The sun was barely risen early into winter as streets across Equestria shone with a light frost. Despite the ice it wasn't the coldest of days as the sun shone without clouds in the way, causing hats and scarves to be stowed in closets and drawers, a few ponies going out for the first time since the chill began without their breath misting infront of them.
A crisp, pleasant day to be outside.
"Are you even listening?" Twilight asked for the second time that day, strolling down the paved streets of Canterlot with a set of saddle-bags bouncing lightly on her flank. Her face was slightly annoyed, but unsurprised as she glared.
Rainbow spared her a look as she floats lazily above her academic friend, eyes half lidded and wings barely flapping.
"You say something Twi?" She drawled as with a half-roll the pegasus went upside-down, swooping to glide inches from the ground at the unicorn's side, just in time to flinch at a sudden bark from Twilight who half-flared her wings in agitation.
"Yes!" Twilight stopped herself launching into a rant with visible effort, and scrunched her nose, breathing slowly and relaxing herself into a semi-calm state "I was Trying to tell you the rules for the Exclusive and Very Expensive Canterlot Gym I got you permanent membership in, for free. The last two words were almost an accusation. One that put Rainbow Dash on the defensive.
The pegasus pitched up to land with a clomp and snapped back "Well I'm taking time out from wonderbolts training to teach you how to get your Pudgy Princess Rump in shape!" Wings flared, the athlete spat "For Free. with more than a little venom, and finished with a mutter, though she kept walking beside Twilight, eyes off to the other side "Bet you didn't even have to pay for this."
Twilight flinched at her friend's tone, and walked more than a little despondently for a while. Both did, staying in silence until the turned the next corner.
"Rainbow.."
There was a grunt, which could be taken as 'yes?' or a very contracted 'Shove it'
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say it so harshly."
A slightly less vindictive mumble emerged.
"..Forgive me?"
Rainbow snorted through her nose in a sigh, and looked into Twilight's concerned, apologetic eyes, then she smiled a little, bapping the alicorn's side with a wing "Nothing to apologise for..." She gazed off to the horizon "I shouldn't have reacted like that. Just nervous about goin' somewhere so fancy, I guess"
Twilight found herself sagging in relief "Thanks. Just do as I do, follow the etiquette and do as I do. you'll be fine."
Moments more passed as the sun grew steadily higher over the horizon, approaching 10 'o' clock. Rainbow found herself watching the buildings they passed, a bounce in her step again; the weather pony in hersmiling at the tight-knit, very well done frost patterns on the windows. Twilight occupied herself with a book slipped out of her saddlebags, a slim paperback entitled 'Your body and you, 50 steps to a Perfectly Preened Pony'. Occasionaly her horn would glow, summoning a pen and pad to scribe a not or scribble down a diagram.
Twilight turned to a page on anatomy, and found herself glancing to the side, watching her friend walk out of the corner of her eye.
Focusing on the interaction between those perfectly toned, oh-so-visible muscles and the smooth, tough joints, thick, trained tendons and the hardened bones.
Then Rainbow caught her looking, and snickered. Twilight studiously went back to her book, giggling along sheepishly with a tiny bit of pink on her cheeks.
...Moments passed in slow breaths and quick thought...
"I'm not That pudgy, am I?"
"Eh.. not really."
"Oh, good"
"It's a cute kinda chubby, anyhow"
Twilight turned, blushing and indignant, to speak, but Rainbow took off in a cloud of dust, snerking as she banked towards a very refined, pillared building. Signed as 'Worthington's Elite Gymnasium, Members Only'.
It was quite a sight, perched on the edge of the city's hanging gardens.
The tallest structure for a few blocks around it, the gym boasted the finest facilities the wealth of nobles can provide, aa few outlying buildings housing bathing, massage and sauna areas for each gender, the peak of the fluted top hosting all-round one way mirrors so the Denizens of It's Gold-member club could look out on the nearby waterfall without the world looking back.
Rainbow landed with feather-gentleness and more than a little bravado a few metres from the front gate their gilded fence, chuckling and leaning on an imaginary pole as, far back down the road as her book-worm friend sprinted herself redfaced before remembering she had wings and flying the rest of the way.
Though her landing knocked a few chips out of the marble flagstones, and quite startled the suited, shade-wearing unicorn guards as they approached the pair.
Metal shoes glinted on the muscular ponies hooves as they helped Twilight to stand from her hard landing, backing off to give crisp bows before the larger, darker furred of the two spoke
"Welcome to Worthington's Gymnasium Princess, Ms Dash. If you would both follow my associate, he'll escort you to your room."
The words came out smoothly, the glinting pearly whites and slight unchanging smile putting an air of professional, ironclad politeness to them.
Twilight missed her footing in a small stumble as she blushed and thanked the stallion, squeaking "Just 'Twilight', please"
She was too distracted to spot the smaller of the guards giving a tiny snort when he took in Rainbow Dash, the smallest of hardly noticeable wrinkles creasing his nose in distaste at the sheen on her hooves and the slightly worn look of her own duffel bag.
Rainbow saw perfectly, but she mostly ignored it with a roll of her eyes while they followed the pale white unicorn through the gates. Their hoofsteps sounding all the more loud on the ice-smooth path of hardened gravel. Around them patrons paused their open-air exercise on the frost-free grass to watch the new arrivals, more than a couple bowing to the Princess.
When they stepped through the door, Rainbow couldn't hold in a small whistle of appreciation.
The entrance hall was expansively expensive, intricate, sophisticated mosaics of all three races exercising could be seen under the crystalline floor and it's chic rugs shone in fashionable colours in the light from the overhanging chandelier as it bounced off the gilded pillars in every corner, a wall of the heady scent of spice floating in thick clouds from magically refilling bronze braziers lent the whole room a whiff of invigorating,exotic elegance.
Twilight just watched her friend with a small smile "I said it'd be fancy" she noted, click-clopping across the floor after their escort, her tail flicking Rainbow's nose to bring her out of her reverie. "Come on Slowpoke, we'll miss our slot."
The pegasus barely made a noise, lightly stepping after her friend and enquiring "Wait, slot?" she caught up easily, hooves barely making as sound while they trotted past the front desk and the bowing Receptionist "I thought we had membership, so we can go in any time."
The princess nodded, eyes flicking to the side at Rainbow while they crossed into the corridors, the smooth tiled stone taking over from hard crystal "we do, and you can go into the communal gym any time you want. But I booked us a private room near the peak." she blushed "I don't want to embarrass you, I'm a little out of shape."
Rainbow Dash, element of Loyalty couldn't repress a snort at that "A little? Twilight, you're getting close to Rarity's marshmallow flank, sitting inside with all those books" She held the snark for a minute, then patted her friend with a wing "..but seriously, what kinda friend would I be if I let that get in the way, Twi? I wouldn't be embarrassed helping anyone getting in shape, let alone by you."
.."Don't tell Rarity I called her fat. She would end me."
The pudgy librarian smiled with mock evil, body checking her friend at the foot of the stairs and jogging ahead "Oh I wouldn't dare keep secrets from Rarity."
Rainbow glared and took off, flying after her friend "Twi, seriously. Don't you dare"
Twilight sprinted ahead of their escorting guard "Composing the letter right now!" A quill and paper appeared from her bags "Dear Rarity, I'm writing to inform you.."
Rainbow dash caught up easily, swiping at the paper, only to get blocked by a magical shield "I will finish you, Sparkle, Gimme that letter!"
The alicorn teleported ahead to the next landing "You'll have to catch me first!" she continued scribbling on the paper.
Rainbow Dash Bolted forward, only to grab air as her friend Blipped away, giggling mercilessly
A chase up and down the stairwell and along the hall later, with both rooms filled with the sparkles of teleportation and growls from the huffing, puffing pagasus, Twilight was finally tackled to the ground by a red-faced Rainbow, the finished scroll triumphantly held between the speedster's teeth.
"I Gok oo gow, ckarkle" was all she said before her muscular wings started tickling her friend, eliciting panicked squeaks and frantic struggling. The newly minted alicorn thrashing wildly until she finally broke into giggle's and gasped, expert tickling continuing until she finally threw the pegasus off with a wild blast of magic.
Rainbow, to her credit, landed perfectly, all four hooves clacking on the stone floor, and the sealed parchment chewed into an unrecognizable blob of mush...
Which was almost spat onto the perfectly clean floor, before a gentle cough from behind froze the pegasus in place, mouth in the first stages of a good gob.
Their guard had caught up, and crooked an eyebrow at both of them, taking apparent note of the flushed, heavily breathing Princess splayed on her back, before Twilight righted herself with a quick burst of teleportation, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry.. got a little caught up there.." the Alicorn managed, scuffing her shoed hoof.
The guard nodded, moving on with a metallic ringing step. "Quite.. Please deposit.. whatever you were about to spit, in the bins along the corridor" he nodded to rainbow dash with more than a little hint of disdain, motioning to the mentioned receptacle.
Rainbow Dash did as the stallion asked, and followed along, blushing furiously in embarrassment and head hung a little low.
She recovered soon enough, however, when she heard the strains of furious argument echoing down the corridor.
Around the corner, a Large white Unicorn stallion stood berating a bedraggled assistant.
"I don't care if this room was booked by a princess. She is Late, and I am a prince myself. I have Always used this room, and I Demand to be allowed in." He never raised his voice, but spoke in the weary tones of one used to getting whatever he wanted. He towered over the earth pony assistant, and snorted derisively when she stammered.
"I-I'm s-s-sorry, your Highness, but she has to be thirty minutes late for her slot to be revoked" a watch was held up for inspection "A-and it's only been five minutes."
Prince Blueblood, for all the foppishness his hair implied, had clearly picked up the art of the intimidating frown from Celestia, and used his fully defined, bulky musculature to add weight to his low tones "Fine. Consider your pay Docked." With a final disgusted scoff, the stallion acknowledged Twilight, who stood frowning at the corner, with a sneer and turned to leave.
The slate grey filly guarding the door trembled until he left and Twilight reassured her that if he docked her pay, she'd raise it.
"T-thank you, Princess. Dusty Stone, at your service." A key passed from her hoof to Twilight's "Call on the intercom by the door, if you need me." she bowed deeply to both Twilight and Rainbow Dash, and promptly vanished down the hall with all the skill of a born servant.
