Convalescence

"Here! We're right here," I said, rushing to greet our better.

"Front and center, fillies! Luna compels you." I didn't recognize that assertive voice demanding so much attention. It had the rough bark of a drill sergeant, with the cold bite of a scorned lover. I found myself eager to stand up straight, little pops coming from my creaky joints. As drunk as she was, I sensed Pumpkin tensing up too, instinctively preparing for a verbal, or not-so-verbal beat down.

Grape Vine was all but tossed to the side, letting Sun Downer inside. Standing on my tippy-hooves, I tried to look past her to see who she was with. Her boss, maybe? A minder of minders? I don't think there is such a thing. A major-minder, perhaps?

I was pulling off a spectacular impression of a confused bystander when I felt a hoof yank at my collar, bringing me eye-to-eye with Sun Downer. Redness in her eyes told me she had been crying recently, but there was zero grief to be found in the rest of her intense countenance. Pumpkin slid off my back, shamelessly rolling onto the floor like a sack of drunk rocks.

Sun Downer reached over with a wing and pulled a grimacing Pumpkin up by her ear. "Rehabilitator. Sergeant. You two have some explaining to do," said Sun Downer.

Oh, ponyfeathers.

Somehow, Grape Vine was able to convince us all that our conversation would be best had at the dinner table, instead of the cramped halls. There were exactly four seats at the table, along with fresh muffins, conveniently enough.

There was a moment of tense silence as I tried to organize some thoughts, but it was like trying to catch falling leaves, and slipping on the ones I let fall. Catching leaves is hard with hooves, you know?

It was Pumpkin who croaked out a response first. "Lily and I were jus' having a good old time here with her pal Viney-Winey here, you should join in!" Grape Vine bristled at the nickname, but kept her lips pursed.

"I think not!" Sun Downer exclaimed, making me flinch, but Pumpkin seemed unfazed. "You two are acting quite irresponsible considering the positions you're in."

"Suit yourself. I think it'd be good for you to unwind from time to time." Pumpkin said, having difficulty deciding which kind of muffin she wanted next. "You seem real wound up." She settled on a butterscotch, shoving the whole thing in her mouth at once. Impressive.

"Miss Downer, can I ask what this is about? Have these two violated some kind of rule?" Grape Vine asked, though I think she really wanted to ask Pumpkin and I.

Straightening up, Sun Downer replied, in that powerful voice she kept hidden so well. Her demeanor had changed so much compared to when I last saw her, I thought for a moment that we were talking to Sun Downer's twin sister or personality-adjusted clone. But even twins don't share the same cutie mark, and clones are just not real in the least. Probably.

"It is my job to ensure Spathiphyllum and Pumpkin here are fit and ready to report for their duties at all times. That means monitoring their actions during their personal hours if I deem it necessary." She said. "Starting today, I deem it entirely necessary. The paperwork for nocturnal monitoring clearance has already been submitted, and you will be expected to submit to me accordingly." I don't think she meant submitting papers.

She didn't miss a beat. "You," pointing at my forehead with an accusatory wingtip, "I've received several reports from Professor Appropriate Action that you have been falling asleep during a litany of lectures on relationships with rambunctious ragamuffins. Is this true?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"And have you been visiting this arcano-felon's home every night for the past few days?" Sun Downer interrupted.

"Now, wait just a minute there Sunny! None-a what Lily and I do with this felon in our free time is any of your business anyhow." Pumpkin interceded.

"Hey, you don't have to call me that, you know," Grape Vine interjected.

I felt like I was in dire need of an intervention, I said, internally.

"No, we haven't been visiting here every night," I said, externally. Though I might have said "yes" on accident. It's unbelievably hard to formulate a convincing lie when in the presence of the ponies I was in the room with. I was caught with a hoof in the cookie jar and the crumbs led a trail right to my crumby face.

"Is this true, Miss Vine?" Sun Downer's attention snapped to Grape Vine, who seemed to be keeping a level-head throughout all of this. She didn't even have to look at my pleading gaze to know there was a game at play. I wonder how things might have gone if she chose the other side.

But why would she?

"I haven't seen Lily in such a long time, I thought that it would be wonderful to do some catching up. The sergeant here just invited herself along, but we were glad to have her too." Grape Vine said. It was such a convincing lie, even I was fooled for a moment. After all, it was mostly truth, as are the best lies.

"Come on, relax. Don't be such a stick in the cud, Sunny," Pumpkin said, munching away.

"It's mud," corrected Grape Vine.

"What? Her name ain't mud, silly!"

"That's not what I meant-"

"Enough." Sun Downer's wings flared to the sides as she pushed herself out of her chair, releasing a gust of wind reminiscent of distant thunder. The smell of her wing shampoo hit me in a wave. It was like chalk dust and melancholy rain. "I've heard enough." Her tone simmered with disdain, but her face remained stoic. Peaceful, even. Like she had it all figured out.

"Spathiphyllum, I will be escorting the sergeant here back to her lodging. I trust that you will find your way home and get plenty of rest?" Sun Downer scooped up the orange policemare, with nary a tremble in her slender legs.

"No. I mean yes!" I got up from my seat and headed straight for my bags. All this "yes, no" business was getting confusing.

She raised an eyebrow, but chose to move on, generously-sized wings snapping back to her sides. It's not fair! She's shorter and smaller than me in every other way.

"One last thing Lily." Sun Downer said. "Your missing luggage was delivered to your home address earlier today, but seeing how you were attending your very important lectures, the luggage was instead delivered to your mail locker in HQ. I expect you to gather that post-haste."

"Great," Grape Vine said, "can you all leave my house now?"

One shuffle and scurry later, all of us were outside on the overgrown lawn, two out of three of us waving goodbye to Grape Vine. From the look in her eyes, I knew I had a lot of explaining to do. Sun Downer shot me a similar glare, before scooping up Pumpkin and soaring off into the starry skies, the earth pony barely hanging on for her dear life as they faded into the night. Even at a distance, I could make out one more last exchange.

"Dear Luna, you are a heavy pony. What did you eat for dinner? Mud?" Sun Downer asked.

"I ain't good with heights! Lemme go!" Pumpkin's legs flailed wildly.

"Stop resisting! I will not be held responsible for a hole in somepony's roof!"

"Have some consideration fer the one making the hole!"

Before I knew it, I was back in my old neighborhood. So many little fires that might need putting out. Might as well monitor a loose end while in the area.

"Sweetie Belle! Sweetie! Are you there?" The whole neighborhood must have heard me fussing, but that didn't matter much. "We need to talk!"

The door opened a sliver, and I eagerly stuck my head inside it. "Hi! How are you this evening? Can I come in? Good, good, good." I tried to enter further, but Sweetie Belle kept the door stuck in place with a faint green glow.

Sweetie Belle was not pleased. "Lily, it's past midnight. What in the hay are you doing here?"

"Can't we all just be?" I kicked off my boots and tossed them inside. Sweetie Belle sighed and opened the door, but otherwise stayed anchored in place, clearing her throat expectantly.

"I know you aren't here to discuss the quandaries of life over tea, Lily. Tell me what's wrong."

"Wrong? Who am I to determine what is wrong? I wonder if anything is really right in this crazy world."

"Lily. Come on."

Realization was a metaphorical slap in the face. I blushed and dipped my head, staring at her hooves. "Sorry. Didn't mean to get existential. You want to go back to sleep, I get it." My eyes caught on her cutesy pajamas with pink polka dots and found myself momentarily distracted. In spite of everything, a giggle escaped from my throat.

"Where did you find those? You look like a little filly." I said.

Then it was her turn to be bashful, as roses bloomed behind her cheeks. "Um. I might have gone digging through the clothes in the bottom of your closet after you stopped by. I couldn't find my own, but these seemed to fit me. I'll wash them well, I promise!" They looked so soft, as if her fashionista sister had somehow tailored them perfectly for her.

I waved my hoof dismissively, doubling as a way to clear my own scatterbrained daze. "It's fine, it's fine. Keep them. They don't fit me anyway, I'm sure you'll get more use out of them." I found a couch to lean on. "So, did anypony stop by here earlier today?"

"I wasn't home until way after dinner. Preparing for my shows takes all day, so I'm hardly ever here unless it's a day off." Sweetie Belle levitated a glass of water and took a dainty sip that turned into a mighty gulp. "If you couldn't tell, I'm beat. Tonight's performance was amazing though! I wish you could have been there."

"Sorry, I wish I could make it too. The training program just takes all day and by the time it's over I just want to see a pillow and mattress." Good. My alibi was safe. Then again, I should've known that already. Sweetie Belle didn't need to get mixed up in this. Stop wasting her time.

"Okay. I'm here because I was expecting an important package today. Important enough that they wouldn't leave it at the doorstep if nopony was home. There wasn't enough time for me to inform the department of my address change, so I'll end up picking it up from HQ in the morning. I ran into a rather upset official just a couple hours ago, but I think things have cleared up." I checked a few things off the mental list. There was still one troublesome thing left to deal with.

"For future reference, if any ponies come by asking for me, can you pretend like I still live here? It would just make things easier for the delivery ponies," I asked, casually as possible.

"That... that doesn't seem right," she said. Ouch, right in the guilty conscience.

"If it makes you uncomfortable, I won't ask you to do it." I said.

"No, that's not the problem," Sweetie Belle said, rubbing her poofy mane. Doubly poofy, having just gotten out of bed, I assume. "Why are you actually here?"

"What do you mean?" I pushed myself off of the couch, careful not to disturb any of the scattered boxes of random stuff lying around.

"Like, you must have already known the package didn't get dropped off if that supervisor pony was mad at you. In fact, I don't even think you forgot to change your address at all. You're telling me to lie about where you're staying, and you're here for training even though you're like, the best rehabilitator ever."

"Um. Uh-" I didn't realize it, but I was fidgeting with something with my hooves until Sweetie Belle levitated it away from me, continuing to rattle off her observations.

"You forgot some super-important documents on the train, you're running around at night in the middle of winter with a fever, you're coming back here to ask me about some package that you knew wouldn't have been dropped off in the first place."

My legs felt locked to the floor as Sweetie Belle approached, genuine concern shining in those shimmering green eyes. It was so blinding, I had to look away.

"What's wrong, Lily? Why are you acting like a dodo?"

I thought my eyes were going to fall out of my head. I wanted to deflate like a balloon, and sputter off into an incoherent little thing. What's another lie in the tangled bird's nest I had already woven?

Sincere.

I let out the breath I had been holding. "I have to see her."

"Who?"

"Leap Year."

Silence. Lovely silence. Awful silence.

"Okay," she said.

"Just okay?"

"Yup. Thank you for letting me know." She said, putting on a pink nightcap, matching the pajamas.

"Please, you can't tell-"

"Oh please, Lily, don't give me that," she levitated me up from my begging position and plopping me onto the couch.

"This obviously means a lot to you, if you'd risk your career for it. It's no wonder you've been acting so weird. Well, weirder than normal." A calendar floated up from the assortment of boxes, and she flipped through the pages. "Leap Day is coming up in just a few days, huh? I've been losing track of the days of the week lately."

I hugged one of the cushions. "I'm not allowed to see her. Isn't that ridiculous?" I tried not to sound like a petulant foal, but I think it came off that way.

"It is and it isn't. You don't need me to tell you that Leap Year is dangerous. They close off the entire archive every Leap Day because of that mischievous mare, even if she isn't supposed to show up. You really think she's showing up this time?"

"She's going to, and I know it. I've been dreaming about her." I paused. "Okay, better phrasing. She has appeared in my dreams, and hallucinations too."

"Wow."

More silence. Maddening silence.

"Uh, Sweetie Belle, if it's that hard of a decision, then you don't have to-"

"Huh, what? Oh sorry, I was just falling asleep, kinda," she said. I was about to say something that straddles the line between kind and frustrated when she put her hoof to my mouth.

"Relax. I got this. If I'm here, and somepony asks where you are, I'll just say I don't know."

"Promise?"

"Promise. But you need to promise me something too."

"Okay. What is it?"

"Don't get anypony hurt. For your sake and theirs."

Something inside me cursed Sweetie Belle for making me make a promise like that. Life is too ironic to let me get away with a promise like that.

"I promise." I said.

"Great!" Sweetie Belle levitated the calendar back to its proper place among the disaster zone that was the living room floor. Just a few more days. Before that though, I had to see Rafflesia again.

Knocking ponies out with stink-breath doesn't count as hurting them, does it?