//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: Switch 
// by Professor_Blue 
//------------------------------//


5
~≈~


Ponyville was abuzz with the common commerce of a perfectly ordinary day, unaware of the odd couple of ponies walking in their midst. Big Macintosh carried on detailing the finer points of how to ensure Rarity’s spa attendance wouldn’t go wrong, the positions to hold, the ways to get the most out of her beautification procedures, and he tried to limit the gestures of his descriptions after almost hitting his head on an awning earlier. Rarity was paying less attention to him than she was with where they were going with greater and greater worry as they walked, guided by the stallion’s keen awareness of the spa’s address.

“…And I usually keep my head at a slight angle, about two-thirds from straight up for when they file my horn. The massage should be straightforward, anything that makes you more comfortable should be fine, the ponies there know what to do. Do you remember what I told you about full body mud wraps?”

“‘The Usual’, got it.” said Rarity, still staring forwards. Macintosh stopped his train of thought and looked at Rarity.

“Rarintosh, are you absolutely certain nothing’s wrong? It’s just a spa.” said Macintosh, as they rounded the corner to the town square. The spa building sat on the other side, and Rarity looked at it with undivided concern, standing still.

“Where’s Fluttershy? she said, trying to avoid the subject. Only after she said it she realized she hadn’t avoided answering Macintosh’s question at all. The stallion began to think.

‘Why would Rarintosh ask about Fluttersh- Oh… I never thought Big Macintosh was that kind of pony…’

‘Are they smitten? If Fluttershy was, she probably would’ve told me by now. No. They can’t be. Fluttershy would definitely have given it away by now.’

‘It could be a crush…’

‘You’re speculating again, Rarity. Seeing things that might not be happening. All Rarintosh said was one word and you’re extrapolating to no end. Stay sensible.’

‘I’d better avoid Fluttershy as Big Macintosh.’ realized the stallion. ‘I don’t want to unnecessarily complicate things by interfering in somepony’s relationship. Or lack thereof. Fluttershy is Rarity’s friend and I’m sure Rarintosh can manage simply that.’

“She’s probably inside. She usually arrives early and waits for me- er- Rarity to arrive. You go on ahead and meet her.” said the stallion, taking a step back. “I’ll wait here for a little while, it would be strange for Fluttershy to see me like this.” he said, Macintosh tapping his yoke. “Or, er…. Whatever, you know what I mean.”

Rarity gulped quietly, and began walking slowly forwards.
‘Alright, Macintosh, you can do this.’ thought Rarity. ‘Rarity and Fluttershy are friends and it’s just like taking a fancy bath but with tweezers instead of a brush. Or somethin’ like that….
Stop being so nervous, body. You’re makin’ a scene.’

The unicorn picked up speed, and she walked so fast it was just short of a run until she came to the door of the spa-house. Macintosh sniggered at the unicorn’s uneasy dash, the sight of the little white unicorn anxiously crossing the square compared to the average unminding crossings of other ponies. 

Rarity arrived in front of the spa building. Its pink draped roof and the peaceful yellow mare signboard above the door all the more strongly reinforced the unicorn’s presumptions of spa-going being a highly effeminate luxury. She wondered for a tiny moment if the flowers on the sign were scratch-and-sniff. Before her was the glass door to the spa’s office. Rarity took a long deep breath and held it, and pushed the door wide, ringing a blissful entrance bell.

The spa had a friendly and haute sort of décor with a green lounge chair sitting beside a table. Unlit candles rounded the counters and stylish plastic fixtures were on every wall and the ceiling. It was like a cross between an art gallery and a dentist’s waiting room, sporting a large stylized illustration of a full mare’s body on the wall. Rarity avoided looking at it and her eyes met with the attendant at the desk, a sweet-looking light blue earth pony that was reading from a small pamphlet that read ‘Rio De Janeighro’. She looked around the space some more, until it became obvious that her arrival had gained the attention of the attendant quite noticeably.

“…Where’s Fluttershy?” said Rarity, trying to hold her composure.

“She hasn’t shown up yet.” said the spa pony. Rarity walked around to the other side of the small table that held magazines, glancing at a few of their covers. All fashion, all flashy, all entirely flat, thought the unicorn.

“Would you like to wait?” asked the blue pony.

“Uh- no,” said Rarity, partially overwhelmed by the different things in the room that all apparently were relevant to beauty and relaxation. “Just.. ‘The Usual’.”

The attendant got off her chair and led Rarity down an opening beside the desk that led to a wider room with several stations with mirrors around the edge, and an enormous bathtub in the middle of the space. Rarity marveled at all the fixtures as behind her the attendant gathered a robe and a towel. She eyed Rarity as she walked past towards a cedar-paneled door, as if she expected Rarity to go there by herself in the first place, and led Rarity through the door into a ready-prepared sauna. It was intensely warm but definitely dry. She passed her the towel and robe, and shut the door as she exited. Rarity was left standing in the dim light of the wooden room, looking at the benches, holding the towel. Before she let herself become nervous again, she took the towel and placed it on a bench near the corner and put on the robe. Like the duvet blanket that morning, the soft plush inside was disturbingly comfortable. She slid it on carefully, as if treating it like a lesser piece of clothing would hurt the robe’s feelings. A different attendant, identical to the previous pony (but pink) entered with a wooden bucket, and poured a scoop of water onto the rocks, which flashed with a crisp sensuous hiss. The steam came up and swirled in Rarity’s face, and she blinked hard. The wave of warmth was the polar opposite of jumping in the river- equally stimulating and shocking, but instead of inspiring the desire to leap out of the sensation, she felt like she wanted to melt and engorge herself with it further, as long as her body would tolerate. She inhaled deeply but immediately stopped, a sharp piercing feeling coming from her nostrils. It seemed steam saunas were a mouth-breathing affair. Rarity sighed deeply, finally letting her shoulders sink.

“Feels like it has been a long time, Miss Rarity?” said the attendant, watching the unicorn relax onto her towel, her eyelids drooping.

Rarity only managed to sigh with a tiny nod. The attendant smiled and added another scoop onto the rocks.


~Ʊ~


Fluttershy, despite her best efforts, was not a pony that could be on time for everything every day. It was why she made a point of arriving early at the spa if possible. But alas, the day on which Big Macintosh and Rarity found themselves in such a mixed predicament was not such a day. She ran past hedge and home, politely asking to move past those who were in her way, and trying not to worry too much.

“That mailcolt was right…” she said aloud to herself. “Oh Fluttershy, when will you buy a watch?” She sped through the rows of shopping stalls in the marketplace, around the fountain behind the town square just behind the spa, turned on a corner and suddenly she ran smack into the chest of Big Macintosh. Her face hit just above his yoke in the ruff of his chest and she fell back on her rump, dazed and mind swirling from the collision. The stallion saw her with far less of an impression, feeling only a bump against the yoke. His mouth went agape, as Fluttershy shook her head and regained her countenance.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry…” said Fluttershy, backing away and barely even comprehending what it was she crashed into. Two chirping chickadees flew an unhelpful circle around her head before speeding away.

Macintosh looked at Fluttershy, carefully considering his next words.
‘Oh dear. Fluttershy’s late? This certainly makes things awkward..’

“Oh, um… H-hello, Big Macintosh.” said Fluttershy, as she gained clarity of what she saw, and stepped back a few uncertain steps. “I’m sorry for running into you.”

‘Stay sensible, Rarity. Short and to the point. You don’t want to interfere unnecessarily. Besides, that’s how he talks.’ thought the stallion.

“It’s alright.” said Macintosh, with an oddly emphatic stress on the vowels and slower than normal. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine…” replied Fluttershy timorously.

‘Rarintosh was incredibly nervous going into the spa. Stage fright like I’ve never seen my body before, something dreadful. There is no doubt that Big Macintosh has an opinion of Fluttershy. And look at her, she’s just as uneasy as he is.’

‘You’re right, Rarity. And it wouldn’t be entirely unnecessary interference were you to… I don’t know,  help things along a little bit?’

‘That would be abuse of this stallion’s body! I can not do things like that.’

‘It’s not abuse per se… it’s just using the poise to do something that he would entirely do on his own, just after his own time. He may not be self-confident yet but I can substitute that for him.’

‘…Oh confound it. Fine, we’ll have it your way Rarity. But something subtle. In Big Mac’s nature, but not… big.’

“Sorry, I’m in thuh way.” said the stallion, sidestepping to let Fluttershy through to the spa’s entrance. Fluttershy looked up at him with a meek sort of stress, like she was trying not to redden. In her disquieted shyness she gave a weak smile, trying to remain true to her kindness in the face of a situation that she wasn’t sure if she liked.

“..Thank you, Big Mac.” said Fluttershy. Macintosh just grinned warmly. As she passed, he gave her a friendly wink. Fluttershy blushed in full, squeaked in surprise and leapt through doorway to get away from his gentle grin.

Macintosh chuckled a breath, until his thoughts caught up to him at his cleverness.

‘Well done, Rarity. That should be a point of conversation in the spa with— Me?’

‘...Uh oh.’


~◊~


Rarity lay on her towel on the verge of sleep, her eyes slowly dropping until they actually did close, which caused her to become aware and pull them open again, with a gradually decreasing interest in the physical exertion involved in keeping one’s eyes open. Fluttershy slowly opened and crept through the sauna door, and unhurriedly pushed it shut. She placed her towel as a very neat square beside Rarity, sat and took a deep breath.

“Ahhh…” she sighed peacefully.

Rarity jerked upright with a gasp and looked at Fluttershy with unease.

“Hello… Rarity...” Fluttershy respired, relaxing with her eyes shut.

“H-hi, Fluttershy.” said Rarity uneasily. Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes, and saw Rarity staring wide-eyed at her. Fluttershy amusedly blew gently at Rarity’s face. Rarity blinked hard at the hot air hitting her but she still looked back at Fluttershy fretfully again. The pegasus raised her eyebrow curiously.

“Is something wrong?”

‘Calm down Mac, calm down, you can do this. Just pretend to be the girliest little pony you’ll ever be and you’ll do just fine…’

“Nno-” The unicorn caught herself, and looked to the side. Seeing nothing but a wall, she looked back to the attendant with the sauna rocks, and back at Fluttershy. “Of course not.”

Fluttershy seemed so calmed that she didn’t really notice Rarity’s change of a typical response, and looked away with another long draw of breath.

“Sorry for being so late. Angel wanted an extra bath this morning but he wouldn’t tell me why.” Fluttershy shuddered, letting all her anxieties float away with the steam. For a moment the hot rocks made more sound than they did as they sat in silence.

“…….Really?” asked Rarity.

“If you ask me, I think he might be twitterpated. Hee hee!” Fluttershy giggled.

“Heh heh heh..” Rarity chuckled nervously.


~Ω~


Big Macintosh stood quietly and patiently in front of the spa, trying to be as innocuous as possible in front of an ostensibly unusual place for a stallion to be (let alone a large bright red one). He watched ponies go to and fro, waiting for a good time to enter into the spa so as not to intrude upon Fluttershy and Rarity. He thought he was managing well, until he felt a small tug at his front fetlock. Macintosh looked down and there stood Spike, his little claw feet pointed inwards sheepishly, and him with an uncertain look on his face. He had an adorable nervousness, if ever there was one.

“Uh… Marity?”

“Hello Spike.” said Macintosh as amiably as he could.

“I wanted to talk to you.. about..” started the little dragon, “Uh… How’s it going?”

Macintosh partially rolled his eyes.
“It certainly has been an unorthodox day. I’ll be glad when Twilight puts me back in my body proper.”

“Me too!” said Spike, picking up enthusiasm. “I- uh, well I, like… with you being a stallion…” he looked confused at himself, not sure whether to address the pony that he liked or the pony he saw.

“Yes?” encouraged Macintosh. 

“It’s… uh… kinda…” began the dragon.

“Hard to put into words.” finished the stallion.

“Yeah!” said Spike happily.

Macintosh smiled and bent down to Spike’s eye-level, fluttering his eyelashes at him.
“Don’t worry, I still like you, my widdle Spikey-wikey.” said the stallion, affectionately nuzzling against Spike’s cheek.

The dragon had no idea what his emotions were doing, as if they’d been hit with a frying pan. He stared straight ahead away from Macintosh. And somehow he was certain that this was not an experience he wanted to have again.

“I…think… I should.. go.. and help Twilight set fire to her mail.” replied Spike, dazedly walking away.

“I’ll see you later, Spike!” said Macintosh, waving good-bye. Spike turned to wave back, but the stallion couldn’t read his expression. And then he ran away, hiding into an alleyway.

“The little darling…” said Macintosh, putting his hoof to his chin. The movement transitioned to him wiping his forehead. “Yeesh, I think I feel the onset of sweat.” He put his hoof in front of him and looked down at his forelegs, and his eyes drifted back to his muscular barrel. Macintosh watched as he flexed his rear leg.
‘Mac, Mac, Mac.. What am I going to do with you?...’ he thought self-enviously. Macintosh decided he had waited long enough, and walked straight into the spa, ignoring any thought of a schedule or arrangement. The attendant at the desk watched him enter.

“Hello sir.”

“Hello, yes, I’ll start with an applemint bath and I’ll need a mane brush and the largest hoof-rasp you have, and after that I’ll need one of everything.” said Macintosh, not slowing down as he went through the entrance room.

“…I- what?” said the attendant, getting up to follow.

“A total makeover, first time. Charge it to Miss Rarity’s account, she’ll stop by tomorrow about it.”

“Ah!” said the other pony, suddenly understanding. The attendant walked to the side and began getting several hygiene appliances and towels from a bank of shelves.

Macintosh continued straight into the main room of the spa, looking at himself and making a mental list of all the things to be done. He walked up the set of steps to the enormous bathtub in the middle of the room and observed its size. He leant down and let the yoke slide onto the floor.
‘You’re only going to get one chance at enjoying something like this, Rarity. Make the most of it.’

“Make the most of this, I shall.” said Macintosh aloud. And in a small jump he entered the tub with a grand splash, draining a decent portion of it. The attendant dodged to the side avoiding being caught in the wave. Macintosh could feel his muscles tingle at the first time being in a proper warm bath, and he gasped as every member of himself untensed and softened, like the flattening of gift-wrapping paper, easing out all the kinks and crinkles in his old joints.  He felt like sighing with serenity, but chose not to even make a sound, letting the atmosphere soak him in all the more.

His afternoon would be one Rarity would remember for a very long time.


~♦~


Fluttershy and Rarity sat on pillowed beds, the pegasus modestly resting with the small bit of mud mask on each cheek and Rarity feeling slightly bewildered with mask all over her face. To her, the cooling feeling was respite from how drained she felt from the sauna, yet it was further relaxing to all her members. She was glad that the green cream and cucumbers on her face hid her expression, concerned still for if Fluttershy could tell how poorly she acted out Rarity’s gracefulness. One of the spa ponies came up as they lay there, and gently began filing Rarity’s horn. Her rear leg jiggled.

“Ngee hee~” she giggled.

Fluttershy looked her curiously.
“Are you alright?”

“It tickles!” said Rarity merrily.

“Tickles?” replied Fluttershy. “But you’ve had your horn buffed dozens of times.”

‘That’s right! Rarity’s elegant- relax, but remember, you’re sophisticated. Rarity’s Rarity, you’re not Big Mac.’

“Err.. It’s been a while since I last had it done.” said Rarity, slower than usual.

“It was only last week.” said Fluttershy. As the spa pony pulled the horn file away, Fluttershy watched Rarity smile and angle her horn towards the file, as if to follow it without getting up.

“…Rarity, are you sure that…? You don’t quite seem yourself somehow.”

The unicorn realized what she was doing, and sank back to her position.
“Er-Ah- Ah’ve just- I’ve been a bit more stressed-out in the last little while.” said Rarity.

“I guess you are.”

The two friends were silent in conducting themselves to the massage, although (much to Fluttershy’s surprise) Rarity had forgotten where the massage beds were. Fluttershy sprawled out onto her bed and let her wings relax lightly, and the attendant plied her hooves to Fluttershy’s sides just beside the shoulders. Rarity watched as she got on her bed, and the attendant touched the back of her neck to push her down.

“Oh, right.” said Rarity, before lying down herself. Immediately the masseuse began chopping at the unicorn’s back and she could feel tension being beaten away by the pounding sensation.

“This is such a great way to unwind.” murmured Fluttershy, as the masseuse stretched along her muscles.

“Yyyyoooouuuu ssaiiiddd iitt…” bleated Rarity through the repeated batting of her back. She smiled as a little kink disappeared, but something still didn’t feel quite right.

“Relax, Rarity.” said the masseuse. “I’ve never felt you so tensed up before.” Rarity looked back without moving, only managing to look to the side. She exhaled, trying not to feel assaulted by the pounding. As she did so, suddenly the massage felt like it went deeper and the odd feeling of the massage disappeared with comfort. A tingling wave of calm washed over her in spite of the vibration of her torso, and she could feel she was losing interest in the present because of the pleasing ablation.

“Are you sure nothing’s wrong, Rarity?” said Fluttershy, looking at her friend.

“Nope, I’m just peachy as is.” said Rarity, looking back. She suddenly dropped her head forward, fast asleep. Fluttershy’s eyes opened wider with Rarity’s unexpected reaction.
Something wasn’t quite right with Rarity, regardless of what the unicorn said, she reasoned.

A full body seaweed wrap for a mud bath was exactly twice as ridiculous as wearing a bunny costume for singing to pails of water. Or at least that’s what Rarintosh thought to herself about it. To Fluttershy, Rarity was more apprehensive than she’d ever been for a mudbath, but after she had gotten in, immediately her qualms disappeared as if she was trying it for the first time again. Fluttershy tried to ignore Rarity’s odd behavior, assuming that perhaps yesterday was particularly stressful, considering the client she was making clothing for. It also explained why she was being so quiet, compared to any other given spa day. Given that solace, it was sensible that maybe she was in the mood to do some listening instead of talking.

“…Rarity?” started Fluttershy, loosening herself in the mudbath.

“Mm?” Rarity was holding perfectly still, almost like she was trying to nap again like she did during the massage.

“There’s something personal I want to talk to you about.” Fluttershy continued, looking up and hoping she wouldn’t succumb to her own trepidation at even the mention. “It’s about a pony I.. bumped into.. before I got here.” Rarity turned towards her. “…Big Macintosh winked at me in front of the spa.”

“Who what!?!” barked Rarity, suddenly latching the edge of her bath and splashing some of the mud onto the tile floor.

“Well I was late so I ran, and I didn’t see him from around the corner and I ran into him and fell.” explained Fluttershy, trying to remain calm. Her nature carried to Rarity, and the unicorn calmed slightly as well.

“What’d he say?”

“He helped me up and I said I was sorry and went inside, but then he winked at me.” said Fluttershy, turning her head to hide in the locks of her mane.

Rarity held her quiet, trying to quickly think of what she should say.

‘I should’ve thought of that. But now.. oh, it’s too weird for me to get Fluttershy to like me as Rarity, or me to tell her to like me.’ thought Rarity. ‘I bet Rarity knows all kinds of things about ponies in relationships. She’d have something to say about this. But what would she say? Hmm… Think practical: when all else fails, keep listenin’.'

“..Did he say anything else?” said Rarity, shuffling in her bath.

“…No..” said Fluttershy, still meekly hidden in her hair.

“Did you say anything?”

“No…” She slowly turned to peek back out. “I’ve seen him around a few times before, but he always looked so… worried.”

“Oh, he’s always worried.” said Rarity a little too quickly. “I mean- He always looks like that.”

Fluttershy shrugged her shoulders as she sank a little lower into her mudbath and sighed. Slowly she turned to face Rarity, her voice the most timid yet.
“Do you think he likes me?” she asked delicately.

Rarity held still, frozen in the moment of how she might react. Her mind raced with what to say, and she turned to avoid looking directly at her friend.

“…Mmmmaybe.” said Rarity cautiously.

“What should I do?” replied Fluttershy, turning and putting her forehooves on the edge.

“Y-y-you should wait and see if he wants to say anything else.” Rarity stuttered before she perked up, turning to face Fluttershy again. “We’ll talk about it if he says something else by next week.”

“Okay, I guess that makes sense,” said Fluttershy, reflecting on the scene of Macinosh in her mind. The blue spa pony passed through the lounge with a bricklayer’s trowel and a mallet. “I just felt so rattled, it made me feel so nervous. When he spoke.. chills went down my back.”

“When he spoke?” replied the unicorn with an unusual slant in her voice.

“Yes.. hearing him was like how he looks…” Fluttershy’s voice teetered on being faint. “So solid and strong, I felt so…”

“Scared?” asked Rarity, too quiet to be heard.

“Safe.” said Fluttershy.

‘CRACK!’ 

“Oh my, what was that?” Fluttershy turned around and Rarity spun her look so fast the cucumber slices flew off her eyes, landing on Fluttershy’s face.

In another room, Big Macintosh lay with a towel over the back of his head, face down over two of the massage beds pushed together. His frame was draped over the makeshift configuration, still looking far more comfortable than one might think at a glance. A tan pony continued kneading his back as best he could manage, standing on a stool to reach far enough. The red stallion’s vertebrae popped again, as his brawny form bent to a better form under the skin.

“Ohhh, Macintossshh… what have you done to yourself?” he moaned contentedly.

“A deep tissue massage, sir?” said the spa pony, pushing farther to his neck.

“Oh my yes, please.” said Macintosh, closing his eyes again. “Something nasty in the neck there… Ahh… A-a-and the withers.”

‘Crickkrakk--’ 

“Ooh..”

Not hearing anything further, Fluttershy slowly dismissed the sound and returned to a normal position in the bath, and Rarity did as well.

“Thank you…” started Fluttershy, reaching up with her forehoof to remove the cucumber slices from her face. She stopped as she felt the mud still on her hooves, and shook her head to get them free. “Thank you for listening to me, Rarity. Usually you’re the one that’s so talkative, but I appreciate it that you’d want to listen to me.” she leaned away forlornly. “Especially when something like that comes up.”

“I’m always here for you, Fluttershy.” Rarity replied.

The pegasus looked up at the unicorn, with the peculiar affection in her response. Rarity was speechless at her own words, and stared at Fluttershy. After only a moment, another spa pony came in with a stack of towels on her head.

“We’re ready for your hoof-soaks now. Did you enjoy your bath?”

“I sure did.” said Rarity, slowly trodding out in a mellow stupor and watching the mud slide off her legs.

“It was lovely.” said Fluttershy, stepping out. She looked at Rarity as she stood motionless, with a tiny uncharacteristic smile.

“…Showers are this way Miss Rarity.” said the spa pony, pointing to a pink and white striped partition.

“Right. Of course.” replied the unicorn, following her gesture. Fluttershy slowly followed, becoming more and more puzzled at her friend’s nature.


~□~ 


In the beauty salon room, Fluttershy came out of the stalls of the showers wearing her simple white robe and walked towards the freshly scented hoof soak tubs on one side of the room. As she passed a set of hair stylist stools, she saw a giant red stallion covered in a blanket sitting on a chair on one side of the room, his head encased in a large gray cube-shaped brick of presumably industrial-strength facial clay. A dark gray spa attendant with a carpenter’s palette stood over the brick, monitoring two straws that protruded through the front side of the box.

“Oh my, who’s that?” asked Fluttershy, surprised by the condition.

“First time.” said the spa pony, tapping the brick with a trowel. “What a mess.” He took a thick metal chisel and the mallet, and began gently tapping a crack along the middle of the top of the brick, and then struck it hard through the widening gap, splitting the clay through and falling as two blocky chunks onto the floor. Big Macintosh’s revealed head shook some smaller flecks out of his mane as he took a reinvigorated deep breath through the nostrils.

“Ah! That’s so much better, thank you.” he said in a cordial voice. He breathed harshly before opening his eyes and looking around the room with a funny effort in blinking. He felt his chin. “Ahh, it feels like I can breathe again, in more ways than one. Oh, hello Fluttershy, I almost forgot about y- Uh…”

“…Big …Macintosh?” said Fluttershy, frozen a few paces away from her hoof bath. They looked at each other, held in amazement.

“…Ee-Yup?” replied Macintosh finally.

“…What are you doing here?” said Fluttershy, carefully backing towards her bath.

“I- er.. Ah thought Ah’d stop by and get mahself cleaned up a liddle.” said the stallion, in a most sincerely honestly southern accent.

“But why?”

“Ah wanted to try out bein’ fancy.”

Fluttershy stepped into her hoof bath and her curling her head into her long pink hair. From within her shy attempt at hiding in plain sight, she looked the stallion up and down, trying to think of a reply. Macintosh thought he heard her squeak, but it might have been just the splash of her hoofs in the water, or his imagination.

“Ah hope Ah ain’t much trouble.”

“Oh, no trouble. I just wanted to say.. well, when you winked at me, I…”

“H-hello, Big Macintosh.” interrupted a white unicorn from the side. Macintosh and Fluttershy gazed at the arrival of Rarity in her robe.

“Oh! Hello.. Miss Rarity.” replied Macintosh.

The three ponies stood there, looking at each other for an awkward moment.

“…What are you doing away from the farm?” said Rarity, breaking the moment.

“Ah wanted to see what it is like to get cleaned up fancy.” he bounced in the chair a little. “This is fun, y’all.”

Rarity stared at him, before blinking and realizing a response.
“It sure is.”

“What’s going on?” said Fluttershy, leaning away in her bath, looking estranged at them both. The whole effect of their pretending was totally ineffective on her.

“What do you mean, Fluttershy?” replied the stallion. “It’s Big Mac…intosh, at the spa.”

The pegasus gave another look up and down at Macintosh, before considering a possible test of her suspicions.
“..How’s Wynona doing? Has she recovered from that indigestion yet?”

Macintosh glanced around the room left and right, before looking back at Fluttershy.
“Uh.. she’s… fine.” he said hesitantly.

“Eeyup.” said Rarity.

“Rarity?” Fluttershy turned towards the unicorn. “How would you know anything about Applejack’s dog?”

“…An’ why’d you say what Ah say?” started Macintosh. “It’s mah job t’say eeyup!”

“Uh..” Rarity looked back and forth between Fluttershy and the stallion. “Well… I think dogs are fabulous.”

“They most certainly are not!” exclaimed Macintosh.

“Marity!” exclaimed Rarity in protest.

“‘Marity’?” said Fluttershy.

“Yes?” replied Macintosh.

“What?” said Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy-” started Rarity.

“Rarintosh!” exclaimed Macintosh.

“What’s happening?” said Fluttershy fearfully, curling up in the back edge of her bath.

“Fluttershy, I’m Rarity.” Macintosh sighed heavily, sitting up higher in his chair. He pointed to Rarity. “Big Macintosh is using my body and I am using his. We’ve been body-swapped because of some kind of spell or something, and Twilight’s working to reverse it. I’m sorry about the deception.”

“But you’re Rarity,” Fluttershy pointed to the unicorn. “And- And you’re Big Macintosh.” She continued, pointing to the stallion.

Rarity sighed and let her head hang lower, her mane almost touching the ground.
“…Wynona’s doin’fine but she ain’t runnin’ much. Think she needs a few more days bedrest.” she replied. Fluttershy stared at her.

“Is this some kind of joke?” she asked, looking back at Macintosh.

“That’s what I thought,” replied Macintosh. “Twilight will sort it out, don’t worry Fluttershy.”

“I don’t believe it,” continued Fluttershy, pointing at each of them. “But if you’re Rarity, and you’re Big Macintosh, then why would you two come here to the spa?”

“That one made me.” said Rarity in a tone similar to Applejack, poking the stallion in the rear hoof.

“You agreed to my suggestions, Rarintosh. In addition, being here is the only reason why I did your filthy farm work.”

“But why here?” said Fluttershy, standing closer, at the edge of her bath.

“Well, have you looked at this stallion?” He’s a mess.”

“So what?”

“I couldn’t possibly spend any more time than what’s absolutely necessary if I was going to be stuck using the body of a stallion, Fluttershy.” said Macintosh, in a fashionable manner. “And if that meant an uncertain amount of time, I might as well make myself comfortable while I can.”

Fluttershy turned her head towards Rarity, and then looked at her.
“And if you’re Big Macintosh.. then-”

“Marity didn’t want Rarity to skip-out on you.” said Rarity. Fluttershy looked down humbly.

“..Oh. You two didn’t have to go through all that trouble just for me.”

“But you’re my very dear friend, Fluttershy.”
“Ah didn’t want t’upset you, Fluttershy.” said the two others at the same time.

“Oh it’s fine. Thank you anyways.” said Fluttershy, smiling.

Rarity blushed a tiny bit.

“It was no trouble at all.” replied the stallion. “Even so, this stallion cleans up nicely, don’t you think?” he gestured his clean hooves and combed pasterns.

“Hee hee.. you’d look even better with one of Rarity’s suits.” Fluttershy smiled bashfully.

“Marity!” exclaimed Rarity, her face beet-red with diffidence at his boast.

“So modest, Rarintosh. I’m within my right to brag about Big Macintosh like this, wouldn’t you say?”

“Bu-but-!” stuttered the unicorn.

“But what?” asked Fluttershy.

Rarity’s expression suddenly became very flat with a flustered annoyance.
“…Ah don’t want to talk about it. Let’s go, Marity.”

“But I’m not finished my treatment.” said Macintosh, leaning up to see his friend.

“Ah’ll wait for you by the park.” said Rarity, turning to leave without an answer. She pulled off the robe and left it in a heap by the door.

“But… Alright.” said the stallion, doing nothing to stop her and watching her go.

There was a hard clack of a door beyond the edge of the salon room. Fluttershy and Macintosh waited, listening for any sort of reaction beyond what they just saw and heard, but none came. They looked back at each other.

“…What was that about?” said Fluttershy.

“I’m not sure.” said Macintosh, as the spa attendant began combing through his mane.

Fluttershy gently nudged one of the flowers floating in her hoof soak.

“…But when you think about it.. It is pretty funny though.” she replied, recalling the nature of the switch.

“Yes it is.” he replied, lying back into his chair. “It was Spike and Twilight’s idea to have us named ‘Rarintosh’ and ‘Marity’.”

“Hee hee, ‘Marity’…” repeated Fluttershy. “So does Twilight have any idea how to fix you?”

“Actually no,” replied Macintosh. “She couldn’t find any solution, so she was going to write to the Princess.”

“Could I help?” said Fluttershy.

“I’m sure you would if you could,” replied the stallion. “But Twilight said it’s because of highly advanced magic. Even she’s having a hard time solving it, and that’s saying something.”

“Oh. I hope you get better.. Marity.” said Fluttershy, stepping out of her bath and wiping her hooves on a yellow towel on the floor.

“Thank you, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy continued to leave for the salon door, but stopped short of it. 
“…Marity?”

“Hm?”

“Why did you wink at me?”

“Oh, uh, that…” Macintosh looked down towards Fluttershy, his expression mixed with his thoughts.

‘I assumed that Macintosh liked Fluttershy. But dare I impose that?’

‘Of course I would say that it’s because Fluttershy and I are such good friends. She understands that, obviously.’

“...That was because we’re such good friends and because I like you, Fluttersh-” he stopped mid-sentence, hearing his stallion’s strong voice and seeing how Fluttershy was blushing again with the obdurate approach. “…Shy.” Fluttershy looked like she had something else to say, but couldn’t find the words. Staring at him with an expression that he had no idea how to interpret, she carefully walked through the door.

Macintosh sat there with an unusual series of thoughts in his head.

‘You will never think about this again, Rarity.’

Behind him, the spa attendant continued to comb the stallion’s mane, and mouthed to himself.
“Awk-ward~”