Appledashery

by Just Essay

Hard Work Is (N)ever Done

"Uhhhh... Rainbow?"

"Grnngh!" Rainbow kicked a cloud clear. Panting, she turned about and squinted past a fresh layer of sweat. "Yeah, what?"

Thunderlane and Candy Mane hovered a few spaces away from her. "Just... curious."

"Yeah?" Rainbow swiped her brow. "What about?"

"I mean... it's nice to have your help with clearing the clouds and all, but..." Candy Mane fidgeted.

Thunderlane cleared his throat and sported a brave smile. "It's Tuesday!"

"So?"

Thunderlane blinked. "...don't you ever check your mail?"

With a grunt, Rainbow kicked another cloud. "Sometimes."

"Cuz... uhm... I-I'm pretty sure Miss Hooves did the rounds this week and... uhm..." Thunderlane brushed at his mohawk, squirming. "...weren't you given an invite to today's award ceremony?"

"We all know how much you love earning medals!" Candy Mane bore a crooked smile. "Didn't the City Council give you today off so you could—"

"I've got work to do." Rainbow flew towards another cloud.

Thunderlane and Candy Mane exchanged blinking expressions. "Well... s-sure!" The stallion turned to gawk at her. "Don't you want to go and earn your—?"

"Do you wanna get paid?!" Rainbow snapped. "This sky isn't gonna clear itself!"

Candy Mane shuddered, then swiftly flitted towards the far end of the air above Ponyville. Thunderlane hovered in place, his eyes narrow. "Don't you think you're being a tad bit rude?"

"You want to earn a stinkin' medal, then go and take it." Rainbow clenched her jaw and kicked another cloud to dust. "Some of us have important things to do."

Thunderlane shook his head with a sigh. With powerful wingflaps, he soared off.

Rainbow continued her work. She glanced over her shoulder once, but saw nothing but gray clouds. With a breathy groan, she returned to what she was doing.

---

A stallion in a work apron marched across the warehouse, drawing a wagon filled with fresh citrus.

Rainbow Dash's head turned as she stared at the cart and its contents. Her nostrils flared with a deep sigh.

"Rainbow Dash..."

She stood in place, gazing off.

"Rainbow."

She turned around with a blinking expression. "Hmmm?"

Stamps stared up from his desk. "You didn't answer my question."

"Well maybe you weren't talking loudly enough."

"... ... ..." Stamps glared. "You do realize that most managers would have just given you the boot weeks ago."

"Are you getting to a point?"

"You missed two shifts in a row," Stamps said. "Without givine me any warning, either!"

"Yeah, so?" Rainbow shrugged. "I was busy with stuff."

"Like what? That was long after the tornado—"

Rainbow groaned. "Why does everypony want to talk about the friggin' tornado?!"

"It's company policy to give your supervisor some notice if you foresee yourself missing any work—"

"Yeah, well, I'm here now." Rainbow Dash spoke. A few heads turned, but she remained staring at Stamps. "So give me some work."

Stamps hung his head with a sigh. "I've... put myself out on a limb for you over and over again—"

"And do you know anypony faster or more dedicated than me? No." Rainbow pointed at his inbox. "I can tell you've got a stupidly heavy load, so give me some of the weight so you can work in peace."

Stamps clenched his eyes shut. At last, after a deep, seething breath, he hoofed her a clipboard. "Here."

"Sweet." Rainbow briefly flipped through the work orders and nodded. "Consider it done and done."

Stamps pointed. "But we're not through talking about your absences—"

Swooosh! Rainbow flew off in a blur.

"...dang it to Tartarus..."

Comments

[BronyInHiding]

Doesn't matter if you're the best/hardest worker at your workplace, if you're an asshole, management will find an excuse to fire you. Smarten up Dash.

[Phoenix Kitten]

Dash seems a bit.. edgier than normal.
Even when she was under stress before, she always kept a cool head and never took it out on anypony else. They've got to realize something's up, it's just not like Dash to be...rude.
Cocky and blunt, yes. But never rude. Something is wrong, and if the others on weather patrol, or stamps don't realize that, then they're idiots.
Stamps especially, he has history with Dash, he seemed to put up with her usual attitude knowing it wasn't malicious or rude.

For Dash to be acting like she is, something is incredibly wrong.

[Lightning Bearer]

Dash continues to try and have the best of both worlds. If she wants to be a good friend and let AJ be happy, then she needs to let it go. Or, If she's passionate enough about it all that it gets under her skin like this, then she needs to do something about it. She needs to decide, and commit. She can't just nail herself to a cross and then cop an attitude.

[BabySkittleMonster]

6964523
Well. There we have it. Although, by this point, I'm admittedly perfectly happy with the idea of her atrophy worsening to the point where her unbelievably dense friends have no choice but to notice. So, Dash, I command you to stop... Dashing.

[CommanderCuddle]

6964789 seeing as no ones really noticed or cared that much up o this point, i don't for see anyone talking to her about it, well maybe vinyl and such

[Sileadh]

Perhaps its a subconscious choice?

By which I mean; perhaps making a decision to leave Ponyville, her home and friends, is too much for her. Rainbow has never shown herself to be much of a planner, or particularly decisive, she prefers to react to events going on around her.

Maybe this surly and confrontational attitude is part of a subconscious choice on her part, a choice to make everybody around her dislike her. If she pisses enough ponies off, at work and around town, when they eventually pull her up about it she can use that moment as an excuse to escalate. This in turn would make leaving seem more desirable than staying. Which would lead to her making the obvious choice of leaving.

It's a rather convoluted series of events, which she would never plan out in such a fashion, but perhaps she is, as I said, subconsciously aiming for such a thing.

[Leftover of Saikano]

Sour flavored skittles?

[viofriedsevey]

6965174 I definitely feel like this hits the nail on the head. This is pretty much what I was thinking all chapter but couldn't find a way to accurately describe. That said, I would be suprised if the story actually took this route, but I've been suprised before.

[Hestia]

Well Dash's attitude could use improvement right now.

[zaponator]

Two steps forward and three steps back.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

6965463 Exactly, and well put.

[BabySkittleMonster]

Dashie dearest... I think you're amazing and all, but you're pushing it again here, hun. Maybe tone down the disrespect to the one who's paying you? I do not need to see you homeless and even possibly friendless on top of crippled and heartbroken. That's going a little too far on the angsty-sadness-stuff and only you can stop it from getting to that point. I certainly can't do anything, trapped behind this screen as I am. So, buck up, kiddo. You can get through this. I know you can.

[RoboRed]

Damnit, Dash. Cool down for a bit.

[Dash32]

I've finally started my first story! There's only one chapter so far but I'm working on Chapter 2 as we speak. Check out Chapter 1 and let me know what you guys think! its entitled Rainbows, Relationships, & Revenge

[LucyHorseThing]

A storm is brewing. I can sense it. With my brain. Get your preferred chip brand everybody, stuff's about to go down.

[Fishberry]

6966877
So, did you have a comment to make about THIS story...

...Or are you just here to promote your story in a popular author's comments thread? Because that would be rather tacky.

[Phoenix Kitten]

6965757 Juniper?

[Dash32]

6968174 I'm actually glad you said something because I actually did want to say something about how I loved the story, completely forgot exactly what I wanted to say but I wanted to get the other part outta the way first and it completely slipped my mind derp moment

[Salad king]

6964775 Pretty sure she's lost hope at this time, and has resorted to taking it out on others.

[Phoenix Kitten]

6965225 candywarehouse.com/assets/item/large/Skittles-Sour-im-127167.jpg

[BabySkittleMonster]

6968180
Ooh, I didn't even think of that one... I guess it could also be a masculine-ish name like Jamie or something, too... Oh, I dunno. Knowing this author, it could be something like Juaknfihf.

[Staxon Braxon]

6968765
Rainbow Jaerfaerda Dash?