Jewel was in filly heaven. There were so many ponies and all of them had nothing but smiles and warm greetings for her. While her brother talked to the six mares, she had decided on going on a little exploration mission. With her brother's permission of course.

"Just stay in the building," had been his instructions. This left a plethora of opportunity for the filly. Where should she visit first? The DJ? Nah. The dance floor? Worse idea than the DJ. The snack table? Of course!

With destination in mind, the filly began her dodge and weave of the adults' legs on her quest for the goods. She wondered what confections the table held. Maybe it had cookies! The filly's eyes lit up at the thought and her efforts were doubled as she treated the adult ponies legs as an obstacle course. More than once she had to apologize for bumping into somepony but everypony was really friendly about it. Though this was a bit new to Jewel, the big city not containing the nicest of ponies, her young mind was focused on but one thing.

Ducking under a teal mare, Jewel found herself in front of her goal. The table stood in front of her, it's height hiding whatever sat on top. Her scrunched up in concentration as she tried to discern a way to see what was up there. Standing on her hindhooves, she put her forehooves on the table. She 'harumphed' when the tip of her nose barely crested the edge. Looking side to side, she spotted something that would assist her in her quest.

Running over to it, the filly jumped on top of the chair... just as somepony did. There was orange and purple before pain exploded in Jewel's forehead and she found herself on her backside on the wooden floor.

"Ow," she groaned, rubbing her forehead with a hoof as she looked around the chair's legs. Mirroring her was another filly, an orange pegasus with a purple, short mane. Gathered around the pegasus was a yellow, earth filly with a red mane and pink bow and a white unicorn filly with a purple and pink styled mane.

"Oh my, um... are you okay?" Jewel asked hesitantly as she got back to her hooves. The three fillies looked at Jewel at once, causing the turquoise filly to shy away slightly.

"I'm fine," replied the pegasus, even though she continued to rub her forehead. Jewel's head still throbbed but she could deal with it. Also, it was the pegasus that almost took a horn to the face.

"Yeah, Scoots has taken hard hits, haven't ya?" joked the yellow filly has she slapped Scoots on the back. Her reply was a half-hearted nod as she dropped her hoof.

"Oh! You're the new filly, huh?" excitedly asked the white filly, either at the prospect of meeting somepony new or figuring it out, Jewel couldn't tell.

"What gave you that idea Sweetie Belle? The fact we haven't seen before or the saddlebags and scarf?" asked the pegasus as she got to her own hooves.

"Umm... both?" Sweetie replied with a soft blush. The pegasus rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Well, Ah'm Applebloom," greeted the yellow filly, pointing to herself. She then pointed to Scoots and Sweetie and introduced them in order, "That's Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle."

"Hi! I'm Precious Jewel," replied Jewel as she gave a friendly wave.

"You're after the treats too, huh?" Scootaloo asked, motioning to the table with a nod of her head.

Jewel nodded enthusiastically, "Mhmm!"

"Ah don't know why the adults always use such tall tables at parties," Applebloom stated, rubbing the back of her head.

"Oh, I remember my brother once saying that it's rude to sit at a party," Jewel stated, "That might be why."

Scootaloo blinked at her before nudging Sweetie's side, "She sounds like you."

"Well, whatever the reason," Applebloom continued, ignoring the bashfulness that suddenly came over Jewel, "One of us needs to get up there. Scootaloo?"

"On it!" shouted the pegasus as she jumped onto the chair and looked at the table, "Jackpot!"

"Scoot it to the edge and then Sweetie and Jewel can magic it down!" Applebloom instructed. Jewel was confused as to how she got wrapped up in this but was willing to help if the reward was a sugary treat.

"Here it comes," Scootaloo announced just as the edge of a plate peeked over the side of the table.

"There's good!" Applebloom then turned on Sweetie and Jewel, "You're up. Just gently levitate it down and I'll handle the rest."

Sweetie and Jewel nodded in determination as they looked up at the plate. The plate had a handle on either side, making it simple for the two unicorns to both grab it without their magical fields conflicting. With their grips on the plate, the two slowly slid it off of the table. The plate wobbled but the two were able to compensate as they slowly lowered down.

Finally, it touched the wooden floor and the three fillies got a full view of the stacks of cupcakes that sat atop the plate.

"Awesome!" Scootaloo exclaimed as she jumped down from the chair. As she hit the floor, her hindhoof made contact with one of the plate's handles. This sent all of the cupcakes airborne with one immediately smacking Scootaloo in the head. Quicker than anypony could react, Jewel wrapped her magic around four of the sugary confections.

"Run!" she shouted to her new friends. The three fillies didn't hesitate as they chased after the turquoise filly that had the cupcakes circling her head.

"AGH! MY MANE!" screamed somepony behind the retreating fillies. None of the four broke stride.

------

Granite didn't know how it happened but he had somehow ended up in heaven without dying. He was currently sitting at a table with six beautiful mares in a building FULL of mares. So far he had only spotted ten other stallions. Ten! There must have been a hundred ponies in attendance!

Now, it wasn't like this skewed ratio was uncommon. It was general knowledge that there was more mares than stallions in Equestria but to have the ratio skewed this greatly? Never before had he seen it like this. Not that he was necessarily complaining, of course.

"Where are you from again?" Rarity asked, leaning forward in her seat. she sat across from Granite. Pinkie and Applejack sat on either side of him with Rainbow and Twilight next and then Fluttershy beside Rarity.

"Fillydelphia," he replied, taking a sip of some of Pinkie's 'special' punch. It wasn't hard to discern why it was special; the burn did a good job of telling you. It was also helpfully colored differently than the kid's punch.

"Oh, such an industrious city. I've been wanting to visit. How is it, if I may ask?" Rarity took a sip from her own punch but it was so small that Granite wondered if she had took a sip at all.

"Nice if you're in the right part. Ugly if you're not," he replied with a shrug.

"What do you mean by that?" Applejack asked. Granite took a look around the table, his eyes falling on Rainbow due to the understanding in her eyes.

"I mean that I didn't come from a wealthy family. I didn't live in a modern suburban home," he explained while taking another sip, "Jewel and me were born and raised in a hole in the wall apartment in some unnamed alleyway. Us and seven other siblings, plus our parents. Our lazy, sex-crazed..."

Granite took a deep breath before continuing, "I worked in construction making a bit a day. I worked from sun-up to sun-down with a half-day on Sundays. Every bit I made went to making sure Jewel lived a proper life."

"What about your other siblings?" Rainbow asked after a couple seconds of silence.

"The ones that weren't in gangs or currently in jail were just as lazy as my parents, trying to live off of the welfare that came once a month."

"So you took Jewel and ran?" Rarity asked.

Granite nodded, "I had to get her out of there. I didn't want her to struggle for the rest of her life."

"No pony disagrees with you dear," she intoned, earning a nod from her friends.

"Those bags and scarves look well kept for somepony living in poverty," Twilight pointed out.

"The bags and blankets I bought with the last bits I owned."

"And the scarves?"

Granite shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "I stole them. Told Jewel I paid for them."

"You stole 'em?" Applejack asked with accusation.

Granite rounded on her, "It's winter! If I hadn't done it, we would've froze faster. Even with them, there was times where-"

He stopped his tirade as he felt a hoof on his shoulder. Turning, he was met with Pinkie smiling at him. Sighing, he took another sip of punch.

"No pony's judging you," Rainbow stated, "Right Applejack."

"Well, it was for y'all's sister."

"I know you had good intentions in mind," Twilight added with a smile.

"Thanks," Granite replied, smiling back.

"So," Rarity started again, "What do you plan on doing no that you're here?"

"I..." Granite paused. He had been about to say that he doesn't think they'll be staying but what would be the point in them leaving? This place was accepting and, so far, looked to not have any of the troubles that plagued Fillydelphia.

"I think I need to get a job before anything else," he finished with a smile, not knowing what he had unleashed upon himself.

"Oh, I could use an assistant at my Boutique!"

"We could always use another hoof at the farm!"

"CUPCAKES!"

"I-I co-ould use some h-help."

Granite looked confused as he glanced between the four mares that had jumped when he said 'job'.

"Umm... one at a time?" he asked lamely, not sure he had heard all of them correctly.

"Well," Rarity began, "I have become so busy with my new winter line that I haven't time for any of the, bleh, administrative work."

"And I could use some help on the farm, what with the new field we're gonna put in," Applejack explained.

"CUPCAKES!" Pinkie shouted, slamming her hoof on the table.

"You mean a baking assistant?" Granite asked hopefully. Pinkie's serious facade broke into a huge smile.

"Yes!" she exclaimed.

"And you Fluttershy?" Granite asked gently.

"I-I could use some h-help feeding the animals every m-morning."

"I see. Rarity, your job is currently winter seasonal, right?"

"Yes dear. Winter clothes are for winter."

He rolled his eyes in such a fashion that it appeared he had just looked over at Applejack, "And your job, Applejack, is in the summer and fall, right?"

"Correct sugarcube."

Granite then pointed his forehooves at Rarity and Applejack, "So I can do both of your jobs," he then pointed at Pinkie and Fluttershy, "But you two, hmm..."

He dropped his forelegs and set his chin onto his forehooves in a thinking pose. His horn then lit up.

Twilight quirked a brow, "Umm, what are you-?"

"Hehehe. Wee~!" giggled Jewel as she floated above the party-goers to the table Granite sat at. Granite set her on the table in front of him. After taking a moment to relieve her of her saddlebags and set them next to his, he fixed his gaze on her. Jewel, to her credit, took up a position of attention.

"Jewel reporting, you called?" she asked as she saluted. The siblings ignored the chorus of 'd'aaw's.

"Do you want to make money?" Granite asked. A frown crossed the filly's face as her hoof dropped.

"Are we leaving again?"

Granite shook his head, "No, we're staying here."

"So, this is our new home?" she asked.

He nodded, "Yes."

Jewel suddenly started shaking in excitement. Slowly, Granite reached out and placed a hoof on her small nose, "Calm, young one. We have business to discuss."

Catching on, the filly suppressed her excitement and took upon a look of seriousness. The six mares looked on in astonished amusement.

"Now, do you wish to make spending money?"

"Doing what?" she questioned back, a brow raised quizzically

Granite gave a smirk of approval before motioning to Pinkie on his right, "Miss Pie here is in need of a baking assistant. As well," his hoof moved to point behind Jewel at Fluttershy, "Miss Fluttershy is in need of an assistant to help feed her animals every morning," he placed his hoof back under his chin, "The choice is yours."

"Hmmm..." Jewel hummed as she looked between the two mares. She settled her gaze on Pinkie, "Miss Pie," the mares shared a giggle at the filly's serious attitude, "when would you need my assistance?"

"Just whenever Sugarcube Corner gets a super-duper really big order or when the Cakes leave. Either one," Pinkie explained in her quick voice.

"I see," Jewel stated as she rubbed her chin and looked back at her brother, "there seems to be one course brother."

"Indeed?"

"Yes."

"So, who do you choose?"

The filly's act finally broke as she burst into a large grin, "Both!" Next Chapter: Start of a New Day Estimated time remaining: 10 Minutes