//------------------------------// // Closer to Home // Story: Egghead and Featherbrain // by TheLastBrunnenG //------------------------------// Twilight sat at her desk with a fresh quill, clean parchment, and a full inkpot at the ready. She tapped a dry quill-tip against the bare paper. Without looking up she asked, “So Dash, how’s the job coming?” “The job? Oh, yeah, it’s a done deal. The promotion, that is.” Dash lay on a bed of pillows before the Golden Oak Library’s roaring fireplace, lazing on her side as she held her hooves to the glowing warmth. “Old Stormy Sprinkle’s retirement party is next week. I already signed the paperwork, so as of then, you’ll be looking at Ponyville’s new Regional Weather Director.” She yawned and lay back, strands of rainbow mane straying across her muzzle. “Not as much flying involved, but this means I’m the top of the feathered food chain. I can set my own hours and decide who does what when. How awesome will it be to schedule ‘official’ naptimes?” Twilight smiled weakly. “Not as awesome as you, RD.” “Good answer, Egghead! Yeah, it’ll be good to be the boss. Best part is, because it’s a Regional position, the paycheck comes from Canterlot, not from Ponyville, so we’ll be swimming in bits before you know it. Amazingly cool, right Twi?” The unicorn’s gaze still hadn’t lifted from the empty sheet, her breath fanning the quill-feathers held in her magical grip. Dash lifted her head and looked toward the desk, her brow furrowed. “Twi? Twilight, you awake?” “Hm? Sorry, just thinking.” “What else is new? Thought you drifted off there for a minute. Can’t have that, ‘cause I’m the champion napper here!” Dash winked and plopped her head back onto the pillow. “Wouldn’t want to have to get competitive, you know.” Chuckling from her chair, Twilight set the quill down and turned to face the fire-warmed pegasus. “Nope, no competition here, Featherbrain. Ever thought of applying for a weather job somewhere bigger? Manehattan, or Fillydelphia, or maybe Canterlot?” “Nah, big cities are too – well, too big. Too much bureaucracy, too much waiting around and doing absolutely zero.” The pillow muffled her response but she continued, “And Canterlot Weather’s impossible to get into. Even if I got accepted, I’d have to start from scratch, just a regular bottom-rung cloudbuster. Nope, this promotion is perfect. Bits, naps, job security – I’m golden!” Twilight held a hoof to her chin and sat back in the creaking chair. “Anything else keeping you here, Rainbow?” The blue mare ruffled her wings and flicked her tail as a log cracked in the fireplace. “Well, there’s you, but you probably knew that. Even if we haven’t tied the knot yet, you know I’ll always be here to warm the cushions, right?” The unicorn closed her eyes and sighed, smiling. “Wouldn’t have it any other way, Featherbrain! But what else? I mean, you’re the one and only Rainbow Dash – haven’t you ever thought about getting out of little old Ponyville and showing off to the world?” Dash rose and stretched her back legs, muscles rippling in the firelight, then circled cat-like on her pillow-bed and lay down again, still facing the licking flames. “Not really. I don’t think I could leave Fluttershy here alone. She’s a grown mare, I know, but she still calls me every time a shadow jumps.” She yawned again, licking her lips. “And after everything we’ve been through, I don’t think I could leave the rest of the girls either. What if - okay, more when than if – what happens when Celestia comes calling with the disaster of the week? If the Elements are scattered halfway across Equestria, then the bad guys win, right? Uncool. Totally uncool.” Twilight stared at the firelit pony drifting off to sleep on her floor, long minutes passing as only the crackling of flames and the splitting of logs broke the library silence. Slowly she turned to her parchment and lifting the quill in a lavender glow, penned a letter in her meticulous and careful hoofwriting. Satisfied and sighing, she levitated the letter into a box marked 'Outgoing' and walked slowly to the sitting room which encircled her fireplace. She lay her head against Rainbow’s powerful chest and pulled a blanket over her legs. Moments later a great blue wing settled across her shoulders as she let the azure pony’s gentle snoring and steady breathing lull her into warm and happy sleep. ~~~~~ Dear Princess Celestia, Thank you for bringing the teaching position in Advanced Magical Theory and Practice at Trottingham University to my attention. It did indeed sound perfect for my skills and experience. For a number of personal reasons I believe I’ll have to let this one go. I appreciate the thought and I look forward to finding similar work closer to home. Thanks again for your recommendation. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle