Author's Note

Studded Boot's POV

Booting the Prologue: 1

I had accepted the treat to go, before the party I had been invited to. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea, but what’s the point of squirming when you are stuck in your boots?

“Just lie down and rest your belly on this cushion, Studded Boots, and I will make this a very enjoyable and comfortable hour for you!” Lotus prompted as I was following Pinkie Pie into the SPA.

“Oh, okay. I can go with that. Pinkie Pie had after all promised the treat was on her!” I responded with a grin on my face as I expected the treat.

A treat is always a treat, but when it is on another Pony; that means it is a free treat, isn’t it. I rarely was given a treat, or even afforded myself one.

As I had found my place, I saw her with clear rubber boots on her fore-hooves and four buckets of what looks like water, a brush, and a sponge on the side of the first bucket.

“If you just let your hooves soak and I will start!” she added as she had moved up to me with the tools of her trade.

“Naturally!” I responded as I slipped my hooves into the buckets, soaking them in the clear liquid.

“I will just brush your hooves while you lie and wait while your hooves are soaking!” she then pointed out, before she picked up my right fore-hoof and started to brush it gently with the brush.

I watched her as she was brushing the hoof, from the top and down, and from the left to the right. Then she continued the process under my hoof in the same manner.

As she had finished the first hoof, she continues with the left fore-hoof, before she moved to my back and repeated the process, left and right. Only then she continued, doing the same twice over. Not sure why, but I don’t complain; it feels good and is fairly comfortable, almost like massage for my hooves.

While she was brushing my hooves, I could see them slowly start to shine slightly, increasing as she went. When it feels good, I generally don’t complain. Not if it is a paid treat on another Pony. Maybe it is something I could consider paying for myself another day.

“I will be back in a moment. You just let your hooves soak for a moment longer!” she prompted ass she walked out.

Little by little it occurred to me that the liquid I take for water was slowly going warmer, not that it was really either warm or cold before. Now the water feels just right as she got back.

“I will finish washing your hooves now!” she pointed out as she picked up the right fore-hoof, slowly stroking it with the soft and somewhat slippery sponge.

Maybe this was the first sign of what was in the bucket. It isn’t water. I still enjoy the treat all the same. She repeated the process she had used with the brush, only this time she is using the sponge, holding it in her right booted hoof. Maybe I should have asked her why she needed the boots or what was in the buckets? Yet, I had chosen to just enjoy the treat for all it was worth. Besides, I have no idea what these things are, mainly due to my inexperience, aside from not knowing either magic or chemistry involved in such a treat. Which ever is behind these effects I am enjoying.

“Just hang in there, and I will be back in a few minutes!” she prompted.

As she came back, the boots had come off of her hooves and she was carrying a hoof file. Then she slowly started to file my hooves, right and left, fore and hind. I could see the hooves grow less shiny while she was filing, but then they also grew more even. Only then she swapped to a less coarse file to even them up more. Ending up with the third and final one. Only now they started to grow shiny once over as the surface of my hooves had been polished.

“I will be back with the hoof polish in a moment!” she enlightened me as she was off once more.

“Oh, okay!” I responded as I saw her scurry off for the promised polish sooner proving to be a lacquer and latex rubber of the local brand.

“You are enjoying yourself, I hope!” she prompted as she came back and pushed me back in order for my hooves to line up for the polish.

“Aloe!” Lotus exclaimed, just as she had applied the first layer of clear rubber to my hooves.

“Yes, Sister!” Aloe responded as she came rushing with a full set of stainless steel boots with three ruby studs on the front.

“Thank you, Sister. Just on time!” she prompted as she finished applying the second coating of clear rubber as the first had cured and fused to the outer surface of my hooves.

“Oh, Pinkie Pie’s paid guest!” Aloe whispered in hushed tones with a nervious but excited grin spreading out over her muzzle and then further over her face.

“Yes, exactly!” Lotus responded as she returned the grin.

Now Lotus claimed the right side while Aloe claimed the left side, picking up one boot at the time, slipping it onto my hoof, slowly pressing the hoof in. I could feel how my hoof contorted as it was pushed firmly into the boot, only for the hoof to revert to its original shape as it slipped into the boot.

Once they had managed their respective fore-hooves, they continued with the next boot on their respective side, repeating the process and thus completing this particular step of the work together.

“Rubies?” I inquired as I saw Aloe trot back to her station and went back to what she had been doing before she had been called in.

“Yes, the darkest of all red gems. It is bright and beautiful. Nothing could be too good for Pinkie Pie, when she is Tartarus-bent of gifting a pony!” she responded with a sly grin plastered all over her face.

“Oh yeah; that is the Pinkie Pie we know. I guess one could say that she is Legendary in her efforts of friend-making and party-throwing!” I responded with a giggle.

“I hope you enjoy the face mask, Pinkie explicitly required me to apply it!” Lotus explained with a hint of a guilty twinge to her voice and a nervous giggle as she spoke the words.

“So long as she paid for it. I expect it to be enjoyable!” I responded while failing to pick up on the hint, as if it wasn’t already too late to back out.

“Good!” she stated, and feeling better already.

“If you close your eyes, please?” she instructed me, before she produced the brush she dipped in the bucket of semi clear light pink rubber.

“Okay?” I responded and closed my eyes, figuring she was to cover my entire face.

With that, she slowly coated my face, starting with applying the gel around my face, then working her way in towards the centre, only to start all over again, not once, but twice, only to stop for a moment as the gel firstly was absorbed by the skin of my face and cured properly, and then fused firmly to the first and second layer respectively for the second and third coat respectively.

“Almost done!” she pronounced as she pressed a hard stainless steel object onto my forehead.

What I feel is kind of like a crude version of a tiara, but on which there is a horn on my forehead.

“You can open your eyes!” she prompted and I eagerly followed her instructions.

“Oh, that is curious looking!” I responded.