The sun hung high in the air, casting its glow across the city of Ponyville. A few clouds still lingered above, but they were quickly being moved aside by a rapid blue blur, in between her athletic loops and dives. Far below, a small brown pegasus cheered the blur on. All in all, it was a beautiful morning, the kind where ponies woke up, looked outside, and promptly said 'Buck it, I'm calling in sick and going to the park' before cuddling back into bed. Mere minutes before jumping out of bed, rushing to clean up, get dressed (if they did), choke down a quick breakfast and gallop off to work.

Fortunately for Lotus Blossom, she was lucky enough to have a job she deeply adored, so getting up early had rarely been a hassle. The blue earth pony had a small mug of mint tea in front of her and was going over the days appointments. An open window allowed the mornings gentle breeze to bring the scent of fresh daisies, newly planted in preparation for the beginning of spring. The soft chirps of the birds brought a smile to her face.

From the back room she could hear some gentle groans of heavenly bliss, signs that her twin was tending to their one early morning guest. Some stallion from out of town, hoping to get a fresh start on his day. Lotus took a gentle sip of her tea, closing her eyes and delighting in the taste. She then placed the cup down and gingerly flipped the page. There were few appointments until noon, but they had plenty of walk ins so there wasn't too much worry of them sitting idle.

What did cause her to crease her brow was the appointment set for this evening. Rarity plus one. She glanced to the calender, which was heavily marked with a number of different names and events. It was near the end of the week and, since Rarity and her friend Fluttershy had already been here earlier in the week, there was little chance of the timid yellow pegasus returning. Lotus was frankly amazed the shy mare worked up the courage to come into town at all, the poor dear. The calender showed there was another celebration in Canterlot, meaning the newest princess, Twilight Sparkle, couldn't be the guest. Not that she couldn't imagine the poor alicorn needing a proper rest by now. That left three more.

Lotus couldn't imagine anything short of a herd of rampaging Buffalo bringing Rainbow Dash here, the towns resident dare devil and technically head weather mare. Not to mention she caught sights of the pegasus clearing the sky, and if she was up this early chances are she'd be enjoying one of her legendary naps in the evening. That left two likely culprits, and the fact it was the end of the week, meaning the perfect time to throw a party, meant odds leaned heavily in favor of one.

The door to the back room suddenly slammed open as a heavily blushing blue stallion unicorn practically toppled out. He still had a towel tied around his waist, though he struggled to keep it from wrapping around his legs. He galloped, as best he could, through the lobby and towards the door, toppling over one of their chairs in the process.

“Ahhhh, sir?” Lotus said, her voice thick with her Prence accent. “Your tab?”

“Huh? Oh! Right, ummm, here!” He practically flung the bits at her.

“Sir, this is simply far too mu--”

“Keep the change!” he said with an embarrassed squeak before giving up on his towel and galloping out the door.

A gentle chuckle came from the other room as her twin, Aloe, stepped out. “What did you do?” Lotus asked as she began counting the bits.

“Do? I did nothing but tell the truth!” Aloe said in a mock hurt tone, wielding an accent as thick as hers. “He merely made a few.... suggestive flirtatious remarks and I happened to inform him of a few things.”

“These things being?”

“Merely that we already share a bed, and you always sleep on top.” Aloe ducked just in time to avoid a hurled loofah.

“And I assume you failed to inform him of the bunk beds, no?” Lotus asked with exaggerated rage, though she couldn't work up the energy to be too mad. It wasn't the first time Aloe had performed such a prank on guests who got a bit too... flirtatious.

“Why, he left in such a hurry I didn't have the chance! I do hope I didn't startle the dear,” Aloe said with the softest giggle. “He did seem quite happy though when he left. Well, he was smiling.”

Lotus rolled her eyes. “I can't believe I ever allowed you to convince me to buy such things.”

“They save such space!” Aloe defended. The earth pony moved over and gently placed his chin on the counter, looking up with sad eyes. “You... you are not mad at me, are you? It was merely a harmless prank.”

Lotus glared for a few moments before letting out a soft sigh. “No. You brat. I trust he will be back later to collect whatever he accidentally left behind. We can all share a good laugh then.”

“Yay! I'll go freshen up, don't miss me for too long,” Aloe said before trotting off. Lotus watched her twin leave with a slight shake of her head. While the two were almost perfectly identical physically, despite their flipped genders and colorations, mentally they were quite different. Aside from their care for each other, their love of the spa and their thick accents, she doubted any pony would notice a mental resemblance. After all, her own pranks were much, much more clever.

She then glanced down at the schedule for today. A wicked grin formed on her lips. “Oh, Aloe dear? Have you had a chance to look over today's schedule?”

“No, I had to tend to Mister Cobblehorn. Why?”

“Oh, nothing. It seems Miss Applejack will be returning for--” She heard the sound of her dear brother missing a step on the stairs.

“I-I'm okay! Err, that's wonderful news! I guess! Not that I'd care, I ummm, I'm going to go freshen up! Bye!” Despite Aloe's attempts to hide it, Lotus picked up the stress in the stallion's voice instantly. Not only because of the sudden bout of clumsiness, or even the awkward stutter. Mostly it was because he had said the words in Prence, rather than Equestrian.

------

Aloe darted into their room in a happy trot. A corner of the rather spacious room, the one farthest from the door, held their large bunk bed. One blue bed for him, under a pink bed for his sister. Aside from that there was a small closet that held their respective clothing, though aside from their headbands and collars for work they rarely wore anything. A rather large bookshelf took up the rest of the wall their bed didn't, one book laying bookmarked on the ground, the newest romance from Hugh N Kish. The window to the room was open, allowing the slightly damp air blow against him and ruffle his mane.

However, his target was the large double vanity desk that dominated the room opposite their bed. Stacked high with a plethora of products they used in their own spa (after all, how could they dare to use such things on their treasured guests if they weren't willing to use them themselves?) as well as everything they needed, or desired, to properly adjust themselves each morning.

He looked into the mirror and took a long stare, before adjusting his eyelashes. He took an almost unique pride in his appearance. He had been gifted with a much more feminine physique than most stallions, even lacking the rough ended snout of his born gender. However, while most would have fought and tried to make themselves more masculine, he embraced his femininity with a fervor. It didn't hurt that his coat was naturally pink, causing many ponies to never even take a second glance.

He was also unsure of how some their patrons would feel to find he actually wasn't what he seemed. While the young stallion tried never to take advantage of their trust, he also never wished to cause any of their precious guests any discomfort, and he knew how such realizations could affect some ponies. Only a few ponies even knew of his true gender, Rarity and her friends were some of the precious few he trusted. Though not necessarily by choice.

To his annoyance, the designer had noticed immediately the first time they met, though she had been quite kind about it. And, while the unicorn had told her friends as well(Only with Aloe's permission and her promises they would not reveal), he had found they were as trust worthy as their legendary reputations described. Also, seeing Rainbow Dash's mouth hit the floor had been quite amusing.

Such thoughts invariably lead the young stallion to the image of a particular mare. A soft sigh escaped his mouth as he remembered the first time they'd met.

It had been near the start of winter. The first snow was coming in so there was almost no work for the farmers to do, or so he'd thought. The spa had been busy that day, with all manner of ponies trying to cheer up after the heavy rains they'd been having and trying to get their final chance at relaxation before the snow and new forms of work came.

They had a full staff and even fuller spa, so he almost told the two mud covered individuals that they were booked up. Until he realized one was Rarity. The shriek he let out had made his sister come running from the back, only to join in when they saw how filthy the normally pristine unicorn was.

Her comrade, Applejack, had been unamused at the drama. Apparently in return for agreeing to the spa trip, Rarity had agreed to help with some chores around the farm. Minor chores. Unfortunately, the foul weather made even the lightest of chores in such places a mess. Once the horror wore off, Aloe didn't hesitated, with barely a wasted second he dragged the two into the nearest bath and began the treatment the two so rightfully deserved.

Unfortunately, the rest of the spa's pleasures were a bit more difficult to give. Applejack was in dreadful need of a proper hooficure, and her muscles were so tense and overworked she was like a rubber band waiting to snap. Fortunately, with Rarity there to hold her hoof, the farm pony soon relented and allowed him to tend to her.

To help relax her, the two had spent quite a bit of time talking. She really was a fascinating mare. She had spent the last few weeks alone working from dawn til dusk ensuring every thing on the farm was ready for the coming winter. Not only that, Rarity was more than happy to mention all the kind help she had offered her friends, even during such exhausting works. Preparations for the coming Hearths Warming Eve, gift making with her little sister, not to mention always ensuring her friends knew they had her ear if they ever needed help.

Applejack had been adorable, shaking her head and blushing, insisting she only did what any pony would do, that she wasn't anything special. Once everything was finished he was quite pleased to find she had enjoyed herself, to an extent. She even said she might come in again when she had time. Even at the end when Rarity told her that he was a he(Something he'd thought he told her sooner), she hadn't treated him differently. Told him she didn't care if he was a mare, a stallion or a griffon, so long as he could give back massages like that.

Aloe felt a little shamed as he could almost still feel her muscles under his hoof. He was normally more professional, taking extra care not to notice his guests in any manner more than he was required. Aside from the occasional little tease to guests that got on his nerves, usually casanovas who tried to less than subtly hint at a menage a trois with him and his sister(Apparently most ponies thought they were oh so clever because of their Prench descent), he never tried to do anything to make a guest uncomfortable.

He didn't understand what it was about her. He'd certainly given spa treatment to mares, and some stallions, who were far more beautiful and pretty than the mare, but somehow she was the one he could never fully focus on just as a guest. In fact, the last time she had come, with the rest of her friends, he'd had to hide in his room out of fear that he could do something to make them uncomfortable. But today was going to be different! He was going to be focused, professional, no matter how her well toned muscles melted under his hooves.

He let out a little eek when he realized he'd been staring at the mirror for far longer than he should have. A second eek followed when he realized his sister was in the doorway, watching him with a knowing smirk.

“Enjoying the view?” Lotus asked before chuckling.

“M-maybe. Just... just thinking about some things. Maybe we should add more kiwi scented products to our line-up,” Aloe said quickly, though he was unable to look her in the eye.

“Oh? You were thinking of the spa's scented products? So intensely, in fact, I thought you might break the glass? Not, in fact, a certain orange mare able to topple over trees with a single buck?”

His face burned bright red before he quickly trotted past her. “I-I have no idea what you could possibly mean.”

“Oh, merely a young farm worker, bucks apples for a living, able to--”

“Perhaps one with a thick, powerful voice that you play regularly in the rooms? How does it go? 'Trot outside and I see the sunshine, something's in the air today',” Aloe countered in a gentle song.

“What? It, no! He has the voice of an angel and don't you bring him into this!” Lotus yelled, her own cheeks turning bright red as she galloped after the stallion.

He took off with a chuckle, galloping down the stairs. “Maybe I should go put that on the speakers now! See how many guests we can make swoon before we even begin the massages?” He tried burying his thoughts, surely there would be no problems this time. He had almost an entire day to prepare before seeing her again.

Author's Notes:

I don't know why, but I really wanted to write a rule 63 Aloe story and take another dip in the romance story section. Hope you all enjoy.