Chapter 10 - Job Hunting - Redone
Sunbeam lay spread eagle on her bed staring up at the ceiling, it was still early morning but already the heat was slowly cooking her bedroom.
She lay on top of the bed without the sheets. After they’d started sticking to her during the night, she’d magically gathered them up in a ball and thrown them violently at the wall opposite.
With effort, she brought a hoof up to her eyes to look at it. The fur was flattened against the leg with sweat. With a grunt she let it fall back out to the side where it bounced several times on the bed.
After a minute she brought both hooves up and pressed them against her temples.
“Ugh. My head feels like it’s in a bucking vice. Annnd this is why I’ve stayed away from hot climates all this time. I bucking hate the heat!”
Turning her head to the side, she glared at the curtains. The top, where the curtains didn’t quite meet, was letting a shaft of light through. As she watched, she swore she could see the beam of light getting brighter.
Sunbeam threw all four of her legs out in frustration. “Arrgh! Okay I give in you celestial bitch, I’ll waste a little magic. I’m not gonna be ambushed...” Lifting her head, she glanced around her room quickly. “...It’s unlikely that I’m gonna be ambushed in my own bedroom. I don’t have to keep it all in reserve. Ahhh buck it!”
Her horn started glowing and the room temperature slowly began to fall.
After twenty minutes she powered down her horn and relaxed in the cooler temperatures.
Ten minutes later, the room had lost its pleasing coolness but wasn’t hot yet.
Another ten minutes passed and Sunbeam groaned. “No, I’m not using up any more magic. Besides, if I go any colder I may start damaging stuff… like structural support walls. I can handle a little heat.”
Fifteen minutes later the room was starting to cook again. Sunbeam threw both her fore-legs over her eyes and whimpered.
* * *
Still damp from the long, tepid shower, Sunbeam stood in the hallway, absently straightening the picture the CMC had given her. She stared at her front door like it was the doorway to Tartarus.
“I’m a cold weather pony. I don’t want to go out there. It’s too hot… Oh buck, let’s do this you stupid mare. Move your flank! It’s just a little heat.”
Opening the door the blast of heat made her take a step backwards. “Holy horseapples!”
It was still mid-morning but there was already a heat-haze out there. With not a cloud in the sky, it promised only to get warmer.
Sunbeam stared out the door. “Maybe do this later, when I’m not gonna melt…” Slamming a hoof down, she shook her head. “Nope, can’t put it off any longer. Let go do this, let's get a job at the spa.” She smiled. “Let's go be a productive member of society. In a hopefully air-conditioned building.”
* * *
Sitting outside the spa, Sunbeam stared blankly ahead, a look of shock on her face. Pinkie was sat beside her, a hoof round her neck.
'"They didn't want me." Sunbeam repeated for the fourth time.
Pinkie just nodded.
Sunbeam was in too much of a state of shock to question how Pinkie had just turned up next to her, or even that she was sitting in the hated ‘direct sunlight’.
She turned to look at Pinkie. "It was part of the plan Pinkie. Get to Ponyville, get a place, get a job and be a normal pony. Fade into the background and fade away being normal. It was all going to be okay once I reached Ponyville."
Pinkie just nodded again.
She sank her face into her hooves. "I get here and what do I happens…? Timberwolves trying to tear me a new one; muggers trying to tempt me to bad old habits and now I find the job I was supposed to get I’m not good enough at!” She pointed a hoof at Pinkie. “Me! ‘Not gentle enough.’ I can be sweet and gentle Pinkie… with a run up, but I can.” She threw a hoof out in a wide arc. “And let’s not forget to mention the bucking icing on the cake; I find out after I get here, that Ponyville is the residence of the bucking Elemuuungh..."
Biting off the last word, she glanced guiltily at Pinkie, hoping that the Element Bearer sat next her didn’t catch on.
Sunbeam frowned. ‘Actually, now I think about it, how did Pinkie suddenly turn up? I don’t remember...”
Pinkie hugged her, derailing her train of thought.
“Muggers? Did somepony try to mug you Sunbeam?” Pinkie rubbed her chin. “Mind you I thought I felt two ponies suddenly disappear from Ponyville. Almost as if...”
Sunbeam rolled her eyes as she cut in. “I didn’t hurt them before you go there. I merely expressed the opinion that leaving town would be beneficial… for their continued good health.”
Pinkie nodded. “I had planned to go see those two meanie-pants soon anyway.” Pinkie smiled sadly at her. "So, what did you expect from Ponyville?"
Sunbeam opened her mouth… then closed it as she thought about this. She slumped forward and sighed.
"I don't know. Ponyville was always just a place to get to. Somewhere concentrate on getting to. A beacon of hope. ‘It'll be all 'sunshine and ladybugs' once I get there kinda thing.” She paused for a minute to gather her thoughts. "It was something to make me take that next step when all I wanted to do was lay down and…”
Sunbeam looked away suddenly. “Anyway, it was all about the getting here, everything would be okay once I got here.” She let her head fall with a derisive snort. “I suppose if I’d actually thought about it I might have, you know…” She made a vague motion with a hoof. “...Had an actual plan for once I actually got here." She sank her face into her hooves. “Now I’m here… I don’t know what to do. Nothing is going as I thought it would.”
Pinkie hugged Sunbeam again. "Ponyville is a nice place Sunbeam, but no-where is perfect in reality. And that’s why I don’t like reality.” Pinkie smiled as Sunbeam snorted in amusement this time. “Anyway, that just means you have so many possibilities to choose from now." Pinkie smiled and nudged her. “Why limit yourself to just one?”
Sunbeam looked up in surprise. “I suppose I do. I was only focused on being a masseur. I could consider doing something else.”
Sunbeam rubbed her chin in thought. ‘Now I think about it, would I have even enjoyed being around ponies all day, having to make pleasant small talk. Saying the same horseapples day-in, day-out. Let’s be honest here, I’m not -really- what you’d call a ponies pony. How long before I snapped…’
Sunbeam swallowed. “I suppose I could look for something else to do.”
Pinkie smiled. “That’s the spirit. Just look inside yourself and I’m sure something will come up.”
Sunbeam shivered. ‘Oh buck no! No way in am I looking into that Tartarus-hole. Not sober anyway. Besides, the only thing that comes to mind…”
Looking down, Pinkie missed Sunbeam’s expression flicker from ‘pained’ to ‘burning hatred’.
‘Singing was her dream. A silly foal’s dream. I’m not her, she died at his hooves a long time… -Shut up-!’
Sunbeam battled to bring her face back to neutral before looking back up. Her voice held only a trace of a tremor as she looked at Pinkie. "Does Ponyville have a bar? I really need a drink right now."
Pinkie pointed down the street. "Well, there is the 'The Swift'. It's Ponyville’s only bar."
"Well, come on then. Let's go to 'The Swift', me and you. I'm buying."
Pinkie opened her mouth, Sunbeam leaned in before she could speak. “Please Pinkie, it’s been a long time since I’ve even felt the need to buy somepony a drink. Let me do this, let me be a nice, normal pony today.”
* * *
Sunbeam put her glass of beer back down onto the bar with a thud.
"This beer is warm!"
The barkeeper shrugged. "It's a hot day. We got nothing to chill the beer with until we get more ice from Canterlot. Some very expensive, magical ice... all the way from Canterlot. From the only supplier of ice in Equestria I might add." He tilted his head at her. “And for some reason, there's a big demand for ice on hot days. Go figure.”
As he turned away Sunbeam made a rude gesture behind his back. She looked around the bar. It dark and humid and her beer was warm.
‘This is not what I want! I want a cold beer dammit!’ Her ears fell to the sides. ‘And this horseapple-hole is Ponyville’s only bar. Well, If they can’t chill it, I certainly can.’
"Pinkie, put your glass next to mine."
With a questioning look, Pinkie did so.
Sunbeam lowered her head and a white glow appeared around her horn.
‘Careful, concentrate. Just enough to chill… You don’t want to freeze it solid.’
She touched the side of Pinkie's glass for a second causing a frost pattern to form on the glass before pulling away. She repeated the action on her own glass.
She levitated up her glass and took a swig. “Ahhh, cold beer.” Sunbeam he could feel the cold liquid going down her throat.
Pinkie took a swig and started bouncing. "Oh Sunny, didn't know you could do that, how cool."
Sunbeam facehooved at the pun, then lifted her head to look at Pinkie.
“Sunny?”
Pinkie just smiled at her.
After a second, Sunbeam rolled her eyes and resigned herself to the nickname.
‘Been called worse. Much worse. Most times by ponies wanting to introduce my internal organs to the open air.’
She looked around. ‘Still too humid in here. Now if only I could cool the air as well without having to actively use my magic all the time. That would be nice.’
She took a few more gulps of her beer as she thought about this.
She raised her glass again, only to find it empty.
“What? I demand a recount.” She tapped her hoof on the bar as watched the bartender fill a bucket with foam as they changed a barrel.
She lifted her head as a memory stirred. 'This serves to keep the heat at bay during the vexing heat of the day and help me sleep at other times.' Sunbeam smiled. “Zecora, you’re bucking genius. I can freeze some ice in buckets and forget about it as that chills the room.”
She rolled her shoulders. ’And the fact I didn’t think of it myself we’ll just gloss right over. Okay, drastic times calls for drastic measures. I’m going to have to draw some attention to myself.’ She took a deep breath in.
"Barkeep! Another of your finest warm beers... and several buckets of water. I have a proposal for you."
* * *
In the stifling heat, Rainbow flew towards the library, the air flowing over her helping keep her cool.
‘Okay Spike is back today, and probably going through a huge list of things Twilight wants done before the library opens again. Lets hope that three days is enough time for -that- list.’ Rainbow shook her head. ‘Poor little dude, having to do that in this heat.’ She smiled. ‘Being the Element of Loyalty like I am, lets go see if I can give him a hoof. And while I’m there, I can also see if I can get my hooves on the latest 'Daring' book before anypony else. Which is totally -not- the main reason I’m doing this. No siree.’
Rainbow flew lazily towards the library. ‘Lets see, Twi said she would be back the day after the library opened. At twelve thirty-seven approximately...’ Rainbow rolled her eyes. ‘Yeah, Twi, ‘approximately’ So until then, Spike is 'acting librarian. Ha, the little dude is gonna be so proud.’
Rainbow started gliding downwards.
‘Anyway, the party for that night is just for us. Twi made it sound like she was fed up with all the huge, stuffy ones up in Canterlot. Well, her first one back is gonna be just us girls. The one the following day is the one with -all- of Ponyville, now that -is- gonna be a riot. Twi is probably gonna want to meet Sunbeam as well at that one.” She grimaced as looked around. ‘Provided we haven’t all passed out from the heat first.’
Rainbow glared up at the cloudless sky. ‘Oh yeah, that, the weather team is gonna catch so much horseapples over this. All the clouds they had on back order being diverted to Canterlot at the last minute means we have none in reserve now. Shouldn’t have let it get so low in the first place. And with this heat continuing for a while yet, it’s only gonna get worse.’
As she flew towards the library she noticed a crowd outside ‘The Swift’
“Odd, not many ponies normally go in there. Okay, let's see what’s up.” As she got lower she could see a hastily written banner hung outside.
'COOL AIR, COLD BEER'
Rainbow grinned. 'Good enough for me.'
Landing, Rainbow squeezed through the crowd and into the bar.
The cool air caressed her. “Oh sweet Celestia! That’s good.” Stretching out her wings, she spread her feathers as wide as possible, letting the cool air in between them. Completely unmindful of the ponies around her
“Oh sweeeeet!”
After several ‘unintentional’ knocks from other ponies into her wings, she brought her wings back in again with a scowl.
Looking around the crowded bar, she saw a group in the middle chanting, 'lower, lower.' She also noted several buckets of ice placed around the bar and somehow, somepony had placed a freestanding bathtub full of frozen water in the centre of the bar.
Squeezing through the group, she found Sunbeam and Pinkie. There was a clear space around Sunbeam of several body lengths as she had her head down, her horn touching a complicated looking thermometer set on a wooden stand. Pinkie was stood next to the stand, reading off the numbers from a distance. Taking a step forward into the clear zone, she immediately regretted it. The drop in temperature was enough that even her Pegasus resistance to the cold found it hard to cope with. Another pegasus pulled her back in and shook her head. Looking around, Rainbow noticed several unicorns around the circle had their horns glowing, obviously keeping the cold in check.
"One thirty, one thirty-one. One thirty-two…” Pinkie read off
The crowd continued to chant.
"One thirty-six, One thirty-six and a half. Oh, she’s slowing down! One thirty-seven. Will she make it to one-forty?”
Puzzled, Rainbow tilted her head but stayed put.
"One thirty-nine and a quarter... a half, three-quarters..."
There was a pause.
"One forty! Minus one-forty degrees C!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. Rainbow noted some bits changing hooves.
Sunbeam sat down, lifting her head away from the thermometer and powering down her horn. Despite the cool air, she was coated in sweat but also wearing a big smile on her face.
Sunbeam levitated over a glass of beer that a pony had been holding. She drained half of it one go before noticing Rainbow. Lifting a hoof she waved at her as she brought the beer up against and frowned. She turned the beer glass upside down. The frozen beer stayed in the glass.
"More beer! Anyway, hiya Rainbow. How's my favourite guard today?"
Looked around, the unicorns had stopped whatever they were doing. Rainbow took a half step forward towards Sunbeam, it was cold but not like before. She could feel the air rapidly warming back up now.
"Hiya Sunbeam.” She gestured around her. “What's this all about?"
Sunbeam tilted her head and gave Rainbow the puzzled smile of the slightly inebriated.
Before she could answer though, Pinkie leaned in. "She's a frost talent! Our Sunny is an ice caster! Look, she's cooled all the kegs of beer and managed to chill the room. Everypony in here is happy and having fun!"
Pinkie bounced on the spot for a bit, then leaned in toward Rainbow. "I also think she's a little drunk, even more than at her welcome party. But look at her, she's happy!"
Rainbow nodded. A tiny bit of her wonderbolt guard training reluctantly came to the fore.
“Perhaps a pony that can freeze things to those temperatures shouldn’t be getting too drunk. Perhaps she...”
Pinkie stuck her hoof in Rainbow’s mouth. "She’s happy!"
The look that followed that would have done Fluttershy proud.
Rainbow closed her mouth... once Pinkie had removed her hoof.
* * *
Quick Service looked at today's takings.
“Never made so much in one day before. Perhaps ‘The Swift’ can be saved.”
He scowled as he looked in the direction ‘he thought’ Canterlot lay. ‘Those high-and-mighty unicorns up at Canterlot, charging a wing and a foreleg for a single block of ice.’ He smiled. ‘Well, Pinkie’s little friend is gonna put an end to their little monopoly on that… and that’s gonna upset them no end. I just hope that Pinkie remembers to speak to her. When she’s sobered up that is. Oh yes, the job of: 'Bar ambiance and liquid refreshments temperature control pony’ is sooo hers.’
His smile grew. ‘And with ‘The Swift' being the -only- place in town with both cool air and cold drinks... Oh yeah, that mare is going to bring me in so many bits it’s gonna be unreal.’ The smile dropped. ‘In a couple of days anyway. Apparently, Pinkie has plans for her. And no way in Tartarus am I getting in the way of any Pinkie Pie’s 'Super-Duper Plans'.’ He shivered. ‘That kinda trouble simply ain’t worth it!’
Quick Service tapped his chin. “When her friend takes the job, I wonder if could persuade her to wear the uniform. It should make that stunning white back of hers really stand out in a crowd. Ahem, among other things, I mean, what mare doesn’t want to stand out in a crowd?”