//------------------------------// // New Meat // Story: My Little Caboose: Blue is Magic! // by DarkWing //------------------------------// "So." Tucker muttered as he sat at the kitchen table. "So what?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Are we just going to sit around all day?" "I don't know about you, but I have work to do today so you'll be by yourself for about ten hours." "I didn't know you had a job. When we needed money for the Wonderbolts you asked the others for work instead of going to an actual job. You actually seemed more like a free... lan... cer." "What's wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Oh, nothing." Tucker muttered as he shook his head "But I just mean you seemed to be more of a... free agent I guess." "I go on weather duty every once and a while. How else do you think I pay for everything?" "I think you would hit me if I answered that." Tucker chuckled. "So what's weather duty?" "It's exactly what it sounds like. The pegasi have the weather for Cloudsdale and the surrounding areas planned out and it's up to us - well not you because you would probably screw it up - to ensure that everything goes according to plan and there are no stray rain clouds or strong winds." "So you push clouds around and get paid for it? That sounds easy." "It's not. Some clouds are dangerous." "Right." Tucker rolled his eyes. "Think I could help?" "Here I thought you would just be the one to avoid work all day." "Well as much as I am a fan of sitting around all day I need to find a way to make money. I'm tired of eating the same crap every day." "I don't think anybody else could handle you." "What, you want to be the only one who handles me?" Tucker laughed. "Bow chicka bow wow." Rainbow Dash hit him in the side of the head, knocking him off the chair. "Dammit what the hell Dash?" "You're terrible." Rainbow Dash snickered. "Yeah, but that's why you keep me around." Tucker said, getting off the floor. "So can I go or what?" "I don't know, you would have to go see Inclement Storm about that. He is the one who is in charge of workers this time of the year." "Alright where do I find this guy?" "He's usually in the weather dome in Cloudsdale." "Aren't you going to show me?" "No, if I do I'll be late and I can't hold your hoof the entire time you're here." "Spoilsport." Tucker pouted sarcastically. "Just go to the Cloudaseum and ask around." Rainbow Dash groaned. "You should be able to get directions as long as you don't make a plot out of yourself." "Where's the fun in that?" "I seriously have to go so do whatever you want." "Whatever I want?" Tucker asked. "Everything except for whatever you're thinking now." Rainbow Dash said as she flew straight out the door. Tucker flew over to the Cloudaseum and looked for someone to ask for directions. He came across a light blue female pegasus with spiky white and blue hair. "Hey can you help me?" Tucker asked the pegasus. "Whoa I like your hair." The pegasus said. "Thanks I guess... who are you?" "My name is Cloud Chaser. How can I help you?" "Uh yeah, do you know where the weather building is?" Cloud Chaser smiled and pointed to a building. "Thanks." Tucker nodded. "May I ask what you are going there for?" "I'm going to try and get hired I guess." "You guess?" Cloud Chaser asked with a raised brow. "I don't think that Inclement Storm would hire somepony as impulsive as you." "Yeah well Rainbow Dash doesn't exactly have a wide variety of food at her place." "Oh you're related to Rainbow Dash?" "No I'm staying at her place." "Oh... you mean like in the same room?" "Yeah, listen thanks for the directions." "No problem, um. I don't think I got your name." "My name is Tucker." Tucker said as he turned to walk away. "Sorry but I have to get going." "I should get going too." Cloud Chaser smiled. "It was nice to meet you Tucker." Tucker made his way inside the building and looked around. There was a large dark gray pegasus with blue and gray hair sitting at a desk writing on a piece of paper. Tucker stared at him in silence, waiting for him to acknowledge he was there. "Can I help you?" The large pegasus asked without turning to greet Tucker. "Yeah do you know where Inclement Storm is?" Tucker asked. "You're speaking to him." Inclement Storm said. He stopped writing on the paper and placed it in one of the desk's drawers. "What can I do for you?" "Can I have a job?" Tucker asked without batting an eye. Inclement Storm rubbed his temples and stared at Tucker with a hard look. "You think you can handle it?" Inclement Storm questioned. "Totally." Tucker replied. "Boys get in here." Inclement Storm called out. "We have a new guy here." Three male pegasi scrambled in from the other room and saluted. "Didn't know I was signing up for the army for a second time." Tucker muttered. "Who are these guys?" "Score." The light brown pegasus said. "The big gray guy is Hoops, and the other one is Dumb-Bell." "Boys this is Tucker. He is our newest recruit so you'll have to run him through the drills." "Wait, drills? Didn't I just get hired?" "Listen kid, we can't just hand out jobs to every schmuck who comes in here thinking they're hot stuff." "It's moving clouds, how much training could I need to do that?" Tucker asked. "You're not from around here, are you?" "I guess you could say that." Tucker admitted. "C'mon Tucker, stick with us and we'll teach you all you need to know." Score laughed. "How long is this going to take?" Tucker asked quietly. "That depends on a lot of things." "Like?" "Like how fast you fly, how long you can fly for... that sort of stuff." "You know. Endurance, strength and all that stuff." Hoops said. "I'm good at that." Tucker shrugged. "We'll see." Score chuckled. "Come in to the gym and we'll get started."