//------------------------------//
// 22 - Pretty Wrappers 
// Story: Slice of Velvet and Pear 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

Twilight turned left and right before a mirror, considering her dress. "The stars are a little out of alignment."

"Could be cooler. Like... 20% cooler?" suggested Rainbow Dash.

Each mare had their requests on the first draft of their dress. Well, except Moon Dancer. "Thank you."

Rarity did not trust it. "You do not want any adjustments?"

"It fits." Moon Dancer trotted around the room as if to test that fit. "Thank you. Your skill as a tailor is more than adequate." She frowned, at herself? "I meant that as a compliment."

"Poor thing." Rarity was smiling though. "When somepony does something creative, and you like it, say it's 'fantastic' or 'great'. Adequate is basically never the right term to use on a creative endeavor."

Moon's expression brightened. "Thank you. But it isn't fantastic." That got a frown from Rarity. "For you," added Moon. "It is entirely expected, from you. You set a high bar of expectation."

Rarity laughed, her mood bouncing. "Ah ha, I see the problem. When judging a creative thing, like a dress, you should try to be more... objective than subjective. So if the dress is lovely compared to most other dresses, than it is fantastic, even if the pony that made it, me in this case, generally makes lovely dresses."

Moon bobbed her head. "I see!" She turned to Rarity directly. "Thank you, for explaining that. Most ponies assume I am being rude. I'm not trying to be. I appreciate you explaining that to me." What had seemed obvious to other ponies had not been to her. "I owe you a favor."

"You will pay that back by looking stunning at the gala in that." Rarity waved at Moon's dress. "Now take it off. I'll keep it safe and ready for the big night."

Rarity would go mad dealing with the rest of her friends, but that is a story you already know well. "One thing." She raised a hoof. "If the creative in question normally performs below the average, say, a beginner, then you should judge it based on their level. A little foal being told they drew something poorly is not going to be happy, or encouraged." She turned that hoof against her chin. "There really are more rules, when you stop to think about it."

"Somepony sees it," gushed Moon, grateful for a moment when somepony besides herself felt the weight of the thousand unspoken rules of society. "Alright, so... If they typically produce subpar, then judge them based on their usual level, and how much better or worse it is, compared to that. If they are above that level, then judge it based on its comparison to the base level?"

"Precisely that." Rarity nodded. "Now, it's quite possible for somepony to be both at the same time, and you should call that out. For example." Rarity waved at her dresses. "If I made something that was marvelous, even for me, you should point it out. You'll only make my day if you notice I outdid myself. On the other hoof, if I clearly failed to meet my usual rigor, even if it's still above the average, well, you should note that too. Gently if you would, but don't keep that a secret."

Moon was quiet and still, parsing through all of that with silent motions of her lips. "Is that why somepony would say ... I get it." A smile slowly spread, Moon brightening. "I understand. Thanks, Rarity. You've really helped me today."

"Fantastic, now, shoo." Rarity began nudging Moon towards the door, divested of her dress. "I have to finish the others."

Later, that same day, Moon nibbled on a sandwich. She eyed the creature that made it, Spike chomping on some jewels he clearly liked. "Spike." He looked up at her. "Your meal was... good."

Spike smiled at that. "Thanks. You don't usually, uh... You don't talk about how good the food is, usually."

"Sorry." She rubbed behind her head. "I was given some tips on how to do that properly. Your food is quite good, better than many. Fairly average, from you, but your average is high. You are a talented cook. Thank you."

Spike blinked softly. "Huh. Um, well, you're welcome!" He reached to pat the shoulder of his caretaker. "Gonna head out after lunch. I'll be back later."

"What are you doing?" Moon took a fresh bite, enjoying the taste of the daisies and the spices Spike had added.

"Just hanging out with a friend," he answered a little evasively. "No big deal. I'll be back."

"Diamond Tiara?" Moon entirely missed the evasion, but could guess what friend it might be. "Or Apple Bloom?"

"Uh, the first one," he admitted, blushing a little at being caught. "She, uh... wants to get me waxed." Being waxed for a dragon was a vastly different experience than for any species with hair, which he did not have.

To Moon's confusion. "You have no hair to remove."

"I... think it's more for the shine?" He really didn't sound very sure about the idea, but was also willing to go along with it. "So if I'm shiny later, you know why."

Moon smiled though. "So long as it doesn't harm you."

"So long as what doesn't harm who?" Twilight came in, several books floating next to her. "Oh, did I miss lunch?"

Spike hopped to his feet on the chair. "I can make up something for you real fast."

Twilight put a hoof on his shoulder, gently nudging him back down. "Thank you, Spike, but I can fix myself something. I was a little behind in organizing anyway." She waved a book held in her magic at Spike in demonstration. "No harm done. Now what's this about hurting things?"

Moon nodded towards Spike. "He's being waxed, but not for hair removal."

"That would be a challenge." Twilight looked over Spike, seeing not a hint of a hair to consider removing. "Why?"

"Diamond's idea. She, um... thinks it'll look good." He was rubbing his hands together bashfully. "It won't hurt to try."

Twilight raised a brow. "If you were a pony, I would argue that. Waxing a pony can, indeed, hurt to try." She leaned in closer to the young dragon. "But, for a dragon, it should be far less... dramatic. Either way, if it hurts and you want to stop, insist."

Moon clopped her hooves together in one firm strike. "Yes!" she blurted. "As Twilight said, be mindful of your own safety and comfort. I do not want you to be hurt."

"Me neither." Twilight patted the top of Spike gently. "But, other than that, have a good time."

So it was that Spike hurried off, his dish cleaned, to meet with the fillies. "Hey!" He waved at Diamond and Silver both. "This is the place?"

Diamond inclined her head at the spa. "The best place around for this kind of thing. Aloe and Lotus are professionals." She started leading the way inside. "They'll get us all looking great and feeling great at the same time."

Silver bumped into Spike with a giggle. "By the way, like, if you're worried, this is Diamond's treat."

Diamond snorted softly. "Way to take the spotlight, Silver. But yeah, this is on me." She looked over her shoulder. "Does Moon Dancer even give you an allowance?"

Spike began to color at that. "Y-yeah!" A fantastic sum, it wasn't. But it wasn't nothing. "How much is this? I'll he--"

Diamond whirled back on him, hoof going for his mouth. "Don't be rude, Spike. I already said I'm covering. It's my treat, that means I want to pay. Unless you have a good reason not to, accept a gift."

"R-right." He ducked around that potentially quieting hoof. "So how do we start?"

Diamond turned back around with a bright smile. "By walking up to the counter." Which she did with an energetic canter. "Hello, Aloe."

"Diamond Tiara," gushed the pony behind the counter. "And company." Her eyes went to Silver and Spike. "You're just on time, as usual. You are a client I can trust to be punctual, hm?"

"Of course." Diamond nodded, waving back at the others. "One deluxe for all of us, and I want him--" She was pointing at Spike specifically. "Waxed and shiny."

Aloe sat up a bit, considering Spike. "I apologize for asking, but I must. Did you speak to your parents about this?"

Diamond grumped, looking annoyed. Spike, on the other hoof, smiled. "I did, actually. Moon Dancer said it was alright."

"Fantastic," crooned Aloe. "Then I have no reason not to help you look your best. I confess, we have not waxed a dragon before. This will be interesting, but good."

Spike got to chat with the girls, but also gone over. His nails were filed and polished. He was massaged and they got to soak in the heat of the sauna. It was a fun day, spent with friends. But then the waxing...

Lotus was assigned to help Spike with that. "This will feel a little warm." She had a brush and a tub of the hot stuff. She needn't have worried, as Spike proved to be entirely resistant to that heat. She was able to wax him without him complaining a bit. "And now to remove."

Of course, on a pony, that was a part that involved pain, plucking hairs free. A dragon was a very different story. She wrenched the strips free, pulling away hidden dirt, but not a single hair. The dirt was not a living part of Spike. There was very little pain in the end, more little yelps from the sensation that was like someone was pulling at him, but not in any outrageous way.

"Hm." Lotus considered a moment. "The waxing is complete, but I feel..." She set her tools aside and walked off, just to return with a few new ones. "I should be more literal, yes?" So she waxed Spike a second time, not trying to pull or draw, instead getting him to shine brightly. "Clean and shine," she half-sang, admiring her own work. "Just as requested!"

Diamond looked over from where she was being tended to. "Looking good!" she called out, though remaining still for Aloe's attention. "That's the kind of shine I was hoping for."

Silver burst into giggles. "Wow! I never saw you so bright, Spike. You're, like, really pulling it off."

Spike gazed at himself in the mirror. So shiny! "Wow... Huh. Do you really like it?" He looked back to Diamond. "I feel... clean?"

"Because you are clean," advised Lotus. "We got right in there, hm, got all that out from between your scales. All clean." She clapped her hooves with a bright smile. "And now, you look your best!"

Spike turned left and right. "Huh... How often do you need to, uh, do that?"

Lotus curled a hoof to her chin. "That is actually being a good question. I am unsure. You are the first dragon, I did mention... Tell you what, because I want to know myself, would you stop by once a day until we know?" She leaned forward, hooves clasped under her chin. "As a reward, your next wax is free."

"Sold!" Spike knew a deal when he heard it. "I'll stop by after school, on the way home. "

Diamond slipped to the ground, all prettied up. "Now we look like a proper match." She threw a leg over Spike, drawing him closer by the shoulder. "Diamond Tiara and her sparkly dragon. Love it." She smooched his closer cheek, magically causing it to change colors before their eyes. Who knew an earth mare could cast spells, but she was somehow enchanting Spike's cheeks to become dark red. "Thanks for coming. I know a lot of ponies that would have wimped out.

Silver rolled her eyes at that. "Do you remember Featherweight?"

Diamond laughed and groaned at the same time. "He cried like a little baby. Not like our Spike, didn't even flinch."

Spike pondered exactly how different it was to be waxed, as a pony. It was, perhaps, good that he wasn't one of those, at least when it came to spa visits...