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// Chapter 2 - Ain't No Party Like a Pinkie Pie Party 
// Story: Separated 
// by ItalianMugshot 
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	I was awakened by the sound of the chicken's cooing. I woke up feeling really sore and uncomfortable, being in that barn isn't exactly paradise, but better than sleeping on the dirt floor I guess. I brushed off the hay that was on my mane and coat when I woke up. After that nightmare I had last night, I became more weary about my sister, Get Set. I know that I had to stop thinking anything bad was gonna happen to her and that she was perfectly fine, like that outbreak never happened, when really it's just hard to ignore. I opened the barn doors only to be introduced to a bright, blinding light that was the rising sun. When I walked outside, I saw Big Macintosh pulling a huge cart that was loaded with, big surprise, apples. With nothing else better to do, I decided to go talk to him.

"Hey Big Mac," I started. "Nice day today, huh?"

"Eeyup," he responded, continuing to pull the cart.

"I'm just really glad you agreed to have me stay the night," I said thankfully. "Ever since the outbreak, I've had nopony to talk to lately. Could you imagine having all your friends just taken from you?"

"Nope," Big Mac answered.

"I just can't wait to find Set, I miss her dearly," I told him starting to feel concerned for myself. "Do you ever think I'll ever find her again?"

"Eeyup," Big Mac said.

"You don't talk much, do you," I said.

"Nope," he said, confirming my accusation.

"So tell me," I began to ask. "What exactly are all these apples for?"

"Those apples are all for Appleloosa," Applejack yelled through her bedroom window as she quickly came down from her room out onto the fields where me and Big Mac had been chatting.

"Appleloosa?" I wondered.

"Yeah," she explained. "My cousin, Braeburn, likes to throw a good hoedown every once in a while for them ponies in Appleloosa."

"Maybe I'll visit there sometime," I responded. I then started to frown. "Me and my sister, if I can even find her."

Applejack, like at the dinner table last night, put her hoof on my shoulder and tried to cheer me up. "Ah know it's tough know that yer sister is out there somewhere y'all don't know, but at least we know she ain't where them changelings are; that's she's still alive," she said. "Why don't y'all come on inside for some breakfast, that oughta keep yer mind out of the gutter."

"Okay," I said. "But is it apple related?" I was obviously getting annoyed by eating the same thing over and over again, but if it was all they had, I had no choice.

"Oh Ah see," Applejack said with a little anger. "Y'all are gettin' sick and tired of them apples."

"No, it's not like that," I said trying to calm down Applejack, but it didn't seem to work. "It's just that..."

"What's wrong with apples?" Applejack said, looking steamed. "Our entire family lived off of apples, and y'all are just here to make fun of that!"

"Applejack," I said, still trying to get her to settle down. "It's not that I don't like apples, I just thought that I could..." I got cut off by the "angered" pony.

"Relax sugarcube, I'm just messin' with ya," she said, joking around with me. "Of course y'all can have something different. Ya like eggs and toast?"

"Do I," I said with enthusiasm. "Eggs and toast are my favorite!"

"Yeehaw," shouted the wound up pony. "That's the spirit, now let's eat!"

A few moments later, we walk into the house and made our way into the kitchen. Right away, Applejack got working on the breakfast. My tummy wasn't just growling, it was roaring. It made me think if I was the I had the loudest stomach in all of Equestria. "Don't you worry Steady," said Applejack in response to my tummy. "Breakfast will be ready in no time."

Then I heard a thumping noise, like somepony was walking across the upper floor. Then noise continued down to the kitchen only to notice the young filly, Apple Bloom, was down here for the same reason I was. She was dressed up in a red cape with a blue and yellow symbol in the center of the cape. The symbol looked to be in the shape of a filly.

"Hi there Steady," said Apple Bloom. "How'd ya sleep last night?"

"Hi Apple Bloom, I've been better." I responded to Apple Bloom's question. "Have you ever tried to sleep in a pile of hay?"

"As a matter of fact, Ah have," Apple Bloom said. "It felt a little uncomfortable at first, but Ah managed to get cozy."

"I bet you would, you're a farm pony after all," I said with a dumbfounded look. "By the way, what's with the cape?"

"She and her friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, have this little club called the Cutie Mark Crusaders," Applejack answered for Apple Bloom while still cooking. "They're trying to find their cutie marks. So what're ya this time, mail deliverin', clothes makin', fence paintin'?"

"That's for us to think about at the meetin'," said Apple Bloom.

"Is that what that treehouse is for?" I asked.

"That would be right," said Applejack, answering for Apple Bloom again as she passed me my breakfast.

"You know something Apple Bloom," I started. "You remind me a lot like Set. She's so determined, confident, and an attitude that never gives up. It's a shame there's no cutie mark in confidence, 'cause kid, you've got a lot of it. But then again, what would a confidence cutie mark even look like?"

After I was done eating my breakfast, I left the kitchen. But before I did, I said to Apple Bloom, "By the way, good luck on getting that cutie mark. You'll get it when you least expect it. That's how I got mine." I then exited the house still looking a little depressed.

When I came outside about to visit the town, Applejack was walking right beside me. "You know you don't have to keep following me around everywhere I go," I told her. "I'm capable on walking on my own four hooves."

"Ah know," Applejack replied. "But Ah couldn't help but notice that ya still seem pretty torn up about this whole Set situation."

"I can't help it," I said, defending myself. "She's the old piece of family I have left. I have to worry about her!"

"Ah think Ah know somepony that can help you turn that frown upside down," Applejack suggested. "Follow me."

We walked through town together, we saw many ponies talking about their everyday lives, something I wish I was doing back in Fillydelphia. When me and Applejack finally approached to our destination, we walked into what appeared to be a cupcake store called, "Sugarcube Corner". Once inside, I saw many ponies sitting down at tables, eating cupcakes, and talking about some sort of party happening in Ponyville.

"Hey Applejack," I started to ask. "What's this party that everypony is talking about?"

"Must be somethin' Pinkie Pie's plannin'," she answered. "That's actually why I brought ya here, so y'all could meet her."

"You girls talking about me again?" a pink mare had asked, sneaking up from behind us.

"Woah!" I said with surprise. "Celestia, you startled the heck out of me."

"Omigosh, Omigosh, Omigosh," the pink pony said hyperactively. "Are you new here? You must be new here. I know everypony in Ponyville, so you must be new here. I love meeting new ponies. Maybe you could come to my party so we could get to know each other more. I love to throw parties, too. Maybe we could..." the pink mare was cut off when Applejack laid her hoof on the mare's muzzle.

"Okay Pinkie Pie, we get it," said Applejack. "And yes, she is new around here."

"I'm Ready Steady, but everypony calls me Steady."

"So Steady," Pinkie Pie started. "You wanna come to my party?"

Then I responded, "I've got nothing else better to do, I might as well."

"Terrific!" Pinkie said with achievement. "The party will start at sundown, don't miss it!" Then she was about to leave.

"Pinkie..." was all I could manage to get out before it was too late.

"Don't worry," said Applejack. "You'll get to know her more at the party."

"I hope so," I said with a little sadness, but not enough to be noticeable. "I could sure use some new friends."





Later at sundown, I headed to Sugarcube Corner for the party Pinkie had planned. Inside the store were a bunch of streamers, balloons, decorations, games, party hats, music, food, punch, it kind of reminded me of a combination of somepony's birthday party and a homecoming party back when I was in high school. I was still upset about Set, but I have to focus on why I came here in the first place; to keep my mind off of what happened and to have fun.

I started by grabbing some punch and grabbing a cupcake and sitting back down over to the table where Applejack and Pinkie Pie have been sitting.

"So," I started to say to Pinkie Pie. "I couldn't help but notice you like to throw parties and meet new ponies."

"Absolutely," Pinkie responded. "I love meeting new ponies, I like to know everypony in town. Actually I was wondering, where were you originally from before you came to Ponyville?"

I tried to respond as casual as I could without remembering what happened. "I'm from Fillydelphia."

"Well that's nice," Pinkie Pie said. "I hear that town is a small town so I never meet that many ponies from..." Then she got distracted. "...Ooh, this is my jam!" she said, talking about the music, as she quickly made her way to the dance floor. I was still a little surprised that she didn't bring up the changeling infestation.

"Did she not hear about what happened?" I asked Applejack.

"Ah guess not," she said with a little concern.

I then played this game called Twister with a couple of ponies. One was green earth pony with a dark blue mane, and the other was a cyan pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane. I played a few rounds, and a few more ponies joined in as we kept playing, even Pinkie Pie joined us for some rounds. In the end, the cyan pony won the most games. She started to brag a little bit, but I ended up congratulating her anyway.

"Great game, Rainbow!" Pinkie Pie said. "Wanna go again?"

"Thanks, but I think I'll pass," said the rainbow-maned pony. "The party was great and all, but I'm getting a bit tired. Thanks for inviting me!"

"Yeah Pinkie," I said. "It's getting late, but the party couldn't have been any better."

"Ah gotta get along as well," Applejack added on. "Nevertheless, one of the best parties y'all have thrown by far."

"Thanks guys," Pinkie said happily. "The next one's gonna be even better."

"I bet it will," I said, walking out.

Me and Applejack walked out of Sugarcube Corner and were on our way back over to Sweet Apple Acres again. It's been my new home for a few days until I can earn enough bits to get my own place. When we were on our way to the farm, I realized that Applejack came to a halt, and I was still walking. Until I found that out, I stopped and asked, "Applejack, aren't we going back to the farm?"

"Steady," she said, showing some concern. "Come take a look at this." She stepped on a newspaper in the middle of the pathway.

"What is it?" I asked her. When I got a glance at the newspaper, I was shocked to see what had been printed.

"Ah thought that them changelings were only after Fillydelphia," she said looking a bit apprehensive.

Then I responded, "I thought so too."