//------------------------------// // Meeting the Gang // Story: Scarlet Tears // by Silent Quill //------------------------------// After breakfast had been cleaned up, Crimsondrop headed into the backyard of the house that Whiterobe and Clank Clop owned. She stepped out onto the back porch and eyed the well maintained garden, from the small water feature to the large peach tree. She stepped down off the porch deck and onto the lush lawn that spread out to the timber fence, dawdling a few feet from the deck and laying down on the lawn with a contented sigh. Finally, after a day of being cooped up indoors she had thick, lush grass beneath her. She brushed her face against the green carpet with a smile, just enjoying the feeling of the emerald grass against her fur. It had been days since she had last been amongst grass this luxurious; the desert had been devoid of any moisture or greenery aside from the large and formidably spined cacti that thrived in the hot sun. While they held water for future use by the plant, getting at the moisture by eating the plant was something she would never attempt for one simple reason alone; those spines hurt. She enjoyed the sun on her coat as well. The desert had been unrelenting, the blaring sun cooking unprepared adventurers alive, but the sun here was nowhere near as hot; the warmth of the burning sphere felt, for some bizarre reason, friendly. She figured this was due to Princess Celestia holding some sway over the power the sun rained down upon the whole of Equestria. Maybe a little of her magic was mixed into the celestial sphere to control it and avoid creating vast, unrelenting deserts and dangerously hot weather during summer. At the moment, she was practicing her own magic by moving the larger bits of gravel from the garden path, levitating them about and seeing how many she could hold at once. She observed the birds and insects that flew around the yard, creating wonderful music or tending to the garden’s flowerbed. She had found it interesting that the Ponies here didn’t only grow flowers for garden beauty, but for a food source. Back home flowers were grown in gardens in Silvermoon, large red beautiful flowers that only emphasized the beauty and elegance of the Elven town; but these flowers were not to be touched by any but the gardeners, and any tame animals caught eating them would be strictly punished. She didn’t think Whiterobe and Clank Clop would mind if she munched on a daffodil that was overhanging the garden’s gravel path. A shadow moved across the garden and her attention snapped skywards, her eyes watching a Pegasus fly across the next garden and disappearing behind its house. She appeared to have heavy saddlebags laden with something or other, and a little cap on her head. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been outside for, but Whiterobe opened the door and called her in. “We’re about to leave for the spa, come on.” She struggled to her feet and moved indoors, her smile diminishing only a little as she passed Whiterobe back into the house. Whiterobe gave a slight chuckle and closed the back door, leading Crimsondrop to the front of the house where Clank Clop and another pony stood waiting. He stood about as tall as Clank Clop, his coat grey with a grey mane and tail; at least, she assumed his mane was the same as his tail. He wore dark grey armour with purple straps and blankets over his back on top of which a dark grey and silver saddle with a purple cushion was strapped. His armour featured a few little skulls, and looked on the whole, she noted, not unlike that worn by the undead steeds that she had seen back home. On his flank she could see a symbol of what looked like an ice cube, and his blue eyes seemed totally apathetic to the world around him. He didn’t even double-take at her as she approached. “Snow, this is Crimsondrop.” Clank Clop said to him. “Crimsondrop, this is a friend of ours, Snowy Doublescoop, he runs an ice cream parlour in town.” “Pleased to meet you.” He said idly, looking her over. “You look like you’ve been in a scrap with a particularly unruly Manticore, no offense.” “None taken.” Crimsondrop replied. “Your armour is… interestin'.” “It’s the result of losing a bet when I was a colt.” He said nonchalant. “I’ve worn it for, what is it now? Twelve years?” “Give or take a month or two.” Whiterobe added. “Tell the truth, we have difficulty imagining what he looks like without it he’s worn it so long. At least we’ll have a fair idea on how well you grew up today, hmm?” “I suppose that is one way to look at it, yes White.” He sighed. “Are we off?” “We might be a bit slow, Snow; Crimsondrop is a little… tender.” Clank Clop voiced. “You try havin’ yer leg stitched up.” She grumbled at him. “No need to be so snippy.” Clank Clop retorted. “I’m just thinking of you, would you rather be left behind in the middle of a strange town?” “It would’nae be the strangest.” She sighed. “I’ve been in a town built in sewers.” “That doesn’t seem healthy.” Whiterobe commented. “The city was run by th’ undead, I doubt health was a major contributin’ factor in its construction.” The others all looked at one another worriedly. “How about we change track and just go?” Snowy Doublescoop offered. “I’m sure you could do with seeing a little of our town in any case, there are quite a few interesting sights to see.” “Oh, speakin’ of interestin’ sights, I saw a Pegasus with saddlebags and a little hat fly over th’ garden..?” “Oh, the mailmare’s been? I’ll have to fetch that in when we come back.” Clank Clop said idly. “I do hope she’s feeling better, she was flying wonky yesterday. Strained her wing, the poor filly.” The four of them left the quaint abode, waiting a moment for Whiterobe to lock the front door behind them before dawdling down to the paved street. Crimsondrop marvelled at the buildings around her and the verdant flora that, in some places spilled over the pavement. Each building, somewhat rustic in their designs, offered a different design and layout, some taller, some shorter, but each unique to the Pony who called it home. Some had bushes or vines growing across their fronts, crawling up to the roof and spreading through the thatch, while others had beautifully manicured lawns and flower gardens displaying their full splendour. Ponies of all colours and breeds trotted or flew about in their general day-to-day morning business. Trottingham was at least a quaint and cute town, far enough out of the way to avoid the hectic nuisances that plagued other, more central cities like Ponyville or Canterlot, but close enough to enjoy the security that the Royal Guard could flex in their direction. They passed by a building which looked somewhat newer than the buildings around it, a sign on the roof reading ‘Heavy Hoof Tavern’ accompanied with a barely painted image of a pony with a huge horseshoe on one leg. It looked somewhat empty at the moment, only a few ponies here or there enjoying breakfast. A young filly scurried past the door, a rose in the shape of a heart on her green flank and a serving tray of drinks on her back. The next building they passed was a large white building with pale blue curtains and décor. A red cross on the roof and the words ‘Trottingham Central’ made Crimsondrop oddly curious about what the building was. She nudged Whiterobe curiously. “What’s..?” “That’s the hospital I work at, Crimson.” She said with a smile. “Trottingham Central; I’ve been allowed a few months off for maternity leave, so I don’t have to be back there until the foal comes.” She chuckled at the look Crimsondrop gave her. “No, no, I’ll be back as a patient, not an employee.” Crimsondrop eyed the heavily pregnant mare curiously before returning her attention to the town around her. Why focus on one thing when the town itself was full of splendour? More Pegasi flit about overhead than she had ever seen in her life, delivering mail or, bizarrely, moving the clouds about the sky. She had always found their ability to fly simply fascinating; to swim through the air, gliding past buildings and through the clouds… Surely the feeling of freedom would be second to none. She noticed the others stopped walking, and she looked about to see why they had stopped. Whiterobe nudged her attention to a building just across the street from them. It was moderately sized, the building painted in a cool blue, with white details that looked like poorly painted waves. The front doors were open wide, and a little chalkboard sign sat nearby listing some special deal or other, while a large wooden sign high on the building read ‘New Ewe’ in large, ridiculously curly letters. A group of Ponies stood by the door, all mingling about. Whiterobe, Clank Clop and Snowy Doublescoop all wandered up to the group, so Crimsondrop figured she’d join them. ***** Whiterobe dawdled up to her friends, nodding her head to each of them as she approached. They were an unruly bunch, especially when Holly Seams, the white Unicorn, got off on a wild tandem or, Celestia forbid, got into the sugar bowl. Still, at least a couple of them were more… reserved. Silent Quill simply stood by and listened to the general conversation as he usually did, the orange Unicorn not one to talk much. Then there was Saddleblaze, Trottingham’s star fire-fighter. The red coated Earth Pony with her shiny orange mane and tail, unkempt though it was, was a friendly and generally enjoyable Pony to be about. She wasn’t the city’s highest ranking fire-fighter, but she was their most decorated. She and Whiterobe had been friends since they were fillies, and Whiterobe would often see Saddleblaze after fires had been put out, burned and bleeding. She always walked with pride, however, no matter how badly burned she got; it was almost as if she couldn’t feel pain. She and Snowy Doublescoop had been seen sneaking around to one-another’s houses, usually with flowers and chocolates. The general consensus was that they were becoming more than just friends. The next Pony in the circle was the only of his kind outside of the Everfree Forest, as far as anypony knew anyway. Shadow Gazer, the groups only Nightmare was an enigmatic individual. Black fur and a mane and tail made of swirling purple fire, he was a walking nightlight. More often than not he would stare unabashedly at the ground. Since his special skill was the ability to see the future in dirt, it was clear what he was doing. Finally was Phony Paige. A bright blue body with silver mane and tail with a single streak of dark blue through the hair, she was smarter than most Ponies gave her credit for, and far more durable. She didn’t say anything unless prompted or she felt she could contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way. Her presence at the spa was odd and somewhat out of place, especially as most of their more exclusive treatments would have no effect on her body. Whiterobe had been looking forward to this since Princess Celestia had told her that they had been booked in the night before; never had she been to the spa in town, always busy with work, and now with a foal on the way she just hadn’t found time. She smiled warmly at Crimsondrop as she approached and the circle grew quiet at her apparent intrusion. “Everypony, this is Crimsondrop. Crimson, these are our friends; Saddleblaze, Silent Quill, Shadow Gazer, Holly Seams, and Phony Paige.” Crimsondrop dipped her head to them. ***** Phony Paige eyed the nanny introduced to her by Whiterobe as Crimsondrop. This nanny was the cause of worry to her friend..? It didn’t seem… right. As Whiterobe began to explain who Crimsondrop was and how she came to be under her care, Paige watched the Nanny’s expressions and way she held herself. Since she herself had come into the wonderful world of Equestria in a rather more unorthodox manner, she knew the kinds of prejudices that Crimsondrop would be expecting. More than that, she had an encyclopaedic knowledge on behaviours and mannerisms which represented different thought patterns and personalities. In short, she was studying the nanny. Whiterobe had come to her the night before, distraught and afraid, and she asked Paige if she could dissuade her fears in whatever manner she could think of. It had nearly forced the pregnant mare to tears to explain that she was afraid, to admit that she was ashamed of being afraid of one under her care. The nanny relied on her to recover; Crimsondrop needed somepony to help her so she could heal safely and integrate into Equestrian life smoothly and happily. Crimsondrop, to Paige’s expert eye was nervous and skittish, worried of the ponies around her. She held her weight off of her hind left leg, the leg she had been limping on the most when she approached. She didn’t smile, didn’t talk… in fact, this was the closest thing Paige had ever seen to being emotionally drained of all happiness; it truly was as if the nanny had lost everything. Granted, Paige admitted to herself, she had. Everything that Crimsondrop could call a family or friend was back in another reality, so far out of reach that not even the Royal Sisters could return her to them. But still… She didn’t seem to have taken stock of what she had kept or gained. ‘Ah,’ another, more emotionally driven part of her brain began to say, ‘but she’s been out of her reality all of one day, she is still mourning for the loss of everything she held dear. She’s skipped past Denial, Anger, and Bargaining in the emotional table of grief and gone straight to Depression; she’ll be in tatters emotionally for days, mayhap even months.’ Then what? What could be done to help her if she isn’t even following the normal and documented order? Could she flip back around and land on Anger? Whiterobe had asked for help, not to be frightened by being told that this nanny could explode at any minute. That was when she noticed how close Crimsondrop was standing to Whiterobe. It was as if she were sheltering, hiding in her shadow from monsters unseen to the others. She hadn’t expected to see such evident fright. No, no, with the new added element of fear and sheltering with Whiterobe, Paige could come to a relative conclusion. Even her more emotionally driven half had come to the same deduction. Crimsondrop, no matter how bad things got, would never intentionally hurt Whiterobe, not even emotionally. Whiterobe was her one safe haven in Equestria, her Pony in Shining Armour. While she seemed nervously aware of the mare’s inability to fill this role, it was all she had. Now that she was comfortable she had come to a result that would at least calm Whiterobe, she could observe Crimsondrop in a more… physical sense. She wasn’t that much taller than the average mare of, perhaps, Saddleblaze’s age. Her legs were slim and longer perhaps, but they seemed to be slim in less of a sense that there was a lack of anything and more that what was there was well toned. Her whole body lacked any apparent weight beyond muscle, making Paige think of Ponies who plied physical fitness every day, or even the Royal Guards who had to be in rather prime physical condition. She looked, very much, like a working nanny who did some pretty serious work. She didn’t bare a Cutie Mark on her flank, something that Paige knew that some goats could acquire, though on somewhat rarer cases. Usually Cutie Marks were exclusive to ponies, even Zebra ponies, but there were exceptions… She wasn’t sure if Crimsondrop would ever earn a Cutie Mark, but she just had a feeling she couldn’t explain that she would. The next thing to be scrutinized by Paige was the Nanny’s horns. All six of them. Yes, goats had horns, usually the rams, but with many breeds the nannies were known to grow and keep their horns, though she’d never seen any goat breed with six. Two larger horns that grew from her temples which were ridged on their upper side three times, and another four horns on her lower neck, two on either side which were all conical in shape. These four were only little, and barely showed through her scruffy and unkempt mane. What in Equestria were those for? Her fetlocks were long and unkempt too, almost covering her glowing red hooves. They were cleft, as is usual for goats, and appeared to be in need of a trim. Other than this, and her evident injuries, she appeared to be in prime physical condition, possibly even healthier than she’d seen many ponies. Silent Quill said something and began to head to the door, the others all following suit, and Paige turned to join them. ***** “Party of Nine..?” The desk clerk asked snidely, looking down at the bookings. He’d been running them for a loop for the last five minutes that Paige had been talking to him. He didn’t want to let her in. The whole town knew what Phony Paige was, and he wasn’t the only one who didn’t like her. He was well aware that he was grating on her nerves. If he kept going, he might just manage to get them to leave and forget the booking that the two Royal Guards had made the day before. His ears flattened to his head when Whiterobe pushed Paige aside and glared at him. “Look, I’m pregnant, tired, and now getting rather angry.” She snapped in his face. “And you are..?” “I’m one of the Party of Nine you’re attempting to screw over; so if you don’t mind, we’ll be taking our booking or I’ll have to find a reason as to why I kicked you so hard you walked funny for a month!” He recoiled at this threat worriedly. “Or you can explain to the Royal Guards why you ignored their booking? I’m sure the Princesses would love to hear all about it!” “F-fine! Just go in!” He panicked, backing off. The last thing he wanted was to have his job taken from him by the Princesses which, after this little fiasco, would be likely. “Thank you!” Whiterobe growled, before turning on her hooves and heading further into the spa, the others following her steps. ***** Crimsondrop watched Whiterobe sigh as she sat down just inside the spa antechamber, glaring irritably at the ground. Worried she walked over to nudge her, only to find Clank Clop beat her there. “Hon, are you alright?” She nodded. “I’m fine, Clanky, just… he pushed all the right buttons for all the wrong reasons for five whole minutes. I just need to calm down.” “Well, that’s what you’re here for.” A chirpy female voice said as she entered. She was a faint yellow with her red mane tied into a strict bun behind her head. “Hello, I’m Desert Rose, and I’ll be in charge of your masseuses, masseurs, and other relaxation carers. I do apologise for Scribbly Note’s behaviour, he’ll be reprimanded later on, for now however I’ll give you the basic directions.” She lifted her left hoof and pointed to one side of the hallway. “The Colts’ change room and bathroom are to your right, and the Fillies’ change room and bathroom are to your left. Through the door behind me is our main hallway which leads off to the heated bath, sauna, masseuse rooms, cold room, and our speciality care room. “While we do look forward to serving you all, we must ask that you please use the change rooms and bathrooms before entry. There are showers for you to have a light rinse before you enter. We also apologise for the inconvenience of only being able to see two of you at a time in any of the ponied rooms, as we’re a little shorthoofed this morning.” She finished with only a slight flicker to her cheerful smile. “Thank you for coming. Now unless there are any questions..?” Phony Paige held up a hoof. “Yes, sweetie?” “I assume you’re not going to enforce that we attend the masseuse at some stage?” She asked. “No, you’re free to come and go as you wish; the Royal Guards booked your party for the majority of the day, so you may use the relaxations provided at your leisure. I understand that you’ve some… special circumstances, Miss Paige, and we’re willing to take these into account.” “Scribbly Note wasn’t.” Phony Paige grumbled. “Scribbly Note’s opinions do not reflect the opinions of our establishment or myself,” Desert Rose said, “you are welcome here, Paige, as are all of our customers.” “Do you provide hooficures and fetlock trimming?” Saddleblaze asked. “We do, in the Speciality Care room. We also provide facials and hot towel treatment.” A general positive murmuring went through the gaggle of friends. “Now, if you’ve no further questions, I must be off to ensure our masseuses and masseurs are ready. Please enjoy your stay.” Desert Rose said, bowing her head and backing out of the room. The small herd of ponies split up, headed to the separate change rooms. Crimsondrop, a little unsure of it all, followed Whiterobe into the Fillies’ change room. Phony Paige and Saddleblaze were already standing under the shower, letting the clean water stream over her fur and wash away the dust she had collected, while one of the bathroom stalls was locked, evidently where Holly Seams had gone. She wasn’t sure what to think about these Ponies. Were they as friendly as Whiterobe had implied? They had certainly eyed her curiously as she approached, but Crimsondrop wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing. Whiterobe, evidently aware that Crimsondrop had been following her, turned and motioned her to stop and stand still. “Just let me get these off.” She said as her horn began to glitter and the gauze wrapping Crimsondrop’s wounds began to unwind itself. She stood as still as she could, looking down at the ground sadly as Holly Seams left the bathroom stall and gasped. “Oh dear Celestia, those look awful!” Whiterobe shot her an irritable glare as Crimsondrop’s gaze weakened further, the mare evidently aware that she’d struck a nerve. “Do they hurt much, Crimson?” Whiterobe asked calmly, to which she nodded. “Only when I move.” She mumbled sadly. Whiterobe nodded faintly as she removed the last and largest of her bandages before pointing her to the bathroom stalls. “Go use the bathroom and then have a quick rinse in the shower; we’ll take you to the warm bath first.” Crimsondrop nodded, heading to the bathroom stalls and stepping in, closing the door and locking it behind her. She stepped back out of the stall and over to the showers, where Phony Paige was still enjoying the water streaming over her back. She stepped into an alcove and looked about curiously, unsure how to get the water flowing. “Let me help you with that.” Phony Paige’s voice said as her head and shoulder slid around the alcove wall, pressing a button. The water stung her bruises when it first struck her, and she shifted uncomfortably as it rolled off her back, taking with it dust and dirt otherwise stuck to her fur. Her former master hadn’t really considered cleaning her in any real sense, the closest thing she’d gotten to being clean was when she had forced herself to clean her coat in snow or by taking a prolonged dip in a lake or stream. “Turn around, Crimsondrop; you still need to clean your face.” Phony Paige pointed out. She grumbled and turned so her face was in the water, flinching a little with her eyes closed as the streams hit her face. By the time the water stopped flowing, she certainly felt heavier and wet. Paige gave a small grin and shook herself, managing to get a fair amount of the water that still clung to her fur off. Crimsondrop tried to follow suit, managing to shake her head and right legs, but giving faint whines and pained gasps when she did the same to her left. “Don’t hurt yourself, Crimsondrop, Celestia knows I’d never hear the end of it if you got hurt while Whiterobe was expecting me to help you to the warm bath.” She said before turning to the door. “C’mon, let’s not keep White waiting.” Crimsondrop followed the mare through the building to the warm bath, a sign over the door indicating what was within the room so clients could find it. Within the door was a large, glass-roofed room, the walls painted a clean white and with healthy, flowering potted plants about the walls apparently thriving in the humidity. The cloud cover overhead was dark and foreboding, and rain gently pattered against the glass. Nopony was in the pool yet, all crowding around Snowy Doublescoop who still had his helmet on his head. “Oh! Paige, you’re just in time!” Holly half shouted from the group at them. “Snowy is going to take his helmet off!” “I don’t see what the fuss is, it’s not like he’s got a deformation or something.” She grumbled, stepping over. “He just wears it all the time.” Snowy Doublescoop sighed and sat down before reaching up and slowly tugging his helmet up and off of his head, allowing his mane to fall free. And fall it did; the colt’s mane slid down around his head and neck, reaching below his shoulders easily. The group were all rather dumbfounded at how… flowing his mane was, or how strong his face appeared without the helmet masking it. “How in Equestria do you hide all of that hair?” Silent Quill asked sarcastically. His own mane had been removed from the usual ponytail and now trailed down his neck and rolled off his back. Snowy Doublescoop shrugged. Now that the entertainment was over, the group of friends all went about their own days of relaxation. Snowy Doublescoop moved to one side and set his helmet down before going to sit in the sauna with Saddleblaze, while Clank Clop, Silent Quill, Holly Seams and Shadow Gazer all moved into the warmed bath and sat back to relax. At least, they managed to relax until Holly Seams started a splash fight. Crimsondrop watched their revelry disinterestedly until Whiterobe nudged her. “C’mon, in you go.” She said. Crimsondrop looked back worriedly, finding only Whiterobe’s warm smile, before swallowing her nervousness and stepping into the water. Its warmth felt wonderful on her skin. On her wounds it stung like bees, and she bit her lip as she stepped deeper and moved to one side to sit, avoiding the splash fight. She sat quietly for a short while, just trying to enjoy the warmth on her skin but finding herself unable due to the sting on her cuts. Paige sat to one side of her and looked at her worriedly. “Crimsondrop, are you alright?” She asked, barely audible over the noise of the others playing. She shook her head. “Is it your cuts?” She nodded. “How badly do they hurt in the water?” Crimsondrop’s eyes slid to the water beneath her and she mumbled her reply, but couldn’t be heard over the noise. “Sorry?” Another inaudible mumble. Phony Paige sighed. “Would you lot be quiet for a moment?!” She snapped at them, managing to get them to stop. “Please, I’m sorry, could you…” “They really sting.” Crimsondrop mumbled as a tear rolled off her face. “Oh, I know how to help you with that!” Holly Seams blurted, moving over. “H-how?” Holly looked her in the face seriously. “This is going to really hurt though, at least for a moment.” Crimsondrop nodded and Holly stood her up, turning her right side to the wall and putting her hoof near the cuts on her body. “Which ones hurt the most?” She asked. “M-my thigh and th’ one above my shoulder.” She replied worriedly. “Alright.” Holly Seams said. “You may want to grit your teeth and set your jaw, try not to scream okay?” Crimsondrop nodded and bit her lip, waiting for Holly to do what she was going to do. Her eyes bulged when Holly pushed hard against the injuries. She twitched and writhed, trying to get away from the pressure on the tenderest parts of her injured body. Her breathing caught in her throat and she felt like she was about to pass out before Holly pulled back and hugged her. Finally Crimsondrop’s breath returned and she coughed out some sobs before breaking into tears. “Holly, what the hay did you do?!” Whiterobe snapped. “I applied pressure.” She said calmly. “She’s tender because they’re fresh wounds, a little pressure will desensitize her to the warmth of the water so she can enjoy it. I’m sorry, Crimsondrop.” Crimsondrop nodded into her shoulder before pushing off of her and sitting back down with a sniffle. Again she stared at the water, letting a couple of tears roll off of her cheeks as she finally got over the searing pain that Holly Seams had administered to her. Slowly the warmth returned, and she noticed that, yes, the pain had subsided somewhat. If Holly Seams had done anything, it was to numb her injuries by overloading the pain receptors. By the time the numbing sensation faded, she would be used to the heat on her cuts. It had hurt like no tomorrow, but at least it would pay off in the long run. Soon enough the others returned to their splash fight, occasionally splashing Phony Paige and Crimsondrop in attempts to provoke them into joining in. Paige only giggled at their attempts while Crimsondrop would brush her sopping mane back from her face irritably. “Now that we’ve got you comfortable, Crimson, how about we go to the Speciality room and have your hooves and fetlock feathers trimmed?” Phony Paige asked. “I did notice that you looked a little… ungroomed.” Crimsondrop looked down at her hooves, noticing for the first time in months that they were far more unkempt than they should have been. Her master had never bothered to really care for her in that sense and she’d only had her hooves trimmed and fetlock feathers shorn to a more respectable length when she was left in a stable for several nights and a passing stable-hand had taken the time to care. She sighed and stood back up, bringing a hoof up to her face to brush her mane away again. “And maybe we’ll see if they can do your mane for you too.” Phony Paige added. “At least it will get us away from these troublemakers.” She finished with an irritable hiss and giving Holly Seams a glare. Crimsondrop nodded and followed Phony Paige from the pool after shaking off what water she could. Not ten seconds later she was laying on a mattress up off the floor on her front with her legs splayed out to her front and back. Phony Paige had joined her in the room, but she only sat nearby and waited patiently, saying something about being here to be a friendly face in the room. The staff member who would be tending to Crimsondrop entered with a smile and moved over, looking down at her hooves with professional curiosity. She seemed thoughtful for a moment before her horn glowed and Crimsondrop found herself being lifted and the lay on her right side with her legs all out straight. “Sorry for that, Miss.” The staff pony said. “I find it easier to trim hooves like yours from this angle; I trust there is no problem?” “N-no.” Crimsondrop replied timidly. The Unicorn smiled warmly and lifted a pair of hoof clippers and got to work. Other than the gentle snip of the clippers, the room stayed awkwardly quiet until the Unicorn decided to chat. “Have you enjoyed your time here so far miss?” “I guess.” Crimsondrop replied quietly. “Th’ warm water hurt m’ cuts a little, but I’m gettin’ used t’ it.” The Unicorn paused her clipping to look up at the Nanny, actually noticing the stitched up injuries scattered across her body. “Oh, I’m sorry miss! I didn’t even notice! I didn’t lay you down on any, did I?” She shook her head. “No, they’re on m’ left side only.” “Well, that’s one good thing, isn’t it?” The Unicorn said cheerfuly, resuming her work. “Just make sure to tell the masseuse or masseur if you go and get a massage, okay? We wouldn’t want to make them worse.” “Okay.” The Unicorn smiled wide and returned to her work, focusing on it more intently than before. After finishing with the clippers, she took out a small pair of scissors and quietly clipped Crimsondrop’s feathering. It was unusual for goats to have feathering around their entire hoof, but since she did have it and didn’t seem to mind the unicorn only trimmed it shorter so she wouldn’t end up treading on it and it showed her glowing hooves. It would be a nightmare to attempt to give her a full hooficure, but she could at least give them a light polish. For that, however, she wanted to be able to see her hooves, so a feathering trim it was. “Miss?” The Unicorn looked up and over at Phony Paige, who had spoken up. “Yes, Miss?” “Do you do manes here too, or will we need to go to a salon?” “Oh, I’m sorry Miss, but we don’t do mane cuts.” “Alright, thanks.” She nodded gracefully. “Of course, Miss.” She returned to her work, putting down the scissors and lifting a hoof polisher which she gently brushed across the Nanny’s glowing hooves. She was impressed at how easily she got a light sheen from her glowing hooves, though somewhat more impressed at how the glow only seemed to become more vibrant as she went. Wherever the polisher had done was a brighter glow than the rest of her hoof, so she went by that to determine where she hadn’t done. Once she was finished with the Nanny’s hooves, she allowed her to sit up and took out a file. Gingerly she brushed it across one of Crimsondrop’s horns. To her, and Phony Paige’s surprise, the file managed to get a few sparks of magic to leap from Crimsondrop’s horn, bursting into the air around her head like little fireworks as the mare worked. It was rare, but not unusual for a Unicorn’s horn to do this during horn filing. Any Unicorn who used magic extremely often or for greater purposes, such as moving very heavy objects would have excess magic build-up in their horn, which would discharge when the file ground away at it. Crimsondrop hadn’t seen the sparks, so she didn’t know that anything was off. When she was finished with the main file, the Unicorn used the nail buffer to get a slight sheen from them, as she had with her hooves. Thinking her job complete, she took her tools to one side of the room and looked back at her work. “Miss, she has smaller horns on her neck…” Phony Paige pointed out. “Oh?” She asked curiously, returning to Crimsondrop’s side and brushing her mane aside, finding the four small conical horns. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…” She levitated the buffer over and, for about fifteen minutes, gently buffed the horns she had missed. Looking over her completed work from afar, she nods to herself. “I am finished, Miss.” She says. “Thank you for your patronage and patience.” Crimsondrop looks up and over at her before nodding and gingerly shifting off of the raised mat. Finally on her hooves, she’s directed to a mirror on the far side of the room, where she can see her reflection. She looks somewhat neater now, her hooves rounded and smooth with neatly trimmed feathering, her horns now not as sharp edged as before. She turned to one side faintly, looking at her red fur and frowning sadly, the missing patches reminding her all too well her circumstances. From the angle she looked at it, she looks like she has isolated rashes. She gave a sigh and her gaze drifted to the ground. “Miss, do you not like it?” “I’m sorry, Miss, could you… give us some privacy?” Phony Paige asked. The Unicorn bowed her head and left the room through the door she had entered through. “Crimson, are you alright..?” Crimsondrop didn’t answer, staring at the ground sadly before she turned and left the room, heading out and to the warm bath. Phony Paige, confused, follows her to the bath where she sits in the water with a faint whine as her wounds slowly become reaccustomed to the warmth. “Crimson..?” She sighed and looked up at Phony Paige. “I’m… alright.” She said quietly. “I’m just…” “Homesick?” Phony Paige offered. Crimsondrop nodded sadly. “I miss… everyone.” She huffs. “A… and I don’t ‘ave… any way tae talk with them, or… or anythin’ that…” Phony Paige steps over to her in the water and gently sat down, letting the Nanny rest her weight against her. She didn’t know anything about helping with homesickness, her programming didn’t detail that much. She figured the least she could do is be there for the distraught nanny, to comfort her. “I want tae go home.” ***** After a short while, Crimsondrop calmed down and returned to enjoying the water she rested in. She’d never been in warmed water back home, as she told Phony Paige; the only warm water was in the desert or reserved for those who could afford it. She was pleased to be told that warmed water was available to all in Equestria, though she was advised that the water she was currently resting in was impregnated with minerals to make it more luxurious and relaxing and that she wouldn’t get this kind of water at home unless she bought bath salts. Their conversation became idle and slow as they ran out of things to talk about. Eventually Saddleblaze, Snowy Doublescoop, Whiterobe and Clank Clop stepped out of the sauna in the far corner of the room. They dawdled over to the edge of the bath and smiled down at them. “Enjoying yourself, Crimson?” Whiterobe asked. Crimsondrop looked up and gave a faint smile. “There’s nothin’ like this back at home…” She mumbled. “Tell you what,” Phony Paige began, nudging her faintly, “you go with Saddleblaze here to the massage room while I have a chat with White, okay? Remember to tell the staffpony about your injuries.” Crimsondrop nodded and managed to stand, wading through the water to meet up with Saddleblaze who, with a cheerful smile, walked with her out of the room. They passed by Silent Quill and Holly Seams at the door, the ponies only smiling to them as they passed. After the two were well out of sight and in the massage parlour, Phony Paige’s face turned to Whiterobe. “White, I need to ask you something.” “What is it?” “Crimsondrop… when she arrived…” Phony began, trying to pick her words carefully, “Did she have… any personal effects on her?” Whiterobe blinked and thought, her mind trying to return to the events of the day. “Oh, I remember!” Holly chimed, bouncing up and down cheerfully. Paige grumbled, listening to Holly Seams was, at times, like listening to somepony who’d eaten too many sweets. “Do tell.” She said, though her tone was somewhat irritable. Holly seemed genuinely hurt by her tone. “Gee, lighten up, Paige, I’m only trying to help.” She said defensively. “Anyway; when Crimson arrived she was faintly steaming, like she’d stepped out of a hot shower into snow.” Paige sighed, this was going to be the ‘long version’ whether she told the mare to cut to the chase or not. “She was bleeding rather heavily, but I do remember seeing her wearing what looked like it could have been a saddle.” “’Could have been’?” Paige asked. “It looked like whatever it was had been through a wood chipper, but since it was on her back I’m assuming it was a saddle.” “That would make sense, since she said she had been ‘owned’ by somepony who used her to ride to places.” Whiterobe pointed out. “Though the way she speaks of them, I doubt they were any kind of Pony.” “Other than that, she did have something on her face; it looked like armour, but it was so mangled…” Holly mumbled. “Do you think you could recreate it?” “Not to wear;” Holly replied, “it required a bridle and bit to keep it on from the looks of it, and I would never…” The other ponies all hummed in agreed understanding. Bridles and bits were not used in day-to-day life in Equestria; they were used to restrain Ponies who needed to be controlled, such as those in mental health. Other than this they were... well, rather taboo bedroom paraphernalia. “But I could recreate it for aesthetic display, like a wall ornament or in a glass display tube; but I wouldn’t be able to make the whole thing. Some of the shreds, mostly the bridle, were made of… leather.” One or two of them shuddered alongside her. “Couldn’t you use faux leather?” Paige asked. “Eeh…” Holly grunted, “It’s hideously expensive; I couldn’t just go using what little I have on a personal project.” “Don’t you have faux leather on that getup you wear?” Whiterobe asked sidelong. “Yes, but that’s more my work uniform than a personal project.” Holly sighed. “Alright, Holly, if you can please do.” Paige says firmly. “Why do you want it made, anyway?” Clank Clop asks. Phony Paige shrugs faintly. “Clank; have you seen how she acts when she thinks of home? Of what she left behind? She’s so desperately homesick I’m impressed she’s not physically sick.” “I see what you’re getting at, Paige.” Whiterobe starts, “If she can get something, anything, that reminds her of home and she can find comfort in, it could at least ease her pain.” Paige nodded firmly. “From what you said her world was like, it’s unlikely we’d be able to do much else than that, but… anything is better than doing nothing.” Paige says. “I may not get homesick, but I can at least understand what she’s going through.” The others all looked between one another clueless. “What do you mean?” Paige sighed. “In Equestria, I also am one of a kind.”