"So," Dizzy began, "You dumped him."
Pinwheel sucked harder on the straw of her wheat milkshake. The straw rattled on the bottom of the paper cup. She and Dizzy sat across from each other at Ponyville’s outdoor café. Overhead, the springtime sun filtered through the pale green trees. Ponyville’s square bustled with activity. Mares and stallions strolled across the cobblestones, admiring the flowers and enjoying the sunshine. Petals drifted lazily on the warm wind. The swaying branches of a nearby tree cast dappled shadows on their table. Pinwheel stared hard at the shadows, grinding the tip of her straw between her teeth. “’Dumped’ is a strong word…” Pinwheel mumbled finally. Dizzy let out an aggravated sigh, covering her face with her hoof.
“Pinwheel, you told him your relationship wasn’t working and slammed a door in his face.” Dizzy replied, “That’s what we normal ponies call a ‘break up.’”
Pinwheel continued gnawing the tip of the straw. “Hey now, I didn’t slam the door…”
Dizzy rolled her eyes. “Same difference, Pin.”
“I still wouldn’t call it a break up. I mean, he could still come around!” Pinwheel answered with forced cheerfulness, finally letting go of the straw, “It’s only been a few days, after all.”
Dizzy frowned, shaking her head slowly. “Pinwheel, come on. Listen to yourself.” Pinwheel set her milkshake down, staring into the wood grain of the table. Dizzy reached over, putting her hoof on top of Pinwheel’s, “Break ups are hard. I know that. But you can’t fall into that rut of thinking a relationship can be salvaged when it can’t.”
Pinwheel said nothing. She stared down at her empty milkshake cup and half-eaten daisy panini. The milkshake sat heavy and uncomfortable in her stomach. Not lifting her head, she peeked over her glasses at Dizzy. “Then…what should I do?”
Dizzy’s eyes lit up. “How about this? I’ll give you Dizzy’s super special post-breakup treatment. A day at the spa, on me!”
Pinwheel absently prodded her daisy panini. “Never been to the spa before.” She murmured, lifting the bread and nibbling the daisies within. Dizzy’s eyes widened.
“Really? Geez, no wonder your hooves look so rough all the time. I go every month for a pony pedi and a wing wax.” Dizzy hopped off her hay bale bench. She jerked her head toward the square, “Come on, the spa’s probably going to be busy today. We’d better hurry if we want to get an appointment.”
Motioning the waiter over, Pinwheel paid for her panini and boxed up the remains of her lunch. The waiter placed the leftovers in a small paper bag and nodded to the two mares as they headed off down the street. Dizzy let out a happy sigh, stretching her wings and letting the breeze ruffle her feathers. Pinwheel followed slightly behind her, gazing around at the ponies milling happily down the streets. A blue pegasus trotted alongside a light brown stallion. A burly colt in a stylish white hat clutched a cane in his teeth as he strutted down the sidewalk. A tall, grey colt with shaggy black hair shuffled down the sidewalk, his face hidden by the collar of his trenchcoat. Nopony seemed too concerned about the slaughter and subsequent revival that had happened just a few days ago. But then again, Ponyville had thankfully avoided Pale Hoof’s stew of disasters. The Manehattan Times reported the Cloudsdale was still rebuilding from the gale force winds that assaulted the city.
Finally, they arrived at the spa. Dizzy pushed open the door, throwing a bag of bits down by the register. “Two full treatments, please. Massage and seaweed wrap included!” The pony behind the counter, a smiling pink mare wearing a white headband, snatched up the bits and rang Dizzy up on the register. A second mare, a blue filly with an identical white headband, appeared from a door in the back of the spa.
“Welcome back, Miss Dizzy.” The blue spa pony said in a thick, luxuriant accent, “How are we this fine afternoon?”
“Just fine, Lotus. I’m treating my friend here to a spa day.” Dizzy gestured to Pinwheel, who shuffled her hooves.
“Ah! How generous!” Lotus replied, placing a hoof over her chest, “I will be with you ladies in a moment. Please, take a rest!” Lotus gestured to the plump, cushy chairs lining the lobby. Pinwheel settled down on a low sofa with soothing green upholstery. A small coffee table stood nearby with a basket full of complimentary hot towels. Dizzy picked up a towel and, draping it over her face, lounged back on the sofa.
“I’m telling you, Pinwheel. You haven’t lived until you’ve had a pony pedi at this spa. Lotus is a whiz with a hoof file.” Dizzy sighed, folding her front hooves behind her head. Pinwheel nodded, shuffling through the magazines in a nearby basket.
The little bell above the front door rang and in burst a familiar unicorn. “Ladies, I need a pony pedi, stat!” Pinwheel looked up to see Rarity standing in the lobby. Mud coated her fine white hooves. Letting out a squeal of disgust, Rarity kicked her hooves in the air, as if trying to swat the mud away like a nasty fly. The two spa ponies rushed to her aid, claiming one of the hot towels from the basket and using it to wipe down her hooves. Hooves now clean (but still faintly stained), Rarity let out a sigh of relief. Pulling a small bag of coins out of her saddlebag, Rarity set her payment down on the countertop, “I’ll need my hooves shined and filed. Ugh, I can still see the mud!”
“Hi there, Rarity.” Pinwheel smiled a little, waving to the white unicorn. Rarity paused, glancing over at the sofa.
“Oh, Pinwheel! Hello, my dear. I didn’t know you came to the spa!” Rarity smiled. Aloe rang her up on the register, slipping Rarity’s change back across to her. Rarity nudges the coins into her saddlebag, then crossed the room to see her friend, “Do you make appointments often? Fluttershy and I come every week.”
As if on cue, Fluttershy poked her head through the spa door. “Um…Rarity? Are you all right?”
Rarity smiled at the pegasus. “Just fine now, dear. Once Miss Aloe and Lotus shine up my hooves.” Her smile quickly turned to a frown as she peered at her stained hooves.
Fluttershy entered the lobby, crossing quickly over to Rarity. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know my backyard was going to be so muddy.” She whispered, lowering her head. Her long, pink mane fell across her face.
“It’s not your fault, dear. It’s this spring weather. Sunny, then rainy! The humidity does a number on a girl’s mane.” Rarity fluffed out her mane, “Hm, perhaps I should make a hair appointment while I’m here…”
“Your mane’s lovely, as usual.” Pinwheel interjected. Fluttershy twisted her head around, gaping at Pinwheel.
“Oh! I’m so sorry, Pinwheel! I didn’t even see you there!” Fluttershy apologized, “I’m sorry for not saying hello earlier!”
Pinwheel laughed. “It’s fine, Fluttershy.” Fluttershy nodded, her face hidden by her long mane. Rarity smiled at her friend, gently patting her on the back.
“Well! Since we’re all already here, why don’t we move our spa date up a few days, Fluttershy?” Rarity said. She nodded toward the pony behind the register, “Instead of just a pedi, I’ll have the full treatment. Fluttershy too, of course.”
“The usual.” The mare repeated, ringing the new price up. Rarity placed her bits back on the countertop and settled, beaming, onto a sofa across from Pinwheel and Dizzy. Fluttershy, still blushing, sat down beside her.
“So! Pinwheel, I didn’t peg you as the spa treatment type.” Rarity began, nodding toward Pinwheel. Pinwheel forced a grin, her ears drooping, “But everypony knows the importance of a good cleansing every now and then, no?”
“Uh, no.” Pinwheel repeated. Rarity blinked, surprised, “My friend Dizzy is treating me. This is my first visit to the spa.”
Rarity’s mouth fell open. “First visit! Why, darling, this is a momentous occasion! I guarantee that after you’re acquainted with Miss Aloe’s massage technique, you’ll be coming every week!” The white unicorn clapped her hooves, “What made you decide to come?”
Dizzy removed the hot towel from her face. “She broke up with her coltfriend. I figured a spa day would help her get over it.” Upon hearing the news, Rarity’s smile faded.
“Broke up?” She repeated, “But Pinwheel, you and Sir Pale Hoof seemed so close.”
Pinwheel stared down at the magazine in her lap, rustling through the pages of glossy advertisements. “Yeah. We were. But we…well…I decided that it just wasn’t going to work out. He never really belonged in this world.”
Rarity didn’t speak for a moment, instead gazing down at the floor. Frown lines creased her smooth, white forehead. “Well…” She began, brushing her curls behind her ear, “I hope it’s not because of what happened at the gala.”
Pinwheel’s head snapped up. The magazine fell from her hooves. “What do you mean?” She asked, sweat prickling on her forehead. So far, no newspapers had reported on the murders in the gala garden. Presumably, Pale Hoof restored those four unlucky ponies alongside the hundreds of disaster victims. Still, the thought of anypony knowing what he’d done set Pinwheel’s teeth on edge. As far as anypony knew, he was still gentle old Pale Hoof, creepy yet docile.
Rarity leaned forward in her seat. “Oh, come now. You must have heard what my friends and I did.” She replied. Pinwheel let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding, “Rainbow Dash accidentally smashed a statue, Fluttershy started a stampede, and I…well, let’s just say that Prince Blueblood’s probably still combing the icing out of his mane.”
“Oh. That.” Pinwheel replied, “No, I hadn’t heard of that. We broke up over…something else.”
Rarity laughed in relief. “Well, thank goodness! I would never forgive myself if I knew we’d ruined your romantic evening.” Her smile faded, “Even so, I’m terribly sorry for your break up.”
“It’s fine.” Pinwheel answered.
Rarity’s eyes lit up. “I know all the best gentlecolts in Ponyville. Why don’t I introduce you to some of my male customers? You’ll be back dating in no time!”
Pinwheel grinned, holding up her hooves. “Thanks, but I don’t think I’m…”
The sound of the door bell chiming interrupted her. The four ponies turned to see the newcomer. A tall colt with shaggy black hair poked his head through the door. Between the dark circles under his eyes and the heavy black trench coat he wore, he looked more like a vagabond than a spa patron. Timidly, he pushed the door open, slipping into the lobby. His unshorn fetlocks swept the carpet when he walked. Aloe grimaced at him. “Um…” She began, “Can I help you, sir?”
He stared at Aloe, slack jawed, as though he’d never seen a mare before in his life. He looked around the lobby, scuffing his foot against the carpet. Aloe’s frown deepened. The stallion peered at the four mares out of the corner of his eye. Though the rest of him looked scruffy and unclean, his eyes shone a deep, electric green that stirred something in Pinwheel’s chest. Finally, noticing that Aloe was still waiting on a response, the colt spoke. “YES! WHAT IS THIS FINE ESTABLISHMENT?” He yelled at the top of his voice. Aloe clenched her teeth, covering her ears.
“This is a spa, sir.” Aloe answered, uncovering her ears and peering sidelong at the spa door as if hoping her sister would intervene, “I could set you up for an appointment, if you like.”
“AH, YES. SPAS. I HAVE HEARD OF THEM!”
“Please stop yelling, sir.” Aloe asked, her voice barely a squeak.
The stallion frowned deeply. “OH! I AM…I mean…I am sorry. I have TROUBLE controlling the VOLUME OF my VOICE!” Pinwheel’s teeth rattled in her head. She glanced sidelong at Dizzy, who scowled at the tall colt as if he’d shot her dog.
“Geez, Aloe. Throw that guy out, will you?” Dizzy asked, rolling her eyes, “I didn’t come here to have some hobo scream in my face.”
The colt stared at her. “Hobo? I am NO HOBO!”
“Please, sir! This is a place of relaxation! Keep your voice down!” Aloe begged, “If you keep yelling, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
“Sister? What is all this yelling?” Lotus emerged from the back room, fluffy white towels loaded on her back. Spotting the grey colt, she set her stack of towels aside and stomping over him, “Are you the one screaming at the top of your lungs? You’re disturbing our clients!”
The grey stallion stumbled back, eyes shifting from side to side. Somehow, all his expressions looked odd – like they didn’t quite fit on his face. His green eyes, striking as they were, skittered around in his skull as though he didn’t have full control over them. His mouth twitched strangely, lips curling back to reveal yellowed teeth. All in all, his face looked like a poorly fitted suit. He wore it, yes, but it was always either too tight or too loose.
“I…I am sorry.” The grey colt replied, his voice suddenly low and soft, “I will be on my way, then…” Just as quickly as he’d arrived, the grey colt turned and left, slamming the door shut behind him. Aloe let out a sigh of relief. Smiling, Lotus nodded and returned to the back room. Rarity, Dizzy, Fluttershy, and Pinwheel all exchanged glances.
“Well, he was certainly a strange gentleman.” Rarity concluded, crossing and uncrossing her back hooves.
“That’s why Ponyville needs anti-vagrancy laws. Colt was probably on the salt lick.” Dizzy replied, stretching her legs.
Fluttershy frowned at the door. “Poor thing. I hope he has a place to sleep for the night.”
Rarity touched Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Now, now, Fluttershy. You can’t bring vagrants home like stray animals. He might be dangerous.”
Pinwheel ignored the other three mares, instead staring steadily at the front door. Although he was already long gone, the colt had left a sort of shadow behind him. The space in front of the door felt off, as if his presence had stained it. Dizzy caught her staring and clapped her hooves. “Hello? Equestria to Pinwheel! Are you there, Pinwheel?” Pinwheel blinked hard.
“Sorry.” Pinwheel blushed, picking her magazine back up off the floor, “I got lost in thought.”
Dizzy looked at the door, then back at Pinwheel. “What, that weird colt?”
Pinwheel’s blush deepened. “What about him?”
“You were staring at the door like you wanted him to come back.” Dizzy peered at Pinwheel slyly, “What, did you think he was cute?”
Pinwheel’s face seared bright red. “Of…of course not! Did you see his face? He was creepy!” Pinwheel insisted, jamming her muzzle deep between the pages of the magazine, “Geez, Dizzy. Are you trying to set me up with a hobo or something?”
Dizzy laughed, slapping Pinwheel on the back. Shortly after, Lotus re-emerged from the back room. “The sauna is ready, ladies!” Setting their magazines and used towels aside, the four ponies rose from their sofas and followed the blue mare back into the spa.
“It was fun going to the spa with you!”
Pinwheel and Dizzy waved goodbye to Fluttershy and Rarity. Overhead, the sky turned a kaleidoscope of colors – red, orange, periwinkle, blue. The clouds on the horizon colored pink as the evening closed around them. Fluttershy and Rarity waved back as they peeled away, heading off in the opposite direction of Dizzy and Pinwheel. Sweet Apple Acres, where Pinwheel’s cottage stood, was clear on the other side of town from Rarity’s boutique and Fluttershy’s cottage. As Fluttershy and Rarity disappeared behind a corner, Pinwheel turned toward Dizzy. “So, how do I look?” Pinwheel turned in a circle. The hairstylist at the spa had spent near on an hour styling Pinwheel’s mane. Shiny, saucer-sized ringlets framed her face. Pinwheel shook her head, enjoying the light bounce of her hair. Dizzy grinned.
“You look like a million bits, Pin.” She answered. Her mane sat piled atop her head in a stylish bun. After hours of washing and conditioning, her coat was as shiny as cut glass, “Lotus and Aloe run a pretty good business, don’t they?”
“That’s for sure.”
The two ponies walked in stride across town. All around them, streetlights began flickering on, washing the cobblestone street in silver light. Stars pierced the darkening sky like pinpricks. They laughed quietly in the shadowy streets, playing with each other’s hair and cracking jokes. Dizzy walked Pinwheel all the way to her cottage door, where her pinwheel garden rattled in the cool evening wind.
“Are you feeling better?” Dizzy asked as they stood on Pinwheel’s porch. The last hints of daylight had sunken below the horizon. An owl hooted in the nearby orchard. Pinwheel smiled softly, nodding. Dizzy smiled back, “Pinwheel, before you go, there’s something I wanted to tell you.”
“Yeah?” Pinwheel paused, propping the screen door open with her hoof.
“These last few months, I’ve been kind of hard on you.” Dizzy frowned down at the porch, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof, “But it’s just because I’ve been worried about you, all right? When you died that first time, well…I was so torn up, I couldn’t even eat.”
Pinwheel reached out, lifting Dizzy’s chin with a hoof. “Hey, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. I’ve been a jerk and I admit it. But losing your best friend isn’t easy. And when you started hanging out with the Grim Reaper himself, well...”
“You don’t need to say anything else, Dizzy. I understand.”
“I didn’t mean to act like a big old jerkface. I just thought my best friend was in danger.” Dizzy finished. Then, forcing a smile, she met Pinwheel’s eyes, “You know, maybe you should take Rarity up on her offer. She could introduce you to a lot of nice guys. She’s definitely got an eye for class.”
Pinwheel wilted. “I don’t know. Not yet.”
“When you’re ready, I mean.”
Pinwheel shrugged. “Maybe.”
Dizzy nodded. “I’ll see you later, Pin.”
Pinwheel beamed at Dizzy. “Later.” With that, she turned and entered her house. Shutting the screen door behind her, she could hear the creaking of her porch as Dizzy trotted down the rickety old stairs. Pinwheel let out a sigh. Heading down the hall toward her bedroom, she paused and tried the guest bedroom door. It creaked open to reveal the room, exactly as it had been before Pale Hoof made the portal. Her furniture sat right where it usually did, as if nothing had changed. Drooping her head, she continued on past the door. A week had passed since her fight with Pale Hoof. Pinwheel could barely bring herself to think of it. The memories – seeing Pale Hoof fight and nearly kill the Princess – stung in her minds’ eye. Even so, a part of her kept hoping the portal would return, even though she knew better. Leaving the bedroom portal open would just be temptation, for Pinwheel and Pale Hoof both. Head drooped, Pinwheel continued down the hall.
Closing the bedroom door behind her, Pinwheel regarded herself in her mirror. Picking up a brush, she combed the hairspray out of her hair. Her mane fell back into its natural place – straight and long around her cheeks. With a deep sigh, she set the brush back down on her dresser and climbed into bed.
Just as she closed her eyes, a shadow flickered across her bedroom window. Pinwheel jerked upright, rushing to the window and pushing it open. Her yard was still, save for the rattle of her pinwheels. An owl hooted in a nearby tree. “Must have been the owl.” Pinwheel muttered to herself, drawing back from the window. Vividly, she remembered her second date with Pale Hoof, when he showed up outside this same window standing atop a pile of bones.
However, just as she turned to climb back into bed, she caught something out of the corner of her eye. There, on the far side of the road, half hidden in the apple trees, was a silhouette. A tall, slim figure stood underneath the branches, directly facing her bedroom window. Growling, Pinwheel charged at the window. “HEY!” The silhouette jerked behind the tree, “Hey, I saw you!” No response. Pinwheel pushed away from the window, galloping down the hall toward her front door.
She got there just in time to see his flank vanishing around the corner. His long, black coat whipped around his thighs, obscuring his cutie mark. “Hey!” Pinwheel shouted from her porch, but he did not stop, “Hey, wait!”
There was only one pony in Ponyville who’d wear a heavy coat like that in spring.
For some reason, the hobo was stalking her.