Uhm, Miss Rarity?
How much longer are you planning to stay in here, darling?
Oh dear, is somepony else waiting?
Oh, no, no.
I just don't want you to get all (what is word?) pruny.
Oh, well, I'm just waiting for Applejack.
It's been so long since we've had a relaxing day at the spa together.
I'm quite certain she'll be along any moment.
Hey, there, Rarity.
I really tried to get here earlier.
I just can't believe how much time my chores are takin' up these days.
At least now we'll finally get to spend some quality spa time together. Right?
Okay, fillies, that's it.
We are closing up for the day.
Aw, shucks, Rarity.
I guess I missed the whole day.
I sure am sorry.
Me too.
Hi, Rarity!
Morning, Twilight. Spike.
Good heavens, that's a lot of empty pie plates!
Yeah. We were just heading to pick up some fresh pies.
I don't know why we keep running out at the castle.
What are you gonna get?
Applejack, actually.
Although, I'm quite sure she'll be too busy once again.
What do you mean?
Oh, nothing.
It's just that Applejack and I haven't had one of our spa days in ages.
You two really should set aside some time.
Darling, I have been trying for moons!
But Applejack is so busy these days, it's next to impossible.
Wow!
I didn't realize Applejack had so much to do.
Hey, Applejack!
Another order of pies, please.
Sure thing, Spike!
I don't suppose those pies are the last chore on the schedule for today?
Land's sakes!
Is it time for our spa day already?
Rarity, why don't you go on ahead and I'll meet ya there?
Oh! Please, Applejack, let's not kid ourselves!
Well, it ain't 'cos I don't wanna.
But the work on the farm has been takin' up more and more of my time.
I hate seeing you two not spending time together.
Can't you get somepony else in your family to take over for a bit?
Wish I could.
But Granny, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom all have chores of their own.
And today, they're all busy taking the harvest to market.
I know we're not farmers.
But I'm sure Spike and I could handle things for a little while.
Maybe.
Is there one chore we could do?
Well…
I suppose if you two got started on feeding the pigs,
I could maybe leave for an hour?
An hour of spa perfection?
I could work with that!
Perfect!
You head out to the spa and Spike and I'll take care of things here.
Yeah. We totally got everything covered.
Okay.
This list pretty much covers everything you need to know to feed the pigs.
But… maybe I should go over it with you just to…
Applejack, please.
If there's a list involved, I'm one hundred percent on top of it.
Right.
And don't worry about things here!
Spike and I have totally got this!
I mean, it's just feeding the pigs.
How hard could it be?
Twilight?
I'm glad we're doing this, Rarity.
I've been putting work before our spa time for too long.
I know we've only got an hour, but I can't wait to have a steam.
A steam is just the start.
I know exactly what we'll do and an hour will be perfect.
Okay, Spike, ready with that list?
Ready.
Let's do this!
Step one: open the gate.
Okay. Step two: close the gate.
That's what it says.
Step three: walk away.
Walk away? Really?
I just hope Twilight and Spike can handle things until I get back.
Now, Applejack, if we are really to enjoy this time together,
you simply must give yourself over to the idea
that you are off-duty and try to relax.
I know. You're right.
I really am glad we're doing this,
and as long as this is only an hour,
I'm sure everything will be just fine.
Exactly.
Now kindly step this way.
Relaxation awaits.
Rainbow Dash!
What are you doing here?
Yeah. I didn't think spa treatments were your thing exactly.
What?
Oh, they're totally not.
At least, not the frou-frou kind.
Yeah, I…
I think I tweaked something at Wonderbolts practice the other day.
I just came in for a deep tissue sports massage.
Miss Dash.
I'm so sorry, but we are running just a tad behind,
and we are not quite ready to start your pampered muscle massage and indulgent hooficure just yet.
I'm pretty sure that wasn't what I signed up for.
But they are your usual…
And it seems like you're really busy today anyway!
I'll just come back tomorrow.
See you two later! Have fun!
But put me down for the same thing.
Too bad Rainbow Dash just hates those frou-frou spa treatments.
She could have joined us for a nice steam.
Hoowee, I can't wait.
Indeed.
Although if they couldn't fit Dashie in,
I wonder just how far behind things are running.
Obviously we are on a very tight schedule.
Well, maybe not everypony is waiting for the steam room.
Oh, no, no, that's exactly what we're waiting for.
I hope you're not in a hurry.
So everypony here wants a steam bath?
Yeah.
Well, the solution is obvious.
We'll simply have to start our short time at the spa with something else.
Huh, noting doing.
I came here to have a steam, and that's just what I'm gonna get.
But, but it will take most of our hour just to get through this line!
Rarity! My favorite customer!
And Appleyack?
Well, it certainly has been a long time since you two were here together!
So lovely to have you back.
Well, I wish I could say the same.
Yes, the wait time for the steam room certainly has been getting worse lately.
But I'm sure we'll be able to accommodate your usual treatments.
Not without my steam!
Apparently, Applejack won't consider starting her time at the spa without a steam, and we only have an hour.
That is a problem.
Applejack, where are you going?
Um, why are y'all just standin' here?
Just waiting for the steam to build up.
Without steam, a steam room's just a room and I've got plenty of those at home.
Because I live in a mansion.
It has been taking longer for the steam
to reach the Ponyville Day Spa quality.
We even had to add the warm towel service.
So sorry for the delay, everypony.
Please help yourselves.
So, if you're not gettin' enough steam, that must mean there's not enough hot water.
Oh, Applejack, honestly, can't we just start with a hooficure?
We're going to run out of time.
Ha! Now what do we have here?
The laundry room, of course.
And at this point I'm considering soaking my hooves in one of the machines so my time here isn't a total loss!
The Ponyville Day Spa prides itself on sanitary conditions.
And fresh linens are integral part.
Well, sure. But have you always run every single one of these here machines full bore?
All day? Every day?
The answer is "no".
But ponies sure do love this warm towel service.
You are all wanting towel?
Looks to me like you don't have any left.
Well, like I said, warm towels are big hit.
I think I figured out the problem.
You've got a small leak.
And that means the steam takes just a little longer to build up.
And while ponies wait, they get cold.
Cold ponies start wrapping themselves in towels.
And all those dirty towels have to be cleaned.
Because Ponyville Day Spa prides itself on cleanliness.
What?
Basically,
loosing steam makes you use more towels.
That means you do more laundry,
which uses up the hot water you need to make more steam,
so the problem just keeps getting worse.
I had no idea.
Wonderful. Now that we've solved the great steamer mystery,
we can finally get back to our…
significantly less than an hour of relaxation.
Rarity, are you kidding?
I can't just leave things like this.
I'm gonna need my tools.
Now that the leak's fixed,
ponies won't get so cold they use up all those towels.
And without all that loundry
there will be plenty of hot water for all the steam anypony could want.
And I only have to be doing wash once a day!
Wow, Appleyack.
Have you ever considered the career in the spa industry?
I'm sure I can find something for you.
No, thanks.
I'm just relieved I can finally relax in the steam.
What do you say, Rarity?
It sounds lovely, Applejack, but…
Unfortunately, you spent so much time fixing the steam room,
we don't have any time left to use it.
Honestly.
How in Equestria did it never occur to you to check the leaks?
There's just so many other thing to worry about.
I suppose we get used to the way things are.
And we don't realize there was a problem.
You obviously need an outside eye to evaluate the situation.
It's lucky for you Applejack is too stubborn to relax.
I'm sorry, Rarity.
We'll just have to do this another day.
Twilight and Spike should be done feeding the pigs by now.
Twilight is a very capable pony.
I'm sure she can figure out what to do next.
Look, I know Twilight's a princess and an alicorn
but she isn't a farmer.
I've been doing farm work my whole life
and I'm not sure it's something you can just figure out.
Of course.
Why don't we pop back so that you explain to Twilight what to do next
and then we will come back here and pick up where we left off?
Well, I suppose I could try.
Assuming everything went well so far.
Oh, Applejack, honestly, how could it not?
Wouldn't it be easier to just fly?
I told you, Spike.
We are following Applejack's list to the letter.
And Applejack doesn't fly.
I'm sorry, Rarity,
but I think I'm gonna have to finish these chores myself.
Twilight, darling,
how in the world did you end up there?
Spike and I were just trying to follow Applejack's list as closely as possible.
Maybe not the best plan.
I'm sorry, Applejack,
but we never even got started feeding the pigs.
That's alright, Twilight.
I know you did your best.
I guess a list can't really capture all the ways I have of doing things.
At least you two got to spend some time at the spa together.
Yeah. That must have been super-relaxing.
Well, if watching Applejack fix plumbing counts as relaxing,
than yes.
What about your hour of spa perfection?
As it turns out,
the Ponyville Day Spa had a few problems with the steam room.
And somepony refused to relax until she had fixed them.
I'm sorry, but I just couldn't let those spa ponies go another minute
putting up with problems they didn't know they have.
Somehow they just got used to a huge bottleneck of ponies standing around waiting.
And I took one good look at that spa jam
and I knew I had to do something.
Sometimes the simplest things can just derail a whole operation.
Whether it's a leaky pipe or doing too much laundry.
You can't just stick to the same old way in doing things and expect them to get better.
I mean, thinkin' you can is just plumb ridiculous, right?
It's funny when you realize the extra work they were doing
was actually making things worse.
I mean, I guess it's possible to get stuck in the routine
where you're doing all this extra stuff and not realize it,
but I can't for the life of me think of how!
Why are you all staring at me like that?
Are you certain everything you just did is entirely necessary to feed the pigs?
What? Of course.
Why would I be doing it if they weren't?
See, this gate here used to squeak so loud
the pigs would run the other side of the pen and never come out,
so I open and close it to let them know it's safe.
But it doesn't squeak anymore.
Of course not. I fixed that ages ago.
Then, I realized putting a little fright into them
got them all hustling out of the pen.
They don't look scared to me.
Well, no. They got used to it.
Which is why I started doing the chicken dance,
to show them if they didn't eat their food, chicken would.
'Course, being a chicken I couldn't very well open the gate.
Getting a food bucket to spill into the trough was just a happy accident
because one time I left it there by mistake.
Applejack, it seems like everything you doing is to fix things that aren't really problems anymore.
Well, I'll be…
Maybe it isn't so hard to get stuck doing extra work after all.
I wonder if I've been doing that around here with anything else
Well, there is only one way to find out.
Thanks y'all.
I guess, I just got so used to doing everything in a certain way,
I didn't realise there were any problems.
Having a friend looking at what you doing with an outside eye can really help.
And I suppose if it weren't for our unsuccessful time at the spa
none of us would have realise it.
Well, now with your chores are streamlined,
what are you gonna do with all the extra time?
I think I have a few ideas.
Think you can come up with enough things for us to do now that we have more time to relax?
Oh, please, I could plan a week's worth of treatments.
Well let's just start with rest of the day for now.
After all the work we just did on the farm
I am ready for some sheerest relaxation.
Thanks for letting me know there was an opening.
I don't know if I could make it without my pampered muscle massage.
Don't worry about it.
Shall I put you down for another one tomorrow?
Oh, absolutely,
sometimes a girl just has to pamper herself, am I right?
You certanly are.
Oh, hey, I was just, uh…
Gettin' a sports pampering?
Don't worry, Rainbow Dash,
we were just heading in for some pampering ourselves.
You could always join us.
That is if you don't mind suffering through one or two frou-frou treatments.
I suppose I can take it. You know, for you, ponies.
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