//------------------------------//
// Sapphire Shores 
// Story: Bathtime for Ponies Part 2 
// by Starry Eyed 
//------------------------------//

	Playing with these foals is one of the most heartwarming things possible, but no one said it wasn’t tiring. Even as a foal Sapphire Shores was brimming with life. She had a song in her heart that just couldn’t be bottled up, and when that song got loose, well you just couldn’t help but move and be moved. It was wonderful, but for you, as her foalsitter, it only proved that she had more energy than you would ever have.

You were outside her parent’s house in Canterlot, down in a district of the city that wasn’t quite as packed. Still, it was a nice little neighborhood. You have been taking care of her for over a week now and have already gotten to know some of the adults on the street (after the initial shock of seeing their first human of course). Over the last few days it has become the natural proceeding of things that she would play outside, sing, and inevitably draw a crowd. Sapphire got her accent from her mother, who wasn’t originally from Canterlot, and wielded it with the musical talent of an angel, of pop.

One of the local ponies made a comment amongst the group of adults you were standing in, “I’ve said it before, but I’ve never heard anything like that before. It’s sensational I say! I’ll bet a hundred bits right now she’s destined to be a star.” You make every effort to not let your expression give away the fact. Part of your contract with the boss is to not use future knowledge to win bets due to already knowing the outcome. You check your phone for the time and realize that it’s almost time for the bath. You bid farewell to the ponies you’ve talked to and take Sapphire inside for the night (after letting her wave to her fans of course).

Since you haven’t even started the bath yet, you set her down on the sofa in the living room. You now make your way to the bathroom to prepare. Sapphire’s parent’s house is the smallest house of any of the Canterlot nobles you’ve bathed (though it is technically tied with Fleur’s in that respect) but it is also the ‘brightest’. The house has been hoof-painted vibrant colors and is most definitely lived in. The family is close-nit to say the least and it emanates a warm feeling. You actually feel bad for the other nobles, who despite having ‘nicer’ homes, live in a much ‘stuffier’ environment. This house and it’s family are whatever the exact opposite of stuffy is.

You think all this to yourself even as you get the bath ready. Once you feel that everything is just right, you decide to call for the little one. A moment later you hear ever nearing hoofsteps, and a moment after that a light creamy yellow colored comet with sapphire hair pounces into you. It winds you only for a second, because other than being surprising the actual impact only has the force of a pouncing kitten. You start to scold her, but those little gold eyes of her are sparkling up at you. “I’ll get the door” is all you say to her. She ‘pins’ you down with a hoof though, telling you not to move. She runs over and closes the door, which is somehow adorable considering she doesn’t even come up one tenth its height.

You give her a pat on the head for trying to help and scoop her up to put in the tub. As you place her in she acquaints herself to the warm bubbly new setting and starts splashing around. You remain calm, she’s not being bad, she just has too much energy for you. You get her to stop splashing, and she realizes that she has already splashed a lot of water on you. You forgive her and ask her to just settle down a little. 

Now for this bath, you decided to do something very special. Since her mane and name are Sapphire, you are using some of the fancy stuff from the crystal empire. You begin lathering the little crystal bead shampoo into her mane. Stroking or combing the shampoo into her mane proved impossible in previous attempt due to her hair being so curly and fluffy that straight motions only pulled her hair. You lather for almost a full minute to make sure the magic takes effect. 

You now prepare the rinsing dish. This is her favorite part since the dish is made of sapphire. You rinse over a dozen times partly just because she likes it. With the rinsing done, her mane really does appear to be made of sapphire. Someone who had never bathed a crystal pony would say it was just like crystal pony hair, but you know that real crystal ponies’ hair is much smoother and much more manageable when washed this way, that’s why it is so easy to style, even with magic. Sapphire’s mane lacks this property, but it’s still beautiful.

You ask her to lift her tail for you, which results in her spinning around and sitting up in one instant motion, which result in you getting wet, again. You remind yourself that she’s still not being bad, just energetic, so you say nothing. You work on the tail the same way you worked on her mane, lathering the crystal shampoo in carefully. You continue this until the tail is white and bubbly. You KNOW you’re going to regret this, but you let her rinse her own tail, she like that best. One foal sized, foal originated tsunami later her tail is a perfect sapphire. She looks up at you, and her hooves cover her mouth in regret. You take a deep breath for as long as you can, and let it all out. You now look down into those sorry golden eyes for a moment, and assure her it’s ok. You knew it was going to happen after all.

You get her out and dry her off, before opening the door. You can hear a voice that sounds exactly like Sapphire’s coming from down the hall. “Welcome home Mrs. Shores. I just finished her bath.” Sapphire and her mother warmly greet each other, and Sapphire wordlessly asks to go outside. “Well ok dear, as long as you stay where you won’t get dirty. We don’t want the sitter to have to start over.” She nods and runs off. “Isn’t she sweet” the mother says more as a statement than a question. You nod, “She’s wonderful, but as you ponies say” you give out right where you sit, “She’s a hoof-full.”