//------------------------------// // First Job // Story: Sparkle Dash Family: TMP Stories // by ssjgokillo //------------------------------// The Sparkle Dash Family Prompt 419: Scootaloo gets a job Disclaimer:  I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic         “So you’re sure about this?”         Scootaloo rolled her eyes, having counted that as the 103rd time her mom had asked her the same question. It was almost like her mom didn’t think she knew what she was getting into. She was already a teenager, practically a grown up!         “I’ll be fine, mom!” Scootaloo replied, rolling her eyes also for the 103rd time. “I’m just going to be pushing around some rain clouds, how hard could it be?”         Twilight pursed her lips, not sure how to respond. She’d been worried ever since Scootaloo had told her that she’d gotten her first part-time job, working with the Ponyville Weather Patrol. Scootaloo was obviously excited at her first step towards independence, and one part of Twilight couldn’t blame her. She’d been much the same when she’d been made Celestia’s protege. The other part though, the part that Rainbow Dash teasingly called her “mother brain”, couldn’t help but think of all the things that could potentially go wrong.         Still, she knew she couldn’t keep Scootaloo safe from the world forever. So with more than a bit of trepidation she sighed, and gave the orange filly a smile. “Alright Scootaloo. Just promise me you’ll be careful.” She narrowed her eyes when Scootaloo rolled hers. “I’m being serious! I know Rainbow Dash made work on the weather patrol look easy, but it’s still dangerous. Listen to everything your supervisors tell you, and don’t try to do more than you can handle.”         “Alright, alright. Can I go now?” Scootaloo asked impatiently.         Twilight sighed, but gave her a resigned smile. “Sure thing. Say hi to your mom for me, and remember to come straight home after you’re done. Spike is making hayburgers for dinner….” She trailed off, noticing that Scootaloo was no longer in front of her. She turned just in time to see her gallop out the door.         “Surethingmomloveyabye!” Scootaloo managed to shout before the door closed behind her, leaving a slightly bemused Twilight behind.         Twilight just shook her head, before heading off to find a book. She just hoped that everything went okay at Scootaloo’s first day. =-=SDF=-=         Everything was not okay, Scootaloo decided. How could rain clouds possibly be so heavy? And why didn’t Cloudsdale deliver them closer to where they needed to go? Did they not realize how much work it took for a pegasus pony to fly these things from one place to the next? Or how cold they were? Scootaloo shivered again at the touch of the cloud she pushed along. Her hooves were soggy, and she felt like they’d never be warm again.         How many of these stupid things had she moved already? A dozen? Two dozen? She wasn’t even sure anymore. But the collection of clouds she’d left behind didn’t seem to be getting any smaller. Weren’t any of the other pegasi helping? It felt like she was the only one doing any actual work.         She sighed in relief once she had positioned the cloud, bringing it together with others she’d already placed over Sweet Apple Acres.         “Stupid heavy cold rainclouds…” She mumbled to herself, blowing on her hooves and rubbing them together to try and stave off what she was sure was the first stage of frostbite. She worked her tired wings back to the cloud delivery point, and her eyes began to twitch in irritation. The pile seemed even bigger than before!         She flew over and to let the collection of clouds know exactly how she felt about them, giving one a swift kick as she pulled up beside it. She smiled, feeling better after her little outburst. The smile quickly faded however, when the cloud began to shake, a rumbling sound emanating from it.         Scootaloo’s eyes widened in shock when she realized what was about to happen. She had just enough time to fly out of the way as the lightning began to shoot from the cloud. She sighed in relief, before she saw one of the wild lightning bolts hit another cloud in the collection, which also began to shake and rumble, before lightning exploded from it.         High above the electrical spectacle, Scootaloo simply hovered in place as she stared at the clouds, which were pouring their contents all over the middle of the field below, and throwing lightning around like they were in a scary story.         The sound of somepony coughing got her attention, and her face drained of color as she turned and saw her supervisor, and her mother, Rainbow Dash, both with scowls on their faces.         “Eh heh… I can explain?” Scootaloo tried lamely, barely being heard over the sound of thunder coming from the clouds below. =-=SDF=-=         Twilight was pacing anxiously around the foyer of the library. Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash were supposed to have been home hours before. The sun was due to set any moment now, and the hayburgers Spike had prepared had cooled on the table. “Ohhhh, I hope nothing happened to them.” Twilight muttered as she continued to wear a groove in the floor.         “Calm down, Twilight.” Spike said, trying to be the voice of reason even though he was worried as well. “They probably just got caught up with work or something. I’m sure they’ll be back…”         The door opened, and the two pegasi in question trudged through just in time for Spike to say, “...any second now.”         Twilight smiled at them, though it quickly morphed into a frown when she saw the condition Scootaloo was in. The orange filly’s wings were hanging limply at her side, almost dragging on the ground. Her mane was disheveled, and standing up on end, and Twilight was almost sure she could smell ozone wafting around her.         Scootaloo didn’t say anything, she simply trudged over to the couch and unceremoniously flopped onto it, getting Twilight to look at her in concern.         Rainbow Dash slid up to Twilight, giving her a tired smile and nuzzling her neck. “Don’t worry, Twi. Scoots is alright, she just…”         “Don’t you dare!” Scootaloo mumbled from where her face was planted in the couch cushion.         Rainbow Dash ignored her, a grin on her face as she finished. “...had a shocking first day at work.”         Scootaloo was too tired to respond, simply laying on the couch as a terrible thought occurred to her.         She had to do the same thing tomorrow!