The old pharmacy was steadily switching from the title of ‘fixer-upper’ to refurbished home. As Prince Blueblood had requested of Twilight at the end of their previous meeting, an accommodation had been sought after, befitting her new personal guard. Sturdy as a stone castle, time hardened, bits and pieces being replaced, and relatively isolated from others. At least the building was fairing a little better. The ground floor that once served as a shop and storage had been split to make a spacious living room and a rather modern kitchen, the service counter replaced by a low bisecting wall extending three-quarters of the way to divide the two.

Admittedly, when the guards transporting the knight’s belongings had arrived, she and her friends couldn’t resist a brief inspection. Of course they dared not open the crates and trunks, something Rarity and she had to remind Pinkie and Rainbow of several times as they assisted. Still, Princess Twilight was deeply curious about the trunk temptingly labelled ‘Books—alchemy’, even more so about the personal workbooks filled with hand written recipes.

If it wasn’t because Twilight was oh-so burdened with shelving the vast tomes of knowledge (some of which she may ask to borrow) then she’d be perusing the carefully handled, carefully contained, collection of raw herbal ingredients and the chemical vials. They were neatly boxed outside. She and Rainbow were in Ser Vincent’s room upstairs, opposite his lab.

She shelved another book and bore a blissful smile. Nothing beat a shelving day. Nothing. Well maybe famous wizard appreciation day, but it was close. It was to a system her knight was accustomed to so her inexperience meant she’d take her time. Fortunately, she had company.

“Whoa, that thing's pretty detailed.” Rainbow’s called from behind. The bare polychromatic speedster lounged upon the king-sized bed, her eyes focused intensely upon the wall to her left. She then glanced to a crate close by, picking up a journal before skimming through. “Dude doodles pretty good, like, Rarity good.”

Twilight paused filling her second bookshelf, instead turning to inspect the most prominent feature of the master bedroom: a scaled and fully detailed map of Equestria. It was breathtakingly beautiful and the artist really outdone himself. Apparently it was good to be friends with the prince—the refurbishments of the ground floor, the installation of a small alchemy lab that would make a Canterlot professor weep with envy, and of course a few more treats such as this… were all paid for as ‘house warming gifts’.

“Somepony call?” Rarity earned everypony’s attention as soon as she stepped in, ears twitching. Unlike the others she bore clothing, albeit something she’d consider rather casual: shoulder-less cream blouse, frilled at the sleeves, completed by the purple plaited skirt to add contrast. Her freshly filed horn was aglow, as was the expensive record player that followed behind. “My, the painting certainly adds a vista-esque quality to the room, don’t you think?”

She stopped halfway into the room, head tilted as she appraised the scene. Her sapphire eyes soon shifted to start a sweeping inspection. “As far as things go decoration wise it’s a great start.”

“Easy there, Rare’s,” Rainbow said as she sat up, “Ambush Vinnie with your ideas, not us.” A playful scowl appeared on the fashionista’s face, an inquisitive look taking the speedster’s. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be helping AJ with moving things around downstairs and helping with his potion lab?”

Rarity huffed and set the record player down beside the trunks near the bed, folding her arms under her chest “I recall being told that was my job without actually being asked if it was ideal for me.” She placed a hand over her heart, “I was more than prepared to help around, but how could you ever send little old me to trudge through all the dust and cobwebs?”

Rarity blanched before her eyes fell onto an opened box, filled with a collection of vinyl records. With renewed interest she migrated towards their location near Twilight. “No, no, no. Darling, I’m here to bring life to each room whilst I think Pinkie and Applejack are much better suited for the heavy lifting… well, Applejack anyhow. Pinkie is rather dead set on the welcome party.”

Rarity carefully inspected its contents. Several tracks suited for chamber music, a majority being symphony orchestra, numerous famous opera pieces, and a dash of smooth jazz here and there. Hmmm, quite a delightful collection in her opinion.

A scoff from the pegasus stole her gaze, a challenging brow arching.

“Something funny, Dash?” She twisted around, hand on hip. Rainbow smirked and glanced to the princess, currently muzzle deep in a workbook belonging to her new guard.

“Hey, Twi, what did you think about the welcome party Pinkie threw when you arrived?”

“It was pretty neat,” Twilight replied absentmindedly, pointed ear a-twitch.

“Must have been more than neat if you enjoyed it without actually being there for most of it.”

“Hey!” Twilight glared at the guffawing pegasus, shelving the book harsher than intended.

“Rainbow, do get to the point,” Rarity instructed as she brought a hand to her cheek, conveniently hiding a growing smirk.

“Imagine the Twilight before she came to Ponyville... but as a knight.” Dash glanced to the ceiling with a ponderous look. "Also as stubborn as a dude."

“I see your point.” Rarity conceded to Rainbow’s argument, nodding along with the pegasus to avoid the simmering stare of the royal librarian. “But surely he won’t mind a small affair.” She finally turned to Twilight, her smile innocent. “We can use the time now to see what his interests are and strike up a conversation later, get to know your new guard, Princess Twilight.”

Twilight considered what had been brought to her attention. It was painstakingly obvious that Ser Vincent wasn’t exactly a social butterfly, more of a close guarded bear than anything else. Still, if she was to consider what they all collectively knew through meeting him then maybe she could rely on her experiences to help.

She gasped, eyes sparkling, tail twitching, and she brought her furred fingers to her cheeks. “Maybe I can get him to start doing friendship reports!”

Whilst Rarity failed to hide her wide eyed stare, she managed to swiftly turn, bite a knuckle, and withhold an unladylike giggle behind reddening cheeks. Rainbow Dash, in contrast, lacked such grace. Both reactions confused Twilight.

“Okay, what is it this time?”

After her laughter died down Dash then placed sketchbook on the pillow next to her.

“I reckon this will be a short assignment before he quits.”

“Did somepony say shorts?!” A bubbly cackle accommodated the pink blur that cartwheeled in.

“Oh, Pinkie, Dear, are you fin—“ As soon as Rarity trailed off, the other occupants in the room soon fell mute as well. The flood of silence was deafening to the party pony, who stood with both hands on hip, feeling rather silly beneath her friend gawking expression. Well, at least the wrong kind of silly.

“What?”

“Pinkie…” Twilight broached, eyes on the baker’s covered hips, “Are those—“

“Snip shorts?” Dash blurted.

“Rainbow!” Both Rarity and Twilight chided, Pinkie and Dash’s ears wilting in unison.

“Well what do you call them?” Dash asked defensively, folding her arms and legs upon the large bed.

“Shorts!” Pinkie chirped with uncertainty, her expression growing more so as she glanced between her friends. “Right?”

Rarity cleared her throat, cheeks blossom inflamed. “Those are not shorts, Pinkie, and I highly recommend you remove them.” Rarity watched as the fuchsia mare placed her thumbs inside the elastic waist, stretched them outwards, before simply leaping out of what Dash had recently labelled ‘snip shorts’.

Pinkie studied the white article of clothing with childlike curiosity.

“So…”

“They’re a pair of sheathe-pants, Pinkie,” Twilight began with a scholarly tone. She walked over to the mare and took hold of the garments in her magic, keeping them a fair distance away. “You really, really don’t need these.” She tilted her head. “Where did you even get them?”

“It fell out of Vincent’s wardrobe when we brought in. I thought they were kind of cute is all,” Pinkie said casually, gesturing to said wardrobe behind Rarity. Not that she was capable of looking, in fact, once again, everypony in the room froze. “I should probably put these back, shouldn’t I?” Pinkie smile sheepishly as she reached for the sheath-pants.

“Yep.” Twilight’s reply was automatic, her mind wondering if she was thinking the same thing as everypony else.

‘So that’s why he wears so much.’

“Well can somepony tell me why you’re all acting so weird?” Pinkie’s request was more of a demand, one that Rainbow was happy to follow.

“Look, you know how ponies don’t wear clothes?”

“Speak for yourself,” Rarity chimed as she brushed down her skirt. Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“Normally, okay.”

“Yeah?” Pinkie drawled with an ear focused on her pegasus friend.

“Well… we have fur to cover our skin and hide things, like, certain sensitive things,” Dash whipped her tail and looked anywhere but at her friend. It’s funny how rubbing the back of one’s neck doesn’t necessarily scrub away the sense of awkwardness when describing somepony (some human’s?) personal health.

“Like our necks? Why does being ticklish mean—“

Pinkie was interrupted when Rarity placed a hand onto her shoulder, beckoning her to lean in. “Actually, Pinkie it’s because…” She trailed off into a whisper, the topic soon turning Pinkie’s expression from one of confusion to surprised understanding.

“Oooooh! Well that explains why he has, like, ten pairs.”

“A sheath enables a denser growth of fur, to keep things... warm and protected. Some ponies are either born without it or maybe even have an inadequate one,” Twilight continued, allowing Pinkie to take the sheath-pants. “In that case, the, um, sheathe is removed and the pony normally wears these to keep themselves covered. It’s not that common and is found in stallions mostly, but mares can have the condition too.”

“Hence, snip-shorts,” Rainbow helpfully interjected, using both the primary and secondary fingers to mime a set of scissors cutting through. It was easy to ignore the glares a third time around.

“Oh, just one more question.” Pinkie said, poking through a buttoned gap at the front of the garment. “Why is the hole for the tail lower than usual?”

It was Rarity’s magic that snatched the article of clothing from the earth pony, and it was the fashionista that opened the wardrobe doors behind her, and catapulted the topical unmentionables deep within. She spun around and slammed the doors shut, only to gawk moments later at what she saw for a split second.

“No… no, it can’t be…” she muttered, much to the concern of her friends.

“Are you okay, Rarity? You look paler.” She didn’t believe it was possible and yet there was Rarity now displaying a shade lighter than snow white. The royal librarian’s words fell onto deaf ears as the unicorn was staring at the wardrobe as if it was the stuff of nightmares. In a way, to her, it was.

With her magical aura on the handles she pulled the doors open once more. She then promptly gasped, hands to her mouth, but it wasn’t enough to withhold the mortified scream.

“It’s hideous! The horror! It’s criminal!” Rarity wailed, magically drawing out long coat, after long coat, after long coat, after long coat. Three of dirty forest, three of filthy desert, and three of gritted snow. Nine long coats, each with accompanying pants and gloves and only two pairs of shin-plated boots for each style. Several of his potion belts hung on the inside of the door. Like caught spectres, snared by a wispy glow, they haunted the fashionista.

“Just look at this! He said he prefers to walk around in his free time in this! Are these really the only things that make up his wardrobe?!” She cried, palm resting before her horn. The others shared nervous glances. “Green, green, green, sand, sand, sand, sno… actually the winter design has a little merit—but that’s beside the point! I didn’t actually think a villainous wardrobe like this existed!” She threw the knight’s clothing back into the wardrobe, ensuring they were neatly tucked away of course. “This. Is. The. Worst. Possible. Thing!”

“Calm down, Rare’s, I’m sure—“ Rainbow was cut off by the wild eyed glint in the steadily unstable fashionista’s eye.

“You're right! I need every steady nerve to fix this crime against fashion!”

“Have you checked the other wardrobe?” Pinkie offered, gesturing to an identical wardrobe standing further along the wall, close to the bed.

“…Not yet, hehe.” Rarity added an abashed giggled, quickly tidying her mane with her fingers as she sauntered over. “They’re just his… work duds. I’m sure he was joking when he said he only went anywhere in those. I’m sure he goes through them like a summer sale.” She opened up the second wardrobe and swiftly closed it. “Or maybe he was telling the truth.”

“What, does he have two closets of long coats and masks?” Twilight inquired with an amused brow.

“No… just the one and another scarcely filled with shirts, pants, socks, and other unmentionables, none of which is fit for a knight nor the public eye.” Quickly, Rarity made a bee line for the door. “Well not for long!”

It was at this point Ser Vincent entered the room, two chromatic metal cases in both of his gloved hands, one longer than the other. He stood in a familiar get-up: mask, hood, scaled armour, viridian long coat. He mechanically scanned the occupants of his room. His eyes soon fell onto Rarity as she marched up to him.

“Ser Knight, do not leave this house, you understand? I’ll be paying you a visit later.” Steadily, he lowered his gaze down to shoulder high mare, his stoic masked stare meeting her critical look. She coughed into her palm and patted her mane into place, an exasperated sigh leaving her. “Oh, and welcome to Ponyville, Ser Vincent, I do hope you enjoy your time here.” She smiled sweetly enough, as on the first day he met her, “If you need any help don’t be a stranger, my boutique’s not too far up the road. Ta-ta for now.”

Rarity gave him a light tap on the muzzle of his mask before she rushed on out, her hooves echoing down the hall and a subtle trail lilac perfume floating in her wake. Rendered speechless, the knight simply stood in the doorway as he gazed between the other silent occupants.

“I would have knocked first but, well, I didn’t wish to disturb anypony as they moved in.” His words were wry, his chuckle warm. He craned his neck over his shoulder as he moved to between both wardrobes, earnest appreciation in his voice. “I apologise for arriving so late, otherwise I would have helped. Thank you all.”

“It was nothing, Ser Vincent,” Twilight said, waving him off and smiling. “Moving out can be tough for anypony.”

“Oooh!” Pinkie slid over to the knight, sliding up against him and beaming brightly up to his masked stare, “Did you see my present? On the kitchen counter?” Quickly he stepped back, incidentally reaching his destination. Oh joy, personal space was a lost luxury.

“Oh, the banoffee pie? Yes, I did.” Vincent’s chuckle rumbled out. “It certainly looks delicious.” He didn’t believe it to be possible for Pinkie’s perpetually ecstatic smile to grow larger, and yet, it did.

“Thanks! I made it this morning.”

“On my behalf? Thank you, Miss, erm, beg your pardon, Pinkie Pie.” The withering glare he received from Pinkie was enough for him to correct himself.

“Hey, Vinnie, how come you’re all polite with us but not with Pinks?” Rainbow inquired, tilting her head from where she sat upon the bed. “You could probably drop the Miss for the rest of us, you know.”

“I’ll keep it in mind.” A loud thud accompanied the heavy metal cases as they fell by his side, Dash suspecting a crack may have formed.

“You got a lot of interesting stuff about, big guy.” Rainbow commented, reaching for the sketchbook whilst pointing a wing at the freshly deposited cases. “What’s in there?”

To this the knight folded his thick arms, shifting his weight to one leg as he looked directly to Rainbow. Maybe it was because she saw the mask as a now shattered illusion, after all Dash did manage to get up close to him without it, but she could have sworn there was a malachite glimmer in those shadowed eyes.

“A few bits and pieces, very expensive, and rare, bits and pieces.” His reply was stern but still in the friendly threshold. Or so he hoped, he was attempting to keep on everypony’s good side. It would help him move in faster, in turn, get them out quicker and leave him alone.

“I’ll say,” Princess Twilight chimed in as she walked up to the crate beside the bed, leaning onto it. “Prince Blueblood even got you some basic furnishing for the living room.”

Vincent shook his hooded head, raising a hand to press against his temple. ‘He’s practically rooting me here, making it a worthy… rest stop.’ It wasn’t a home, no, it was simply a copy of his old room expanded to fit a refurbished pharmacy shop.

“A lot of frou-frou Canterlot stuff, too,” Dash quipped with a smirk before letting the book swing in front of her. “Also, book of scary monsters, pages of tough dudes, meaning you got a load of stories to tell. Don’t think I let you off the hook.”

He sighed whilst rolling his shoulders, hand on the off-hue repair patch he fitted a while back. A few seams were becoming undone.

“I thought I felt something snagged in my shoulder.” His jest earn a giggle from Pinkie.

“Oh sure!” The doorway seemed to be becoming a popular hot spot as Applejack was leaning in, frowning and covered in dust. She patted her Stetson down, hay-blond mane catching the light. A sharp emerald frown was pointed to each of her friends, “Leave me to do all the hard work!”

A tired smile broke out as the farmer looked to Ser Vincent, putting on her cowboy hat and tipping it. “And a howdy to you, Ser Vincent. Yer gonna love it here, I swear on Granny’s hip.”

“Hey, I’m just here to hand over the weather schedule for this month, if you needed some help you should have just asked.” With that, Rainbow stretched quickly as a cat would across the bed before flapping her finely tuned wings. Less than a few seconds later and she was standing at the foot of the bed.

“I might as well be of some assistance; I am going to be living here,” Ser Vincent said, masking his discomfort at the prospect. “It will be best if I handle my alchemy supplies. Now where’s my armour stand?”

“The mannequin?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah. That’s the one.”

Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Vincent spent the next half an hour shifting various things around the house, causing quite a fuss by the sounds of things; not a minute passed without Pinkie giggling and Ser Vincent telling somepony not to touch something. It did give Twilight time however to do a little bit of… investigating.

She was alone in his personal sanctum with a very big travel trunk. It was soon opened up with a semi-guilty chew of her lip. Inside were several familiar sketchbooks, bound by now-wrapped string, and filled with sketches of villains and gorgeous scenes. A thick stack of pages were also bundled beside them. Rainbow was right in how good in quality there were—fairly detailed and the trending one-colour-highlight style had gave them a certain flair. She glanced to the bottom, spotting a black hardback book. What was odd was the feature of a locking mechanism built in. She dismissed that as too personal to trifle with. It was hard not to notice the tub of thumb tacks and fishing line alongside the set of geographical co-ordinates and date on every page. She took one look at the wall-sized map and made the connection.

“There’s got to be over three hundred drawings here!” She was impressed to say the least. This was certainly a sign of serious dedication. Then again, both Blueblood testimonies and Ser Vincent’s file vouched on his behalf.

Next came credentials and permits, the distinguishing piece being his ‘Master Tier Transmutive Alchemist’ certificate. There was also a diploma. She held the frame in her hand, the other trailing the polished glass cover. Her good mood dampened at the touch, her eyes studying the paper, her heart sinking a little.

Canterlot Royal Military Disciplinary Academy doctorate of secondary and further education.

For: Organic Chemistry, Botany, Alchemy, Basic Guarsdstallionship, Advanced Guardstallionship, Elite Guardstallionship plus Honours.

By Royal decree, they who is in possession of these qualifications are recognised as capable and productive members of society by the ruling body, and also seen to personally on this fine day, by Princess Celestia. It is with pride in our nation, with our ideals close to our hearts, that this citizen has become a favourable member of society, eager to contribute.

Awarded to House Guard Recruit Vincent Costello.

Signed, ex- Major Dawn Marcher, Principle.

Signed, Princess Celestia, Princess of Equestria.’