XAVIER POV
MAVERICK AND RODNEY’S MOD SHOP
After the Gran Torino had its wheels back on and lowered by Spike yours truly, Brian and I set about checking its new wiring harness. The owner had left it collecting dust for a couple years before wanting to have it restored and fitted with a modern, upgraded electrical, computerized engine management system and a 521 big block V8 swap. I bled the brakes and hooked up the hoses with the accuracy I’d developed over many years, while Brian installed the hood. Finally, we worked together for hours to properly cycle and bleed the clutch thoroughly. As I sat back, gingerly pumping the clutch pedal, I called Rarity over.
“Hey, Rarity. YO, RARITY!”
“Yes, darling?” Rarity trotted over, looking up at me in a genial, almost affectionate manner.
“I saw you smiling in a rather… interesting way when we were all celebrating the completion of the Integra,” I stated bluntly, cutting straight to the chase. “What was that all about?”
“Um, you see, when I ordered lunch, Twilight and her friends, well you didn’t tell us everything about human’s eating habits. So…”
“So what?” I hissed, getting impatient and almost hitting the clutch too hard. “Spill it, pony!”
“I… I… I ordered shawarma with chicken, fish, and beef. I gave Rodney and Maverick the beef and gave the chicken and fish to you and Twilight and the others. But for Fluttershy, I gave her a veggie one. I couldn’t bear to see her feeling sad or disgusted, and knowing her level of knowledge on animals she’d recognize it immediately.”
My face fell and I shook a finger at her. “So you actually fed your friends chicken, fish, and cow meat without them realizing it. You sly little marshmallow.”
“Okay, that… that was good. But don’t tell them right away. If they ask, then you gotta tell ‘em. Now can you help Brian under there hold the pipe for the clutch slave cylinder? Owner’s gonna be coming this evening to pick this car up, so we need to get it done fast.”
Rarity nodded sadly and trotted under the car. Getting dirty was not an option, so Brian wiped the underside of the transmission dry so nothing would smear or drip. After a good hour or so, the clutch finally worked properly, and was ready for the dyno. I opted to assist in the cleaning process, so Fluttershy and I scrubbed the floor, swept the entrance, and vacuumed the office. We picked up broken parts and components and disposed of them in the proper dumpster, before returning to work on some of the other projects that were lying about.
As I helped Garrett hand the Mustang’s doors over to Kristen, I spotted Rarity sitting by the garage entrance, looking quiet and stiff as a dead tree in a desert.
“Is something bothering you, Xavier?” Kristen inquired, giving me a compassionate look.
I gave a slight nod. “I… feel a little bad for interrogating Rarity over the prank she pulled. I wanted her to reveal the truth, but I didn’t anticipate how hard it’d actually be on her.”
“Maybe she just isn’t used to having to deal with the pressure of telling the truth,” Kristen suggested. “You don’t really have to apologize, but you should try to make her feel better about what she’s done.”
I paused. She was right. “Thanks for the advice. I’ll chat later.”
“Happy to help, Xavier.”
As we closed up for the evening, I spotted Rarity sitting on Rodney’s iconic bench outside the main building, and seized my chance.
“Hey, how’d the work day go for you?” I asked, trying to get the conversation flowing loosely and gently, figuring I’d straighten it out later.
“Everything but lunch,” she pouted, staring blindly at the puddles of motor oil on the concrete ground.
“For whatever it’s worth, I’m – ” I caught my tongue just in time and hid it behind a quick cough. “There’s no remorse in a prank, but if you realize it wasn’t funny for those it was done to, then at least try to inquire – did they catch it? If not, then look for clues in how they talk and ask about other things. Like, if they mention lunch directly, then you gotta spill it regardless. Once they know you’re truthful, then they’ll be able to reveal the truth about themselves – whether they’ll be angry and erupt in scorn, or be loving and forgiving. And you know them better than I have and probably ever will. Now let’s go, Mom’s probably waiting at home for us.”
I confirmed with Rodney and Maverick about the safety of the Integra and his ongoing search for the perfect Forester STI replica, then bid them a goodbye.
As the sun dipped below the horizon and a pale, burnt orange-yellow light lit up the sky. Just yesterday, I read in the papers that a 13-year-old got stabbed to death by a drunk retard just a couple tens of kilometers north of the shop. Being a strong cultural loyalist, my mom wasn’t one to budge so easily, but I had to convince her that she should move back to the Caribbean – where her true cultural roots lay, but I, on the other hand, am not one for that region’s climate. Unless…
“I somehow move to Equestria and start a new life with… Fizzy sweetie pie,” I whispered, barely audible. For a moment, the thought felt so out of logical bounds that I hit myself over the head as if to knock myself out of a state of insanity.
“Breezy, are you alright?” Tempest asked, siding up to me as we walked across a crosswalk. My hypersensitive ears and eyes quickly picked up a lot of people pointing and whispering some juicy gossip.
“That’s it, Fizzy,” I hissed in frustration, throwing my hands up. “When my mom has adequate time, I’m asking her to make a saddlecloth for you that has big letters stitched on the side that say “I AM PEACEFUL. I’m sick of this judgmental nonsense.”
“Unless I talked with them…” Tempest suggested, a sly look across her face. “I also… I’m not really comfortable with my real name. I let it slide with you, because you’re the only one that really opened up to who I am and the internal issues within. Besides Twilight, of course.”
“I’m not one to believe a single story,” I confided. “Like I’ve mentioned before, I have had my rough past and am trying to move forward in a better way.” I snapped my fingers loudly to catch Twilight’s attention, along with the rest of her friends.
“But in that effort, I became rather selfish and I forgot about what really should matter. I plan to sell many of my items, and try to keep only what I need.”
“Well, what should stay and what should go?” Twilight asked.
“My laptop – I’ll exchange that one for an older, cheaper model,” I began. “The keyboard and drum pad I could also sell or trade for a whole keyboard with the pads built-in, but those are of less quality so that's out of the question. Skystar’s leg should be okay now, but I’ll check with Nancy first. If that’s so, I’ll sell the wheelchair – Zack knows some dog owners who might be needing it. Finally, some of my old clothes I can give away, as well as my cap collection.”
“Yah gonna need a good mic,” Applejack added. “For those vocals.”
“Oh…” I blushed slightly. “I actually don’t really work with vocals, it’s all instruments. Sometimes I sell my scores to other independent artists. Hip hop is huge here, and numerous undercover artists are all striving to make the most lit beats and vocal chains they can. I’ve made a few, but they never really boosted my presence. I have to truly make a legal production name and stage for myself.”
“But… but darling, the voice is everything in music!” Rarity complained.
“For certain types,” I shot back. “But I’m willing to give it a try… if I could afford one. I’ll see how things go once this selling and trading session is over.”
Home was just around the corner. Just as we approached the house, my phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Zackeity Zack calling from Vaughan!”
From the way he sounded, I knew he was in bed, probably reading a book or something. “Have you got any time tomorrow?”
I put him on hold and checked my calendar. “My oh my, it’ll be the weekend tomorrow! Absolutely, though I may have to still check in with Maverick on the Integra, and I also have a few things I need to sell and trade. Speaking of which, still got connections to those doggie lovers?”
“Um… yeah, I’m sure I’ve still got them written down in my address book.”
“Good, ‘cause I’m going to need it.”
“Wait a second…” Zack sputtered loudly before I could hang up. “Does that mean Skystar is able to properly walk now?!”
“I sure hope so. Tomorrow’s the big day,” I turned and jiggled my eyebrows at Pinkie, who had to be held back from yelling inconsiderately with joy.
“In that case, I’ll try to get my mom to come down before noon. I’ve calculated my savings and I think I have enough.”
“For what?”
“Bikes for Pinkie and Skystar.”