“Scootaloo! Clean up in aisle four! Clean up in aisle four!” a voice rang out throughout the store, earning a groan from Scootaloo.
“Ugh, coming,” Scootaloo mumbled as she grabbed her mop and bucket and began the somewhat long trek to aisle four. “Ugh, I hate my life.”
Fifteen years ago she dreamed of flying. Fifteen years ago she dreamed of being a Wonderbolt. Fifteen years ago she dreamed of retiring by the time she was twenty. And just the other day she realized that none of those dreams came to fruition.
What did happen was her dropping out of school, getting this crappy job as a janitor at a supermarket, and, oh yeah, watching her idol TURN INTO A FAT, SLOBBERING PIG!
Could things get any worse? she asked herself. The same question she asked herself every day. And when she finally got to aisle four and saw the huge food spill, puke, and baby foals throwing their used diapers at each other (to their parents dismay), her answer was the same as every other day.
Yes. Yes they can.
“I’m home!” Scootaloo called out as she entered Carousel Boutique. Rarity had been generous enough to rent her one of the rooms upstairs for free. All she had to do was keep her room clean, and even if she didn’t Rarity would only scold her, like a mother to a child.
“Hey, Squirt!” Rainbow Dash called from her seat on the couch...which looked like it was about to fall apart from the sheer weight it was holding up.
“H-hey, Dash,” Scootaloo mumbled. If there was two things she had in common with Rainbow Dash, the first would be they both dreamed of being a Wonderbolt.
“So, how was work?” The other would be that their dreams never came to fruition.
“Ugh, I’d rather not talk about it.” Though that’s where the similarities died. Where in Scootaloo’s case she couldn’t be a Wonderbolt cause she lacked the ability to fly.
“Ah, one of those days, huh?” Though…looking at how incredibly fat Rainbow Dash had gotten, Scootaloo highly doubted she could fly either so...three things in common?
“Yeah, one of those days,” Scootaloo sighed as she went up and took a seat next to Rainbow Dash. “How was work at the factory?”
“Eh, same-o same-o. Had to teach a bunch of recruits how the machine’s worked,” Rainbow Dash said as she took a potato chip and ate it. “One of them called me fat, so I bucked him in the teeth.”
“Heh, nice,” Scootaloo chuckled. Though she was disappointed at Rainbow Dash for failing at her dream and becoming...essentially Jabba the Hutt, she couldn’t help but keep just the slimmest bit of respect for her old hero. Guess some things never change, she thought with a smile.
“Yeah, well, almost got me fired soooo…” Rainbow Dash trailed off, but a chuckle left her mouth as she turned to Scootaloo. “Nah, I’d still totally do it again!” Rainbow Dash admitted, causing Scootaloo to laugh.
It was at that moment Rarity entered the boutique, carrying groceries in her saddle bags.
“Hey, Babe!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she slowly got off the couch and rushed (well, more of a slow trot) towards Rarity. “Here, lemme get some of those.”
“Oh, thank you, Darling!” Rarity said happily as she hoofed over the groceries to Rainbow Dash, and gave her a peck on the cheek. “You have no idea how hectic it was at the market today! I almost had to run! Can you imagine that?! Me?! Running?!” Rarity whined as she and Rainbow Dash entered the kitchen.
“Well, I love it when you run,” Rainbow Dash said. “Cause when you run, your flank swa-”
“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity yelled with a glare. “Not in front of Scootaloo.”
“I’m twenty-five you know!”
“She’s still just a child!”
“...Ugh, whatever.”
“Alright, alright! Sorry, I’ll make it up to you,” Rainbow Dash said, leaning towards Rarity and whispered something into her ear, causing her to blush.
“O-oh my, we’d better be careful, we wouldn’t want Scootaloo to overhear.”
...Oh sweet Celestia, I’m going to need some brain bleach! Scootaloo thought to herself as a headache began forming. She could only imagine the unspeakable horrors that Rainbow Dash would perform on Rarity that night.
“Don’t worry, Rares, I’ll be sure to get her some earplugs.”
“AAARGH!”
Despite the fact she did not have to pay rent, and the fact she only made minimum wage, Scootaloo seriously considering moving out.
“Alright, the registers are cleaned, the floors mopped, and the bathroom stalls are cleaned. What do I do now?” Scootaloo mumbled to herself. “Guess I’ll go clean the windows now.”
“Scootaloo!”
“Ugh, great,” Scootaloo muttered. She turned towards the voice to find her boss rushing over to her.
“Scootaloo, hey! How are you today?” her manager asked with a smile.
“Uh, fine?” Scootaloo replied. Her manager continued smiling as he patted her shoulder.
“Hey, that’s great! You’re doing a fantastic job, keep it up!”
“Uh, okay?” Scootaloo said, unable to hide the confusion in her voice. “So...what did you need, Boss?”
“Oh, right!” he gasped. “Hey, listen. I need you to work overtime today-”
“What?!” Scootaloo shouted. “I work here enough as it is! Why should I stay over?!”
“Calm down, Scoots, it’s not that big of a deal. We just need someone to stay over today,” he said calmly.
“Why should I? The only thing that needs to be cleaned is the windows. And if there’s a spill have one of the other janitors do it,” Scootaloo said with a glare. “Seriously, Rainy Days is here till closing time, you’ll be fine!”
“Oh come on, Scoots! You could use the extra money, right?” the manager asked, finally able to calm down Scootaloo. After a few seconds Scootaloo sighed dejectedly.
“Alright, so what is it? Time and a half or double time pay?” she asked, earning a questioning glance from her manager.
“Uh...you’ll be getting the same pay.”
“What?! B-but I’m a full time employee!”
“And in order for you to not be over, you can go home three hours early tomorrow! Isn’t that great?!” her manager asked with a smile.
“...If that’s true, that means I’m not making any extra money,” Scootaloo growled, earning a shrug from her boss.
“Guess that’s true. Oh well, thanks again for your help!” her manager said as he began walking away.
“...I hate this job,” Scootaloo mumbled as she took her cleaning cloth and headed towards the windows. Sadly they weren’t going to clean themselves.
“I’m home!” Scootaloo called as she entered the boutique. She walked by the kitchen and saw Rarity and Rainbow Dash eating dinner.
“Scootaloo, darling! Where have you been?” Rarity asked. Rainbow Dash however ignored Scootaloo in favor of stuffing her face with the delicious Rarity made.
“Sorry, they gave me last minute overtime at work,” Scootaloo said. She yawned loudly before she began heading upstairs. “I think I’m going to hit the hay early, I’m a bit tired.”
“Well...alright, dear. Goodnight!”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah. Goodnight, Rarity. Night, Rainbow Dash.”
“Night, Squirt!” she heard Rainbow Dash muttered with a mouth full of food.
“Rainbow Dash! That’s disgusting!”
“S-sorry, Rares. W-won’t happen again.”
Huh, Rarity must have brought out the newspaper again, Scootaloo thought, the slightest hint of a smirk adorning her face. Kinda feel like staying up for a bit, just to see if Rainbow Dash gets smacked with it! With that thought she couldn’t help but giggle to herself. Maybe if Rarity got fierce enough she could force Rainbow Dash to run for her life. Not like a little bit of exercise would kill her or anything, she thought bitterly to herself.
When she got to her room she jumped into her bed and sighed. Finally this horrible day came to an end. As she let sleep overtake her she could have sworn she heard the sound of newspaper slapping against the flank of a scared tub of lard.
Sadly, this left her with horrifying nightmares of Mistress Rarity and her submissive fat lover. Needless to say she didn’t get much sleep that night.
“Gimme another,” Scootaloo muttered as she pushed her mug towards Apple Bloom.
“Ah don’t know, Scoots. Didn’t ya have enough?” Apple Bloom asked. The glare Scootaloo shot at her was enough of an answer. “Alright, here,” she said as she poured Scootaloo more whiskey.
“Thanks,” Scootaloo muttered right before she downed her entire drink. She slammed her mug on the table and sighed. “...Another.”
It’s a good thing ah’m diluting her drinks with water, Apple Bloom thought with the tiniest of smirks, and poured her friend another cup of whiskey. “Alright, just drink it slowly this time. Ah don’t wanna have to drag yer flank home,” Apple Bloom chuckled. Scootaloo merely scoffed and took a drink, slowly this time.
“Yeah, who knows what that mare of yours would do to you if you didn’t get home on time,” Scootaloo said, earning a glare from Apple Bloom. “Heck, she might make you sleep on the couch. Again.”
“Alright, Scoots. One: she wouldn’t do that to me,” Apple Bloom growled, glaring at her friend. “And two: even if she tried, ah wouldn’t let her!” Scootaloo immediately began laughing loudly, causing everypony to stare at the two.
“hah, that’s rich! Everypony knows who wears the collar in your relationship, Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo laughed. She was laughing so hard she couldn’t even take a sip from her drink.
“Scoots, it’s pants, not collar,” Apple Bloom said. Dang, even with all that diluting she still got drunk.
“Really? Huh, can’t say I imagine a dog wearing pants, but hey, anything’s possible,” Scootaloo said with a shrug. Apple Bloom glared at her friend as she put away the whiskey bottles and went to serve another customer.
“If that’s how yer going to act, ah’m not serving you.”
“Oh come on! I was just joking!” Scootaloo shouted. Seeing her friend continuing her path to other customers, Scootaloo sighed and sat back down. “Tch, hick,” Scootaloo muttered, swishing her last glass of whiskey around. She looked up at a nearby clock and found that it was already eight at night. Huh, that’s weird. Wasn’t I suppose to be at work...twelve hours ago? she thought to herself, before shrugging it off and downed the rest of her drink.
With a sigh she got up from her seat and began walking towards the door.
“Scoots! Aren’t ya gonna pay yer tab?!”
She quickly ran through the door, being extra sure to knock some things down to slow down her friend.
She’ll pay Apple Bloom back later...probably.
After stumbling about town, Scootaloo finally made it to the supermarket, groaning as she went towards the back to clock in.
“SCOOTALOO!”
“Ugh, can’t he wait until I clock in?” Scootaloo groaned as she turned towards the voice, meeting her manager face to face, who was glaring at her.
“Scootaloo! You’re late by...thirteen hours! Where have you been?!” her manager yelled.
“Ugh, I was at a bar, where else?” Scootaloo mumbled, causing the manager to groan.
“Scootaloo, this is unacceptable! You can’t show up to work late and drunk! I’m sorry to say, but you are FIRED!” the manager yelled, causing Scootaloo’s eyes to bulge.
“F-fired?” she muttered, mulling the words over.
“Yes, fired.” he replied with a smirk. As Scootaloo thought the words over, she was surprised to find that she wasn’t even mad. She wasn’t upset either, just…
She didn’t know what she was feeling as her tears flowed freely, causing the managers smile to widen. She fell to her haunches, and looked up at her manager, muttering the only words she could think of.
“Thank you,” she muttered, turning her managers smirk into a frown.
“Uh...what?”
“THANK YOU!” Scootaloo cried as she leapt up and hugged him tightly. She couldn’t believe it! She was free! Oh sweet Celestia she was FREE! She no longer had to clean up puke, broken glass, or even the bathrooms! She would never have to come back to this forsaken place ever again!
For Scootaloo was finally free.
Finally releasing her stunned manager, she turned around and ran right out of the store, smiling happily...until she ran into a glaring Apple Bloom.
“...Uh, hi?” Scootaloo greeted, waving at her friend who slowly walked up to her. When Apple Bloom was merely inches away from her, her face twisted into a snarl.
“Where’s mah money?”
This was one of many times Scootaloo wished she had the use of her wings.
“I’m home,” Scootaloo muttered as she entered the boutique. It took her awhile, but she finally managed to outrun Apple Bloom. Heh, Apple Bloom is so whipped, Scootaloo chuckled to herself, remembering how Apple Bloom was scolded in front of everypony for ‘ignoring the needs of her one true love’, or some garbage like that.
“H-hey, Squirt! W-what’s...up?” Rainbow Dash wheezed as she...ran on a treadmill?
“Uh...Dash? What are you doing?” Scootaloo asked, slowly walking up to her. Rainbow Dash however continued trotting on the treadmill, though she did lower the settings.
“Oh, nothing...much. Got...fired from the w-weather factory. W-was gonna just eat ice cream all night, but R-Rares found out...told me to get a ‘real job’,” Rainbow Dash stuttered. She finally stopped the treadmill and got off, wiping the sweat from her brow. “I-I think I’m gonna die.”
“Uh...wow,” Scootaloo mumbled. “So...what is this ‘real job’?”
“Oh, Rares wants me to be a Wonderbolt,” Rainbow Dash said, causing Scootaloo’s jaw to drop.
“She wants you to WHAT?!”
“She wants me to be a Wonderbolt,” Rainbow Dash said, taking a drink from her water bottle. “Ugh, I really don’t like the idea. I mean, I want to be a Wonderbolt and all. It’s just…” Rainbow Dash looked down at herself and sadly rubbed her tummy. “Well...you know.”
Scootaloo could only stare at Rainbow Dash in shock. A Wonderbolt? At her age? At her weight? Could she even do it?
“So, enough about me. What’s up with you today?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Uh...well...I got fired,” Scootaloo said, causing Rainbow Dash to laugh.
“Oh man! That is just too funny! Aw, well, it was a crummy job anyway! Be happy!”
“Oh, trust me, I am!” Scootaloo replied. “Just sucks I need to go out and find a job now. Oh well, at least I got you and Rarity, right?” Scootaloo asked, causing Rainbow Dash to shuffle her hooves.
“Yeah, about that…” Rainbow Dash trailed off.
“Uh...about what?” Scootaloo asked nervously, causing Rainbow Dash to jump in surprise.
“Whoa, sorry! Came out wrong, Squirt! Don’t get any ideas of us kicking you out or anything!”
“Oh! Oh, good! Had me nervous there,” Scootaloo chuckled, wiping away the sweat on her brow. “So, what were you going to say?”
“Well, you see, me and Rares have been talking, and we think you…” Rainbow Dash trailed off, scratching her chin in thought. Finally she sighed, and looked Scootaloo straight in the face. “We think you should go back to school.”
“G-go back to...school?” Scootaloo muttered, staring at Rainbow Dash as if she had gone insane. “Uh, Dashie, I can’t afford to go back to school!”
“Yes you can!” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “Well, you can’t, but we ...well, I guess Rares, will pay for it!” Rainbow Dash said, smiling at the shock on Scootaloo’s face.
“R-Rarity...will?”
“It’ll be great!” Rainbow Dash squee’d. “You’ll get your diploma! Then you can go to college! Oh, you can be a teacher!” Rainbow Dash said, until a thought entered her mind. “Well...maybe not a teacher.”
“Hey!” Scootaloo yelled indignantly. “I could totally be a teacher!”
The look on Rainbow Dash’s face said otherwise.
“Oh, shut up!” Scootaloo said with a scowl.
“Didn’t even say anything, Squirt,” Rainbow Dash said with a smirk. “Now what do you say? Will you look for a new job? Or are you going to go back to school and show everypony how smart you really are?!” Rainbow Dash asked with a smirk. Scootaloo however continued to scowl.
“I don’t know, Dash, it’s just-”
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “I couldn’t hear you over your sissy mumbling! Now are you going to look for a lame job?! Or are you gonna go back to radical school?!” Rainbow Dash yelled, earning a growl from Scootaloo.
“That doesn’t even make-”
“WHAT WAS THAT?! I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” Rainbow Dash yelled, causing Scootaloo to grind her teeth in annoyance.
“I said-”
“WHAT?!”
“FINE! I’LL GO BACK TO SCHOOL!” Scootaloo relented.
“I CAN’T HEAR YOU!”
“I SAID I’M GOING BACK TO SCHOOL AND I’M GOING TO GET A DEGREE!”
“ALRIGHT! AND WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH THAT DEGREE?!”
“I’M GOING TO SUCCEED!”
“AND?!”
“AND I’M GONNA BE SOMEPONY!”
“AND?!”
“AND I’M GONNA KICK YOU!”
“AND-wait, what?” Rainbow Dash asked, before seeing stars as Scootaloo bucked her in the face.
“Jeez, I already said I was going to school. Get off my flank already,” Scootaloo mumbled as she left a wobbly Dash on the floor and went to her room. If she was going back to school she might as well get her old text books out and study a bit.
Or she could go to bed. That sounded like a good idea too.