Waiting at the Spa
By The1Ryu
The bell above the door let out its tinkling call as Fluttershy otherwise silently slipped into the spa. Her eyes scanned the room not finding the distinctly beautiful purple mane of her friend and her face fell a little her ears pinning down against her head. She quickly shook off the feeling, “It’s nothing,” She thought, “I’m just too punctual and Rarity often gets caught up in her projects.”
Fluttershy settled down into one of the waiting chairs and peered over the collection of magazines, but failing to find anything of interest to her simply leaned back and began to wait.
“I didn’t get the time wrong did I,” She wondered and peered up at the clock on the wall its hands just past the two o’clock mark. “No it’s the right time, she’s just a little late, it’s fine.”
Fluttershy clapped her hooves silently together several times before scanning the magazines again, but they failed to yield anything interesting once again.
“It’s the right day right,” She questioned herself her stomach began to churn uncomfortably. “Yes it’s Wednesday, I’m sure.”
“Am I?”
“Yes of course I am, don’t be silly.”
An oppressive feeling came over Fluttershy and she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “She’s not watching me is she?” Fluttershy gave the receptionist a nervous glance, but the mare was quietly reading a magazine of her own, most likely waiting for her services to be needed. “No of course she isn’t, I’m just being silly. Just relax and stop being stupid.”
Fluttershy’s eyes traced over the magazines once more but before she got halfway through she stopped, “We didn’t change the day this week did we?”
“Why would we?”
“I don’t know but we might have, couldn’t we?”
“Well I guess so but I’m sure I’d remember if we did, after all the exception is easier to remember then the rule.”
“Maybe I should ask just in case.”
“Oh but I can’t ask, I’ll looks stupid sitting here for so long then asking if I should be here.”
“I’ll look more stupid the longer I wait to ask.”
“But why wouldn’t she have said something if I wasn’t scheduled to be here today?”
“Well I guess it’s not her just to look after where I’m supposed to be.”
“Still the only way to find out is to ask.”
Fluttershy glanced nervously at the receptionist, she felt her body tighten as if it wanted to stand up, but at the same time push itself back down into the chair. After a few moments of this Fluttershy relaxed and gave up trying to stand. “It’s fine I’m sure we didn’t reschedule.”
“Then what’s taking Rarity so long?”
“I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Ya nothing, it’s probably not a big deal to her to be late to meet me.”
“Hay that’s not fair she works really hard and she’s just a little late.”
“She knew the time we were supposed to meet, if she wanted to be here she wanted be.”
“That’s ridiculous, just because she’s a little late doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to be here.”
“I could understand her not wanting to be around someone like me.”
“Someone who constantly worries about nothing and blows everything out of proportion, ya I can see that.”
“Stop it!”
Fluttershy clenched her teeth and gave a small shake of her head. Pushing her thought’s aside she reached down and picked up one of the magazines she opened it up and began to read an article on improving Fung shui. She tried to focus on the words, reading each one loudly in her mind.
“She probably is just avoiding you.”
“No she isn’t!”
“Of course she it, look at the way you’re acting.”
“I’m not anyway, I’m just waiting for my friend, I’m not doing anything wrong.”
“You think for friend is avoiding you just because she’s a little late.”
“No I don’t.”
“You can’t trust that it’s the right time, you can’t just ask to make sure it’s the right time. Sweet Celestia you’re difficult, I know I have to deal with you all the time.”
Fluttershy felt tears begin to sting at the corners of eyes and she began to rock ever so slightly in her chair. Sniffling she quickly wiped at the tears and pictured herself stroking her own mane gently. “Shhh it’s ok, it’s ok shhh. Everything fine, everything fine,” She consoled herself gently, trying not to think about how often she had to do this to calm herself down.
“Just relax, calm down, everything’s fine,” She repeated this to herself until she felt her body start to relax and her apprehension began to seep away.
“There that’s better.” She sighed in relief and turned her attention back on the periodical in her hooves.
“I shouldn’t have to do that at all.”
“Everyone gets scared sometimes.”
“You’re scared all the time.”
“No I’m not.” Fluttershy insisted panic twisting her stomach more painfully then before.
“Just when you left alone to think for two minutes.”
“Shut up!”
“Yes why don’t you shut up, so I don’t have to listen to your constant simpering whining. I’m so sick of it. I’m so sick of constantly hearing about how hard done by you are. ‘Nobody likes me, I can’t do anything right, their talking about me, blah, blah, blah’. It’s all in your in head, even me I’m just in your head! I’m you shouting at yourself! You just hate yourself! Not that that’s surprising. By Celestia’s grace I would give anything if you would just shut up for two minutes!”
Fluttershy stomach churned so violently she thought she would throw up at any moment, thought if the vomit could get past the choaking lump in her throat was anyone’s guess. She sniffed a little hoping no pony noticed, and began to trace her eyes over the lines of the magazine careful to keep her expression neutral fearing somebody would know what she was thinking. “I wish I was dead.”
“Oh ya that’s great let’s go there because I haven’t heard that a hundred fricking times before. How pathetic and selfish are you? Suicide? Not that you would even actually go through with it, no you just want atten…”
The door to the spa suddenly flew open with and its bell’s ring chimed through the waiting room. Fluttershy looked up expectantly and her thoughts were instantly banished seeing her white coated friend as she dashed in through the door.
“So sorry Fluttershy, I hate being late for our weekly get together.” She said her magic seizing the hat from her head and setting it aside, before calling out to the receptionist, “The usual.”
“It’s alright Rarity,” Fluttershy reassured her as the receptionist rushed off to set up their treatment. Fluttershy glanced up at the clock and saw it was only three minutes past the hour. “It was just a minute.”
Author's Note
Not very dark, kinda personal for the first story dealing with one of the mane six. Prompt word: Spa Remembering that in 'Green isn't Your Color' Fluttershy was left waiting for her friend to arrive reminded me of getting nervous waiting for a uncertain arrival of a friend and thought what would a person as socially awkward and nervous as Fluttershy go through in the same situation.
