Chapters Big Mac
The wheels squeaked as I pulled to the Pie's drive-way. The sun was starting to go down, the orange light leaving a glare in the window, I could barely see the front porch.
I nearly shoved the notebooks and manuals that Lime had helped me get into the backseat, but I just put them behind the truck seat. Didn't really get anything done with Trixie, Snips, and Snails today. I just wasn't into it.
The porch light popped on. I hadn't even noticed her, but Lime had just jumped up from their porch swing. She was wearing her work jacket and had her hands slipped into the pockets on the side. Nearly leaping off the stairs from their porch, she ran over to the truck, and opened the door.
She fell into the front seat, "Hey, dude." She was a bit quieter than usual.
"Howdy. How you been doing."
A quiet, "fine," came out as she tried to clear her throat.
She must have noticed that I was looking over at her as she buckled herself in because she was pulled something out of her other jacket pocket and said, "Hey, look what I found today."
It was a piece of sandstone. "I found it while we were at work today." Whenever her and her father are at a worksite, she tends to find a rock to bring back. "It probably made its way from the beach all the way to here."
"That's cool."
I wanted to ask if something was up, but I decided to let it go. It had been a little bit since we had hung out, and I didn't want to ruin anything.
Limestone
The truck's inside light turned off, and Big Mac pulled out. I let my hand out from my jacket and tried to stretch it out under the dashboard. It wasn't quite dark yet, but there wasn't a lot of light making its way into the front seat. I couldn't see the bruise, so I was hoping he couldn't either.
Streetlights passed by outside as we made out way into Canterlot proper. They were sparse even where we lived, with the house being right before you get out into the country. I just watched the black blob of the woods become distant as we finally made our way into the suburbs.
We tend to not say anything on car rides as he exclusively focuses on driving anyways, especially as it gets dark. I took that as a chance to massage my hand, not that it did much to help.
We hadn't done this in a while. Just the two of us going out or working on something together, and I didn't want to do anything to bring the mood down.
I just kept thinking about the rubble on the floor. My sketches and pencils strewn across the room.
The truck jerked a bit when we stopped at a stop light, and I could feel my ears become warm. All I could do was look out the window and watch people walk past as we went down the road that goes to the Sweet Snacks Café. Pinkie had passed the message along from Doo Wop to me. I hadn't been so sure about going to see her right now, but Big Mac asked if I had wanted to go.
I could feel a cough building up, so I just tried to quickly turn away and clear my throat. Shame, again, as I lifted my arm to cover my throat clearing, and I hid my hand as fast as possible as we turned down another road
This side of town is filled with potholes, so I just bounced up and down as we got closer.
Big Mac snorted at something. He was getting frustrated. I hoped it was just the road because I couldn't recall if anything had happened, or if I had done something. I just added a snort of my own.
I snuck my hand back into my jacket pocket as I saw the place get closer. I curled my fingers into a fist despite the pain. I wasn't going to ruin the night.
Big Mac
There were a lot of people from school sitting around outside by the time we pulled up to the Café. They were all sitting near the small set-up of speakers, microphone, and overhead lights near the restaurant. I took a quick glance and saw it was Flash playing something or other.
Lime put her hand back into her jacket and jumped out the truck, and I could hear the sound of the blacktop beneath her boots as I turned off the truck.
There was more footsteps coming up from the side as I stepped out. "Hey, you two." It was Doo Wop.
"Howdy."
"Hey." Lime's cheeks turned a bit darker as her voice lightened up a bit from her usual.
"I'm about to take off. Want me to get your usual?"
"Yup."
"Sure." Lime's voice cracked a bit before she turned away and coughed into her sleeve.
"Order of fries with basically everything on 'em, rocky road milkshakes, and peach cobbler coming right up." She ran back into the restaurant with a bounce in her step.
Lime watched her as she stepped away before quickly turning back towards the tailgate and opened it with her free hand. I took a seat on the edge as she took a seat beside me and let her boots barely scrape against the ground.
The small crowd was hoopin' and hollerin' as Flash went into a little lick I recognized as he ended the song. It was probably something AJ used to play all the dang time when she was just getting into guitar. I couldn't help but laugh thinking back on that.
Flash was eating it up. We could see him grinning from ear to ear from where we were sitting. He started playing the next song as the crowd quieted down. Again, it was something I recognized. Some blues standard probably. Lime leaned against the side of the truckbed, leaving the setting sun to darken half her face, and she did her snort-chuckle that she usually does as we both watched him go hog-wild on a song that we've probably heard a thousand times. She never stopped glaring at him, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to ask why.
I could hear footsteps getting closer. It was Doo Wop again with our order. "Here you two go."
Lime jumped a few inches off the tailgate.
Doo Wop laughed a bit before saying, "Sorry, dude, didn't mean to scare ya."
Doo Wop was out of her uniform as she handed us our order.
"Mind if I join you two for a bit? I got extra." Doo Wop had already taken one of our fries as she asked.
Lime was in the middle of her milkshake that was just handed to her and tried to say, "Oh, uh, sure," through a mouthful and scooted down to the end of truck.
Doo Wop planted herself right in the middle shaking the truck, ruffled the hair of Lime, and grabbed me by the neck to pull me down and do the same.
"Letting your hair grow out a bit, Big Mac?"
"Yup."
"Looks good on ya'." Doo Wop took took another fry before asking, "So how have you been doing Lime? I keep having to ask your sisters."
Lime tried to not let her body language show, but her head sunk down a bit before saying, "I've been fine," and took another drink.
"Well I don't get to see ya' too much, so you should come around sometime." Doo Wop nudged her while she took another fry for herself.
Lime strained a bit as Doo Wop pressed against her, but I didn't say anything. I did want to, but Lime was looking up at her as she was telling her about something or other.
People were cheering again as Flash finished and began saying something as I noticed the two girls off the side. Sunset and Twilight (the one with the glasses) were standing off to the side, and Flash announced her and waved her up as she walked up to the stool on the stage as the crowd stopped clapping. Twilight said something to her and handed a guitar to Sunset.
That was when my breathing got heavier. There was a conversation happening off to my side, but I stopped being able to hear it. I know why it was happening, and it's so stupid.
It wasn't even Twlight's fault. Just seeing her again got me thinking about the Friendship Games again. Not being able to do anything as I watched others dangle over the portals. Not knowing where the others were. The change in air pressure pulling the doors open and slamming them against the walls. All this happened as a a fallen angel lashed out at the world.
There's a voice in the back of my head that is glad to finally put that school behind me. No more magic bullshit, pardon my language.
Then more comes though. This will probably keep happening, and then what about my sisters? What about Granny? What about my friends? Trixie? Those two, Snips and Snails? That's where this all started today anyways. I don't even know if I do - or can do - anything for any of them, and this is something I don't even know if I can talk about. There's so much I think about and want to say, but then I think about how my sister and her friends keep fighting. They keep going as if things are completely normal.
Hell, my sister is the happiest she's ever been. That's when I noticed Sunset again on the stool. What she did didn't even do the same thing to me. Hell, Sunset is the reason AJ is so happy.
"Hey, you good?" Doo Wop was looking over at me.
Lime's mouth was also open as if she was about to say something, and I could see her brow relax and sink.
"I probably just ruined the night," was the only thing I could think about.
"Some friends convinced me to come play this tonight. I hope you like it." We all looked at Sunset as she made the announcement and chuckled, clearly a little nervous.
I recognized the finger-picking pattern. I felt like I should recognize it. We were completely quiet as she began singing.
The sun was almost completely down, and only the light from the restaurant and the small overhead lights lit up the parking lot
Nobody in the crowd said anything. It was hard to get a read on the atmosphere. Lime looked over at me before going back to focusing on the performance. Doo Wop was just leaning back kicking her legs just taking the song in.
Despite the tone of the song, Sunset was smiling the whole time.
?
I wish I could feel that way about the things I made again.
Big Mac
She was finishing a solo and was wailing her dang lungs out. My focus was back on her as she slowed down, letting the song come to an end.
It was silent. The crowd didn't move. Sunset's face didn't change, but she couldn't move. It seemed like she didn't want to be there. I wanted to do something, but I didn't know what to do. Then a small sound came from beside Sunset. Twlight had sprung up, and it seemed like she wanted to disappear too. But she was clapping quickly. It was so quiet despite how quick and intense it was. Sunset looked over, and a smile crept back on to her face. Flash joined immediately after.
It was clear Sunset no longer cared what the crowd thought.
I started clapping and Doo Wop joined right after with a whistle. Lime let out a "Woo!" before her voice cracked, causing her to turn away and cough.
Sunset was laughing as she turned and waved at us before running off to her friends.
The crowd began to dissipate and talk among themselves as it was clear the music was done.
Doo Wop stood up and patted her jeans before saying, "Hey I'm gonna go check to see if they need anything before I go? See you two later?"
"Yup."
"Yeah."
"See ya' around."
Lime just watched her walk off before saying, "Wanna go home?"
"Yup."
Author's Note
This stars a background character, Doo Wop. She showed up two of the shorts.
Writing about side characters lead to me just wanting to use more.
Author's Note
CWs are in full effect. I use the r-slur in this chapter because it felt more honest with the experience I wanted to write about.
I don't know if you can two author's notes, so I'll put stuff and use spoiler tags. I don't wanna pretend I have the answers to any of this. I mean I think that's literally what the story is about.
I just wanna say be kind to one another, and I hope you enjoy/enjoyed.
Also writing about these things and having these kinds of feelings wrapped up in toy franchise feels weird, but I did it.
Shed Some Light
Big Mac
It was finally dark by the time we got back home. The streetlight in the driveway had just flickered on, and the hum was blending in with the sound of bugs and frogs. I gave Lime the keys to let Winona out, and Winona was already at the door and would have knocked Lime on her ass if she hadn't been used to it happening every time she came over.
"Love you too, jeez." Lime was scratching Winona's cheeks before she ran out to me in front of the shed.
Lime was following behind and walked into the shed as the light came on. The girls' stuff was piled up in here, but it mostly just the Rainboom's practice amps and drums. AJ had moved a couch out here, and Lime, with Winona joining her, had made themselves at home and had already pulled out the reclining seat.
We went to the shed mostly out of habit as we would play games, write, or draw stuff out here all the time. I had brought my notebooks and manuals in with me, but I didn't even want to think about, look over or show Lime any of the stuff for the club right now. Again, it was just habit.
Neither of us said a thing as we sat there. Lime let out her hand, and I'm still not sure if it was unconscious or not. There was a scab on the knuckle, and a bruise had blended in with the gray of her skin. Again, just silence as she stared out the window and let Winona get herself situated.
Lime opened her mouth about to say something as she leaned back into the couch, but Winona snorted and pressed against her.
"Gosh, you are spoiled," came out instead.
She looked over at me, and all I could do was laugh. For a second, it felt like it hadn't been forever since we had just hung out, but neither of us knew what to do now.
We eventually stopped, and her face returned to its usual. She's often hard to read, but she seemed a little disappointed.
Limestone
A part of me wanted to explain everything then and there, but I was so worried I'd ruin the night even more. How would I explain to him that I threw a tantrum? A now, apparently, grown-ass woman getting mad over something she made not being perfect.
Big Mac had bigger problems going on right now. He was the only one willing to let me know what was going on in the first place. My sisters sure as hell didn't. I don't even know why I'm still so mad over that. What could I have done? Does me knowing change anything? Can I even do something? They're just standing on the precipice of the damn world ending and doing something about it! What am I even doing?
I could feel my nostrils warm-up and a pressure in my cheeks as I looked over at Big Mac. He looked like he wanted to say something. He's always so easy to read.
I could hear it in my head, "What's up?" "What happened?" "You good?"
It was almost the same thing Maud did earlier before we left. She just stood in the doorway after I had just got done yelling at myself. All I could do was hide my hand and the aftermath behind me as we stared at each other down.
"Idiot!" "Moron!" "You can't do anything right!" "You can't even do basic tasks!" "Retard!" "That's all I am!" I shouted every stupid thing I've ever been called until my throat was raw.
She probably could have heard every word before she came to the shed, but she didn't say anything. She couldn't see the remains of the thing I claim to love doing strewn across the floor. She didn't see the red in my spit that I had just wiped on the back of my work jeans.
As soon as I thought that, he turned away and spoke, "I'm sorry."
"What?" I just lifted my eyebrow at that one. "Dude, you didn't even do anything."
All he did was turn away and cusp his hands, and all I could do was wait for him to follow up.
Big Mac
I ain't equipped to deal with any of this. I've been hearing that phrase a lot lately. Ain't even sure what to the Princess Twilight was doing over here, but Celestia was speaking to her about something or other. I was helping Granny when I overheard, "We are not equipped to handle any of this."
Lime was looking over at me again like earlier. Her brow was slightly more relaxed as usual and was clearly waiting for me to explain. There was so much running through my head. All I wanted to do was ask what happened. If she was okay. Yet my mind just wanted to say other things
All I could say was, "Sorry, I've just been making it weird all night."
I wonder how my sister's friends deal with stuff so easily sometimes. I feel like I can't deal with anything lately. Just today I had to tell Trixie, Snips, and Snails I was busy with something. It wasn't wrong, Granny had asked me to help her after, but I chose to do that instead. Graduation is coming up here soon, and I was going to do something with the club before the year ends.
It's so stupid, but I just can't stand to think about, pardon my language, magic shit anytime at all. There are days I just don't want to go to school. It feels like I can't even talk to nobody. I know my sister's friends are at the front of all this, but they just don't seem to care. Actually, it's like everybody else just keeps trucking along.
Winona moved closer to Lime, and she wrapped her arm around Winona, putting her bruised hand in full view.
Lime was the reason the club even existed in the first place. She drove me to do a lot back when she was still in school. It's like I was always right behind her in everything.
Limestone
God, I didn't know what to do. I should have just explained right then, since it was right in his view. Hell, I probably wanted to just explain in the first place. I really didn't know. I just wanted to ask how he was doing. That's all I wanted.
He was rubbing his hands against his pants. The wind was getting a bit stronger, and we could hear the limbs hitting the sides of the buildings outside.
"I miss you a lot lately. All that keeps coming to mind is that I wish you were still there with me. Maybe that you'd know what to do or say. Maybe I could actually do something because I don't even know how to ask what I want to right now."
"Same dude," was the first thing to come to mind.
I got to thinking back to walking in with Maud and going to the kitchen. She didn't say anything as I took a seat at the kitchen table.
Marble was at the kitchen table drawing something, and she was so hyper-focused that her tongue was sticking out and was leaning over the table
I asked, "What you drawing, kiddo?"
She finally noticed me and stuck her tongue out at me for calling her "kiddo." Sliding her drawing over to me, I forgot what had happened earlier. I looked over it, and it was so cool. It was something involving one of her characters that she was telling me about. I kind of wish I could just do that sometimes.
"That's really cool."
She gave me a thumbs up, and I returned one of my own.
Marble smiled at me and returned to what she was doing.
"I'm gonna go out and wait for Big Mac," was the last thing I said, and I nearly ran outside. Maud probably asked what I was doing, but I had already shut the door behind me.
Seeing her drawing hurt. Which I still feel so stupid about. Why? I am happy that she gets to be happy. All I do is freak out whenever I put anything to stone.
What are my sisters going to say to me when they find out what I called myself. If Maud heard, she's probably going to bring it up with them. God.
He was looking over at me again.
Then I remembered Big Mac did the same thing I did, or that I got that gesture from him. I don't even remember how, but he saw me drawing something and did that. Y'know, he just... does that Big Mac thing and said, "that's cool," and gave me a thumbs up.
Big Mac
She sat there with her mouth open, and her brow wrinkled a bit.
"I got mad at myself today." Her voice was raspier than usual as she finally tried to speak at full volume.
Back to silence except for the window rattle.
?
"Wanna talk about it?"
We looked at one another.
"Yeah."
"Yup."