“Permanent Vacation”
Green Isn’t Your Color or Unf, Nuff Said
I groan. “Dammit! And this was one of my favorite shirts too!” As I was pulling out a t-shirt with the design of the TARDIS front doors, it caught on the corner of the drawer and ripped a large hole down the side of it.
“I really want to laugh at your misfortune right now, but can’t bring myself to do it since I liked that shirt too.”
I hold up the shirt, the hole running the length of the left side. “I can’t wear this now! I’ll look like a freaking idiot in public with this! How am I supposed to get this fixed?”
“Uh, hello? There’s one very gorgeous tailor in town who would probably fix this for free. Let’s go mooch off her generosity!”
I frown. “Really now, mooching off a friend?”
“Oh please, don’t act like you haven’t done it before.”
I shake my head, throwing on another t-shirt with the Aperture Science logo and slogan on it on. I grab the torn shirt. “I’m not saying that. It’s just that I don’t want to rely on them for everything that happens in my life.”
“They’re our friends. We should be able to go to them when any issue or problem arises.”
I raise an eyebrow as I walk out the front door. “Shouldn’t our roles be reversed in this scenario? Usually I’m the one who’s trying to get you to see my point of view.”
“Oh God!”
I chuckle as I head towards Carousel Boutique. “Maybe I should start making sexual innuendoes, see how you like it?”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Hmm, maybe Rainbow likes her meat thick and— Hey! Wait a minute!” I facepalm. Can’t believe I almost walked into that!
“Ha! Almost had you there!”
I groan. “Alright, alright, you had your fun. Can I enjoy my walk now?”
“Yeah, sure. I got some important work to do anyway. And before you ask, don’t ask or I’ll have to kill you, which will kill me, so… Don’t ask.”
The rest of my trip is spent in peace and quiet. It’s such a beautiful day out that I can’t understand how anyone could stay indoors, let alone hate it. Upon reaching Carousel Boutique, I push open the door, a little bell announcing my arrival. It seems I am not the only one to visit Rarity today since Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy are here as well. I double take at the sight of Fluttershy in a beautiful flowing dress that still accentuates her natural curves, whistling under my breath the entire time. “Damn…” I shake myself out of my stupor.
“Oh, hello there, Blake. You’re just in time to witness my newest fashion line take off around Equestria! Of course, none of this would be possible with the help of Fluttershy.”
I nod my head, looking at Fluttershy. “You look great, Shy. You ever think of being a professional model, because I can see you being one.”
Fluttershy blushes and hides behind her hair. “Really? You asking Fluttershy, the shyest mare around, if she ever wanted to be a professional model?” Twilight says.
I shrug my shoulders. “Hey, just thought I’d ask.”
Rarity looks at the clock on the wall. “Oh, would you look at the time! Photo Finish is bound to be here any minute!”
Twilight and I tilt our heads to the side. “Photo Finish?”
“She is only the most influential photographer in all of Equestria. She can make or break an entire fashion line in minutes.”
I jerk my head towards Fluttershy. “So that’s why you’re having Shy here. She is modeling your line, right?” Rarity nods her head. “So what are these two doing here?” I point at Twilight and Spike.
Twilight motions to herself. “I’m here because Rarity wanted a second opinion on her newest line.”
Spike shrugs his shoulders. “I’m here cause, ya know, whatever.” I smirk. Way to act cool there, Spike.
“Now that you’re here, Blake, could you give me your opinion on Fluttershy’s outfit?” Rarity bats her eyelashes at me, earning a scowl from Spike.
I stare at Fluttershy, who shifts uncomfortably in my gaze. I rub my chin. “I can’t offer much, just that it looks great. Sorry I can’t offer more.”
Rarity sighs. “Well, it was worth a shot I guess,” Her eyes glance at the shirt in my hand, “Do you need something, dearie?”
I hold the shirt out. “Yeah, I found out this shirt has a hole in it. Could you fix it up when you have the time?”
Rarity opens up the shirt, her fingers poking up through the hole. “Of course I can fix this. I’ll have it done for you right away.”
“Great,” I reach into my pocket and pull out some bits, “How much do I owe you for this?”
Rarity waves her hand. “Please, keep your money. I’m more than happy to do this for free.”
“Rarity, I desperately want to pay you for this.”
Rarity sighs. “Oh, if you insist. How about say… ten bits for my time?”
I hold out the bits. “Deal.”
She magically levitates them as the door to the Boutique slams open, causing everyone to turn to the noise. Standing there is a… I’m gonna say a pale cerulean mare with greyish hair being flanked by two other mares. “I, Photo Finish… Have Arrived.” Although Rarity can’t see it, I smirk at the feeling of bits going into my back pocket.
Rarity rushes out in front of us. “Miss Photo Finish, it is such a pleasure that you could make it. I am looking forward –”
Photo holds her hand up. “Neit! A photo shoot is what I am here for, not zis small talk!” Photo snaps her finger. One of her entourage runs to her side, carrying a tripod mounted camera. Photo practically bowels over Twilight, Spike, and I to setup her camera in front of Fluttershy. Stepping back, she looks up at Fluttershy. “Now we make… DE MAGIKS! BEGIN!”
“Give us something fierce, Fluttershy!” Rarity encourages Fluttershy from the sidelines.
Fluttershy strikes a pose, only for Photo to shake her head. “No! Ze beauty is lost, gone forever!” Fluttershy hangs her head, looking away from us while rubbing her arm. I notice Photo’s eyebrows rise. “Perfect.” Her camera clicks away in a rapid fire pace.
I clap my hands and whoop. “Work that dress, girl! Pretend you’re with your animal friends and show us some happiness!”
A serene smile crosses Fluttershy’s face as she does a little twirl, sashaying back and forth while humming to herself. Photo groans. “Stop! Zis is unacceptable! Nopony wants to see zis!” Fluttershy shrinks back from Photo’s outburst. She places her hands behind her back and looks at the ground, lightly kicking at the stage with her hoof. Again, Photo’s camera goes off to capture the moment.
Twilight claps her hands. “You’re doing great, Fluttershy! Give us—”
Photo claps her hands, one of the aides rushing up to pack up the camera. “Ze moment is gone. We shoot in ze park later. And now… I GO!” She strides out the door, her aides right behind her.
We stand there, staring at the door, till Fluttershy breaks the silence. “Um… Am I the only one who thinks that didn’t go so well?”
Spike shakes his head. “You ain’t the only one, Shy.”
I scoff and cross my arms. “Bitch…” I mumble under my breath.
“What was that, Blake?” Twilight asks.
“I called her a bitch behind her back.”
Rarity flinches slightly. “While I will admit Photo Finish did seem a little… harsh in her judgments, she was only doing her job.”
I shake my head. “I get that it’s her job to judge fashion lines, but does she really have to come off as being harsh?” I sigh and hold up a hand, “Don’t answer that.”
Rarity frowns and glances at the door. “Oh, I do hope she liked my designs.”
“Well, Photo did want to do another shoot in the park so she must have seen something she liked.”
I head towards the door. “Well, I ain’t sticking around any longer. I wish you the best of luck today, Rarity and Fluttershy.”
“Thank you, dearie. I’ll be sure to return your clothes to you when I’m finished with them.”
I stop at the frame of the door, smirking. “And Rarity?”
“Hmm?”
I reach into my back pocket and fish out the bits Rarity put there, casually flicking them over my shoulder. “You may want to raise your pickpocketing skill a bit more next time, mkay?” Before Rarity can protest, I walk out the door and head for home. I may as well spend the rest of the day making a dessert or two from that cookbook of Pinkie’s.
Within the following weeks, Fluttershy skyrocketed to the top of the fashion model world. Thanks to Photo Finish, she became the envy of mares everywhere and the object of affection for many a stallion. And I must include myself in the latter part of that statement, which is why I’m sprinting to the magazine stand set up in town this early in the morning. The latest photo shoot of Fluttershy just came out last night in the Caterlot Inquirer, and I wanted to be the first person to get a copy before they sold out… Again.
“I told you we should have been camping out for this!”
“Doesn’t matter, there isn’t a line here yet!”
I rush up to the stand right as the stallion running the joint opens up for business. I snatch a copy of the Canterlot Inquirer and slam some bits on the counter. “One copy of the Canterlot Inquirer!”
The stallion flinches slightly from my shout while taking the offered bits. “Thank you. Have a—”
I clutch the magazine to my chest. “Yeah, sure, don’t care, thanks, bye!” I practically skip home with my prize in hand. It doesn’t take me long to get there and promptly lock myself in my room for the next few hours. Which is probably what I would have done if I didn’t show some self-restraint and stash the magazine in a desk drawer.
“Aww. But I wanted to have some fun tonight!”
I shake my head and laugh. “You should know the buildup is the best part. We’ll get to it eventually.”
“Fine, but what do you intend to do for the rest of the day?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I’m thinking of breaking out some classic games today. Any suggestions?”
“How far back are we talking here?”
I open my closet door and pull out some boxes filled with classic games and systems. “Anything from the PlayStation Two and back.”
“We limited on the number of games?”
“Eh, depends on the games in question.”
“Then I suggest one of the overlooked games from the Nintendo Sixty-Four.”
After putting the other boxes away, I grab the box with the Sixty-Four inside and carry it to the living room. “And that would be what, since many a game was overlooked.”
“From Rare comes a game that you couldn’t beat as a child, has a dog in a tank suit, and bug blood splattering across planets in the galaxy, it’s—”
I smirk and setup the system, nodding my head in approval. “Jet Force Gemini. Nice! I haven’t played that in a long time!”
“Exactly! Now fire that bad boy up and let’s squash some bugs!”
Even though I’ve been away from it for a while, the control scheme quickly came back to me as I rampaged across the galaxy. Of course, there were a few bumps in my journey but that is to be expected with anything. I throw my hands up in the air and shout over my latest conquest, a giant slug like drone in a tunnel of lava. The best part? I killed it with the weakest weapon in the game, an empty pistol with blanks for ammo. “That’s how we do it!”
“That wasn’t skill and you know it!”
I save my progress so far just as a barely perceptible knock comes from the front door. “Coming!” I shut down the game and head to the front door. Opening it, I see Fluttershy in a hoodie with the hood up and sunglasses covering her eyes. “What’s up, Fluttershy?”
She flinches slightly, looking behind her for something. “Um… Can I talk with you inside? Please?”
“Score!”
I step off the side and motion inside. “Yes, you may. Have a seat in the kitchen.”
She rushes inside. Before I shut the door, I glance around outside. Not a single soul on the streets. Heading into the kitchen, I go over to the stove and fire up one of the burners. Placing a tea kettle on it, I turn to Fluttershy. “Would you like some tea? I got chai, chamomile, and green tea, all from the personal suggestion of Celestia.” It’s true. Celestia sent me some from someplace in Canterlot to, as she put it in her letter, relax my possibly frayed nerves.
“Oh, green tea will be fine. Um…” She looks out the window, “Can you close the curtains, please? If you want to, that is.”
I raise an eyebrow, but don’t object. After that, I go to a cabinet and pull out two teacups, letting our respective drinks seep into the water. Placing Fluttershy’s cup in front of her, I take my seat across from her. “So, what’s on your mind?” I calmly take a sip of my tea.
She pulls the hood down and takes off the glasses, sighing the entire time. “You’ve heard about my latest career choice, right?” She takes a sip of her tea, visibly relaxing as its soothing properties affect her.
I nod my head. “Yes, I’ve heard of the rise of Equestria’s next top model. You’re all the rage in the headlines right now, and for good reason.”
“Well… You see… I…” She mumbles something under her breath.
I lean forward in my seat. “What was that?
She shrinks away. “I really…” Again, more mumbling.
“One more time, only this time a bit louder.”
Her head shoots up. “I really hate being a model!”
I lean back in my seat, taking another sip of my tea. “And why is that? You’re most likely getting paid a pretty penny, you get to travel the world, and you’re an idol to some. So, what’s there to hate?”
Fluttershy throws her hand out. “Everything! I hate being the center of attention and I don’t get to spend any time to myself or with my friends anymore! I’m so frustrated I could yell!” She takes a deep breath before letting out the quietest scream in existence.
“My god, that was adorably cute.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Better?”
She sighs. “No. But I don’t know what to do anymore.”
I lean forward. “Well, why don’t you just quit? It’s not like you’re being forced to stay a model, unless you signed a contract.”
She shakes her head. “I can’t, and not because of a contract. Rarity would be so upset that I’m not staying a model after all the support she’s given me.”
I bite my lip and look away. I could just tell her how Rarity feels about this and get it over with. But… the Pinkie Promise weighs heavily on my mind.
“You made no such promise, so you should be good.”
“Are you willing to take that risk? What if Rarity already told Twilight her feelings? I could create an issue right there since, in some way, I would be breaking a Pinkie Promise! Rarity would assume Twilight said something and wouldn’t trust her anymore!”
“FOREVER! Hey, my voice is all echoey in here! Echo, echo!”
My eyes widen. “Holy shit.”
“I’m really fucking scared now.”
“You still willing to take that risk now?”
“I’m just gonna huddle in the corner for a while, armed to the teeth with weapons while calling the exorcist.”
I rub my chin in thought, falling back to my old motto of everything in life has a loophole. There has got to be a loophole for this Pinkie Promise somewhere, I just gotta figure out what. I mentally snap my fingers. If I get Fluttershy to confront Rarity with her feelings, then the Pinkie Promise won’t be broken because I never revealed Rarity’s feelings! “Fluttershy, have you actually asked Rarity how she feels about your modeling career?”
“Well, no. Should I?”
I nod my head. “Yes. Rarity is our friend. She wants us to be happy with everything we do, and should support us no matter what our decision should be. Rarity is trying to make you happy by helping you in any way she can. If you aren’t happy modeling, I’m sure Rarity would understand.”
Fluttershy brushes her hair out of her eyes. “You really think so?”
I nod my head. “Positive. We all want to see each other happy and will do anything to help others be happy.”
Fluttershy looks down at her tea. “But what if Rarity wants me to keep being a model?”
I grab her hand and squeeze it, causing her to look at me. “I can promise that Rarity will not do or say anything like that.”
“Pinkie Promise?”
“Do it and you sign your death wish.”
“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” I do the motions for each line.
“Welp, it was nice knowing ya!”
“Should I go talk to her now?”
I nod. “Yes. The sooner this is resolved, the better for everyone.”
Fluttershy rubs her arm. “Um, could you come with me? Please?” She looks half at me, half at the wall.
I down the rest of my tea. “Sure, Rarity should be done with my shirt anyway. And I could help you disguise yourself better so we don’t run into any paparazzi along the way.”
She looks directly at me. “Really?”
I smirk. “Do you really doubt me? Finish up your drink while I get something.” Standing up, I head into my room and grab my disguise kit. Heading back, I slide it across the table towards Fluttershy. “Use my disguise kit till we reach the Boutique.”
She gingerly picks up the kit and opens it up. She looks up from her disguise selection. “Um, who should I choose?”
I drum my fingers on the table. “If we’re gonna make this believable, we need someone who could logically be seen with me, who wouldn’t be walking around town at this hour less we run into them, and who you can imitate.”
She looks down at the screen. “How about Spike?” I notice the slightest hint of excitement in her voice, possibly from the fact she’d get to be a dragon, in the figurative sense.
I rock my head back and forth. “Eh, possible. But can you imitate his mannerisms?”
“No. I mean, I haven’t tried to…”
“Then how about Big Mac? He’s probably in the fields working, could be seen with me, and the only two words you really have to say are eeyup and eenope.”
“If it’s okay with you, I really want to try being Spike.”
I shrug my shoulders. “Okay then, go for it. Just let me do most of the talking then.”
She goes to press the disguise, but pauses, her finger hovering over the screen. “What if I can’t do it? What if I’m discovered?”
I smile. “I have faith in you, Shy. If you say you can do it, I believe you. Besides, I’ll be right beside you every step of the way.”
With a smile on her face, she presses the screen, the mask popping out the bottom. She slowly pulls it on over her head. I raise an eyebrow as nothing changes.
“Um, did it work?” Her hands shoot to her mouth. “Oh my, it really did! I sound just like Spike!”
I scratch the back of my head. “Agent, care to explain?”
“After our little test with Twilight, I modified the kit so that you wouldn’t be affected by anyone else wearing a disguise so we don’t have any friendly fire incidents.”
“Smart man.”
I shrug my shoulders. “You still sound the same, but that’s supposed to happen. Well, for me at least.”
She tilts her head. “Then how do you know if it’s working?”
“We don’t, but I have the Cloak and Dagger with as backup for us.”
“Okay, if you say it’s working, then I believe you.”
I chuckle. “Trust me, people will only see Spike walking down the street. After all, you should look like him.”
“Really?!”
I hold my hands up, motioning for her to calm down. “Relax, take a deep breath before we go any further.”
“Oh, um, sorry.”
I raise an eyebrow and cross my arms. “Spike? You’re starting to act like Fluttershy there.”
She looks directly at me. “Oh. Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I got a little carried away?”
I nod my head. “Better, but try to keep your pitch and tone of voice the same. You got a little higher pitched at the end.” She starts to hang her head, but I hold my hands out and shake them. “No, you’re doing great. Just let me do most of the talking along the way, okay?”
She nods her head. “Can we get going? I feel weird wearing this. Not that I don’t like it, it’s just… strange.”
I jerk my head towards the door. Heading over to it, I open it and glance outside. A few ponies here and there, but nothing too extreme. Leaning back in, I whisper, “Just follow my lead and stay close to me.” She nods her head.
We left, waving to the couple of ponies already out and about. Fluttershy handled that really well, though she couldn’t hide the flinch every time she had to wave back. I thought passing the library would be the hardest part since, ya know, Spike lives there and all, but fate seems to be going my way today.
“This is actually kind of… Fun, in a way.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Oh really? Why, if I may ask?”
Fluttershy sighs. “For once, I get to be somepony else, not the shy, quiet pushover to everypony. Some days, I wish to be somepony different, if only for a day. With this disguise, I can do just that.”
I point down an alley. “Down there, now.” Fluttershy is hesitant to follow me at first, but rushes up beside me anyway. With nobody looking down the alley, I reach out and lift the mask from her face.
She gasps. “Blake, what are you—”
I place a finger to her lips. “Hush. I’m going to tell you something right now, and I want you to listen.” I cup her chin, “Don’t ever change who you really are.”
“But—”
I hold up the mask. “Do you see this mask? That’s all it is, a mask. This allows you to be somebody else, maybe even the person you want to be. But you really hide yourself from the world. With the mask on, I can see everybody. But without it, I only see one you, the beautiful, kind, and caring mare that I am proud to call my friend.”
Fluttershy sniffles, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “But, I want to be somepony brave, somepony like Rainbow Dash.”
I brush some hair out of her eyes. “Were you afraid when you faced that dragon up on the mountain?” She nods her head. “You still stood up to it, didn’t you?” Again, her head nods. “That right there is true bravery, being able to face your fears, something that not many can do. It’s what makes you the strongest of all of us.”
Fluttershy wraps her arms around me, still sniffling. “Thank you. I… I never thought of it like that before.”
I return the hug until she calms down and steps back. I put my hand on her shoulder. “You’re welcome, truly. What did you learn today?”
She wipes her eyes. “I learned to not try to change myself to be somepony I’m not.”
I nod my head. “Good. Understand though that it’s okay to have some changes, but never fully change who you are to make someone else happy, okay?” She nods her head and I hand her back the mask. “Now, let’s go see Rarity.”
We walk out of the alley, Fluttershy holding her head high. The market seems to have picked up since my trip this morning. Ponies bustle around, grabbing daily necessities for the coming days. Other ponies, however, are scanning the streets, cameras in hand. I glance at Fluttershy every so often to see how she’s doing, which is surprisingly well. “We’re almost there, then we can finally resolve this.”
“Good morning, Blake! I see you managed to get Spike up.”
Fluttershy and I freeze. Oh, you have got to be kidding me! Taking a deep breath, I turn around and smile. “Twilight! A good morning to you too! What brings you out here?”
“I’m picking up some food and supplies for the library. But now that Spike is here,” Twilight looks at Fluttershy, presumably at the height where Spike would normally be standing, “Would you care for a treat from Sugercube Corner, Spike?”
I mentally cross my fingers, praying that Fluttershy is able to properly mimic Spike. Fluttershy shakes her head. “Sorry, Twilight, but Blake and I already went to Sugercube Corner this morning.”
Twilight nods her head. “Okay then. Do you at least want to help me finish my shopping?”
I can’t believe Twilight is actually buying this! I really want to see how far we can go with this, but I need to nip this conversation in the bud right now. “Actually, Twilight, Spike and I are on our way to Rarity’s to see if she needs help with anything.”
Twilight smiles and rolls her eyes. “Alright, just make sure you don’t get into any trouble.”
I smirk. “What are you, my mother?” We all laugh. “Don’t worry, Twilight, I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Twilight walks off, waving over her shoulder. “Okay, have fun you two!”
Fluttershy and I wave back. “You know it!” Once Twilight is out of hearing range, I relax. “That was a little too close.”
Fluttershy giggles. “I can’t believe that worked.”
“Yeah, I know. Now, let’s get out of here before someone else talks to us. Or before Twilight gets home and finds Spike still sleeping.”
We leave the now bustling marketplace behind us. The market must be the hotspot today, since the rest our trip is devoid of life, save for a couple of ponies here and there. As the Boutique comes into sight, I glance at Fluttershy. “So, you ready to tell your feelings to Rarity?”
She glances up towards the Boutique, rubbing her arm. She looks at me before nodding her head. “As long as you’re there to support me.”
I chuckle. “If I didn’t want to help you, I wouldn’t be here. Now, I’m sure you’re eager to get rid of that disguise, so let’s go inside and finish this.” Opening the door, we step inside.
“Coming!” Rarity yells from upstairs. She comes down the steps, smiling even brighter at the sight of us. “Spike! Blake! How nice to see both of you! Sorry I haven’t been particularly social lately. I’ve… Had a lot on my mind lately with my latest fashion line.”
I shrug my shoulders. “Hey, it’s cool. I’m just checking up on my shirt from before.”
Rarity tilts her head to the side. “Hmm?” Her eyes widen. “Oh, yes, of course. Sorry I wasn’t able to return it to you sooner.” She levitates the folded shirt over from a table in the corner of the room. “Here you go, dearie, good as new.”
I raise an eyebrow as I pat the shirt. “And I trust I’m not gonna find ten bits hiding in it somewhere, am I?”
Rarity chuckles. “Of course not, dearie. After you insisted I keep them, I put them towards Fluttershy and I’s weekly spa trip.”
Time to test the waters here. “Well, I hope the trip was relaxing and rejuvenating for the both of you.”
Rarity sighs. “It was, but I wish Fluttershy was there. She’s been so busy with her modeling career that there really isn’t any time for us anymore, even though the only reason—”
I hold my hand out. “Hold on a second now. Rarity, could I talk to you in the kitchen?”
“I don’t see why not.” She leads me to her kitchen, out of earshot of Fluttershy. “What is it you wanted to talk about?”
“Whatever you hear after this talk, I want you to promise me you won’t get mad.”
She tilts her head. “Whatever do you mean?”
I place a hand on her shoulder. “Please, promise me this.”
She sighs. “Alright, dearie, I promise to not get upset.”
I nod my head. “Good. Now, let’s go back to Spike.” Going back into the main room, Fluttershy looks at us while shifting uneasily from hoof to hoof. “Fluttershy, you wanted to say something to Rarity?”
“Fluttershy?” Rarity gasps as Fluttershy takes off the disguise. “Fluttershy! Whatever were you doing disguised as Spike?”
Fluttershy sighs. “Rarity, I don’t…” She hesitates, glancing towards me. I smile and nod my head, prompting her to continue, “I don’t want to be a model anymore.” She closes her eyes and tenses up.
“But Fluttershy dear, why ever would you want to quit? I thought you loved it.”
“No. I hate every single thing about it. I never get any time alone anymore, I can’t spend time with my friends, and I can’t even go out in public without everypony harassing me!”
“Don’t forget about the massive amount of publicity you’re getting throughout Equestria, which is why the magazine stand is the most popular place in town.” Hey, I figured I needed to chime in on this.
Fluttershy throws her hand towards me. “See?”
Rarity hangs her head. “I had no idea you felt like that, Fluttershy.” I raise an eyebrow. Being shy is kinda her things. Seriously, it’s in her name for God’s sake. How could you miss it?
Fluttershy gasps. “Oh my. Rarity, I’m so sorry for making you upset. Oh, I never should have said anything.”
Rarity looks up at Fluttershy, shaking her head. “No need to apologize. It should be I who should be apologizing to you.”
I make a rolling motion with my hand. “Continue…”
“Since we are being honest, I too will admit that I have been hiding my true feelings. Ever since your career skyrocketed, ponies have only been focusing on you and not my fashion designs. I felt a little betrayed and jealous about this entire affair.”
Fluttershy tilts her head. “Oh. But you didn’t act any different towards me.”
Rarity sighs. “I pushed that aside because you seemed so happy, and I didn’t want to ruin your new lifestyle. I shouldn’t let personal feelings get between our friendship.”
I clap my hands, causing both of them to look at me. “Okay, both of you have spoken and heard the feelings of the other. At this point, the only logical course of action is…?” I raise an eyebrow and look at Fluttershy.
Fluttershy plays with a lock of her hair. “Um, Rarity? I’m going to quit being a model.”
Rarity smiles. “If that’s what is going to make you happy, then I’ll support you every step of the way.” She walks over and pulls Fluttershy into a hug. “I’m so sorry for putting you through all this. Can you ever forgive me?”
Fluttershy returns the hug. “Of course I can. And thank you, Rarity.” She then turns to me. “Thank you too, Blake, for talking me into coming out here and helping me. I don’t know what I was so worried about.”
I nod my head. “Happy to help my friends. Anything else you wanna say?”
Fluttershy smiles. “Yes. Rarity, would you be willing to have our spa date now?”
Rarity returns the smile. “Why, I do believe I can make room in my day for a friend. And if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to invite along someone else.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t mind it if you do.”
“Well then. Blake, would you be willing to join us?” Rarity bats her eyelashes at me.
I scratch the back of my head. “Ehh, I don’t know. Going to the spa really isn’t a guy thing to do.”
“Come now, dearie, I’m sure you need a good relaxation as much as we do.”
“Yeah, but I could get relax by going home and reading a good book…” I shake my head, “Wow, really sounded like Twilight there for a second. I’m in.”
Rarity claps her hands. “Wonderful! Let me just close up shop and we can be on our way.” She grabs a purse from a nearby table and heads to the door. She stops right in front of it and turns to me. “You do realize I’m paying for all of us.”
I chuckle and nod my head. “Yeah. And this time, I ain’t even gonna argue with you.”
Fluttershy raises her hand. “Umm, before we go… Should I really wear this still?” She holds up the mask of Spike.
I shrug my shoulders. “It’s entirely up to you. If you don’t wear it, Rarity and I will protect you from overzealous fans. And trust me,” I crack my knuckles, “I mean it.”
Rarity puts a hand under her chin and looks at Fluttershy. “I do believe that putting the hood up will suffice for being an effective disguise. From a distance, that is.”
Fluttershy swiftly pulls the hood up, her long hair somewhat poking out from the front where it spills out. “I’m okay with that. Just… Can we get there as fast as possible, please?”
“Of course, dearie. Now come, we must get to the spa before Aloe and Lotus decide to go on break.” With that, Rarity steps out the door with us close behind her.
“I’m already revoking your guy card for going to a spa. You are a disgrace to me.”
“They’ll be wearing towels only,” I think in a singsong way. Well, I can relax and enjoy the show, no?
“Two of the hottest mares in town wearing towels only… All is forgiven! Ten points to Blake Quinter!”
I smirk. “Glad you see it my way.”