Chips Brothers' Archive

by JavaChips

A Dash of Rivalry

Winter had set on Ponyville, leaving a blanket of snow across the small town. Looking around, it was very peaceful. Colts and fillies were out of school for winter break, wrapped up in their scarves and earmuffs, playing happily in the snow. Over by the public library, Twilight Sparkle was deep in one of her usual study sessions. Her mind was buried deep in a philosophy book, she almost didn't notice the knock on the door. Memorizing her place, she opened the door to see a chilly Java Chips, wearing nothing but a scarf, boots, and his saddlebags. “Oh hello Java,” she began, looking over his shivering form, “Don't you think you should be wearing an insulated saddle, or at least some earmuffs?”
Java shook his head, stepping inside. “I was never one to wear saddles of any kind, and when I wear earmuffs I can barely understand what people are saying.”
Twilight nodded, walking over to turn the heat up a bit. “Understandable I guess, so what can I do for you?”
Java took a moment to warm up before he began. “I need you to perform that cloud walking spell on me, Rainbow Dash needs me to repair her heater, but I can't get up there to do it.”
Twilight nodded and levitated the book over, flipping to the proper page. “No problem, it should only take a second. But if you're going into a freezing cold cloud house you should definitely wear something a bit warmer.”
The stubborn colt shook his head again, waiting for the spell. “Jeez you sound just like my mom. Trust me I'm plenty warm....just not in winter...”
The violet magician sighed as her horn lit up and a magical bubble surrounded him. With a quick flash, nothing appeared to have changed. Java looked himself over, a bit confused. “That's it? I don't feel any different.”
Twilight shook her head, smiling. “Yeah it doesn't really effect you, but now you can walk on clouds. Are you sure you don't at least want a warmth spell? I mean, have you ever been in a cloud in the middle of winter?”
With a sigh, Java shook his head and sat back down. “Alright Twi, go ahead.”
Twilight smiled and brought over another book, preparing the spell.
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As much as Java hated to admit he was wrong, it was a lot more comfortable a walk to Rainbow Dash's cloud home with the warmth surrounding him. Approaching the field where Dash's home was supposed to be floating, Java was a bit confused to see empty skies. Taking a quick look around, he couldn't see the cloud home anywhere nearby. Java's hunt was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. “Excuse me, could I get some directions?” came a masculine voice.
Java turned around to face the colt who had asked, only to stand surprised for a second. At first glance he thought he had seen Rainbow Dash, but upon closer inspection he noticed the differences. Aside from being a colt, his straightened mane was a full light spectrum, unlike Dash's organized rainbow mane, and his eyes were more of a ruby red instead of her amethyst. The final difference was the cutie mark. This colt's cutie mark appeared to be a rainbow colored supernova. “Um, are you still with me dude?” the colt asked.
Java shook his head, leaving his trance. “Yeah, sorry, you just look like a friend of mine, like scarily similar. Where are you looking to go?”
The unfamiliar colt looked up at the sky, almost scanning it. “I'm trying to find a cloud home that's supposed to be floating around here, but I can't seem to find it.”
Java nodded, smiling. “You and me both. I was supposed to be fixing the heater, but it's nowhere to be found. Tell you what, how about we go back over to my house and wait, I'm sure she'll be coming by when I don't show up.”
He nodded to the electronics pony, following behind him. “So how do you know Rainbow Dash?”
Java smiled and led his new friend up the road to his house. “We're just friends, and in this case a customer. What about you?”
The colt smiled and flapped his wings a couple of times. “I'm her older brother.”
Java had to stop for a moment, a bit awe struck at the statement. With a chuckle, the supposed brother held out his hoof. “Cosmic Dash, though most people call me Cosmo.”
Java smiled and bumped his hoof against the other's, walking with him into the shop. “Java Chips, you can just call me Java. You know, Dash never mentioned she had a brother.”
Cosmo took off his winter attire alongside Java. “Yeah, suffice it to say we aren't the closest of siblings.”
Java offered him a seat on the couch, then sat down himself, looking a bit confused. “If you don't mind me asking, why are you two so distant?”
Cosmo rubbed his mane, looking away a bit. “Well she's a bit jealous I think. You see, I don't tell a lot of ponies this, but most know me better as RGB.”
Java was once again surprised by the new colt's statement. “You don't mean RGB of the Wonderbolts do you?”
Cosmo chuckled and nodded, accustomed to the surprise he got. “The very same. Unfortunately, it's kind of put me at a distance with my sister.”
Java nodded, and looked back at his past. “Yeah sibling rivalry can damage a relationship pretty badly.”
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Rainbow Dash made her way quietly through the streets of the town, flapping her wings very irritably every so often. She wanted to fly, to breeze through the clouds, but she knew she couldn't, she'd risk getting sighted by him. She wasn't just itching to fly, she was also upset, a scowl on her face. It was bad enough her cloud home was an ice berg in the sky, but when Java didn't show up she was severely annoyed. Approaching the electronic pony's house, she knocked twice on the door before letting herself in. “Java, you said you'd be at my house by noon, it's already-”
Her thought was interrupted as she saw his guest sitting next to him on the couch. Cosmo smiled and waved to her. “Hey there, Hummingbird.”
With a scoff, she turned around and began to leave. “Nevermind, I'll come back later.”
The smile left Cosmo's face as he got up and walked past her through the door. “No, you stay. I'll go, I need to check into the hotel anyway.”
Dash shook her head and turned back around. “Whatever.”
Cosmo left and shut the door behind him, while Dash tried to get her mind straightened again. “Why weren't you at my house? It's freezing cold in there, it's inhospitable.”
Java got up off the couch and walked over to her. “You moved your house, what was I supposed to do? And why did you never tell anyone you had a brother?”
Dash shook her head, glaring at him. “What business is it of yours? Look, I'm on the east side of Ponyville now, so just come and fix my heater okay?”
Java sighed and nodded. “I'll be over tomorrow around noon. But really Dash, why do you hate your brother? He seems like a nice enough guy.”
She gritted her teeth, turning around to stare at the door. “Imagine Micro took your job, took control of your shop, and then every couple of years during the holidays he'd come around and offer you a job working for him. Cosmo stole my dream and joined the Wonderbolts, and now he's trying to fix our relationship by offering me a place in his flying team, like I need his help or something.”
Java shook his head. “Dash, what's wrong with offering a little help? That's what family does for each other, they help each other out.”
She shook her head again, opening the door with a loud slam against the wall. “You're not exactly the person I want lecturing me about family bonding Java. When's the last time you talked to your dad?”
Without waiting for a response, Dash flew off in the new direction of her cloud home, hopeful to get at least a little sleep under the frigid conditions. Java sighed and layed down on the couch, deep in thought.
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Dash was awoken the next day by a knock on her door. The cold night had left her tired and she slept in. Answering the door, she saw Java standing there, Cosmo next to him. “Hi Dash, I'm here like I told you I would be.”
Dash glared at him, then over to Cosmo. “And why is he here?”
Java made his way in and toward the heater, Cosmo following behind him. “I don't know a lot about cloud technology, so I asked him to help me out.”
She shook her head, a bit annoyed at the sly pony's trick. “Whatever, just hurry it up, it's freezing in here.”
Java nodded and found his way to the heater. Careful to take off the delicate cloud covering, he looked inside and saw that it wasn't much different from a regular heater. Cosmo saw that Java had it covered and walked over toward the living room where his sister had fled to. “Just call me if you need my help.”
Java nodded, already at work. Cosmo sat down next to his sister, and the two sat silently for some time. The awkward feeling in the air was obvious to the both of them. Finally Cosmo spoke up, trying to break the tense air. “Well...it looks like you've been doing well for yourself....nice poster by the way.”
Dash looked over at the Wonderbolts poster she had on her wall. With a roll of her eyes she looked the other way. “Yeah well, I still like most of them.”
He shook his head and sighed. “What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry? I wanted to get into the Wonderbolts just as much as you. You could get in too, there's an opening in my team, if you would just-”
“Save it!” she yelled at him, her anger rising. “You're always coming here around the holidays and offering me this same deal! I don't want to be part of your team and I don't need your help to get into my own team. I'm good enough to get in on my own.”
Cosmo shook his head and raised his voice to match hers. “I know you're good enough, that's why I'm offering this to you. You've always been like this, whenever someone does better than you and offers help, you take it as a personal attack! I'm just trying to help you out!”
Dash glared at him. “You are not! I know you too Cosmo, whenever you upset someone you wouldn't stop trying to make it up to them until your guilt was gone. Well forget about it alright? You don't need to feel guilty just because you did what I haven't yet. Quit being so arrogant and selfish!”
Tears began to form in Dash's eyes, and Cosmo snapped out of his own anger looking at her. He sighed and shook his head. “Look, Hummingbird, I-”
“Stop calling me that!” she yelled, hopping off the couch and making her way toward the staircase. “Cosmo calls me Hummingbird, RGB can just call me Rainbow Dash.”
Java stepped in from his eavesdropping behind the wall. He saw Cosmo sitting on the couch, hanging his head. “So you heard all that?” he asked.
Java nodded, walking over and patting Cosmo on the back. “Yeah, sorry about that dude, I shouldn't have brought you.”
Cosmo shook his head and smiled. “You had good intentions at heart, and thanks for bringing me. That's actually the most we've talked in years.”
Java smiled and nodded. “Come on, let's go to Sugarcube Corner. I'll buy you a round of cocoa.”
Cosmo nodded and smiled back. “Alright, Just give me a second.”
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Dash layed in her bed, glaring at the ceiling, deep in thought. A knock came on her bedroom door. For a while she paused and stared at the door. Finally, she got up and walked to the door. Opening it, she saw a small wrapped present sitting there on the floor. Picking it up and bringing it in, she opened it. Her eyes lit up as she saw what was inside. It was a collection of Wonderbolts drinking glasses. She had been eyeing these for a long time, but never made up the bits to buy them. She checked the tag and couldn't help but feel a bit bad. The “To” label had the word “Hummingbird” crossed out, and the words “Rainbow Dash” had replaced it. Below that, she read the from label aloud. “From Cosmo...”
She sighed and put the glasses away before leaving through the back door.
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Java and Cosmo were sitting at a table in Sugarcube Corner, enjoying a round of cocoa. Pinkie Pie was singing a birthday song to a nearby table, while the Cakes were busy doling out orders. “Thanks Java,” Cosmo said, “This is just what I needed.”
Java nodded, sipping his own soda. “Yeah, it's good for clearing your mind.”
As they sat and talked, the bell rung on the front door. Mrs. Cake looked over and smiled. “Well hello there Rainbow Dash, how are you doing?”
Dash smiled at her. “I'm fine Mrs. Cake. Have you seen Java around?”
Mrs. Cake nodded and pointed over to Java and Cosmo, both of them staring over at the cyan pegasus. She walked up to them and looked back and forth at the two of them. “Java, can you give us a little privacy?”
Java nodded and got up. “Sure, I'll be at the table near the door.”
Once the programmer pony was out of sight, Dash took his place at the table. The two sat there for a little bit before she finally spoke up. “Thanks for the glasses.”
Cosmo smiled and sipped his cocoa. “No problem Hummin....uh, Rainbow Dash. After Dad said you wanted them I went out and bought them.”
Dash smirked, looking over at the wall. “Y'know, it's kind of wierd hearing you call me that. Maybe you should just stick to Hummingbird.”
Cosmo's face lit up as he heard, a smile far across his face. “Thanks, and....I'm sorry. You're right, I've just been trying to alleviate my own guilt about doing better.”
Dash shook her head. “My stubbornness didn't help. But I still stand by it, I'll get into the Wonderbolts on my own terms.”
Cosmo nodded and smiled, happier now than he had been for a while. “I guess we were both being pretty thick headed.”
The two siblings couldn't help but laugh. “It's getting late, I'm gonna get to my hotel room.” Cosmo finally said. Dash nodded and got out of her chair first, walking over to Java, who had moved to his own table. “Hey Java, thanks for doing that. But don't ever bring someone over to my house without letting me know."
Java nodded and smiled. “No problem Dash, have a nice night.”
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It wasn't until much later that night that Java got home. Micro was already in bed when he walked through the door. He would have been on his way aswell, but first he had something he needed to do. Taking out a pen and piece of letter paper, he began writing. For nearly an hour he wrote until he filled the page. When he was done, he sealed it in an envelope. Writing down the name on the back, he left it to be mailed tomorrow, getting up to bed. The name across the back of the envelope read “Sound Chips.”