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// << {2} >> 
// Story: How Rarity fell in love with a Flying Purple Hippo 
// by Thought Prism 
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	"Trust me, you'll simply adore the Ponyville spa. Not even in Manehattan will you find a level of relaxation more sublime!" I said.

Phelddagrif nodded, taking in the sights. "That's Equestria's largest city, correct? Such high praise."

As we walked along the road to our destination, accompanied by a gentle breeze, I maintained an air of composure. Inside, though, I was prancing about like a schoolfilly on her birthday, and it probably showed on my face. The townsponies stared back at Phelddagrif and myself as we passed, each drawn to him for different reasons. Foals watched him pass in awe, while some of the mares and stallions shied away. Phelddagrif did not seem to be put off by the latter, however, and merely appeared curious.

"Back home, we actually don't have such a thing as a 'spa'," Phelddagrif said. "We do have bath houses, however."

"Oh? I believe we don't have those here anymore," I said. "Being washed by another pony is treated as something somewhat... intimate now." Aaand, I was blushing again.

Pheddagrif was mildly surprised by this. "Really? I suppose with hair that would be... hmm. I apologize if I've made you uncomfortable."

I waved it off. "No need for that, dear, you didn't know." So considerate!

"That's true," he said. "There is much I wish to learn, though. Your home is so unique!" He let out a short laugh. "Not only the sun and moon, but controlled weather? Will the wonders never cease?"

I smiled up at him wistfully. "Oh, I'm sure Hippopolis has its own charms."

He nodded. "That's certainly true. Though we cannot do something so impressive as bend the greatest forces of nature to our whims, my people are quite talented with the arts." His eyes gleamed with recollection as he spoke. "Even in the most dire of circumstances, I often see beautiful new mosaics and tapestries popping up."

"Really? That's a productive way to cope if there ever was one. The average pony usually just starts running around in circles and screaming whenever there's a monster attack or the like, at least before they get used to it," I said.

This brought forth his deep laughter again. "Not that dire! I was thinking more along the lines of poverty or grief."

"I figured; I just couldn't resist. Miss Pie must be rubbing off on me." I shook my head. "I can only imagine what those mosaics must be like, though. Equestrian artists these days rarely employ the medium."

"Then picture this: from naught but tile and grout are formed sprawling displays of unimaginable variety, from nigh-flawless portraits to abstract landscapes in off colors."

I snorted softly. "Well, if you put it that eloquently, of course it's going to sound marvelous!"

"Ha, I suppose so."

"Anyway," I began, stopping to turn away and gesture with a hoof, "we're here."

The spa was a large building with two sections, each with its own pointed blue roof. The sign depicting a mare with a long, luxurious mane made the business contained within wholly apparent.

"Are we?" Phelddagrif asked, rhetorically. He then reached over with a wing and pulled open the door. "After you."

"Why, thank you," I said, beaming as I trotted inside.

I watched Phelddagrif's expression as he took in the sights. Though I had of course been here countless times, the spa was new to him. He hummed in appreciation at the welcoming décor, complete with plush lounges for ponies waiting for their appointments. The wallpaper bore a purple diamond pattern, which, aside from matching my taste perfectly, went nicely with the golden curtains.

He hummed in appreciation. "At first glance, this seems quite lovely."

Before I could reply, the receptionist - Lavender Essence - cut in. "Oh, Miss Rarity! Welcome! And I see you have brought a guest."

"I suppose I have. I hope it isn't too much trouble to squeeze us in unscheduled."

"For you, my dear, it is no trouble at all," she ensured. "I take it you two want the full pampering, yes?"

Raising my snout a bit, I proclaimed "For Prince Phelddagrif here, I will allow nothing less."

"A prince, you say?" She curtsied. "It is an honor."

"There's no need for any sort of genuflecting on your part," he said. "I'm just another customer. Who happens to be of a race you've almost certainly never met. Actually, now that I think about it, you're taking this in stride rather easily."

Lavender laughed at that. "Here at the Ponyville Spa, we serve all kinds, up to and including sea serpents."

In response to his small frown of confusion, I added "Oh, it's just the one. I've known Steven for quite some time actually. He's a sweetheart."

"Friends with a sea serpent? That must be quite the story," Phelddagrif said.

"It certainly is," I confirmed. "Though, it was actually only a small part of our very first quest to save Equestria."

Lavender walked off, waving us along. "Don't just stand and talk; relax and talk."

Seeing her point, we followed, and I began recounting the story of how I first met Twilight, as well as how she led our newly-formed group into the dangerous - and extremely unsanitary - Everfree to stop Nightmare Moon. By the time I had finished, we were already halfway done with our hooficures, and Phelddagrif seemed to be enjoying his.

As a quiet attendant mare scrubbed his soles, he asked, "So, this Steven was so moved by your gesture that he helped you cross the river even though your tail was a completely different color than his mustache?"

My grin widened. "Like a stallion in the Cantucky Derby."

"What?"

I turned away in embarrassment. "Right, you wouldn't get that simile."

Phelddagrif smiled warmly. "It's fine. So... that means it was deeply moving, right?"

I giggled twice. "Yes."

"Ah," he said.

As I was at a loss for what to say next, there was a lull in the conversation. Phelddagrif wriggled a bit atop the oversized padded table he rested upon, and I tried in vain to focus on the sensation of hoof polish being applied to my foreleg instead. 

After a polite cough, Phelddagrif spoke up. "Actually, there's something else I'm wondering about, now. Why is it that only Twilight Sparkle became a princess when it seems like all six of you share similar responsibilities?"

My eyes widened in surprise, and I stifled a most unladylike noise. "W-Well, I'm honestly not sure either. Of course I've thought about it, but as nice as such a title would be, I don't really want it. I feel as though I haven't earned the right, not yet anyway. Plus," I said, regaining my smile, "having wings would probably add another hour to my morning routine."

He chuckled at that. As if she had timed it, a pegasus mare with a feather cutie mark chose that exact moment to walk up and begin preening his wings. Seeing this, I joined in, and our uninhibited laughter rose in a crescendo.

By the time it completely left our systems, both of our hooficures were done, and Aloe was rubbing her special shine-and-repair oil blend into my mane.

"So," I began, "I think it's only fair that I get to ask something of you now."

Phelddagrif's smile remained, but in his eyes I could see a tad bit of seriousness. "Ask away."

"What are your duties as a prince?"

"Me?" He scratched his chin. "Well, they're mostly the same as Celestia's, from what I've heard. With provincial governors and the like managing the smaller tasks, I mostly just make sure said governors are doing their jobs properly, occasionally altering the laws or writing new ones if problems are brought to my attention."

I blinked. "Really? But that's... so mundane!"

He shrugged. "I guess some things in this world are constant no matter what."

Ok then, let's try this from a different angle, I thought. "I suppose so. In that case, what do you do in your free time?"

He was at a loss for a moment, absorbed in the contentment-inducing preening. "Actually, I barely have any that I don't spend doing charity work."

"Charity work?" The words came out before my mind caught up with them. How dedicated did a sovereign have to be to actually do charity work instead of just donating to said charities?

"It's true," he said, his mouth setting into a resolute line. "Most of the time I'm working at the hospitals. I have much more magic than other hippos, so my healing spells are far more potent. I can't just stand by and let citizens with critical injuries die on my watch now can I?"

Wow. "That's... wow." Smooth, Rarity. Very articulate.

Phelddagrif snorted. "It's not that impressive, really. You should see what my soldiers can do with their magic."

Aloe switched to my tail. Now free to gesture, I tilted my head slightly to the side. "Hippopolis has an army? But what about the dragons?"

"Of course it does; even Equestria has one, after all. It's just that our magic happens to affect only liquid water. Great for defense when you're bordered by rivers and seas on all sides, but useless if the enemy can fly."

"Ah. I can see why that would be an issue."

He nodded in agreement. "It's not so bad. That said, I do try to keep my hippos' spirits high by visiting them, spreading assurances of safety. Sometimes, my presence alone is enough. Why, just last month I was invited to recount history to the calves at a schoolhouse," he said, visibly calling upon a joyful memory. "I wish you could have seen their faces."    

“Oh my,” I said, swooning. “Why, all that makes my achievements seem dreadfully self-centered in comparison.”

He smiled over at me. “Really? What is that you do when you aren’t out spreading friendship?”

I straightened myself. “Why, I run a successful chain of boutiques. No customer leaves without a unique, fabulous garment that matches their tastes to a 't'!”

"You're a clothing designer? I wouldn't have guessed."

"I know it isn't much," I said, glancing away. "But it's fulfilling, you know? Making ponies feel beautiful, is... I change lives, sure, but not nearly as much as you do."

A touch of solemnity showed on his face as Phelddagrif placed a reassuring foot on my shoulder. “Don’t sell yourself short. It seems to me like you spread no less joy than myself, just in a more… superfluous manner.”

And he was doing so well until the end there. I huffed. “Superfluous? Ok, I’ll admit dresses aren’t as essential to survival as good health or an education, but no less important! What sort of life is there without a sense of self-worth?”

Phelddagrif’s expression turned ponderous. “I suppose you’re right. Perhaps later I could stop by and commission something from you. None of the shops at home make anything even close to my size.”

My heart skipped a beat. He actually wanted me to design something for him! And to do that, I’d have to carefully measure every one of his exotic curves…

“Are you ok?”

I flinched. “Yes! And thank you, I’m overjoyed by the prospect!”

"When are you available?" he asked.

"Oh, I should be free for the most of the day tomorrow, barring any unexpected rush orders."

"Excellent, then assuming Princess Twilight hasn't booked me completely I shall—"

A polite cough from Aloe interrupted him. In her accent, she said "You two are finished now. The massage tables are waiting."

An appraisal my surroundings yielded that, yes, Phelddagrif and I were indeed done with out treatments in here. All the supplies had been put away. How time flies!

"We'll hammer out the details when we're finished," I said to him. "In the meanwhile, enjoy!" I added in a sing-song voice.

I reluctantly pulled my eyes away from his as we were escorted away in different directions to our private massage rooms. In short order, I was enshrouded in luxury as my usual masseuse began to gently work the knots out of my muscles.

While my body was now blissfully free of stress, lying there under the tender touch of a trained professional, my mind, however, was still quite tied up. No matter how hard I tried to just 'chillax', as Rainbow would put it, images of Phelddagrif's smile kept rearing themselves up within my memory. Oh, how I longed to occupy as much of that hippopotamus' brief time here in his company. What felt like ages of this perhaps-not-wholly-savory train of thought running amok eventually led me to ask myself one simple question: would it be appropriate to make a move yet?

The answer I quickly arrived at was also another question: what's stopping you, societal conventions? Really, when have you ever let such an outdated notion limit your actions, Rarity? 

And so I resolved myself to declare my intentions once the opportune moment presented itself. This was happening, one way or another, and no force on Celestia’s green earth could stop me!

Shortly thereafter, my massage was finished, and I returned to the spa proper. Next up was the mud bath, and I delicately slipped inside one of the many small pools, allowing the totally-different-from-mundane-filth therapeutic mud to sink into my skin. Phelddagrif was not yet present, which was understandable considering how much more area there was to massage in his case.

As I lounged there, I could acutely feel my own elevated pulse, pressed down as I was. The heat in my veins stood out in sharp contrast to the coolness of the surrounding mixture. I nearly reached out a hoof to fuss with my mane, before I realized that would just get mud on it.

Thankfully, that was when Phelddagrif arrived. As his escort slipped away, he glanced at the mud, a look of surprise quickly replaced by a delighted smile. “Why, Rarity, look at you! I’m surprised!”

“What, you don’t approve?” I asked. “I know it looks appaling at first, but it actually does wonders for the skin.”

“I know, we use mud pits like this quite often at home! I’m just surprised that you’d be willing to partake.”

I smiled coyly. “Oh, there are likely many things you don’t yet know about me which you would find surprising.”

“I’m sure that’s correct,” he replied. Then, he slipped into the mud pool next to mine with nary a splash, sighing in contentment as he craned his short neck so we could be face-to-face. “Well, care to indulge me?”

I made a show of pondering which of said myriad things to reveal to him. "Well, just to start, I'm proficient in the art of Karate."

Phelddagrif snorted in disbelief.

"It's true! A lady has to stay in shape somehow, and Celestia knows dressmaking is terrible for exercise. If my choice in fitness regimen also happens to allow me the ability to fight off an army of changelings for a time, so be it."

"But you're a unicorn. Can't you fire off energy beams or somesuch?"

"Yes, that is true, although..." I trailed off. My heart knew for certain before the rest of me did, but I nevertheless came to a realization: this was the perfect moment. Regaining my wits, I spoke, taking a plunge into the unknown waters of true courtship. "I find that physical expression of one's standing can often be far more impactful."

Then, I closed my eyes, stretched over, and planted a kiss on his lips.

As my muzzle parted from his, all my attention lay squarely upon Phelddagrif. He had to take a moment to let what I had just done sink in. It was cute. I watched with a silly smile as a blush crept onto his cheeks. “Rarity, I… I can’t believe I didn’t notice your signals. I’m quite flattered, and… potentially interested in reciprocating your affections, but I’ve never been in a romantic relationship before.”

I leaned in closer, my voice soft from the tension of his indecision. “Neither have I, though not for lack of trying. We can learn together.”

Phelddagrif returned my smile. "I think I'd like that."