//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Getting the Job, Visiting a Boutique, and...BOOM! // Story: A Corrupted and Sad Human in Equestria // by TrueKillerHun //------------------------------// Chapter 7: Getting the Job, Visiting a Boutique, and...BOOM! Walking down the dirt road back into town, I looked for the farm I've passed moments ago. It took about five minutes until I saw a red barn in the distance to my right. Maybe that's it, I thought to myself. I took the road that leads to the barn. As I walked up the road, I noticed apple trees to both of my directions. "Apple farm?" I said, speaking my thoughts. I arrive at the farm and started to look around for Applejack. While I looked around, I saw crops, pigs, and a small shack. After spending a few minutes looking for AJ, I gave up. Maybe she's not here, I thought. Then, before I started to leave, I saw her, hitting one of the apple trees with her rear legs. I walked towards her, shouting out, "What's up, AJ?" She moved her head from the tree to me. "Oh. Howdy, Geoff," she smiled. "What do ya need?" "I heard that you are looking for extra help on your farm, if I'm correct?" I said to her. She walked away from the tree and stood in front of me. She looked up to me and said, "Yeah, but I never expect you will be interested." "Well, I do need a job," I told Applejack. "since I might be here for a while." I clapped my hands together. "So, what do you what to know about me? Previous job? Level of education? Criminal records?" Her eyes widen as she took a few steps back away from me. "No, no, no," I said. "I'm no criminal, AJ. Honest." "Oh, good," she said in relief. "For a moment, I thought ya were gonna to rob me." I folded my arms together over my chest, shaking my head."I don't blame you. I do look like a criminal in this get-up." After a breif moment of silence, I spoke up. "So, like I said before, what do you want to know?" Applejack exam my body for a moment, then speaks after looking at my head, or to be more exact, my scar. "How did you get that scar over you eye?" I sighed before I replied. "To make a long story short: mother, alcohol, drunk, broken bottle, contacted on my right eye." "So," Applejack said. "Your mother was drunk from drinking alcohol?" "Yes," I reply. "Broke one of the bottles," AJ continue my story. "And hit yer head?" "More like a swing to the right eye. Manage to make contact. After about thirty minutes, I was in the hospital after my mother reliazed her mistake. Doctor said I was lucky that she didn't stab my eye or I will be dead." Applejack cocked her head to the left, saying, "Why did yer mother hurt ya?" "If I remember correctly," I answered to her. "she thought I was my father, blaming him for divorcing her or something. I don't know." "Divorce?" AJ said in shock. "Why did they break up?" I shuttered after she said that. "Oh," she said. "I understand, sugarcube." Sugarcube? I thought. What the hell did she called me that? Eh, it's better than what the bullies at my junior high before they started to call me Draco. Geoffie, ugh. "Anything else you want to know?" I said to AJ. "No," she said. "I think I got enough info from ya." Confused, I said in question, "But I only told you my..." "I say," she said. "I have enough. You got the job." "But, AJ," I told her. "I barely told you anything about..." I stopped myself when Applejack looked at me with an angry expression on her face. "Never mind. I got the job and that what matters." "So," I said,rubbing my hands together. "where do you want me at?" AJ walked over to a tree with apples still hanging from the branches, saying, "I want you to wait for the apples in the trees to drop in these buckets here while I buck them down." She pointed at the buckets at the base of the tree. "Pick up any apples that doesn't land in any of the buckets and put them into the buckets. Then," she pointed at a wagon that was located a few meters from my right. "Dump the buckets into that wagon and place the empty buckets to the next tree that is near by. Got it?" I shake my head. "Good. Then let get started." For a few hours, AJ kicked near of the base of each tree, causing the apples on the branches to fall into the buckets below, and I grabbed the apple-filled buckets , dumped them into the wagon and placed them at a nearby tree or wherever Applejack was standing at. As I continued the same routine, I went through the events that happen to me in the past few months before I arrive here. After remembering each event in detail, questions started to pop into my mind. Why would the bully pulled that stupid prank on me at graduation? Maybe a dare from his friends? And I don't remember my mother having cancer. Why would an officer told me about my mother's death? Her friends or a nearby hospital will call me on my phone and tell me this kind of news. Lastly, twenty-five mistakes? I been working at Harkins for several months and never made any mistakes while I was working there. Maybe some underage kids sneaked past me to see a R-rated movie while I wasn't looking or I forgot to do inventory? Any of these events make no sense to me. "Hey, Geoff," AJ called out to me while I was thinking to myself. "You OK?" I looked at her. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just thinking to myself." "What were you thinking about?" "Things that are not important to you." "Well," she said, started to walk towards at the now apple-filled wagon. "We're done fer today. Thank you fer helping me." "No prob," I nod my head to her. AJ straped herself to the wagon and started to walk back to the red barn while I follow behind. The pain in my stomach returned and I grunted under my breath. "Ya OK back there?" Applejack said. "Yeah," I answered. "Just hungry. Haven't ate anything since I woke up this morning." "Take a few apples," she reply. "Wow. Thanks, AJ." I took some apples from the wagon and began to eat. This is getting weird, I thought as I finish the last apple. My stomach starting to ache this morning and it can't stop. What the hell is going on? As we arrive at the barn, AJ told me to wait outside while she put the cart inside. I nod my head and she walked into the barn. While she was gone, I took out my phone, insert the ear buds into my ears, and played the first song that was marked under "VG (Video Game) Soundtracks". Made sure no one was around, I sang quietly to myself: "Move! We bounce, roll, rock, groove. Do what the fuck we want to! Ain't no rules, we acting a fool! Now grind to the beat. Muthafucka, let's move! We bounce, roll, rock, groove. Do what the fuck we want to! Ain't no rules, we acting a fool! Now grind to the beat. Muthafucka, let's move! Yo, listen this a bang, bang. I ain't playing main, main. Still, still kill it, kill it with the with the flame, flame. Got it pass locked, locked people on the block, block. Bang when they rolling cause they know that shit'll rock, rock. See them bodies drop, drop. Yeah, that shit is so official. We get it hot, hot. Killing it is not an issue. I got a problem with you... Yeah, I hear that shit a lot. Till I start to breathe, breathe on 'em, then they screaming stop! They try to ride with me, but they all falling off. Nobody can can stop me, I hit em like a Molotov. I pull back and explode on a beat. Then watch them hit the ground and explode on the street. We bounce, roll, rock, groove. Do what the fuck we want to! Ain't no rules, we acting a fool! Now grind to the beat. Muthafucka, let's move! We bounce, roll, rock, groove. Do what the fuck we want to! Ain't no rules, we acting a fool! Now grind to the beat. Muthafucka, let's move! See I'mma a monster, I unleash the iron horse. I need beef when I eat boy I'mma carnivore. I need that feed-back... That you only get from chopping a man at the kneecaps. I relapse, ease back. I got tendencies of making you bleed with a mean ax. He's that demented, seriously twisted dude turning your face to a speed bag. A heavyweight henchman rocking a ski mask, With enough guns to make the army mad. But they ain't trying to fight that dude. So when he comes into there sight they just... MOVE! We bounce, roll, rock, groove. Do what the fuck we want to! Ain't no rules, we acting a fool! Now grind to the beat. Muthafucka, let's move! We bounce, roll, rock, groove. Do what the fuck we want to! Ain't no rules, we acting a fool! Now grind to the beat. Muthafucka, let's move! Yo, listen this a bang, bang. I ain't playing main, main. Still, still kill it, kill it with the with the flame, flame. Got it pass locked, locked people on the block, block. Bang when they rolling cause they know that shit'll rock, rock. See them bodies drop, drop. Yeah, that shit is so official. We get it hot, hot. Killing it is not an issue. I got a problem with you... Yeah, I hear that shit a lot. Till I start to breathe, breathe on 'em, then they screaming stop! They try to ride with me, but they all falling off. Nobody can can stop me, I hit em like a Molotov. I pull back and explode on a beat. Then watch them hit the ground and explode on the street. Move!" As the song finished, the barn door open and Applejack walked out with two wooden stands that are filled with apples. Putting the phone and ear buds back into my pocket, I asked AJ, "What are we off to?" "We're gonna sell these apples in Ponyville," she replied. "Usually, Macintosh would help me with..." I interrupted her, "Wait, who?" "Big Macintosh, he's my brother." "And, what does he look like?" "A large red colt with an orange mane. His cutie mark is a green apple, showing its core." "Where is this 'Macintosh' now?" "I don't know. Can't find him." Before I could reply, I was knocked down to the ground. "What in the name of...?" I muttered as I taste dirt and turned around to find a colt standing in the place that I was at. The colt matched the characteristics of the Macintosh character that Applejack describe. "Sorry, sis," he said to AJ. "I was in the bathroom." "Macintosh!" AJ shouted at him. "It's rude to shoved my new friend." I stood up and dusted off the dirt on my pants and coat. I looked at AJ, then Macintosh, who is staring at me. "Yeah, I'm a human," I said, knowing what he is thinking. "Deal with it." I noticed while I was still dusting off that there are several rips on my coat and pants. "Damn it." "What?" Applejack asked. She noticed the rips on my get-up, then said, "Oh. Maybe Rarity can get those fixed up." "That's great and all," I replied. "But I don't know where she lived." "Don't worry, Geoff," she said. "I'll get a map for you." AJ ran back inside the barn, leaving me with Macintosh. "What's up? You Macintosh?" "Yeup." "Applejack's brother?" "Yeup." "That's cool." "You like my sister?" "She's alright." "I mean, like-like?" "What do you... Oh. OH! Oh, no. Oh, hell no. She's a pony, I'm a human. It's just...weird if that happened." After my little talk with the red colt, AJ return with a piece of paper in her mouth. "This the map?" I asked her as I took the paper from her mouth. "Yeup," she said. "You'll find the Carousal Boutique, where Rarity work and lives, on there, as well as some useful buildings." "Again, great, but this alone won't be enough," I said to AJ before I opened the map and found several buildings marked, as well as a legend that helps understand what each mark goes to what name. "Never mind." "Here," Applejack hold up a small brown bag with her front right hoof and dropped it on my left hand that was free from the map. "What's this?" I asked. "Your pay for the day," she said. "What? It's only been a day." "Trust me," she said as she walked off with Macintosh, who walked with the carts attached to him. "You gonna need it." I opened the bag by loosing the string that was wrapped around the top and found about twenty bits in the bag. Thanks, Applejack, I thought as I put the four bits in my pocket in the bag. I tighten the string on the bag and tied it on my belt. "Now," I said to myself as I looked at the map. "To find that Boutique." (Ten minutes later, at the Boutique) Very fancy, I thought as I looked at the building in front of me. It's a colorful (not surprise) two-story building with large windows on the ground level. At what I believe is the front door is a picture of a horse above it. I walked to the door and knocked a few times. After a moment, the door opened and Twilight walked out, bumping into me. "Hey, how rude," she said as she backed away with her eyes shut. "Can you watch where you were..." Her sentence is cut short when she opened her eyes and saw me in front of her. "Oh. Hi, Geoff." She exam my body. "I see you found my note." "No duh," I replied. "Thank you, though." "You're welcome," Twilight said. I noticed she was wearing bags over her back. "Got a few things?" I questioned. "Oh, yeah," she replied. "Just some things I need." Twilight started to walk past me, saying, "Well, see you around, Geoff." "Same to you," I shouted out to her as she disappeared from my vision. "Now that's done," I turned back to the building behind me. "Time to ask a white unicorn for a favor." I pushed the door open and a bell rang in the room. "Just a moment," a voice spoke from the upper level. Later, Rarity appeared and she take notice of my presence. "Oh," she said. "Hello, Geoff." "Same to you, Rarity," I said. "Hey, can you do me a favor?" Rarity nod her head, then take notice of the rips on my coat and pants. "I'm guessing the favor is to ask me to sew those rips on your outfit, if I'm not correct?" "Pretty much," I reply. "So, can you?" "Of course, Geoff," she said, then turned around and started to walk behind a curtain. "I'll give you some privacy so you can remove the coat and pants. Let me know when they're off." I removed my shades and began to remove my coat and pants. Before I yelled out for Rarity, I took my father's Eagle from my coat and hid it behind a nearby couch, removed the brown bag from my belt, with it included, and my phone and ear buds from my pants. "Done," I said. A purple aura formed around my coat and pants. They floated to behind the curtain and Rarity said, "Give me several minutes and they will be good as new." "OK," I replied before I walked to the couch and sat down, putting the ear buds that are connected to my phone. I pressed the note symbol on the phone and then pressed the Heavy Metal collection. Disturbed started to play before I closed my eyes to rest from working with Applejack. Seconds later, I began to dream. The dream was a memory. It showed a 15 year old boy, who was me before the dragon tattoo on my right arm, reading Night by Elie Wiesel (Good book). Then, three larger males walked into the picture, taking the book from my hands. I saw myself trying to get the book back from them before I punched the larger male of the group, who was holding my book over his head, in the guts, grabbed my book from the ground and began to run. They pulled out small handguns from their pockets and started to chase after me (not joking). A white flash blinded my vision, then a new scene takes place. I was running down an alley, bullets flying near my head, before I see a dark blue figure in a window. There's that figure again, I thought. I've been seeing this figure since my flu shot a month ago before the events that are happening in my dream. I heard the males chasing me talking aloud. "Come back, Draco," the largest one yelled. "We just want to kill you." "Why do we call him 'Draco' again?" one of the other males said. "It's short for 'Dragon Collector,' " the shortest male replied. "Dra...Co" "Oh," the second male said. "I thought you idiots ran out of names to call this douche and started to use names from that stupid J. K. Rowling book series." "I guess you guys are idiots, are you not?" I laughed before a bullet flew past my head. "OH, SHIT!" Another bright flash, then a new scene takes place. I was hiding behind a police vehicle while bullets from the three males fly by the car, some manage to hit the car. The officer who owns the vehicle was in the ground with bullet holes on his chest. He manage to call for back up before a bullet made impact to his head. I need to take them out, I thought. But how? I noticed a Glock in the dead officer's holster. Risking my life, I rushed out to the body. Some bullets flew past my head. They sure do like my head, I thought. Reached the body, I grabbed the gun out its housing and pointed at the males. I pulled the trigger on the gun and shot the male on my left's gun out of his hands, as well as the male on the right. I pointed the gun at the male in the middle and pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, the bullet didn't hit the male's gun, but it made impact to his chest. At that moment, his buddies looked at him and asked if he's OK. "I... feel... cold," he muttered before he dropped to the ground. A pool of blood started to form around his body. I was stocked of what I did. I dropped to my knees and released the gun from my hand. The dead officer's back up finally arrived and started to order the remaining two males to drop to the ground. "I... I... j-just...," I whispered, still stunned of what just happen. "k-k-killed... a... a..." One of the officers, female, from the back up walked up to me and spoke to me, but her voice sounded familiar. She keep saying my name, as well as calling me Darling. My body was shaking. No, wait. I awoke from my dream and I saw Rarity with her hooves on my chest. "Uh, wha?" I muttered. "Your clothes are done from repair, Geoff," Rarity said as she removed her hooves from my chest. "Are you OK? You been screaming while you were napping." "I was?" I questioned. "Anyway, thanks, Rarity." She moved the folded clothes that was floating behind her and dropped them on my lap. Like earlier, Rarity moved behind the curtain. I put on the pants first. Feels like they were new, I thought. I tighten the pants with my belt and tied the brown bag on it. I, then, dropped my phone and ear buds, which was placed on the couch, into my front right pants pocket. Lastly, I put on the coat and grabbed my father's Eagle from behind the couch, putting it into the same pocket I had it in before. "OK, Rarity," I said before she walked out. "Now, how much do I need to pay?" Rarity smiled, "It's free, Geoff. You don't need to pay me." Surprised, I said, "Really? Wow, thanks again." I put on my shades and made my exit out the door. "See ya around, Rare." "Same to you," she said as she used her magic to shut the door behind me. Damn it, I thought. Had that dream again. I continued to say "I just kill a man" repeatedly. Saying this, I put on my buds and played How I Could Just Kill A Man by Rage Against the Machine. I was lost into the song when something knocked me down to the ground. The buds flew out of my ears. "Son of a...," I said as I turned my head and found Rainbow Dash on my back. "Dash, what the hell, girl?" "Sorry, Geoff," she apologized as she stepped off my back. "Just trying out some new moves." I stood up and looked at Dash. "For a pony named 'Rainbow Dash', you crashed into me twice." "I'm the fastest Pegasus in Equestria," she said, looking up to me. "I know what I'm doing." "You sure?" I said in disbelief. "I'm starting to think you are not that fast as you say you are." Rainbow jumped and floated in front of me, her reddish-pink eyes staring at my eyes. "Is that a challenge?" I grinned, "If I am, yeah. Prove me wrong." She dashed into the air and started to do some fancy moves. Moving left and right, spinning around, I was not pleased. She, then, darted up to the sky, disappearing into the clouds high above. "Where is she?" I said to myself as I scanned the sky. Dash suddenly appeared from the clouds, but her wings were folded on her side. Her eyes were closed. Dash wasn't flying, she was falling. Oh shit, I thought as I ran towards where she might land. Timing it right, I jumped off a large bolder and attempted to catch Dash. I noticed when I was close enough that she was smiling. Why is she... BOOM! "HOLY SHIT !" I shouted as I flew high into the sky from a sudden boom. Was that a sonic boom? My shades flew out from my head as I continued to fly in the sky. My rise into the sky soon became my drop to the ground. SHIT, SHIT, SHIT, I thought before I landed into a lake. Dived about twenty feet into the water. I started to swim to the surface before something slammed into my right leg. I shouted in the water and started to prey whatever on my leg off. I felt sudden pain and my nerves went nuts. I slammed my fist on the thing and it released its grip. I manage to surface the lake. I looked around my surroundings. Nothing but trees and vines is all I found. I swim to land and dragged my body to a nearby tree. I rested my back on it and looked at my right leg. I saw blood and few rocks sticking out of my leg. "Oh...shit," I muttered. "That's...that's...blood." I passed out from the blood loss. (Back at Earth) Russel Dowling. That was the name of Geoff's father, as well as the test subject in the large tube. For thirteen years, he been in this mess. Had to ignore his life and his son's to live like this. He remembered how the Phazon felt when he first used it. The crystal spikes sticking out of his back, the large blade extended out of his right arm, his body, all glowing light and dark blue. His appearance completely changed. Never want my son to go through this, he thought. I'm sorry, Geoff, for not being there for you for all these years. "I'm sorry."