Night Crew

by NFire

Chapter 2.

Pokey’s Bar was hopping that night, the DJ playing the latest hits, ponies dancing or huddling in small crowds, except for Hangfire..

She sat on a cushion, pretty comfortable really, her head lay flat on the bar top, jaw holding her up as she dangled her legs in front of her, letting the position hold her body upwards. Four straws linked together, let her sip from the big mug of hard cider next to her so she didn’t have to move.

Hangfire was flat out disgusted, with life in general, and of course, the problem that got her here in the first place. Know what a hangfire is? It’s a slow burn, slow enough you don’t notice it until it explodes in your face.

Yep, that’s me, she thought. And the funny thing, it translated over to working with lightning.

Having a conversation with yourself is not good, she thought, but at least I can win arguments. She could hear her mom’s voice loud and clear, almost like a little version of her was standing on her shoulder, talking in her ear. The thought was so persuasive she glanced to the left and right, making sure there wasn’t some itty-bitty pegasi on her shoulder wearing pince-nez and shaking a hoof at her.

“Being a weather pony is beneath your station! You’re destined for greater things!”

Right mom, working with dad at the Rainbow Factory, wow, exciting times there. I can blow the ponyfeathers out of buildings, maybe I can join a demo crew?

She sighed inwardly, taking a big slurping sip from the straw and staring ahead, her internal conversation still going.

The problem is, I don’t get mad a lot, I really don’t, I just explode after the fuse is lit.. In a variable amount of time of course, depending on what the problem is. But why, good Celestia WHY did it have to transfer over to lightning?

When she was in weather school, she’d tried and tried to make the lightning, nothing, not a peep, a sparkle, a zap, nada. But after she left, and some others moved it away, the cloud she’d been practicing on exploded in fury, almost wrecking the playground. She was a time bomb with lightning, every...single...time...

That’s a good name, she thought, Time Bomb.. yeah paint over my cutie mark, I could hide somewhere, blow stuff up on demand. That’s it! Become a traveling wizard! Taking over countries! Ruling far lands, and all with the power at my command! Bow before me minions! Muahaha!

“Another mug miss?”

Hangfire blinked at the off green stallion behind the bar, snapped out of her reverie of empire building.

“Do what?”

“Would you like another mug of cider?”

Her lips wandered over to the straw, inhaling and getting only drops, “Yeah, I guess so, thanks gumby.”

The bar tender gave her a flat stare and sighed, “My name is Glasses, WHY do you keep calling me that?”

Returning his stare, deadpan, she shrugged her slumped shoulders, “I dunno, seems to fit somehow, go figure.”

He walked away in a huff as she popped a piece of grilled broccoli in her mouth, chewing slowly. Her leg returning to dangle below the bar. Thoughts raced through her mind as she sipped from the mug, wondering why her boss looked a bit suspicious when he told her about the Night Crew. Time and half too, no one paid like that, even the weather crews. Something was definitely up here.

Her thoughts were once again interrupted by someone standing next to her, lips still wrapped around the straw, she glanced to see some stallion leaning on the bar, ordering a drink. Not bad looking, though a bit too much styling in his mane.

She dismissed him, returning to her cider, broccoli, and thoughts of bringing rampaging doom over helpless countries. A throne, yeah she’d want a throne, and a harem of course, gotta keep up appearances. A crown would be nice, something with a few gems, sure.. Oh! And gotta have..

“ Excuse me miss?”

She sighed, once again her dreams of world building were interrupted. She replied to the voice without even turning her head, “What?”

“I happened to see you sitting here alone, and wondered if you’d like a bit of company?” It was the same stallion, settling next to her on a cushion.

She raised one eyebrow, noticing the slick mane, and slight leer on his face, cause he sure wasn’t looking at hers. His eyes were locked a bit lower down as he struggled to maintain the conversation.

“I have to be at work tomorrow, sorry, haven’t got the time.” She thought furiously, she’d be sleeping all day just to catch up with an evening schedule. Popping another broccoli with a sigh, she ignored the oily voice, lost in thoughts once more.

A hoof, definitely not one of hers, lay itself right above her backside, stroking the coat a bit as it worked it’s way a bit lower, along her cutie mark and almost under her tail before roaming back again. Her eyes popped open wide as she turned them slowly to stare at the pony next to her.

Scriiiitch....the fuse was lit.....

She glared daggers at intruding stallion from the bar top, “You might want to remove that hoof there buddy.”

The slick voice, calm and collected like he’d done this a thousand times, (He probably had she thought); continued on, his hoof still roaming, and was getting closer to the sweet spot before returning to stroke along her marked side. Ruffling the fur there slightly, he leaned in closer, making it seem like it was just an intimate conversation between them.

“Oh come now, such a pretty mare, all alone tonight, you were looking depressed. I figured you might need some cheering up.” The hoof kept rubbing along her cutie mark, getting dangerously close.

“And the person to do that,” She snorted, “Would be none other than yourself, correct?” The fuse was getting shorter now.

The grin definitely was a leer now, out in the open and he had one thing on his mind. The muzzle leaned in to nuzzle along her shoulder as the fuse slowly burned it’s way through to the end.

“What say you and I, leave and go back to my place for a little more chit-chat? I have some wine, better than this country swill they serve here, and we can talk some more. Maybe have a bit of a tumble?”

......boom.....

Hangfire lifted her head off the bar, ignoring the hoof on her backside for a moment as she gave him her most winning smile. The violet eyes lighting up as she reached for her mug, ears perked, whole body leaning toward him like he was the most interesting pony in the world.

Her voice came out syrupy sweet, like some innocent young filly, “Oh my gosh! Me? Out of everyone here! Well I’ll have to show my appreciation for your most generous offer.!”

Vinyl Scratch was dealing the tunes out in a big way, thumping along with the rythmns, her head bobbing left and right. Something pattered across her turntable, a few somethings. Lifting her glasses to take a look, she laughed. Fans had thrown a lot of stuff at her before during a set, but Moon and Stars! Teeth?