She grunted in frustration as fresh tears welled up in her eyes. It wasn’t even noon yet and she was already crying. Five years of this. She thought she had moved on, yet here she was, crying like every year on the first day of November.
Puzzling Insanity wiped away the newest wave of tears and looked in the bathroom mirror at her reflection. Her black hair was pulled back, and it had an almost white streak running through it. Under her yellow eyes were dark circles, and the pale orchid-gray fur of her cheeks was matted and tearstained. To put it bluntly, the earth pony mare looked like Tartarus.
She pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed a number. When somecreature picked up, she smiled.
“Yes, hi, I was just wondering if you had any openings for today? You do? That’s great. Uh, just a trim, wash and style, please. Sure, noon works for me. My name is Puzzling Insanity. Thank you so much. You too. Bye.”
Having set up her appointment, she hung up and looked at the time on her phone’s screen. She had about thirty minutes, and the spa was about ten minutes away. Pulling on a black hoodie, she headed into the living room and grabbed her purse, giving her cat a kiss on the head before heading out the door.
As she began her walk, she let her thoughts wander. Today was painful. The last few years were the same. At least she didn’t feel guilty about it anymore. Just… angry. Angry and sad. By the time she made it to the spa’s front door, she was winded, and her face stung as the cold November wind touched the wet fur of her cheeks.
“Damn it!” she cursed under her breath, beating herself up for crying again. Taking a deep breath and wiping her eyes, she opened the door and walked in.
The interior of Ponyville’s day spa was pleasant and simple, and Puzzling could smell something citrusy in the air. The walls were off-white, and there were colorful posters on them. Some of the posters encouraged relaxation, while others advertised the spa’s services.
She approached the front desk with a small smile as a pink earth pony mare with a blue mane smiled back at her.
“Hello, dear! Do you have an appointment?” the pink mare said.
Puzzling cleared her throat and answered, “Yes, I’m Puzzling Insanity; I have a noon appointment.”
“Wonderful,” the other mare said. “If you’ll just have a seat for a moment, Lotus will be right with you.”
“Thank you,” Puzzling said, sitting down in the waiting area. As she did so, the door opened and the bell rang, and a white unicorn mare with very curly purple hair and pale blue eyeshadow walked in.
“Here for your usual, Miss Rarity?” the spa pony asked.
Rarity smiled. “Yes, I am, Aloe. Thank you so much for squeezing me in.”
“Have a seat for just a moment and I’ll get everything ready,” Aloe said, getting up from her seat at the desk and heading into the back.
The unicorn sat herself next to Puzzling and picked up a magazine. The fanged mare looked at the clock until a blue earth pony mare with a pink mane came up to the front. “Puzzling Insanity?”
“Yes, that’s me,” Puzzling said, turning to face the blue mare.
“My name is Lotus Blossom; I’m ready to see you now,” Lotus said, smiling warmly. “If you’ll just follow me, please.”
Puzzling swallowed nervously and got up, following Lotus Blossom back into a long hallway until they reached a door.
“Once inside, please disrobe and place your things in one of our cubbies. If you wish to cover up, we have robes available.”
“Do you have robes in a size 4X?” Puzzling asked.
Lotus nodded. “Of course, dear,” she said. “Just knock whenever you’re ready.”
Puzzling took a deep breath and went into the room. The door closed quietly behind her, and she quickly disrobed, trying to avoid the mirror. She didn’t need another reason to cry today. Hurriedly, she walked over to the robes and found one in her size, the fluffy white fabric feeling nice on her fingertips. Taking a deep breath, she put it on and tied it closed, allowing herself to be surrounded by the soft material.
Walking back over to her clothes and purse, she again let her thoughts wander as she put them in a cubby. She thought of why she was here. She couldn’t trust herself to be home alone, and she looked as terrible as she felt. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.
It slowly opened, and Lotus was waiting patiently. “Are you ready?” the spa pony asked.
“Yes.”
Lotus nodded. “Follow me, please.”
Puzzling followed Lotus down the hall into a room with multiple barber chairs and vanity mirrors. The unicorn from before was already seated at one of the chairs and was waiting patiently for her treatment to begin.
“Do forgive me if I seem in any way intrusive, darling,” Rarity said as Puzzling sat down next to her, “but who did that undercut of yours? Jonathan van Neighs?”
Puzzling blushed a little and answered, “No, my mom did it. I haven’t been to a salon in a while.”
“Well, it looks fabulous on you!” Rarity said.
“Thank you,” Puzzling said nervously as Lotus spun her chair around.
The spa pony gently removed the black hair tie keeping Puzzling’s hair out of her eyes, and it fell like a curtain over the right side of her face.
“Alright, Puzzling,” Lotus Blossom said, “let’s get started. Shall we go for just trimming the split ends, or would you like to experiment with a new style?”
Puzzling thought about it. If she looked better, maybe she’d start to feel better. “Why not both?” she said, a tiny smile on her face. She put her glasses in a pocket in her robe and turned to look at the unicorn. “Rarity, right?”
“Yes, darling, my name is Rarity.”
“What do you think I should do with my hair?”
Rarity turned and smiled. “I think curls would look lovely,” she said, “but that’s just me. I don’t know what Lotus might suggest, but she’s more of an expert on hair than I am.”
Lotus examined Puzzling’s hair and gave her a smile. “I think an angled cut with some layers would frame your face better,” the spa pony said, “but first, let’s wash your hair. Miss Puzzling, do you have a preferred scent?”
“I like citrus,” Puzzling said, her anxiety slowly beginning to dissipate as Lotus helped her stand up and led her to a washing chair. She sat down and felt herself being turned around.
“Can you lay your head back for me, please, my dear?”
Puzzling Insanity laid her head back and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths as the water turned on. Her thoughts began to wander again as she felt warm water working its way over her head and through her hair.
As she sat in that chair, she thought of her father and how proud he would be if he were alive to see all the things she’d accomplished. The first tear slipped from behind her closed eyes just as the water stopped.
“Are you alright?” Lotus asked.
“Yeah,” Puzzling said, “I’m fine. Today’s just not a good day, that’s all.”
Concern still on her face, the spa pony nodded and began to wring out Puzzling’s hair. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened?”
The fanged mare reached up to wipe her eyes. “I lost my dad five years ago today,” she said. “I figured that if I came here, I could take my mind off the pain and maybe start to feel better.”
Lotus Blossom nodded and opened a shampoo bottle. “It’s okay to grieve,” she said. “You have good days and you have bad days. What matters is how you deal with today. Let me know if I’m being too hard.”
A small smile crossed Puzzling’s muzzle as the smell of citrus filled her nostrils, and she could feel Lotus working the shampoo into her scalp. It hurt a little, but it hurt in a good way. As the water turned back on and the shampoo was rinsed out, she allowed Lotus Blossom’s words to sink in. By the time the spa pony worked conditioner into her hair, Puzzling’s smile had gotten bigger.
“Now, this needs to sit for a few minutes, so can I interest you in some reading material while you wait?”
“I’m fine, thank you,” Puzzling said as Rarity was guided over to the washing chair next to her.
“Forgive me for eavesdropping, darling,” the unicorn said, “but did I hear you say that today was a rather unpleasant anniversary?”
Puzzling nodded. “I just appreciate having somecreature to talk to about it,” she said.
“I noticed tear tracks on your cheeks earlier, but I didn’t want to pry,” Rarity admitted. “I’m ever so sorry, darling.”
“Thank you,” Puzzling said. Cocking an eyebrow at the unicorn, she said, “Sorry for changing the subject, but how do you get your curls to stay in place like that?”
Rarity patted her hair and answered, “Overnight rollers and a spritz or two of hairspray.”
The fanged mare nodded in understanding just as the spa ponies returned.
“Alright, Miss Rarity,” Aloe said. “Lay your head back for me, please.”
Lotus Blossom motioned for Puzzling to do the same, and she did. The warm water turned back on, and Puzzling found herself relaxing once again as the conditioner was rinsed out of her hair. Soon enough, the water was off once again, and Lotus was wringing out Puzzling’s hair.
Puzzling smiled as she was helped to her hooves and led back to the barber’s chair. She took her glasses out of the robe’s pocket and put them back on, looking at her reflection. Her hair was damp, and the dark circles were still there under her eyes, but she felt better than earlier.
“So,” Lotus said, “as I said earlier, I would recommend an angled cut with some layers to frame your face. What do you think?”
Puzzling Insanity nodded and took her glasses off, putting them on the little table in front of her. “I’d like that.”
Lotus Blossom nodded and draped a salon cape over the pale mare, getting her supplies ready. Puzzling let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding as the sound of scissors snipping hair filled her ears.
A little while later, Rarity sat in the chair next to hers and smiled. “You look like you feel better, darling,” she said.
“Honestly,” Puzzling said, “I do.”
“You simply must join me later for tea with my friend Fluttershy,” the unicorn said as Aloe began to put her purple hair into rollers. “She usually accompanies me on spa visits, but she had an animal problem to attend to this morning.”
Puzzling Insanity smiled. It had been a while since she had been asked to do anything. “If you’re sure it’s not too much trouble,” she said, “I’d love to.”
Not too long after accepting the invitation, Lotus had finished cutting Puzzling’s hair. “How does it look, Miss Puzzling?”
The fanged mare put her glasses back on and looked at her reflection, her jaw dropping. She looked better than when she woke up that morning. It was amazing what something as simple as a haircut could do. “I love it!” she said, her grin threatening to split her face in two.
“Wonderful,” Lotus said. “We aim to please.”
Aloe placed a plastic bonnet over Rarity’s rolled hair and led her over to a row of hair dryer chairs, sitting the unicorn down and securing the hair dryer over her covered hair. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes, Miss Rarity. I just need to prepare everything needed for your massage.”
“Take your time, darling,” Rarity said, picking up a magazine. “Puzzling, was it?”
“Yeah?”
“What is your favorite kind of tea?”
Puzzling smiled. “Lemon ginger tea,” she said.
Rarity nodded from under the dryer. “I’ll be sure to ask Fluttershy if she has it,” she said. “Personally, I love jasmine.”
Lotus gave Puzzling’s hair a good misting with some perfumed water, the faint smell of citrus noticeable to the pale mare’s sensitive nose.
“Now, Miss Puzzling,” the spa pony said, “if you’ll please follow me, you may retrieve your belongings and get yourself dressed.”
Puzzling Insanity followed Lotus Blossom back down the hallway to the cubby room, entering it alone. The door clicked closed behind her, and she took off her robe, still trying to avoid the mirror. Grabbing her clothes from the cubby, she pulled on her navy-blue leggings, black t-shirt and black hoodie. She hung the robe back up where she’d found it, grabbed her purse and made her way back out into the lobby.
“Now, Miss Puzzling,” Lotus Blossom said, “are you allergic to tea tree oil?”
Puzzling shook her head.
“I ask only because I noticed that your scalp was very flaky. Might I recommend a tea tree shampoo?”
“How much is it, and how much was the trim, wash and style?”
Lotus looked at the price list and answered, “With the shampoo, your total is eighty bits; without the shampoo, it’s sixty-five.”
The pale mare thought about it before reaching into her purse and pulling out her bit bag. “Sorry,” she said, a sheepish smile on her face as she carefully put eighty bits on the counter. “Is it okay if I wait here for Rarity?”
“That’s perfectly fine, dear,” Lotus said. “She should be done in a bit anyway.”
Puzzling took the shampoo and her belongings, sat in the waiting area and picked up a magazine. She sat there reading for what felt like hours until she heard Rarity’s voice.
“Ready to go, darling?” the unicorn asked, adjusting her pale blue dress.
Puzzling grabbed her things and answered, “Yeah, I’m ready. Let's go.”
Puzzling Insanity and Rarity stood outside a quiet little cottage on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. The unicorn knocked on the door.
“Fluttershy, darling,” she said, “it’s Rarity. I hope you don’t mind that I’ve brought somepony else with me.”
The door slowly opened, revealing a yellow pegasus mare with long pink hair. She looked nervously at Puzzling and gave her a tiny smile. “Um, hi,” she said quietly.
“Hi,” Puzzling said, “I’m Puzzling Insanity. I met Rarity at the spa today.”
Fluttershy nodded and asked, “Won’t you come in? That is, uh, if you don’t mind.”
Puzzling followed Rarity into the cottage and stopped to look at all the animals running through the place. She didn’t know what to make of it all.
“I know,” Rarity said, picking up on Puzzling’s fascination. “Fluttershy is Ponyville’s resident animal caretaker.”
The pale mare nodded as a white rabbit tugged on her leggings and squeaked angrily.
“Language, Angel Bunny,” Fluttershy chided. “Um, Puzzling, would you be so kind as to close the door, if you wouldn’t mind?”
“Right,” Puzzling said, a sheepish look on her face as she blushed and closed the door. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, you don’t have to apologize,” the pegasus said. “I’m sorry for not warning you about all my animal friends.”
“Before I forget, darling,” Rarity said, “Puzzling said that she likes lemon ginger tea. By any chance do you have any?”
“Let me check,” Fluttershy answered, heading to her cupboards. Opening one, she looked at the many teas on the shelves and said, “I have lemon tea; is that okay?”
Puzzling nodded. “Yeah, lemon tea is just as good as lemon ginger. It doesn’t taste that different to me.”
Fluttershy smiled. “Um, feel free to make yourselves at home,” she said. “Just watch out for any critters, if you don’t mind.”
Rarity and Puzzling carefully sat down in the living room, trying to avoid sitting or stepping on any of their host’s animal friends. To Puzzling’s surprise, a black cat jumped onto her lap and began to purr.
“Aw, hi there,” the fanged mare said, petting the cat gently. “Aren’t you cute?”
The pegasus put a kettle of water on the stove and looked into the living room. “That’s Miss Fortune,” she said. “She likes you.”
“Cats usually do for some reason,” Puzzling said, shrugging. “Hey, where’s your bathroom?”
“Oh, it’s just down the hall,” Fluttershy said. “First door on the left.”
Puzzling nodded her thanks and gently set Miss Fortune down on the floor, carefully standing and making her way into the hall. When she reached the first door on the left, she opened it, went inside and turned on the light.
Fluttershy’s bathroom was simple-looking, with its spring green-painted walls and clean hardwood floor. On a small table by the white clawfoot bathtub was an arrangement of small potted succulents. Hanging on the wall across from the toilet was a calendar, the image for November being a ginger tabby kitten wearing a pilgrim’s hat. Overall, the room had a very cozy air about it.
Puzzling looked at her reflection in the mirror. She still couldn’t believe how she looked and felt after her spa trip. The tear tracks on her cheeks were much less noticeable now, and she looked happier, if only a little bit.
Satisfied, Puzzling turned out the light and left the bathroom. On her way back into the living room, Miss Fortune walked up to her and meowed loudly, looking up at her with big golden yellow eyes. Puzzling picked the cat up and carried her back to the chair, sitting down carefully and giving her a gentle scratch on her neck.
Miss Fortune purred, her eyes closing slowly as the earth pony gave her affection.
Fluttershy peeked her head into the living room and asked, “Did you find the bathroom okay?”
“I did,” Puzzling said, gently setting Miss Fortune down on the floor.
“That’s wonderful to hear,” the pegasus said, smiling. “By the way, the tea will be ready in just a few minutes.”
Rarity smiled. “Thank you, darling.” The unicorn turned back to look at the earth pony and couldn’t help but notice something about her clothes.
Puzzling cocked an eyebrow and asked, “Do I have cat hair on my hoodie?”
“No, no,” Rarity said, “nothing like that; I just couldn’t help but notice what a lovely contrast that’s been created by your outfit. Dark fabric against pale fur is always chic.”
The fanged mare smiled. “Thank you,” she said.
“Who’s ready for tea?” Fluttershy asked, carefully carrying a small tray with three teacups on it into the living room. Setting it down on the table, she sat herself down on the couch and smiled. “Jasmine for myself and Rarity, and lemon for Puzzling. Everypony please be careful; it’s hot.”
Puzzling picked up her cup and breathed in the bright citrusy aroma of her tea. She smiled before blowing on her tea and taking a tentative sip. “This is really good,” she said. “Thank you for inviting me, Rarity.”
“It’s no trouble at all, darling,” Rarity said, lifting her tea with her magic and sipping it daintily. “Fluttershy, dear, what exactly did you mean this morning by ‘animal problem’?”
Fluttershy looked at the unicorn and said, “I had to mediate an argument between Angel Bunny and Alice. Bunny rabbits are cute, but they can be quite vicious.”
Rarity snorted, “I can think of another name for that rascally rabbit that begins with ‘A’, but a lady doesn’t curse.”
Puzzling nearly choked on her tea as she fought back a laugh. Just how bad was that rabbit?
Fluttershy gave the fanged mare a few slaps on the back and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Puzzling said. “Note to self: don’t drink and laugh at the same time. Just how bad is Angel Bunny?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say he’s bad,” Fluttershy said. “He’s just very temperamental and likes things to be a certain way.”
The earth pony smirked. “Sounds a lot like me in rabbit form,” she said. “I have a short fuse and like things to be a certain way.”
“He’s quite ornery, that rabbit,” Rarity said, sipping her tea.
Angel Bunny climbed the couch and tugged on the sleeve of Fluttershy's fuzzy white sweater, chittering angrily.
“There’s no need for that kind of language,” Fluttershy scolded gently, her cheeks reddening. “We’ll change the subject.”
Puzzling nodded. “Do you have a cat, Rarity?”
“Why, yes, darling,” the unicorn said, smiling. “I have a gorgeous little girl named Opalescence. What about you?”
“I do,” Puzzling said. “He’s a sandy-blonde tabby named Corpsegrinder.”
Rarity cocked an eyebrow while Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Why that name in particular?” Rarity asked.
“Mostly out of irony, like naming a poodle Killer.”
Fluttershy swallowed a lump in her throat and smiled. “That’s kind of funny if you think about it,” she said quietly, “and you’ve both met Miss Fortune.”
Rarity nodded absentmindedly as she noticed something about Puzzling’s expression. It almost looked like she was crying on the inside. “Puzzling, are you alright, darling?”
The earth pony sighed. “I just miss my dad,” she said, her eyes welling up as a fresh wave of grief and anger washed over her. “Faust damn it, I thought I was done crying!”
Fluttershy took Puzzling’s hand and squeezed it lightly. “It’s okay to cry, Puzzling,” she said gently.
Puzzling’s shoulders heaved and tears streamed down her face as she began to sob openly. “I’m sorry,” she managed to say as Fluttershy sat her down on the couch and hugged her.
“You don’t need to apologize,” the pegasus said. “Just let it out.”
The fanged mare cried for what seemed like an eternity, but by the time she was done, she felt as though the weight of the world had fallen off her shoulders. Her face was a mess of fluids, and her eyes were red and swollen, but she felt so much better in that moment.
“Feeling better?”
Puzzling nodded, wiping her eyes on her hoodie sleeve. “Y-yeah,” she said.
“Darling, I don’t know who taught you that you needed to suppress your emotions,” Rarity said, offering Puzzling a box of tissues, “but they were wrong. It is perfectly okay to cry when you need to.”
The earth pony took some tissues from the little blue box, wiping her face. “Thank you for the tea,” she said, “but I should probably get going. You two are more than welcome to come to my place anytime.”
“Thank you for coming over, Puzzling,” Fluttershy said, smiling. “It was a nice change.”
Puzzling smiled and finished her cooled tea, standing up, grabbing her things and carefully making her way to the door.
“Do you know your way back to Ponyville?”
“Not really,” Puzzling said, fishing her phone from her purse. “I’ll be fine, though; I have GPS.” With that, she waved her goodbyes and left for home.
By the time she made it back to her trailer, she was exhausted. She opened the door and saw Corpsegrinder sitting on the coffee table, waiting for her. Closing the door behind her, Puzzling Insanity collapsed on the loveseat, her hooves aching and her lungs ready to burst, and the cat jumped onto her belly, purring contentedly and sniffing her muzzle.
In spite of everything that she’d felt, she thought her "getaway day" was a success.
