> Boom, Beep, Pop, Crack, Sigh... (Good Ending) > by YADAMAN > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Good Ending - Part One: A Day Begins... > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The dark green earth pony woke up with what appeared to be a soothing dream. Rejuvenated from his restful sleep, he got up, stretched out his four legs and walked slowly to his mirror. Noticing his bedhead, he carefully picked up his comb and brushed his blue mane with an elaborate frilly hairdo he himself invented. He leaned forward to his desk and put down his comb and stared at the mirror, satisfied. Lookin’ good Jeremy, sexy as always haha! The green-colored pony thought to himself. He went to his window and flung open the curtains. Instantly, the room was filled with bright light and the summer breeze of eastern Ponyville outskirts. Jeremy took a deep breath in as his belly rose in size and deflated naturally like a living balloon. All that the pony did was stare out from his trailer’s window and fixed his eyes out to the brilliant atmosphere before him. What a beautiful morning! The sun is absolutely marvelous and- oh, the air is crisp and clean! Aaah! What a fantastic day to start off th- BOOM! Jeremy couldn’t finish his thought. The shockwave pushed Jeremy onto his backside and even rattled his trailer. It was obvious what happened. Jeremy quickly got up and reappeared near his windowsill- just mere seconds of watching Ponyville in the distance, with a great day planned to boot. The scene was quickly replaced with the sudden tower of black gaping smoke. All that could be seen now was a mushroom--a massive dark cloud, wait scratch that clouds, dancing in sync, swiftly swirling up into the air as if to escape the destructive event that occurred on the surface. Oh no! Jeremy exclaimed to himself. He stood in shock until his eyes picked up a kindling red mass at the base of the valley. What is that? is all one could assume and expect to be filling up on Jeremy’s mind as he focused on what appeared to be a building on fire. Upon closer inspection, the desecration that could be seen is of Sugarcube Corner. Jeremy’s four legs were trembling. He felt his breathing speed up, his heart was getting ready to burst out of his chest, his eyes started to water. Sugarcube Corner was left in ruins and the fire was quickly spreading to the surrounding buildings. This day was supposed to be perfect! Jeremy could barely make out the valley as his own eyes were being clouded with tears- not to mention the scattering of ash and smoke over the town. All this came upon instinct and yet, as quickly as the explosion came about, all of Jeremy’s view was starting to dissipate. First, the tower of black was being transformed into a flat landscape- a painting that was decorated on with surprisingly detailed charcoal and watercolors. Next, the town seemed to be drifting farther away, getting ever so darker despite the intense flame burning at the center of the calamity. The whole windowsill suddenly became a sketch of a drawing and Jeremy’s eyes were gazing farther away as if everything was being moved onto a boat drifting in a river or a frolicking makeshift prop in a filly’s puppet play. Jeremy shut his eyelids to avoid watching the horrific scene. Then, Jeremy felt gravity giving way under him. Was he floating? With one blink with his wet and maroon-colored eyes, Jeremy was enveloped into a concave of pitch black darkness. Jeremy felt out of place and was spiraling out of control while the once-beautiful world was crumbling around him. Darkness shrouded the frightened dark green pony and he was the only spectacle to be seen, still spinning like an out of control top. When his body finally slowed down enough he was able to recuperate his bearings. In the distance, he saw a speck of light. The shimmering diamond increased with utter beauty until Jeremy was being pounded with an annoying yet dull sound - it seems so far yet distressingly close. The light was split and layed flat onto two separate and distinct planes. Then came another instance of the disturbing and just plain irritating sound. It was getting louder, closer to Jeremy and the more he thought about it, the more familiar the sound became and all the more agonizing. This sound was trying to tell him something. It was then Jeremy realized what was happening. Darkness was losing the war while the light was creeping up on Jeremy. His eyes stopped watering and he spontaneously came back into what he firmly calls reality. BEEP, BEEP! Jeremy woke with a start with his bloodshot eyes wide open, pupils dilated. BEEP, BEEP! Jeremy propped himself up from his bed and pressed his hoof onto the button for his alarm clock, unbeknownst to him that he pressed the wrong one. He shifted under the covers for his bed, he felt sweaty and uncomfortable. His whole body was stiff. He stretched and felt relieved that his perfect-dream-that-turned-nightmare was over. He gazed into the distance through his window, with the curtains blowing from the wind revealing a partial picture of the outside world from his trailer. Immediately, his heart sank. From the looks of it, it was another seemingly beautiful morning. Upon seeing this, he felt a chill along his spine as the thought of pure dread was lurking in the back of his mind. He waited for several minutes but no sound of an explosion came. Jeremy placed his hoofs onto the floor. He trotted uneasily to his windowsill expecting an elaborate choreography of murky smolder out in the distance. Perhaps I slept through it… With his every step the floorboards of his trailer made a creaking sound -- the type of sound one would hear in old horror movie flicks in an abandoned shack. Jeremy stood in front of his window and pushed the curtains away with his fore hoofs, expecting the worst. The blue sky had no blemishes, with the exception of one lonely cloud and few scattered pegasi flying around. Phew! Must be those Weather Ponies on duty. Jerry offered himself an explanation. BEEP, BEEP! BEEP, BEEP! Jeremy fell back in surprise and trotted back to his alarm clock. He pushed his right forehoof onto the correct button this time. Gotta love those snooze-buttons, am I right? He sarcastically humored himself. He then noticed the time. It was 6:40. “What!? I’m going to be late!” Jeremy said aloud out of surprise. The forest green-colored pony retrieved his sack and craned his neck to put it onto his back. He had a whole day planned out on the farm, a bakery and a fashion boutique. He had his bits’ worth on how much he was going to do today with his friends. Huh…never thought that I would have friends… Jeremy, out of his own incompetence, lost himself in his own thoughts. He snapped out of his imaginations and picked up his comb, rather too quickly, and neatly brushed his hair with the hairdo that he always had done for years. That’s odd. It feels very weird to do that in a dream that felt so real and then do the exact same thing in real life… Jeremy just recently moved his sad excuse of a mobile home near Ponyville and already had plans to meet up with some new friends that he met on his first few days upon moving there. Just months passed and he developed deep relationships with each one of his newfound friends that just so happen to be mares. Jeremy could not bear to see his friends hurt or even express the mere thought of it. Granted, there was one particular mare that he had his sights on but even he was not sure if she was looking for an intimate relationship with a stallion. Oh well, it depends if she is interested. Although that seems mild in nature, Jeremy well knew that he wanted with all of his soul to go out with the pink pony. She has a very interesting personality and the way she makes him smile infatuates him. Pinkie… Jeremy delighted himself, reminiscing about the pink pony’s name. Despite all that, Jeremy gets the feeling that Pinkie might not be interested since the way that she acts around him is precisely the same way how she acts with every other ordinary pony. To top it all off, Jeremy himself is just afraid to show his feelings. He stopped in front of his door, hoof on the latch, obviously set to go for his ‘perfect’ day. Why did he leave….? To start a new life. Make a name for himself. Have a family perhaps. Memories are returning to Jeremy; memories he wishes to forget. That’s it! I have to stop being the cowardly stallion that my big brother tells me that I am! I got to make my move! In fact, Jeremy’s big brother is what one would call a nuisance—a bully, but not a bully many other ponies would understand. His own brother, in which he always cared for and loved dearly, was one of the many reasons why he left his hometown back in Canterlot. Little did he know that this day will not go as he originally planned, if anything, it might go even better than what he could possibly ever imagine. The sound of a door closing echoed through the trailer…   > Good Ending - Part Two: Ponyville's New Visitor and Apple Acres > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The road to Ponyville, from Jeremy’s trailer anyway, was a stagnant one. It all starts with the cliff’s summit, in which branches off into a light brown pathway, covered in twigs and decomposing leaves. The cliff that supports Jeremy’s trailer used to be some sort of watchtower back in the times of Starswirl the Bearded and the Chronicle Battles. It was long since been abandoned and for that reason was left to rot – that is until some ponies helped Jeremy clean up his lawn and jagged staircase leading outward to an intersection that connects to, well… Ponyville. Despite this, sticks of varying sizes and pebbles always seemed to collect within the pathway, but Jeremy didn’t seem to mind; after all, he was going to hang out with his friends today. Okay, time to meet up with Applejack! Jeremy thought and mentally prepared for a physical morning’s work. Although, this wasn’t going to be the first time that he helped the farm pony. Applejack is a local resident of Ponyville but she doesn’t visit the town that often after the tragic incident. Don’t bother asking Jeremy what this so-called “tragic incident” was about, even he doesn’t know what happened. Yet, despite that, Jeremy still was able to find her roaming the streets of the nearby town trying to sell her apples - without much success – with the help of his newly established friend and supposed greeter of Ponyville. Pinkie… Again, Jeremy somehow was able to lose himself in his thoughts by the pink mare that he had set his heart for. POP! A rain of confetti has sprinkled down onto the unsuspecting dark, green colored stallion. “Welcome, welcome, welcome! A fine welcome to you!” a pink pony has started some sort of tune. “Uh can you tell me where to buy some stuff, like a market perhaps?” Waving to the pink mare, the stallion hoped to catch her attention. His efforts were in vain. He had no choice but to let her finish her song. “Welcome, welcome, welcome! I say how do you do? Welcome, welcome, welcome! My hip hip hurray! Welcome, welcome, welcome! To Ponyville today! Wait for it...." A silence ensued between the two ponies. At this point, the stallion wouldn't be surprised if the pink mare pulls out a knife and stabs him for the mere satisfaction of doing so. Wait a minute... POP! Even more confetti littered the trail and the two ponies, plus the pet lizard. They both shook off the foreign party material. “Uh hi! I just came into town and I need some stuff for my new place,” the discombobulated stallion tried to see how the pink mare would react to a normal conversation. “Oh what kind of stuff are you looking for, mister?” The mare focused on the green stallion, perhaps with too much attention. Unfazed by the odd stare, the stallion answered the mare's question, “Um food, clothes, probably a bed – preferably a small one that fits into a trailer and I guess a tv if anypony has one.” “Well you met the right mare for the job! I know everypony and every store here in Ponyville! We can find you all the stuff that you need!” “We?” the green stallion asked while looking around the pink mare. “Yes, we! Gummi and I!” the pink mare reaches out into her sack and brings out a light green animal. The specimen stared at the stallion, as if it was in shock of seeing a creature with a different shade of green. “He’s my pet lizard! We always welcome new ponies that come to our town together!” “Oh, that’s very interesting! He looks very cool!” as soon as he said that, a long drop of drool from the lizard's snout-mouth fell to the ground. “Aaaanyway, pardon my manners. My name is Jeremy Kathof, what's yours?” The green stallion at last took a closer look at the mare holding the lizard. The mare started to talk enthusiastically. Jeremy found himself staring about, drifting from her poof-y mane to her curvy flank. The mare was jumping up and down while speaking. Something about this mare caught his attention, but he can’t quite make heads or tails of it. She started to make elaborate faces and poses as she explained something that seemed rather important. Is it her peppy personality? The pink pony settled down noticing her pet lizard licking the floor, she stopped talking. Is it her you-know-what’s? She placed a bowl with some sort of paste in front of the lizard, probably food for the sad animal that has no teeth. Perhaps it’s the fact that she is a pet owner that made her that much more approachable, or even desirable? She got up, took a deep breath in and opened her mouth to speak once again. Jeremy started to listen this time, after receiving a keen interest in this new pony that literally popped into his life. “- but nopony calls me that anymore, so just call me Pinkie Pie!” Jeremy lost most of what the pink mare said since he was kind of distracted by the exact same pony that was talking to him. Talk about irony. Despite that he did get her name, his initial goal from asking. “Well Pinkie Pie, I’m glad that I was a-able to meet you.” Wait why am I here again? “Oh that’s right! So sh-showing me don’t you mind stuff we get? I mean you really don’t mind showing me around to get my stuff?” Jeremy was shaking. His hooves were sweaty. No matter what was the exact reason that made the stallion stutter and feel butterflies, but this mare obviously has done something to make his heart swoon. “Heehee! Of course not! What are friends for! But quick, we got to hurry! I got some work to do at Sugarcube Corner, so if I can’t show you every place here in Ponyville right now before we finish, just hop on over and I would be happy to help you out some more!” The mention of having work snapped Jeremy to his current task. He noticed that he was losing speed and remembered the rumors of the last pony that was late to assist Applejack at the farm. His slow trot turned quickly to a gallop and finally into a full-fledged run after the sudden realization. Before he knew it, Ponyville was getting farther in the distance. The sun perfectly set above the mountains. Beautiful… I never realized how much I appreciated nature… Transfixing his view forward, he saw yet another fruit of nature, literally. Trees. Rows upon rows of trees with random bits of the color red were evenly spaced out and properly anchored within portions of the branches, that were in turn covered with leaves. The fruit of nature churned among Jeremy’s thoughts. Apples... Yet, tried as he might, the condensed memory he desperately tried to keep at bay quickly leapt back into Jeremy’s focus… While getting supplies, Pinkie and Jeremy took some time exploring the town. Pinkie showed Jeremy all her favorite places. She showed him where she worked, Sugarcube Corner - a bakery that was Pinkie’s home and party house. She mentioned that they needed to change the ovens in the bakery since they were some sort of fire hazard. Those stove ovens were in fact gas-burners, an explosion waiting to happen. Jeremy seemed concerned when Pinkie brought it up, but she assured him that it was nothing to worry about. They visited the local library, but it was unfortunately closed. Pinkie said that her friend that runs the library, Twilight, was on a royal visit with Princess Celestia. Jeremy didn’t believe her. Like come on, who would believe that a simple pony that lives in a tree – a TREE – would have royal meetings with one of the Princesses? It just seemed too unbelievable. Yet, Jeremy didn’t say anything as they passed by. He liked this mare and he would do anything for her, no matter how absurd it may be. Wow, Jeremy do you honestly believe that you would have a shot with a pony that you just met!? I guess the best thing to do at this point is to get to know her better. Their next stop was the market. Jeremy needs some food restocked after the semi-long journey from Canterlot. He was able to get some carrots, hay, and some other food stuffs. However, Jeremy felt like he was missing something until a shouting mare caught his attention. “Get your fresh apples straight from the farm!” the orange-colored mare announced to the public. She was getting agitated since nopony bought her apples for the whole day she has been at the market. “None other than the Apple family’s produce!” Fruit, that is what Jeremy needed. “Who’s that? Is she selling apples?” Jeremy referred to Pinkie for an answer. “Yuppity-yup! That’s Applejack! She runs the local farm just a few minutes outside of Ponyville with her big brother and grandma. We are like the bestest of friends! We are practically related! Did I mention that she also makes great apples!” Pinkie’s knowledge of everypony sure pays off. “In that case, I guess I could check her out. Oh! I mean talk to her! Not like you know, the other thing?” “Heehee! You are very funny mister!” Pinkie shifted her gaze to the clock tower in the middle of the town. “Wait is it really 1 o’clock already? I got to go! Talk to you later, Jere!” Before the stallion could say anything, Pinkie was already a solid fifty feet away and the distance was only getting farther away. “Say hi to Applejack for me!” Pinkie hopped and skipped into the bustling streets of Ponyville – disappearing within the crowd of ponies. Jeremy felt heartbroken. A mare that made his heart race and just met within the last half hour, was gone in mere seconds. And what did she call him? Jere? The stallion dismissed the nickname from his mind, for now. Something is odd about that mare, but I… like her? Not sure, but with that much energy that is probably not the last that I will see her… Wait a minute… oh yeah! I know where she works now! I can just visit her anytime I want! But no what am I talking about, come on think straight! I can’t just waltz anytime I feel like it. That would be kind of creepy! Okay. Let me give her some space today and I can finish getting my things and tomorrow I will pay her a visit! All right! You are a genius Jeremy! Always think things through and you shall be rewarded! The content stallion grinned. And it looks like that pony is still trying to sell her apples… Jeremy for some reason felt tension building up. Regardless of what that feeling was, he needed apples. I might as well. He approached the farm pony in a calm and collective manner, nearly tripping by somepony zipping past by, obviously focusing on some exotic-looking fabric held by her horn’s magic. Getting even closer to the orange mare, her shouting became even more distinct as well as the slight glimpse of her cutie mark. Three apples. So she should be an expert then. A statement that sounded much more like a question than a fact. “Get your apples, fresh from Apple Acres! If it’s good for the princesses, it’s good for y’all too!” the orange colored mare shouted with an approachable and somewhat friendly country accent. “Hi, I would like some apples,” Jeremy slightly taken back by the orange mare’s appearance. Up close, she seems stressed out. Her green eyes were blood-shot. Her mane was all over the place, she also seemed to be quite sweaty. Maybe a hat would help her cool off. It is a warm day today. “Oh thanks a bunch! You have no idea what I been through!” “I could imagine. It seems that with all that hard work, you deserve some kind of payment.” “Yeah, I wish somepony would help out sometime at the farm, even the littlest of efforts help out a whole lot.” “Hmm, I might have a solution for that, why not I help you sometime? I recently just moved outside of Ponyville and I need to rack up some bits for the time being.” “Oh I don’t know about that. Our family is kind of… struggling. And ‘cause of that, I may not be able to give you some bits for your hard work…How about I give you apples? In exchange for your time out on the farm?” The farm pony seemed a bit tense. Something is on her mind… “That seems fair and all, but I really need some bits. I need to buy some more stuff and I don’t think ponies would trade furniture for…apples,” Jeremy chuckled while saying that last word. “Well, alrighty then. That will be three apples for two bits, that is if ya still want some.” The mare let out a fake laugh, being friendly as much as possible. “Yeah, that price seems reasonable? I never really had to bother buying food back where I came from. So I got nothing to compare it to. But I will do it. Three apples for two bits it is then.” “Thanks new pony,” Applejack passed the apples in a bag and Jeremy lifted it with his magical grasp. “Now I got to go, I have something’ to do back at the farm.” With some urgency, Applejack saddled onto her cart and started heading back home. Jeremy called out to the orange mare. “Wait! I need to know if I can stop by later and get some more apples. Three will only last for so long.” Stopping immediately, Applejack swiftly turned around. “Sure, new pony! Any time just stop on by whenever ya need to restock. What is your name by the way? I don’t want to call you ‘new pony’ all the time, mainly ‘cause you are not going to be new after a while.” “Haha true. Call me Jeremy.” The stallion’s mood lightened a bit. “My name’s Applejack, but I’m willing to bet you already knew that.” The mare obviously knew that one of the residents must had pointed her out and given him a name. “Actually I just saw you at the market and I needed some apples, so I asked a mare that was showing me around. Her name is Pinkie Pie. Oh and before I forget, Pinkie says ‘Hi’ by the way. She needed to do a few things so she couldn’t come and say it herself but she told me to tell you.” “Oh thanks, Jere! Tell her that I say ‘Hi’ back!” “Jere?” asked Jeremy, confused by the same shortened form of his name that Pinkie coincidently just called him minutes prior. “Oh, my bad! I give ponies that I meet nicknames or little catchphrases of their full name! If ya don’t like it, I could just call by your real name.” She fidgeted while she said that. Whatever what was on her mind, it craved her attention. “No, no. I don’t mind at all. It just sounded weird since I never got an official nickname before and you were not the only uh…never mind, ignore what I just said. It just sounded weird is all.” “All right, I don’t like to offend no pony, ‘specially those that are not around from these parts. Anyway I really got to go, my family is probably worried ‘bout me.” Applejack turned around, seemingly uncomfortable with the conversation. “Okay and if you need any help at the farm, I’ll be willing to help. Everypony needs a break every once in a while. In fact … I will do it for free. Just want to help a fellow pony out,” hesitantly offered Jeremy. He knew that he needed money, but he felt that he could become good friends with this pony and was obligated to help in her time of need - his old personality was definitely still present after all those years, a lingering fear that made Jeremy leave the first town he settled down in… The farm pony took a long pause before responding. “Ya know… I might take ya up for that offer. See ya, new pony!” Her mood became slightly cheery. “Okay, bye Applejack!” The mention of the country mare’s name by his own mouth fragmented space and time. It was in that exact moment that the memory dispersed instantaneously. The awkward moment from his past was replaced with the present as Jeremy stopped frantically with the might of his four hooves, plowing deep into the ground, barely stopping in time in front of somepony. He stood panting in front of a too-familiar mare. She had an expression of utter disgust yet relief at the same time. “Why are you late?” the orange-colored mare asked with a country accent. “Oh I just, uh well you see Applejack… I had some trouble uh finding my stuff and uh I had to… find them and then I got stuck in the trail here and someone needed my help and oh…” Jeremy lied, so terribly. He stopped as soon as he saw the orange-colored mare change expressions, drastically even. “Haha! I’m just foolin’ with ya is all!” Applejack adjusted her attitude, “You lie worse than a filly with corn kernels stuck on her mouth! And I of all ponies should know; I’m the Element of Honesty after all!” “You’re the what?” puzzled Jeremy, surprised that Applejack was fine with him being late. “Oh, never mind that. Anywho, let’s get to work!” Applejack changed the subject. “The first thing you should do is help re-paint the barn. The darn girl is getting up in her years and we were thinkin’ of a replacement. But until the Apple family racks up enough bits, it will just have to do. Let’s go set up the lift so that-” “Okay shouldn’t be too hard with my magic!” Jeremy interrupted, not on purpose but to further appease Applejack’s unexpectedly good mood. “I can reach all those stubborn stains, cracks and other flaws in no time, without a lift!” “In that case then get ‘er done, sugarcube! I reckon I may need to help Big Mac with some applebuckin’ so when you find yourself done with the barn, just hop on over!” Applejack filled with some relief. Who wouldn’t be? She had a volunteer to help lighten the load of chores on the barn. The rumors that Jeremy heard must have been just what they were, rumors. Nothing more and nothing less. Jeremy focused on the task at hoof. Time flew fast with just painting the barn, it was actually much more difficult to Jeremy’s expectations. Dang, that was kind of frustrating… Jeremy was covered from mane to hoof with red paint that dripped from the paintbrush every time he levitated it to the air. I guess I can see why Earth ponies use lifts to do this. Three hours have already past and he was exhausted. The excess use of his magic tuckered him out quicker than he anticipated and he only had to paint the barn’s west and south side! When his composure went from intense fatigue to relatively unruffled breathing, that was his cue. Let’s see where she went… The apple trees flourished in this environment. Each fruit was perfectly ripe and the perfect size as well. Ah well there’s Big Macintosh… The smell of the orchard was comforting and Jeremy welcomed it with much zeal and there she is! Applejack was behind her big brother, hidden by his sheer size. No doubt that is why they call him Big Mac. Jeremy could barely compare to the stallion, as he was the tallest of his family. As Jeremy approached the two farm ponies, the two kept at their work, oblivious to his presence. He needed to attract their attention somehow. A calm and sensible approach is most appropriate for… “I’m here and done painting the barn!” a tired, yet satisfied green unicorn announced. Some much for a calm and sensible approach. “Huh? Oh that’s great! ...” and awkward silence ensued between the three ponies. “Aint it great, Big Mac?” Applejack sounded annoyed. “Eeeyup,” the great red stallion answered, also using the same annoyed tone. He then returned to the fields, plowing for the new set of crop that is soon to be planted. Did I say something that offended them… or did they have a fight…? I guess I won’t ask. I shouldn’t interfere with family matters anyway. “Hoo wee. Well ya probably are mighty tired after that, but it’s not noon just quite yet so just help us kick these apple trees to knock down them apples and we place ‘em in those baskets. Here’s how a pro does it...” the orange pony shifted her weight to her fore hoofs and lifted her hind legs to a perfect angle. She then pushed off with great force and landed successfully onto the tree’s trunk. The seemingly strong tree shook violently and all with it appeared to be little effort by the farm pony, then again, she had been doing it for years. The apples fell straight afterward, rolling nearby the base of the tree. “Seems simple enough,” Jeremy replied, impressed by the mare’s skills. You would think that being friends for over a year would had given Jeremy the chance to learn how to applebuck, especially since this wasn’t the first time that he helped Applejack, still this was the very first time that he was actually able to see applebucking in action. For the remaining two hours, Jeremy kicked apple trees, failing every first attempt until his second or third try allowed at least a few apples to fall onto the ground. He thought painting the barn was tough work. Who could had guessed that a job offering would give Jeremy a new friend. He breathed in a deep mouthful of air in relief and gave in to the environment around him once again. The summer breeze rubbed gently across the ground, all the surrounding hills were covered with apple trees, the sweet smell of fresh apple cider filled Jeremy’s nostrils and the sudden silence of the orchard comforted Jeremy. It immersed him. A memory was just around the corner until… POP! “Aahhh!” Jeremy almost lost his magical grip on his cider with the sudden outburst. Without looking up, Jeremy rebuttled at the source of the sound, “Pinkie don’t scare me like that!” “Hahaha! You fell back and you were like ‘Aaaaahhhh’, haha, and you almost lost your cider! Hahaha!” Pinkie, already on the ground, was giggling with utter satisfaction with her new and improved, party popper. As the name implies, it POPS! then a handful of confetti shoots out from its shaft. “Haha, good one Pinkie!” Applejack’s voice came from behind. “Oh hey Applejack! It’s been a while since I seen you in a good mood!” Pinkie’s smile was positively gleaming. “Right well, I uh had a partner help out at the farm for the mornin’. For a beginner, ya did great Jere.” “Thanks, I just needed a little guidance is all!” Jeremy blushed and it didn’t help by the fact that Pinkie was there to see another pony give him some sort of commendation for his work. “Anyway, I just wanted to stop by and remind everypony about my party tonight!” Pinkie said with glee. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world! I was actually going to get some cake for it after I helped AJ.” “Oh don’t worry about that silly! I practically live in Sugarcube Corner, actually I do live in it! But the point is I will bring the cake, and lots of it! It will have frosting, layers, marshmallows, and frosting!” “Pinkie you already said frostin’!” with a smile on her face, Applejack playfully scolded Pinkie. “Well DUH! What kind of cake would it be without FROSTING!?” Pinkie appeared to be very enthusiastic and really wanted to emphasize that frosting was everything about a cake. Jeremy came back into the conversation, “Well okay then with that settled, I actually got to get going. Rarity is expecting me and I don’t want her to wait too long.” “All right sugarcube, just holler whenever ya feel up for another day’s work! Bye Pinkie, and I hope y’all see me at the party tonight,” the orange male returned to the field of apple trees. “Bye bye AJ! Now it’s my turn! See ya Jere!” the pink pony hopped and skipped the same way that she did in Jeremy’s memory back into the town. That nickname sure is universal. “See ya!” Jeremy waved good-bye. “Sigh…” the green pony was kind of sad with Pinkie’s departure but hey, he cheered himself up since he was going to see her again in a few hours. He packed his cider into his sack, and followed the same path to Ponyville, with an appointment with a self-proclaimed fashionista throughout all of Equestria. Right before he descended however, Jeremy could had sworn that he heard sobbing from the farm. He convinced himself that it must have been from his own imagination or obscure memory from his past…