Changling My Life

The Spa... (This'll be Fun)

"Umm, Tex we just past the spa." Cygnus said as we passed the building with the spa sign on it. I just smiled and ignored him and entered the ally next to it. "Tex? Where are we goin'?"

"The spa but I'll have to better disguise myself Cygnus. I just threw this forme on, I don't even have my cutie-mark... Unless of course you want the spa ponies flipping out and calling the guard thinking your hypnotized, or somethin' of the sort. Don't want them getting the wrong idea, right?" Cygnus' face screwed up in thought for a moment then shook his head no in response. "That's good because I for one don't." I start concentrating on my appearance and my forme flickers adding a chessboard cutie-mark, high-lighting my black mane in certain spots with midnight blue and a tad bit of purple. Opening my eyes and looking to Cygnus with a changed eye color of pure ocean blue. "So? Do I look like a regular pony to you?" In response Cygnus nods with a plain look of no emotional signs. "Good that means we can go in now and have a good time."

With a bit of effort and about three minutes I managed to lug myself and Cygnus into the spa and ring the bell on the desk next to a sign that says, 'Ring for assistance.' After that I placed the still slightly winded a exhausted Cygnus in a chair so he could try to recover his strength from chasing Cynthia trying to buy me some time with little success. Have to say I do owe him for that little time he did manage to hold her up. After waiting a bit longer and nopony appeared answered when I rang the bell I went over and rang it again only this time I hit it a bit harder making a louder ring than last time. When I still received no answer or any sort of sound of a reaction to the bell I looked to Cygnus who gave a shrug looking back at me. I turn my attention to the doorway clearly leading to the back where the spa treatments clearly take place. "You think there on lunch break or something? You know them are they?"

"No, I don't think so, Aloe and Lotus normally take turns eating lunch so there is little to no reason for them to leave while working hours. Adding to that they live here, up on the second floor so they barely ever leave unless of a dire emergency or grocery shopping which is done on Sunday while this place is closed." Cygnus explains in a normal voice but I could tell he was still recovering and would need a bit more time till he could run around or fly.

"Do you think they'd mind if I went back there for a look?" I ask looking to him to which he shook his head.

"Nope, I'm sure they'd be fine with it but if a door is locked don't go in unless you knock and declare your entering whither they like it or not and wait about a minute for a response. If you don't hear one then open it up and look around." I nod and walk to the doorway. "I'll join you in a minute or so if you don't find them. Need help and give me a holler I'll be up there in a minute flat."

"I'll keep that in mind Cygnus, thanks for the info." I fully enter and look around to see regular masseuse stations set up around with large candles that are lit everywhere. I look to the ceiling, under and around the stations looking for any sign of recent use or presence of anypony. Getting nothing I looked to a staircase on the far side of the room and start contemplating whither or not to go up them or to get Cygnus and go up there with me. I shake my head and head over to the base of the stairs and look up them to see what looks like a kitchen a the top but I could be wrong in that assumption. "Hey Cygnus, I'm going up stairs so meet me up there when you feel rested enough." I say loud enough to get a response of "Alright." from him.

With that I make my way to the top of the steps looking into a rather spacious part kitchen, part living room with a few posters of famous or well known ponies on the walls but one more than the others, which is Sorin' of the wonderbolts. Nothing else really grabbed my attention besides that. I made my way into the living room half and started to look around when I heard somepony speak behind me. "Hey, ya have any luck?" I look back to the staircase to spot Cygnus at the top of the staircase standing with his normal guard posture. I shake my head in response and resume my search of the room for anything. "Oh, well the only thing I can think is that they are asleep in their room or they left in such a hurry they didn't have time to lock up."

"I'm going to have to say that sounds about right." I reply walking to a door and checking the door knob to find it locked. "But, I don't think that is the case. Have Aloe or Lotus ever slacked off in their work to your knowledge?" I look to him and gesture with my head for him to come over. He shook his head as he walked over. "Well then something must be wrong, right?" I knock on the door turning my face to the door. "Hey, somepony in there? I rang the bell on the desk but nopony answered. Is everything okay?" I wait for a minute or so and receive no answer. I look to Cygnus again and he nods. I nod back looking back to the door and use my magic to unlock the door and open it up. "Hell-" My words stuck in my throat as I was shocked to what I now gaze upon. "In Celestia's name and all things heavenly what happened in here?" I slowly look to Cygnus who looked just as shocked as I was. He looked frozen with shock. Walking into the destroyed and messy room the twin beds where flipped upside down and broken, the two bed side lamps along with there respective bed side tables were shattered into bits and pieces. "Cygnus, turn on the lights would ya?" Asking that must have unfroze Cygnus because the light flicked on and the room became a lot brighter. "What the fuck happened here?"

Then I felt something wet drip onto my back and I look to Cygnus who was once again frozen looking up at the ceiling with his mouth hanging open moving as if he was trying to say something but nothing was coming out. I in turn look up to see two ponies plastered to the ceiling with a green slime looking substance, eyes closed and pale looking. "Oh my god..." was all I could think to say to the sight in front of my eyes.

"T-Tex," I hear Cygnus say but I don't look to him to see if he is looking to me, "C-Could you help me get them down?" I nod and use my magic to start snapping the green slime colored plaster and bring them down off the ceiling. I could think of nothing to say to Cygnus as I looked to him and gesture for him to follow as I brought the two ponies into the living area and laid them down. Getting a closer look at them and checking both of their pulse I smiled.

"Cygnus, your friends are some tough cookies, they're both alive." He brushed me aside and nudged one of them softly with his nose. I don't know how much these two mean to Cygnus but they must mean a lot for him to be as silent as he is right now. "Cygnus, I think we should get them to the hospital now. While they may be tough, in this condition, they could possibly die." I watch as he lifts one of them onto his back then gives me a nod.

"Yeah, we should." Cygnus responds after a few seconds and starts to the stairs. Following his example I lift the other onto my back with my magic gently and follow him down the steps. We walk out of the spa and start heading to the hospital.

Unfortunately we didn't go unnoticed getting there. A bunch of news reporters just happened to be around the corner and started asking questions and snapping pictures. This apparently pushed all of Cygnus's buttons because he snapped at them when they got in our way to ask the questions and take said pictures.

"SHUT UP!" Cygnus screamed at them stomping his hoof, "Don't you have something better to do then get involved in other ponies business! We are taking these two the hospital and you are in our way! Unless you want to be arrested you better move, NOW!" In the time I've known Cygnus I'd never had guessed he snap at anypony but I guess I was wrong.

The reporters and the photographers fell silent and not another photo was snapped as they moved out of our way. Cygnus pressed on toward the hospital and I followed slowly. "Oh, I may as well say this for him, if anypony puts those pictures in the paper I will personally hunt you down with a warrant for your arrest within minutes and you'll be in jail within a day. There better not be a word about it either. This is the first and only warning I'm going to give you." I turn back to the direction Cygnus walked in and walked as quickly as I could without jostling the pony on my back.

Catching up to Cygnus we entered the hospital and signed them into the hospital with a brief description of what we think happened but don't have any idea what is wrong with them. After that Cygnus and myself headed back to the castle where I transformed back into my original forme. After entering I told Cygnus to follow me and I led him around the castle until I found a balcony and sat down looking down on all the houses, stores, clubs and whatever else there is down there. Cygnus sat next to me looking out at the buildings with a look of deep concern written across his face.

"Wanna talk about it Cygnus?" I ask looking toward the sunset, more time had passed than I thought on the way back to the castle. "You don't have to if you don't want, but I think you'd feel better if you did."

There was a long silence and the sunset had just faded starting to reveal the stars from there hiding places when he spoke. "Tex, thanks for suggesting we go to the spa today. Even though it didn't end well off. I... No... Aloe and Lotus, we've been friends a long time. Ever since my first day in Canterlot, before I joined the guard, and before I even had a place to stay. I met them at a cafe on a Sunday afternoon."