Thursday, March 23rd, 1701 AFE. Derpy and Amethyst's home. 3:40am.

Rechecking her figures, Amethyst compared her detailed notes against the simplified versions she'd agonizingly prepared for Applejack and Rainbow Dash. She compiled notes for timing and order of importance, with secondary jobs listed for subgroups to complete in parallel to the main group and projects that the other groups needed to complete before they could continue with their own projects.

After hours of pouring over the paperwork, her eyes felt raw, her nerves feeling shot. But it was all worth it. A sense of satisfaction that couldn't be dismissed had kept her working when her hand cramped, and here, at last, her work was complete.

Feeling satisfied and feeling triumphant, Amethyst capped her ink well and slumped back in the kitchen chair, relief and exhaustion battling for supremacy. Eyelids too heavy to fight, Amethyst let them drift closed, her arms hanging at her sides. "Just... just catch a five, ten minute nap. That's all I need. Then head upstairs and sleep properly. Derpy doesn't... need... to... get... up... for... three... or... four... more... hours... ye-"

The sudden noise of the door knocker pounding against the wood door, no matter how gingerly somepony attempted to be, snapped Amethyst awake with a violent start. Jumping to her feet and staggering with mixed exhaustion and vertigo, she needed a moment to rest against the kitchen wall to catch her breath and clear her head.

Out of the corner of her eye, it was impossible to ignore the golden light that began seeping through the glass doors of the porch. "Oh, dear Celestia! I must have really drifted off. It's gotta be after six by now! Did Derpy sleep in too?!"

As if summoned by Amethyst's thoughts rather than the second light series of knocks, a very bleary-eyed Derpy stumbled down the staircase and noticed Amethyst, waving at her only briefly in passing as she rushed to silence whoever was at the door.

"But that's Derpy for you. She overslept, but still got out of bed faster than I could stand up to answer the door. No wonder she makes a great mailmare." Feeling that her head had finally calmed down a little and the pounding headache had reached a more manageable ache, she followed after Derpy just in time to see the door open to reveal a familiar looking tall stallion with colbalt blue eyes and dirty blond highlights that were barely noticeable in his otherwise dark brown hair. Strangest of all was the hint of his cutie mark, the top half of an hourglass, just barely visible due to his open winter jacket.

As if embarrassed at seeing the two mares who opened the door, the stallion pulled off his hat and bowed a little to them. “What? Oh, my! I do apologize, ladies! I know I said I'd send you a letter before moving into the room, but, well, with one thing and another happening all at once, I forgot until the train was already leaving for Canterlot. By then it was too late, and I hope I haven't shown up too early, though I really do want to apologize if I woke you both!”

Derpy turned to stare back at Amethyst, her eyes blurry and blinking out of rhythm with one another, confusion clear in her still-dreaming eyes. Rushing to Derpy’s side, Amethyst squeezed an arm around her hips and grinned up at her lover. “Derpy, hun? It’s late. I think we both slept in. You’d better head to the train station to check on the new mail, I'll deal with Time Turner, alright?”

Finally hearing words that made sense, Derpy snapped her head and straightened up, grinning a little. Holding Amethyst’s cheeks she turned her head up, and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. When the kiss broke, she smoothed some of Ame’s hair back and grinned a little at the stranger. “What!? Oh! Right, sorry! Hello, mister stallion, I apologize for not recognizing you! Amethyst must have told me a dozen times you'd be back to rent our spare room. But I need to run along, so you two talk!” Grabbing her mail sack from behind the door, she paused on the way past the stallion, looking back at Ame. “I’ll bring back something sweet from Sugarcube Corner on the way back, that way we can have breakfast together and talk while I sort the mail!”

Realizing she was now alone with a stranger, Amethyst glued on a smile and stepped forward, offering a hand to the tall, dark-haired stallion. "I apologize if I am a little slow this morning, really. I just finished some work on a big project for town hall and the local magistrate a few hours ago and didn't get any sleep. If you want to step inside, I can show you to the room and we can talk while you get moved in. Do you have more bags on the way?"

To her surprise, instead of following her right inside,the stallion hesitated on the inside of the door, pulling it to a close now that Derpy was gone before settling a single small suitcase on the floor by his feet. He was polite, but equally as concerned, as if worried by something. "I do apologize, my dear lady Amethyst. I never meant to interfere with your morning, really. I do have a few bags coming but this one holds enough for now. It's bigger on the inside than it looks. But forget that, if you need a few hours of peace, I was thinking about a visit to the market; I'm sure they'd have a whole manner of things I could fiddle with."

Amethyst couldn't help it, the stallion’s carefree and polite attitude was infectious, and she found herself laughing at the way he was always fidgeting with his walking stick. "No, please, come inside. Dinky will need to get up for school soon anyways. You might as well settle in. Do you have any work lined up yet? Or are you still looking for work, Time Turner?"

Accepting her words, the stallion removed his stylish winter boots and set them aside so the slush that had clung to them on the walk from the train station wouldn't get on the carpet. Still nervously toying with the cane, he extended her a hand, his eyes brilliant with wonder. "Work? I’ve managed to make enough money from my past jobs, I’ve found money really isn’t much of a bother anymore. And please, I've found myself more comfortable with the pseudonym 'The Tinkerer'. I’m going to make my life’s work toying about with mechanical devices, fitting, right?"

She led him past the kitchen to a door that was opposite the staircase that led to the master bedroom and Dinky's room, as she laughed while petting his arm. "The Tinkerer?! Well, that is a fun name! Don’t worry, I'm sure you'll fit in around Ponyville. We've only a few ponies around town who like to fiddle with mechanisms but I’m sure they’d be happy to help! Vinyl Scratch and Pinkie Pie are the best, but a few others do sometimes make stuff as well"

"Here it is! Like I promised, I cleaned it up and painted it after your visit. You've a private bathroom and hot running water for the shower. You have full access to the kitchen and living room basically whenever you want, as well as the deck and porch, but we might ask for help shoveling snow in the winter.” Pausing for a moment, Amethyst started ticking things off the top of her head, trying to keep track of everything she needed to list. “We do tend to a moderate flower garden in the summer, but if you help out, we're happy to share what grows. Oh! We are both very early risers due to Derpy's work as mailmare, but we are quiet and tidy ponies. If you ever want to have a party or more than one or two guests, we do expect a few days of warning if possible."

Stepping into the still room, the stallion admired the new fixtures, a hand tested the springiness of the mattress and checked the couch that rested against the shared wall with the kitchen. When she'd finished, he grinned, turning to face her again. "This will do quite well, thank you, Mrs. Star. I love fresh flowers, so I'd be happy to help out. Is there any chance you do laundry? I'm afraid I’m simply a failure at washing clothes or darning socks. I'd be more than happy to pay a few bits extra for the inconvenience."

“What? Socks? Oh! Well I do most of our laundry. I fixed up Derpy’s uniform and I’ve been learning about how to make dresses from Rarity over the last few years! I’ve got no problem adding your laundry to ours. It’ll only be worth two or three bits a month. If you need something extra made, I’d suggest talking to Rarity instead. She’s the only professional seamstress in town year round.” Nervous, she found herself rubbing her hands against one another, still watching him inspect the room.

Adjusting his grip on the cane, Time Turner wandered to check on the private bathroom, before turning back to her and grinning. "Fantastic. Thank you very much, my dear. Say, I was thinking about setting up my own little workshop in town. Do you know if somepony has an empty space I might be able to take over?”

"Oh, gosh. Well, Filthy Rich and the mayor own most of the best buildings in town. I can ask her tomorrow during Winter Wrap-Up, but if you need a little space and don't mind occasional company, the mail barn at the train station is massive, and Derpy's mail lockup only takes up a little space, Not even a third of the building. I'm sure if you asked, she'd let you rent the empty space."

Worried, the stallion paused his fidgeting hand and looked directly into her eyes. The intense blue of his piercing eyes pulled Amethyst to stare back in wonder. "Are you sure that's okay? After all, it is a government building. I wouldn't want to cause any trouble."

For just a moment, Amethyst felt herself unable to break the stallion’s concerned but powerful gaze. However, just as suddenly as the intense feeling arrived, it relented and she giggled a little as the sensation let go. "Oh, no, it's alright. She just has to document it and report it at the end of the year. The crown takes half to put against repairs and upgrades, and we get to keep the other half. The only reason nopony likes to stay there very long is because it gets sweltering hot in the summer and is as cold as an icebox in the winter. Derpy even has to keep a little kettle stove burning by the lockup to keep the lock from freezing closed in the worst of winter."

Perking up, the stallion clapped his hands together, nodding excitedly at her explanation. "Fantastic, fantastic. Then unless the mayor has a different recommendation, I'll talk to Derpy sometime this weekend. Winter Wrap-Up you say? It has been years since I've been part of such a classic celebration. I do hope there will be room for one more pair of helpful hands?"

Amethyst laughed, and gave his hand a shake when he held it out towards her. "We would welcome a hundred more. Ponyville may be small, but winter, winter is huge."

From the stairs behind her, a small but happy voice joined their conversation. "Oh! It's Mr. Clockcane! You really did come back! Did you add anything even stranger to your cane than the clock in the handle?"

Shocked at Dinky's sudden arrival, Amethyst let go of Time Turner's hand and walked over so she could scoop up the filly. "Now, Dinky, just because he has a fancy cane, doesn't mean you shouldn't call him by that name. This is Time Turner. But if you want, he said he likes the nickname 'The Tinkerer'. Want to try and say hello again?"

The stallion’s bright eyes danced in wonder as Amethyst returned, carrying the small thirteen year old mare in her arms. Dinky was a good girl however, and grinned up at him, before reintroducing herself. "Sorry, Mr. Tinkerer. I'm Dinky, my mums Derpy and Amethyst said you seemed like a nice stallion, so I'm happy to be one of the first ponies in town to greet you." Fugitively, she looked around before grinning up to him with foalish glee. "But your cane did change! The hands and numbers used to be gold! Now they are silver! It looks nice against the black wood!"

His brilliant eyes gleaming with mischief, Time Turner knelt down and held out the pommel of his cane to the filly. "You've got very keen eyes for small details, little lass. The old watch broke a few weeks ago, so I had to make this new one myself, and I also think the silver looks better with the wood."

The sound of banging from the front door broke the awed silence that had held Dinky as she examined the silver watch face embedded in the pommel of the cane. Twisting free of Amethyst's arms, she bolted to the door and pulled it open, just in time to reveal Derpy awkwardly juggling around her bulging mail sack, a white box of treats from Sugarcube Corner and three parcels. Delighted, Dinky rushed forward and pulled the heavy mail sack from Derpy’s hands, leaning in to give her momma a small kiss on the cheek. "Come in, momma! I'll sort the mail for you while you eat breakfast with Amethyst and Mr. Tinkerer!"

Thursday, March 23rd, 1701 AFE. Canterlot Royal Guards' Training Yard. 9 am.

Bronze froze up as the blindfold tightened down over her eyes. Finally this close, there was no way she couldn't recognize the scent, and in seconds it made her knees weak and her pulse quicken. Forcing herself to breathe through the mouth to reduce the addictive scent, she started the mental exercises that Princess Cadence had spent weeks making her practice in the hospital, breathing in and holding each breath.

The soft grind of wood on stone came only a half second before she felt the sting of pain in her right shoulder, even through her thick leather padding. "Silk has never pulled a punch in this last week of combat training. I suppose I shouldn't expect any mercy now."

The intoxicating smell kept whispering its quiet demands into a tender place in her loins that nearly made her legs quiver. The musk was so strong, she'd never gotten so good a whiff. But her stinging shoulder was a fantastic reminder to block out the scent and focus on her ears, and the whispering steps that Silk took, circling her, ready to strike any second. Carefully drawing a breath, Bronze tried to pull in every available whisper of sound.

She recognized the low rhythm of Silk's breathing behind her! The bat-mare was whisper-quiet on her feet, but had let her careful breathing form a recognizable pattern. Glad for her keen ears, she spun, hefting her padded practice staff, and lunged forward, her wings kicking up a mighty gust in the single beat that accompanied her leap. Still unable to tell exactly where the old mercenary was due to her blindfold, she whipped her staff around in a wide arc at waist level, hoping she was fast enough to keep the older mare from jumping over or ducking below the wild blow. An impact with something solid was exhilarating, and against her will, she drew a sharp breath through her nose, inhaling a lung-full of the intoxicating smell.

Struggling to keep her head clear of the side-effects of that mistaken breath, only now did Bronze realize that her staff’s blow had stopped, but was now being held. Before she could react, the padded tip of Silk's staff bopped her on the top of the head, the old mercenary finally breaking their silence. "Mediocre, Bronze. Didn't you think I might try and catch such a broad attack?"

Ripping off the alluring blindfold and throwing it to her feet, Bronze glared at the spymaster. Standing hardly four feet away, Silk still held onto the shaft of Bronze's staff in place, the padded head still resting where it had impacted her ribcage. Stomping one foot hard on the cloth, Bronze turned her head and spit in the dirt at their side. "Come on, Silk! That rag was soaked in Dusk's musk! How was I supposed to stand up straight, let alone fight you while blindfolded!"

Smirking with confidence that made Bronze's still weak knees quiver, Silk drew her staff back and planted one end in the sand between them, resting her hands on the other tip as she leaned forward, stretching her spine as she pressed against the wooden pole. "Once, when I was only a year or two older than you, Bronze, my company was patrolling the woods on the borderlands with the Griffons."

The mare waited for Bronze to catch up before unfolding her wings and stepping back from the staff she had planted. Laying the staff across her shoulders, she gripped each end in her hands and began to twist her shoulders, trying to touch the sand with the hand she extended towards the ground. "Well, as a younger member, I was mostly on scouting duty. So with only a pair of daggers, I crept through the bush, trying to stay low and out of sight. Just as I prepared to head back for camp, three shadows passed overhead, a griffon patrol. I did as trained, and dove for the first bush I could hide in and waited for them to pass. Only they didn't, they landed in the clearing right before me. That would have been fine, but the bush I chose to dive into? It was weird shit they call Mare’s Heat. You ever heard of that shit, kid?"

Now it was Bronze's turn to flush, and she slowly nodded. Her own anger cooling, she began to copy Silk's stretching exercises as they talked. "I have. Dusk thought that was what I'd wandered into while we were hunting the smuggler. It was only later that he figured out it was really Poison Joke."

Nodding slowly, Silk relaxed and continued her stretches. "Then you can imagine how I felt. That powerful heat flooded my body and it was a struggle to stay silent while watching the griffons stop and eat. Then, as if daring me, two flew off again while the third came to the bush I hid in to take a piss. I could have freaking screamed in disgust, but the flowers’ smell had me drunk with lust. It took everything I had to stay quiet and wait for him to turn away. Then I jumped him and put a gag in his mouth. It took both my daggers, pricking his spine to make the brute march back to our camp and twice he nearly overpowered me with brute strength alone. Then, when we got back to camp, my captain wanted to reward me with the capture by letting me take part in the interrogation. It was nearly fourteen hours before I could finally wash that vile smell from my lungs. Until you've had to deal with that kind of torture, nothing I do is cheating."

Trying to picture having that smell cling to her for so long, and fighting to drag an unwilling adult griffon, probably a foot taller than her, covered in his piss and blood and mud, for miles across an unfamiliar forest, Bronze finally gave up, shaking her head in wonder. "In the end, was it worth it?"

Laughing, Silk tossed her staff to a waiting attendant of the training yard, and grabbed Bronze around the shoulders, dragging her back towards the mares’ sauna. "I was made second of our scouts. It was worth every second and every damn inch I dragged him through the mud. Now come on, you're due back in Ponyville this afternoon."

Thursday, March 23rd, 1701 AFE. Ponyville Hospital. 9:40am.

Thunderlane couldn't keep his right leg from nervously twitching, sitting in a chair and watching as one pretty mare after another, took turns talking to Rumble, taking blood samples from him, checking his pulse, his breathing, his lung capacity, his wings and Celestia knows what else! This was it. The end result of the few years he'd been raising Rumble since their mother had been forced to take long term contracts after their sire’s death. He felt like every quiet word whispered between the six mares was another judgement on how he'd done caring for his younger brother. And every time one of them grumbled or wrote something down, he worried about just where he might have gone wrong.

Just when he felt like he couldn't take the pressure any longer, a glass of water appeared before him, and a bubbly mare in a uniform with pale pink highlights grinned at him. "Don't worry! They're almost done, I promise. Do you need anything else? I'm Cuddles, a nurse’s aide, by the way."

Smiling back at the grinning mare, Thunderlane took the plastic cup to be polite and took a deep drink of the cool, but odd tasting, water. Something in the flavor reminded him of the smell of hospitals, stale or purified or something. Leaning closer so the busy nurses couldn't hear him, he tried to whisper to the nurse in confidence. "Do they always go into such personal detail with a foal? I mean... one of them was asking Rumble about his sexual history not five minutes ago! He's my kid brother. He shouldn't be having sex, right? Not at least until he's a stallion."

The aide's face flickered through several emotions from pity to amusement before settling on a more considerate but serious tone. Placing one white-gloved hand on his shoulder, she squeezed and gently rubbed at his tense muscle as she talked. "The truth is, ponies under the age of eighteen do sometimes have sex. So the nurses have to ask those kinds of questions. The blood tests and such can sometimes tell us the truth, but it's better to give the foal a chance to admit the truth before things happen rather than after it's too late."

Thinking about that, Thunderlane momentarily flashed back to his own relationship with the twins, and gave in, nodding a little. "You're right Cuddles. I remember a few times I was close to a filly when I was still a colt. I suppose I never saw the opportunity, even when it was right before me. Strange to think back to those days, haha." Still nervous about why the nurses were taking so long, Thunderlane's laughter came out forced.

Wiping a little of his damp hair from his brow, Cuddles gave him a big grin. "Look, how about you finish that water and I go check in at the lab. They've taken all the blood samples they need and his urine was collected when you first arrived, right? If the lab notices something wrong, they will tell us about it." Smiling down at him, the mare again gave his shoulder a squeeze before leaving the room

After she left, it was only a few more minutes before all the other nurses had left, save the last remaining mare. Turning to look at Thunderlane, Redheart cleared her throat. "Before I leave you two alone, I need one more favor from you both. All the wing tests in the world can't tell us as much as pulling a flight pinion. And since you're his paternal sibling, testing his against one of your feathers could give us the quickest results. If you don't mind, I promise it won't affect your flight in the least."

Thunderlane looked to Rumble, who now nervously rubbed a hand against his pinion feathers on one wing, watching him closely, his eyes wide with worry. "Do they tell foals in school about wing rott these days? The fact a cure for some types exists must make it easier to talk about. But still, I heard the stories from dad about how bad it used to be in Cloudsdale... Foals stoned by their own family until they ran away or fell from the clouds too weak to fly." Taking a careful breath, Thunderlane unfurled one wing towards the nurse and gave her a quiet nod before looking to Rumble. "It’ll hurt a little, kid, but don't worry, it's like when you molted a few years ago. The feather will grow back in time, and it'll just be a little sore for a while."

Watching him as the nurse selected one of his larger feathers and carefully isolated it from the rest of his feathers, Rumble was clearly scared, so Thunderlane put on a brave face for his brother as the nurse applied her tweezers to the base of his feather and gave a steady tug at the root. Offering his brother a strained smile he tried to stay brave. "See? It's not so bad. Just a sharp little tug is all."

As if she'd been waiting for him to say something brave like that, the nurse's second tug on his pinned feather popped the root free. An expert, she popped the stolen tip into a sample vial before turning back to him and applying several small white cloths to soak up the sudden gush of blood. Nodding at Rumble, she smiled and pushed the white cloth into Thunderlane's hand. "Your brother’s right. Thunderlane, just squeeze down so you don’t disturb your other feathers. It'll stop in a minute or so. Rumble, if you're ready?"

Attempting to take it like a champ, Thunderlane held the white cloth against his stinging wing. "At least she picked one I could hold without it being really awkward, but by Celestia I forgot how much that hurts!" Unable to hide a wince, he gave Rumble a thumbs up and slid to sit on the exam table on his brother’s left side so the nurse could get at one of his right feathers. "See kid? No problem at all. Hurts way more when you gotta shut down a hail storm, and I was flying as Dash's second last time; she probably never felt the worst of it! Honest!"

Still looking weary, Rumble unfolded his wing for Redheart, and a minute later, his gray feather sat in a second vial next to Thunderlane's. Glumly, Thunderlane wondered if the nurse had gone easier on the colt, but left it alone. He was glad things had gone over well enough. Rumble grinned up at Redheart, still holding pressure on his wing to stop the bleeding. "The way Thunderlane grimaced, I thought it was gonna hurt a lot more. Was he just making silly faces?"

Laughing and collecting the vials, Redheart ruffled the colt's hair. "Or you're tougher than your big brother." Winking at Thunderlane while Rumble puffed out his chest and made muscles, Redheart headed for the door.

Just as she opened it, Cuddles turned the corner, an embarrassed flush to her cheeks. "Oh! Good, Nurse Redheart! Doctor Horse apologises, but asks if you could read his preliminary assessment for Rumble. Apparently, a good dozen ponies have all 'suddenly' come down with what he calls 'the pre-Winter Wrap-Up flu'. He looked very agitated."

Groaning a little, Redheart looked to the clock on the wall, and shook her head. "Fluttershy's appointment was due to start ten minutes ago. Can you run over and tell her I'm on my way and apologize to her for me?"

Dipping a small bow to Redheart, Cuddles grinned, even though the nurse was already back to reading the notes left behind on the chart by the doctor. "Of course, Nurse Redheart. Should I also watch out for the magistrate? His appointment is scheduled to start in twenty minutes."

Wincing, Nurse Redheart gave Cuddles' her attention again, biting her lower lip for a moment in thought before nodding to the aide. "After you're done with Fluttershy, go to the lab and make sure his results are all in. We did all his tests yesterday, but better to make sure everything is ready to go. And Cuddles? Thanks for the warning."

Beaming, the mare marched off to do her duty, brimming with pride. Redheart was finally back at the notes again, and cleared her throat, something in her tone sent a chill down Thunderlane's spine. "Well, as for Rumble's health... Doctor Horse likes his lung capacity and wing strength. It’s clear he doesn't smoke, and that's far safer if you're serious about joining a weather team. Shortness of breath is a killer at high altitude, and that's just to start with. He doesn't like your weight, says for a colt of your age should be five pounds lighter unless you are seriously trying to bulk up. He wants to recommend a 1500 calorie diet, but will leave that in your file for the doctors at weather school to consider because of how hard they will be working you." Pausing to look at them directly around the notes, she coughed gently. "For now, I'd recommend getting some mare friends to show you how to make a salad. I've see you two eat out enough, I know that's probably the real problem, right, colts?"

Both winced a little and gave the head nurse a sheepish look, trying to avoid having to admit the truth of their shared inability to properly cook. Knowingly, Redheart returned to the notes. "Further tests on your wings and heart at altitude are advised since your sire died at a young age, though we doubt there is anything hereditary. Tests on your pinions will take a few days, but since agaIn there are no known hereditary illnesses, you should be all clear." Snapping the metal lid closed on the clipboard; the head nurse smiled at the colt. "Well, are you excited to go to weather school?"

Stunned by her candor, and the mostly glowing report, Thunderlane stared on as the nurse made small talk with his younger brother. Finally regaining his composure, Thunderlane cut into a gap in their conversation. "So, besides needing to eat better, everything is fine with Rumble?"

Redheart offered him a shrug and nodded. "Of course. You've done a fantastic job of taking care of him these last few years, Thunderlane. You'll probably make a good sire one day yourself... if you ever learn to make a salad."

Wiping sweat from his brow, Thunderlane had to ask her more. "Then why were all the nurses muttering at me and scowling so much!"

Redheart's laughter was good-natured, but still made Thunderlane blush. "That wasn't your fault at all, Thunder. Rumble's is just the ninth physical we've had to do in the last week because of requests from Magistrate Dusk Shine. Some of the mares feel a little overworked, but they really just need a little bit of a shake up, they've gotten too used to quiet winter days. Now get out of here, you two. I've got work to do, and you need to learn how to boil corn or something!"

Thursday, March 23rd, 1701 AFE. Derpy and Amethyst's home. 10:05am.

"Blueberry Muffin? Pegasus. Rainbow Dash's team." Amethyst muttered quietly to herself, settling down another sheet onto the pile she'd made before the blue binder, scribbling the mare's name down on the list inside.

Another page was lifted from the main pile of residents, and Amethyst scanned the details. "Brass Blare. Unicorn. Anim-" Amethyst paused as she reread the stallion’s talent, and reconsidered. "No. Put him with Applejack. He's known to be rather noisy, and the critters can't stand a loud pony when they're just getting up."

And another page. "Bright Bulb. That's an easy one. Unicorn. Animal team. I'm glad he didn't volunteer to head up Wrap-Up again after the travesty three years ago. Always good ideas, but he never follows up on them."

Glancing at the clock, she sighed. "Not even noon. Dusk, for once I admit I could use some help sorting all these ponies for jobs." Sighing, she reached down, and picked up the next page.

Thursday, March 23rd, 1701 AFE. Ponyville Hospital. 10:20am.

Puffing a little for breath, Dusk pushed through the hospital door. Late, winded and feeling guilty, he was shocked by the amount of ponies sitting around the waiting room. Before he could make his way to the nurse’s desk, a gleeful blond mare rushed to his side, hooking an arm with his own. “Magistrate! You’re here! Good. We were worried when you didn’t show up on time, Nurse Redheart says you’re such a stickler for scheduling. Come with me, we have your room ready, Nurse Redheart’s just finishing her interview with Fluttershy.”

Shocked, and being dragged along by the strong earth mare, for a moment, Dusk wondered if Pinkie had simply dyed her hair and started to volunteer at the hospital before his mind sparked the memory of a brief encounter just a few weeks ago. “Cuddles?! Are you sure it’s okay for me to go ahead of so many waiting ponies? I wouldn’t want to push ahead of others just because of my rank.”

Looking back for only a moment at the full waiting room, Cuddles leaned in close and conspiratorially whispered up at him. “Truth is, most of them are probably faking illness to get out of Winter Wrap-up tomorrow, Dusk. A lot of ponies get lazy when big projects like this come up, and it’s up to us to try and sort them out and remind the lazy ones it’s their duty to help. Poor Doctor Horse already seen fourteen ponies and it isn’t even noon! We nurse’s aides are getting extra training by going to everypony waiting and taking a list of their symptoms, and the nurses try to organize a list of the emergencies, and more important cases from there.”

The idea of somepony ducking responsibility by pretending to be sick was so alien to Dusk, he needed a moment to think, and followed Cuddles more willingly as he did so. Just as they turned the corner and started towards a closed door, the neighbouring one opened, and Fluttershy barreled squarely into Dusk’s chest, her eyes red and her breathing was heavy as she tried to suppress a sob. Unlike Dusk, the mare needed only a fraction of a second to recover, and was suddenly pressing into him, her arm wrapped around his chest and her face buried into his light winter jacket. Voice warbling, the mare looked up at him with watering eyes. “Duussskkkk!~ Why does she ask such personal questions! I’ve never done such things with anypony! Even Rarity is very careful to take it slow and let me get used to what she says everypony does! And here she’s asking about really really personal things!”

Pillowed by her heavy chest, Dusk had to carefully adjust to hug her, not used to the oddity of having such an awkward buffer between his body and some other pony. Doing his best to cradle the mare close and waving for Cuddles to give them a moment, he waited for her to take a breath between wet sobs so he could cup her chin and look down into her eyes. “Now, Fluttershy. I don’t want to sound pushy, but if Nurse Redheart was asking personal things, don’t you think that maybe it was important, even if it is really personal and uncomfortable to talk about? She is the head nurse here. She wouldn’t just ask those kinds of questions for fun, right?”

That had been directed to the mare who now stood in the doorway, both embarrassed and suppressing laughter at the mare Dusk was attempting to comfort. Laughter danced hardest in her eyes, but she appeared to have managed to keep an otherwise professional stance. Clearing her throat a little, Redheart spoke with clinical detachment, probably for Fluttershy’s sake. “Dusk is right, dear. If we were at Berry Punch’s bar, I might have asked those kinds of questions as a joke. But in the hospital, I am very professional. Because of Dusk’s relationship with Rarity, as well as your own with her, it is important that we know some very personal things about your health, as otherwise one of you might make all the others ill.”

A little soothed by Dusk’s presence, and both of their carefully selected words, Fluttershy’s breathing slowed, and she looked up at him more willingly, at last taking a fortifying breath. Clenching her fists into balls as she held his shirt, she turned her head to look at the nurse again, her breathing carefully controlled. “Nurse Redheart, I’m willing to continue your interview. I don’t want anypony to get ill just because I was scared of some questions. Most of all Rarity or Dusk. They’re very important to me.” As she spoke her words grew slower and she blushed, now refusing to look back up at Dusk despite holding his shirt tightly. “Can Dusk sit in and hold my hand? I know it’s embarrassing, and a little unorthodox, but Rarity is really busy with making the vests for everypony for tomorrow, and I think I would feel a little better if somepony I can trust is in the room.”

Redheart looked from Dusk to the mare in his arms, her face covered by the loose straight strands of her pink hair. Lifting her clipboard, she bit her lip for a moment, but finally gave a small nod. “If Dusk is somepony you can trust, I will get him to sign a little paperwork, but yes, he can sit in with you. But only if you’re sure you can’t handle it alone.”

Fluttershy relaxed a little and pulled Dusk after her, into the small exam room, nodding at the nurse. “I am okay with it, if Dusk doesn’t mind?”

Unable to refuse offering support to his fragile friend, Dusk gave Redheart a shrug, but smiled for Fluttershy. “I’d be honored to help you, Fluttershy. If you ever feel things are getting too personal to share with me, let me know, I’ll plug my ears or leave.”

That settled, Fluttershy gave him another hug before leading him to the two small chairs in the exam room, while Redheart returned to the larger doctor’s chair that had been abandoned in the middle of the room. Straightening her paperwork, the nurse cleared her throat once and attempted to continue where she had left off. “Now, Fluttershy. As I asked before things got too uncomfortable for you to continue: Have you ever been penetrated by another pony, or a member of any other species? That can include oral, anal or vaginal and if that other pony was using a tool or toy of some kind.”

Shocked at how quickly the nurse restarted, Fluttershy’s gaze shot back to the floor, but her grip on Dusk’s hand tightened while she stammered with worry and embarrassment. “Pen… penetrated!?? You mean like… like when I’m having a really bad heat, and Rarity gets out her small silver toy and helps me let off pressure?”

Calmly, Redheart gave the mare a small nod of her head. Dusk was impressed with the nurse's self control, fully aware he probably wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face if forced to look at the trembling mare who clutched his hand right now in the eye. "But would I break down and laugh or cry. Oh Fluttershy... I'm sorry."

Attempting to regain her composure, Fluttershy brushed her free hand through her long pink hair, chewing slightly at her lower lip. "Rar... Rarity has put the silver vibrating toy in me. And her fingers. But that is all. I... I suppose I did the same by myself once..."

When Fluttershy’s voice drifted off to a barely audible whisper, Dusk took a creative risk, and reached over with his free hand, squeezing her knee and speaking softly. "I'm sure that's okay, Fluttershy. As long as you cleaned up afterwards."

Relaxing a little and breathing easier, Fluttershy smiled up at him and mouthed a silent word of thanks. Redheart finished scribbling her notes and cleared her throat for their attention before continuing. "Then finally, Fluttershy, I just have to ask two things: Do you understand the recommended safe sex procedures in a herd relationship? Do you understand the effects of shared heat? Because I do have some reading material you can share with your partners. Shared heat is the most important, as spending too much time around another mare in heat can bring on your heat, greatly increasing the risk of pregnancy."

When offered the white pamphlets and soft colored pictures of undetailed ponies with soft shading, Fluttershy accepted them, and seemed to relax as she scanned over the paper. Looking up at the nurse she gave a small nod. "These look very helpful. Thank you, Nurse Redheart! Do I need to wait for the blood test to come back or... are we... are we done now? Please?"

Redheart smiled, and stood up, walking over to Fluttershy's side, and carefully sat beside her on the arm of her chair, picking up Fluttershy's hand that clutched the pamphlets and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I want you to promise me, Fluttershy. Read these. They are really important, okay?"

Looking up at the nurse, Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak but froze for a moment, and then finally nodded to her. "I will, Redheart. I promise I will."

Grinning, Redheart brushed her free hand through the mare's hair, giving a happy sigh. "Good. And because I know you, Fluttershy, if you do have anymore questions, please feel free to come talk to me at home if that makes you feel more comfortable. I know that's a more comfortable place if you need to have a more personal talk."

Fluttershy gave a sigh, but nodded at Redheart and grinned. "Okay. Thank you, Redheart. I'll try to only bug you at home if something concerns me."

While they both bade Fluttershy goodbye, Dusk was surprised when Redheart quietly linked arms with him and leaned a little against him. Giving a tepid sigh she spoke softly. "Take care of her, Dusk. She's a real innocent mare. Don’t break her heart, or I'll have your fool head."

The nurse was talking quietly, but her words were serious, and he gave her a little nod. "I promise I will try to take the best care of my friends that I can."

"Good. Now let’s go to the other room, I've got your report waiting there."

Tossing the clipboard aside, Redheart began to pace the room, shaking her head. "I know the Princess was concerned about your health after what happened during the Summer Sun Celebration, but you really don't need these monthly physicals anymore, Dusk. You're probably the healthiest stallion we've ever had to request so many."

Dusk shrugged, but used his magic to fetch up the discarded chart, pulling it back. "I know, I know, and I promise I'll stop coming in for the regular monthly checkups. But they were drawing blood and asked for me to provide a semem sample, so I figured it couldn't have hurt to get the physical done... sometimes I wake up at night and my horn simply aches for hours and in the end I give up on sleep." He looked up over the clipboard and saw the question forming in her eyes. "Yes, even after a pot of your tea. I think it's left over from the time Gilda scarred my horn."

Redheart shook her head as she stepped in beside him, resting her ass against the bed to take some weight off her sore feet, grabbed the clipboard, and shut the metal case. She placed her head on his shoulder while holding the clipboard against her thighs. "Tell you what. Princess Cadence is coming to check up on Scootaloo's progress next month. If they continue, we can get her to see if she can find something. I don't dare risk trying a stronger sedative, the dose in your tea is for a stallion of Mac's weight."

Dusk gave her a little nod, and leaned against her in return, chewing thoughtfully on his lower lip. "Thanks, Red. I'm sorry we've been creating a few extra headaches for you lately. I'll write her sometime this week."

The nurse snorted, and stood up again, reopening her clipboard. "Enough of that, onto the lab's reports." Reading a paper buried much deeper in the stack, Redheart went suddenly very quiet and stared at him for a moment before rereading the paper. "Dusk, you... you didn't mess with your sample in anyway, did you?"

Suddenly feeling very self-conscious, Dusk tried to look unconcerned and shook his head. "Well... no. Not really. Rarity was waiting for me in the private room and... well, she helped me collect the sample, but that shouldn't matter... right?"

Shaking her head with amusement, Redheart left that alone and finally read out the important numbers. "Dusk, I'd recommend you get retested before offering to stud again, as I almost don't believe these numbers... and leave Rarity out of the collection part, please? But here are the facts: Your sperm count is rather low for a healthy stallion, only a quarter of the average. However, in exchange, you also have an unusually high count of 'Y' chromosomes in the sample. The average stallion only has 8-12%. Champion Studs rarely break 20%. You might hold a record, as you've nearly 29%."

Stunned, Dusk needed a moment to realize just what she was talking about, before shaking his head and looking at her to see if she were making some kind of joke. "Chromosomes? As in how a foal turns out a colt vs a filly? That can't be possible, can it? Those are ridiculous numbers."

Redheart squeezed his arm. "Dusk, before you go cause an uproar, I request you give a new sample right now. The low count makes this result odd enough before even considering the highly unusual chromosome count."

Still a little dazed, Dusk gave her a nod and stood up, clearing his throat. "I will. And I don't plan on sharing this. It's very odd, and a little worrying, isn't it?"

Redheart collected a sample jar from one of the small room’s drawers, and started to head for the door. "It is, but maybe it's just genetic. After all, your sire had two colts. Are colts common in your family tree?"

Accepting the sample cup and following her so he could lock the door after the nurse left, Dusk shook his head. "No. Not as far as I know. A colt is born every few generations but mostly fillies..."

Thursday, March 23rd, 1701 AFE. Approaching Ponyville. 11:14am.

Bronze Feather thrilled in the sense of freedom as the wind whipped through her wings. Even though the flight to Ponyville was too long for her to carry much luggage, it was a joy to make that flight. "Let luggage play catchup on the train. This is the only real way to travel!"

Behind her, the light escort Silk had demanded she take with her for the flight back to Ponyville still followed at a respectful distance, but as Ponyville entered her view, she pushed them from her mind and started a long, broad spiraling dive, letting her speed pick up as she descended into the town while the wind whipped through her feathers. “I’m such a foal, getting so excited over flying. But the sun is golden, the day is warm, and Dusk… he promised to wait for me!” Brushing off her embarrassment, she giggled and curved her dive towards the library, preparing to break for her landing.

Beating her wings and skipping the last few steps to the door, she paused and took a moment to straighten her collar and smooth her flight jacket, the silvery material a contrast to her dull feathers. Behind her, she could just hear the two guards land as she lifted a hand, and lightly rapped a professional-feeling triple knock. Silence dominated the world for a moment, and she felt her wings puffing up against her will as she waited, and then-

Opening the door and looking down on her, a towering mare built like a tank with light green hair made Bronze freeze up for a moment, her mind a chaotic mess. “NO! Dusk was supposed to answer the door! And then we were supposed to kiss or hug, or, well… other stuff!”

Lyra looked her over, and then over at her escort, thinking for a moment, before giving a small nod. She then greeted them with a cheerful, yet serious, tone. “Bronze Feather, right? Dusk is still a little behind due to some problems at the hospital. I’m Lyra…” She coughed, and cleared her throat rather carefully. “The ‘music teacher’ for Ponyville School. I don’t think we ever met, but Silk told me to expect you.”

With the romantic daydreams of her return flushed away, Bronze tried not to deflate from disappointment, so she looked up at the towering unicorn and ran their conversation in her head. “Wait… Silk? So then, you’re-”

Shaking her head, Lyra crossed her arms over her chest and gestured with her head inside the library. “Look, Dusk asked me and Barb to set up the spare room for you, alright? So come in and we can talk privately... without everypony in town watching?”

Turning to the guards that had followed her to the door, Bronze offered them a shrug. “Sorry guys, no big show. I don't know what your orders were after I arrived, but thanks, alright?”

As if they’d only waited for that, the two stallions together stood up and gave her a small salute, before taking flight again. Adjusting her bag to sit more comfortably, Bronze stepped into the library. “Wonder why she’s so upti-”

Two steps into the house, her thoughts were cut off as the roar of at least two dozen voices roared from the library. “Welcome back, Bronze Feather!”

Packed in the hall, more ponies than she could name waited, some sitting on the couch, others gathered before the bookshelves, and Dusk Shine and Pinkie Pie stood together at the doorway. Shocked at the sight of so many ponies including Dusk all at the same time, she could only stand and stutter, until Lyra’s strong hand came to rest upon her shoulder, her voice a careful whisper in her ear. “Look, kid. Just smile and say thank you to everypony. Dusk’s friend, Pinkie Pie, she likes these kinds of parties, okay? She promised to make it short, because of Rumble’s exam, but it’s at least polite to say thanks, alright?”

Swallowing back a rising tide of panic, Bronze glared at the taller mare, and summoned up all her willpower, taking the first step into the library, and instantly she was swallowed up into a hug by Dusk and Pinkie, the roar of the crowd and a thousand words of congratulations and support. The drinks came quick, and the cake was great.

Holding out to the end, it was only just after Pinkie and Lyra left at last that she found herself alone with Dusk, quietly emptying what little was in her pack. As he placed her two spare shirts into the second drawer of the desk, he turned, his voice full of surprise. “So you really came without your armor. I’m just shocked, Bronze. I can’t remember when I last saw you without a suit of at least chainmail on.”

She tried to surreptitiously place her delicates and socks into the top drawer without freaking out at the stallion who stood so close and smelled so good... Biting at her lower lip, she cleared her throat, and tried to answer calmly. “My armor? I… well, I don’t have to wear it all the time, right? Unless, I mean, if you like my armor? I don’t mind wearing it all the time if that’s what you’d like. And I’ve got lighter armor too, the chainmail and stuff. It’s all coming on the train with the rest of my clothing. I-”

Dusk’s hand was suddenly on her chin and pulled for her to look into his eyes. His lips were so close, and his eyes danced with an inner light that held her, mesmerized. “Bronze Feather, you don’t have to try so hard. I’m not so hard to impress. Just take a deep breath, and cal-”

Surging forward, unable to resist any longer, Bronze pressed a kiss to those tender lips, while both of her hands rose to gently clasp his powerful jaw. For a moment, he froze up, and her heart stopped. Just as she began to worry, he finally relaxed, and at last returned her kiss, his arms wrapping around her hips to hold her close.

Finally, the kiss broke, and she lowered her head to rest on his shoulder. “I… I’m so sorry, Dusk. I really missed you. I promise I’ll give you your space. I just... I just want this moment to last... please?”

Stroking a hand tenderly though the mare’s hair, Dusk smiled for her, and her alone. She felt his hands slide down her hips and then back up to the small of her back, where his fingers laced together, and his thumbs shifted to stroke at the base of her ribcage. “Bronze, life is complicated. But a quiet happy moment? I like those. Never be afraid I’ll cast you aside. You’re a good friend, Bronze. Never think any less.”

Settling her weight against him, she gave a sigh, and enjoyed their moment together, even as the distant sound of somepony knocking on the library door told her it wouldn’t last.