We're closed!

The sun went down over the outer limits of Canterlot City, Darkness of the evening slowly creeping over the houses as children were called in for dinner, last second workers pulled into their driveways to their homes, and a line of females had gathered outside the Blossom Sister's Spa. Normally at this hour the the Blossom family would be closing up the shop for the night, as a general rule the place closed at sunset, after all it was a "day" spa. Tonight however was a special night for the first few customers that could be at the door by six o'clock. It was the idea of the two sister Aloe and Lotus who had pitched to their parents a few weeks ago, and after proving they could handle it by spending every extra hour at the place to show dedication (and test scores from school that showed all A's) the elder Blossoms felt they where ready to let their daughters do what they had planned.

The glass front double doors of the spa had a special sign tapped up to it, in big block letters with clip art of spa amenities it read:

Canterlot City Day Spa presents:

Ladies Night!

This Friday be the first eight customers at our door for a special "Ladies Night" all night treatment with Aloe and Lotus, all services provided on full service package charge. Hurry! only the first eight guests will be admitted! Ladies only!

So now while there was a line by the doors as the day quests where shown out, Aloe stood by the door with her clipboard in hand, almost like a bouncer admitting guests to a nightclub. The quests from the door that were going to be admitted where as follows: Rarity, Fluttershy, (A very reluctantly in attendance) Rainbow Dash, Fluer De Lis, Cadence "Mi Amore" Cadenza, Laurie Lemongrass, Sydney Sapphire, and Nancy Night. Aloe took the eight girl's names down on her clipboard, and after promising the others that couldn't join them, that if this first night went off without a hitch, then more guests would be allowed next time. The eight girls entered the spa and went off in their own directions to take advantage of everything the place offered. While the elder Blossoms sat their daughters down in the reception area, Cherry Blossom looked from one daughter to the next, before clearing her throat and turning to her husband Almond Milk.

"Are you sure the girls are ready to handle this kind of responsibility dearie?" The light pink woman asked her almond brown hubby.

"Now now Cherry, we agreed a week ago if the girls held up their end of the bargain they could do this on their own." He said throwing his brown coat on over his white pressed uniform.

"It's just...with the guests who arrived being their friends from school, I can't help but feel we're just letting them use our spa to throw a slumber party." Cherry said as she got her own coat off the rack and checking her purse to make sure she had everything she needed. The two sisters shifted a bit in the chairs behind the desk they'd been seated at. Truth be told, though they had their friends pay for the services all the same, that's more or less exactly what the girls had in mind. They only smiled as Lotus helped her mother to the door as Aloe gave her father a hug.

''Oh daddy, you and mum worry to much, Just let Lotus and I handle everything okay.'' Aloe said showing her folks the door.

''Okay but remember, If you need us for anything, we're just a phone call away.'' The Blossoms left, Lotus turned to her sister and clapped her hands together squeeing happily.

''Oh Aloe! What shall we do first?'' Lotus said hugging her sister close. Aloe wanted only to go off with her friends and sister and get the full on treatment to relax and get her mind off that bad dream, but she decided to wait a little while in reception area. If only to make sure everything she saw last night was just that, only a dream.

''Actually sis, if it's all the same with you, I've got some papers to finish up before I join the girls, I'll be along as soon as I can okay?'' she said taking a few of said papers onto her desk.

''Okay sis, whatever floats your boat, just don't take too long working okay?'' Lotus said opening her uniform shirt up and making her way to the door labelled ''steam room.'' Aloe sat watching the glass doors and taking in every detail on the outside she could. Watching the dark streets for anything that looked out ordinary. It seemed like ages had gone by before finally the mundane silence was broken by the ringing of the spa phone.

"Hello?"She said into the receiver and waited on baited breath for a reply, because baring the lack of red light, this was like major deja vu of last night's dream.

"Are you still open?" A voice, as cold and icy as the grave said on the other line. It was as if the caller had razor blades slithering like snakes put his mouth with every word he spoke.

"I'm sorry sir but we're only accepting female clients this evening, and our capacity quota is full...so technically...we're closed." Aloe said into the pineapple phone.

"Oh, I see. That's how you want to run your business than fine." He said coldly his voice dripping with contempt and spite at the girl.

"I..can set up an appointment for you to come in tomorrow and..."

"That won't be necessary, I understand perfectly what kinda spa you run...really fitting you're talking into a fruit phone!" He snarled back at her through the earpiece, but his words being dead on that the phone aloe was using was shaped like a pineapple made her blood freeze cold.

"How do you know what my phone looks like?" She said hoping to every deity she knew that this was someone's idea of a sick joke.

"I know a lot of things about your place, like how you really should get someone to fix the thermometer on your Steam room." Aloe slammed the phone down on the receiver, ran to the front doors and checked to be damn sure they where locked tight. Before making a dash down the white tiles of the spa halls to the steam room her sister had gone into. She faced the door and banged on it hard screaming,

"LOTUS! ARE YOU OK IN THERE?!" Hoping and praying desperately she wouldn't have to Jimmie the lock only to find her poor sister boiled alive in the over heated steam.

"Damn aloe! If you want to use the steam room so badly there's more than enough room for the both of us you know." Lotus said opening the steel door, she had changed into a light pink bikini to sit in the steam and relax, only for her sister to come banging on the door as if there was an accident. Aloe despite not being dressed for it, entered the steam room and checked the temperature . It was on the dot at 100 degrees, not hot enough to cause burns but only 20 more degrees and the skin would start to peel and the skin would register a pain sensation.

"Sis? are you...uhhh...I was just making sure the water and steam wasn't too hot." Aloe said blushing hard. Lotus scoffed but then chuckled softly and even though she was very sweaty and damp from the steam she wrapped her arms around her sister and gave her a big hug. She softly patted her back and made a little coo, the way she did when they where little.

"I know you're shaken up from that dream last night, but that's all it was Aloe, a dream. I'm not about to let anything happen to you or any of our friends, and most of all. It's my job to be concerned about you, not the vice versa...I'm the older sister after all." She said giving her sister a little kiss on the forehead. Aloe Chuckled relived a bit.

"Only by a day sis..only by a day, just...promise me you'll be careful in here?" She said checking the door making sure the lock wasn't busted, couldn't get blocked by something on the outside, and the room could be vented if it got too hot inside.

"I promise." Lotus replied stroking her hair softly before giving her one last little hug, "now go enjoy yourself okay? WE and our friends have the whole spa to ourselves all night."

"I'll try." Aloe said before making her way back to the desk, she checked the lock on the doors one last time and, making sure no one could see (though really she wasn't so self conscious she'd care if her friends did) she stripped down to her bra and panties and opened a door to the room marked, "Mineral baths." Not minding the fact that her undergarments would have to get sopping wet so she could have a nice soak.

She didn't she out into the darkness of the empty street, couldn't see the pair of sickly yellow eyes hidden by a long blood red scarf wrapped around the figure's face, and the black fedora hat that he wore low over his eyes. The man watching inhumanely intent on the spa building itself, like a thousand yard stare seeing past the walls to what he planned to do. A wraith in the darkness, he silently seemed to float on air as the shapeless yellow eyes and flowing red of his scarf moved across the ground. It was time.