Medical Procedures

Spitfire sat on a cloud. The day was winding down, and her thoughts lingered on the most recent of events. She had ditched her jacket after stopping by her team’s secret pad, informing them all to start headed for Cloudsdale, and that she’d join them soon enough. She flexed her wings, and peered around the area, though mainly looking at the sunset.

She repeated the words said by Twilight. “I did the right thing… I think.”

She closed her eyes tightly, and when they opened them, she glanced down at Zecora’s hut below. It could be seen through the other clouds above its location, and she then considered going down. “I still need to see Zecora off,” Spitfire said to herself. “She’s helped me through thick and thin…”

In no time at all, she was off her cloud and on the ground, standing before the door. She entered, and found the interior seemingly void of its owner. Sitting on the table was a note, but Spitfire called out for Zecora anyways. “Zecora? You home?”

No answer, so she read what was written on the piece of paper. “Went to get herbs for tonight's stew. Be back in a few.” She smirked at Zecora's rhyming even being in her writings, and looked around for a bit. The hammock Zecora slept on stood out most in the room, on the far side. It was what inspired Spitfire to try and make one for herself outside. “Wasn’t easy, either…”

As she came nearer to it, staring at the top bed she often occupied at nights, she wondered why Zecora was so determined to help her out. “Just friendship, huh?” She looked down at the nightstand, and considered opening its single drawer. More times than Spitfire could count, she’d seen Zecora pull some sort of book out of there, write something in it, and then return it.

Her hoof rested on the wooden knob. “Probably her diary…”

It opened, and sure enough, there sat Zecora’s personal log of everything that had transpired. She picked it up, and skimmed to the most recent page. While flipping through rhyme after jumbled rhyme, she told herself, “This is bad for my OCD.”

Finally, the latest line was found. Once more, she read aloud, “So now I await the news, and still, I worry Spitfire might find out about the fond feelings I’ve developed for her with such lovely time spent. If only she knew which direction her love truly went.”

She closed it, and returned it to the night stand. For a good, long while, Spitfire merely stood there, trying to figure out how to go about this. She had followed the rainbow, and it didn’t lead to anything spectacular for her. So now, was she to go after the black and white stripes instead?

“Heh…” She faced the exit of the hut. “If I don’t, I might lose my chance like I did with Rainbow.” Now comparing the two in her mind, Spitfire mentioned to herself, “In fact, I never realized how… beautiful Zecora really is until now…”

She looked outside through the creases of the cloth door, and made up her mind. She left in search for Zecora, and she'd be found not collecting herbs, but resting and bathing on a rock by a waterfall. It didn’t take Spitfire long to find this location, and come walking up. Uninvited, her hooves sloshed in some mud, but that was quickly washed away with her entering the sparkling water.

Zecora could be heard gasping in the distance. “Spitfire? I wasn't expecting you.” Spitfire didn’t respond. She simply allowed the zebra to finish. “I picked herbs as you can see. Most were shrivelled, but they’ll do.”

Spitfire looked to her left at a stump. On it sat a bag full of Zecora’s supplies. She then looked back towards the water, and said, “I told them about the flower. They… forgave me.”

Zecora had gotten off her rock, and was now approaching her winged friend. As she came up, she nodded. “Good to hear, but something troubles you still.” She did her best to smile. “There’s only one way this can go now, and it’s certainly not downhill.”

Spitfire looked away, her attempt at hiding her growing frown failing more and more. “When I got home, I might’ve read your diary.”

Spitfire could tell Zecora’s stomach had just received a heavy dose of butterflies, because her face was one of shock. She didn’t say a word, though, so Spitfire continued, which only made Zecora blush profusely.

“More specifically, the most recent entry. I had wondered for the longest time why you were doing this. For my friendship? For your own personal gain? For love?” Zecora glanced away, her left hoof rubbing its partner. Spitfire took a pause to stare at the pony. “And it turns out, it was because you developed a crush for me…”

Zecora bowed her head. “I do apologize, but I can’t help feeling this way. So, I understand if you don’t share these emotions, and wouldn’t wish to stay.”

Spitfire felt tempted to just kiss Zecora then and there, but compulsed herself. Instead, she asked, “What to do…? Ask you out on a date?”

The look on Zecora’s face changed from regret to surprise the second she returned her gaze to the pony in front of her. “T-that seems the proper choice.”

Spitfire then finished Zecora’s rhyme for her. “Huh… I’ve never heard your stuttering voice.” She took one step, and was now muzzle to muzzle with the nervous zebra. “I could just kiss you…”

Zecora did her best to mumble, “That’s not what I was going to s-”

She was stopped by Spitfire pressing her lips against hers. They stood there in the water just like that, Zecora’s eyes wide, but slowly drooping the deeper the kiss got, both loving one another’s taste. When it ended, Zecora had to voice, “Hopefully you don’t find this question bad, but does this mean you’re not mad?”

Spitfire laughed under her breath, and said, “Far from it.” She kissed her new special somepony again, her hoof resting on Zecora's chest, and for a slight second, Rainbow crossed the Wonderbolt's mind. That would be the last time Rainbow would leech herself into Spitfire’s head until they saw one another again.

In the time that passes after this, with little need to work at the clinic anymore, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash eventually decide to respectively quit, and Dr. Stables understood fully. They had to, and it was mainly because Twilight had been receiving more and more friendship related endeavors to see to, and could no longer juggle the two responsibilities.

Rainbow had made a full recovery by then, and was becoming more and more preoccupied with flight again. As one might be able to guess, Rainbow was the first to leave the establishment, and Twilight soon followed. Dr. Stables and Nurse Redheart were content with the services the two had provided them while employed there, as well the help with their relationship.

As for Spitfire and Zecora, the two would part in the morning. However, it wouldn’t be long until Spitfire would be returning to the hut once more, anticipating Zecora’s companionship each and every day that went by without her. Until that day came around when she'd be able to see her special somepony again, Spitfire would have no choice but to eagerly wait it out.