Jump!

Story 3

Chapter 2: A Change of View

By: FluttersIsAwesome

Everything happened too fast. Ah came t' Manehattan, almost got raped, n' now Ah was in the arms o' some kinda super colt. Jet Rush, eh? As Ah took a closer look at him, Ah noticed how dirty he was. He looked like he'd just come out of a pig pen. The top o' his right ear was missin', he had a bandage over his nose bridge, a small set o' stitches under his right eye, n' his cap pushed down his ears n' caused his mane t' slightly cover his eyes. Wow... he ain't half bad lookin'. Ah thought.

Ah almost fell outta his arms as he came t' a sudden stop. He had taken me t' some kinda broken down bar. He set me down n' handed me a blue armband with a red stripe goin' down it.

"Wear this so they know yo' a friend." He walked over n' knocked on the door, n' Ah saw a small section o' it slide to the left, revealin' two eyes.

The pony behind the door said somethin', but Ah didn't understand.

"Life and death have their determined appointments."

Ah assumed it was some kinda password, 'cuz Jet responded:

"an' riches an' honor depend upon Heaven." When he said this, the door opened. He covered my eyes with his tail n' lifted me up again.

"Sorry 'bout this, babe. Can't let just anypony, even a non-Corporate, nonchalantly walk through our secrets. It's a'ight wit you, yeah?"

Ah nodded. Anything t' be carried by you. Jumpin’ around like that is fun. Ah realized what Ah had just thought n' was sure glad Ah didn't say it out loud. Ah didn't know this colt, n' Ah was already feelin’ friendly with him. Who in sam hill was he? Ah dunno what was wrong with me, but Ah knew somethin’ felt different. Ah pushed those thoughts outta my head as he moved his tail n' set me down. We were in front o' a door, n' he opened it fer me.

"Take the armband off fo' now. Come back here tonight an' there should be a guy waitin' on ya. He'll say 'Rahei', an' you respond wit 'Numai', a'ight?"

Ah nodded. "Where do Ah go from here?"

He grinned at me. "Turn around."

Ah did so, n' Ah realized Ah was already in Orange Manor. "But... what... how?" Ah turned back t' the door, but there was nothin' but a blue wall behind me. "Ok, Ah know there was a door there." Ah tapped the wall. "Hellooooooooooo?"

Ah heard Jet's voice from the other side. "SHHHH! This is a secret, brah!"

Ah drew back quickly, nodding even though Ah knew he couldn't see me. "Gotcha, Jet."

Ah heard a voice from behind me that made me jump.

"Talking to the Specters?"

Ah turned t' see a decorated soldier standin' behind me. "Um... Citrus?"

The colt nodded. "Yes ma'am. Citrus Orange at your service. Were you talking to the Specters just now?" Before Ah could answer, he rolled up his sleeve t' show me a blue armband like the one Jet was wearin'.

Ah nodded. "Yeah, Jet saved me from some thugs when Ah came t' the city."

Citrus grinned. "Heh, he never could resist a damsel in distress."

Ah blushed n' shook my head. "Just what are you tryin' t' say?"

He shook his head too. "Nothing, friend."

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It was about quarter t' eleven, n' the celebration was over. Ah decided to go over t' the "door" that Jet had led me through so I could go see him. Ah knocked on the wall, n' Ah heard a voice from behind it.

"Rahei."

Ah remembered what Jet told me, so Ah responded while Ah put my armband on, "Numai."

The door opened up, n' Ah walked on in. Ah looked around, but it was purty dark, so it was hard t' see. I felt somethin' grab my hoof n' I heard Jet's voice.

"Glad you could make it. If ya don't mind, I'd like to show ya around."

Ah nodded. Ah was really curious as t' what was goin' on. He led me through that tunnel again, n' we came out in front o' the same run-down bar he had brought me to that mornin'. But this time, things were much more different.

Not only were the streets covered with trash, but ponies, too. Ah saw little foals n' fillies huddlin' against their parents, ponies diggin' through trash, n' others jumpin' into cardboard boxes or puttin' their heads on jackets n' tryin' t' sleep.

"Makes ya think 'bout the city different, huh?"

Jet had turned to me, but Ah was too busy lookin' at all these poor folk. "Yeah... what happened?"

He sighed. "It's the damn Corporates." He pointed toward the lit up part o' the city. "They hate us just because we're poor. They're the government here, so they make laws that keep us like this."

He paused as a little filly ran up to him. She was the same shade o' gray as him n' her hair was just a bit darker.

"Big brother! Um... is there anythin' to eat tonight?"

Ah saw a tear form in Jet's eye.

"Sorry Sprint... not tonight..." He patted her head. "Go on back to the bunker. I'll be there in a bit."

The little filly looked at him sadly. “Big brother... when are we gonna get to eat again? I’m hungry...”

Jet was gettin’ choked up as he spoke. “I dunno, Sprint... I dunno.”

The little filly pouted fer a bit n’ went back in the direction she came from.

Ah looked at Jet, who had sat down on the curb. He had his head down, but Ah saw tears fallin' t' the ground. Ah walked over n' sat down beside him, n’ he turned t' me.

"Applejack... do you have any idea how much it 'urts to tell ya baby sister their iddn't nothin' to eat that night?"

Ah put my arm around him. "Ah don't, but Ah know it must be hard. Ah couldn't imagine if Ah had t' tell Applebloom she couldn't eat."

He put his hoof over mine, n' Ah felt myself blush again, but thankfully, it didn't last as long as before. "Applejack, I trust ya. Any friend of the Orange Family is a friend of ours. Can I ask ya to come wit me? I think it's only right to tell ya what's goin' on."

Ah nodded, n' he led me through the city. Along the way, Ah only saw more hunger n' pain, n' it only succeeded in makin' me appreciate what Ah had more than Ah ever have. He led me t' a manhole cover, n' he knocked on it.

Another voice came from under it.

"Payload?"

Another password. This time Jet responded:

"Extra strength."

The cover opened n' he jumped down, holdin' out his hoof to me. "Come one down, I'll catch ya."

Ah looked around and nodded. Ah jumped down into his arms, n' the mare that was under the manhole cover moved it back into place. Jet turned n' nodded at me.

"Let's go.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 3: Meet the Crew Estimated time remaining: 30 Minutes