//------------------------------// // 39 - Past differences // Story: Just a day in Equestria // by dave89898989 //------------------------------// I approached the carousel shaped building of Rarity’s ownership. I hadn’t planned the day of what I was going to do, but maybe she’ll need some help or something like that. I stepped up to the door and gave it a few knocks with my right hoof. The door opened slowly, with Rarity behind it, looking elsewhere as if preoccupied. “Something reeks of...alcohol,” was her first response upon greeting me. “What is it that you wish from me?” “I just came by to say hello,” I replied nonchalantly. “Oh, it’s you! Blue. Why do you stink of the...stuff? Come in, please.” She invited me inside and closed the door after I entered. “I didn’t notice. I’ve been on the stuff for many a few weeks now, but I quit because I will be enrolled as a royal guard soon,” I slightly boasted. “That’s wonderful! being a royal guard is quite a high ranking method of employment you will be getting yourself involved in,” Rarity added. “Also, maybe you should have regulated your intake, because you look a bit worse for wear...” “Hey, what do you know about drinking?” I questioned her for her remark. “I...occasionally have a cocktail glass...only on rare happenings though,” she shyly replied. “I didn’t know that...maybe we could be drinking buddies one day,” I chuckled. “I highly doubt the situation...” The purple maned pony thought out loud about the idea. I shrugged that off and continued the conversation. “So, uh, do you need any help around here?” “Not at the moment dear, I’m just about to go to the spa for my usual appointment. I suppose you can come with.” At that, I was ushered outside again, and I stuck by her side to the place of regular visit. “You know, the most amount of relaxation I’ve ever gotten is taking a bath...” I commented as we trotted to the tent-looking day spa. “You’re in for quite a treat then, Blue,” Rarity responded with glee. The red and orange tulips lined the shrubbery encircling the building with the pink, big top roof. The pastel green sign swung gently, displaying a tall pony with an elegantly styled mane and tail. We stepped into the spa together. As soon as the door closed behind us, I was hit by a thicker atmosphere, ambient music, and the smell of natural products. The crystalline white pony registered us, and a blue mare with her pink mane held back by a headband escorted us to a couple of pools of mud. “This seems a little off,” I said, weirded out by the sight of the contained brown substance. “Don’t worry, it’s harmless, and can only refresh and revive you!” The resident pony told me. I looked at her curiously, then to the mud bath, and back to her. “Okay, if you say so. Also, I didn’t catch your name, what did you say it was?” “Ah, it is Lotus; pleased to be of service to you!” She greeted me with utmost welcoming grace, in her beautifully different accent to what I’m accustomed to. She left us to it politely. After watching Rarity get in to one of the baths, I joined her in an adjacent pool. It felt strange at first, being swallowed whole by this sticky, but slippery liquid, but when I got into a good position, it somehow managed to slow my heart rate down, and soothe my aching bones. Also, I had never felt this conscious and aware before in my life, as the background soundtrack filled my ears and heightened my senses. As my comrade said, I was in for a treat, for definite. I looked to the filly next to me, and noticed the slices of cucumber shielding her eyes. That was the most confusing part of all this business. I carried on resting in this bath for at least an hour more. “Okay, I think it’s time to get out now Blue, it feels like my pores are getting clogged,” the muddy-maned Rarity said as she pulled herself out from the mixture. I followed her, struggling to get out. She was reluctant to my stained hoof, but she soon gave me help to get up. “And how do we get this mess off of us?” I asked with the mud slowly hardening to my coat. “We go to the bigger tub in the other room, of course. Let’s go before it starts to flake,” she remarked, taking me to a larger, wooden bath filled with clear water. Wisps of steam rolled across the surface of it, symbolising the warmth of the water. Before I almost dived in, the pony with the diamond cutie mark poured some salts and other chemicals in, then lowered herself into the hot tub. “Come on in, the water’s fine!” She informed me. Of course, I abided by her words and hopped in. The temperature was almost scalding, but my body could take it. As if I couldn’t relax any more than I did, it still kept getting better. “I understand why you visit here often now. It’s really eased out all those years of stress for me!” I exclaimed in satisfaction. “I’ve shown you the most fun bits, the rest is just getting my hooves filed and then the massages, et cetera. I know you enough to not worry about those sorts of things,” she replied. My face showed that it couldn’t get any better than this for me. The last part of her sentence made me ponder though. “Know me enough? What do you mean?” I enquired. “Well you know...like Rainbow Dash, I know you wouldn’t be interested in the pampering stuff.” “Why? What’s up with her and me?” “Nothing, nothing, just that you’re both not that interested.” “I still don’t get what you mean by that, Rarity...” “You, like Rainbow, are...different, so you aren’t affected by the frilly things as much.” “Excuse me?! Different?!” “No, I didn’t mean it like that, I-” “There’s only one way to mean it. And I thought this place was free of prejudice! You of all ponies, Rarity...really...” “I’m sorry, I truly didn’t mean it that way.” I turned hotter than the water. I got out and left immediately, leaving her behind. “I don’t have time for this anymore. I’m going home.” “Did you have a nice time?” Lotus called to me as I made for the door, with an inverted-colour mare standing next to her. I grit my teeth. “Yeah, it was great. Thank you...so much for having me.” I then left the premises. Storming down the path back home, I couldn’t shake the anger, but I felt regret at the same time. I pushed the feeling away quickly. I lost all sense of relaxation from my body at that point. I would have thought a high-standing pony such as herself would be over all the intolerance. I didn’t want to be reminded of the old world, and here I am, stomping off because of it. The annoyance soon came running, shouting for my attention behind me. “Blue! Wait a minute!” She called. I turned around. “What is it now?” I angrily asked. “I apologise, really!” She caught up to me, gasping for breath. “No, I’m not taking that. What’s said is said, I can’t just forget that. You class me as ‘different’, and not the good different. What is wrong with you?” I harshly said to her. “Please, don’t blame me. Blame my upbringing,” she replied in some sort of cowardly fashion. “Your upbringing? You’re trying to pin it on something else now, are you?” I didn’t give up my relenting speech. “No, no, not that. If you can just listen to me, I’ll tell you why.” She had a certain look in her eyes that I couldn’t exactly identify. I withdrew from my terrible attitude for the time. “Okay. Why is it the fault of your upbringing?” Rarity inhaled deeply, and closed her eyes. “Ugh, I hate talking about this. It brings back bitter memories. My...parents, as well as my childhood tutor, they taught me about etiquette and high standards. Everything I know basically. In the society I used to live in, it clung a lot to classical ideals, where only the most ‘normal’ ponies were regarded as the higher classes, and the rest were outcasts. I was born into that disdainful race, and I grew up in it. But, when I was...separated from that society, I learned about all the other different ponies that existed. I wish I could remove myself from that realm, as my old nature creeps in sometimes.” “Is that the best explanation you have? It seemed a bit too vague for me.” At that, it looked as though I had really irritated her. “I...I don’t believe you.” She was about to really raise her voice now. ”My mother and father had died, and my little sister was taken from me by force! I went from rich to poor in little more than a few days. I was roughed up, broken in spirit, and torn to pieces by the others. I lost my whole family and I just wanted to forget it all! And you just disregard that, because you wanted more information for your petty reasons to get mad. You’re just one of those ponies who care about themselves only, aren’t you?! I know you’ve been through alot, but so have I! So has everypony I know! I didn’t want to be part of the old Equestria, even if that was where my heart was most at home. I’ve since moved on from there, and been a lot happier for it.” I was taken back by that revelation. “Whoa, Rarity, say no more. I should be the one who’s sorry, my behaviour was uncalled for. You didn’t have to tell me all of that; I should have handled it all better. You’re right, I only have really cared about myself. For most of my life I’ve been advancing my own goals and interests, nopony else’s.” “Okay, we both went a little overboard there. Please, let us return to the day spa,” the purple maned filly beckoned me. I agreed. We were back in the hot tub, soaking our coats again. I was sitting exactly opposite from Rarity this time. I didn’t feel worthy to be too close to her. I had overreacted and I felt bad for it. She must have felt the same, and so I had to try make it up to her. “Rarity, I have only just finished what I started in the other world. There is nothing left for me now, so now I can focus on the needs of others. Is it too late for me to be selfless?” I seeked some sort of moral support with my company. “It is never too late to start helping others. There is always going to be a pony asking for assistance, and if you can lend a hoof, there’s your chance. There is more suffering in Equestria than you would believe. I should know, I’ve seen it. You won’t be able to help everypony, but you can at least now you’ve done your part.” The pony of generosity really dug into her emotions when she said that statement. She must have been through a lot, having her family pass from her, like with mine. “Hmm, I’ll have to reflect on that later on.” A silence passed as we sat there, taking in the calm environment and flushing all the thoughts from our minds to make way for the clarity of nothingness. Rarity lowered her head to look at me. “Blue? I don’t think you’re different. Not in that way anyway. You are just the same as I, only you become attracted to the same gender. There is nothing wrong with that at all.” “Thank you, I’m glad you think so, Rarity. I know it must be hard to accept who others are, but you’ve said that you know the ponies out there. My best friend and I had similar problems when we first met, too. She didn’t feel right because I swung a different way, while I couldn’t accept the fact that she was a pegasus. I envied those ponies who could fly for quite a while. But at that impasse, we both soon came to an understanding that there were many forms of pony out there, as well as all sorts of creatures with all different personalities, abilities, and the like.” I began to settle with my companion again, so I scooched closer to her as a sign of friendliness. The silence returned again, but this time I thought about how it was all over back on earth. There was no reason to return there ever again. There were no more relations, no more enemies, nothing. I had defeated the gods for now, by letting the human conversions die. My brother died as well, and I had to accept that. But at the same time, I hoped for him to return. He would be put into a machine and transported into the world of his dreams. He would have discovered how good life could be. Maybe I had to let life be good to me for once. I should settle into this world and enjoy it for what it is, before it becomes too late for me. I’ll let the anger, and the hate, and the rage dissolve from my body and mind, even if they are the feelings that built me over the years I had been conscious. Peace will come, I just know it. I looked into Rarity’s eyes again. They had a sadder look than before, but with a semblance of relief. “Blue, would you care to follow me to the massage tables?” She asked me. “Of course,” I replied, letting her get out of the water and lead the way. We lay face down on different tables, wearing comfortable, fluffy gowns now. The pony dealing with me seemed like she was breaking my back, but it was actually relieving. This was the life, getting my body ironed out after all the years of painful work. I was vibrated as hooves chopped my back repeatedly up and down, and then pushed themselves around my shoulder area and neck. The stiffness and the knots seemed to disappear, and I just felt like laying there from then on. So I simply fell asleep. “Hey, wake up! You’ve been in that position for hours. It’s not good for your health and complexion to sleep longer than you should!” The high class dialect of Rarity’s voice called to me. “Oh, sorry, must’ve dozed off...” I groggily spoke. I noticed the small queue of customers and cross looking staff. I got to my hooves slowly, and stumbled towards the door to outside, putting my gown into a basket along the way. “So, did you enjoy that experience?” the freshly beautificated pony asked in a positive tone. I let out a heavy sigh of joy. “Yes, it was super rejuvenating. I really do understand why you go there often now. Thank you for letting me accompany you today.” She smiled delightfully at me. “I’m glad that you liked it, darling. It should be a custom for everypony, to feel as good as we do at this moment.” “Now, may I come back to your shop? You said you might have needed help...” I referred to this morning’s events. She lit up with a feeling of excitement. “Oh, oh yes! I do have a need for you. Let us head back.” We quickly made our way to the Carousel Boutique, entering to see all the fabrics strewn across the floor and surfaces, with unfinished dresses on pony mannequins. It was a seamstresses’ messy paradise, as far as Rarity was concerned. I never had much interest in fashion, but where would dress sense be in a war zone after all? “So, what did you have in mind?” I asked. Clothes were being thrust towards me, as if trying to find a good fit for me. “I want you to model some of my dresses, if you please,” she said with enthusiasm. “Okay, sure, no problem,” I responded, and we soon got to work. I put on a light-green dress with frills protruding from all over the place, and then a beige one with a big pink bow sticking out of the back. Then there was a ruby encrusted one, with a shorter skirt and slightly see through, which was kind of strange to me. Then there was one which wasn’t really a dress at all; more of a wacky saddle that didn’t look like you could sit on it from all those soft spikes. Rarity seemed to nod and approve every design that I wore. Then came the last dress to put on. This one brought back that one memory from back on Earth, at the ball. I wore this exact same dress. The same aquamarine colour, the same layers and slightly puffy sleeves, the same wavy skirt running down to the delicately cut up looking edges of it. I didn’t want to dismiss it that quickly, so I stopped. “Where...where did you get the inspiration for this one?” I asked the designer. “Oh yes, I drew inspiration from a book I found at Twilight’s house one day. I took out the page, luckily, as it had disappeared from her library the next day! How strange is that, to take a tattered old book that didn’t form anything resembling a storyline or information. It was mostly made up of scribbles...” she hastily explained to me. It was so strange to coincidentally find an exact same design in a random book. Maybe it was...it couldn’t be. “That doesn’t seem like anything normal Twilight would own. Anyway, do you mind if I take this dress? It really appeals to me,” I offered to take what I was wearing off of her hooves. “Hmm...I suppose so, but it isn’t finished yet...” Rarity replied, looking unsure of me. It was obvious that I wasn’t into dresses. I gave a pleasant smile. “That’s okay. How much do I owe you?” She tutted. “You’re a friend, you don’t owe me anything, I have told you this before.” “No, you have to get your share of bits once in awhile. I’m not helping your business if I just leave with this potentially expensive dress and not pay,” I argued sternly but had a fair point. “I guess I haven’t been doing that well lately. I wonder why, as I have the most beautiful clothes around, if I do say so myself. I would price this dress at one hundred and fifty two bits.” The pretty pony didn’t look so pretty after she announced that value. “That has been the steepest amount I have ever heard of. But even so, I’ve not really paid for much in my life. I don’t have any money at the moment, so can I put it on a tab or something?” I laughed craftily. “I don’t think I can give you my dress after what you’ve said. I’ll keep it reserved for you until you get the bits, then we’ll see,” she combated. “I can work on it while I wait for you to pay, if that’s okay?” “Yeah, sure. It’s not an urgency or anything, but it means something to me. One day I’ll get enough for you, I promise.” I hoped that the royal guard job would get me good earnings. “Now that that’s out of the way, would you care for a drink?” The purple, stylishly curly maned mare asked me. “But...I have to abstain from the alcohol.” I told her, gently refusing her offer. “Don’t worry, we’ll only have a few sips. I’ll teach you how to drink responsibly, not like the brutish ways you are used to.” I had to admit that she was right upon saying that, so I couldn’t fight her. “Okay, show me. What do you have?” “I have some fine grape wine, very sweet and smooth, if you like.” “Wine huh? Never tried it. I’m used to the hard liquor.” “Well, this will be quite the diverse taste to what you’ve had.” She receded behind a door, followed by the sound of a wooden cupboard opening. From there, she asked me to come to her side. This area of the building was like a small alcove, as I faced a grid of all sorts of glass wine bottles, next to flute glasses set out in rows inside the cupboard. “This must be for those special cocktail parties,” I assumed. “Sometimes, but I have a hobby on the side as a wine taster. I take samples of these drinks and then write about them, as recommendations to other ponies that like a little drink, as I do. Here, try some.” Rarity gave me a glass of the red liquid. It had a strong, sugary smell that I wasn’t used to. I slowly took a swig, and it burned my throat. It was too refined for me at first, but then again, having any sort of alcohol is an acquired taste. The bitterness went away after the next swallow, and the sweetness began to touch my taste buds. It tasted a lot more like grapes now, and I wanted more of it. “Uh-uh, you have to take it slowly. You’ll have it going to your brain in no time otherwise,” my advisor told me, as she pushed the wine further away from me. “But that’s no fun Rarity!” I whined. I quickly snatched the whole open bottle and drank it down like there was no tomorrow. “Join me, please! You get a kick out of it every time, trust me!” My vision started to blur after that. “Oh...alright then. I’ve always wondered what it’s like...” she said as another wine was opened and gulped down. At least somepony else enjoyed it as much as I did. For the rest of the night, we ended up kissing and caressing each other on a sofa, as well as talking about our pasts and laughing it off like it wasn’t important anymore. And hay, it wasn’t! We both were individuals that told ourselves to look to the future now that we knew it didn’t matter, what went on before. We held each other tightly and danced drunkenly to a classical waltz piece of music. We bonded well through the hours of the evening to the morning, laughed at the sadder things in life, as we threw life down on its face. We didn’t care anymore, we wanted to live and have fun! After the record had ended, we stood there, then passionately kissed until we slumped to a laying position on the comfy woollen rug, and kissed together until we fell asleep, still tight in each other’s hooves. And that was all I remembered from earlier back then. “I think we must keep what we did a secret,” Rarity said, for protection of her ladylike image. I thought about it for a moment. “...Okay, it was a drunken time and we didn’t have control of ourselves. I won’t say a word of it to anypony else. It was good though, right?” I headed for the door as I had to get home and wash the stench of alcohol from my body. “Blue? I know I am not one to approve of it, but; thanks for showing me what it’s like to be you. When you aren’t the angry little mare that you are,” Rarity said with a giggle. She looked like she was fighting the feeling of butterflies in her stomach. “No problem, Rarity. I told you we could be drinking buddies,” I replied with a joyful smile. She came up to me and gave me a tight hug. “One day we can do this again, I’m hoping. I had fun that I could only share with somepony special. See you again.” She released me from her friendly grip and I nodded to her happiness.