Short Fuse

by Hyfnae

Chapter 6: A chain of interests

“One who is shy isn't weak, one who is silent isn't boring. Characteristic differentials manifest in many ways, where one is talkative and gets along with others easily, others are more timid, regressive and silent. Often they go through life unnoticed by most, nopony bothering to talk to them and get to know the pony behind the silence.” ~Quotation research paper on emotional and behavioral studies.

~Chapter 6: A chain of interests.~

Basher and Fuse had walked for several minutes to arrive at Fluttershy's house at the very outskirts of Ponyville. The sounds of the animals the shy pony took care of was already audible. “Basher, five bits say she won't talk to me,” Fuse offered and grinned a little.

“How about you keep what little money you have to feed yourself, just please Fuse, I implore you to remain calm here. If you scare Fluttershy too much you can forget to redeem yourself,” Basher replied and sighed a little.

Fuse shrugged a little and kept on walking. When they got close to Fluttershy's home and the yellow pegasus finally took notice of the two approaching they were initially greeted with a smile. That smile only lasted for the half second it took for Fluttershy to recognize Fuse. In a cloud of dust the shy pony disappeared and the slamming shut of her front door was heard.

“Called it,” the red pony said and rolled his eyed. “Well, she isn't going to get out of there just because I want to talk to her,” he continued while he approached the front door and knocked on it.

Basher followed, his face concerned since he feared Fuse might actually be right about this. “Are you sure you have never done anything to her? She seems scared enough for it,” basher asked and looked at the red pony to check how he would react.

“Nah, I've never done anything to her, usually I tried to avoid her and she returned that favor so simply said, it was impossible for anything bad to happen, but I guess reputation isn't quite in my favor here,” the fanged pony replied remarkably calm for his being. He knocked once again on the door this time slightly louder.

“Your reputation is atrocious, but usually ponies tend not to flee in fear when they only see somepony just because he has a bad reputation,” Basher stated and looked critically towards Fuse seeking for the slightest hint of something that did happen between the two.

“I think even the word atrocious fails to describe how bad my reputation actually is you half witted fool. And stop looking at me like that, honestly, I have never done anything to Fluttershy or her animals for that matter and I most likely won't do such a thing either,” Fuse replied and sounded slightly annoyed by Basher's attempt to analyze him.

“Very well, I guess we should approach it the same as we did with the others, I head in first and explain what the deal is and you follow once I've cleared your path,” Basher stated somewhat annoyed. “I thought Princess sparkle had explained to all of her friends what the deal was with you.” he said right before he went towards the front door and knocked it surprisingly gently to make sure the already shaken Fluttershy wouldn't be aggravated even more.

“She perhaps did, but Fluttershy is somewhat skittish, so I guess Twilight didn't manage to put her at ease. And that while I never even did something to her,” he said in exasperation. With a grunt and before Basher had the chance to reply to Fuse he took off to create some distance. “If I don't take off miss scared won't come out anyways,” he muttered barely audible.

Basher only perceived Fuse's muttering as a buzz and couldn't distinguish the words. As soon as the hot headed pony took some distance from Fluttershy's cottage the door opened a slight crack. A soft, high pitched breathy voice asked: “W-What can I do for you?”

Basher Green lowered himself so he would be less intimidating as the buff and largely built pony he was and replied with a surprisingly gentle voice which was completely unfitting with his appearance: “I come here on behalf on Short Fuse. Both him and me are trying to get our lives together.” He explained without disclosing what exactly they were here for. The more Short Fuse could do himself the better it would be for him.

“Get a move on already” Short fuse muttered from underneath his breath and nearly snarled towards Basher and the barely opened door. “God how annoying some ponies can be, and what in Celestia's name possessed Rarity to send me for this errand. I mean, I can't deal with Fluttershy and she herself would get it in the blink of an eye. It's almost as if she deliberately sent me to do this so I would fail and she could refuse my efforts to apologize.”

Fluttershy opened the door slightly more to look towards Short Fuse who seemed lost in his own strain of thought and looked all but friendly. With a soft whinny she closed the door to a crack again. “But what if he does one of those horrible, horrible things he did to the other ponies in town?” she asked in the smallest voice, as far as one could call it a voice, while she looked frightened towards Basher.

“I promise you he will not miss Fluttershy. I will keep him in check if things seem to get out of hoof. Although I can pretty much guarantee you he will behave decently as he is also very motivated to get his life back on track,” Basher said hoping to persuade Fluttershy to at least talking with Short Fuse.

The wooden door once again opened a bit more and Fluttershy once more looked towards Fuse who was now visibly impatiently pacing back and forth. Slowly the door opened a bit more and after some deep breathes and a nearly audible gulp she stepped outside. Immediately Fuse's eyes fixed on Fluttershy and his pacing stopped. Fluttershy's hooves wobbled for a second and she was on the verge of going back inside but against all odds she trusted the gentle Basher to keep Fuse from doing anything that might turn badly and remained outside.

Basher smiled and simultaneously let go a sigh of relief. He was worried the shy pony would be too frightened to even come out or give Fuse a chance but it seemed both him and Twilight have managed to put Fluttershy enough at ease to give him one chance. But he knew this moment was make or break for Fuse, perhaps his biggest challenge yet. Basher gestured towards Fuse to come and join the conversation.

“About time,” he muttered and slowly approached the two ponies standing. Once he joined them he kicked some dirt with his right hoof and couldn't quite acquire his composure. He too knew if he screwed this up, he was done for. Words seemed to form but dissipated before they would form completely and ready to be spoken, resulting in a highly nervous and stammering Short Fuse, Unlike the epic fits of rage he was so infamous for.

Before Basher could interject help came from an unexpected angle as Fluttershy, even more so than Basher, with the ability to empathize with another pony. And somehow she could see Fuse's stress and breaking nerves for this moment. “Take it easy Fuse,” she said surprisingly steady compared to her earlier anxiety.

Both Basher and Fuse were stunned for half a second when it was Fluttershy who interjected and put Fuse at ease instead of Basher trying to put Fuse on the right track. Fuse seemed to calm down a little right after Fluttershy's statement. “Okay, First of all, I'm sorry I've startled you miss Fluttershy, but I can understand,” he said and sighed deeply before resuming. “I'm trying to get my life back together but the road isn't easy.

Fuse paused for a moment and exchanged glances with Fluttershy and Basher. They both had this look of encouragement in their eyes and wanted to know what Fuse had to say. “So what I need from you miss Fluttershy, is the fabric you have processed for miss Rarity, without that I fear I cannot complete the task given to me to set my life straight,” he explained short and simple.

Fluttershy's facial expression turned towards something that didn't sit well with Fuse even the slightest. She stammered a little before saying: “I am very sorry, but I haven't been able to finish it yet, I am just so busy taking care of all these critters, if only I had the time to go to the spa... if you could arrange the spa ponies to come over here I'll finish the fabric for you the first thing tomorrow mister Fuse,” Fluttershy said and looked hopeful towards Fuse.

Fuse Never did anything to anger Fluttershy yet she also wanted a favor from him like the other ponies and spike did. And of course she wants him to arrange the spa ponies to come to her place since she can't leave her critters alone. Fuse could only imagine the warm welcome he would get the second he set hoof in there. Since he threw one of his tantrums at the spa when he was trying to relax, which obviously wasn't as relaxing as he had hoped.

“I'll see what I can do miss Fluttershy, but it might take until the afternoon to arrange this,” he said cautiously giving a time window with plenty of leniency in case this chain got even longer. Fuse looked towards Basher who only nodded and smiled in return. Nodded and smiled, as if they got good news. This was all but good news.

Both Fuse and Basher greeted Fluttershy and took off from her place. When Fluttershy went inside again and Fuse was fairly sure they were out of earshot he turned towards Basher and gave him a vile stare. “Nodding and smiling, as if it's a good thing what just happened. I guess your skull is as thick as it looks,” he spat and walked as if the ground was the bad guy in all this kicking vigorously into the dirt with each step causing small dust clouds to rise.

“Oh please don't tell me (...)” Fuse instantly reacted to basher with another stare that would shoot lightning if Fuse had his way. “Right, what was it this time?” he asked not even surprised anymore with Fuse having caused trouble at pretty much any establishment in town.

“Well, screw this, I am completely done with all these ponies. I might have wronged them at a certain point and time but I am not someone to run their errands for. They can all go to flaming Tartarus for all I care. I am going home and if you dare as much as knock on my door I will make you eat it up to the very last wooden chip,” he spat and strode onward on a relentless pace.

Basher had trouble keeping up with Fuse despite his longer legs and tried to reason: “But Fuse, each step along the way you learn to see the wrong of your doing until now. You see that ponies aren't all bad or out to get you and that there is no reason for you to be angry all the time at everypony.”

“No reason to be angry?” he shouted out loud and turned towards Basher with his nose mere inches away from his face. Somehow Fuse seemed to grow whenever his anger got the best of him, making him an intimidating presence to behold even for the buff Basher. “I've got all the reason to be angry at those creatures who dare to call themselves ponies. First of all their perpetual happiness is simply spiting, them using me as a flaming errand boy infuriates me,” he said and his nostrils flared. His entire body shivered and his pupils narrowed to thin slits “It isn't my wrongdoing that's the problem here, it's these ponies who can't handle even the slightest bit of deviation from their own things... Oh, he isn't like the rest of us, he is a black sheep, let's shun him and treat him like the monster he is... well, let me tell you this Basher, if you get treated like a monster all the time, a monster you will become.” he said, spat on the ground barely missing Basher, and barely making an effort to miss him.

“Fuse, don't throw away what you've accomplished so far. You have managed in two days to get unbanned from two places and Fluttershy isn't frightened of you anymore. Can't you see your work is giving you one extra chance you so desperately need? Or else what, do you want to spend your days in solitude, confined by the four walls of your home, or worse, imprisoned because your anger finally led you to do enough damage?” Basher said hoping to get through to Fuse who was still on the verge of exploding.

Fuse seemed to cool down slightly, just slightly, due to Basher's reasoning. He harrumphed loudly still disgruntled about the course of events but not entirely infuriated anymore. “You do make a valid point there,” he admitted in between huffs and growls with a raspy voice as if he is short of breath. He was short of breath, the anger drained his energy.

“Good, I see you can finally think like a pony again instead of a monster,” he said referring to the statement Fuse had made.

“You didn't just call me a monster, did you?” Fuse gnarled. He looked like he was trying to grind his teeth into powder right that instance, again his entire body quivering and his breathing intensifying. His coat seemed to shine more brightly than usual and his pupils who had just started to dilate narrowed once again.

“No, I didn't call you a monster, but your anger makes you a monster. Your temper is the monster, and a monster we must tame. It's a metaphor Fuse, not an insult,” Basher quickly said. His voice was level and his calm composure didn't seem to budge half an inch under Fuse's intimidating anger fit and the threatening disposition he held this moment.

“Yea, yea, just like the other ponies treating me like one because its a 'metaphor'” he said, spitting the last word out as if it made him gag. “But I guess getting mad over that now isn't really useful since those ponies did give me a second chance, or a third or a fourth in some cases,” he said. His voice got calmer over the course of the sentence and it looked like Fuse finally got his anger in check again.

Basher counted his blessings that this didn't erupt. If Fuse had snapped Fluttershy would surely have seen them fighting and all had been for naught. Fuse most likely didn't realize how close he was to ruining everything they had worked for until now and perhaps that was for the better. “How about we get ourselves something to drink before we head to the spa, I think you could use a drink,” basher suggested. He figured it would be for everyone's best interest to give Fuse the time he needed to cool down completely before going onward with their task.

Fluttershy had seen the two ponies arguing from her window. She somewhat expected Fuse would have trouble keeping his temper in check. “It must all be very stressful for him, but he'll get there,” she thought once Fuse's anger fit seemed to dissipate before escalating. He was making progress, a few days ago he would have snapped completely. With a content smile Fluttershy tended to her animals again softly humming a song, feeling quite pleased with the course of events.

Fuse and Basher walked back towards Town. Fuse looked desolate, his eyes hollow and empty and making an overall tired impression. Basher on the other hand looked content and calm. “So Fuse, what tavern in town hasn't kicked you out permanently yet.”

Fuse's forehead got wrinkled and his face looked questioning. Ponyville wasn't that big of a town and he could remember that in each of the taverns, he had ended up in a fight at least once. After a few seconds he shrugged and looked towards Basher questioning. “I don't know, I think all of them don't want to see me anymore,” he said with some scorn in his voice figuring it would provide yet another task for him to make that up. “Or we could just go to a tavern, sit and hope for the best,” he suggested.

“Do you think you can handle being tossed out without exploding?” Basher asked and looked towards fuse with a critical gaze. “I mean, you could barely handle Fluttershy sending you to the spa, for which you still owe me a story by the way.”

“Yes, I can handle it,” he grumbled. Fuse was looking slightly irritated but at the same time he seemed calmer than normally. “And as for a story, it's really a short one. I was at the spa trying to relax when some mare didn't know what 'keep your muzzle shut' meant. Eventually I got fed up with her and put a brick of soap into her mouth to shut her up,” he explained casually. “Of course this mare started to whine even more once that was done and the spa patrons asked me to leave,” he continued but the intonation of the sentence left a lot of room for interpretation.

“You didn't just leave like they asked you to, did you?” Basher asked preemptively. “Knowing you, you left the part where you go completely berserk out of the story once again,”

Fuse rolled his eyes. “I might have told them they should take a bath in molten brimstone so they could prepare for when they would go to hell and I might or might not have tossed some things around,” He reluctantly admitted. He knew it wasn't right of him what he had done.

Basher was content with the admittance of wrongdoing, as far as it could be called admittance because except for his intonation Fuse adamantly refused to admit he was in the wrong here. “Okay, that isn't too bad compared to some of the other things, I think this won't be too hard for you,” he said. The last part of his statement sounded tentative at best but it seemed to put Fuse at ease.

“How about we go for a drink later? I think I can handle the spa ponies right now,” Fuse stated and a slight of determination crossed his face. “I did promise Fluttershy I'd get it done by this afternoon and the longer we'll wait the harder it will become,” he said.

Basher looked astonished for a moment. Fuse was actually making sense for once in his reasoning. A few wordless moments followed when a satisfied smile crossed his face. “See, you're starting to learn,” he said.

A wordless growl left Fuse's muzzle as a response to the smug smile Basher was wearing. “Dude, seriously, go play the psychologist with someone else, I really can't be bothered by it since I first have to find out how I'm going to persuade the Spa ponies to go over to Fluttershy's place,” he said harshly. “And I bet you five hundred bits they won't just honor my request.”

“Well, first of all you don't have close to five hundred bits, I think you'll be lucky to find five in that shack you call home, but that's besides the point. You might be right here, they will most likely want something in return,” Basher stated.

Fuse rolled his eyes profoundly and tossed a vile stare towards Basher once again with his pupils somewhat narrowed. “Yea, I might get lucky for once... Celestia forbid that ever happens,” he muttered half under his breath.

They walked in silence towards the spa and their pace would be named slow at best. Fuse Cherished this moment of silence. He was calm, he was at ease. A feeling he was uncomfortable with yet it made him feel a pony reborn. He looked around to see the town's center bustling with activity and ponies all talking to one another, as if they all knew each other.

“That's it,” Fuse finally exclaimed and he looked towards Basher. Fuse had the strangest face and Basher didn't know at all what to make of it. He had seen Fuse in all forms of angry but this was something new. Basher didn't reply, his ears stood upright because he was rather curious as to what Fuse had to tell him now.

“I finally know why they sent me on this ridiculous task,” he said confidently followed immediately with “I think,” said in a less confident manner. “This entire town knows each other and they actually like each other I think,” he said and frowned a little. This short elation of epiphany was quickly replaced by the normal amount of 'grump' Fuse carried around daily. He carried it like a cloak making everything dim, grim and rotten in Fuse's eyes.

Basher nodded and confirmed Fuse's suspicions. Although slightly disappointed to see Fuse's elation diminish so quickly it was progress. Fuse wouldn't normally reason like that, he would curse everything that breathed, everything that moved, everything that existed including himself. Basher was proud to see a short moment of reason and felt more confident about his own course now as well. “This reminds me Fuse, I have to go and talk to Princess Sparkle later today,” he said and smiled a little.

“Why do you need to talk to Twilight?” Fuse asked bluntly completely forgoing Twilight's official title. “You fulfilled your end of the deal already, didn't you? Oh wait, let me guess, second date?” Fuse said snidely and some raspy sound what probably had to pass for laughter emerged from the red pony's throat.

“I didn't go on a date with Princess Sparkle nor will I ever go on a date with her, and I have fulfilled my end of the deal, but now there is something I need from Princess Sparkle and only she can arrange this for me,” he replied calmly completely ignoring the snide in Fuse's voice.

“Ah come on man, don't be so vague and tell me what you're going to do already. You're nearly controlling me like I'm a puppet. The least you can do is involve me in your doings as well,” Fuse said surprisingly calm for his standard though anyone who wouldn't know Fuse would think he was on the verge of going berserk.

“You are as the matter in fact very much involved with this, now shut up and go talk to the spa patrons, we're here already,” Basher said glad he could distract Fuse with the matter at hand rather than tell him what exactly he was planning on doing. Fuse would find out soon enough and Basher just didn't want to deal with Fuse's tantrum right now which would inevitably follow once his plan succeeded.

Fuse muttered a couple of incoherent mumbles when he looked at the spa. His face was the avatar of reluctance and so was the rest of his composure. Once he entered he was immediately approached by one of the spa patrons who didn't seem to be happy. Fuse could barely muster himself to greet them properly but somehow he managed to squeeze out a 'hello.'

“Mister Fuse, I thought we were rather clear when we told you we wouldn't provide any service to you anymore,” the spa pony stated. The room's temperature seemed to drop below freezing the second the first word rolled out of her mouth and her clear blue coat added to the icy cold approach the spa pony was taking with Fuse.

“My god this pony doesn't even look like a pony anymore, I can start a business if I could only harvest the enormous amounts of make up she is wearing, and those eye lashes. Her eyes look like they are three times too large for her head and...” he lost his strain of thought when Basher who followed him inside prodded him in the side.

“Right, I remember that,” he admitted while grimacing profoundly. “Anyways, I am not here for myself,” he added in a level voice trying not to get mad at the treatment she was giving him. It gnawed and it was unpleasant at best, but he would keep his word to Fluttershy and get her the relaxing treatment she deserved. With that thought Fuse was surprised with himself, why did he give the slightest about Fluttershy?

Before Fuse could continue his reasoning the spa patron looked a bit confused. “If you're not here for yourself, then why are you here?” she asked still with the cold laced in her voice but less.

Fuse sighed a little and looked towards Basher to get some support he hoped.“Cursed be he, yet I need his help,” Quickly passed his mind. Basher merely nodded. “Where do I start?” Fuse asked as much to himself as to Basher.

At this point the spa pony's cold composure seemed to crack even further, which escaped Fuse's view but not Basher's view. “Fuse, just explain what you're here for, the spa patron has more to do than stand here,” Basher said and tried to leave as much as possible to Fuse. “He's almost like a child, he doesn't know what to do or what to say!” Basher thought for a second and saw the likeness when he looked back at everything. Fuse was a child, an old child but a child still, unable to maintain himself in the world.

“Very well, I am here on behalf of Fluttershy,” Fuse said and paused there for half a second as he now too noticed the Spa patron's disposition had changed. “She has been very busy and needs some relaxing, but she cannot leave her house because she needs to tend to the animals she shelters. So, she sent me to arrange for her that you, or somepony could do a home visit for her,” he blurted out all at once.

“Well, I guess I could go to Fluttershy's place because business is slow, and I will do it for free if you can arrange one little thing for me mister Fuse,” she said.

Right at that moment Fuse sighed and rolled his eyes, making but little secret of his dismay of yet another task he has to do in order to get done what had to be done. “Very well, what is it you want,” he said cynically.

The spa patron didn't seem to bother the cynicism the slightest and said: “If you could arrange for me, that the Cakes will cater the spa tomorrow, I'll go to Fluttershy's place right away,” she said and smiled. Fuse couldn't quite fit the smile because it was definitely not the smile of somepony experiencing joy, there was something else to it.

“Fine, I'll be back within a few minutes,” he said, both looking relieved and sounding relieved. The Cakes were one of the few ponies he had no beef with, he even helped the cakes out guarding the store when they had something special baked for a contest or an exposition.

Fuse kindly greeted the spa patron and nearly skipped out of the building with Basher on his tail. “Finally it seems like there is coming an end to all this,” he exclaimed enthusiastically.

Basher acting a bit more reserved just nodded. “It has to be nearly the end at least, I can't really imagine how this would go any deeper,” he said while visibly thinking about the possibility.

“Yea, I know right?” Fuse replied still looking rather optimistic. “I just hope Pinkie isn't there, I still have that restraining order from her and honestly I really don't want to deal with that on top of everything right now,” he stated. Fuse's optimism had diminished a little with that realization.

“You'll have to deal with that issue some time in order to get the gem cake Spike seems to want. I'll give him this, for a one year old dragon he is smart,” Basher stated when the full complexity of Spike's plan seemed to unravel. Rather than making Fuse do him a favor to get even, Spike put Fuse on the road to get even with himself as well along with a lot of other inhabitants of Ponyville. Even Basher with the talent to help those in need couldn't have concocted such a beautiful plan. “One could wonder to what extend the entire chain was Spike's plan, but I can't help but think this was all set up by Spike and Princess Twilight,” he thought, which in turn made Basher somewhat insecure and uneasy.

“I don't believe for half a second that dragon made this all up. If any, Twilight constructed all this and made it look like it was a task simply given by Spike to cover her tracks,” Fuse said harshly. “That dragon barely knows which book goes where, let alone he sets up something like this.”

Basher thought for a moment and for once Fuse was right in all his bleakness. “You make a fair point there, but does it matter who set this up? Aren't you just glad you get a chance to redeem yourself and rid yourself of the monster status as you've called it so elegantly?” Basher asked hoping to make Fuse see the perspective.

“I guess in the end it doesn't really matter,” Fuse admitted. He was glad enough he was given a chance but felt a little cheated by Twilight. Of course if he had known this would be such an elaborate task he would have never started it to begin with.

“Good, now that's out I like to tell you we've been standing still in front of the shop for about two minutes already and the Cakes inside have gotten curious as to why we are here,” Basher said and pointed towards the opened door where both cakes stood staring at the two from behind the counter with questioning faces.

“Thanks for the timely heads up buddy,” Fuse replied sarcastically before entering the shop and approaching the cakes who, unlike most ponies in Ponyville, greeted him with a smile rather than dismay and scorn as he was used to.

“Good afternoon Fuse, come to look for another job?” Mister Cake asked.

“Not today I'm not, I am actually here on behalf of the Spa patrons. They've got something planned or whatnot for tomorrow and sent me to ask you if you could cater for them at the Spa,” Fuse said, infinitely happy he could skip the careful dance of apologizing and trying to get ponies to listen to him despite his volatile nature and atrocious behavior of the past.

“Tomorrow? I'm very much afraid, however good it would be for our business, that we can't get a foal sitter on such short notice,” Misses Cake answered politely and with a hint of kindness in her voice.

Fuse's face resembled that of someone who had just eaten the sourest of lemons available. “So close, and it goes bust because she needs a flaming foal sitter? Where in Equestria am I going to find a foal sitter on such short notice?” he thought and quickly glanced to both his sides as if the answer would magically appear somehow.

“I could take care of your foals for a day I guess,” Basher offered out of the blue. He looked towards Fuse and read pure astonishment, which Basher replies with a smile and a wink, closing the chain that had become so long.

The cakes examined Basher for a moment and whispered something back and forth between them. Now Basher looked somewhat worried while fuse looked like one big bundle of untamed nerves ready to break down on the spot.

For Fuse those seconds seemed to crawl while his stomach clenched so tight he could feel his breakfast coming up. Fortunately though it was only seconds before the Cakes turned to Basher and nodded in agreement. “So, we've got a deal here?” asked Fuse in disbelief.

“Yes mister Fuse, if Basher comes over tomorrow morning we can set up shop at the Spa to cater whatever they've got going there,” misses cake said while mister cake confirmed it with a loud “HmmHmm,” sound and nodding.

Fuse could nearly jump from joy when he heard the relieving words. Finally he could bring all the ponies good news, the chain would close itself now.

First the spa ponies who seemed surprised by Fuse returning mere minutes after he had left with the good news and as promised the blue coated spa patron followed Fuse and Basher to Fluttershy's place.

Upon arrival Fluttershy opened the door even before they had knocked. In her hooves she held the fabric she allegedly hasn't been able to finish according to the previous time they talked. Fluttershy smiled towards Fuse and said: “You have learned a very important virtue today, but you will have to find out what it is and means to you,” Fluttershy said finally after giving the Fabric to him, which Fuse in turn immediately passed to basher.

The spa pony didn't quite know what was going on but she didn't really seem to care, they had landed a catering deal with the cakes for tomorrow which would be good for both the spa and the cake's business so her confusion was quickly replaced by the things more important to her, until one final thing came to her mind. She turned to fuse and said: “If you ever need to relax, you are once more welcome at our spa. But please promise me you'll never feed me soap again! it tasted horrible!”

Fuse's coat was normally bright red but it somehow turned even brighter at his cheeks as they colored in shame. Basher looked for a second to both the spa pony and Fuse. For him it was a great effort to contain his laughter.

“I won't do that anymore, or make rude comments for that matter,” Fuse stated apologetically and bowed his head gently to show he was sincere with his statement.

“Fuse, remember one thing when you go on, Kindness often brings you further than hatred does, even if things are hard or annoying, always try to be kind to others,” Fluttershy finally said before greeting both Basher and Fuse and heading inside with the spa pony Fuse had arranged for her.

Abashed both walked away in silent. Both their minds were as blank as an unwritten piece of paper. “Now what,” Fuse asked somewhat desolate.

“I don't know, I've got a lot to do still, do you think you can bring that fabric to Rarity without me? I need to take care of some business with Princess Sparkle, remember?” Basher replied and sighed deeply. The feeling he had was a bit surreal, as if this entire thing just couldn't have gone the way they did.

The surreal feeling wasn't contained to Basher alone. Fuse was just as scrambled as his companion was. Fuse couldn't even bother anymore making some stupid remark about Basher and Twilight having a date. Instead he simply confirmed he could take care of his business with Rarity and without offering more than a nod they both went their part ways.

“How one perceives the world, is as he himself is. Often when one experiences the world as rotten, the pony on the inside is rotten. Change ones view of the world and he will change accordingly. Let those who are depressed see the light at the end of the tunnel, let those who are angry experience kindness.” ~Part of an entry level Psychology textbook.