Luxury

Chapters

Chocolate Butterflies
Fleeting Flowers
Natural High
Blossoms
Morning Revelations

Chocolate Butterflies

"Luxury"

As your tongue runs over the smooth surface of your latest creation, the warmth of your mouth melts the soft milk chocolate of its outer layer. You take a deep breath, continuing to savor the sweet, silky candy. With your tongue, you press the sphere against the roof of your mouth, rupturing the outer layer and forcing two other ingredients out of their protective shell. The first to hit your tongue is a rich, buttery toffee followed by a salty, sweet caramel. The trio of flavors complement each other very well, preventing any one flavor from overpowering your taste buds, and for a very simple candy, it was quite enjoyable.

You sigh happily at a job well done.

Letting your eyes slide open, you gently wrap an identical candy in one of the trademark blue and yellow foil squares that all of the candies made here are wrapped in. Once you are satisfied that the candy looks close enough to the candies of your friend's cutie mark, you grasp one of the twirled ends in your mouth and begin to leave the kitchen. Your well-cared-for hooves clop quietly as you happily trot past the mixers, a taffy puller, two candy rollers – used to make gobstoppers – and the island sink. You have to suppress a shiver as you use your flank to push the cold metal door, leading into the confectionery proper, open.

You are met by the same sight that you take in every day that you work at your good friend Bon Bon's candy shop. The soft, cream walls – not unlike the mare's coat – are lined with racks and canisters holding nearly any candy imaginable. No matter what they crave, a pony with a sweet tooth could fulfill their urge from within these walls.

As you trot up to your friend and co-worker, Bon Bon smiles and speaks, "Ohh, is that something new?" You return her smile, careful not to let the candy slip from between your teeth, and nod. As you approach the counter that Bon Bon is standing behind, you let the candy fall from your mouth and come to rest just in front of the mare. You smile widely, and motion to the morsel with a tip of your head. From her sitting position, she reaches both forehooves up onto the counter and tugs on each end of the wrapper, exposing the brown sphere within.

"Ooohhh, Chocolate," she says, with genuine surprise. You quirk an eyebrow and put on a face that can only convey the message 'Really?' For good measure, you position yourself where your cutie mark, a large, rectangular bar of chocolate, is in clear view, but it is all for naught, as the cream mare is too engrossed in looking at and sniffing your confection to notice. You sigh.

Bon Bon leans her head down to the counter, and with her lips, she lifts the sphere into her mouth. Biting down, she returns her head to its normal, upright, position. The curls of her long, pink and navy blue mane fall over her face in the process, but with a quick flip of her neck, the offending hair is moved back to where it should be. Your view of her face is restored just as she swallows the last of the chocolate treat.

"So?" you prod, through a slowly growing smile. Your smile fades and your heart drops when you see a look of queasiness overtake your friend’s face. She begins to breathe deeply, clutching her stomach with a hoof. Immediately, you break into a gallop back into the kitchen, pushing the door open with the top of your head. You grasp an empty trash bin by a handle and rush it over to the counter where you had been working. With a sweep of your hoof, an entire day’s worth of work rolls into the trash. Hanging your head in shame, your breathing hitches, and the light crinkle of the trash bag can be heard as small drops of liquid drip from your nose.

The squeaky sound of the kitchen door opening draws your vision away from the brown spheres of purified failure. As you looked up, through blurry eyes, cool trails of liquid slide down your muzzle.

Your eyes met with the Bon Bon’s just as she begins to speak. “Sweets, I—”

“Bon Bon, I didn’t mean to make you sick,” you interrupt, lunging at the mare, and wrapping her in a weak hug. “I can’t believe something went wrong. I washed my hooves like 10 times, and the milk and butter were fresh. Nothing else I used even goes bad.” You press your face into her shoulder, trembling. “Please forgive me, Bon Bon. I threw the entire batch away, so I won’t hurt anypony else.”

“Sweets… The candy didn’t make me sick. In fact, it was one of the best chocolates I’ve ever eaten.”

Confused, you break the hug and sit on your haunches. “Wha… What do you mean? You looked like you were going to throw up.”

“It was a joke. I didn’t think you would react that strongly.”

"B-but you... I..." You can barely bring yourself to look up at your friend, and when you see her looking back at you, you bashfully look away again. "Why, Bon Bon?"

"It was just a little prank that I wanted you to be able to laugh about. You've seemed so stressed lately, and I was just trying to cheer you up." Your head droops lower as the harsh feeling of betrayal sets in. Slowly, you push yourself to all fours and begin to drag your way across the room, staring at the tiles as you go.

"I'm going to take the rest of the day off," you say, softly. The quick clopping of hooves fills the room, a fact that you completely ignore. As you reach the door, Bon Bon's cream hooves pass through your field of vision. Making no special effort to swing the door open in front of you, the cold metal surface runs over the length of your body.

"Sweets, I'm so—" Her voice is cut off as the heavy door closed behind you. You sigh, weakly and begin the walk home.

Exiting the candy shop, you take a deep breath; the outside air has just started to lose the latent chill of spring in Ponyville. As you pass through the town square, ponies can be heard making their way around town and the sound of vendors hocking their wares prevails on the breeze. Still staring at your hooves, you walk straight passed everypony without even glancing up. Just as the sound of the market dies out, a pony trots up next to you and matches your lazy pace.

Even from your vantage point, you can see the pony's pink coat. "Sweets…" As she softly speaks your name, she gently places her hoof on your shoulder. You flinch from the unexpected contact but immediately stop when you realise who it is.

"Hi, Lily." You say, slowly pulling your head up to look your friend in the face. Below her soft orange mane and the characteristic white lily tucked behind her ear, her eyes look concerned.

"You look really sad. Are you ok?"

"Bon Bon played a prank on me and it, sort of, hit a soft spot. I'll be fine, though. I just need some time to screw my head back on."

"Ok, Sweets. Just promise me that you'll be happy again soon, ok?" You nod and try to force a smile.

"Oh," the pink mare exclaims. "I just remembered that I found something perfect for you this morning." She reaches into her saddle bags, and a moment later, she emerges with a small blue and purple flower in her mouth. Leaning in close, she tucks the stem of flower behind your ear. You can feel the short hairs of your muzzle rub against hers; it tickles, causing you to giggle a little. Once satisfied that the flower will stay in place, she pulls away, smiling.

"It's a Morning Glory," she proclaims proudly. "They're quite rare around here because it's too cold in the winter for the plant to survive. This one just happens to be one of the most beautiful I've seen, not to mention how well it brings out the purple in your eyes." The pink mare shifts nervously in your gaze. "I mean… Uhh, see for yourself!" Once again, she reaches into her saddlebag, retrieves a mirror, and holds it in front of your face.

Taking a slight step to the side, your face comes into view, starting with your flowing, chocolate mane. At the base of the purple headband that you always wear is a relatively small, pentagonal flower. It's petals are a bright indigo, and it has a five-point, purple star flowing from the center. Next, you take in the state of the short, tan hairs around your eyes and nose. They're lightly matted under your eyes but otherwise normal. You smile when you see that your violet eyes seem to be shining brightly, regardless of your tired state. After a moment, Lily places the mirror back into her bag.

Unlike her sister Roseluck, who sells flower bouquets, Lily prefers to use flowers as fashion items. As such, she is constantly making corsages, boutonnieres, or simply tucking a single flower behind a pony's ear, much like you both now share. But as much as she smiles when she sells her products to happy ponies, you've still never seen her smile quite like she is now, for you.

After a moment of consideration, you chalk it up to being her friend and not just another customer. As your train of thought ends, you realise how close your muzzles are to each other's. Awkwardly close, in fact. With a bit of quick thinking, you amiably nuzzle the pink mare's face.

"Thank you, Lily. You're such a good friend. Daisy and Rose don't know how lucky they are to have a sister like you," you say, pulling back to a comfortable distance as you finish. The look on the flower pony's face is confusing, to say the least. Fearing that you upset her, you quickly look to excuse yourself. "I wish I could stick around longer, Lily, but I really need to figure out what to do about this Bon Bon situation." Keeping your distance, without looking like you're keeping your distance, you walk casually past Lily, towards your home.

***

With a small clatter, your house key lands in a small cup next to the door. Not wasting any time, you trot over to the couch and feebly collapse into the cushions. You pull the blanket from its resting place, atop the couch's back, and drape it over your body. Immediately, the warmth around you helps to relax your frayed nerves.

The world around you falls into darkness as you shut your eyes and leave yourself only to thought.

I know she meant well, but it still hurts. She’s known how I feel about my cooking for years. I trusted her, and even if it was just a slip of the mind, she betrayed that trust. But, I know that I love her too much to let this be the end of our friendship, but I don’t know if I could even look her in the eye without breaking down again. Maybe I should take a few days off.

You raise a hoof and wipe the, once again flowing, tears from your cheeks. Positioning yourself properly, you tuck your legs under your body and rest your head on the cushioned arm of the couch. Having reached some type of conclusion about your feelings on the Bon Bon situation, you try to purge the continuously looping thoughts from your mind.

After a many more tears and well into Luna's night, you finally succeed and are granted the reprieve of sleep.

***

You stir, burying your head into the back of the couch. The night passed more slowly than you've ever experienced, and your body feels even more tired than when you went to sleep. Burrowing yourself deeper into your blanket, you try to remember what kept waking you, but the only thing that comes to mind, aside from tossing and turning on the couch, is the vague image of a blue pony. Though, that fuzzy image is enough for you to connect the dots. It was the same spa pony that had been in your dreams for the past two weeks.

Bon Bon was right when she thought you were troubled. Ever since these dreams started, you hadn't been able to peacefully sleep and things have just gotten worse since last week's spa visit. Now, even during the day, you can't get the mare off of your mind; the best you could hope for is a temporary distraction. Nothing seems to make sense, either, and the confusion in your mind is only outweighed by the fear in your heart.

Your eyes crack open, letting the dim, white glow through your living-room curtain coax your mind into an active state. The room around you is bathed in pre-dawn twilight, casting your plain, white walls in an ethereal glow. Slowly, you climb out from under your warm blanket and get to your hooves. After taking a moment to shake off the sleep from your body, you fold the blanket and drape it across the back of the couch.

Moving towards the bathroom, your home is still dark enough that your eyes cannot yet distinguish color, aside from the electromagical clock that displays '5:17 AM' across its face, in bold, red symbols. Your bathroom is pitch black, and without turning on the light, you have to use a hoof to search for the sink's knob before flicking it on. The rushing of water fills the room and assaults your ears, causing them to flatten onto your head. You easily locate the washcloth and throw it under the running tap. As you wait for the water to warm, you rest both forelegs on the counter with your hooves hanging into the sink bowl. After a few moments the steamy, heat of the water wafts past your hooves. You flick off the tap, relishing the silence that is left behind. With a hoof, you retrieve the washcloth and press it against your face. The warmth is soothing against your skin. Using gentle, circular motions, you rub your face clean. The latent herbal smell of soap fills your mind with thoughts of a certain blue mare.

You sigh and discard the used cloth into the sink. Moving slowly through the dark house, you retrieve your key from the cup by the door and make your way outside.

The world outside is much brighter than the inside of your home, yet still dark. Luna's moon has already set, but the sun has not yet been raised. As such, the chill of the night still hangs in the air. As with most mornings at this time of year, the Pegasi have cleared away most of the clouds, allowing the temperature to rise and coaxing the plants around Ponyville back into life. After locking your door, you take a moment to bend down and sniff the yellow tulips that Lily had planted around the small stoop in front of your home. The light, sweet smell of the flowers brings a small smile to your face. After a moment of reverie, you turn and begin trotting to the outskirts of town.

Your stiff muscles warm up as you quickly cover the half-mile distance to a point past the outermost building of the town. As you reach the starting point of your morning run, the first orange rays of the sun can be seen on the horizon. Breaking into a gallop, you make a large, lazy circle around town.

The scenery outside of town is beautiful this time of year; flowers are just now coming into bloom, and trees have regained their greenery. However, the air temperature is still cool enough to keep your body from overheating during your exercise.

Running is a bit of an escape for you; it's something that only requires the mechanical portions of your being, allowing your mind to switch off and relax. The quarter-way mark is just coming up as you pass into the edge of the Whitetail Woods, and by now, you had hit your stride. The morning air is cool as it is drawn into your lungs in calculated, deep breaths.

Before too long, you are passing the small cottage owned by a timid yellow Pegasus and that signifies the end of your morning exercise. You rest a moment next to the small brook that passes nearby, and after catching your breath, you take a long, slow drink from the cool stream. The water here, just outside the Everfree Forest, is so clean that you can see every detail of the smooth rocks lining the riverbed, but the taste is the most rewarding part. You've never been able to find any other water that is as pure tasting as this is. As you pull your head away from the water, you sigh contentedly.

After your drink, you begin to slowly walk back to town. Your legs feel a bit like Jell-O at this point. After all, a 10 mile run isn't something to laugh at, but for a mare that spends a lot of time making – and eating – chocolate, running is how you choose to keep yourself from become a bit, well… Large. Even with your daily efforts, your body is still a bit soft, but you're proud of it.

A chilled gust of wind passes through your sweaty coat, sending a shiver down your spine and ending your internal pep-talk. As you pass out of the sparse forest surrounding the Pegasus' cottage, the light of the morning sun shines down on you, warming your back and casting a long shadow in front of you. After what seems like ages, you make your way into town. Only a select few ponies are out this early. Applejack can be seen setting up her apple stall for the day's sales. Other than her, you don't recognize anypony else you see. That is, until you pass the Spa, where a set of two ponies can be seen trotting up to their business.

You panic a little and try to shy around the pink and blue sisters. Unfortunately, your route home takes you directly passed them, and soon, you find yourself being beckoned over.

"Good morning, Sweets," Aloe, the pink sister, greets.

It took you a little time, but you've come to understand the sisters' distinct accent was that of Stalliongrad, not Prance, like you had originally assumed.

"Hi, Aloe," you return, with a nervous smile. Just then, Lotus finishes with the unwieldy work of using her mouth to turn a key and unlock a door. You're left star-struck and breathless when she turns around to greet you, smiling. She hadn't yet pulled her hair back and bound it in the white band they used to keep it in check while working; as such, it flowed perfectly down the left side of her face, parted only by her bright blue ear poking through. You turn your head a little, trying to hide behind your chocolate mane.

"Hello, Sweetie." Lotus had originally called you that nickname as a joke, and it somehow stuck. It was something that the blue sister used quite often, but now, it just compounded your nervousness and sent your pulse through the roof.

"Uhm… Good morning, Lotus," you say, mustering the courage to look the mare in the eye, and immediately, you regret it. Your tired legs begin to wobble uncontrolledly, feeling like they were about to give out completely. From your position, you are lucky enough to be able rest against – violently collide with, would be more apt, actually – the building to prevent your imminent collapse.

"Oh, are you ok?" Lotus asks, reaching out a supportive hoof. Your heart thrashes violently around your chest and a gasp escapes your lips when her hoof comes in contact with your shoulder.

"I'm just a little weak in the knees. I guess I might have overdone it on my morning run."

The blue mare wraps her foreleg around your shoulder in a supportive manner, stating, "Come inside and sit down." You obey, and follow her inside the spa. She leads you over to a unique, green chaise, where you take a seat on the slightly curved lounge chair. "Aloe, will you get Sweets a cup of cold, willow bark tea?" she asks of her sister, who has followed you into the waiting room. The pink mare nods and makes her way off, into the spa. Lotus sits on her haunches in front of you, looking on with concern.

As you wait for the pink pony to return, you take in the familiar environment of the spa, trying to look at anything but the pony in front of you. The décor is an assortment of muted blues and purples with the darker tones being placed on the walls and the lighter shades being reserved for accents, such as pillars. Contrastingly colored filigree randomly adorns certain objects, and you know that large, tropical potted-plants are interspersed throughout the entirety of the building.

It's only a couple of minutes before Aloe returns, using her mouth to carry a bamboo tray with a single clear glass on it; it contains a lightly tinted brown liquid and a brightly colored bendy straw. As she nears your position, her blue sister takes the glass in her hooves, offering it up to you. You reach up to grasp it between your forehooves, but your hooves are trembling too wildly to manage. Instead, Lotus holds the glass closer and you bend down and take the straw between your lips, sipping the slightly bitter, earthy tasting liquid. Taking long, slow breaths in between sips of the tea is enough to calm your nerves and soothe your body. During the whole process, you never take your eyes off of the glass and the blue hooves that clutch it.

"Now, are you feeling any better, Sweets?"

You pull away from the emptied glass and respond, "Yeah, I am. I'm sorry for being such a trouble, Lotus. I've just been really stressed lately, and I guess my lack of sleep paired with my morning run really hit me hard." The blue mare moves to the check-in counter, which is just a few steps away, and sets the glass down.

"I thought you were acting a little different. What's been troubling you?" she asks, moving back over to you.

After a moment of consideration, you respond, "Do you think that we could talk about it some other time? I still don't feel well, and I think I should get home and rest, to be safe."

"Sure, Sweets. We've known each other for quite a while now, and you know that I'd never pressure you into something you didn't want to do. Just promise me that you'll come by and tell me what's going on. Ok?"

"Thanks. I promise that when I can, I'll come by." You get up and carefully walk towards the door, turning back as you reach the threshold. "Bye, Lotus."

"Talk to you later, Sweetie" the blue mare says, punctuated with a playful wink. Your legs nearly give out again when you take in the sight, but before your body can object, you turn and begin the rest of your walk home.

***

The rest of your morning was relatively uneventful, with one exception. You had spent the entirety of it pacing around your bland, white living room. Because of your earlier breakdown, your confusion over the fleeting dreams has only grown. Even though you've tried and tried, the only things that you can remember with any amount of tangibility are brief flashes of Lotus' face in various states and the familiar scent of mint and pine.

This is all so strange. I’ve known Aloe and Lotus for years. Why is this happening now? And why am I dreaming about her so often? Sure, I’ve dreamt about other ponies or events before and some are recurring, but it’s never been every night.

Your thoughts continue on like this for quite a while, and after much, much more pacing, but before you wear a hole in the floor – a phrase you had doubted was possible, up until the town librarian proved it was, indeed, possible – you give up and decide that you need to talk to someone about it.

Before leaving your house to confide in your best friend, you do a once over of yourself in the mirror. Aside from the obvious signs of your fatigue, namely the dark bags under your bloodshot eyes, you look none the worse for wear. Walking to the front door, a dark blue object on your kitchen counter catches your eye. Under more careful examination, it's the morning glory that Lily gave to you a few days ago, and it's still in perfect condition. You carefully take it in your hoof and slip it into your mane, just behind your ear. Taking a quick glance in a purposefully placed mirror just to the side of your front door, your eyes seem to shine just as brightly as they did when the flower was first given to you. With a smile, you step through the door, making sure to lock it before you trot off into town.

As you approach Bon Bon's Bonbons, your smile fades as your apprehension grows. You've got no idea how your friend will react to you, showing up out of the blue after days of skipping work. With a resigned sigh, you push your way through the swinging door of the sweet shop.

Immediately, you realise that something is off. It looks somewhat like a hurricane has torn through the, normally pristine confectionary. Candy wrappers are strewn about everywhere; some are randomly blown about by the overhead fan. Atop the check-out counter is a small, makeshift sign that you cannot read from where you stand, by the door. Trotting over to the counter, a low noise catches your ear, but you are unable to recognize it over the ambient whooshing of fan blades. Approaching the counter, you see that the sign is placed next to a medium sized jar, and is made from one of the blue boxes that are used to package large orders. It is propped open in a manner that allows ponies at the counter to read the scrawling mouthwriting that adorns its lid.

It says, "Please, help yourselves. Any bits you could leave in the jar would be appreciated, but are not needed."

What?

Bon Bon and Lyra make their living from this store. Sure, Lyra is a fairly well-known Lyrist, but it's no secret that classical musicians don't make as many bits as the famous musicians of pop-culture.

Oh my Goddess, did something happen? Is Bons ok? I’ve got to find her!”

Searching for your friend, you push open the door leading into the kitchen. As you make your way into the back room, you're given pause. The kitchen is just how you left it a few days prior, and Bon Bon sits on her haunches at the back of the room, her head drooping over a trash bin. You quickly identify the sound you had heard as her continued sobbing. A moment comes where you don't know what to do, but that passes as quickly as it came. As you slowly walk over to the miserable mare, you witness something that makes your skin crawl. Bon Bon's cream hoof reaches into the trash bin, pulling out a familiar brown ball and placing it into her mouth. Her sobbing redoubles as she chews. As you watch this, any doubt about the reason for her sadness is washed away.

Steeling yourself, you walk over and sit on your haunches, next to Bon Bon. Gently, you wrap your forehoof around your best friend's shoulder and pull her in, resting her head on your own shoulder.

"I'm sorry for walking out on you, Bon Bon," you say, quietly. For a time, the only sound in the room is that of her gradually, slowing sobbing. The feeling of her body quaking against yours sends tendrils of icy guilt coursing through your veins. Seeing a friend that you've known for so long in such a state, because of your own selfishness, gives you a bitter taste in your mouth and you try with all of your might to hold back your own tears. Thankfully, before your walls can break down, the cream mare gathers herself enough to muster a response.

"I thought I lost you, Sweets," she says, using a hoof to wipe the tears from her eyes. "You've never been that cold to me before. I thought that maybe the reason that you had been so distant was because something I had done, and when you didn't come to work the next day, or the one after, I thought that you had given up on our friendship." Your throat feels like it is tied in a knot; you never considered that this would happen. In fact, you had expected that Bon Bon would be angry at you for skipping out on your job.

"Bons, we've been friends since we were little fillies. I wouldn’t let something like this get between us. I know that I overreacted, but you knew how sensitive I am about my cooking, and you joked about it anyway. I just felt so betrayed. I didn't come in to work the next few days because I didn't want to risk a repeat." Bon Bon lifts her head from your shoulder and turns towards you. It’s the first time you've been able to look her in the face since you walked in, and boy, is she a mess. Her normally curly hair is completely out of control, her eyes are red as a cinnamon stick, and the short hairs on her face are badly matted from her tears. "I hope you can forgive me."

The cream mare's expression changes to something completely unreadable. "On one condition, Sweets."

"What's that?"

"I want you to murder Lyra and bake her into cupcakes," she says, in a completely serious tone.

You're sure that the look on your face is one of abject horror. Just the thought of hurting somepony makes you want to run, hide, and never come out again. Just as your lower lip begins to quiver, Bon Bon smiles deviously and erupts into uproarious laughter. After a moment, her laughter becomes infectious, and you begin to chuckle as well. When your collective laughter subsides, you both share a large smile.

"That's the face I wanted to see!" Bon Bon wraps her hooves around you, pulling you into an amiable hug. After a moment, she pulls away, still smiling. "So, if it wasn't me that had you so down, what's going on?" she asks, in a cautious tone.

"That's actually the main reason I came by. I need to talk to you about it because I'm completely lost," you state, getting to your hooves and restarting your nervous pacing.

I just don’t understand why I’ve been so nervous around such a good friend, and I can’t believe I lied to her about what was going on. After this many years of running, I could probably do a lap around the entire town without a problem. I just don’t want her to think I’m some obsessive creep. I'm probably turning into a crazed mass murderer pony. Wait, does that mean Lotus is supposed to be my first—

You nearly jump out of your skin when Bon Bon firmly grasps your foreleg, simultaneously stopping your thought process and pacing. "Sweets, whatever it is, you can tell me."

"Are you sure? It's a little strange. I think I might be going crazy," you say, quietly. Your apprehension about telling your best friend something so odd grows by the second.

"You're not going crazy. And I am sure, Sweets. Whatever you wanted to say was important enough to come over here." The concern on your friend's face is obvious, and the look in her eyes makes you think that no matter what you say, she will be there for you.

"I've been losing sleep recently because of dreams that I've been having."

"What kind of dreams?" she asks, sounding much like the proverbial psychologist. You quirk an eyebrow and give her an un-amused look.

"I can barely remember anything about them. Just flashes of sights and scents." You pause a moment, still wary about the truth.

"You know, you're being very vague." You look down at the floor dejectedly, but Bon Bon's hoof gently pulls your head back up. "You came here to break this funk, Sweets. It will feel so much better once you quit tiphoofing around it and just let it out."

You let out a deep sigh, knowing the cream pony is right. "I've been dreaming of a pony." Bon Bon's massive glare subtly begs you to continue. "More specifically, I've been dreaming of Lotus. At least, I think I have. All I can seem to remember are quick flashes of her face." Your friend's look changes to one of sincere contemplation.

"That's not really a lot to work with. Is there anything notable about them?"

"No, that's the thing. I remember a flash where she's smiling, laughing, one where she's just staring at me with a peculiar look in her eyes, and one that I can't even begin to understand what's going on in her head. Other than that, I just remember waking up covered in sweat, my heart racing fit to burst, and not being able to go back to sleep afterwards." By the look on Bon Bon's face, she's just as befuddled as you are.

"Ok. So, if that's all about the dream. Then tell me about Lotus."

"Well…" you say, pausing a moment to think. "She's always nice to me, and she seems to genuinely care about making me feel better about myself. She's smart and funny, and the way her coat makes her eyes shine is breathtaking. Sometimes, I catch myself staring at her as she works, and I get so embarrassed. Lately, I've been so nervous around her, and I feel like there's an angry swarm of butterflies trapped in my stomach."

You think you see a spark of understanding in your friend's eyes, and your thought is confirmed when she speaks. "I think I know what's been keeping you up, and I want you to know that it's perfectly natural to be confused and nervous."

"What do you mean? What's wrong with me?" you demand, nearly yelling.

"I know you can be dense sometimes, Sweets, but you need to figure this one out on your own. It just wouldn't be fair if I told you what your feelings for Lotus were. Just go spend time with her and things will get better."

"Wait, you don't mean to say that you think I…" like her. You finish the statement in your head because the weight of the thought was just too much to say aloud. In your mind, gears turn and a battle is waged.

Everything makes sense if I think about it like that, but why would this be any different from any of my Exes?

Oblivious to your internal denial, Bon Bon gives you a sly wink and taps her nose with a forehoof. She begins to herd you towards the front door, speaking, "Now, if you aren't going to work." You both pass into the confectionary proper and the cream mare is given pause by the disarray. After a moment, she continues, "I'll have to ask you to leave, because I need to get this place cleaned up and working again." Her sentence is punctuated by the closing of the front door. Glancing through the window at her, Bon Bon smiles and waves as she flips the 'open' sign to 'closed'.

***

You stand, nervously, in front of the door to the spa. Your legs had brought you here but no further. Something in your mind just keeps you from opening the door and walking inside. Suddenly, the task is done for you. The door is enveloped in the light blue glow of a unicorn's magic, swinging open and breaking your concentration. As the object moves out of your gaze, your eyes lock directly with a familiar blue earth pony that is standing in the center of the room.

"Bye Aloe. Bye Lotus."

"Ta for now, dears." Two mare's voices call out, one is barely audible and the other sounds quite regal. A white unicorn walks into your field of vision just before she collides with you, knocking you onto your rump and breaking your gaze away from Lotus.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Darling. I didn't see you there," the unicorn says, offering you a helping hoof back to your legs. Her neatly curled, purple mane bounces as she helps you up.

"Oh my, are you… Uhm… Okay?" asks the quiet voice, that you can now see belongs to a yellow and pink pegasus.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank You." You dust yourself off with a hoof as you speak.

"Whatever were you doing standing in the doorway, Darling?" the unicorn asks, quizzically.

"That… Uh… I was just about to walk in the door when you opened it," you lie, hiding your shame.

"Ahh. Well, sorry again, Darling." She steps aside, allowing her pegasus friend to exit the spa as well. They exchange quick goodbyes before the unicorn turns to you again, speaking, "you must think I'm some barbarian, just barreling you over like that. Come by the Carousel Boutique sometime and I will show you that I am quite the opposite. I must make you a dress to show off that simply marvelous mane-do."

"I'm sorry, Miss…" You let your words hang, fishing for a response.

"Oh, how rude of me, not to introduce myself. My name is Rarity."

"I'm sorry, Miss Rarity. But I get all my dresses from Elegant Expectations."

"Come now, Darling. If you let me make you a dress and you don't absolutely adore it, I'll buy you one from Cashmere." Her light-hearted tone fades when she speaks the designer's name. You could practically see the resentment flowing from her mouth. That fact does make you consider just turning her down and going inside, but she does seem to sincerely want to make amends for her simple faux pas, and turning down such a generous offer would be terribly offensive.

"That's very kind of you. I'm available Thursday if you are."

"Thursday would be wonderful. I'll have my Darling Dearest put you in the books." She begins to walk away but turns and approaches you again. "Silly me, I forgot to get your name."

"Sorry, I've sort of got something else on my mind right now. I'm Sweets."

"Such a perfect name for you, dear. I'll see you Thursday. Tata." Rarity turns and trots off, towards her Boutique.

Taking a deep breath, you steel your nerves, and you push past the door, walking into the spa. You are immediately met by a concerned blue spa pony.

"I saw Rarity knock you over. You aren't hurt, are you?" the blue mare asks, looking you over from head to hoof.

Under the mare’s gaze, your nerves immediately begin to build again, causing your entire body to feel like it is vibrating. "I'll be ok, but I do think my flank will be sore in the morning, though."

"Be careful who you admit that to, Sweetie. Ponies might get the wrong idea," she jests, shooting you a playful wink. Even knowing that she is joking, you are left stammering, and if the inferno on your face is any indication of the excessive blood flow, blushing wildly. Lotus smiles, continuing, "It's so adorable when you blush. When you find a special somepony, they'll be very lucky to have you." The blue pony's compliments bolster your confidence and melt away your stress. "I didn't think you would be back by so soon."

"Me either, but I promised that I'd come by when I felt better. So, here I am."

"Ok. Come on back, we can talk and go through the normal routine, as well. By the time I get done with you, you should be relaxed and as loose as a mouse moose." Her statement finishes with a set of shared giggles. The spa pony had picked that statement up from a story that she had heard from a client, and the way it sounded with her accent made you both giggle like school fillies.

She leads you down the singular hallway that goes deeper into the spa. Wooden doors sporadically dot the walls, leading into private rooms for the many sorts of services that the sisters offer.

Eventually, Lotus makes a sharp turn, passing through a doorway and entering into one of the private baths just before the communal spa. A calming light blue adorns the walls of this room, and shining golden filigree climbs from floor to ceiling on the large pillars in each corner. The room houses a single steaming bath that is partially inlaid into the floor thus, making it easier to enter. The bath’s position also places a client’s head at the perfect height to allow their hair to be tended, should they wish it. A light pink hue is cast in the calm pool of water, either by electromagical lighting or simple bath salts.

"I'm going to gather some supplies. If you want to, you can go ahead and hop in," the mare says, gesturing to the steaming tub. You amble over to the pool, and as you get closer, you can feel the warmth radiating off of it. Careful not to immerse it too quickly, you dip a forehoof into the liquid. It's just cool enough where your instincts don't immediately tell you to pull away but well above the temperature that one normally encounters water at. You continue to slowly slip into the tub, letting the heat penetrate your body, inch by inch, as you sink deeper into its reaches. As always, the tub is the perfect depth to allow you to lay normally, with your legs tucked under your body and the water level comfortably around your neck. You rotate yourself to the side, leaning against the edge of the basin and allowing yourself to stare blankly into the distance.

The water's heat begins to soothe and relax your tense muscles; being in such close proximity to Lotus is wreaking havoc on your nerves, though. Insecurities that you never knew you had are suddenly flying through your head.

"I'm sorry I look so run down, today." The mare's gentle hoofsteps signal that she has returned to the tub, and a light clatter is heard as a tray is set atop a hard surface. A blue hoof gently pulls the morning glory and your characteristic headband out of your mane and shifts your hair around to the back of your head. You hear the trickle of water as it flows into a large ladle that you know is held in the spa pony's mouth. Moments later, the heat that surrounds your body flows over your head. With the skilled spa pony in control, the hot liquid is kept well clear of your eyes, nose, and mouth. Even in such a serene environment, the mare's lack of response causes anxiety to build in your mind.

"Lotus," you say, meekly. The sound of water flowing into the ladle echoes around the room.

"Hmm?" Is all she can manage with the large, bamboo spoon clenched in between her teeth. Once again, warmth envelopes your head as water flows through your mane.

"I thought you wanted to talk."

"Not if you're going to beat up on yourself, Sweets. I wanted you to come by so that you could relax and forget about what's got you so troubled." An icy pang of sadness shoots up your throat when her words reach your ears, and your head hangs dejectedly. Your muzzle is so close to the water that your slow breathing creates ripples across its surface.

"Whatever has you so wound up better be important, because you haven't been yourself lately, and that’s a shame. You're a beautiful pony, inside and out, Sweets." You raise your head back to its normal level as her words send a strange warm feeling through your body. Her hoof gently meets your head, holding it in place; a thick, cool liquid is poured into your hair. As her hooves begin working the goo into your mane, the echoing sound of a bottle being set down on a hard surface meets your ears.

"Just try and relax, Sweets. We can talk some other time." The spa pony's hooves massage your scalp, and work their way through your mane, pushing a thick foam through its lengths. The shampoo's scent encompasses you in a relaxing cloud.

It evokes a vision of walking through a pine grove on a sunny day, leaning against the pony of your dreams. A smile tugs at your lips when you feel the pony nuzzle against your neck. The soft, green grass tickles your fetlocks as you walk through the trees, and the sun periodically shines in your face as it peeks through the branches.

A tug on your hair causes a sharp pain to radiate from the top of your head, breaking your dream and eliciting a surprised gasp.

"Sorry," Lotus says, quietly. "I didn't mean to wake you, but there was a little knot I needed to get out."

Wiping your heavy eyes with your wet hoof, you realise that Lotus has already dried your mane and is now brushing it for you. You yawn, politely covering your mouth as you do so.

"I guess it's well enough, your hooves are probably starting to prune anyway. Come on out, and we'll see if you can stay awake through the massage," she says, lightly teasing you. Slowly, you climb to your feet, fighting the stiffness in your legs over every inch you try to move. As you begin stepping out of the tub, Lotus gives you a thick, fluffy towel and once you are completely clear of the water, you dry yourself off in the only way an earth pony can, very awkwardly. After a bit of faffing about, the spa sister helps you up onto the plush massage table that is situated in the far end of the room.

Getting comfortable lying on your stomach is a relatively easy task, and you come to rest with your forehooves placed flush up against your body and your head cocked to the side, facing your masseuse. You idly watch Lotus retrieve a small bottle of massage oil from the tray she prepared earlier. She turns back to you, and for a moment, your eyes lock. Behind the bottle of oil, you can see her lips form a smile. Your breath catches in your throat, and it's not until her eyes break away from yours, as she looks towards your back, that you continue to breath.

Your eyes still follow the blue pony as she sets to work. A light sweat dampens her mane and coat, giving off a transfixing glistening. Her mane is now pulled back with a plush-looking terry cloth headband. As much as she wears it, it’s still completely, perfectly white. As she leans over your body, a glimmer from her neck catches your eye. Moving your eyes down her neck and over her silky, blue coat, you identify the object that drew your attention. On a thick white neckband lies a single pink sapphire.

A moment later, a small stream of the clear oil is pour, from the bottle, onto your back. The liquid's heat penetrates your coat and skin, trailing warmth down the crest of your back, right along your spine. Lotus places her hooves on your back, just above your shoulder blade and directly over your spine. She works upward and outward, pressing and kneading your muscles into relaxation. The pressure of her hooves against your tired muscles causes a warm, relaxing feeling to flow through your body. As she reaches the base of your neck, the faint, sweet, and fruity smell of the massage oil fills the air around you. Slowly, she works her way downward, coaxing all of the aches and pains from your overworked body and leaving only bliss behind. The blue sister develops a small smile when you let out a few soft murmurs from the pleasurable feelings her hooves are sending through your body.

When she reaches a particularly achy muscle in your lower back, you let an uncharacteristic groan; followed by a deep sigh as her hooves chase away the unwanted feeling. You slide your eyes closed, letting your mind focus completely on the sense of ecstasy flowing through your body. She continues downward, working the tightness out one of your thighs and then, the other.

When she finishes with your legs, her hooves trail back up your body at an excruciatingly slow pace. Judging by the sound of her movement, she has positioned herself on the other side of the table. Something is different about how her hooves are moving against you. They've sped up now, going from one area to another and eliciting varying gasps, sighs, and groans from deep within you. The increased activity, if only vocal, causes your breathing to increase in speed and power. After a particularly throaty groan, a new set of stimuli cause your mind and body to freeze.

For what seems like an eternity, quick pulses of hot air run over your neck. It feels like your heart is trying to climb up your throat when a warm pair of lips press against the nape of your neck. Slowly, they drag their way upward, tickling the sensitive hairs that they contact. One more kiss is planted near the crest of your neck. And another, just below your exposed ear. You gasp aloud as a wet, soft appendage is drug over the back of your ear. Spinning your head towards the sensual attacker, your eyes bolt open.

Before you is something you didn't expect, or rather, nothing that you had expected. The sudden surprise causes your heart to beat wildly within your chest and your lungs to pull in great breaths of air.

Spinning your head around to the best of your ability, you find yourself completely alone. Nothing has changed about the room around you, except for the lack of one earth pony. The realisation that you had probably fallen asleep, once again, comes to you as you begin to calm down.

As you slide off of the massage table, you also notice how your dreaming has affected your body. Warmth radiates through your lower stomach, making you very uncomfortable about the possibility of being around anypony else. Moving quietly, you walk towards the door. Just as you reach the threshold, Lotus appears from around the corner and begins to walk into the room.

"You fell asleep again, and I forgot the hoof file—" Her voice trails off as you panic and push your way past her. Holding your tail tightly between your legs, you quickly trot down the hallway, towards the exit.

"Sweetie?" the confused mare calls after you.

"Sorry, Lotus. I think I left the… uh… refrigerator running!"

Fleeting Flowers

As soon as your front door closes, you lean into it, collapsing to your knees. A torrent of sweat rolls through your coat as you lay there, panting heavily. You love running, but you never were much of a sprinter; it was always so much more tiring. That didn't stop you from running home as fast as possible, though.

I like her.

Eventually, when your breathing calms, you run a hoof through your mane and let your mind drift; of course, your main thought process is… Lotus and your quick escape from certain embarrassment. If she had found out you that had a steamy dream about her while she was giving you a massage, then you'd probably curl up and die right there.

A shiver makes its way down your spine as you think about brushing past the spa sister during your getaway. The warmth radiating off of her body was absolutely astounding, and even the light, cool sweat you felt in her coat, no doubt due to the incredible humidity of the spa, felt amazing.

The memory of an earlier spa trip comes to the forefront of your mind.

"You really take care of yourself well, Sweets," she says. Her accent is just strong enough to let you know she's not originally from Ponyville, but it’s still easy to understand. You had heard rumors that Princess Celestia was supposed to have the most angelic voice of any pony. Though after hearing Lotus speak, you've no idea how that could even be possible.

You find yourself lightly giggling as she continues, "Stop laughing, I'm serious. I see mares come in here that are so obsessed with being 'in shape' that I feel like I'm trying to massage one of those biology-class skeletons." You remember the inadvertent tickling and resultant bout of laughter as the masseuse shivered at the thought. "But you… You're beautiful."

You turn to face the floor-length mirror that was placed on a wall by your front door. Your eyes run over your body, admiring yourself with a soft smile and taking her compliment to heart. When your eyes finally make their way up to your face, your heart drops a little. When you left, you forgot about the blue and purple flower that had been removed from your mane.

"I hope Lily will forgive me for losing it so quickly," you say, a frown spreading across your face.

Your thoughts jump quickly back to Lotus and the sensation of her hooves as she plucks that same flower from your mane, setting it aside. You close your eyes and relive every moment in your mind. You can feel the warmth of the water as it flows over your head, followed by the cool shampoo being drizzled lightly onto your mane. Ever so slowly, Lotus' hooves push the shampoo deep into your hair, using gentle circular patterns.

You take a deep breath and lazily lay your head against the carpeted floor, as the feeling of warm water once again washes over your head.

***

The loud rapping of a pony knocking at the door, against which you rest, jars you from your once peaceful slumber. Much to your surprise, the morning sun filters through the large window that adorns the front of your house, bathing the entire room in a bright orange glow. You unceremoniously climb to your hooves, realising, as you lean against the door frame, that your legs had fallen asleep when you did. The feeling of being stabbed by thousands of pins and needles quickly spreads through your neglected limbs as you take a step back, allowing room for the door to swing open.

You reach out a hoof and pull the door open just as a powerful yawn overtakes your body, forcing your eyes closed. As you slowly exhale, you reach up and wipe away the resultant moisture. As your eyes slide open, your breath seems to get stuck in your throat.

"Hi, Sweetie," For a moment, you're taken aback by the view before your eyes. "You always look so beautiful like this. So, I thought I'd give it a try this morning. Do you like it?"

Still stunned, you blink a few times and drink in the sight of the smiling blue mare. Her mane is pushed back by a headband, but not the typical one; she's wearing not only your purple headband but also Lily's morning glory in her hair. The combination is surprisingly striking, and the blue and purple flower seems to compliment the spa pony's deep blue eyes as well as it does your own.

"I guess you do," Lotus says, reaching up with her hoof and nudging your mouth closed; your heart jumps at the contact. Afterwards, she plucks the headband and flower from her mane, nearly dropping the morning glory before gently grasping it in her mouth, for better control. Lotus places the headband in your mane by first positioning the ends behind your ears and then rotating body of the object up to the top of your head, effectively corralling your messy morning mane. As she pulls away, her hoof brushes against the soft fur of your ear, sending a shiver through your spine. The entrancing pony leans in slowly, tucking the flower into your mane at the base of the headband, just like Lily did. You can feel her warm breath gently wash over your face, tickling your fur.

"Lotus, I want to ask you something." As you speak, Lotus pulls away, causing the short hairs on your muzzles to brush against one another. The welcome sensation causes heat to spread through your cheeks and each of your words to come out slower and quieter until your voice is no longer audible. When the mare's face comes back into view, something about her expression draws you in. Maybe it's the way her eyes shimmer in this light or her ubiquitous smile. Though, why you're drawn to her isn't important right now. What is important is that your face is now close enough for you to smell the minty scent of her breath and feel its warmth as it rolls over your face.

Lotus' eyes go wide in surprise right as your lips meet, and when you realise what you're doing, you completely freeze up. Your heart races through your chest, and during that moment, it feels like an eternity passes you by before Lotus gathers the wherewithal to recoil. Your heart falls into your stomach, and your gaze drops to the floor.

"Umm… Sweets?"

"I'm sorry, Lotus," you say, already talking a mile a minute. "I don't know what I was thinking. It's just that you're so beautiful and you keep complementing me, and it makes me feel so good about myself." As you quietly ramble, you slowly inch backward, stopping when you bump into the arm of the couch.

"I wanted to ask you out, but when I saw you just now, I couldn’t help myself, and now I've messed that up. So, I hope we can still be friends, but I completely understand if you never want me to come to the spa again."

"Yes."

Prying your eyes off of the beige carpet below your hooves, you look up at Lotus. Surprisingly, she looks just as nervous as you feel.

"Saturday at seven?" you ask, hoping that her acceptance wasn't just a figment of your stressed mind. The blue pony nods furiously and then bolts from your home, much like you did her spa.

The moment she's out of sight, you sit on your haunches and lean against the arm of your couch, grasping your head in your forehooves in an attempt to stop the millions of thoughts running through your mind.

I kissed her.

She ran away.

But she said, yes. Twice.

She ran away.

Her lips were so warm; so soft.

She,

Ran,

Away!

As your thought finishes, you thrust your head backwards into the couch, expecting a soft impact. Instead, your head smashes into one of its main support beams. "Ouch…" you say, rubbing the back of your aching head.

You take a deep breath and let it out slowly before speaking just above a whisper. "She said, yes!"

With your spirits momentarily buoyed, you get up and trot into the kitchen. As you enter the room, the way Celestia's sun reflects off of the butter yellow walls momentarily blinds you, causing your, recently acquired, headache to flare. When your vision adjusts to the incredibly bright room, you continue towards your destination, the refrigerator.

As you pass by the sink, you stop to water a small potted tree that sits on the window sill in front of you. It's a rare species that you had purchased from the flower sisters. It looks very similar to a full grown oak tree in miniature scale, but it has one major difference, the leaves are a delicate shade of light pink. It takes you a moment to recall the name of the plant. Arborus Flutterus.

With a smile, and a happy tree, you continue towards the fridge. You take a quill off of the counter, and step up to the calendar that is held in place on the freezer door, right at eye level. Under the date five Neigh, you write 'Date with Lotus at seven.' Afterwards, you draw a large X through yesterday's block and look to today's.

"Have dress made at Carousel Boutique."

***

Wow. This place is… Extravagant. Is this silk on the outside of a building?"

Trotting over, you run a hoof over the fabric next to the door, confirming your earlier speculation. After that revelation, you decide that if you continue examining the exterior of the building, you might just lose your mind.

Unsure if you should knock or not, you lightly push on the front door, and when the door freely swings open, you make your way inside. The interior design seems to be more grounded. The walls are a deep, calming fuchsia with lighter pink accents. Around the outside wall are a number of mannequines clothed in varying styles of dresses and even a few with tuxedos. You don't see Rarity anywhere in the room. So, you decide to examine the mare's wares while you wait for her. One specific dress catches your eye right away. Its colors are quite similar to that of the room around you. Deep fuchsia mixed with lighter shades of pink, and accented by what appears to be golden thread and topaz. Atop the mannequine's head is a simple golden tiara with three dark pink gems adorning its face. The entire ensemble appears to be hoof stitched.

You nearly jump out of your own skin when a powerful, masculine voice speaks from quite close behind you. "Rarity will down in just a moment, miss." You can feel your heart racing a mile a minute as you whirl around to take in the sight of the stallion that snuck up behind you.

Not a stallion.

Something much larger. Something that stands on two legs and towers over you. He smiles – no, not smiles. Bears his teeth, his sharp, pointed teeth – at you. He holds a bottle of Sparkle Cola in his… claws? Yes, they look like that baby dragon's claws.

You're breathing in short, quick pants, now, and as you slowly take a step away from this monster, you flatten your ears and lower your head, trying to look as docile as possible. Seemingly oblivious to your situation, the monster takes a long drink from his Cola before letting out a great, roaring belch. Reacting to the loud sound, you press your eyes shut and tilt your head to the side, slightly. Your flank bumps into something hard, causing you to come to a complete stop as the monster's great roar finishes.

Cracking your eyes open, you see that you've been backed into a large, gnarled tree. One of many in the forest that surrounds you. Your mother had always told you that going into the Everfree Forest was dangerous, and as you stare at the monster in front of you, you now see why.

Its massive body is covered with a thick, orange-brown fur. As it advances towards you on only its hind legs, it bears its large, cat-like teeth and flares the large, sinewy wings that adorn its back. Just as it gets to you, the monster sets itself down on all fours, holding its chitinous tail high overhead. Before you can react, the monster's large stinger is buried in your neck.

The pain spreading throughout your body is nearly overwhelming as the long appendage is pulled away from you. Fire seems to course through your veins and it quickly encompasses your entire being. As one last feeble attempt at survival you scream; or at least, you try to, but you quickly find that your mouth won't open, nor will your hooves do as much as quiver. Thankfully, your breathing continues unhindered.Futilely, you focus all of your effort on the simple act of closing your eyes. Still, your muscles don't respond.

Time seems to go in slow motion when you see the monster's massive paw being swung down at you. You can feel all four of the monster's claw tear into the flesh of your chest, and your vision is stained red when small droplets of liquid splatter across your face. The intense burning sensation throughout your body is dwarfed by the sharp stinging of the massive gashes running down your belly.

Your eyes overflow with tears as the great monster towers over you, once again on its hind legs. The monster leans in, bearing its teeth, but as it gets within hoof-reach of you, its face slams into an invisible wall. Moments later, a magenta sphere envelops you. A veritable flood of tears run down your face as the monster raises its bloodied claw and swings at you again, but the barrier holds strong. You begin to feel lightheaded, and your heart seems to race faster than it's ever done.

A bright magenta pulse of magic draws both the creature's attention and yours. It quickly turns to the side, letting out a powerful roar. A blinding aura of magic fills the air with static and blasts the great creature out of your line of sight. The sound of trees shattering is followed by a muted thud.

As your vision begins to fade you see a stallion gallop up to you. Sweat pours from his multi-hued blue mane and over his alabaster coat. A few stray beams of Celestia's sun reflect off of his brightly shining armor and flow over you, leaving your entire body feeling warm as the darkness consumes you.

"Darling, you're ok," a noblemare's voice coos. "You're safe." You open your eyes, taking in the blurry world around you. The first tangible sensations to reach your mind are the warmth of the liquid in which you currently sit and how closely the aroma of the room around you resembles Cheerileeos. A soft, white hoof presses lightly against your shoulder. You quickly look down to your torso and run a forehoof over the four scars that lie hidden under your coat.

"I'm sorry, Rarity. I can't believe this happened again," you say, weakly.

"Not at all, dear. Come now, get up. I can't have you sitting in a puddle of bodily fluids after such a traumatic event." You shakily climb to your hooves, as instructed, and Rarity levitates a plush-looking, white towel over in a field of blue magic, placing it across your shoulders.

"Please dry yourself off, and follow me." Once again, you do as you're told. The generous mare leads you up a flight of stairs and into a large bathroom, where she flicks the bathtub's tap on. In a just a moment, hot water begins to fill the basin as steam fills the room.

"Now, Darling. Take as much time as you need to get cleaned up and calm down. I'll be downstairs tidying up. Don't even think about coming down until you're feeling better. I simply shan't allow it." With that, the white mare leaves you to yourself, shutting the door as she does so.

***

You felt terrible taking so long in the bath of, for all intents and purposes, a stranger's home, but for what seemed like forever, you had just sat there, vibrating from the fear of reliving that terrible memory. Every so often, a stray tear or two would roll down your face and drip into the bath. Eventually, you calm enough to properly bathe yourself, and before long, you're squeaky clean and as calm as you are going to get. Even still, phantom twinges of pain on your neck and chest have to be chased away by tenderly rubbing them with a hoof. Though, they seem to return as soon as you stop. You dry yourself off with another of the generous mare's towels, and make your way over to the mirror. After you rein in your mane and put your lavender headband back in place, you are very careful to not damage Lily's morning glory when you tuck it behind your ear, once again.

With a deep breath, you make your way downstairs, bracing yourself for the inevitable storm of question that is to come. Upon reentering the boutique proper, you once again find the room empty.

"Rarity?" you call out, noting the piney-lemony scent now flooding the room.

"Mmm… Back here, Darling." You just barely hear her reply echo out of a room in the back. Walking over to the doorway that the sound came from, you see that the seamstress occupies a table in her kitchen, with the butter-yellow pegasus that you saw at the spa and the creature from earlier. You halt at the doorway, unable to make eye contact with the trio.

"Would you care for a cup of tea before we begin, dear?"

"Oh. No, thank you. I've never really enjoyed tea. I prefer hot cocoa, really."

"So be it," Rarity says, rising from her seat with a delicate looking china tea cup wrapped up in the blue aura of her magic. "Shall we get started then?" You nod in response, and wait on the far side of the doorway for the fashionista to join you.

She leads you into what appears to be her workroom. A bookshelf full from top to bottom with thread sits against one wall. Next to it is a rack with what must be nearly a hundred different types and colors of fabric. By the far wall is a set of mannequines with dresses in varying stages of completion. The best description you can use for this room is harmonious chaos.

"Ok, Darling. First, I shall need to take your measurements," she says, levitating a tape measure as she approaches. Surprisingly, Rarity uses a hoofs-on approach, wrapping the yellow measuring tape around her hooves and taking measurements while floating a quill and pad in her magical aura. She lightly hums during the process, but she stops when taking your chest measurement. You felt her hooves graze your scars, lingering a little too long, probably in surprise. The generous mare is visibly taken aback and seems to be fighting a mental battle with herself. Knowing full well what happens next, you preempt her questions.

"As a filly, my mother always warned me about the Everfree, forbidding me to go near it. One day, I decided that she was just trying to keep me away from something really fun, like all foals think their parents do. When I got lost, I quickly learned that wasn't the case. Then, I got cornered by a manticore, pinned up against a tree."

Up until this point, Rarity had continued to measure what you assume to be important points of your anatomy, but when you utter the monster's name she lets out a small gasp. You can feel your heart race just from the thought of it.

"It used its massive tail to sting me right in the neck. It only took a few seconds before I was completely paralyzed. I couldn't even close my eyes. I was completely helpless, forced to sit there and watch as it raised its claw and ripped my body open. Then it leaned in and right as it was about to eat me alive, I was surrounded by a unicorn's forcefield."

Even though you couldn't see her, you knew the fashionista was staring, slack-jawed at you as tears slowly rolled down your cheeks. Everypony did.

"It was a young guardspony, and I'll never forget the blinding magenta of his magical aura as it blasted the manticore through the forest or the way his armor shined, even under the forest's thick canopy. I never got to meet him, though. When I was in the hospital recovering, they told me that he was just a recruit on patrol."

"You know, Darling. I've only ever met a few unicorns with a magenta magical aura, it's quite rare," Rarity says as she walks around in front of you. Oddly, she seems to be trying to hide a devious smirk.

"Let's get back to happier matters, shall we? Did you have the type of dress you wanted, in mind?"

"Not really. Though, I do have a date coming up."

"Perfect!"Rarity blurts, lifting a sketch pad up in her aura. Slowly walking circles around you, the mare's eyes take in every inch of your body. "Now, Darling. If I'm going to make an absolutely fabulous dress for this date, I must know everything! What date is it? Where are you going? What's his name?"

For a moment, the fashionista began to sound like a refined, nosey version of Pinkie Pie.

"Well," you say, after a moment of consideration. "It's our first date, and I'm not quite sure where we’re going. It was sort of a spur of the moment thing, you see." A long silence follows with Rarity clearly expecting more information

"That's not exactly much to work with, dear. Come now, tell me who it is that's asked you out. I would say that I know quite a few ponies around town, and if I do know this mystery stallion, then I might know what he likes to do. You see, that will allow us to narrow down the possible places he might take you. Thus, allowing us to make a better ensemblé and hopefully help woo the lucky colt taking you out." During her long winded explanation, Rarity continued to circle around you, much like the way a predator circles their prey.

You sigh, quietly. "I'm not really sure that she'd like me telling you before we've even gone on our first date."

"Darling, I'm quite sure that whoever this pony is, they would not have chosen to gone on a date with you if they were not comfortable with other ponies knowing about it."

"I'm not so sure about that, though. As soon as we set a date and time, she ran away. Like, fast."

"Oh dear." The fashionista stumbles over her words a little after your revelation. Somehow, you get the idea that she doesn't do that too often. "I dare say that I would be a bit conflicted if that happened to me, as well. Darling, tell me everything, and I'll see if I can help you figure this out."

"But, what if she found out?"

"She won't, dear. It will just be between you and me, I… Pinkie promise" Using a forehoof, Rarity goes through the gestures of the swear, making sure not to poke herself in the eye with her hoof in the process. Forever

Once again, you sigh. Though, this time, in defeat. She is right.

Well, hopefully. Maybe.

After quite a while, you realise that you might have gotten a bit carried away in your explanation because before it was over, you had told Rarity everything related to your infatuation and eventual faux pas. Though, once you started pouring your heart out, the mare's subtle coaxing kept you going until every last one of your secrets had been given away, and if this wasn't her original intention, she never gave any indication.

"Can you imagine how utterly perfect that would have been if she told you how she had loved you all along, and then kissed you back?" Rarity suggests with a wistful edge to her voice.

"Yeah," you say, the disappointment in your own voice obvious.

"Sorry, dear. That was terribly uncouth of me." The unicorn begins levitating various items of her trade around, slipping small pieces of fabric and threads, arranging small gemstones, and furiously scribbling on her sketchpad.

"Give me just a moment, Darling. I've got the perfect idea."

After a few more moments, and an undeniable hurricane of supplies flying about, Rarity calls you over to her work desk. On the desk is a quill and ink sketch of you wearing what seems to be a light, airy dress. Around the sketch is an array of materials, but just as you begin to examine the entire setup, Rarity launches into what you would call a sales pitch, if she didn't insist on this being a gift; by the end, she's almost convinced you that you could woo Princess Celestia if you were wearing the planned dress.

As you open your mouth to approve with the mare's design, you meet her eyes. They remind you of Lotus'. They share the same deep shades of blue, and they share that same look of confidence, but in Rarity's eyes, you can see something else. You see the need for her design to be accepted, liked. Something tells you, it's as deep seated and powerful as the urge you feel to have Lotus reciprocate your feelings. Suddenly, you understand her enthusiasm, and the near endless quest for perfection she's, even by you, known for. One does not simply live in a town with feuding fashion designers without hearing things about both.

Seeing a bead of sweat roll down the fashionista's face, you know you've been lost in thought for far too long. "It looks like it will be amazing, Rarity."

"Wonderful!" All of a sudden, the unicorn begins leading you towards the exit. “I simply must get started now if I’m going to finish this by Saturday. Tata for now, Darling.”

You politely say goodbye before heading home, ready for a rest after a stressful day repeatedly bearing your life somepony no closer than an acquaintance.

As you oftentimes do after arriving at your front door, you lean down and take a long, deep breath, taking in the sweet smell of the bright flowers surrounding your home. You stand there for a little while, letting the calming scent relax your mind. A smile spreads across your face; you've got a date with the most wonderful mare you could ever dream of, and you're going to look stunning in Rarity's dress. After a moment longer, you open the door and walk inside, bubbling with excitement. Nothing is going to stop your date from being the best night ever!

Natural High

In an event lucky for your frayed nerves, Friday went without a hitch. You spent most of your day helping Bon Bon craft and sell candies. Though, it did take some amount of explaining to reveal your weekend plans to your good friend. As per normal, she reacted with a tactfully gaping jaw and silence. Still, the reassurances she gave you were well worth the rocky start.

Even with only one day in between, when Saturday morning rolled around, your anxiety was already nearing a breaking point. During your morning run, you couldn't help but think that you had already done something wrong, mostly, because you had.

What kind of a pony just randomly kisses another pony? She must think that I'm just after her flank.

As these self-destructive thoughts flow through your mind, you increase pace, trying to drown them out with the furious beating of your hooves against the earth. It never seems to work though, at least in the intended manner. Before long, a burning sensation builds in the muscles of your legs, and soon, they begin to grow tight. You breathe deeply, and still, your efforts can't seem to stop quell the fire that had started in your lungs and has made its way all the way up your throat.

She probably just said yes to get away from the crazy stalker mare.

In a fit of anger, you forcefully huff the air in your lungs out of your nose. In the cool pre-dawn temperature, this causes two small jets of steam to shoot out of your nostrils. This action, however, was probably not the most apt thing to do. Your legs very quickly feel as if you had four left hooves made of lead, and all of a sudden, they just don't seem to move in the way you need them to. Between this and your now spinning head, you stumble and begin to fall headfirst onto the ground. The next bit happens so quickly that your brain can't seem to process it all, and the next thing that you know, your face is buried in the earth.

You're not sure how long you lay there, panting and dazed so badly that the only thought going through your mind is uuuuuughhhh. Once you are able to catch your breath, your thoughts seem to catch up with you as well. Your legs are still quite stiff, and as you try to pull yourself up to a standing position, a warm, stinging sensation pulses through one side of your face. Gently, you raise a hoof to the irritated area, and a sharp hiss escapes your lips as the contact intensifies the stinging that you feel.

You quickly decide that it’s probably in your best interests to make your way home and take a look at your injury. Your journey home is uneventful but slow, due to the aching of your overworked legs.

When you make your way into the small house that you call home, you quickly glance at yourself in the mirror and cringe at the sight. A deep sigh escapes your mouth as you head directly to the shower, flick the water on with a hoof, and step into the cool jet. For a time, you just let the water run over your head and through your mane; brown clumps of varying size fall to the floor and wash away as you run your hoof through your equally brown hair. With a hoof, you pull your mane back, tucking it behind your ear opposite of your injury. The cool spray washing over your face simultaneously soothes and stings as it begins to erode away the dirt that had clung to your fur. Lifting a washcloth in a hoof, you lightly soap it and begin to gently scrub your face clean. The act feels something akin to running a cheese grater over your face would. You grit your teeth and push through it, though. After a few repetitions of scrubbing followed by rinsing the cloth clean, your eyes have long since filled with tears, but you let out a relieved sigh when the washcloth appears clean after what would be the last bout of scrubbing. A light swipe of your hoof confirms that your wound does feel clean. During the remainder of your shower, you wind down, taking deep breaths and slowly washing your coat.

As you climb out of the shower, you glance at the clock on the far wall.

I’m late for the dress fitting!

You very quickly dry yourself off and brush your mane before trotting out of your home as fast as your stiff muscles will move.

***

The day seems to have gone by quickly. Until now, that is. You've spent the last half hour looking between the clock and the mirror. Once more, you look yourself over, praying that nothing is out of place, and indeed, everything is perfect. Rarity's dress is an exceptionally beautiful mix of light turquoise silk and white chiffon. Your lavender headband has been swapped for one that matches the turquoise of the dress, and in front of your right ear is a small rose made from lavender satin; at its center is a magical gemstone called a serpent's eye amethyst. You were told that they could sometimes be used as magical foci, but mostly they are just used for their astounding splendor. A keen observer would notice that beneath this gem's surface waves of blue and purple shift and twist past each other.

You shake your head to bring your mind back to focus. Repeating the process that had been occupying your time since you had finished getting ready, you look to the clock. Five to seven. Your heart races through your chest, just minutes separate you from what is going to be a perfect first date.

You trot up to the door, pressing your eye to the peep-hole in hope that you can catch a glimpse of your date before she knocks. When all you see is the stone walkway leading up to your stoop, your throat closes in on itself a little. A great wave of anxiety washes over you as you begin to pace back and forth in front of the door. After ten more minutes with nothing in the peep-hole but the front of your house, doubt begins to creep its way back into your mind.

She wouldn’t want to date a mare that just plays with candy all day, like a foal. I just cover nuts and berries in chocolate, she owns a successful spa.

At that point, logic takes over again.

The spa! I bet she thought I was going to pick her up at the spa! Goddess, I'm so thick sometimes.

As quickly as possible, you leave your home, trotting towards the spa. By the time you reach your destination, it's starting to get dark, but you can't see any lights on inside the building. Even so, you knock furiously. A minute or so passes, with no response, before you knock again. Your hoof trembles between each impact with the door, the stress and adrenaline taking a toll on your body.

With nothing but damning silence for an answer, you sit on your haunches, probably ruining the delicate chiffon where it presses against the stone walkway. It's the last thing going through your mind right now, though. Minutes pass where the only sound you hear is that of your own unsteady breathing.

With your heart bouncing around the pit of your stomach, you slowly walk home. Throughout the entire meandering journey you look to the sky, staring at the blurry constellations above you. Naturally, your eyes lock onto one in particular as an involuntary sigh works its way out of your body. Gemini.

The twins.

Under their light, you're guided home safely. In hindsight, you're thankful that you had rushed off in such a hurry that you had forgotten to lock the door. The haze that has developed in your eyes is enough obscure the entire door handle, so trying to use a key would be an impossibility. After a bit of fumbling, you finally make it inside and glance at the clock as you pass by. Seven forty something. You move to the couch and unceremoniously collapse into its comforting hold, completely oblivious to a low ripping sound as you do so.

Time ceases to exist as you lay there with a familiar burning sensation in the back of your throat. From time to time, a stray thought, or memory, passes through your mind that pushes your rejection to the forefront, sending tears cascading down your face temporarily. After about the fourth or fifth bout of this, a sound that you hadn't expected to hear echoes through your home, a sound that immediately perks your ears and makes your heart leap.

"It's her," you say, jumping off of the couch and rushing towards the soft knocking. You quickly fling the door open. "Oh Goddess, I thought you weren't going to show up!" you blurt out before your mind can process the pink and yellow-orange pony standing in your doorway.

"You were expecting me?" Lily asks with a quizzical look on her face that quickly shifts to one of concern. "Have you been crying?" Her hoof gently runs over your face, wiping away the moisture that resides there. Afterwards, small red speckles adorn her hoof. "Wait, is this blood?" she exclaims, her eyes shrinking down to pin pricks. Before you can explain, she pushes past you, grasping a bit of ripped fabric on the flank of your dress. "And what happened…" Her hoof begins to visibly shake as she continues speaking, in a barely audible tone, "W-were you… raped?"

"What… why would…" you stammer before you piece together why she came to that conclusion.

Crying, bloodied face (I guess I missed some, after all.), mussed mane and tail, lower portion of dress in tatters.

You take a deep breath, pushing the burning in your throat back down into the pit of your stomach. "No, Lily, I wasn't."

"Oh thank Goddess," she says breathily. The pink pony blinks a few times, clearing the latent tears from her eyes. Reaching out, she softly wraps her forehooves around your neck. "Do you want to talk about what's going on?"

"Not really. I'm still not even sure, myself."

"Ok, Sweets,” she says, pulling away, “I came over tonight to plant a few very special seeds in your garden out front."

"I've been meaning to ask, Lily, why do you keep doing that? Surely, taking care of your own garden is enough work." The flower mare seems a little surprised by your question, her golden eyes looking off at a very interesting spot on the wall.

"I know that they make you smile, so it’s worth the extra work.” You could swear you see her blush, but it's probably just a shadow from the dim lighting. “Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to give me a hand planting these seeds, it could help keep your mind off of what's going on."

"I guess it's better than just sitting on the couch and moping, right?"

"Not to mention that I would really appreciate the extra hooves. These seeds can be a little trouble sometimes."

"How can seeds cause problems?" you ask, quirking an eyebrow. Lily's golden eyes turn back to you, and she smiles.

"Well, they're a magical plant like the zap apples that the Apple family harvests. They have to be planted in a very specific manner or they won't grow at all. I'll show you what we have to do in a bit, for now, you should probably take that dress off. I don't think we want to ruin it rolling around in the dirt."

You nod and begin to make your way into the bathroom, stopping just outside the doorway. "Lily, it took me like half an hour to get this thing zipped up. Do you mind?"

"Oh, sure." You barely hear her say as you move fully into the chaste bathroom just off your house's main hallway. To give her a better angle at the zipper, you prop your forehooves up on the counter and wait patiently for her to catch up. The soft sound of the flower sister's hooffalls ends when you, watching from the mirror, see her enter the room.

"I don't see a zipper anywhere, Sweets."

You laugh lightly, speaking, "that's why it took me so long to get it on. It's under that little fold just to the left of center." She leans in, pressing a hoof into your back and brushing the fabric aside.

"Oh, gosh. Why is it so small?"

"I guess that makes it easy to hide."

You can feel her hoof running over the zipper, desperately trying to get purchase, to no avail. After a moment, it seems as if she gives up and her hoof resumes holding the small fabric flap aside. She leans in, taking the zipper in her mouth and slowly pulling it down. As she does so, a tuft of her mane runs along your spine; the feeling causes you to gasp and arch your back, trying to get away from the tickling sensation. Regardless, the flower sister continues downward, forcing you to try and stifle the small giggles that her mane draws out. It’s a small zipper, and she finishes just before you begin to laugh like a madmare.

With the tension on your body relieved, you cross your forelegs in front of your body and push the dress downward. A short sigh escapes your lips when the fabric gets bundled up around your flank; it takes some amount of effort, shimmying against the soft fabric, to get it farther down your body. Once that hurdle is overcome, it's just a matter of stepping out of the dress and hanging it on your shower rod before you are done.

"Ready," you say, whirling around to face the door, where Lily still stands, looking conflicted. You can't recall a time when you've seen her anything but happy, though. "Lily, are you ok?" Reaching out, you gently place a forehoof against her shoulder, and that seems to break her concentration.

"Sorry, yeah. I think I'm just getting a little tired."

"You don't have to plant whatever it is that you've brought tonight. We can do it some other time if you're too tired."

"Well, that's part of what I was saying earlier. The seeds have to be planted on the first day of the last new moon in spring, and that's just a part of how they have to be planted. Otherwise, they won't grow at all." She grabs your hoof and excitedly pulls you towards the door, still speaking, “come on, I’ll show you.”

Outside, she brings you to a freshly tilled furrow and kneels. You do the same, resting your knees against the cool, moist earth. The pink pony turns to a set of saddle bags that rest by the edge of the garden. From them, Lily retrieves a bundle of white cloth and a cooler, that you would assume was meant to hold a single sandwich; as she flips the container open, a dim white light pulses from within.

“These are moonflower seeds. They’re a perennial flower that are said to only come to seed once every thousand years.”

“A thousand years?”

“Mhmm.”

“There are a ton of seeds in here. I can’t let you waste them on me. They must be worth a fortune. ”

“To be honest, they aren’t worth as much as you would think, since they only bloom at night. Most of the ponies that would pay for their rarity wouldn’t ever even see them, so they just get overlooked. It’s too bad, too. They’re really pretty.”

“Are you sure?”

“I can’t sell them, and I can’t think of anypony better to give them to. Now, we should get started, they’re starting to melt.”

“Melt?”

“Mhmm, yet another of their quirks. They have to be frozen in ice before they are planted.” Using a hoof, she unwraps the bundle of white fabric, revealing a small pile of spade shaped leaves. “You have to rest each seed on a sunflower leaf, as well.” Lily grasps a sunflower leaf in her mouth, placing it in the earthen trench. Next, she sets one of the glowing white ice cubes on top of the leaf, and then she uses both forehooves to push a mound of dirt into the furrow, gently patting it down afterwards.

“I guess it’s not as difficult as I made it out to be, but trust me, that’s a lot more complicated than the process of planting most flowers.” Lily stands and moves over to a small watering can tucked away in the corner of the garden. “Go ahead and start planting some of the others, if you want. Just make sure to put them a couple hooves apart. I’ll be right back.” The flower pony picks up the little red can in her mouth, disappearing around the corner of your house in a few moments.

Following the correct method, you plant about five of the glowing seeds before the orange-maned pony returns with water. You shuffle through the garden, on your knees, as you continue placing seeds upon leaves; Lily follows you, packing dirt into the holes and then giving each of the seeds a little splash of water. Your portion of the process seems to take longer than hers. Thus, she quickly catches up, and soon her body is right next to yours. The warmth coming from her coat is in stark contrast to the cool earth below you and the frigid temperature of the glowing ice cubes.

The two of you go like that, silently sharing each other’s warmth, for somewhere around a half hour. Your thoughts seem to squarely rest on the here and now instead of the less than favorable circumstances of the night. Sometime during this period, you notice that Lily doesn’t seem to be avoiding brushing against you like a pony normally would. Though, she does look pretty tired, so her coordination isn’t as good as it could be, probably. As you bend down to place a seed in its hole, Lily’s hoof brushes against your ear, making it flick wildly at the tickling sensation.

You glare at the pink pony just in time to see her take one of the seed cubes into her mouth and viciously chomp down on it. The wild crunching continues for a few moments, and during one such bite, you could swear you saw a flash of light emanate for the pink puny's mouth. Lily’s eyes slide closed, a satisfied moan coming from her throat; she parts her lips, slowly exhaling a cloud of cold, ephemeral vapor. After a moment, her eyelids flutter open again. Your eyes meet, and when you raise an eyebrow at her, a flush of red overcomes the pink pony’s cheeks.

“They’re really good to eat, too,” Lily says, popping another of the cubes into her mouth. She goes through the same motions, including the moan, as last time with an addition of a wide smile at the end. Lifting a cube in the flat of her hoof, the flower sister speaks, “You should try at least one, Sweets.”

With a small sigh, you take the seed from her and put it in your mouth. The sensation of cold grows exponentially every moment your mouth is closed around it. Taking a cue from Lily, you begin to quickly crush the brittle ice between your teeth. As shards break away from the main portion, they melt into a warm liquid, giving a respite from the frigid onslaught. In a moment, you feel your teeth crush a much softer, round object, and a cascade of tingling washes over your mouth, bringing a flavor not unlike wintergreen mint with it. Taking a slow breath in, the cool minty flavor disappears as it’s pulled into your lungs, replaced by warmth that courses through your body with every beat of your heart. Your eyes, that you hadn’t realised had closed, slide open, once again meeting with Lily’s. It’s not until now that you notice that the golden hue of her eyes has a sheen of dull silver over them.

“That was good, but you came over to plant them, not eat them.”

“Fine,” she says, animatedly throwing a forehoof up into the air. The action seems to somehow make her lose her balance because she falls into you, shoulder to shoulder. After a moment of surprise, she rests her head across your withers. “You finish planting, I’m too tired.” Her words are accompanied by her face nestling into the fur on your back. As she does this, the warmth coursing through your body intensifies, and you crack a small smile when you see how cute she looks, possibly snoozing, on your shoulder.

Wait… What?

Shaking your head to rid yourself of the out of place thought, you go back to work; soon, the next two seeds are planted, covered, and watered. After placing a sunflower leaf in the last furrow, you take a seed cube between your lips. Just like the others, it immediately begins to feel colder the longer you hold it. As you lean down, to place seed in its new home, a loud snore escapes from Lily’s mouth. You turn to look at the sleeping mare, letting out a quiet giggle when you see her. The pink pony’s lips are just barely parted with her little tongue resting in the corner, left there by gravity and a lack of motor function.

Looking at her in this light, Lily is definitely cute. The kind of pony that you smile at from across the room, just hoping that she sees you and does the same. She’s the kind of pony that you can see yourself being with but never are, but she’s not the type of pony that sends shivers and tingles through your whole body just by being around her. She's not the pony you've fallen so hopelessly in love with, the pony who had so thoroughly broken your heart earlier, but you aren't going to focus on that cold, broken feeling. The warmth that Lily's put into you is much more attractive an emotion to dwell on. Just the thought of it makes your smile widen around the ice cube.

The ice cube! THE COLD ICE CUBE!

You quickly try to pull your mouth open, away from the frozen object that you’ve been holding for some time now, but all you’re rewarded with is a healthy portion of stinging pain. You involuntarily yelp, and close your lips down on the object once again.

Lily stirs, awoken by your pained cry. Reaching out, you take the nearby watering can in your hooves and point the spout at your mouth. Tipping the can downward results in only a few droplets of water dripping out. As a last resort, you try and bite off the portion of the ice that is within your mouth with no luck. It’s much too solid, since your front teeth are made to rip apart vegetables, not crush solid food.

Perhaps seeing all this, Lily does something that surprises you beyond reason. She leans in, taking the portion of the ice that protrudes from your mouth in hers. You immediately pull your head away, and a light pop can be heard when the tip of the cube breaks away from her lips. You think you can see her blush lightly below her coat.

“Sweets, your lips are blue! Spit it out!”

“Iss shtuck!”

“We need something warm to melt it, and fast.” Nodding, you climb to your hooves and turn to head inside.

“Faster,” she says, firmly wrapping a hoof around your shoulder. In one motion, she whirls you around and plants her lips against yours, taking the glowing cube into her mouth once again. You struggle and try to pull away from her, but her hoof wraps around the back of your neck, holding you still. The warmth left in your body seems to intensify around your pairing; when her tongue begins to brush over your lips, your legs give out from the sensational overload.

You would have crashed to the ground if not for Lily’s hooves, holding you tightly in place, and as you sit idly in her hooves the unsolicited feelings of ecstasy rid your mind of any need to resist. After a few moments, her warm tongue frees your bottom lip from the cube’s frozen grasp. They way she’s kissing you sends a tingle down your spine, causing your tail to flick in excitement.

No, not kissing. She’s just trying to help me get unstuck.

Another moment passes before the cube breaks completely free during which, her soft tongue runns circles around the cube in your mouth and your top lip. She immediately sucks the cube into her mouth, still holding you tightly against her face. Lily pushes the cube back into your mouth, pressing it against your tongue. It slides around, melting as it does, and it takes some effort , by your tongues, to keep it from escaping.

This is kissing.

WHY AM I KISSING HER?!

Just as your thought finishes, a satisfied groan works its way up from the depths of your body. Lily’s tongue works diligently against yours as her breath wafts past your face. With each breath of your lungs, the strong minty scent serves to cloud your mind and further replace your blood with pleasurable lightning.

Mmm... That's why.

With your combined efforts, the ice has all but melted in no time, and Lily parts from your lips, leaving the freed seed resting on your tongue. Without thinking you bite down on it, sending another wave of tingling wintergreen coursing through your mouth. You crack your eyes open, revealing the pink pony’s face hovering less than an inch away from yours, her hazy golden eyes half-lidded. Letting out your breath, the same ephemeral mist escapes your lips as when Lily first ate one of the seeds. The cloud flows over her face and in her nose.

The pink hooves, that have held you tightly, slowly relax, letting you get your footing once again. Once, you’re completely free of her grasp, your legs completely give out again, sending you crashing to earth. The cool dirt feels amazing against your body.

“I think we need to get you inside, Sweets.” Lily reaches down, lifts you from the ground, and throws your forehoof over her withers. If you thought the ground felt good, it’s nothing compared to the wildfire that roars through your body with each beat of your heart. You softly nuzzle Lily’s neck as she leads you inside.

“Thank you,” you say as she closes the door with a quick kick of her hindhoof.

Blossoms

Today, I've included an illustration that perfectly fit a scene I was trying to describe. Many thanks toCaumenfor letting me use it. The full size version is here.

“What do we have, Gurney?” asked a white mare, quickly trotting alongside a large unicorn stallion. As the stallion walked, his horn emitted a pale green aura, pulling along a metal-framed, wheeled bed. Resting upon his namesake was an earth-pony mare. Her form shifted as the medical table passed over a small bump in the otherwise smooth white floor; the sudden shift sent the pony’s sweat-filled orange mane flying in front of her face.

“The patient is an earth-pony mare, she was found collapsed in her garden barely breathing—” Gurney spoke quickly. A passerby would wonder how he could talk so fast, seemingly taking no breaks to breath, and still enunciate so well. The white mare rose up to her rear legs, letting her fores rest over the bed’s metal railing, yet even on two legs, she kept pace with Gurney as he moved towards their destination.

“Upon arrival I began bagging her immediately and haven’t stopped since, I also noted that she was tachycardic and her pupillary response was non-existent or highly degraded—” Reaching down, the nurse pony grasped a small black flashlight in her mouth. Then, she brushed the orange forelock away from her patient’s eyes before using her hooves to pull one open. Depressing the pressure-sensitive switch with her tongue, several slow flashes of light shot forth, shining into the unconscious pink pony’s eye. Upon the last flash, an unintelligible mumble came from the supine mare.

“She has been in an out of consciousness and seems to be hallucinating—” he added as an afterthought to the pink pony’s vocalization. “And her name is Lily.” Gurney finished just as they arrive at a set of electromagical doors.

“Sweets…”

The gurney stopped in the center of the room, and immediately, a group of three nurses surrounded it. Each mare moved quickly. One applied small circular pads to various points on Lily’s chest while a second followed behind, clipping wires to each contact. A green and blue nurse took the ventilator from Gurney’s magic, allowing him to leave.

He didn’t though. As the white mare gave orders to her staff, he retrieved a small jar from a side compartment of his namesake; inside of it were two brown spheroid objects. Gurney unscrewed the jar’s lid while a soft plastic tube levitated over to him. He took one of the spheres and placed it into the tube, immersing it in a clear liquid. Gurney quickly closed the container and began to shake the container back and forth. After a few moments, he levitated the tube, now filled with glowing blue liquid, over to the head nurse.

“Redheart, take a look, I found her surrounded by seeds, I did not think much of it since she was in a garden but I took a few and tested one, it looks like she might be OD’ing.”

Nurse Redheart simply nodded in agreeance.

“Nurse Bubbles, could you go and fetch the doctor? We will need his anesthetic spell.” Without response, one of the mares trotted out of the room at a quick pace. “Coldheart, prep the stomach pump. Joy, go ahead and intubate the patient.” Redheart flipped her pastel pink forelock before looking down at her charge. Lily let out a quiet whimper just before her eyelids cracked open ever so slightly. Her golden eyes were nearly unrecognizable under the silver haze that resided in them.

“Sweets… Tell her, sorry… Love h…” Just as the nurses returned, Lily’s eyes slid closed and her voice trailed off. The doctor pushed through the doors a moment later, and acting quickly, he checked Lily’s vital signs before his horn lit up. A soft, silver glow surrounded her head and a light chiming sound filled the room. Just before the aura receded, Lily’s weak voice was heard.

“Tell her, goodbye.”

***

Yet another sleepless night passes you by. You find no comfort in your bed, so no matter which way you lay it feels as if your body would simply fall apart if you stay like that for long enough. So, toss and turn, you do. Around three or four in the morning, you get fed up with the rigmarole, climb out of bed, and leave the house.

You trot along the same path out of town as you always do, mind still brimming with the previous days’ events. When you reach that special spot, marking your starting point, you stop and take a deep breath; you’re determined to not let your mind ruin this again. You were here for solitude, for a break from the troubles of your world, and you’ll be damned if you’re going to bring those troubles with you again.

Breathing slowly, you close your eyes and listen to the night around you. In the distance, crickets chirp softly, and a soft breeze rustles leaves of tree and shrub alike. Even through your eyelids, you notice the world about you get darker as a cloud passes over Luna’s low moon.

Only opening your eyes after you've set off, you break into a steady gallop. All sorts of fauna pass you by as you go, and you even manage to see a few bats and owls flying and perched, respectively. The night air has a slight chill to it as it passes into your lungs and over the light sheen of sweat that is forming on your coat.

Passing a loosely knit stand of trees, a glint of white light catches your eye. You slow to a trot and make your way through the trees. As you do, the sight before you is wonderful. A small pond lies in the center of a clearing. Its surface ripples gently, causing it to gently shimmer with the light given off by Luna’s moon. Your ears perk at the sound of gentle splashing of water, drawing your eyes to the far side of the small oasis.

Your breath gets caught in your throat when you see what else lies within this clearing. Lotus sits in the water, up to her barrel. She is surrounded by sea of white, pink, and blue flowers that float precariously on the water’s surface. With her eyes closed, she submerges a chalice into the water, lifts the filled vessel above her head, and pours the water over her pink mane. It quickly rolls downward, lightly splashing and sending ripples rushing across the pond. As she brushes a sodden lock out of her face, her eyes open, staring blankly at the flowers in front of her. Even from here, you can see a hint of red against the deep blue of her eyes.

Suddenly, she looks directly at you; your eyes lock for a split second before a single, surprised word comes from her mouth.

“Sweets?”

Without waiting, she stands, whirls around, and darts off into the forest. Her quick movement sends a shower of small droplets into the air. The gentle sounds of their tiny splashes accompany your cries as you call out in an attempt to halt the fleeing mare. Even so, there isn't another sight or sound of Lotus.

Slowly walking towards the pond, a stinging sensation builds behind your eyes. With your mind still reeling, your legs carry you into the water, where you take up the exact same position that Lotus had and lie down. The cool water ripples over your legs and just barely kisses your body. Your eyes fall shut, and tears begin to stain the fur around your eyes.

Moments pass like this, with only the sounds of night and the gentle trickle of water accompanying you. Something bumps into you, just below your rib cage; a small yelp escapes your lips, and your eyes rocket open. You quickly blink away the haze and turn to look upon your attacker. Floating next to you is the small cup that Lotus had been using. Letting out a relieved sigh, you prod the chalice as it floats idly about.

Somehow, you feel sympathy for the abandoned vessel. To you, its glaring emptiness seems a great analog for what you feel every time you happen to think about the long-running friendship with the spa sisters - the one that, no doubt, lies in unsalvageable ruins.

Looking out at the sea of gently colored lotus blossoms, your hope for love dwindles, but a glimmer of hope rekindles in your heart when your eyes lock onto a piece of yellow and blue foil floating amongst the flowers.

Perhaps, your friendship with the spa sisters isn’t as damaged as you think it is, and maybe, just maybe, you can put in enough hard work to save it. Snatching a particularly perfect lotus blossom between your teeth, you climb from the water and shake your limbs dry. Taking off in a steady gallop, you begin the trek back to town.

***

It took hours, but it’s finally finished. You might have finished sooner if Bon Bon didn’t keep eating your work. Well, almost finished. It still needs to be floated in the display bowl, and then, the hard part will be delivering it to Lotus.

From the freezer, you retrieve a large bowl that is full of ice water. You carry the cold vessel back to your work station, carefully controlling your hooffalls to keep the liquid from sloshing about. You take a hoof full of colored chocolate shavings and sprinkle them lightly over the water’s surface. The pink, blue, and white flakes float across the water’s surface as your hooves reach for the centerpiece. Ever so carefully, you lift the light chocolate sculpture into the air, and slowly, you lower it into the water, hoping you whipped enough air into the chocolate mixture to allow it to float. With the moment of truth upon you, your hooves pull away, and you watch as your creation remains afloat.

Taking a step back, you take in the sight of what an entire morning’s worth of work has yielded. Colorful flakes of chocolate float across the surface of the frigid water, and in the center lies a deep brown flower. Its chocolate petals are sculpted into a near perfect recreation of a lotus blossom. Below the edible flower, three stems intertwine. One is a milky white color and leads up to a second white-chocolate flower. The other is a green tuber, leading up to the blue lotus blossom that you had taken from the pond.

Looking down at your creation, you can only hope that it’s enough to let Lotus know how sorry you are – not for kissing her, you’d never be sorry for that, but for how poorly you did it.

It’s good to have hope, even when things seem hopeless, right?

***

It takes quite a bit of concentration for pony to carry a delicate chocolate sculpture floating in a bowl of ice water halfway across town. As such, your journey to Aloe and Lotus’ spa is arduously slow, and as each step lands in front of the other, a tight knot began building in your stomach. Though, you can’t pay much attention to it, as all of your concentration is on not dropping your morning’s work.

In time, you make it past the throngs of ponies that are making their way through Ponyville and come nose to nose with the inviting, tropical architecture of the spa. Taking a deep breath, you push the door open with your nose and move into the waiting area.

Looking around, you find yourself alone in the building’s foyer. A small sign indicating that Aloe and Lotus are currently taking lunch rests check-in counter. It’s not the first time that you’ve dropped by during the girls’ lunch break, and it’s certainly not the first time you’ve brought sweets with you. So, you barely think twice when you begin to make your way down the hallway towards the spa’s small kitchen. After passing a few doors, you can hear the soft notes of two mares’ voices, and you easily recognize them as that of your friends, the spa sisters. As you draw closer, your heart begins to beat wildly in your chest.

You hear lotus speak as you approach the doorway that leads into the kitchen. Though, for some reason, her voice is muffled enough where you can’t manage to understand any of it. You lift a hoof to knock on the open door just as Aloe responds.

“You’ve got to do something. It’s just going to get worse until you talk to her—” Aloe’s voice was cut off by the soft knocking of your hoof against wood. Much to your butterfly-filled stomach’s chagrin, you take a step into the doorway, allowing yourself to see the sisters and, conversely, them to see you.

Both of the mares’ deep blue eyes lock onto you as a timid “Hi” escapes your mouth. Almost instantly, Lotus’ ears drop, and a simple, white hairbrush falls from her mouth. A few beads of sweat form on the back of your neck as you walk towards the center of the room and the round table that rests there. Aloe rises from her sitting position and trots over to you.

“Let me get that,” she says, lifting the covered bowl off of your back and resting it on the table.

You mutter a quick “thanks” and stretch the tense muscles of your back.

Aloe nods towards you before speaking again, “I’m going to open up, again. Take as much time as you two need. Today has been slow, anyway.”

Lotus’ pleading look is obvious even to you, but regardless, the Aloe makes her way back towards the waiting area. You lift the lid from your creation and let out a small sigh, grateful that everything is just as you left it. As you stare at the three floating lotus blossoms, a stressed silence descends on the room. After a few moments, a blue hoof gently prods the white chocolate flower making waves in the bowl as the trio bobs up and down.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you last night,” you state, finally having plucked up the courage to speak. “I hope you don’t mind that I took a flower from the pond, it seemed special to you.” A long yawn overwhelms you and you politely cover your mouth with a hoof.

“It was where my sister and I got our cutie marks,” Lotus offers, quickly returning to silence afterwards.

“I spent the morning making this to show you how much our friendship means to me. I don’t want my other feelings for you to ruin that, but I don’t think they’ll just go away, either.

“I cried a lot over the last few days because of you, Lotus,” you say, bringing your eyes up to hers, and only then do you see it. Her coat, mane, and face show no signs of wear – no doubt thanks to the skills of her trade – but her eyes are haggard and tired looking. “but standing here, I still have butterflies in my stomach.” You take a deep breath before finishing, “I’m sorry I forced myself on you, but I’m not sorry that I kissed you. I could never be sorry for that.”

Another bout of silence overtakes the room before Lotus takes a deep breath, seemingly regaining some of her confidence. “It took me a couple days before I fully understood what had happened.” Lotus pauses, nibbling her lower lip.

“I’m not a fillyf—… I don’t like mares that way.” You can feel your eyes widen, your hooves begin to shake, and a knot form in your stomach, knowing what comes next.

“Please, let me finish before you jump to any conclusions.” Her words are accompanied by her forehoof gently resting against yours. The contact nearly makes you jump out of your coat.

“But the more I reassured myself that I don’t like mares, the worse I felt.” The hesitance is completely banished from her voice once again. Though, it’s replaced by sadness. “I couldn’t bring myself to get out of bed at all Saturday. I did figure something out, though. I don’t remember anypony else that I treat quite like you when you come in. Nor do I remember anypony else I enjoy working with quite so much as you.”

A smile begins to tug at your lips for the first time in days.

“That still doesn’t mean that I like you, in that way. Actually, I haven’t really figured out what it means, but if you still want to take me out, I don’t think I’d be averse to that idea anymore.”

Her admission leaves you dazed. You can’t manage to formulate any kind of complex sentence, so you opt for simply saying “yes” while your brain attempts to restart.

“I’m sorry about Saturday. I wasn’t really myself,” Lotus says, pulling you into a friendly hug.

Before you respond, you steal a quick sniff of Lotus’ mane. The scent of her shampoo is something you can never get enough of. “It’s ok. It was my fault.”

Lotus’ hooves press against a tender spot on your back, and a groan escapes your lips. Hearing your discomfort, she quickly lets you go.

“Come on, Sweetie. I’ll get that knot out of your back.” When she starts speaking, Lotus begins to walk out of the room, and you follow her without even thinking. Though, you bang into the doorframe when you realise that she used that nickname again. She looks back with a sly smile, and when she sees the deer in the headlights look on your face, she giggles into the flat of her hoof. Unable to think of anything to say, you slide past her and lead the way to your usual room.

As you make your way into the room, Lotus walks past you and softly pats the padded massage table with a forehoof. You oblige her, pulling yourself up onto the foamy bed with little effort, and as soon as you get situated, Lotus’ hooves gently prod and slide along your back. A few minutes pass where she only gently presses into your sore muscles before moving on and searching for the next pressure point.

You let out a sigh of relief when she begins to coax the tension out of your back in earnest. Soft warmth spreads through your back and down to your hooves. You never paid attention to the science behind it, but you knew it was from some chemical that your brain released in times like this. Regardless of why, you love the sensation that the mare’s ministrations bring to your body.

“So,” you say, trying to strike up a conversation, “you got your cutie mark at that little pond?”

“My sister and I both did.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how?”

Lotus takes a moment, firmly working a particularly painful piece of flesh between your withers before she responds.

“It was just after my family moved to Ponyville. My mother was an herbalist, and one day, she decided to let my sister and I go into the Whitetail Woods with her.”

Two inversely colored fillies bounded through the grass just outside of the Whitetail Woods, laughing as they did so. Only quick glimpses of their bright blue and pink manes could be seen above the greenery.

“The grass tickles!”

The words made their way to the ears of a fully pink mare just before a high-pitched fit of laughter erupted from the grass. She quickly moved to the quivering portion of grass from whence the laughter came, all the while keeping an eye trained on the short glimpses of her merrily bouncing filly.

A shadow loomed over Aloe, darkening the rich tone of her mane. Her blue eyes curiously searched for the sudden darkness’ source, and they quickly alit on the dark shape of a large pony. For a moment, the little filly’s stomach tied itself in a knot, ceasing her laughter, but when the shadow gave way to a mare’s smiling face, she let out a sigh of relief. The filly watched the mare’s forehooves gently press into her ribcage. Before she knew what was going on, the hooves began to move rapidly.

“Pff Hah-ahah Mommy tickles!” shouted little Aloe just before she was reduced to a fit of laughter once again.

“Look what I found, Mommy!” The mare’s attention was drawn away by the voice of the pink filly’s twin, giving the laughing little one a respite from her mother's tickling onslaught. Proudly held out in her hoof was a small, brown spheroid object.

“Do you know what that is, my little Lotus Blossom?” The filly’s giant blue eyes looked down to the gnarled surface of the egg-shaped object for a moment before she shook her head. “It is a walnut. They grow on the trees around here. May I?” asked the joyous mother, holding out a hoof towards the nut. Lotus quickly passed it over, interestedly watching as her mother smashed the shell. After a bit more work, little Lotus was given back a smaller, lighter brown object. She looked at it carefully, taking note of every detail. “Eat it,” her mother encouraged.

So with much gusto, Lotus put the entire nut in her mouth and chomped down on it. A few moments later, she spit the half-chewed and fully saliva-soaked nut out, letting the mangled mass fall to the ground. Looking down at Lotus, Surprise could barely contain her laughter.

“That was icky, Mommy.”

Just as Surprise opened her mouth to respond, Aloe jumped onto Lotus’ back, sending both sisters to the ground.

“Rawr! I’m a Walnut monster and I’m going to eat you, just like you ate my brother!” Aloe croaked, taking a tuft of Lotus’ pink mane into her mouth. Surprise simply smiled at her fillies, but when the she saw the abject horror in Lotus’ eyes, she quickly pulled Aloe off of her sister.

“Mo-mommy, why did you want me to eat that? It just made that monster m-m-mad at me.”

“Shhh, honey. That was no monster, it was Aloe.” Surprise wrapped her Lotus in a gentle hug, making small, comforting noises every so often. When the little filly’s quivering stopped, Surprise continued to speak. “And to answer your question, you will never know if you like something, unless you try it.” She held her daughter up at shoulder height. “Climb onto my back, little one.” In a matter of moments, Lotus was situated atop her mother’s withers. As she was taught to, she tightly held on to her mother’s mane.

“Mom,” said a timid voice from the mare’s side, “did I hurt Lotus?” Aloe's blue eyes glistened as she looked up at her mother.

“Don’t worry, Aloe, you just frightened her,” Surprise said, gently patting the filly on the head. “Come now, we need to find a healthy willow tree.”

They trekked on. Before long, Aloe began pointing at trees, asking if nearly every one was a ‘willow.’ In response, Surprise confidently told her the species of each before moving on. Through all of this, Lotus just tried to hide her sniffles by burying her face deeply into the straight, pink mane of her mother.

Soon, the trio emerged from a tree line and passed into a clearing. Before them laid one reason why Surprise loved her job. Nothing could really beat the beauties of the natural world. Plants or animals, ponies or foals, she loved them all. The light tug at her mane reminded her that some, she loved more than others. She watched Aloe bound towards the edge of a small pond.

“Can I go in the water, Mommy?” Aloe asked, prodding the calm water with a hoof.

Surprise slowly trotted over to the water’s edge, surveying it with critical eyes. It wasn’t more than a hundred feet across, and though the water looked crystal clear, its surface was spotted with both lily pads and an assortment of lotus flowers. A moment later, Surprise saw the characteristic droopy branches of the tree they had been searching for. She began skirting her way around the pond, her eyes trained on Aloe.

“We can play in the water later, Aloe. Would you like to help me gather some bark from this willow tree?”

Nodding furiously, Aloe asked “Why do we need the bark?”

“Ponies use it to help with pain.”

“How does bark make things stop hurting?"

“It’s just part of the magic of Equestria.” Surprise said, knowing full well that it is actually a complex chemical reaction.

“Oh. What do you want me to do?”

Surprise led the way to the floppy-branched tree and reached into her featureless, brown saddlebags, coming out a moment later with a small glass jar. “We want to take the tree’s bark without harming it. So, find small branches that don’t yet have leaves and break them off.” Grabbing a small twig in her mouth, Surprise twisted it, pulling it free of its much larger brothers. She continued to demonstrate the process as she spoke again. “Then just scrape off the bark with the tip of your hoof and put it into the jar.”

“That sounds easy!” Aloe said, rearing up on her hind hooves to grab at the low-hanging branches. Though she was straining every muscle in her body to reach them, she couldn’t quite make it, and so, she decided to try another method. With a hop, skip, and a jump she leapt into the air, chomping down on a branch in the process.

Surprise couldn’t help but laugh, watching Aloe hang from the branch with her hooves mere inches from the ground. A moment later, Aloe's grip failed, letting her fall and land on her hooves. With the tension relieved from the branch, it snapped upward quickly before coming back down. It lightly bumped Aloe on the head, drawing out a small squeak. Laughing once again, Surprise bent down, patted her, and then kissed the top of her head.

“Why don’t I choose the branches and you can peel them, hmm?”

“Ok, Mommy.”

A fair amount of time passed without further speech. Aloe scraped the bark from small twigs while her mother searched for more.

As Surprise reached for yet another twig, she was stopped short by loud sniffle emanating from her mane. She sighed deeply, trying to think of a way to cheer her little filly up.

“Lotus, would you like to help us with the willow bark?” Without even pulling her face out of her mother's mane, Lotus responded by shaking her head, causing a frown to tug at Surprise's lips.

Even with only two ponies at work, the jar was soon filled, sealed, and stowed in the Surprise’s discarded saddlebags.

Motioning Aloe over, Surprise said, “Climb up, Aloe. We’re going to go into the water for a little bit.”

“Yay!” Aloe easily climbed onto Surprise’s back, once she dropped to her knees, and soon, the two fillies were carried into the water. Their journey was followed by the gentle swishing made by Surprise’s legs. When the water was just above her shoulders, she stopped moving further towards the pond’s center. At this depth, Aloe and Lotus could easily splash and play without a risk of falling from her back. As one, they made their way over to a particularly beautiful clump of floating flowers, where the matron swept her mane away from Lotus’ face. A short sigh escaped her lips when she saw that Lotus’ eyes were tightly shut.

“Lotus, open your eyes, honey.”

“B-b-but you’re mad at me,” Lotus said, turning her nose downward.

“Why on Equestria would I be mad at you?”

“Because I didn’t help Aloe and you with the bark.”

“I asked you because I thought you might want to, not because I wanted you to, and I brought you two out here because I wanted you to have fun.”

“I’m sorry, sis,” Aloe broke in, “I didn’t mean to scare you.” Aloe laid her head across Lotus’ withers, nuzzling her warmly. “Please, look at the beautiful flowers. I promise you’ll love them.”

Much to the Surprise’s satisfaction, Lotus finally brought her eyes open. Spread out before her was an array of flowers; they were mostly white, but some seemed to share the same hues that made up her mane and coat. As her eyes traveled farther towards the edge of the pond, more and more of the flowers came into view. A few moments passed where she sat, awestruck by the beauty of it all.

Lotus sniffled one last time before asking, “What are they?” Surprise smiled a little wider, she had been hoping that Lotus would ask that.

“They’re lotus blossoms, hundreds of them.”

“You named me after them?”

“We did.”

“They’re beautiful!”

Smiling, Surprise looked upon those whom she loved so very much, and after a moment, she said, “And now, you know why we did.”

Silence once again filled the air as the Lotus took in the beauty around her. Surprise was content enough to simply admire the beauty of her daughters, but a small jet of water splashed against her side, breaking her reverie.

“Mommy, can I get in the water? It feels nice.”

“It’s too deep here, but I think it looks much better over there.” The three steadily made their way towards a small clearing at the edge of the pond where the water’s depth was safe for Aloe and Lotus. The wake created by Surprise’s legs was reduced to little more than ripples when it passed through the thick ring or lotus flowers that separated the clearing from the rest of the pond.

“This is much better,” said Surprise, carefully lying down atop her legs. Not a second later, Aloe leapt into the cool water with a small splash. She quickly bounded over to a group of small lotus blossoms before pulling them back towards her sister.

“These flowers are so cool, they float!” Still a few body lengths away from her family, Aloe lifted her forehooves and pushed the bundle towards them. Lotus saw this, leaned off of her mother’s back, and pushed the bundle back towards her waiting sister. They giggled, watching the flowers bob up and down in the water as they floated back to her.

A few more repetitions of this played out before Aloe got bored and moved over to her mother, whom had bent her neck down towards the water.

“What’cha doin?” Aloe chirped, watching her mother’s hooves run over the tip of her mane.

“I must have gotten some sap or something in my mane. I was just washing it out.”

With a smile, Aloe asked, “Oh, can I do it?”

“If you want to, you can.” When Aloe was given the length of her mother’s mane, her smile grew tenfold, and she dipped her mother’s mane under the water’s surface, kneading it gently.

“Uh, Mommy,” said a tiny voice from the Surprise’s back.

“What is it, Lotus?”

“I’m sorry. When I was crying, my nose was running, and I didn’t have anywhere to wipe it.” Standing up, Lotus nuzzled her mother’s neck lightly. The small amount of annoyance that Surprise had felt was washed away instantly, leaving a smile on her face. After a moment, Lotus leaned over and ran her face over the other side of her mother’s warm, inviting neck. Without knowing it, Lotus’ hooves kneaded a taught muscle in Surprise’s back. A moment later, a groan crept from the mare’s lips.

“D-did I hurt you, Mommy?” Lotus asked.

“Hmm? Oh! No, Lotus, that felt really nice. Do you know what a massage is?” Lotus quickly responded with a sound that could only be interpreted as ‘no’, so Surprise continued. “Well, it’s where a pony uses their hooves to try to relax another pony’s muscles by pressing and rubbing them.”

“Oh. Like this?” Lotus once again started to shift on her hooves, like she did earlier. A moment later, Surprise rest her head against a hoof, letting her eyes slip closed.

“Yes, just like that.”

As she pulled it from the water, Aloe tugged gently at her mother’s mane. Her hoof ran through the wet strands, feeling for the inconsistencies of dirt, and when there were none, she moved upward. This process was repeated, dipping and kneading, until she got too high on her mother’s head for the silky, pink mane to reach the water level. When this happened, her body slumped over and her smile slipped into a neutral position.

Something bumped into her side, causing Aloe to nearly jump out of the water, but when she saw what had bumped into her, she quickly calmed again. It was just the bundle of flowers she had been playing with. She began to push it away, but when she looked into the water-filled recess in the center of the flower, she got an idea. Lunging towards the plants, her face disappeared below the water’s surface. A moment later, she emerged from the water holding one of the three flowers by its severed stem.

A second satisfied groan crept from Surprise’s mouth, coaxed by Lotus’ continued movement. Aloe dipped the makeshift vessel into the water, letting the blossom fully fill before lifting it out of the pond. She raised it up to the highest point of the pink pony’s mane and poured the flower’s contents out. Using her hooves, she guided the water’s flow away from her mother’s face.

“Aloe!” Lotus shouted. She leapt from her mother’s shoulders, landing in the water with a splash.

The sudden movement broke Surprise’s relaxed state; her body snapped to attention, heart beating wildly, ready to defend her foals to the death. Though, she quickly saw the source of Lotus’ excitement and relaxed, watching the scene play out before her.

Lotus’ nose was mere inches away from her sister’s pink flank, staring. One blue hoof snaked over Aloe’s haunches while the other moved towards the white figure providing a stark contrast to the pink coat around it. Lotus furiously rubbed her hoof over the new addition, and when it didn’t rub off, she wrapped her sister in a tight hug.

“You got your cutie mark!” Lotus shouted. Aloe simply sat, starkly staring at her side while her sister vibrated with excitement.

Moments later, Lotus’ attention was pulled away from her sister by a prodding hoof. She was being poked in the flank, and she was going to get to the bottom of it! Though, she forgot all about that when she saw what was being poked.

It was a cutie mark, and it was just like Aloe’s!

Lotus’ daze was broken when her sister’s hooves wrapped around her neck. “We got our cutie marks!” Surprise scooped both of her daughters out of the water, wrapping them in a tight hug.

“I’m so proud of you two,” She said, spinning around on her rear hooves.

For some time, absolutely nothing could stop the three mares from laughing, squealing, and crying joyous tears. At some point, Surprise fell into the soft grass at the pond’s shore. The impact was jarring, but the unstoppable warmth that had spread across her body dwarfed any pain she might have felt. She couldn’t be any happier about the fact that she got to watch both of her precious daughters get their cutie marks in one day. At the same time, no less. Her golden eyes filled with tears, as she looked down at Aloe and Lotus. They simultaneously hugged each other and nuzzled against the soft fur of her chest.

For the next few minutes, the fillies constantly repositioned themselves. They moved from one test to the next, still unable to accept what had happened. They tired out soon after the fourth or fifth time they tried the ‘rub it so hard it comes off’ test. The shock of it all seemed to wear off at about the same point.

Aloe was the first to voice her rationalized thoughts. “They’re lotus flowers, right? Does that mean we get to be florists?”

“I don’t really like gardening,” Lotus mumbled.

“Girls, you can still do whatever it is that you want to. Your cutie mark simply represents something that is important to you, something that you’re good at. Though it normally is, it doesn’t have to be your job when you get older. Take me for example. Look at my cutie mark.”

Surprise twisted her body a little, showing her cutie mark. Over her pink fur rest the image of a stork carrying a yellow-pelted foal suspended in a white cloth.

“I didn’t get it until I was nearly a year older than you are now, and I already knew that I liked taking care of foals. Foalsitting is something that young mares do, and you don’t really see ponies who do it as a living. So, I was sad that I wouldn’t be able to do what I loved all my life.”

“But you take care of us now! You aren’t sad about that, are you?” Lotus butted in.

“Of course not,” Surprise said, running her hoof through her daughter’s pink locks. “I love you two more than anything.” She paused for a moment, smiling widely. “My point was that what I do now is still something I love, despite the fact that it’s not what I got my cutie mark for. I find plants that help both ponies and foals get better when they’re sick.”

“So, I could give ponies massages? You made funny noises when I smushed on that lump in your back, it was fun! Can we do it again?” Throughout her outburst, Lotus’ body shivered in excitement.

Surprise let out a quick laugh before she responded, “We can. Though, I think we should head back home, first. I’m sure that Daddy will be excited as you were to see what we’ve got.”

“What we’ve got?” Aloe repeated under her breath. She looked around, and when her eyes locked onto the white and pink lotus that adorned her sister’s flank, she nearly shouted, “Oh!”

“Ok, girls. Let Mommy up, so we can go.” Doing as they were told, Aloe and Lotus moved off of their mother’s chest, and as soon as they did, Surprise rolled over to her hooves, positioning her saddle bags over her back. “Hop on and you can ride home.”

“Yay!” the two fillies shouted in unison. Climbing aboard, Lotus’ noticed another lump in her mother’s back muscles, and without thinking, she began to rub it. Once her daughters were safely aboard, Surprise started rising to her hooves, but her knees began to shake and she nearly fell over, right there.

“Lotus, can you stop, please. Mommy’s legs don’t like to work when you do that.”

“Oh, Sorry,” Lotus said. Settling herself down on her mother’s withers, she affectionately nuzzled the much larger mare.

“It’s ok, little one. You can massage Daddy’s back when we get home. He’s always sore from working so hard. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

“Yay!” Lotus yelled just as the trio disappeared into the tree line surrounding the pond.

Morning Revelations

Unbeknownst to you, the morning sun slowly creeps forward, enveloping the room inch by inch until it meets your closed eyes. Its seemingly endless brightness causes you to stir. Grimacing, you bury your face into the couch cushion to your side. The gentle undulation of the short hairs on your chest draws your eyes open. They are met by a sight that makes your heart race.

Soundly sleeping atop you is a pink and orange mare. Though her head is cocked to the side, her chin is elevated enough where her tightly shut eyes look up at you. Upon your chest, a small pool of warm liquid pools just next to where her open mouth rests.

As your racing heart provides more and more blood to your brain, the hazy memories of last night slowly clear. When your memories finally come flooding back to you, you grasp your mane in your hooves, looking up at the ceiling. Breath after breath of air enters and leaves your lungs at a furious pace.

“No…” The word leaves your mouth at a level barely audible. “Please, Goddess. No.”

Moments pass, but neither your mind nor body calms. It feels as if your heart is beating around your stomach when an overwhelming sense that you’ve betrayed the pony you claim to love sets in.

“You could probably never forgive me, but I’m sorry, Lotus.” With those words, a weight is lifted off of your chest. You’re almost hopeful, until you realise the weight was physical and not metaphorical.

“Sweets, why are you crying?” Lily asks, sounding thoroughly confused. As she speaks, she props her head up on a forehoof and shifts her weight to the back of the couch. You are unable to bring yourself to speak to her and barely able to contain yourself. Her free hoof presses softly into your chest as she leans in, nuzzling your face.

Something snaps when her face touches yours. It feels so lackluster, like fur rubbing against fur and nothing more, yet you gave up the constant buzzing feeling that you get just being around Lotus. For that… For nothing.

Without further thinking, you slide out from under the pink mare and gallop into the bathroom. As you go, a quiet yelp can be heard from Lily as she tumbles to the floor, having lost most of the support she had. You quickly lock the door behind you and collapse onto the high pile rug that rests in the center of the white tile floor.

As much as you just want to cry your eyes out, wallowing on the floor in your own self-pity, you aren’t even granted that small amount of comfort. All you can do is whimper as thoughts of your potential happiness with Lotus are completely smashed by your mistake with Lily.

Lotus might have stood you up last night, but your rational self knows that she wouldn’t do that without a really good reason. Like most of your friends, you’ve known her for years, and she wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, would she?

And since when did Lily want to sleep with me?

Your rational self doesn’t seem to be in right now. If you’d like to speak with the emotional mare, please stay on the line, otherwise— A soft knocking at the door interrupts you.

“Sweets,” Lily’s voice calls out, sounding as fragile as you feel right now. A low scraping sound – what you assume to be the sound of a hoof slowly running over wood – emanates from the door after a long bout of silence. “Sweets, please don’t cry.” Another minute of silence passes by before you hear her sniffle.

Heartbreaker.

I’m good at making mare’s cry. Even if I had somepony special, I’d just make them cry. I don’t deserve anypony.

The door rattles and jars as if something pressed up against it. “I meant it when I said that I wanted to make you smile, but I think I took it too far this time. I know this might not mean anything to you and will probably mean even less later, but Sweets, I…” She pauses. “I lo…” Yet again, she stops short.

She can’t be… It didn’t mean anything…

You climb to your hooves and swing the door open just in time to catch Lily as she finally says her piece.

“Sweets, I’m in love with you.” As the door swings open, your eyes meet with hers, the golden orbs going wide in terror.

“You…?”

She nods, running a hoof slowly along your foreleg.

“How could that ever mean ‘less’?” you ask, still taking in the revelation. Her soft stroking of your foreleg immediately stops, and you can feel her begin to shake as she pulls her hoof away.

“I’ve been trying to tell you for so long now. I, uh, nearly kissed you, that day I gave you the morning glory. Somewhere along the line, I figured out that you were falling in love with somepony else, and I had to do something.” The trembling pink pony breaks eye contact and takes a step into the bathroom with you, looking at herself in the mirror with visible disgust.

“I got those seeds from Vinyl Scratch a few days ago. She told me that she gives them out to ponies at her raves and that they generally make ponies feel better. I wanted to make sure they were safe, so I ate a few. They made me feel like I do when I see you smile. I realised what I had to do, though it took some time to come to terms with it.”

What she’s speaking of dawns on you, and it sends a cold shiver down your spine. You instinctively begin to back away from the flower sister as adrenaline makes your heart race through your chest.

“I just wanted you to feel something special, to feel the spark that would make you fall for me.”

“You drugged me under the guise of planting flowers?”

“I didn’t plan on it going as far as it did…” Lily states dejectedly. The shower door rattles in its track as your rump bumps into it, drawing the pink mare’s attention. With tears filling her eyes, she takes a step towards you. “I would never hurt you.”

“You drugged me!”

“I just wanted to make you happy,” she says, softly placing her hoof on you cheek.

“Do I look happy?!” you yell as Lily wraps her hooves around you, in a hug. Your fight-or-flight response kicks in, causing your hoof to act on its own. It plants itself on the mare’s quivering chest and shoves her, along the carpet on which she stands, roughly across the room. Her eyes go wide in terror as she collides with the cabinetry next to the door, sending her crashing to the floor.

Advancing on her, you do your best impression of Princess Luna’s Royal Canterlot Voice, pointing a hoof towards the door. “GET OUT!!” And get out, she does, going as fast as her sore hindlegs can carry her.

***

Lily ran, only stopping to grab the small cooler, that still lay in the same furrow it was abandoned in last night, in her mouth. She truly was a sight as she ran through Ponyville with water splashing from the open container, soaking her face and mane. More than one glance was cast in the pink pony’s direction, including one by two pink and blue mares as they made their way to work.

The flower shop was still closed when she arrived; the sisters spent mornings delivering orders to customers and didn’t normally open up shop until the afternoons. So, when Lily collapsed in the garden, no one was around to see. Her legs simply wouldn’t hold her weight any longer, and between her built-up emotion and the exertion, it felt like her heart was going to explode at any moment.

She might have even welcomed it, if it did, but then, she remembered how she felt last night. She remembered how it felt when her entire body was buzzing with joy and how it felt when she thought that, after so long, her dreams had been achieved. Then, she remembered how she thought that she was going to explode from sheer happiness. She lingered on the feeling of awaking pressed up against the perfect form of the mare she loved.

But… Then her treacherous mind remembered the look in her love’s eyes the next morning and the regret, the resentment, in her voice. Naturally, Lily’s mind replayed the physical and mental pain of when she was thrown into the bathroom counter.

She deserved it, though, and she knew it. Lily wanted love, and not the physical kind, but what she got was not the same, not at all.

Without those Goddess damned seeds, none of this would have happened!

In a flurry of anger the pink pony’s hoof flung the plastic cooler into the air. It pirouetted as it flew, sending its contents in every direction. The mare’s golden eyes, now tinged with red, followed the container’s path until it landed far across the garden.

How could something so beautiful leave me so hollow?

She thought, climbing to her hooves. Lily slowly wandered up and down each furrow, staring at the dark earth the entire time.

Was I so selfish and heartless that I tore out my own heart?

Her eyes caught a batch of yellow carnations up ahead, and as she passed, she trampled the plant into non-existence. Somehow, it made her feel worse, though, and her head hung even lower as she continued onward.

I’ll never feel that way again… Never feel her love.

Her eyes inexplicably locked on a small brown shape in the distance. As Lily drew closer, she recognized the seed half-buried in the dirt. It was one of those things that caused her so much pain. A smug smile formed on the pink mare’s face as she slammed her hoof into it. Though, when she drew her hoof away it was unharmed, lying in the center of her hoof print.

But, it didn’t really make me feel this way, did it? She did.

For a moment, she just stared at it.

It made me feel what she couldn’t, happy.

Her muzzle slowly drew closer to the ground as her lips parted. She drew the seed, and much of the dirt it was resting on, into her mouth, chewing with wild abandon. When the rush washed over her, she breathed a sigh of relief. Almost immediately, Lily spotted another seed and another, and then she saw the cooler. Somehow, most of the seeds still clung to the inside. With yet another relieved breath, she trotted over and ran her tongue along the inside edge of the plastic container. Most of the seeds clung to the wet muscle as it passed by.

Without even thinking, she bit into them at once. The mint flavor was absolutely overwhelming in its strength, causing her to violently cough and heave for air. Lily made for a hose, sure a drink would clear the strong sensation, but she barely made it two steps before her head was spinning so badly that she lost balance and fell into a clump of bright yellow marigold. By the time she had regained her bearings, her hooves were far too weak to move from where she had fallen.

Gray fingers began creep into Lily’s vision as a memory, once again, replayed in her slowing mind.

“Lily, what’s going on?” the chocolate mare said. She was so weak, so helpless.

“Shhh…” Lily whispered as she firmly pressed her lips against the candy pony.