//------------------------------// // Good for Sunburns, Not for Evil // Story: Proof of Villainy // by Matt says hi //------------------------------// It had been about an hour sense we left the boutique, and Sweetie Belle, behind us. I had quickly learned that I needed to be more careful about how I tell some of these ponies that I’m human. My thoughts were interrupted when I tripped on a stick about the length of my arm. Enraged by this sudden attempt on my life, I seized the stick with both hands and tossed it at a nearby building. Unfortunately, it bounced of the building and hit me in the side of my head. After Fluttershy asked if I was alright, I grabbed the stick once more with only one hand and raised it above my head. “Now,” I shouted, “you have proven yourself to be a mighty opponent, but more shall be accomplished in the name of evil if we unite our powers.” With all my might, I swung the stick around myself as a knight would test a new sword. Satisfied with the results I turned towards Fluttershy, a villainous grin across my face. “Well Fluttershy, I now have something to enforce my evil on others. I don’t suppose you have any suggestions on a name for my new weapon, do you?” “Are you sure that a stick is the best way to go?” Fluttershy asked, with a hint of worry in her voice. “If you scare everypony with force and shouting, you may have trouble making friends.” “Good question,” I began, “but I don’t care. Besides I will only use it in self defense and to get my way.” I smiled warmly at her. “Anyway, I shall name my new weapon ‘Gir’!” For whatever reason, Fluttershy did not say another word to me until we got to the spa. However, on the way I happened to glance behind me and I saw her roll her eyes at me. She will pay for this later, if I remember. It was about another five minutes before we arrived at the spa, and what a spa it was. As we walked into the building I noticed everything was shining with how clean the place was. A scent of flowers and candles filled the air, with soothing music playing lightly in the background. Suddenly we were approached by a mare with blue hair and yellow tan-ish coats. “Hello, did you have an appointment for today or are you here to schedule one?” the mare asked. I looked onto the reception desk and saw what I assumed was the mare’s name. “Actually, Mud Bath, we are here to see some friends of ours.” I said cheerfully. She seemed confused by my statement, until she saw what I had been looking at. With a brief chuckle the mare let us through. Unfortunately, as we walked in to the mineral bath room, we were welcomed with an ear shattering screech the likes of which I had not heard since I threw a cat I had tied with sandpaper at my tolerant counterpart, Zaleros. Fluttershy raced passed me towards the source of the scream with myself following close behind. We came upon a white pony weeping on the floor, tears surrounding her covered face. Fluttershy had gone over to the pony’s face and tried nudging her head gently. “Rarity, what’s wrong? What happened?” Fluttershy had asked. I relaxed when I heard that her name was Rarity, it meant that this was probably just her normal overreaction to a minor issue. “Oh Fluttershy darling, it’s simply terrible! I spilled some of my specially made shampoo!” Rarity sobbed. I rolled my eyes. Fluttershy on the other hand was busy comforting her friend. Since my minion was busy, I decided to take a look around while I waited for them to sort things out. Aside from the sound of crying, this place was rather nice. As I wondered the building I came upon two mares that from their presence of clothing seemed as if they worked here. “Excuse me, but does Rarity cry here often?” I asked them. They looked confused by my question, and after a minute I pieced together why. “Let me rephrase that, do you two work here?” they nodded, “Do either of you talk?” again they both nodded. “Alright, let’s try this again. My name is Slaughter, what are your names?” I smiled at them hoping to get a word or two from the pair. “My name is Aloe.” said one. “I am Vera.” said the other. They both seemed to relax, which inspired me to try and gain a few more minions. A grin spread across my face. “It is very nice to meet you Aloe and Vera, but it is a shame that we had to meet in these conditions.” The two mares looked at me puzzled. “I mean, it is a shame that the two of you are stuck in doors all day. Wouldn’t it be nice to go outside during the day, rather than tending to other ponies?” I could tell from the look on their faces that they were debating if I was right or not. My smile began to turn into a sinister grin. “If you want I can change that for you two. If you help me out, I can help you two to enjoy the life outside this spa. If you give me your loyalty, I can change this world to better suit my, I mean, our desires.” They whispered back and forth to one another for a few minutes. “We enjoy our work here, and it makes us feel good to see our customers relaxed and happy. I admit that it would be nice to take some vacation days more often than we get, but the spa is a rewarding job. Tell you what, if you ever need some help with something or your whole ‘change the world’ stresses you out, drop by the spa and maybe we can help you relax and think things through.” Aloe said in a kind demeanor. I admit that I was taken aback by their response; most of the people back on earth would do just about anything to get out of work. “Alright, I understand. I should probably go back and check on Fluttershy anyways. Thank you for considering my offer, and let me know if you change your minds.” I said as I turned away from the two of them and walked back towards the now upright and smiling Rarity. Inside however, I was already scheming a way to get those two to serve as my minions fully. Before I reached Fluttershy and Rarity though, something caught my eye. Rather, somepony caught my eye. After all, it’s not every day you see a rainbow maned pegasus in a spa.