//------------------------------// // The Job // Story: Angel Wings // by SeasonTheWiccan //------------------------------// When Angel woke up a few hours later, his arms were still around her and she heard him snoring like a machine. In which, she had to smile and blush because she found it very cute, she didn't know why, but it just was. He was slowly awoken by Angel wanting to get up; it was then that he realized he had fallen asleep in her bed. Shock and mortification were the only two expressions on his face. "Angel, Ah'm so sorry! Ah meant ta doze off for a few minutes-" Angel put a hoof to his mouth to make him stop talking. "Don't be sorry, I'm not mad...to be honest...it felt kinda nice actually." He beamed and took her hoof off his mouth; he then placed it on his chest as Angel rested her head on his shoulder. He then wrapped his arms around her as they fell asleep again. Angel was better and back on her hooves within 4 days, and during that time, he was tending to her every second. After she was healed, she went back to her regular schedule of grocery shopping, dates with Big Mac and going out with her friends. It was when she needed to go grocery shopping that she realized that she was running out of bits. She informed him who immediately offered to give her bits when she needed them with no strings attached. "Big Mac, I can't do that to your family...you worked hard for that money and I need to do the same." "Angel-" "Listen, all I need to do is get a job." "That ain't gonna be easy Angel, there's not a lot of jobs available." "I could babysit Apple Bloom." "Maybe..." All of a sudden, Pinkie Pie's voice piped in, "OR you could sing!" Angel took a moment to recover from her confusion and shock, "Pinkie, Open Mike was a one time deal and where am I going to sing professionally in Ponyville?" Pinkie thought for a moment, "Maybe I can talk the Cakes into letting you do an evening performance! It'd bring in more customers at night and they'd probably pay you enough so you could get by!" "But Pinkie-" "I gotta go tell the Cakes!" Pinkie announced as she skipped away to Sugar Cube Corner. "Pinkie wait!" It was too late, Pinkie was already gone. Angel turned to Big Mac worried, "What am I gonna do?" "What do ya mean?" "I have personal issues with singing on stage." "What about Open Mike Night?" "I was forced into that situation and even then I was scared out of my mind." "How did ya finish the song then?" "I don't know...I...I honestly don't." "Well, it looks like you'll be a sure in ta perform now...maybe they'll let ya have some time ta get used ta singin' in front of a crowd." She considered this, but she wasn't going to be able to do this alone, "But, who's going to teach me how?" He thought for a moment, then a thought came to mind, "Ah know somepony who can! Come on!" Slowly failing she tried to keep up but had a hard time keeping up because she was soon feeling a jolting pain in her joints as well as a shortness of breath and it felt like she was going to faint. Big Mac turned and saw her, he ran back to her and had her sit down for a bit. "Sorry, didn't know yer not much of a runner." "It's fine, I wasn't the athletic type in school." He smiled and waited for her to feel better before they walked the rest of the way to their destination. Big Mac led her to Carousel Boutique which confused Angel at first, "Why are we at Carousel Boutique?" "Y'see, before ya came ta Ponyville, we had a singin' group called 'The Ponytones,' we were missing a tenor so we weren't that good. So we split up on friendly terms because nopony wanted to fill the tenor's spot." "Okay, but how does this tie in with my stage fright?" "Ah had the same problem; Rarity helped me get over it." "So that's why you're taking me to her?" Big Mac nodded, "Because Ah don't want you ta be scared and Ah don't want ya ta starve or be kicked outta yer house...cuz that's the last thing Ah want ta see...Ah don't want to wake up ta see ya livin on the streets." "And if that did happen?" she asked. "Ah'd take ya in, no questions asked." Angel smiled as he softly kissed her forehead. He proudly opened the door for Angel as she walked in, Rarity was putting the final touches on a new dress to sell in the boutique when she saw Angel and Big Mac. "Oh, hello there you two love birds, what can I do for you?" "I might be getting a job at Sugar Cube Corner...as a singer for a late night performance." "Oh! You need a dress for your performance! Let's see, what do we have here?" "Rarity, she needs yer help, she has stage fright." "Oh, well, have a seat dear, I know all about these things mostly because of models." "But I'm not a model..." "In a way, yes you are! You see, you are both exhibiting talents. Shift the focus from yourself and your fear to your true purpose...contributing something of value to your audience. And for Celestia's sake, don't scare yourself with things that might go wrong...that'll only make it worse, and most importantly...focus on one pony in the audience and sing like you're singing for that pony and that pony alone." "Okay, that makes me feel loads better." "Good! Now, concerning your attire..." "Rarity, I don't need a dress." "Yes you do, you need some kind of dress to wear for your performances." "Rarity-" "No ifs, ands, or buts Angel, you are a dear friend of mine and I'm going to make you a gorgeous dress." Angel rolled her eyes as Rarity walked away to get a design together, her eyes then saw the dress Rarity had been working on before they came in. It was a sparkling sky blue with matching baby blue gloves that were made of the shiniest satin. Angel wasn't even thinking as she got up to take a closer look; she was enwrapped by it, Rarity came in and noticed her taking an interest in it. She smiled and walked over to Angel. "Would you like to try it on?" Rarity asked. Angel nodded silently. Rarity then took it off the mannequin and sent Angel into the dressing room with the gown, she then waited with Big Mac for Angel to come out. He himself couldn't help but look back on the mare Angel Wings was when he met when her and seeing the mare she was now and couldn't help but feel like he'd done something to her, like he'd opened her eyes to a better and brighter world. He couldn't help but smile at this, he did all that unintentionally, it all started because he wanted to know her better, he wasn't expecting to have these feelings for her. It all happened so quickly that even he was in a daze. He wanted to make her as happy as possible everytime they were together, her smile and laugh was like a drug to him, he needed to see or hear it everyday just to keep him sane. But the thought of Angel not fully returning his affections came to mind and his heart wrenched a little, Angel to him was so delicate and fragile, he felt as if there was one thing worded wrong and it could cost them their relationship. He had to say something, he couldn't just sit there and let his true feelings be unknown, he had to test their relationship to see if it would go anywhere. But before he could think of anything else, Angel was then standing in front of him in the blue dress and he felt his heart go wild, she looked like she should be performing on Bridleway not in small town Ponyville. Rarity then put her hair up in a beautiful bun to top it off, and Big Mac felt he was looking at a real life angel. "Does it fit?" Rarity asked. "It fits perfectly Rarity, are you sure this isn't for a client?" "No worries darling, this was to sell in the boutique." "Big Mac, are you okay?" Big Mac then realized he was gawking at her, "Uh...eeyup?" Angel giggled, "Why were you staring at me?" Big Mac smiled and said simply and lovingly, "Cuz yer beautiful." Angel couldn't help but blush and quickly look to the side to hide it. The next night, Angel's job as a singer began, Angel had found a song she wrote a long time ago and thought it would do for her first performance. She was practicing in Pinkie's Room while pacing back and forth, "And the arms of the ocean are carrying me And all this devotion was rushing over me..." She then heard three knocks on the door, "Come in!" she called. Pinkie Pie popped her head in, "Hey Angel! You ready?" "Yeah Pinkie, I'll be out in a minute." "Okie dokie lokie!" Angel couldn't feel herself breathe she was so nervous, she had to quickly remind herself of the advice Rarity gave her. Big Mac was out there, she didn't want to let him down after all he did for her. Just thinking of his face gave her a sense of hope that things were going to be okay, when in reality they weren't, she was withering away. All the vomiting and blood coming out from her nose and mouth was a constant reminder that things were now becoming more and more difficult. All she could think about when she told him was Blazing Saddle and how he'd abandoned her when she needed him most. She knew Big Mac wasn't like that, even though he was bigger than her, he was always gentle with her like she was a precious flower and when she began to feel uncomfortable, he always respected her. He was very kind, considerate and a pure gentlecolt and she couldn't help but feel like her chest was full of butterflies when she was around him. It was then that she suddenly realized that she was falling in love with him! This was a shock to her, she felt sick to her stomach at this realization. 'How did this happen? Why did this happen? 'Because you let your guard down that's what!' 'I'm such a fool! How could I let this happen?' 'It's too late now, I can't look him in the eye and break up with him!' 'Why? Why is it so difficult?' 'Because...he's kind, he's gentle, he's sweet, he's fun, he's funny, and I surprisingly share a lot of things in common with him...' 'Okay, but why is this stallion worth it?' "BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!!!" She shouted out loud, she quickly covered her mouth hoping nopony heard her. She loved him, she didn't believe it could happen but it did, everything about him made her heart soar. His gentle eyes, his deep laugh and her heart always skipped a beat around him. Pinkie then came in again and said it was time, Angel nodded and followed Pinkie out of her room. Angel stopped at her spot at the top of the stairs as Pinkie bid her a good luck and ran down. Angel took a deep breath and said to herself, "Sing to Big Mac, sing to Big Mac." She then heard the instrumental she provided which her father helped her create back in Manehattan start playing and began singing at her cue as she came down the stairs, "Looking up from underneath, Fractured moonlight on the sea, Reflections still look the same to me, As before I went under...And it's peaceful in the deep, Cathedral where you cannot breathe, No need to pray, no need to speak, Now I am under all and it's breaking over me, A thousand miles down to the sea bed, Found the place to rest my head..." She was now at the bottom of the stairs, she spotted Big Mac in the crowd and smiled, feeling a warmth inside her chest replace the cold fear inside her as she walked towards the stage and continued, "And the arms of the ocean are carrying me, And all this devotion was rushing out of me, In the crushes of heaven for a sinner like me, But the arms of the ocean delivered me..." When she was onstage, she felt no fear as she continued to sing for Big Mac and she sang with all her heart, Though the pressure's hard to take It's the only way I can escape It seems a heavy choice to make And now I am under all And it's breaking over me A thousand miles down to the sea bed Found the place to rest my head And the arms of the ocean are carrying me And all this devotion was rushing out of me In the crushes of heaven for a sinner like me But the arms of the ocean delivered me And it's over And I'm going under But I'm not giving up I'm just giving in I'm slipping underneath So cold and so sweet And the arms of the ocean so sweet and so cold And all this devotion I never knew at all In the crushes of heaven for a sinner released And the arms of the ocean delivered me She sang improvised lines with the instrumental until the song ended and when she heard the applause, all she could think was, 'I did it! I actually did it!' Angel had never felt more proud of herself than she did now as she bowed for her audience and gave Big Mac a glimmering and tearful smile.