"Umm." Fluttershy stared at the metal contraption.
When Twilight had assured her that the hotel rooms would have showers, she had imagined they'd be equipped with clouds, or at least a decent bucket of water she could wash with. Instead, she had found herself facing something completely alien. The bathtub was there, larger than any she had seen in Equestria, but the means to fill it eluded her.
Should I ask the kind hotel manager for help? she wondered. The man had been so enthusiastic about having her in his hotel that he had personally walked Fluttershy to her room. It would be rude to bother the nice human for something as insignificant as this. She stared more at the metal hose held in place by a pole in the wall; quite like a snake hanging from a tree, with the exception that a snake could be reasoned with.
Calm down, Fluttershy, the pegasus thought, taking a trembling step forward. It's just a shower. It won't hurt you. Her hooves clopped along the marble floor as she reached the edge of the bathtub. It was so high it reached her chest. With a hop and a flap, Fluttershy flew inside. So far so good. She let out a nervous laugh.
The first challenge was turning on the water. From what Fluttershy had had seen when she explored rest of the bathroom, humans didn't like taps. It could be said that they hated them. Both the sink and the shower were completely de-tapped, the faucets replaced by a single metal lever. Two dots—one red and one blue—were painted on either side of it in such atrocious fashion that Rarity would throw a fit at the mere mention. Gently, Fluttershy grabbed the lever with her mouth and pulled it to her left.
Nothing happened. The shower remained as lifeless as before, not a drop of water to be seen.
Eeep! Fluttershy thought. Had she managed to break the shower already? Twilight had warned her that things were different in the human world. What if it couldn't be repaired? Would the hotel manager be upset? Would he threw Fluttershy and her friends on the street? Or banish them to human prison?
The edges of her wings fluttering in panic, Fluttershy tugged the lever to the right, towards the blue dot. The metal piece moved, stopping with an abrupt thump shortly after. Sensing she could move it no further, Fluttershy lifted her head—and all Tartarus broke loose.
Streams of freezing water poured down from the metal snake's head ,crashing onto Fluttershy as an autumn storm.
"Eeeek!" Fluttershy let out a frightened squeak, as she tried to flap her way back to safety. Her wings sprung open, seeking space in the confines of the bathtub, only to be soaked with more water than would let her fly.
Shaking with cold and fear, Fluttershy turned around, saving her muzzle from the cold sensation. What am I to do?! What am I to do?! She broke into a full gallop. Her hooves clambered on the wet marble surface of the bathtub like a kitten on ice in a desperate battle to climb out.
"Eeeeeeeeek!" Fluttershy squeaked louder, her voice barely audible over the sound of hooves scrabbling and wings flapping. She shut her eyes, exerting what strength she had in a final attempt to escape the shower's icy downpour. The attempt failed, causing Fluttershy to slip and bump her muzzle on the bathtub's sloped side. "Oomph!" Adding insult to injury, a bottle of liquid soap tumbled off the nearby shelf and bounced off her head. Meanwhile, the shower remained relentless.
Gritting her teeth, Fluttershy turned around. Water sprayed onto her face and mane, forcing her to use both wings as cover. Step by step, she fought her way forward to the spot directly under the shower. Reaching it, Fluttershy then leapt up. Her wings, even wet, managed to boost her up just enough to grab the shower wand with both forehooves. Mouth and wings joined in grabbing onto whatever part of the metal surface they could. A smile formed briefly on Fluttershy's face. Despite the initial shock, she had successfully bested the vile appliance through will, ingenuity, and determination. No longer would cold water fall upon her!
Then the wall bracket gave in.
"Help!" Fluttershy yelled. As she fell, a whole range of gels, shampoos, and bathing salts, splashed into the shallow waters of the bathtub with her. "Heeeelp!"
Finding itself free, the shower wand spun around, slithering along the side of the bathtub. Like a fly in porridge it zipped through the water, leaving large patches of bubble foam in its wake. Startled, Fluttershy tried to stand, but with her wings and legs trembling like dancing koalas, she had no chance. The shower wand continued flying forward, propelled by its torrent of water. It circled the pegasus as if it were one of Applejack's lassos.
"Somepony!" Fluttershy shouted, as she turned and twisted in an attempt to catch it. With each new effort she tangled herself more and more, until it became impossible to get any worse. She accidentally hit the faucet lever with her left wing, changing the water temperature from freezing cold to comfortably warm.
Umm. Fluttershy stopped struggling. I guess the water is warm now. And the shower hose has calmed down... Maybe I'll just untie myself and—
"Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash stormed into the bathroom. "This place is so awesome! Did you see how..." Her voice trailed off. Her eyes grew wide as she spotted Fluttershy lying in the bathtub, dripping wet, tangled in a shower hose, and covered in bubble foam. A pink blush appeared on both faces as they stared at each other, the silence only interrupted by the sound of spraying water. "Err, I better go tell Twilight you'll take a while." Rainbow Dash smiled uncomfortably, flapping backwards out of the room.
For over a minute Fluttershy lay there, motionless, eyes glued to the door. As the blush on her face subsided she took a deep breath.
"Well, I hope you're happy with yourself!" Fluttershy grumbled at the shower wand. The wand just kept spraying.
