Le Phoenix Feather

by PhoenixFlame77

Chapter Three: I Felt Beautiful

Chapter Three: I Felt Beautiful

The streets of Ponyville crawled with ponies, like ants in an ant hill, except with no queen to please. Everywhere I looked, ponies were chattering their hearts away like parakeets, chirping like bluejays. They were all so distracted by their own lives that they turned to blind eye to the radiant Rarity dragging a grey, dirty servant filly behind her. Only a few stallions, the ones that were desperately in love with her (I could tell because of their expressions), looked up. Their eyes were diverted from me, focused, in awe, on Rarity's features. I'm not exaggerating when I say: She stops traffic.

While we trotted an unknown route to me, I took the valuable time to look around the shops of Ponyville. Well, look at them, I mean. Rarity was determined. She didn't let me rest for one minute. She just kept going, pulling me along like a youthful mule. My eyes flashed from a bakery called SugarCube Corner, a cafe called Mistletoe Wreath, and an apple stand that said, Apple Family Fresh Apple Delicacies! I decided, that someday in the distant future, I would have to visit all of them.

We stopped abruptly, and I was jerked back to my senses. I looked at Rarity, confused, and I saw her talking to a orange mare with a yellow mane and freckles across her face. I narrowed my eyes, intrigued by the mare's sudden appearance, and I stepped forward, staying closely to Rarity's side. The orange mare's eyes flickered to mine like flame for a fraction of a second, then she looked back up to Rarity.

"Who's this youngun' ya'll got with ya?" The mare asked. Her accent was heavy and southern, like all the ponies I've met from Appleloosa's were. Rarity lifted up her hoof and patted me awkwardly on my head, ruffling my hair. I couldn't care less about my hair. In fact, I loved the ragamuffin look. I smiled up at Rarity, attempting to be polite, and the two mares smiled at me.

"Oh, Graphite Star? She's a filly Twilight hired to work in the library for her," Rarity explained. The two mares exchanged a glance of surprise. Why is a filly working? They were asking each other silently. I could tell. I knew that look...only too well. I pretended to not comprehend what was happening in this exclusive moment, and I pawed the ground absentmindedly with my hoof.

The orange mare cleared her throat and coughed. "Er...mai name is Applejack. Nice ta meet ya, Grappite Sta'," she scratched the back of her head with her hoof. I noticed that she pronounced my name wrong, and I smiled to myself. "Nice to meet you too, ma'am," I bowed to her. I liked this mare. Not too bodacious, but not over-shy. I looked up out of the corner of my eye and saw that the mare was blushing heatedly. "Aw, shucks, no need ta bow," she chuckled modestly, and her ears turned down, embarrassed. Modest ponies are the best kind, I thought, looking up absentmindedly into the clear blue sky.

I released from my position and smiled, closed-mouthed, up at the two mares. They stared back at me, and for a few, awkward moments, there was a metal-hard silence, refusing to break. My eyes shifted back and forth between the two, and a bead of sweat formed on my forehead. My smile was no longer real.

The mare called Applejack cleared her throat and adjusted her moth-eaten cowboy hat. She glanced back at the apple stand I had seen earlier out of the corner of her eye and looked at me again. She half-smiled. "So, are ya'll new here in Ponyville?" Applejack asked, and the silence broke like glass. I blinked and nodded. "Where'd ya'll come from?" She pushed further, wiping her nuzzle with the back of her hoof. "Vanhoover." I answered simply.

My motto is: Never say more than you're asked. Never tell more than you need.

Applejack gestured with her hoof to me. "Where's yur family?" She asked, looking around, as if expecting them to be nearby. Nearby? I thought, heat gathering behind my eyes. They're dead.

I looked at the ground, purposefully avoiding Applejack's intensified green eyes. They bored into me like bullets...if I looked into them, I would most certainly cry. "They...they're not with us," I responded, my voice cracking slightly. A slight murmur exited from Applejack's mouth.

"I-I'm so sorry...I didn'-" she started, and I held up a hoof. "It-its okay. No need to be sorry for me, ma'am," I said, sticking serenely to my motto. I decided to be brave, like my parents would want me to be. Or at least, I think they would.

Another metal-hard silence.

Rarity had been silent the entire conversation. I looked up at her, to make sure she hadn't run off while Applejack and I were talking, and I was positively startled to see that her stunning blue eyes were glimmering with tears, and a few that had escape were rolling like tiny waves down her white cheeks. "Graphite Star, what a tough life you've had," Rarity whispered, her lips trembling. She reached out a hoof, and I ducked. We looked at each other, and fierce understanding sparkled in Rarity's eyes. She lowered her hoof and wiped her tears on her mane. Rarity closed her eyes and tilted her head towards the sky. She cleared her throat.

"Well, we must be going, Graphite Star," Rarity declared, and she flipped her mane with her hoof. She had quickly and obviously returned to her pampered manner. I nodded slightly in a approval. Applejack raised her eyebrow. The air between the three of us loosened slightly, and I felt a weight that I hadn't noticed before rotate off my shoulders. I could breath again.

"Where ya'll goin'?" Applejack asked.

Rarity rolled her eyes.

"Have you even been paying ATTENTION? Have you SEEN Graphite's fur! Its dirty!"

Applejack looked at me, scanning me up and down.

"She looks fine ta me."

"Are you INSANE? She looks like a pig!"

"No she don't."

"Well, cowpony, you have NO taste in fashion! While it might look normal to you, it looks like throw up to the rest of us!"

"Well I ain' a fashion queen."

"So what are you...the queen of apples?"

"Yup."

The two mares stared at each other, daggers piercing each other's skulls. My muscles grew tense, and I was prepared to break up a fight. Then, they stayed silent for a few moments, and to my surprise, they broke out laughing. I laughed along awkwardly, joining in the moment. It was kinda funny, I smiled to myself. Who am I kidding? It was hilarious!

Rarity's laughter was tinkly, like a piano, while Applejack's laugh was hardy and full, like a tuba. My laugh, however, was bungling and undeveloped, and it sounded like I was gurgling laughter. I stopped laughing, disappointed at how stupid it sounded. I swallowed and waited until they finished.

Rarity smiled at Applejack. "Well, we must be going." She stated, and she started to trot away. I began to follow her, but Applejack put a sturdy hoof on my shoulder, causing me to stop mid-step. I turned my head around, and I looked at her freckles, not her eyes. Her eyes were too intense.

"Grappite Star, I suggest ya'll be careful 'round Rarity. She's kinda...touchy," Applejack bit her lip, and she glanced at Rarity, who was making snobby comments on another mare's hat. I giggled, and Applejack did too. "I'll try, ma'am," I responded, still giggling. Applejack curved her eyebrows in, as a sign of pleasure. She patted me generously on the head, ruffling my black hair. "Take care of yurself, Grappite," she concluded the conversation sharply, and she trotted in the opposite direction, towards the apple stand. I simpered at the back of her head, amazed by how hilarious and hard-working she seemed to be.

"Graphite Sta-ar! Come on, darling, its time for your makeover!" Rarity cooed, her words sing-song and jazzy. I whipped my head around and slipped slightly on the ground, but I quickly regained my balance and trotted over to where she stood; facing an exotic, clean building, with a logo of a perfume bottle on it.

Oh no, I gritted my teeth. The spa.

"Miss Rarity? Er...are we going there?" I gestured to the spa with my hoof, my stomach seething with dislike. Rarity looked down at me, her eyes curious. "Why the tone of disapproval? The spa is delightful!" Rarity chimed, hopping into the air. I was about to disagree, but then Applejack's words echoed in my head. I suggest ya'll be careful 'round Rarity. She's kinda...touchy. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I can't believe I'm about to say this.

"Okay, ma'am."

Rarity squinted her features in delight, and she squealed. "Delightful! Lets go in, shall we?" She insisted, and before I could nod, she seized me by the arm. "Woah!" I exclaimed, alarmed, as she started to drag me up the glossy, glass (WOAH...GLASS?!?) staircase, and hauled me through the front door.

"Holy Celestia," I muttered, so Rarity couldn't hear me.

It was a palace...but smaller.

A miniature waterfall was beside the entrance, pouring gracefully into a steaming hot tub. The steam seeped into my brain, causing me to feel woozy and relaxed. Multiple recliner chairs were positioned around the room, some occupied, some not. The ceiling was high, and circular, with a chandelier. A glass observatory ceiling covered the top, narrowing to a point. Glass-stained pictures covered the majority of the walls, reflecting onto the white-stained ground in a rainbow of colors. If I could describe this place in one word, it would be....WOW.

"Isn't it amazing?!? The decor is simply divine, isn't it?" Rarity squawked, so unlike herself. I looked into her shining blue eyes and gulped. "I like the waterfall the most, ma'am." I stated simply. I didn't want to lie, but I didn't entirely want to tell the truth. I compromised by compromising. It was the only thing to do when you were set on pleasing somepony.

Especially Rarity.

I rocked back and forth on my hooves and and started whistling. Rarity didn't take notice; she was too absorbed watching the spa-workers neatly clipped the costumer's hooves, massaged their backs, and gave them practiced, professional foot massages. Rarity sighed in delight as one of the spa-workers spotted us lingering by the entrance. "Here they come! Be prepared to have the relaxation of your life, Graphite Star!" Rarity declared, putting her hoof to her forehead...as if she was about to faint. I cocked my eyebrow at her, bewildered by her wide similarity to a pony who bathed in royalty.

Rarity threw a glance over her shoulder at me, and she pursed her lips. She flipped her mane and it fell delicately across her shoulders, causing me to gag. I looked down, hiding my face from her, and Rarity clicked her tongue impatiently. I glanced up quickly, seeing that her attention was averted from me, and sighed with relief. I clapped my hooves together and watched as a aqua-blue mare, with beautiful, flowing pink hair, with a white hairband tying it back, approached us with a helpful glint in her eye.

The mare took her position behind a clear, glass desk, covered with clean, smooth appliances and adorable, chibi pictures, drawn by an urban artist, judging by the texture. I stepped forward, following Rarity as she gracefully trotted over to the desk, her hooves lightly stomping on the floor. I peered over her shoulder, searching the gaze of the glossy mare. The smile she wore on her face was fake, as if torn off a doll and plastered on her skin clumsily. I narrowed my eyes. Fake sincerity? Can I leave now? I thought, heaving. I slightly slowed my step.

“Why hello, Lotus Flower!” Rarity greeted the mare, bowing her head slightly, showing respect. The mare smiled wider, her white, pearly teeth glinting with the sunlight streaming through the glass door behind us. “Why hello, Rarity! Will it be the usual today?” The mare called Lotus Flower inquired, her hoof reaching for a clipboard that had been abandoned on the desk.

Rarity nodded. “Of course...but today, I have a filly here who needs your expert help...very badly,” Rarity gestured with her hoof towards me. I flinched as Lotus Flower looked at me, her pearly white smile faltering for a fraction of a second. Disgust is what she felt...I could tell. I had learned to ignore the pang in my heart when ponies looked at me with disgust. I didn’t move. I stared directly into her judgmental eyes and thought, I’m not pretty, but beauty doesn’t matter where I come from. She cleared her throat, quickly brushing the sticky, uncomfortable moment aside, and her eyes shifted to Rarity. “Oh, of course. Anything else, madam?” Lotus Flower questioned, lifting her eyebrow as well as her hoof.

Rarity shook her head, her flawless mane bouncing off her sleek shoulders. “No, darling. We’re quite alright.” Lotus Flower closed her eyes and nodded, her pink hair staying suspended in the same place...not moving with the flow of her head. I raised my eyebrows suspiciously; that wasn’t possible. Not unless influenced by chemicals...oh, right. Hairspray.

“Alright then. We’ll get your treatment ready, ma’am,” Lotus Flower turned on her hoof, her pink mane unmoving. I frowned. I hate ponies who are fake.

Lotus Flower stepped out from behind the desk, grabbing the clipboard with her pink tail. Rarity looked at me over her shoulder and smiled, her blue eyes stunning and demanding. I gulped, smiling back. Why am I doing this? I asked myself.

Remember, Graphite? For respect.

Shut up, mind, I thought, partly amused.

Oh, and you’re as filthy as a pig.

Is that a bad thing?

My mind frowned at me.

I sighed, and I continued to smile back at Rarity. “Ooh, this is going to be sooo delightful! You’ll be as fresh as a summer daisy when we walk out! Oh, and then of course we have to head to my boutique, where obviously we’ll dress you in a fabulous outfit! I want Twilight to know we’ve been taking good care of her little worker,” Rarity explained, her voice magnifying in a businesslike manner.

I gaped at her. “A-an outfit?” I inquired, horrified. I realized how rude that sounded and I covered my mouth with my hoof, my eyes shifting from my filthy body to her confused eyes. She raised an eyebrow, her heavy, fake eyelashes fluttering like butterflies.

“Is that a problem?”

I stared into her waiting eyes, my expression shifting quickly from horrified to delighted. “N-no! Its just, I haven’t...worn anything for a long time!” I explained, my voice carrying a forged tone of surprise to it.

Rarity rolled her eyes, her alarming, shiny smile returning. “Oh, of course! I mean, what filly like-” she stopped herself before she could finish the sentence. It was obvious to my sensitive mind what she was about to say. Oh, of course! I mean, what filly like yourself would wear clothes?

I’ve always trained myself to understand why ponies say certain things. I try to have empathy.

But I’ve figured out...it’s impossible.

I cleared my throat, pretending that I didn’t hear the hesitation in her voice. I nudged forward with my head, telling her to continue her hurtful sentence. She laughed awkwardly and flipped her mane idiotically.

“-what filly like you wouldn’t want to try clothes on?” she invented, glossing off the sentence. I blinked, smiling at her, trying to assure her that I would love to. I couldn’t bring myself to answer.

Gratefully, Rarity noticed out of the corner of her eye that Lotus Flower was approaching, carrying two heaps of white on her back. Rarity gasped, putting her hoof on her head, like a Princess about to collapse. I jumped, alarmed at her sudden movement, and observed through wide eyes as Lotus Flower stopped beside us.

Rarity ran forward, a high-pitched giggle escaping her lips. Lotus Flower stepped towards me, avoiding being knocked to the ground by Rarity’s pounce. Rarity seized one of the heaps of white off Lotus’s back, pulling it towards her face.

“Ooh!” She cooed. “I just LOVE the feel of their robes,” she purred, causing me and Lotus Flower to exchange looks of utter bewilderment. Lotus Flower quickly pulled away from my gaze, her eyes adjusting to Rarity’s overreacting over how ‘fluffy’ the robes were. I frowned, pawing the ground with my hoof.

Rarity glanced at me, gesturing to Lotus Flower’s back. “Go on, Graphite Star! Take one!” Rarity demanded, and Lotus Flower extended her back to me. I reached forward uncertainly, took one off, and draped it around my shoulders like a towel. The silky, buttery feel of the fabric was so comforting it almost lulled me to sleep, but I kept my strength and beamed at Rarity.

“They are soft,” I agreed, chuckling. Rarity flashed me a satisfied smile.

Lotus Flower cleared her throat and closed her eyes. She stretched her neck towards us, fluttering her eyelashes. “Let me take you to your seats,” Lotus Flower offered, smiling her fake smile. She gestured towards the main part of the room, sprinkled with massage chairs and hot tubs, full of drifting rose petals and draped with silky towels.

Rarity watched her arms as she put on the robe, the fuzzy collar perking her shoulders. “Why thank you, Lotus Flower. Graphite Star, put on your robe, darling,” Rarity insisted, waving Lotus Flower off with a wave. I swallowed the guilt in my throat for bathing in such luxury, and put on the robe. Carefully avoiding touching my dirty legs, I tightened the belt around my waist and weakened under the softness. A warm, delightful feeling tingled from my hooves to the tip of my muzzle, spreading across my heart like a baby blanket. “Ah,” I whispered in comfort.

Lotus Flower turned her back to me, walking forward down the glass steps towards the circle-shaped lower area of the spa. “Follow me,” she called over her shoulder, and I stepped forward. Realizing my mistake, I stepped back, allowing Rarity to pass first. Rarity halted, confused on why I had stopped. I bowed low, my muzzle nearly touching her groomed hooves.

“After you,” I insisted.

I looked up, and saw that Rarity was yet again flattered. Is she always this fancy?, I wondered. I shrugged slightly to myself, so the gratified Rarity wouldn’t notice in her state of pleasurable bewilderment. I’ll have to ask Applejack later, I decided, glancing out of the corner of my eye.

Rarity fluttered her enormous black eyelashes, her twinkling blue eyes in light. “Thank you, darling. You are so polite,” Rarity complimented, nodding her head to me. She trotted past, and my cheeks warmed up with the unknown glee of hearing praise. I was used to harsh words and scoldings...I think this is the first compliment a pony has ever given me. My eyes welled up with joyous tears as I watched Rarity walk farther ahead.

“Thank you, but I’m not as polite as you, ma’am,” I trotted down the steps, blinking back my tears. Rarity turned her head, her eyes pleased but her expression uncertain. She acknowledged my commendation with a grateful nod, and then she turned back, facing Lotus Flower. My cheeks went cold again as I halted by Rarity’s side. It’s wrong to expect compliments all the time, I scolded myself, furrowing my eyebrows at my arrogance.

I looked up, quickly establishing the situation.

Lotus Flower was sitting between two deluxe, leather massage chairs, complete with a remote-control panel, a cup holder, and a food tray. At the bottom of each chair, there was a heart-shaped hoofbath, with pumping jets that spewed water like a blowhole of an enraged whale. I gasped, marveling at the serenity of the scene. I watched as Rarity clambered onto the left chair gracefully, her purple, curled hair streaming behind her. She sighed, relieved, as she sunk into the chair, sliding her hooves in the elegant bath. “Magnificent,” she breathed, fluttering her eyelids closed.

Lotus Flower was sitting on a white, circular, spinning seat, with a metal bar connecting her to the glass floor. She was holding a silver, knife shaped object, that made my heart jump into my throat. Holy Luna’s Moon...is that a knife? I questioned, pulling my right hoof towards my heart. Lotus Flower turned to Rarity and leaned over her hooves.

“U-um...w-what is that thing?” I stuttered, quietly gesturing to the horrifying object in Lotus Flower’s hoof.

Lotus Flower turned her head to me, her eyebrows raised. She had a smirk on her face, as if I should know what the object was. I stared, my cheeks reddening with the weight of her arrogant face. I sniffed, awaiting her answer.

She held it in the air, and I leaned forward to examine the object.

“Er...it’s a hoof file?” she answered, bewildered at my lack of knowledge. I was still puzzled. What’s a hoof file? I asked myself, my eyes widening. I blinked quickly, begging silently for Rarity to answer the question instead of Lotus Flower.

Graphite Star, never think badly of anypony.

I sigh at my mind.

I know. I’m sorry.

Do not be sorry. Learn from your actions.

Of course.

That’s a good Graphite.

I straightened my posture, glancing politely at Lotus Flower. She smiled a closed-lip smile and lowered the so-called hoof file towards Rarity’s hooves. “It shines your hooves and removes any dry skin,” she explained. I nodded, relieved that it wasn’t a knife. Oh! That makes sense, I smiled, glad that I now knew. Imagine if I’d just walked into a random spa and said, “Oh, is that a knife?” That would be so hilarious....

“Go ahead, make yourself comfortable, Graphite Star. My sister, Aloe Vera, will be with you shortly.” Lotus Flower elucidated, looking at me over out of the corner of her oceanic blue eye. I shifted my eyes towards the chair on Lotus Flower’s right, observing that it appeared extremely friendly and comfortable. I relaxed my shoulders and blinked sedately.

I put my hoof on the seat and hoisted myself up, tenderly tracing along the stitches in the leather covering. I slid down the front, my hooves lowering into the amazing hoof bath. The tips of the rose petals tickled my hooves, causing delighted shivers to climb up my spine. I turned my head, placing my front hooves on the arms of the chair.

No, no, you mustn’t get too comfortable, Graphite.

I blinked.

You’re right, mind. I must not dwell in luxury.

You’ve learned well.

Well, I try my hardest to be polite and true.

That’s a good Graphite.

I raised my head off the chair, scanning my surroundings. Rarity was in mid-treatment, her hooves sparkling with the effort of Lotus Flower’s tedious work and the shining chandelier hanging far above everypony’s heads. Rarity’s head lay back; her eyes covered with cucumbers and her hair in ringlets. I blinked, amazed at how tenderly she’d been treated.

I turned my head slightly, searching for Aloe Vera, even though I had zilch idea of what she looked like. Similar to Lotus Flower, I reasoned, remembering that Lotus Flower had spoken of Aloe Vera as a sister. I squinted, looking around the vast spa, full of workers and relaxed ponies, to spot somepony who might resemble Lotus Flower.

Between two towel racks, I spotted a mare with a blue mane, exactly like Lotus Flower’s, with the exact same headband. Her body was pink, like Lotus Flower’s hair color, except less florescent, and more humble. She had a lotus flower cutiemark, like Lotus Flower, except hers was outlined in blue, not pink. Her eyes were oceanic blue, similar to Lotus Flower’s...but maybe more clear.

If this isn’t Lotus Flower’s sister, then I’m a Princess, I thought, smiling to myself.

I leaned back, closing my eyes. Seconds ticked by as I waited for her to trot over, bearing the message that’d she be the one who would treat me. I sighed, my back sinking into the bendable leather of the chair, and I felt as if my heart was melting with relaxation. I tingled my hooves, feeling completely aware of myself and my beating heart...feeling completely in sink with my pulsing veins and heaving lungs. It was a new sensation...a sensation I didn’t know how to cope with.

I heard a voice slowly creeping into my mind, snapping me out of my trance. “Hello there. My name is Aloe Vera, and I’ll be treating you today,” a cheery voice said, bouncing in my ears like lovely bells. I blinked open my eyes and saw the mare with the blue mane, with her crystalized oceanic blue eyes and her strong resemblance to the slightly snarky mare, Lotus Flower.

I sat up, observing her kind smile and her welcoming eyes. I watched her very closely as she sat down, bending low over my hooves. I watched her concisely as she scanned my hooves, disgust not appearing on her face at the sight of the dirt crusted over my gray fur. I raised my eyebrow, realizing that I had not replied to her sentence.

“Oh-! Hello, ma’am. Thank you so much for taking the time to be here with me today,” I tilted my head down, bowing to her slightly. Aloe Vera looked up from my hooves and slanted her head, confused at my politeness. I smiled back, something inside my heart bursting to the brim.

I liked this pony.

Aloe Vera inclined her head, blinking her graceful eyelashes at me. She was stunning, like Rarity, but she wasn’t as bodacious, which is the most likeable factor in a pony, in my opinion.

“It’s no problem at all,” she replied. “Now, we’ll start with your hooves.”

The next three hours were filled with hoof baths, polishings, cleanings, filings, and massages. I had never felt anything as luxurious as this in my short life, and I had never expected to; being a working filly...I didn’t expect to amount to much. Aloe Vera was the kindest, most tender pony I had ever met (besides Mistress Twilight Sparkle, of course) and she treated me with respect and diligence. She was dedicated to her work, and that’s what gets a pony far in life.

Finally, at the end of the third hour, I stood in front of a mirror, with Aloe Vera beside me. Rarity had disappeared into a room with an expert massager, who was licensed all over Equestria, and said to be the best in the business. I had gratefully stayed with Aloe Vera, gladly excepting her excellent work.

Her crystalized blue eyes peered over my shoulder, looking into my eyes in the mirror. “So, do you like your transformation?” she asked quietly, blinking curiously at me.

The pony in the mirror, standing where I should be standing, nodded her head. I couldn’t believe how different I looked.

My green-and-blue eyes were shining. My untidy, short black hair was perched on my head gracefully, as if a professional hairstylist had spent countless hours putting every stray, grimy hair back into place. My tail was delicately twirled to natural perfection; looking as it looked when I had been cared by my loving parents, bathed and brushed regularly. My dark gray fur was silky and soft, like a baby blanket, looking like it shouldn’t look; luscious and beautiful. I felt unreal. I felt...something I had never felt before.

I felt beautiful.

Comments

[Unbridled Dolly]

Yayy! Three cheers for Aloe!!! Please, please, please update it quicker next time.

[PhoenixFlame77]

Of course, dolly1!
Sorry it took me so long... I've been having HUGE writer's block lately.
I'm working on the next chapter right now!

[Pyriel]

This wonderful! I'll continue reading as you do writing. To bad I can't like it again.

[PhoenixFlame77]

Pyriel, if I weren't for you, I wouldn't have this many reads. Thank you SO MUCH for supporting me! You ROCK! I will keep writing and writing until I DROP!