Night at the Museum
As the Apple Blooms
Part 71; Night at the Museum
Sitting in front of the projection of her brother, Apple Bloom informed him of the previous day’s events. “An’ that’s when she said she wants me in an advanced tap class!” The former farm girl exclaimed, barely able to keep her excitement contained.
From the other end, Big Macintosh replied with an enthusiastic, “Ah’m so happy for you Apple Bloom! Ah think you’re gonna blow everyone out of the water.” Blushing with embarrassment, Apple Bloom replied, “Ah don’t know about that. Honestly, Ah just hope Ah can keep up with the others.”
As both brother and sister let out amused laughs, Apple Bloom steeled herself before asking, “How’s Applejack doin’?” Sighing, Big Macintosh answered, “She’s doin’ better. Granny Smith is makin’ her see someone for anger management and so far, she’s doin’ alright.” He then rubbed his head as he finished, “Only time will tell if it sticks.”
At that moment, a beeping sound went off on Big Mac’s end. Picking up his phone, the eldest Apple sibling informed, “Ah hate to cut things short, but Ah gotta go run an errand for Granny Smith. Talk to you later Apple Bloom.” Nodding, Apple Bloom replied, “See ya later Big Mac. Ah love you.” The red farmhand in turn gave a simple, “Ah love you too.” With that, Big Macintosh turned off the camera, ending the video call.
Once the call had ended, someone began to knock on the door. Turning to face the door, Apple Bloom called out, “You can come on in.” The door opened, revealing her Ironhide. The family patriarch asked, “How’s your brother?” Apple Bloom replied, “He’s doin’ alright. An’ it turns out Applejack is doin’ better too.”
Smiling, Ironhide replied, “That’s great kid.” He then continued, “Now then, while you were talking with your brother, we got a call from Colonel Rodimus, and he says he’s got an old tank wreck for us to dispose of.” As Apple Bloom processed this, he informed her, “And given how long this sort of thing usually takes due to the bureaucracy involving this sort of thing, we’ll probably be gone the entire day.”
Intrigued, Apple Bloom asked, “Ooh. Well, anythin’ you need me to do while you’re gone?” Ironhide thought it over as he answered, “Well, Torque Wrench and Kerfuffle have offered to look after the shop while we’re all gone, so I guess you and Sideswipe could….”
He was interrupted by Sideswipe barging into the room, a massive grin plastered on her face as she exclaimed, “Apple Bloom! Marble’s here and she says she wants to say something!” Sure enough, from behind the pale biker, Marble Pie slowly entered the room, holding her hands behind her back as she tried to keep herself calm.
Making her way up to her friend, Apple Bloom asked, “Howdy Marble. What’s up?” Marble gently brushed her hair out of her face as she explained, “Well, I was kinda wondering if….” Hesitating for a moment, the gray geologist continued, “…If you had any plans for tomorrow.” Apple Bloom shook her head as she replied, “Not at the moment.”
Taking a deep breath, Marble continued, “Well, I kinda decided to step outside my comfort zone and…. with Mr. Beachcomber’s permission, I’m gonna throw a slumber party and was wondering if you and Sideswipe wanted to come.”
Taking this in, Apple Bloom asked, “You’re invitin’ us to a sleepover?” When Marble gently nodded, Sideswipe turned to Ironhide and asked, “Can we Ironhide? Please?” The family patriarch smiled as he replied, “Talk about perfect timing. With the boys and I going up to pick up an old tank to melt down, so I don’t think there’ll be a problem.”
Both Apple Bloom and Sideswipe immediately wrapped Ironhide in a massive hug as they both thanked him for granting permission. Once they released him, the former farm girl turned back to Marble and asked, “Who else did you invite?”
Scuffing the floor, Marble replied, “I asked Tender Taps and Rattrap, and they both agreed to come.” She then began to faintly blush as she admitted, “I’m actually kind of nervous. I’ve never been to a slumber party before, let alone hosting one.” Sideswipe then took her girlfriend’s hand as she reassured her, “Don’t worry about it. I can always help you out if you need some help.” Of course, both girls began to blush, leading Apple Bloom to quip, “Ah’ve got a feelin’ you’ll have more than enough time to enjoy each other’s company tomorrow.”
Once they’d released each other’s hands, Marble said, “Now then, I’d better get going. See you girls tomorrow afternoon?” Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, “See you tomorrow Marble.” The gray girl then began to depart, only to be stopped when Sideswipe quipped, “No kiss?” Shrugging, Marble relented and replied, “Just a quick one then.” She then gently kissed Sideswipe on the cheek, much to Ironhide and Apple Bloom’s amusement.
Once Marble had left, Sideswipe remarked, “I don’t know about you, but I think tomorrow is gonna be great.” Apple Bloom let out an amused giggle as she added, “Ah think we better start gettin’ everythin’ together. Then we can start thinkin’ about how tomorrow’s gonna go.” She then turned to face her uncle as she asked, “But before that? Anythin’ you need our help with?”
Ironhide pondered for a moment before answering, “You girls mind helping Chromia clean up the garage first?” Apple Bloom nodded as she enthusiastically answered, “You’ve got it sir!” Sideswipe playfully shook her head before quipping, “Let’s just hope Wheeljack hasn’t turned the place upside down.”
As both girls departed towards the garage, Ironhide couldn’t help but wistfully remark, “I love those girls.”
Allspark Wells Geology Museum, The Next Afternoon
Pulling up to the museum’s VIP parking (courtesy of Marble), Apple Bloom and Sideswipe found themselves overcome with excitement for the coming night. After Ironhide, Chromia, and the boys departed, the girls helped with the basic chores around the shop as well as making sure Torque Wrench and Kerfuffle knew to feed and walk Sparkplug. Once everything was settled, both girls packed their bags and made their way to the museum.
Making their way to the museum’s door, they were pleasantly surprised when Marble Pie immediately greeted them. The gray girl was wearing a gray sleeveless turtleneck, gray and black plaid skirt, black boots, a chocker, and her trademark leather jacket. Once again, the young geologist was outdoing herself, appearing far classier than Apple Bloom’s blue overalls and blue and white sleeveless shirt and Sideswipe’s black tank top, red vest and jeans and black boots.
Wrapping her girlfriend and friend in a massive hug, Marble enthusiastically squealed, “It’s so great to see you guys!” As she softened her grip, Apple Bloom replied, “Good to see you too Marble! Ready for a night of fun?” The gray geologist nodded as she answered, “You bet! As long as I’m with you my friends, I feel like I could take on the whole world!”
Taking Sideswipe by the hand, Marble asked, “Shall we?” The pale biker blushed as she replied, “I’d be honored my dear.” Both love birds made their way into the museum, with an amused Apple Bloom in tow, carrying both of their sleeping bags and duffle bags.
Once everyone had made their way into the museum foyer, they were pleasantly surprised to see Tender Taps had already arrived. The orange boy was wearing a purple polo with khaki pants. Noticing the trio was approaching him, Tender rose up and made their way up to Apple Bloom as he greeted, “Hey Apple Bloom. Good to see you.” Starting to blush a bit, the former farm girl couldn’t help but remark, “It’s always good to see you Tendy.”
As Apple Bloom and Tender Taps shared a quick hug, Sideswipe asked, “Rattrap not here yet?” Shaking her head, Marble answered, “I’m not too sure. He said he may be a bit late. I hope he’s alright.” Hearing this, Apple Bloom reassured her, “Don’t worry. Besides, Sideswipe and Ah weren’t exactly the first ones to arrive.”
Sideswipe took Marble’s hand as she reassured her girlfriend, “Relax. We’ve got all night.” The gray geologist let out a sigh of relief as she replied, “Thanks.” Tender Taps then added, “Yeah. To be honest, I was kinda worried about being late and arrived early.”
At that moment, everyone was distracted by the sound of the front door opening as a familiar voice called out, “What’s up my homies?” As everyone turned to see who it was, they were greeted by the sight of Rattrap, the scrawny teen wearing a gray tee shirt, brown shorts, and black and white sneakers. However, it wasn’t his outfit that caught Apple Bloom’s attention. It was something that was no longer there.
Rattrap’s buck teeth were missing.
Indeed, the former farm girl noticed that instead of his buck teeth, Rattrap had two smaller front teeth that barely stuck out from under his upper lip. Just looking at him look so different made the former farm girl feel very worried.
Running up to her friend, Apple Bloom exclaimed, “Rattrap! Your teeth! What happened?” The scrawny teen raised his hands as he tried to reassure her, “Relax, it’s nothing.” Shaking her head, the former farm girl continued, “But your front teeth are gone and….”
“I said it was nothing!” Rattrap interrupted, momentarily startling everyone. The scrawny teen realized he’d upset everyone as he sighed before apologized, “Sorry about that. I…. I don’t wanna talk about it.” Apple Bloom rested her hand on his shoulder as she reassured him, “It’s alright Rattrap.” Smiling, Rattrap replied with a simple, “Thanks.”
Now that everything had been settled, Marble asked, “So, you guys mind following me?” Everyone nodded as Sideswipe replied, “I’d follow you anywhere.” Blushing, the gray girl took her girlfriend’s hand and lead her into the museum. Apple Bloom turned to Tender Taps as she playfully asked, “Would you kindly?” The orange boy politely bowed as he replied, “I’d be honored.”
No one noticed that as Rattrap followed them, he let out a wistful sigh while struggling to keep himself calm.
The Fossil Hall….
As the group entered the fossil hall, Marble threw out her arms as she informed them, “My friends, this will be our room for the evening.” Apple Bloom took in the now familiar sights of the mounted dinosaur skeletons as she remarked, “Mr. Beachcomber really doesn’t mind us sleepin’ here?”
From behind the group, they heard Beachcomber’s voice answer, “Oh, not at all.” Turning around, everyone found Beachcomber approaching them as he continued, “Personally I’m just happy Marble is widening her circle of friends.” He then shot everyone a cheeky smirk as he added, “Besides, I trust you kids will behave yourselves?”
Apple Bloom was the first to respond with a simple, “Ah’ll behave sir.” Tender Taps then joined in with, “As will I.” Sideswipe then quipped, “I can keep an eye on these guys.” Finally, Rattrap nodded as he reassured the blue scientist, “I can keep myself out of any trouble sir.”
Satisfied with everyone’s answer, Beachcomber said, “Now then, I’ll leave you kids to it. Just a heads up, I’ll be ordering pizza for you guys in a few hours, so think about what you’d all like.” He then departed as he gave a final, “Have fun.”
Once the older man was gone, Marble stepped forward as she began, “So, I hope you don’t mind, but I kinda had a few ideas about things we could do tonight. I hope you don’t mind.” Tender Taps reassured her, “It’s perfectly fine. What do you have in mind?”
Marble allowed a mischievous smile to form on her face as she answered, “Well firstly, I was kind of thinking we could all catch up with each other. I know we can’t see each other all the time, so I kinda figured it’d be nice to see what we’ve all been up to.”
Sideswipe immediately replied, “That sounds like fun!” Rattrap then shrugged as he remarked, “Sure, why not?” Apple Bloom noticed the dejected and resigned tone in her friend’s voice but didn’t have the chance to inquire any further on it as Marble called out, “Ok, follow me everyone.”
Once everyone had set down their stuff and followed Marble to a relatively open area of the museum wing (specifically an open space in front of a large, long necked animal Marble had once called a “Titanosaurus”), the group sat down as the gray geologist asked, “So, anyone want to go first?”
Sideswipe gently nudged Apple Bloom as she asked, “You wanna tell them the good news?” Starting to blush, the former farm girl began, “Well, Miss Hoofer Steps tested me to see what sort of tap class Ah should be in.” Pausing for a moment, she continued, “And she wants me in an advanced tap class!”
Tender Taps felt his jaw drop as he asked, “Wait! She really said that?” Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, “Yeah! Ah’m so excited!” The orange boy wrapped his girlfriend in a tight hug as he squealed, “That’s amazing! We’re gonna be classmates!” As Apple Bloom hugged her boyfriend back, she asked, “Speakin’ of dance classes, is Double Shuffle gonna be in an advanced class?”
Nodding, Tender Taps answered, “Yeah! She’s so excited about it. Of course, she’ll likely be the youngest person in class.” He then added, “And I bet Pizzelle will be excited to tap with all of us.” As Apple Bloom blushed a bit, the orange boy turned to the others as he added, “So, looks like I’m going next. I haven’t had too much going on. I’ve been working on some new choreography, and I’m thinking of showing you guys what I’ve got so far.” Intrigued, Marble asked, “Really?” Tender Taps nodded as he admitted, “You bet! Besides, I don’t go anywhere without my tap shoes.”
Apple Bloom gave her boyfriend a knowing look as she asked, “You take your tap shoes everywhere, don’t you?” Tender Taps feigned insult as he playfully asked, “What? Me? I don’t take them everywhere……” He then paused for a moment before admitting, “Ok fine, I do take them everywhere. Or at least everywhere possible.” Apple Bloom let out an amused (and rather adorable) giggle as she reassured him, “It’s alright. Ah think it’s kinda cute.”
As Tender Taps blushed, Sideswipe asked, “So, who’s next?” Marble turned to her girlfriend as she replied, “How about you?” The pale biker straightened her vest as she answered, “Well, in between working at the chop shop and hanging out around here, I’ve had a few chances to take my bike out and just….” Taking a deep breath, she finished, “Just feeling alive.”
Marble then turned to Rattrap as she asked, “How about you Rattrap?” The scrawny teen replied, “Eh, I ain’t been up to much.” Of course, everyone raised their eyebrows in suspicion, leading to the scrawny teen to admit, “Of course, I did have a run in with our dear friends Rumble and Frenzy.” Apple Bloom immediately asked, “What did those jerks do this time?”
Standing up, Rattrap allowed a small smirk to form on his face as he began, “Since you asked, there I was, walkin’ down the street to this bakery Arcee found. As I get closer, those stupid wankers walk past, snickering something to each other. But when I passed them….” He then slammed his fist into an open hand as he shouted, “BAM!” As the group backed away in shock, he continued, “One of ‘em sticks their foot out and trips me!”
Marble exclaimed, “That’s horrible!” Tender Taps then added, “Yeah! I swear there’s nothing good about those two idiots!” Rattrap shrugged as he admitted, “Eh, it’s not the worst thing that’s ever happened.” HE then held his hand on his arm as he added, “Of course, that’s when I slugged Rumble in the face.” Apple Bloom asked, “Really?”
Nodding, Rattrap replied, “Yeah. Of course, that was when Frenzy punched me in the face. Next thing I know….” He then pointed to his teeth as he finished, “… My mouth feels numb.” Marble then asked, “So, are those fake teeth?”
The scrawny teen nodded as he replied, “Yup. Apparently, the dentist said I have an overbite, so that’s why they still kinda stick out.” As he finished speaking, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but notice there was a twang of sadness in his voice. ‘Ah don’t know what’s going on, but something ain’t right.’ The former farm girl thought to herself.
She wouldn’t have too long to think on it as Marble began, “Well, there hasn’t been too much going on around here. For the most part……”
Two Hours Later….
Sitting in front of a large Television set in the fossil hall, Apple Bloom concentrated on Sideswipe’s Spinosaurus. Pressing the correct button input on her controller, the former farm girl’s Triceratops charged forward, dealing the final blow to her opponent. As the sound of a voice called out “Victory,” the pale biker turned to her sister and said, “Well, I concede to the superior opponent.”
Tender Taps then said, “I still can’t believe Mr. Beachcomber let you hook this up here.” Marble shrugged as she replied, “Of course, he did say I have to take the console back upstairs before we open in the morning.” She then added, “Normally we show this old documentary series on this. It’s really popular with kids.”
At that moment, everyone was distracted when Beachcomber’s voice called out, “I hate to interrupt you kids, but the pizza’s here.” As everyone turned to face him, the blue geologist added, “A few hours and this place is still in one piece. Color me impressed.”
Sideswipe was the first to stand up as she quipped, “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.” Marble then added, “Same here.” The two love birds then followed Beachcomber out of the fossil hall, followed closely by Tender Taps.
Apple Bloom, however, hesitated a moment and asked Rattrap, “You feelin’ alright?” Rattrap sighed as he admitted, “Eh, I’ve been better. But I’ve also been a lot worse.” Looking his friend in the eyes, he asked, “But just drop it for now, ok? I don’t wanna ruin the mood of our little get together.”
Though part of her wanted to press further, Apple Bloom relented and replied, “Fine. Just…. let me know if you need a moment.” Rattrap gave his friend a quick hug before replying, “Thanks.” With that, both kids left the fossil hall to join their friends.
The Museum Cafeteria.
Taking two slices of cheese pizza, Apple Bloom poured herself a cup of cola before joining her friends at one of the museum tables. As she sat down, Rattrap asked, “Hope you don’t mind me askin’ Marble, but what made you wanna throw this little shindig?”
Swallowing her mouthful of pizza, Marble answered, “Well, I was thinking about how Mr. Beachcomber said I need get out of my comfort zone a bit more, and I decided, well, what better way to do so than with my best friends?” As everyone took this in, the gray geologist continued, “And, If I may, you guys are the best friends I could ever ask for.”
Sideswipe immediately wrapped her girlfriend in a tight hug and kissed her on the cheek as she replied, “You’re the sweetest, you know that?” Marble blushed as she answered, “I know you are but what am I?” Soon enough, the two girls shared a simple yet loving kiss.
Once they finished their kiss, Marble apologized, “Hope you guys didn’t mind that.” Tender Taps immediately reassured her, “It’s alright.” He then stood up and said, “And if I may say, I’ve never had friends like you before. Sure, there’s everyone I meet in dance class and my family, but you guys, you’re…. You’re the best.”
Apple Bloom immediately blushed as she replied, “And if Ah may, y’all are the best friends I could ever ask for. Even though you all know what I did back in Canterlot City, you were willin’ to be mah friend despite that.” Tender Taps then took her hand, blushing as he quipped, “Well, who’d I be to talk?”
Finally, Rattrap slowly rose as he remarked, “I gotta say, you guys are alright.” As everyone waited for him to say something else, the scrawny teen began to grow nervous as he asked, “What? That too quick or something?”
Apple Bloom immediately reassured her friend, “No no! It’s alright.” Scratching the back of his head, Rattrap sheepishly admitted, “Sorry about that. I don’t really talk about a lot of mushy stuff like this.” Tender Taps rested an arm on the scrawny teen’s shoulder as he replied, “It’s alright. Even I’m still kinda new to this whole thing.”
As the quintet of teens resumed their dinner, Sideswipe asked, “What happens next?” Marble paused for a moment before sheepishly admitting, “Actually, I don’t know. I didn’t plan this far ahead.”
Rattrap immediately lit up as he remarked, “Wait! I’ve got an idea!” When everyone turned their attention to him, the scrawny teen asked, “How about some scary stories? This one time I was going through trash at this house that was hosting a slumber party, and the people there were tellin’ ghost stories.” As everyone took this in, Rattrap sheepishly admitted, “Yeah, it was a while back.” After all, they all knew his past as a street urchin.
After a few moments, Apple Bloom spoke up, “Ah think that sounds like a great idea!” Marble then added, “As long as it’s not too scary, then it sounds like a plan.” Nodding, Rattrap quipped, “I think I can tone things down.” He then stood up and began to depart, only for Marble to call out, “Uh, we’re still eating.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Rattrap rejoined his friends and continued eating, unable to contain his excitement for what he had in store.
The Fossil Hall, A Short While Later….
Once again entering the large wing of fossilized animals, the group made their way towards their sleeping bags as Rattrap asked, “So, eh…. Where’s the light switch?” Almost as if on que, the wing’s lights slowly dimmed down until all that was left was the faint glow of moonlight from the windows on the far wall. Marble let out a gentle giggle as she explained, “The lights are on an automatic timer thingy. They’ll come back on about an hour before the museum opens in the morning.”
As the group gathered around their sleeping bags, Rattrap pulled out a flashlight and held it up to his face as he began, “Gather round everyone, for I shall tell you the tale of a man known as Subject X, or as he’s better known…” He then widened his eyes as he dramatically whispered, “Rampage.” Marble and Sideswipe immediately huddled together as Tender Taps and Apple Bloom found their hands joining in suspense.
Now that Rattrap had everyone’s attention, he continued, “Years ago, there was a man. His name has been lost to time, and all that survives of his past was that he was arrested for pickpocketing. In exchange for skipping jail, he volunteered to be the test subject for a secret military project.” He then slightly lowered the flashlight as he admitted, “I don’t know what the project was, but apparently it involved a lot of surgeries.” For this brief moment, Marble and Apple Bloom let out sighs of relief.
Bringing the flashlight back to his face, Rattrap continued, “No one knows what they did to the man, now known as “Test subject X,” but whatever it did transformed him. Though he became brilliant, he was hopelessly treacherous, and incapable of being…. Recycled.” He then allowed a terrifying smirk to form across his face as he added, “I even heard an entire group of soldiers were killed trying to stop him, with some even partially eaten.” His description was so unsettling that Marble found herself clinging tightly to her girlfriend for support.
Rattrap proceeded, “Eventually, the government was able to wear him down enough to be captured, and he was placed in a box they intended to dump out on some island in the middle of nowhere.” Unable to contain her fear, Marble asked, “He was taken away, right?”
Shrugging, Rattrap admitted, “Nope. He broke out and escaped.” He then gave a mischievous glare as he added, “But not before leaving a trail of corpses. Apparently whenever people try to hunt him down, he wipes them out, always scribbling the word “Rampage” on a body or two.”
As everyone recoiled in fear, the scrawny teen finished, “And they say, in darkness like this, Rampage may lurk, looking for people to mutilate to satisfy his unending bloodlust.” Then, without warning, Rattrap turned off the flashlight, flooding the hall in total darkness.
For several moments, everyone sat nervously in the darkness. Starting to grow uneasy, Apple Bloom asked, “Uh, Rattrap? That it?” However, there was no response. Only the uneasy quietness of the night. Tender Taps slinked over to where his friend was as he asked, “You there buddy?” He then reached out, only to not feel anything. Concerned, he continued to search, even finding the flashlight and turning it on.
It was only then that he realized Rattrap had disappeared.
“Rattrap?” Marble asked as she realized her friend had disappeared. When there was no response, the gray geologist asked, “Where are you Rattrap? This isn’t funny anymore.”
However, at that moment, from seemingly all around them, Rattrap’s voice began to menacingly chuckle, sending a shiver down everyone’s spines. As he giggled again, Sideswipe called out, “Ok, we get it. You’re very creepy. Now come on out.”
Instead of revealing himself, Rattrap continued to speak, this time in a low gravelly voice, “Is that fear you are feeling child?” Apple Bloom and everyone froze in fear, barely able to process the fact that their friend could change his voice so convincingly, sounding less like a scrawny teenager and more like a frenzied madman.
Rattrap’s terrifying voice continued, “Oh yes. My spark, it feeds on terror. Let it grow, let it consume your very being.” The tension grew more palpable as Marble and Sideswipe hugged each other in fear. As Apple Bloom and Tender Taps also embraced in fear, the scrawny teen’s voice grew louder as he seemingly mocked, “Feel it. Yes, feel the FEAR!”
At that moment, Rattrap popped up right behind Marble and Sideswipe, letting out a mischievous “boo!” As both girls jumped up in fear, Sideswipe did the only thing she could do when running on adrenaline.
She punched Rattrap right in the face, specifically slamming her knuckle into his upper jaw and nose.
After landing on the ground, holding his hand to his face to try and hide the small amounts of blood dripping from his nose, an angry Rattrap shouted, “What the fuck was that for?!” The pale biker crossed her arms as she defiantly answered “You scared the piss out of us! What else am I supposed to do when someone sneaks up on me like…..” Pausing for a moment, she spitefully spat out, “Like my dad?”
Apple Bloom tried to step in between her friends as she called out, “Ok, looks like things are just getting’ a little tense. Why don’t we all just calm down?” Sadly, Rattrap grumbled, “Hard to be calm when your damn nose is bleeding.” He then groaned, “Or when you get punched in the teeth for that matter.”
Rising up, Rattrap sighed as he said, “Look, I need a moment.” He then began to leave, only for Apple Bloom try and take his hand as she tried to say, “Look, Ah know this escalated quickly, but we can….”
“I SAID I NEED A MOMENT!” Rattrap angrily shouted, outright scaring everyone. It was at this moment that Apple Bloom noticed her friend was starting to tear up. Groaning, Rattrap began to belt out, “I thought I could enjoy one night, just one night with my friends and just…. Gah!” Before anyone could do anything, he darted away, leaving everyone flabbergasted and with more questions than answers.
As everyone took inn what had just transpired, Marble meekly asked, “Uh, what just happened?” Tender Taps sighed as he remarked, “I’ve got a strange feeling this is about more than just a prank gone wrong.” Apple Bloom turned to Marble and asked, “You have any idea where he could have gone?”
Pondering for a moment, Marble answered, “I may have an idea. Follow me.” She then began to lead her friends on a trek to find Rattrap.
It didn’t actually take too long; after about five minutes, they found Rattrap curled up against a wall crying to himself. Apple Bloom gently walked up to him and asked, “Anything you wanna talk about?” Wiping the tears away from his face, the scrawny teen replied, “I told you it’s nothin’ to worry about.” Shaking her head, the former farm girl stated, “Ah don’t think this sort of thing is nothin’ to worry about.”
Sideswipe then sat down next to Rattrap as she began, “Hey, I’m sorry for…. you know….” She then tried to make a motion with her hands, unable to actually say the words “punching you.” Instead, Rattrap stood up as he explained, “It’s not the punch. I’ve been punched before. It’s just….”
Unable to hold anything in anymore, Rattrap began, “It’s just that…. Sometimes…. I don’t know what’s going on.” He turned to his friends as he continued, “It’s not like I’m going crazy. It’s really more like…. In the last few months, I’ve met you guys and Arcee and stopped sleeping in gutters and….” As he began to breathe rapidly, the scrawny teen continued, “I thought things would be easy but everyday I just feel more confused and angry and….”
Holding his hands to his head, Rattrap began to tear up as he continued, “And I try to appreciate you guys but sometimes I feel like you just pity me and….” Finally, he collapsed to his knees as he admitted, “I feel like I don’t even know who I am and I’m going crazy and I’m FUCKING SCARED!” Finally giving in to his confusion, the scrawny teen fell to the ground and curled into a ball as he cried.
The four other teens took in what their friend had just said as they realized he wasn’t entirely long. Apple Bloom in particular realized that out of all her friends in Allspark Wells, Rattrap was the one she knew the least about. If anything, however, it seemed not even Rattrap knew who he was. However, the former farm girl knew there was one thing she could do.
Sitting down next to Rattrap, Apple Bloom rested a hand on his back as she said, “Rattrap?” When the scrawny teen sat back up, she sighed as she apologized, “Ah’m so sorry you’re goin’ through this, and Ah’m sorry Ah haven’t been the best friend in the world but…” Starting to sniffle herself, she stated, “From now on, Ah’m here for you no matter what.”
To everyone’s surprise, Tender Taps sat down next to him as he admitted, “And maybe I haven’t been the best friend either, but I’m willing to change that.” He then extended his hand as he declared, “Maybe we can change that?”
Rattrap immediately pulled Apple Bloom and Tender Taps into a massive hug as he bled tears. Unsurprisingly, Marble and Sideswipe joined in. Once everyone had released him, the scrawny teen apologized, “Sorry about this. I’ve…. Been holding it in for a while.” He then sheepishly asked, “Mind if I rant for just a moment?”
When everyone gave him a confirming nod, Rattrap admitted, “I’ve…. I guess I’ve always kinda been jealous of you guys.” He turned to Marble as he said, “I mean, you’ve got Mr. Beachcomber…” He turned to Tender Taps as he continued, “You’ve got both parents and your little sister…” Finally, he focused on Apple Bloom and Sideswipe as he finished, “And you have Ironhide and Chromia and everyone.”
Confused, Apple Bloom asked, “What about Arcee?” Sighing, Rattrap admitted, “I mean, I appreciate her, I just….” Starting to tear up again, he continued, “I just…. I want to, you know… But I don’t know if she’ll get tired of me and….” Sighing, he dejectedly remarked, “Maybe I just need to learn to trust people.”
Taking Rattrap’s hand, Apple Bloom reassured her friend, “Whatever happens, we’re here for you.” Marble then walked up to him and promised, “All of us.” Rattrap wiped away the last of his tears and, resting his glasses back on his face, declared, “You guys are the best friends I could ever ask for.”
With that, everyone shared a final group hug before making their way back to the fossil hall, intent on getting a good night’s rest.
The Chop Shop, Late the Next Morning….
Walking up to the Chop Shop front door, Apple Bloom and Sideswipe carried their sleeping bags and duffle bags as the former admitted, “That was probably the best sleepover Ah’ve ever been to.” The pale biker smiled as she added, “Same here. I’m just glad Marble didn’t blame herself for something going wrong this time.” She then wistfully sighed as she remarked, “I just hope next time we do something like this there isn’t a problem or another emotional breakdown.”
As they entered the front door, Apple Bloom called out, “Uncle Ironhide? Aunt Chromia? We’re home!” However, there was no response, only more awkward silence. Starting to grow concerned, Sideswipe asked, “Hello? Anybody home?”
This time, Torque Wrench’s voice called out, “Mom and dad aren’t home yet! We’re in the living room?” Shrugging to each other, Apple Bloom and Sideswipe made their way to the living room, wondering what exactly was going on. Once in the living room, both girls were greeted by a surprising sight.
There, they found a very exhausted Torque Wrench and Kerfuffle sitting against the wall with a sleeping Sparkplug as, all throughout the living room, pieces of scrap metal that resembled human body parts rested all over the floor and on the coffee table. Confused, both Apple Bloom and Sideswipe set down their stuff and made their way to the older women as the former asked, “What happened?”
Before either Torque or Kerfuffle could reply, the metallic voice of Wreck-Gar called out, “I believe I can help explain that.” Turning to try and find their friend, Appel Bloom and Sideswipe found Wreck-Gar’s severed head resting on the coffee table looking right at them. The former farm girl hesitated for a moment in shock before asking, “What in tarnation is going on?” Wreck-Gar’s face contorted into a way that could only be interpreted as a smile as he began, “Oh girls, have I got a story for you….”
All Apple Bloom could do was smirk as she herself, ‘Looks like Sideswipe and Ah weren’t the only ones who had an eventful night.’
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I like what you did in this chapter
Awe, I hope Ratrap turns out okay. But otherwise, I love that the whole gang is together again. Man, I hope that you take this into the school year at least a little bit. Seeing the gang interact with other kids would be awesome.
Poor Rattrap. I don’t trust Applejack yet. Also, looking forward to the next chapter and see the surviving wrecker (or was I not paying attention?) also, hope things don’t go bad with Brawn like last time.
Sparkplug, you have some explaining to do.
11447854
Who said it was Sparkplug’s fault? 😊