Applejack had never seen the La Te Da Spa quite so full.

Granted, she could count the number of times she had been inside at all on one hand, but it was still quite the shock to see the entire lobby so completely full. The line of women wound its way around marble columns and ornate statues, terminating at a statuesque beauty with porcelain skin and long purple hair, a look of equal parts frustration and desperation creeping across her elegantly made up features.

Applejack had stepped back the moment they had reached the front, her fingers crossed and buried in the pockets of her jeans. From the second they entered the packed waiting room a faint hope had begun to take hold of her, one that only grew during the agonizingly long wait to reach the check-in desk.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T HAVE ANY SPACE‽‽”

The tan blonde tried her best suppress a smirk, silently scolding herself for feeling relief over something that made Rarity so upset.

There was a slender young woman standing across the counter that Applejack recognized as either Lotus Blossom or Aloe Vera. She had more or less given up on remembering which was which, and it hardly mattered as long as she could hold up under Rarity’s usual routine.

She had already made it past faux-outrage, next up was pleading.

“I’m like really sorry Rarity, we’re like totally full. It’ll be at least a couple hours before we can let in anyone else.”

“Buh- But I’m your best customer! Surely you can find just a little extra space for the two of us.”

Applejack flinched as her friend gestured toward her, but Aloe Blossom hadn’t bothered to look.

“Rarity we don’t even have room for one of you. You know we would never turn you away if we could avoid it, but the fact is there’s no space in the spa, were totally swamped.”

Then came her last resort.

Applejack looked on as her friend leaned forward, bridging the considerable difference in height between herself and Vera Lotus, getting as close as the countertop would permit to the still placid beautician.

“You know darling, I would really appreciate it if you could check again, maybe just… One. Last. Time?”

Even from behind Applejack knew what the spa clerk was seeing. A flutter of sapphire blue eyes, a perfectly innocent opportunity to see down Rarity’s low-cut blouse, all while she played ‘innocently’ with a single curl of lilac hair.

For the uninitiated it was quite persuasive, but for Rarity the spa was practically a second home and Applejack’s mystery woman seemed decidedly unmoved.

“I’m sorry Rarity, you’re going to have to either wait or leave.”

“But – but-.“

Sensing that she was needed the farm girl threw a well muscled arm around Rarity’s waist and began to pull.

“C’mon Rare, if they’re full they’re full, we can find some other way to relax.”

Rarity growled. When it was important to her she could be quite tenacious, but Applejack persisted, dragging the taller woman along with her towards the door.

“I’m not gonna haf’ta put ya over my shoulder, am I?” She could feel her friend’s resistance fade a bit, no doubt remembering that this wouldn’t be the first time she had followed through on the threat.

“We can stop by that café ‘cross the street, I know how much ya love their brownies.”

Rarity gave a murmur of ascent, but Applejack was well aware she had not heard the last of this.

“I cannot believe the spa kicked us out!”

Rarity’s voice barely carried across their table, suffocated by the din of the unusually crowded café.

“They didn’t kick us out, they were just full.”

“It’s the principle Applejack! It’s a rejection! An affront to our reputation, to our very status as pillars of the community! Why I have half a mind to –. “

“Mind if I take a piece’a that?”

Rarity sighed and slumped forward, pushing her plate across the table into Applejack’s eager reach.

“You were really lookin’ forward ta this huh?”

“Yessssss.” she groaned “I don’t know why but I’ve been absolutely exhausted lately. I can barely get out of bed in the morning, I guess I was just hoping some time at the spa would make me feel myself again.”

“Not surprisin’, between runnin’ the boutiques, designin’ new outfits, all the fashion shows, and takin’ care’a Sweetie Belle, I think you’re the only person I know who works harder than I do. What ya really need is a day off.”

“This WAS my day off” Rarity pushed herself up, meeting Applejack’s gaze with a look of practiced despair.

Applejack knew she didn’t need to say anything, she could see through Rarity like water, she knew there was more to her ‘confession’.

“Well, half of a day off…” Rarity admitted after a moment under the freckled woman’s scrutiny.

“Mhmmm.”

“I closed the boutique early.”

“Mhmmm.”

“And I guess I may have spent a couple hours on an outfit for Starlight.”

Applejack took another chunk of brownie, her green eyes still boring holes through Rarity’s composure.

“Well it doesn’t matter! Those things have never bothered me before!”

“Yeah but you’ve bin pushin’ yourself for years now, you’re getting’ old….er-.“

Applejack felt her words catch in her throat, Rarity’s piercing blue eyes were narrowed, shooting her a look that turned her blood to ice.

“I am going to pretend that I didn’t hear that.” she responded, her voice now absolutely frigid.

“The REAL issue is that I can’t relax. Ponyville is supposed to be my home, but lately there are all these - these people!” Rarity gestured around to the normally tranquil café, currently packed practically to bursting with total strangers.

“There’s no peace anymore, there’s no quiet, everything is crowded! The spa, the salon, even my café.”

“They’re just tourists shug, they’re not hurtin’ anyone.”

“You live out on your farm, you barely need to deal with them, but the whole town just feels… different.”

As she spoke, Rarity signalled a miserable looking waiter dashing between customers. He was carrying two tables worth of food in either hand, and somehow managed to look even more despondent as he caught sight of Rarity’s upraised hand.

“You lived in big cities before.”

“Its not the same, these people are weird.” A slight scowl passed over her lips. “Sometimes it feels like they’re…staring.”

“I thought you loved -.” Applejacks eyes darted around the restaurant, taking on a hushed tone. “That kinda’ attention.”

“Its just not the same.”

Their waiter soon returned, leaving the bill between the two women as he raced towards another table. Before the slip of paper had even made contact with the surface Rarity had snatched it up, her other hand already thumbing through her purse.

She smiled. “I’ll take care of this one darling.”

“Rare we ordered one plate, and I ate most of it, I’ll get it.”

“Applejack please, I invited you out, and all you’ve gotten to do is stand in lines and listen to me complain. This is the least I can do.”

“C’mon, I love hangin’ out with ya, doesn’t matter what we do.”

Rarity quirked an eyebrow. “Oh really? you would’ve loved spending hours getting your nails done with me? Being wrapped in seaweed? Maybe even getting a facial?”

“Course I would.” she replied, attempting to suppress her blush. “Was lookin’ forward to it all day! Just ask Big Mac.”

Rarity giggled and rose to her feet, laying out an assortment of coins and bills on the table.

“We really must start auditioning replacements for the ‘Element of Honesty’.”

“You can get to it on your next day off.”

“Finally!” Rarity sighed as she packed an immaculate cheese omelette into a plastic container.

It sat in the fridge next to a brown paper bag with Sweetie Belle’s name written across it, a little heart dotting the “I”. Normally she made their breakfast fresh in the morning, but Rarity was determined to get something close to a full nights sleep, and waking up early tomorrow seemed almost impossible the way she felt now.

Everything else was ready, she had showered, put her sister to bed, and changed into her nightgown. She felt every muscle in her body shriek as she made her way up the first couple of steps, but her day was almost over.

But soon she paused. There was a knock at the door.

Whoever it was had no business expecting her to see them at this hour, whatever it was it could wait until tomorrow.

As she renewed her assent, she heard the knock again, but this time there was something different about it. It had a distinct rhythm to it. Her grip on the bannister loosened for a moment, it would be rude to ignore someone who came all this way in the middle of the night…

But it didn’t matter, she could barely stand, she needed rest, she needed…

A third time the knocking came, the same weird rhythm as the time before, but her decision was made. A lady would never be so impolite as to leave someone waiting outside in the dead of night. She would go down, meet her guest, and politely turn them away, and that was all there was to it.

Whoever was waiting on the other side, she could barely make them out through the contortions of the stained glass, and opening the door did little to aid in her recognition.

It was a man… or more accurately a boy, barely 19 by the look of him. He was only about shoulder height on her, with black hair and brown eyes. His only remarkable feature seemed to be the look of apprehension bordering on terror he wore on his face as he looked up at her.

“Can I help you?” she asked, trying her best to conceal her impatience.

His eyes darted away from hers as she spoke to him but expanded significantly as they fell upon her nightgown. He made no effort to disguise what had caught his interest as he struggled to force out a coherent sentence.

What a little creep.

“I – um… I paid for – I’m – I’m supposed to escort you…?”

“I think you have the wrong house.” the door inched closed as she spoke, her tolerance wearing increasingly thin.

“N- no – hold on! I have something.” he began to rummage through a black bag he held in his right hand, but Rarity was officially done being polite.

“I don’t have time for this, come back tomorrow, in the morning, and don’t let me catch you knocking on my door this late ever again.”

He produced a scrap of crumpled paper just as the door began to swing shut. “Recherche, you’re due to perform tonight, I’m here to escort you!” he blurted out.

“That’s not – I’m not…” Her hand moved to her forehead, her vision blurred, the entire world seemed to lurch violently around her.

“I am due to perform?”

Rarity felt every muscle in her body relax at once, she collapsed forward into the boy’s arms, and felt him struggle to remain upright under her weight. Her body felt warm, she felt…she felt…amazing.

As quickly as she toppled, she pulled herself upright again. He was still staring at her, nervousness seeming to pour out of every pore.

“Oh my goodness, a personal escort, what a little gentleman you are!” she said pinching his cheek.

He passed the black bag to her, hands shaking violently as he thrust his arms out in front of him. “I – uh – I brought your stuff, they said you’d know what to do…”

“Of course darling! I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting, just give me a moment to get ready.”

Recherche felt a fog around her mind as she danced her way toward the stairs. There was a nagging feeling at the back of her mind, like a voice too distant to make out clearly. Every step she took she heard it call out to her, only to have it be smothered under a feeling of total bliss radiating through every limb.

Her motions felt instinctive but the thoughts that guided them were fuzzy. She knew she was going somewhere, why else would she need an escort? The where was unclear to her but the progress towards it felt incredible.

She twirled and caught a glimpse of her gentleman caller, he was taking his first tentative steps into her home. The voice shrieked, so loudly that it was almost intelligible, but once again it faded, and a wide smile spread itself across her face.

“You wait right there love, I’ll be down in just a moment.”

“Uh – you.” He croaked. “You can get ready down here - It’ll probably be faster - I don’t mind.”

Recherche paused for a moment, her mind going over each individual word as if they were in a different language. The voice was more distant still, its timbre severe but its content incomprehensible.

“If you’re sure you don’t mind then I guess there’s no reason not to.”

She spun on her heel and made her way over to the closest mirror, smaller than the one in her room of course, but the whole process was so natural to her that it was practically useless anyway.

Her hand disappeared into the bag and reappeared holding an entire salon’s worth of makeup.

With preternatural skill her left hand ran a tube of lipstick along her mouths surface, changing her plump lips from pink to black in a single stroke. Her right drew a pair of dark half-moons over her eyes, while a mascara brush suspended in mid air by a pale blue aura extended her every eye lash. Within a moment’s notice her face was transformed, ‘imperfections’, if they had even existed had vanished, the visage staring back at her was a masterpiece of practiced precision.

But she wasn’t done.

Like a snake shedding its skin her nightgown slipped from her body. As she leaned down, her eye met the reflection of her visitor in the mirror, his own eyes wide as saucers and his jaw nearly to the floor.

He was just precious, utterly adorable.

Her hands once again dove into the black canvas, this time returning with a jumble of shimmering purple fabric to match her hair and an assortment of golden rings, some linked together, others singular.

Recherche stared down at the constituent parts of an outfit. She recognized them… barely, had she worn this before? Had she made this? Her head still felt a bit fuzzy, but she was certain she had seen this outfit before, she was –.

“Um excuse me, I – I could help you with that…”

Her thoughts snapped back to reality at the sound of his voice, realizing that she had been all but ignoring her guest. “Oh my, aren’t you sweet, If it isn’t too much trouble then I suppose you could –.“

The distance between them vanished in an instant. She could feel his breath coming in nervous fits on her back as he reached around her and grabbed a pair of panties from her waiting hands.

“Ah – I’ll just – uhm.” Her gaze met his in their shared reflection, a slight smile formed on her lips and grew larger as his face turned bright red. He went to his knees, laying the bottoms on the floor for her to step into. She felt his hands pass along her legs as he pulled them up to herrear, trailing along the length of her outer thigh, his proximity to her increasing as he inched his way back to his full height. Once they were situated, she pulled a pair of fine mesh thigh-highs up each leg, bending in half and feeling his hand caressing her backside as she did.

His trembling hands worked their way around her torso next, securing a series of golden rings together around her. A fine translucent veil draped over her lower half reaching her knees while she busied herself dividing 6 similar rings between her wrists, barely taking notice as his arms wrapped themselves around her and pressed himself up against her body.

It took him a while to figure out her top. It wasn’t his fault of course, the clasp was in the front, and from his position she suspected he could scarcely see what he was doing. She kept herself occupied putting on her earrings and a pair of fingerless elbow gloves, waiting bemused as his hands worked their way up and down her chest, barely containing a fraction of her significant bust in either one. She could feel warmth radiating out from her chest as he struggled, a blush coming over her face, she suspected he was a bit embarrassed as she felt his attempts become more frantic, his hands accelerating as they continued to pass over her light pink nipples.

Then he stopped.

Recherche looked down and saw her hand wrapped around his, her nails digging into his skin. The voice at the back of her mind had returned, faint but still audible. She could see a look on her face in the mirror, the pink blush of her cheeks seemed almost unnatural against her gritted teeth and arched eyebrows, and the look of abject terror along the face of her little helper.

Moments seemed to stretch on for hours. She felt paralyzed, as if her body were a stranger to her, her mind screamed at her to release his hand, but something kept her holding on, gripping tighter, heart hammering –.

“C-can you let go? You’re hurting my hand.”

“Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry dear, I don’t – I don’t know what came over me.”

His look was still apprehensive as she tore her hand from his, he was staring down at it, littered with deep red marks where just seconds ago she had dug into him like a feral animal. Why had she done that? What was wrong with her?

Her voice came out shaky and uncertain. “I think – why don’t I finish the top darling?” She asked, finally breaking away. “It won’t do to arrive late, I’d hate to get my chaperone in trouble.”

His face, just moments ago utterly worshipful was now suspicious and strained. “Yeah, I’ll go get your jacket.”

His voice was cold, and Recherche felt a hole in the pit of her stomach as he turned away, guilt gnawing away at her while she fastened her top.

As she slipped on a pair of tall purple stilettos, she felt the long dark trench coat drape itself over her shoulders.

“Its chilly out tonight.”

“Oh, how thoughtful!” she chirped, wrapping it around her and trying to bridge the awkwardness.

She opened the door and offered her companion her arm. “Shall we?”

Reluctantly he accepted her offer, and they walked out of the house.

The walk was uncomfortable.

The town was surprisingly populated at night. Almost all the faces they passed seemed to belong to strangers, but their numbers thinned in short order as the pair went on.

The roads they took felt vaguely familiar but seemed to see virtually no traffic. Despite traveling over uneven ground she felt herself glide along the ill maintained path, heels navigating around rocks and roots as if they barely existed. However, in spite the lack of effort she clung to her companion, holding him tightly, hoping to dull the aura of unease that still seemed to radiate off of him.

By the time they arrived it seemed to have worked. Her minder had wrapped an arm around her, his hand resting on her lower back, no doubt to help her feel safe as they passed through the darkness. When they finally stopped it was only with reluctance that he pried himself from her, making his way to a thick metal door embedded in a large grey building standing in the middle of nowhere. Town wasn’t visible in any direction from where they were, the entire area seemed unincorporated save for this one looming cube blending into the inky blackness.

He approached the door and knocked, she quivered as she heard it, the same knock she had heard when he first arrived to pick her up.

The door slid open slightly and a deep voice emerged, distinct even against pulsating music that leaked through the tiny aperture. She couldn’t hear what they were saying but noticed her escort point over at her. the door closed shortly after, before opening again entirely, revealing an almost irresponsibly large man who silently waved the pair inside.

Recherche was awestruck as she entered, everything was simultaneously familiar and foreign. The music had grown louder as she approached and now surrounded her entirely, the room was dark save for glowing lights affixed to virtually every surface, providing just barely enough illumination to follow the path towards a door at the back.

She followed her guide as if attached to him by a string, her eyes wandering over the dimly lit surroundings. She noticed a long stage flowing from behind a curtain at the back into the centre of the room, terminating with a large metal rod near the middle of the room.

When they reached the back of the building their convoy stopped, without prompting a tall, well dressed man with slick red hair emerged from the back room and waved off the behemoth who had brought them.

The moment she laid eyes on him Recherche felt her body tense. Her feet spread themselves shoulder width apart, her back straightened and her hands clasped themselves behind her. Her eyes locked onto him, she barely noticed the motions her body went through, hardly taking note of the fact that her focus was now totally fixed upon what was directly in front of her, that her body was suddenly unresponsive. There was a faint tingle in the back of her mind, the voice having been silent for so long that its flickering to life however briefly came as a surprise to her, but one that her new posture did not reflect.

“Cutting it pretty close there huh?” he asked, throwing an arm around her erstwhile chaperone as he did.

“Oh, sorry I guess I might have lost track of time a little bit.”

“Bah! Don’t sweat it pal, for how much you shelled out you probably wanted to get your money’s worth eh? How was it?”

“She was great! Or… mostly great.” He held his hand up toward the dapper gentleman and Recherche felt her stomach knot itself. The mans expression turned to worry for a moment before he waved at something behind her.

“Ah the curse of the early adopter, well these things do tend to happen when you’re dealing with a new product.” As he continued to speak Recherche saw someone pass her by. The woman was as tall as she was but much thinner, a veil of long pink hair reached down below her waist obscuring her almost entirely so that all that could be seen of her were a pair of long tan legs in fishnet stockings.

“This young man seems to have injured his hand while providing us a deeply necessary service.” He spoke, taking the boys hand and holding it up to show their new guest.

“I’d like you to do whatever it takes to help with his recuperation.”

“Oh my goodness, you poor dear.” Came the woman’s gentle voice, taking his injured hand in hers. “Come with me and I’ll make sure you feel all better.”

Recherche watched as the pink haired intruder led her escort away, her heart sinking with every step as they exited her narrow field of view without even a second glance in her direction. She was soon alone with the red haired man, her rigid pose belying the feeling of bitter disappointment she felt over her sudden abandonment.

Until, without warning, he approached her, his hand reaching out and pressing itself against her forehead.

The sensation was strange.

It started where his palm had met her face and cascaded downward until it reached her toes. She wasn’t quite numb, but she felt…separate from herself. She could ‘see’ him as he took her face in his hand, ‘felt’ his grip on her cheeks as he pulled her closer, inspecting her emotionless visage, his light green eyes peering deeply into hers, seemingly looking for something.

Soon he was satisfied, or seemed to be. She ‘felt’ his hand on her back, exerting the tiniest amount of pressure, but she offered no resistance. like a passenger in her own body she watched as the world around her became simple scenery, traveling past her as they moved through a door and into a dark room.

When the hand left her she stopped, her eyes now fixated on a brick wall that happened to be standing directly in front of her.

As she stared she heard two voices behind her, the mans voice but doubled, as if he was speaking to himself. She could make out each and every word but they passed right through her, hearing without listening as they carried on as though they were totally alone.

“How’d it go?”

“Apparently the kid nearly got his hand torn off.”

“Ouch, did you give him a refund?” The voices laughed.

“I took care of him, gave him one of the others.”

“Think the performance will go alright?”

“Yeah it just needs a touch up, we’ll get it done before we send it home.”

She continued to stare ahead, motionless until she once again felt a hand touch upon her forehead. She felt warm a breath on her ear, something was whispered into it, she didn’t catch it, or couldn’t understand it, but either way she suddenly felt the sensation spread across her again.

Her body felt like her own.

She turned and saw him standing there, looking directly at her, smiling.

The fuzziness was gone, replaced by clarity and single-minded determination. The voice in the back of her mind had been silenced entirely, for the first time in what felt like an eternity she knew what she needed to do.

“Ready?” He asked as he stepped aside.

“I was born ready darling, mustn’t keep my audience waiting.”

He trailed behind her until she reached a nearby set of steps. There was a slap on her ass as she ascended but she thought nothing of it as she took her position, waiting patiently behind the curtain.

The music that had been filling the air quieted for the first time since she had arrived, overtaken by an enthusiastic voice now blaring throughout the building.

“Back by popular demand for her fourth consecutive night on stage, the remarkably radiant and rapacious Recherche!”

The curtains opened and she began to strut her way forward, a feeling of ecstasy bubbling up within her as she made her way to the front. The spotlight was blinding at the end of the stage, but she could still make out an ocean of eyes staring up at her from almost every angle.

Her hand gripped the pole, the music started, and her dance began.

Slowly she dragged her hand along the cool metal, circling the pole as a shark circled its prey, each motion deliberate and purposeful, occurring in perfect tandem with the beat of the song. As the tempo began to rise her movements matched it, each one more dramatic and athletic than the one that preceded it.

When it next slowed, she found herself suspended metres from the ground, hands holding tightly to the top of the pole, legs spread wide, drifting gracefully downward and feeling like Celestia herself descending from the heavens. When it picked up again, she was upside down, long purple locks pooling underneath her, an inverted vision of faces with gaping jaws and wide smiles sending a thrill up her spine.

She danced with the tall piece of metal as if it were a lover, grinding up against it, feeling the cold surface turn warm with her own body heat, the affection of the crowd substituting for the affection of her inanimate dance partner. She would anchor herself to it and leap through the air, twirling along its length, drinking ravenous looks from her audience.

Soon she returned to the ground, folding forward at the waist, thrusting her rear out for everyone to see. As she reached the bottom, she pressed her tongue to the steel, running her way up its height, tasting her own passion as she went and hearing the crowd go wild as she returned to her full height.

But she still knew there was something missing.

As the song approached its climax anticipation welled up within her.

She reached the pole’s apex one last time, legs coiled around it, her thighs slick with excitement, sliding down in a series of circles. When she met the ground she performed one final flourish, seeing her final position clearly in her mind and working her way towards it. When the music stopped, she stopped with it, arms above her head, still gripping the pole tightly. Her back resting against it, legs spread eagle facing the front of the stage.

Her breathing was heavy, the purple fabric of her outfit clung to her quivering form. For a brief moment there was total silence, the music gone, the crowd quiet.

Then all at once they were ecstatic.

The air filled with applause. Hoots and hollers, whistling and cheering. All of it blending together into an incomprehensible symphony of adulation.

But something was still missing.

The voice re-emerged from the speakers. “What do you think folks, are you glad she’s back?”

The applause intensified, going from loud to outright thunderous.

“Well before she gets back to business, she’s going to need to see just how appreciative you all are!”

Then Recherche saw it. Bits began to rain down onto the stage from the crowd. Her already quick breath became ragged, she felt electricity run through her body. Exhilaration turned her bottoms from damp to drenched and she did all she could not to collapse to the floor.

By the time the downpour had subsided Recherche had mostly regained her composure, still holding the position she had adopted at the end of her performance, but now feeling utterly euphoric as stragglers continued to pelt her stage with material gratitude. She felt scraps of their appreciation stuck to her moist skin, sent to her by a few overzealous patrons. Others had reached onto the stage and made their deposits more directly, taking handfuls of her supple flesh as they forced their recognition upon her. She was soon left with green scraps of paper peaking out of every article of clothing she wore, quietly trembling and quivering as she felt it brush against her with every breath.

Soon she heard the voice return again. “Well it looks like everybody’s having a good time so far!”

There was still more cheering, but the voice persisted. “Well don’t worry folks, we’ve got her here all night, as long as you’ve got bits, she’s got dancing to do!”

Music began to fade in again, a different song, but one she knew just as well as the first. A low moan escaped from her lips as she once again rose to her feet.

“She REALLY appreciates your generosity!”

Recherche’s hips began to sway, the sound once again overtaking her, she was ready to go.

The entire room was blurry.

Rarity saw her arm stretch out in front of her, groping at an alarm clock that was little more than dark smear along her reduced line of sight, the shrill repetitive tone feeling like a drill against her aching head. She turned the clock towards her, waiting for the numbers to come into focus, praying silently that she had more time to sleep.

12:30

“TWELVE-THIRTY‽‽”

The covers flew off the bed in an instant.

“Oh my gosh the boutique! I overslept!! I overslept by 7 hours!!!”

She shot out of her bed like a rocket, leaping into a sprint as her feet met the hard wood of her floor, only to collapse a moment later, suddenly on her hands and knees, her vision fading in and out, her entire body screaming.

“UGHHHHH, what is wrong with meeeee‽”

She threw an arm over her bed and forced herself upright, staggering into the bathroom and propping herself up on the counter.

“its fine, everything’s fine, nobody comes early in the morning anyway, I can just rush down and – and – OH SWEET CELESTIA!!”

Rarity barely recognized the woman she saw in the mirror. Her ivory skin was smeared with makeup, leaving her perfect features buried under a work of impressionist art. She wasn’t wearing her nightgown, or even any underwear, and as she continued to stare at the stranger with whom she now shared a bathroom she realized that she – she smelled… and she felt… sticky.

Scarcely believing what she saw she raised a hand to her face, tracing it along dark streaks of mascara that had made their way down her cheeks. “I can’t – I can’t go down there like this! How could this happen?”

She ran her hands through the knotted tangle that had just yesterday been a head of meticulously maintained curls. She remembered going out with AppleJack, coming home, and then she – she.

Her eyes narrowed, she felt lightheaded for a moment. Her hand pressed up against her face as the feeling intensified, barely managing to maintain her balance.

The sound of her own voice surprised her, It came out without warning, without her even meaning to speak and in a tone that she barely recognized. “I was so tired that I passed out as soon as I got home. I forgot to shower, I forgot to wash off my makeup, all I did was sleep.”

She buried her face I her palms, her voice returning to normal before becoming a low whimper.

“How could I be such an idiot? This is going to take me hours to fix.”

Rarity stood for a moment, feelings of guilt and anger rolling over her, until finally she took a long deep breath and focused.

She turned to the shower and twisted the tap, setting herself down on the tub and running a hand under the warm water that began to fill the basin.

“Maybe Applejack was right.” She froze mid thought. “About the time off, and absolutely nothing else” she quickly corrected herself.

“This will be good for me, a day off is probably just what I need.”

She swung her legs over the precipice and lowered herself into the rising pool of steaming water.

“I’ll get some rest, relax, and everything will be better tomorrow.”

Author's Note

OK round two, trying something longer. I'm not super confident in this idea, might be retooled a bit, but it felt like it was "done" enough to put up at least as a proof of concept so here it is. Thanks for reading <3, gimme feedback or ideas if you got any cause things aren't quite set in stone yet.