//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Champagne Supernova // Story: The Roadie and the Show Stopper // by Br0nyb0y123 //------------------------------// So me and Spitfire were walking over to our carts, my cart first then her cart second. We stopped once we got to my bunk in my cart and then we began to exchange a few words before parting for the remainder of the night, "So, is there a stadium in Fillydelphia?" I asked her. "Yeah, a big one. That's a big benefit for you, Braeburn," She told me. "How so?" I asked with curiosity. "Big stadium, big bucks," Spitfire said. "Nice," I replied, "How much do you get paid?" She chuckled, "A lot. Every show we do, we get paid fifteen grand, and we get paid even more with the merchandise in our likenesses." "Wow, fifteen grand in a day?" I spoke, stunned. "Yeah," She smiled. "That's how much my family's ranch makes in half a year and you get in a day?" I question, "Just...wow." She giggled at how shocked I was. I couldn't help it, in my opinion, that's a shit tonne of bits, "Anyways, I'll see you in the morning, yeah?" She asked me after she stopped giggling. "Sure," I replied to her. "And thanks again for helping me from Seth, Braeburn," She thanked. "It's not a problem," I replied and smiled. We shared a little comfortable silence between each other. As the train bumped along the tracks in the night, we just stood there with small smiles on our faces. The moment was sweet. She looked away briefly and blushed right before she approached and did something I did not expect, she gave me a small peck on the cheek, "I'll see you tomorrow," She whispered in my ear. She then gave me a small smile before she went ahead to her own cart by herself, but before she went away, I said to her, "I'll see you tomorrow as well." I left his cart and passed by the upcoming cart in order to get to mine. I couldn't help but think about my little slip of the tongue back there, he's the only one who knows of my plans of retirement, he seems like a guy I can trust though. Maybe that little kiss was a little too much... He is kinda cute though. Damn, I need to get a hold of myself. No more relationships, I promised yourself that. I passed by Pout's cart before getting to mine. Pout is an odd name for a male pony, I think he might be gay, in fact, most of us do. Though, Fleetfoot thinks he's good-looking, what a surprise. Seth hates him, he's homophobic towards him but he's never actually said it to Pout's face and there could be a possibility that Pout isn't gay, so he could be hating him for nothing, but grant it, it is Seth and he does hate most ponies, which in turn makes him a hateful pony. Once I made it to my cart, everyone was sound asleep, Soarin was hanging out of his bunk, and almost looked like he was going to fall off. I quietly sneaked to my bunk and hopped in it and then laid on my side, looking out the window as I watched the jade sea of trees pass and gradually melt into amber waves of wheat, and began to doze off to sleep... ... Right until Soarin fell out of his bunk, the loud thud he made woke all of us up. Fleetie woke up and switched the light whilst Silver jumped out his bunk and started shouting in a fright, "The fuck was that!?" "Silver, calm down," I told him, "It's just Soarin." Silver looked around in worry for a little bit before realizing he woke up in horror and calmed down, he then looked down at Soarin who was still asleep, "How is he not awake?" Silver asked. "Soarin can sleep through anything, even an explosion," High Winds told him. "Is that so?" Silver questioned, "Well, we can't leave him here. C'mon girls, help me get him up" Surprise made a pfft sound before replying, "Stuff that. You can do that yourself, lazy ass." "What? Come on, girls," Silver begged. "Nah, I'm pretty sure you can do it yourself, Silver", Fleetfoot told him. "Yeah, you can do it, Lining," Windy added. He then looked at with a face that simply said, "Help me", "Don't look at me Silver. I'm not helping you" I laughed, "Besides if you were lying there and Soarin was in your position, he'd be persisting to lift you up by himself," Silver looked down at Soarin then back at me then back at Soarin and then let out a little grumble and then muttered what sounded like curse words to himself as he began to pick up the still sleeping Soarin and then he hoisted him on his back before struggling to figure out how he'll get him to the top bunk, "Fuck..." He uttered. All the girls looked at him and chuckled slightly, as he tried placing Soarin on his bunk but failing, he then tried to spread his wings in order to fly his way up there but with Soarin on his shoulders, it didn't work, he struggled for a good five minutes before Fleetfoot said, "Silver...honey, why don't you just put him in your bunk and you sleep in his? Yours is a bottom bunk." He then looked at us with a grumpy expression, "I know mine is the bottom. But if I was sleeping in the top bunk and fell off then Soarin would put me back where I slept. I'm going to do the same," He told us with charisma. "Alright then," Windy said. "Well, I'm gonna head back to sleep. I'll see all of you in the morning," I explained to them. "Night Spitfire," Surprise and Fleetfoot replied. "Goodnight," Windy smiled. Silver didn't wish me good night as he was too busy concentrating on Soarin (ignore how wrong that sounds). I then rested my head against my pillow and faced away from them and drifted off to sleep, with my mind focused on amber waves, but not of wheat. The morning came bright but breezy for us. I heard the wind blast outside my window. The window creaked. The sound of the wind actually woke me up, JD grumbled as he awoke, "Fuck me..." I'd rather not, "...Is that the wind outside?" He asked me. "Yeah, man. It's wilder than the Appleloosan wind out there," I replied. JD climbed down from his bunk and then tapped me on my arm, "Let's wake up the rest before Pout does. He wakes us up worse than anything," He told me. "How does Pout do it?" I asked him curiously. "Storms in with a trumpet and plays a wake-up call as if we're in summer camp," He explained. My eyes widened, I don't want that to happen, "You do your side of the cart, I'll do mine." "Yeah sure," I agreed. I got out of my bunk and quickly but quietly paced to the bunk beside me, where Melody was sleeping, I nudged her and lightly shook her awake, "Hey Melody," I said, "It's time to wake up." She grumbled awake and opened her eyes, her eyes simply read tiredness, "Can't I just sleep for a few more minutes?" She asked. "If you want to get woken up by a trumpet, be my guest," I chuckled, "Come on, big day ahead of us." "Darn... yeah..." She groggily muttered, "Trumpets..." She fluttered back to sleep, "Suit yourself, Mel." I turned to face JD, who was trying to wake up Magenta, with no luck, everyone else slouched back to sleep, "JD." He faced me, "Yeah?" "They're not waking up," I told him. "What should we do?" He asked. "We need to do something louder," I replied. "Come on, man. Don't do that, me and everyone else are tired that we get woken up by loud noises anyways," JD explained. "It's not gonna be as loud as a trumpet, man," I said, "How good's your singing voice?" "What?" He quizzed. "Can you sing?" I asked him. "Badly, but, what are you getting at, Brae?" JD asked back. "Sing them awake. I can yodel," I told him, almost chuckling at the thought. JD sighed and looked around at the ponies sleeping beside us, "Is yodeling a popular thing back in Appleloosa?" JD asked. "Nah, man. Would you rather wake up to trumpets or the sound of my sumptuous voice?" I chuckled. "Dude, I don't know what you sound like, for all I know you could be a broken record." I laughed once again, "Me? A broken record? I'm a country boy, J, no girl back home can resist the baritone, rhythmic, lilting sound of my voice," I told him. "Oh well then, Braeburn. Be my guest," He replied. I cleared my voice and stood taller, readying myself to yodel. I wasn't sure why I was going to yodel, perhaps I thought it would be more easy to wake up to than the sound of out-of-tune trumpet. I cleared my throat, "YO-" The door busted open, and in strolled Pout, holding a rusty looking trumpet. For once, JD thought ahead of me and tucked his ears in and hopped back onto his bunk and wrapped his pillow around his head. Then Pout began to play... I woke up to the sound of humming. It was peaceful, almost serene, I sat on the edge of my bunk and stood up. I looked up at one of the top bunks, and I saw Surprise sitting upwards, reading a book and humming to herself. She had curlers in her mane. I looked around the rest of the cart, Soarin and Silver were still fast asleep and Windy and Fleetfoot were nowhere to be seen. I yawned, "Morning, Surprise." "Morning, Spitfire," She greeted, "Sleep well?" "Eh..." I shrugged, "I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep for a little bit. But other than that, it was fine. How about you?" "I had an odd dream. I dreamed that I was Princess Luna flying through a champagne supernova," Surprise explained. "Hmm..." I began, "You should use that name for a special move. Who knows? You might be the next scene-stealer after me." Surprise laughed as she placed her book to her side. Surprise had a lovely laugh, "Nah, you're the main attraction, Spit." She said, calming down from his giggling session, "It's your face on most of the posters." "Maybe one day you'll have a bigger share of the limelight," I told her, "You're a fantastic flyer after all." "Aw, you're a dear, Spitfire," Surprise said with a smile. Our little conversation was stopped to a halt by the loud snorking of Soarin's snout. It sent a shudder down my spine. I turned around and saw him twitching his left hind leg as he slept, looking like he's had a hard night of partying, "He's a strange one, that Soarin," I commented. "You're telling me," Surprise added. "Where's Fleety and Windy?" I asked as I turned around to face her. "Went out to get some breakfast at a fast food chain." "Oh, Sweet Celestia. I wouldn't be able to do that," I told her. "Haha, I know. You don't even have a break on your diets for tours," Surprise replied. Our ears pricked up to the noise that sounded almost like an odd screeching. I closed my eyes and focused in more, not too sure as to what it could be, "You hear that, right?" I asked. "Yeah, I do..." Surprise agreed. I wonder what it could've been... Oh, the noise! That terrible noise was unlike anything I ever heard... Pout blew through the trumpet as much as he could, his face going a little red. I seriously thought the glass would shatter in the cart. Everyone sprang up, some with fear and adrenaline rushing through them, others just cringed and shuddered at the awful screeching sound. Melody fell out of her bunk and onto the floor, Brittle bumped his head against his brother's bunk from underneath and Star Light jumped out and nearly kicked me in the face. Pout then stopped and with the most kindly and forward expressions, he said, "Morning, lads." Everypony groaned. I'm pretty sure JD and Brittle told him to fuck off as well. And with a ringing in my ears, Pout told us about a briefing that was to occur ten minutes from then. And with that I only knew one thing and one thing only. Today was going to be a long day.