//------------------------------// // Chapter XX: Awkward Situations // Story: Linkin Pony Recharge: Chasing the Sun // by Kaciekk //------------------------------// “Don’t you get what I’m saying?” HyperBlitz protested. “We can’t sleep outside! Especially not these boys.” “It’s not my problem,” GearClank said. “Yes it is! This is your camp! If you want us to do your work, give us a better place to sleep.” “Fine,” GearClank gave in. “Wasp!” He called a familiar name. The golden yellow mare appeared next to GearClank. “Get them to a room,” He ordered. Speechless, Wasp guided us. Doors lined up on a long wall. I was confused by this structure. Wasp opened the door with a key. I don’t even remember her receiving the key. Extending a foreleg, Wasp pointed us into the building. A fierce smell of mold filled my nose when I entered. Two beds where to the left, a desk and lamp to the right. At the back wall was a sink. “This is odd. What kind of apartment is this?” “It’s not an apartment,” Dad informed me. “It’s a hotel. Well, a motel kinda.” “What’s a hotel?” “It’s meant to be a place you sleep when you are traveling. It’s not a permanent home.” “Ugh, these beds are gross,” Hyper groaned, looking at the stained sheets. “Who know what nasty things could have happened on them.” “Yeah, someone could have gotten killed!” JumpingJolt added mischievously. “Um, yeah…” Hyper responded. When Hyper removed the sheet, Jolt hopped up on the bed. Hyper rolled up the sheet and said to JumpingJolt, “Here, put your hoof on this.” The colt did as he was told. Hyper hummed. “Hmm, it probably would be best to compress it.” The stallion rummaged through his bag and took out a bandage. He wrapped it around his son’s leg. After tieing it, Hyper tightened it with his teeth. “Ow!” JumpingJolt complained, wincing. “I promise this will make it better,” HyperBlitz advised. “You just can't move it a whole lot.” Over at the sink, Dad announced, “Hey, they actually have running water.” He placed a bottle under the stream. “CharmingRhythm, don’t drink that!” HyperBlitz exclaimed. Dad examined the color. “Looks pretty clean.” He took a sip. “Tastes fine too.” “That must be why they had us fixing those pipes,” I surmised. “And made use clean water filters,” JumpingJolt added. I realized my stomach was aching from hunger. I searched my bag for food. Whatever the rogue had not taken. I was shuttered out of sleep by pounding on wood. The bed jiggled when Dad hopped off. Half awake, I watched the door open for GearClank. Dad said, about half awake too, “What?” “It’s time to get to work!” “Why do you have to be so punctual? Can you give us a few minutes?” “No! You said you were going to work for this room, and that’s what you are going to do,” GearClank retorted bluntly. Dad turned with a slight groan. “HyperBlitz!” After no response, Dad levitated a pillow and threw it on the Pegasus. “HyperBlitz!” The pillow flew off, almost directly after contact. Hyper’s limbs flailed around as he shouted incoherent words. A wing flopped and smacked JumpingJolt. “Dad! Dad!” Jolt hollered between hits. I laughed at HyperBlitz’s ridiculous reaction. Jolt pushed the wing over and Hyper stopped freaking out due to comprehending his surroundings. “Huh, what?” “We gotta get up,” Dad told him. “I’ll give you ten minutes,” GearClank said crudely and left. “Now he gives us time,” Dad muttered. JumpingJolt sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Ugh. I wish these rogues weren’t so rude.” Dad eyed HyperBlitz. “We need to find those ponies from Haythorn. They must be here.” “Oh yeah.” Hyper acted dazed. His eyes darted between his son and me. “You guys need to look too. There were two ponies. Their names are EveningGaze and Gale.” “Oh!” Jolt waved a hoof. “I know EveningGaze. He was working with me yesterday.” “Great. We know one. Now we have to find the other,” Dad collected. “We’ll have to somehow talk with them. Somehow… get them and us out of here.” I checked my bag for breakfast. I saw how little magic aid I had. I will have to go to Arcane for more. When we entered out to the rogue camp, I managed to slip away. I went to Arcane and he told me he would show me how he made the magic aid. He beat many herbs in a bowl to extract their juices. Pouring the juices steadily into a vial, the older Unicorn levitated over another bottle. “I thought it was pink,” I took note of the green tint. “It will be,” Arcane said. After putting the other liquid in, he shook the elixir violently with magic. He eyed an open book, reading it thoroughly. The potion gradually changed to pink. “Here you go!” Arcane handed over the potion. I took a small sip. “Could I keep it here? I’m not sure I’m allowed back in my room.” “Sure. As long as you use your magic for work.” “Yep!” Having been directed to a station, I searched for a place. I levitated a piece of metal. My mind scrambled for an answer. “These are for solar panels and generators,” A mare announced. I blinked at her. She stared at me with her chin on a hoof. Her colors reminded me of the filly from my dreams. “Um, I don’t know how to put it together.” “Oh you poor thing,” The aqua mare said, slightly mocking. She magically gave me a paper of instructions. My orange aura gathered objects. The mare supervising me went into the building at the side. Just then, a noise approached me. “GentleSketch.” “Hey, Dad!” “They sent you here too, huh?” Dad looked at the table. “It’s like part for solar panels and generators.” Dad stood next to me. “Hmm.” He read through the instructions, then studied the parts. “Some of these are broken. They have been put together, but damaged.” “How do we fixed them?” “I don’t know. Let’s focus on the new parts.” Dad suggested. I just stared at the equipment. I levitated a plastic bar. “GentleSketch!” I was startled by Dad’s exclamation. The bar clattered on the ground. I swooped around. “What?!” “You’re using magic!” I completely forget he was here when I used it. “Um, yeah. I… I got help from this one guy-” “Oh my goodness!” Dad hugged me. “I’m so proud of you!” My heart and mind stopped. He was proud of me. He said the words I had been waiting for. But I was using magic aid. If I told him, he would be disappointed. My father was so excited and happy, which I imagined was rare in this camp. “How did you do it?” Dad pondered. I fathomed my next verbal outcomes. Disappoint my father once again, or lie to him for his happiness’ sake. No, I wouldn’t lie, I would stretch the truth. Actually, I lied almost on accident. “Um. For the past couple of days, like even when I first came here- like, they didn’t like that I couldn’t use magic. So they had this one guy help me. I don’t know, it was something he said, some technique, that made me better.” “That’s great!” “I-I still am not the best. I mess up a lot.” “It’s still a step forward, GentleSketch!” Dad rubbed my head. The grayish blue Unicorn turned back to the table, still grinning. I shook under my coat, blood pumping with adrenaline, I had no idea if this was good or bad feeling. We constructed for a few long minutes. When Dad sighed, I glanced at him. He looked dismal. That didn’t make sense. Wasn’t he just so excited and happy? “What’s wrong, Dad?” “I wouldn’t mind doing this, if only they were nice about it. Like say if we went to Haythorn and they asked for help with generators and solar panels, and they were polite about it, I’d do it. But here they force us to do it and treat us like shit.” “Then why don’t you tell them that?” The stallion shook his head. “No, we don’t want to do that. It will only make things worse. We want to get on their good sides, so they don’t expect anything from us.” Just then, the mare returned. I hope she didn’t hear us. I continued to pretend working. I could feel my magic getting weaker. I drank way too little magic aid (I did only take a drop). Why was this happening now? Dad is expecting better of me. Thankfully, as a distraction, the mare stepped over and watched Dad. He raised a brow. “Um, hello?” “Hello,” She replied, coyly. “You must be new here, I haven’t seen you before.” “Yeah…” “What’s your name?” “CharmingRhythm.” “Hmm, well CharmingRhythm… my name is GracefulWaltz, but you can just call me Grace.” After a few moments of silence, Grace stepped closer. “Uh, could you step back a bit? I need space to work.” Dad requested. Grace pushed back her dark striped mane. “You could take a break from your work.” “I don’t think I’m allowed to do that.” “Nopony would know,” Grace gently stated while stroking the back of Dad’s neck. “Eeehh,” Dad shivered. “Please stop.” “Why?” “I don’t like it.” Grace blinked slowly. “Oh, what do you like, Charming?” “Don’t call me that. I don’t like to be called that.” “Why not. Are you not Charming? I’d expect you’d live up to your name. You look like a stallion who would.” “I like to be called ‘Rhythm’ for short. It goes more with my talent." “What’s the matter?” “I would like to get my work done,” Dad stated bluntly. “I like how determined you are.” The mare put her forehooves around Dad’s neck. “I have a wife,” The stallion informed. “And where is she?” Grace asked with a smile. “... Back at home…” Dad whispered. “She doesn’t have to know.” Grace came closer so that their muzzles were only a few centimeters apart. Dad shoved her away. “Stop it!” “Why are you even interested it me?” Dad prompted. “I’m like, probably more than ten years older than you.” “What can I say,” Grace smirked, “I’m attracted to older stallions.” “Well, I’ll let you know I’m not interested in you!” Dad huffed. “Oh come on. How could you not like me. I know you do. With my perfect, flowing hair, my perfect body.” “You know what I like? A mare who isn’t perfect. And admits she’s not perfect. I like a mare who is not full of herself and who is modest not a… fucking slut. One who cares about what I think, and understands and respects that ‘no’ means no. And you know what? I already have a mare like that. She loves me very much and I just like to go home to her.” In my head, I cheered Dad for his comeback, but I knew it would be an inappropriate time to shout out. Dad turned back to his work. “Oh, you’re just playing hard to get.” Grace came even closer to Dad. In a fury, Dad bucked her, swung around and smacked her with a mechanical hoof. “Get off of me!” Grace didn't seemed phased. “You never stop do you?” Dad grumbled as an aqua hoof was placed on his chin. “Stop messing with my dad!” I shouted while attempting to pull her tail with magic. Nothing happened to her tail making my call practically meaningless. She turned to me and pushed me with a hoof. “Stay out of this, honey.” “Don't touch my son.” Dad ordered. Grace only eyed him, longingly. “Listen. Just get away from me. I. Am. Not. Interested.” “You are so defiant. I love that.” Dad snorted. “Why don’t you dance with me?” Proposed Grace. “Depends on your definition of ‘dance’,” Dad said in a scornful tone. Grace’s horn went ablaze; an aura shrouding my father. Dad was helpless to his own movement. The aura faded but Grace was still in control. She moved him like a puppet; his forehooves raised. Grace wrapped her forelegs around the stallion’s torso. They begun to take steps back and forth in a pattern, and then spun around.Grace smiled mischievously while Dad looked like I couldn’t take this anymore! It was disgusting! A flash of rage spilled out as I shouted “Get off my dad!” I imagined her flying back, releasing my father, and thrusting my head up as I did so. What I didn’t expect that it would actually happen. A wisp of orange flew around the mare, making her topple. Dad collapsed, out of her reins. His eyes shot up at me. Chest heaving, I was just as surprised as he was. “What’s going on?” A voice sounded. I pivoted to see a rogue in the road. “She-” Dad huffed while arising, “Keeps preventing me from doing my work!” The other pony glared at Grace. “GracefulWaltz, what have I told you about messing with stallions while they are working? There is work to be done and we don’t need anypony stopping it.” The mare just stared for a few seconds, then twirled around with a flick of the tail. “Believe me,” The rogue stallion addressed to Dad, “This isn’t the first time… or second…” Dad bowed his head to me. “Thanks for defending me, Sketch.” “Yeah,” I said, swaying. “But that kinda took a lot out of me.” “I’m sure.” Dad let me lean on him. “That was pretty awesome.” “I just thought of what I really wanted to happen…” “That’s what magic is about,” Dad told. I was confused by my ability to attack when the magic aid had worn off. Was that my actual magic?