Medical Procedures

A white hoof guided Rainbow’s over her spectrum mane, twisting and tying the purple scrunchie in loops around the back. Once she was finished, Rarity asked, “See? It’s really not that difficult. You don’t need magic to do this!”

Rainbow nodded. “Alright… Let me give this a shot on my own this time.”

Off the hair accessory went, wrapping around Rainbow’s hoof while Rarity reminded her, “Just remember; curl, pull, and latching is all you need to do followed by an extra circling for tightness. I used to do this all the time when experimenting with the latest fashion, and though this fell out of style, I never did stop liking it for some reason.”

While she talked, Rainbow adjusted her mane accordingly, this time around, doing it right without hardly any trouble or need of help from her friend. “I… got it! Sweet! Heh, that was easy.”

“I told you,” Rarity gloated. “Curl, pull, and then latch. Three simple steps, and once it’s on, the rest is a walk in a park. Or, in your case, a simple flight through the clouds.” Clearing her throat to catch Rainbow’s attention and divert her from the mirror, she asked, “So, how was work today?”

For most of the evening, Rainbow had been avoiding that, knowing Rarity would probably look down upon the kiss Twilight tolerated earlier in the day. Even though Twilight didn’t mind, Rainbow knew Rarity would still complain, but there was no hiding it any longer.

With a sigh, Rainbow tried to start slowly. “Something happened when we were cleaning Nurse Redheart’s room.”

Rarity gasped. “Y-you didn’t give her a kiss, did you?”

Rainbow looked at Rarity, mortified by how predictable she was. “How’d you even?”

Face-hoofing, and then turning around, Rarity chided, “Rainbow, Rainbow darling…” She chuckled in between, but resumed, “ I told you about this. Kissing Twilight should wait until at the very least second or maybe third date, the latter being only if you don’t feel as though she’d be comfortable with it on the date before.”

Rainbow explained, “You don’t understand! I slipped, and fell over, taking her with me. She was on me, and, Rarity, if you were in my position by then, I’d love to see you trying to resist! She just… She looked down on me with those eyes, a curious face, and I lost complete control.”

Rarity returned her sights to the pegasus while saying, “So, it was an accidental, instinctive kiss. And, Twilight didn’t seem to mind?”

Rainbow nodded. “Actually, after that, if you ask me, I think she was more happy throughout the day. We gossiped about Nurse Redheart and Dr. Stables, read this flight book together during lunch, and… Well, I don’t think I saw her frown at all since that!”

Rarity gave Rainbow this look of disbelief, and said, “Unreal. She’s not even gone out with you yet, and already you’ve stolen the first kiss like nothing. In all my years of watching certain individuals develop sentimental feelings for one another, I’ve never, ever seen things going this smoothly.”

Rainbow scratched the back of her neck, and offered, “It might be because of these uniforms. Like I told you, they interfere with other’s thoughts and feelings. Ponies all around the clinic can easily be caught kissing behind closed doors, and more often than that, having-”

Rarity cut Rainbow off with, “Yeah, I get the point. Still, I find it hard to believe unicorns could be affected by the enchantments. That’s why I’m kind of surprised by Twilight’s leniency. Despite you telling me that all ponies including unicorns can be placed under the uniform’s influence, I kept to my doubts.”

Rainbow blinked, and asked, “Why?”

“Because,” Rarity said, magically brushing her mane while averting her gaze at the mirror. “While I wore it, I didn’t feel anything for you. No offense. And, it wasn’t just you. I didn’t feel attracted to any mare in the whole establishment.” She warily looked over to Rainbow with a puzzled look about her, and asked, “Are you sure you got the facts straight?”

Rainbow looked left, and then right, lowering her level of sight with every alteration of glances as she pondered, “We had to sign some paperwork… Dr. Stables told me way back that it’s customary for everypony to understand the extreme, emotional risk we take when joining the medical field that has these nurse clothes as their routine uniform.”

Rarity stepped closer after placing her brush down. “Why wasn’t I shown this?”

Rainbow raised her head momentarily to say, “Oh, you were just a replacement of a day. I don’t think he found it necessary. Chances are, those forms go all the way to Canterlot for processing, and to do yours would be, like, one big task.”

With a nod of the head, she gestured with a hoof while saying, “Go on…”

“He said that I should’ve looked it over very carefully, and that it might contain some details he confessed to possibly, though accidentally forgetting to mention. Well, it was big, and the text was small, so I skimmed over it…” She huffed, “Even when he told me that I needed to read it. But, like I said before. You were only there for a day! It takes two for those effects to kick in. Right?”

Rarity countered by agreeing at first, but then turning the tables. “True… However, think back to the first time you saw Twilight Sparkle all dressed up and ready for the job. Can you remember what you felt?”

Rainbow grunted, “How could I forget? She looked so awesome! Of course I fell for her on the first day.”

“Then why didn’t I fall for you?” Rarity tried her best to use logic. “It’s very possible that only pegasi and earth ponies can be affected by the enchantment, and that you simply don’t have all the facts required. I suggest you go see Dr. Stables and ask about it.”

“I don’t know, Rarity..”

“What’s the harm? I mean, everypony, even Twilight herself knows about your feelings towards her. You don’t want to wind up embarrassing yourself due to an unfortunate instance which would coincidently be spawned on by your lack of knowledge.”

“Gah! Alright, fine! You win… Just stop using such big words, please.”

Rarity snickered. “Sorry about that.”

Before walking away to head home, Rainbow left her friend with one last question. “But, then, Twilight wouldn’t be influenced. it sure does seem like she is, though. Why her, but not the others?”

Rarity shrugged, and said, “Perhaps, tomorrow, you should interrogate the good doctor about that as well.”

Meanwhile, Twilight was back home, studying and researching about the very same thing, why she was developing her feelings for Rainbow so quickly. “It’s just unnatural! I don’t get it!”

Spike came down the stairs with another heaping load of books for her, all of which either made complete or partial reference to the type of magic Twilight had recently become so interested in. Just before the last step, he tripped. Luckily for him, Twilight was on her second cup of coffee, alert and ready.

Like nothing, she caught him in midair along with the books. While levitating them over and stacking each one neatly by title, she also brought him over where she slept the night before, too. On the big, comfy couch, right behind Twilight, she settled Spike down and asked, “Mind keeping a secret?”

Spike rested his arms on her. “It’s got something to do with enchanting stuff, doesn’t it. Are you planning on making the world fall in love with books, same as you?”

“Yes, but that’s another story. You see… And, don’t laugh, but I might have a… crush on Rainbow Dash.” She said that last part so quickly and abruptly, Spike almost didn’t catch it.

“That’s all? Twilight, I hate to break this to you, but you talk in your sleep.”

She looked away from page number two hundred eighteen. “What? I do not!”

Spike cleared his throat, and then mimicked her. “Oh, Rainbow! Please, not on the neck! Our friends might see it!”

She gasped immediately and held a hoof up to her lips, cheeks blushing. “D-did I say that while Rainbow was here last night?”

He chuckled, and shook his head. “Nah, the night before. No worries, I’ve laughed enough at it. Besides, there’s nothing wrong about liking her the way you do. Though, why’re you researching all this stuff? You think you’ve been placed under a love spell or something?”

Twilight looked back at her literature, closed the book as she read the final page, and then continued with the next. “I’m not sure, but I’m betting there’s something in here that just might spread some light on this peculiar situation… Like… That!”

Spike leaned over her, his belly pressing against the mare’s waist, and read aloud while holding his cheeks up with his claws, elevating them with Twilight’s side. “Friday, on the third of Rain’s Hoof, five E, two hundred eleven. Enchantments evolve beyond what most considered impossible. New, dangerous experiments are taken place, and the controlled system that balances side effects are considered for more astute magicians to craft.”

Twilight cut in. “After that, this explains how some flora, or flowers can potentially damage items that have been warped with magical properties, like the Polifern. It’s got red and black petals, and was only found deep in the Everfree Forest. Basically, nothing else but wildlife and mild vegetation has been known to corrupt magical artifacts, weapons and gear.”

Spike laid his head down while his right claw pointed to some more text. “Says here, if the flower you mentioned is introduced to the pony that could be placed under impairment, the Polifern can cancel out all afflictions. In other words, a simple flower can make your outfit's magic useless, even the part that keeps Rainbow unwillingly seduced.”

Twilight closed the book, and speculated, “Maybe I’ve come into contact with the right kind of flower in some way. That’s why I’m not impervious to the charm! But, the only time I’ve ever worn the thing is inside the clinic.”

Spike reminded her, “You did bring it over here once.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, but then Dr. Stables asked that I keep my uniform in the changing room. Besides, according to the research, the flower only makes a pony immune to the magic for a short time.”

“That is, unless the flower’s been tampered in some way,” Spike corrected.

“Mmhmm, with the right elixir, someone could probably make the flower’s potency beyond normal, so this whole thing would’ve needed to be done on purpose.”

Spike wondered, “But, who would’ve needed you to fall in love with Rainbow Dash?”

Twilight said, “Actually, I don’t think that’s the case. Let’s say Rainbow is exposed to the flower. She’d only lose all interest in me. Now, if I were exposed to it, I’d create fondness towards her. Yin and Yang; what happens to me would be the opposite for her. It’s how the flower works.”

Spike looked back at the book, and asked, “That would also mean your uniform would cease to grant you medical benefits. Would that go down the same way with Rainbow if it was her that’s been exposed to the plant?”

“If she wasn’t wearing her outfit when coming into contact with the flower, then no. She’d simply…” Twilight stared forward. “She’d simply not be in love with me.”

Twilight wasn’t sure about her hypothesis. If anything, it would require some testing, but she convinced herself she’d finally figured it out. Somepony could’ve been trying to sabotage Rainbow’s emotions, and keep her from falling in love with the other nurses.

However, the plan could have backfired, and Twilight was the one who became infected with the anti-enchantment. That would explain why she’s so vulnerable to Rainbow’s affection. There was only one way to find out. If her test failed, and she discovered her uniform had little to no effect on her throughout tomorrow’s work day, then she’d have her answer.

There was still the strong possibility that she just really, really, really liked Rainbow Dash, honest and truthfully. Though, typical as always, Twilight wasn’t buying that. A gut feeling told her this was all the doing of somepony trying to ruin Rainbow’s odds of being enchanted. Unfortunately, somehow, it was Twilight who's being ruined.