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
CHAPTER 3
Jack did not know what to expect for his first breakfast after leaving the orphanage. He had only been fed the bare minimum of what was needed to survive. The only tastes that Jack could remember were rotting vegetables and spoiled fruits with sour milk to drink on the side. He looked to the fridge as Jace opened the door very slowly.
Jack was afraid. He had no idea of what was in the tall refridgerator, but he knew that it had to be better than what he had eaten the night before.
Jace looked at the colt with a small shine in his eyes.
"Jack, I know that you're still getting used to living here, but you don't have to be afraid. I'm not some psychotic wacko that's going to hurt people just because he feels like it. All I need you to understand is that: no matter what troubles you get into, I'll be here for you. I'll be the shoulder for you to cry on if you need it... well, not 'if,' WHEN you need it."
Jack looked up to his adopted father with a small sign of comfort in his posture. So, Jace stepped over to the fridge once more and retrieved three items out of it. Two of the three items were a gallon of milk and a fresh banana, but Jack didn't know what the third item was.
"Hey, what's that thing?" said Jack as he motioned to the third item.
"Oh, this? This is just a 'Carnation Instant Breakfast'."
Jace then closed the refridgerator and walked over to a large cupboard. Upon opening this, he claimed a bowl and a box of cereal.
"Here, Jack, you're going to like these. They're called Cheerio's"
So, Jace mixed the milk, banana, and cereal in the bowl and then placed it before Jack. After this, he walked over to the sink a grabbed a small washcloth. Jace then opened his Carnation Instant Breakfast and drank the entire thing very quickly.
Jack looked over the bowl. He was at first hesitant of this new food, but then he took his first bite. This new food tasted heavenly to him! Jack knew that this was a very delicious thing to eat, especially with the pieces of banana that were floating in the milk. Jack's eyes lit up with an uncanny sparkle as he devoured every last bite.
The delicious taste of the cereal caused Jack to even lose sense of where he was for a moment.
CHAPTER 2:
It was a dark and stormy night when the duo arrived at Jace's home. The young filly had been drenched by the rain on the way back to the small cottage. Jace was soaked as well, but he didn't notice. He set the filly on a small, creaky bed. Jace then grabbed a dry towel from a hook that it had been hanging on. He wrapped Jack in the towel and dried the shaking filly.
Jace stopped when the filly was fully dry, then he grabbed a small hunk of plastic. Jace called this a "TV Remote" and then pressed a white button near the edge of the plastic. A large black box with a screen on it then turned on. Jack was astonished by this magical box.
"You sure like TV, don't you?" asked Jace
"Yes, I like this.. TV thing..." answered Jack
"Well, what do you want to watch?"
"Anything... I'm still amazed by this TV!"
Jace then pressed two buttons on the remote, which caused the images on the TV to change.
"This is called, 'The History Channel,' it's one of my favorite channels."
"Oh, I like that thing right there," Jack said as he pointed,"What is that thing?"
"Oh that? That is a Fokker DR.I, it is a plane."
"What's a plane?"
"A plane is a machine that lets humans fly."
Jack was stunned. He didn't know that humans were so smart! They found out a way to fly!!!
Jack was so shocked that he passed out.
He awoke later to find Jace asleep, so he snuggled into Jace's empty arms.
...
The next morning was just like any morning. Jack woke up first and then woke Jace.
Jace woke and then rolled out of bed and onto the floor. He walked out of the room, then came back two minutes later with a cup of a black liquid. Jack sipped the liquid, which seemed to perk him up.
"Wait, Jack..."
"Yes?"
"You're a pegasus right?"
"Yes."
"Then, why haven't I seen you fly?"
Jack was silent for a few minutes, but then he answered.
"My wing didn't come out the right way, that's what the nurses told me."
"Oh, alright."
So, Jace then stirred his drink as Jack watched television for some time. Then, Jack broke the silence.
"Jace, why didn't you look at Fallen Star?"
"Because, I knew that you were the right choice! Jack, I know that you were not that popular among the other fillies. Well, I'm not that popular either... I know what you've been through, so that's why I chose you"
Jack hugged Jace, and Jace returned the embrace. Then, the two prepared for breakfast
END OF CHAPTER 2