A Second Chance

After bathing myself, I grab a towel to dry off and get dressed. I return to my room and see the box lying near the bed, I move the box to the end of the bed and say, "Do you want to come out of there kid?" I hear a knock and open the lid to let her out when she starts running past me, causing me to wonder and ask, "Where you off to?"

She whips her head around and says, "For your information, I need to use the little Changelings room if you don't mind." Resuming her mission to get to the bathroom, she hurries out the door and around the corner.

I chuckle and say, "Alright, sorry I asked." Without another word, I climb onto the bed, remove my boots, and pull the covers over me.

Stealthy Strike returns from doing her business, seeing that Arthur is in bed, and climbs in after him saying, "Hope you don't mind, but I am going to sleep beside you. That box is okay, but I want to be warm and feel protected." She then snuggles up beside him and pulls the covers back up, sighing happily at being warm.

In Canterlot that morning, in Celestia's room

Celestia wakes up to find a scroll lying next to her, she picks it up in her magic and reads it saying, "That is unfortunate to hear, at least that Changeling will be safe with Arthur. Now I think I shall go have breakfast with my sister before we raise the sun and lower the moon, perhaps I will have some pancakes instead of my normal cake this time."

Luna lays on the throne after a long night of fighting off nightmares when she sees her sister enter the room and says to her, "Good morning dear sister, did you sleep well?"

She looks at her with a smile on her face and says, "Yes I did Lulu, thank you. Would you care to have breakfast before we raise the sun and lower the moon?"

The tired princess nods her head and returns the smile replying, "Yes I would, thank you for offering sister."

The two then make their way out of the throne room and to the dining room to have breakfast, talking about the message that Twilight sent her sometime in the night.

Celestia chuckles lightly at how Twilight must feel at having dangerous items in her basement thinking, 'Oh Twilight, don't worry so much about those items. Ponies don't want items they don't have any use for, though they might be curious about what they are at first.' She turns to her sister and smiles saying, "Twilight still worries about things she can't control, Arthur has stored the ammunition for his weapons in her basement, and Twilight was not handling it well in the letter. Perhaps after breakfast and raising the sun, we could go pay a visit and have some tea at her home?

After their breakfast and raising the sun and lowering the moon, they teleport to Twilight's home as Arthur Morgan walks out into the map room and says, "Good morning Arthur, did you sleep well?"

I stretch and nod saying, "Yeah I did, although it feels weird having a changeling sleep next to you when they wrap their legs around you."

Stealthy Strike enters the room, blushes, and looks at him saying, "I got hungry in the night, sorry for startling you like that."

I chuckle and say, "It's alright kid, ya only gave me a light scare." I then look back at the princesses and ask, "So what are you two doing here?"

Celestia smiles and looks at Arthur, "Well, we are here to have tea with Twilight if you must know, and we are going to introduce Stealthy Strike to the town as well. Good morning to you Stealthy Strike, did you sleep well?"

She looks at the princesses and bows respectively, "Yes I did, thank you for asking Your Majesties."

I tip my hat towards the princesses and make my way towards the door, stopping before it opens and ask, "Do you know where I might be able to wash some of my dirty clothes?

Luna looks to Arthur and says, "Well I think that you could ask Aloe and Lotus if they could wash them for you, if there are stains on the clothes, you will have to take them to Rarity."

I smile and say, "That is great to hear, where can I find them in town?"

She smiles and tells him, "Well you can find it on the edge of the town square, with the town hall in the center of it. You can't miss it, because it is the tallest building in town."

I make my way through the door and look over my shoulder saying, "Behave yourself Stealthy, don't cause any mischief for the princesses now..." chuckling as I close the door behind me, then start looking around to locate the town. I spot the town and make my way towards it and whistle for Lou, watching for her when I locate her running towards me from Applejacks.

Lou smiles and comes to a trot near Arthur, slowing to a walk when she is close and says, "Good Morning Arthur what is the plan for today?"

I smile and look at her and say, "Well, I plan on finding Aloe and Lotus, I will then see if they can wash my dirty clothes for me. While we are there, I will also find out what a spa is."

Celestia and Luna watch Arthur head down the road to Ponyville, then turn around and see Twilight standing inside the room with a smile on her face as Luna says, "Hello Twilight, I am surprised at your idea in the letter. That would indeed be the best gift for Hearth's Warming eve, how shall we go about getting started?"

Twilight looks to her and says, "Well, I need help with gathering the required ponies that can help make it a reality. You are more familiar with the citizens of Ponyville, who do you think we should get to help us build our Hearth's Warming Eve gift?"

Celestia looks back at Twilight and says, "Okay Twilight, let's make a list. This is going to be a long one if we are going to get this gift built in one day, do you mind if I offer a design for the layout of the location?"

She smiles and shakes her head saying, "Not at all, I only tried to think of the best gift that he could receive and just thought of that, I didn't try to put any detail into the idea yet."

I arrive at the town square when I look around to find the building when I spot a sign that reads Ponyville Day Spa and see an open sign beside the door, knocking on it before walking in and seeing a small counter to the side of a small room. I walk up to the counter and see a pony with a blue coat and a blonde mane & tail at the counter with a smile on her face and say, "Hi, could you tell me what a spa is used for?"

She giggles lightly and smiles saying, "Hello, my name is Soft Touch. You have never heard of a spa before, have you? A spa is a place that provides various services and treatments to help your body relax."

I scratch my chin curiously and say, "My name is Arthur Morgan, so what services and treatments are available then?" I watch as she pulls out a list and sets it on the counter for me to look at, and read it.

Soft Touch smiles as he asks what each one is and describes them to him, as well as the package deals that include several treatments. She remembers about the special for today and tomorrow and says, "There is a two-day special going on for the Diamond Treatment, it includes a steam bath, a mud facial, a Swedish massage, a seaweed wrap, and hoof bath services. A few of our regulars recommend that treatment, so what can I do for you today?"

I consider the treatment and look up from the list to her and then ask, "I am interested in that Diamond Treatment, can I make changes to that list?"

She nods her head and giggles lightly saying, "Of course you can make changes to the list, we are determined to accommodate any pony or creature's desires. What would you like me to change on the list for you?"

I look at the list again and then say, "Instead of the Swedish massage, can I get the Mysofaca one as well as this Lymphatic massage?"

Soft Touch smiles and nods again, and says, "Yes you can, is that all you would like to get today mister?" She then brings out an empty schedule list to start writing it down.

I then nod my head and say, "That will be all for me, but my partner here would also be interested in a treatment"

She looks behind him and says, "I'm sorry, but there isn't anypony else behind you."

I scrunch my eyebrows together in confusion and turn my head to look and chuckle saying, "Oh, she is outside. That girl is not used to being let inside the house because of how large her body is, this room should be big enough for her body. One second, let me get the door for her."

Soft Touch frowns at how he treats a pony, feeling anger rise in her until she spots who his partner is. Seeing her size causes the anger to dissipate instantly and put a smile on her face again and say, "Hello there, I am Soft Touch and what services can I do for you today?"

Lou turns to her and smiles saying, "Hi, my name is Lou. What kind of services are available?" She listens to Arthur explain the treatments to her and says, "I would like the Diamond Treatment as well as a mane and tail bath, this lout never washed me before. He has, however, did a good job on keeping me brushed down."

She smiles and makes two schedules and walks out from behind the counter and into the room saying, "Wow your body sure is long and tall, please follow me into the next room and I will get you both set up."

I follow her into the next room and ask, "Are you able to clean clothes? I heard from a friend that you could."

Soft Touch nods her head and closes the door behind them saying, "Yes we do wash clothes for ponies, though we are unable to remove heavy stains. To get heavy stains removed, you will have to ask Rarity about that. Now if you would wait here Lou, I will take Arthur to his room to start on his schedule. When you are both done with your treatment schedule, you can pay at the counter."

Rarity looks up at hearing a familiar name, removing the cucumber slices on her eyes to see Arthur walking past her in a fancier outfit and waves at him saying, "Hello Arthur darling, what a surprise to see you here! What a happy coincidence that I decided to treat myself today."

I smile and tip my hat to her saying, "I heard about this place from a pony over in Canterlot, and thought that it would be a good gift for my partner Lou for Christmas this year. Well, I better keep on following miss Soft here to the room, I will see you later at your shop when I am finished here with mine and my partners' treatment."

She waves goodbye to him and replaces the cucumber slices on her eyes and returns to blissful relaxation softly saying, "Okay, I shall be seeing you then. Once you get a taste of how marvelous their treatments are darling, you will want to come here more often."

I follow her into a room as she instructs me to undress and set my clothes in a pile where they will be cleaned for me and nod saying, "May I set other clothes in a pile next to the pile with this outfit?"

Soft Touch nods and smiles saying, "Hmm? Oh yes, you can, just stack them neatly so we can keep them separate from the others that need to be thoroughly cleaned. Alright, the shower is in the corner. So just use it to remove the layer of filth coating your body currently, and then dry off. After you dry off, place the dirty towel in the bin over there and wrap a towel around your waist to keep your bits hidden. When you do that, press this button here, and one of our staff will come for you to begin your treatment. After your treatment is finished, your clothes will be inside a bag and your clean outfit will be ready for you in the dressing room we will bring you to."

I nod and then watch as she heads for the door and stop her by saying, "Oh, can you get something for me to cough into? I have TB and have received treatment to make it safe to be around others."

She gasps in shock and nods her head saying, "I am sorry to hear that you have that terrible disease, I shall find a cloth for you." She then exits the room to get a cloth for him, returning a few moments later with a plain white rag and hands it over to him with her magic.

I shrug and take the cloth saying, "Thank you, but I have gotten used to having it. I do hope that someday, a cure is found for this." I rest one of my hands on my holster and then chuckle saying, "One more thing, be sure not to wash my gunbelt or handle it too roughly alright?"

Soft Touch smiles softly at him and nods saying, "There is always a cure for something being discovered every day, just stay positive and believe the cure will be discovered soon. I will be sure to tell the staff that, I'll meet you at the counter once your treatments are over, see you in a few hours!" She then exits the room and closes the door, then goes to take his partner Lou to the shower room for larger creatures.

I set the cloth to the side and start to strip down, placing the dirty clothes in a pile on the bench along with a warmer pair of boots and my hat. I then step into the shower and see a similar setup to how Twilight's shower is, spending a few moments adjusting the temperature to my liking to remove the dirt and grime from my body.

I lose track of time as I use one of the small bars of soap that are available to scrub my body all over, then use up most of the small bottle of shampoo to try to get my hair really clean. I see a stick with a sponge on one end and wonder what that is for before I think of not being able to reach my back with my hands and say, "What a handy tool, let's see how well it works." I look at the slightly reddish water coming off of my body, chuckling as I say, "I shouldn't have left a mess in the shower last night, perhaps I could make it up to them and clean it up."

Over at Twilight's home

Starlight rolls out of bed and prepares for her morning shower as she blinks the crust away that keeps her eyes closed at night, closing the door behind her as she opens the door to the shower and sees the layer of dirt coating the sides of the shower. She groans in annoyance and makes her way towards the closet that holds the cleaning supplies while mumbling to herself, "How can someone lack all common sense and not clean up after themselves, were they raised to live like animals??"

Twilight hears Starlight in the hall grumbling something to herself and sees her walk past the entrance to the map room and asks, "Good morning Starlight, is something the matter?"

She looks over to Twilight and groans saying, "I'd say there was...someone showered last night and didn't bother to clean up after themselves. Thanks to them leaving their mess for me to find in the morning, I have to clean it up before I use it! It looks like somepony died in that shower, were buried, then dug back up and washed off in there! If poor Rarity saw the mess, she would faint from how gross it looks in there!" She then storms off down the hall towards the closet for the cleaning supplies she needs to get the job done.

Luna looks to her sister and Twilight, sighing as she says, "If it is that bad, perhaps we should take a look and see how bad it really is. What do you two say about it?"

The young mentor watches her pupil continues on her way, then looks to Luna and says, "I think that we should, Starlight does not get grossed out by much."

An hour later in massage room 1

I relax on the table as a muscle-bound behemoth enters the room, causing my eyes to go wide as I say, "Just who in the hell are you, and why are you in here?!"

Bulk Biceps enters the room with a cart of oils and towel on it under an arm and clears his throat then loudly says, "My name's Bulk Biceps and I am here to give you a Swedish Massage, YEAH!"

I gawk at the oversized pony and chuckle saying, "Well shit, if you tried to give me a massage with how strong as you appear to be, I don't think my body could survive it."

He then replies, "YEAH I am strong, but I have learned to control my strength with the help of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I would not be allowed to work here if I was not able to control it and use it well, so trust me and you will not regret it."

I shake my head and sigh saying, "Oh alright then, let's get this done and over with."

Bulk then cracks his knuckles and stretches his arms, then strikes a pose and says, "YEAH, let's get started!" He then applies a few spots of oil to Arthur's back, taking note of the few circular marks and straight lines that are on his back and arms.

I then feel him get started as he asks me to let him know if he needs to go harder or softer with his hands and nod my head saying, "I will let you know, but if I feel a bone break I am going to find a way to kick your ass."

He gulps as he feels a bead of nervous sweat appear just above his brow, remembering that he needs to keep cool and relaxed and focus on what he is doing, and asks in a lower tone, "If I may ask, what are these odd marks on your back?"

I consider whether I should tell him the truth or not and take a breath before saying, "You don't get scars like these from living a peaceful life kid. You see...where I came from, each day is a fight to survive in the world. It is a very hard and cruel world, it kicks you when you're down and the only way to make it stop is to fight back even more. Enough about my history, tell me more about yours and this world. The princesses and Discord told me a bit about this world, but tell me about what you know and think about this world." I feel his hands around my shoulders and say, "You could go a bit harder on the shoulders and upper arms, they have been feeling rather stiff lately."

Bulk goes quiet for a bit and puts more strength into his hands as he feels numerous knots in the muscles saying, "Yeah I can tell, your muscles have knots that have knots in them. It's a wonder you are able to use your arms at all with how many there are."

I think back a little about what I have done in the past, feeling the guilt rise to the surface about the decisions I have made in my pursuit of a foolish hope when I should have chosen differently. As I continue to let the guilt rise, I slowly begin to feel myself wanting to start singing. Not wanting to let my desire get the better of me, I push it down deeper to deal with it after I get used to this new world. I then tell him, "Many of those wounds you see there should have been the end of me, but the situation at the moment demanded that I find a way to live to protect some people that were important to me. I don't wanna talk about me anymore now, is there a mare out there that you have your eye on, or perhaps you like stallions instead?"

He relaxes a bit after hearing Arthur ask who he might be interested in and smiles saying, "Yeah, her name is Octavia Melody. She is very talented with the cello, and I like her soft and gentle voice. You should listen to her play with the other musicians in the Grand Hall in Canterlot for their Hearth's Warming Eve celebration, I would go listen to her myself but I am helping out in the Ponyville play that tells the story of Hearth's Warming Eve."

I listen to him talk about the mare that has his eye and say, "If you like her so much, what would the harm be in asking her out?"

Bulk stops massaging him as he blushes nervously and says, "Uhh...I couldn't. She is so much smarter than me, and I am just a stallion with puny wings and more muscles than brains."

I chuckle and say, "Someone once said that a man...er stallion just needs the right female that will keep him in line and on his toes...er hooves. The worst thing that could happen is that she could say no, all it takes is a little bit of courage to take the necessary step to get her answer. If she does say no, you will always be brave for asking her out."

He calms down and smiles as he considers what he just said, resuming the massage saying, "Yeah I will definitely think about asking her out, thank you."

I then respond to him by saying, "Uh-huh, tell me more about this Hearth's Warming eve thing that everyone is stressing on about."

Bulk smiles and says, "Well it all started many years ago before this area was founded. Three tribes of ponies left their lands due to the foul weather forcing them to find a place where they could live..."

A half hour later, somewhere on the southside of town near the river

Twilight, Celestia, and Luna talk with Applejack about where the ideal spot for their Hearth's Warming Eve present to Arthur would be as Applejack says, "Ah think ya both have a right dandy idea, though construction will hafta wait 'til winter ends due to the ground being frozen. This spot is best if he wants to start a farm because the river is close and the soil is really good, and this hill could have a large cellar."

Celestia looks around and smiles at how nice the view is from the top of the hill and says, "This is a really good spot Applejack, it has a clear view of the area around it and has a few trees to offer some shade. With a porch on two sides of the home, he can either watch the sun or moon rise into the sky or set past the horizon."

Twilight pulls out a list and checks off another thing that they have to do and adds one thing to it saying, "Now that we have decided on a spot, we can start reviewing and refining the design that you have in mind Princess Celestia. We have until just after spring arrives to finalize the details, so shall we return to my castle and begin with our next task?"