Appledashery

by Just Essay

Options Laid Out

“What’s wrong with kicking clouds?” Vinyl asked.

“Nothing!” Rainbow blurted, then winced. “And by that, I mean everything.”

“Huh?” Bon Bon blinked.

“Just something that Gilda used to say,” Rainbow murmured with a shrug. “‘If you really enjoy doing something, odds are you can’t make a living off of it.’” A frown crossed her blue muzzle. “Isn’t that a burn?”

“Tell me about it,” Lyra grunted.

“I mean, if you’re really into something…” Rainbow smirked briefly. “And if you’re wicked sick at doing it, then can’t it be something you can earn bits doing?”

“Perhaps you should…” Caramel smiled hopefully. “...kick bigger clouds?”

“Weather flying is a super ancient art, Caramel,” Rainbow grunted. “I don’t expect anypony else at this table to understand, but every pegasi worth their weight in feathers knows how to do it since foalhood. It’s only a select few who are--like--Celestia’s gift to meteorology.”

“I assume one is so gracious as to bless us with her presence today,” Lyra mused.

“Exactly!” Rainbow rattled the ice cubes in her glass. “If the Mayor suddenly wanted a tornado rolling through the western hills, I could drag together a bunch of clouds right now and whip one up in ten seconds f--” Rainbow stopped in mid-speech, then groaned. “Yeah, okay, even I’m getting tired of that.”

“If you ask me, you’re way too big for this town,” Vinyl said while continuing to sketch out her musical number. “You should consider upgrading to a new locale.”

“And what? Abandon all my best buds here in Ponyville?!” Rainbow Dash frowned. “I don’t know about you guys, but I kind of like it here. There are ponies who depend on me n’stuff.”

“You’re a swift pegasus, Rainbow,” Bon Bon said with a smile. “I’ve no doubt that you’d get around if you settled for a few days to work elsewhere.”

“Yeah. Move it on up, girl!” Lyra smirked. “I’m sure there’re places in the Canterlot Mountains that need weather checking on an hourly schedule!”

“I’ve tried them already!”

“So, what’s the problem?”

“They’re…” Rainbow winced, then sighed. “They’re not interested with ponies who only have a G.E.D,” she defeatedly muttered.

“General Equestrian Diploma? Really?” Bon Bon made a face. “They’re still hung up on that?”

“Truth is stranger than fiction,” Lyra muttered. “And oftentimes more impotent.”

“Well, you’ve got talents, Rainbow Dash!” Caramel said with a smile. “Just say a few of them out loud and you can see how easy it is to make yourself useful!”

Rainbow stared with a deadpan expression. “I can fly really, really fast.”

Caramel blinked.

Rainbow’s eyebrows became straighter than a razor.

With a slight flinch, Caramel shrugged. “So, maybe you should consider coaching for the Equestrian Games?”

“Unnnngh…” Rainbow slumped to the table, mooshing her blue face against the polished finish. “I’m sorry to have dropped a huge ball of lousy on ya guys. I’ll fix it all out. I just wish it wasn’t such a lame process to do find stuff that… I don’t know whether or not is lame.”

“Well, Rainbow, maybe you should try a historical perspective,” Vinyl said.

“Buh?”

“You once had a pretty killer job before.” Vinyl glanced up, smirking. “In fact, if I’m not mistaken, it’s the one good thing that came out of knowing Listing Breeze.”

“What, you mean weekends of crap and self-loathing?”

“No…” Vinyl shook her head and lifted the edge of her shades. “Deliveries.”

Rainbow blinked. Gradually, her muzzle scrunched into a vomitous grimace. “Ewwww… you mean--like--back with Banner Company?”

Vinyl nodded. “Baaaaaaaaack with Banner Company.”

“Ew! But that’s--Ew! Goddesses alive!” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I’m still trying to get the smell of all those old homes I visited off me! I never wanted to relive those months again!”

“But it got you your first house, didn’t it?” Vinyl remarked. “And don’t forget the used ten year old chariot with light-weight wheels--”

“Oh for the love of--That was just a phase!” Rainbow barked. “Just like when I grew my mane long in high school!”

“I liked your mane when it was long,” Caramel said.

“Yeah, girl, I bet you did.” Lyra chuckled and turned towards Rainbow. “Face it, Dash, you were never one to let the world hand you stuff on a silver platter. We all know you’re at your best when you’re earning it.”

“Yeah, but Banner Company…?!”

“You know they’re always hiring. So what’s the friggin’ problem?!”

“The problem is that I wanna come home in the evening and still have the capacity to respect myself!”

“Fine, then!” Lyra shrugged. “You can have your respect!” She bit onto another ice cube, crunching it loudly before muttering, “Here’s hoping it can keep you warm on the street after you lose your home.”

“Unnnnnnnnnnnnnnngh…” Rainbow Dash groaned into the table.

“You know that making speedy deliveries is your simplest solution here, Rainbow,” Bon Bon said. “But, if it’s of any consolation, I can pay you a few hours a day to help me bake doughnutes!” The mare’s eyes twinkled.

Rainbow droned. “Banner Company it is…”

Comments

[Tchernobog]

Poor Bonnie.

[zaponator]

[Metal Aura]

Another option would be to call up Celestia and ask for prize money for her heroism. I made a longer comment about this a few chapters back.
If RD isn't making a living wage then how the buck is Fluttershy able to pay for anything. What even is her job?! I have concluded afterwards few seconds of deliberation that she has secretly trained the animals to steal bits, trained an animal that shits bits, or just doesn't need to pay for anything because everyone feels bad for her. In any senario it would be best for RD to talk with Fluttershy about her employment issue.

[Seraphimus]

6957742 I imagine shy makes her living as the local vet/animal caretaker. Ponyville is a farming community and if the apples have livestock (pigs/chickens) It's likely other farmers do too, so between treating sick farm animals and peoples pets, plus being in charge of handling the local wildlife (which the show hints at being something of an actual job) it's likely shed actually be fairly well off. Also based on the nature and location of her tree home, it's possible if not likely that she owns the property in question outright and has very little in expenses outside of food for her and her animals.

[AppleTank]

7651346
Makes me wonder if Flutters is technically a park ranger. For the Ever free forest. That has got to get one hell of a hazard pay.