"The usual!"
"The usual" meaning the Deluxe Package, Ponyville Spa's most expensive and in-depth treatment available. For any normal pony, making that kind of treatment their usual would cause their bits to disappear in a month's time. But Rarity was no normal pony. No, she was on the cusp of being the premier dress maker in all of Equestria! Her works, few and far between on account of the time and care put into each one, were the highlight of every important ball or event, and any mare wearing one of Rarity's dresses enjoyed limitless attention without hardly lifting a hoof.
Like all other ponies, Aloe and Vera appreciated how exquisite Rarity's works of art were, and at one point joined the masses of Equestria in quiet sorrow that they could not hope to afford them. The downside to Rarity's newfound successes was the sharp price increase, given that there was a large enough market of nobles elated to buy even at such inflated prices.
But Aloe and Vera would not stay forever in this fiefdom of misfortune, for Rarity herself would make her two favorite spa ponies their own custom dresses, free of charge. It was only fitting that the two would grant her unlimited access to the best of the spa's treatments in return.
Aloe smiled and nodded at her biggest repeat customer before whisking herself away to prepare with Vera. Fluttershy offered Rarity a warm, friendly smile, just like every other week's spa day. Rarity was fashionably late, and fashionable doing it. At least, in Fluttershy's eyes she was. To Fluttershy, Rarity was always fashionable. She had that air of grace and sophistication and... Confidence. It never ceased to bring a smile to the pink-maned mare when her close friend entered a room, or introduced herself to somepony new. Waves of charisma rolled off of her in her every action, and to Fluttershy, as she would put it, it was quite nice. But recently... She found herself thinking that maybe it was more than just nice.
But now was not a time to think about that.
"Darling! It's so good to see you! I quite regret my schedule being as cramped as it is, but shooting up the ranks of Equestrian high society is no easy job. But, of course, there must always be time for my dearest friends. Tell me, Fluttershy, how have you been? Why, It's been... Two weeks, hasn't it?" Rarity prattled on and on, as she usually did whenever she'd been away for extended periods of time. Fluttershy would say a little about her day, and then Rarity would talk about hers, not sparing a single detail. The two mares liked it that way.
Fluttershy maintained her warm smile, filled with joy that Rarity was doing so well. "Oh, nothing really big or important. With Twilight training to be a princess in Canterlot, I've been really busy taking care of all the animals." She paused, and to her surface came the greatest amount of anger one could realistically expect from Fluttershy, which amounted to little more than furrowed brows and a less friendly tone. "A real bad bug has been going around in the forest, and I have to make sure all the critters are okay."
Rarity sighed. "Oh, darling, our dear Twilight will be back soon enough to help. I certainly hope so, at least. I made a new dress for her to wear as a princess, and I'm eager to see how she looks in it."
Fluttershy had seen that dress. Rarity showed it to her before she left for Canterlot two weeks ago, and in line with the yellow mare's expectations, it was absolutely divine. Whatever Rarity had been up to in Canterlot must've been so significant that it temporarily shoved the rest of her memories aside. Fluttershy found it understandable. After all, Rarity was an important mare with important business!
"I hope she comes back soon! I-I mean, once she finishes all her training and feels up to it, that is. I wouldn't want to rush her." Fluttershy ended that sentence sheepishly, ever aware that putting her own needs in front of the needs of her friend would be mean and selfish.
"Of course, darling, it certainly can't take-" Rarity was cut off by the appearance of Aloe's head popping out from behind the spa's bead door.
"Miss Fluttershy? Miss Rarity? We're ready for you."
Rarity shot up with enthusiasm and trotted through the beads, pausing only to make sure Fluttershy was following her. As the pair of mares always did when they had their spa day, they had facial masks zucchini slices applied to their faces. Rarity's covered the entirety of her face, whereas Fluttershy opted instead for a single dollop of cream on either cheek. To her, the spa was less about looking beautiful and more about talking with Rarity, even though she wondered at times why Rarity would need a spa treatment to look beautiful at all.
Once the two had gone through some few treatments, they were led to the sauna. Rarity adopted her usual "dramatic" pose on a pair of cushions while Fluttershy humbly sat down on her stomach and curled up her legs beneath her.
"So Rarity... What's been going on in Canterlot? I'm sure only good things." Fluttershy did not ask purely out of curiosity as a friend. She too was interested in the world of fashion, though not nearly as well versed or involved as her purple-maned companion.
Rarity began her exposition with a dramatic mane flip. "Oh, Fluttershy, you would not believe simply how fan-tastic it has been. Hoity Toity and Photo Finish have signed on as sponsors of my new line of dresses, and you would not believe the response it has been getting! Everything I've made on that line has been flying off the racks just as quickly as I can sew them!" Rarity paused for a dreamy sigh. "And this next part is even more fantastic, I assure you!"
Fluttershy cocked her head in curiosity. "That's great, Rarity! But what could be better than that? I mean... Um... You're so successful now."
"Oh, do you remember that uncouth Prince Blueblood?" Fluttershy nodded for her to continue. "It seems that he's changed! He came by to see me in the palace, and he was such a gentlecolt! The only thing that was really the same was how handsome he was." Rarity's next words were hardly even a whisper. "And you know what?"
Fluttershy shook her head, both curious and excited, "What?"
Rarity brought her forehooves close to her chin and shook her head twice or thrice in excitement. "He asked me out on a dinner date with him!" Fluttershy's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "I know, isn't it amazing? He's changed, I tell you! Wahahahah!" The vanilla mare couldn't hold back her trademark giggle. "Oh, I'm finally going to have my own wonderful Prince Charming... Ah... Life is perfect, darling. I have my friends, my dresses, fame, and soon, the most handsome prince in all of Equestria!"
Fluttershy should've felt nothing but the purest joy for her friend's good fortune. But there was not unmolested elation and excitement at this news, for there was also a pebble of despair resting deep in her stomach. She felt ashamed of it, but no amount of will could banish it, and it would soon grow to be much greater than a mere pebble.
No. She couldn't feel like that when one of her closest friends in the entire world was in the midst of such happiness. Fluttershy wasn't that kind of mare, and she knew it. All the rest of the day, she would talk and laugh with Rarity, secretly trying to banish that pebble of despair from her gut.
But it would not be banished. Nay, with each attempt to see it cast out, it would feed and grow just a little bit bigger.
And Fluttershy could not live with that.