Luxury

"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!"