While there were a relative handful of people who could honesty say that they knew Rarity as a person, anyone who spent more than a few moments with her could probably get a pretty good feel for what she was like. Elegant, refined, the kind of girl who strived for the fancier things in life. The kind of high class and “fabulousness” that only a few could really achieve without having any actual royalty in their blood. As such, finding her in a place like the local spa of Canterlot would not have surprised anyone in the slightest, especially her friends. A place dedicated to rest, relaxation and pampering would have outright called to a girl like Rarity like a flame to a moth. So it was that she now stood there, in the changing room of that place, having already changed out of her normal attire and into nothing more than a towel the same shade as her hair, which was currently wrapped snuggly around her body.

“Indigo, darling, you really must come out now. You’ve been in there for an age.”

Looking at the doors of one of the nearby booths, Rarity’s expression was one of disapproval as nothing but silence came in response from the other side. Frowning, she folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, staying perfectly still as she waited for an answer. After a long while, she got it, albeit one with a nervous tint to it.

“It’s just…ugh! This is all so…so…so girly!”

Hearing that, Rarity rolled her eyes.

“Indigo, you’ve already agreed to this. Now come on out! You know you can’t stay in there forever.”

Yet again, a silence fell between the two, leading to yet another disapproving glare from the young fashionista. However, this time, the silence did not last as long, as the door of the booth finally creaked open, leading to Rarity putting on a small smile. She stayed there, watching as her companion finally emerged from the place. Indigo Zap, one of the best athletes of Crystal Prep Academy, and, for today, her spa companion. Like Rarity, the girl was dressed in nothing more than a towel, except that this one was the same dark-blue colour as Indigo’s hair. However, unlike Rarity, she did not have a very happy look on her face.

“Argh! Why did I agree to do this again?”

Rarity stifled a small giggle before giving an answer.

“I believe you lost a bet with Rainbow over who could drink five ice-cold milkshakes the fastest. And…well…I believe she won.”

Indigo narrowed her eyes at that.

“Yeah…nearly spit her head apart with brain freeze. Although…I honestly don’t know which of us came out worse with that.”

Rarity rolled her eyes and grabbed onto Indigo’s arm, gently pulling her along as they made their way towards the main area of the spa.

“Now Indigo, you really mustn’t be like that. I assure you, I come here all the time and not once have I ever had anything to complain about.”

As the two of them finally entered the main area of the building, where several other customers were being treated by attendants like Aloe and Lotus, Indigo looked to her with an incredulous expression.

“Yeah, sure, you don’t have anything to complain about! Me? I can’t stand places like this! Just sitting around while people…ugh…touch you?”

Rarity looked to her with slight bemusement at that.

“Oh hush! It’s not that bad. Who knows? You may even come to love coming to places like this.”

At that, Indigo let out a dry laugh.

“Ha! Yeah, good luck with that.”

Brushing some of her hair aside, Rarity turned from her less-than-enthusiastic companion, and instead to Lotus, who had finished working on another client and was now free. Seeing one of her regulars, Lotus put on a smile and silently invited both Rarity and Indigo to walk over, though the latter wasn’t exactly comfortable doing so. Once there, the two girls sat on their respective deck-chairs, watching as Lotus walked off to prepare herself for a new session. In the absence of the attendant, Indigo looked around, seeming both bored and nervous about it all.

“You love all this stuff, don’t you, Rares?”

Rarity turned to her with a massive smile.

“Of course I do! A place like this makes you feel like you’re the only thing that matters! Everyone who works here does their best to make you so relaxed you’ll practically fall asleep!”

Indigo rolled her eyes at that.

“Sounds dull.”

Rarity opened her mouth to speak, only to be stopped when another voice entered the fray.

“You sound like my sister when she first came here.”

Although both had been taken aback by this new voice, they both turned in unison to see who had spoken. There, walking towards them, was a girl who looked about their age with the biggest quantity of orange hair that Indigo had ever seen in her life. Although her first instinct would have been to give some kind of comeback, Indigo was prevented from doing so when Rarity jumped up from her chair with a look of delight upon her face.

“Adagio?! My goodness, darling! I had no idea that you were a client here!”

Having reached the two girls, Adagio placed a hand upon her hip and chuckled slightly.

“Good to see you too, Rarity dear. Although…I’m not exactly a client.”

Rarity, at first, seemed confused by that, but slowly, she began to notice that Adagio was clad not in her usual attire, but rather a white uniform, not unlike the one Lotus had been wearing mere moments ago. Seeing this, it only took a few seconds for the young fashionista to put the pieces together in her mind, leading to her looking up at Adagio with shock.

“Oh my! You’re working here now?”

Adagio nodded at that.

“Indeed I am. Turns out I have some talent in…shall we say…making people comfortable.”

Rarity considered that, nodding as she began to understand that her friend had a point. However, she was soon prevented from enquiring further when the sound of someone clearing their throat caught her attention. Turning, she saw Indigo, having folded her arms and crossed her legs with a look of slight annoyance upon her face.

“So…am I gonna be left in the dark here, or…?”

Realising that she’d forgotten her, Rarity adopted a somewhat apologetic look.

“Oh! Yes! How rude of me! Indigo, this is Adagio, an old friend of mine and the others. Adagio, this is Indigo.”

Stepping forward, the elder Siren stretched out a hand, smirking slightly.

“Charmed, I’m sure.”

Indigo looked from her face, to the hand and then back again, before finally grasping it, giving a brief shake while maintaining a somewhat sceptical look.

“Are you sure you’re good at making people comfortable? Because, no offense, but I’m getting some bad vibes from you right now.”

However, rather than be offended, Adagio merely let out a brief laugh, which, for some reason, sent a shiver down Indigo’s spine.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, I have that effect on a lot of people.”

Naturally, this did not make Indigo feel at ease in the slightest, and she looked to Rarity, her expression one of almost pleading for help. Rarity, however, merely giggled at this and gave her a silent reassuring look, as if to say that everything would be fine. Although still uncomfortable, Indigo elected to just go along with it, watching as Adagio turned to Rarity.

“So, I assume it’s your famous usual this time, Rarity?”

Rarity nodded at that, leaning back into her chair a little.

“Naturally, darling. Although…”

She turned to Indigo, wearing a slightly sly smile as she did so.

“…perhaps it might be better if my friend here were to receive your services today?”

Immediately, Indigo’s head snapped in her direction, her eyes widened with shock.

“What?!”

Adagio chuckled slightly, taking a step forward and placing a reassuring hand upon Indigo’s bare shoulder.

“Now now, girl. There’s no need to worry. I assure you I am very good at this sort of thing.”

Indigo turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah…you being good isn’t exactly what I’m worried about. This just feels…kinda wrong to me.”

Adagio’s smile faded a little as she heard that, looking away to Rarity, who merely shrugged her shoulders in response. After a while, Adagio turned back to the Crystal Prep girl, letting out a sigh as she stepped back from her.

“Very well. If that’s the way you want it, then I won’t force you.”

As one might expect, Indigo was quite taken aback by that.

“R…really?”

Adagio nodded.

“I mean what I say, Indigo dear. If you’re so adamant that I not be your attendant today, I’m sure I can find one of my co-workers to fill the role.”

She looked away briefly, looking as if she was thinking hard on the matter, only to gain, to Indigo’s chagrin, a smile not dissimilar to what Rarity had worn not so long ago.

“In fact…I do believe Bulk is coming off his lunch break by now.”

Indigo looked to Rarity with confusion in her expression, but saw that the latter was hiding her obviously-smirking face away from her. Instead, Indigo tried to wrack her brain after having heard that name, only to have her eyes snap open as she looked up to Adagio once more.

“Wait…Bulk?! You mean that beefy guy from CHS?!”

Adagio watched as Indigo seemed quite distressed by this, which, as anyone who knew her would guess, merely led to her seeming all the more sure of herself.

“Oh indeed. I can promise you he is most professional about this sort of thing. In fact, the reports I get from the other clients is superb. The way he massages you from your neck all the way down your your…well…posterior. It really is quite something.”

Immediately, Indigo clutched onto her towel, holding it tight to her body as though the boy in question was right there already. After wrestling with this in her mind for some time, she let her shoulders slump a little as she sighed in defeat.

“Alright! You win! You can do all that…all that stupid spa stuff on me.”

Adagio and Rarity both smiled at that, with the latter, clapping her hands together with delight as she squealed happily.

“Oooh! What a wonderful decision, darling! After you’re through here, you’ll be begging to come back every week at least!”

Indigo scoffed at that.

“Don’t hold your breath.”

But, as Rarity looked away and instead began to look at some nearby magazines, Adagio moved closer, looking Indigo over a little before leaning close.

“Oh…I promise you, Miss Indigo. You will enjoy this.”

Indigo turned to her with slight worry, but remained silent as Adagio continued.

“Why…by the time I’m finished working my magic on you…you’ll be screaming my name for hours.”

Naturally, Indigo’s eyes shrank to pinpoints upon hearing this, and her face went as white as a sheet as she spoke, albeit in a hushed and almost whisper-like voice.

“I…I need an adult.”

But, rather than say anything in response, Adagio remained silent, leading to Indigo looking to her with confusion.

“Um…aren’t you…aren’t you going to say…?”

“No. I’m not. That joke’s been done to death.”