"Loyalty... My..." Ugh, boyfriend's a new thing to say. Part of you feels silly for worrying about what is already a thing, but still... "My boyfriend's specialty is that. Speaking of him, he would be at the top, along with helping as many people as I can." You wave down at your rump, but it's covered in clothes, ruining the effect you're going for. "That's what I do."

"What about me?" Bright smiles at you hopefully, clawed hands clutched together. "We've been buds forever."

One sided buds. Still. You reach out and ruffle the top of his head as he leans against the touches. "Of course, top of mind. The only other thing that really competes are other ponies."

The baron shrugs with a jingle of chain mail. "A prodigal loyal to their own. Sensible. Still, providing succor? Not many would claim that as one of their..." He leaned forward, elbows on the table and balled fists under his chin. "Is your relationship one of fiery passion, or true love's embrace?"

The viscountess raised a hand flat. "Enough. We're not here to discover her romantic status, which is unavailable, clearly. Fine choices, but I find myself drawn to what you didn't say. I don't 'rate' for much, nor do fae in general. So when things get tense, why would you not flee?"

"M'lady." There was Leon. "That is why I suggested the triage. She will learn our battle, and the suffering she could ease. That--"

"--would appeal to a loyalty she already has, yes." She's looking over you in an intense examination. "I understand that. Enough then, get her to triage, and in better clothing for the job. People will get confused being tended to by a maid when they're brought in dying."

"One thing!" You raise a finger timidly. "If I do help with those... excursions, that sounds dangerous. Way more dangerous than I thought I was signing up for."

The Viscountness applies a hand to her temple. "Let's add money to that list, but that's hardly unusual."

"I'm not getting anything, personally, right now. It's all going to someone I met once that I want to help," you argue a bit heatedly.

She comes to a stop, peering at you anew. "All that, and you're not getting it? What is this person that controls you so thoroughly?"

"A homeless person that deserves a new chance at life. Toley said you could give that."

Her hands came together at the fingertips. "You met a bum, once, and decided you'd get a fulltime job just to... Saints preserve." She shook her head. "If I thought you had duplicity in you, I'd say you're trying to impress me. Look, go." She pointed out the door. "Bright Spark, can you take her to the triage?"

"Yes!" He grabs one of your hands and begins tugging.

"We'll talk after you decide if you want to stay or not." She waves you off and returns to the meeting. They start discussing other things, but you're already out the door. Bright Spark's not one for delays.

You fall to fours, making it easier to keep up with Bright. "How do you even know where the triage is? You're new here too."

"Yes, but I can smell it." He angled his snoot up and took a sharp right. "Smells like when you got your knee hurt when you were a kid. Your mom put this stuff on it. You cried."

"I was a little kid..."

He looks over his shoulder. "And you cried. Little kids do that. I hugged you, but you didn't notice."

You had a figment of dreams hugging you? That was charming in a way. "Thanks. Well, I can notice now."

"Which is what makes everything so much better." He stopped in front of a door, stiff, pointing like a dog with his nose.

Hint enough. You will the door open. "Hello?"

Inside was a bunny. Well, a bunny person. She was just a little plump with two big bunny ears on her head and a cotton ball behind her. Her features struck with a bit of a pacific islander look to them. "Yes, yes, how are you dying today?" She came up short as she saw who she was talking to. "Who let their horse just wander around?"

"I'm here to help." You step inside as Bright darts in to find a place to lurk. "This is the triage, right?"

"It's a place people don't like going to." She put her hands at her hips. "I'm Pigi."

What a curious name. "I'm Sally." You point a hoof at yourself. Was Pigi a fake name? Possibly. "And I can help hurt people, so they sent me here to do that."

"Dressed like that?" She points to a door. "Get a proper outfit."

Not the first time that was brought up. You hurry to the door and peek past it to find a long row of clothes suitable to a doctor or a nurse. You soon become Doctor Pony. A quick peek confirms it's made of the same dream stuff as the last, which you hang up for later. "Better?"

"Oh, mmm. People are less likely to run away confused now. We may do that anyway, but less likely." She hopped towards you once, a smile on her face. "Welcome! So, you're a doctor?" She waves over your outfit.

"No." Still, it felt better. "But I can heal. Bites and claws confirmed, from a vampire and a chimera."

"Sorry!"

Pigi wasn't paying Bright much mind. "Ooo, a magic horse." She taps at your horn casually. "A colorful magic horse. The best kind, I've heard. Well, since you're so magical; fix me."

She hadn't said what was wrong with her. Was that a feature of the animal fae? They didn't like saying things straight. You flip your vision to life mode for a peek at her. Her vibrant living pattern is youthful and strong. You'd put her in her early 20s, practically a child by your view. She probably uses TikTok or something.

There, one bit out of place. She has something in her back. You circle around her for a better look. She has a spine, like most people, but two of the disks aren't sitting right on one another. You can see blood in the area, irritation. Her body is doing its best to deal with it, but there's only so much it can do. "That must hurt."

"You can see it?" she asks breathlessly. "Well, fine, good! But can you do anything?"

You rear up onto hinds and move in. "I'm going to hug you. It may hurt a little, but it'll help." How one hugged a spine injury without it hurting escapes you, but she doesn't stop you, so you go in for the hug. "How are you working with that?"

"Please." Pigi waves a hand back at you. "This is hardly the worst ouchie someone decided not to call sick on. What are you... Mmm." Was she feeling the warmth you were trying to share with her. "Mmm... You can hug me whenever you want, if it's like this." She leans back against you with a happy expression and slowing breathing. "Just... A little..." But then she hops forward, twirling to face you. "You're hired!"

"I was already hired." You fall back to fours. "Good to have your approval. Feel better?"

"My death will have to wait a little longer for me. He's patient though." Pigi shrugged like it was no big deal. "So, yeah... I can heal too, but that was... something. When Stevens isn't here, you're the new top doc! Thanks, by the way."

Wait... "I thought I read somewhere you should never say 'thank you' to fae."

"Well, you're not a fae, duh." A perfect answer that didn't answer much at all. "Are you going to hold it over me?" She wrinkled her nose. "Just when I thought we were becoming friends..."

Two could play that game. "Yes. In return, I want you to show me around so I can do my job."

"Ugh, what a slave driver." She sighed and began pointing things out. The cotton swabs were over there. "Do not even think of using my tail." The tongue depressors, the stethoscope, and other useful things. "Bandages, gauze for days!" She grabs one of many rolls and waves it at you. "Disinfectant." She puts the roll down to wave at bottles. "And, behold!" She waves at many beds. "Where dying people go!"

You look left and right along them. "Nobody here today."

"Slow day." She whirls to face you. "Don't get used to it."

As if prompted, the door slaps open against the wall as two changelings rushed in, one supporting the other. "I'm fine," argues one weakly, doing an unconvincing job of arguing the case. He has hooves, like you, but only on his feet. He had one arm wrapped around the other, a troll.

"Shut your mouth," argued the troll, helping the injured one stagger in to the first bed. "He got mauled, on the leg. Refuses to admit it."

Pigi leans in for a look at the leg. "Since you're here, you may as well get that off." She points at the bloody pantsleg of the injured one. "Unless you think that helps?"

It doesn't matter to you. You hurry over with a clipclop. "Just stay still." You set a hoof on either end of the bloodstain. You can feel the chill. It's like the one Bright left. A chimeric wound then? Easy. Easiest of the hurts you've put to right so far. You focus your 'heat' into your hooves, gently rubbing at the chill retreated from it. "You'll be alright."

The troll backed away with obvious wonder. "What is this, and when did we get her?"

"I don't care." The injured one's smiling at you. "Whatever she's doing, she's doing it right. "Damn beast jumped out of the bushes, took a nip right out of me. It isn't... Fuck it... Thanks."

Pigi waved a finger reprimandingly. "Oops! She'll hold you to that. The pony's an old school fae or something. You said thanks, so she'll make you do something horrible for her."

"I command you." You level a hoof at the recovering one. "You will get better and do your best to avoid being hurt in the future."

He gasps with alarm. "What a terrible fate they have dealt me... Well, fine then. Are we even?"

"All even." You fall back to the ground, the chill scared away. "Feel better?"

"Entirely." He swings his restored legs to the ground with a clop of his cloven hooves. "Nice to meet a fellow hoofer. The name's Renaldo." He points to the troll. "That's Jimmy." Jimmy grunts in greeting. "We're nothing special, just work for the hold and its lady, and get bit by random things."

You had to ask. "I'm new here. What are you? No offense, I promise. I bet you're wondering the same."

"Caught me," he laughed out, standing up. "Gonna need to clean these..." He swatted at his stained pants. "I'm a satyr. Jimmy's a troll. And the kind lady behind you's a pooka."

When did she--She pets you on the back. "Don't give away everything! What's the fun without a few secrets?"

You jump ahead, almost bumping into the bed in the process. She's lucky you didn't do what horses do when surprised from behind. "Oh, thank you." A few new words to add to the pile. "I'm a pony. Nice to meet you. I'm working here." You wave around the infirmary." So if you get bit again, I'll be here, but try to not do that."

"Are you taken?" Did he just... out and ask that? "Your expression tells a thousand stories. It's alright. A shot not taken is always missed. Better odds than even the least likely of attempts, wouldn't you say?"

Jimmy bursts into a deep laughter from his large belly. "You just asked a pony you just met for her hand, and she doesn't even have one to give. You are something else, Renaldo."

"You two know the rules. Unless you're busy dying." She points to the exit, banishing them both. "Don't come back unless that changes!"

Author's Note

You were in strong commitment today, which seemed to please, mostly, your new boss. So you get to meet a few new people. But perhaps it's time we left these colorful people for other colorful people.

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