[Ponyville Day Spa]Ponyville's Spring and Summer Spectacular![ATTN: Lotus, Open]

[IceStorm]

[colour=#ff66cc]It was just past the break of dawn. Today, marked the start of the busiest month that the Ponyville Day Spa sees every year. The annual Spring and Summer Spectacular! Aloe had woken up exceptionally early today to make sure that everything was ready and perfect by the time the doors were set to open so that even the very first customers had the absolute best experience possible. She quickly put the last few finishing touches on her advertising banner. It was done up in the same colours as her coat and mane, with the contrasting cerulean , mixed with the pale rose background, with a border of vines seemed to do the trick for her, and was sure to grab the attention of potential customers. With a quick flip of the lock, she opened the door and placed it outside on her right side so that customers could see it as they walked in. She walked a bit out into the market to make sure the writing was legible from a distance. "Ponyville's Spring and Summer Spectacular!! All treatments and products at fifty-percent their normal price!" Looks good enough to me. It's not even completely light yet and I can read it, she thought to herself as she went back inside and locked the door once again to finish the preparations. [/colour]

[colour=#ff66cc]She went through the lobby of the spa to make sure that every balm, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, oil, and all other beauty supplies were stocked as full as she could get them while making sure that all of the guides were in place as well. She knew that this was going to be a very long wait, as it normally was on the first day, so she also made sure to have ample magazines, and entertainment for those awaiting to be serviced. Where is Lotus! I know that mare loves to sleep in, but this is our single most busiest day of the year... she thought to herself as her head dropped in a sigh. Celestia's sun finally peeked over the horizon and began it's ascent into the azure sky. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"Well, here we go, She'll just have to catch up, like normal,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she thought as she switched the sign to open and unlocked and propped open the main door to the lobby.[/colour]

[Bellosh]

For a select few ponies of Ponyville, they never bothered with patronizing the Day Spa unless the Spring and Summer Spectacular was around the corner. Some of these folks just don’t think spa treatments are something having to pony up bits for unless there’s a sale. Other ponies value their own abilities to pretty themselves up. Finally, there were ponies like Derpy Hooves who just really didn’t care for maintaining a sleek appearance most of the time; usually because such looks didn’t last all that long for electrical weather specialists like herself.

However, even Miss Hooves couldn’t deny the benefits of a day at the spa. Getting her coat all glistened up and her blonde mane made into something other than the tangled mess it usually was undeniably felt great. It didn’t hurt that Aloe and Lotus were fun to talk to too! And since spa treatments were half-off this month, why not be the first pony to take advantage of it?

Waking up at the crack of dawn just to be the first pony to arrive, the gray mare didn’t bother at all with her usual morning mane-brushing routine. Hence, Derpy’s hair looked even more hideous than usual; more than half of it shot crookedly up with abandon. Her coat wasn’t in much better shape either without a morning bath, although at least it didn’t smell bad... too much. The hooves of the googly-eyed pegasus needed a pedicure too; grimy as they were.

Only a mere minute after Aloe opened the place for business in the opening hours of dawn, the wreck of a young mare that was Derpy boldly cantered into the lobby; [colour=#ffcc00]“I’M HEEEEERE!!!!!! Hey, am I the first customer?”[/colour]

​

[IceStorm]

[colour=#ff66cc]It wasn't any longer than about three to four minutes after she opened the doors that their first customer arrived, much as she had expected. What she hadn't expected though, was for this first customer to be Derpy. While she was still a bit sore with the mare from what happened with Bon Bon's stand a few days prior, she could never bear any ill will towards her, or anypony for that matter. She knew that it was just an accident. She smiled at the mares excitement however when she came into the spa and asked if she was the first customer. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"Yes, Ms. Hooves, you are our first customer, or should I say my first customer since my sister apparently hasn't woken up yet,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she said with a slight giggle before give a moderately scornful look at the clock. Of all the days for her to be late... she thought to herself before she started leading Derpy into the back.[/colour][colour=#6699cc] "Okay, so what would you like to start with?"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she asked the smoke-coloured mare. [/colour]

[Bellosh]

After giving a small cheer indicating her pleasure at being first, Derpy Hooves put her thinking cap on as she tried to select what to do first. Hmmmm..... decisions, decisions; always a toughie. Should she get a pedicure first, or go for a facial? Maybe she should bathe in the hot spring, or maybe instead could get massaged?

However, it didn’t take long for one option to stand out in Derpy’s mind; [colour=#ffcc00]“Ohh ohhhhh, I’d like a mud wrap please!”[/colour] The eccentric blonde-maned pegasus always liked the concept of being covered in mud; she used to play in mud all the time as a filly, and it had always been a joy to sling sludge at other foals and instigate a mud bath. For obvious reasons, a mud wrap wasn’t the same thing, but Miss Hooves also enjoyed how mud could soothe muscles and tone her body. Given her demanding line of work, the electrical weather specialist thought she would probably be best served by starting out with the mud.....

​

[tacobob]

Two figures made their way into the rather cozy Day-Spa. One was a red pegasus pony clad in armor who did not appear to be too keen about the whole idea. “Why in the world did we have to come all the way over here for this? Doctor Well back at the base can work wonders with those hooves of his, and due to our connections with the R.E.A, we wouldn’t need spend a bit!”, the other figure was a black furred griffon who wore a baggy hooded sweatshirt. She rolled her eyes as the mare spoke, “I told you before Fire, your little pony doctor is an chiropractor. You go there if you need something serious fixed, now a day spa on the other hand, that's where you go to just relax...To chill, and not to worry about your little assortment of problems and dramas.", the pony started up with a, "But this is Ponyville, where you-know-who dumped me and little Wind nearly broke all of the bones in her little body. It's hardly a place I think well of."

"Now now Fires, this is a drama-free place. You're leaving your Dunders and Winds on the doorstep here. Now I've heard nothing but good things about this spa and the girls who run the place.", the griffon made her way to the front desk where she signed "Zelda" and "Fire Walker" onto the small ledger provided for new customers. "Now I know all your silly worries will just melt away in their steam bath. I'm signing us up for the full packages, from the mud baths to the hooficure for you and a proper pedicure for me. And no complaining!". Once she found a seat, she pulled out a small green magazine and started to read it.

The Pegasus glanced away from her news magazine and groaned as she caught sight of what the griffon was reading, "Seriously? You do know that magazine is for foals! There's plenty of other magazines. I think they have the latest issue of News...", she was quickly cut off by Zelda who waved a free clawed hand at the other female, "Oh ptaw, you go ahead and read your boring pony news-rag, I love this magazine! Hoofus and Gallant are a hoot! Lookie at this! Gallant opens the door for the old mare, but Hoofus slams it right into her face! Even knocks her dentures out! Ha! What a riot!", the R.E.A guard shook her head sadly as her friend let out a few rather loud guffaws. This had the makings of a very long day.

[IceStorm]

[colour=#ff66cc]Aloe smiled and nodded towards Derpy when she stated that she would enjoy a mudwrap, and around that time two more customers came in. One of which looked to be still in the armor of the R.E.A. and had probably just gotten back from active service. She was a fiery red Pegasus, and she overheard the comments, and then it hit her. She was at that wedding that was held for that... icy blue mare that she couldn't remember the name of now. She felt bad for the pegasi. While she'd had her fair share of break-ups over the years through school, she hadn't ever gotten into anything too serious, and she couldn't imagine what it would be like for something like that. She did have to give the mare credit though, the fact that she showed up to the wedding at all was a good show to her personality. It went a long way to earning respect from her. [/colour]

[colour=#ff66cc]The other customer, the one that approached the counter behind Derpy and signed them in, was a griffon, black in colour, and wore a hoodie. Aloe wasn't all that familiar with griffons, and was now a bit on edge. The only time she had ever dealt with a griffon was when Gilda had come to Ponyville, and that wasn't exactly something that she wanted to remember. That wasn't the only reason that she was a bit on edge though. In fact, after watching the griffon go back to the waiting area and pick up one of the comics that were sitting there, any thoughts of possible maliciousness went out the window. The main reason now that she was a bit concern was the fact that she had never worked on a griffon before. While she was certain it wouldn't be too different from working on a pegasus, she had no idea about the subtle nuance differences that the two species had. She looked back outside and saw that the sun was now starting to clear the horizon where as before it was only on it. Lotus... where are you? she thought to herself before addressing the two mares. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"Allo, and welcome to Ponyville Day Spa. I will be with you in one moment,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she told the two in the waiting area before turning back to Derpy.[/colour][colour=#6699cc] "And if you would follow me, Ms. Hooves, I can lead you to the mud room,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she responded with a smile. She was still worried in the back of her mind though that she was going to get stuck here today with no help from her sister at all, which would devastate this quarter's, and most likely this year's sales as well...[/colour]

[Bellosh]

Right after Derpy Hooves stated her request for a mudwrap, two other customers trotted into the day spa. The gray pegasus didn’t recognize either the REA soldier or the griffon, which meant the two probably didn’t come around from these parts. Oddly enough, the two of them didn’t seem to get along all that well either, which made no sense to Derpy. If they didn’t like each other, what reason did they have to make a joint-trip all the way to the Ponyville Day Spa? Would more out-of-town ponies be entranced by the Spring and Summer Spectacular?

All of these questions would go unanswered for the moment, as Aloe Blossom told Derpy that the mud room was ready. [colour=#ffcc00]“Oooh boy!”[/colour] the young mare squealed, rubbing her forehooves in excitement; [colour=#ffcc00]“You sure work fast, Aloe; you and Lotus both!”[/colour] For now, Miss Hooves remained blissfully unaware of the absence of the other spa pony as she proceeded to follow Aloe.....

​

[tacobob]

"Don't worry, take your time.", the griffon glanced up from her magazine and smiled at the mare as she lead her first client out of the waiting room. "I’m really digging that accent, wonder where she’s from?”, the cloaked female glanced at her pony friend who was busy digging through the small magazine rack, “Er, Prance, I think? There are several regions in that country and they all each have their own unique accents. I was thinking of going there with Sir Squall next year, as long as he’s not busy and that he swears that we keep it leisurely as in no ‘adventures’. Don’t want to have a repeat of ‘Itaily’ or ‘Bridlebank'.", the Pegasus pulled out a 'Holidays!' magazine from the rack and started to flip through the pages.

"You still call him 'Sir Squall'? Seriously? Have you at least kissed the guy?", the griffon snatched the magazine from the pony's hooves, returned it to the rack and chuckled as her old friend nodded her head, "Anything beyond that? Any muzzle-nuzzles?", she sighed as the R.E.A guard shook her head, "Sir Squall is a bit different. He's taking things rather slow and I respect him for that. We're still so young and I think I rushed into things with Dun...", she was promptly cut off by the black furred creature who waved a clawed finger at the mare, "What did I say? No Dunders. But we still are going to talk, so stop messing with the magazines! Maybe the two of you should go hunting manticores, worked before, eh?", she winked at her friend who stuck her tongue back, "Geez, you're no fun Fire.", the griffon glanced around the room they were currently at, "Also digging the whole setup here. Everything is just so durn pretty. And did you see the blonde? Not bad, shame about the lazy eye.", she lowered her voice and she glanced towards the mud room.

"I believe the proper term is 'strabismus'.", the Pegasus added, "My Uncle Cloud Crusher has it. Got into a rather nasty fight with a minotaur when he was younger and while he sent the brute packing, he received an equal amount of punishing as well. He normally wears an eye patch over the bad eye, which just makes him seem even more intimating, if that's possible. So, we still doing tea after this?"

[IceStorm]

[colour=#ff66cc]Aloe nodded at the pegasus when Derpy said that both her and her sister moved fast. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"We have to in our line of work. At least with in reason.We still make sure that everypony is one hundred percent satisfied, and strive to give the best possible experience, but when you service as many ponies as we do, then there has to be a delicate balance between being the most effective while still being efficient," [/colour][colour=#ff66cc]she smiled as she began to apply the wrap to the mare. Even though Lotus was better at this part than she was, it still didn't take her too long to get Derpy settled in. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"Okay, I have everything set, I'm going to let that set for about thirty minutes and then come back once I have the other two checked in,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she smiled making her way back out to the lobby. She looked at the clipboard. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"Ms. Zelda, Ms. Walker, I'm ready for you,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she replied as she waited for them to follow. [/colour]

[tacobob]

“’course we’re still having tea. I just hope the weather holds up.”, the griffon glanced out of the window, “So far it’s been a beautiful morning. Hope it stays that way.”, she gave off a beaky smile as Aloe notified the pair that she was ready. The griffon quickly got up from her chair, "Come on Fire!". The red Pegasus slowly got up from the bench that she was resting on and took after the pair.

"A friend of mine back in Canterlot had nothing but really good things to say about your Day Spa.", the griffon proudly beamed as she followed the mare, "At first, I didn't believe a single thing she said. A Day Spa in Ponyville? I admittedly pictured two country bumpkins and an outside bathtub, but was shocked to see what the place really looked like when she broke out the brochure. So, what can you tell me about your spa? And why did you pick Ponyville of all places? I don't have anything against this town, but I'm curious.".

Fire Walker slowly and quietly followed the pair as they made their way towards the first of the spa-offerings. The young mare appeared to have a good deal on her mind.

[Volt]

LINK

A crack of dawn... the only adjective that could be used to describe this hour was "barbaric". Every year Lotus had to remember that such hour even exists. A gentle yawn slipped out of her throat as she made her way through the corridor to the main spa hall. Even though she was still a bit sleepy, there was not a single sign indicating that she was tired at all, even her mane were shining as usual. It was Spring & Summer Spectacular, there was not a single thing in Equestria that would make her present herself poorly to the customers this day.

It was a bit of surprise for her to see one customer already inside upon entering. She could have sworn spa wasn't supposed to be open for around 15 more minutes. Aloe must have opened it earlier... or, what was a bit more probable, cerulean mare's timing was 'a bit' off today. Yet, this meant there was no time to waste. She had to get a little closer to the customer in order to recognize her. Mainly because it seemed that Aloe had taken care of the seaweed wrap already. [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]H[/colour][colour=#3399ff]ello Ms. Hooves, a pleasure to see you."[/colour] - she wasn't entirely sure of her words, concerning the latest rumours Lotus had heard from her sister, but customer is still a customer - [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]I[/colour][colour=#3399ff] see Aloe had already taken good care of you."[/colour] - some more voices reached her ears from lobby. There were obviously more customers inbound... [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]A[/colour][colour=#3399ff]t this hour!? Does nopony know what does 'proper beauty sleep' mean!?"[/colour] [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]Y[/colour][colour=#3399ff]ou're free to enter the mu- I mean, 'mineral bath', although... please wait a second..."[/colour] - Lotus approached the nearest desk and found the cucumber slices already prepared. Aloe really remembered about every detail this time. Cerulean mare grabbed two slices, returned to Ms. Hooves and applied them gently. [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]...h[/colour][colour=#3399ff]ere, they're great for getting rid of dark circles under eyes, but also possess refreshing and rejuvenating abilities. If you'd find yourself in need of anything, feel free to call for us."[/colour]

Lotus threw her last words towards gray mare while trotting past her and positioned herself in front of an entrance from the lobby. Aloe was probably taking care of another customer already, that's why Lotus decided it would be best to await them in the hall in order to greet them in the spa 'the proper way' they usually did. She threw a quick glance back at the mud tubs again. It was somewhat impressive to realize that Aloe filled them on her own, without her sister's help. And somewhat sad at once.

​

[Bellosh]

If Derpy Hooves understood correctly, Aloe just described how important it was to be effective and efficient at the same time. And if Derpy knew one important fact in life, it was that if somepony used a lot of words and flowery language to describe their product or service, they’d be right nine times out of ten! Before the googly-eyed mare knew it, Aloe finished applying the mudwrap, and left the pegasus to her own devices while attending to other customers.

Even though Aloe mentioned she’d be back in thirty minutes, she returned rather fast with her mane and coat colours switched and- no wait, that was just Lotus Blossom; Miss Hooves got the two ponies mixed up oftentimes. [colour=#ffcc00]“Yep,”[/colour] replied the mare; [colour=#ffcc00]“You two do a great job of maintaining a delicate balance between effectiveness and effici- err... efficiency!”[/colour] Meanwhile, Lotus brought a pair of tasty-looking cucumber slices to put on Derpy’s eyes; the grey pegasus still remembered the first time she went here when she accidentally ate the slices instead of letting them do their work. At any rate, Lotus left the room as well once her work was complete....

​

[IceStorm]

[colour=#6699cc]"Well, it was actually my sister's decision to pick Ponyville, but for the most part, it was because it was a nice, quiet Simple little town, and prior to us being here, there was, and still is no other spa to my knowledge. So it was the perfect place to set up without any competition. It works out better for us so we don't have to charge ridiculous normal spa prices because of the sales that we'd have to run. I'll... be the first to admit that we're not exactly cheap, but no spa treatment that's an actual treatment is. As I'm sure you've read in the brochure, we don't use artificial products here. I make every single Salve, bond, and oil that we use and sell from scratch, and we only use the finest ash from the most active volcanoes,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] Aloe responded to the Griffon. When she saw the mare behind her, she seemed to be deep in thought, and it immediately told Aloe the first thing that they would need for the spa treatment to be a success for them. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"If you ladies would follow me, I believe the sauna to be a good way to start the treatment. Since you ordered the full treatment, this will allow you to sweat off all excess dirt and oils, and will allow the following mineral bath to be that much more effective and relaxing,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she told them.[/colour]

[colour=#ff66cc]As she turned to go through the doorway leading to the back, she saw that Lotus had arrived. Finally... How could she have overslept on our most important business day of the year! she said to herself as she opened the door to the sauna and handed the two ladies their towels. I'll be back to check on you girls in about ten minutes. Don't be afraid to holler if you need anything," she reminded them. Yes the brochures said that the Sauna house was a twenty minute treatment, but she always liked to check on her customers part way thought to see if everything was to their desired level and if they wanted more or less steam in the room. At this time she moved back over to her sister. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"About time somepony woke up. Thankfully there's only three customers at the moment,[/colour][colour=#ff66cc]" she stated to her sister bluntly. Still, however much she wanted to be, she could never be upset with her sister very long. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"Since you came in the back, is Derpy okay?"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she said before leaning in to whisper in her ear. "She's not breaking anything yet is she?" she whispered. [/colour]

[PedestrianWolf]

Snickerdoodle approached the door of the day spa with hesitation. She had never done anything remotely like this before, but it was her birthday soon, and her parents had sent her some bits and told her to do something nice for herself. A massage and a hooficure counted as something nice, right? And the Ponyville spa was having a special right now on all their services and products. She hoped that it wouldn't be too busy, since she hadn't made a reservation. Did one need to make a reservation? She wasn't sure. It was early enough that if she needed to wait a few hours she could go get something to eat and come back.

As she walked in, the lobby was empty. Nopony at the desk, and no one waiting. [colour=#8b4513]"Hmmm, they must all be in the back, getting their treatments started," [/colour]she thought to herself. [colour=#8b4513]"I'll wait here for a little while. One of the spa ponies has to come out soon."[/colour]

Snickerdoodle signed her name on the registration log, then found a seat in the waiting area, sitting patiently until someone came out to greet her and get her checked in.

[tacobob]

"Well, you girls sure did this little town a favour when you opened up shop here. Heard while it's still a nice place to visit, Ponyville hasn't been quiet in awhile, so I'm guessing its residents could all probably do with a nice long stay here.", the two followed the mare as she lead them through the spacious corridors of the day spa. "After our stay here, we'll have to check out that cute little clothing boutique, and maybe even visit the family farm they have here. Miss Army Pants over there had an eyeful of one of the beefy stallions that helps to maintain the apple groves, so I'm sure she'll want to take a second peek."

This was enough to knock the mare out of her silence, "Z-Zelda! I was simply admiring the harness he was wearing around his neck.", the red pony somehow managed to turn a deeper shade of red, "Please, his yoke was probably the only thing you weren't ogling.", the griffon snorted, "When we're done here, I'll have to set you two up.", she wiggled her eyebrows at the mare who could only grumble and roll her eyes.

Once the threesome made their way to the sauna, the griffon politely accepted the towels, "Thank you miss, if we need anything, we'll give you a holler.", she tossed one towards her friend, who promptly caught it with her face. "Come on Red, off with the armor. Still can't believe you dressed in that just for our little 'Spa and Tea' date. You could have at least changed after your little sparing lessons.", she tugged off her sweatshirt and placed it on the supplied rack before wrapping one of the towels around her waist. Once the mare was ready, the two entered the enclosed area, found a place to sit and let the sauna do its magic.

[Volt]

[colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]D[/colour][colour=#3399ff]elicate balance of effectiveness and efficiency?"[/colour] - a silent snicker accompanied these thoughts - [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]W[/colour][colour=#3399ff]hat a silly mare, where did she get such a crazy idea?"[/colour] Voices kept reaching her from the lobby and soon after, luckily for Lotus since she was starting to feel kind of foalish just standing there, Aloe emerged with another guest... Correction, guests. She was just about to join 'Loey and greet them when she spotted that one of them was a griffon. This made her hesitate and simply observe how they've entered the sauna on the further end of the room. Since griffons were such a rare sight in Ponyville, this situation made her feel a bit uncomfortable. The fact that they were accompanied by another mare wearing body armor wasn't helping the situation at all.

[colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]T[/colour][colour=#3399ff]hey... have claws, not hooves, right? That will require a completely different approach... and the feathers...? Hmm..."[/colour] - her attempts to come up with a solution to this issue were interrupted by her sister though. Obviously, Lotus must have spent a bit more time than intended thinking about the case. Of course, Aloe had to complain about the sister's tendencies to wake up late. Still, they've had this conversation so many times already that it was pointless to start it over again. Especially that they both had work to do. She'd move the topic of opening hours later, after work perhaps. Somehow, the inquiry concerning Derpy's condition seemed correct. [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]O[/colour][colour=#3399ff]f course, I'm happy to see you as well!"[/colour] - she just couldn't stop herself - [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]M[/colour][colour=#3399ff]hm, I've just checked on her, she's fine. Although I believe she wouldn't mind company."[/colour] - she said before lowering her voice as well and responding in a serious tone while frowning - [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]E[/colour][colour=#3399ff]ven if she was to cause problems, she's still our customer, don't forget that. Miss Hooves cannot leave the spa dissatisfied."[/colour] - she probably couldn't emphasize the 'dissatisfied' word any stronger without drawing needless attention to their behavior. [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]A[/colour][colour=#3399ff]lso, did you just allow somepony inside in an armor? We're in spa, not in barracks for pony's sake~ What would other customers think?"[/colour] - the situation seemed uneasy for her. A possible guard and a griffon at once? Simply a 'marvelous' combination. Still, it wasn't best time to quarrel about details now.

Letting out a single sigh, Lotus trotted past her sister. [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]I[/colour][colour=#3399ff] guess I'll get myself acquainted with our new guests and take care of them."[/colour] [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]S[/colour][colour=#3399ff]omehow..." [/colour]- her voice sounded a bit off, as if she was unsure of her words. The nearest hours were going to be quite interesting - [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff]A[/colour][colour=#3399ff]nyway, why didn't we hire anypony to aid us this time?"[/colour] - a not so subtle topic change consisted of a rhetorical question addressed mainly to herself. In past they used to even hire masseurs, but they somehow didn't think of this for today. This negligence would surely reflect itself in the quality of their work yet. Cerulean mare hoped they wouldn't have to ask their customers to wait to become serviced. It would be at least embarrassing. With these thoughts, she proceeded towards the sauna entrance.

​

[IceStorm]

[colour=#6699cc]"I was thinking the exact same thing that you were about Derpy. They are both paying customers, and one of them, is a member of the R.E.A. I consider it an honor that she chose our spa over anywhere else. Think of the extra publicity that we will get, especially if we wow her,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] Aloe countered. She let out a soft sigh. As much as she disliked leaving Derpy alone, knowing that was a disaster waiting to happen, on the one day they couldn't afford a setback. She only hoped that Derpy could behave herself for one day. Or not even that, just a few hours until her treatment was completely. That being said, she knew that griffons were a bit more difficult that ponies as far as treatments, but for the most part they were just like a pegasus, except with claws rather than hooves. She had faith in her sister that she could handle it.[/colour]

[colour=#ff66cc]With a smile as her sister trotted past her, she to began to move back to check on Derpy, she heard some muttering from her sister but was a bit out of range to hear what she had said. Just then she heard the bells on the door ring again with another customer. She sighed. This was going to be a very long day. She hoped that her sister would go greet this customer as Aloe was already in the back of the shop with Derpy. She noticed that Lotus had put the cucumber slices on her eyes cause Aloe to facehoof. How could I have forgotten that! she thought to herself as she approached. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"And how is everything back here Derpy? Enjoying yourself?"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] Aloe asked politely. She figured as long as Derpy wasn't breaking anything, she'd be fine. [/colour]

[Dunder]

Suddenly, a large brownish-grey pegasus stallion busted through the door. His chest heaving as he panted, his face full of worry. He held the door open with his hoof, standing in the doorway, trying to regain his composure. He cleared his throat and swallowed nervously. The sword swaying side to side as he trotted toward the front desk. He glanced around, about to hit the bell on the frontdesk when he noticed one of the spa ponies trotting up. He smiled nervously at the mare, trying to reveal his desire to rush, "Hey! I was just wondering if there was a red mare around here? Pegasus mare...probably had armor on....smells like strawberries, her favorite shampoo usually smelt like strawberries." He said, turning his head to look around the room, his eyes darting.

[PedestrianWolf]

Snickerdoodle yelped in surprise as the armed stallion burst into the spa lobby. He looked nervous and frantic, which scared her. He demanded to know if a strawberry-scented red mare was on the premises. Thinking he was addressing her, she squeaked,

[colour=#8b4513]"I...I don't know! I just got here myself. Please don't hurt me![/colour][colour=#8b4513]"[/colour]

This was turning out to be a bad idea, she could feel it. A day at the spa was supposed to be nice and relaxing, wasn't it? But now her nerves were jangled, shaking with adrenaline caused by the sudden appearance of this brown stallion. He was no longer standing near the door, but he was looking around anxiously. Maybe... if she was quick, she could get to the door and get out before he could react?

Snickerdoodle stood up carefully, eased her wings open, and made a dash for the door, wings flapping to gain speed. She hit the door hard, tumbling through it and cracking the frame around the hinges as it slammed open. Not looking back, she zoomed upwards into the sky and away. She was definitely going to need some time on a quiet, relaxing cloud away from everypony before she was remotely ready to try a spa treatment again.

[Volt]

The fact that Aloe shared her sister's approach to customers was always a nice re-discovery for Lotus. In past she feared that they'd actually have a different approach to business, but that faith was completely misplaced. They were truly the best sisters ever... of all time. After all, which different ponies could understand themselves without words if needed? As cerulean mare glanced behind, she spotted her sister heading in direction of Ms. Hooves. [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff99ff]T[/colour][colour=#3399ff]aking care of current customers. That's our priority."[/colour] - she had made a little mental note followed by a slight head nod, content with the fact that her sister thought alike. Of course, it meant that the 'lobby' would sometimes remain unattended, but their spa was somewhat prestigious. It was a natural thing to wait from time to time. Besides, Ponyville was such a peaceful town. Friendly atmosphere, slow life, calm-

A sudden smash coming from the waiting room put those statements into question. Her ears instinctively cringed before she turned back with hesitation. [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff99ff]W[/colour][colour=#3399ff]hat in the Pony's sake was that...?"[/colour] - she had to check on customers, but at once she couldn't ignore the event. It took her a few seconds to finally realize that these two in sauna probably could handle themselves while she investigates the source of her concern. Yet several more seconds have passed before she reached the waiting room. There were two ponies inside already. A brown-ish Pegasus stallion and, as Lotus leaned to see past the stallion, a creamy white Pegasus mare. What hit her the most was the fact that stallion was not only wearing an armor, just like that red mare from a few minutes ago, but was also armed. On top of that, his behavior was at least... nervous and uncertain. [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff99ff]O[/colour][colour=#3399ff]kay Lotus... stay calm, it's nothing a mare like you couldn't handle..."[/colour] - a little encouragement before taking a deep breath and proceeding with a forced smile - [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff99ff]W[/colour][colour=#3399ff]elcome to Ponyville sp-"[/colour]

​

"Hey! I was just wondering if there was a red mare around here? Pegasus mare...probably had armor on....smells like strawberries, her favorite shampoo usually smelt like strawberries."

The bluntness of this interruption caught her off guard, wiping the smile off her face as it became replaced with complete confusion. Before she even realized what's happening, ..."things" happened. Pegasus mare behind the stallion answered the question while being purely terrified. Soon after she tried making her way out of spa in terror, successfully damaging the doors in the process. [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff99ff]O[/colour][colour=#3399ff]h in the name of-!"[/colour] - Lotus rushed to the entrance, ignoring the stallion for a moment. That creamy mare was far in the sky already, beyond the reach of her voice, while the doors seemed undamaged. The same couldn't have been said about the frame though. However calm and patient she tended to be near the customers, this situation was a bit too much. Lotus turned back, facing the brown stallion now. [colour=#6699ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff99ff]L[/colour][colour=#3399ff]ook what you've done!"[/colour] - it was clearly anger that one could hear in her voice, although she always had some issues while trying to look intimidating - [colour=#6699ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff99ff]J[/colour][colour=#3399ff]ust who do you think you are rushing in here like that and scaring our customers away!? Don't you have ANY sense of manners!?"[/colour] - she tried moving the doors. It seemed that they were working just fine somehow. Cerulean mare made her way behind the reception desk. [colour=#6699ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff99ff]S[/colour][colour=#3399ff]o, who am I going to charge for the damage?"[/colour] - she didn't care if it was Celestia herself standing in front of her. Some borders existed after all, for everypony.

​

[Dunder]

Dunder didn't even notice the pegasus mare scramble out of the door as he trotted in, he was too tired, and too deadset on seeing Fire and Zelda and thinking about what to say to notice anything else other than what was in front of him, and how much he missed this mare and griffon.

Though the mare ran off, before he could get a solid answer for his question. He turned to track her, only to find the front door busted, he could have sworn he didn't slam it that hard, he made sure not to! Now he'd broken the front door, and this spa pony was yelling at him while he was staring back blankly. Just one more thing to deal with... He reached into his bag without saying anything and pulled out a large brown bit purse. He tossed it onto the counter, "There! Take it all, just don't be mad!" He said, shaking his head and then stomping a hoof, trying to regain his composure and original reason for being at the spa in the first place. "I need to see this mare, and I've paid for about 10 ponies' admissions as well as the front door, so..." He said and began to trot forward, into the main spa room, not wanting to waste anymore time.

[IceStorm]

(OOC: Please keep in mind that this is supposed to be a relaxing spa thread. I don't mind a reunion occurring in this thread, however, it will not derail the point of this thread, and has already scared one customer away.)

[colour=#ff66cc]Before Aloe could get a response from Derpy, she heard a loud crash came from the lobby. She gave a sheepish smile to derpy. "Ehehe... hold that thought..." she responded before turning and running past an armed brown pegasus that was charging into the spa area. The first thing that she looked at was her sister to make sure that she was okay, and other than the fact that she was furious behind the counter, and that their door frame was now broken, she too became furious. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"Excuse me!"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she proclaimed loud and bluntly to get the pegasus's attention. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"I have no idea who you think you are, but there are rules that every customer must follow here like them or not to ensure everypony gets the proper treatment. Now if there is something in particular you are wanting, then I'm sorry but you'll have to go into the waiting room and wait just like everypony else. Armed or not, I'm not making any exceptions. Now comply or I will seek the guards,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] Aloe told him firmly. She was not going to let this pegasus make a mockery of her and her sister's spa on the single most important day of their business.[/colour]

[tacobob]

Shortly before all the action had started, Fire Walker and Zelda relaxed in the safety and comport of the sauna and were in the middle of an conversation.

“So we sneak into the pirate’s hidden fortress, and I mean this place is ginormous! It's like the size of the royal castle in Canterlot, but evil and in ruins. Later found out that it used to belong to some powerful wizard who often did battle with Starswirl The Bearded, but when the most important conjurer of the pre-classical era finally defeated his foe, the castle laid abandoned for generations until a pack of pesky pirates picked it as their lair. These were the same pirates who attacked the air-ship we were on and snatched up our client's precious journal. Since we could not continue our exhibition without it, we had the snatch the sucker back. Any-who, Dun....er..", she noticed the griffon's glair, "Nameless fuzzy brown pony and I snuck into their lair and...er..", her ears perked up as she heard the loud racket that was going off down the hallway at the entrance. "What do you think is going on? Sounded like an angry dragon was trying to get into the spa!". The worried mare started to push open the sauna's door, but was stopped by her companion.

"I'm sure it's nothing too serious.", the griffon placed a clawed hand on the mare's shoulders, "Maybe that cute blonde knocked over something. She did look a little on the klutzy side. So relax. You're not on duty and I'm sure if it gets bad, they'll simply call the town guard to deal with it..You're not listening to me.", she growled as the pony pushed open the small wooden door.

"I'm not leaving, I just want to make sure the girls are alright, afterall, I'm always on duty, but I could not live with myself if somepony got hurt while I was just a room away.", she raised her voice, "Hello? Girls? What the hay is going on?"

[Volt]

A sudden thud coming from the desk forced Lotus to raise her eyes upon it. To her complete shock and surprise, there was a tied bag laying in front of her. With a blank stare she poked it gently with a hoof, in order to confirm her suspicions. As expected, it was filled with bits, probably enough to cover the damage and fund a complete service to a small group of ponies.

​

[colour=#8b4513]"There! Take it all, just don't be mad!"[/colour]

As long as she was involved, a bit of anger had to accompany the situation. She barely woke up, at a completely barbaric and unbelievable hour. And Lotus simply hated being forced to get up early. And just how did the day start? A bunch of armored ponies invading the spa along with a griffon, Pegasus damaging the door, another armed one trying to wash her off with bits and on top of that Miss Hooves, whom you'd never know what to expect from.

​

[colour=#8b4513]"I need to see this mare, and I've paid for about 10 ponies' admissions as well as the front door, so..."[/colour]

After these words, stallion directed his steps inside of the spa. At this point, Lotus was ready to chase him and grab his tail in order to stop him. She couldn't believe that insolence, as if currency could open him all the doors. However tempting his offer was, their spa had something called 'good reputation'. If not excellent even, seeing how it managed to attract not only Canterlotians, but also different species. There was no way she'd allow that reputation to get hurt. Thankfully though, Aloe appeared just in time to intercept the intruder. To be honest, cerulean twin was thankful for her appearance. She feared that she wouldn't be able to keep this stallion at bay all alone by herself. Aloe's tenacity impressed her though, she wasn't expecting for her sister to confront that armed-to-teeth pony head on. Acting in a matter of seconds, Lotus trotted to her sister's side, completely ignoring the bag of bits. For now. She turned towards stallion once more, now speaking by her sister's side. [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff99ff]T[/colour][colour=#3399ff]his is our home you've rushed into, not caring about anything, and afterward tried bribing me to allow you do whatever you please. We should just ask you to leave now, since I don't see what interest we have in you meeting anypony at all. Not mentioning the fact that you might be chasing a wrong mare all the t-"[/colour] - she was really going to give this stallion a piece of her mind, but another voice interrupted her.

​

[colour=#b22222]"Hello? Girls? What the hay is going on?"[/colour]

[colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff99ff]O[/colour][colour=#3399ff]h wonderful..."[/colour] - Lotus whispered to her sister as her ears quivered. [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff99ff]I[/colour][colour=#3399ff]'ll be back as soon as possible."[/colour] - without a second wasted, pink-maned mare turned back and calmly made her way into the spa again. Her mind quickly shifted onto completely different tracks, as she was going to deal with customers again. Any signs of her anger disappeared, as she was wearing a friendly smile on her face once more. Even her eyes seemed to be cheering... Earth mare spotted that the sauna door stood ajar, and that red mare from before peeked through them. Right now, Lotus was somewhat hoping it's not the mare the stallion was inquiring about. She trotted closer in order not to shout. [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff99ff]G[/colour][colour=#3399ff]reetings, I'm Lotus Blossom, co-owner of the spa. Do not worry, it's just a little misunderstanding I believe..."[/colour] - yet, she couldn't hold herself from throwing a quick, concerned glance towards the entrance. More importantly though, she didn't want to stress or discomfort their customers. [colour=#3399ff]"[/colour][colour=#ff99ff]W[/colour][colour=#3399ff]e are handling the situation, please enjoy your treatment, no reason to stress yourselves needlessly, ladies."[/colour]

​

[Dunder]

Dunder groaned internally at these spa ponies' remarks. Why couldn't these ponies just leave him alone? It would be so much simpler, and they wouldn't have to freak out if they just left him alone. But it was not worth being stubborn for these few minutes, anyway, he was going to need to give Fire a good impression since they hadn't seen each other in so long, and now since his marital status changed, he was going to be needing to compete with Swift which was going to be difficult in itself.

He took a deep breath and stopped trotting, huffing hot breath out of his nose. He didn't look at the spa mares, but he stood there on the exit out of the main lobby. The blue one was talking when he heard a voice that made his heart skip a beat. A feeling of warmth rushed over him as he heard Fire's voice and this day's search was over. Now just to deal with the obstacles in the way...

He looked over at the Spa mares, "What do you want me to do? I paid for my admission, for the door, and even some extra. I swear, just let me in and I will be out of your mane, the griffon and the red mare in the back were expecting me. Well, the griffon was at least. I even paid for my admission, and they have nothing to hide from me." He said, remembering the first time Dunder went to Fire's house and met Zelda. "Please, let me go..." He said , lowering his head sadly.