Working For Her

I awoke in the morning dazed and confused. My head was pounding but at least I was alive. I found myself inside of a hospital looking area and I was in bed with nothing but a hospital gown on and between my legs felt sticky like I spilled my soda last night but that's all I remembered. I looked around the room and saw it was my own little room but I had to share it with Shining Armor who was passed out on the couch just feet away from my bed to the left of me. I wanted to hit him but me waking up confused made me think why did I want to hit him. I looked to a tray next to me with a remote on it. Up in the corner was a TV and my first thought: Turn it the fuck on and wait for Shining to wake up. I grabbed the remote but the first button I pushed made the bed shift to a sitting up position. Apparently that was the wrong remote. The real remote was on the ground by Shining. I looked at the other remote again and saw a 'call nurse' button and pressed it. I waited a few minutes and a guard came in. He took one look at me and sighed. "You're the new recruit this asshole brought on." He said pointing to Shining.

I hummed a bit. "Why are you calling him an asshole...? All he's doing is sleeping is there anything wrong with that?" I asked. He huffed.

"He devised a prank that completely backfired which is exactly why you're in here." He replied. "He told us to hide Princess Twilight so you'd do something either heroic or something stupid. He basically made you hit your head." I looked back to Shining. THAT was the reason I wanted to nail him between his legs.

"Hey you mind waking him up please? I need to have a talk with him." The guard nodded and nudged Shining. He gasped and woke up almost instantly. "Well mornin' you jackass! I got some info that SOMEONE should probably be getting paid for some medical leave for not telling Celestia about this cruel joke you played last night."

Shining groaned sitting up. "...And how do you expect to do that...?" He said yawning. "You cant exactly get close to Princess Celestia... And how do you know that? Applejack and Rainbow Dash didn't come in here and tell you what I did did they?" I shook my head and pointed to the guard as he handed me the remote. The guard looked back at Shining and sighed.

"Sir I must say I'm sorry for revealing this information to him but I'd have to inform the princess of this accident if not handled right. I mean... He could sue us for his injuries that you caused inadvertently through your own words." Shining gave a sigh.

"Okay Ryder look I'm sorry!" He said. "Maybe I was wrong when I thought you were cut out for this job... You had it when you took down that robbery but maybe handling protecting my sister was still a bit too much... Your sister is just a filly and easier to protect than my sister who's a high priority figure..." I saw tears come to his eyes.

"What are you saying...?"

"....I'm... I'm saying you're... you're..."

"What? I'm FIRED? FIRED for YOUR stupid mistake?! That right there is enough to report it to Princess Celestia! The head of the guard fucks up and an underling gets fired for it!" Shining clenched his eyes shut.

"STOP IT JUST FUCKING STOP OKAY?!" The guard and I jumped a bit. "JUST GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! YOU ARENT FIRED! YOU ARENT GOING TO CELESTIA JUST FUCKING GO!" He got up breaking down and ran out like my sister after she had an accident in front of her friends at school. I gave a sigh and looked to the guard.

"You mind getting me Applejack and something to drink please? I just.... I need some time to myself here..." The guard nodded. "And... I... Thanks for letting me know about last night... Better from you than from him..." He shot a smile and nodded again before leaving me in the room.

I had to wait a while after I got my drink. A box of orange juice. He even brought me a little plate of pancakes to eat. I would've expected oatmeal or a mini box of cereal and a tiny milk carton. Didn't really say anything because well I was hungry. As I ate and watched TV Applejack came in all worried. She had my phone in hand and hugged me as I put the juice down. "Sugarcube! You're okay!" She said nuzzling me. "Oh I thought ya would've been laid up for days! Scoot woulda been wonderin where ya were, I had to answer Rarity because Scoot had an accident in a guest bed at one of Rarity's friends place and I couldn't just say what happened to ya all I could say was you were asleep!" I gave a sigh and hugged Applejack.

"Hey calm down... That was the best thing you could say AJ..." I replied. "C'mon and help me up... I don't wanna be in the same building as Shining... I just... I wanna go back to Sugarcube Corner and work there..."

"...Too much stress on ya...?" I shook my head. "...Just not likin' your first day here I take it?" I nodded. "...Well I hear ya. That prank Shinin' pulled ruined last night for me... Had to get Pinkie to uh... Cuddle so to speak..." She blushed hard. "All that aside lets getcha dressed. Big Mac should be here to letcha get your car back. Hope ya don't mind that he had to raid your drawers at home to getcha a change of clothes after last night... Ya wet yourself thinkin' you let Twilight get kidnapped but I wouldn't worry she's just fine other than being pissed at her brother." She went and helped me up from my bed.

About a half hour later me and Applejack were sitting out in front of the castle. I had a plastic bag with my wet pants inside of it. I honestly felt really embarrassed but I didn't have the feeling of crying like a kid. As I looked on the street I started to remember something that happened around here. I was walking with my mom and dad. It was raining and the worst part there was thunder and lightning. Being a Pegasus you'd think I wasn't afraid of that stuff but it's the fact that the first time a thunderstorm happened in about five years after I was born I wet my pants. Yeah. I was still peeing myself at five. This little flashback was say about two years before Scootaloo was born. I don't remember what was said but I saw Big Mac walking home from shopping for his family. I think his family's truck was broken down or something. A clap of thunder scared me into- spoiler alert- wetting my pants. I was so embarrassed I didn't talk with Big Mac for about a week until my parents forced me to have a sleep over with him. Everything in that flashback suddenly disappeared when a honk startled me. Just in front of me I saw Big Mac in my car pulling up. "C'mon hop in and lets get outta here!" He called out. I sighed and got up grabbing the bag next to me. Applejack climbed into the back seat and I got into the front seat where I just threw the bag between my legs on the floor. Big Mac had country on the radio but I pressed the button putting it on my rock station. "Well someone aint in a good mood! Y'all only force the channel change when you aint in a good mood. Wanna tell me what's wrong?"

I gave a hefty sigh as I closed my door and crossed my arm. "....Just... Take me to Sugarcube Corner.... I don't want anything to do with Shining..." I said. "...Made me look like a fool faking his sisters kidnapping... You... You wouldn't hide AJ from me as a prank... Would you?" I glanced at him as he pulled away from the curb.

"Nah you'd go and kill someone just to get her back and I'd probably have to keep Scoot away from ya until you were stable enough for visitors."

Applejack leaned forward and rested a hand on my shoulder. "If he even thought of a stupid idea like that he'd get my boot shoved so far up his ass he'd have to go into the labor ward just to get that thing out!" She said. "I'm sure Twilight'll have a chat with her brother, talk with you see if there's somethin' ya can get just as a little apology from him!"

"Bullshit!" I snapped. "A little apology isn't going to cut it! A princess is a big deal and a little apology from that doesn't mean shit! I'd need some time with Cadence or a MAJOR promotion!" Big Mac gave a grunt.

"Dammit Ry I am not bringing your sister into our house if ya get in trouble for rapin' his wife!"

"BIG MAC!" Applejack snapped. "We are bringing that filly to our home if ANYTHING happens to Ryder! That means if he ever got hurt or he was gonna be late getting home from somewhere that girl is going to be in our room on a cot in Applebloom's room!" She looked to me. "But in all seriousness you are NOT getting to Princess Cadence while I'm around! If I were you I'd be going for that big ol' promotion. Less chance of catchin' a charge and less chance of me NEVER talking to you again. And I mean NEVER so you'd try to talk with me and I'd be as silent as a mime! You wouldn't even get me to talk with ya even if ya tried getting Fluttershy or Applebloom or even your own sister to talk with me."

"ALRIGHT ALRIGHT I GET IT!" I yelled. "I get it! You'll be fucking pissed can we just get to fucking Sugarcube FUCKING CORNER?!" I looked at Applejack and Big Mac. Both were silent. That's when I looked out the window. "...I... I'm sorry I don't wanna talk... Just wanna listen to music..." I could hear Applejack scoot over in the back seat getting herself behind my seat where she wrapped her arms around my neck like she was putting me in a headlock. I looked out the window again. We passed the old ruins of the Golden Oaks Library or 'The Treebrary' as I used to call it. It was burned down when Tirek went on a rampage and I was hiding up that tree. (and when Twilight used to live there) I remember walking into that library one day (yes with my parents.) and I got a book from there that I actually still have to this day. It was a book about a griffon who had a breezie companion. She was his voice most of the time. The memory felt as if I was reliving it. Then I started hearing a voice. Applejack's.

"Sugarcube? Sugarcube wake up!" Her voice echoed and everything started to vanish. "C'mon Ryder wake up! We're at Sugarcube Corner! ...D-do ya think that fall gave him a concussion at all Big Mac?"

I heard Big Mac sigh. "Sis that concussion woulda happened last night." He said. "Besides... I think he'd need to stay in there until the doc gave him the okay to leave."

I groaned a bit and found I had passed out. As I came to I saw Big Mac looking back at Applejack. She looked a bit worried. "...Big... Mac? AJ?" I said rubbing my eyes. "...How long was I out Applejack sighed and nuzzled me after giving me a kiss on my cheek.

"You were out for a good while sugarcube!" She said. "I honestly thought your music woulda kept ya awake! You sure your head still don't hurt?" I shook my head stretching.

"...Damn memories again... I feel more messed up than Pinkie after somepony tells her a cake was bad."

Big Mac huffed a bit unbuckling himself and me. "Yeah I hear ya bud." He said. "Honestly I had nightmares after you shot Berrie on our doorstep... Sure that first night didn't phase me but after you got back out of jail and spent that one night with us I honestly thought I woke up to ya aiming my gun in my face ready to blow my brains out. Next thing ya know I'm seeing my walls fall apart and I'm awake!" I sighed.

"Well... At least my memories are good memories... About me... Mom and dad... One being something about my mom taking me to your guys' place for this big lug to watch me when we were younger." I patted Big Mac on the shoulder.

"I remember when ya wet yourself right outside the back door. Had AJ come run n tell me you had an accident and I had to call well... Y'know who." I blushed a bit feeling my heart sink a bit. "Anyways lets just uh... Let's getcha inside. I'll take your car back to our place and just call me when you're done here okay?" I nodded and we all got out.

Big Mac walked me and AJ up to the door. We went inside and he left us there with Mr. and Mrs. Cake working the counter. They both looked up at us. "Oh Ryder! Applejack so nice of you to drop by!" Mrs. Cake said. "If you're here to see Pinkie she's at the Princesses castle!"

Applejack sighed as I sat down at a table and put my head down. "Yeah we just left there." She said. "Wasn't much of an enjoyable night as I thought it'd be... You know Shinin' Armor that guard who's married to Princess Cadence, brother of Princess Twilight?" I saw both of them nod out of the corner of my eye. "Well that guy is a JERK! Y'wanna know what he did? He faked his sisters kidnapping and scared this boy half to death!" She pointed to me.

Mr. Cake gasped and rushed over. "You poor thing!" He said.

I huffed a bit sitting up. "You mind if I work here for the next couple days?" I asked. "Shining has me WAY too pissed off to even go back there."

"Eh sure... I've been up half the night making sure everything was locked up and put away in our new safe. That robbery had us a bit shaken up..."

"Also... You think it might be too much to ask to... Maybe spend a night here? It's too quiet in my place and... Just... It kinda scares me thinking about if I was too late to get Scootaloo..." I put my head back down.

Applejack sighed and put a hand on my back. "He's one of them stallions that think of multiple situations see how a situation could go down." She said. I heard her pull up a chair next to me. "I'd bring him to the orchard but he would not like any of the situations there either.... Y'do remember what happened there dontcha?" I looked up to see both Mr. and Mrs. Cake nod.

Mrs. Cake looked to me. "Ryder you are welcome to stay here for the night." She said. "Just know you.... May or may not get a wake up call from Pinkie. It's kind of why we have Pinkie go and sleep over at the princesses castle or where ever else that isn't here!" I looked over at Applejack.

"You uh... You want me to leave ya here?" I shook my head feeling my lip quiver. Everything that was spoken of here hit me where it counted. My heart. I wanted to force out some tears but I just felt like I didn't have any tears left. Like I used them all crying over my parents, over having no real job and just Scootaloo having me or Dash to go to when she's scared while I have no one. Yeah you're thinking I could talk with AJ over the phone or just listen to my music hope it all goes away but no. None of that works. I needed someone who I could go to... Seek as a parental figure... I thought of Shining as a fatherly type but I wanted to keep my cool for a few days. Make sure I didn't go and kick the crap out of him. Not only that I uh... I didn't really want to call him, ask for him to come over just because I wet my bed being scared awake by a loud thunderclap.... Don't uh... Just forget that last part.

I basically sat in that one place with Applejack for a while. Well only until Pinkie came back. She came back through the door with her bag thrown over her shoulder looking tired. I looked past and saw a black truck drive away from Sugarcube Corner. Fucking Shining. She yawned. "...Morning everrrpny...." She said slurring her words. "...I'm just.... Imma snoozy..." Scratch 'tired'. She crashed HARD. I've done this before. Got all hyped for or from something and then boom, out of it.

I got up away from Applejack and put Pinkie's arm over my shoulder. I looked to Mrs. Cake who had a bit of a smile on her face. "...I'll get her upstairs and... I might need to nap a bit... My night wasn't so quiet..." I said. Mrs. Cake nodded and had Mr. Cake open the door into the back for us. I had to get her plump ass on my back (nearly breaking it I might add) to get her up stairs. I went into her room and set her on the bed. She grabbed me and cuddled me like I was a stuffed toy. Couldn't help but stay there and fall asleep. I woke up about an hour later to Pound and Pumpkin crying. Pinkie had let go of me and I got up throwing off a blanket one of the Cakes threw onto us. I stretched a bit and went into the foals room to see both of them sitting on the floor crying about a toy between them broken. It was a little toy train with the wheels off. I knelt down giving a sad aw. "...This must've been your guys' favorite toy.... Here just give me a second." I picked their train up along with the wheels and put them back on giving each a good push getting them to stay on. I set it back down and pulled it back. It clicked a few times before I let it go. It went past them and their crying stopped as they saw their toy go between them.

I heard a laugh behind me. "Well... Seems you got to them before even I could." Someone said. I looked behind me and saw Mr. Cake leaning against the door jam smiling. "Good to see you awake and... Yeah that pretty much was their favorite. They always mess with that thing and looks like it finally broke on em. Thanks for fixing it." I stood up and sighed.

"No worries. I had to do that for Princess Cadence when she had a job in town once. Honestly felt good bringing a smile to the faces of the little ones... Even my sister..."

"Can you fix anything? There are a few things here that we need fixed." I grinned.

"Show me whatcha got. Fixing things is my specialty." He nodded and lead me out of the room. "So... You just... Leave your kids alone up here?" Mr. Cake sighed.

"Not usually. We normally have them downstairs but... after the other day we were kind of afraid one of them would wander out into the shop area and.... Well it's just scary to think about..." I sighed as we stopped at a door just down the hall.

"Yeah... There could be many possibilities... I could've not been there, Pinkie could've gotten shot, I'd've been there but I would've gotten shot.... Too many possibilities to think of. So... What do we have here?" Mr. Cake opened up the door and revealed a room with shelves lined with broken things lining each. There was a desk against the walls with a bunch of tools on the wall above it.

"Well... This room is filled with a bunch of things either me or my wife broke along with a few things our kids broke. I was going to get someone to help me fix these things and well... Didn't really know someone who did this for a living." I smiled.

"1993 Opaque Mini Van, cream interior with third row seating and cassette radio. Came into the shop I worked at last year. The owner, being you, said it needed a tune up and a new carburetor. Guess who figured out it wasn't the carburetor that needed fixing."

"No way you worked at that Garage!" I nodded.

"True stuff."

"Why aren't you there working on getting your job back?" I sighed.

"Big Mac came in with his family's truck, I misbalanced it and it was the reason I got fired. He... He got pissed at me just before my parents were... Y'kno... Tried calling him for bail and he didn't pick up... To be honest I wanted to call you but... Something would've told me I would not be coming back in here at all..." He rested a hand on my shoulder.

"When you were arrested I said you weren't allowed to work here, not come to buy a few things for that sister of yours. Say how's about I tell you something that happened with Scootaloo and your parents?" Did he stutter? I thought so for a moment. I actually had to think for a moment.

"...Yeah... Please sir it'd make me feel a bit better I think...." He walked with me inside the room and sat me at the desk.

"You sit here. I'll be right back. Get my wife to close up shop since we aren't that busy. Alright?" I gave a nod and sat back as he left the room. What was he going to tell me? What was gonna happen while I'm fixing this stuff? Would I stab myself with a screw driver as he spoke of my parents? These are things that rushed through my head as I looked around the room.

I heard someone stomping up the stairs. I was so engrossed in my thoughts I only heard those. "Hey Ryder? Can you uh... Can you help us down here?!" Mrs. Cake called out. She sounded a bit panicked.

I got up from my seat and rushed out the door and down the hall. Mrs. Cake was at the top of the steps with her mane a mess. I went down half the steps and jumped the rest narrowly eating it. "W-well I'm not leavin' till I get mah Rum Cake!" A stallion said slurring his words a bit. I came through the door and saw this old homeless unicorn with raggedy clothing. Mr. Cake was behind the counter.

"Sir I told you this isn't a fancy bakery and there are no alcoholic beverages on premisis this is a family establishment and I'm going to have to ask you to leave!" The stallion gave him the stink eye.

"What if... If I refuse to leave? Y-you cant kick me out! I am a paying customber..."

"My wife said you never paid for a damn thing! I can kick you out!"

I grinned a bit and approached the drunken stallion. "Sir you need to leave! You don't leave on your own I'll have to throw you out!" I snapped. He looked to me.

"What the fuck d'ya think yer gonna do boy?" That's when I grabbed him by the arm and the horn and proceeded to drag him out. "LEGGO OF ME! I WANT MAH RUM CAKE!" I tossed him onto the curb.

"Sir unless you want the guard to come here and arrest you I'd go back to what ever bridge you came from! Maybe come back when your sober and buy something!" I huffed and walked back to the door where Mr. Cake stood holding the door open. "Let me get cleaned up before I go and touch anything else... That guy reeks of garbage and booze..." Mr. Cake gave a nod and locked the door as I hurried upstairs.

About a half hour of scrubbing that assholes scum off of me I was back to work. I sat in the room with the shelves. I was trying to fix an old lamp with a pair of pliers trying to get an old busted light bulb out. There was a knock on the door behind me. I looked back and saw Pinkie Pie. "Didn't know you were here Ryder!" She said. "You working on Mrs. Cake's anniversary lamp I got her?" I gave a nod.

"Eeyup... I would've had Mr. Cake in here telling me about Scoot and our parents but they went out with the foals leaving you and me here..." I looked back at the lamp and started to unscrew the rest of the busted light bulb with my hand. Pinkie hummed a bit.

"I wonder if it was about Scootaloo's birthday last year... Did you go to that?" I.. I didn't. I couldn't.

"Nah... I was... I was busy." Lying to Pinkie. How much worse could it get? Not much but... She noticed.

"Your father didn't send you an invite did he?" I shook my head. "I see... I bet your mother sent a text or something inviting you." I nodded. She came in and pulled the chair away from the lamp and she sat on my lap. I was frozen. "I remember your sister having her friends and your parents in here for her birthday. I stayed near Scoot all day and all she asked was: Where's Ryder? Your mother just said she didn't know. Your father said you were busy but I knew that was shit... Your father even told the cakes AND me to watch out for you and not let you in but I just wasn't sure why.... Really hurt me to see your sister hurt not being able to see her big brother..." She hugged me. I gotta say that really hurt hearing that. Gave me chills. I thought it was either Pinkie's icy cold arms touching my wet arms (Took a shower so what?) or my father giving me a hug from beyond the grave. Saying he was sorry for that. That's what I believed.

"...Well... Thanks for telling me that Pinkie... I... I'm just glad I get to be there for her next birthday..." Was I really? Yes. Was I hurt knowing that? Again... Yes. It hurt deeply. I started to cry into Pinkie's shoulder. She shushed me as I sobbed.

"...go on... let it all out... cry for auntie Pinkie... You want a soda...?" I gave a nod. She patted me on the head making me snicker a bit and got off my lap. I grabbed my phone out of my pocket after she left and pulled up a text chat with Rarity and tapped a little microphone icon at the bottom.

"...Tell Scootaloo I love her and I always will." I said. It copied each word as said. I sent it off.

A little bubble popped up and I saw she was already typing a reply. It popped up just a second later. 'Surely I will darling! Right now she's taking a nap. She stayed up with me until midnight because she was worried about you. Twi told me what happened. I wouldn't give Shining another second of your time.' She replied. I smiled shoving my phone back into my pocket. Oh the hug I would've given Scoot if she were here...