New Job
The drum of an engine and distant sound of a radio station drifted in and out of Applejacks ears, humming along to the familiar melody while tapping her finger on the outside of her black Toyota Hilux, closing her eyes she zoned out listening to the words, the singers voice sounded angelic. The click of the car door opening brought Applejack back to the present, looking over to see a cyan Pegasus jump in the passenger seat, her rainbow coloured main frazzled and messy, as always.
“You know AJ, considering we live in the same apartment you’d think you’d just wait for me at the door.” Applejack rolled her eyes at her flat mates comment and stuck her hand on the gears, taking off towards the main road of Canterlot city.
“I can’t thank you enough Dash for getting me this job. I need it to keep up with the debt on my Horticulture degree.” Rainbow Dash smiled smugly and shrugged.
“Hey don’t sweat it, it’ll probably pay more than working front counter at Sunbucks.” Dash snickered, slurping on a 7/11 slushie in her hand, Applejack smirked and pulled a fast break check, causing Dash’s straw to stab her face. Shoving the driver Dash gave her the finger, before her ears pricked and she smiled, turning the radio up.
“I still can’t believe I landed a job as a stage hand for ‘Prim and Proper’ like working alongside musicians! And ones that are our age is wild. Their music is wicked. The top in the country!” Dash continued to ramble on about the musicians her and AJ would now be working for, Dash had already been working for the band for around two weeks now, and during a rehearsal had brought up an open position, AJ immediately took up Dash’s offer, anything to get out of serving customers coffee at Sunbucks.
The setting sun radiated off the golden high rise buildings, as Applejack and Rainbow Dash pulled up in Canterlots Amphitheatre staff car park, locking the Ute Applejack shoved her hands into her pockets and nervously played with loose bits of fabric inside of her jeans. Upon entering the doors, the room was filled with leads, wires, props, amps and all matter of musical and electrical equipment. Dash wandered towards and beckoned Applejack to follow, they walked over to another door, with ‘manager’ written on the front, Dash lightly knocked before entering. A tall lady with dark hair that had purple and pink streaks running through it and a lavender coat spun around on her chair.
“Ahh! Dash! This must be that Applejack you were telling me about!” Dash nodded and left Applejack and the manager in the room as she left to get started on her own work. The lady gestured to an empty seat beside her and Applejack nervously sat down.
“Hi, as I take it you’re Applejack? I’m Twilight, Twilight Sparkle, I’m the manager of ‘Prim and Proper’” Twilight extended her hand to which Applejack firmly shook.
“Please Miss Sparkle, just AJ is fine by me.” Applejack smiled sheepishly. Twilight smiled and chuckled.
“Okay AJ, well Dash has told me you have experience in manual labour?” Applejack nodded.
“My family owns a farm I grew up on, I did all sorts of field work. Plus me and Dash go to the gym quite often.” Twilight wrote down bits and pieces into a file atop her desk, and smiled, closing the folder she reached down into a bag beside her and pulled out a black shirt and long black cargo pants.
“These will be your stage blacks, and I will get a stage crew card set up with your name and chip, you should get that by around next week.” Applejack stood up and took the clothes from Twilight and firmly shook her hand.
“Thank you so much for this job Miss Sparkle it means a lot to me!” Twilight smiled at Applejack, and she walked out of her office, a small purple dragon boy sprinted past Applejack and burst into Twilights office, proudly holding up a Neightendo Switch,
“I finally beat rainbow railway!” Twilight smiled and pat the boys head.
“Good job spike.” Pulling him up he sat on Twilights lap and continued to play with his console. Applejack smiled and walked over to Dash.
“Alright AJ, let’s get ya started.”
The sun had set on the Amphitheater, and the lights flicked on with a loud click and a faint hum, a vast array of blues, greens, reds and purples lit up the night sky in preparation for tonight’s show.
“You know the bright lights really bring out the black in your hair.” AJ roped Dash into a noogie and ruffled up her rainbow colour hair, making a note of her black roots.
“Gahh! I know! I needa dye it again.” Dash elbowed Applejack in the stomach, both laughing at one another. The screech of tires could be heard behind them and the sound of a van door opening, Applejack looked to Dash who was beaming.
“Here they come! You know ‘Prim and Proper’ don’t you?” Applejack shrugged, and it looked as if Dash’s jaw literally hit the floor.
“‘Prim and Proper!’ You know, Canterlot and I bet by extension Equestria’s biggest rock band!” Applejack looked dumbfounded.
“I uh, don’t listen to much music, usually whatever is on the radio.” Dash punched Applejacks shoulder.
“Dude they were playing on our way here!” Applejack thought back, and remembered the angelic sounding voice she heard playing through her cars speakers. Before long, four of the band members arrived on stage with all their equipment. Dash roped Applejack in and began to introduce her to the band members.
“Okay Applejack this is Spitfire Shire, the bands bassist.” Applejack shook Spitfires hand who smiled toothily, the yellow Pegasus donned a fluffed windbreaker with patches and various pins attached to it, her orange mane whipped up into a backwards mohawk.
“This is Sunset Shimmer, the bands guitarist, hey sunset wheres Rarity?” The yellow unicorn named sunset shook Applejacks hand and turned to Dash.
“She’s off talking to Twilight about the show tonight.” Dash nodded and turned to another unicorn who had a pale coat and an electric blue mane, donning a pair of purple shades.
“This is Vinyl Scratch, the bands sound manager, we don’t touch their Audio that’s for her to sort, we just keep an eye on it, or an ear on it.
”Dash laughed at her own joked as Applejack rolled her eyes, Vinyl gave a small nod to Applejack.
“And last but not least since we are missing one this is-“ Applejack didn’t let Dash finish her sentence as a pink coated woman with an unruly darker pink bundle of hair whipped her head around, the two saw each other and the pink girl immediately ran to AJ and yanked her into a hug.
“Pinkie Pie! Oh my Celestia it’s been years! How have you been?” Applejack squeezed Pinkie Pie back and the two broke their hug, Pinkie still holding onto Applejacks hands.
“Oh my it’s been so long AJ! I have been amazing! Being a drummer is so much fun! I’ve made such good friends in this band! How are you?! How’s the farm and-“ Applejack cut pinkie off and put an arm around her shoulder, concealing their faces from the other members who were watching in absolute confusion.
“Can we not talk about the farm? Or my family? I’d rather people didn’t know my full names Applejack Smith, I don’t want them to associate me with the farm, I can’t handle all the questions okay, not about the business, or the fire, or anything.” Pinkie Pie looked to Applejack with a face full of understanding and pulled her into another hug. Dash broke off the two with a shove and raised eyebrow.
“Okay so how do you two know each other?” Before Applejack could answer Pinkie Pie cut in.
“Oh that’s easy! Good ol’ Jack-In-A-Box here is my cousin!” Dash’s jaw hit the floor for the second time that night before giving Applejack a sideline glare.
“Well we better start setting up, catch ya later Jack!” Pinkie Pie bounded off to join her band mates and set up.
Dash and Applejack ventured backstage, the blue Pegasus wandered off to sort out the connecting cables and helped Vinyl set up her booth. Applejack approached boxes full of the bands cords for their instruments, picking up a box she held it up on her shoulder, before she could wander back out onstage she heard a door click behind her.
“Oh, hi! You must be the new stage crew member?” Applejack spun around to face the voice. A unicorn stood in front of Twilights office door, she was considerably smaller than Applejack, her coat was a very light greyish white, her purple hair curly and fluffy, parting on either side of her horn, a larger curl residing on the right side of her face, the rest of her hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back, piercings could be seen on both her ears and she had piercing blue eyes. Applejack blinked a few times and lightly shook her head, the unicorn raised an eyebrow and put a hand on her hip.
“Uh- yes..yes! Sorry that’s me, I’m Applejack, I’m one of Dash’s mates.” The unicorn smiled and walked over, holding out her hand, Applejack took it and shook it firmly, her fur felt like silk against applejacks own rugged coat. The unicorn paused for a moment, Applejack could see her eyes widen a little and felt the sting of embarrassment as she realised she was looking at the long burn scars that ran down the back of Applejacks arms legs and neck, she cleared her throat and the unicorn snapped back to reality, giving Applejack an apologetic smile.
“I’m Rarity, Rarity Belle. I’m the lead singer of ‘Prim and Proper’” Applejack smiled and walked towards the stage with Rarity and helped the band set up for their show.
The amphitheater was packed from the front seats to back rows of eager fans awaiting for the show to start, the stage was set, instruments awaiting the owners to play. Vinyl Scratch looked over to Dash and Applejack, with a thumbs up, Applejack grabbed the large lever beside her and flicked it down, the stage illuminated, the band waving at the crowd who responded in cheers of delight, fans screaming at the crew. The crowd quieted down as Rarity addressed them, but began to scream again as she asked how they were doing tonight, before long they announced their first song and began to play. Applejack felt Dash nudge her from her side.
“Just wait man, these guys, are absolutely wicked.” Applejack rolled her eyes and looked back over, and watched each of the members play; Pinkie Pie smashing on her drums, Spitfire rocking her bass alongside Sunset Shimmer who was playing her guitar, Applejack was impressed, but was blown away, as Rarity began to sing.
“The mirror's image, it tells me it's home time
But I'm not finished, 'cause you're not by my side
And as I arrived I thought I saw you leavin', carryin' your shoes
Decided that once again I was just dreamin' of bumpin' into you”
Applejack listened as she sung her verses, the crowd going ballistic at the band, smiling at her voice, her and Dash stood beside each other listening as the band played along. Rarity’s movements were fluid on stage, walking from edge to edge with swaying hips and swinging fingers as she sang, before whipping her head back, and the crowd went wild.
"Why'd you only ever call me when you're high?"
Applejack caught Rarity’s eye from the side of the stage, a small smirk crept onto the unicorns lips sending Applejacks heart roaring, the tips of her ears began to burn, hearing Dash snicker next to her she elbowed the Pegasus.
Loading the remainder of the equipment into the backstages lockable containers Applejack ventured outside and picked up her belongings and loaded them into the tray of her black Toyota Hilux and leaned against it, letting out a breath, and closing her eyes.
“Still here huh?” Applejack’s eyes snapped back open and she looked around, spotting Rarity standing a little ways in front of her, with a young filly asleep in her arms.
“Yeah, Dash has some stuff to finish, I’m just waiting for her. Who’s this?” Applejack motioned to the white unicorn filly with fluffy pink and purple hair Rarity was holding.
“Ahh yeah I heard from Pinkie that you and Rainbow were roommates. And this is my daughter, Sweetie Belle.” Applejack was a little taken back, a moment of silence passed between them. Rarity wore a lopsided smile.
“I know, I seem a bit young for a seven year old daughter.” Applejack quickly threw a hand behind her head and rubbed it, sticking another up in front of her.
“No no! That wasn’t what I was thinking I promise I-“ Rarity chuckled.
“Hey, now we’re even, since I was staring at those before.” The unicorn motioned to Applejacks scars. The blonde smile back.
“Well I better get this gal home, it’s very late. I’ll have to introduce you properly when she’s awake. Have a good night.” Rarity went to turn around, then turned her head back slightly and smirked.
“And I’m glad to see you enjoyed the show.” Applejack felt the heat creep to her face.
“Yeah I know she’s Celestia damn attractive ain’t she.” Dash appeared next to Applejack and laughed.
“You’re such a useless lesbian.” After seeing Rarity leave Applejack threw her hands on her knees and curled over.
“Fuck I know.” Both got into the car, and drove home.