A Shine's Glow

Shine forever remembered the glow of stars high in the sky, and the lullabies his mother sang to him as he drifted to sleep every night.

How could forget when, after a particularly long day, father gave him a tight hug and pat, only to depart forever?

Truly, Shine understood something was amiss, but he could put his hoof on it no more than his mother could stop his father from leaving.

Or how his dear mother wept as father left, unknowing that they would never reunite again?

“Is it really this hard to wake up?”

A clear, playful voice weaved around Shine’s ears.

“Please tell me you won’t give a left hook when I try to nudge you? I couldn't see clearly out my eye for a week.”

Shine groaned and rolled on his side, trying to resume his sleep.

Only to crash to the cold, unforgiving floor instead.

“Or you know. You could do that too.”

Squinting, Shine glanced up to see two big, blue eyes looking straight at him.

“Hurry up, our first shift starts soon and I’m not waiting for your lazy flank to hoof it over there.”

Shine slowly picked himself up, groaning at his bruised side.

“Just throw me my uniform.” Shine whispered as he made his bed.

“Are you really going to be like this every night? That warehouse could be being robbed right now and we aren't there to stare intensely at it.” Joked Azure as he threw the clothes.

Shine put on his night shift suit and started out of his dingy apartment shared with Azure, the his now (and most likely forever) best friend. The apartment was small, cramped area. A perfect example of what had become of Shine. The night-shift was the only job they could find out in Manehattan, much to Shine’s displeasure.

Tonight was starry and cold. The wind sliced sharply through the buildings, the bushes, and Shine’s thin night shift uniform.

“How long is the shift anyway?” I asked as we went by the streets that compounded into East Manehattan.

Azure grinned and replied, “Only, you know, all night. Although afterwards if we’re still alive, we can hit a bar to feel better.”

Shine had known Azure since before his father left. Their mothers were good friends, and it ultimately led to his friendship with the blue pegasus. Azure himself usually had an uplifting mood that kept Shine from laying on his bed depressed all night.

And soon enough, we arrived.

Azure stood still and gazed around. “So these are the storage warehouses, no?”

“He told look around the back and mid-sections, and to get acquainted with the others.” My hoarse voice echoed around the empty warehouse.

The warehouses resembled a gray maze, but before long the duo reached their posts, greeting head of security and being assured the obvious.

This is a very boring job.

                                                                                        ---

Later when we found the storage that is supposed to be “guarded”. It was beyond my reasoning to wonder why they needed so many ponies (I counted twenty on my way here), and the pay wasn't even that high, (Much to Azure’s disbelief), but I found standing around rather peaceful. It let me think back to my time as a young colt, when things were easy and any worries were brushed off easily into the winds.

Just like my father.

But I tried not to think of him. Not like remembering would get me out of debt.

I let out a loud sigh, getting me a confused look from Azure. “Something up Shine?”

Stretching my numb legs, I responded, “Nah. Just this job .It seems so pointless.”

Azure scoffed and started tapping the ground in rhythm. “It was this or being dishwashers, and no way am I pulling the mare card on a job.”

                                                                                       ---

“Aren't the night shifts the ones that get attacked, like in the movies?”

Groaning inwardly as I moved faster while Azure talked nonstop. We spent the night roaming the warehouse and, as Azure commented, staring intensely at walls. The shift was finally ending soon and Azure was following me behind.

“I mean this is this place is so crazy boring an attack would be at least something? But seriously, who is going to launch a coordinated attack on a warehouse, unless they got something good in here, in which case I’d like to know about, you get me?” Azure started to split away at a turn.

“It’s the first night Azure, and you’re committed t-“ I called out as he turned around to come face-to-face with a purple mare with a deeper purple mane. She appeared out of nowhere, startling and almost causing me to stumble on her,

We stared at each other for a while.

“Excuse me ma’am but this is a priva-“

The purple mare cut me off. “Why -hic- hello there stallion. You wouldn’t –hic- mind helping a mare –hic- out before…before…” The mare swayed and grabbed my neck for support.

I flinched but didn’t push her. She was obviously a drunk, but out here alone? This early?

“What do you mean, before wh-“

And I was promptly barfed on and left with an unconscious mare on the floor for my troubles. Not only that, but Azure coincidently decided to poke his head around a corner. Thanks Azure.

My blue friend took a moment to process the scene before openly calling out.

“Wow dude, I’m gone for a second and you grab a mare and have her puke on you?”

Quickly, I threw off the uniform as fast as possible to avoid getting any of…this on my coat and took a look down at the purple mare. She wasn’t that bad looking, to be completely honest, with a curvy figure that would draw the ey-

No! Focus Shine!

I’m standing over the body of a mare, I’d be lucky not to be arrested if somepony walk in on us…and I jinxed it didn't I?

I slowly looked up to see the head of security staring at me. And then the unconscious mare beneath me. The air stood still as I realized in how much trouble my flank was in.

Azure decided to snicker in sympathy.