It was quiet in the Carousel Boutique where Spike and Rarity were sitting and sharing a thick rug, her forehooves tucked beneath her and her horn glowing as they both looked at the glowing sketchpad hovering in front of them. The pencil, enveloped in a similar glow, darted in and made a few quick lines to illustrate Rarity’s latest idea. She glanced to Spike to check he was paying attention to what they were doing rather than just to her, as flattering as the latter was.
“You can see the problem Spike, darling,” Rarity said. “Your name is apt for your back, if not your un-spiky nature, and the larger and sharper the spines along your back get the more problem we have with not damaging a jacket.”
“Hmm,” nodded Spike. “Can already be split at the bottom into tails, but my spines go all the way up so…”
“So not easy to just have a split back. If they only began a little lower then still have enough across the shoulders.”
“Maybe some belts?” Spike asked hesitantly, thinking as he spoke. “Though if those rubbed against the upper edge of the spine, when they get sharper, then they’d have to be tough to not be cut… and might wear at the spine if they are too tough… hmm, maybe not.”
“Idea!” sing-songed Rarity, brightening. “Talking of belts reminded me of Joe…”
“And?”
“And have you noticed the top of his knife scabbard? I made it for him not long after he arrived here, before he was so… so…”
“Muscular?”
“I was going to say willing to chat, but that as well,” nodded Rarity. “And although he didn’t say much, and admitted it might be fine without, he did ask for a metal part at the ‘mouth’ of that scabbard.”
“So… oh!” Spike nodded back. “So if we fit metal guards over my spines then that would blunt them? Sounds heavy.”
“Would only need to be around the bottom and could be thin metal, part of the actual jacket.”
Spike nodded again. The talk of scabbards had made him think she was meaning to cover the spines entirely. “Sort of flat hoops to protect spines from jacket and jacket from spines?”
“Questions though,” frowned Rarity, sketching that idea and suggestion. “Should we make those spine-guards blend with the jacket or should we make them contrast? We don’t want to distract from the shine and colour of your scales, but would more decoration draw attention to them? Maybe make the guards more elaborate looking with, perhaps, some metal thread embroidery around them? Oh bother, hard to plan.”
“We do know what I looked like when I grew,” Spike pointed out, “and we saw the older Dragons.”
“Oh, that’s no help.”
“It isn’t?”
“Of course not,” Rarity chided him. “I am sure you will be more handsome than that, and far more handsome than those ruffians who bullied you, as your sudden growth was fuelled by greed and your appearance reflected that. As long as you remain your brave, loyal, sweet self you will grow into a truly magnificent Dragon.”
Spike blushed and remembered his daydream of being Sir Spike and saving his fair lady Rarity from the Diamond Dogs. That was far more what he wanted to look like than the Dragons of the same height that had bullied him when he followed the migration. Thinking of that and the Diamond Dogs made him wonder whether Joe could help, he was a lot heavier in the legs and lighter in the arms and shoulders than Sir Spike had been, but he was closer in shape than anypony and might be willing to share his daily weapons drill.
“Hi guys!” Rainbow Dash called as she walked in through the door Joe was holding open for her.
“Ah,” replied Rarity, floating the pad and pencil down as she looked around. “you were a little longer than I thought you would be…”
“Really?” Rainbow Dash asked sceptically.
“Not really,” admitted Rarity.
“As you’d expect with Dash’s talent,” Joe smiled, “we cleared the air.”
“And don’t worry, darling,” twinkled Rarity. “Nothing has been said to your detriment, even if things have been said.”
“Er,” Joe said, looking for a distraction and seeing the pad. He stooped and looked at that and then Spike. “New suit Spike?”
“Talking about ways to accommodate my spines as they grow.”
“Hmm,” Joe mused, one hand going to his belt as he thought. Then he looked at where his hand was resting. “I have some metal around the mouth of…”
“Rarity already thought of the guard on your knife scabbard.”
“Fair enough,” Joe nodded, “she made it.”
Rarity examined Joe and then Rainbow Dash as Joe slipped a hand behind the knife sheath and angled it so Spike could see the guard better. “Joe,” Rarity said, “you and Rainbow both look quite sweaty…”
“I took a turn at the punchbag.”
“And then he realised what he’d done,” added Rainbow Dash, “and said he hoped there was somewhere he could freshen up again.”
“I’d think there would be at a Gym,” Joe nodded before admitting, “but I hadn’t got a towel with me and, as fast as she is, Dash could have just intended to zoom back to her cottage to deal with her glow of exertion.”
“Genteelly put,” smiled Rarity, “I hope Rainbow reassured you?”
“She said you’d anticipated that need,” Joe said, making Rainbow Dash grin as she remembered flying up to donk Joe on the head and ask if his brain was working. As Rarity had sent her here she’d know that freshening up would be needed for her, at least.
“Quite so,” nodded Rarity, “come along.”
The sketch pad, pencil, and Rarity’s horn glowed again and the former two floated across to settle on a table as the white unicorn rose to her hooves. Joe straightened up and wondered what way the bathroom was but to his surprise as Rarity released the sketch pad and pencil and began walking she turned towards the door outside. Before he could do more than begin to ask where she was going she had left, and when the others followed Joe shrugged and also did. He had a suspicion as they kept going and he had to stride out a little to catch up but then he stopped dead as it seemed their destination was confirmed.
“Oh no, no,” Joe said shaking his head.
“Whatever is the matter Joe?” asked Rarity, enjoying the reaction.
“The spa?”
“Yes. Why did you think I said to meet so early?”
“More time in Canterlot before the event,” Joe suggested, “to allow for delays or problems with the train…”
“To make sure we are all looking our best?” asked Rarity in return.
“To let Rarity have another Ponycure,” suggested Rainbow Dash, adding with a wink, “like she said she’d need after AJ had to shove her along with her hooves sliding on the spa floor?”
“What?” Joe said, wondering why either of them would do that.
“I only wanted to get a few more details,” Rarity pouted.
“Oh,” Joe blinked, wonderment answered. “Well I hope you two, or three, have a good time…”
Rainbow Dash zoomed across to bring her face level with his. “You think you are going anywhere but ahead?”
“There’s nothing to be scared of,” added Rarity, “we’ll all be together…”
“That is rather the point,” Joe replied, “in case you haven’t noticed I do have a nudity taboo…”
“What about Gymnasium meaning place of naked exercise?” asked Rainbow Dash, going muzzle to nose with Joe.
Joe leant back a little from the face being shoved into his. “That was more than two millennia ago,” he argued, “and a culture shaped by the fact it’s warmer in that part of the world…”
“I remember you saying that even if you went swimming you’d want to keep your shorts on,” Rarity said reassuringly, “but I’m sure you have nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Errrr,” blushed Joe.
“Look,” Rainbow Dash whispered, circling around to speak straight in his ear, “you said humans were more restrained than Bonobo and that those parts aren’t responding anyway, so you don’t have to worry about getting a…” She paused and blushed slightly, then blushed more as she continued. “Anyway I’d be pleased as well as embarrassed if you did… er… respond.”
“What an interesting shade Joe has become,” commented Rarity in delight, looking from the pair to the Dragon, “don’t you agree Spike?”
“Maybe a new colour of fabric?” Spike asked. “Blushing human?”
Joe gave them a speaking look and then leaned across to whisper back in Rainbow Dash’s ear. “That would be embarrassing,” he admitted, deciding on some dramatic honesty, “but so might if that didn’t happen. I mentioned ‘peeing like a racehorse’, I didn’t mention humans can also say ‘hung like a horse’ if a man is remarkably well endowed in that region.”
“My mistake,” nodded Rarity as Rainbow Dash choked, “that is an interesting shade.”
“Ah, er… well,” Rainbow Dash said before she regained more power of speech and the presence of mind to bring her mouth back to Joe’s ear and lower her voice to a whisper again. “Spike’s confident despite being a baby dragon rather than a stallion.”
“He doesn’t wear anything,” Joe whispered back, almost head butting Rainbow Dash as he shifted his mouth back to her ear again, “so he’s confident letting it all hang out all the time, or he would be if his wasn’t retractable! Anyway he’s still growing so eventually he’ll have the opposite problem…”
Rainbow Dash choked again and flapped back out of whispering range. She couldn’t argue but she didn’t want to think about it. Or at least not about Spike and Rarity, she was curious now about what Joe had to offer. Even if he wasn’t ‘hung like a horse’, and little else about him was similar, perhaps he was still ‘hung like a Pony’? And were his doubts about that part of the problem?
“Now you have finished whispering, and driving each other to new shades of colour, shall we get inside?” asked Rarity.
“Look,” Joe sighed, “I’d rather just go back to my hut and rinse myself off. Then meet you at the Carousel Boutique to get dressed properly…”
“Well you can’t,” said Rarity firmly, “if nothing else then because your suit, and Spike’s and our dresses, are here.”
“Even so I think it better I go back to my hut…”
==
The strange semi-transparent mud felt warm and supportive as Joe sat in it three-quarters of an hour later, and he could feel himself relaxing. Somehow Rarity had managed to persuade him that it would be impolite to not tell the Spa staff in person, to not assure them his reluctance was no reflection on their establishment, and to be there when she assured them that he should be allowed to come back and be shown to the changing room where the outfits were. That last part was a poor reason as Joe was rather recognisable but he’d been flustered enough by the talk with Rainbow Dash to not think of that meagre advantage of being the only human around.
As Rarity had expected when the Spa staff pounced and were so welcoming Joe didn’t manage to get enough excuses out in time and almost before he knew it he was being taken to a room to change. He’d managed to blurt about nudity taboos again, but the staff had just asked how humans dealt with this. He’d stammered about unisex facilities, and that humans might still wear a towel even amongst those of the same gender, and they had calmly told him the facilities here were not segregated but they did have plenty of towels and they did have individual rooms for washing. This had let Joe mistakenly relax as he’d been flustered enough to think ‘wash before dressing’ rather than ‘wash before the rest of the Spa treatment’. Being led to some massage tables after he’d showered, rather than a dressing room, had let him realise his mistake, but too late as a desperately gripped towel was not enough to wear to flee.
Despite everything Joe had managed to enjoy the massage. The Pony had been sympathetic about his scars, accepted that he wanted the towel kept over certain parts of him, and although her hooves made it quite a firm massage it had been no firmer than some could do with stiff fingers. She’d even managed to work out the twinge in his left wrist, though Rainbow Dash had scoffed from her own table that she thought Joe had been taking it easy on the punchbag after he’d tried to be too macho. The sauna had also been enjoyable, for Spike especially as he almost sat on the hot stones, and Joe had managed to still retain his towel at his midriff. After another quick shower in the same room as before, and wrapping on a fresh towel, had come a real problem however as he followed the directions he’d been given.
When he arrived the other three were already sitting happily in this goo, Rarity and Rainbow Dash having gathered their manes up in towels, and Rarity had praised how wonderful and accommodating the Spa staff were to let them have this small private room. It seemed obvious they expected him to join them and equally obvious that a towel and sitting in a bath of something were not compatible. The question therefore became if it would be more embarrassing to ask them to close their eyes or not.
With a blush almost as good as the sauna had brought Joe had padded across and, careful to not give a view up his ‘kilt’ to Spike on the opposite side, sat down at the edge of the bath and lowered his feet into it. Before Rarity could tease him to get all the way in he’d flipped his towel back, shielding himself with his other hand, and then quickly bumped and slid himself forward and in. This had given Rarity the chance to tease him instead about the undignified manner of his entrance, and the waves that caused, but that seemed a fair price for minimising his exposure.
“Yeeeeek!” squealed Joe suddenly, his eyes opening wide as he sat bolt upright.
“Rainbow,” Rarity asked, looking across the bath at her friend grinning at Joe at that reaction, “where is your wing?”
“Relaxed by my side,” replied Rainbow Dash, giving her friend an innocent look as she raised her left wing out of the ‘mud’. “Why?”
“Just wondering,” Rarity smiled.
Joe was looking and feeling slightly betrayed and was confident that Rarity had meant Rainbow Dash’s right wing, the one on the side towards him rather than Spike. He was equally confident that he knew where at least one feather of that right wing had been a few seconds ago. He’d been glad this goo was semi-opaque and concealing, but he hadn’t thought about how it would conceal other things, such as the whims, or wings, of Pegasi.
He’d also not realised how much what she had just brushed with a feather would relax. Aside from the presence of a Draconic chaperone and that the ladies were Ponies this was pretty close to a fantasy. A cosy bathtub, two pretty and naked girls sharing it, a private room… Joe would not say he was that worked up, since there was the Dragon and they were Ponies and it was nothing that a towel would not easily conceal. But there had been some effects of the last ten minutes or so of comfort and female voices.
“So…” Rainbow Dash mused, giving Joe an eyelash flutter that would have done Rarity proud, “you seem happy Joe?”
Joe blushed and almost muttered. “Not as happy as I might be.”
“Oh?” Rarity asked with faux innocence. “Is there a problem?”
“All three of you know there is,” replied Joe, giving her a flat look as he slowly sank back into the goo, “and still is despite recent investigation.”
“Felt like you were getting happier though,” Rainbow Dash said, blushing and addressing her words to the ceiling
Rarity giggled at the comment and Joe’s expression while Spike glanced back and forth between the three others, seeming uncertain what to say. Seeing this Joe gave Spike a rueful smile of commiseration.
“Sorry my friend, perhaps I should have scooped you up and us both fled.”
“Hah!” said Rainbow Dash, lowering her gaze to fix Joe with it. “How far do you think you would have got?”
“Oh, I’d not have grabbed Spike to save him from these lewd innuendoes…” Joe began.
“Lewd innuendoes?” asked Spike, then suddenly realising what they had meant by ‘happy’ and ‘happier’. “Oh!”
“It would just be because I’d need a flamethrower to fend off pursuit.” Joe finished.
“Why do I get the feeling that is the name of a weapon that humans have,” teased Rainbow Dash, “rather than just a description of what Spike can do?”
“Gah… eh… no comment…” Joe spluttered, but then a thought occurred. “Wait a minute…”
“Hmm?” asked Rarity.
Joe scooped up a handful of the stuff they were sitting in and looked at it, then sniffed it, and finally flicked his tongue out for a taste before he looked relieved.
“Problem?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Looked scared for a moment there.”
“One thing I’ll also not comment on is the scurrilous rumour that a thick gel can be dropped that catches fire. Nor would I say that I had suddenly remembered that and wondered what we were sitting in and what would happen if Spike sneezed.”
“And you’d not say how you’d know what that smelt or tasted like?” Rarity asked.
“If such a gel existed then it would be similar, though much thicker, to a thin fluid that can be mixed with air and ignited inside a cylinder, this ignition pushing a piston to provide power…”
“In such an engine as you have mentioned are used for a lot of human things,” Rainbow Dash said supportively, “such as aeroplanes.”
Joe nodded slightly, there were still plenty of piston engined planes. “And which therefore I’d be familiar with the smell of, though not the taste.”
“Of course,” Rarity smiled.
“At least that innuendo wasn’t lewd,” commented Spike, “so I didn’t need to be saved from it, just as you don’t need to be saved from my sneezes.”
“But we do need to be saved from being late,” Rarity nodded with another smile, “so come along.”
Rarity gracefully slid up out of the bath, the goo not really adhering to her coat but lingering a little in the longer hairs of her tail. Spike followed at once, the goo just sliding straight off his scales, and then Rainbow Dash got out, grinned, and flicked the goo from her wings, where it had adhered, at Joe as he continued to sit.
“Gah!” Joe exclaimed, scraping some goo off his face and out of his beard and hair.
Rarity started to comb out her tail with a coarse toothed comb and then glanced at him. “Not joining us Joe?”
“Er.”
“I’m looking forward to how he manages to get out,” Rainbow Dash winked to Rarity.
“Which might be why he hasn’t,” commented Spike.
“Well, if he’s going to stay down there he can be useful,” Rainbow Dash nodded, turning and settling on the tiles with her rear towards Joe. Before he or his parts could decide if that close up view was embarrassing or erotic or both she slapped him across the face with her tail.
“Ack!” said Joe from the impact, the goo making that harder as it made the tail heavier, and more of it splattering across him.
“That’s one way to get this stuff out of her tail,” Rarity said, getting a nod from Spike.
“Go on, get to work,” ordered Rainbow Dash looking over her shoulder and back along herself at Joe.
“But I…” A comb and brush in the blue glow of Rarity’s magic floated across to settle next to Joe and he gave up. “Okay.”
“Don’t be too long, darlings,” Rarity said with a twinkle. “Come along Spike, time to rinse off again.”
“I could have done that for you…” commented Spike as he followed.
“Next time, maybe,” Rarity replied.
Deciding to start with what he had been so gently presented Joe picked up the comb and began running it through Rainbow Dash’s tail. He had to support and hold it with his other hand as he was sitting in a bath of the same stuff he was removing and it was awkward having to decide which hand to use for what. So he ended up alternating and having to twist and cross and uncross his arms. The brush had been a surprise but it was less surprise that the difference in tools was because of the difference in the ladies.
Satisfied with his work on her tail Rainbow Dash had turned and graciously granted him the privilege of being presented with one of her wings, something the soft bristles of the brush would be better suited to. Joe had brushed and fluffed the goo away from the feathers and was fairly sure that, as with the tail, he’d got out as much goo as would come out a while before Rainbow Dash had decided it was time to move on. Then her other wing very thoroughly taken care of as well she had given him a smile as she furled it back to her side.
“I’ll have mercy,” winked Rainbow Dash, standing and beginning to move away.
“By not kissing me and worsening any problems…” Joe asked, “or lack of problems… I might be having?”
Rainbow Dash turned back at that question and craned her neck out over the bath to look straight down, giggling as Joe hurriedly brought the hand not holding the brush across to block her view. “Spoilsport, but I meant I’d let you get out of there alone.” She fluttered her eyelashes again, making Joe wonder just how much advice she’d decided to take from Rarity. “Unless you’d rather I didn’t?”
“To quote Rarity… ‘next time maybe’,” Joe replied, not sure how much he, or Rarity, meant it.
“And next time I’ll have to help you,” nodded Rainbow Dash, “as flexible as your upper limbs are I don’t think you can do your own back.”
With that truthful statement Rainbow Dash left and, after a few seconds hesitation to be sure she had gone, Joe planted his hands on the edge of the bathtub and brought himself back to sitting on the edge. He didn’t see much point in standing, and not being able to make a hurried re-entry, until after he’d used the back of the comb to scrape the goo away from his skin. It was a relief to see this coming away clean and that, once he’d stood, he was able to do his legs and rear and recover his towel without surprises. Making his way back to the same room as the previous two times Joe rinsed off the rest of the goo and dried himself and was starting to wonder what to do next when there was a knock on the door.
“Joeeeee!” called Rarity, as he grabbed for another towel in case she decided a door was too much barrier to conversation. “Are you towelled again?”
“One moment,” Joe replied, making sure the towel was secure. “Sure.”
The door opened and Rarity walked in, a bundle floating above her back. “Time to get dressed.”
“I assume you mean in my suit?” Joe asked, wishing she’d just passed him the bundle rather than coming in.
“What else would…” began Rarity as she placed the bundle on the side table. “Oh.”
“Oh?”
Rarity gave him a look of faint embarrassment. “I forgot you’d be wearing clothes to here as well as away from here,” she admitted before she rallied. “Still! I am sure they can look after those slightly sweaty things and I did have the foresight to include fresh underwear.”
“Or underwear at least,” Joe commented, “since you just said you forgot I’d be wearing anything.”
“Hush! Don’t correct a lady.”
“My apologies Mademoiselle,” Joe replied, managing a creditable bow despite one hand remaining in a death grip on the towel.
Rarity withdrew and Joe dressed and transferred things from one outfit to the other. It was a little annoying that the suit trousers had no belt-loops so he couldn’t wear a belt and thus couldn’t wear his sheath knife on that. He knew that would be inappropriate for Canterlot but the knife had saved his life against the Manticore so he didn’t want to risk losing it and did feel happier with it on him. There were no pockets in the suit trousers either but there was a small one inside the jacket where he managed to put his purse of bits, fuller than normal in anticipation of Canterlot, and his keys.
On a whim Joe took something out of his old trousers and slipped it into the top of the new boots. Then he double checked and was both puzzled and relieved at the lack of a neckcloth, he wasn’t sure the outfit would look right without it but at the same time he didn’t know how to tie it anyway. He gathered his old clothes and boots together and after poking his head out the room to look up and down the corridor and waiting a little decided to head for reception. That seemed the right decision as Spike was sitting and waiting there.
“Ah, sir,” the receptionist said, seeing Joe and managing to recognise him despite the description having been of the suit rather than the bipedalism, “if I can take those? Miss Rarity explained.”
“Thank you,” Joe replied, handing his things over.
As the receptionist vanished to stow those somewhere Joe went to sit next to Spike. “The ladies will be along soon,” the small Dragon informed him, “they need to style their manes as well.”
“The lot of males on two worlds it seems,” Joe nodded, sitting and relaxing for a long wait, “waiting for their ladies at the hairdressers.”
“Scales are simpler,” agreed Spike.
“Cheer up,” Joe said, tilting his head back and closing his eyes, “maybe Rarity will turn into a Dragon and know that joy.”
“Er… what?”
“If you two stay together then eventually you’ll outgrow her, physically, and you’d outlive her. But she’d make a pretty Dragon with gleaming white scales, purple spines… probably of more complex shapes than yours, and maybe retaining her Unicorn Horn…”
“Hmmm,” Spike said happily, playing along. “And if she had wings then the membranes might look like the wings Twilight gave her, translucent and multicoloured…”
“But hopefully not as temporary,” commented Rarity.
“Oook!” Spike choked.
Joe opened his eyes and tilted his head back down to look at Spike. “Don’t blame me, I thought you were watching for them.”
“I think he was only seeing what you had suggested,” Rarity smiled, “but thank you for saying I’d be a pretty Dragon.”
“As you said to me,” declared Spike, hopping to his feet and bowing, “it would reflect the beauty within you.”
“Indeed,” Joe agreed, also standing and bowing.
“Oh, stop that you ridiculous pair…” ordered Rarity happily as they held the bows, “and stand up straight Joe.”
Joe straightened and a cloth whirled towards him and around his neck. This was more sudden than last time and more uncomfortable as it had to tuck itself inside his waistcoat rather than him getting to fasten that over it. Perhaps he should have left that unfastened, but he’d not been warned. Perhaps Rarity could have unfastened it first, but felt he squirming sensation of the neckcloth insinuating itself between waistcoat and shirt was at least a little revenge for the gossiping. Either way it was soon done along with a few tweaks to the jacket.
“I wondered about that,” Joe commented.
“You look… amazing,” said Spike, looking at Rarity and speaking with great sincerity as his embarrassment faded enough for him to notice properly.
Rarity inclined her head graciously at this compliment. Her dress was made up of slightly baroque rich fabrics and embroidery and layers, contrasting in their colours and patterns with the gleaming white of her coat and the purple of her mane. The shoes on her forehooves were simply cut but of equally rich fabric and embroidery. Around her neck a comparatively simple necklace hung with a single large gem flanked by two others and though her mane was hanging quite loose a couple of jewelled securing bars kept it swept back and up a little more than normal.
“I do, don’t I,” Joe agreed, striking a pose and putting on a deep conceited voice.
“What?” asked Spike, turning to face him. Joe winked. “Oh…”
“But,” Joe continued, dropping both pose and voice, “outshone here as the Sun does t…” He stopped as he decided that saying ‘does the Moon’ was not a good idea when then were actual living Goddesses of those. “…the merest candle by our fair companion.”
“Nice save,” said Rarity admiringly.
“And what about me?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Joe turned slightly and looked, wondering if he’d not notice the sound of footsteps… hoofsteps… or if Rainbow Dash had glided silently. Compared with Rarity her dress was simpler, dark fabric shading subtly towards the hemline from midnight blue to more, what Joe would think, a light navy blue. She was wearing slightly lighter blue sandals with straps wrapping up around her forelegs and the lower edges of her wings were just visible as the hemline curved up from a sleeveless ‘shirt’ over her forward torso and then down again and lower over her rear. Her rainbow mane was gathered up, making Joe wonder if that had been planned before he said she had a pretty neck, so she just had a few artfully arranged strands playing around her face. At first her necklace appeared even simpler than Rarity’s since it had no gems, but as she moved a little closer and it glittered it was apparent it was several interwoven strands of silver and obsidian. Her dress also appeared less plain as this movement caused rainbow highlights from the prismatic threads woven into it.
“Ah…” said Joe.
Rainbow Dash smiled, enjoying the slightly stunned look. “Better make this good.”
“Nothing can shine brighter than the Sun,” began Joe, making Rarity wonder briefly if Joe was so stupid he was going to say she looked better, “but there is great beauty in the night sky, where what appeared dark can reveal nebulae of many colours, a more subtle but equal beauty.”
“Good enough,” Rainbow Dash nodded.
“Indeed,” agreed Rarity agreed, glad Joe had salvaged his sentence from the unpromising beginning, “and finely sidestepped which he prefers. Or which dress at least.” She paused and then prompted. “Well go on Rainbow…”
“What?”
Rarity blinked at how obtuse her friend was being. She hadn’t let her see that suit on the dummy so she could get the full effect when she saw it on Joe and had hurried ahead to make sure Joe had his neckcloth in place. But now Rainbow Dash just looked puzzled and said ‘what’?
“Oh! Yeah, nice suit Joe. Looks good on you.”
“Thank you,” Joe replied.
Rarity rolled her eyes at this. There had been a faint hope that Rainbow Dash had been teasing Joe, but that sounded like genuine surprise and had not been effusive. Though she’d admit that she had not complimented Spike here she’d also argue that he was not wearing a new suit and since she was the tailor she already knew what he looked like in it and had praised it and him before.
Joe huffed and shook his head with a smile. “It feels like I should offer you my arm,” he said, smiling to Rainbow Dash, and forming a loop with his elbow sticking out and his hand on his side, “but I don’t think that would work.”
“Hmm,” nodded Rarity as she pictured it, “but I can see how it would work if she could do the same.”
“I could try,” Rainbow Dash suggested.
“No!” snapped Rarity.
Joe blinked at this vehemence. “Wouldn’t be fair to expect you to walk two hooved,” he agreed.
“I could hover…” Rainbow Dash began.
“No and No!” snapped Rarity again. “Darling, your dress is designed for the way you are standing, not for you to be rearing up… and I certainly don’t want you creasing the hem by using your wings to fly. I designed it so you could, if needed, but it was more for less… vigorous and sustained uses.”
“Like tickling Joe?” Spike suggested.
“Maybe I should have made that vigorous and sustained last time I tickled him,” winked Rainbow Dash.
“You did,” Joe replied, “because that was when you tickled the back of my hand, wasn’t it?”
“Oh yes, of course it was,” nodded Rainbow Dash with a feline smile.
“Darlings! Enough blushing and not enough walking,” Rarity said, “whether on four hooves or two feet.”
With that subtle prompting the quartet paid their farewells to the Spa staff, Joe feeling a touch embarrassed as he realised the receptionist had returned somewhere between the comment about Rarity becoming a Dragon and where Rainbow Dash had talked about tickling. He hoped he hadn’t looked too embarrassed though as that would have confirmed things had not been innocently meant. They started walking towards the train station and as expected were noticed by a few Ponies along the way. What was less expected was to see Twilight Sparkle ahead of them.
“Twilight, darling!” Rarity called.
Twilight Sparkle turned with a slight clinking from her panniers. It had been a good morning that had produced some interesting potions and comparisons of how their effects differed after the extra infusion of magic. She’d intended to get back before Spike would have to leave the Golden Oaks Library to meet at the Carousel Boutique but time had got away from her a little so she was surprised to see the quartet still making their way towards the station.
“I thought Spike said you were meeting at three?”
“Meeting at three,” Rarity replied, “to Joe’s horror catching a train only after we’d been to the Spa.”
“Surprise.”
“Horror,” Rarity repeated, not accepting the ‘correction’ from Joe.
“Embarrassment.”
“Horror,” Rarity repeated again.
Joe shrugged. “Horror.”
Twilight Sparkle gave them a proper looking over. Spike looked very smart and Rarity as beautiful as expected. Rainbow Dash was looking lovely, the colours of her mane and tail and the sunlight refractions vibrant compared with and against her dress. If Rainbow Dash in a dress was a surprise though then the bigger one was Joe looming over them like a dark cloud of maleness. Seeing him in armour had been mildly impressive but in that suit you could tell more of that was him and less the metal.
“You four look… wow.”
“I said that Rarity and Dash would draw heads,” Joe nodded.
“And I didn’t doubt you,” replied Twilight Sparkle, “though… Rainbow?”
“Yeah Twi?”
“I don’t want to second guess Rarity, but isn’t that dress a little plain?”
“Appropriately it has rainbow flashes as she moves,” Joe commented, as if those weren’t noticeable, “and that it is simpler and shorter cut shows her grace…”
“Er…” said Rainbow Dash, glancing at Rarity.
“And Rarity knows,” Joe added, with a nod to her, “that I am not criticising her or her more ornate style.”
“Of course not, dear,” smiled Rarity. “We can agree that what suits me would not Rainbow and vice versa. Though talking of moving…”
“I can walk with you,” Twilight Sparkle offered.
“Thank you, darling.”
As the quintet started walking Joe glanced at Rarity and Rainbow Dash. “And I’d say not suit to the same extent at least,” he commented, “I doubt either of you, or Twilight, could look bad.”
“Isn’t he a sweet talker when he tries?” Rarity said, nodding to Rainbow Dash. “Definitely worth keeping, for now at least.”
“It’s a lovely dress and Rainbow looks wonderful in it…” began Twilight Sparkle.
“Thanks Twi,” Rainbow Dash said, waiting for the ‘but’.
“But,” continued Twilight Sparkle, not surprising her friend, “you know how… fussy… the Canterlot style can be.” She stopped and looked embarrassed. “Not that I mean Rarity’s dress is fussy…”
“Careful darling,” Rarity teased, “the more you two reassure me about my dress the more fears I have.”
“You look amazing,” said Spike, repeating his words and sincerity of earlier.
“Thank you, fears allayed,” Rarity smiled. “And to allay Twilight’s we have a surprise for Joe.”
“You do?”
“Didn’t you wonder what was in the bag I asked you to carry?”
“Lady stuff,” Joe shrugged.
“Extra ornateness for Rainbow’s dress, for the event.”
“Oh.”
Seeing Joe’s expression Rarity felt some faint concern. She remembered the chat and his preference for Beau Brummel’s style over that of the Macaroons and he was very appreciative of Rainbow Dash’s dress as it was. So there was a chance he’d not like the extra layers and decoration as much as they’d hoped. But Rainbow Dash liked them and that was more important.
“Before I forget,” Twilight Sparkle said suddenly, “I spoke to Zecora and she says…” Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes a little and then nodded as she remembered the exact words. “‘To make his visit two days hence, would not leave me in much suspence, agree to talk to youngsters better, so his moves I shall not fetter.’”
“Zecora?” asked Rainbow Dash, realising this was a Mare that Joe had not mentioned his opinion of. And as she was a Zebra he could truthfully say that he had talked of all the eligible Ponies he knew. She frowned slightly as she tried to remember if he had said Mares or Ponies though.
“I pick ingredients for her once a week in the Everfree,” Joe replied, not suspecting any suspicions, “still owe her for Potions and medical care.”
“I don’t like the Everfree, I prefer clear skies,” mused Rainbow Dash, reassured by Joe’s calm reaction, “but I could keep you company next time?”
“I’d like that, though is quite uneventful.”
“Uneventful?” Rarity exclaimed. “The Everfree?”
“As I’ve said, if the trips had been eventful then I’d not have taken the Cutie Mark Crusaders anywhere near it.”
“Which was still silly,” Rarity chided him, “but long since forgiven.” Then she and the others heard the whistle of the train. “But onwards!”
“I’m on it,” nodded Rainbow Dash, her wings unfurling out from under the sides of her dress.
“No!” Rarity said desperately. “Hovering would be bad enough, but flying at speed? Think of your coiffure!”
Rainbow Dash paused and then furled her wings again. “Right.”
“Thanks for taking the message to Zecora,” Joe smiled, “and giving me the reply, Twilight.”
“No trouble,” Twilight Sparkle said, “Have fun in Canterlot.”
“Thank you, darling,” replied Rarity, bustling ahead with as much speed as dignity and dress would allow. “Goodbye for now though.”
That farewell echoed by the others Twilight Sparkle stopped and watched them hurrying as fast as Rarity would allow. This seemed a lot slower than any of the other three would prefer, but more than fast enough as the train was still approaching the station and spent some time there anyway. Turning away and starting back towards the library Twilight Sparkle wondered if she should have gone with them, but the ‘absent friends’ party that Pinkie Pie had planned for tonight sounded like a lot more fun.