The trip to the spa had been a short one, since it was located in Town Square and so was only minutes away from the boutique.

As soon as we arrived, Rarity opened the door for us with her magic and we made our way inside. Right away, my senses were filled with the soothing scent of soaps and oils, and other delicate fragrances.

The lobby of the day spa was small and simple, yet very comfortable. Several large house plants in finely crafted vases decorated the room, giving it an earthy feel. The only other objects in the room were a few decorative bottles, some green sofas, and lastly a reception booth, which was located directly parallel to the door. Behind the counter stood a cyan earth pony with a pink mane, held back by a white headband.

“Good afternoon, Lotus,” Rarity greeted her, trotting up to the counter. “The usual, please, plus one.”

I let out a slow sigh at the sight of Rarity magically placing a pouch full of bits on the counter. Once again, she was spending her bits on me... As much as I wanted to protest, I knew that it would be a futile gesture, so I simply accepted it for what it was.

The mare named Lotus looked up from the clipboard she had been reviewing and spoke with a heavy foreign accent. “Ah, Miss Rarity, Miss Fluttershy, and...?” Her eyes widened when they fell upon me. “This must be the mare you were telling us about!”

She came out of the small booth and trotted up to me.

“Oh my...” she said softly, looking me over. “Your mane and coat are simply beautiful.” She turned back and yelled out to an archway next to the reception booth, “Aloe! You must come see this!”

A few moments later, a second mare entered the room. Her physical appearance mirrored Lotus’s perfectly, except her coat and mane colors were reversed. While I was curiously examining her, I got a glimpse at her cutie mark: a white lotus flower. I noticed that Lotus’s cutie mark was the same, the only difference being that the colors bordering the flower were, once again, reversed.

I paused for a moment, looking back and forth between the two mares.

Are these two... twins?

Aloe covered a small gasp as she walked up to me. “Oh my...” she said in similar fashion to her sister. “Why, this must be her!” She looked to Lotus, who gave her a nod and a smile in response.

“Miss Prism, yes?” Lotus asked. “Welcome to the Ponyville Day Spa. It is lovely meeting you! I am Lotus, and this is my twin sister, Aloe.” She gestured a hoof to the other spa mare.

I knew it. They looked way too much alike to be anything other than twins.

“It’s, um, nice to meet you,” I replied softly.

Aloe turned to Rarity and gestured a hoof at the three of us. “If you ladies wouldn’t mind waiting a few minutes,” she said with a wink, ”we will get everything prepped for your visit.” She shared a giggle with her sister, who pointed us to the green sofas in the center of the room.

“Please make yourselves comfortable, we will let you know when we are ready.”

“Much appreciated, darlings,” Rarity replied, with a wink of her own, before trotting over to one of the sofas and taking a seat.

Fluttershy and I each did the same, taking a seat together on a sofa adjacent to Rarity’s. Once we were seated, the twin proprietors took their leave.

I adjusted myself in my irresistibly cushy seat and looked over to Rarity. “This place is very nice,” I said, ”it’s so peaceful and relaxing.”

“Isn’t it? Fluttershy and I come here every weekend for our little get-togethers,” she replied, looking to the pegasus next to me. ”Isn’t that right, Fluttershy? Why, I don’t think we could ever do without, at this point!”

“Oh, yes, I just love coming here. It’s a wonderful way to relieve stress,” Fluttershy agreed with a smile.

We passed the next few minutes with idle chit-chat, but the more the time went by, the more impatient Rarity seemed to get. Before long she was tapping a forehoof on the armrest and constantly glancing to the clock on the wall.

“Are you okay Rarity?” I asked with mild concern. ”You seem a little on edge; is something wrong?” Following her eyes to the clock, I ventured a guess. ”Does it normally never take this long?”

Rarity quick shook her head. “No, that’s not it darling, I’m just—”

Before she could finish her sentence, however, the door of the spa flew open, revealing, much to my surprise, a heavily winded Rainbow Dash. She was just about the last pony I expected to see coming through that door.

“Rarity!” she panted. “I’ve been, uh, looking all over for you!” She threw her forelegs into the air somewhat dramatically.

Rarity raised an eyebrow and smiled at her, looking almost relieved. “Oh? For me? Well, what do you need, dear?”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but then suddenly hesitated. Biting her lower lip, she nervously glanced between me and Fluttershy a few times, before letting out an exasperated sigh. “I need a dress,” she deadpanned, without any enthusiasm in her voice whatsoever. “I, uh, have this, um, thing that I need to go to tonight, but I don’t have anything to wear.”

Rarity ran a hoof along her face, for some reason, and gave her a nervous smile. “O-Oh? Is it important? You know, Fluttershy and I are right in the middle of our weekly spa trip, and we even have Prism tagging along today!”

Rainbow Dash trotted up to Rarity. “It’s super important,” she insisted mechanically. ”I have to have something to wear for tonight. Something...” She trailed off at this point, and seemed to struggle with the next word. “...Formal,” she finally added, with a hint of disgust.

“Oh! Well, if that’s the case...” Rarity replied, turning back to us. “Well, duty calls! Do you girls mind? It seems like this is a matter of the utmost importance.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “N-No, it’s um... fine. There is always next weekend...”

Rarity waved a hoof at Fluttershy dismissively. “Well, that simply won’t do! You two can still enjoy the spa without me, can you not?”

Just as she finished her sentence, the spa twins re-entered the lobby.

“Oh? You are leaving, Miss Rarity?” Aloe asked with audible disappointment, her eyes wandering wistfully over to me.

“I’m afraid so. Something important has come up! Do be a dear, though, and show these two a good time for me, will you?”

Both of the twins let out a small laugh, and winked simultaneously.

Lotus was the one who answered, “Don’t worry, we will!”

“I do very much appreciate it, you two,” Rarity said, before turning to a seemingly flabbergasted and inexplicably nervous-looking Fluttershy. “Well, I am off then. Do be sure to tell me how it went.” She nodded and then sauntered out the door, with a relieved-looking Rainbow Dash in tow.

“Well... looks like it’s just you and me then,” Fluttershy said, blinking at the door a few times before turning to me with a cautious smile. “But don’t worry, I’m sure you’re going to love it; Aloe and Lotus are very good at what they do.”

“Well, I’m certainly excited. This is my first time at a spa,” I pointed out, tearing my own eyes away from the door through which Rarity had dashed off so suddenly, and turning back to beam at Fluttershy.

The twins gasped in unison. “You mean to say that you have never been to a spa for treatment before?” Aloe asked with a look of complete shock.

Shrinking down in my seat, I slowly shook my head.

“Oh my! Well, let us begin right away, then,” she said urgently, turning away and gesturing with a hoof for us to follow. “Right this way, please.”

Fluttershy and I got up from our seats and followed Aloe through the archway out of the room. It led to a small hallway, which we followed for a short while until Aloe opened a door on the left-hoof side and gestured for us to enter. The two of us followed her inside, and—

Whoa! It’s hot in here!

I was caught completely off-guard by the sudden and drastic change in temperature. But the room didn’t just differ from the rest of the spa by being exceedingly hotter, the interior was also quite a contrast, consisting almost entirely out of wooden planks.

“Is it, um, supposed to be this... hot?” I asked with a nervous smile.

Aloe covered a small laugh. “Well, yes, of course. It is a sauna, after all.”

“What is a sauna?” I asked her quizzically.

She brought a hoof to her chin for a moment, frowning at my shocking lack of spa-related knowledge. “Oh. Well, a sauna is a type of steam bath. It uses high temperatures and water vapor to promote relaxation.”

Aloe decided to simply demonstrate what she was trying to explain, and leaned down to pick up a ladle from a bucket next to her in her teeth, pouring its contents onto some red-hot rocks nearby. The effect of this was a huge cloud of steam that flooded the room, further increasing the heat.

“O-oh, I, um... see,” I said sheepishly.

I turned back to Fluttershy, who was sitting across the room on a bench that ran along the wall. She gestured for me to come over and take a seat beside her. I nodded and quickly joined her.

“Just give it a few minutes, Prism. You won’t even notice the heat once you start to relax,” Fluttershy reassured me with a soft smile.

“I-if you say so... I’m just not too good with extreme temperatures—hot or cold,” I said reluctantly, looking on with wary eyes as the room began filling up with steam.

She covered a small laugh. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t get much worse than it is now.”

“I hope so, I feel a little dizzy,” I replied, rubbing my forehead with a hoof.

“Oh no,” Fluttershy said, frowning. ”Well, if you aren’t feeling well, we could just go on to what's next?”

Under normal circumstances, I would have been out of that room faster than you could say ‘Sugar Cube Corner.’ In short, I wasn’t particularly enjoying myself, but in the end I was more worried about Fluttershy. Since Rarity had to leave, I was all the company she would have here today. I didn’t want to do anything to ruin her good time.

“N-no, I’ll be fine; I just need to get used to it,” I replied sheepishly. “Anyways, how did you sleep last night? I was a bit worried about you.”

“Oh, I slept just fine, thank you. Oh! Did you get my gift?” She smiled and looked at me expectantly.

“Yes, yes I did, and I loved it! I slept with it last night, and I have to say, it’s easily the most comfortable pillow I have ever owned. You made that yourself?” I asked with a puzzled look.

Fluttershy turned away sheepishly. “Oh, it was, um, nothing special. Just something I put together before I came over to see Rarity, that’s all.”

“Nothing special?!” I exclaimed, throwing out my forehooves. “Fluttershy, that pillow was amazing! The designs, the borders... the words...” I trailed off into a distant, soft smile.

“Friends Forever,” Fluttershy quoted softly, while scooting a little closer to me. “Like I said in the letter, ever since you got hurt during Winter Wrap-Up, I’ve been, um, thinking about you... a lot.”

She fell silent for a few moments, and then leaned in a bit more.

“You’re such a strong pony, Prism,” she murmured. ”I really, really, um, admire that about you.”

My face quickly flushed when Fluttershy inched closer to me again, closing the remaining gap, so that our sides were now touching. She had a gentle look in her eyes; one that seemed to call out to me. There was little doubt in my mind that Fluttershy was the most beautiful pony I had ever met. With her looking at me like that, with those captivating eyes, I could feel myself freezing up. In fact, I was even beginning to feel a bit lightheaded.

“F-Fluttershy,” I said hazily as she leaned in closer still. Her face was now mere inches away from my own, and her shy but steady gaze held me frozen in place. “I-I...”

Something didn’t feel right. My head was all fuzzy, and I couldn’t focus. Realizing something was wrong, I moved away from her and slowly stood up on wobbly legs.

“What's wrong!?” Fluttershy called out to me in concern, also getting up from her seat.

“I-I... don’t... Feel so, so...”

Before I could form a coherent sentence, the room began spinning around me, causing me to lose my balance. I was vaguely aware of falling, but after that, everything quickly faded away.

* * * * * * * * * *

When I returned to consciousness and stirred, I slowly became aware of a familiar fragrance: the scent of fresh spring flowers. I groggily opened my eyes, only to find Fluttershy staring down into them. Then I realized I was lying up against her.

“Wha—what happened?” I asked hazily as I lifted my head to take in my surroundings.

We were clearly in another room. It wasn’t so oppressively hot, for one thing, but that wasn’t all. The walls were a dark lavender, and decorated with several vanity mirrors as well as white and gold curtains. It had a similar feel to Rarity’s boutique, only with different colors and a lot more decorative vases rather than clothing-related items.

“You fainted in the sauna, Prism. Aloe and I brought you out here for some fresh air,” Fluttershy replied with a touch of concern in her voice. “I’m so, so sorry—we should have left the moment you said you were feeling a little strange.”

“Don’t apologize; it was my own fault. I wanted you to enjoy yourself. I didn’t want to drag you down by suggesting we leave right away.”

Fluttershy shook her head and pulled me back down against her, supporting me. “It wasn’t worth seeing you get hurt like that. So please... If you ever feel uncomfortable, just let me know. I won’t be upset, I promise.”

I beamed up at her. “Okay. I’m sorry for worrying you. Again. I seem to be getting quite good at that...” I laughed a little—despite the fact that this started to make me feel a little woozy again—but then furrowed my brow, try to fill in the gap in my memory. “Um, how long was I out?” I sat up once more, looking around.

“Just a few minutes, not very long at all,” Fluttershy reassured me, getting to her hooves.

I slowly, carefully followed suit.

“So what's next on our day spa adventure?” I asked, venturing another small laugh.

“Well, the next treatment of Miss Rarity’s usual regimen would be a mud bath,” Lotus answered from my left. ”After that, a pony pedi and a massage, and then you two may wish to finish up with some time spent relaxing in the spa.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad...” I said, grateful that no further extremes of temperature would be involved.

Lotus smiled at me, clearly relieved that I seemed to have fully recovered from my fainting spell. Customers losing consciousness probably wasn’t a routine occurrence...

“Follow me please, ladies.”

She lead us across the room to the section with the mudbath pits. There were four pits in total, but no less than three of them seemed to be closed off, bearing signs that read (respectively):

‘Closed for Maintenance’

‘Closed for Cleaning’

‘Closed for Disinfecting’

I looked over to the sole remaining pool of muck and scratched the back of my head with a hoof.

Lotus cleared her throat. “Oh dear, it would seem that I have completely forgotten about most of our mud baths being currently unavailable,” she said with a hint of disappointment, and averted eyes. ”I am terribly sorry; we could come back and enjoy their many, many benefits later, if you like?”

Fluttershy took a step forward and shook her head. “Oh no, it’s fine, we can share the one,” she said, looking back to me. “That is, um, i-if you don’t mind, Prism?”

“Not at all,” I replied with a nervous chuckle, as I walked to the edge and peered down dubiously into the murky mud below.

Rarity said this stuff is supposed to be wonderful for your coat and skin, but I don’t know... Something about the whole idea of bathing in mud doesn’t seem very logical to me.

Oh, but, look at me, now I’m starting to think like Twilight.

I closed my eyes and covered a small laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Fluttershy asked. Her eyes were studying me; it looked as though she was trying to guess at what was going through my head.

“Oh, nothing,” I said quickly, mentally pushing aside my reservations. ”You ready?”

Fluttershy didn’t reply straight away. After a while, she said softly, “Um, Prism? Thank you for continuing. I was a little worried that maybe you wanted to leave after what happened in the sauna.” She looked down to the floor with a small frown.

“What, and lose an opportunity to spend some time with you? Don’t be silly!” I said, rolling my eyes with a smile. “Being here, with you, makes it all worth it.”

Fluttershy took a tentative step towards me. “That, um, makes me really happy... that, that you think that way,” she stammered. “There’s nothing else I would rather be doing right now, either...”

She was giving me that look again, and took another small step towards me. I suddenly felt conflicted; part of me wanted nothing more than to reach out to her, to meet that gaze... but another part urged me to back away. Fluttershy was breathtakingly beautiful, of course, but she was also a mare—more than that, she was my best friend.

After the sauna-incident, and now this tender little moment, I was beginning to realize a very important fact about myself. I had been dodging the very notion for a while now, but it seemed like there was simply no use denying it any more...

I’m actually attracted to Fluttershy, aren’t I? Maybe even mares in general...

The way she looked at me; her eyes, her face, her body... Everything about her simply appealed to me, on a level that went much deeper than mere appreciation.

This sudden epiphany hit me like a right hoof to the jaw, leaving me dazed, at a complete loss for words.

She took another step closer.

I tried to speak as she continued to close the distance between us, but no words would come. Instinctively I took a step back, still reeling, but unfortunately I had run fresh out of floor to retreat on. I lost my balance and began to tumble backwards.

Fluttershy called my name in alarm and reached out to me, managing to take hold of my flailing forehooves. The two of us stood at an awkward angle for a few seconds, while Fluttershy tried to use her wings to get some leverage and regain her balance. But it was to no avail; despite the flurry of frantic flapping, the two of us toppled into the pit below with a large splash, sending mud flying everywhere.

I quickly resurfaced, with a groan of disgust. This was not at all how I had planned on getting used to the feel of the mud before I actually got in. After taking a moment to wipe some of the gunk out of my eyes so that I could see again, I found a bedraggled-looking Fluttershy right next to me, sputtering and feebly flapping her drenched wings for a bit before she, too, managed to pry her eyes open from beneath the mask of viscous mud.

The two of us stared at each other for a brief moment.

Then, slowly at first, came the snorts—exceptionally bubbly ones—which eventually exploded into shared laughter. We pretty both looked absolutely ridiculous, of course, but took comfort in the fact that this messy fate had befallen us both.

“Let’s, uh, let’s just pretend that never happened, all right?” I chortled, after pausing to spit out of a muzzleful of nearly-swallowed muck.

“I’m just glad Rarity isn’t here,” Fluttershy giggled, “We might’ve gotten some on her precious mane and never heard the end of it.”

And so, after that—we had decided—completely uneventful descent into the luxurious depths of the mudbath, the two of us tried to relax and enjoy some casual conversation, dutifully ignoring the fact that both our pelts were completely caked with mud.

Fluttershy brought up her animals, and chatted about what she did with her time during the spring. She just had so much to tell me, so many things to talk about, that once she had started she just couldn’t stop. Not that I minded—it was just surprising to see her being so upbeat and talkative. I decided I really liked this side of her. When Fluttershy was genuinely happy and comfortable, her shy demeanor simply melted away; she was a real joy to talk to when she was like this.

After an hour or so, Aloe and Lotus returned to the room to let us know that the treatment was done and that we could move on to our pony pedis. I don’t think they were quite expecting the scene they came across, though. The two of us falling into the mud had made a really big mess; it had literally gotten all over the place. After the initial shock the twins assured us it was all right, but we both still kept apologizing, feeling really bad about the whole thing.

Fluttershy and I were taken to a small side-room that housed a set of showers, allowing us to rinse off the excess mud. As rejuvenating as it was supposed to be, I was still quite glad to be rid of the gunk. After the shower, however, I felt surprisingly refreshed and clean.

I guess that stuff really does work; maybe this wasn’t so bad after all?

The twins then led us to another section of the large main spa room, up to two large, flat basins with steps leading up them. Both of them seemed to contain a shallow layer of bubbly water.

“So, what exactly is a pony pedi?” I asked Aloe.

She beamed me a smile in return. “Ah, well, a pony pedi is like a special bath for your hooves, dear!” she replied enthusiastically. ”It deep-cleans and leaves them with a brilliant, sleek shine.” She gestured to the water. “Step inside and try to stand still. The process takes about twenty minutes.” With that, she turned and trotted away.

I looked down into the soapy water and nodded; this treatment seemed relatively painless—fairly pleasant, even. After making my way up the steps and into the shallow pool, I discovered that the water was very oily to the touch, and actually felt rather uncomfortable, however. But at least there was little risk of me passing out from heat exhaustion this time, so I guessed I really couldn’t complain.

“This is my favorite part of the spa,” Fluttershy said suddenly.

“Oh? And why is that?” I asked quizzically, curious as to what she could possibly find enjoyable about the oddly-textured concoction we were standing in.

“Your hooves feel so nice and fresh when this is finished, it’s like you’re walking on clouds!” she replied with a wink. “Trust me, I know what clouds feels like.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “I’ll just have to take your word for it. Right now I can’t honestly say I’m enjoying the feeling of this weird water a whole lot.”

“It feels really oily, doesn't it?” she agreed with an sympathetic tone. “It may be a bit uncomfortable now, but trust me, you’re going to love the results.”

Fluttershy paused for a brief moment, and then, abruptly, her ears perked up and her wings flared out a bit. She tended to do that whenever she realized something, I had noticed.

“Oh! I just remembered, you mentioned something about an art gallery yesterday?” she asked. With a sheepish smile, she added, ”Before I, um... sort of fainted on you?”

“Sorry about scaring you like that,“ I said, smiling uncomfortably. ”But yes, I did say that. I don’t know if Rarity told you, but I ended up selling one of my paintings yesterday. I wasn’t sure what to spend all the bits on, but then, while I was waiting for you, I got to thinking, and it hit me! An art gallery!”

“Oh, that’s just wonderful!” Fluttershy exclaimed softly. “Have you decided on any of the details yet?”

I nodded. “Actually, yes; all of them in fact!” I replied happily. “Rarity called in the same pony who designed the Carousel Boutique to work on my gallery. Her name is Quick Fix and she is extremely talented and prompt. She wasted no time at all in getting the project moving; after just a few short hours of planning, everything was all squared away. Construction will actually begin shortly!”

Fluttershy let out a soft gasp. “You have Quick Fix working for you?” she asked in surprise. “Why, not only has she designed several buildings here in Ponyville, she’s also worked with pegasi contractors in Cloudsdale, mapping out several beautiful buildings up there, too! I’ve seen plenty of examples of just how talented she is...”

“I’m really excited to see what she does with it! The gallery will be constructed in Classic Canterlotian Marble and—”

“Did you just say Canterlotian Marble?” Fluttershy stopped me suddenly. “But... that stuff’s very expensive!” She sounded a little breathless. ”Just how much did you sell your painting for?”

I paused for a moment, my ears falling back. “Um... three thousand bits?” I replied with a sheepish smile.

Her expression went blank and her eyes turned to saucers. “Three thou—but, but that’s so much money!” she gasped. “You sold a painting for that much?”

“My mother’s reputation preceded me, it seems,” I replied, looking down to the soapy water with a small frown. “Originally I wasn’t intending on selling it at all, but Rarity was not about to let that happen. She said opportunities like this are few and far between, and that she wasn’t going to let this one slip away from me.”

“She’s right you know,” Fluttershy commented matter-of-factly. “Sometimes life presents you with an opportunity, and you just, you know, just have to take it.” She looked down at her hooves with a slight frown. “No matter how hesitant or scared you might be...” she added, trailing off and giving me a strange kind of look. “So...So it’s a good thing you sold it! I mean, you’ll have an art gallery of your very own because of it.”

“Yes! I can’t wait for everyone to see it! Quick Fix brought up some really amazing suggestions.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Oh, I bet. I can’t wait to see the end result, either.”

Shortly after Fluttershy finished her sentence, Aloe and Lotus entered the room to inform us that we could step out now.

When I took my first step outside the basin I was quite surprised; Fluttershy had been completely right, I felt incredibly light and comfortable on my hooves.

“Wow... This does feel amazing,” I mused, pressing my forehoof down again and again, fascinated by the effect.

Fluttershy stifled a giggle while watching me. “See? I told you it felt wonderful. But just wait for what's coming next,” she hinted with a wink.

Fluttershy couldn’t have been more right. The twins wasted no time leading us across the room, to a set of massage tables which were facing each other. They were made from a soft, fluffy and pink material which was spongy to the touch, and were supported by sturdy-looking but intricately carved wooden legs.

As I lay down I felt myself just melting into the cushions, they were so incredibly comfortable.

I wonder if this is what laying on a cloud feels like, to a pegasus?

Fluttershy hopped onto the bed across from mine, while Aloe and Lotus branched off from one another and each claimed a table. Aloe was with Fluttershy, and Lotus with me.

“And now we begin the massage treatment,” Lotus informed us, following her statement with a small laugh.

“I’ve never had a massage before, well, at least not—”

I was cut off by my own brain, as I felt myself quickly melting into warm butter beneath Lotus’s skilled hooves.

Oh... oh wow...

Lotus clicked her tongue a few times and shook her head. “This is simply no good, you’re so tense! Have you been under a lot of stress recently?” she asked with mild concern.

I tried to reply, but the only answer my mouth was allowing to pass through was a feeble groan.

Fluttershy covered a small laugh. “I think it’s safe to say she’s pretty relaxed right now, though.”

Over the course of the next few minutes, Lotus worked her magic on my back, shoulders, hind- and forelegs, rendering me an immobile puddle of goo by the time she was finished. I never could have imagined a massage would feel so amazing.

“Lovely, wasn’t it?” Fluttershy said, with just the slightest hint of smugness.

“...Yes,” I finally managed to utter, my body slowly regaining the ability to function. “That was... amazing...” It surprised me how winded I sounded.

Lotus covered a small laugh. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Now, for some routine hygienic care,” she said, quickly darting away only to return a moment later with a file clenched between her teeth.

“What's that for?” I eyed the tool with curiosity.

She laid the file down on the bed next to me for a moment, in order to reply. “Why, to file your horn of course, dear,” she said with a patient smile, before picking it up again.

“I, um... I don’t know about that. I don’t really like having my horn touched, and I’ve certainly never had it filed before,” I said hesitantly, unable to keep the unmistakable tone of concern from my voice as I nervously eyed the dreaded file once more.

Lotus gasped loudly, dropping the file from her mouth. “You mean to say that you have never had your horn filed before?” she asked, taken aback.

I slowly shook my head. “N-no? Is that, um, bad?” I asked nervously.

She promptly nodded. “It is very unhealthy to leave residue on your horn for too long! It needs to be removed, so that fresh, healthy surface cells can grow back,” she replied, leaning in and closely examining my horn. “Oh my...” she covered her muzzle with a hoof and frowned. “Your horn looks so... neglected. I daresay you don’t use your magic very often, if at all.”

I gave her a perplexed look. “How can you tell that?!”

Lotus brought a hoof to her chin. “The more you use your magic, the more healthy horn growth is promoted”, she explained. ”Think of your horn like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it gets. While residue like this doesn’t necessarily affect a unicorn’s ability to perform magic, their horn is still a part of their body and so should be properly maintained and taken care of.” There was clear concern and disapproval in her voice. “You are only given one horn, my dear, you really need to take better care of it.”

She said nothing for a moment, staring off into nowhere, before looking back down to me. “So here is what we are going to do: I am going to remove all this caked-on residue. I must warn you, this might be a bit... uncomfortable,” she said with a small frown. “Afterward, you really ought to use your magic more often, or your horn will just end up like this again.”

Great... Another compelling reason for me to use my magic; Rarity is never going to leave me alone now.

I let out a slow sigh. “Do I have to?”

“Doctor’s orders,” she replied with a wink.

Fluttershy covered a dainty laugh. “The twins are technically doctors, you know; they have degrees in both equine physiology and anatomy,” she stated matter-of-factly. “You really should listen to her advice.”

I let out a long, defeated sigh. “So now I have Rarity, you, and two doctors telling me I need to use my magic more often? There really is no getting out of it, is there?”

Lotus let out a small giggle. “I’m afraid not. Now, shall we begin?” she said, batting her eyelashes at me in a coy manner. I looked down to the file on the floor with a large frown.

“I guess so. But please, be gentle? I’m really not used to having my horn touched,” I requested with a nervous smile.

Lotus nodded and picked up the file.

Aloe cleared her throat to gain Fluttershy’s attention. “Well, that’s going to take a few minutes. Shall I preen your wings in the meantime, Miss?” She gesturing to the yellow pegasus’s wings.

“Oh, that would be wonderful! Thank you very much,” Fluttershy exclaimed softly, flaring out her wings in response.

Meanwhile, I looked on in mild horror as Lotus brought the file to my horn. But I was definitely not prepared for the sensation that followed.

The feeling of the metal file scraping along my horn gave me a strange, discomfiting sensation. I knew that a unicorn's horn was sensitive, and as such tended to avoid having mine touched; I didn’t like how weird it made me feel. But now I found that the constant friction of the file scraping along my horn was strangely... stimulating. The fact that Lotus was constantly filing away at it didn’t make this any less true. In fact, the sensation was growing, quickly escalating into the worst case of the shivers I had ever had in my life. I found myself shifting my hind legs nervously in response.

This is... really turning me on...

What I did next was probably one of the worst ideas I had had in a while: I turned my attention to Fluttershy. She was lying on her stomach with her eyes closed, fully relaxed save for her wings, which were standing at full attention while Aloe painstakingly preened them for her.

On any given day, and at any given moment, if you had asked me what I thought of Fluttershy, I would have immediately told you she was the most beautiful and lovely mare I knew. But if you were to have asked me right then and there, I would have stammered something about her being the sexiest thing in all of existence, and perhaps let slip that I was currently fighting a primal urge to leap across the table at her.

Please, please be over soon! I cried out in thought. It was becoming very difficult to control myself and my squirming, but the last thing I wanted was to do something rash and stupid that might terrify my best friend. The only outcome I could foresee would no doubt be disastrous for our friendship

I mean, I don’t know—how would you feel about your best friend coming on to you like a starving manticore presented with fresh slab of meat?

“Phew. There we go, all finished!” Lotus exclaimed. “Sorry Miss Prism, that must’ve been unpleasant. Normally speaking, the procedure wouldn’t have taken quite so long, nor would I have had to use nearly as much pressure. But you had years of neglect for me to smooth away. Now your horn is all nice and clean, ready for healthy surface-cells to start regenerating.” She beamed me a warm, happy smile.

Thank Celestia... I don’t know if I could have controlled myself for much longer.

“T-Thank you,” I replied weakly, still trying to compose myself after that downright erotic experience. “I’ll be sure to take better care of my horn; I do not want to have to go through that again.”

“Don’t worry, so long as you use your magic regularly and come in to have your horn filed every so often, the process will actually only take a few seconds,” Lotus assured me with a wink.

“All finished!” Aloe suddenly proclaimed. “Your feathers are lovely as always, Miss Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy gave her a bashful look and nodded. “Thank you, Aloe.”

Lotus looked back and forth between us, smiling widely at our flushed faces. “Well, are you ladies ready for for the spa?”

“Yes, please,” I replied with a nervous smile. “I could use a little time to unwind after that...” Harrowing. ”...experience.” All three of the other ponies in the room burst into laughter. I quickly felt the familiar warmth of profuse blushing glowing on my cheeks.

Aloe trotted off, leading the way again. Looking back over her shoulder, she said, “Right this way please.”

Fluttershy casually hopped off the massage bed and walked over to her. My own dismount was far less graceful; the massage from earlier had left my body so relaxed that it refused to respond to my brain’s cues for movement correctly. As a result, I ended up rolling off my bed and falling to the floor with a hard thud, landing on my side.

“Goodness, dear! Are you all right?” Lotus cried, reaching down to me.

I nodded to her as I took her hoof. “Yes, I’m fine... That massage was just so amazing, apparently, that my body doesn’t want to get back to work just yet,” I said, masking my wincing with a small laugh when she pulled me back to my hooves. “Thanks again Lotus, that really was wonderful.”

She closed her eyes briefly and beamed at me. “You are very welcome, dear,” she told me, and then gestured toward her sister with a subtle turn of her head. “Now please, follow along with them, I have some cleaning up to do in here! Thank you for coming by. It’s been a real pleasure meeting you, Prism.”

“It was great meeting you, too, Lotus,” I said, before quickly trotting over to the other girls.

Aloe lead us back down the hallway towards the entrance, but before we got there we went through another door on the side, which opened into a large room that housed a sizable spa in its center.

The steamy haze coming off the water looked, and smelled, divine. There were also a few massage beds—much like the one I had become intimately familiar with in the other room—located just in front of the spa itself. Aloe trotted up a small flight of steps that led to the top of the spa, and gestured with a hoof for us to follow.

Once Fluttershy and I had reached the top I looked down at the water—it looked amazing.

“I think I’ll enjoy this a lot more than the sauna,” I said, aloud, without even realizing it. The two other mares chuckled.

Aloe gave me a playful wink. “I do hope so! Just try not to faint during this one. It could become very troublesome,” she said with a small laugh, trotting back down the steps. “You girls are free to go whenever you are finished. Thank you for coming by; it was nice to meet you, Prism!”

“You too, Aloe!” I called out to her as she left the room.

My ears perked up when I heard a small splash. I turned to see Fluttershy easing into the water with a long, relaxed sigh.

I can’t say I cared too much for all the pampering, but here is something I can truly enjoy!

Smiling to myself, I turned around and dipped a hind leg into the water. This tried-and-true method quickly told me that the water was, indeed, lovely. I slowly slid into it, and was unable to resist also letting out a drawn-out, relaxed sigh. I lazily turned around and leaned back against the wall. The warm water simply felt amazing on all my recently-massaged muscles; it was truly a whole new, wonderful experience.

“So, how did you like your first visit to a spa?” Fluttershy asked, turning to me with a wink.

“Well, aside from the sauna, I enjoyed it very much,” I replied, looking down to the water. “Though I’m pretty sure this is my favorite part so far,” I cooed softly.

Fluttershy was giggling into her hoof. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, I was a little worried you might not have.”

The two of us waded around in the warm waters for a while, casually talking about anything that came to mind. I would have loved to have stayed longer, but I felt myself starting to get dizzy again, and I didn’t think Fluttershy would have been too happy about having to save me from drowning if I ended up fainting again. So, with our virgin spa trip coming to a close, we stepped out and dried off before making our way to the lobby, and finally, out the building.

I left feeling like a new mare. It really was an amazing experience, and I found myself hoping to repeat it sometime in the future.

* * * * * * * * * *

Once outside I paused for a moment, examining Fluttershy.

She really is beautiful. Her mane, her eyes, her tail...

Her flank.

I caught myself staring at it, and quickly looked away, blushing.

“Um... Fluttershy?” I called out to her softly. “Are you free for the next few hours?”

She blinked, and brushed a lock of pink mane out of her eyes with a hoof. “I... Yes, I think so. Why do you ask?” She sounded both nervous and excited.

“W-Well... You and I have been friends for a while now, haven’t we? And I’ve had something on my mind for some time now, you see...” I said with a nervous smile, scratching the back of my neck with a hoof.

Fluttershy blinked a few more times, clearly surprised, and came a little closer. “Yes?”

“S-sorry, I’ve, um... just never ever asked anypony this before,” I said, nervously drawing circles on the ground with my forehoof. “I’m not going to lie: you are the most beautiful pony I have ever met in my entire life, and, and I love spending time with you, and so, well...”

Fluttershy silently, eagerly nodded, leaning in expectantly.

“And, um, I was wondering—if it is all right with you, and if you really wanted to—would you like to be my, my, um...” I bit my lower lip, glancing around nervously for a moment.

Fluttershy closed her eyes, for reasons I did not entirely comprehend, and slowly began to lean in even closer to me.

“I-If you would be my, my... my model for my next painting?” I added softly and shyly, turning away almost instantly out of sheer bashfulness.

There. I finally said it.

Fluttershy’s eyes popped open. She hastily took a step back, with a flustered, nervous-sounding laugh. “O-oh, right, of course... I’d, um, love to!” she stammered, shaking herself a little. “Yes, I’d love to model for your next painting. That is, if that’s what you really want to do...”

“More than you can imagine... Sorry for keeping you in suspense there, I was just so nervous! I’ve never asked anypony to model for me before.” Now that I had finally made my proposal, my mind turned to the practical details. “Hmm, I’d love to paint you in front of your cottage, but my supplies are all at the boutique...”

“Oh! Well, in that case, you can use some of mine,” she kindly offered. “I do a bit of painting in my free time; I love painting my animal friends.”

Fluttershy paints?!

“I would absolutely love to see your paintings!” I exclaimed excitedly. “Please, could you show them to me?”

Fluttershy smiled modestly. “I’m not very good, I’m afraid... But sure, I’d love to show you,” she said, and began walking away from the day spa. “I’ll have to dig them up first, though; I haven’t really painted in a while.”

“That’s fine,” I said, breaking into a quick trot to to catch up to her. ”I’m so excited to see them, I wouldn’t mind waiting a little bit!” I closed my eyes briefly and beaming her a warm smile, which she returned in similar fashion.

I could barely contain my excitement. I had been wanting to paint Fluttershy and her cottage ever since the day I first arrived in Ponyville!

With that new goal in mind, the two of us navigated through the remainder of Ponyville and quickly made our way to her home.