“But, Ah thought we had to stay after school, ta fix the damage our prank caused?” Apple Bloom asked clearly, a little bit confused.
“Well, you see, one of your guardians had decided to take care of this instead, because they didn’t want me to be stressed out over always having to look after fillies like you while you fixed the floor,” Cheerilee told them after she’d been stopped after class, before leaving the three friends a bit confused as she walked away, “So, see you tomorrow in class!”
Cheerilee, right as the final lesson ended, just couldn’t get rid of the thought of finally getting some relaxation, mindlessly trotting in the direction of the spa, the ticket in her saddlebags.
As she entered the spa the first thing she noticed was a rather lovely scent - perhaps lavender? Aloe? - that definitely was soothing, and promised a good time already.
With her barely even entering the lobbies, one of the spa ponies - Aloe and Lotus, the famous ‘Spa Twins’ - went to her left, and the other to her right, one of them carefully taking her saddlebag from her back and going to hang it on a nearby hook. “Hullo, und welcome to zee Ponyville Day Spa!” the pink-coated mare with a blue mane said, having a slight Scandineighvian accent, “what are the treatments you’re wanting today? We have a special on hooficures, seaweed wraps, und mud baths, with imported mud from the Celestial Sea! Vat can we do for you today, miss?”
“Oh, well,” Cheerilee said, before reaching into her Saddlebag and pulling out the golden ticket. “I have this voucher from a while ago. For a ‘full treatment’?“ Cheerilee asked more than requested, not entirely sure what all was in a ‘full treatment’, “Unless, of course, it’s expired..”
“Oh don’t worry about zat! They don’t. They are a one-time use, thanks to some magic, so that ponies can’t fool the system”, the spa pony with Cheerilee’s saddlebag, which she was carefully putting away right then, responded from across the room. Once she’d seen that glint of a gold ‘full treatment’ ticket, she went to do preparations after hooking Cheerilee’s bags.
“Oh, yes, one of our VIP tickets! That’s zee first one I’ve seen in months!” the blue-coated mare said, then passing the ticket under a scanner, which beeped. The ticket lost its lustrous glow and instead became plain paper, with the spa pony then hoofing it back over to Cheerilee. “Und here is your receipt. Vell, I am Aloe, and I will be your primary aesthetician today! My syster, Lotus, will be my assistant und your masseur. So, do you know what you’re in for with a ‘full treatment’, or do you vant us to explain it?”
“Well.. I actually don’t know, so if you’d be so kind?” Cheerilee responded, honestly hoping there was nothing too strange in store for her.
“Ok, vell,” Aloe started, “zee first treatment vill be a simple full-body massage. After we have done zhat for you, you will be sent into the sauna to even further get all these tensions down. After zhat you will receive a full bath and shampooing, including a face mud-mask we will make for you, all in our ‘sea room’,” At Cheerilee’s clearly confused expression, she elaborated, “We made it so the room resembles zee environment of a seaside resort, the scent of sea air, und the saltiness in the air often helps ponies with allergies, should they happen to have any. It iz also a wonderful experience nonetheless, even if zey do not. Then, when we are done with zee ‘sea room’, then we will go outside for a natural sunbath, as well as a hooficure alongside it, as currently it’s summer, und the pegasi put all their hard work into keep the sun shining.”
“That sounds…a little overwhelming, but delightful!” Cheerilee said, though she had not paid full attention to what had been said, due to the sheer amount of things she was scheduled for. But, she figured this place had a reputation for a reason, and decided to trust that, as well as going along with Rarity’s glowing recommendation the day before.
As she enjoyed the hour-long massage, with Lotus finding and soothing muscular tension in places that even Cheerilee[/] didn’t know she was tense in, she then relaxed in the sauna. Cheerilee simply enjoyed all the treatments as she then headed to the ‘sea room’. As she had the mud masque applied, before sinking herself into the warm, thick specialty mud, she realized that she never felt nearly as relaxed as she was then for what felt like years to her; never having time to just take some ‘her’ time, always busy with planning lessons, teaching her students, or grading assignments, with the rest of her time eaten up with everyday life.
When the post-mudbath shower and shampooing was finished, and Rarity was making her way to the sunbathe and get her hooficure done outside, somepony bumped into her as they both tried to go through the door simultaneously, and was moving so quickly that Cheerilee was knocked to the ground.
“Oh, how rude of me, I’m terribly sorry!” the pony said as they reached down their hoof in a friendly attempt to help the slightly-dazed teacher up again. As she recognized the voice, then looked the familiar white-coated mare in her ocean-blue eyes, she had not noticed at first who she actually ran into. Honestly, she thought, what were the chances that she would show up the same time that she was here.
Cheerilee reached for Rarity’s offered hoof, the latter helping her up and ending up with their muzzles nearly touching. Both of their cheeks flushed red from the intimate closeness, before they both backed off a step at the same time.
“Huh, quite the coincidence seeing you here,” Cherilee said, clearly surprised to see the other mare there.
“No, no I wouldn’t say that at all, darling! I’m a regular customer here, so the likelihood is actually quite good that I’d be here on any given day.” Rarity replied, not mentioning that she’d been inspired to come here when Cheerilee had said that she was considering coming here…and possibly, because she was coming here.
There was a short moment of silence before both ponies went their own ways, Rarity going for a massage and mud-bath before the sunbath and hooficure outside, with Cheerilee meanwhile enjoying just that.
After a while, with Cheerilee still enjoying the warm sun caressing her coat, her hooves smooth and shiny, Rarity showed up outside as well to enjoy the rays of sun touching her body, looking rather relaxed after her massage. Lying on the table next to Cheerilee’s, Lotus approached with a hoof file, and started getting to work on Rarity’s hooves.
Rarity’s arrival had gone unnoticed by Cheerilee, as she had cucumber slices over her eyes, and only noticed she was there after hearing her ask Aloe for some water. Removing the slices from over her eyes, she looked over to Rarity. She wanted to thank her for inspiring her to do this, something she would have never done on her own, but Cheerilee couldn’t find the courage to do so, let alone any idea how to speak to her without making it sound like an awkward attempt at having small-talk. Instead, she just stood, and started to leave.
On the way out, Rarity actually followed, and was the one who started a chat with Cheerilee. “So, how was the trip to the spa?” Rarity asked. She had chosen to not go for the full time at the sunbath and left after her hooves were smoothed once again, instead wanting to talk with the teacher. She moved at a trot, quickly catching up to the now mentally-absent Cheerilee.
“Was it as good as I had promised?” Rarity asked with a smile, curious how Cheerilee had enjoyed ‘the full treatment’ that the voucher had offered.
Cheerilee started as Rarity had suddenly spoken, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. “Y-yes, it indeed made me forget all my worries for a while, and I feel like a new pony,” Cheerilee said with some excitement slowly making her way home, “But, did you talk to the three fillies yet, as you had promised?”
“No, I have not, at least not yet. But I will later today, so please don’t worry about it.” Rarity replied honestly.
“That’s not what I’m really worried about…” Cheerilee responded, more to herself than to Rarity
“Well, if not that, then what has you worried? Do you want to tell me about it?” Rarity asked, offering the teacher a chance to get whatever it was off her chest, following by her side as they shared a very similar path home.
Though it wasn’t quite Cheerilee's intention to start a chat, she explained further what was occupying her mind. “Well, I just remembered that I have to attend the wedding of my sister soon, and I simply don’t know what to wear! She also wanted me to help her find a wedding gown too. This has been stressing me out all week now.”
Rarity nodded, giving a comforting smile. “I understand. Marriage is quite a special event, and nopony ever wants to show up unprepared. So, why don’t you come to my boutique? I could maybe hoof-sew a wedding dress for your sister. Of course it comes at a price, but who’d not want one of Equestria’s popular tailors to make their wedding dress for them?” Rarity shamelessly promoted herself, but the reputation of her work’s quality was a widely spread one.
Cheerilee blinked, seemingly having forgotten that Rarity was, indeed, a tailor. “That sounds like a great idea! I’ll talk to her about that. When can we meet up to discuss the terms, if she agrees?”
“Basically at any time the shop is open. I will be there then anyway!”
“Alright, Thanks for the offer,” Cheerilee said, smiling brightly, “and a special thanks for having pushed me to get this spa treatment. That ticket had just been sitting there, covered in dust. I never would have used it otherwise.”
“Oh, it was nothing! No offense, but you looked like you were running yourself rather ragged, and you needed a proper break, away from work and students.” Rarity said, returning the maroon mare’s smile.
“Well, speaking of that, I actually did need to get back to planning tomorrow’s lessons, as nice as this break was. I’ll see you after I discuss using you as the tailor for my sister’s wedding dress with her! Bye!” Cheerilee said, before turning away from Rarity and parting ways with a wave of the hoof.
Rarity returned the farewell wave, and felt an odd pang of sadness as Cheerilee walked away. Ignoring that, she decided to head back to the boutique. She had a filly to speak with, after all.
*Weaving Bonds*
Back at the boutique, Rarity decided now would be a good time to keep her word to Cheerilee, and finally have the talk with her sister to prevent future pranks from potentially causing further damage. She let out a sigh before knocking at Sweetie Belle’s door.
“Come in…” Rarity heard from the room: the hesitant voice of her little sister.
Rarity came in falteringly, not really wanting to have such a conversation with her sister, especially when she viewed the damage done to the schoolhouse floor as not really being her fault. But, she knew it had to be done, since she had already promised Cheerilee she would discuss this with Sweetie.
“Well, I’m sure you haven’t forgotten why I was called to the school yesterday?” Rarity asked as she slowly approached Sweetie Belle. Rarity felt so relaxed from the spa trip that the last thing she wanted to think about was having an argument. She could see the filly was practically trembling in her horseshoes, despite still holding a brave expression. “Please sit down, I wanna have a word with you.” Rarity said in a rather friendly tone, as she pointed to Sweetie’s bed, then sat there herself.
Sweetie Belle slowly joined her sister, taking a place next to her on her bed. Sweetie Belle indeed felt slightly uncomfortable, expecting Rarity to be quite angry, but that clearly wasn’t actually the case.
“So,” Rarity started, not oblivious to her sister’s discomfort, “Cheerilee and I came to an agreement. You and your friends don’t have to deal with the repairs, but she had me promise her that I would talk to you and the other fillies about your actions.”
“Oh, so that’s why we didn’t have to stay in school in the end?” Sweetie asked, though more to herself than her older sister.
“Well, yes, but I still think you require some form of discipline.”
Sweetie Belle shuddered at that.
Rarity noticed, giving a small chuckle. “No, no, no, not like that. That was a poor choice of words, pardon me.”
“W-well, what did you mean then?” Sweetie Belle asked, clearly having calmed down a little from her sister’s assurance.
Rarity tapped her hoof on the bed, considering how to put her thoughts to words. “Ok, what I thought was the prank wasn’t too bad, as we all have been a silly-filly at least once in our lives. Even I was, though of course I would never admit it to anypony in public. Speaking of, this is our little secret, right?” Rarity asked, getting a little chuckle and nod from her filly sister, “But still, the repairs will be costing me bits, and I am not going be able to run the shop tomorrow due to a special commission I received: somepony is getting married, and I am responsible for the dress. I will have to stay in my workshop for a while, planning the dress and actually creating it, and I needed somepony to watch over my shop in the meantime. If you promise me to take good care of the shop, and help any customers as I taught you to, then we are even. What do you think? Is that a fair deal?”
That was Rarity’s plan all along: to have a trustworthy pony run the business, rather than leaving it closed for any amount of time, and this gave her a perfect opportunity to fulfill that desire.
Sweetie Belle was surprised, intrigued, though a bit hesitant at running the shop all by herself, even with her sister in the back room. But, seeing another opportunity to possibly finally earn her cutie mark, she nodded. “OK, I’ll do it! But, what about Scootaloo and Apple Bloom?”
“Oh I will talk to them and take care of that too, don’t you worry,” Rarity said, though she’d yet to decide what she’d say to the others. Besides, their guardians had likely already given them a good, stern talking-to already regarding respecting others’ property. Still, she had promised Cheerilee she would talk to them, and she’d keep to her word.
“Do you think they could come here too? That could be much more fun!” Sweetie Belle asked, looking for a way to turn this punishment into some fun with her friends instead.
Rarity shook her head. “Sweetie, this is not about having fun. Consider this payment and punishment for the bits that your actions have cost me, and as time to consider what you’ve done.”
“Okay…” Sweetie Belle said as she looked to the ground, sighing rather disappointedly.
Rarity cleared her throat. “Right, good. Now that we have come to a conclusion, I hope you will think again before pulling off anything like that in the future…even if it was quite a funny idea,” Rarity chuckled, covering her muzzle a little bit with her hoof, and getting a confused look from Sweetie. “Oh, that prank just reminded me so much of when I was a filly.”
Sweetie Belle’s muzzle scrunched up in confusion. “Really? That doesn’t seem much like…something you would do?” she asked, clearly caught by surprise. Her sister was usually so sophisticated, and would never do any silly stuff like pranks…or so she thought. Rarity just smiled, giving her little sister a wink, before she left her room.
Rarity then headed out to talk to both Applejack and Scootaloo’s guardians, explaining that she thinks that the fillies shouldn’t have to stay in school and do the repairs, less so because they didn’t deserve it - after having had second thoughts about it - but because of talking to Cheerilee, who would have had to stay in school for longer than necessary. They did come to an agreement. Apple Bloom had to help out more on the farm than her general duties, doing the things she in fact hated to do. Scootaloo, meanwhile, had had her scooter taken away by her aunts for two weeks; a punishment, for her, nearly worse than a death sentence.