Rarity hummed a song as she made her way to the house of the human. She had just finished one set of clothing that would provide him with more protection against the cold. It wasn't as challenging as she had initially thought. She wished she could add more of her own ideas to this year's winter collection, but she had to take his wishes into consideration to keep it simple and plain. However, that didn't stop her from adding a little something to them.

Suddenly, she lifted the pack containing Lazlo's first set of winter clothes higher with her magic to avoid it touching the ground. Even though it was packed, she didn't want to risk them getting dirty. She felt both glad and proud of her levitation skills. Of course, levitation was one of the few magics that all unicorns were capable of instinctively, but not all of them could move multiple objects at the same time like she could, or carry heavier things for an extended period of time. She knew she was nowhere near Twilight's level, but she was content with what she had accomplished.

Carrying the package on her back would have been easier, but she didn't want to do that. As winter approached and the temperature began to drop, she, like most ponies, started growing longer and thicker fur. It was a natural process, but it had its downsides. One of them was that if anything came into contact with her body for an extended period of time, except for areas where the fur didn't grow as much, like the neck or head, she would start sweating in that area, and she despised that. So, she tried to avoid it as much as possible. Of course, she could trim her fur, like some ponies did, but then she would need to wear those winter clothes all the time. She did receive many orders for clothes like that from ponies who chose to trim their fur, but she herself preferred the fur. Wearing thicker clothes wasn't that different for her compared to having winter fur, but it felt heavier, and she didn't want to feel that way. Besides, she found it challenging to design thick clothing that looked good on her. It simply didn't match her style.

Once she arrived at Lazlo's house, she knocked on the door. What greeted her when the door opened almost made her drop the package. There stood Lazlo Kis, but he looked horrible. He appeared tired, his whole face was red, and the small area between his nose and lips seemed wet, indicating his nose was running. His long hair was messy, with a few strands falling on his face, sticking to the mucus.

"Hi, Rari-" he couldn't even finish the greeting before taking a step back, turning away, and starting to cough violently. After he finished, Rarity could hear him saying something she didn't hear, but it was probably something that shouldn't be said around a lady. She guessed it was better that she didn't understand it. "I wou-" he tried to continue, but the coughing became more powerful. "I don't want you to catch anything from me," he quickly said, though his voice was rough and got very high-pitched, making it difficult for Rarity to hear him. Half of the sentence was put together through guesswork.

"Oh, darling!" she looked at him with worry but didn't enter the house, as she didn't want to catch whatever he had. "I should've visited you sooner about the clothes." She hoped he could hear her as another bout of coughing interrupted her. "I brought your first set," she levitated it to him, and once he grabbed the package, she canceled her telekinesis. "You should go to the doctor. Can you? Or I can go to the hospital and ask them to send one here to you," she offered.

"I'll go," he continued coughing as he quickly went to the living room and dropped the pack onto the couch. "You can-" he couldn't stop. "-leave, I don-" and the coughing started to worsen.

"I understand," Rarity held up a hoof to silence him. "I don't want to catch it from you. But if you need anything, please let me know, and I'll help you." She offered her assistance. Lazlo shook his head and smiled at her, indicating that he didn't need her help at the moment. "Alright then. Off to the hospital with you! And get well soon!" she said and then left. She felt sorry for the poor human, but she really didn't want to get sick right now. She had too many orders to complete, so falling ill would really mess up her schedule.

On her way back to her boutique, she ran into Twilight and Applejack.

"Hey Rarity!" Twilight greeted her, followed by Applejack. Rarity smiled and returned the greeting. "You won't believe what happened! A filly fell into the well, but Rainbow Dash flew into it and brought her up!"

"Yeah, I admit that was pretty brave and heroic of her!" Applejack added.

"Oh, is the little one alright?" Rarity asked, shocked by what she heard.

"Yeah, she's fine," Twilight assured her. "The well was about to be properly boarded up for winter. The water had already been drained, you know, for closing it down. But the boards weren't fixed yet. The filly said she jumped on the boards and one of them moved, causing her to fall. The board fell too, but luckily it didn't hit her."

"That's horrible!" Rarity gasped. "I'm glad no one was harmed."

"Yeah, and Rainbow even received some praise for it," Applejack nodded.

"Well, she was the hero in this case," Rarity argued, and everyone nodded in agreement. "Anyway, I'm deeply sorry for leaving so abruptly, but I need to go home. I have lots of orders to fulfill."

"Right, I guess there are many ponies who want to have warmer clothes for winter," Twilight spoke.

"Yes, I already delivered one to Lazlo, but there are many others," she said, as she started walking away but then stopped.

"He was shaking like a cow before her first milking yesterday," Applejack said.

"Well, it's good that he won't have to be cold anymore," Twilight smiled at Rarity.

"Yes, but we were late, and he got sick. When he opened the door, his whole face was red, and the coughing was horrible. He could barely say a few words, and his voice was so... hoarse," Rarity explained.

"Oh... Maybe we should visit him and help him get better," Twilight looked a little concerned.

"Well, he probably went to the hospital to see a doctor. They will give him some medicine to help him. But I'm sure he would be happy for some friends to come over, but do be careful not to catch it if possible. Unfortunately, I have to go now, but please let me know if my help is required." After that, she said her goodbyes to the girls and continued on to her home and shop. She had a lot of work to do, after all.

Lazlo felt like he would go mad at any minute. This coughing was so annoying and it also hurt his already sore throat. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long at the hospital to see a doctor. The doctor wrote him a prescription for some medicine and suggested that he rest for the next few days. If the illness persisted, he was advised to come back for a follow-up. It was nothing serious, just a typical illness that he had experienced before.

The only pharmacy in Ponyville was located in the hospital, so at least he didn't have to go far to get his medication. He handed the pharmacist the prescription from the doctor, which included medicine for his cough and throat. He didn't need anything else as the medication for his throat acted as a demulcent, a weaker painkiller, and helped with his fever. He also picked up some other basic over-the-counter medicine to have on hand if needed in the future.

Upon arriving home, he first put away the additional medicine he had purchased before heading to the kitchen to take the prescribed medication. However, he noticed that there were some things on his dining table that weren't there when he left. There was a cup filled with steaming tea, a pack of tea bags, and a letter. He looked at the tea and the tea bags in confusion but then grabbed the letter and began to read.

Hey Lacy,

I met your neighbor this morning, and she told me that she heard you coughing badly when she walked by your house, so I knew you must be ill. I wanted to get some help from Fluttershy because she's good with nursing sick animals, but she was busy dealing with a fight among her animals. However, she gave me some tea that's good for coughing. I wanted to bring it to you, but you weren't home, so I decided to surprise you instead. So SURPRISE!

Get better soon,
Look out of your window

As he finished reading the letter, Lazlo looked unsure at the last part where the sender's name should be. He already had a feeling who wrote it, but he followed the instructions nonetheless.

"What the-" he exclaimed in surprise before succumbing to another fit of coughing.

"Pinkie Pie!" the pink earth pony mare yelled as she glued herself to his kitchen window. After shouting her name, she turned away and left.

His head hurt as he tried to think of a reason why Pinkie would be there, but he felt too tired, another annoyance that came with the illness. Besides, it wasn't the first time Pinkie had broken into his house. He remembered a time when he had just returned home and noticed that his calendar book wasn't where he left it. Upon checking, he discovered that someone had written a lot of stuff in it. How could he be sure it was Pinkie Pie? Who else would mark every birthday she knew of in someone else's calendar? Regardless, it was still annoying and a little bit frightening. He made a mental note to ask her not to break into his house anymore. Perhaps he should make her take a Pinkie promise, or simply explain that it made him uncomfortable, although he appreciated the gesture she had just done for him.

Deciding it would be best, he took his medication and rested for the remainder of the day. He didn't have any plans, after all.

The next afternoon, he found himself doing the same thing as the day before and most of today—nothing. The medication was working, as his fever had gone down and his head no longer hurt, but he still had a persistent cough, particularly when he exerted himself. When he was lying or sitting still, barely moving, the coughing practically stopped, but any movement, drinking, or eating triggered it again. It was quite annoying, but he knew from past experience that the coughing would persist for some time. Nevertheless, he continued with the medication prescribed by the doctor because it was helping.

A knock on the door made him get up, triggering another bout of coughing. He cursed under his breath. Opening the door revealed Twilight Sparkle.

"Hello, Lacy!" she greeted him with a smile. "I hope you're feeling better!"

"Hi, yeah, but still no-" he began coughing. Twilight frowned at him. "What brings you by?" he asked, then coughed again. "Faszba már!" he cursed after it subsided, not realizing that he had cursed in his native language, forgetting that Twilight might not understand.

"I thought that since you're too ill to come to the library, I could visit you to see if you need any help or some company. Maybe we can have another session where I do most of the talking. We haven't had many of those," she explained.

"Are you sure about i-" coughing. "Basszameg!" more coughing. "I don't want you t-" and more coughing. "catch this shit from me." And once again, a fit of coughing interrupted him.

Twilight assured him that she would be fine and if he didn't want her to be there, she would leave. After guilt-tripping him a little, she convinced him to let her in. Lazlo made himself some tea and took his medicine before joining her in the living room. The medication was working quickly, providing temporary relief from the coughing, although it didn't last long. Overall, it helped in the long run.

"So, what's going on whi-" Lazlo started his question as he set down Twilight's tea and took a seat, but he couldn't escape another bout of coughing. "-while I'm dying here?" Twilight didn't seem to appreciate his dark humor. "What? I'm a man!" coughing. "Even the smallest illness-" and more coughing. "-feels like I'm about to die." This time he managed to finish his sentence. "So, get my lawyer and a priest." There was a pause for more coughing. "A kurva picsába! Sorry, I'll try to keep it to a minimum."

"I suggest that you let me do most of the talking today," Twilight said with a smile, although he could sense a hint of annoyance, either due to the coughing or his somewhat morbid humor, or perhaps both. He nodded. "Unless you really don't want to be bothered. Then I'll leave you alone." Lazlo gestured to her that she could stay.

"You can stay," he assured her.

"Alright. So Rainbow Dash has become quite a hero in town," she began, filling him in on what had been happening.

"Aren't you all heroes?" Lazlo asked, but after another bout of coughing, he decided to keep his questions to a minimum.

"Well, yeah. By the way, do you remember that Princess Celestia promised something to Spike?" Lazlo shook his head. "After the Discord incident, I asked him several times if he received it, but he always said no and never wanted me to write to the princess about it and ask her. Turns out, he got it a long time ago. A Fire Ruby! The princess gifted him a Fire Ruby!" Lazlo looked confused at this revelation. "Oh, right. A Fire Ruby is a very rare gemstone. Nopony knows exactly how it happens, but most gemstones can naturally gain magic. It's not like an enchantment or like with us ponies, but similar. So when a gemstone like a ruby undergoes this transformation, it will grow on its own, although very slowly. It can even control the shape as it grows. While it's extremely valuable and rare, it cannot be reproduced or duplicated. Even cutting a piece of it will cause it to lose its attributes and become a simple ruby. However, it has several uses. It can hold an enchantment practically forever, though it's challenging to enchant. Another use is in jewelry. The process of growing the gemstone into the desired shape and then encasing it is time-consuming and expensive. They need to completely enclose it or use enchanted jewelry to prevent further growth. For a dragon like Spike, it's considered the best snack they could ever have. Spike had the luck of trying a very small chunk of Fire Ruby. Princess Celestia offered him a bite from one when they accidentally let it overgrow on one side. According to him, there's been nothing he's tasted since then that even comes close to it. At least, that's how he described it," she finished.

Lazlo struggled to fight off a yawn but failed. While he always found Twilight's lectures interesting and somewhat endearing when she entered her "lecture mode," he was still weakened by the illness. He thought she would make a great teacher, but it seemed that she couldn't handle sudden topics very well. She would start talking about whatever came to her mind, turning the lecture into a spaghetti presentation—somewhat chaotic and hard to follow.

"Sorry," he said when he noticed Twilight's reaction. "I'm constantly tired when I'm ill." He decided not to share his critique for now.

"Anyway, Spike kept it a secret from me. He told me he feared that I would try to experiment on it and accidentally break it or something. I promised him that I wouldn't, as it's his gift," she said, and Lazlo nodded in approval.

"And what did Rainbow do?" Lazlo asked, relieved that he could finish the question without coughing, though a coughing fit followed shortly after.

"She saved a few ponies from serious injuries, and now all of Ponyville is praising her. Although I fear her ego may become too inflated, if it isn't already," Twilight chuckled. "It's starting to get a little annoying, to be honest. Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful that she saved those ponies, but it's becoming more about her image than the actual deeds. I worry she may become overly confident."

"What the hell is going on out there?" Lazlo asked, this time without a coughing interruption. "Finally! The medication is starting to work. I can speak like a human being again, at least for a little while."

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Most of the time, ponies manage to avoid injuries even at the last second. But it's always good to be vigilant, and Rainbow Dash certainly does that. You know how she is," Twilight replied.

"Yeah..." Lazlo agreed.

"And what have you been doing in this house all day?" Twilight inquired, taking advantage of the fact that he could speak normally, for the time being.

"Mostly just lying around, wishing I had some pálinka or Unicum with me. Then I'd be up and about already," Lazlo chuckled, though it triggered a slight cough. Twilight joined in the laughter.

"You've mentioned this pálinka before," she said, struggling a bit with the pronunciation. "But I don't think you've ever told me about that other thing."

"Unicum is a liquor. It has a bitter taste and is made from several herbs. We have a saying about these kinds of things: 'In small amounts, it's medicine; in large amounts, it's a cure,'" Lazlo explained, laughing again, but this time with a minor cough. Twilight chuckled along. "Although, it's usually not advised to drink alcohol when taking medication."

"So, what else have you been up to?" Twilight continued with her question.

"I've been working on my presentation and gathering questions for Princess Celestia about the international meeting," Lazlo replied after a moment of thought.

"Oh, and how is that coming along?" Twilight inquired further.

"Well, I have several ideas, but I don't know yet which one is the best. I guess I can check with the Princess before finalizing anything. After all, I'll be there for a few days," Lazlo explained.

"The Princess is usually very busy," Twilight mentioned. "And what do you plan to do in Canterlot while you're there?" she asked.

"Not sure. I guess I can go sightseeing. I'll see what catches my interest. There are always things to do and see," he replied with a shrug.

"There are many beautiful parks, not to mention the gardens of the castle. You could also visit a museum or a library," she suggested. Lazlo couldn't help but smile at the mention of the library. He could imagine Twilight being the type to visit a library as a tourist. If the architecture was unique or exceptionally well-crafted, it would be worth a visit.

They continued talking for a while before Twilight took her leave. Over the next few days, several ponies visited Lazlo. Rarity came by with the rest of the clothes she had made for him, Fluttershy brought more tea, Pinkie cheered him up with her energetic presence, and even Applejack stopped by with a homemade apple pie from her grandma. Lazlo had short, friendly chats with all of them, depending on his state at the time. Not everyone visited when the medication was in full effect and he could speak without coughing. At one point, the Cutie Mark Crusaders showed up, attempting to earn their cutie marks in nursing, but he quickly sent them away, not wanting them to catch his illness. As the days passed, the illness started to fade, and now only the coughing remained. Lazlo expected this, but it was still very annoying, and he cursed under his breath when the coughing fits hit.

He even ventured out one day when he ran low on groceries. It was then that he heard about the mysterious Mare Do Well, a name he found rather ridiculous. The ponies in town talked about her accomplishments and wondered who could be behind the mask. It took Lazlo only a few seconds to figure it out.

Finally, the day came when he knew it would be the last of his illness. He was feeling much better, although the coughing lingered. He knew that when he woke up the next day, he would be completely fine. A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts, signaling that he would have a visitor today. Opening the door revealed Twilight and Fluttershy.

"Hello, Lacy!" they both greeted him, though Lazlo could only hear Twilight's voice.

"Hi!" he welcomed them in.

"We ran into each other on our way here," Twilight began explaining.

"I just wanted to check on you to see if you're feeling better," Fluttershy added softly. "I hope I'm not bothering you."

"Not at all," Lazlo assured the shy pegasus. He then turned his attention back to Twilight. "So... Mare Do Well? Really? Was it your idea?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, looking confused. "The mayor came up with the name."

"I know it's you, Twilight," Lazlo said, rolling his eyes. "Who else around here has the power to fix that dam? By the way, how could anyone let it break in the first place?" he inquired.

"A group of repair ponies was on their way when they noticed a small crack, which would've taken some time to worsen, but Rainbow accidentally broke the dam. It wasn't intentional, but I think her ego got the better of her," Twilight explained. Lazlo continued to look at her, expecting more. With a sigh, she admitted, "I was Mare Do Well that time. Fluttershy flew alongside me, and Pinkie and Applejack joined in to help save ponies. Rarity made the outfit."

Lazlo let out a sigh. "Should've expected it... If one of you gets involved, the others follow."

"Sometimes even you," Twilight retorted playfully.

"I think that outfit would be too small for me," Lazlo commented, earning a giggle from Fluttershy. Twilight smiled as well.

"I'm just glad to see that you're okay," Twilight said, changing the subject.

"Yes, me too," Fluttershy chimed in. "Are you fully recovered?"

Lazlo shook his head. "Still coughing a little." As if on cue, he started coughing. "But I think tomorrow the coughing will finally go away."

"Glad to hear it," Fluttershy spoke softly.

"Would you like to come out tomorrow? The town will thank Mare Do Well, I'm sure Rainbow will be there too. Maybe we can put an end to this whole superhero thing," Twilight suggested.

"Yeah, why not? It would probably do me good," Lazlo accepted.

The next day, Lazlo stood among the crowd in front of a stage. He was happy as he finally got rid of the coughing. The mayor was up there at the podium, and behind her was a large flag featuring the head of Mare Do Well. He spotted Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy among the ponies gathered.

"Welcome to Ponyville's first, but surely not last, thank-you parade, in honor of our city's greatest hero, the mysterious Mare Do Well!" the mayor began her speech. As she finished, Mare Do Well herself leaped through the flag, revealing the full costume to Lazlo.

He looked at the dark blue and purple colors, with light blue eyes. He couldn't help but wonder how her hat stayed on while she was running and jumping. He figured Rarity must have come up with an elegant solution for it.

The ponies erupted in cheers as Mare Do Well struck a pose, as if posing for a wallpaper picture or even an animated one. However, the celebration was short-lived. Rainbow Dash flew up to Mare Do Well.

"The mysterious Mare Do Well, huh?" Rainbow Dash said, her face inches away from the masked mare's. The crowd gasped at her audacity. "So what are you hiding? Let's see how mysterious you are without that mask!" Rainbow attempted to grab the mask, but Mare Do Well managed to evade her and ran off. Rainbow quickly gave chase.

Ponies started whispering among themselves, curious about what had just transpired. Some even approached Lazlo, asking if he knew anything. He claimed to know even less than them, explaining that he had been sick for the past few days.

Deciding to follow Rainbow Dash and Mare Do Well, Lazlo walked rather than ran. It seemed futile to try to catch up to them, considering they wouldn't leave the town, and Rainbow would surely catch up to Mare Do Well eventually. After a few minutes, he spotted Rainbow Dash perched on a rooftop before diving down. Lazlo followed suit and soon found himself among the other mares as they engaged in a conversation. Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack were wearing the costume, but without the mask.

"And I used my magic to fix the dam," he heard Twilight say.

"Ooh, ooh! And I did the flyby afterwards," Fluttershy spoke next.

"I made the costumes. Fabulous if I do say so myself!" Rarity bragged a little.

"And I was at home, dying," Lazlo couldn't help but make the others aware of his presence.

"WHAT?" several of them shouted, but the most surprised was Rainbow. She probably didn't know about his illness since she was the only one who didn't visit him. Rainbow flew up to him. "But are you okay now?"

"Of course he is!" Twilight answered for him, narrowing her eyes at him. "And he wasn't dying."

"Well... technically, we're constantly dying ever since our birth. Or even before it... I guess since our DNA forms," he decided to be a little philosophical. "But I'm all right."

"Good then." Rainbow sighed in relief, then turned back to the girls. "But why did you do this? Don't you want me to be a hero?" she asked them.

"Of course we want you to be a hero," Twilight answered.

"But a real hero doesn't brag," Applejack added.

"Uh, I guess I did start to brag a little," Rainbow admitted.

"A little?!" the others shouted.

"Okay, a lot." Rainbow hung her head.

"Celebrating your accomplishments is natural. But..." Twilight started to speak again.

"...Rubbing them in everypony's face is not," Applejack finished for her.

"Yeah, the only thing that should be rubbed in anypony's face is chocolate cake," Pinkie joined in.

"What we're trying to say is, it's great to be really good at something, but it's important to act with grace and humility," Twilight quickly got back to the topic.

"Oh, that makes loads more sense. Yeah, you're right. And I guess I should've also acted with grace and humility when others outshine me, like Mare Do Well," Rainbow said.

"Sounds like you've got a letter to write to Princess Celestia," Twilight said, smiling.

"Already got it covered," Spike came running to them. "As your ghostwriter, I've already penned a letter to the Princess," he showed them a parchment.

"Thanks, Spike. But I want to write this letter myself," Rainbow told him, and he looked hurt. "Plus, I don't think I need a ghostwriter anymore." This didn't seem to hurt him as much. Twilight then levitated a new parchment and a quill to her.

After the letter had been written and sent, they went to Sugarcube Corner to celebrate before heading home. In his house, Lazlo went to his desk and looked at the papers on it. There were two stacks. One was for the presentation, mostly notes on what to talk about and how. It wasn't finished, but he still had several days to complete it, and he could even work on it further in Canterlot. He didn't want it to feel like a last-minute school assignment that he threw away.

The other stack, however, was smaller, with only a few papers. But all of them were empty. These were his questions for the grand meeting. It wasn't empty because he had no questions; he just didn't want to think about it, especially while he was sick. After all, he used to go to great lengths to avoid things like this in the past, and now it seemed to find him regardless. He could have rejected it, decided not to go after all. But he had already promised Celestia. Not only that, but he knew that others would come to him, and he wouldn't have control over the timing. It also provided an opportunity to address everyone or at least most of them in one go. It would be something he would want to get over with.

He stared at the paper in front of him. He had just taken it from the empty pile. But after a few minutes, he decided to adopt the student approach. He would deal with it later, hopefully before it was time. So he stood up and started his nightly routine.

Author's Note

I'll be honest it was a pretty annoying chapter to write. The only thing that would've made it worst, if I would've inserted '*cough*' every time Lazlo coughed but I don't think I would've remained sane after that. (Though I'm unsure if I was to begin with.) Anyway I hope it's not as annoying to read.

By the way the few Hungarian words and sentences are just profanities.

Thanks to my dear friend, those who know proper English won't have an aneurysm reading what I managed to force onto the virtual papers.

See you in Canterlot next time!