We’re led to the customary mineral bath that follows the mud treatment. The stallion from before is there already with his eyes closed. He peeks at us as we enter the bubbling water. I remember I left my glasses in the last room and panic a little.

My first idea is to tell Stitches, “I completely forgot my glasses.”

“Ok, tell somepony.” Easy for him to say. He must see the look on my face because he smirks. “Excuse me,” he waves down an attendant. When she steps over he gestures to me and says, “My friend left his glasses in the last room. Could we go get them?”

“Don’t you worry, I’ll go and get them.” She smiles politely.

As she’s turns to leave I have an idea. “Wait,” I insist. She turns back momentarily to listen. “If you could just leave them at the front desk, I’d appreciate it. I’ll get them after.”

She smiles again and nods slowly, bowing her head rather low. She turns again and leaves for good. Stitches bumps his elbow into me as he turns back toward the pool. I step in shortly after him and look at the stranger. I feel like I recognize him from somewhere, a place long before here, but shake the feeling quickly. I’m just confused; admiration for how he acted earlier, doubled with my lack of vision.

I lower myself into the hot water carefully and gasp at the tingling sensation throughout my body. I have to say, I enjoy this feeling much more than that of chills or goose bumps. The reaction my body has to the incredibly hot water as it caresses my sensitive flesh. Each of my body parts reacts in turn to the near-boiling heat, and I have to admit, when it got to my genitals was probably my favorite part. My scrotum reflexively shrinking away from the water, then relaxing to an overly extended sag in the heat. I clench a couple of times and sigh, relaxing my pucker as it takes its turn entering the water.

I take my seat and the water wavers onto my chest. I take another look at the stranger and take notes on his position. He’s reclined very far, mostly floating with his chin just above the surface. His eyes are closed, fully immersed in leisure. I try to look at his body, but with my lack of glasses and the bubbly unevenness of the water it’s impossible. He did take the towel off his head and his hair is rather short. I think it looks like a flat-top, almost military style cut. It looks good, I think. Though it makes me wonder what he’s doing in a place like this? Oh well, to each his own.

I take the towel off my head and toss it aside. I feel a little bad for just leaving it lying around, and glance toward it apologetically. I see a worker collect it using magic. He has a basket following him, full of used towels. I want to apologize, or thank him. All I do is whimper.

When I turn back to the bath, the strange stallion is leaving. I think it strange that his treatment is so unevenly timed in comparison to mine. Ours. I look over to my friends. Stitches has his front hooves resting outside the edge of the pool, eyes closed. Patches is running her hooves through her hair. She takes a dip below the water level and comes up quickly, shaking her head sporadically. I turn back, the stallion nowhere to be seen. I close my eyes, still weary. I wipe a hoof over my face, then rub the salty water into my cheeks. I feel actually quite dry, so I decide to take a dive as well. Maybe it’ll be good for my hair, too?

When I resurface my face is stinging. I shake off quickly and rub at it. The mixture of minerals and heat feeling like it’s singeing the fur off my face. I mistakenly open my eyes and the water drips from my brow right inside. Off my body, it doesn’t feel so hot, but the saltiness is not comfortable.

“Done already?” Patches asks as I lift myself out of the water.

“Yeah,” I mumble. “The water’s starting to bother my eyes.” A filly shows me to a rack of fresh towels. I take one and dry off, then leave it draped over my neck. “I’ll see you guys in the sauna.” I wonder if the others are there.

I walk through the hallways, following signs pointing to the steam-room. I walk past the locker rooms and see for a brief instant the apricot-colored coat of the stranger from before, walking away through the doorway. A part of me wants to turn and talk to him, thank him for being so friendly. Where would the conversation lead, though? What if it got awkward and he only wanted to gather his things and go home? I didn’t want to be some random pony stopping him to chat in the locker room and force him into an awkward situation because I might have feelings for him. And who said I have feelings for him? I’m just grateful that he defended me for no apparent reason and let me get back to relaxing. And that’s all I want to do now, relax.

I’m far past the locker rooms now, almost to the waiting room, then the sauna. An attendant asks me if I’d prefer a fresh towel before entering and I accept. She takes my damp one and smiles as she hoofs me a clean, dry one. I smile back and drape it around my neck. She holds the door open to the communal steam room and I walk in. We agreed to always use the communal steam room because we’re all allowed in together, naturally. It just seemed like a better idea than each going to the gender-assigned rooms. We preferred each other’s company and didn’t care much for our own privacy. I’m sure, if we felt self-conscious around strangers we could cover ourselves with towels, but I’m never self-conscious with Pearl around. Additionally, the communal one was a lot bigger.

She and Noh are waiting silently inside. “Hey guys,” I call out. I silently note how empty it is besides us. I wonder if there are more ponies in the separate rooms.

They look my way and smile. Noh’s in a similar position to that of Stitches’ in the mineral bath, with his hooves resting on a higher ledge behind him. Pearl was actually lying down on her front, one hoof under her head for support, the other dangling off the bench. She has bright pink streaks in her mane, which I kind of like. It looks like cotton candy. I take a seat beside her as she asks, “How was your mud bath?”

“It was great,” I say. “I loved the feeling of floating in space. It was incredibly surreal.” I wanted to explain every moment of the experience in the same way I had during. Obviously I didn’t.

“How did you feel afterward?” She asks.

I hadn’t thought nearly as much about that. “A little crusty. Like, it was kinda sticking in my coat. Still I enjoyed it a lot. The hot tub afterward was a little too much for me though.”

“Hot tub?” Noh lifts an eyebrow.

I shrug, “She called it a mineral bath.” I don’t actually remember anypony calling it that in front of me, but somehow I remember that that’s what it is. “It’s mostly just to rinse off the mud, I think. It just bothered my eyes, though.”

“Well that’s too bad.” He straightens his back and looks at me. “At least you’re still enjoying yourself, right?”

As he repositions I notice the towel across his waist. I don’t react, though. “Absolutely. I think I might do a little research on aromatherapy, see if I can’t get some other oils for some other results next time.”

“Sounds good,” he says. Then he takes a deep breath through his nose.

My mind goes back to before, what I was coerced into bringing up in the mud bath. “Hey, Noh?”

“Mhm?” I notice his mane suddenly. It’s modern, shorter near the back, but longer in the front. In this damp state it sticks limply to his forehead.

I take a deep breath and focus, “Did you have a plan for work tonight?”

His calm smile fades and I start panicking. My breathing goes from deep to hasty at a barely noticeable incline before I can contain it. He must notice because he offers another smile. “Don’t worry about it,” he says. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Right,” I sigh, trying to control my breathing.

“Deep breaths,” Pearl reminds me, like I wasn’t already trying. She lifts a ladle from the bucket of water in the middle of the room and pours the liquid over the red coals in the basin there. Basin? Anyway, she poured the water slowly, and steam hissed upward, all while she spoke to me quietly, “Focus on your heartbeat.” She’s got a painfully relaxed grin on her face, like an evil villain that’s successfully brainwashing an important protagonist. “It should go faster when you inhale—“ I inhale slowly, it doesn’t speed up, “—and slower when you exhale.” I exhale, it doesn’t slow down. “Close your eyes.” I do, still breathing deeply through my nose. “Now when you breathe out, imagine your blowing up a balloon. Make that shape with your lips.” I do and the breath come out so much slower. They’re both silent while I blow up my imaginary balloon. I repeat this step two times before Pearl comes back in. “Now, what were you worried about?”

As if I’d forget that easily. “Work tonight.”

“Ok, and what’s the solution?”

What does she mean by that? The solution is either that we’ll be going to work, or— “Noh will take care of it…”

“That’s right. He’s happy with this solution, you should be too.”

I can’t help but think it’s a farce. He’s only pretending to be happy so I stop worrying. I’m no more special than him, I don’t deserve to be more relaxed.

“Today’s your day,” Pearl reminds me. “You ought to remember that you’re allowed to be a little selfish sometimes. Let others take care of you.” There’s no way I could do that. But why not? They were all willing to give me these freedoms for the sake of my mental health. What could I offer in return? What did they do to deserve a life of serving me?

I open my eyes slowly. Noh’s still smiling, I think. It’s kind of hard to tell through the steam, plus my uncovered eyes are steaming up themselves. I don’t think I’m going to cry, but my eyes are acting like they are, despite my feelings. A tear streaks down my cheek.

Pearl takes a corner of my towel and wipes at it. I laugh once, a quick little burst. Wiping my face seems a little pointless, but I appreciate the sentiment. Then my lip quivers uncontrollably. My eyes squint and more tears well up. I take a shaky breath, suddenly angry at myself for crying. I know I don’t mind crying, most of the time I wish I would. But now there didn’t seem to be a reason for it and I only felt like I was forcing myself, to make myself feel better. I didn’t want to stop, but at the same time I didn’t want to keep going. What did they think of me? I shouldn’t be crying over this. I should be happy! I was given a whole day with friends and lots of time to be happy. It wasn’t just to help cover up a layer of depression. Was it?

I sob, and Pearl pulls me in. I weep into her chest like Noh’s sister before. I enjoy the soft comfort, but now all I can think of is him. I don’t want to ask for him though. What kind of friend would I be…?

I feel his hoof on my shoulder. It wraps around me and pulls me into him. He must be standing… What does it matter? I turn and bury my face in his chest and cry out loud. It isn’t like before, when I was crying out of fear at the theater. I don’t know why I’m crying now. Part of me wants it to stop. Another part absolutely refuses. The rest of me just doesn’t know how.

Noh steps closer and slowly strokes my back. Why the hell am I crying? I have everything I need right now, and even if I won’t have it forever I have it now and being happy now shouldn’t make me cry right now. This behavior is entirely deplorable. What kind of friend am I?

I hear the door open and think Patches and Stitches have finally caught up, but nobody enters. I hear some small movements from Pearl, then the door closes again. I assemble the idea that a worker heard me cry and came to check if everything was all right. Pearl stopped her (or him) and waved them away so as not to interrupt my moment. I had so much to thank her for. Almost too much. Her and Noh both. Well, all of them really.

Eventually, I notice I’m not crying anymore, so I smile and sniff. “Thank you,” I whisper. Noh just keeps petting me, moving his hoof up to my mane. My towel’s missing.

I turn my head sideways, pressing my ear into his chest. I notice the position I’m in isn’t very comfortable and squirm a little. He strokes my mane again then leans in, “Want me to sit down?”

“Mmhmm…”

He lets go for a second to settle down on the bench beside me. I lean against him like one weak pillar against a strong one. I can’t help but wish he could be mine, again. I sigh, but remind myself that I’ll most likely always have this. At least until I do find somepony just for me. Noh was a great friend, and he could be that for everypony. If I had him all to myself, what kind of pony would that make me?

I smile at myself, finding it funny that I would actually keep him to myself all the time. He wraps a hoof around me and I sniff one more time. “There there,” he sings. I laugh again.

The door opens and Patches and Stitches walk in at last. Patches first, “Woah, what’d we miss?”

I sigh and Pearl answers, “Nothing really.” It was her polite way of saying “don’t ask.” They don’t, which I am grateful for.

“Like the new ‘do,” Stitches comments.

“Thanks,” Noh replies. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted it any shorter, but I’ll probably keep this combed up, or back, most of the time.”

I try to imagine him pulling off a short little pompadour. The thought makes me laugh again. They must think strangely of me, letting out all these little breaths of laughter for no apparent reason.

“What’s so funny?”

I was hoping he wouldn’t ask. I was enjoying having my own little jokes. Then again, I like that he’s trying to ease me back to reality. “I was just thinking of you with a pompadour.” No sense in lying.

“What’s wrong with a pompadour?” He asks, defensively.

“Nothing,” I insist. “Just pretty drastic after you last style.”

He hums in thought, rubbing my shoulder with his hoof all the while. Is this what boyfriends do? “I guess you’re right. I probably couldn’t pull it off anyway.”

“And what would the director say?” I ask, jokingly.

He’s silent for a moment, and I fear I may have started something. A memory comes back from high school when I had the idea to shave my head nearly bald for a part. The director was very upset for not talking the idea through with her first. Then I was stuck with the embarrassment of school life with no mane. I’m down again, because he’s probably going to get in trouble for getting a haircut. Just like I did.

He rubs my shoulder again, taking it slow and stroking halfway down my bicep. “I’m sure he’d like a pompadour.” He’s talking about Curtain Call. I think about bringing up how he might actually react to the change, but decide otherwise. Noh’s clearly trying to avoid the disastrous topic.

We’re silent after that, and it remains that way for a few minutes. I take in the dense heat and moisture of the air, permeating my layers and loosening my muscles. I breathe slowly and listen to my own heart hasten and slow in sync with my lungs. Then I listen to Noh breathe deeply. My head is in a slightly awkward position below his neck, but I don’t care, it’s comfortable. I end up synchronizing his breaths with my own.

The next word comes from Patches, “So…” Noh moves to look at her. She’s sitting directly in the corner a few feet away. “You sure you guys aren’t an item?”

Noh clears his throat defensively, and Pearl’s making some kind of harsh movement with her hoof. I think it’s the “cut it out” signal, with quick swipes across her neck symbolizing the need to kill this conversation immediately. I feel like it’s all for my sake, but I don’t mind the question at all. If Noh finds it uncomfortable, though. “What makes you say that?” He doesn’t sound offended.

“Oh, nothing…” She sounds embarrassed, like she gets that she shouldn’t have brought it up. “I just think you two look cute together.”

I smile at the thought and nuzzle a little closer. Then the hoof on my shoulder leaves. “That’s nice of you to say,” Noh responds, “but we’re just good friends.”

I read his body language and sit up straight. He doesn’t want ponies thinking he’s gay. Thanks Patches.

He looks at me, but his eyes keep darting away. Is he actually afraid of interacting with me now? Thanks a lot, Patches!

“I’m sorry,” she sighs. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I… I was obviously out of turn asking. I was trying to tease you…”

I sigh, too. “It’s all right.”

She’s torn apart, shaking her head harshly, “I don’t think so. I saw something wrong had happened, something bad. I felt tense and reacted by making a joke at your expense.” I’ve never seen her act like this. “I should have just been quiet.”

I’m quiet for a few seconds. We all are. I have to make this right. I get up from my seat and step over to her. I have no idea what to say, at first. It all comes to me pretty quickly though. I have to play around it the same way she would. Which might be challenging, but manageable. “You’re right,” I begin, almost rudely. “You were out of place. But,” I change my tone drastically from uptight to adolescent, “no matter what, he won’t be the one putting the penis inside him.”

Her face contorts, like she doesn’t get it at first. Then it lightens up and she tries desperately to hold it in. She fails and lets out a storm of laughter. Everyone chimes in, mostly just laughing at her boisterous laughter. I smile knowingly. I didn’t think I had it in me, but I pulled it off. I somehow managed to lift her up again, back where she belongs as the center of attention. I hated her for it, but what kind of friend would I be if I let her fall from that stage?