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// Happy to help! But where are we going? 
// Story: Golden Love 
// by enigmaMystere 
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It doesn't take long for Flick to find his first stop of the day - Script's directions were accurate enough to find it within a minute of flying. He lands in front of the establishment he figured was the spa and knocked on the door.

"Come in, we're open!" calls a silky voice.

An eyebrow raised at the quality of said voice, he walks inside, closing the door behind him as he takes in the interior.

Inside lies an interior made of soft pastel colors. The waiting room is a mixture of creams and blues, similar to the mare manning the counter if you add a dash of pink for her mane.

He makes his way over to her, giving a small glare at a fashion magazine in passing, and gives her a small smile. "Hi. I'm new to town, and I was wondering if you were hiring?"

She looks surprised. "Oh? Did you have a position you were interested in? We tend to hire specialized staff."

"Well, I've been told I'm good with my claws." He wiggles them once more for a pony. "Does that help?"

She hums in thought. "Perhaps... have you been trained in massage?"

"No, but I've been told I'm a quick study." He grins at her, leaning against the counter. "If you let me watch one of your workers, I could learn how to do it soon enough."

"I think it should be easier than the other way around." He smiles at her, slightly sly. "Can I ask a friend to be my practice client?"

She narrows her eyes though her smile remains sweet. "We'd prefer you have unbiased opinions, but you are free to practice on your own in your spare time."

He sighs, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "...so I can't bring Applejack in here?"

She shakes her head. "I certainly don't mind you recommending us to other ponies, but I just wanted your in house patients to be ponies you don't know so you could honestly get appraised for your skills when you're being evaluated for the job."

"Oh, I meant to learn on. To copy your masseuse's techniques on and better modify to fit my claws?" He frowns, shaking his head. "Sorry, guess I wasn't very clear with my words."

"Oh, well, I suppose that would be alright."

"Great!" He spins around and grins at her. "Be right back, gorgeous!" He hurries out the door and takes to the sky, eager to find the farmer and bring her back.

She just blinks at his sudden departure. "Well, at least he's enthusiastic."





It's hard to miss a red barn in a sea of green trees. He lands gracefully on the stoop, brushing his feathers straight briefly before knocking on the front door.

"Eh? Who could that be?" An elderly voice comes from within, soon manifesting as the door opens to reveal a mare of age appropriate for said voice.

He blinks, not having expected this. "H-hello. Is Applejack here?" He glances at all the apple trees around them. "I mean, I kinda just assumed she lived here..."

She nods. "Oh, she does, she's out in the fields working. Gotta get those morning chores done."

"Ah, I see." He shuffles in places, claws clicking against the boards. "...any way I could have her for the afternoon? Maybe a few hours before noon, too?"

"Well, she doesn't have much to do today, but you'll have to ask her yourself if she wants to go." She smiles slyly. "I knew the day would come we she started getting suitors."

He gives her a sly look of his own. "Oh? I'm glad to hear you're fine with a griffin joining the family." He gestures to her. "So... may I ask where she is?"

"She should be in the north fields." She gestures towards a group of trees. "Ya should be able to hear her."

"Alright." He grins, leaning close to her. "Do I have your blessing?"

"At the moment? No. I just met you." She cackles. "Can't go giving her away to a colt I hardly know."

"Fair enough." He chuckles, placing a claw on his chest and performing his usual bow before he heads off, humming quietly to himself.

After flying a bit, a sharp cracking through the air catches his attention.

"...what the..." He frowns and quickly descends, trying to figure out what it is. "Is someone chopping down a tree?"

He finds the mare he was searching for, casually kicking a tree with her hindlegs and collecting the apples that fall form it into baskets. Her accuracy with both is uncanny, getting all the apples at once and having none of them miss the baskets.

He blinks, quietly landing beside her next tree and catching one of the apples as it falls. "Hello, Miss Applejack. Why are you assaulting your trees?"

"Assaulting? Ah'm harvestin'." She snorts, bouncing one off her head and into a basket. "These ones grew a bit early so we're goin' ahead and getting em done."

"Uh..." He doesn't know what to say, instead looking at the fruit in his grasp. "...interesting way to harvest..."

"It's tradition, and it works well." She motions for him to take a bite. "So, what brings ya here? Just passing by?"

"No, looking for you, actually." He smiles and takes a bite, humming happily. "Oh, this is delicious... you can taste the love put into raising it!"

She laughs, tipping her hat. "Why, thank you!"

He finishes his treat and hurries over to her, taking one of her hooves in a claw. "Come with me. I need your help with something."

"Whoa there, mister, why don't you tell me what it is first?" She plants her hooves, knowing he can't pull her away.

He gives a flat stare before the corner of his beak turns up in a playful smirk. "I want to take you to town hall so we can get married."

"Wha..." She blinks rapidly for a good few seconds before she laughs. "Fella... you joke about the strangest things."

He gently caresses her cheek, drawing close with a warm smile. "Are you sure I'm joking?"

They stand there in silence for a moment before he pulls away with a sigh. "Yea, I was joking. I need your help with learning how to massage properly. I need a pony to practice on, and you were the first to come to mind."

She lets out a sigh of relief. "Remind me to never play you at poker... so, massages, huh?" She straightens up, thinking. "Well, I've probably put enough of a dent in these fer now. As long as ya don't keep me from working if the massage goes bad, Ah'd be up for it."

"Great! I promise you won't regret it!" He smiles and scoops her onto his back. "Oh, and I have a date planned for afterwards, so we should hurry if we want to make our reservation on time."

"Wait, what?" She barely has time to ask before he flies off.

In the middle of the flight, he glances back at her, smiling softly. "Hey, you were hiring, right?" He pulls out one of the tags he got from the flyers, holding it so she could see. "Asking about harvesters?"

"Y-yeah." She stutters as he goes over a cloud. "Think you can handle it?"

"I think so." He lands on a cloud, looking around in confusion. "Shoot, which one was the spa, again?"

"That one." She points to the building in question with the sauna picture on top.

"Thanks!" He pats her foreleg and moves to glide down. "Anyways, if I get this job, maybe I could work for free with you. Is that alright with you?"

"Why would you want to do hard work for free?" She looks strangely at him.

"Because you're my friend and you're nice." He taps his chin thoughtfully as they land in front of the spa door. "If you'd prefer I get half what you were expecting to pay, I wouldn't be against it."

"Honest work gets honest pay." She nods.

"In that case," he pulls her off his back, once more leaning close, her back pressed against the door, "what does a pleasurable massage get?" His eyes twinkle with mirth, even as his claw gently rubs her cheek.

"Okay, I know what yer about to do an all but..." She gently takes his claw off her. "Friendly touches only."

"...but I thought it was a friendly touch." He sighs dramatically, pulling away and bowing to her. "My apologies, Miss Applejack, for wanting to see your cute blush so much as to tease you for it. Is there any way you can forgive me?"

She smirks. "Just make sure that massage of yours can help me out and we'll be fine."

He nods, then gives her a warm smile. "I'll do what I can. Just be sure to let me know what works and what doesn't." He leans closer, beak mere inches from her muzzle. "I'd like a kiss for good luck..." He opens the door and slips in beside her, his body brushing up against hers. "...but I don't know a mare who'd be willing to give me that."

Applejack shakes her head, tail whipping at the same time. "Odd bird..."