It was late in the afternoon, and Rainbow, Twilight, and Lero were visiting the market. It had been something of a long day for all three of them, albeit in different ways, and none of them particularly wanted to spend much time there. The trip was necessary, however; the house Rainbow and Lero shared was low on several staples, and Twilight's pantry was perpetually somewhat low. Dinner would have been a rather lean affair without at least a brief trip to the market.

Lero had spent the day up at Sweet Apple Acres, first helping to fix the cider press and then tracking down and repairing a leak in the farmhouse's plumbing. Rainbow had been intending to come down there and help him out if she could, (primarily as moral support; if the problems could be fixed with hooves, Applejack or Applebloom would have already taken care of them) but the Everfree forest had decided to misbehave so she'd instead had to spend the day making sure her weather schedules didn't get turned upside down by rogue cloudbanks. She hadn’t even had time for flying practice, something that had her grumbling irritably. Twilight had been spending the last few days collating information from several frontier towns to present a report to the Princess on something-or-other, and she'd spent today writing and revising her final draft.

With all three of them wanting to be done with their shopping as quickly as possible, they'd decided to leave the haggling to the two ponies, while Lero hung out and watched. He'd gotten better at bargaining, but he still wasn't anywhere near what Rainbow would consider proficient yet. He'd confessed to Rainbow that the whole process was still a little strange for him, saying that where he came from prices were generally fixed. That idea was freaking weird, how could you make sure they were giving you a decent deal if they wouldn't bargain? What could you do if they were too high? Just accept getting ripped off? The pegasus thought that idea was as strange as Lero found the process of bargaining.

Twilight and Rainbow were haggling cheerfully with a tomato vendor, with Lero chilling in the square behind them, when the pegasus glanced over her shoulder and saw a unicorn stallion talking to the human. Rainbow cocked her head as she identified the unicorn; it was a guy named Chuckwagon, who the pegasus didn't think Lero got along with all that well. In fact, after a moment's consideration, she remembered him mention the stallion in less-than-positive terms a couple of times over the last week, and she could see from the set of his jaw and the tension in his stance that the human wasn't enjoying the conversation.

Rainbow's ears swiveled toward the two males, and she was able to faintly hear what Chuckwagon was saying. “...should seriously ditch those nags. C'mon, man, this is Ponyville, there's tons of mares here that're better looking than those two. You could...”

“Sir, I am going to ask you one more time to drop this topic and never bring it up to me again, because I frankly don’t want to hear it. I am tired of hearing you insult my friends, and I am nearing the end of my patience.” Lero's voice was level and controlled, but tight with anger. Rainbow could see the muscles along his jaw and the sides of his head moving as he ground his teeth. She bit her lip and took a hesitant step toward the two males, not sure if she should intervene or not.

“Aw, c'mon, man, it's just advice.” Chuckwagon glanced at Rainbow, noticing that she was following the conversation, and glanced back to Lero quickly. He leered, raising his voice a little to make sure the pegasus could hear him. “Seriously, you may look weird, but you could do way better than those two skinny nags. There’s much hotter fillies around.”

Rainbow bristled silently, knowing that he'd intended her to hear that, and Lero's face flushed bright red. “Shut your mouth,” he snapped. “I am sick of hearing this garbage, and I think you’d better take it somewhere else. Talk to me like that again and you'll regret it.” The human's voice was a snarl, and he stepped close to the unicorn stallion, looming over him.

Heads turned all around the square. Lero's voice had been raised, and the angry snap in it was enough to catch attention. There were quiet murmurs from several places, and a unicorn mare with a slate-gray coat stepped out of the crowd around one of the vendors and trotted hastily over to the two males. “Hey, back off!” She reared up and shoved at Lero's chest, sending the human rocking back on his heels, but she didn't have the mass to push the big human very far. “You got a problem with Chuckwagon?”

Rainbow finally recognized the mare; her name was Shimmer, and she was part of Chuckwagon's herd. This could get ugly. She glanced back over her shoulder and caught Twilight's eye, then jerked her head toward the confrontation. The lavender unicorn had paled a bit, but she nodded and turned to follow Rainbow.

“I've got a problem with him bothering me when I’ve told him to leave me alone, yeah,” Lero snarled, leaning forward to jab a finger at Shimmer's face and looming threateningly over her. “I'll gladly back off once he shuts up and leaves me the he- the heck alone!”

There was more movement in the crowd, some ponies with angry expressions on their faces moving toward the brewing fight and others stepping up to block them. Rainbow caught sight of Honeydew, an eager, ugly look in her eyes, stepping around her storefront, only to be balked by Applejack, who stood in her way and gave her a level, steady stare.

“You got a problem with him, then you've got a problem with me,” Shimmer growled, narrowing her light blue eyes.

“And if you've got a problem with him, then you've got one with me,” Rainbow interjected, her head lowering threateningly and her body tensing as she approached. She felt Twilight's presence next to her, her friend ready to support her if she needed it. Shimmer glanced around, fidgeting nervously. Rainbow rolled her shoulders a bit to loosen her muscles as she advanced, her pace smooth, getting ready for a fight. The gray unicorn looked back over her shoulder at Chuckwagon, drew a breath, and turned back to Rainbow. Behind her, a tiny smug smile flitted over Chuckwagon’s face, fanning the pegasus’s anger further.

Before she could say anything, though, Lero looked over his shoulder. “Back off, Dash,” he said a little harshly. “I'm not going to drag someone else into this.”

Rainbow blinked in surprise, drawing herself up short. “You sure, big guy? There's two of 'em.” She felt a little hurt that he'd snap at her like that; he'd never done that before.

“Yeah, I'm sure.” He jabbed a finger at Chuckwagon, still staring Shimmer in the eye. “He's the one I've got a problem with.” The human knelt down and leaned forward, getting well into the unicorn mare's personal space and glaring into her eyes from inches away. “How about you back off and let me have a little chat with him, huh?”

Rainbow felt a fierce flash of pride, though being snapped at still stung. Her stallion didn't start a fight and then drag his mares into it the way she realized Chuckwagon had done. He handled it himself. She wondered where the rest of the unicorn stallion's herd was, quickly looked around for them, and saw that they were being blocked by other ponies in the market. Voices were being raised, but it looked like the other mares figured that Shimmer could handle it as long as Rainbow and Twilight didn't get involved.

“How about no,” Shimmer growled. She looked a little uncertain at having to confront Lero, probably because after that first moment where she'd rushed to get between them, she’d had the same reflex reaction that Rainbow would have in her place. You didn't hit guys. Just didn't do it. It was why the pegasus had hesitated to intervene in the first place, when it had been between Lero and Chuckwagon. Ordinarily she would have charged in headlong. “You try to pick a fight with him, and I'll blast you.” Her horn started to glow with a steady orange light.

That was one heck of an escalation, and Rainbow felt a spike of fear in her belly. She started forward again carefully; given Shimmer's quickly-hidden uncertainty, this was probably just a bluff. Just in case, though, she wanted to be ready to intervene if Lero needed it, regardless of what he wanted. Her wings unfolded, ready to propel her forward lightning-fast if it became necessary.

Lero was quicker. His arms flashed out, his hands closing around Shimmer's throat. He dug a thumb into the underside of her jaw, breaking her concentration, and the magic she'd collected dissipated while she made a choking sound. “You really want to go?” The human's voice had gotten soft, almost silky. “You guys think I'm so helpless. Not as strong or tough as an earth pony, not as quick as a pegasus, no magic like a unicorn. Big, but weak.” Shimmer struggled against the grip, trying to pull free, but the human's hands and arms were a lot stronger than most ponies thought they were, and his slender, fragile-looking fingers could grip like a vice. He half-rose, bringing Shimmer with him, and she flailed at him with her forelegs, but they weren't long enough to reach.

Rainbow started to dart forward, intending to try to separate them before the suddenly-turned tables resulted in Shimmer getting hurt, but a look at how Lero was holding the mare calmed her concerns a bit. She knew the way his hands were shaped, and how they gripped, and after an instant's reflection knew how he could really hurt Shimmer if he'd wanted to, but he wasn't doing it. His thumbs were carefully away from the unicorn's windpipe, and his hands were positioned to support her weight and maintain his grip without actually damaging her throat. There was pressure on her neck and throat from his fingers, but not enough to cut off her breathing entirely, since Rainbow could hear the dark gray mare taking harsh, gasping breaths. He was trying to scare her, not hurt her, and Rainbow's heart slowed a bit from the million beats a minute it had been running a moment before. She was still ready to intervene, but unless things got really nasty she’d rather let him work it out himself, the way he’d indicated he wanted to.

Besides, she didn’t really want to get snapped at again. That had actually stung a bit.

“Well, you're right. I am weak next to you,” Lero continued, his voice still quiet, “but weak doesn't mean harmless. You get me?”

“Urk,” Shimmer choked out, nodding frantically. She'd figured it out too, and though she looked scared she didn't have the terrified look that had been on her face when his hands had first closed around her throat.

“Right. So how about you quit pushing me around,” his hands tightened a bit, making Shimmer's eyes bulge, “and let me have that little conversation with Chuckwagon?”

“Not... let... hurt... him...” The unicorn gasped out laboriously, grimacing.

Lero ground his teeth, and Rainbow decided it was time to intervene. She hovered up and set a forehoof on his shoulder, whispering, “Let her go, big guy. Put her down, everything'll be okay.”

Twilight stepped up on his other side, looking at Shimmer. “He wasn't going to hurt Chuckwagon,” the unicorn said acerbically, with an unstated you idiot hovering clearly in her tone. “He wasn't even making any physical threats! He never said he was going to do anything besides yell! You started it when you threatened to blast him!” Twilight's violet eyes narrowed, and she lowered her head, horn glowing softly. “And if you're thinking of blasting him when he puts you down, you'd better think again. That's not happening with me right here.”

Shimmer shook her head as much as she could. “Urk.”

Satisfied that the fight was pretty much over, Rainbow patted Lero's shoulder again. “Put her down, Lero. It's cool.”

She saw the muscles in his jaw move again, but he carefully set Shimmer's forehooves back on the ground and released her. She fell back, sitting heavily, and coughed a couple of times. “You okay?” The human asked, his tone a little gruff.

Shimmer nodded, shooting him a brief glare. She cleared her throat, rubbing her neck with her forehoof. “Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.” The unicorn’s voice was a little rough, and she cleared her throat again.

Lero gave a curt nod. “Good.” His tone softened a tiny bit. “Sorry, didn't mean to squeeze quite that hard.” He ignored the surprise on the mare's face and shifted his gaze to Chuckwagon, his expression hardening. He jabbed his finger angrily in the stallion’s direction. “As for you, you're gonna shut your mouth. Got it?”

Chuckwagon nodded, a little spastically, taking a step back. “Yeah, yeah, sure, I was just trying to give some advice.”

This time Rainbow joined Lero's glare. At this point she knew darn well he'd been trying to start a fight; there were some stallions who liked doing that, starting a fight and getting their fillies to defend them, though he'd probably been trying to get Shimmer and Rainbow to fight rather than Shimmer and Lero. The smug look she’d glimpsed on his face when Twilight and Rainbow had been moving to intervene told her all she needed to know. Rainbow hated guys like that. She actually felt a little bad for Shimmer, now.

“Well, don't give me any more, and you definitely leave me alone when I’m at work. I don't want to hear it ever again.”

“You won't, you won't.” Chuckwagon moved up next to Shimmer, checking if she was okay, though he kept her between himself and Lero.

“Good.” He shot a look at Shimmer. “Conversation over.” The human gave another curt nod, before turning on his heel and stalking away. Rainbow and Twilight followed, the pegasus shooting one last angry look over her shoulder as the crowd in the square started to dissipate again.

The human walked quickly, but it wasn't hard for the two mares to keep up with him. “Lero! Lero!” Twilight said, trotting along next to him, “Slow down! Are you okay?”

He turned a corner, and stopped suddenly, out of sight of the crowd. “Yeah, I'm fine.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “That was stupid of me. I'm sorry.” He took a few paces off of the road and sank down to sit under a nearby tree.

Rainbow and Twilight shared a quick glance before sitting down on either side of him. The pegasus's chest felt a little tight; she was anxious, worried about how close he'd come to getting hurt, and still feeling a little hurt about being snapped at.

“It was a little ill-considered,” Twilight offered, “what in the world did Chuck wagon say to you to set you off like that? I’ve never seen you lose your temper like that before!”

Lero shook his head, rubbing at his brow. “It's not important.”

“He was telling him that he could do better than us,” Rainbow answered for him. “Calling us skinny nags and stuff.”

The human's head jerked up. “You heard him?” At Rainbow's nod, he sighed, grinding his teeth. “Blast, I'm sorry you had to hear that, love, because he's an idiot. That... That twit has been bothering me for over a week, always the same garbage.” Lero's hand balled into a fist, and he drummed it on his knee in a clear gesture of frustration. “I'm sick of hearing it, and I guess I lost my temper. I'm sorry you got dragged into it.” He aimed a smile at the two mares, wan but genuine. “Though I do appreciate that you were so quick to back me up.”

The tension in Rainbow's chest loosened a bit, and she smiled back. “Aw, shucks. I'll always back you up, big guy.” She leaned forward and brushed her lips quickly against his.

Lero's smile warmed. “Thank you for that, Rainbow. Thank both of you.”

“Why didn't you want us to help?” Twilight asked, tilting her head in puzzlement. “I don't want to sound dismissive, but she could really have hurt you.”

The human shrugged. “My fight, not yours. There wasn't any need to drag either of you into it, and I can take care of myself. Besides, I figure I'll probably get in trouble for it, and I'd rather it be me getting in trouble than you.”

Rainbow's smile grew, and that flash of pride reared its head again, pushing away her lingering hurt at being snapped at.

Twilight nodded understandingly. “You were probably tired of everypony saying things like that about you, too.”

Rainbow frowned at her friend. “What, calling him a skinny nag? I don't think I've ever heard anypony call him that.”

The unicorn shook her head. “No, Rainbow, calling him helpless. Saying he's not as capable as a pony.”

Rainbow's rosy eyes widened in surprise. “Woah, I've never heard anyone say that! He's totally not helpless, and he's better than most of us at some stuff! I mean, yeah, he doesn't have magic, but he's smart, which has gotta be at least as good!”

She turned to her stallion, and was met by a warm, genuine smile, and she could see the love in his eyes. It made her soften a bit. “Thank you, Rainbow. I know the two of you appreciate me, but it's still nice to be reminded sometimes.”

Rainbow's face heated, and she knew she was flushing a little. She grinned nonetheless. “Hey, didn't I just say I'd always back you up?”

Twilight laid a hoof on Lero's knee. “We're not the only ones who appreciate you, Lero. There are plenty of ponies in town who recognize your value. I don't know if you were watching, but most of the crowd in the square was on your side.”

He blinked. “Really?”

“Oh, yes.” The unicorn smiled, stroking his knee gently. “I know you were distracted, but trust me. You have plenty of friends.”

“The two of you first among them.” Lero cleared his throat. “Do you ladies think I could get a hug?”

Rainbow grinned. “Heck, I think I got a spare around here somewhere I could give you. Twilight?”

The unicorn giggled. “I'm sure I could donate one, too.” The three shared a warm embrace, and Rainbow felt the last bit of tension flee.

“Thanks,” he whispered, holding his herdmates close, “I love you both so much.”

“Then you know how we feel about you,” Twilight whispered back.

Rainbow didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to, and she knew it. She just hugged him, enjoying the feel of his body against hers and his arm around her.

Lero smiled wryly when the hug ended. “So... how much trouble am I in?”

Rainbow shrugged. “Won't be much. Little scuffle like that, without anyone actually getting hurt? Probably a little fine and a public apology. Wouldn't even be that if so many ponies hadn't seen it.” She'd been in a ton of fights, so she knew the drill. Lero and Shimmer hadn’t even broken anything.

Twilight nodded. “I've never been in trouble over something like this myself, but that sounds about right, especially since you were provoked. We should probably go down to the Mayor's office and get it sorted out.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Aw, why the rush? They'll come find us sooner or later.”

“All the same, Rainbow, I'd rather go ahead and get it over with,” Lero said. He sighed. “Honestly, I'm hungry, and I'd like to just get it out of the way and get some dinner.”

Rainbow laughed. “I hear ya there!” She checked her saddlebags; they hadn't gotten everything they were after, but they should have more than enough for dinner. They could make another run to the marketplace tomorrow. “Let's drop by home and leave this stuff there, so we don't have to cart it all over the place.”

“That sounds commendably efficient, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “I'll put that down to my influence. Soon you'll be making lists!” She beamed proudly. Rainbow gave a theatrical shudder, and Twilight and Lero laughed.

Hours later, Rainbow and Lero sat together on a bench in the town hall. The pegasus was snuggled up against the human in an attempt to reassure him, with one wing hugging his shoulders and one forehoof gently stroking his knee. Worry was digging a hollow pit in her stomach, but she fought not to show it, trying to pretend that nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Rainbow... it's been hours,” Lero said, tightly. He glanced at the window, which showed the stars outside as night had long since fallen. “What could possibly be taking this long?”

She had no freaking idea at all. This should have been over and done with in ten minutes tops. Saying that would only freak him out worse, though. “Probably some stupid paperwork thing. Twilight'll help get it sorted out and we'll be out of here in no time. No reason to worry about it.”

Rainbow was lying through her teeth, and if he hadn't been so tense she would never have even tried it. It was a mark of how worried he was that he either didn’t notice or didn't question it.

Twilight had come in with them, of course. She'd sat here in the waiting room with them too, for nearly a half-hour before she'd gone stomping out, declaring that she was going to track down the mayor and find out what was taking so long.

They hadn't seen her since then. The only pony they'd seen was an intern; an earth pony colt a couple of years younger than Rainbow who'd been dropping in every fifteen minutes or so to see if they needed anything. He'd been extremely solicitous toward Lero, and Rainbow wondered with a touch of amusement if the human had noticed the young stallion's borderline flirting. Probably not; he hadn't noticed Rainbow's much more blatant flirting until she'd kissed him, and she was aware that her lover was bent more or less the same way she was, preferring females the way Rainbow preferred males. It probably didn’t occur to him that a stallion would be flirting with him.

Rainbow was glad for the colt's brief visits; it at least showed they hadn't been forgotten, and if the young stallion hadn't volunteered to go get them some dinner they'd both have been starving by now.

“Give me a worst-case estimate, love,” Lero murmured, running his fingers nervously through the cooler colors of Rainbow's mane, “if everything goes bad, how much trouble am I looking at?”

“It shouldn't be any. I'm serious, it was just a scuffle. It's nothing. Nopony was hurt, nothing got broken... seriously, it's a fine. A little one.” Or at least it should be. Clearly, something was wrong, but Rainbow honestly couldn't even imagine what it could be. She'd been in dozens of fights, nearly all of them worse than the tiny little altercation in the marketplace.

“What are the chances I might be looking at prison?”

“Prison?” Rainbow was aghast. “Zero! They wouldn't put you in prison for a tiny little fight like that! You only go to prison when there's been something really serious, so they can figure out what's wrong, whether you'll do it again, and how to help you if they can.” She shook her head. “There's no way this could end up sending you to prison. Seriously, dude, you'll be fine.”

He swallowed hard. “Well... if not prison... are there any other penalties practiced here?”

Rainbow blinked. “Well yeah, there's exile, but that's just for the worst ponies. The ones that can't be around other ponies, and can't be taught to get along or anything.” She fought like mad not to show it, but the prospect of her stallion being exiled had been gnawing at her. Surely they wouldn't revoke his right to live here because of some stupid little fight. No way. The Princess had made that promise, and only one of the Princesses could rescind it.

The idea still scared her, though.

Of course, she had no intention of mentioning this to him, but if for some completely insane reason he did get exiled she'd be going with him. No bucking way she was leaving him alone and abandoned out there. No. Way.

She felt the muscles of his back tense under her wing, and he drew a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Something I've been meaning to ask, Rainbow... why was that mare so willing to start a fight when I was yelling at Chuckwagon? And why were you and Twilight so ready to jump in front of me?”

Rainbow blinked. Oh, he's going all thinky, trying to distract himself. “Uh, well, a mare's gotta stand up for her stallion, y'know?” She paused. “I think Shimmer was bluffing about blasting you, by the way. You don't hit guys.” Besides, if she had, she knew darn well I'd've smashed her into paste. She pushed the thought aside, gently rubbing his back with her wing and leaning the side of her head against his, trying to reassure him and show that she was there for him.

He paused, thinking. “But, well... aren't males pretty much... you don't need all that many, do you? I mean, one male can, er, service multiple females if necessary. And stallions are larger and stronger than mares, for the most part. You folks just seem to be more protective than you need to be.”

“Uh... I think you're forgetting that we don't have that many guys, Lero. Besides, nopony wants to see her stallion get hurt.” Rainbow certainly didn’t. She could still feel the echo of the chill that had gripped her stomach when Shimmer’s horn had started glowing, and she hugged him more tightly. “Besides, fillies usually have stronger magic than colts.”

“But still, math-wise, it seems like you should be okay with your males getting into occasional fights.”

Twilight's voice interrupted from the doorway. “I think you may be doing your math wrong.” The lavender unicorn stepped nervously into the room. “I am so, so sorry about leaving you both for so long...”

“Where the heck have you been, Twilight?” Rainbow snapped, straightening up abruptly. “We should have been done and out of here hours ago! What the heck is wrong?” She'd forgotten momentarily that she was supposed to be pretending everything was okay.

Twilight bit her lip, trotting up to them and hopping onto the bench next to Lero. She hugged him and shared a quick kiss, then looked at Rainbow anxiously. The pegasus sighed, then leaned across her stallion so Twilight could kiss her cheek in greeting. “It's much more complicated than I'd expected,” the unicorn began, “there was somepony raising a fuss, and then it turned out there were… other complicating factors. The Mayor had to do a full investigation, witness interviews, everything, and I volunteered to help.” She bit her lip again and it all came out in a rush, “I thought, well, it would be a good idea for Lero to have somepony in the investigation on his side, even though it turned out there already was one, and then it turned out to be a good thing I was involved after all, so I was rushing and trying to get everything together so I could get back to you, and...”

“Take a breath, Twilight,” Lero interjected. He put his arm around Twilight's shoulders, showing the unicorn that even though Rainbow was a little miffed with her, he wasn't. “You're leaving a lot out. You mentioned complicating factors? What were they?”

Twilight took a deep breath to calm herself, then began more slowly. “There was... a standing order. When the Princess granted you resident's rights, she left an order with the Mayor that if you were involved in any major incidents, she was supposed to do a full investigation and then inform the Crowns of the results before passing any official sentence.” Rainbow growled, feeling a rush of protective anger, and the unicorn evidently noticed it, because she waved her forehoof in negation. “It's standard, Rainbow Dash! Every immigrant of unusual species has the same stipulation! It's just a one-time thing, just to make sure there’s no danger to anyone, the immigrant included. The first time he's involved in something serious there's an investigation, and if it turns out that there was no serious danger then the order is rescinded. The intent is to make sure the immigrant is treated fairly, since the local authorities have to clear the sentence with the Crowns. I should have already known about it, because Spike has the same order, but it completely slipped my mind.”

Rainbow ground her teeth. “But this isn't something serious, Twilight! Not by a long shot!”

Twilight sighed. “No, it isn't. But somepony made a big fuss about it, and that pretty much automatically made it a major incident.”

The pegasus snarled. “Was it Shimmer? I swear to Celestia she's gonna lose teeth over this...”

“No, no, it wasn't Shimmer!” Twilight leaned across Lero to put a restraining hoof on Rainbow. “Shimmer's been extremely apologetic and would very much like the whole thing to be done with. She sincerely wants to apologize to Lero and forget about the whole thing, and she’s confused and upset about this turning into such a fiasco.”

The human frowned. “Wait, so the one who was actually in the fight with me isn't making the fuss? Who is, then?”

“It's an earth pony mare named Honeydew. She started claiming you started the whole thing, that you tried to seriously hurt both Shimmer and Chuckwagon, that you were a danger to Ponyville and Equestria, and was trying to make you sound like the next Nightmare Moon.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “You'd have thought you snuck into her house and painted a clown face on her cutie mark or something, honestly, it was ridiculous.”

Rainbow's jaw dropped. “Honeydew's the one making the fuss? What the hay gives her the right to do that? She wasn't even involved!”

Twilight rubbed her face like she had a headache, which she probably did. “She doesn't have that right, actually. One of the other ponies working on the investigation pointed out that she's got some kind of personal grudge, and her testimony's been dismissed, but it was enough to get the investigation started, and once that happened, well...” The unicorn shrugged helplessly.

“She's got a grudge all right,” Rainbow grumbled. “Either against me or against him, I'm not sure which.” She shook her head. “Sounds like you've had nearly as lousy an evening as we have.”

“No kidding,” Lero said. He turned to face Twilight and put both arms around her, hugging her close. The unicorn relaxed visibly in the embrace, her eyes drifting closed for a moment. She made a happy noise, raising Rainbow’s spirits a bit.

“Thank you both for understanding; I was afraid you'd be more upset about me leaving you alone here for so long.”

“Nah,” Rainbow said, stretching out the wing she had hugging Lero's shoulders and brushing her pinions reassuringly against Twilight's back. “I mean, I was kinda ticked, yeah, but you had good reasons. Sorry I snarled at ya.”

Lero chuckled, gently massaging the nape of Rainbow’s neck. “Reason soothes the savage beast.”

Rainbow snorted. “Oh, I'm the savage beast here? I guess that makes me the one who was choking Shimmer earlier, huh?” She poked the human's side playfully with a forehoof. “Who's the savage beast now, pony-strangler?”

“Rainbow!” Twilight cried, “Good heavens, I don't think this is the time to say things like that to him!”

“It's okay, Twilight,” Lero interjected. “I can take a little ribbing. Besides, I’m sure there are some ponies she’d like to strangle if she had hands.” The pegasus grinned at the jibe, sticking her tongue out at him. Still, he'd tensed up a bit, and Rainbow wryly reflected that her habit of blurting out the wrong thing hadn't deserted her. She rubbed his back with her wing in apology, and he cleared his throat. “So, er, what was the outcome of the investigation?”

“Ah. Yes.” Twilight fidgeted. “The other investigator and I collected all the statements, presented them to the Mayor, and the Mayor wrote out a final report and had me get Spike to send it to the Princess.” She fidgeted again. “I... may have included my own letter along with it. And it may have been a teensy bit annoyed.”

Lero's eyebrows climbed. “You wrote an annoyed letter to the Princess? Princess Celestia?” He sounded shocked, almost disbelieving. Rainbow could feel the tension building in the human's body.

“Well... yes. Almost angry, actually.” Twilight flushed. “I... was a bit upset. I'd spent hours gathering information on something that shouldn't even have been an issue, and I knew that the two of you were probably worried and that was upsetting me too. Plus, I don't think she realizes how badly she frightened you; I certainly didn't until our conversation a couple of weeks ago! That conversation's been bothering me since then, and, well, I took the opportunity to mention it.” The unicorn bit her lip. “I was angry at the situation, upset that I'd had to leave you both alone for so long, and I'm afraid that feeling made its way into my letter. Spike mentioned how it sounded after I sent it.” She sighed. “I wish he'd said something sooner! I could have revised it, or something...”

Lero took a deep breath. “So, am I in trouble?”

Twilight blinked, and shook her head. “Oh! No, no, you're not in trouble. But, um... the Princess is here. She wants to talk to you after the investigators speak to you.”

His eyes got wide. “The Princess is here? Now? Uh...”

“Hey.” Rainbow put her forehoof against Lero’s cheek, gently turning his face toward her. “Don’t worry. The Princess isn’t gonna hurt you, okay?” His face looked anxious, but he drew a deep breath and nodded. “Besides, me and Twilight’ll be right there with you, and we won’t let anything happen to you. Right, Twi?”

“Absolutely.” The unicorn nodded firmly. “Princess Celestia didn’t say anything about wanting to speak to you privately, and I have no intention of leaving again.”

Lero took another deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. Rainbow rested her head against his, and on the other side of him Twilight snuggled close, mirroring the motion. “Okay. Thank you, my ladies.” Rainbow felt his arm go around her in a quick hug. The human turned to Twilight. “You said the investigators wanted to speak with me?”

The unicorn giggled. “One of them already is!” She tilted her head, pointing at the closed door. “The other one said she’d wait in the hall while I talked to you. I’ll go let her in.” Twilight hopped down, trotting to the door. Rainbow pulled her wing back against her side; she knew Lero was a little leery about strong, public displays of affection like that. She didn’t move, though, staying close to him and keeping her forehoof resting on his knee, lending what support she could.

The door swung open, and Twilight said, “Okay, you can come in now.”

There was an amused snort. “That was hardly enough time for anything fun.” A golden-eyed unicorn mare with a mint-green coat walked calmly in. “Hey, Fingers.”

Rainbow heard Lero chuckle and felt him relax a little. “Hey, Horny. You’re the other investigator?”

Lyra stuck out her tongue. “You could call it that. The Mayor knows I'm in the Guard, so I got to 'volunteer.'” She rolled her eyes. “This whole thing is a stupid waste of time, honestly. But let’s get this over with.” The unicorn sighed, as Twilight trotted back to join Lero and Rainbow on the bench. “Did you intend to hurt Shimmer, Lero?”

Lero blinked at Lyra’s serious tone. “No, not at all.”

“Okay, Lero,” the green mare’s voice softened a bit. “I know what happened, so why don’t you tell me why. What were you thinking, what were you feeling.”

Lero frowned. “Uh, Lyra? Didn’t you guys already submit your report? Why are you asking me this now?”

The unicorn gave Twilight a sidelong look. “You weren’t supposed to tell him that.”

“Oops.” Twilight replied, flatly. “You didn’t seriously expect me to leave him hanging, did you?” The lavender unicorn hooked a foreleg possessively over the human’s shoulder. “I’m not going to keep secrets from him, especially not ones that will keep him scared.”

“Atta girl, Twilight,” Rainbow said with a grin. She felt a stirring of pride and affection for her herdmate, pleased by the unicorn’s actions.

Rather than being angry, a corner of Lyra’s mouth quirked in a smile. “Yeah, I’d probably have done something similar in your place.” She looked back to Lero. “Well, we don’t actually need to. We’d established your actions and probable motive already by talking to ponies who knew you and saw the incident. All I’m actually doing now is giving you a chance to decompress a little by blowing off some steam if you want to. It’s a chance to calm down before the Princess talks to you.” Rainbow felt a subtle tension in the body she leaned up against, and Lyra blinked. “Wow, Fingers, Twilight wasn’t kidding. The Princess really freaks you out that badly?”

The human’s reaction hadn’t been overt, but Lyra had picked up on it anyway. She’d always been remarkably comfortable around him, even from the very first day. The mint-green mare had been able to read him better than even Rainbow could until she’d started courting him. The pegasus had been a little envious of that ability at the time.

Of course, now she shared that ability. “Yeah,” Rainbow said, not making Lero speak, “she scared him really bad. Worse than she probably meant to, I think. He’s pretty freaked.” She craned her neck around, looking Lero in the eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay, big guy? If you don’t think you can do it, I’ll go find the Princess and tell her for you.” That prospect, defying the Princess outright like that, was more than a little frightening for the pegasus, but she’d do it nonetheless.

He smiled at her, laying his hand gently on the forehoof she had resting on his knee. “I’ll be okay. Thanks, Dash. I would appreciate having you there, though.” He turned his head to glance at Twilight. “Both of you.”

Rainbow set her teeth firmly, feeling love surge in her heart. Her stallion needed her right now, there was no way she was going anywhere. “You couldn’t drag me away.”

“That goes for both of us.” Twilight added firmly.

Lyra cocked her head. “Hey, Fingers, want me to stick around too? I mean,” she smiled at them, “there’s not much room there with you, cozy as that looks, but I can stand, or sit further down on that bench.”

Lero gave the mint-colored mare a warm smile. “I appreciate the offer, Horny, but I don’t want to keep you up. Besides,” he drew a careful breath, “I’m a little worried I might lose my composure, and I’d like the audience for my loss of dignity to be as small as possible.”

Rainbow understood that, and from the small nod she gave it seemed Lyra did too. “Fair enough. I wouldn’t think less of you for it, but I understand.” She cocked her head. “Did you want to try the relaxing-by-explaining thing, or should I go tell the Princess that you’re ready?”

“I’ll explain, if you like.” Lero looked up, searching his memory. “I was arguing with Chuckwagon, trying to get him to leave me alone, when Shimmer shoved me and told me to back off. I was frustrated, mostly because Chuckwagon's been bothering me for a while now, and also a little because Shimmer got in my way and was telling me to back off, when that’s what I wanted him to do.” He sighed. “I knelt down to talk to her, kinda hoping she’d move so I could get my point through, but she got mad and was looking like she wanted to fight.” The human rubbed at his eyes, sighing again. “Then I got stupid and lost my temper. I grabbed her to make my point, mostly because I was tired of being treated like I was harmless and I wanted to show her that I could be dangerous. I wouldn't have actually hurt her.”

Lyra snorted. “I wondered how long that would take. You've handled it better than I thought you would, actually. Figured you'd lose your temper long before this, especially with some of the ponies that hassle you at work.”

“Wait, what?” Rainbow blurted. “Who's been hassling him?!”

“It's not important,” Lero replied, overriding any response from Lyra. Rainbow glared at him for a moment, but he wasn't forthcoming, and she made up her mind right there and then to drop by the spa periodically. She'd put a stop to that nonsense. It had been ages since she'd been in a good fight, anyway. She hadn't even gotten the chance to rough up Shimmer.

Lyra picked up where she'd left off, as though Rainbow hadn't interrupted. “So you were just making a point, then? You never meant to hurt her?”

Lero shook his head. “No, I didn't want to hurt her. Heck, I could see where she was coming from; if someone had been trying to pick a fight with Rainbow or Twilight I might have done the same thing.”

“You don't have to protect us, Lero,” Twilight interjected quietly.

“Yeah, it's kind of our job to protect you,” Rainbow added. “Y'know, when you need it.” Still, she knew exactly how he felt, and nuzzled the side of his neck. “I get where you're coming from, though.” Even after being with him for months, his slightly odd attitudes and outlook sometimes took her by surprise. Fillies were supposed to keep colts safe. Otherwise, well, there might not be one if she wanted foals.

He hugged both mares again, fiercely, wordlessly, squeezing his eyes shut. “So that's the story, really,” he said to Lyra when he opened his eyes again.

Lyra nodded. “Pretty much what I'd thought. Tracks with everything the witnesses who weren’t lying said, too.” She snorted. “It's also what Twilight and I put in the report, so, you know, there's that.” He chuckled, and the unicorn's voice softened. “Are you ready to see the Princess now?”

Rainbow searched the human's face as he bit his lip and nodded. He was tense, frightened, but he was controlling it masterfully. The pegasus resolved to stay close to him, no matter what. She glanced past him at Twilight, and saw a similar determination in her violet eyes. The two mares' eyes met, and they shared a decisive nod.

“All right. I'll go tell her that Twilight and I are done.” Lyra started to leave, but paused, half-turned. She glanced back at the human. “Lero, are you sure you don't want me there? If you're genuinely feeling threatened, well, you know about me, right?”

“I do.” He smiled at the green unicorn. “Believe me, I sincerely appreciate the offer. I don't think she'll hurt me. Honestly, I'm not sure why I'm so scared, it's stupid and I shouldn't be, and it really doesn't make sense, but I am.”

“Okay, if you're sure.”

“Yeah.” He shifted a bit. “Ladies, mind if I stand up for a moment?”

Rainbow snorted and rolled her eyes. “No, I'm gonna pin you down and not let you up.” He laughed, the sound a little strained but genuine. She scooted over a bit to let him stand, and he rose and walked over to Lyra, kneeling next to her so as not to loom.

“Thanks, Lyra, and I mean that sincerely.” He extended a hand, fingers folded into a fist, and the unicorn thumped his knuckles lightly with her hoof. “Don't worry. Rainbow and Twilight will take good care of me. You go get some sleep, you look a bit tired.”

Lyra grinned, her golden eyes twinkling. “Psh. I could show you tired. Try going through Guard training sometime.” She stepped forward to hug the big human. “Okay, I'll go let the Princess know you're ready for her; she'll be with you in a few minutes.” She trotted out, as Lero sat back down between his herdmates.

“It'll be okay, Lero,” Twilight said, her voice quiet but urgent. “I promise. Look, I know the Princess, better than almost anypony does; she won't hurt you. She feels horrible that you're so frightened of her, and that's part of why she's here now. She never wanted to be feared, and she wants to see if she can make it up to you.”

“The Princess is cool, big guy,” Rainbow put in. “Seriously, you'll be fine.” She spread her wing across his back again, embracing him in a shielding gesture and gently rubbing his shoulders, making sure he knew she was there for him.

Lero chuckled. “I know she won't, Twilight,” he turned to Rainbow, “and I know I will, Rainbow. Thank you both for putting up with me, I don't know what's wrong with me today. I wasn’t anywhere near this tense last time I met with her.”

“Stress and anxiety, most likely,” Twilight observed tartly, “Which I'm sure were made worse by having to sit in this room for hours not knowing what was going on.”

“Well, it sure didn't help,” Rainbow grumbled angrily.

“Rainbow,” Lero said, a little reprovingly. His hand rose to her cheek and pulled her face around toward him. He kissed her gently, and Rainbow's eyes drifted slowly closed, the soft movement of his lips against hers and the warmth of his hand on her cheek filling the world for a brief eternity. Normally, a kiss like this sped her heart up, but she suddenly realized that it had already been pounding, probably from adrenaline, and the kiss slowed it down to a more comfortable level. The human's tension had evidently been bleeding over into the pegasus, and a knot in her chest, that she hadn't even realized was there, loosened a bit. The feeling of his hand, warm against her cheek, with his fingers curling around to touch her neck and his thumb brushing the base of her ear, was just as soothing and relaxing as the feel of his lips. It should have been a strange, alien sensation, but it had long since ceased to be such and was instead comfortable, and welcome. The slow, gentle kiss relaxed Lero, too, and he didn't look quite as drawn when their lips separated. “It's okay,” he continued when the kiss ended, resting his forehead against hers, “I'm tense, but being scared won't hurt me. I know you're tense, too. Let's both just try to take a deep breath; we'll get through this.” He flashed Twilight a smile. “We may have to lean on Twilight a little, though, because I think she's handling things better than either of us.”

Twilight giggled. “Of course, I'd be glad to...” She was cut off by the door opening.

The tall, regal form of Princess Celestia stepped into the room, her pastel-hued mane wafting on a ghostly, ethereal breeze. The winged unicorn was just as tall as Rainbow remembered, looming even over Lero's considerable standing height. The human, tall though he was, came up perhaps to the Princess’s chin, though Rainbow had never felt that Celestia's presence was particularly overwhelming. She gave the three occupants of the room a kind smile, her light purple eyes gentle. “Ah, good evening, all of you. I understand that the three of you have been put to considerable inconvenience, and I wanted to apologize personally for it.” She gave Lero a sad smile. “Especially to you, Lero. Twilight Sparkle told me that I'd frightened you far more than I intended to, and I am deeply sorry for that.”

“It's quite all right, Lady. I completely understand.” The human's tone was calm, even, and his gaze at the Princess was level and unflinching. Outwardly, he appeared utterly unruffled.

Rainbow knew it was a lie. She'd felt his skin chill, actually chill, when Celestia had entered the room. His back, under her sensitive wing, had actually dropped in temperature, something she'd never known the human to do before. She could also feel tiny, tiny tremors in his body, both against her wing and her side, and his leg under her forehoof was so tense that it shivered. He was terrified, and she regarded him with a certain horrified admiration while a chill coiled in her gut. She'd had no idea he could be this brave; the only time she'd been even close to that scared she'd been curled up in a ball on the ground. Lero, by contrast, was speaking so normally that there was almost no indication as to the degree of fear he was feeling, so intense that Rainbow doubted he could move. She felt fear begin to grip her; the human's terror was so intense that it was communicating itself to his lover. Rainbow was utterly baffled; she had trouble imagining him acting this way, and the example was right there next to her! It was like she was in some strange, horrible dream, where the rules of reality no longer applied.

She shared an unsettled look with Twilight, and saw the same realization on the unicorn's face.

The Princess smiled at the human. “Well, I can't tell you how delighted I am to hear that. From Twilight's letter it sounded like you were terribly afraid of me. I'm pleased to see...” She trailed off, looking quizzically at the unicorn and the pegasus. “Twilight Sparkle? Rainbow Dash? Whatever is the matter?”

Rainbow tossed her head slightly, wordlessly asking her herdmate to speak to Celestia, and rested the side of her head against Lero's to try and soothe the human. She heard his breath, quiet and rapid. His cheek was cold against hers, his ear similarly frigid where hers brushed against it.

“Princess,” Twilight said softly, “He's terrified. I've never seen him this frightened, and neither has Rainbow.” She stroked his leg with her forehoof like Rainbow had been doing, trying vainly to calm him. “I'm surprised he can even talk, and I doubt he could stand up at the moment.” She studied his face, while his gaze stayed fixed on the Princess. “I have no idea why he's so frightened, this doesn't make sense!” She gave Celestia an angry look, demonstrating that the protective impulse that was gripping Rainbow had found purchase in Twilight as well. “What in the world did you say to him, Princess?” The unicorn drew her head back a little bit, her voice taking on a note of chagrin. “I'm sorry, Princess, I don't know what came over me just then...”

“I completely understand, my faithful student.” Celestia's voice was quiet, clearly trying not to frighten the human further. She lowered her head a bit, trying not to loom quite so far over Lero's head. “I confess, I'm confused as well. What was it I said that has you so upset, dear human? I promise you, I will not harm you. You are completely safe.”

“Nothing, I swear, I'm quite alright, Lady.” Lero's voice cracked on the word 'Lady', and he did something curious. The human's body hunched down and turned aside, almost a cringing motion, but he kept his eyes fixed on Celestia. Rainbow felt like her heart had cracked, filling her chest with bewildered pain. The pegasus's protective instincts were screaming at her, every muscle in her body coiling with tension, ready to lash out at anything threatening. She desperately wanted to do something to ease his wrenching fear, but she had no idea what she could do. Part of her mind was pushing the insane idea to attack the Princess, to try to drive her away even though Celestia wasn't doing anything and she'd swat Rainbow like a bug if the pegasus tried anything. The mad impulse still pushed at her, though, and she wondered with growing desperation how long she'd be able to hold it back. Rainbow had always had impulse-control issues, and right now that was a big problem. She wondered if Twilight was having the same problem. Her other impulse was to tuck his head under her wing, try to shield him, but something told her that would be a bad thing to do, and she looked to Celestia in near-panic, hoping against hope that the Princess could help.

The winged unicorn's eyes widened in shock, and an expression of sudden understanding washed across her face. “That mannerism... Lero, you keep calling me 'Lady' instead of 'Princess' or 'Celestia.' Why is that?”

“I... I don't know, Lady.” The human's voice came out in a harsh whisper, though he clearly was trying to force it to sound normal, and a visible shudder ran through his body.

Celestia's eyes widened further. “Give me just a moment, please,” the winged unicorn said, keeping her voice soft and gentle. She concentrated for a moment, and the pastel hues washed away from her mane and tail along with the ethereal breeze that supported them. It left her with long, pink hair in place of her the flowing pastel rainbow, hanging long and straight rather than wafting about her.

Lero relaxed instantly. The change was startling. Rainbow felt his chill fade, his tremors still, and his muscles relax, all in the space of an instant. She drew her head away to look at him, keeping her hoof on his knee and her wing across his back, just in case, but she saw confusion on his face instead of fear. Confusion that mirrored her own feelings. “I... wait, why do I feel better now? And why was that so much stronger than the last time I spoke to you?” His voice was baffled, but it was normal, the trembling fear absent. The pegasus shared an incredulous look with Twilight, who looked just as startled. Lero looked down at his shaking hands, turmoil and alarm in his expression. “This… this doesn't make any sense, why in the world would I be that scared of your hair?”

“It makes perfect sense,” Celestia said grimly. “It also tells me exactly how you got to our world from yours, something that has puzzled me for some time.”

Rainbow felt a chill at the implication. That might have been the scariest thing Celestia could possibly have said. If she knew how he’d gotten here, it might mean she would know how to send him back. She wrestled that fear back, packing it away and hiding it. He didn’t need that from her right now, he needed her to be strong. Oh, she hoped he hadn’t realized what the Princess had just said, though.

He blinked. “It does?”

“It does?” Rainbow echoed incredulously, fighting to keep her voice from cracking. “How did he get here, then?” Stupid, Rainbow, stupid, you shouldn’t have said that.

Celestia shook her head, long pink mane swaying with the motion. “Better that you don't know. Suffice it to say that I now know that he has missing memories, and he suffered true horrors in that lost time. I am surprised he is still sane.”

“I did?” The human's voice was utterly confused, and he shared a look first with Rainbow, then with Twilight. “What memories? What horrors? Does this explain why my clothes were so torn up?”

Rainbow was wondering the same thing. Lero had been found by Fluttershy near the Everfree Forest, his clothes torn and bloodstained and his skin badly scratched by what appeared to be thorns, though the human recalled nothing of how it had happened. The area of the forest she'd found him in had been devoid of thorny plants, and nopony had ever been able to puzzle out how the human had acquired those scratches.

“Yes it does,” Celestia said grimly. “It means you were taken from your home, and escaped from your captors. It also means that Luna and I have some matters to look into in order to ensure these creatures are kept away.”

“What creatures are you talking about, Princess?” Twilight asked.

“As I said, better that you don't know, my faithful student. You have heard of creatures that know when somepony thinks of them, as though their names were being called?”

Twilight blinked. “Well, yes, I remember running across creatures like that in the Book of Baneful Beasts and Barbarous Biologicals. The ones I know of are all extinct, though.”

“Of course they are.” Celestia smiled wryly. “If they weren't, it wouldn't be safe to mention them in a book, would it?”

Twilight's mouth opened to refute the statement, then shut again. “Oh. Yes, that makes sense,” she said after a pause.

Lero cleared his throat. “Um... Princess? If these creatures know when someone thinks about them... haven't they already been alerted? You're thinking about them now, aren't you?”

Celestia's smile turned hard, and something dangerous glinted in her eye that made Rainbow suddenly understand how she'd frightened Lero... and made her glad that she'd managed to resist the urge to attack the winged unicorn. “They know better than to follow my thoughts. I taught them that lesson quite thoroughly.”

“Ah.” He blinked, but didn't act frightened by the Princess's manner, which gave Rainbow a tremendous feeling of relief.

“You feeling better, big guy?” She asked, nuzzling his neck just below his ear and making him twitch. She knew he was a little ticklish there. That reaction, that ticklish twitch, told her that he wasn't as tense as he had been moments ago, and brought a smile to her lips and further relief to her heart.

“I am, Rainbow, much better. Thanks.” His arm went around her neck, hugging her for a moment. “Princess, do these creatures know I'm here? Do you think they're looking for me?”

Celestia looked grave. “I hope not, to both questions. As I said, I taught them not to come here, and my sister gave them the same lesson, only more... firmly. Luna does not care for those beings.” She looked at the human searchingly. “I may be able to ease your fear of me, muffle those hidden memories that are causing it. Doing so may make it harder to identify your tormentor, should it appear, though. Would you like me to try?”

He nodded. “Yes, I would.” A sigh. “I don't like being frightened of you, Princess. You seem like a decent pony, and I don't think you deserve that.”

“Very well. Look into my eyes, please.” The human complied, looking into the Princess's light purple eyes while a soft golden glow enfolded her long horn.

It didn't last long, and Rainbow didn't feel a thing. She glanced over at Twilight, to find that her friend was watching with a fascinated expression on her face, her eyes slightly unfocused. This must be something she hadn't seen before.

Celestia stood up straight again, the glow in her horn fading. “There. How do you feel?”

Lero blinked. “Um, did you do anything?”

The Princess chuckled. “Well, let's see, shall we?” She let out a breath with an air of relief, and her long pink mane and tail became infused with other colors once again, the ethereal breeze returning to make the long hair drift about her white-coated body. “There. Goodness, it’s been a long time since I had to suppress that. Are you frightened?”

Lero shook his head. “No, Princess, not at all.” His hand rose to rub his forehead. “Gads, this is confusing. And completely irrational. How on earth could I have been that frightened by your hair? I felt like my heart was going to stop!”

“Let us hope you never have to find out,” Celestia said softly.

Lero shuddered. “I can get behind that. Thank you, Princess; it’s a relief for me not to fear you.”

The winged unicorn smiled. “It is my pleasure. Being feared is little more pleasant than feeling that fear yourself.”

He paused, changing gears. “Ah, so, what penalties do I face for, er, that fight?”

Celestia laughed, the sound silvery and amused. “Ah, I'd nearly forgotten why I was here!” She gave him a cheerful grin. “If you’d stayed silent, I might have forgotten entirely. You'll have to pay a small fine to the town,” she named a modest amount, a tiny bit more than Rainbow had anticipated, but still not much, “and tomorrow you will have to publicly apologize to Shimmer, and accept her apology in turn. Does that sound unreasonable?”

“No, not at all. It's less than I was expecting, honestly.”

Rainbow swatted the back of his head lightly with her wing. “It's exactly what I told you was gonna happen, doofus!” She stuck her tongue out at him, delighted that he was back to normal even though she was a little shocked at the speed of his recovery. The Princess’s facility with magic even outstripped Twilight’s.

He grinned at her unrepentantly, and she felt the last of her tension unwind. “I know. I just figured you were trying to keep me calm.” Rainbow stifled a snicker. That was pretty close to the mark, actually. She didn't fight the mild, happy feeling that she always felt when he showed how well he knew her. The human turned back to Celestia. “It doesn't seem like much of a punishment, though. Isn't Shimmer angry?”

The Princess shook her head. “No, she isn't. Even if she were, that is why you will exchange apologies tomorrow, to dissipate any lingering ill feelings. Don’t think of it as a punishment, because it isn’t; it’s simply a rebuke, to hopefully emphasize that fighting in the streets is unacceptable. It isn’t supposed to be painful. The penalty is mild because the offense was mild, and only a small rebuke is called for.” She smiled gently at the three herdmates. “Was there anything else?”

“No, Princess, and thank you,” Twilight said. “We all appreciate what you've done for us.”

“I'll say,” Lero said, saving Rainbow from having to say it. The pegasus flashed her stallion a grin which was quickly swallowed by a yawn.

“Oh, wow,” Rainbow observed once she could speak again, “it's been a heck of a long day. I'm ready for bed, how about you guys?”

“I certainly am. Are you staying with us tonight, Twilight?”

The unicorn nodded. “Yes, if that's all right. I sent Spike to your house when I sent him to bed, he should be in his spare basket.”

“Yeah, that's fine,” Rainbow replied. It meant no fun in bed tonight, since the spare basket was at the foot of the bed she and Lero (and frequently Twilight) shared, but the pegasus was a little too tired for that tonight anyway.

The human, the pegasus, and the unicorn bid the Princess farewell and good night, and headed home for a good night's rest.