//------------------------------// // Embellishment // Story: Painted Mirror // by Lord of Turtles //------------------------------// Rajrishi lifted his hand out of the steaming water and stared at it, studying the pruning and wrinkles forming on his skin. He limply slapped his hand back down into the steaming water and returned to staring at the ceiling of the spa's baths. The serene quiet of the chamber was broken by a swirl of energy followed by a loud crack and a flash of light. Twilight Sparkle shook her head and looked over at him. “There you are.” He waved lazily. “Hey Twilight. How're you doing?” “Fine, now. What are you doing here?” “Bathing, which makes this interrupting just a little bit weird by the way.” He ran a cloth down his arm and rung it out into the foggy water. “I didn't know Aloe and Lotus had the spa up and running again already.” “They don't, I came in on my own. Nobody locks their doors in this town, it's crazy.” Twilight scowled. “Yeah, they don't lock their doors because nopony breaks into anyplace.” “Don't give me that. This is the only tub in the whole town that can fit me, Applejack checked, and I was a special kind of filthy. Speaking of which, does Pinkie still smell like skunk stuff?” Twilight crinkled her nose. “Yes, she does. Everypony has been polite enough not to bring it up though.” Raj chuckled. “Hilarious. How you holding up?” “Fever's gone with no lasting effects, same with the mutations. Still getting used to, well, normal legs again.” She looked back at her rear legs and curled them slightly. “Everypony else is doing great. The last of the patients were treated a few hours ago and everypony saw an immediate transformation back to normal and a reduction in their fever within minutes. A few ponies are still being held for observation, but that's just a precaution. We still have a lot of the cure left, so we're going to store it in case a followup outbreak occurs.” “Thank God. I've never been so happy that a train was six hours late. Any injuries or anything?” “Yes. Nothing serious though, a few bumps and a few sprained muscles. Spike did a great job corralling the town. Nopony seems to have experienced anything permanent.” He slumped into the water. “Except for Mr. Waddle.” Twilight winced, “Yes, except for him.” She was quiet for a second. “It was the fever Rajrishi, his constitution couldn't handle it. It... happened quietly shortly after you left, he hadn't even mutated yet. There's nothing anyone could have done.” “I know. Still sucks.” Twilight came close and propped up on the side of the tub. “Pinkie told me what you two went through, with Featherkeep and the... Bandersnatch you found.” “Did she now?” “Yeah, she told me that you two ran into it near a river, that you jumped across a gorge to escape it. That you fought it all throughout the ruins of Featherkeep and volunteered to stay behind so she could get the cure to everypony.” She smiled slightly, “She's hopping around telling the entire town what a hero you are.” “I saw that. She wouldn't shut up about it.” Raj splashed the water and stared down for a moment, “Did she tell you what she did?” Twilight shook her head. “She came up with every plan that worked, she identified the monster, she looked after me when I was freaking out so bad I couldn't walk, and she's the one that found the actual stuff we were looking for.” He counted off on his fingers. “Hell, the reason we were late is that she thought she needed to come back for me. Honestly, I just made everything worse.” Twilight looked at him curiously. “Raj, that's ridiculous. How would Pinkie have handled the Bandersnatch without you there to fight it? She couldn't have beaten it alone.” “She wouldn't have to. She could have avoided it, stayed away from it or hid or a thousand other things I couldn't predict. Pinkie is surprisingly capable, I think everyone underestimates her. She could have handled this whole thing on her own, she should have actually. The part I can't figure out is why she isn't telling everyone that I was just some dour albatross the whole time?” Twilight looked at him for a moment and giggled, “You really don't know Pinkie.” She propped herself up on the edge of the tub. “Do you know about Pinkie's cutie mark?” “Yeah, it's a bunch of balloons. It shows that she's good at throwing parties.” Twilight shook her head. “She's good at parties, but it's not her talent. Pinkie's mark is a little more abstract than that. Her talent is making ponies happy.” Raj paused for a moment and said, “Is... is that it?” Twilight nodded. “It is.” “I'm not a pony though.” Twilight rolled her eyes and splashed at him. “You know what I mean. Pretty much everything Pinkie does is about improving somepony's happiness, it's what she does. And if you're right and she's handing credit over to you, then she's doing it because she thinks it will make you happier.” After a second Twilight shrugged. “Or she's trying to improve your standing with the town, or she honestly thinks that you saved everypony. Who knows?” “Easy, I'll just ask her. I'll figure this out.” “Trying to figure out Pinkie Pie is a losing game Raj. All you'll do is get an anvil dropped on your head. It's best just to let her be herself and be glad that you have somepony like her in your life.” She dropped back down. “Now come out of there, your water has gone cold and you've gone all pruny.” Raj grabbed a towel and said, “Why should I? I don't have anywhere to go.” “Oh yes you do, Pinkie is throwing a Nopony-is-a-frog/belated-birthday-party-for-Rajrishi... party. The name needs work, I'll admit. The whole town is going to be there.” “Will there be cake?” “There's always cake. You should know that by now.” “I really should.” he sighed as he rose out of the tub wearing a towel and pulled on his clothes. And a minute later Raj ventured onto the Ponyville square amidst the cheers of celebrating ponies with a smile on his face.