In Hot Water

It was late in the afternoon at the Ponyville Health Spa and Luxury Lotus was finishing up Rarity's weekly massage when her twin sister, Aloe Vera, came swiftly over to her.  "Sister, may I speak with you?  It is a matter of small urgency."  She was wearing a smile, but Luxury could see the barely contained panic.

"Miss Rarity, I will return momentarily."  Rarity only dazedly smiled in response.  The sisters walked to the other side of the spa and ducked behind a screen so as to speak in private.

"Look at what the wild eyed mail mare has just delivered," Aloe said in a panicked voice as she pulled a yellow envelope from her collar and passed it off to her sister.  She started pacing as her sister spread the letter out on the counter.  "It is official, we are now well past due on our loan.  This is all your fault, you know."  It was not delivered as a question, but as a statement of fact.

Before Luxury could do  more than inhale to respond, her sister had already pressed a hoof to her mouth to silence her.  "We were already respected and well paid back home.  But that wasn't enough for you."  Luxury tried to speak only to get a sharp rap on the nose from her sister.  "You said we could make it big on our own.  You said a spa in the shadow of Canterlot would get many travelers.  You even convinced the mayor of this.  In three months we have acquired two returning clients."

"One of whom you are causing me to neglect," Luxury said quickly as she pushed past her twin.  Aloe waited tapping her fore hoof as she listened to Rarity say she couldn't possibly make it through the week without a visit and how she and her sister were simply miracle workers and other such things that did not pay their bills.  After finally walking the chatty unicorn out the door, Luxury returned to with a satisfied smile.  "I have the good news!  Miss Rarity has said that some of her friends may come by later!"

Aloe looked unimpressed, "Unless these friends make up half of Ponyville, I believe our problem still stands."  The bell on the door rang prompting a sigh from Aloe.  "It looks like our OTHER regular client has shown up."  Walking from behind the screen she called out, "Hello Ms Granny Smith!  So good to see you again!"  She swiftly walked over to aging earth pony leading her towards the main bath.

Granny muttered her thanks as she lowered her old bones into the bubbling water.  She returned to see Luxury pitifully crying.  "We're going to have to close the spa, aren't we?  We're going to have to work the fields on some farm, aren't we?"  Her sobs became louder and more hysterical by the second.  "We're going have to be covered in the dirt and the soil until we are old and wrinkled like that one out there, aren't we?"

Aloe swatted her sister across the face lightly.  "You hit me," cried Luxury.

"You need to calm down."

Luxury responded by lashing out with equal ferocity, which is to say, not much.  "You know how easily I bruise!"  The two then stood up on their hind legs and began flapping their hooves ineffectually at each other while turning their heads away from the incoming blows.

Granny Smith sighed contentedly, blissfully unaware of the pitched battle behind her.  The sisters continued their blind slapping until Luxury stepped on a wet patch sending her sliding straight into their rack of ointments and soaps.  Aloe could only watch in silent horror as bottle after bottle came crashing down, the bottles shattering, and their sweet smelling contents flowing into the main tub.  Bubbles began to foam up rapidly and pour from the tub washing out Granny Smith with them.

"Now look what you've done!" Cried as Aloe as she knocked her sister into the foam and resumed their slap fight.  The ringing of the bell on the door caused the sisters to pause.  They both looked over to see Pinkie Pie standing dumbfounded in the doorway of the foam flooded spa.  Aloe opened her mouth to apologize for the mess when Luxury stepped forward.

"Welcome Ms Pinkie," She said with forced enthusiasm.  "You came as we were showing Ms Granny Smith here a new way to relax.  You see, the bubbles make the dancing so relaxing and enjoyable."

For a long moment the only sounds were the sloshing bubbles and Granny's confused muttering until Pinkie at last spoke.  "So this is like some sort of party!?  Oh man, I thought this was just a boring old bath house, but if this the kind of thing you do here," Pinkie then gasped, holding her hooves in front of her mouth.  "But you don't have nearly enough ponies her for a real party!  Give me a few minutes and I'll have everypony here in a lickety split second!"  And with that, Pinkie dashed out the door the door as Luxury Lotus smiled triumphantly at her sister.

In less than an hour the spa was crowded wall to wall with dancing and prancing ponies.  Aloe stood by her sister, counting the admission fee they'd gathered.  "If we can do this at least once a week, we will have no trouble paying off our loan.  You have saved the spa!"  She smiled warmly at Luxury.  "This is especially good for you, since you will need to be replacing our inventory that you destroyed."

Luxury's face fell as Aloe just laughed and kicked bubbles into her twin's face.