“Welcome!” came the chime of two ponies as Twilight walked into the spa after her friends.
“I’m Lotus!” rang the blue mare with a pink mane.
“I’m Aloe!” came the pink pony’s introduction, immediately afterward.
“How may we service you?” they chorused together.
Having finished their greeting, Flash looked on with a forced smile to hide slight nervousness and disbelief. ’Certainly a charismatic pair...’
Oliver shared sentiments with the guard, proven by his similar demeanor.
Twilight moved to the head of the pack with a broad smile in anticipation of quality relaxation. “Hello, Aloe, Lotus. How’s your day?”
“Very good, Princess Twilight,” Lotus smiled.
“How is your day going?” Aloe asked in return.
“Fairly well, thank you. I’d like to order The V.I.P. Service for my friends and me today.” After making her request, Twilight produced a hoof-sized pouch full of bits which the twins took quickly.
This was taken to a register to be deposited before the two produced a couple of plastic bins, each labeled with a number. “May we store your belongings during your visit?” Aloe asked with a smile.
Flash was the first to step up, nimbly removing his armor and packing them neatly into bin thirteen. While Oliver put his necklaces in bin fourteen, he looked over to Applejack, who hadn’t taken her hat off yet. An odd silence existed before Oliver finally spoke up. “You’re, uh… vwelcome to share a bin vwizh me if you vwant.”
Applejack gave him an off look for a moment before she realized what he was talking about. “Oh, right. Guess Ah forgot Ah was wearin’ it…” Removing the accessory from her brow, the farmer stared at it for a moment before slowly placing it in Oliver’s bin. Continuing to watch it as the sisters put the tubs back into their appropriate cubicle.
Twilight and the other two noticed Applejack almost space out. No one really knew what to say for the moment, so the alicorn decided to try and steer her back on course. “Well, the V.I.P. treatment is pretty much an all-access pass. What do you guys want to do first?”
Flash Sentry rubbed his chin for a moment in thought. “Whole kit and kaboodle, huh? Well, what is there exactly?”
Aloe and Lotus both seemed rather alarmed after hearing the question, almost as if it was a crime to not know all that a spa could offer. “Oh my! Have you never been to a spa before?” asked Aloe.
Flash blushed slightly in reaction. He wasn’t sure why, but it seemed almost embarrassing to admit. “Well… no, not really. I guess I always thought it was only for mares?”
The twins exchanged another look of shock with each other. “Only for mares!?” they exclaimed in unison. Quick as a whip, both sisters grabbed the stallion’s forehooves and dragged him to the back.
“Spas are a place to relax and rejuvenate the body!” Lotus informed.
“It scrubs away the old and calloused exterior, and promotes a healthy coat!” added Aloe.
“We simply cannot allow you to leave.”
“Not until you’ve been properly treated!”
Being dragged along by possibly the two craziest ponies he’d ever met, Flash Sentry attempted to backpedal with his hind hooves. A fruitless effort. “W-where are you taking me! I-I can walk on my own. Help? Help!?”
Twilight gave in to a chuckle at her guard’s expense, leading the other two behind her as they all followed the twins. “You should’ve known better, Flash, now you’re really in for it.”
Left with nothing but to accept that his fate was sealed, the solar guard let himself be dragged off by the spa sisters. “Me and my big mouth…”
Once the group reached the back where all the amenities laid in wait, Twilight turned towards the farmer and chef to introduce them to the different parts of the spa; Aloe and Lotus being preoccupied with getting Flash personally acquainted with a side room. “Well, this is it!” she said merrily to them, most of her attention directed towards Oliver. Applejack was already plenty familiar with it all.
Casting a hoof over to the room that Flash Sentry got sucked into, Twilight began her explanation. “That room is the sauna. It’s a steam room that is used to stimulate pores and reduce stress. The large tub over there is for a mineral bath, which is really great for the coat and skin. The mud bath is similar to the mineral bath, but the concentration of minerals is higher. It’s also infused with volcanic ash for aches, pains, and joints. That other room there holds the tables for massages. Showers are over there for rinsing off between treatments, and the lounge area there is for mud masks and hooficures. But you can just call it a filing if it makes you more comfortable.”
The alicorn chuckled at that comment, before returning her attention back to the stallion. “What would you like to do first?”
Oliver took it all in stride, thankful that Twilight was there to give the basics of what everything did. He doubted that the two who dragged off that poor guard would’ve divulged anything if they found out that this was his first time as well. Looking back to the sauna, the icy-blue stallion then shrugged. “I guess I’ll try zhe sauna first.”
Twilight just smiled, both mares watching him wander on over to the door. Once out of sight, the alicorn now looked over to Applejack. “How about you, AJ? What do you want to do first?”
Green eyes looked down in thought for a moment. Applejack wasn’t sure where to begin. She almost didn’t want to. Yet, dulled aches in her body begged for it, and she was already here. Might as well do something. “Ah don’t know, Twi. Suppose the mud bath is as good a place as any to start.”
Twilight’s smile fell slightly. “What’s wrong, AJ?” Of course, the purple mare already knew the answer. The question was merely wishful thinking, a hope that it would be something different this time.
Applejack sighed as she let them both towards the mud bath at a lazy pace. “It just… doesn’t feel right, Twi. Ah don’t feel like Ah deserve any of this…”
A wing nimbly folded out to stop Applejack and rest on her withers, offering the small bit of comfort that Twilight could give. “AJ, this isn’t about deserving anything. This is about healing. You’ve already made amends with all of us, and we all have forgiven you. Now, you need to heal from within; body, and mind. Applejack, if you want to move on, you don’t need us to be okay with it all. You need to be okay with it.”
The farmer watched Twilight for a moment, before looking down as she thought in silence. Obviously troubled. Perhaps even confused. These weren’t things she’s ever had to deal with before. Or, more accurately, things she never really did deal with before. She didn’t even know where to begin. “Ah… don’t know if Ah can be okay with any of it. Would it even be right to?”
Twilight gave a comforting smile as she retracted her wing. “I can help you if you’ll let me?” Applejack was slow to respond but gave a slight nod. “Okay. Let’s get settled in, and we can try a couple of exercises when you’re ready.” Twilight now took the lead to finish closing the gap between their first stop.
Once the spa twins had the sauna going and got the boys settled in, Flash and Oliver took up opposite ends of a bench seat. Both were just beginning to relax, signified by the weighted sigh that resounded from both of them. Oliver then gave a slight chuckle. “Perhaps zhere is somezhingk to zhese spas after all?”
Flash could feel the relaxation slowly start to seep in as well. He didn’t much care for the heaviness in his lungs, but otherwise, it seemed pretty nice. “I could get used to it, I guess…”
Silence followed for a little while. It was a little awkward, being alone in a room with a pony he’s hardly known. It made Flash wish that Black was there. He was great with the ice-breakers. ’What would Solleret say?’ Deciding to run with the first thing on his mind, Flash looked over to the icy-blue stallion. “So, you and Applejack seem to have quite the history.”
“Da,” Oliver agreed, rather plainly.
The mood in the air changed, if only a little. Flash mentally face-hoofed. Perhaps spilling his first thought wasn’t the best idea. It was too late now, however. He might as well fly with it. With as much confidence as he could muster without sounding arrogant, the pegasus chuckled slightly. “C’mon, tell me about it! I can tell you like her a lot, there must be some fun memories, right?”
Oliver followed up with a smug smirk. Every time he thought of her, there was always one memory that came up first in his mind. “Vwell… vwe’ve spent a lot of time togezher before in zhe past. But, I vwill never forget zhe first time vwe met.”
Flash chuckled. “Ah, the first time is always the best, isn’t it?” he tossed out fondly.
Oliver looked to the guard a bit curiously now. “Speakingk from experience? I’ll tell mine if you tell yours…”
“Fair enough,” Flash smiled.
“Hmhm. Vwell, I used to be a chef in Canterlot. Had my own restaurant and everyzhingk. She came into my kitchen table one day with her friend, Rarity. I could tell right avway zhat she vwas out of place. Applejack vwas not as prim and proper as ozher Canterlot ponies. She didn’t share zhere taste eizher, and tried to tell me zhat I couldn’t cook anyzhingk zhat vwould satisfy her.”
Flash gave in to a short whistle of surprise. The accent was a bit hard to follow, but he was able to piece it together well enough. “Bet that stung. What did you do?”
“Zhe only zhing I could do,” he chuckled lightly. “I made her my best dish, Apple Sharlotka.”
The guard flashed him a curious look. “An apple what-now?”
“Apple Sharlotka,” Oliver reiterated proudly. “A prized recipe, hoofed down zhrough my family for generations. Is quite simple; some diced apples, and a basic batter of sugar and flour. Bake it for an hour, and zhen dust it vwith powdered sugar.” Just describing it made Oliver’s mouth water for the fruits of his homeland. “In a vway, you could say zhat it is vwhat vwon me her heart. Vwe talked for a long vwhile after zhat. Zhen, vwe just kinda started datingk.”
Flash smirked slightly. “Gotta love those storybook romances.”
Oliver gave a small nod before changing the subject with an expectant look. “So, vwhat vwas yours like?”
Flash took a moment to settle into his seat and heave a small sigh. “I met her in Canterlot while I was in Basic. Me and a couple of the guys used to bar hop a lot, so we’d always see plenty of mares. Our favorite place to go was Thermals. Usually, the mares who went there were rebels. They’d do anything to piss off their parents, and well… we just didn’t care.”
“Hm,” the icy stallion grunted slightly. He never had a high opinion of that place. “Bet the mares loved you there.”
Flash blushed slightly. “It was pretty hit-n-miss for me… I was a different pony back then.”
“So, this mare… you met her there?” Oliver inquired, getting back to the story.
Flash nodded slowly. “Saw her there one night, hanging out at the ground bar all alone. Rough day or something, I can’t remember exactly. When I saw her all alone, though, part of me thought she was a prime target for a quick night of fun. But even back then, I thought that ponies didn’t deserve to drink alone. I’ve been there before… it’s not fun.”
“Da…” Oliver agreed, obvious experience behind his tone.
Flash chuckled slightly, “I went up to her and offered to buy her next drink. Just the usual pick-up line. She must have heard it before, because she threatened to clip my feathers.”
“Vwhat?” Oliver asked in confusion, unfamiliar with the act.
“It was a pretty popular thing for pegasi at the time, especially for kids whose parents were fiercely proud of anything flying. They’d get about an inch of their feather tips cut off, and it would keep them from being able to fly. It was a very strong statement to make. It created a lot of problems, though, and the trend faded away,” Flash explained.
“Hmm… so she zhretened to clip you… zhen vwhat?” Getting back on track now, Oliver awaited the rest of the story.
Flash chuckled slightly. “Most stallions would’ve stopped there… but I was an idiot, and she was very beautiful. So I said she could take both wings if it’d give me a chance to know her. She laughed and remarked, I made a sappy comeback, and it just kinda filtered into a conversation from there. Heh… it was funny, really. I’d been in the game a while, and I’ve had mares before her. But she was different. She had problems, but she never said a word about them. She wasn’t the type for attachment… but it was the longest relationship I’d ever had. I didn’t even know that much about her.
“We almost never talked about each other. It’s weird when I think about it now, but we used to exchange promises. Dates, times, places. Like it was a game, and I couldn’t stop playing. Neither of us could. But, after a while, I became a full-blown royal guard, and I started to lose her. It became harder for me to keep my end up… and sometimes she would forget as well. Probably on purpose to spite me. I didn’t want to lose her for good... so I did something really stupid.”
By the time Flash realized that he was carrying on too far, he already had Oliver on the edge of his seat. When the silence grew too long, the icy-blue stallion was compelled to inquire. “Vwhat vwas it?”
“I promised her forever,” Flash said simply. “A guard with no time to spare promised the rest of his whole life to a mare he barely knew. She must have known I could never fulfill those words, because I never saw her again after that…”
Oliver looked down to his hooves now. He knew exactly how that felt, and there wasn’t anything he could say that would help. “How long did it last?” he asked quietly.
“A few months,” Flash answered in an equally low tone. “I’ve never dated since then. Haven’t even thought of it much… not until recently, anyway.”
Oliver saw an opportunity to try and move the conversation into something a little bit lighter and seized it. “Oh? Vwhat’s changed?”
A slight blush paired with a small smile at the thought. “Princess Twilight has promised to work out a way to effectively lessen the workload for guards. If it pans out, the entire royal military will see a significant increase in free time. I know it’s little more than a pipe dream right now, but… she gives me hope. She’s got this determination about her, and I can’t help but believe she’ll figure it out.”
Oliver smirked slightly. The way he looked and talked about it, he could see a little bit of himself there. “You like her, don’t you?”
The guard’s blush deepened. “Uhh-err, yeah! She’s the Princess of Friendship… who doesn’t like her?” Though nervous now, he tried to play it off.
Oliver chuckled slightly. “Zhat’s not vwhat I meant, and you know it.”
Flash sighed slightly. “I… I do,” he admitted. “I’ve always been a little smitten by her. She’s a very beautiful mare. I used to just write it off as that. She was just appealing and well put together. Lately, though, I see more and more of what makes her special… and I just think, ‘Wow... This is the kind of pony you would regret not giving your forever’.
Oliver nodded slightly in agreement. “So… vwhat’s stopingk you?”
Flash’s demeanor dropped slightly, as he gave in to a long pause. “The fear that I won’t be able to give her the forever she deserves…”
Oliver looked off for a moment. It was certainly a tough one to answer, but soon enough he had it figured out. “I zhink zhat zhe point of it all is not in zhe promises zhat you make to each ozher… but zhe promises zhat you make togezher. Any good pony deserves more zhen vwhat zhey have. But zhe special ones can recognize zhat anyzhing more zhan nozhingk is already a blessingk. I can tell zhat zhe princess is a special kind of pony.”
“Thanks, Oliver.” Flash gave a light smile now as he leaned back to relax some more. After that, both stallions let the steam carry a soothing silence of relief.
"Ya sure nopony's gunna recognize us around here?"
"Chill out, Des. I told you, I’ve been here before. These ponies don’t even know what rock is.”
A group of three griffons were casually walking down the dirt road right at the edge of Ponyville. One Desmond, the youngest of the group with a guitar strapped to his back, seemed rather anxious about the ordeal. “I sure hope so. They’re great fans, but I’m not sure I could take another raving mob! All desperate for attention and such...”
Diesel, the oldest, gave a firm chuckle at that. “Know us or not, we might have been a tad more inconspicuous if you’d left the guitar back in the hotel. We’re taking the day to relax, aren’t we?”
Desmond smirked proudly. “Inspiration’s a fickle bird! Better to be ready than ill-prepared.”
Gilda rolled her eyes. “You know he never parts with it. Why even bring it up anymore?”
Diesel gave off a warm and hopeful smirk. “Griffonstone wasn’t revitalized in a single night.” was his only comment.
“Ugh,” Gilda scoffed. Those weren’t very fond memories. Though, it did remind her of why she’d moved back there so long ago. For a moment, Gilda day-dreamed of a time when the sky was a boundless ocean of confidence when colored by a prismatic mane. Cares were few, worries were non-existent. Pensively, she wondered how Rainbow Dash was doing. She’d never heard from her since their last visit. Not that she expected letters after the sour note they parted on. Gilda just hoped that the flavor has had enough time to dissolve and fade from the mare’s palette.
“So you keep saying you’ve been here before, but you’ve never told us yet what you were doing here,” Desmond implored casually.
Gilda thought on it for a moment. “It, uhh… it was a past life, Des.”
“Uhhh…?” was his response, unsure how to carry on that topic.
Diesel chuckled. “Means some things shouldn’t be dug up, Little D.”
Desmond pondered the notion, before becoming distracted within his own mind. “That could be a rockin’ song…”
“Save that thought for another time,” Gilda interrupted as they neared the town. Ponies quickly began to come in and out of view. Many giving a passing glance to the band, a few even taking a double-look followed by disinterested expressions. Likely for the piercings they all wore. For the most part, however, none seemed to care. Gilda smiled. “We’re officially unrecognized, guys.”
“Praise the Idol!” Diesel said with mild joy, caution still evident in his tone. “Well, this is your turf, G. What are we going to do?”
Gilda shrugged. “Browse around, see the sights, eat exotic food, get plastered with foreign alcohol, break something, spend the night in jail, and then take home a souvenir for the fond memories of the day we got to kick back and relax old school. The usual.”
“The usual it is, then,” Diesel agreed.
Desmond was looking around for the moment, only paying half of his attention to the subtle joke Gilda tossed out. He managed to meet eyes with a mare for a moment and shot her a wink. She didn’t respond positively, but he didn’t care. “How many love songs ya think I’ll have to play before I score some tail?”
“Gross,” Gilda tossed out, mild repulsion laced in her front of indifference. Diesel just rolled his eyes.
“No harm in sampling the local cuisine! There are some pretty birds in this town to boot,” Desmond defended. That’s when he gave Gilda a malicious smirk. “Would do that attitude of yours some good. I hear stallions are bigger than griffons. Ya can’t tell me you’re not even curious.”
“Puh,” she scoffed. “Bigger than Diesel?”
“Oh, I’d bet money on that doubt.” Pride leaked from Diesel’s demeanor at that.
“Most griffons,” Desmond quickly corrected himself. He nearly forgot that Diesel was fairly large for his species.
“I don’t call him Big D just for his size,” Gilda chuckled. Then she paused and looked back to Desmond to further tease him. “Oh wait, that’s exactly why I call him Big D.”
Diesel gave a hearty laugh while Desmond’s expression turned a bit sour. He shouldered the smaller griffon after they continued their walk down the street. “You should know better than to sass G.”
Desmond grumbled something before continuing. “That’s pretty low, even for you, Gilda. Busting my balls like that…”
“Oh, cry me a river, Des,” she responded in a light-hearted tone. “If you want to spend your day chasing mares, go for it. Just keep in mind that we have a concert to get to tomorrow night.”
“And a back-water town also means you have no street cred here, Desmond. Can’t rely on your popularity to get you a free bird.”
“Bah! I can score fans at any point in time. I’d appreciate the challenge here.” From there, Desmond looked around for a moment before breaking off from the pack. “I’m gonna go find the pub and try there first. Catch ya later!”
Diesel smirked as their bandmate departed from the group, leaving him alone with Gilda. “You know he’s going to get himself into trouble, right?”
“I try not to concern myself anymore,” Gilda said with a grim undertone that betrayed her false negligence. “Right now, I’m more concerned with us. What do you want to do?”
“I usually let birds pick first.” he commented.
Gilda chuckled. “Desmond get you all wired up?”
“Kinks and knots,” Diesel joked, though his stride became more masculine now that the subject was brought up.
“Guess we’ll have to find some place to take care of that,” she suggested. Lewd thoughts began to tease the back of her mind, inciting her feathers to momentarily fluff up along the back of her neck. Diesel gave a short hum of delight, obviously having seen what happened.
“How are you feeling?” Twilight was now sitting with Applejack in the mineral bath, both keeping their eyes closed while the former was trying to teach the farmer a bit of meditation.
For as well as it seemed to work with Twilight, Applejack was a bit frustrated. The hardest part was keeping her mind clear, and letting go of any distractions. It wasn’t for a lack of trying or detailed instruction. It just felt like this negative energy hoo-hah was less like a solid load and more like molasses. AJ just couldn’t get it off her. “Ah’m not sure that meditation’s right for me, Twi,” she finally commented with defeat.
Twilight relinquished a sigh, placing a hoof on her friend’s shoulder as a comforting gesture. “It’s alright. I wish there was more I could do to help. My only other suggestion at this point is to just talk about it.” As much as Twilight hated to admit it, most of what she knew was meant for getting rid of everyday stress and mundane negativity. It all might help Applejack manage, but that could only last for so long.
“With who, though?” was AJ’s concern.
Twilight thought about it for a moment. “Well, you haven’t talked to Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy yet. It might help enough to finish up current business and get some closure. From there, you’ve got lots of friends, and we all handle stress in our own ways. Fluttershy might just be the best mare to talk to. She knows a thing or two about loss.”
Applejack considered the notion for a moment, before looking away slightly. Fluttershy probably was the best pony in their group to talk with. Was. “Ah, uhh… Ah’m not sure if-”
Both mares stopped when they heard a pair of hoof steps coming their way. Looking over, they found Oliver and Flash as they were coming back from the showers, and they seemed pretty comfortable with each other. “You two look better already,” Twilight voiced with a small smile.
“Da,” Oliver agreed in a light tone.
“Far from the worst decision I’ve made in my life,” Flash chuckled slightly. Both stallions joined the mares for a dip in the bath. The guard gave off a deeply satisfied sigh as his body became immersed in the cold water. “Kinda wish they’d brought me here first, though.”
Oliver joined Twilight in a small laugh while Applejack pushed out a meek smile to not dampen the mood. Upon inspection, though, Oliver could see the front plain as day. “How are you feelingk, Jackie?”
“Fine enough,” she pushed out.
He would have openly called her bluff, but that was just asking to pile the stress back on to an otherwise peaceful afternoon. Which wasn’t exactly the point of being here. Oliver just let it be at that.
It became quiet for a moment, and Applejack decided to both return to the previous topic, and gently push it in a different direction. “So, uhm… h-how is RD doin’?” It was suppose to be more of a question on when a good time to go see her would be, but the intent didn’t want to leak out. Mostly due to the fact that she wasn’t sure she could bear to look at her again.
Twilight sighed slightly. “Rainbow is… well, Rainbow. She seems to be doing just fine, but you know how she can be. Fluttershy’s doing a good job of watching over her and keeping her company, so she shouldn’t get too stirred up.”
Applejack looked down and folded her hooves together. “Ah… messed her up pretty bad, didn’t Ah?” she asked in a low, remorseful tone. “She probably doesn’t even want to see me again…”
Twilight’s expression dropped some as well. Purple eyes searched for something to say. “I wouldn’t assume the worst so quickly. I doubt she’d greet you with open hooves from the get go, but she was still concerned for you when she woke up and wanted to talk to you before I did.”
“Say what?” she asked in subtle shock and disbelief. “But Ah… Ah-”
“-Were in need of help,” Twilight interjected. “And in some ways, you still are. Rainbow answered the call, and she won’t stop until the job is finished. Don’t think she doesn’t have the patience to see it through, either. I’ve seen her do some pretty amazing things over the last few days.” Twilight now offered a soft smile to her friend.
Applejack couldn’t help but break a small, hopeful smile across her face in return. “Maybe… maybe Ah’ll go see her after this. Keep her company and what not…”
Flash played with a sensitive idea for a moment before deciding to throw his ball in the court. “I’m not sure if it’s your speed, but you could try a psychologist for your… deeper anxieties. I talked with one for a while after a bad evaluation. Doctor Cote really helped me turn back around.”
Twilight perked up slightly. “Cote? Crestin Cote?” Flash confirmed with a nod. “I know her, she started working out here in Ponyville a short while back. I’ve heard that she’s really good.”
Flash smiled slightly and looked back to Applejack, who seemed to be apprehensively mulling it over. “It’s just an idea. You don’t have to if you don’t want to… but I can personally guarantee that you wouldn’t be disappointed.”
Applejack still seemed unsure, even as she looked to Oliver as if to ask him what he thought. He himself couldn’t help but agree. “Never hurts to try. Zhis Doctor Cote sounds like she’s as good as zhey come.”
Applejack sighed. It seemed like the best choice to make. “Ah’ll… swing by after the hospital an’ make an appointment. Couldn’t hurt any to try, Ah reckon…”
Zhat’s zhe spirit,” Oliver said as he nudged her gently.
“Room for one more?” The deep voice of an oversized griffon drew the attention of all four ponies as he wandered over to the tub. None responded verbally, but there was no protest or fanfare as he carefully slipped into his own side of the bath. He gave a deeply relieved sigh, prompting Diesel to lean back against the edge and hang his arms along the rim.
Once settled, Diesel closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the crisp bite of the cold water. That was until he noticed the odd silence that loomed since joining them. Slowly, he lifted his head back up to investigate. He found eight eyes watching him with interest. One pair in particular could be better described as rapt fascination. “Hi?” was the only response he could fathom.
The positively glowing eyes of Twilight blinked back into the moment, and she gave a small blush with an embarrassed smile. “Sorry! I’ve seen some griffons before, but I’ve never met one as large as you are. Heheh… heh…”
Diesel gave a mental sigh of relief. He was beginning to wonder if these four actually knew who he was. At that, he gave them a grin. “You’re a pretty decent size yourself,” he commented back, using the others for reference.
“That’s just because I’m an alicorn,” Twilight dismissed lightly. Then she realized that she’d forgotten something. “Oh! My name is Twilight Sparkle. This is my guard, Flash Sentry. Applejack and Oliver Salad there are my friends.”
Each gave their own small greeting before Diesel spoke next. “I’m Diesel.”
“Diesel?” Flash asked, taking a moment to put a hoof to his chin in thought. Suddenly, it seemed that the right tune struck his head as he continued. “I thought I recognized that voice… you’re the lead singer of Featherback, aren’t you?”
’Oh boy…’ Despite looming thoughts, Diesel nodded slightly and spoke with confidence. “The one and only.”
Flash gave a humbled laugh before kicking back in his spot very similar to the way Diesel was now. “I’m taking a bath with Featherback’s Diesel… the others will never believe this.”
Diesel smirked. At least he wasn’t going nuts. “Just keep it on the down-low. We’re taking a break today.”
“I guarantee nothing,” he shot out playfully. Flash almost giggled when Diesel rolled his eyes unenthusiastically at the all-too-common reference to a phrase Desmond said on stage a while back. “So if you’re here, where’s the others?”
Diesel shrugged slightly. “Des wanted to find a bar; trin' to catch a few birds. G was supposed to hang out with me, but she split last second. Could be gone for the rest of the side trip, knowing her.”
“Birds?” Twilight echoed, both interested and confused. She thought on it for a moment before continuing. “Why would he go to a bar for birds? The pet store has plenty.”
Both Diesel and Flash looked to Twilight, before giving a good holler of amusement. The other three weren’t sure what to think now as deep laughter filled the air between them, but it was obvious that they were missing the context.
Once they calmed down, Flash merrily clarified. “Heheh, sorry, Princess. In the griffon kingdom, a bird is a loose term for a female, but it’s mostly used for ones they find attractive.”
Twilight understood now, though she still seemed perplexed. “Interesting… but I’ve read up a lot on griffons, especially their sociology. That never came up.”
“Clever girl,” Diesel hummed. “Bird is fairly recent. Our band and a couple others are making it popular. Wouldn’t be too surprised if pegasi start using it after our tour through Equestria. We rocked Cloudsdale pretty hard last night.”
“Certainly is catchy,” Flash noted with a comfortable smile.
Twilight clapped her hooves with mild excitement. “I can’t wait for an updated version of Hoofington’s Study of Griffon Social Structure.”
Diesel chuckled before looking over the small group. “Speaking of catchy birds, mine skipped out on me. Wouldn’t happen to be any free birds here, would there?”
Amidst the initial shock between the two mares, Diesel’s eyes first fell upon Applejack. Oliver wasted no effort in pulling the mare in close and tight to himself. “Taken.” Oliver then offered as comfortable a smile as he could manage, despite his now dry tone.
“How about you?” The large griffon now looked over to Twilight, whose pupils shrank ever so slightly. Given her high level of interest in his species, and the fact that she easily equaled Gilda in size, she seemed like the perfect mare to ask.
Twilight remained wordless for a moment. All she could think about was the sheer presence of his being. Every scenario that played against her will all said the same thing. ’He could destroy me…’ Without letting the pause get too long, she offered a nervous smile paired with a heavy blush before grabbing her trusty day guard, all but suffocating him as she held him to her like a stuffed animal. “I would love to, but I already have a coltfriend.”
Flash gave off his own rosy hue after having become so intimately acquainted with the texture of Twilight’s fur.
“Worth a shot,” he commented before allowing himself to fully relax again. “Lucky stallion. Can’t imagine too many of you get to say you’ve dated a princess.”
Meanwhile, flash managed to get Twilight to loosen up enough and allow him to get comfortable. Considering she was still keeping him close, though, he decided to test the water a little bit by casually casting a hoof around her shoulders. About as casually as his nerves would allow anyways. She certainly didn’t protest furthering the facade, so he just nodded. “Heheh, thanks. I certainly do feel lucky.”
For a little bit, it felt kind of weird for Flash, actually being this close to Twilight and her accepting the gesture. Probably because it was just to save her flanks. Yet, it also gave him a little bit of hope. Certainly, this was a sign that she wasn’t opposed to the idea. His smile grew slightly when he thought of the irony, though. Most of the trip so far, a few ponies had all but thrown her into his arms, and she wasn’t a fan of it. Now, if she had him any closer, she’d get a mouthful of his orange coat. The others began to fall back in relaxation, and he couldn’t help but follow the herd. ’The others are totally never going to believe this…’
Rainbow tossed and turned in her bed as she sat alone in the room, grunting and groaning while falling through the same dream. Soundless mutters of protest left her mouth. After a few minutes, her eyes shot open and her body launched up to a sitting position as she gasped aloud.
Trembling.
Shaking.
Tears streamed down her cheeks while shifty eyes tried to make sense of everything. Soon enough, Rainbow Dash remembered where she was, and knew she was fine. That didn’t stop her body from sitting there, however. Sniffling and miserable as she looked down at her lap.
Putting her face in her hooves, the flyer couldn’t help but feel like this was the worst situation ever. Overnight, she’d gone from almost always hanging out with friends, to long periods of time without much of anypony. Even Fluttershy was away at the moment. She’d nearly forgotten the crushing emptiness that consumed her core from being alone a lot when she was younger. These nightmares seemed to serve as a hellish reminder of a time nearly forgotten. Every part of her being wanted to throw up at once right now. The vertigo didn’t help that.
Meanwhile, she could only wonder if this was how Applejack had felt ever since the group started drifting. It was tough enough just to survive a few nights.
’This sucks…’
“Geez, you are a wreck.”
Rainbow Dash froze for a moment to the oddly familiar voice. Looking over brought her the image of a griffon she’d stopped calling a friend for a long time now. In the initial shock, all Rainbow could do was stare at her dumbly. Gilda looked so different now. She looked nothing like the innocent little kid she’d met in flight camp in her seemingly past life. Her makeup seemed darker now than what shade it used to be before, and her frame was more lean and robust. Her expression seemed almost neutral, but there was some concern behind those golden eyes. The sum of five or six piercings adorned her visage as well.
“Hey, Dash,” Gilda said to break the silence.
Rainbow finally gained enough of her bearings to form a response, which was about as sour as a lemon while she crossed her hooves and looked away. “Featherbrain.”
Gilda’s expression dropped slightly. never-the-less, she continued to slowly find her way next to Rainbow’s bed. “I was hoping you’d have outgrown those feelings I left you with when we last met.” Rainbow Dash just exaggerated a sigh in response, but Gilda couldn’t really feel this forced emotion of anger or disappointment. She was just being difficult… or perhaps Rainbow wasn’t expecting to be visited by an old friend that did wrong, and just didn’t know how to feel. Either way, what came next was a long time coming. “I’m sorry, RD. I never wanted to hurt you… I just felt like you’d abandoned me for your new friends, and I couldn’t handle that. We used to be so tight, and then… well, I guess you grew up... and I didn’t keep pace.
“I know we’ve never talked since that blow-up at the party… but I was hoping that we could maybe let that be in the past now, and start fresh. I’d like to be your friend again.”
Rainbow Dash finally looked back over to Gilda and watched her, eyes constantly scanning her face. Gilda didn’t seem too put off by this. More importantly, however, Dash could tell that Gilda herself has done some growing. Perhaps she’s been put through the wringer a few times in life as well. She was more mellow now. Gilda had changed, and seemingly for the better. With a small smile, Rainbow held out a hoof to her as steadily as the dizziness would allow. Gilda met the age-old gesture with a fist bump before returning her own small smile. “Yeah… we’re cool,” the mare confirmed.
After a bit of thought, Rainbow let her hoof back into her lap and looked down again. “How did you know I was here?”
Gilda took a seat beside the bed and looked towards the window. “I overheard that puke stain feeling sorry for herself at the spa with some others. Nopony said it directly, but I knew something happened. I had to see it for myself…” After a bit of silence, Gilda looked back to RD, letting her expression drop some. “It’s pretty painful to see.”
Rainbow’s expression hardened once she could process the griffon’s words. “Don’t call her that.”
“Sorry,” Gilda responded quickly. She then took a level of interest in the situation now. “Last time somepony made you cry, I shoved his dick so far down his throat that he could taste balls. Remember that?”
It took time for Dash to reign in the memory, but she gave a soft chuckle after a bit of time. “You never told me what you did to him. You just gave me the tape and said it was taken care of.”
“I almost made him eat the tape,” Gilda admitted. “But I decided on something more poetic. It was yours anyway. I knew you needed to be the one to burn it.”
Rainbow’s expression dropped slightly. It took her a minute to push out the words. “You know… I never did destroy it…”
Gilda was surprised, but she didn’t let it show too much. “You kept it?”
“I buried it,” Rainbow elaborated, though Gilda wouldn’t know that it was more metaphorical just yet. “I drowned it, locked it up, suffocated it. No matter what I did to it, though, it still controlled me. It changed me… and the harder I tried to forget, the more it consumed me.
“After a while, it kind of faded away. I thought that I’d left it behind in Cloudsdale… but it still hung around in the shadows. I never really learned to deal with it until Soarin showed me how. And now… now it’s just a part of my life that happened. Sure, it sucks, but I’m better for it. Accepting it and moving on is… all I really can do.”
At that, Gilda’s face broke into the first broad, genuine grin she’s had in a while. It was awkward to hear that come from a beaten-up, tear-stained face, but no less powerful in impact. “It’s so nice to see how much you’ve grown, Dash. Kinda makes me feel like an ass.”
Rainbow cocked a brow slightly. That certainly wasn’t a reaction she was expecting. “Since when did you get so sappy?” she joked.
Gilda chuckled, choosing to let that one be. “I’ll still kick her flanks in if you want me to, you know.”
“I’d rather you not. Would mess up my rep if I went crying to a griffon to settle my fights.”
The two shared a fond laugh before Rainbow’s eyes caught something yellow in the doorway. Giving it her full attention caused Gilda to check back as well.
Fluttershy was sitting in the doorway letting old friends share a moment together. She’d contemplated coming back later, but she was caught before she could put thoughts to action. “Oh, sorry girls. I was just, uhm… I can come back later…”
“You can come in,” Gilda said, stopping Fluttershy before she could leave. “We’re just talking about nothing, really…”
“Oh, well… alright.” Fluttershy slowly trotted on in, taking up the other side of Rainbow’s bed. “How are you feeling, Rainbow?” she smiled.
“Getting better by the hour,” was Rainbow Dash’s comment.
Fluttershy nodded, before taking a fold of her bed sheet into one hoof. “Looks like it.”
Dash sighed heavily in mild protest as Fluttershy rubbed off the dried tears. “It was just a bad dream,” she explained, knowing that her marefriend saw through the lie. She should’ve wiped her face earlier. “How long were you here?”
“Apparently, there’s a stallion out there who’s intimately aware of what his beans taste like.” Fluttershy mused. “I’m sorry if I, uhm… overheard something I wasn’t supposed to. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”
Rainbow Dash sighed slightly. “It’s… complicated. We can talk about it another time.”
Fluttershy nodded. “Only if you want to.”
Rainbow smiled warmly at her, before moving attention back to Gilda. “So uh… this is Gal Pal. Gal, this is Butterbutt.”
Gilda quickly became confused now, especially as Fluttershy froze up and turned beat red. “Uh… I… err... what?”
Fluttershy mumbled now as she nervously brushed a hoof against the floor. “Rainbow Dash is, uhm… temporarily incapable of remembering the right names for things. Her brain uses nicknames and memories associated with them instead.”
Gilda watched them more closely now. Dash wasn’t half bad at playing it off, but Fluttershy was pretty much a dead giveaway. “You two are buck-buddies, aren’t you?”
“SOO-ho-hooo not true!” Rainbow Dash quickly defended, acting surprised by the accusation.
Fluttershy was suddenly very busy within her own world now. Not that Gilda needed any more confirmation, but it was always fun to call her friend’s bluff. “What’s her name again?” she asked casually.
“Honey Bear,” Rainbow said calmly, attempting to act natural.
“Honey Bear?” Gilda deadpanned.
Rainbow sighed heavily. “Sun damn it.”
“Honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised,” Gilda commented dryly.
“Just don’t tell anypony, please?” Rainbow looked back at her with pleading eyes. “It could damage my position as Captain.”
Both Fluttershy and Gilda paused for a moment once the patient uttered it. “You… you mean you’re a captain now?” the shy pony asked first. Rainbow Dash nodded, and the yellow mare couldn’t help an overwhelming fit of joy. “Oh my gosh, Dashie! You’re finally a captain of the Wonderbolts! I can’t believe it!” Without thinking, Fluttershy swept Rainbow into a tight hug, nearly squashing the flyer’s face into her chest.
Rainbow tried to fight it, but there was no escape. She looked to Gilda for help, but she was just sitting there pretending to gag. This just intensified her own blush. “Argh! Butterscotch…! No PDA…!” the mare whined.
“Oh! I’m sorry…” Fluttershy let go of her marefriend before making sure her sheets were straightened back out, stealing a glance back at Gilda for a moment.
Gilda could only find herself giggling slightly at the scene. “At least you got yourself a nice pony,” she commented to Rainbow.
Dash seemed slightly confused, but mostly because she only had their childhood and teenage years to go off of. “You don’t think differently of me?”
“I think it’s gross,” was Gilda’s dry response. “but it’s just my perspective and preference. As long as you’re happy, Dash, I really don’t care what or who. Won’t stop me from pulling your leg once in a while, though.”
“I think I can live with that,” Rainbow chuckled. “So what’s new with you, G? You seem so… different now.”
“Nothing too major. Got depressed for a while. Existential crisis… crashed pretty hard, fell pretty low. Things slowly picked back up when I made a couple of friends. Found my own little piece of love. Explored inside myself for a while, learned a lot. Started a band a little while back. We’re on tour right now. Just blew the roof off of Cloudsdale last night.”
“No way!” Dash’s excitement began to show now. “What band? What’s it like? What do you do?”
“Featherback,” was all she had to say, and Dash became visibly ready to go nuts. “I do drums and percussion. Did backup vocals for one song, though. Desmond wanted a few high notes behind his voice. Sometimes I help them both with writing, too. Even got a couple of my songs out. ‘Picture’ was one of them.”
“Oh my goodness! I love that song!” Fluttershy chimed, only for the other two to grind to a halt and watch her in subtle amazement. She responded to the attention with a nervous chuckle. “I, um… listen to your album collection when you’re not home sometimes, Dashie. Sorry…”
“You like rock?” Rainbow asked with subtle surprise still plastered on her visage.
“I can be pretty hard too, you know,” Fluttershy commented calmly. Of course, this got Rainbow snickering and Gilda stifling a good laugh, which is what she was gunning for. It brought out her own smile and a small giggle. “I mean, Featherback has a wonderful sound. I’ve tried some of the others you own, like Stone Flour and Five Feather Death Wing, but they’re not really my speed.”
Gilda gained a sneaky smirk at her next thought. “Which band is your favorite?”
Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin in thought. “That’s a tough choice… but if I had to pick one, it would have to be Hoot Town.”
“Wouldn’t have pegged you for that band, Dash.” Gilda chuckled while Rainbow blushed slightly.
“I like the optimism and the innocence,” the captain admitted. “Kinda reminds me of when things were… simpler.”
Fluttershy gave a warm smile to a fond memory of her foalhood. “Like when I used to practice singing to the woodland critters…”
Gilda embraced the new direction by adding her own blissful expression. “Takes me back to a time when I didn’t care about anything.”
“Flying,” Rainbow spoke in a loud whisper. “It was all that ever mattered. Reaching new heights. Breaking new speeds. Feeling the currents, riding the swells… the breeze on my soul. The feeling of… freedom…”
Each shared a light sigh simultaneously, letting a calming silence diffuse the air. Gilda could see how much more relaxed her old friend felt now. The mare’s eyes bogged down lazily. Rainbow was dead tired but still resisted sleep. Gilda’s smile lessened, but only for a moment. “Hold on to that, Dash.”
“Hmm?” Rainbow inquired.
“That feeling. Freedom. Keep it in your mind. Fill every corner. Anytime you feel scared or alone, take a step back and remember what it’s like to just do what you love. It’s part of who you are, and what makes you great. Remember it… and then move forward. Everything else will fall into place…”
Rainbow Dash was unsure what to think about all that. Yet, there was a level of comfort in the advice that she didn’t expect. She could feel her world slowly drifting away now as she thought back on it.
Fluttershy caught on to what Gilda was doing and remained silent now while gently rubbing Dash’s hoof.
“If things were different for one day…” A softened voice began to play a little melody as Gilda thought back on an old piece she’d written but never shared. “Would you go back to your old ways? Would you stay, stay with me? Or would you go back to how things used to be? Stay with me! Stay with me, stay with me.
“Stay with me! Stay with me, stay with me. If things were different for one… day. Would you go back to your old ways? Or would you stay, stay with me? Would you stay, stay with me? Stay with… me…”
Cyan fur slowly raised and lowered to a slow tempo while Rainbow Dash drifted off to sleep. Fluttershy left her marefriend’s side alone now, not wanting to disturb her rest. “Thank you, Gilda,” Came Fluttershy’s quiet voice. “It was beautiful.”
“Yeah,” the griffon agreed, despite a small level of indifference. “Just don’t go sharing it with anypony. That one’s kind of special to me.”
“Don’t share what?” Fluttershy responded calmly without missing a beat. Gilda seemed to get the implication as she just rolled her eyes and left it at that. “Did you want to stay a while, Gilda? There’s a couch over there that you can lay on.”
The griffon just shook her head. “I’d love to, but I kinda ditched D by coming over here. I need to get back to him. Maybe I’ll bring him by later tonight, though. He’d enjoy meeting a celebrity fan.”
“Okay then. Have fun.” While the griffon turned to leave, Fluttershy mosied on over to the aforementioned couch and hopped on, making herself comfortable before resting her chin on the arm. She just watched over Dash while she slept, figuring she’d probably get a cat nap in as well.
“Thanks for the support, Twilight,” Applejack began as the group now exited the spa feeling a bit more refreshed and relaxed all around. AJ’s spirits were still pretty low, but Oliver was pretty dedicated to standing by her side and keeping her on the mend. All she had to worry about now was following through. “Ah think Ah’ll go try an’ talk to Dash before Ah find this Crestin Cote.”
“I’ll be stayingk vwizh Jackie for the time beingk,” Oliver tossed out casually.
Twilight offered a nod, feeling comfortable and confident in the progress made so far. “You both know where to find me if you ever need me. Please, don’t hesitate to ask me for anything.”
The pair waved their goodbyes before turning to head off into their own direction, leaving Flash alone with the princess for the moment. Though refreshing, the whole spa experience had taken him through a few different highs and lows. In the end, he was quite glad to finally be out of there. “So what now, Twilight?” he asked casually as they began a slow trot in their own direction.
“I’m not sure,” Twilight responded thoughtfully. “I had anticipated our day at the spa lasting longer… but things got really awkward after Diesel hit on me.” Twilight could feel a drop of sweat bead down the back of her neck at one final picture of her imagined griffon mate towering over her mental form with a menacing, yet somewhat ruggedly handsome demeanor. That’s when another thought occurred to her. “Sorry if I got too close to you back there. I just really didn’t want him to ask again…”
Flash offered a small chuckle, scratching his crest lightly to try and mask a momentary blush. “Oh, it’s fine, Twilight. It was kind of nice, anyway.” The guard suddenly went bug-eyed as he could hear his train of thought crash in a horrific mess of twisted and mangled metal.
“Uhh…” Twilight gave him an odd look now. That certainly wasn’t a reply she was expecting. “Nice?” she echoed, imploring for elaboration.
“I mean-!” Flash Sentry’s mind now sped through alternative meanings that might save his hide. “Er, not that it was nice! I mean, it was… I think. Not like the good kind. I mean, it wasn’t bad! I just, uhm…” Flash stopped in his tracks for a moment now. He cleared his throat as a means to reset his mind flow, before trying again. “Professionally speaking, of course! It was… professionally nice.”
Twilight held a small amount of suspicion behind the faintest of blushes. He wouldn’t notice, though, as he was too busy trying not to make eye-contact with her now. She rolled her eyes away while brushing off the gentle heat of her cheeks. She just might have to see how this one plays out. “It’s alright, Flash. You don’t have to be so nervous, we’re friends.”
“Right…” Flash now recalled the discussion he had earlier with Oliver. He sighed silently. Mentally, Flash determined that he needed to buck up and be a stallion. If he kept letting it sit on idle, nothing would ever happen. “Actually… if I may speak freely, Twilight?”
Twilight stopped to give him her full attention. It was still a bit off-putting to interact like this, but she attributed it to him trying to keep within a comfort zone. She let it be while giving a small nod. “Of course.”
“I, uhm…” Flash prepared himself with a deep breath. A part of him wished he could still have the cool he used to have with mares when he was younger. Then again, Twilight wasn’t just any mare, not to him. He needed to be real with her. “I really like you,” he stated as firmly as he could. “I’ve… always thought that you were beautiful… but I never said anything because I didn’t know you. But, these past few days, I’ve gotten to see a lot of who you really are. I’d… well, it would be an honor if you’d allow me the chance to know you better.”
Twilight kind of saw it coming, but she still didn’t expect it much in this way. For the moment, she was left largely speechless with a rosy hue dusting her cheeks. “Flash…! I-”
“Of course, I completely understand if you don’t want to,” Flash added, looking away with a timid smirk as he rubbed his forehooves together. “I am just a guard, after all…”
Twilight smiled slightly as she watched him. She had to admit that his mannerisms were awfully adorable for an adult stallion. She decided that there couldn’t be any harm in letting this play out and seeing where it went. “You want to go hang out somewhere?” She asked casually, betrayed only by her remaining blush.
Flash finally looked back to her with a bit of surprise, but mostly cheerful. It wasn’t a direct ‘yes’, but it was plenty enough to start with. “Sure! Any place, in particular, you like?”
Twilight chuckled. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit hungry. How about the Hayburger?”
Flash returned with a soft laugh. “Only if I’m buying.”
“You drive a hard bargain, Flash Sentry.”