A few days passed and Phyllis was stood outside the Brighthouse, a clipboard in hoof. She smiled as she saw Sunny hurriedly skating towards her.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Phyllis,” Sunny panted as she skidded to a stop. “My cart has become more popular than ever. You should have seen the queue.”
“Oh, don’t worry, Sunny,” Phyllis smiled. “I spotted it on my way here, you were really run off your hoofs this morning. Shall we get started?”
“Yes please,” Sunny giggled as she started taking her skates off. “Obviously I’ve already seen the progress you’ve made but having the chance for you to explain sounded great.”
“All part of the service from CanterBlocks,” Phyllis smiled. “I’m pleased to say this is the final sign-off too. Cobalt finished the final details in the kitchen this morning.”
“R...Really,” Sunny stammered with surprise as she removed her last skate. “That’s brilliant news!”
“I told you we’d fix it before Sunset and Starlight returned home,” Phyllis smiled. “Now, we’ll go through each item on my list here and make sure you’re happy with what you see.”
“Okay sure,” Sunny grinned. “Where do we start?”
“Easiest place would be the door,” Phyllis winked.
“Oh okay, I hope it’s adoorable,” Sunny snorted with laughter. “Get it? A-door-able?”
Phyllis smiled and rolled her eyes as Sunny continued to chuckle.
They made their way to each item on the list, checking it off as they went. Eventually, after walking around the whole bottom floor of the Brighthouse. They finally reached the final item on the list, the kitchen. Sunny was overjoyed as she checked out the new cooker.
“It’s brilliant, Phyllis,” she beamed as she opened the oven and looked inside. “Wait, this looks bigger than the old one.”
“That’s because it is,” Phyllis smiled. “You said you needed to cater for at least six ponies. So I made sure to get a cooker that would do that for you.”
“It’s perfect, it’s all perfect,” Sunny beamed as she turned around. “Thank you, Phyllis. Are you sure you don’t want payment?”
“Not from you Sunny,” Phyllis replied. “Honestly, I managed to get it paid for by Equestria. Not Queen Haven specifically but contributions came from Zephyr Heights City Council, the Elders of Bridlewood and Maretime Bay Council. You and your friends saved us all and everypony thanks you for it. Now, if I could just get your signature on here, we’ll be all done.”
Sunny gave a small smile as Phyllis passed her the clipboard. She scanned down the list of checked-off items before signing her name at the bottom.
As she passed the clipboard back her smile wavered. Suddenly, it felt like the weight of all Equestria was on her back. However, she took a deep breath and smiled with determination, she wouldn’t let anypony down.
“Thank you, Phyllis,” she said again. “I’m glad to see you’ve got a new business challenge. Do you have any other projects?”
“Oh, I’m working on a big one,” Phyllis beamed. “However, I can’t say much about it currently. What I can tell you is planning for Kendi’s new museum is going very well. I’m still sorry that I never believed your father about Equestria’s past, or you.”
“Phyllis, you have nothing to be sorry for,” Sunny smiled. “We’re past that now. We all believed what we were taught. We’re all together now and that’s the important thing.”
Phyllis chuckled and smiled, “I think you’ve turned into a wonderful Guardian of Unity. I think Argyle would be so proud of you.”
“I know he would,” Sunny smiled before she stepped away from Phyllis. “I’m not going to give up hope though. Someday I’ll find out what happened to my dad.”
There was a flash as Sunny jumped into the air, her horn and wings appearing. Phyllis couldn’t help but chuckle.
“You knew that would happen didn’t you,” she smiled.
“Pretty much,” Sunny admitted as she looked back at her wings. “To be honest, I’m starting to feel a little naked without them.”
“Well, it seems to me that they are just as much a part of you as your cutie mark,” Phyllis smiled. “Now, I’ve got more work to do and I’m sure you’ve got plenty to be getting on with as well.”
“Goodbye Phyllis, thank you again,” Sunny grinned.
As Phyllis nodded and trotted towards the door, Sunny couldn’t help feeling pleased with how things had turned around between them.
Later that afternoon, Starlight was at Zipp’s workstation. They were looking over an old map of Equestria as Sunny came bounding up the ramp.
“Ah, there you are, Starlight,” Sunny grinned. “Sorry Zipp, could I borrow her?”
“Oh, sure,” Zipp replied knowingly. “Borrow away.”
“Wait? What do you mean borrow?” Starlight blinked.
“It’s a surprise,” Sunny giggled.
Starlight squeaked as Sunny suddenly pulled her wheelchair backwards. Spinning her around, Sunny proceeded to push her towards the ramp. Starlight looked back at Zipp, almost as though she were looking for help. However, Zipp only smiled and returned to her studying.
“Okay, could you please tell me where you’re taking me, Sunny?” Starlight insisted as they started descending.
“I told you, it’s a surprise,” Sunny giggled.
“Right, but I don’t like just being hijacked like this,” Starlight groaned.
“Well, hopefully we won’t be able to do that for long,” another voice said.
Starlight blinked as they came to the bottom of the ramp. Sunset stood before her along with a white Unicorn mare in a nurse’s uniform.
“This is Nurse Flutterheart from Bridlewood Hospital,” Sunny introduced. “She’s part of a team investigating how they can reintegrate magic into medicine.”
“She’s here to help us take off your cast,” Sunset winked.
Starlight looked wide-eyed around the room and noticed a hospital bed that had been placed in the centre. Next to it were various hospital implements that were sat on a white clough that had been placed on the coffee table.
Nurse Flutterheart smiled kindly as she stepped forward. “We’ve spoken at length with your friends here,” she said. “The cast is a magical one and we’ll have no way of cutting it off without magic. Nopony at any of the hospitals is skilled enough to do that yet.”
“Which is where I come in,” Sunset grinned. “We’ve both studied Mage Meadowbrook’s book on these casts.”
“It’s really quite remarkable,” Nurse Flutterheart beamed. “There’s almost no need for any medical intervention. I’m primarily here to see how it works first hoof but also to give you some piece of mind.”
“W...Well, shouldn’t we go back to the Night Market for this?” Starlight asked worriedly. “I mean, that is where I had it put on.”
“Do you know when the Night Market opens again?” Sunset asked.
“Well, no,” Starlight frowned. “But are you sure you’re qualified for this?”
“All she will be doing is cutting off the cast,” Nurse Flutterheart explained. “I’ll carry out the examinations to make sure your leg is healed. However, as it’s a magical cast I think Sunset is far more qualified in that department than I am. I was told you had read the book yourself?”
“She has,” Sunny interjected. “Starlight, you said it was simple and we wouldn’t need to go anywhere.”
“Y…yeah it is,” Starlight responded. “And I know that using it will only cut the cast and not me. But that’s beside the point!”
“No, it’s exactly the point,” Sunset smiled reassuringly. “It’s a simple spell for a reason, so it’s hard to mess it up.”
Starlight let out a deep sigh, “Fine, I trust you, Sunset.”
“Don’t worry,” Sunset said reassuringly. “You’re in good hoofs. We’re going to follow the steps in the book exactly.”
“First things first, let’s get you onto the bed I borrowed from Maretime Bay General,” Nurse Flutterheart smiled. “Much better to have something comfortable for you to lay on.”
Sunset, Sunny, and Nurse Flutterheart all moved to help Starlight stand. However, she held up a hoof, “No, no, I’ve got it.”
Starlight's horn glowed and slowly she began to levitate herself out of the wheelchair. She glided over to the bed and sat down on it.
“W...Wow,” Nurse Flutterheart gasped.
“Yeah, that’s a Starlight special,” Sunset laughed.
Starlight sighed as she lay down and covered her eyes with her hoofs, “Could you make it quick, please? WAIT NO! Careful! Make it careful.”
Sunny couldn’t help giggling as she came over and took one of Starlight’s hoofs. “It’s all okay Starlight,” she reassured. “Like you said, you trust Sunset.”
Starlight couldn’t help smiling as she kept her eyes on Sunny whilst Sunset and Nurse Flutterheart made a start.
Removing the cast didn’t take long at all. Starlight couldn’t help feeling a little foolish having made such a fuss earlier.
Nurse Flutterheart smiled as she inspected the leg and carried out her normal checks.
“The joint mobility is almost like the cast has been off for a week already,” she beamed. “Oh, but you still need to take it carefully, Starlight.”
“According to the book, your leg muscles will still need time to recover,” Sunset smiled. “So, take it nice and slowly.”
“Since when did you become the medical professional?” Starlight smirked.
However, she still took Sunset’s advice as she carefully moved to the edge of the bed. Then, both Sunset and Sunny held her up as she carefully slid off the bed and onto her three good legs.
“Steady now,” Sunset smiled.
“I know, I know,” Starlight frowned as she started to feel a little frustrated. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it and no more.”
“Well, put your hoof down carefully, then slowly transfer some weight onto it,” Nurse Flutterheart instructed. “If there is any pain then tell us.”
Over the next few minutes, Starlight was as true to her word as she followed the instructions given to her. Before long, she was slowly and carefully walking around the room. Sunset and Sunny walked either side of her for support, allowing Nurse Flutterheart to study her leg's movement.
Starlight snorted with annoyance. Her leg’s movements felt awkward, her muscles shaky and uncooperative. After a few laps, she frowned and started to grunt with each step. “Okay, I’m feeling it a little now,” she confessed.
“Feeling it in what way?” Nurse Flutterheart asked. “Pain or something else?”
“Pain, just a little though,” Starlight admitted.
“Okay, let’s not overdo it then,” Nurse Flutterheart advised. “If anything, take a seat in the wheelchair and rest it for now.”
Starlight grunted and groaned as she was helped back into the wheelchair. She couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. “I’d hoped to be rid of this thing as well,” she admitted.
“Better to stop early then push it and set yourself back,” Nurse Flutterheart comforted.
“You’ve done really well, Starlight,” Sunny consoled. “I broke my leg once when I was a filly, and it took months to heal.”
“You’ve just got to take it carefully and build the strength slowly,” Sunset advised. “Here, this will help.”
Sunset angled her horn towards Starlight’s leg. It lit up and Sunset carefully ran it back and forth along the leg. After a few passes, Starlight sighed with relief as the spell took effect.
“That didn’t feel like your normal pain relief spell,” Starlight blinked.
“Nope, it’s a spell from the book especially for this treatment,” Sunset grinned. “It doesn't remove the pain directly, it treats the reason for the pain and that's why it disappears. I need to apply it regularly and it will speed up your recovery even more. Mage Meadowbrook really knew what she was talking about.”
“I keep forgetting that’s one of her books,” Starlight responded. “But it’s got to be later than our time. I don’t remember it at all.”
“Maybe she will get the idea to write it from us?” Sunset winked. “To develop spells like this must have meant she had help though.”
“That’s true,” Starlight frowned. “Kind of hard to develop a spell without a horn.”
“It’s just remarkable,” Nurse Flutterheart smiled. “Starlight, you may feel like you’ve not gotten anywhere, but you are so much further on than anypony I’ve seen before. This will revolutionise the way we treat broken limbs.”
“Kind of sounds strange given it's a book from the past that’s doing it,” Sunny laughed.
“I’ll give you a hand taking your equipment back to the Hospital, Nurse Flutterheart,” Sunset offered. “As a thank you for all your help.”
“Oh, yes please,” Nurse Flutterheart smiled. “Although, if you could spare a little more time this afternoon as well that would be marvellous. We’ve had a large number of books arrive from an expedition from Canterlot’s Library. We’re worried they’ve gotten out of order and want to start with the simplest whilst we all learn what magic can do to help us.”
“Sure, I can spare some time this afternoon,” Sunset grinned.
“Oh wonderful,” Nurse Flutterheart beamed. “The message from Queen Haven was most insistent we be careful, and we can only agree.”
“Sounds good,” Sunset smiled. “We’re both happy to help whilst we’re still here.”
“After we return to our time, we’ve been teaching Misty what to look out for in spellbooks,” Starlight explained. “The important thing is not to try anything you don’t understand.”
“Oh, I completely agree with that advice,” Nurse Flutterheart smiled.
With that, they all said their goodbyes before Sunset and Nurse Flutterheart headed towards the door with the hospital bed and equipment.