Don't Want to be a Canterlot Idiot

Light shock is what you might expect from an outcast. Often staying behind everyone else and would sometimes even act shy around others. He did however play guitar and on weekends worked at a local guitar store. He was on the school Tennis team but often found himself falling behind others on his team. That is until someone came along and gave him a much needed push in the direction he never expected.

Light Shock was standing behind the front counter at Graysons Guitars and today business as on most Sundays was slow. The place was located at one of the worst possible locations. If anyone were to come by the shop they would first have to walk into a nearly abandoned shopping mall minus a few department stores and walk up a flight of stairs into what used to be an arcade back in the 90's. The logo at the front of the mall reminded him it was a place but the inside reminded him it was a ghost town. The place was called Shining Plaza but Ghost Plaza seemed like a fitting name since the place stood practically empty even on Black Friday. A few people would occasionally come by on Saturday but it didn't make up for all the time Light wasted standing lifeless with only a magazine to keep him entertained. His boss would sometimes let him go out front of the shop and play one of the display guitars to attract a few customers.

He made sure to play something anyone could recognise so his boss could only keep his hopes up that someone other than his reflection might walk through the marble floor of the mall and into his little shop. Today he was looking back at the yet again almost dead mall and his boss was off cleaning the display guitars like he did everyday to make them more appealing. He would have Light restring every display guitar he played and would make sure he placed everything in his ideal display case or rack. Since the owner of the mall was losing money to the point he had to cut back to the bare basics no music played through the mall. This added insult to injury as even with music the place still would have felt dead but  music only would have created an illusion of a busy shopping mall. Today the shop owner was done polishing his shop from top to bottom and barely anyone had walked into the store today. It was Saturday and although some people would usually come in this was bare even for a Saturday.

His boss gave him the signal that he could start playing as a last ditch effort to bring in some business. This was the first time in the last two months he had played on a Saturday. He was thinking of a song to play when one band popped into his head. He decided he would play something that sounded good and went with urban decay. He decided to play the opening riff to Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He got to about the solo when finally he saw someone come in. He was about to make his way back to his station when he noticed something about this customer. She went to his school and was someone he least expected to be shopping at this lifeless mall. What he also noticed was that she simply didn't pass him up like most customers would and stopped to watch him play.

"Not bad man, but work on playing something a little more challenging." she finally said.

Compared to the little work Light Shock did at the guitar store receiving a compliment was very rare. Light Shock had simply no idea if he was flattered or should shrug it off and return to his little spot behind the counter.

"Names Rainbow Dash why don't we meet up sometime soon since I need someone who can play." Rainbow Dash added.

"Are you sure you can't find someone with maybe a little more experience" exclaimed Light Shock.

Rainbow Dash shrugged this off as Light Shock being too down on himself and before leaving gave him a wadded up piece of paper with a phone number on it. Now all Light Shock had to do was sit back for three more boring and lifeless hours before he could call the number Rainbow Dash gave him. He was hoping it might be Rainbow Dash's personal phone number since Light Shock did think she was kind of cute despite him being a downer even around her. His shift was going by at a snails pace down to the last hour when his boss would go from a feeling of optimism to downright anger over yet again losing money. He had to pay tenant rent to the mall and barely made enough money to break even to the rent. As closing time finally came only one daily challenge still faced Light Shock. When darkness finally struck the mall the owner refused to keep any of the hallway lights on and only the first floor lights to save money. It was so dark Light Shock often brings a flashlight with him for after his shift. His flashlight provided some light to what seemed to be the signature look of urban decay. The place still looked nice deep inside but it still showed age. the place hadn't been renovated since the 90's and navigating was confusing since the place had two floors but barely any stores open.

When Light Shock finally managed to get to his car he had to spend a few minutes to get the heat working properly since he was freezing at this time of January. The time he spent driving home was spent worrying about tests and project due dates and how he was going to catch up in pre calculus with a D in the class. He would pass by Canterlot High with it's great exterior and would try to think of how lucky he might be. It was a nice school and everyone seemed to get along fine with a few exceptions and everyone believed in showing the best of themselves. His mom had already made dinner and Light Shock was able to convince his parents he would handle dinner himself. He stopped by a local pizzeria called Phillips Pizza and waited half and hour. When he finally got in his car to eat he decided it was time to look. He pulled out his phone and while pulling open the pepperoni and sausage pizza he ordered he looked at the number. He saved it under his contacts and labeled it RD. He then decided that he needed to call before he went through another boring day. He was delighted to hear Rainbow Dash's voice after the third ring and had simply one question.

"Rainbow Dash why did you stop to watch me play guitar earlier when you said I needed to play something better?"

"Well I never said you need to play something better and you actually sound quite good, Tell you what meet me at school tomorrow at 6:30 AM before school and bring your guitar" replied Rainbow Dash.

"So what if I don't prefer to show up and waste an hour before school playing guitar with you."

At this point Rainbow Dash was already getting sick of his negative outlook and decided it was time to show even more reality to his face in a final hope that he might wake up. Especially since Light Shock was stuck with even a job that required minimal human contact

"Well if you wish not to come then perhaps you can go back to your dead end life with no saving grace." Replied Rainbow Dash

"Fine but this better not be another stupid before school prank like the one the seniors pulled last year" Said Light Shock as he remembered the time the seniors tricked him into coming to school nearly two hours early and then locking him in as they convinced Principal Celestia to lend them a key".

As the conversation came to a close Light Shock thought about how he always played air guitars to the Beatles when he was little and thought of how cool it would be to be in a band. As cool as it seemed to soon be playing close to Rainbow Dash Light Shock still had matters to take care of and decided to quickly finish his pizza before his parents spammed his phone wondering where he was.

Light Shock came home to find his parents had likely gone off to bed and a house only lit by a lamp in the living room. He scurried to his room to do home work when he came across his dad watching TV near the family room. He glared by to see him watching Star Trek before slowly closing his door and pulling out his Chemistry test review guide. Light Shock spent hours that night studying but would stop to  watch a video before going right back to work like a robot. He eventually fell asleep with one hand under the sheets and set his alarm for 5:00 AM. He got out of bed as soon as he heard the first chord to Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin coming from his phones alarm clock and got ready. He made sure he got his guitar and it was tuned. As he drove away in his car he could find his phone still at a 90% battery life and made sure his guitar was in the backseat. He pulled up to the renaissance looking school of Canterlot High and through the grand front walkway until he reached the grand double door leading into the school. He went in with the scenery of the grand hallway looking all the more impressive by early morning in the dark and quickly made his way to the school marching bands practice room where Rainbow Dash told him to go

He had found the music hallway after a nice walk through the freshmen hallway with all those early high school memories flowing through his brain like a bad omen and quickly found the marching band practice room. When he opened the door he found Rainbow Dash sitting in a chair by the front of the room however she wasn't alone.