Chomping at the Bit

Rarity nervously looked at the clock and then cursed herself under her breath. “Just one more, just one more”, she muttered as she used her magic to place another one of the incomplete orders on the mannequin that was in front her. She still had dozens of orders to finish before the Celestial Sun Celebration. She had been under too much stress since she decided to open the second boutique in Canterlot and was beginning to fray at the metaphorical ends. Although she very much enjoyed the rise in business, she was starting to feel it drain her ability to maintain control over her life.

She had been so busy that she didn’t even have time to style her mane that morning. Suddenly, all the textiles she was using became still in the air as she paused to contemplate the magnitude of such an atrocity. A moment later, remembering she had to leave, all the materials gently descended to her work area and the blue aura of magic surrounding the fabric, thread, and needles slowly disappeared. With a sigh of surrender, she fixed her mane as best she could and started towards the door.

As she was walking away from the Carousel Boutique, Rarity heard the Ponyville clock tower bells chime. As her attention shifted to the clock tower, she exclaimed, “For pony’s sake! Three o’clock already? I really must hurry lest I absolutely ruin the entire day”, she said to nopony in particular. As her trot became a full gallop, she finished her previous thought by wishing aloud, “Oh I certainly hope Fluttershy isn’t going to be upset with me for being late. Some friend I’m being…”.

As she was galloping, she began to think of how it came to be that her and Fluttershy would have these regular outings. It had been almost four years that she had known Fluttershy and from the time they first met, they had crafted something of a ritual. Shortly after she had moved to Ponyville and opened the Carousel Boutique, a yellow pony with a pink mane entered the shop and began to look around. Rarity was so excited that somepony was already in her boutique looking at her clothes. After she introduced herself to the new pony, she started to worry because the new pony, Fluttershy, was being so quiet and thought that perhaps she did not like her clothes. And once Fluttershy spoke to her, Rarity almost fainted when Fluttershy asked if she had any dresses designed in French haute couture. To which she exclaimed, “Do I? Of course I do, dear! Right this way, I insist!”. After discussing fashion and its many forms and confessing to each other that they had not really developed any friendships in Ponyville yet, they went to the spa together that day, if for no other reason than to keep each other company and help each other feel safe in a town full of strangers. Since then, they had continued going every two weeks as if by clockwork so that they may always have somepony else to look forward to seeing and getting to know.

Rarity’s arrival at the spa interrupted her reminiscence of how the two ponies met. Rarity burst through the front door causing the door to slam into the adjoining wall thus signifying her arrival. And before doing anything else, she glanced a look at the clock to see how late she was to the duo’s appointment. “Damn it, three seventeen. More than half an hour late.”, she thought to herself while trying to appear somewhat composed as she walked towards Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy! Dear. I’m so sorry for being late. You see, I’ve been really very busy with the new boutique in Canterlot, and well, there have been a tremendous amount of orders. And, if I don’t get them done by the Summer Sun Celebration, then…” exuded Rarity. Her apology continued on as she noticed Fluttershy’s reaction and thought to herself, “She’s crushed, she’s heartbroken. I can’t believe how nervous she looks. I never should have opened my shop here of all places if to only save that sweet pony’s feelings.”

“I’m sorry, dear.”, Rarity said finally as her apologetic rant ended and she began to shift her focus to Fluttershy.

“Oh. Were you late? It’s… fine.” said Fluttershy in a voice that would have been a whisper had anypony else uttered it.

“No, Fluttershy, it’s not fine. I want you to know that these outings of our really are important to me and I wouldn’t trade them for the whole world.”, said Rarity trying to console Fluttershy as best she was able. And while Rarity genuinely did want to be there, she started to wonder if she bit of more than she could chew with the new boutique and considered that it seemed to be intruding into her personal life.

“No, really… It’s… quite alright. I insist. I think that now all we can do is have a good day at the spa.”, responded Fluttershy who got up to tell the spa ponies that they were ready.

“If you say so, darling.”, responded Rarity, unsure whether or not Fluttershy was still upset. But, she thought it best to let go of the issue for now and have her much needed day of relaxation and serenity with her best friend.

“I do. And… it will be my treat this time.”

“But, you paid last time!” began Rarity.

“Well, either way, I’ll take care of it this time. Really.”, insisted Fluttershy. Rarity noted how unusual it was for her friend to assert herself like that.

As Rarity followed Fluttershy and the spa ponies into the spa, beyond the reception, she noticed that Fluttershy hesitated for just a second before crossing the threshold to the spa. As she considered it, she remembered that Fluttershy’s words were spoken just a little slower than usual, too, as if she was concealing something and wanted to be sure it didn’t accidentally slip out. Rarity couldn’t shake the feeling that something was…off… with Fluttershy. That there really was something bothering her, but she just wasn’t saying what.

The spa ponies from reception led the two to their usual massage room. As one of the spa ponies opened the door, the other informed Rarity and Fluttershy that everything had been set up ahead of time as they like it. As the first receptionist rejoined the other, she let Rarity and Fluttershy know that the massage mares would be in shortly. Even though the spa ponies had already gone, Rarity was still pondering what Fluttershy seemed to be hiding. And disrupting Rarity’s thoughts on the matter, Fluttershy asked, “Umm… Rarity? Are you coming?”. As Rarity stood in the hallway with an absent expression on her face, Fluttershy awaited her companion through the doorway to their private room.

“Oh. Why, yes. Yes, of course!”, Rarity responded while thinking, “Horseapples… I can’t believe she just caught me standing there not paying attention! I need to be more present so she doesn’t think I like her any less. I couldn’t ever bear hurting her.” Rarity joined in with Fluttershy as they took their usual spots on the massage tables that have been placed right next to each other so that they could talk to each other without having to speak too loud.

It was the first time in a while that she was completely alone with Fluttershy. It was also the first time in several days that Rarity felt completely unplugged from the rest of the world—the first time that she could finally take a breather and lower her day-to-day personality’s defences. And though this was not the first time she had felt this way, she did think it peculiar that Fluttershy was able to consistently have such an effect on her. She reminded herself of how lucky she was to have Fluttershy as a friend since the first day Fluttershy walked into her store. Fluttershy had always been so receptive and willing to listen to any problem Rarity wanted to discuss and was always willing to accommodate her. And this time, she wanted to return the favour for Fluttershy.

After they made themselves comfortable, Rarity probed, “Fluttershy, sweetness, I can’t help but feel that something is bothering you. And I want to make sure you know that you can talk to me about anything.”. She tried her best to mind her manners without placing too much pressure on her friend. She was beginning to become terribly nervous that perhaps she had done something wrong to hurt the feelings of the Element of Kindness.

“Well… um… it’s just that, you know… I really-” started Fluttershy, but she her response was halted by a knock on the door signifying the arrival of the massage mares. She was startled by the unexpected interruption and became silent as the mares entered the room and took their positions on opposite sides of Rarity and Fluttershy. “Can we talk… um… later?”, she muttered as the massage began.

“Certainly, dear, anytime you like. Just let me know…oooooh…”, replied Rarity as her speech transformed from articulate words spoken in a caring tone into a low moan of pleasure as the massage mare started pressing her hooves into Rarity’s back. Neither the Element of Generosity or Kindess spoke once more during the massage as they were both lulled away into a trance of relaxation. After what Rarity guessed was half an hour, she slowly lifted her head to glance at the room’s clock. It was three fifty-four, which meant that the massage had been going on longer than the usual half-hour session they always do. But, before Rarity could concern herself any further on the issue, the massage mare gently pressed her head down back towards the massage table and continued to work the knots out of her upper back. Rarity found herself once again unable to think as her thoughts were melted away by the experienced hooves that were so adept at working every thought from her body.

Rarity was awakened by the shuffling sounds of the massage mares as they left the room and shut the door behind them. As she blinked her eyes open, she saw Fluttershy who was already in her custom robe, standing up, and apparently ready to go to the mud baths. “Oh, good. You’re awake.”, said Fluttershy as she gave Rarity her robe. Rarity was happy that Fluttershy enjoyed the robe so much; she had taken countless measurements to make sure it would fit Fluttershy perfectly. Rarity had also made one for herself for when they celebrated the second anniversary of their spa day trips.

“Shall we go to the mud baths now?” asked Fluttershy, hinting again that she wanted to proceed.

“Absolutely, darling. That sounds utterly delightful!” said Rarity. She was still groggy from the massage and hadn’t quite found her balance as she struggled to follow Fluttershy through the door into the hallway.

Rarity followed a couple steps behind Fluttershy as they walked down the hallway towards the mud baths. Fluttershy spoke up, “You know, I hear that they just imported a whole lot of mud from the Crystal Empire. It’s supposed to be just wonderful for your coat.”.

Rarity eagerly responded, “Surely you can’t be serious, Fluttershy! I’ve been trying to get my hooves on some of that mud for ages!”. Rarity could not help but wonder as to why Fluttershy was being so nice to her. Fluttershy did not say anything about Rarity having been late, she arranged for a longer massage, and now Rarity suspected her of having a hoof in acquiring the mud that she had been wanting for so long. Rarity thought that perhaps she was forgetting an important date or anniversary, but when she thought about it, nothing came to mind.

When they reached the mud pool, everything had been set up already. The pool had obviously just been poured and fresh lilacs decorated the surface of the mud. Next to the edge of the pool were two small bamboo racks, one for each of them. Upon each rack was a small towel for their mane, cucumber slices for their eyes, as well as a brush for exfoliating the follicles of the coat. Since everything was prepared ahead of time, it was doubtful that the spa ponies would return for some time. They had the place to themselves.

Fluttershy reached the pool before Rarity. She paused for a moment at the steps of the pool to admire its untouched perfection. Rarity watched from behind Fluttershy as she unfastened her robe, loosening it such that it hugged her just a little bit less. Rarity thought it herself, “O Fluttershy, how I do adore you and desire to tell you how good that robe looks on you. Surely there can be nopony else who is bound to silence as to not express herself to her best friend… her love.”. As Rarity tried to punish herself for having intimate thoughts about Fluttershy again, the pegasus stood on her hind legs and outstretched her wings to maintain her balance as her front legs slipped out of the sleeves and the robe traveled down her back, maintaing contact with her contours and then tail until it finally and effortlessly reached the floor. Oblivious to Rarity’s stare, Fluttershy then walked down the steps into the mud and completely submerged herself up to her head, hiding her body from the neck down.

“Stop it, Rarity, you don’t want to do this. She’s your best friend for Celestia’s sake!”, Rarity pleaded with herself as she tried to counteract the newfound feelings of arousal. Seeing the way Fluttershy handled the robe had pushed her over the edge. But it wasn’t just the robe that did it, it was the manner in which Fluttershy carried herself. It was how every time Fluttershy wanted something, she took it; but, Fluttershy never had to be mean or manipulative to get what she wanted, it always just sort of happened. Rarity felt herself starting to become physically turned on. She couldn’t help it anymore and decided that today she would confess her feelings to Fluttershy, for better or worse.

Rarity’s internal struggle sent her into a daze where her pupils had constricted, an eyelid was twitching, and a bead of drool hung from her snout. This, combined with the mess her mane was in earlier, really made her look as if she had finally snapped. “Rarity? Don’t you want to come in? Um… it’s really nice.”, interrupted Fluttershy thus returning Rarity’s focus back from her internal conflict of debate and fantasy. Rarity now only focused on Fluttershy and the spa.

“Yes, darling, I’ll be right in.”, the bead of drool still hanging from her mouth. Her horn and robe began to glow as she used her magic to remove it. As she was disrobing, the garment got caught on her tail and when she freed herself, the silk robe accidentally glid across her plot inciting an audible gasp from Rarity.

“Is everything all right?”

“Of course, darling. Why wouldn’t it be?”, Rarity’s voice wavered. But now she was no longer sure who it was that she was trying to reassure. Struggling to maintain her composure, the robe appeared to fold itself in mid-air until it was set down on the floor at last. She walked a little faster than usual so that she could quickly hide herself in the mud hoping Fluttershy would not discover the excitement she was in.

“Fluttershy, my dear, how ever did you arrange to have this mud brought here? It’s absolutely exquisite!” The warm, thick mud stuck to her coat and restricted her movement as she stepped into the mud bath next to Fluttershy.

“Oh… um… that was actually no problem at all. All I really had to do was ask and… make all the arrangements.”, Fluttershy paused for a second, “About earlier, Rarity. There was something I was wanting to talk to you about”.

Rarity bit her lower lip in anticipation of what Fluttershy was about to tell her. This was it. After Fluttershy told her what was bothering her, Rarity was going to put herself out there and make herself vulnerable to her best friend.

“Well, umm… Rarity, you see, we have been coming to this spa for a long time now…” Fluttershy’s apprehension beginning to show, “…and I really do enjoy your company. But-”.

As the world around Rarity slowed down, she thought, “But? But!? For Celestia’s sake, this is it! She no longer desires my friendship! I knew it! I’ve become boring!”.

“I was wondering if maybe you thought that we could, um… be more than friends?”

Time stood still around Rarity. Fluttershy’s disclosures were usually pretty tame; however, Rarity was entirely unprepared to be confronted with the embodiment of her past four years of lustfully romantic, carnal desires. In that one second, all of her memories of Fluttershy flooded her mind. She remembered how she punished herself for every passionate thought she had in which Fluttershy was the focus. She remembered how she always pushed her feelings deeper, causing her to go four years without confessing her affection. She felt the sting of the countless hours of debating with herself about whether or not she should be happy to reconcile herself to be only friends with Fluttershy. In an instant, she had been freed from her own self-imposed prison. After four years, she was finally free to have the conversation that she had been waiting for. And she wanted to speak, to scream back to Fluttershy, “Yes! Yes! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Fluttershy!”. She opened her mouth to respond, but when she tried to speak up, her body and surroundings betrayed her ability to requite Fluttershy’s feelings. The mud felt tighter than ever against her body, forcing her to feel the growing shortness of breath. All the saliva left her mouth as she tried to find the words, leaving her tongue stuck to her palate.

Rarity closed her eyes to find the strength to face Fluttershy. She reflected on the peculiarity of how slow the pace of time had become. When she had finally gathered her thoughts, she remembered the feeling of the massage mare gently pressing her head down with her hoof. Rarity slowly opened her eyes to see Fluttershy right in front of her and she realised that the hoof she was feeling was that of Fluttershy. Before Rarity had any time to consider what was happening, Fluttershy pressed Rarity’s head towards hers. As their snouts moved closer and closer to each other, they could feel the warmth of the air that each other exhaled. Rarity’s eyes closed again as Fluttershy’s mouth made contact with hers. Rarity’s saliva returned to her as Fluttershy’s tongue effortlessly made its way into her mouth. Fluttershy pulled Rarity’s head with a little more courage towards hers and Rarity presented her tongue to her by lifting it up so that their tongues could dance around each other. This continued for several seconds until Fluttershy slowly released her hoof from the back of Rarity’s head. Fluttershy broke the kiss and their heads drifted apart. Rarity breathed out a sigh of relief as Fluttershy moved to sit next to Rarity in the mud bath.

As Fluttershy made herself comfortable, Rarity looked toward her and quietly said, “Thank you, dear. Thank you so much.”.

“So, that was okay?”

“Okay? Fluttershy, sweetness, do you know how long I had been waiting for this to happen?”

“Four years?”

“How did you kn-?”

“Because I was waiting, too. And I was just too scared to risk ruining our friendship and drive you away. I had to be sure that it was what you really wanted, too.”

“So, the longer massage? The Crystal Empire mud? That was all you?”

“Well, I wanted it to be special. I would walk by the boutique to check in on you and I saw that you had been working through the night for the past few days; but you looked really busy, so I didn’t want to disturb you. I just thought that you deserved to have a longer massage for all your hard work.”

“But, what about the mud?”

“Oh that? Well, I remembered you saying how much you wanted it-”

“But that was almost two years ago! You mean that you remembered after all this time?”

“Well, of course. You remembered that I needed a robe for the spa didn’t you?”

Rarity’s eyes started to well up and she muttered, “Why?”. A single tear rolled down her face.

“Because I… love you.”

“I love you too, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy embraced Rarity without hesitating, using both hooves to press their bodies together.