Egghead and Featherbrain

by TheLastBrunnenG

The Trip and the Destination

Twilight paced the train’s rattling and cramped passenger car, back to front, front to back. “Read it again,” she whispered over the clatter of tracks and wheels and shifting luggage.

Pausing to clear her throat, Rarity shuffled a rumpled scroll in her hooves. “Twilight, dear, we’ve read the letter from Spike a dozen times. I don’t believe there’s anything to be gained by - ” A glare from the younger unicorn froze her and she recoiled at the flashing purple eyes across the aisle. “Alright, then. Princess – Major thunderstorm over Ponyville. Rainbow Dash left to help weather team. Midair lightning strike, bad crash. Dash in Ponyville General Hospital. Please tell Twilight and the girls to hurry back. It’s not good. – Spike.”

Twilight stopped at the rear of the car, her back to the four ponies alternately watching her and whispering to each other. “She promised!” growled the diminutive mare, stamping her hooves on the rolling floor. “She promised she’d stay out of this. Out of the thunderstorms, out of the tornadoes, the hurricanes, all of it!”

“Twi, sugar, that’s her job,” Applejack said, hooves on her hat and hat in her lap. “Dash cain’t - ”

Wheeling around, Twilight stomped the length of the car and stood muzzle to muzzle with the farmer. “No, it’s not! That’s why she took the Regional Weather Director position,” she spat, “so she wouldn’t have to put her life on the line for every black cloud that rolled out of the Everfree. It’s a desk job! It’s safe, it’s easy, it keeps her in charge and lets other ponies take the risk so I wouldn’t have to worry every week about getting letters telling me she’s injured, or in the hospital or… or…”

Applejack sat as far back as the seat would let her and looked around at the other three ponies, eyes wide. Twilight’s held her eyes shut tight and clenched her jaw as shudders ran the length of her body. “She lied to me,” Twilight hissed, “she lied to my face. She never intended to sit back and let other ponies take a the risk, did she? She has to play the hero every time, right?”

A pink hoof touched Twilight’s mane and shot back as if it were a livewire, then slowly and gently and gingerly stroked the shaking mare’s back. Pinkie swallowed and held a hoof to her chest as she lay the other on Twilight’s quaking withers. “Twilight, that’s what Dashie does,” she said. “Dasher was just being herself, and I mean her super-duper loyal self, not her napping-on-clouds self or her – ”

Jumping back and slinging off Pinkie’s hoof, Twilight curled her lips back and snarled, “Loyal? You call flying a suicide mission loyal?” Twilight’s ears pinned further back as her volume rose, each word pressing the pink mare further away. “What about loyalty to us, Pinkie? What about her loyalty to me?”

“Rainbow is a very loyal pony, Twilight.” The demure and squeaking voice from across the train caused all heads to turn toward the yellow mare hiding behind a pale pink mane. “Um, sorry for interrupting. But we all have lots of loyalties. Applejack has her family to be loyal to, and I have my animal friends, and – ”

“So?” Twilight shouted. “They’ve had storms before, bad ones, and she stayed behind to direct the action, not throw herself in the path of every lightning bolt and hailstone! So why did she have to fly out now? Why this storm, why the one with her name written on it?”

Fluttershy shrank behind her mane a little but held her gaze on the fuming librarian. “That’s not fair and you know it, Twilight. If they needed her, really needed her, then she’d go because that’s who she is. You have no right to be mad at her for being herself.”

The train shuddered and slowed as Twilight narrowed her eyes and said, “Fluttershy, I have every right to be mad, I – ”

“Ponyville Station, this stop!” echoed the conductor’s tinny voice. “All ponies departing for Ponyville, prepare to disembark.”

Five ponies shot out of the train, racing through muddy streets and splashing through ankle-deep puddles toward the looming grey bulk of Ponyville General Hospital. Bursting through the double doors, they skidded to a halt before the front desk. “M… May I help you?” stammered a white-coated nurse.

“Rainbow Dash! She was injured in the storm,” Twilight panted, “and they brought her here. Pegasus mare. Where is she? We need to see her. I need to see her!”

“Just a moment,” the nurse muttered, flipping quickly through a binder of names and dates and ominous red marks. “Dash… Dash… I’m sorry, ma’am. There’s no Rainbow Dash here.”

Twilight’s jaw moved but no words emerged. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks as she whispered, “There’s only one hospital in Ponyville! If they didn’t bring her here, that means she’s already…”

She stumbled back, head shaking, pink and yellow and orange hooves catching her mid-fall. Rarity stepped to the counter and with a flash of her horn levitated the register into her hooves above the nurse’s protests. She turned page after page, squinting at each and every line, then put a hoof to her mouth and inhaled sharply. Turning to the trembling librarian, she grinned and held the register book aloft. “Twilight,” she said above welling tears and through a widening smile, “I think you should see this.”

Long minutes later Twilight closed the recovery room door behind her, muffling the surgeon’s voice as the doctor explained therapies and medication schedules to the four ponies gathered outside. Beeps and hisses broke the silence as she stepped to the bedside where tubes and lines and immaculate white sheets covered a bruised and bandaged blue pegasus. Slowly the azure mare opened a swollen eye and a smile crept across her scarred muzzle.

“S… sorry, Twi,” Rainbow choked. “Sh… shoulda stayed home, I guess.” She coughed and winced, adding, “I know you’re… you’re probably totally mad at me.”

“I thought I was, for a while,” Twilight said as she brushed a matted clump of mane from Rainbow’s face. “Then I saw this, and I remembered just why and how much I love you.” She looked down and tapped a hoof on a hospital bracelet wrapped around the blue leg beside her. “When they checked you into the hospital, they signed you in as Rainbow Sparkle.”

“Yeah, saw that. Guess everypony knows, huh? Guess it doesn’t…” Dash’s spluttering laugh sent her into grimaces but her grin remained. ”It doesn’t sound so uncool after all.”

Author's Note:

TMP Prompt # 259. The Prompt: Mad Love.

Several references here, all of them to previous Egghead & Featherbrain chapters.

Comments

[Avid Reader]

Commence read.

That was a sad but happy moment.

[The Princess Rarity]

DKRHGDKLHGDFJKLHONHDF;DF;H;HOHBHDFO;BNFHN;GLNKDDDFL
*rolls around in feels*

[GespenstKAF]

I am filled with feelings. Good feelings. I like them.

[Chevan]

No seriously, this Fic collection is the best I've ever read!!!!!!!!!

[Showmare Trixie]

2121295

This.

[James Rye]

HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG!!!
My heart, that that is, also, words, i, and then, gaaaaahhh!!!

Seriously mega cute, wonderful chapter espically cause it got such a continutity from some of your other chapters. Well done. Loved it to pieces.

[BenRG]

Aw! Lots of positive feels!

[BenjiCG]

2121295 every time eh?
media.tumblr.com/1c63b3ba7349f2a9f2572ed3120e209a/tumblr_inline_mfuzsez0QH1ryp54o.gif
I have gifs stored all over the internet, for every occasion

[GrayFox2510]

“Alright, then. Princess [...]" I see what you did there...
Joking aside, the feels, man. That was a lovely (if predictable, I mean, I know you aren't killing Dash here) tug of emotions.

[Wing Zero 032]

And now their secret marriage is out for the rest of the girls!

2121367 So... do you even have some gifs for a "Cupcakes" fafnfic or situation?, can you give us an example?

[TheLastBrunnenG]

2116753
Many thanks! I really try. And yes, Dr. Dash is sexy, and yes, Twi would totally go for it.

2121259>>2121295>>2121298>>2121337>>2121341>>2121366>>2121367
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Makes my day.

2121413
Punctuation FTW! "Alright, then, Princess..." vs. "Alright, then. Princess..." And yeah, I'm not killing her off, but I could have been a stinker and made it a cliffhanger: Dash is seriously injured, Twi tells her off for not being more careful, gives her the "if you care so little about yourself then how much can you really care for me?" speech, and stomps off. Maybe one day I'll do that, but that day is not today.

[TheLastBrunnenG]

2121437
Or at least, their plans for it. Here's a fridge logic question: when she crashed she was probably brought in by the weather team or by pony EMTs. Dash doesn't carry a wallet or a driver's license, and chances are she was unconscious. So who told the hospital personnel that she was Rainbow Sparkle? Either the secret's already out, or Dash had her name legally changed without telling Twilight, or the rest of the weather team was trolling her.

Chapter idea!

[schpeelah]

Kind of stupid of Twilight to believe that promise. "Promises of wind that it won't blow, promises of fire that it won't burn."

[Wing Zero 032]

2121476 probably the later one was the right answer

[BenRG]

2121476

Or option three:

"Ma'am! Ma'am, can you hear me? Ma'am you have to stay awake! Focus on my voice now! I'm Crash Cart, what's your name?

"R... R... Rain..."

"What's that? Come one, focus on it and tell me your name!"

"Rain... Rainbow..."

"That's a great name Rainbow! It suits you! Do you have a family or clan name?"

"R... Rainbow... S... Sp... Sparkle..."

"Nurse Balsam, her name is Rainbow Sparkle; note that on her admission form."

"Yes doctor!"

[BenjiCG]

2121437 why yes. yes I do.
in chronological order
24.media.tumblr.com/815134671c85fdcfb8508ea5ff37bd17/tumblr_mg5rqn6I6e1rs05z0o1_500.gif
twilight.ponychan.net/chan/files/src/134363908461.gif
media.tumblr.com/54e24f1d0d79013520bcdac0b0611524/tumblr_inline_mi6jlgLVoN1rdx96o.gif
media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb1nqxn8nr1r3ylr6.png
media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdth28Lybi1r3ylr6.gif
last one is kinda out of context cause they're both Hiddleston but the ambulance thing remains

[nemryn]

Feels +1

[Reader Wolf]

2121553
Oh, I like that idea.

And I like THIS! SO...MANY...FEELS...

[BenjiCG]

2121553 dude my fic universes now have headcanons thanks to you

[Tatsurou]

This was so adorable and beautiful. RIght in the feels, man.

[TheLastBrunnenG]

2121489
Possibly. In hindsight it was also foolish of Dash to promise something she knew she couldn't make good on.

2121522
See BenRG's response.

2121553
Why are you not writing? Why don't you have any stories posted here? I'd read'em.

2121657>>2121658>>2121674
Happy you enjoyed it!

2121544
Sorry if it came off that way, it definitely wasn't meant to. Dash is lying in a hospital bed, bandaged, bruised, covered in stitches and IVs, facing a long recovery, and still she manages to crack a joke. Twilight knows it's all a good-natured act, and it's just one of the little games these two lovers play, like calling each other Egghead and Featherbrain. Nothing mean-spirited meant by it at all.

[Wing Zero 032]

2121787>>2121553 Now that actually makes a lot more of sense!, THEORY APROVED!

[Wing Zero 032]

2121649 hmmmm, the last one can be used to "calm down" the mental patient until the ambulance comes and takes him/her/it to the nearby mental hospital, asylum or psyquatric ward

[Happy_Jack]

You bastard, I only just recovered from you Luna's Librarian stories and you hit us with this? Are you trying to kill someone?

[Aragon]

Oh my. This is the cutest, most romantic, easiest-to-read TwiDash I've seen in a while. Kudos to you, dude, this is high-quality romance. The fact that the chapters are short but at the same time they have so much continuity just makes it better.

Please, don't put drama in here. Just the cutie slice-of-life, man. And a Daring Do novel. My God this was good. Insta faved.

[DualThrone]

Rainbow Sparkle. ^__^

[Cirrus Sky]

Damn, the feels man!

[TheLastBrunnenG]

2122083
Am I trying to kill my readers? Yes. With love. And d'aaaawws.

2122233
Ms. and Ms. Sparkle? The Sparkle residence? R.D. Sparkle? D-Spark and T-Spark? All good.

2122160
I appreciate the kudos! They need a little drama in their lives, but as you see from "The Wait" and "The Trip and the Destination", I just can't bring myself to leave them hanging. Even the most dramatic chapter has to end with some kind of sweet, heartfelt moment, or at least a ray of hope. Much as in my TwiLuna collection, Twilight and Dash are just too darn adorable together to put them through too much angst. If I tore off the first half of the Daring Do chapters here, I might have the beginnings of something. A couple of people have already requested a story starring Daring Do and her Museum Curator - maybe I'll give them a shot after all.

[BenjiCG]

2121807 hehe i wanna go to a psyquatric ward, they sound fun, is it like an aquarium for fish that are challenged by their perceptions of reality, as if they believe they are humans, or can't breathe underwater XD

[Wing Zero 032]

2122576 indeed, my good friend, but meanwhile let's wait for the cool guys from the party van to come and prepare one big bash in the house, don't you agree?

[Blue_Paladin42]

So many feels lately on this site. It's like every author is trying to squeeze in as many of them as possible before Saturday.
pinkie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw8751-Feels_Train.JPG

[BenjiCG]

2122618 is your internal monologue by charlie sheen? If not how much of what are you on? I need it.

[Formerly Committed]

I yell for more Twidash and get it the very next day....does this work every time?

[Wing Zero 032]

2122740 Is not and I am onto nothing!

[EddWar]

25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m48ix4Jno41rwn89bo1_r1_400.gif

[TheLastBrunnenG]

2122653
Hey, Saturday is a big day! That's the day I stop having to worry about figuring out how to make Twilight immortal in Luna's Librarian. Thanks, Hasbro!

2123626>>2122461
Happy to oblige.

2123011
Next time the request has to come with a dozen Krispy Kremes.

[Blue_Paladin42]

2123964
Unless the change actually isn't permanent.

[michaelajunker]

Yay!

I was concerned you were about to turn it into a "fighting for her life" and whatnot story. Only Ardensfax gets to do that successfully.

[TheLastBrunnenG]

2124065
That's what fanfiction is for! Keeps wings = immortal princess. Loses wings at end of episode = it's all an act and secretly she's still immortal. That's for Luna's Librarian, though; I still need to decide how to handle the Season 3 finale for this story.

2124866
Future chapters might deal with the aftermath of Rainbow Dash - er, Rainbow Sparkle's accident and recovery. But no, no lingering hospital stay or "will she live or will she die" dramatics here.

[tigrean]

Daawww! the feels just got hit hard Twilight you should of known better about that sort of promise RD gave *cough* RS gave If ponies are in trouble RS will be there to help that is the way she is You take that away then you loose what ever you had seen in her in the first place Twi I think it is time for a Friendship/Relationship report to Celestia about what you just learned Well done can't wait for the next little snapshot.

[michaelajunker]

2125598 I also loved the call back to the chapter that RD(S) said yes.

[Shanenator]

..................

I swear you are going to kill me. Please, stahp...I can't take much more...

I take it back...don't ever stop writing...I love it so...

2121295 Eeyup.

[Blagdaross]

You, author, have earned a new follower.

[BenjiCG]

2123333 niice, wish i had your thought processes sometime

[Cynewulf]

YEs.

Yesyesyes. I like this

I do so love your bits and sundries

[TheLastBrunnenG]

2125840
The Mane6 are still best friends, for sure. Twi and Dash might spend a ridiculous amount of time glued to each other, but that just means their friends see them together instead of separately. I wonder if the others will start calling them "TwiDash"?

2125859
RD will probably remind Twilight that she only promised she'd try not to take too many risks.

2129644
A little angst never hurt. Much. For long.

2132471
Only Twilight gets to call her that... and only in private.

2133996
Many thanks! Glad you liked it.

2138352
High praise indeed, especially from mister "I can add EQD and Seattle's Angels to my resume." Now, excuse me while I dig Levee out of my Read Later list so I can brush up on what Daring is supposed to sound like.

[Cynewulf]

2162452 You should do something fun instead, like watch Raiders of the Lost Ark

and then you will know, as you watch Harrison Ford gallivant all over the broken faces of a hundred foolish Nazis

What Daring should sound like

[Bulbasaur]

Why this storm, why the one with her name written on it?

I must say, this is a very nice touch to the story.

Tell me that was intentional.

[mar3ek]

Luna's Royal Canterlot outburst! That. Was. PRICELESS!

[GAPDashie]

<--------<<