"Son of a bitch!" Twilight shouted again, nearly falling into the Royal Canterlot Voice. "Really?! You knew this whole time!?"

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight like she had grown another head. How was it her fault she just so happened to be more informed than Twilight was on this topic?

"How could you not know? Didn't you see their pointy teeth? I asked Becky about that the first day I hung out with her, and she told me everything about it. Their bodies need animal proteins to stay healthy, and plant-based proteins aren't enough for a normal diet without long-term health effects. But she told me that they'd all be fine if they had milk, cheese, and eggs."

Fluttershy now felt terrible about her initial reaction all over again over Cerb's violent history. Twilight, conversely, still seemed to be processing the new information.

"Didn't it scare you when she told you that?"

"Pft! No." Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Becky didn't scare me at all. She's too awesome to be scary. And she was also so winded at the time she couldn't even stand up without tipping over. What was there to be scared of? Besides, they don't eat ponies. It's like a huge taboo for them."

Cerb quickly jumped into the conversation, "Yeah, that part’s definitely true. Most people lose their minds if anyone even hurts a horse where we come from. At least in our country."

Twilight couldn't believe how out of the loop she still was.

"Alright, just to avoid any future conversations like this, are there any more horrific factoids I should be made aware of?"

Cerb looked to Fluttershy, silently asking if they should bring up his gun or his past while serving in the Marines. Thankfully, Fluttershy understood and took the lead.

"We're sorry that this is all so shocking to you, Twilight. It wasn't my plan to let that slip out like it did. But if anything else comes up that we think you need to know, we'll be sure to tell you. But even this, after hearing everything, wasn't much of anything to be worried about. They're not savages or bloodthirsty killers. And we can supplement their dietary needs without any problems, so there was no need to worry."

"You're right," Twilight agreed as she rose to all fours. "But I hope Fluttershy is right about you being enough to scare away a chupacabra. But if not... just don't let either one of you get hurt."

Despite the current issue being resolved, Cerb started to worry for the first time, realizing where they were heading next. Denser forest coverings, steeper hills, and more creature activity all in an area that would be hard for any of the react teams to get to. Maybe even the Overwatch if they had to step up and intervene instead.

"Yeah," Cerb grunted. "I'm not too worried about it, but there ain't nothing gonna get its dirty mitts on Flutters while I'm here. And Dash, get the word out to the other Overwatch teams that if they hear three loud bangs in rapid succession, that means we couldn't get up a visual signal in time, and we need help. Send everyone you can if that happens."

Twilight's hair stood on end.

"Hold on, that wasn't part of the briefing. What changed?"

"You all getting freaked out is what changed," Cerb answered, somewhat shifting back into war-mode. "If this big ass lizard wolf-cat thing is such a big threat that you're this scared, I'm not running the risk of either of us getting overrun or overpowered while trying to get a kite up in the air. I got a noisemaker with me that can be heard at least a half a mile away... Plans change, so make it happen."

Rainbow Dash stood up tall and determined, actually giving her friend a somewhat playful salute.

"Three loud bangs and send in the cavalry. Roger that, Cerberus."

"Twilight," Rarity piped up in a hurry. "It’s all well and good that you're taking everything in stride with Cerberus, but I'd think it best to not go public with the whole meat-eating aspect of our friends. There's no need to cause a panic."

Twilight groaned as she remembered how quickly ponies were to panic.

"Son of a bitch, the ride never ends, does it?"

Rarity rolled her eyes.

"Never ends?" She grunted in frustration, recalling the wild ride in Sniff’s car. "We'd be lucky if we're given seatbelts."

Cerb butted in, a little more focused on Twilight.

“Things will get better, and who taught you to swear like that?... Cause that was spot on."

Twilight looked up, a bit unsure of herself, like a child seeking approval.

"Is that a good thing?"

Cerb gave her a quick grin.

"In my book? Hell yeah, it is."

Rainbow Dash playfully butted elbows with Twilight.

"Don't worry, Big Guy. I'll bring her up to speed."

Cerb shook his head. Him and his friends were going to be the moral downfall of these ponies.

"You do that, Dash."

Nurse Redheart slid a clipboard with papers to Chris.

"Thank you again for stopping in to see us, Mr. Breslin. Or would you prefer we just call you Chris?"

"Chris is fine," he answered, looking over the papers. "Actually, can I legally change my name while I'm here?"

"Uh, Chris," Starlight sweetly spoke up. "This is a hospital. You'll have to do that... actually, I don't know where you would do that. Why do you want to change your name, anyway?"

Kelly leaned in and put a hand on Starlight's shoulder.

"Mr. Breslin is his father's name."

Chris spoke up and corrected her, a hit of anger waning its way out.

"My family name."

"Yes," Kelly took a breath and recollected herself. "Chris isn't very attached to either of them. The name or those who share it."

Becky walked up from behind Nurse Redheart and heard enough to know she should stop Chris from dwelling on the past. Especially given how volatile he could become if the issue was pressed.

"Just keep your name. You might actually make it associated with something good for once while you’re here. Oh, and do you have time to do a full examination? Kelly is gonna be a while with her exam, and Doctor Horse would like me to thank you in advance for volunteering but also wanted to reiterate that everything is optional. Including the full-body exam."

Nurse Redheart perked up at the reminder of what prospects awaited her.

"If you like, Starlight can accompany you if that makes you feel more comfortable."

"Or I can," Becky shrugged. "Not to look, unless they have any questions. But, if you don’t want me there, believe me, I get it. It was weird enough with Cerb… I forget how many scars he has."

Again Nurse Redheart spoke up, a wealth of confidence swelling in her voice.

"Well, after the examination I had with Cerb, I feel confident in answering any questions that may come up. If you decide to allow us to examine you, that is."

Chris started to chuckle to himself at the high levels of excitement from the medical pony.

"Do I get paid extra? Heh?"

"Yes," Nurse Redheart stated as a matter of factly. "While it may not be a surgery, this still appears to be invasive for you. So we have decided to offer the full rate for your time. We also still don't have all the understanding we would like of your species' anatomy. Your bodies may be similar in structure but are very different in proportions and appearance."

"Oh... so you need to see me in the nude for research, is what you're saying," Chris said hesitantly. "Let me think about it."

Nurse Redheart warmly smiled and nodded, doing her best to look as comforting as possible.

"Of course, no rush at all. Just let me know when you’ve made a decision."

Chris had his reasons to think about it, and there was a lot for him to take away from this. The money was going to be good, plus a bit of experimentation could be done to gauge their reactions and get a better idea of their understanding of sex.

If it was to be something positive, that gave him better prospects towards his pursuits with Starlight, if not others.

While Chris pondered his options and continued to fill out his forms, Starlight waited for Kelly to leave and the waiting room to be cleared. In the meantime, she opted to make some idle chat.

"Thanks for asking me to come along. I needed a break from trying to figure out how to copy your smartphone's music. It's a lot harder than I thought it was going to be."

"It's no problem," Chris answered, somewhat distracted. "Though, I'm sure there's a lot better things you could be doing in your downtime."

"Eh, not really."

Starlight watched as Kelly and Becky finally left with Nurse Redheart out of the room. The time had come for a much-needed update.

"Not when you still have to fill me in about last night," She said with a flirty grin. "You both stayed out pretty late last night. That must be a good sign, right?"

Chris would have blushed had it not been for the uneasy feelings he got from finding out that Sniff had discovered them kissing after he escorted Cream Heart back into her house.

"Things went well with Cream Heart, though I think I have you to thank for all the rumors spread about me."

"I didn't..." Starlight realized all of a sudden what Chris must have been implying. "Oh, no. It just kind of came up when I was explaining what happened. She didn't ask a lot of embarrassing questions or... How about you just tell me what happened."

"Well," Chris paused as he finished the last line of his forms. "If I had to guess, you told her everything we did, from your apology to my bath, and she decided to one-up you."

A rush of excitement and intrigue washed over Starlight, thinking of what Chris must have experienced.

"Oh... I know the girls seemed interested in my story about how fantastic your fingers are—"

"She specifically started with how the rumor is I'm a good kisser," Chris playfully answered. "Are you testing my loyalty or pimping me out?"

Starlight leaned away in her seat next to him, looking both a little giddy and embarrassed.

"I'm not testing your loyalty to me. I mean, we're not even dating... technically. And I don't even know what pimping is. Is that a good or a bad thing?"

Chris dropped his clipboard in the seat next to him and thought how best to explain himself without potentially corrupting Starlight more than he already had.

"Forget the term pimping. You're not offering me out to kiss them and all that in exchange for something you're going to get in return?"

"No," Starlight answered, wondering if she should be insulted by the question. "They all... Well, I guess I got carried away talking about you. The girls were all so friendly and finally warmed up to me just because we all shared an interest in you. Is making friends with the girls that I helped you meet considered pimping?"

"No," Chris said as he gave a quick side hug to Starlight while silently hoping they could quickly drop the term from the conversation.

"I just don't want to be in a position where I'm being offered something only to find out it's a test. Because being told, hey, go out and date, have fun, but then being told that having all of you throwing yourselves on my lap, and me giving in, makes you all hate me."

"It's nothing like that, Chris," Starlight admitted, finally starting to sound a little concerned. "Not that I'm maybe a little jealous hearing I've been one-upped by Cream Heart. But so long as you're enjoying yourself and I still have a chance to do more, I don't mind."

Chris shot her a questionable look.

"You really don't mind? Sorry, I can't believe that."

Starlight blushed, her sense of confidence quickly fading.

"Okay, I don't like the idea at all of losing you to some other mare, but I'm also worried about what will happen if we do get together and it doesn't work out, you know?”

There was so much forethought that she had put in place about this. First with him, then the girls, now her with the girls. Nothing with a human was easy; she knew that all too well. However, she was learning how things worked. She didn’t have it all figured out, but she was getting closer, and this was the best course for now.

So long as she got to keep him in her life.

“I'd rather lose you as a special somepony but keep you as a friend than lose you altogether."

Any kind of fear Starlight felt from her revelation was quickly extinguished as Chris leaned over and gave her a tighter side hug, kissing the top of her forehead.

"Starlight, you're the reason I've been able to enjoy myself here and even have a chance of having a special somepony. And I'll always have a soft spot for you. Don't ever worry about how I feel about you. I owe you everything, but I don't want us getting carried away with one-upping everyone. Just let it all happen naturally. I won't force anything on any of you, and I hope you won't do that to me."

Starlight took a quick look around the room, making sure they were still alone.

"I promise. I won't force you into anything you don't want to do, and I'll always be your friend, no matter what."

She leaned up and kissed Chris under his cheek. As soon as she parted her lips, she raised a hoof and turned his face to hers. She gave one quick glance into his eyes and kissed him on the lips.

They held their kiss for only a moment before returning to acting like nothing had happened. It was an odd relationship they had going. Neither of them was sure as to where it was going to lead them, yet they shared an uneasy sense of trust and enjoyment with each other in the loose commitment they held. Somehow, for now, that was enough.

The squeak of a door opening reintroduced Nurse Redheart to the room.

"Chris, the doctors are ready to see you now. Will Starlight be joining you?"

Chris gave Starlight a curious look.

"You mind joining me? I do feel kinda weird about all this and wouldn't mind having somepony there I trust with me."

"I've got nothing else better to do," Starlight cheerfully said.

Nurse Redheart lowered a small light she awkwardly held in her fetlock from Chris's mouth.

"And your throat looks to be nice and healthy. That completes our respiratory examination. The next will be the full body examination or as much as you are willing to allow us to examine. Again, we're offering you as much incentive as we can to compensate for your sensitivities. Also, we can limit the amount of our staff as well as if you prefer only male or female staff to partake."

Time for Chris to maximize his test.

"Uh... I think I'd rather not have any guys in the room."

Nurse Redheart didn't expect Chris to accept the offer, or at least not the way he did.

"Oh? Well, I'll be sure to let the others know. Let me take you down to the examination room. Will Starlight be accompanying you for this as well?"

Starlight looked to Chris with a clueless expression.

Chris did his best to look nervous.

"I don't think I'd be comfortable unless I have someone I trust there with me. Especially if you're going to be getting too close or touching me during the examination."

"We won't be touching you during the examination if that makes you uncomfortable," Nurse Redheart clarified.

However, the nurse seemed distracted by her left ear twitching every few seconds.

"Although we may ask some questions if we cannot do some of the inspections ourselves. But if you can follow me, I'll show you to the room where you can prepare yourself."

Chris and Starlight let Nurse Redheart lead them down the hall. Both of them seemed to have an uneasy feeling about going through with this.

For Chris, he was still incredibly self-conscious about his body and still feared any ridicule or embarrassing questions about his weight. Then came a new growing concern about how they might comment on the size of his genitals. He could be embarrassingly small compared to what a stallion was.

Starlight, however, thought there was something off with Nurse Redheart's requests and overcompensating reassurance for Chris's comfort. It could have been a desire for a willing participant in their medical research, but it didn't feel that way.

She had to wonder if this was some paranoia she was developing, wanting to protect Chris, but she could have sworn there was a lie being told by the nurse.

And what was up with the nurse's ear twitching and the odd way she left her tail lifted and swishing every few steps?

"Uh, nurse?" Starlight gently spoke up. "You seem a little nervous. Is everything alright, or did you have a little bit too much coffee this morning?"

"Excuse me?" Nurse Redheart asked as she opened the door and took notice of Starlight staring at her ear, causing her to respond immediately. "Oh, yes. We've had extra hours working to try and understand more of the information in all the books and documents. Mostly because the most knowledge we've been able to gain has been firsthoof from Mr. Husk. And given all the muscular development and injuries he's suffered, we're dealing with a lot of inconsistencies. We've all had to resort to a little more caffeine to keep up with our normal workload on top of the research."

Nurse Redheart entered the next exam room and turned the lights on, ears still twitching away.

"And yes, I am a bit nervous, if I am being honest. There is so much we don't know about a healthy human body. And after dealing with the injuries Kelly suffered, as well as learning just how extensive Mr. Husk's injuries were, particularly, how he even could sustain them..."

Seeing how there could be some room for doubts, she gave a pleading look to Chris, "We've learned a lot from your friend Becky and all the literature she's shared with us, but we lack practice and familiarity. If something were to happen to Mr. Husk while he's out in the Everfree...we need this exposure to ensure the best possible care for him."

"Oh..." Starlight felt bad now, questioning the nurse's motives that sounded genuine with the new explination. "Well, we all appreciate your dedication, but I'm sure he'll be fine out there."

Nurse Redheart sighed, sounding more appropriately exhausted given what she’d just shared.

"We all certainly hope so, and Chris, you can change behind that curtain over there. You may also stay covered behind the curtain until we're ready, or... actually, the gowns we have might not fit you. But Mr. Husk kept his undergarments on until we examined his genitals and the rest of his injuries. You are more than welcome to do the same."

Starlight watched the nurse try to hide a smile as she finished her instructions. Something still wasn't feeling right about this. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was watching a pony say all the right words to lead them into a false sense of security. A sad skill Starlight carried over from her more villainous days.

Keeping a close eye on the nurse, she watched Redheart trot out of the room; the twitching ear and tail behavior didn't seem like it was a mere case of the caffeine jitters.

Something really didn't smell right.

Literally, something didn't smell right. An odd tang seemed to linger in the air. Not that she hadn't smelt it before. Perhaps she was just now noticing it?

"Hey, Chris?" Starlight asked aloud, watching the door close on its own. "What's the big deal with them having to examine your genitals? I mean, I know you all stay covered up all the time, but... actually, why is that?"

Chris used this time to fish for some answers he wanted to know himself.

"Well, you know how a stallion's penis works, right?"

Starlight watched Chris disappear behind the curtain and had to repeat his question in her mind again before she could answer.

"What do you mean how a penis works? You mean how a stallion goes to the bathroom? I can’t say I’ve ever watched it, but I’m pretty sure I got the gist of it."

Chris was growing increasingly nervous now that he was getting so close to exposing himself. And the rather awkward conversation was doing little to help.

"Not just that, a human penis works the same way for when we pee. But on a pony, their penis is hidden inside their sheath. Humans don't have those, so ours are always exposed."

"What?"

Starlight nervously laughed as various...images quickly popped into her head.

"How does that even work? Wouldn't it just flop around all the time?'

"Yeah," Chris grunted as he took his socks off, still thinking of a way to fish out what she might know. "Well... among other things. Ya, know? It doesn’t always flop around."

Starlight was honestly curious.

"Other things, like what?"

Chris had to be just vague enough not to be obvious yet still be in the ballpark where she would have to give some type of reference of knowing what an erection was.

"You know. They don't always flop around. Same for when a stallion's penis is out of its sheath, and they're not going to the bathroom?"

Starlight couldn’t think of what Chris was trying to get her to say. He was usually good at not leading her on and was willing to explain things for her. Why was he being so elusive this time around?

"I still don't know what you're talking about. Is there something special about a human's penis that needs a special examination? Is that why they're doing this?"

"I don't know what type of examination they want to do on me outside of just a visual," Chris answered, knowing he didn't have much time to chat any longer. "Don't worry about it."

A knock came at the door, and Nurse Redheart opened up, leading the way for half a dozen other doctors and nurses.

"Alright, everypony, our patient is still getting prepared. If you would close the door behind you, we can start as soon as he is ready."

As soon as the door closed, Chris walked out from behind the privacy curtain, covering himself with his shirt.

"Hello," he timidly greeted the medical staff.

"Good morning," they collectively greeted him back.

"Everypony," Nurse Redheart addressed the group as she stepped between Chris and the new arrivals. "I would like to introduce you to my patient, Chris Breslin. Some of you may know him also as Cowboy Cake, and he has been kind enough to volunteer his time to assist in our further understanding of human anatomy and physiology. So, please be attentive with your observations. We do not know if we will have any more opportunities to observe the human body in its most natural state."

As the nurse gave her introduction and instructions, Chris took notice of her twitching ears. At first, it was only a humorous observation of them snapping back and springing forward like they were swatting at flies. But then the not-so-subtle twitch of her tail caught his attention.

And it wasn't as if he meant to stare, but her tail was lifted more than enough to give him a full view of everything customarily kept out of sight.

Now, it wasn't as if Chris was an expert on equine anatomy, but her pronounced labia, and the crest of moisture that glistened in the light told him instantly that she was in some state of arousal.

Unfortunately for him, it was about to be contagious, as he wasn't immune to visual stimulation.

However, this also created a problem for him. He was growing worried about his plan to expose himself to test their reactions... he never planned on presenting himself to them with an erection.

Now he had to race for some unsexy thoughts to counter his attraction to one of his fan-favorite side characters presenting herself to him.

At the same time, Nurse Redheart turned back to Chris with an overly pleased smile.

"Now, Chris. If you would be so kind as to discard your clothing and raise your arms to the side. We would like to begin with a comparative examination of your body composition to that of our last subject."

Humiliation and shame; that would do the trick. All Chris had to do was compare himself to Cerb, and that should be enough to steal away his lustful thoughts.

Chris turned around entirely and intentionally took longer than needed to fold his shirt on the examination table.

"Uh, yeah. Hold on. Just want to fold this up so it doesn't wrinkle."

Starlight could tell by the change of Chris's tone that he was getting nervous or had become uncomfortable. She didn't like how this was turning out and wanted to remind him that he didn't have to do this.

"Chris, you can put your bottom covers on if you want to. You don't need to be naked for the whole examination."

"No, it's okay," Chris said as he turned around with only a partial erection still pointing down. "Just a little nervous, is all."

Nurse Redheart was staring at Chris's junk and wasn't even hiding it. She should have started the examination, but all she could do was gawk at his penis.

"Nurse Redheart," One of the doctors spoke up. "Are you ready to begin?"

"Yes, my apologies, everypony," Nurse Redheart corrected herself as she stepped forward and grasped a pointing wand in her fetlock. "As you can see, all of the same basic muscle structures are present in the patient's limbs and torso. Take note that while the trapezius, biceps, calves, and pectorals are easily identifiable. Some of the other muscle groups are not as pronounced or visible due to the increased volume of adipose tissue. However, as you can also see, the adipose tissue does not droop or sag. This suggests that my patient, much like our previous subject, has a well developed muscular-skeletal system. This is likely due to physical training and development techniques, not unlike Mr. Husk."

It took Chris a moment, but the pause from the nurse was for him to make a reply.

He looked down at her pleased expression. Was she waiting for him to acknowledge her dictation as a compliment?

"I, uh... work the body bag from time to time," Chris admitted. "But I don't train like Cerb does."

Nurse Redheart eyed Chris up and down from head to toe.

"Regardless, you have done rather well for yourself and appear to be very healthy by all our metrics. You should be proud of your appearance."

Chris nervously smiled back at the nurse with the twitchy ears. He could tell she had picked up on his discomfort.

"Thanks... I think you're the first to compliment my figure like that."

"You're very welcome," Nurse Redheart replied before returning to her examination by pointing the wand at Chris's genitals.

"I would like to bring your attention to the patient's genitalia. Its engorged state, along with the presence of pubic hair, are both indicators that the patient is physically mature. Take note that humans classify their natural coats as hair, not fur. Regardless, these traits are not common among adolescent males of their species. Keep in mind that the previous patient, while still physically mature, likely opted to remove his body hair. I believe this to be due to occupational reasons, being of a warrior class."

She lowered the wand and looked up at Chris with a near-giddy smile.

"That's the theory I've been working on, at least. Would you be able to confirm if the presence of body hair is based on cultural preferences, a class system, or if other natural conditions lead to the removal of body hair?"

Chris had no idea where this examination had ventured off to. Then again, that wasn’t a bad theory if she was coming into this blind.

"Uh... I think it's more of a personal preference. Benny used to be in the Navy, but I don't think he grows body hair besides in his armpits and facial hair. I just never bothered to shave mine. Cerb didn’t start until after he joined the Marines… I think."

"Interesting," Nurse Redheart said with great intrigue, eyeing Chris up and down again with her ears and tail still twitching periodically.

"We have only started to read into one of the books of human development and the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Could you give us some examples of the physical changes that occur in and after reaching puberty and sexual maturity?"

"Woah-Woah-Woah," Starlight jumped out of her chair and moved to step between Chris and the medical staff. "What kind of questions are you asking him?"

"No-No," Chris softly protested. "It's okay."

Starlight couldn't help but feel violated on Chris's behalf.

"But-But-But-But, sh-sh-she she's asking you to talk about—"

Chris covered himself up with his hands, his discomfort obvious to everyone in the room, yet he continued on in spite of it.

"Okay, how about this? Tell me what you know, and I can try to fill in the blanks."

Nurse Redheart tried to calm herself and stood up straight again.

"Well, the book we read doesn't provide much information. It only mentioned that at puberty, the testicles descend into the scrotum, the penis grows and develops its vascular capacity. That's also when pubic hair starts to develop, the voice of the male will change, and they may experience nocturnal emissions. At that point, they are sexually mature and able to get a female of your species pregnant."

Chris waited a few seconds to see if there was more she was going to give, but when nothing else was said, he gave a simple answer.

"Yeah... that about sums it up."

"I have a question," one of the doctors spoke up from behind. "If both you and Mr. Husk have matured and are able to impregnate a female, do humans develop at different rates, and that’s why you appear to be more vascularly developed than Mr. Husk?"

Chris was really lost now.

"What?"

Another nurse in the back chose to chime in.

"Mr. Husk did not appear as developed as you during his examination. Is he not sexually mature, or is that due to the injuries he sustained in combat? Is that why he was not erect?"

"He wasn't?" Chris partially asked the question, then suddenly thought he figured out where their confusion was coming from.

"Hold on. You think because he didn't have an erection during the exam, he can't get it up? And I don't have an erection right now. Not all the way, at least."

This opened up a whole new can of worms for Chris to deal with as the questions started to pour in.

"Are erections temporary?"

"When do they start?"

"Does an erection change the size of your penis?"

"Do you still have nocturnal emissions?"

"Would you be willing to allow us to examine an emission?"

"Woah!" Chris shouted, holding his hands out for them all to stop, and turned his body away from them. "Alright, I'm sorry. I wasn't ready for this. I thought I could do this, but I can't. I'm getting dressed."

A commotion of mournful protest and request to stay roared up from the staff, all of which only drove Chris to run behind the curtain even faster.

Starlight, at this point, had enough and was about to put an end to it all.

"ENOUGH!" Nurse Redheart screamed at all of her rowdy coworkers and silenced the room. Even Starlight froze in place while Nurse Redheart dominated control over the room.

"All of you! Shut up! Shutup-Shutup-Shutup-Shutup! Out! All of you get out now! The examination is over!"

One of the doctors dared to step forward and try to reconcile the situation.

"Nurse Redheart, we—"

"NO!" She screamed with even greater spite and stomped her hoof hard enough to crack the tiled floor.

"Chris is my patient! Under my observation! You were invited as a courtesy, and you disrespected his privacy with your rampant questions, even though he was clearly uncomfortable! Get! Out!"

"Nurse—"

Nurse Redheart stomped her hoof again, this time shattering the tile below it.

"I will buck you through that door myself if you do not get out of my examination room right this instant!"

What followed was a stampede of all the staff shoving each other to leave the room as fast as they could.

Then, as the clattering of hooves faded down the halls and the door closed, all that could be heard was the heavy breathing of the nurse who chased them away.

She stood there, staring angrily at the door, her chest heaving with every breath until she finally stammered out her next few words.

"I apologize on behalf of the unprofessionalism of my fellow staff members," Nurse Redheart struggled to say as she was choking up.

"We... We, uh—" she took a few deep breaths and sniffled. "We keep hitting so many dead ends researching the information in the medical books. It shouldn't be so difficult for us, but it is... Most of the staff can’t retain what they read overnight when reading over certain subjects. This subject in particular. Some even find notes they've taken and can't even remember writing them down because it’s too complex… They haven’t seen it like I have, and even I’m struggling.”

Starlight stood silently, listening to the struggles this nurse had been dealing with. Maybe that was the reason she was so encouraging and putting on such a happy face.

...Nurse Redheart was desperate, and yet, there was still more for her to divulge to her patient and his caretaker.

“It's been Doctor Horse and myself leading this research and constantly trying to bring everypony back up to speed. It's... so frustrating. And now it's so much harder trying to fill in these gaps while dealing with..."

She raised her head high with her eyes clenched shut, tears welling up and streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry... I need to speak with Doctor Horse for a moment."

Nurse Redheart took a step forward and winced painfully as soon as pressure was put on the hoof she stomped with.

"Dang it!" She raised her hoof off the tiled floor, leaving behind a bloody hoof print. "Ow... Wha? I…"

All the carefully masked stress and unproductive overtime finally came to a head, and Starlight could hear whatever willpower the nurse had broken.

"I can’t take this anymore. Starlight, I'm so sorry to ask this of you, but could you find Doctor Horse for me? I... need to sit down."

Starlight was in a panic at the sight of the blood dripping from the nurse's hoof.

"You're bleeding!"

"Yes," Nurse Redheart eerily answered in a nonchalant voice. "I am very well aware of that."

Starlight rushed over and reached out to grab the bloody hoof but immediately pulled back.

"How did you—"

Nurse Redheart grunted and fell back on her ass, limply holding her injured hoof in front of her.

"Starlight, for the love of Celestia, please go find him. Despite my calm demeanor, I am in a considerable amount of pain and fairly certain I just broke my leg."

"Oh, my gosh! I Can... I'll go find him," was the last thing Starlight said before teleporting out of the room.

Chris finally emerged from behind the curtain, fully clothed, and cautiously approached the nurse's side.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause all the chaos."

"Don't apologize, Chris," Nurse Redheart sighed, managing to keep her composure despite her injury. "I should have never asked those questions in front of everypony."

Chris saw a wad of gauze and grabbed it. He held it gently against the bloodied frogs of her bleeding hoof.

"I pushed myself into doing this when I shouldn't have... But, why the sudden interest in my... all that?"

Nurse Redheart turned her eyes away in shame.

"Your bodies are so different from ours, yet so much is similar. But you also are so protective of your covered parts. They must have some particular importance we don't understand beyond the dangers of a blood-related injury to that area. There is so much medical information I’ve read that is stated as if the foundational information should be understood. There's just so much we don't understand, and now it's getting so difficult to focus when I keep—"

"Nurse Redheart!" Doctor Horse yelled her name as he burst through the door. "What happened?! Starlight said you were bleeding!"

"Yes, doctor," The injured nurse sadly sighed as she presented her injured leg. "I... Just patch me up and send me home. I can't keep up with this anymore. I need a break."

Just then, Becky opened the door and stepped in, short of breath and looking worried.

"Starlight said—" She started to pant too hard to speak. "Nurse—" More labored breathing. "—what happened?"

Chris stood up and left the doctor to take over.

"Things got out of hand with the doctors and nurses. She... I don't know. I didn't see what happened. I just heard her yelling at them and the tile breaking."

Becky stepped out with Doctor Horse to attend to Redheart's broken bone and several cuts over her frogs. Shortly after that, they settled on the fact that the day there was a bust.

It was so bad that Becky and Chris were both told they would be compensated for the whole day's worth of assistance at the highest rate. They were also offered extra compensation for the incident with the medical mare's misconduct.

Through the discussion, Chris fought hard to request Nurse Redheart not be reprimanded for the incident. He even went as far as to offer to escort her home to show how much he did not hold her responsible.

It took a threat from Starlight getting the Princesses involved to settle things and a promise not to go public about the incident before they finally agreed.

Nurse Redheart sat in her wheelchair, downtrodden and miserable.

"Thank you all again for your help. Both the stitches and coming to my defense."

Becky laid a hand on Redheart’s shoulder, "We're sorry that Chris put you in that position, and you've been good to us, so of course we're gonna be there for you."

Nurse Redheart continued to sulk, the only mercy being at least she wasn’t in as serious pain as before...physical pain, at least.

"I feel terrible for what all happened."

"What all did happen in there?" Kelly asked.

Chris spoke up quickly with a good cover story.

"I went out for the exam in The Full Monty, couldn't handle it, caused a scene, and the rest of the doctors and nurses made a fuss in the miscommunication. Redheart realized what happened and stepped up, or stomped down, to get them out because I was being a pussy about the whole thing. When they didn't listen, she got pissed off and stomped too hard."

"It's a mixed blessing," Nurse Redheart sighed. "I'm glad I chased them out. Chris was under my care, and they weren't treating him with the level of respect all patients deserve. And as much as it hurt to break my long pastern bone, I needed the break from work... from everything back there. I should be up and back on my hooves in a week. Three weeks until I'm completely healed."

"Are you serious?" Becky asked, thinking the nurse must have misspoken. "That's... we need at least six weeks for our bones to heal."

"Really?" Nurse Redheart asked, somehow surprised by that information. "Why does it take so long?"

"We... " Becky realized there was no way for her to answer that. "I don't know. I guess our biology is different? I'm still surprised you broke a bone in the first place. The last time I remember that happening was Rainbow Dash, crashing and breaking a wing."

Nurse Redheart sunk lower in her wheelchair, groaning at the mention of the rainbow daredevil.

"Ooooooh, yes. I remember that. Such a frustrating patient to work with. I was so glad when we could release her, even though she reassured us she needed to stay longer. And then she had the gall to break in for a book she swore up and down she wouldn't read."

"Yep," Becky chuckled. "That's my Dash, alright."

Chris put his hands on the back of the wheelchair, "Well, I'm gonna give this pony a ride home. You two good to get back to the castle yourselves?"

"We'll be fine," Kelly sweetly answered. "Don't get too wild and crazy out there, and don't forget Sniff wants to do dinner at seven tonight."

"Gotch," Chris replied as he waved them off and started pushing off to the nurse's home. "Plenty of time."

Still taking everything in from the day's events, Starlight walked up next to Nurse Redheart in her wheelchair.

"I wanted to apologize for being so short with you back up there. I had no idea how stressed out you were with all of this and everything else you were dealing with."

Despite feeling thankful for the kind words, Nurse Redheart was ashamed to admit the truth.

"I was over-ambitious and overstepped my boundaries with Chris, if not both of you. But I also thought with you there, and being how close you two must be, that you had some idea of how overwhelming dealing with all this can be."

Starlight lightened up, remembering all the trouble she and Chris had gone through.

"Well, I don't know exactly what all you're going through, but I've certainly had my issues trying to make everything work with Chris. Not to the stress levels where I'm having muscle spasms like you seem to be, but still."

Nurse Redheart made a small motion as if she was going to speak but held still for a moment instead. It looked like she noticed something that she had missed before.

"My apologies. I thought... never mind. I guess our problems must be different then."

"Well, yeah," Starlight replied, nearly laughing at the suggestion. "You're a nurse, and I'm just sponsoring... wait... What problem did you think we had in common?"

"The kind of problem that leads to this." Nurse Redheart raised her hoof and foreleg wrapped up in a cast. "But you seem to be doing just fine."

Chris, of course, tried to change the subject.

"Hey, just wondering, do you have anypony to help you out while you're recovering? Or maybe you would just like some company?"

Nurse Redheart's ears perked up, and spoke with some restrained excitement.

"Do you know somepony, or are you offering?"

"I'm offering," Chris said happily, missing the potential undertones of what he’d just said. "I still feel partially responsible for what happened. And you really did step up there. The way you screamed at them and smashed that tile, that says a lot about how much you must care about those you’re put in charge of. So, you deserve to have someone that can take care of you, too."

"Awe," Starlight leaned over and lovingly brushed up against Chris's side. "That's so nice of you.”

After helping with Kelly, working with Cerb, and now standing up for Chris, Starlight had to give her some respect. More than that, even. She trotted up to Nurse Redheart's side again.

"Would you mind if I stopped over with Chris when I'm not busy?"

"Not at all," the nurse said with a smile. "I don't get a lot of company... or have a lot of friends... probably none at all after I scared them all away today."

"Well, don't you worry," Starlight beamed proudly. "If you're taking care of our friends, that makes you a friend of ours. And I've only started making new friends around here, and it would be nice to have you among them. You're a lot nicer than some of the other ponies make you out to be. And I don't mean that as an insult. A lot of ponies still seem to feel the same way about me, and I'm not so bad."

The bell chimed, calling Rarity's attention back to the sales floor.

"Good afternoon," she warmly greeted her customer as she trotted out from her work area. "What can I assist you with—Oven Fresh! So good to see you... and... Sniff? What brings you two in together, today?"

"Afternoon, Rarity," Sniff bashfully greeted the marshmallow unicorn. "This little pony here, as you can clearly see jumping around like a Jack Russell Terrier, is in the market for a new skirt."

"Is she?" Rarity carefully asked, giving Oven Fresh a worried look. "Oh, dear. Was there a problem with the last skirt?"

Assuming the worst, Rarity over-dramatically stomped her hoof.

"I knew I should have added a line of accent down the seams."

"The skirt was perfect," Oven Fresh declared, bounding forward and wrapping Rarity up, lifting her off the floor in an excited hug.

"Peter liked how it looked on me so much, he wanted to see how I looked in another one."

"Another one?" Rarity asked confusedly as she was set down.

Oven Fresh trotted back over to Sniff's side like she was gliding on air.

"Tell her what you'd like to see me in while I go pick some out for myself."

"Well, you see—" Sniff started to speak but was pulled down just enough for Oven Fresh to effortlessly deliver a quick peck on his cheek.

"Back in a jiffy," Oven Fresh called over to him as she trotted down to the far side of the shop.

Rarity, half excitedly pleased and the other half astonished, asked, "I'm guessing the date went better than expected last night?"

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in," Sniff replied jokingly before leaning over slightly and spoke in a hushed voice.

"I know this seems weird, and I wasn't going to be this open about it, but she's too excited to keep it in. We're not really dating. Just kinda... seeing each other. But I promised to pick out a new skirt for her, so—” He made a silent plea for pity. “—could you keep this and the sale private for right now?"

Rarity gave a very relieved sigh.

"Sniff, I think it's wonderful that you found somepony to spend your time with. Oven Fresh is a very sweet girl, but, if privacy and discretion is what you wish for, you shall have it... Except for Fluttershy. Not that I care to gossip, but we've been spending so much time together, I know this will come up. It's better to let her know ahead of time instead of her asking questions where somepony else might overhear and... well... You know how rumors can spread."

"I—" Sniff shook his head, realizing he was already asking for a lot. "Hey, yeah, sure. Whatever’s gonna make it work for you, but I'm willing to pay you a little extra for your discretion and as a professional courtesy."

"Oh, please, Sniffy," Rarity waived off the kind gesture. "We're friends. That is completely unnecessary."

"Rarity." Sniff hung his head for a moment before looking her in the eyes again. "You take damn good care of my boy, Cerb. You've opened your hospitality and goodwill to clothe me and my friends. Then, you gave that lovely little mare over there the wardrobe she needed to give her the confidence to have the night of her life. I cannot, in good conscience, continue to let your goodwill and talents go unrewarded."

"Sniff, please I—"

"Look, I'm gonna tip you generously whether you like it or not," Sniff continued. "I want you to spend it on something you want for yourself. Or put it towards something nice for you and Cerb to do together. You can't say no to that."

"I, well—" Rarity surrendered in a cheerful huff. "Oh, alright, but that just means I'm going to make sure your purchase is extra special, you know. And what exactly are you two looking for in particular."

"Something like this," Oven Fresh announced as she floated in a lavender skirt with ruffles and another that was solid black with hot pink lining running along its seams.

Sniff instantly eyed the black and pink skirt.

"Oh, Ovens. Black and pink. How is this even a question?"

Oven Fresh discarded the lavender skirt onto the nearest rack.

"I was thinking the same thing, but I do like the color of the other one, and the ruffles were cute."

Rarity eyed the simple piece she left out strictly as an example for fittings on her mannequins.

"Are you sure I couldn't offer you something a bit more... eccentric?"

The skirt hovered at Sniff's eye level as he looked it over more critically.

"No. For right now, this is a good start, but it's going to need some modifications... Accessories."

He looked down at Oven Fresh with a devious smile.

"We're gonna get you all decked out. And Rarity, I think I might have an idea to expand your market with a new line of clothing and fashion."

If Rarity didn't already have her eyes set on Cerb, she could have kissed Sniff right there and then.

"Peter, darling. Have I ever told you that you are my favorite of all of Cerb's friends?"

Cerb held his grip on a tree branch and pulled himself up to another incline.

"I'm gonna need a break when we get to the next peak... Goddamn, these hills are steep."

Fluttershy hovered just behind him, cautiously watching in case he slipped.

"Are you getting tired, or is your leg hurting you?"

Cerb grunted, "Legs fine. Hands are getting sore. Mostly tired, though."

The original plan was to camp out at the bottom of the hills, but since they had ended up stopping early due to the attention Cerb required the day before. With that setback, they had spent most of the entire day traveling to this key destination for the most crucial ingredient; the Sanequinaria Canteradensis.

Fluttershy took a moment to fly up and assess the remaining climb.

"Not much farther."

She flew down again to watch over Cerb, "It plateaus up a bit higher, and the rest of the way, we can both walk together."

A few minutes more of strenuous climbing, Cerb reached the plateau and dropped his bag.

"Gawd... I forgot how much I hate doing this."

Fluttershy dropped down and went for the bag to fetch a water bottle.

"I know this way was a lot harder, but the other way is a lot more dangerous and would have added another day to our travel. We’ll be almost done after this."

The long trek and heavy exertion left Cerb hot enough that he started to remove the top of his new uniform, already covered in various dark sweat patches.

"Yeah, I know. I still would have done this, regardless. Just felt the need to bitch and moan for a bit."

Fluttershy finished a long drink of their water and looked up to Cerb with a question.

"Bitch and moan? I didn't hear you moaning."

Cerb chuckled for a moment and went for his water bottle.

"Nah-Nah-Nah. It's just a funny way of saying that I wanted to complain. Bitching, in general, is just another way of saying to complain, but the moan makes it sound more pathetic, kind of like whining."

Fluttershy gave that a thought as she capped her bottle.

"Twilight used that word a lot differently."

Cerb took a moment to dump some water over his head to help cool off before trying to explain.

"Bitch can be used in a lot of ways. Like... uh.”

He pointed down to the bottom of the hill, "It was a bitch of a time climbing up here. Because it was difficult. I was being a little bitch last night because I didn't want you to work on my hip and acted like a spoiled child over it. Umm... Oh, yeah. I bitched you out this morning for flying off like you did. And that night you all stayed over at our place to watch movies; Starlight was being a total bitch for how rude she was to Chris. Ou, and just like how Twilight used it. If I had climbed all the way up here and realized that I forgot my bag, I would have screamed 'son of a bitch' because I was mad. Bitch is an amazingly flexible word."

A blank stare and a robotic nodding of the head was all Fluttershy could do as she tried to follow along.

"I see."

Suddenly the sound of birds angrily chirping grew closer, and a flock of wildfowl dive-bombed in over Cerb's head.

"Hey? What the fuck?!"

Fluttershy jumped up and flew over Cerb; hooves stretched out as she recognized the chirps.

"Wait! Stop! He's a friend!"

After a moment of the angry chirps stopping, Cerb looked up to see bright-colored songbirds and hummingbirds gathering in front of Fluttershy.

"I'm guessing these are friends of yours? Chris told me you can talk to them or something like that?"

Still cautious about holding off the birds' hostility, Fluttershy looked down, her hoof extended to keep them at bay.

"Yes, these are some of the birds that helped me last time I was here. I, um... wanted to wait until we got to this point to tell you that the predators to watch out for up here. The one that I got away from... It was a chupacabra."

If looks could kill, Cerb's face was a hand grenade with the pin pulled.

"What?"

Fluttershy motioned for the birds to stay put while she joined Cerb back on the ground.

"Justin, I know you're mad that I did say anything until now, but what else could I do to get you out here? Had I said any of this to the others, that's all the more trouble they would have given us for letting you come out here. I mean... would you have even let me tell them?"

Somehow, Cerb put the pin back in that figurative hand grenade and calmed himself.

"Thank you..." He raised a finger as if to scold her with. "I'm not saying what you did was right, because I would have told them. I would have been honest and convinced them that I had a way to take the safest, smartest approach to deal with that threat. However... if telling them would have risked blowing this whole opportunity, and it just might have done that, you made the right call... Just tell me sooner next time. And what's up with your friends? You'd think I ran afoul with them. And... can they understand me?"

Fluttershy's face lit up with a grin, "Let me ask them for you."

Again, Fluttershy took to the air to flutter up to her many bird friends.

"Sorry about that. I had to warn my friend about—"

She was stopped by a flurry of angry tweets.

"No, he's not a pony, and he's not here to eat any of you. He came with me to get some flowers if that's alright with you. We—"

More angry tweets cut her off again.

"That's a very mean thing to say about him. He's nothing like that. He's here to keep me safe and—"

Once more, she was shut down by the angry birds.

"What do you mean he can't come with me?"

The birds continued to chirp and squawk at Fluttershy until she finally fluttered down and broke the news to Cerb.

"They said they won't help me with the flowers if I take you with me. They think you're a predator, like a chupacabra, and you will try to eat them or their babies if you find out where they nest... which is also where the flowers grow."

Cerb turned his scowl to the dirt.

"Fuck."

Fluttershy, saddened by the news, caught Cerb's reaction a moment too late.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

Cerb grumbled, which turned into more of a growl like the beast the birds thought him to be, as he quickly thought up an explanation.

"I said, fuck. Which is just like saying son of a bitch, but only I'm a lot more pissed off... What do you think we should do?"

Fluttershy looked over to where she remembered the flowers growing, then back to Cerb.

"These flowers only grow in a few locations regularly. And with the amount we need just to help Becky, I don't think we could gather enough to keep her coughing under control before winter starts if we don't get them one now. But as much I don't want to leave your side, I don't think we have much of a choice."

Cerb took a long look at their surroundings and the mass of birds that had taken perch in the trees around them.

"Ask them how far they'll let me follow you. Neither one of us should be by ourselves out here."

One of the hummingbirds buzzed in front of Fluttershy, chirping or squawking something Fluttershy had to listen in closely to understand.

After a short one-sided conversation, Fluttershy looked back at Cerb with utter bewilderment.

"They want to know what you are and why they can't understand you when you talk to me."

Cerb turned a glance at the birds, "Tell them the truth. I'm a human from another world that doesn't eat birds like them. I don't know why they can't understand me if they understand you, though. We're both speaking the same language."

Fluttershy frowned.

"Not all animals understand the same language you and I use. And there are some creatures that I can't fully understand, but I'll get this worked out."

It took some back and forth between the birds and Fluttershy, but eventually, they agreed to let Cerb follow Fluttershy only most of the way. But, if he were to get too close, they would move their nest and never help her again.

Eventually, they all traveled far enough and reached the point where the birds demanded Cerb travel no further.

There were no good feelings either had about this choice, but time was looking like it was going to be a factor. Separating for a short time seemed like the only viable option they had.

As Fluttershy got ready to take off, she looked over her shoulder with a sad smile.

"Don't worry. You're too big and scary looking to the other creatures out here, so they won't bother you. And I'll be where they nest, which is hidden, so I'll be safe. Preparing the flower to be picked takes longer than it does if they were just going to feed off of it. It might take a while, but we only have one more stop after this, then we can head home."

Cerb gave a quick tug on the ax he still had attached to his belt and nodded, getting ready for whatever would come their way.

"Be careful out there, and don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Fluttershy gave one last look at Cerb, now second-guessing herself on this choice.

"You better be, and please... don't use the Kimber if you don't have to."

And with that, she flapped her wings and flew over the tree line, leaving him alone under the careful watch of a hummingbird and two very angry songbirds.

All the while, none of them were aware of the hungry hunter on the prowl. Deep in the shadows, low in the brush, patiently stalking a familiar flying yellow goat he could never forget.

As for Fluttershy, she was oblivious to the danger that trailed below her. She was far too worried about Cerb's safety without her there. Although, she was also grateful that the birds had allowed Cerb to come as close as they did. They either had a lot more trust in her than they let on or weren't very smart to leave him all of a ten-minute walk away from their hidden colony of nests.

Meanwhile, below the cover of the trees, away from the hulking beast that accompanied his meal, the unseen beast followed his prey with near-silent paw pads that raced under the foliage, undetected.

Elsewhere, the colony wasn't so much well hidden as it was located somewhere undesirable to venture through.

Tall thin trees had grown impractically close to each other, forming a natural wall with gaps too small for the average predator to pass through. Even if they had tried, large thorny bushes and vines had sprung up between them and intertwined through the branches.

It was virtually impenetrable, save for one space where a tree had fallen over, and the thorny vines that grew could be lifted just enough to allow a pegasus through.

As Fluttershy landed, she took in the sights of new colorful bushes and flowers that had grown and blossomed since the last time she had visited.

"Wow. You're home sure does look a lot prettier since the last time I was here. Did you all bring in the flowers yourself?"

Two of the songbirds swooped in, flying circles around a particular bush of flowers, chirping excitedly.

It didn't take a close inspection to recognize the flower in full bloom.

"Oh? Coltshoof. Yes, they do smell wonderful. And you say that the predators can't smell you when they're in bloom? That's brilliant. You're all such clever little birdies. Oh, excuse me, but can you get the vines for me? I don't want to get scratched, trying to move them on my own."

She waited for the birds to fly down and latch onto the thorns. As they flew up, lifting the vines out of her way, Fluttershy still had to crouch, if not nearly crawl, to make her way inside.

"Thank you. And while I’m waiting, do you have any new babies for me to see? Oh, and speaking of babies, I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about that."

As the vines lowered and hid the pegasus away, the hunter hunkered down low to the ground, hiding in the shadows of the treetops and foliage.

The scent was being masked by thick pollen in the air, but the muffled voice and chirps that came from within told him he had cornered his prey.

Now to find a way in.

Inside the colony, it was a marvel to behold. The branches had been pulled together over the years from the vines, forming a dome over the entire enclosure. Dead leaves and twigs had been collected to cover the spaces between and allowed enough suit to gather for flowering plants and berry bushes to grow.

It was a nearly complete self-sustained ecosystem with just enough light shining through scattered gaps between the branches. Many of the birds would fly in and out of these gaps for an ease of access but also to keep the day hours lit inside.

Needles to say, Fluttershy was in awe of the sight.

"Oh, my goodness. Just look at what you all have done with this place. It's beautiful. And look at—"

The sound of peeps immediately distracted her, making her gasp in excitement. "Can I see them? They sound adorable."

Another songbird, a finch, bigger and more brightly colored than the others, flew over. The loud, sharp chirps of a proud mother telling Fluttershy of how healthy and beautiful her chicks were, introduced the younglings to Fluttershy.

There, in a small nest only a few inches off the ground, in a small shrub, five hungry hatchlings peeped in a huddled pile. They were all still very young. Barely any feathers covered their delicate skin, and their eyes couldn't properly open. Yet to the fluttering pegasus, they were as beautiful as a phoenix.

However, she still had a job to do, and now was her chance to question the new mother.

"I wanted to ask you something about being a mother. When you find that special—"

"Rrrrah!" Sounds of a furious beast just beyond the tree barriers roared.

A flurry of birds scattered about in the colony, frantically searching for safety. Another call from the beast outside the line of trees and thorns protecting them set Fluttershy's heart racing. It was too recognizable, the same hungry tone she had faced not once, but twice.

She was sure of it. The dumb beast must have followed her trail all those years ago. Had it stayed behind all this time because of her and Twilight? How did it even find her again? Not just her; she wasn't alone this time and looked down at the nest.

"The babies! You have to—" She clamped her teeth shut when she realized how newborn these hatchlings were. "They're so little and frail!"

A new revelation presented itself as many of the birds returned to their nests. They were frantically trying to cover themselves and each other with pitifully small dried sticks and thorny vines.

It wasn't just the five hatchlings. There must have been dozens, if not hundreds of them. It would have been impossible to try and remove them safely. And that was only if she had a safe exit.

Fluttershy frantically surveyed the interior.

She flew to the ceiling and discovered it was too tightly woven together with thorns. Even if she didn’t tear herself apart, digging a way out, she’d likely send debris falling down and injure the chicks, if not crush them.

A clumsy flight around the walls and clusters of nests attached to the woven trees yielded the same problem. Forcing her way out would only endanger the inhabitants.

She was trapped with too much area that was difficult to navigate. Not without wreaking havoc. There were also too many innocents to protect. This could only end in tragedy unless...

"Justin!"

A flurry of birds overtook Fluttershy's face, all of them calling for her not to summon another predator.

Low growls rumbled behind the wall of trees and vines as the beast grew closer to the hidden entrance.

It was now or never for Fluttershy to make her case.

"Yes! I know! But he's my predator. He only preys on predators! And I know you’re scared, but what do you want to lose? The killer out there, or every birdie you love in here?"

Cerb was rummaging through his bag, doing his best to reorganize what few items they had collected earlier along their way that morning.

"Fucking tree bark. Shit's so goddamn brittle. Should have brought some fucking ziplock bags for this shit."

He broke another small chunk as it brushed up against the inside of the bag.

“Fuck!"

A boisterous finch, chirping loudly, darted in and bounced off of Cerb's shoulder.

Cerb flinched and almost tripped over his bag before turning to yell at the aggressive bird.

"Awwwe, what the fuck! You said, stay here! I'm still here! What the fuck do ya want?!"

The finch that struck Cerb recovered in the air and flew to the others keeping watch. A quick crackle of chirps excited them. Together, they twisted and bounced excitedly at whatever the news was.

Cerb couldn't believe his luck. Not only had he been separated from Fluttershy, he still had these birds harassing him.

Off in the distance, he could hear even more of the belligerent fouls flying in. Within seconds, there was an entire flock flapping around his head, chirping and squawking wildly.

Cerb threw his hands up in protest.

"What! Seriously?! The fuck, birds?! What do you want from me?"

The birds couldn't understand the human yammering language, and they knew he couldn't understand them either. They would have to try something else.

In a desperate attempt to communicate, the birds arranged themselves into the formation of an exclamation point.

That seemed to get the human's attention, as he grew quiet and kept his eyes on them.

They then moved into another formation, taking on the shape of the silhouette of the pegasus he would recognize.

Cerb examined the shape in confusion, "Is that Fluttershy?"

The birds changed again, forming the silhouette of a wolf-like beast, then focused their form into the creature's head with a gaping maw, making the motion of it slamming shut.

The expression on Cerb's face let them know he got the message, and they changed their formation into an arrow, pointing him in the right direction.

He took off in a mad dash, not knowing where he was going, only following the birds that led him toward danger.

Fluttershy was pacing back and forth in front of the vulnerable nests.

"What do I do? What do I do? I can't get out on my own, and I can’t fight in here without putting the babies in danger. Justin should be on his way, but I don't want him to kill the poor thing."

She was startled again by the beast snapping a vine free; its massive paws had begun to dig the entrance deeper.

"But what if I have to choose?"

After some more pacing, Fluttershy had to face the reality that she created her worst fear. She had summoned Cerb to fight for her in a situation where life could be lost.

What would he do? What would she do? Would she be able to live with his choice of killing the beast to keep her and the others safe?

Then, for a moment, her confidence wavered enough to face another possibility.

“What if it’s Justin who dies because of me?”

Boom!

All at once, the remaining birds went into another frenzy within the colony. The loud crack of the Kimber firing a single bullet had frightened them into another panic. Amidst the clattering of chirps, the yelping of a chupacabra cut through the wall of trees.

…then silence.

Fluttershy's heart all but stopped in the deafening silence from outside, and she screamed in terror.

"Justin!"

It didn’t matter what had happened outside, she needed to get to him. She needed to find Cerb, so she called out to the birds for help.

"Open it up! Open it up! Let me out! Please!"

It took a moment, but the birds rushed together and parted the vines for Fluttershy.

She hunkered down, ushered herself out as fast as she could, and fell to the dirt, tripping over herself at the horrible sight she found herself in front of.

Cerb crept forward, an ax in one hand, his pistol in the other… and the rage of a man ready to kill.

"Give me one good fucking reason, and I will fucking end you!"

Fluttershy rushed out to see a quivering chupacabra in front of a small gouge in the dirt and Cerb standing in striking range with his ax and the pistol pointed at the creature's head.

Somehow, Cerb had scared the beast into submission without wounding it.

Then, without budging a muscle, Cerb spoke to Fluttershy, holding back as much anger and spite he could without screaming with all the fury, trying to claw its way out.

"Tell him everything I tell you."

Fluttershy stood outside the conflict, still stricken from the fear of Cerb killing the beast and the harsh, demanding tone with which he spoke.

"What?"

Cerb raised the ax higher, ready to strike.

"Tell him everything I tell you, or I will fucking murder him. Right here, right now."

"Yes! Anything you say!" Fluttershy immediately agreed, not even thinking about arguing.

Cerb leaned in closer over the frightened creature.

"Run away. Run away and never return."

He waited for Fluttershy to relay the words.

"If you ever return, I will hunt you down, and I will find you."

Again, he waited for her to relay the message.

"I will drag you back to wherever you came from and eviscerate you in front of your family and make them watch as I devour you alive."

Fluttershy hesitated a moment but repeated the message.

Not satisfied, Cerb added one last caveat.

"This pony and her bird friends are the only thing keeping you alive. If anything ever happens to them because of you... you will never be safe from me. I will show you pain and suffering the likes you’d wish Fluttershy was around so you could have her beg me to let you die."

Fluttershy repeated every word, ending with her own warning.

“Please don’t ever come back. I couldn’t stop him if I tried. Nothing can.”

The chupacabra whimpered something and darted off into the forest with its tail tucked between its legs. Then, with the threat removed, Cerb holstered his pistol and turned to Fluttershy.

"Are you okay?"

Fluttershy was emotionally distraught but was also overtaken with her admiration for how Cerb had restrained himself and rushed to hold him.

"I'm fine! You saved them," her words were filtered through the urge to break down and cry.

"You saved all of them, and you didn't..." She couldn't finish the sentence, the weight of all that had happened threatening to break her.

Cerb dropped his ax and lowered himself down to one knee so he could hold her close.

"I know. I told you I wouldn't. Not if I didn't have to. But if he had—"

Fluttershy finally seemed to understand where he was coming from and couldn't keep it in.

"No... I think I understand what you meant. I hate myself for saying it, but... I'd rather live with losing the chupacabra than any of my friends or letting anything happen to you. I'd never be able to live with myself if… I was so worried about you."

After the near-disaster, all Cerb could do was hold her and try to keep her calm.

"It's okay. I wasn't going to do anything unless I had to. I remembered what you told me."

Fluttershy clung to him tighter, a trace of tears leaking from her eyes.

"Please don't... I don't want to think about that."

Cerb stroked his hand down her back, "I won't if you don't want me to. It's okay, but If he comes back to hurt you, I'll—"

Fluttershy squeezed him to the point it was almost painful, "Don't... Justin, please."

The birds were circling the two of them. Loud happy chirps called for their celebration. All was saved, and the unknown predator was to be rewarded for it. They owed him their lives and the lives of their young.

Two songbirds flew down to give an announcement of their repayment.

Fluttershy's eyes lit up as she heard what they had to say.

"You will? Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Cerb looked to Fluttershy with an anxious but opportunistic expression.

"What did they say?"

Fluttershy happily relayed the message.

"They said they will give us three of the flowers we need to help with Becky, as well as the extra Coltshoof."

She smiled and nuzzled into his chest, "We don't need to make the extra trip tonight. They'll get us everything we need."

Despite the good news, Cerb didn't let her go.

"That’s great, but you're safe... that's all that matters to me right now."

For the next few hours, Cerb held onto Fluttershy while the birds went to task to repay their debt.

In their downtime, Cerb did some reflecting. He had served his purpose, she was safe, and the items they needed were being gathered. Things had ended better than anticipated, and they could start heading home after the last few items were collected.

There was nothing more he could ask for, and at that moment, he felt complete.

As the busy birds worked to gather the needed materials around them, Cerb realized that he connected with Fluttershy in a way he never would have expected. However, this victory meant another problem they would have to deal with.

"We have to tell everyone what happened. Not you knowing the chupacabra was here, but that it showed up. But after that, I owe you everything. I am forever in your debt. Thank you so much for not only trusting me, but also for giving me the chance to do what I’ve wanted since I was discharged. It's been so long since I've had this; the feeling of saving someone. You gave that back to me."

Fluttershy was lost in his arms, safe and comfortable.

"I was so scared you would... you know... end him. But you... really... why didn't you?"

Cerb felt a sense of pride welling up inside, maybe something more than that even.

"Because you asked me not to. Believe me, though, I wanted to. He could always come back, and I won't be here to keep your friends safe."

Fluttershy lay comfortably in his embrace, not bothered by Cerb's concerns.

"I don't think he'll come back. For as much as you scared me just saying that, he wouldn’t dare. But... just stay close to me. I don't want to be away from you from now on. Not if I don’t have to be."

Cerb didn't care about what it would take to stay true to her request, but he wanted it, too.

"You got it."

Sniff gave his more than gratified acceptance over what he was presented with.

"Yes. Oh, my god. You nailed everything perfectly."

Oven Fresh posed elegantly in the short skirt ensemble she was given. Said piece was deliciously cut to reveal more than what should have been acceptable, as well as being cut in the back and tapered in leading up to her tail. It barely covered her thighs. However, she was gifted with a quick pair of panties cut dangerously short to cover only what Sniff thought needed to be.

Along with that, she also wore an open blouse that matched her skirt, cut back to just past her shoulders and knees. Under that, she wore a V-cut shirt that extended down slightly above her lower back and stopped above her ankles. To add some additional flair, Sniff suggested some leggings that went up only about as far as the hem of the skirt.

Oven Fresh looked excitedly back to Sniff.

"You think the panties look good like this? They feel kinda weird. I'm not swimming, and this isn't a uniform. Maybe if they had a thinner, more breathable material?"

Sniff gave an approving nod.

"I'm sure that'd be fine, but it's all about the aesthetics. Visually, they draw attention to your assets while still leaving much to the imagination."

Rarity looked at the wardrobe she was instructed to produce.

"Sniffy, my dear. As far as the skirt goes, I have removed so much. What is there left to imagine?"

Sniff gave a relieved sigh, opting to educate the fashion pony in the ways of human taste.

"Doesn't matter. It looks so damn hawt. Throw in something with her hair or some earrings, maybe change up the hairstyle, and she's golden."

Oven Fresh flaunted her posterior the way she thought Sniff would appreciate.

"I'm already gold. We had this discussion, remember?"

Sniff smiled and knelt down to get a better view.

"Yes, you are, and yes, we did."

Oven Fresh started to pull down the thong panties, absentmindedly presenting herself in the process.

"Well, I think I'll do without these, even if they do look nice. At least until Rarity fixes them so they fit right."

Sniff couldn't help but focus on the show as she disrobed in front of him.

"You pull it off either way, but there is something to appreciate with them on. Regardless, this look definitely works for you."

Something was different about Sniff that Rarity started to take notice of. Granted, there were many differences between the two clients, but outside of his overt interest in his new marefriend, he was… dating? Not really dating? His actions and levels of comfort were on a completely different scope and scale from Cerb.

Cerb was soft and cautious, timid, respectful, reserved, and held an annoyingly wide berth for boundaries outside of when it came time to sleep. Even when those gaps were closed, he was always holding back and practically frightened of initiating any type of closeness or affection. There wasn’t much he didn’t seem to welcome if offered, especially after last night, but nothing like Sniff was showing.

The whole time Oven Fresh was being paraded and stripped down or laced up, Sniff was attentive and involved. He hadn’t been overly cautious with his hands and was likely assuming a lot of personal boundaries didn’t apply to him with Oven Fresh’s body, as well as some of Rarity’s merchandise and tools.

He was never disrespectful, though. He seemed to move forward with such grace and finesse. Even the way he spoke was so appeasing with the words chosen and the voice he spoke them with. It was like listening to a long-time friend you trusted tell you what they were doing when you wouldn’t let others practice such liberties with your possessions.

But there was still something else. Something that, at first, she tried to ignore or overlook out of fear of causing discomfort. Yet, after a while, it was clear there was no clear sign of discomfort to be concerned about.

Sniff had been particularly focused on the areas Cerb had been the most uncomfortable with. True, Cerb had stated that the ponies uncovered body hadn’t bothered him, and maybe ultimately, it didn’t, but it was clear he avoided them, both visually and physically. It was only recently he seemed to speak of any curiosity toward a mare's feminine body parts.

It was a curious observation, one of which Rarity slowly started to subtly exploit over the fitting.

A wider stance here and there. Periodic requests and reminders of ‘could you raise your tail a little more?’ whenever Sniff could capitalize on taking a gander of everything uncovered. He even went as far as tracing the imaginary lines around where he thought the panties should extend to. Even more surprising was how lazily he had asked Oven Fresh if it would be okay to touch her and how lovingly passive she was at the request.

Honestly, Rarity’s jealousy of Oven Fresh’s luck would have caused her to act out or say something regrettable.

Still, her curiosity and desire to recreate Sniff’s behaviors proved more influential. Even if it was far-fetched to have Cerb do something she herself only held in a fantastic realm of fantasy, just the tease alone was enough to convince her to continue feeding Sniff’s interests.

So long as Oven Fresh was comfortable with everything, Rarity could continue to observe and reap the benefits of Sniff’s fashion sense and what inspired his affinity to a mare.

After the fitting was complete, Rarity closed her little book of notes and started to gather the garbs still draped over Oven Fresh.

"I must say, Peter, you have a rather acute eye for ladies' fashion. Is that also something you've dabbled in?"

Sniff was busy looking over one of the other styles of leggings but answered without hesitation.

"No, I just know what looks good on a lady. That, and after all the women I've been with, I've seen a lot of different styles."

As interesting as that was, Rarity had another question on her mind.

"Peter, a quick question, if you don't mind."

She waited for him to give her the panties and his full attention.

"This might be an odd question, but... is there any functional reason your females wear these panties? I understand why males do, given their anatomy. However, is there some practical purpose for a lady to require garments that adhere so close to the body? Do female humans nethers have problems flopping around as males would?"

Another one of these questions he didn't want to address yet...or the visual Rarity just put into his head.

"I suppose, for now, let's just say that it's a cultural thing. Guys wear underwear, so do women. It's actually a pretty big market. I think a few years ago, the global market was around ninety-two tuh ninety-six billion dollars. Oh! Twilight wanted to know the currency exchange, and I think I got it."

Rarity was legitimately curious about this and had to ask, "And what might that be?"

Sniff was ready to crunch the numbers.

"Okay, so, one of the ways we track the value of our money is by comparing the cost of essential commodities. The go-to is bread because it's virtually the same everywhere you go, plus every culture bakes and sells it. But the average cost for us is about two and a half dollars. And how much do you sell a loaf of bread for, Oven Fresh?"

Oven Fresh sauntered up, still on a high from the fashion exchange.

"For you, we can work something out. Everypony else, two bits."

Sniff chuckled.

"Okay, so. Two and a half dollars to your two bits. That's only a twenty-five percent value over, so in your world here, that would be ninety-six, times one point two, five. Yer looking at a global sale of a hundred and twenty billion bits."

Rarity's eyes glazed over, and she started to mumble incoherently, "One-ne, hun-hu-hund en to-twa, twa, buh, buh," and then promptly fainted.

A soft ambient glow wrapped around Rarity from Oven Fresh, being fast enough to catch her in her magic hold.

"Woah, there, sister."

Rarity started to recover and moved to support herself without Oven Fresh's help.

"My goodness. I didn’t even have time to use my fainting couch. Anyhow, once I figure out how to market these panties, and dominate that market—"

Sniff interjected with a critical point to make, "Uh... panties, by design, are made to be worn under something. Hence... the skirt. You'll have to market it with sooooomthing~ actually, let me get back to you on how to sell these. But the sooner you get hers done, the sooner I can look into how to make this work. Maybe even get Kelly to help."

Of all the ideas Sniff could have for making money, this idea had to work.

Well… Sniff sure is shameless. Kinda sad Oven Fresh doesn’t know how easily she could get what she wanted… if she only knew what it was she wanted.

Also, who saw the conflict coming up in the Everfree? I tried not to make it too obvious something was gonna happen. Although, yeah… not really all that climactic. One bullet and the chupacabra collapsed like a house of cards. And all that restraint he had to muster not to put a round through its dome.

And I sigh at the thought of it. The things we do for love.

Also, what’s up with Nurse Redheart? She’s acting about as stranger than one would have expected… weird.

Oh well, at least we get to find out more about her in the next installment, Chapter 57. Protection, Lust, and Trust .