She'd heard about it from Rarity who'd heard about it from Roseluck, who'd heard about it from... well, you get the idea.
The Parlor.
It was a fairly innocuous, nondescript building - the third of its kind, no less - just down a side-alley near the Ponyville Spa.
According to rumor and hearsay, she'd expected it to be the sort of establishment wherein one might find all-manner of disgusting debauchery between her kind and humans. What she didn't expect to see was the interior of an old-fashioned cottage, all wood, brass, and iron. The place... it's atmosphere felt warm, and safe. It felt like home.
When she stepped through the door from the outside - and it closed behind her - the sound from out there was silenced as a fair-skinned, brunette women looked at her from behind the counter and smiled gently. "Come on in, sweetheart, don't be shy," she said. "This is your first time here, yes?"
Swallowing nervously, Twilight Sparkle nodded shakily as she approached the counter to hoof over a small bag of bits. "I--" the lavender pony mare stalled, then started again. "Rarity told me about this place," she stated as the woman went about carefully counting the money she'd deposited, "but I still don't understand what it is that you do here..."
"Not many ponies do," the woman stated as she continued to count. A moment later, she finished counting Twilight's bits, then placed the money securely into the cash register upon the counter. "Congratulations," the woman stated, "you've paid enough for an entire day here! Come on, I'll take you through..." With that, the woman came out from behind the counter and gently coaxed a very nervous Twilight Sparkle down a short corridor that ended in a pair of enormous oaken doors with brass handles. With a smile, the woman opened the doors... and then Twilight gasped as she beheld what lay within.
Before the lavender pony mare stretched an enormous room. Bookshelves filled with all manner of books lined the walls, and a soft carpet - which felt like heaven upon her hooves - covered the floor. Magically enchanted lanterns and chandeliers situated upon the walls and ceiling bathed the room with a gentle glow--but as her eyes adjusted to the room, Twilight Sparkle gasped, her eyes widening in awe... for she realized she wasn't alone. All-manner of futons, sleeping bags, mattresses, beds, bean bags, recliners, and sofas filled the room--occupied by all-manner of ponies... being petted by humans? Some of the room's furniture was occupied solely by humans - who were waiting for ponies to join them she realized - and there were other things of interest within the room as well.
A shaky sigh escaping her, Twilight began to feel her stress and anxiety dissipate. 'I'm not sure what I expected to find here,' she thought, 'but it certainly wasn't anything like this...' As the woman who'd escorted her inside gently closed the doors behind her with a whispered, "See you later," emboldened, Twilight moved further into the room to investigate. In front of an open fire - thankfully covered by a fireguard - various groups of little colts and fillies chatted quietly as they laid upon small mattresses, or dozed and rested upon others, or cuddled with male and female humans whom held them close and stroked their coats and manes. Away from them, an elderly woman rocked gently within a rocking chair as she held a small, sleeping colt in her arms. Further back, a full-grown pony mare perhaps a little younger than Twilight herself sighed contentedly within a bed as she nestled gently against the sleepwear-clad human she snuggled with.
Away from them, a familiar red earth pony stallion - freed from his yoke - groaned softly as a human woman caressed him and massaged his aching muscles. Then, Twilight goggled as she espied a very familiar cyan-furred, rainbow-maned pegasus mare. Stretched out on her front upon a mattress on the floor, Rainbow Dash nearly napped, lazily shifting this way and that way as the human man attending her roamed his hands over her mane, coat, wings and tail. Whimpering softly, Twilight pulled her attention away to glance over at a corner where two bookshelves intersected; therein she saw a woman reading a book aloud to a brown unicorn stallion as they nestled together in bed.
On the other side of the room, sleeping ponies were gathered about an elderly human man whom sat cross-legged amidst them. Around the man were various bowls and he would strike them occasionally, creating an unusual soothing sound that - even from here - Twilight could feel resonate through her and harmonize with her magic... Further away the little pony mare espied a small kitchen wherein a human chef appeared to be making the most wonderful salads, as well as hot soup and other vegetarian dishes which made her mouth water; she could smell them from where she stood.
'This... This is no place of debauchery!' thought Twilight. 'It's... it's a place of relaxation for us...--no, not just for us, for ponies and humans. Ponies like the--the feel of human hands and petting animals relaxes humans--though we're not true animals... oh, hay it doesn't matter...' Even as these thoughts filled her mind, Twilight couldn't help but glance over to a secluded corner where a familiar yellow-furred pegasus slept contentedly upon an old but comfortable looking sofa, her body outstretched and her head upon the lap of a human woman, said woman soothingly brushing her pink mane. Beside them, there rested another sofa, occupied only by a waiting human man, and... and why were her hooves moving her that way?
'No! Stop! I'm supposed to be investigating this place for Princess Celestia! Brain, stop...! I'm not an animal to be petted; I'm not... I... I...' Instinct warred briefly with reason and for a moment, Twilight stopped halfway to the sofa... but then, with a gentle smile the human occupying it tapped his clothed lap in invitation. That lap sure looked like a nice place to rest one's head... and then instinct won; carefully, Twilight made her way over to the sofa, hopped up on it and curled up, resting her head in the human man's lap. A moment later, as a soft, warm blanket covered her body and she stretched beneath it, she blink-blinked, gazing up at the human whom was about to start petting her with glistening eyes. "I-I... this is... but... I'm not an animal..." she whimpered, plaintively.
As the human began to comb his fingers through her mane, he smiled gently. "Of course you're not. We know that. Doesn't mean we can't pet you. Doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. It's alright, sweetheart; the first time here is always the most difficult to grasp and understand. It's okay. What you're doing isn't wrong. No other pony - especially the ponies here - will think less of you for allowing yourself to let go. That's all you have to do. Just let go." The feel of his hands upon her, the sound of his voice so soft and gentle... it was all too much, and in that instant the part of her that was Twilight gently fell away, allowing the primal parts of her that were animal and pony to come to the surface. Nickering softly, Twi nestled into her human's lap, moving closer to him.
Man was warm. Man was safe. Man would care for Twi. A contented sigh escaping her, slowly, gently, the little pony mare closed her eyes...