Inside the Ponyville spa (the steam room to be precise), Rarity was waiting impatiently for somepony to arrive. She'd already been in the steam room for quite a while, and was getting more and more impatient with each passing second.
As Rarity continued to wait, Aloe poked her head into the steam room as Rarity sighed. She proceeded to ask. "Um... Miss Rarity? Eh, how much longer are you planning to stay in here, darling?"
Rarity lifted her head to face Aloe, she'd already lost of track how long she'd been in the steam room. "Oh, dear. Is somepony else waiting?" She asked.
Aloe shook her head. "Oh, no, no. I just don't want you to get all... What is word? Pruney. Yes, pruney, that's it." She said to Rarity.
Rarity explained to Aloe. "Oh. Uh, well, I'm just waiting for Applejack. It's been so long since we've had a relaxing day at the spa together. But I'm quite certain she'll be along at any moment."
Aloe reluctantly decided that since nopony else needed the steam room at the moment, she would let Rarity stay. "Very well, just try not to wait too long." And she closed the door, allowing steam to pour in with a hiss.
How long Rarity was kept waiting, she was not sure. But at last, the steam room door opened and Applejack came bursting in. "Hey, there, Rarity. I really tried to get here earlier," She apologized to her friend. "I just can't believe how much time my chores are takin' up these days. But at least now we'll finally get to spend some quality spa time together. Right?"
But just then Aloe called. "Okay, fillies, that's it. We are closing up for the day." Before she shut the steam room door again.
"Aw, shucks, Rarity. I guess I missed the whole day. I sure am sorry." Applejack apologized, before she noticed Rarity seemed to have a towel wrapped around her face.
Rarity removed it to reveal that her coat had been gotten "pruney" as Aloe had tried to warn her. She also happened to have a pocket watch with her, that had somehow not melted despite the intense heat. "Me, too." Was all she could bring herself to say.
Rarity was still more than a little upset about the fact that Applejack had blown off another one of their spa days together. It seemed like the apple farmer kept coming up with excuse after excuse to avoid going to the spa. Rarity was starting to lose her patience entirely. "Just what is so wrong with taking some time off to pamper yourself?" She thought. "Doesn't Applejack realize she's gonna drive herself to exhaustion again? I swear, sometimes I think she's more stubborn than Rainbow Dash. At least she knows to slow down every once in a while."
And so it was that when the time came for the next trip to the spa, Rarity was determined to drag Applejack to it no matter what. It didn't even make any sense how her chores could take so long, Applejack was a hard worker and had lived on Sweet Apple Acres for nearly her entire life, just how could she not be able to get her chores done in a reasonable amount of time?
On her way to Sweet Apple Acres, Rarity actually came across Twilight and Spike, who were carrying a bunch of empty pie tins. "Good morning, Rarity!" Twilight greeted. "Lovely day, isn't it?"
"Morning Twilight, morning Spike," Rarity greeted, and eyed the pie tins. "Good heavens, what's with all those pie tins? Aren't there only three of you living in the castle?"
"Well, I guess someone really loves pies," Spike nervously laughed. "We were just on our way to Sweet Apple Acres to pick up some fresh ones. But what brings you this way?"
Rarity sighed, as she explained while complaining. "I'm on my way to pick up Applejack, hopefully. It's time for our next spa appointment, but knowing her she's going to blow it off until the last minute and leave me waiting until the spa is about to close." She frowned.
"I'm sure you're exaggerating just a little," Twilight replied to Rarity. "I'm pretty sure Applejack doesn't mean to make you wait so long."
"And yet she does," Rarity complained. "I'm quite sure she'll be too busy once again. If she doesn't want to go to the spa, she can just say it to my face. She doesn't have to lie about it, especially when she's so bad at lying."
"You two really should set aside some time," Twilight advised. "Kind of like how I've been setting aside time to help Starlight with her studies."
Rarity snorted and hmphed. "Darling, I have been trying for ages! But Applejack is so busy these days, it's next to impossible. At this rate, she's gonna work herself to near death, again!"
Twilight and Spike were both surprised to hear such a thing, like Rarity they were confused as to how a hard worker like Applejack could take all day to get her chores done. "Wow. I didn't realize Applejack had so much to do," Twilight commented. "I wish you'd have said something sooner, this isn't healthy for her." Twilight had no idea that she was about to proven right.
Twilight, Spike, and Rarity approached Sweet Apple Acres, and when they did they could hardly believe their eyes! Applejack was running around, acting like a complete fool! She was standing on the side of the pig pen, babbling and making ridiculous motions with her hooves, apparently trying to scare the pigs! Then she started trotting around, clucking like a chicken for some reason. And then to top it off, she dashed up to the top of the barn and suspended herself on a rope, knocking over a bucket of slop for the pigs to eat.
"Applejack?" Twilight asked, wondering if her friend had already been driven crazy from exhaustion.
If Applejack was concerned by how she acting in front of her friends, she didn't seem to show it. She just turned to Twilight, Spike, and Rarity, and greeted. "Oh, howdy there. I wasn't expectin' company today, looks like ya caught me in the middle of feedin' the pigs."
"Just what was all that stuff about? And was it even necessary?" Spike asked Applejack. "I mean, why couldn't you just open the gate and take the slop directly to them?"
Applejack chuckled. "'Cause, Spike, it's all part of the necessary routine," And she explained. "See, this gate here used to squeak so loud, the pigs would run to the other side of the pen and never come out! So now I open and close it to let them know it's safe."
"But it doesn't even squeak anymore, does it?" Twilight asked.
Applejack laughed as she shook her head. "Of course not! Big Macintosh fixed that gate ages ago. But then I realized puttin' a little fright into the pigs got 'em all hustlin' out of the pen. That's why I made that there face."
"Well, they don't look scared to me." Spike commented, as he swore he saw Rarity roll her eyes at Applejack.
"Well, no. They got used to it. Which is why I started doin' the chicken dance!" Applejack explained. "To show 'em that if they didn't get to eatin' their food, the chickens would. 'Course, bein' a chicken, I couldn't very well open the gate. So I had to think of another way to feed 'em."
"And let me guess, that's where the dangling rope part comes in?" Rarity asked in a skeptical tone.
Applejack nodded. "Bingo! Although, gettin' the food bucket to spill into the trough was just a happy accident because one time I left it there by mistake. Since then however, it's what I've done to get the pigs fed."
Rarity could hardly believe her eyes and ears, nothing Applejack did many any sense at all. "Applejack, once the gate was fixed, there was no need to do anything else to feed them," She remarked. "Do you even realize how unnecessary all that stuff is?"
"Don't you lecture me about unnecessary!" Applejack protested. "We Apples do our chores on our own without fuss, every family member does their fair share! I developed my own routine to get my chores done properly, and they've never let me down!"
Rarity sighed and snorted. "Well, Twilight and Spike came here to pick up some pies from you. But I guess you're too busy having a field day. I suppose I'll just have to come back when you're not busy, although from the way things look now, that's not going to be anytime soon."
"Rarity, I know how much you like them spa dates and all, but they just ain't my thing," Applejack protested. "Besides, even if I wanted to go I've got way too many chores to do, and barely anytime to get 'em done. It ain't my fault that to do a good job, I gotta take my sweet time!"
But Twilight spoke up in response. "Just look at what you're doing, Applejack! You don't have time for anything anymore because you're taking too long to do your chores. Trust me, I know what it's like to get stuck in a routine, but you've got to snap out of it! Don't you remember what happened the last time you tried to do everything by yourself and refused to stop? You practically worked yourself to the bone before you agreed to let anypony help you," She then offered. "Look, I know these chores are really important to you and all, but you need to take a break before you hurt yourself. Spike and I can probably manage some of your chores for you, while you and Rarity go to the spa for some much needed rest and relaxation."
Spike giggled. "You should really listen to Twilight's advice, you're acting just like she was when she was trying to avoid our new castle. And we all know how that turned out, don't we?"
Applejack sighed, she opened her mouth to protest, but before she could utter a word Rarity said with a smile. "Good, then it's settled. Applejack, you and I will go to the spa together, while Twilight and Spike get your chores done. Trust me, by the time today is over, you'll be asking yourself just how you allowed yourself to go on like this."
Reluctantly, Applejack was forced to agree. "Oh, alright. I suppose at least a steam bath couldn't hurt," Then she remembered something and shouted. "Just a sec, gotta get somethin' for the two of ya!" She returned shortly with a large scroll. "This here's a list of all my chores and how to get 'em done. Follow them to the letter."
"Even if they're unnecessarily complicated?" Spike quipped.
Twilight added. "I think we'll manage just fine on our own, Applejack. If we run into a roadblock, we'll check the list and see what we need to do. But don't be surprised if we find a way to streamline some of your chores for you."
Applejack sighed, but agreed. "Fine, just don't be surprised if I slip back every once in a while to make sure everythin' is okay. Can't help bein' a little worried, it's who I am." And she then reluctantly trotted off with Rarity, even if she'd much rather stay and do her chores on the farm.
Rarity led Applejack across the country roads and through the outskirts of Ponyville, deciding it would be best to take the indirect approach to the spa to really give Applejack time to adjust being away from the farm. "Just you wait, by the time our spa date is done, you'll feel like an entirely different pony," Rarity said to Applejack. "I should know, I've come here with Sweetie Belle and Fluttershy several times. Heck, sometimes I run across a client while I'm at the spa. It happens more often than you might think."
Applejack was silent for most of the trip, but when at last she spoke up she said to Rarity. "Ya know what? I'm actually glad we're doin' this, Rarity. I've been puttin' work before our spa time for too long. I can't wait to have a nice steam."
"Oh, a steam is just the start," Rarity replied to Applejack. "I know exactly what we'll do. We'll make sure to get the utmost care for you, so you can go back home rested, refreshed, and ready for whatever life throws at you."
As the two ponies approached the spa Applejack nervously commented. "I just hope Twilight and Spike can handle things until I get back."
Rarity immediately replied. "Now, Applejack, if we are really to enjoy this time together, you simply must give yourself over to the idea that you are off-duty and try to relax. Everyone needs a little bit of pampering every once in a while, even the most hard working of ponies will agree to that."
"I suppose you're right," Applejack considered. "It's just so hard not to think about my chores when I've been doin' them for so long. I'm sure everythin' will be just fine though. Twilight and Spike know what they're doin'."
Rarity nodded. "Exactly. Now kindly step this way. Rest and relaxation awaits."
Rarity and Applejack trotted through the spa door, as the jingling of the bell announced their arrival. The two looked around, all sorts of ponies and even several non ponies were either lining up for various treatments, ordering a treatment, or waiting in the lounge for their designated time. One of those ponies just happened to be Rainbow Dash, who was dressed in a purple robe with green tortoise slippers, something that both Rarity and Applejack found odd. "Rainbow Dash! What are you doing here?!" Rarity gasped, before she and Applejack giggled to each other.
Rainbow Dash seemed horrified, as Applejack said to her. "Yeah. I didn't think spa treatments were your thing exactly."
Rainbow quickly kicked off her slippers and tossed aside her robe, as she immediately protested. "Oh, they're totally not. At least, not the froufrou kind."
Applejack and Rarity exchanged glances that made it clear they didn't buy Rainbow's excuse for a second.
"Yeah, it's.... not what it looks like!" Rainbow insisted. "You saw nothing! The only reason I'm here is because I, uh, I think I tweaked something at Wonderbolts practice the other day. Yeah, that's it! Think I pulled a muscle or something! So I just came in for a deep tissue sports massage."
But just then, one of the spa workers (an earth pony mare with a lavender coat, a pink mane and tail styled in the same style as Aloe and Lotus, blue eyes, and a cutie mark depicting candles) approached Rainbow and said to her. "Ah, Miss Dash, I am so sorry, but we are running just a tad behind, and we are not quite ready to start your pampered muscle massage just yet. Our deepest apologies."
Rainbow seemed to be horrified, and a faint blush formed on her cheeks, as she realized she'd been caught! Not one to give up without a fight though, she quickly protested and said with a nervous laugh. "Oh! I-I'm pretty sure that wasn't what I signed up for."
The spa worker looked at her clipboard as she claimed. "But it says it is your usual."
Rainbow quickly added. "And it seems like you're really busy today anyway! So I'll just come back tomorrow," To Applejack and Rarity she shouted. "Uh, see you two later! Have fun!" And zipped away. The spa worker just shrugged and said. "I guess I'll put her down for the same thing at her next appointment. A shame, she is one of our best customers, never makes a fuss." And she turned and trotted away.
Applejack couldn't help but chuckle at what she'd just seen. "Too bad Rainbow Dash just hates those 'froufrou' spa treatments. She probably could have joined us for a nice steam bath. Hoo-wee! I can't wait."
Rarity laughed at Applejack's comment. "Indeed," Then a thought struck her as she pondered. "Although, if they couldn't fit Dashie in, I wonder just how far behind things are running. It does seem odd for the spa to be this crowded at this time of day," She and Applejack went to join the line for the steam room, only for Rarity to bump into the tail of a stallion just a few seconds later. The line was quite long, longer than any line Rarity had ever seen before. "Oh dear, this is quite a problem." She said to herself.
"Indeed," Caramel replied. "Everypony wants a steam, but it's taking forever for the line to move. Oh, I hope you're not in a hurry."
Rarity sighed. "Well, Applejack, I guess we'll just have to start our spa treatment with something else for a change."
Applejack put her hoof down as she firmly scoffed. "Nothin' doin'. I came here to have a steam, and that's just what I'm gonna get! You convinced me to come here, so now it's my turn to make a demand!"
Rarity groaned. "Figures, even when trying to relax you're stubborn."
Just then, Aloe approached Rarity and Applejack. She was quite delighted to see them again. "RRRRarity! My favorite customer!" She greeted, kissing Rarity, before she turned to Applejack. "And Appleyack? Well, it certainly has been a long time since you two were here together! So lovely to have you back."
"Well, I wish I could say the same," Rarity commented. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, Aloe."
Aloe sighed. "Yes, the wait time for the steam room certainly has been getting worse lately. Such is the problem with budget cuts, you have to make do with less. But I'm sure we'll be able to accommodate your usual treatments, somehow."
"Not without my steam bath!" Applejack insisted firmly.
"She's quite hung up on it, I'm afraid," Rarity said to Aloe. "Even if it'll take almost an hour just to get through the line."
Meanwhile, Applejack had gotten out of line, and was monitoring the gauge just outside the steam room door. The needle was currently pointing to the red, indicating a lack of steam. And it didn't seem to be going up at all.
"Geez, if I had known it was gonna take this long I would've brought a magazine or something," A familiar snooty voice exclaimed, soon revealing itself to be the towel wrapped form of Spoiled Rich. "Without steam, a steam room's just a room, and I've got plenty of those at home. Because I live in a mansion," There was a long silence, and no one said a word. "Well excuse me for living!" Spoiled complained. "I can't help it if I married into luxury."
"Mrs. Rich, I'm terribly sorry, we are working as hard as we can to get the steam room operational," Aloe apologized. "In the meantime, would you kindly help yourself to some of our warm towels?"
Spoiled Rich and several other ponies accepted the warm towels from a cart pushed one by one of the spa workers, and tossed their old, cold ones, onto the cart. "It's about time. I had half a mind to go home and tell my husband to buy you out, I'm sure he could get this mess straightened out in no time," She then grumbled. "All I wanted was a little escape from the pressures of putting up with my stubborn daughter, was some rest and relaxation really too much to ask for? For once I'm actually glad she's not with me, and that's something I'd never thought I'd say. Honestly, a rich pony deserves far better than this."
"Just what is the problem?" Applejack asked Aloe. "I'm no spa expert, but from what this here gauge is showin' me, you can't seem to build up any steam. You got any leaky pipes or anythin'?"
Aloe tapped a hoof to her chin. "Now that you mention it, the pipe just down the hall has been sputtering and we believe it could be leaking steam. But the local plumber is booked solid for the next two and a half weeks, and unfortunately we have no plumbing experts of our own to correct the problem."
"Well, ya do now!" Applejack offered. "Part of livin' on a farm means you learn a thing or two about stuff most ponies take for granted. I'll take a look at that pipe and if it's leakin', I'll fix it right up for you!"
"That will be lovely, especially if it means we can stop the warm towel service. It's putting quite the strain on our laundry department." Aloe replied.
Rarity was surprised to see Applejack return from checking the pipe a short time later. "So, is it leaking or not?" She asked Applejack.
Applejack nodded. "I can't just leave things like this. I'm gonna need my tools. And that means I'm gonna have to go back to Sweet Apple Acres to get 'em."
"You just wanted an excuse to pop back and check up on Twilight and Spike, didn't you?" Rarity asked Applejack, who only nodded in reply.
Applejack dashed back to Sweet Apple Acres, hoping that at least Twilight and Spike were making good progress with her chores. She didn't think they'd be able to actually streamline them, since they knew nothing about farming.
But she was quite surprised when she came back and saw that not only were Twilight and Spike already done feeding the pigs, but Starlight was helping to give the pigs a bath, including Piggington. "Oh, hello Applejack," Starlight greeted, turning her head while using her magic to levitate a brush over to Piggington. "How come Rarity's not with you? Is something wrong?"
Applejack shook her head. "Oh no, everythin's just fine. But what are you doin' out here, Starlight? Shouldn't you be busy with your friendship lessons and all?"
"Twilight figured she could use another set of hooves to help things go faster," Starlight explained. "Plus, she says I need to get out and do some stuff in the sunshine for a change. I have to say, farming's actually a lot harder than I thought it would be, but I think I'm doing okay so far. You need something from me?"
"No, I'm just here for my tools. I'm gonna do a little bit of repair work at the spa." Applejack said to Starlight, before she went into the barn and retrieved her tool kit.
"Don't worry," Starlight called, as Applejack ran back to the spa. "Everything's just fine here," But when she turned her head she saw that Piggington was gone. "Oh come on!" Starlight groaned. "How can something so big move so fast?! Please don't tell me she rolled into the mud again!"
Applejack returned to the spa, and quickly set to work on fixing the leaking steam pipe. Rarity assisted a little, but for the most part she was just content to occupy herself with other spa treatments.
With her safety goggles securely fastened, and her tool belt buckled firmly around her flanks, Applejack loosened and then tightened all the bolts on both the top and the bottom of the pipe. She then pulled out a role of scotch tape, and used it to patch up the holes from which the steam was escaping. Lastly, she gave the wheel used to turn the steam on and off a spot of oil, just to make sure it would turn easily. At last, her work was done, and the needle on the gauge outside the steam room had moved firmly into the green.
Wiping the sweat from her brows, Applejack said to Aloe. "Now that that leak's fixed, ponies won't get so cold they use up all those towels! And without all that laundry, there'll be plenty of hot water for all the steam anypony could want!"
The spa worker who had been responsible for delivering the warm towels happily exclaimed! "And I only have to be doing vash once a day!" He then zipped inside the steam room and closed the door.
Even Spoiled Rich seemed to be impressed. "Well, it looks you Apples are good for something after all," She commented with what seemed to be a smile (whether it was sincere or not was hard to tell). "Perhaps my husband was right to do business with your family. At the least I suppose anypony who has access to indoor plumbing can't be all bad. Next time there's a leaky pipe or a blocked drain at my place, I might just have to give you a call."
Nopony was more impressed than Aloe though, who approached Applejack and happily exclaimed. "Wow, Appleyack! Have you ever considered a career in the spa industry? I'm sure I can find something for you."
Applejack laughed and shook her head. "No, thanks. I'm just relieved I can finally relax in the steam."
"Oh, but I insist, we really do need a pony like you. Having an outside eye to spot problems we're too busy to notice could be quite helpful," Aloe claimed. "At the least you must let me pay you for your services, we were losing a lot of money thanks to that leaky pipe."
"Forget it, you don't owe me anythin', I was just glad to help," Applejack replied. "But maybe if I ever find time between my chores on the farm, helpin' to buck apples, and practicin' my rodeo tricks, I could pop down here and see if there's anythin' that needs fixin'. After all, why monitor a problem if ya don't plan on fixin' it?"
"I'd never considered that." Aloe realized, and went to inform her sister Lotus that there wouldn't be a need to run laundry to have hot towels all the time.
"Well, now that we've solved the steam mystery, can we please get to some actual relaxation?" Rarity asked Applejack. "Honestly, you spent so much time fixing that steam room, so at I least hope you're going to use it."
Applejack spoke up and protested. "First I gotta drop my tools off back at the barn, plus I reckon now's a good time to see how Twilight, Spike, and Starlight are comin' along with the chores. They may need my help."
Rarity groaned, as she watched Applejack set off again. "You know something?" She said to Aloe. "You're lucky Applejack is too stubborn to relax. Otherwise, who knows how long it would've taken you to get that leak fixed?"
"She does seem to be overly concerned, a common problem for a lot of ponies," Aloe commented. "Even Mrs. Rich sometimes has trouble remembering she needs to take a break. We've even had to let her stay the night because she fell asleep in the middle of one of her treatments."
Applejack was expecting to come back to find Sweet Apple Acres in completely disarry, and for Twilight, Spike, and Starlight to be in so far over their heads they would be begging Applejack to take charge again. It wasn't that she didn't trust her friends or thought they were stupid, they were skilled at things Applejack couldn't even begin to understand. But farming was never as easy as the pegasi and unicorns might think, even earth ponies had a tendency to underestimate how much effort went into keeping a farm running smoothly. Applejack was just fortunate enough to grow up in a family that provided the real experience needed to know farming was a serious job, and that not just anyone could do it.
"Twilight, Spike, and Starlight are many things, but farmers ain't one of 'em," Applejack said to herself, as she neared Sweet Apple Acres. "So I've been overcomplicatin' things a little, what's the difference as long as I get the chores done right? If I tried to speed 'em up or do 'em poorly, I'd have to do 'em over again multiple times, and then I'd take even longer to get anythin' done. Ain't anythin' wrong with takin' time to do your job right the first time."
However, Applejack was most surprised to find that upon reaching Sweet Apple Acres, things seemed to be just fine. It looked like Twilight, Spike, and Starlight had everything under control. There were some clear signs of exhaustion on their faces, Twilight and Starlight's manes and tails were a bit disorganized, and Starlight had some brown smudges on her that were likely mud, to say nothing of the fact that Spike had just wiped some sweat from his brows. But nothing was out of place, nothing was destroyed or close to being in that state. It was as if everything was the way Applejack had left it, if not better.
"Hey Applejack," Spike greeted, waving a claw. "What are you doing back from the spa so soon? I thought you were going to fix that leak."
"Well I did, and then I reckoned since I had come back to drop off my tools I could check up on ya all and see if ya needed any assistance," Applejack explained, as she put her tool kit away in the barn and then came back out. "But from the looks of things, ya'll are doin' just fine as it is. Or are ya just tryin' to pull the wool over my eyes so I'll stay at the spa longer?"
Twilight eyed Applejack with concern. "Haven't you gotten around to relaxing yet? You're sounding like you don't think we can manage for a few hours. If we get into trouble we have our friends we call for help, not to mention your family."
"Ya really sure you don't need my help?" Applejack offered, in a tone that sounded almost like she was begging to stay on the farm. "Ya don't have to lie to me if you're really stuck on somethin', I just want to be helpful."
"Will you relax and quit worrying already?" Spike asked Applejack. "We've already taken care of feeding and bathing the pigs, all the apple trees have been tended to, and all the crops have been watered as needed."
"Then why's Starlight all muddy?" Applejack inquired. "I ain't ever gotten muddy bathin' the pigs, and neither has anypony else."
Starlight blushed. "Well it's not my fault you've got a massive pig that hates baths more than I did as a filly!" She complained. "I just haven't had time to hose off yet."
Twilight looked at Applejack and said to her. "Thank you for being so concerned, but we're making good progress and everything is one hundred percent under control. If we need your help, we'll let you know. But in the meantime, just go back to the spa and relax like Rarity wants you to. Don't you realize how much you're getting yourself worked up over nothing?"
"This comin' from the mare who freaked out everytime her teacher gave her a test, and let's not forget the whole yak fiasco." Applejack commented.
"That was different, there were very real stakes," Twilight insisted. "Plus I've been trying to get that under control ever since what happened with Trixie. Being a little worried is one thing, but being overly paranoid is another."
Applejack groaned and sighed. "I ain't bein' paranoid, but I guess I know when I'm not wanted. But if I think there's somethin' you need my help on, I'll be back here in the blink of an eye." She then left Sweet Apple Acres to get back to the spa.
Rarity was waiting impatiently for Applejack when the farm pony returned. "Well it's about time," She complained. "At least this time I wisely decided not to wait in the steam room for you. Honestly, how long are you going to keep blowing off your relaxation time? You've done more than enough work for one day, surely a few hours of relaxation will make no difference."
Aloe then spoke up. "Appleyack, your steam bath is waiting for you. And Rarity is quite insistent on signing you up for a muscle massage," She pointed her hoof towards the steam room door. "If you would kindly step this way, we can begin the pampering."
But even knowing that she'd fixed the steam room problem, and that she wasn't needed back at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack still wouldn't accept Rarity and Aloe's requests. "I'd love to take a steam bath, really I would. But if you've got a leaky steam pipe, then you've probably got some other problems you ain't noticed that I can help ya with. I just love bein' helpful ya know."
"While we appreciate the offer, I assure you that we have everything under control," Aloe replied. "Why do you think we have ponies like Bulk Biceps working for us? My sister and I know that just two ponies alone cannot run a spa. And we understand the importance of checking for problems before they start costing us money. We only overlooked the pipe because we had so many other things to worry about, including the customers."
"Which is exactly why you need a pony like me to look over everythin' for you!" Applejack firmly insisted. "This is a big spa, and you've only got so many hooves to do everythin'. Plus an outside eye can catch things you may not even notice. I already proved that with the pipe, and I reckon there's probably some other problem that needs fixin' that you didn't know about."
"Applejack, please!" Rarity pleaded. "You think these spa dates are just because I like pampering myself? If that was the case I would do it myself whenever I could. I arrange these spa dates for your benefit. Why can't you just relax and spend a little time not worrying about everything?"
"I'll let myself be pampered when I know there's nothin' anypony else needs my help with," Applejack firmly replied. "If I can't find any problems at Sweet Apple Acres, then I'll just have to check the spa, and then I'll double check Sweet Apple Acres, and then double check the spa. I'll check as often as I have to until I know I've checked everywhere I could for problems, and there's nothin' that requires my attention. The longer you ignore a problem, no matter how small, the worse it becomes when you ultimately try to fix it."
Rarity snorted, she was losing her patience extremely fast! "Applejack, it's not a crime to be pampered! Even Rainbow Dash comes here when she needs some downtime, and she's in the Wonderbolts, a very demanding job!"
"So, she always still finds time for power naps, and at least if she take some time for herself the Wonderbolts have plenty of reserves to take her place," Applejack protested. "I ain't got anypony who could replace me, even for a few hours. I'm a one of a kind hard worker, always have and always will be."
"You just don't get it, do you?!" Rarity complained loudly, gritting her teeth. "I have been trying and trying and TRYING to get you to relax! Because I've seen for myself what happens when you don't allow yourself to take any breaks when working, it ends with you exhausted and no help to anypony, least of all yourself! Do you want to work yourself to the bone and then some before you'll admit you need to relax?! Do you have to keep going until you break a bone and need to let it heal?! I'm bringing you here so you can relax and unwind before you hurt yourself, or worse! So why won't you help yourself and just RELAX already?!"
Rarity's words managed to touch something deep inside Applejack, as she started shaking uncontrollably and tears started to stream down her face. "I can't Rarity, I just can't!" She insisted. "When I was just a filly all I ever could think about was playin', even when my family kept tryin' to tell me that hard work is important! I never listened, I just keep foolin' around and gettin' into trouble! Until one day my ways finally caught up with me, and by then it was too late! By the time I learned what happens when you slack off, my folks were gone forever! If I'd just listened instead of thinkin' about how much fun I could have, I'd have never gone near that bridge, and Ma and Pa would still be alive! So that's why, Rarity! That's why I can't relax! If I'm not workin' myself to the near breakin' point each day, I'm only lettin' the memory of my parents and the lesson they taught me go to waste!"
Both Rarity and Aloe were surprised by Applejack's statement, and both placed a hoof around her as she slowly stopped sobbing and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Appleyack, you have worked harder than anypony I have ever known, and that is saying a lot considering some of my toughest customers are the ones who come here thinking they have no time to relax. That is why my sister and I started this spa, we wanted ponies to have a chance to relax so that they could be more productive and think more clearly." Aloe insisted.
"Aloe is quite right," Rarity nodded in agreement. "Just look at how much unnecessary stress you're causing yourself, simply because you feel like you have to always be doing something work related. A little bit of pampering every once in a while isn't going to kill you, but working yourself to exhaustion probably will. Do you think that's what your parents would want? For you to work yourself to such a point?"
Applejack paused, she hadn't ever really thought about that. She'd been so caught up in working herself to the best of her ability, because she'd believed it was the best way to make up for her youthful foolishness. But here she was, making the same mistake she'd made during that fateful Applebuck season a few years back, and the Apple Family reunion the year after that. If even Twilight could learn how to relax, then why couldn't she? Hadn't her parents always taken a little time out of their days to play with her and Big Mac when they were younger? Wouldn't they be doing the same if they were still around today? Reluctantly, Applejack swallowed a lump in her throat and hung her head in shame. "You're right, Rarity. I guess I was so caught up in my beliefs about hard work, that I couldn't see the problem I had. But you were the outside eye that caught it and intervened to fix it before it became a big problem. And yet I kept pushin' you away, focusin' on my chores and how to make myself helpful to others. How could I have been so foolish as to think a little bit of pamperin' wouldn't do me any good?"
Rarity just smiled slightly, as she said to Applejack. "Trust me, I've been where you've been. I've made this mistake a few times myself when working on an important dress for an important client. There are times when I push myself to exhaustion before I admit I need to take a break. But you'll find that, sometimes, being pampered can be the best thing that's ever happened to you. Like a good night's rest, it can make you refreshed and give you a new idea or perspective on how to approach your problems. Now, are you going to finally allow yourself to unwind with some rest and relaxation? Because if not, I'm going to keep dragging you to the spa until you do."
Applejack laughed slightly. "Well, when ya put it like that, how could I possibly refuse?" And then she turned to Aloe. "And ya know, since I need to take a bit of a break from my farm chores so I don't get stuck in those pointless routines, perhaps I could come down here more often to look for problems and do any sort of maintenance. And ya won't even have to pay me."
"That will be lovely, but my sister and I will still be quite insistent on paying you," Aloe replied. "But we can discuss those arrangements later. For now, I believe your long overdue steam bath awaits."
Applejack enjoyed the rest of her day at the spa, and she soon discovered just how good it felt to unwind. The muscle massage especially proved useful, as her limbs were quite sore from months of constant field work and rodeo practicing. As she and Rarity were making arrangements for the next spa date, Applejack sighed happily and asked Rarity. "Think you can come up with enough things for us to do now that we have more time to relax?"
Rarity smiled and replied. "Oh, please. I could plan a week's worth of treatments! And if you're going to be working part-time at the spa from now on, I think I'm going to have adjust our spa date timetables to compensate for that fact."
"True, and I reckon checkin' all those pipes for leaks, and makin' sure there's no floodin' or power outages anywhere is gonna keep me quiet busy and leave me in need of even more pamperin'." Applejack commented.
Just then, both Rarity and Applejack heard a sigh, and to their surprise they saw Rainbow Dash emerge into the waiting room with her purple robe and tortoise slippers, accompanied by Aloe. "Thanks for letting me know there was an opening. I don't know if I could make it without my pampered muscle massage," She said to Aloe. "It's just what the doctor ordered after a long day of Wonderbolts flight practice."
Aloe just smiled. "Don't vorry about it. Shall I put you down for another one tomorrow?" She asked her rainbow maned client.
"Oh, absolutely!" Rainbow agreed, pressing a hoof to her cheek as she fondly expressed. "Sometimes a girl just has to pamper herself, am I right?"
"You certainly are." Rarity commented, drawing Rainbow's attention to the presence of two of her friends.
Gasped at having been caught at the spa twice in one day, Rainbow became flustered and tried to stammer out an explanation. "Oh! Hey! I was just, uh, uh..." She struggled to figure out how to explain why things weren't what they looked like.
Applejack lightly jabbed at Rainbow as she teased. "Gettin' a 'sports' pamperin'?" She then giggled.
Rarity giggled too before she replied. "Don't worry, Rainbow Dash. We were just heading in for some pampering ourselves," Then an idea came to her. "You know, you could always join us."
"That is, if you don't mind sufferin' through one or two froufrou' treatments." Applejack teased.
Convinced she had nothing to lose and hoping that perhaps she might talk her friends into not revealing her secret, Rainbow agreed as she said to them. "Uh... well.... I suppose I could take it. You know, for you ponies." The three friends then giggled to each other, as they headed off for some more pampering.