Medical Procedures

With the sun getting ready to set, but not doing so just yet, Twilight and Rainbow Dash had been let off early. If there had been any actual activity within the Ponyville Clinic that day, the doctor would’ve undoubtedly requested them to stay a bit longer, but Twilight had already done all her work.

Rainbow Dash assured him their patients that had been assigned to them needn’t any further attention as well. So, after two lovely looking mares both giving him a pair of big, pleading eyes, begging for him to let them have the rest of the afternoon off, he admitted defeat, and locked up the establishment shortly after they made their exit.

It was more than appreciated by the two that they got some extra time off. Besides, chances are, Twilight and Rainbow would be relieved of duty at this time for the rest of their career days, however long that might last. What was the harm in keeping them cooped up until much later in the evening?

Along the path towards Twilight’s home, she got her opportunity to inspect Rainbow’s unique book a bit more thoroughly rather than catching whatever glances she could while also filling out all the paperwork Dr. Stables had given her. “By Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked, giving Rainbow a somewhat surprised look.

“Yeah, you didn’t know?” Rainbow responded.

“Well, I knew her highness enjoyed flying, but… Well, she never told me about publishing any books about the subject! And, you say the Wonderbolts themselves didn't have any such volumes even so much as resembling this?”

Rainbow shook her head as she walked. “Unfortunately, all throughout my training days, I didn’t even see a library. They mostly assigned us with traditional workouts, and the things they always did for generations. Far as I know, this could be the only one of its kind.”

Twilight nodded. “Aaand, Pinkie, of all other ponies gave it to you as some random gift? And then disappeared behind an alleyway? Then, just to add insanity to chaos, she pops up out of nowhere having no clue what this book is or why she would have it in the first place?”

Rainbow chortled after every rhetorical question. “Hehe, yeah! Isn’t that weird?”

“I’m mailing Celestia.”

Rainbow quickened her pace. “Wait, what? Why?”

Twilight kept moving, going faster and faster, almost seeming angered. “Because. This doesn’t add up. I have a feeling Celestia will want to know-”

Suddenly, Rainbow pulled out in front of her. The two stared at each other, eyeing the pony standing before them up and down. Then, Rainbow said, “Don’t.”

For a moment, Twilight was planning on arguing, but sighed. “You’re not the least bit worried about this book? Pinkie’s crazy random, but this is going beyond that. There’s a mystery, and I don’t know about you, but I wanna solve it!”

Rainbow looked down, then back up. “You can mail Celestia, and we both know what’ll happen. She’ll either say yes to writing it, or say no. Then what?”

Twilight thought about that. Then what? Were they to bring the book over to Canterlot? Waste valuable time and effort only to find out nothing new? Twilight shook her head again, glanced from the book to her friend, and confessed, “I don’t know.”

Rainbow smiled smugly. “We can get to the bottom of the book at a later date. For now, I’m much more worried about training, and getting back in shape! Aren’t you? Don’t you wanna see me flying with the Wonderbolts again? Or, would you rather…”

“Absolutely not,” Twilight blurted out, knowing good and well what Rainbow was just about to say. “I want nothing more than to help you, and you know that.”

The pegasus seemed cocky, and asserted this with a simple question she knew Twilight wouldn’t be able to answer confidently. “Why?”

Twilight stepped back a bit, Rainbow coming closer. “Uh, because… you’re my friend… and, I understand how much this would mean to you.”

Rainbow came inches away from Twilight’s drooping ear to whisper, “Is that all? Are you sure, Twilight Sparkle?”

She backed off slowly after that, minding her distance. She could see right through Twilight’s nervous face; sense how much lust was hidden away by now. Not to mention how unreliable Twilight was when it came to keeping a secret, especially ones of her own.

Everypony in her little circle of friends knew about her inability to fall asleep at night, not without a book to cuddle with, and then there’s the paranoia she always goes through whenever she sees an unoccupied bookcase.

That one was easy to figure out. The day Rainbow bought one and had to ask Twilight to enchant it so it’d stay afloat in her house, Twilight refused to do so, not until it was completely stuffed with literature.

So, naturally, Rainbow was able to uncover yet another of Twilight’s dark little secrets, this one having great importance and reference towards her. While trotting along, Twilight couldn’t stop thinking about how badly she’d already let Rainbow know about her new, still developing emotions.

“I brought this upon myself,” Twilight thought. “I shouldn’t have let her get so close in the first place! If it’s not the outfit, then it’s me. I let myself worm her devious way into my heart, and now she knows! Oh, this is so, very bad, bad, bad…”

Meanwhile, Rainbow simply kept smiling, proud of her victory. She’d done it. She’d gotten the job, worn the outfit, and already got Twilight to fall head over hooves for her. If it wasn’t for the outfit, it wouldn’t have worked. That’s what she kept telling herself. Rainbow knew she’d done something ethically wrong, but at the time, she just couldn’t, and wouldn’t see it that way.

In truth, though, uniform or not, Rainbow would’ve been able to allure Twilight into a romance, but with time. All the nurse outfit did was speed things along. After all, Twilight was already beginning to feel a much deeper connectivity between herself and Rainbow Dash. It was no secret to her things were starting to turn out the way they were.

Why she resisted Rainbow, even up to this point, when they both knew about one another was also easy to explain. Rainbow wanted to make positively sure Twilight wasn’t going to recover from being in love, and Twilight still had her disbeliefs.

She still had research to do, so that she could prove it to herself that the clothes had absolutely nothing to do with loving Rainbow, and even if she found an alternate cause, Twilight also accepted the possibility of not wanting to end this emotional endeavor. The possibility of giving into her tinkered wants was still very high, so high that there might not be any turning back.

“Tell me, Twilight?”

The unicorn gasped back into reality, a bit stunned to see Rainbow standing outside the tree house. “Uh… What?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow snickered, “You look like you’ve been hypnotized! I just wanted to know what you could possibly do to help me with getting back in shape.”

It took Twilight a moment to figure out if Rainbow was joking or not. Two blinks of the eyes later, and Twilight would show her.

According to the book, there was one rather interesting way of doing things. Dangerously crude, but efficient all the same. It required a unicorn’s help, after all. Flipping to the page, and then looking around at their surroundings to make sure the area just outside her house was clear, she pointed to the title of this technique.

“Weighted Speed Training”

During this exercise, the flyer’s whole body is forcively slowed down with magical properties, to where he or she can’t go any faster than jogging speed. No matter how hard they try, the flyer will lack the strength to go any faster.

Depending on how much will they’re able to juice out, the less power exerted means the less speed they’ll gain. If somepony like Rainbow Dash was to only give half her all, then the less velocity she’ll ultimately be granted.

This is meant to not only work out nearly every wing muscle in the average pegasus body, but also give them a sense of lesser morality. Pegasi are known for being prideful, and thus, will put out that much more effort the next time around.

This worked wonders for Rainbow. After Twilight set up a miniature course made of round clouds going in a singular circle, something Rainbow could fly loops around for hours, completing thousands of laps even in her current state, Rainbow had to ask, “Isn’t that a bit below my standards?”

Twilight hardly gave a proper response. Instead, she went ahead and casted the spell, making Rainbow immobile from going anywhere near her regular drifting speed. “There,” Twilight said with a smirk.

“H-hey! What’d you do to me?”

“Ugh!” Twilight groaned. “I thought I explained all this! Just… fly, okay? I’m not telling you what we’re doing again.”

Rainbow looked up at that first circle, remembering quite well what Twilight said. However, if anything, all Rainbow heard was a challenge. Break through the spell, and prove she wasn’t going to be restrained by her assistant’s magic.

With wings widening and a devilish smile growing on her muzzle, Rainbow took a running start, and took to the sky, full effort thrown forth… But, instead of going at maximum speed, ripping through the air like a katana does butter, Rainbow went slower than running speed, just as Twilight said she would.

The first three rings were passed by slowly, but that’s as fast as Rainbow could go. Like an earth pony out on his morning route, Rainbow went just as quickly, even slowing down a bit with every puff exhaled. Every passing moment was spent flapping her wings harder, and harder, straining to break free from this curse.

No matter how much she tried, though, Rainbow just wasn’t going any faster, but she refused to accept that. She kept going for hours, around and around, sweat dripping down to the grass below, all the while Twilight keeping count of how many laps she’d done.

By the time a few bleak stars became relatively visible in the orange sky, Rainbow was finally wiped out, even completely drained of all her energy. It was no surprise to Twilight that Rainbow made such a rough landing, falling to her back and gasping for huge chunks of air.

With a damp cloth, Twilight briskly swiped it over her head, replenishing her friend’s dehydrated being, and offered, “You wanna stay at my place tonight? I don’t think you can make it back to your place, not in this condition.”

Rainbow made a foolhardy attempt at proving Twilight wrong by lifting her frame, and saying, “Don’t need… to stay! I’ll be just f-fine… Ach!”

Her knees gave in, and down Rainbow went, thumping to the dirt only to pass out on impact. It was then that Twilight took initiative by hoisting Rainbow over her back and carrying her off, into the house so she could rest.

Another hour went by before Rainbow woke back up with a throbbing headache, Spike standing over her, dabbing her forehead with a new washcloth, warm water sliding down and into her mane. Once Spike noticed Rainbow was awake, he chanted, “Twilight, she’s up!”

Over on a couch, Rainbow saw Twilight sitting with the flight book open, looking her way with a relieved grin. As she got up and started moving closer to the two, she voiced, “You’re nuts, Rainbow. Do you know that?”

Rainbow painfully nodded. “Yeah…”

“It was like you were intentionally trying to hurt yourself. Then again, maybe the soreness in your back and wings will teach you not to over do it tomorrow.”

Rainbow looked around while leaning up. She was in Twilight’s bed for some reason. “Why… am I…?”

Twilight shushed her with a hoof. After setting it back down on the floor, she explained, “You’ll be sleeping here for tonight. As for myself, the couch will have to do.”

Rainbow held her head for a moment, and asked, “It won’t be any trouble, right?”

Twilight was starting to turn around, but after hearing that, she returned with a concerned look. “Of course not. I’m more than happy to house you for the night…”

An odd silence, and then a dragon interrupting it with an, “Ahem…”

Both ponies jumped a bit, glancing at Spike. Soon enough, Rainbow laid down while Twilight retreating to the couch at the far end of the room. Once she did, Twilight also grabbed the other book sitting right next to Rainbow’s. Spike followed, whispering, “Twilight, that’s not the flight book.”

“I know,” Twilight mumbled. “I have to find something out, and I think this book has the answers I need.”

“Enchantments Gone Wrong”

Within detailed malfunctions affiliated with a wide assortment of primitive, magical spell weaving, mostly placed on items much like the nurse outfits Twilight and Rainbow wore at work. Through the night, Twilight would research into the matter, hoping to find something, anything. Whether or not her predicament could be logically explained, however, would have to wait a bit longer.

In only a couple of minutes, she’d feel the heavy weight of slumber gripping at her mind, just when she thought she’d found something. Unfortunately, even when morning came, she’d come to only to discover she and Rainbow had overslept, nearly late for their jobs. Her study of mishap magics would have to wait.