Author's Note

Before reading this I would like to let each and everyone of you know that I, in no way shape or form have a hate for metal music. I like everyone else just have a different taste then others. With that being said enjoy the chapter and thanks for checking it out.

Chapter 12: Zach enjoys a little bit of Bush...

It was almost twenty minutes until midnight, while I carefully took quiet steps through the forest, trying so hard not to make a single sound in through the bushes. Carrying my sweater in my hand as hair was completely frizzled and my eyes streaked with black eyeliner, looking like a girl who was completely drunk and was getting emotional on the edge of the sidewalk. Things got crazy after I left the arcade spot, I made my way to the cottage. Noticing the lights were out thinking that Barb must have already gone to bed, gave me the perfect opportunity to inside without being spotted as I carefully twist the knob of the door opening it slowly so the door doesn't make a sound. Once it was open just enough for me to enter, I slid myself inside keeping the door knob twisted so when I close it the bolt doesn't make that loud click sound alerting anyone inside of the quiet house. But as soon as I closed the door, the living room at first being completely dark suddenly came into the light as the lights were turned on. Causing me to turn around, seeing Barb standing by the stairs as she looks at me. Looking a bit angry when she sees I'm barely getting home and it was about to be mid night, her arms crossed over each other while she was looking at me Barb began to tap her foot against the floor wanting me to explain I came home at this time. Looking at her I gently rub my arm, kind of ashamed in showing up all dirty, hair frizzed up and wet eye liner now dry and stained on my cheeks.

"Well… I'm not going to stay up long. But I want to get you cleaned up before bed, maybe then you can explain why you're home so late."

She said as she walks up to me, placing her hands on my own pulling me towards the stairs. She doesn't appear to be mad for some reason, was she by polar or does she just forgive really quickly? I didn't know, but all I knew was that I was going to get myself cleaned up and that also gave me a chance to explain why the fuck I came home all messed up and looking like some drunk girl was crying because she's a drunken mess. Did I make that reference already? Oh well. As she leads me upstairs she opens the door to the restroom, pulling me in as she closes the door. Throwing my sweater onto the the closed toilet as I start to undress, Barb staring at me from behind watching while I take my shirt off, moving my hands down to my pants as I start to undo them but before I could pull the zipper down I notice Barb staring through the mirror as she looks flustered as fuck. Now this, what was happening right now me is one of the many things we both can get used to each other. Usually Barb wore a huge shirt and a pair of panties when she's home, she says it's more comfortable than not having anything on which is kind of ironic because she is really comfortable with being without anything on while we're in public. Then again everypony in town is usually naked, with only like a tie or a scarf on, or some kind of jewelry on. Once I was in my underwear, which was the only way Barb was going to ever be comfortable with bathing me. Now I could tell her that I can shower or bathe on my own, but she always insists on bathing me because it gives her more of a purpose in life.

As soon as Barb filled the bathtub full of warm water, she grabs me by the arm yet again to pull me into the tub. Helping me get into the tub one leg at a time, setting me down as she gets on her knees near the tub grabbing a small bowl scooping some soapy water that was in the tub as she gently pour it over my head. Feeling the nice warm water against my hair as I look up feeling the water scroll down my face, the silence was strong that you could drop a pen and everyone in the room could hear it. Barb after giving me a nice first soak to start off a nice night bath, she asks me.

"So tell me, why did you come home so late?"

She said as she grabs the shampoo bottle that was on the sink, since we didn't have some sort of rack that can hold our soaps or shampoo we keep them on the sink for easy access. Opening the bottle of shampoo she gently pours its contents onto my head, placing both of her hands on my hair as she gently scrubs the shampoo into my scalp. While she was washing my hair, I began to explain what happened in a matter of a few hours as I looked up at her.

———

"Twenty one on the dot!"

A mare yells, slapping her hooves of cards onto the table. I along with the rest of the ponies on the table outside of a cafe groan as we lost another game of blackjack against the same mare, giving her all of our jelly beans we used like chips for poker as she starts to collect our cards from our possession. Grabbing my cup of iced coffee I take another sip out of it from the straw as she start to deal the cards one more time for one last game. To think, I was just supposed to play one game at the arcade and now I'm playing poker with four teenage ponies, if you're wondering what happened back at the arcade here's how it basically went down. While laying on the floor preparing for my imminent death, I felt one of the ponies poking my arm with their muzzle asking if they could have a turn with me. Soon I was backed up on ponies wanting turns with me on every game in the arcade that I stopped using my own bits after about the third game machine move. Twenty two games later I was a tired mother fucker who was also hungry and parched as hell along with the sun going down I knew it was time for me to get back to the cottage before Barb starts to get worried. While I was in deep thought, thinking maybe it was best if I just went home, suddenly a group of teenage ponies offered to pay for an iced coffee and a bagel. Fast forward to now, it was now ten to eleven in the night, sitting in the middle between a mare and a stallion while we played poker for the last few hours of the day. I got to meet them all in a more personal level while we were playing, see that mare in the counter of the stall, the one with a nice white coat, a brown curly mane and matching tail, her eyes a nice light brown shade, that's Coco-Nuts her dad was the inventor of the straw you out in a coconut so it doesn't break while stabbing it into the fruit. The stallion next to me, straight moonlight mane that covers his left eye, his tail a bit shorter than most ponies with a nice dark blue coat and one exposed blue eyes that's Moonlight Hunter, his mom and dad are professional weapons manufacturers who create bows, arrows and other types of armory for the royal guards back in Canterlot. Both Moon, Coco and I look at our cards while the mare next to me, Wild Vision a pegasus with a nice short bowl cut violet mane, long straight tail and a nice pinkish coat she whispers in my ear, gossiping out Onyx Bolt the dark grey stallion with a neon green mohawk, his tail he same color with the Pearl colored eyes has a crush on Ivory Spark, the emerald colored mare that has her scarlet colored mane up in a bun, her sapphire eyes looking down at her cards as she thinks for a moment. Ivory was the one winning game after game and now she was waiting to win one last game as she looks at all of us. Now I know what you're thinking, this couldn't be their names and you just picked some random names out of a hat. But no, those are their actual names. It's weird yet very common around here. Moonlight bumps his elbow against my own, trying to tell me that it was my turn to either be okay with my hand, ask for another card or fold and lose by default. Apparently I was daydreaming and I got distracted by something but I don't quite remember what it was as I shook my head answering.

"Uhh…"

I look down at my cards, seeing I have an Ace, a ten and a Queen the queen looking quite menacing in the cards as she was all in black her hooves having meticulously placed holes along with her horn as she stared at me with that green eye. Thinking to myself that I had an ace and an ace can be either a one or an eleven and the queen is equal to a ten so clearly I could have either a thirty one which costs me the entire game or an exact twenty one meaning I win no matter who has what. I smile as I look up at the ponies in the table who were staring at me waiting for an answer as I said.

"I'll stay with what I have."

"You sure? Don't want to lose another game, big boy."

Ivory said as she looks at me, covering her cards against her chest so the players next to her won't see her hoof. The other four looking at me with a grin as they knew what was about to happen as I looked at her smiling back with the same confident grin on my face.

"Care to make it more interesting?"

I say smiling at her while leaning against the table with my elbows, the others staring at Ivory when I beat her to the punch as she looks back at me giving me a devilish smirk and leaning against the table as well. Her hoof making a circular motion against the table as she says in a very sultry manner.

"If I win… you treat us to a milkshake one of these days…"

"And if I win?"

I said, thinking this could either end in a good way where I'm going to he treating everypony in the group with a taste diary treat or whatever I get in return for winning this game. Seeing as I don't even have a job yet, I don't know how the fuck I'm going to be paying for their milkshakes but knowing me at some point in going to have to look for a job. Ivory smiling at me as she would gently rub her lower hooves against my leg as a form of flattery.

"You ...and the colts get to stare at any one of us mares making out."

Soon my confidence went from hundred to one real quick, eyes widening in shock as this could be my way into getting to watch some live girl on girl action. Then again I never understood why guys found that a turn on, but hey I get to stare at it while it was happening so fuck it why not. Before I could answer I see some colt flying above us as I get a chocolate milkshake to the face cards falling off my hand, feeling the dairy liquid against my eyes. Even though my eyes were closed, I could hear that colt who did it laughing at me yelling.

"Freak!"

I hear as I then hear the sound of the door close, the group of ponies imminently coming to my aid one left to grab of napkins while the others try to clean my face to get rid of any chocolate milkshake that was in my face or my shirt. Well great, not only was my face smelling my rich chocolate but also stains on white clothing is every mother's nightmare, or in this case every very attractive assistant's nightmare. Yes, if you're wondering I do find my assistant quite attractive sure she might not find an ape like myself attractive. After getting as much chocolate off my face, some getting into my nose and in my mouth as I wipe some off my eyes. Wild looks gently rubs her hooves against my shoulder as she gently tells me in a comfort me.

"You'll be fine."

"Yeah, sometimes assholes just do things for attention."

Moonlight said as he looks up at me gently rubbing my back with his hoof, I nod smiling completely forgetting about the bet entirely as I grab a napkin trying to blow out any of the milkshake that was left over in my nose. I'm not complaining at this point however, considering the past few days that both Barb and I have been here it's been nothing less than a log to the head, a tomato to the back and a chocolate milkshake thrown onto my face. I wasn't even mad at the fact it thrown onto my face, I'm mad because that was some pretty rich chocolate in that milkshake and it was wasted just to prove some sort of fucken point. After cleaning myself enough times to the point of leaving a red mark outlining my nostrils, I hear Ivory speaking as I watch her collecting her cards and carefully clean off any of the diary drink off her cards as she asks me.

"So Zach, can I ask you something see that the game and the bet was off by default all for some stupid, asshole!..."

She said yelling out the window as it echoed across town. She cools down a bit, a little help from Onyx next to her as he gently rubs his hoof on her back, sighing a bit she goes back to her question as she looks back up at me.

"...see I have this new eyeliner and I'm not sure if it'll look good on me. I want to test it on the girls but they keep saying that I'll 'poke their eyes out' and I asked the guys and they keep saying that they're too 'colty' for feminine products."

"So you want to try it on me?"

I ask looking at her as she looks back at me, nodding with a friendly smile. This wouldn't be the first rodeo in makeup, even if it's just eyeliner I remember back when my mom wore makeup at her day job and when she wanted to do a test run on someone, while my dad was at his morning shift at work she would use me as her test model. Let me tell you, when it's done right and when I looked at myself with a full face of makeup it, I dead ass would fuck me if I was a female. Would that make me gay if I said I would fuck myself? Eh whatever, anyway as I look at Ivory she looks back at me waiting to get an answer, giving her a shrug as a form of saying 'sure why not', Ivory smiles as she grabs her sachle while she did that Wild would move herself so I can be a bit closer to Ivory as she pulls out her eyeliner pencil. Unwrapping it out of it's package as she would pull out a vencrow strap sticking the pencil it the small compartment before wrapping the strap around her hoove in order for her to hold onto the eyeliner better. Ivory looks at me as she would get on her four hooves, placing one of her upper hooves on my shoulder as she used the one with the strapped on pencil to gently outline both of my water lines of my eye before gently creating a wing on the edge of my eye. The others watching in fear that Ivory was going to poke out my eyes as I leaned back, my hand onto her lower hoof gently while she did the same for the second eye. Ivory smiling as she shows everypony her wing skills, tilting my head both ways so they can see them from different angles. Coco and Wild both aww in how nice I looked in eyeliner, while Onyx and Moonlight found out how attractive I look with makeup on and that was just eyeliner as Ivory now asked having a better plan.

"Ooo you mind if I do just your eyes, like eye shadow and your lashes, please, please, pleeeease."

Ivory begging as she removes the strapped on eyeliner off her hoof, and like I said before I wasn't so uncomfortable with this as some guys would be. When she asked me I give her a second shrug before saying.

"Sure, while we're here, I guess you can do the top half of my face."

I said smiling as Ivory gasps in happiness before quickly grabbing her satchel, pulling out an eyelash curler, mascara, and a spray bottle. Grabbing the spray bottle I look at the small imprints as Ivory continues to look through her satchel, her face turns into extreme frustration not being able to find what she is looking for. Scoffing as she places her satchel underneath the table, looking back up at me as she said.

"I think I left my eyeshadow pallet at home, so I guess we'll only be able to do your eyelashes for now."

"It's fine, besides I don't think my roommate is going to enjoy how gorgeous I'd look with a half-face if makeup anyway."

I said looking at Ivory with an appreciative smile on my face. Mentioning Barb as my roommate and not my assistant, mostly because I'd feel like some sort of snob showing how important I am that I even have an assistant to do all to shit. Now yes even though Barb has done most of the things I could be doing, like washing my dishes, my clothes and preparing dinner. But it's not my fault, I offered once to do the dishes and Barb would go off on a rant about how she is appreciative that I took her out of the castle and all this was out of gratitude. To me, Barb is nothing like an assistant and more like a friend I could talk to about my problems, telling me how she would do it if she was put in the position.

"Wait… y-you, think of me more as a friend and not an assistant?"

She asked as we were both now in our room, she sat across from me on the bed with her legs crossed over each other as she was wearing a flannel I let her use since she never really had anything that was both clean and comfortable. To you, it may look adorable on her since it looks a bit too big for her size, but if you were sitting in the position that I was sitting in that adorable look quick turns into a provocative one. Since she didn't button up the flannel, both sides would cover over her breasts and even though she didn't have nipples the way the flannel would expose her cleavage made it look like she was about to flash me. Staring at her exposed cleavage for a moment, I shook my head coming back to reality as I look up at her smiling nodding at her question which made her smile back at me. Soon she positions herself closer to me, and by closer, I don't mean an innocent seat next to me as she held my arm. No, she places herself on my lap as her legs on each side of my thighs, her arms wrapping around my neck scooting herself as close as possible looking into my eyes with a smile before saying.

"Then you don't mind if I have a seat right here, right bestie?"

Dammit! She even called me bestie if that isn't the biggest friend zone moment even after she just sat down on my lap, with her breasts almost touching my chest and at any moment the flannel could move away exposing a non-existent nipple slip. I look at her smiling as I nod before hesitantly planing my hands on her thighs which let her know that I was completely comfortable with this as I continue my story.

"So what's your roommate like?"

Wild asks as I have my head leaning back against the bench, Ivory working in my lashes as she gently places the clamps of the eyelash curler against my eyelashes pressing the clamps down curling my eyelashes so they could look more 'on fleek' as the teenagers call it these days. Haha, I'm going to die at some point in my life, oh wait! While Ivory continues to curl my eyelashes I try to talk to Wild while the rest would listen in.

"Well, the only way I could really describe her is she's like me, except she has a muzzle, a tail, and is a dragon."

"Woah, woah, woah did you say that your roommate is a she?"

Onyx asks as he overheard me saying that my roommate was a girl since I was using female pronouns as Moonlight follow up question was.

"And is she single?"

And as soon as he asked that, Coco, Ivory, Wild and I all hear a simultaneous thump against the table from underneath, slowly all four of us look at both stallions as they look back at us. Now if you don't know what hormones are then you won't understand what's going on and I'll just let you figure out what the thumps were. Imminently Coco and Wild use their tails to swat their crotch area as both Onyx and Moonlight jolt up their hooves covering their crotches as they bit their lips, groaning in pain they both fall over after being the mares got a cheap shot on their my balls. After Ivory finishes curling my eyelashes, she grabs her mascara as she gently applies some onto my eyelashes, bring some volume to my eyelashes as she smiles at me.

"There, all done!"

She said as I sit up straight, allowing everypony on the table showing off my painted eyelashes as the mares watch what good of a job Ivory did to my eyes. Before anyone could say anything, the doors to the cafe would open everypony gasps as I along with the rest of the ponies that were on the table look over. My eyes widen as I saw it was those 'Copper Angels' that I saw back when both Barb and I were on our way towards town. Seeing the two stallions and that mare now with a bandage around one of her wings, I knew it was them because of those jackets with a patch of a pair of silver wings, the mare having a tooth pick in her mouth. I gently slid down on my seat as I try my best to hide myself from any and all altercations, Ivory took notice of this as she looks down seeing me slouching down so I wasn't visible as she whispers at me.

"What's the matter? It's just those Copper Assholes."

"No, you don't understand…"

I whisper back as I turn my head towards Ivory, my face now showing an expression of fear and worry.

"...when my roommate and I were moving into our cottage, we came across the angels and well…. I kind of made that mare have a bandage on her wing."

I said, covering my face as Ivory looks at me with the same facial expression as I had. Later the cafe's music, which was played by a radio that was connected onto speakers around the cafe was cut. Instead I along with the rest of the customers in the restaurant start to hear a bass being played. Coming out of hiding, I along with the rest of the ponies notice at the corner of the cafe turned into a stage as each angel had an instrument with them. The mare with a guitar, one stallion with a bass and the other behind a drum set, now I know what you are thinking, and I still don't understand how it is possible. But the way I am looking at it is, the two equines had a guitar pick strapped around their hoof, kind of like how Ivory had that eyeliner around her hoof. The drummer was the same way, except he had two one for each hoof, I remember the guards saying that they are 'own' for playing really terrible mental music. Now let it be known that I don't hate mental, in fact I know a few mental bands here and there so I know what good mental music sounds like. But as soon as I start to hear the angels start to play…

"Yikes…"

I said as the others in the restaurant, and the group of ponies that are sitting around me. The angels look out ready to receive praise, but the praise they got was a tomato to the head, the mare of the group would look at whoever threw that as she launches one of her stallion's to attack them. Immediately seeing him go around his drum set, off the stage and straight towards the equine who threw his leader a tomato as he launches the equine towards the window, breaking it as the room went completely silent and completely scared. Seeing the mare smirk as I made a fist against the table in anger, the mare looks around the cafe as she noticed me staring back at her. Smiling at me as she would use her good wing to made a snap noise before pointing towards the table I was in. Both stallions nodding as they trot over towards me, both Coco and Onyx stand up to try and defend me but ultimately got pushed towards the floor. Moonlight tries to help me get out of the booth by scooting out of his seat only to he stopped by one of the stallions. Pulling moonlight out but blocking me so I don't get out. Ultimately that left Ivory and Wild Vision as they try to push the stallion that was blocking me from exiting only to he met with a tug by the second stallion, now I'm completely alone as both stallions blocked each exit out of the booth.

"Now, now boys."

The mare said with a very mild and soft tone in her voice as she trots up in front of the booth, tapping their shoulders as a way of saying 'good job' or 'you've done enough'. The mare staring at me as she looks at me with a smile on her face. One of her 'angels' as ironic as that name sounds, move to the side allowing the mare to take a seat in the booth as she scoots herself towards the middle of the booth looking at me with a smile on her face. Innocent as that may seem something about that 'friendly smile' made me feel really uneasy, not even when she pays the space next to her telling me to scoot closer and I would have stayed where I was. That was until I felt the stallion behind me forcefully shoving me towards her as I was made to scoot closer towards the mare, feeling one of her hooves wrapping around my arm as she gently nuzzles her head against my bicep. Feeling as if she is trying to butter me up, but if I knew anything about being buttered up is that sometimes 'buttering' just means 'either listen up or get beat up, your choice'.

"I don't think we've officially met..."

"Don't try buttering him up, you little she-demon!"

Moonlight said as he tries to get through the stallion, only to be met with being pushed towards the floor heating him grunt as the group of teenage equines attend to his aid, the mare looking over as she rolls her eyes before looking back at me. Raising her good wing as she is offering a hand or in this case 'wing' shake as she looks at me with that friendly smile of hers before saying.

"...I'm Sapphire Swing."

She said, waiting for me to give her my hand so we can give each other a shake. I stare at that wing as I didn't know if I should shake it or if I should keep my hands to myself looking at Sapphire.

"Zach…"

I said, with a bit of hesitation I move my hand towards her wing gently gripping on it as I felt the soft blue feathers against my hand. Both her and I shaking at the same time as we both pull back my hand and her wing. Sapphire introduces me to her other stallion's as she calls them her angles, starting with herself of course.

"I'm obviously Head Angel of course, Angel Number 2 Duke Bristle is on the left of us and the stallion on the right is Rapid Crunch or Angel Number 3."

"Interesting…"

I said I stare at both stallions, both having the same body and facial structure. Except one has a bright yellow coat with a mohawk like black mane, and the other has a short cut purple mane with black highlights and a brown coat. Both wearing the same pair of sunglasses and a leather jacket with their stupid Copper Angle logo, Sapphire however while had a more stylist leather jacket. Well it was more like a leather vest with a bit of pink spray paint on it to give it a bit more techster. Pine meticulously placed in the front of her vest, her bright blue coat going well with it as she moves her pearl colored mane to the side as she reveals having the side of her head shaved before looking back at me with her bright red colored eyes smiling at me.

"Now listen, Zach I know you're new to town and I don't want to make this any uglier than it has to get. So I'm giving her a chance to apologise for what you did."

"Apologise for what exactly?"

"You're kidding right?"

She said giggling in hestaria as she shows me her bandaged up wing, I look at it as I chuckle a bit. I know I should apologise for breaking her wing, but at the same time would you have apologised if she spit on your face? No, neither will I, while scratching the back of my head I look Sapphire saying.

"Listen, I don't know what you want out of me. But an 'apology'? Yeah I don't think you deserve one, especially since you spat on my face for no apparent reason."

"Heh, see you don't understand…"

She said giggling softly before snapping her wing once again, this time feeling one of the stallions to pull me out of the booth as he throws me out towards the center of the cafe. Grunting once I hit the ground, it wasn't a rough through but it was enough to not be able to stand up on my own two feet as I try to stand up. The group of teenage equines try their best by telling Sapphire that I didn't mean anything that I say, Sapphire of course didn't believe that but she wants to hear it from me. After finishing what was left of my iced coffee she gets out of the booth trotting over as she stands in front of me. While I try to stand up she gently presses her front hoof against cheek, pressing my face against the cold floor.

"Now, I'll give you to the count of three before I completely squeeze your whole face against the floor until there is nothing enough of your skull...one…"

She said smiling now having me on the floor as she gently rubs my face against it. Jesus Christ when I asked you to give me a break, I didn't mean literally. As Onyx and Moonlight try their best to push through both Duke and Rapid, Sapphire slowly starts to push her hoof against my face. I groan in pain as I feel her hard hoof pressing on my cheek, my hand starts to shake in frustration against the floor and as we all know at this point when I get frustrated I get mad and when I get mad some real scary supernatural shit starts to happen. I close my eyes trying to hold back anything from happening before I get charged with damage of private property.

"...two!..."

She continues to count while continuously pressing pushing my face against the floor, her hoof pressing harder and harder. My screams of pain start to get raspy, tears trailing down my face evident by both the mascara and eyeliner start melting down left side of my face. Before she can get to the three and completely squish my face completely against the floor, causing whoever was watching to see both my brains and piece of skull all in pieces on the floor. I hear Sapphire yelling in pain after hearing what sounds like something metal hitting her, immediately I sit up against the floor as I scoot away from the situation. By back against a table as I gently sob alone, hugging my legs as I cover my face against my knees. This was the third time my life flashed before my eyes, and frankly I don't want to die remembering that my parents were drug addicts and the only sexual experience I ever had was with a nurse doing all the work. I look up, both the underneath of my eyes and my cheeks being stained with the black mascara and eyeliner. I see who was my savior of my head almost being crushed like a watermelon, seeing it was one of the waitresses behind the cash register. I could tell from the pink waitress uniform, seeing and hearing the waitress yelling at Sapphire.

"That's enough ya hear!"

I hear the waitress yelling in a very thick southern accident, seeing everpony who I was sitting in that booth coming to my aid. All five ponies see my shaking as they comfort me to the best of their ability, the waitress being yelled back by Sapphire before looking back at me.

"You mess with the wrong clan you pathetic little freak!"

"Yeah, as pathetic as you hurting an innocent creature!"

Ivory spoke as she stands up off the floor, watching her trot towards Sapphire as she starts to rant at her. Coco and Moonlight gently pushing my face against an ice pack given by one of the cafe's baristas, feeling the cold pack against the side of my cheek before hearing the last bit of Ivory's rant.

"...How dare you hear someone who just wants to have a nice iced coffee and playing cards with his friends! Unlike you harassing everypony in town with both those stallion's and your pathetic excuse of music!"

She told Sapphire, outraged from what has happened to me. Never have I imagined somepony like her would help me in these kinds of situations. It's not like she could, but seeing how I was treated by the locals now have I five different ponies along with the whole cafe staff defending me. Her angels looking furious as steam start to huff out of their noses, before they could attack Sapphire holds up her wing looking at Ivory before smiling at her.

"Now looky here, even if our music was quote on quote 'a pathetic excuse', it's not like he can give a better performance than we can."

"Oh yeah, how much you wanna bet!"

"Oh dear lord…"

I said to myself as I, Moonlight, Coco and the rest of the group overhear Ivory placing a wager on who can give a better cafe performances. Now, I'm not going to say that I sing per-say but the only kind of reference I have in singing is in the fourth grade when I was forced to participate in the Christmas Recital and in the bathroom alone while both bathing and showering. So forcing me to sing in front of an almost packed cafe.

"Alright, five hundred bits and we'll leave town for a kick ass performance."

"Deal!"

Ivory said shaking on with Sapphire as they both shook each other's hooves. Sapphire moves both herself and her stallion's towards the cafe's stage as they get a perfect seat to get a good view of the performance. Ivory trots towards me as she looks to me gently rubbing my back once I sat up against my knees.

"Okay listen-"

"Are you insane!?!"

I whisper as I held onto her shoulder, looking deep into her eyes as I was about to explode in both outrage over what happened not too long ago, which was obviously not her fault in anyway, shape, or form. Now I have to perform in front of a everypony that was in the cafe?

"Listen, I can't sing in front of everypony. I haven't sung in front of anyone ever since the disaster that was the Christmas Recital."

"Look, look, listen to me…"

Ivory said as she looks at me pulling herself off from my grip on her shoulders, placing her hooves on my cheeks calming me down in the best way possible from my mini panic attack. Feeling her hooves against my cheeks while looking into her eyes made my breathing go from rapid to slow and steady breaths.

"...You have nothing to worry about, all you have to do is sing. Onyx knows how to play the bass, Coco knows the drums and I can play the guitar, just relax okay?"

She said as she gently caresses my cheek, hearing Ivory tell me that everything that was practically in the bag in her favor. After careful consideration, thinking to myself what would a good song to perform as most Christmas songs are banned from my brain playlist, and most punk songs that I know have to do with a very loud ear screeching voice which only left only two different genres and I highly doubt anypony here knows how to work a DJ table. Maybe somepony does but I have yet to meet them, oh who am I kidding I'm going to die of embarrassment. While I was overthinking things both Moonlight and Wild get me up and off the floor leading me up towards the stage, both while they fix the microphone stand to be tall enough in order to reach my mouth. Coco, Onyx and Ivory set themselves up tuning their guitar and bass while Coco gently presses against the pettel as I tap on the microphone to make sure it sounds good enough.

"Testing...Testing one, two, three-"

"Get on with it!"

Sapphire yells resting her hooves up against the table as I roll my eyes flipping her off before taking my sweater off. Now in my tank top as I look at everypony in the crowd. Most fixing what happened between Sapphire and I, others staring back taking a deep breath before exhaling nodding which gave a signal to the equines that I was ready. With one more tune test Ivory would look at Onyx as he nods to her before nodding back.

"So...then what happened?"

Barb asks as she sat on my lap, her arms around my neck after hearing my whole story. But as I was continuing our conversation my super sonic hearing caught sounds coming from the outside of cottage, my ear leaning towards the door hearing the front door opening. My eyes widen as I turn the light off pushing Barb off my lap before picking her up in my arms carrying her into the closet as we hide inside there
Before Barb could ask what the fuck am I doing I place my hand over her mouth silencing her before anyone could catch us hiding as I look through the small cracks of the closet seeing who was intruding our home. Barb groaning and whining as I keep my hand over her mouth, she then stops whining as she hears the door to our room opens her eyes widen as we both see two different sized figures. One appearing to be taller than the other as we hear trotting along with hear a male's voice as he says.

"I swear Twilight I saw them in here, a tall creature same height as me and a female dragon."

"Now Spike, you know it's wrong of you to lie right?"

The female voice asks as it was hard to look at whoever was in our room seeing only black figures through the small gaps of the closet, both keep looking around the room as they try and find whatever it was. It was just two black figures, until one of them the smaller figure had something around her neck that starts to glow a bright purple, my eyes widening seeing the bright light was coming from the figure's neck as I see what appears to he a purple star. Then suddenly I see it turn off, while keeping my breathing to a minimum since I didn't want to get caught from hyperventilating. Barb keeps her arms around me as I keep my hand over her mouth, watching the taller figure slowly start to walk towards the closet. Our eyes widening as we see him looking through the gaps of the door, quickly taking a step back trying to stay invisible to whoever was looking through. But before we see the door opening, this 'Spike' was drawn back from this girl named 'Twilight' as we hear her speaking again.

"Spike, there's no pony here let's leave already."

She said as the tall figure sighs leaving the doors alone both leaving the room before hearing the door close. Both of us waiting for the living room door to close before letting out a sigh of relief as we took a step out of the closet. Finally letting go of each other we both take a deep breath of air panting hard Barb laying in bed as she places her hand on her chest, I could feel her heart was about to burst out of her chest. Mean I look out of the window making sure to stay out of sight watching a group of black figures and the taller figure leaving the area.

"Who the fuck was that?"

"I don't know Barb… I don't know."

I let her know as I look out the window, now all that was left is the moon, it's light and the unicorn that was imprinted on the moon. While staring at the window, Barb notices me leaning against the window as I hear her getting out of bed and walks up to me feeling her arms around my neck from behind resting on my chest as her head gently nuzzles my own by the cheek. While she was doing this I stare at the moon wondering for the love of Celestia.

"What was that glow?"