Medical Procedures

What happened next is no mystery, not in the slightest. Twilight and Rainbow woke up the next morning to the unmistakable sound of a dozen alarm clocks going off in their faces, and then they both got ready for work after the ringing in their ears finally came to a stop moments after they were able to stand. The real mystery occurred shortly after the two were called away from their lunch during work.

Rainbow had brought along her book by Princess Celestia in case she felt up to doing some extra training, and she certainly did. Even though the previous night was long, and her world seemed to be picking up rather quickly, she still had the energy to at least keep up with practicing for Spitfire, and all the others. Their return would hopefully be remarkable.

“Remarkable?” Twilight asked rhetorically. “I’m not sure why. They’ll just come to Ponyville, promptly be greeted by Pinkie and be brought here, if not by her then somepony else that knows about you and this job. Plus, don’t you write to Spitfire or something?”

Rainbow lifted her back up from the floor with her wings, her body in a straight, pencil shape. They were in the break room enjoying lunch, but of course, Rainbow had finished her meal early and decided it best to get started on her sets. As she breathed out a puff of air, she looked at Twilight with a curious expression on her face. “Spitfire and I consider ourselves possible colleagues, not close friends that write to one another… I’m not even sure she likes me enough to even someday think of doing that sorta stuff.”

Twilight looked at the sandwich she made for herself, but couldn’t eat. Sure, she was hungry enough, but the worry for Rainbow’s Wonderbolt dream was weighing her mood down, and kept her from thoroughly enjoying her meal. A few bites here and there was hardly a meal, but that's all she could force down.

After all, Rainbow was never guaranteed a position amongst the elite, and to know she couldn’t even currently call Spitfire her friend yet was a shocker to Twilight. Perhaps, up until this point, Rainbow simply hadn’t experienced enough with her yet. “I’m sure she’d call you her friend,” she said, hoping her timing was right.

“Yeah, to me, and others, but it’s one thing to say something and another to mean it.” Rainbow looked up at Twilight upon another painful lift. “Spitfire says she’s all her fans’ friend. All of them. Now, how many ponies are like me? A wannabe that’s been around her, but not really with her?”

Twilight argued, “But you’re not a wannabe. You’re the one and only Rainbow Dash! You’re a better flyer than Soarin’!”

Rainbow hoofed the compliment with a shy smile. “Daw, stop, you know there’s loads of debate about that all over Equestria.” Afterwards, her hoof returned to its former position over her head.

“Exactly,” Twilight said, gesturing to her friend as she went down, and then back up again. “How many ponies have met the Wonderbolts and gave one of their own some trouble about who’s better with the press and public?”

Rainbow’s eyes became more relaxed, and so did the rest of her body after that last dip. She brought herself to her hooves to look at Twilight, smiling, but before she could say something to keep the conversation going, she was interrupted by the intercom. “Twilight, Rainbow? Could you two come to the front office? Thank you.”

“Awe,” Twilight groaned jokingly. “I didn’t get to finish my sandwich.”

Rainbow snickered. “Yeah, because you were totally going to finish that.”

As they walked out the door and into the hallways of the clinic, Twilight defended, “Hey, I might’ve been able to finish it if I had the time!”

At the front desk, near the entrance, a hooded figure with yellow eyes sat at the cushioned seats next to the entrance doors with a magazine sitting opened to some random page on the miniature table in front of her. Twilight knew who this was, and wondered why she insisted on donning such a provocative piece of clothing. “Zecora?” she asked aloud upon coming up to her usual seat. “What’re you doing here?”

“Twilight Sparkle?” the zebra asked forwardly. “This cannot be. You, and Rainbow Dash, too? You're are the last couple of ponies I expected to see.”

Rainbow smirked. “What’s in the box?”

To the left of her on the side Twilight hadn’t been paying much attention to sat a small box with assorted vials, each and every single one of them filled to the brim, and corked with variously colored liquids contained inside. Some seemed clear while others were thick, and gooey looking. “Ailments, medicine; the basic medical thing. Some of these ponies absolutely need the chemicals I bring.”

She lowered her hood slowly, letting her differently styled mane hold onto the fabric, only to bounce back up as each straight strand let go. Once the two got a good look at her, she stopped smiling. “What is it?” Twilight asked.

“I am an alchemist, a master at it if I do say so myself. I work with so many chemicals, and most end up simply sitting on my shelf. One day, I arrived here offering my assistance. It was no trouble, I told the nurses and doctors, despite the distance. They accepted after getting comfortable. Not to mention, my prices were well beyond affordable. The most common chemicals I like to see played with, though, is the type that can only be conjured up from a pair like you two.”

Twilight and Rainbow looked at one another, embarrassed. “How did you…?” Rainbow questioned hushly.

Zecora simply smiled and lowered her voice while coming closer to finish her rhyme with a whisper. “Last time I saw such a beautiful thing, I became amazed at how quickly the pair’s love for one another grew.”

She simply lowered the care package to the counter to pass it on while keeping her eyes on Rainbow. “What?” the pegasus asked after a moment of silence.

Zecora shook her head, and claimed, “It’s nothing you need to fret about. At least, not right now. I’m mistaken, I don’t doubt. All I want to know is… how?”

As she walked away and out of the clinic's white walls, her riddle played tricks inside the two nurse’s heads for a bit, but really, there was no way they could’ve possibly known what she was getting at. Besides, it was right about time for something more important to happen to them. That was the predictable, simultaneous chanting for the two from their superiors. For Twilight, it was Nurse Redheart, and for Rainbow, Dr. Stables asked for her assistance with something from his cracked office door.

“Rainbow, I need you. Bring your things, too. You know.” He looked at Twilight who smiled back.

As far as he needed to know, they weren’t up to anything at all. In actuality, however, Twilight could’ve guessed by now what was going on between the four of them all with little trouble. At the same time, Rainbow could’ve done the same thing. Neither needed to say a word about it at all, but rather, a cheeky grin was shared between the couple before departing with one another, but only to drop off their respective intel.

The transaction was nothing short of a quick grab for their saddle bags that they each brought in upon arrival, and after they pulled out their paperwork and was granted permission to leave with the assurance of better hours, Twilight returned to the rooms she and Rainbow had used only a few hours ago unlike her friend who waited up front. Twilight had one last drop off she needed to take care of, and left Rainbow alone, wondering what was taking her so long.

The unicorn hadn’t forgotten last night, nor would she even be able to do so until tomorrow morning. Even then, the evening would waft into her mind after a few moments went by in the bathroom. For now, though, Twilight planned ahead, and brought along a little something special that she knew Rainbow would love. She and her pegasus usually attended separate changing rooms. That would change this time around, if only for a chance to surprise Rainbow.

There was a slight possibility they would do much more behind those closed doors along with other places as well, but for later on while Rainbow looked through and got changed before heading home, she’d be shocked to find a rather kinky surprise sitting on the table. Then, the door would open and close behind her, but the rest will have to come later on.

About halfway through that day while Twilight sent Rainbow on her way to tend to a patient, Zecora headed home. One feature Twilight and Rainbow luckily didn’t notice for the zebra was the flower hanging loosely on her ear, tucked tightly in, and utterly blending with her coat thanks to its dull grey color. It almost looked invisible whenever her head was turned correctly. This, however, was on purpose.

“Oh, no, what went wrong?” Zecora asked after trotting into her home, looking around in a panic. “The mixture I made, how couldn’t it be strong?”

As she headed towards the beakers wrapped up by rope that hung from the ceiling, her voice heightened while she became even more irritated. “The plans were all exact, and I thought my mind was clear. The plant was made to prevent this, and instead this is exactly as I fear. Rainbow and Twilight! Both, fallen. What went wrong with the pollen?!” She searched through counters and rummaged all of the hut, but came up with nothing. “It’s as if she never got them, but I did my best. I gave them to Twilight herself. Why didn’t she take care of the rest?”

“What went wrong?”

From the far way, a wrapped figure with a nervous sounding voice entered without permission, but that was all right. Zecora allowed the intrusion because she knew who this was despite her attires being a little worn, and her mask showing patches of a deep, signature yellow through the cracks. Even some flaming strands of her mane could be seen sticking out through a few holes, not to mention her tail. Anypony could’ve recognized Spitfire, even with some rags hiding most of her body.

The two ponies met a good while ago, right about after the Crystal Empire introduced the specially enchanted nurse outfits. Zecora had already been visiting the Ponyville Clinic, and was surprised to run into Spitfire who was having a serious problem adjusting to the days with a cast around her broken wing.

Spitfire was a tough patient back then, and had only gotten into this situation due to a mishap Soarin’ caused, and nothing the doctors did kept her at bay. Everywhere she turned, any nurse she saw, she instantly fell madly in love with, and Zecora noticed this after a period of time. So, late at night, when the place was empty, she snuck in and delivered a gift.

The very next day, Spitfire felt no affection towards the ponies she previously adored. The doctors couldn’t explain it either, and though all she needed to do was wait, she couldn’t help but to ponder over the phenomenon. When morning came, she was awaken by a pair of soft, grey hooves shaking her awake. Spitfire was happy to meet the mare that helped her.

Zecora explained in detailed rhymes about how one sniff from her tweaked Polifern flower can disable the enchanted clothing that made her act so differently. Even from a few good steps away, if one smelled it, they became immune to the magical effects instantly. Over the years following Spitfire recovering, Spitfire and Zecora became friends, and when it came around time, Spitfire let Zecora in on a little secret of hers. She had a crush on Rainbow Dash.

The latest letter Spitfire got from Zecora, her pen pal explained sightings of Twilight moving in on her mare, so without hesitation, she acted. “Are you in good health? Is everything sorted out?” Zecora asked. “I know you're having a bad time with wealth, but how'd you go about traveling such a route?"

Spitfire came close to the table and began unraveling herself. As the tattered, dusty cloths were placed gently onto the wooden surface, Spitfire said, “My team and I just got in. Only… a week or two before our early return, which Rainbow Dash will be learning about any moment now. I convinced Soarin’ and the others to just sneak away from Cloudsdale with me, and got our manager to make everyone think we’re just resting it up for a few days over at Las Pegasus before we pack up for Ponyville again.”

Zecora asked, “All this just to check up with Rainbow? If only love like yours had some sort of placebo.”

Spitfire nodded. “It’d be nice, but I’d still want the real thing. Plus, that city was getting old! I’m not really sure if it was because I wasn’t close to Rainbow Dash, or because the service, hotels and attitude of everypony we saw was just downright distasteful all around, but I had to get back here pronto. Talking with everyone, and buttering up Soarin’ to head back down was hard, but the second I got your letter saying you saw Rainbow with Twilight, at the Ponyville Clinic, no less, I had to get here immediately. Now then…”

Zecora stopped her where she stood with a hoof. “This deal we made required much participation on my part. Granted, not seeing Rainbow with the plant wasn’t very smart. However, I plan to fix all this. Another simple tweak to a new Polifern should bring you a little bliss.”

Spitfire scoffed, “That didn’t work, remember? First, you tweaked that first flower, and then, we tested it ourselves with a uniform that I wore myself, something I did not want to do.” She growled quite a bit at the ending part. “When you delivered the package to Twilight, they somehow didn’t work on Rainbow, and that purple unicorn’s outfit then made her fall in love with Twilight. Because the tweaked Polifern couldn’t reach her muzzle, Rainbow Dash never even got the chance to inhale. Something must’ve got wrong with the transfer somehow.”

Zecora offered, “Twilight taking the plant out of the hospital is a strong possibility. She, or even another nurse could’ve easily recognize its furtive hostility.”

Spitfire sighed. “All that work, for nothing… What do you think? Should I head on down there just to check it out once I'm actually supposed to be in Ponyville?”

Zecora looked around her home briefly, but couldn’t think of a reason why that’d be a bad thing to do. “I say, go for it as it might give you a chance to greet them. I’m Twilight’s friend after all, so take it from me when I say, she’s a shimmering gem.”

Spitfire stood from her spot with closed eyes. “I can’t believe my predicament, Zecora.”

All her friend could offer was a nod, though after she left, Zecora hastily got back to work with tweaking her flowers. On the farthest side of the room, where most don't normally notice sat a vase atop a mask. In it grew potent polifern. It’s the only known plant that can disrupt the flow of enchanted items and clothing, and at the time, it was a dying breed as well.

To Zecora’s knowledge, the few she had left in her possession were all there was in the world of Equestria. So, to her and Spitfire, it was important that each one they used counted. Not to mention, having so few left prevented Zecora from visiting often. She, like Spitfire, was very vulnerable towards the nurse's charm her first time around. That was when she went out looking for the flower. What she found then seemed like so much more in quantity back then. Now, it all seemed to vanish with time.