//------------------------------// // Spending time with Rarity // Story: Family of a Lifetime // by TyrannosaurusVenom //------------------------------// As the dinosaurs made their way towards Rarity's boutique with Twilight, they were wondering what she had in mind for bonding with them. From what Twilight had told them on the way, Rarity was all about fashion, designing new outfits and someday opening boutiques all over Equestria. The dinosaurs had no idea what any of that was, it left them all confused. They had no idea what to expect from their latest day of bonding, When they reached the boutique, Twilight asked them to wait a minute. She then charged up her horn and sent two balls of magic towards Indominus and T-Rex. She asked them to swallow the magic, saying it would help them out later in life. The rexes looked at each other, nodded their heads and chomped down on the magic orbs, swallowing them. "Perfect, now close your eyes and try to focus." Indominus and Tyrannosaurus did as Twilight said and tried to focus. They weren't sure what they were trying to focus on, but when they opened their eyes they found that they were near the raptors' height again. They looked immediately at Twilight for answers, who was giggling to herself. "I just gave you boys the shrinking spell I used the last few times. Now the spell is coursing within your bodies, and you both can use it at any time. It's supposed to make your future visits with the others easier, so you both won't have to keep having me use it." The rexes gladly licked Twilight's face in delight, she had no idea how much use they would make out of the spell. Twilight knocked on the door and waited for Rarity to answer. It didn't take long before they heard hoof steps and the door opened. "Twilight! Nice to see you darling, and I see that you brought the....oh my goodness! What happened to T-Rex and Indominus?" Rarity was shocked at how the rexes were near the size of Blue and her girls. Twilight easily explained how she gave them a shrinking spell to use at any time for future visits. "Oh, well that makes sense. Come to think of it, that will actually come in handy for what I have planned for today. Just follow me Guardians, I'm gonna treat all of you to a day of relaxation." "That sounds promising, well guess I'd better head on back to the library." Twilight was about to leave when Blue called out to her. The raptor was giving out sad calls, like she wanted the alicorn to accompany them just one more time. Delta, Echo and Charlie started mimicking the calls and Rarity realized what they were trying to say. "Twilight darling, I think they want you to come along." The alicorn princess looked at the dinosaurs and asked them. "Are you all sure you want me to tag along? I've already spent so many days with all of you. Is this really alright?" The dinosaurs nodded their heads in agreement. "I believe it's their way of showing their thanks for helping them out and giving them that spell." "Oh alright, I suppose I can tag along one more time. Besides, I'm kinda curious to see what Rarity has in store for all of you." With that the group followed Rarity to where she planned on having her day of bonding with the dinosaurs. Although T-Rex and Indominus returned to normal so nopony would be freaked out by their shrunken size. The group of eight began making their way through the streets of Ponyville while still following Rarity. They waved and gave soft rumbles to the ponies that waved at them along the way. They noticed that Twilight was whispering to Rarity and the fashion pony was giving delighted responses. The dinosaurs managed to pick up on some of the conversations. "Really Twilight?" "That's right, he wants our help to make it happen." "And you're sure that he's one hundred percent serious?" "Absolutely. That was the word he wrote out." Rarity took a minute to glance up at Indominus, who was eyeing them curiously. Then she continued her quiet conversation with Twilight. "He wants to spend his life with our Dashie?" "It's true Rarity, if that confessional kiss was any indication. Indominus is beyond intent on spending his life with Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. He intends to find a way to tell her at the Gala." "Oh, that's so romantic. I simply must help him pick out a special ring for his special somepony. But that can wait for next time, because we're here everypony." The dinosaurs were perplexed at the building they were looking at. It stood out as being fancier and nicer than the other buildings, and had a picture of a pony with a rather long mane and tail hanging above the door. What could Rarity possibly have in mind for an afternoon of bonding at a building like this? "Dinosaurs, welcome to the Ponyville Day Spa. I'm going to treat all of you to something that none of you have ever experienced: relaxation. This is my token of appreciation to all of you for saving our home from that awful dragon." Even though the dinosaurs had never heard of the word, they liked that Rarity was willing to treat them to such an afternoon. Tyrannosaurus and Indominus tapped into their new magical ability and shrank back to their smaller sizes so they could enter the building with Rarity, Twilight and the raptors. Once they were inside, the dinosaurs were awestruck by the inside. The inside of the spa was far bigger than the building appeared on the outside. Fancy chandeliers and furniture decorated the inside and made the spa look extremely well done. Ponies were coming and going, getting treatments of their own, and looking so relaxed. It looked like a really swell place to spend an afternoon. Rarity was about to make her way to the front desk when she caught sight of a pony sitting on a couch that she couldn't believe was waiting in the spa of all places. "Rainbow Dash! What are you doing here?" The cyan mare was wearing her purple robe and turtle slippers. She was reading a magazine when she heard Rarity. She was shocked that her friends were at the spa too, but what left Rainbow speechless was seeing the dinosaurs inside the building. "I didn't think you wanted to be in the spa again, especially since you didn't like your hooves being touched." "What?" Rainbow immediately shed the robe and slippers and tried to look like she hadn't been waiting. "I'm not here for a hooficure or anything, I just stopped by for a-" Rainbow Dash cut herself short the minute she caught sight of the hybrid that had kissed her, standing behind Twilight and Rarity. Her cheeks began to take a shade of red as she noticed he had been staring at her ever since he walked in. "Indominus!? What are you doing here? More to the point, how did all of them get inside this place?" "I gave the rexes a shrinking spell, so it would make it easier for them to fit inside buildings." "Oh, well it looks like you ponies are gonna be busy today, so I'll just be on my way. I look forward to hanging with you guys on Saturday." Rainbow flew off the couch and tried to hide her blush from Indominus as she made her way out of the spa. Rarity was shocked, she had never seen Rainbow Dash blush so heavily. "Since when did Rainbow Dash start going to the spa, and why was she so nervous when she saw Indominus?" "Well she had no idea we would be here, so I guess seeing him took her by surprise. As for how long she's been going to the spa, I'm gonna find out." Rarity went over to the front desk while the dinosaurs and Twilight made themselves comfy on the couches. The ponies that were in the spa were stunned to see their new guardians at the spa themselves. "Rarity! It's good to see you again, what can I do for you today?" "I would like the full package for me and my friends." The pony took a peek over Rarity's shoulder and caught sight of the dinosaurs. "Are those the dinosaurs everypony's been talking about?" "Indeed they are, and I'm treating them to a day of relaxation. Oh, just out of curiosity, how long has Rainbow Dash been coming to the spa?" "Miss Dash? Hmm, let me take a look." While the spa pony was looking through the records and appointments, Rarity motioned for Twilight and the dinosaurs to join her. She wanted them to know this as well, for she had another idea. After looking through the records, the front desk pony had the answer for Rarity's question. She felt a little surprised seeing the dinosaurs looking at her, but the soft expressions on their faces put her worries to rest. "According to our records, Miss Dash has been coming here for months now." "Months!?" "She's been keeping this a secret from us all this time? Man, that pony's getting good at keeping her personal life secret." "What was her appointment supposed to be for today?" "Hmm, she was scheduled for a pampered muscle massage and an indulgent hooficure." "Really," Twilight and Rarity said while looking at each other with devilish expressions. "Did she happen to make any other appointments for the rest of the week?" "She has one appointment scheduled for Sunday afternoon." Rarity's face lit up when she heard that, she now had the perfect plan. She looked back at Indominus with a clever look on her face. "Would it be possible to schedule Indominus for the same treatment as her? See, he's grown quite fond of Rainbow and wants to spend as much quality time with her as possible." The spa pony looked at Indominus to see he had a content look in his eyes just from Rarity talking about Rainbow Dash. He even had a warm smile despite all the teeth that were showing. "Consider it done, I'll put him down for the same time as Miss Dash. I look forward to seeing her reaction when her new special somepony joins her for a day at our spa." "I'm sure Rainbow will be quite surprised, now guardians it's time for all of you to experience relaxation." The dinosaurs followed Rarity and Twilight behind a curtain where they were greeted by a pink spa pony that Rarity knew quite well. "Rarity! My favorite customer, it's wonderful to see you again." "Aloe dear, it's great to be back. I brought some new friends along who are due for some much needed relaxation." Aloe took one look at Twilight and the dinosaurs and found herself getting weak kneed. "You brought Princess Twilight and the Guardians of Equestria?" "Well they wanted me to tag along for the day, and I just couldn't say no to them," said Twilight. "They're real sweethearts once you get to know them, isn't that right dinosaurs?" The carnivores all nodded their heads in unison. Aloe regained her composure as she guided the group to the massage room. She asked Rarity plenty of already asked questions, and had a good understanding of how kind the dinosaurs were. The dinosaurs took everything in when they reached the massage room, which had plenty of space for all of them. There were plenty of chairs and a huge bath sitting in the middle of the room. "Ok Rarity, what do you have in mind for our newest customers today?" Rarity turned around to look at the dinosaurs. "Blue, Charlie, Echo, Delta, you girls are getting the massage and hooficure with me and Twilight first. Tyrannosaurus, you'll get the relaxant face mask and cucumber treatment. Last but not least Indominus, you'll get the warm bath, then we'll switch after an hour so we all get our fair share of the treatments. Is that ok with all of you?" The dinosaurs looked at each other and nodded their heads in agreement with how Rarity wanted to handle their spa time. "Splendid! Let's get all of you ready." The raptors made themselves comfortable on the massage chairs with Rarity and Twilight. Tyrannosaurus needed an extra chair with his slightly bigger size, but he got comfy all the same. The spa ponies helped Indominus up the steps to the bath so he wouldn't fall. He seemed a little hesitant to get in the warm water, so he dipped his foot into the water first. The water felt hot at first, but as Indominus inched his body into the bath, it went from hot to warm. Eventually Indominus sank his whole body into the bath, and the water felt so comforting on his scales. Rarity looked up to see Indominus resting his head on the edge of the tub with a content sigh escaping his jaws. His eyes were almost closed from the warm comfort the bath was giving him. "Are you loving your first bath Indominus?" The hybrid turned toward Rarity, eyes half-open and gave a content purr. Indominus wasn't the only one having a good time. The spa ponies were scrubbing T-Rex's face with the green cream mask. The feeling of having his face being scrubbed made it easy for Tyrannosaurus to keep his eyes closed when they put the cucumbers on. The additional massages they were giving his body was practically lulling the carnivore to sleep. The rexes looked more peaceful than they'd ever been before. The raptor squad had their own relaxation being given to them as well. Blue had seemed unsure at first, but the moment she felt her muscles relax from being massaged, the raptor just laid out on her stomach and purred softly. Charlie was enjoying having a hooficure done on her claws, it felt amazing having the spa ponies treating them with such care. Echo and Delta had their bodies laid out, and their tongues hanging out of their mouths from the pleasure of being massaged. Rarity and Twilight watched the dinosaurs show their contentment while they got their own massages. It certainly was everything that Rarity had promised the dinosaurs, and they loved it. After half an hour of pampering, the staff took a break from their massaging. The dinosaurs were all sleeping so soundly from the comfort their bodies had received. Rarity and Twilight spoke softly, so they wouldn't disturb the sleeping carnivores. "It sure seems like they are loving the spa," Twilight whispered. "I knew they would love it Twilight. A decent massage and some pampering can do anypony a lot of good. Even dinosaurs need to have a good massage once in a while, and I've just set Indominus up for a spa date with Rainbow Dash. If you think he's relaxed now, he'll be more peaceful with Dashie by his side." "This was really sweet of you Rarity. I'm sure you've just made them even more welcome and at peace in Equestria." "Well Twilight, anypony that risks their lives for all of us and our home is certainly welcome in my book. Besides it's the least I could do for these great guardians. They deserve this after that tremendous battle and dying once already." After another fifteen minutes, Aloe popped in to see how her clients were doing. She was about to speak when Rarity gestured over to the resting carnivores. The looks of pure content on their faces told her everything she needed to know. She quietly walked over to Rarity. "I've never seen anypony enjoy a spa treatment this much before." "Well after everything they've been through, I'm sure their muscles have gotten quite tense. They loved their treatments so much that the relaxation soothed all of them to sleep." "Wonderful. Do you think they are ready to switch treatments yet?" "Let's find out. Indominus, wake up. It's time for everypony to switch treatments." Indominus stirred in the bath and began to wake. He stood up while trying to shake the sleep from his eyes. He rose out of the tub, dripping wet and growled loud enough so the others could hear him. T-Rex and the raptors began to wake from their slumber, the staff hurried over to get the cucumbers off Tyrannosaurus's eyes as he woke up. They also gently wiped the face cream off T-Rex as he got off the chairs to stretch his relaxed body. Once he was clean, Tyrannosaurus nuzzled the staff to show his appreciation. The spa ponies brought towels over to dry Indominus off before he made his way down the steps. This time he walked on all fours so they wouldn't have to help him again. Now they all traded treatments, Rarity, Twilight and the raptors got the face cream and massage, T-Rex got the warm bath and Indominus got the massage and hooficure. The raptors didn't feel okay having the cucumbers put on their eyes, so the staff didn't push it. They did however, love the feeling of the cream being scrubbed on their faces. Tyrannosaurus had the same reaction as Indominus and was resting his head on the edge of the bath too. Indominus was in blissful heaven with the massage and hooficure being done on his claws. The treatments were the ultimate delight for the dinosaurs, now they knew what Rarity meant by relaxation. After another forty-five minutes of pampering, the dinosaurs traded for the final treatment for each of them. Tyrannosaurus got dried off, helped down the steps, and made his way back to the chairs for the massage and hooficure. The raptors joined Twilight and Rarity as they made their way into the bath. Each of them were slightly intimidated by the steaming water, but some encouragement from Rarity got them into the bath. Indominus felt himself being soothed to sleep again from the feeling of the face cream being scrubbed on him. The massages being applied to his body felt great against his worn muscles and tired bones. He was fine with the staff putting the cucumbers on his eyes, and before long Indominus gave into the comfort and fell asleep once more. He still purred from the comfort from the massages, and it made the spa ponies happy to see how much the dinosaurs loved their treatments. The hooficure was concentrated on Tyrannosaurus's foot claws, since his arms were so small. The spa ponies had their work cut out for them, the claws were bigger than anything they had dealt with. T-Rex's claws were also tougher and required a little more work, yet he didn't want the staff to overwork themselves. Rarity noticed and told the staff to focus on the massage if the hooficure was too much. Having his muscles massaged was more important than getting his claws trimmed. Twilight and Rarity relaxed in the bath while enjoying the raptors' company. Blue had gotten so calm from the warm water, while her sisters were playing about in the tub. She was about to growl at her sisters to get them from going to wild when Rarity spoke up. "It's alright Blue, we'll keep an eye on them for you. This is your time to relax and be at ease." Blue nodded, laid her head against the inside of the tub and shut her eyes. Rarity got the attention of the other raptors and gestured to their resting sister. Charlie saw how peaceful Blue looked and decided to get some more rest herself. Echo and Delta chose to sit by Rarity and Twilight, listening to their conversations before they fell asleep again. Before they passed out, the raptors laid their heads on Twilight and Rarity's shoulders. Both ponies awed silently at the raptors resting so peacefully around them. After the last forty-five minutes had passed, Aloe walked back into the room to notify her clients. She was amazed by the peaceful scene before her: Tyrannosaurus and Indominus were passed out on their chairs, and the raptors were sleeping alongside Twilight and Rarity in the bath. Aloe quietly walked up the steps and saw how serene the raptors looked in the water. She hated to wake them, but their treatments were done. "Miss Rarity," Aloe said while nudging Rarity's head slightly. "Your session is done for the day." Rarity slowly woke up and realized that she had fallen asleep in the tub. She turned her head and saw Echo resting calmly on her shoulder. "Echo darling, it's time to get up." The raptor fluttered her eyes open and started to get up from her comfy position. The movement woke Charlie up, who swam over and nudged Blue awake. The beta raptor got up feeling more at ease than she'd ever been and nudged Delta, who in turn woke up Twilight. The group got out of the tub and began drying each other off with towels. Blue and her sisters were loving the time they had spent with Rarity and Twilight, it truly felt like they were part of a better family. Indominus waited patiently while the staff removed the cucumbers and wiped off the face cream. His scales felt so smooth as he got up from his chair and stretched his newly relaxed muscles. Indominus was grateful that Equestria had such comfort, he would have to start planning trips to the spa more often. Especially now that Twilight had given him a shrinking spell, it would be easy. The last one to get up from their relaxing treatment was Tyrannosaurus. His muscles were rejuvenated and ready, T-Rex was glad that Rarity had introduced them to such an incredible day. Again, T-Rex nuzzled the spa staff while waiting for the others. Indominus and the raptors followed suite, each of them thankful for the comfort they had been given. The spa ponies blushed from the affection the dinosaurs gave them and thanked them afterwards. The dinosaurs followed Rarity and Twilight back out towards the front of the spa. While Rarity payed for the session, Aloe walked over to the dinosaurs. They eyed her with curiosity as she spoke to them. "Miss Rarity told me how much you all loved your treatments. I've never seen anypony look so content and relaxed during one of our sessions. If any of you ever have a bad day, you are all welcome in our spa anytime." The dinosaurs gently nuzzled the pink spa pony and rumbled softly, their new home was far more accepting than their old one. The group was making their way out the door when Aloe grabbed Indominus's attention one more time. "We'll make sure that your time with Miss Dash on Sunday is the best. Your afternoon with your special somepony will be a great one, Indominus." The hybrid reached down and licked Aloe's face to show that he looked forward to it before he exited the spa. With their time in the spa done for the day, it was time for the dinosaurs to go meet Scootaloo. The rexes returned to their normal size and gave their farewells to Twilight before they followed Rarity over to the schoolhouse. She admired how content the dinosaurs still looked even after the treatments. Their paces had slowed and their eyes were still half-closed. Anypony that looked at them thought they were walking in their sleep. When they arrived at the schoolhouse, they found Applejack and Rainbow Dash waiting too. Applejack looked proud that Rainbow was taking her new role as so seriously. They were chatting when they noticed Rarity with the dinosaurs. Applejack was wondering why the dinosaurs looked so out of it. "What in tarnation did ya do to them Rarity? They look like they've been sleeping for days." "I simply took them to the spa Applejack. I felt they deserved a day of relaxation after their fight with Black Death. The treatments were more soothing than I thought, don't you agree Rainbow Dash?" Rainbow was admiring how calm and serene Indominus looked when Rarity got her attention. "Oh, yeah, I think it did wonders for them." She flew up to Indominus's face to have a better look. Seeing how his eyes were half-open and stared at her with such a calm demeanor, told Rainbow that he had enjoyed his time immensely. Applejack could see the same content look in the raptors and Tyrannosaurus, she had no idea that the dinosaurs could look so at ease after a day at the Ponyville Day Spa. "Did ya'll really love the spa so much?" T-Rex and the raptors nodded their heads, while Indominus just nuzzled his face against Rainbow's. Completely unaware of Applejack's question. The pegasus continued to blush from the attention Indominus was giving her. The moment the school bell went off the dinosaurs snapped out of their sleepy states and brought their gaze to the doors. They watched as fillies began scurrying out of the building and heading for their homes. T-Rex and Indominus scanned the crowd, searching for their favorite fillies. Then they spotted them at the back of the crowd, running happily toward their sisters. Each of the CMC ran up and hugged their respective sisters. Scootaloo never got tired of being hugged by Rainbow Dash, especially now that they were close to being a real family. The CMC didn't forget to give their saviors plenty of attention as well. They also noticed that the dinosaurs were quite calm and relaxed compared to their normal behavior. "Why are they so calm Rainbow Dash?" "Actually Scootaloo, I treated them to a day at the spa," Rarity answered. "I felt they deserved some much needed relaxation after their battle and for looking after you girls for so long." The CMC looked back at their saviors and the dinosaurs nodded their heads. Scootaloo was glad to see that her boys had enjoyed themselves so much. Then a brilliant thought popped into her head. "Hey Indominus, T-Rex, would you and the raptors be up for joining us earn our Cutie Marks?" All of the dinosaurs looked baffled, as if Scootaloo had just asked them a topic that sounded so alien to them. So Rainbow and Applejack cleared things up for them. "You see boys, a cutie mark is a symbol that ponies get when they discover their true talent," said Rainbow Dash. "Like how mine is lightning bolt shaped like a rainbow and Applejack's is a bunch of apples." The dinosaurs began to understand what the significance of what Scootaloo was talking about. "These fillies have been trying for so long to get theirs, and now that there isn't anymore danger they would like all of you to be part of their quest." "So what do ya say?" "You boys want to be part of our journey?" The dinosaurs looked amongst each other, communicating their opinions and whether they would be up for it. They decided it would give them more quality time with the CMC, and prevent them from doing anything too risky. They accepted and the Crusaders were overjoyed, before they left however, Applejack had one last thing to say. "I look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow. Just follow the raptors to the barn boys, they know how to get to Sweet Apple Acres." The dinosaurs once again nodded their heads and decided to show Rarity their thanks for the day she treated them to. The fashion unicorn found herself smothered with affection from the carnivores, and watched them follow the Crusaders towards the clubhouse. When the dinosaurs had left, she turned towards Rainbow Dash. "Now I see why you and Scootaloo like them so much. Underneath those scales and teeth are very kind souls." "Yeah, it was so nice of you to make them feel so at peace Rarity. I've never seen Indominus look so calm before. I hope that I can make them feel as welcome." "Oh don't worry about it darling. You've fought alongside them, I'm sure they'll appreciate whatever you have in mind. Oh, speaking of which, what do you have in mind for tomorrow Applejack?" "I was plannin' on introducing them to the rest of the Apple family, and show them some other delectable apple treats. Maybe even see if they like our famous cider." "Oh man. You're gonna treat them to cider tomorrow? I miss all the fun." "Don't worry Rainbow Dash, I'll save some so Indominus can bring it back for ya. Seeing how he's grown so fond of ya lately." "Well, after everything we've been through, I can see why he's so drawn to me. He's seen how concerned I was for Scootaloo, fought alongside me and even kissed me in front of everypony. He's a special one, and I'm looking forward to the day I get to bond with them." Rainbow Dash was unaware that she would be getting to spend more time with the dinosaurs than she thought. Thanks to Rarity, she would have a first date in a few days and she didn't even know it. Rainbow Dash was going to be in for a surprise.