One year

by PonyFromSpace

10. A Day at the Day Spa

10. A Day at the Day Spa

The landscape still bathing in the dawn, two little fillies speeded across town. Apple Bloom's pink bow swayed back and forth in the late autumn breeze.
"Come on, Sweetie Belle, hurry up!" she urged her friend.
It wasn't long before they reached the house they were looking for.
"Are you sure she didn't just go home?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Spike said she'd be here, so Ah think she's round here," Apple Bloom replied, "I trust Spike's judgement."
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes, "Yeah, Spike's judgement..."

Apple Bloom grunted and stepped up towards the door. She knocked. No answer.
"Apple Bloom, don't you think we might be a bit early?" Sweetie asked, looking around worriedly.
The streets were near empty. The only person they'd passed was Spike and he was out cleaning the sidewalk to escape Twilight's early morning magic testing. Sweetie Belle felt uncomfortable for perhaps waking up Stride's parents so early in the morning.

"Don't worry, Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom replied, "They're probably just havin' breakfast! Applejack and Big Mac were already bucking trees."
Sweetie Belle was about to make a remark on them being farmers when a grumpy stallion opened the door. Burst had his eyelids hanging low. His black mane was messy, as if he'd just gotten up.

"Hi there, mister Burst!" Apple Bloom said cheerfully, then, her face contorted to a guilty look, "I'm sorry if we disturbed your breakfast. Is Scootaloo here?"
The dark brown unicorn rubbed his eyes, then held his forehead trying to shake off a headache.
"No, no, you didn't disturb my... breakfast," he groaned, attempting to look friendly but failing at doing so. Sweetie Belle shrunk at his annoyed face. The stallion noticed and as if he was being struck by magic, he turned cheerful and chipper. Perhaps he couldn't bare the look of a sad child.

"Yeah, she's here. What's it for?" he yawned peacefully.
"We kind of made a mistake," Apple Bloom answered cheepishly, "We came to apologise."
Burst nodded, "Storm mentioned something happened, but," he yawned, "I was a bit too tired to hear her out. Come in, please."

He stepped aside so the fillies could pass. He guided them to the living room, after which he went to the kitchen.
He quickly returned with a large pitcher of chocolate milk.

"Anypony up for a hot beverage?" he asked.
"No thanks, Ah'm fine," Apple Bloom replied. Sweetie Belle nodded fiercely, "Yes please!"
Burst smiled as he used his grey aura to lift up the pitcher and poured her a cup, "Great to hear! Storm's been saying I should give guests warm beverages. Finally, I can put this chocolate milk to use."
He floated the cup over towards her.

"Do you have any idea how time consuming it is to have a warm pitcher available all the time?"
The fillies shook their heads. Apple Bloom fidgeted her bow.
"So, uhm, is Scoots here?"
Burst nodded, "She's upstairs with Stride. I think they're still asleep."

---

"Any question?" Scootaloo asked.
Suddenly, it didn't appear to be such a good idea anymore. However, Stride nodded.
"Any question."
Knock knock.

Stride's ears perked up. Who would visit at this time of the day? He heard his parents' bedroom door open as his father trotted downstairs. He shrugged. Probably taxes or something.

Scootaloo seemed a bit absent. Her ears were halfway flopping down. Her eyes half closed. Her wings were straight.
"Are you okay?" Stride asked worriedly.
Scootaloo looked up at him, "Uhm, yeah, sure. I was just thinking."

She tilted her head, "Okay, first question. What'd you like most for a cutie mark?"
Stride pouted and pondered. He hadn't really considered such a thing.
"I'm uh, I'm not really sure," he answered, "Maybe pancakes?"
Scootaloo frowned, "Pancakes? You can do way cooler than that! You can be like an explosion or something!"
Stride lifted a brow, "Sure, an explosion."

He suddenly felt a jolt of pain through his chest. He started coughing violently and struggled to cover his mouth while doing so.
The filly next to him was startled. She hopped up from her mattress and looked around for anything that might help.
"Stride! Are you okay?"
He tried to nod, "I'm, ACHUM, fine, AGH, just need so- UCH, some water."

---

Sweetie Belle nervously rocked back and forth in the sofa.
"Soooooo, when do you think they'll get up?"
The second after, the door slammed open and Scootaloo dragged a coughing Stride into the living room. He seemed pretty bad as the coughs sounded painful and his eyes were red.

"Need some help here," the orange filly begged towards Burst.
The dad quickly jumped up and helped move Stride to the kitchen. He kindly asked Scootaloo to join her friends in the living room. Hesitantly, the filly walked towards her fellow crusaders. They heard the coughing lighten and eventually stop, but Stride and Burst still didn't come back.

"Hi," Scoots said bitterly.
"Hello," Apple Bloom answered uncomfortably.
Sweetie Belle looked sad at her empty cup. She turned towards Apple Bloom and nodded.
In sync, they both said, "We're sorry Scootaloo."

The pegasus looked up at them surprised.
"Don't be," she replied, "I was the one who agreed to setting my tail on fire."
Sweetie Belle shook her head, "But I was the one who went through with it."
Apple Bloom joined in, "And Ah told you to do it and Ah didn't try to stop ya."
The three fillies switched looks and Scootaloo smiled, "Let's just say we're all in the wrong here."
She leaned in closer to the rest, "And perhaps never do such a thing again."

Stride came back from the kitchen, followed by his dad.
Scoots jumped up, "Is everything okay?"
Stride nodded, "I'm fine."

The filly sighed in relief, "I thought you we're dying there for a second."
The colt bit his lip as his ears flopped down, "I uh, wasn't going to die there."
Scootaloo frowned as she saw the ever so friendly Burst shoot Stride a disappointed glare. The colt looked down at the floor.

Apple Bloom looked across the room, "So uh, we goin' crusadin'?"
Her pegasus friend shook her head, "Sorry, can't go out the coming few days," she answered. She showed her flank to her friends. It still had scorch marks and her tail was still in a pretty bad shape.
Burst frowned, "I can have those burns fixed in no time! Did Storm tell you otherwise?"
"Well, she said not to get into the sunlight until next week."

Burst shook his head whilst his horn glowed grey, "My ever so loving wife, always overreacting to everything."
They watched in awe at the place where the marks had been. Her flank was as blank as ever. A blush crossed her face as Scootaloo realised everypony was staring at her backside. She quickly turned. In front of her, in the door opening, a rather agitated mare stood.
"Always overreacting to everything?"
Burst's ears flopped down, "Well, uhm..."
She glared at him, "I'll deal with you later, she grinned wide, "Ever so loving husband of mine."

She turned towards the fillies, "That fixes the burns, but not the tail," she remarked.
Apple Bloom put up wide eyes, "But can she go outside now?"
Storm nodded askant, "But I think perhaps Scootaloo and I should make a little trip to the spa together and get that tail fixed."
Scootaloo bit her lip as she wondered what she'd best do.
Sweetie Belle nodded fiercely, "Sure, we can crusade some other time!"
Storm bumped Scootaloo on the back, "Come on, some girl time together, what do you think?"
Girl time? Let's just hope Rainbow Dash doesn't disapprove. What's you advice, Brain?
...
Yeah, Why am I not surprised?
"Uhm, okay then."

---

Stride groaned at the two fillies before him. They were on their way to the clubhouse, but Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had been keeping ahead for a while now. He couldn't hear what they were talking about and all he could see was their behinds. A sight he'd rather not behold. They were whispering and giggling.
"I'm still here, you know," he pointed out. No response.
Apple Bloom whispered towards Sweetie Belle, "Why did you encourage them to go so quickly?"
Sweetie Belle shrugged, "What better way to form a couple than having the filly bond with the mother?"
They giggled, "Great idea, Sweetie Belle."

---

Scootaloo uncomfortably sat down on the chair.
"So, uh, how does this work?" she asked.

Lotus Blossom, the blue, pink maned beautician, gave her a reassuring smile, "Just relax and you'll have a good time."
Storm lay on the chair next to her and was already having her hoof clipped. She had a broad smile across her off-white face.

Scootaloo lay down on her belly and frowned as she tried to look behind her. She felt the beautician taking hold of her tail and spraying on some colouring. After that, the mare used some extensions on it. She seemed quite busy puffing the tail and curling the mane. Storm was enjoying a massage.

"So," Storm said, "What've you and Stride been doing on these 'crusades'?"
Scootaloo lifted a brow, "Doesn't Stride tell you that?"
"Yes, but I'd like to hear your side of the story."
"Well, we try to get our cutie marks by doing numerous things."
"What kind of things?"
"Things like baking, acrobatics, jousting..."

Storm's eyes were now wide open, "Jousting?"
Scootaloo nodded, "But we're not going to do that anymore. Last time, the joust turned out to be a bit too sharp and Sweetie Belle accidently pierced Button's helicopter cap. We were lucky she didn't aim a bit lower."
She grimaced, "Button's mom is one mare you don't want to see angry. So far for having Button join the club."

Suddenly, a pair of hooves touched her wings, "Hey, what are you doing?"
Lotus Blossom smiled at her, "We'll have to wait for your tail to be finished, so I thought I'd massage your wings.
It's always easier to fly after a good massage."

Scootaloo nervously flapped, "I'm not really one for being touched."
The spa pony shook her head, "A good flier needs to rest her wings from time to time."
"I can't fly."
Lotus grimaced, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."
The filly rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Of course you are."

Stride's mom moaned in delight as the spa pony massaged her wings, "Don't worry, Scootaloo. Just don't think too much and enjoy the massage. It's free."
The orange pegasus frowned, but then nodded.
"I'll give it a try." She lay down her head on the pillow before her and felt the clean hooves moving through her feathers. Indeed, it was enjoyable.

---

Meanwhile in Canterlot Castle, horrors occurred. A large centaur like creature walked the halls with Discord along his side.
"The princesses are going down," he groaned.
Discord frowned, "Might I ask, my friend, what you plan on doing after you've consumed their magic?"
The centaur grinned, "How about I mind my business and you get to have Equestria as your playground."
"Yes, well you've said that before..."
"Then stop questioning my honesty and I will not question your loyalty."
"I'm thankful for your generosity, but-"
"Drop the matter or I'll lose my kindness, dragonequus, and then there'll be no more laughter for you."
Discord crossed his arms. At least Fluttershy didn't mind me teleporting around all the time. This guy's so boring. I want to go back to pranking ponies, that was fun.

Author's Note:

So, this ties in with the series' continuity. Don't worry, I'll stay true to the tone of the story and won't shift to an epic clash where Stride goed alicorn mode and destroys Ti'rek or something as such. It's merely a necessary mention for things to add up.

Comments

[Emma Anarchy]

Ohhh My Celestia! Moar moar moar!

[Noctus Umbra]

Those element drops tho.