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
Greatness.
Another adorable scene with the OTP.
Very sweet. Feel it's a touch OOC for Twilight to not y'know talk to dash about it but it's not a dealbreaker for me.
If that isn't Loyalty, Twilight is displaying, then I don't know what is.
1, Open Twilight's school for gifted unicorns in Ponyville
2. ....
3. ???
3. Profit
...G-goddam it...
I was doing fine until I read the letter...so...wonderful...have all of my love, you deserve it.
D'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwww, dat letter at the end. <3
What a wonderful, relaxing chapter.
This is the perfect thing to read just before going to bed; warm, fuzzy, and calm.
Keep the d'aww coming!
Will another post with d'aaaaw suffice?
There's not much else I can say atm.
d'aww
1927007
How is it OOC? Twilight was offered a position straight from Celestia teaching at a prestigious college, and doesn't know what to do. Rather than asking Rainbow directly about whether she should or shouldn't go, she gets Rainbow's perspective on it from her viewpoint, which is thus uncolored by "Do YOU want to go?" type of muddling. Very scientific.
Well, damn. Good stuff right there.
If only I could thumbs up this more than once...
1927049
THIS
That was so well done, I was very impress with what Twilight did there That was awesome what she did. Can't wait for the next chapter.
1928018 I suppose because I could easily see Twilight admitting to Dash why she was asking.
1928738
I think Twilight knows that telling Rainbow the whole truth would be too dangerous. If Rainbow thought Twilight wanted to go to Canterlot, she'd be there in a heartbeat. Dash wouldn't personally be as happy living in Canterlot, but she'd go.
I see this a bit more as Twilight tacitly letting Rainbow convince her to turn the position down. She wants the position, but she wants to stay in Ponyville more, and Rainbow's happiness there is the last bit she needs to make it official.
Honestly, I'd say Rainbow Dash willingly taking a desk job is more out of character than Twilight was. Scheduled naptimes are a plus, but that's a lot of paperwork and planning for somepony like Dash. Just my view on her though.
Amazing chapter, very touching.
D'awww
I agree with the points I've seen on Twilight being a bit too secretive and Rainbow being averse to paperwork, but I don't think either is entirely out of character. I'm actually more surprised that Celestia would expect Twilight to want to move away from her friends! I mean, the Princess sent her specifically to make fire-forged friends, and those aren't things one simply lets go. Although perhaps Celestia expects Twilight to turn it down, but still sends it along just in case (and maybe to teach Twilight a lesson about choosing between friends and the self). She is something of a Chessmaster at times. I wouldn't put it past her.
Short and sweet as always. Those chapters are perfect for a quick pick-me-up at work.
As for either of them being ooc? Please, the show does not offer any insight on their romantic behavior, it's all your headcannon talking.
And mine says Dash is being Dashy and Twilight as usual tries to do the right thing.
Ill have you know, sir, that you just brightened up a remarkably shitty day. Thanks man.
I love this chapter, this story and this TwiDash. :D
1947403
Yep, the title looks odd. Makes more sense halfway through the first chapter.
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Thanks!
1930573
Glad I could help!
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I think you guys have covered the situation pretty well. Twilight knows she wouldn't get a straight answer if she told RD what was behind her questions - Dash would say "OK, let's move!" if she thought it would keep Twilight happy, even if moving was the last thing Dash wanted. Twi's probably not too keen on leaving Ponyville, either. Maybe this ==>1927049.
1955268
What's a good euphemism for that - learning? Taking notes? Computing the airspeed of a swallow?
1956694
I might just have to go that route! Sooooo much good material. Maybe I'll do it but have it MST3K'd by Twilight and Dash as they read it together.
Funny you should mention that... The next Egghead & Featherbrain chapter is another Daring Do feature! Dash and Twilight think this one isn't up to the usual writing standards they're used to, and they suspect something might be amiss. Probably up tomorrow.
Another spectacular story. Thank you for the well written read.
1957078
African or European?
Ooh damn, Twilight's really dedicated to the relationship. Nice!
Hah. Called it.
The d'aaaww's. Take them all.
I justed realized, Rainbow A. Dash can be the acronym for RAD...
Smart move by the smartest Unicorn. Making a huge change, like moving across the world (or country in their case) right after a marriage can lead to some serious resentment attached to a memory of something that should only ever bring a couple closer.