[Ponyville]A Refreshing Treatment [Golden Harvest, Open]

[Luminescence]

As Lotus entered the room she smiled broadly at Aloe and Carrot Top.

"Allo Miss Carrot Top, of course I recognise you although if my memory serves me right you've never been to our spa before."

Lotus gave another smile. This was great, a new customer! Having a regular customer base was a good thing but without new ones the business would never grow. She turned to look at her sister.

"Aloe, thank goodness you were here when Miss Top arrived," she said as she looked back at Carrot for a moment, "I do hope your treatment has been acceptable so far. I see you've been having a mud bath, your coat looks amazing! Well now, my sister mentioned you were ready for a massage? I'll just go and prepare the massage bed. Come right through when you're done dying off."

Lotus couldn't stop smiling. With a simple nod to her sister she dashed through another door into the next room. Here a number of low lying beds were set out in a row, each covered in a thin pink sheet with a stack of towels at one end. She quickly set to work, rushing from one cupboard to the next and the next gathering lotions, oils and various other supplies that she needed. This was always her favourite part of any treatment, massage never failed to relax anypony she had met. She double checked her supplies as she waited for Aloe and Carrot Top.

[IceStorm]

[colour=#ff66cc]Aloe smiled and nodded at Miss Harvest as she seemed to have enjoyed the mud bath and was awe-struck by the results of it. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"Indeed, which is why we only uses the finest ash that we can find as well as the purest mineral water. Anything less than that would cause more harm than good. Though I probably should have warned you about getting out, that it could be a bit tricky. I normally always address that to even the usuals so I'm not entirely sure what caused me to forget today,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she told her as Lotus came into the room. [/colour]

[colour=#ff66cc]Aloe was always happy to have her sister around. At the very least it made slow days less boring. Especially when she'd ask her sister to go check on the hoses for the hot tub while she stood on a part of it and let it build up. The look on her face was priceless when she let the water hit her in the face. Thankfully though the water was only hot after it got placed in the hot tub. While she loved to prank her sister, the last thing she wanted was to do something that would hurt her. IT was the main reason why she'd always methodically plan out her pranks against her. She wanted them to be both exciting, and more importantly, safe. Today though, there would be no time for pranking. There were times and places for that and while treating a customer was not one of those times nor places. She she said that she was thankful that she was here when miss harvest got here. [/colour]

[colour=#6699cc]"Oh, I wasn't here when she got here. Well... I kinda was, but I wasn't. I had actually went to her carrot stand for lunch, and a random stunt pegasus crashed into her stall and destroyed everything she had. And before you ask, no it wasn't Rainbow Dash. I didn't get his name, but I could see how much it hurt miss harvest, so... I brought her here to give her a free treatment to help lift her spirits a bit while making her look fabulous at the same time!"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] She told her following her sister into the other room. Once they had past through the doors of the massaging room, she leaned up next to her sister and whispered in her ear. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"I also gave her a one day pass and every bit I had to help her with the stall. She needed it more than I did, and if we absolutely dazzle her today in only the couple hours we have left, then I'm certain that she will be back when she is financially stable again, and she'll bring friends with her. Plus, this helps a friend too. After all, what type of friend would I be to give her bits for her stall only to take them back at the spa?"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she told her sister while they waited for Golden Harvest to dry herself off and come into the massage parlor. [/colour]

[Lux]

Lotus did at least to some respect know Carrot and mentioned that she wasn't ever in the spa before.

[colour=#FF8C00]"You're right. This is my first time here. You sister was nice enough to invite me here. I'm definitely enjoying it so far and can't wait to see what else to do." [/colour]

As Lotus dashed into the massage room to prepare, Aloe mentioned about the mud bath.

[colour=#FF8C00]"Ah, don't worry about not telling me about getting out of the bath. I accidentally thought I was getting out of a regular bath there, forgetting that the mud had hardened a little. But I definitely like the mixture and how it made my coat shine."[/colour]

As Carrot Top dried off from the shower, she heard Aloe tell her sister what happened with the carrot stand and then whispered something to her. She hoped that the spa pony's generousity didn't cause a rift with her sister.

[colour=#FF8C00]"I have to say, Lotus, that your sister is really generous offering this chance for me. She's definitely a friend in my book."[/colour]

Now fully dry, the orange manned mare proceeded to the massage room and saw that there was a padded table there.

[colour=#FF8C00]"So, I guess I lie of this table like a bed, right? Any special way I have to do this?" [/colour]

[Luminescence]

Lotus found herself stuck between emotions for a brief moment as Aloe explained the situation. On one hoof they were using valuble spa supplies with no payout at the end but on the other it was as Aloe had said, a chance to expand the business to new customers. To be honest she shouldn't have been surprised, Aloe was always kind and the more she thought about it the more she realised that Aloe was right...at least in a moral and social way if not financially. That said there was always going to be more customers. She turned with a smile as Carrot Top entered, giving a small sigh in Aloe's direction before looking at Carrot Top herself.

"Don't worry about it my dear. I've survived this long with Aloe as my sister, it would take more than a simple act of generosity to come between us. Besides, if what she says is true then you most certainly needed some time to relax. No it is my pleasure to serve."

She bowed her head slightly and then motioned towards the beds.

"Yes ma'am, just pick any bed you like and make yourself comfortable, if you lie on your front that would be best," she instructed, "Aloe would you set up an oil burner, frankincense would be marvelous if we have any left after yesterday. Now Miss Top, are you alergic to nuts at all? The massage oil I usually use is a mix of almond and peanut oil with lavender. Very relaxing but I always have to ask new customers just in case."

[IceStorm]

[colour=#ff66cc]Aloe was happy to hear, and see, that her sister wasn't too upset with her for giving Miss Harvest the free treatment. At the same time she knew that she would be for the most part, at least understanding. after all, it wasn't the first time that she had done something like this in the past and it seemed to have worked in that instance so she'd hoped that it would have the same effect this time as well. Miss Harvest also stated that she didn't need to worry about forgetting to mention the difficulty that she had getting out of the tub. That she actually had felt so comfortable in the mud that she forgot about the fact that she was still laying in mud. She said that she did enjoy the bath, and she was definitely impressed with the results. [/colour]

[colour=#6699cc]"I am most certainly pleases that you've enjoyed everything so far,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she told Miss Harvest as her sister told her to start the oil burner and the frankincense if they still had any left. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"Of course! That was one of the things I made sure to pick up yesterday,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] She added as she moved over to light the burner. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"Anyway, If you'd been pleased by everything up to this point, then just wait until my sister has finished with you. I have never felt hooves as magnificent as hers in my life. She it truly a master of the arts of the massage and her touch is simply divine!"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she spoke allowed giving truth while still praising the overwhelming amount of skill that her sister had for massages. [/colour]

[colour=#ff66cc]Lotus then asked if Golden Harvest was allergic to nuts at all because of the combination of oils that she normally used. That the blend she had was very relaxing but she had to ask just in case. Aloe hadn't think to ask about anything in advance. Granted it's a very rare occasion that a pony would be allergic to one of the minerals in the water or the ash, but it was something that she should have remembered as well. Then again, almost all of the minerals that were found in the mixture were found naturally inside a pony's body to begin with, which was why it worked so well.[/colour]

[colour=#ff66cc]She made her way back into the storage room and pulled out several bits of the frankincense resin out and placed them on the long chain of hot coals that lines the back of the room. Almost immediately the sweet nectary scent filled the air and made everything smell simply marvelous. She was happy to have been able to find it, as it was definitely the perfect mood-setter for any massage. Once she was finished lining the coals, she turned to her sister, [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"Anything else you need me to prepare sis?"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she asked her softly.[/colour]

[Lux]

Carrot Top was pleased to see that whatever tension that was between the two sisters, which she guessed was related to the fact that she was getting a free spaa treatment, was alieviated.

[colour=#FF8C00]"Oh, the whole thing about my stand? Yeah, that's true. I was jjust minding my own business talking to Aloe when some pony crashed into my stand intentionally. It's kind of... in splinters now and I have to see what I can salvage, especially the carrots and other things. But thanks Lotus for being so kind, as well as you Aloe."[/colour]

Carrot Top was then instructed to lie stomach first on the table, just as she expected. She was surprised at how comfortable the table felt, but she figured that she couldn't imagine it being a hard surface and expect it to be comfortable. Lotus then asked if was allergic to nuts as the oil was going to contain it."

[colour=#FF8C00]"Nuts are fine for me. I have them all the time in cereal, with fruit, even in my carrot cake. Oh, that reminds me, I should when i see you again give you the recipie."[/colour]

She then began to smell something very sweet which wafting through the air. She heard Lotus mention to her sister about frankencense.

[colour=#FF8C00]"That frankensence smells delightful, like honey. It's from a tree, right?"[/colour]

[Luminescence]

"Correct Miss Harvest, its a resin thats extracted from a tree...quite an exotic item one could say. We used an awful lot of it yesterday and I was afraid we had run out," replied Lotus as she gave a sideways smile at her sister, "I'm surprised you checked our inventory Aloe, I'll make a business pony of you yet."

Lotus gave a little chuckle, this was one of Lotus' methods for blowing off steam, teasing her sister. Having spent many years being the subject of Aloe's relentless pranking Lotus had found she was able to tolerate it by poking fun at her sister occasionally. It was never meant to be malicious though.

"Anyway just relax Miss Harvest and let my hooves do the work. As you've not had a massage before it may feel a little odd and you may experience a few tingles but it shouldn't hurt so please do tell me if you feel any discomfort," she continued as she looked over at Aloe for a moment, "I think I've got everything I need for now Aloe. What did you have planned next for Miss Harvest?"

As Lotus finished speaking she picked up the bottle of oil in her mouth and wandered over to the bed Carrot Top was lying on. Carefully she poured a small amount over her shoulders and a little over one of her hoofs before setting it down on a nearby table. With a slight jolt of her flanks she pulled herself upright, standing on her hind legs and steadying herself for a moment with her forelegs against the bed. Standing on hind legs wasn't a natural position for a pony to be in. Some ponies could do it more easily than others and Lotus was fairly apt at it. Enough at least to maintain her position.

She quickly rubbed her front hooves together, spreading the oil over both hoof and then gently lowered them to Carrot Tops back. She then proceeded to lightly rub the previously applied oil into Carrot Tops back using long slow swipes of her hooves. When she was done she settled her hooves at the top of her back and began to gentle rub in small circles slowly moving outwards from her spine towards her shoulders.

[IceStorm]

[colour=#ff66cc]Aloe's face went straight when her sister commented that she was surprised that Aloe remembered to check the inventory and that she would make her a business pony yet. Almost instantly a smirk appeared on her face, because whenever her sister poked fun at her, instead of getting upset about it, she'd usually just shrug it off because to her, it was also permission to prank Lotus at a later time. She didn't dare let Lotus know that though. That ruins most of the fun! She thought of the best way that she could get back at her, and obviously it would have to wait until there were no customers around. She wasn't about to give their spa a bad rep for horseplay while customers were still present. One thing she knew though, it would have to be something that Lotus wasn't expecting, otherwise she wouldn't fall for it. [/colour]

[colour=#ff66cc]Still, it was important to let her have a bit of fun too, and she knew that this was her favorite part of any treatment. She'd always been an expert Massage therapist and it still to this day made Aloe a bit jealous of her skill. She always had the softer touch than Aloe did, and their usual customers generally tended to ask for her specifically. It wasn't that Aloe wasn't good at massaging, because she was. IT was just that Lotus was that much better at it than she was. Her specialty had always been with the mixtures and salves that helped a pony maintain their complexion. Miss Harvest then asked about the incense stating that if she remembered correctly that they came from a tree. Lotus confirmed her statement and Aloe gave a nod.[/colour][colour=#6699cc] "Thankfully we have a local supplier as it's normally very expensive because of how precise you have to be to extract it. It lets us use it almost as low of a cost as the Incense rods are. Of course, I have a large supply of those as well mainly for the different scents. After all, the one drawback of frankincense is the fact that it really has two scents, really sweet and really bold. It just depends on when it's harvested,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] she smiled as she sat next to the coals watching to replace the bulbs as the burned out. [/colour]

[Lux]

As Carrot waited for the massage to begin, she listed to how Aloe and Lotus interacted with each other. It was clear that they loved each other as sisters. There was also a sense of sisterly teasing with each other, though not enough to actually cause any havoc. It was also interesting to learn the techniques and the things that the two ponies knew, their combined knowledge astounding the earth pony.

She felt as Lotus applied the oil on her and felt a slight warming sensation. When the spa pony began to rub her spine and shoulders, she felt an overwhelming sense of pleasure that made her body instantly relax.

[colour=#FF8C00]"Oh wow! This massage feels so good. I can tell why other ponies like getting one." [/colour]

[Luminescence]

Lotus smiled to herself at Carrot Tops exclamation. It wasn't an uncommon reaction at all although the most common was her customer 'melting' into the bedtop.

"Thank you Miss Harvest, I do love my work and it nice to hear such comments."

She moved her hooves slowly down Carrot Top's back, occasionally pulling a slight face to herself as she went.

"You really do have a lot of tension in your back Miss," she commented as she put a little more force into her massage for a moment, "Its not surprising with how hard you work though...although if I may say, you should try and relax a little more. You could injure yourself if not."

[IceStorm]

[colour=#ff66ff](Many apologies for the Delay. I was unaware that it had rolled back around to my turn because I never got the notification that someone had posted.)[/colour]

[colour=#ff66ff]Aloe smiled when Miss Harvest said that she could understand why everypony always came for a massage and how amazing it felt. Lotus answered with her on thanks and told her that the compliments were appreciated. She also mentioned how tense Miss Harvest's muscles were and that she should find a way to relax more often. That constant tension like that was a good way to accidentally hurt herself. Aloe nodded. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"Indeed, I can remember back when I was a filly and much more notorious for pranking my sister than I am now, that I had actually hurt myself in one of my pranks because I had tensed up too much and I was always on the go looking for a new way to prank her. I still do that last part, but considering that I've done almost all of the pranks I can think of, it's hard for me to find something new," [/colour][colour=#ff66ff]said jokingly sticking her tongue out at her sister.[/colour][colour=#6699cc] "And of course, you have the best massage therapist in Equestria doing your massage. One that doesn't tolerate anything less than perfection. you're always in good hooves when my sis is involved," [/colour][colour=#ff66ff]she added as she tried to figure out what they should do left. The only had about another forty minutes until they closed for the day, and she wanted to make sure that those minutes were some of the best forty minutes that Miss Harvest had ever had. [/colour]

[Lux]

Carrot Top felt like her body was now made of jelly as Lotus continued her massage treatment. All the aches and pulls that she had from the day seemed to dissolve away as the pony began to work on her back. She heard the sisters mention about the stress on her back, an all too common feeling that Carrot knew about.

[colour=#FF8C00]"Yeah, you're right. I do gave a lot of stress. It comes with the territory of being a farmer I guess. I try to take breaks during the day but after all the plowing, seeding, watering and harvesting those carrots I feel achy at the end of the day. Not to mention that I have the house to take care of too. A bath and relaxing at the end of the day is really the only thing that helps me. Do you know of something else that can help, aside from coming here for a massage of course!" [/colour]

[Luminescence]

As Lotus continued her work she pulled a thoughtful face.

"Well let me think now," she mused, "As you say you can't be coming here every day...hmm...perhaps some incense...uh! Maybe something for the bath? Aloe what do you think?"

Whilst Lotus knew she was talented in certain fields she also knew her sister had her own wealth of knowledge. This was very much Aloe's area, balms and salves...if there was something that could help Carrot Top Aloe would know.

[IceStorm]

[colour=#6699cc]"Agreed, while we'd love to give you a massage whenever you'd like to come in, even I can admit that could become quite a bit more costly in the end. The best way to relax though when you can't always get in here for a massage is either Aroma therapy, or my Hoovenelia Relaxation Balm. It's made from the purest lavander mixed with Willow extract as well as a bit of mint. The lavander helps with minor burns or abrasions, while williow is a natural ache and pain reliever, and mint provides it with a crisp scent that helps keep your sinuses clear,"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff] Aloe explained when her sister asked about her thoughts. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"It took me a few years to get the balance right so that nothing overpowered the other, but it works wonders and I use it every night. The only downside is that it is just a smidgen on the expensive side. Where most incense you can get for one or two bits a piece, the balm is fifteen bits a bottle. Mainly because of the amount of work that goes into it. If you'd like, I'd be more than happy to give you a free sample of it for you to take home and try once we're finished here for the day,"[/colour][colour=#ff66ff] she finished smiling. [/colour]

[Lux]

Carrot top listened as Lotus tried to come up with a home remedy for the farmer's tension and aches that she received on a daily basis. Granted she didn't want to be a bother saying that she couldn't just go to the spa everyday as it would be a quick drain on her time and money. She hoped as business ponies the sisters would understand.

Thankfully, Aloe offered a remedy to Carrot's aches in the form of a balm. True it was expensive, but if it meant that she'd get the relief she needed, she could afford it.

[colour=#ff8c00]"I think that I'll try the [/colour][colour=#ff8c00]free sample. Who knows? I might be back for more. Anyway, what else is there to do in a spa?" [/colour]

[Luminescence]

Lotus smiled to herself, once again the teamwork of the sisters had worked its magical charm. She stepped back slightly, lowering herself to all fours again as she finished her massage.

"Well Miss Harvest let me see now," she replied, "My sister has already taken care of the mud bath and you really shouldn't move too much after a massage...you can end up pulling something...perhaps you'd like to relax in the sauna for a time? What do you think Aloe?"

[IceStorm]

[colour=#ff66cc]Aloe took a few moment to ponder on what they should do next. Her sister had mentioned the Sauna, and while it was really the best viable option as far as a time period would be. She felt that it could also have an adverse reaction as well. [/colour][colour=#6699cc]"Hmm, the sauna right now would be a decent option, and honestly the only option that we would really have time for at the moment, however, my only concern about the sauna is that Miss Harvest has already received a mud bath. It was a mistake on my behalf for not thinking of this sooner and suggesting the suana first, but the steam that the sauna creates will cause a pony's body to sweat out the impurities in their skin. However, I don't know if it will have the same effect on the minerals of the mud bath,"[/colour][colour=#ff66cc] Aloe explained mentally kicking herself for making such a beginner's mistake. [/colour]

[Lux]

The earth pony was a little sad that the massage had ended. It was so relaxing and despite knowing she couldn't just lay about in the spa she wished it was longer. As she lay there for a moment, Carrot Top watched as the two ponies made their recommendation. The earth pony knew that the day was passing and soon the spa would be closing. She certainly didn't want to over stay her welcome, especially with all the gratitude that they gave her.

Lotus then spoke of the sauna, something that Aloe mentioned prior when first entering the spa. Yet there was something wrong about it. Aloe mentioned that the sauna really should have been prior to the mud bath or else the minerals might sweat out of her coat.

[colour=#ff8c00]"Well I said I'd like to try out as much as I could, so let's try the sauna and see what happens."[/colour]

She tried getting up suddenly from the bed when she felt her legs shake as if they were made of jelly. She then found herself flopped on the floor of the spa.

[colour=#ff8c00]"Um maybe I should wait a few seconds before I get to the sauna." [/colour]