• Published 27th Oct 2013
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The Roadie and the Show Stopper - Br0nyb0y123



Braeburn becomes a roadie for the Wonderbolts' "Grounded" Tour, and ends up developing a close relationship with Spitfire

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Chapter 3: Signing Up

I've packed up my bags and I'm outside the place I've been sleeping at for the past week and a half, the barn. Outside with me are my three cousins, Applejack, Big MacIntosh and Applebloom, then there was my cousin-in-law, Caramel, my Granny Smith and finally my cousin's daughter, which makes her my cousin once removed, Toffee Apple. They were all wishing me good luck on my somewhat spiritual journey, except from Toffee, as she can't speak proper words at anyone yet,

"Have fun being a roadie, man" Caramel said.

"Thanks, Caramel" I replied.

"Hope ya do well on yer travels, cuz" Applejack added.

"Thanks for having me around, AJ" I said.

"It's the least ah can do for ya, well, the least we can do for ya" She explained.

"Eeyup" Big Mac added.

"Hey, next time you see Rainbow Dash, tell her I'll send a postcard with the Wonderbolts' autographs" I said.

Applejack chuckled, "Ah'll be sure of that"

"Can ya send me a postcard as well, please, Braeburn?" Applebloom asked me, "Can it also be for Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo please?"

"Sure thing, kiddo" I smiled.

"Well, it was good having ya around, Braeburn" Granny Smith said.

"Thanks Gran" I replied.

"I think somepony else wants to say bye" Caramel told me as he look at his daughter, who is in his arm.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about you, Toffee" I said to my cousin once removed.

I crouched down to say a proper farewell to the baby,

"I'll send you a postcard too if you're good for your ma and pa" I told Toffee.

She didn't reply, instead she was staring at me and drooling, then laughing, and that is the closest coming as a reply,

"Well..." I said as I stood up straight, "I'll be going, guys. Thanks"

I turned around facing away from them, and walked off onto my journey. As I was walking away, I turned slightly and waved bye, they all waved back and said,

"Bye Braeburn!"

"Good luck, man!" Caramel shouted.

"Yeah, have fun!" Applejack added.

Luck and fun. Two things I'll most definitely need on this trip. God dammit, I hope this trip helps me find my place in this world, or else it would've been all for nothing.


I'm now where the show was being was being held yesterday. I'm in a line awaiting for a sign-up for being a roadie, in front were three other ponies, two females and a male. The two females in front: one of them was a white Pegasus with a dark green mane and the other was a blue Unicorn, and the male in front of me was a black Earth pony.

There was also two other ponies behind me, one male and one female; the female was a young Earth pony with thick glasses, I'd said no younger than eighteen, and the male was a light orange Pegasus with a messy mane and a short beard, he looked very similar to a hippy.

We were all waiting to sign a sheet and get a short interview at one of three desks. Around us were ponies resetting all the equipment for another show, that's being held tonight, it's the last show being held in Ponyville before they move to the next location, I'm not sure what location we're heading to after this though.

The two ponies ahead of me each went to one of the three desks, about to sign their own sheet and get their own little interview. I was called over by an older stallion, a grey stallion with a black beard and mane that was going grey,

"Hello sir" The stallion greeted me with a gruff, "Signing up for a job, correct?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I am"

"Let me guess, you're signing up to be a roadie?" He asked me.

"I am, yes" I replied.

"Alrighty, then" The grey stallion said, "I'll just need you to sign these first three columns on the sign-up sheet"

He then took one of the sign-up sheets from a stack and slid it in front of me,

"OK, I'll need you to sign your name here" He told me as he pointed to where I was meant to write on the paper, "And also here and here" He explained as he pointed to two other places on the paper.

There was a pencil beside the stack of paper, I picked it up and wrote my name beside the name column, underneath that column was one saying D.O.B, so I wrote down my date of birth beside it and put in brackets beside it saying I'm twenty-eight years old, but that was unnecessary of me. Underneath that column was another column that said "Hometown" and beside it I wrote down "Appleloosa". After I wrote in the three column the stallion instructed me to write on, I handed back the paper and pencil and he said,

"OK, thanks. Now I need to ask you some questions that are this paper, and then we'll see if you're able to join, OK?" He made clear.

"Yeah, sure" I replied.

"OK um....Is this your first time wanting to be a roadie?" He asked.

"Yes it is" I nodded.

"OK, have got any previous experience in heavy lifting?" He asked.

"Yes, I was raised on an apple farm" I told him, "So heavy lifting was something I did a lot there"

"OK, that's good. Do you have any knowledge on tech, like sound speakers, FX, etc?" He asked.

"I do, I did exams on it while I was in college, I got straight As in the exams" I told him.

"That's a big help then" He said, "Also, one last question. Have got a fear of heights?"

"No, mister" I shook my head.

"OK that's brilliant" He said as he looked at the sheet, "You seem to be roadie material, Mr. Braeburn. So, finally I'm just going to tell you about the pay and everything else, alright?"

"Sure" I said back.

"OK, so um, your usual pay is around 200 to 400 bits per day, depending on how you do and how much the show sells as well, so depending on that, you'll get around 1400 to 2800 bits a week, depending on how it is" He explained.

"OK" I responded.

"Also, you'll be sleeping in that train over there" He instructed as he pointed to the train, "You'll be sleeping in cart five with a few others" He told me.

"OK, should I go over there and unpack?" I asked him.

"That'd be a good idea, yeah, do that, and somepony will instruct you to do something" He replied.

"OK" I responded.

I took my bag and left the desk and made my way over to the train, I went over to the cart labeled "5" and went inside, and saw a few other ponies inside the cart unpacking in the bed that were attached to the walls,

"Oh, you a new guy as well?" A black earth pony called out, but I wasn't sure if he was talking to me.

"I'm sorry, are speaking to me?" I wanted to make sure.

"Yeah, I'm speaking to you, are you a new dude?" He asked again.

"Yeah, I am" I replied.

"What's your name, mate?" He asked in an accent I just started to notice, he was from Trottingham.

"I'm Braeburn" I replied.

"Welcome, Braeburn, my name is Pout and I'm your instructor, don't worry, I'm also instructor to every other new pony, alright mate?" He explained.

"Sure" I replied.

"Cool" He uttered, "Well, I'll wait outside for all of you once you all unpack, OK?"

"Yeah, OK" I said.

Pout then went outside of the cart to wait for all of us inside, there was eight ponies in here including myself. There was three females; two Unicorns, one pink and one mustard yellow and one Pegasus, who was auburn. And five males, including myself; all, except me and one other, were Unicorns, two twins who were grey and one who was light blue, the other pony who isn't a Unicorn was an Earth pony like me, except he was red. I went over to the one free bed. The beds were positioned in bunks, two below and two above, on each side of the cart. I put my bag under my bed and the female Pegasus, who was unpacking her stuff beside me, nudged me and asked,

"Came here to be a roadie?"

"Yeah, I did, what about yourself?" I asked back.

"Nah, I'm on the medical team, just in-case like an accident happens or something" She told me.

"Cool" I replied.

"I came here to see Fleetfoot" The red male Earth pony interrupted us, "Man oh man, is that one piece of flank?"

The female Pegasus beside me chuckled, "Funny, I thought you like Spitfire, JD"

"I do, I just like Fleetfoot more, Spitfire is cute, but she's more intimidating" The Earth pony I'm supposing is named JD told us, "According to rumor, Spitfire once killed a guy just by looking at him with an intimidating stare"

"That's bullshit, JD. Where did you hear that?" The auburn Pegasus laughed and asked at the same time.

"Well um.....I heard it...I mean read it on a magazine" JD said.

"I only have your word for that, unless you show me the article, I won't believe you" She replied.

"What's your name?" I asked her.

"Oh, my name is Melody, I see you already have listened to JD" Melody told me.

"Oh, right, my name is..." I began to say.

"Braeburn" Melody interrupted me before I could finish, "I heard you speak to Pout"

"Oh right" I replied.

"Anyways, since we're all going to be stuck in this cart with each other for the next few months, I'll tell everypony's names in here" Melody told me.

"OK, that seems cool" I replied.

Melody then pointed to one of the two twin Unicorns who was on a top bunk,

"That there is Peanut" She told me.

And then she pointed to the other twin underneath Peanut,

"And that there is his brother, Brittle" She added.

"No, you got us mixed up, I'm Peanut and he's Brittle" The twin in the bottom bunk pointed out.

"Don't listen to him Melody, he's just being a joker as always. You got it right the first time" Peanut said.

"Oh right" Melody replied, "Well, Peanut. Make sure he doesn't joke around like that as often anymore"

"Got it" Peanut spoke back.

"You can't tame me" Brittle told his brother.

"Shut up, man" Peanut replied to him.

Melody then pointed to the light blue Unicorn,

"And that there is Star Shine" Melody told me.

"What up?" He asked me.

"Nothing much, I just got here, man" I told him.

"Cool, I've been here for about four days, it's fun here, man, you'll enjoy yourself" He said.

"I hope so" I muttered.

Melody then pointed at the pink girl Unicorn,

"The pink one over there is Magenta Velvet" She told me, then she pointed to the mustard yellow one above her, "And her name is Firelight"

"I guess that's everypony?" I asked.

"Yep, it is" Melody said, "Well I guess Pout will be sick of waiting for us outside. Might as well go and do some work"


All eight of us are now outside, it's about three hours until the next show and everypony around was working, in front of the eight of us was Pout, giving us instructions

"OK, so today, we're all just resetting equipment, so I'll tell you all what to do until the show starts" Pout explained, "Melody, JD, Peanut, I need you three to go over to the fog machine, and help Shamrock whilst you're all there"

"OK, Pout" Melody said.

JD led Melody and Peanut out to the direction where the fog machine was. I don't know why they have a fog machine, maybe, they're using it for The Wonderbolts to make a stylish entrance for tonight's show to differ from the last night's, but I'm not sure,

"And Star Shine, Magenta and Firelight, I need you three to go to lighting, like yesterday, OK? Magenta, you're in charge of that again" Pout made clear.

"Yeah, of course" Magenta Velvet replied and led out her crew.

"And Braeburn" He said before seething through his teeth, "Sorry, mate, but since you're completely new here, I didn't have enough time to assign you to anything"

"Oh, that's OK, Pout" I replied, "I'll do anything"

"OK, then, let's see..." He said as he observed around him to see what I could do, "Oh, now I know"

"What is it?" I asked.

"That piece of metal over there is not to be there" He said as he pointed out to a lone and large piece of heavy looking metal, "Can you please move it just in-case it get's in the way of the performance, sorry that if the job seem to much like shite, but it's the best I can do" He apologized.

"Nah, man, it's alright, don't blame yourself, I'll handle it" I said.

"OK, thanks, Braeburn" Pout thanked.

"Not a problem" I replied.

I then went over to the lone rectangular bar of metal, and like that, with all my strength, I hoisted it up on my back, and it was heavy as all hell, it hurt a little on my back, OK, it hurt a lot against my back, but I need to do my job, so I'll put it behind one of the audience stands, no pony will notice, and quite frankly, I don't know what the piece of metal is for.

The ponies I just met there were interesting, though grant it, I don't know much about every one of them, Melody seems nice, a kind pony, JD, he seems funny, Peanut and Brittle seem cool, though I think Brittle might become annoying due to the joking personality, but we'll see, and finally, Star Shine, he seems to a mostly happy and energetic pony, I think I'll get along well with him. So the only ones I don't know much about are Magenta Velvet and Firelight, in fact, I've only heard one sentence out Magenta and that's about it. I guess I'll get to know more about everypony later on.

But anyways, this piece of metal is just as annoying as it is heavy, because it is extremely hard to balance, if it was lighter then I could probably balance it easier than I have to.

Then I felt a tap on my abdomen and I turned around to see it was a yellow Pegasus with an orange and yellow striped mane, it was the Wonderbolts' captain, Spitfire,

"Excuse me, mister" She said, "Are you needing any help with that?"

"No, thank you, Ma'am, but I'm doing fine" I replied.

I then continued to walk on to my targeted location with the weight of the metal bar on my shoulders and back, it slowed me down, and much to Spitfire's notice, she helped me. She balanced one half of the bar of her, whilst I balanced the other. I then walked on and she followed after, the bar was no longer heavy,

"Are you new?" Spitfire asked me.

"Yeah, I am, just signed up today" I replied.

"Awesome, it's always nice to meet a new recruit" She said, "What's your name?"

"Name's Braeburn" I told her.

"Nice to meet you Braeburn" Spitfire replied, "You probably know who I am"

"Yeah, I know" I chuckled contently, "You're Spitfire"

"The supposed one and only" She replied.

"The 'supposed'?" I questioned, "You were great at performing last night"

"Thank you" She smiled, "Where are you from? You local here?" She changed subject.

"No, I was raised in Appleloosa" I replied.

"Oh, I've never been there, is it nice?" Spitfire asked.

"It's pretty there, but it ain't nothing exciting" I said.

"Oh right" Spitfire said, "You coming to the after-show party tonight?"

"I never even knew there was one tonight" I said.

"You should come around, it'll be fun" She said.

"OK, it's not like I'll be doing anything anyways" I said.

"Yeah, that seems cool" She replied.

We both finally made to the back of one of the stands and dumped the metal there,

"Thank you, Ma'am" I thanked.

"Please, call me Spitfire" She told me.

"Oh, OK then, thank you Spitfire" I thanked a second time.

"You're very welcome, Braeburn" Spitfire replied.

"How come you decided to help me anyways?" I was curious.

"You need help, so I wanted to help, I was on my way to where I was going to put my costume and I saw you were having difficulty" She said, "So I decided to help"

"Well, thank you again, Spitfire" I thanked a final time, "I highly appreciate it"

"No problem" She smiled, "Any ways, I need to put my costume on" She said as she backed away.

"OK" I replied.

"Make sure you're able to be at the party" Spitfire said.

"I'll try" I replied