//------------------------------// // A Rare Experience // Story: Bucky and Kicks Take A Holiday // by The Master Eraser //------------------------------// Rarity hummed to herself as she applied the lotion to her bare skin. Her horn's glow added an arcane glisten in the dimly lit room. Rarity had taken the middle of the week as a working vacation in Manehattan, and she never missed a chance to drop by the Put Up Your Hooves Spa. Tonight she was luxuriating in the full treatment: the Take Off Your Coat and Put Up Your Hooves package. She lay on a deluxe red velvet chaise lounge, and as the lotion soaked into her now clammy skin, she thought about her hooves. They were in the next room over, being polished, waxed, and detailed with curlicue floral patterns. At the moment, her forelegs ended at the wrists, and her hind legs ended at the ankles. Her coat, meanwhile, was two doors down, being vacuumed, shampooed, and conditioned to within an inch of its life. She always wondered how they got it off in one piece; if she still had her hide on, what connected the hairs? She shook her head, and smiled at the mirror. Without her mane and tailhair, she looked like a big-eared foal. Concentrating, she summoned the four pointed glass tubes from beside the lounge. Extending her right foreleg stump, she hovered the first tube onto it. It fit like a boot. The left glass fore prosthetic was as comfortable a fit, and she scooted forward, putting half her weight on the stiletto points. She levitated the rear glass hooves into place, noting the unusual feeling as her usually unencumbered hocks took the remainder of her weight. She posed. The mirror showed a totally bald unicorn on smoky violet glass points smaller than a doe's dainty hooves. Almost perfect. But she was still indecent. A pony without her coat was nude, and a true lady should never be rude, crude, or nude in company. A silk fichu hovered around her neck, and a decorative cloth saddle with undercloth covered her back and rump. At last, she cast the spell she'd practiced for two weeks: a shimmering wave of light sprung from her bare spine, running from just behind her horn all the way down to her tail. It was inspired by the spines on Spike's head and back, and she had to admit the exotic fringe of illusion wisping in the ethereal breeze made her look like some untamed beast. What Fluttershy might think were she to see this! The illusory tail covered her indecency perfectly. It was time. She stepped into The Eraser Club's main entry hall, her magical mane rippling boldly. She took a stance, balanced on three points as she lifted one glass forehoof dramatically. Those that still could, stamped their fore hooves in applause. These ponies could really appreciate art. -- - Rarity was milling about with other body art aficionados, discussing accessory crafters such as Glazing Saddles, the glassblower who'd provided her with the exquisite legs. Suddenly, a feral yowl pierced the air. She turned, realizing these glass hooves might not be good in a survival situation. The room had fallen silent as all eyes watched the newcomer. A spotted leopard returned the gaze, held fast by a diamond-studded chain. The other end was held by one of the most striking figures Rarity had ever had the privilege to behold. Like Rarity, this mare was bare of coat, mane, and tail. Unlike Rarity, she wore only an iron helm with curled ram horns. Teal eyes peered out from the fierce metal brow. From her back, two scrawny featherless wings protruded. The leash was held by the denuded pegasus' stubby wing. It was apparently more muscular than it appeared, if she trusted it to restrain the beast, which prowled and paced on its lead. But it was the scars which caught Rarity's breath in her throat. Over the whole of the Beastmistress' body, white lines stretched in a haphazard maze. Sometimes a single line, long healed, but more often in parallel pairs or triplets, her body bore testament to many creatures faced and, presumably subdued, given that she stood alive before them. One ear had been torn through and healed, and had it been furred, would probably retain the silhouette and illusion of wholeness. "By Luna's Starry Mane," swore Rarity under her breath. The Beastmistress scanned the room, her face betraying nothing. Then, she whistled. The leopard leapt onto her back and planted itself between her wings. And then, the most marvelous thing yet: it started to purr. Rarity cringed; she could almost feel Opal's claws digging into her back. But there was no wincing, nor blood. And then the Beastmistress walked calmly toward her. Without a word, she unfurled her left wing, and a key dropped to the table from the fleshy protuberance. It had a room number on it. Then, she disappeared down the hallway. The other artistes around Rarity had backed away, and slowly she realized that the unique mare had been looking only at her the entire time. Wordlessly, she retrieved the key with her magic. She felt like she could collapse on the spot, but she held onto her strength. Clearly, she was wanted elsewhere. She gave the hallway corner a wide berth, so as not to be surprised. The mare was waiting by a door near the far end. The leopard had lain across her back and was watching from its perch. Rarity placed the key in the lock, and opened the door with her telekinesis. The mare glanced at the open door, and back at her. Both mares entered, and Rarity closed the door behind them. As soon as the door closed, the leopard leapt across to the dresser, where it lay down once more. The pallid mare pulled the helmet from her head with shaking hooves. A violent shiver ran through her body as she sat down. "Those legs are beautiful, Rarity." Rarity let her magical mane spell expire, and the light in the room normalized. She knew that voice almost better than her own, and it was the last confirmation she needed to be sure. "Oh, dear Fluttershy, please come up on the bed. I am a bit cumbersome at the moment." Fluttershy removed the leash and climbed onto the king-sized bed. Rarity, for her part, took care to reverse the order in which she had donned her glass legs as she, too, lay on the bed. And then they hugged, Fluttershy crying and shivering violently. "Shush, shush," said Rarity, stroking her foreleg stump down Fluttershy's back. The other mare had started hiccupping five minutes ago, but it had finally subsided. "There, there. That was an impossibly brave thing you did. Why, your performance was simply breathtaking." "Thank you," she mumbled into her hooves. The leopard looked up, then went back to grooming itself. "I'm serious. Though I wouldn't have recommended testing your assertiveness in such a... Mythical manner." The only response was a high squeak. "I don't think anyone recognized you," continued Rarity, "especially with your tail cropped off like that." "That's real," said Fluttershy, raising her head. Rarity looked closer. Unlike her own exposed tail, Fluttershy's was not a long, tapering, graceful piece of flesh. Instead, it was a gnarled stump, scarred along one edge. This did not appear to be the usual artistic hornwork of Dr. Eraser. "How did this-- when did this happen?" said Rarity quietly, stunned. "Back when I'd just moved to town from Cloudsdale, I wanted to talk with the animals all day long." Fluttershy sighed. "I was living in an apartment, walking dogs and grooming cats. It wasn't a good income, but I squeaked by." Rarity remembered the shy yellow mare who'd rung her parents doorbell and barely audibly asked her, "excuse me, would you like to adopt a cat? It's okay if you don't, I'm sorry I wasted your time." "So what happened?" asked Rarity. "A tiger escaped from the zoo." Fluttershy smiled. "He took more than a little talking to, and he managed to grab my tail with his teeth. When he... bit it off, I discovered The Stare. It comes in handy, but I don't like to use it, because the poor dears always feel so bad afterward, and then I feel guilty, even though I only do it for their own good." Rarity let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "So the tail extensions are a cosmetic necessity." "I make them myself, from my own mane." Fluttershy pointed with one hoof at the stub, which she waggled. "It has a patch of hair on the left side, where it isn't scarred." "Well, my dear, you do an excellent job," said Rarity, smiling, "I would never have known if you hadn't told me. Why, we've been going to the spa together for how long, and I've never noticed? Brava." She slapped her forestumps together with a clapping noise, then looked down in horror before remembering why her hooves were missing. "You know, once we're properly, ahem, reconstructed, I'll treat you to dinner. To celebrate today's small victories." Fluttershy smiled. "I'd like that."