.

The papers were signed...

Jack's name was now official...

and the two went to Jace's home...

END OF CHAPTER 1