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Applejack's 'Day' Off: The Untold Story
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Level sighed, pacing madly back and forth. Something was off; she couldn’t quite put her hoof on it. Nothing was going on and yet… she felt stressed. There was no other word for it. It was just a lot of unwarranted stress.
“C’mon, Level, think,” she urged herself. “You’ve had an unprecedented amount of free time since you came to Ponyville. You don’t have any reformed villains to recruit at the moment. Everything’s going right. Why are you stressed?” She sighed, sitting down in defeat. “Maybe it’s because everything’s going right,” she theorized. “I’m probably just used to waiting for something to go wrong so that I can slip away without Princess Celestia finding out. But that’s not a problem anymore, so I’m left with an empty void.”
“Why don’t you mix things up a little?” her counterpart suggested. “You’re always doing the same things day in and day out; maybe a change of pace is just what you need.”
“Yeah, but what?” Pony Level thought back. “What could I possibly try that’s new and exciting, yet relaxing enough to take my mind off the fact that there’s nothing to do?” As she thought this, she heard the sound of the newspaper hitting her door. With nothing else to do at the moment, she opened the door and collected it. Casually reading the headline, she muttered, “‘Ponyville Day Spa Lines Longest They’ve Ever Been. Steam Room Is Hot In More Ways Than One.’”
Suddenly, an idea struck Level upside the head like an angry monkey with a crowbar. “That’s it!” she proclaimed. “That’s what I need to take my mind off things. Today, I’m going to the spa!”
“Are you kidding?” Human Level thought. “Did you not read the part about the absurdly long lines?”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Pony Level replied. “Besides, even if the spa has lines out the door, I’ll still get my appointment. What could go wrong?”
My Little Pony, My Little Pony
(SKRRRT!)
So this is what you meant
When you said that you were spent
And now it’s time to build
From the bottom of the pit
Right to the top
Don’t hold back
Packing my bags and
Giving the academy a rain check
I don’t ever wanna let you down
I don’t ever wanna leave this town
‘Cause after all
The city never sleeps at night
It’s time to begin isn’t it?
I get a little bit bigger
But then I’ll admit
I’m just the same as I was
Now don’t you understand
That I’m never changing who I am
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: The Untold Story
By Princess-Level-Up
Original Series Developed for Television By
Lauren Faust
Applejack’s “Day” Off
A short while later, Level was on her way to the spa. “I wonder what treatments I’ll be able to get for myself,” she mused as she walked. “I know that there are hooficures, but I’ve already done that back at Canterlot Castle. I should try something new. How about a massage? Or maybe a mud bath? This is so exciting.”
The Ponyville Day Spa came into view, its soft, cream-colored exterior welcoming Level like a warm hug. “I know,” she finally decided. “I’ll start with the steam room. The newspaper said it was very popular, so it must be a good place to start.”
“But what about the lines?” Human Level cut in.
“Well, I’m not seeing anything out the door, so it can’t be that big a deal,” Pony Level thought back. “Clearly, the paper was exaggerating. Newspapers do that.”
Level stepped into the spa. The waiting room was full of other ponies, all waiting to get spa treatments. Level walked up to the window and said, “Hello, there. I’d like to book the steam room, please.”
“Oh,” the receptionist replied in a European accent of some sort, sounding worried. “I am so sorry, your Majesty, but we are running just a tad behind. Are you prepared to wait for a while?”
“Sure. No problem,” Level replied. “Just let me know when you’re ready.” With that, she sat down on one of the chairs, opened a magazine, and began to read, certain that she would be in the steam room before she knew it.
Two hours later…
This was taking longer than she thought it would.
Level was getting seriously bored. She had read all of the magazines, used her magic to summon all of her favorite books so she could reread her favorite parts, and now she was left with nothing to do except sit and wait. She was starting to wonder if they were ever going to-
“All right, Miss Level Up,” the receptionist finally said. “You may get in line now.”
“Thank you,” Level sighed, standing up. She felt a little stiff after sitting down for so long, but she knew it was worth it. Finally, she would get her spa appointment. Then she could sit some more!
“Oh, but first,” the receptionist added, “take one of our complimentary towels. They’re freshly washed.”
“Oh, no thanks,” Level declined.
“No?” the receptionist replied. “Then perhaps you would like a nice robe, instead?”
“I don’t see why I need one,” Level stated matter-of-factly. “We’re naked all the time, anyway.” With that, she walked into the main spa area… and immediately bumped into somepony. She was shocked and appalled to see herself at the back of an enormous line that seemed to stretch on forever!
“Okay,” Level muttered. “So the newspapers weren’t exaggerating about the length of the lines.”
“I told you so,” Human Level mentally bragged.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Pony Level grumbled. Then she asked the pony in front of her, “Excuse me. How long have you been waiting here?”
“I’m not sure,” she replied. “But it feels like it’s been forever. Apparently, they’re having some kind of problem with the steam.”
Level sighed, slumping her shoulders. “Brilliant,” she grumbled. “I came here for a day of relaxation, and instead I got this.” After a second, she straightened up and added, “Ah, well. This line can’t possibly take that long, right?”
Thirty minutes later…
This was getting seriously old.
The line had moved, but it was moving at a snail’s pace. There were still four ponies in front of Level, and they all looked just as impatient as she was. And, to make matters worse, the hallway was freezing. It left Level shivering to the point where she had wished that she had taken a robe or towel. Luckily, the spa had noticed this problem and had provided a warm towel service to all of the ponies in line, allowing them to replace their towels with fresh, warm ones every 5 minutes. Level was only too glad to take advantage of this, wrapping her mane in one towel and draping another over her shoulders.
After what felt like forever, something finally happened to shake things up. Or rather, somepony happened. Applejack came around the corner, probably to see what the holdup was, with Rarity and another spa attendant in tow. She turned to a young colt who was standing in front of Level, separated by two other ponies, and asked, “Why are y’all just standing here?”
The colt shuddered with cold and replied, “Just waiting for the steam to build up.”
The pony currently in front of the line – a greedy, middle-aged mare who Level had learned against her will was named Spoiled Rich – added, “Without steam, a steam room’s just a room, and I’ve got plenty of those at home. Because I live in a mansion.” Level rolled her eyes at this. She had heard enough of Spoiled Rich’s bragging during her time in line. The only useful thing she’d learned from that insufferable mare was that she was Diamond Tiara’s mother, which might be useful when the time came to recruit Diamond into the ranks of the Royal Society of the Reformed.
Applejack cautiously approached the meter that measured the steam and tapped it with her forehoof. The pipe it was attached to hissed unpleasantly, the needle moved a tiny bit, then it returned to its original, unpromising position of “0”.
“It has been taking longer for the steam to reach that ‘Ponyville Day Spa’ quality. We even had to add a warm towel service.” Right on cue, the handsome young unicorn stallion who handled the warm towel service came around the corner with a cart full of warm towels. “So sorry for the delay, everypony,” the first spa attendant addressed the line. “Please help yourselves.”
Nopony needed to tell Level twice. Her towels were getting miserably cold, making her feel the exact same way. She, along with everypony else, quickly grabbed warm towels to wrap herself in before dumping her old ones into the cart. She sighed with relief, the warm fabric pressing through her fur to make contact with her skin.
Applejack frowned thoughtfully, “So, if you’re not getting enough steam, that must mean there’s not enough hot water.”
“Oh, Applejack, honestly,” Rarity said frantically. “Can’t we just start with a hooficure? We’re going to run out of time!” Applejack ignored her companion, however, and instead started following the pipe on the ceiling that was supposed to provide steam for the steam room. As soon as she left, along with Applejack and the spa attendant, something occurred to Level.
“Why is it so cold in here?” she mused. “I mean, it’s not like any of us is wearing less than we would be wearing, anyway. In fact, we’re wearing more.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it, your Highness,” Spoiled Rich addressed her from the front of the line. “There’s probably just something wrong with the air conditioner. When the air conditioner breaks, it can cause problems literally everywhere in the building, even if you live-”
“In a mansion?” Level guessed, her voice and face completely deadpan.
“Exactly,” Spoiled Rich concurred. “You would think that having that many rooms would make it easy to escape a faulty air conditioner, but that is not the case. Not even remotely.”
It was Level’s turn to frown thoughtfully. “I see,” she muttered. If this air conditioning problem was really affecting the entire building, then, clearly, somepony would have to get to the bottom of it. She glanced around. She saw nopony she could report the problem to, but she did see an air vent that she could have sworn was blowing snow, which melted before it could hit the ground. An idea formed in her mind; it wasn’t entirely ethical, but she could see no other alternative.
Level quickly cast a spell over the towels on her body, allowing them to warm her for a far longer time than they would have been able to otherwise. She then turned to the pony behind her and asked, “Save my place in line for me?”
“Um, sure,” the pony responded, sounding a little perplexed.
“Good,” Level asserted. Then, she turned to the vent with a defiant glare and growled, “I’m going in.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” said the colt ahead of her in line. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? You’ll get frozen. Or caught. Or frozen and caught.”
“Do you want to stand here freezing your flank off until it’s your turn?” Level challenged. The colt gulped and shook his head no. Level turned back to the air vent and added, “That’s what I thought,” before using her magic to remove the cover, flying inside, and replacing the cover to avoid drawing suspicion. This was it. She was going to save these spa goers, no matter what it took.
Ten minutes later…
Level wasn’t quite sure where she was, but she knew it wasn’t where she was supposed to be. As she crawled around, she was pretty sure that she passed the same sections of tubing several times. Her legs were ached, her horn repeatedly scraped the top of the duct, and she’d had to magically defrost her glasses several times.
After she passed the same vent for the umpteenth time in a row, she sighed with annoyance, her breath clearly visible, and muttered, “How the heck am I supposed to find the AC unit in this place?”
“Hey. Maybe I can help,” a familiar voice suddenly said right behind her. Level yelped with surprise and turned around. To her shock, she found that Tech Savvy, wearing a robe and a towel wrapped around his head, had joined her in the air vent.
“Tech?” she asked. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, I was here at the spa on official royal business when I noticed that it was unseasonably cold in here, so I thought I’d check it out,” Tech answered.
Level rubbed her chin thoughtfully, a smirk appearing on her face. “Official royal business, huh?” she asked. She gave Tech a look that made it clear that she wasn’t buying his story. Why would he be here on royal business? It wasn’t like there was anything major going on, and reports were never written about the Princesses taking a spa day. In fact, when they took spa days, it was to avoid the public eye for a while.
After a few seconds, Tech sighed in defeat and grumbled, “Okay, so I was here for the mud bath and beard-trimming services, but the point is that the AC is busted, and nopony else seems to care, so I thought I’d take a look at it.”
“That’s exactly why I’m here,” Level remarked. “The problem is, I seem to be lost. I’ve passed the same air vents more times than I can count.”
“Well, I think I can help you with that,” Tech offered. “If we just travel downwind of the currents, we should find the AC, no problem.”
“Wait, wait,” Level muttered. “Downwind?”
“Yes,” Tech confirmed.
“As in, with the cold air blowing directly in our faces,” Level prodded.
“How else are we supposed to know we’re getting closer to the source?” Tech pointed out.
It seemed flawed, but Level couldn’t think of a better idea. Tech’s logic seemed right on the money, and there was no way to counter it. “Okay,” she relented, defrosting her glasses yet again. “Let’s do this.”
A while later, the two of them were still crawling through the air ducts. They had found an area that was wide enough so that they could at least crawl next to each other, but it was still rather cramped, to say the absolute least. “Well, this could obviously be going better.”
“Meh,” Tech replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “Could be worse. At least you’re here.”
“Oh, you,” Level teased coyly.
“No, I’m serious,” Tech added. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this close to anypony before. From the moment I bumped into you, all I’ve ever been able to do was think about you.”
Level blushed. Was this really happening? Was Tech really saying what she thought he was saying? There was only one way to know for sure. After listening carefully to make sure that nopony else was hanging outside the nearby air vents, she asked, “Okay, can I just say something crazy?”
Tech’s response was a mellow, “I’m cool with crazy.” Level took that as a ‘yes’ and began pouring out what she had thought about him ever since they’d met.
All my life has been a series
Of doors in my face
And then, suddenly,
I bump into you
Tech smiled and said, “I was thinking the same thing. ‘Cause, like-” And then he joined in the song.
I’ve been searching my whole life
To find my own place
And maybe it’s the chill wind talking
But I’m crazy for you
Level: And with you
(Tech: And with you
I’ve found my place)
I see your face
Both: And it’s nothing like
I’ve never known before
Love is an open door!
Love is an open
(Level: door!)
(Tech: Doooor!)
Both: Love is an open door
Level: with you
(Tech: with you)
With you
(With you)
Both: Love is an open door
Tech: I mean it’s crazy
Level: What?
Tech: We finish each other’s
Level: Sandwhiches!
Tech: That’s what I was gonna say!
Level: I’ve never met someone
Both: Who thinks so much like me!
(Jynx!)
(Jynx again!)
Our mental synchronization
Can have but one explanation
Tech: You
Level: And I
Tech: Were
Level: Just
Both: Meant to be!
Level: Say goodbye
(Tech: say goodbye)
Both: To the pain of the past
We don’t have to feel it anymore
Love is an open door!
Love is an open
Level: Door!
(Tech: Doooooor!)
Both: Life can be so much more
Level: With you
Tech: With you
Level: With you
Tech: With you
Both: Love is an open
Tech: Door
Level: Dooooor
As the song wrapped up, Tech asked, “Can I say something crazy?” Level giggled and nodded, prompting Tech to ask, “Wanna go out with me?”
Level’s response was, “Can I say something even crazier?” However, before she could give a proper answer, they managed to approach the air conditioning unit. Fortunately, they could see what the problem was: a few loose wires that prevented the air-conditioning from running at anything warmer than freeze-your-flank-off temperatures. Unfortunately, there was already a mechanic working on the problem.
And he saw them.
And they stared at each other.
The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. What was going on? Level had thought that nopony was fixing this thing! She wouldn’t have come up here if she had known that somepony was fixing this thing! Now what was she going to do?
The mechanic turned to a nearby vent and called out, “Security!”
And then Level figured out what she was going to do. Apparently, she and Tech were going to deal with the police.
It wasn’t long before the cops showed up. They hauled Level and Tech out of the duct and brought them outside the spa, where four or five police carts barricaded their path. The spa attendant who had called the police stood nearby, eyeing Level and Tech with clear disapproval.
“Now, you’d better have a good explanation for this,” the chief officer grumbled. He turned to address Level specifically and added, “And don’t think you’re off the hook just because you’re royalty, Princess. Nopony is above the law, and I will hold you for however long it takes for Princess Celestia to give her verdict on you crawling around this establishment’s air ducts.”
“Look, we’re really sorry, officer,” Level tried to explain herself. “We were just tired of having to wait for our appointments in the cold. We didn’t know that somepony was already working on it. And if we had known-”
“How could you not have known?” the officer demanded. “When an air conditioner is broken, somepony calls a mechanic to fix it. Everypony knows that! So what were the two of you thinking?”
Level’s train of thought came to a screeching halt, leaving her at a complete loss for words. How was she going to explain that the totally obvious hadn’t occurred to her? What excuse could she possibly have other than that she was distracted by the thought of not freezing before her appointment? He probably wouldn’t believe that, anyway, even though it was true.
“Um…” Level muttered. “Well, you see…”
“Actually, she was against it,” Tech said. Level couldn’t help but look at him, wide-eyed and startled. Why was he saying this? She had been all for it.
“Really, now?” the cop asked skeptically.
“It’s true,” Tech lied. “She kept telling me not to do it. She kept saying that we were going to get in trouble, that we were breaking every rule she could think of, etc. etc. But I didn’t listen to her. I was just so sick of having to wait for my mud bath in the cold. So I forcibly dragged her along with me as a lookout.”
“Which you never should have done,” Level scolded, deciding to play this new angle for all it was worth.
“I know,” Tech sighed, hanging his head low. “I’m sorry.”
“You should be,” the officer grumbled. “I understand the frustrations that a broken air conditioner can cause, but this wasn’t your air conditioner. You had no right to try to fix it. In addition, if something had gone wrong, you could have caused a disaster that would have led to, at the very least, an evacuation of the whole building. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” Tech mumbled.
“Good,” the officer said. “Seeing as you obviously regret your actions, your punishment is null and void.”
“Not quite,” the spa attendant said. “Tech Savvy, as one of the founders and the current head attendant of the Ponyville Day Spa, I hereby revoke your spa privileges for one month.”
Tech sighed and muttered, “Aw, nuts.”
“And as for you, Princess,” the officer addressed Level, “you, too, have been nulled and voided in terms of punishment, seeing as you were forced against your will.”
“And your spa appointment is still open, if you want to take it,” the attendant offered. Level could hardly believe her ears. Was she really being let off the hook so easily? Were these ponies really believing Tech Savvy and letting her off scot-free? Was she…
Was she seriously considering going in and enjoying herself while Tech was forced to miss his appointment?
“Actually, you know what?” Level addressed the attendant. “Move it to next month. I’ve got more important things to worry about right now.” She turned to the officer and asked, “Are we free to go, officer?”
“Um… yes,” the officer answered, looking a little perplexed. “Have a nice day, you two.”
“Thank you,” Level replied. “We will. Come on, Tech.”
The two of them walked away. As soon as the Ponyville Day Spa was out of sight, Tech asked, “Why didn’t you go take your spa appointment?” Tech asked. “You must’ve been waiting for it a long time to become desperate enough to try to fix the AC yourself.”
“Well,” Level explained, “I came to the spa in the first place in order to take my mind off my troubles. Then I realized that the only thing I need to take my mind off my troubles,” she paused, eyeing Tech amorously, “is you.”
Tech blushed. “R-really?” he asked.
“Yeah, really,” Level replied. “Don’t you remember when we were singing that song in there? Or what about when Trixie was in town and we were killing time until her performance by playing a dancing game? Or even that one art class where we both made terrible paintings? Those were all examples of the most fun I’ve ever had. And I had them all with you.”
Tech smiled. “They were the most fun I’ve ever had, too,” he said simply.
“Oh, and by the way,” Level added with a smile, “I never got a chance to answer your question.” She stopped and pecked him on the cheek. “Yes, Tech Savvy, I will go out with you.”
“Sweet!” Tech cheered. “When can I see you again?”
“How about 11:45 on Saturday?” Level offered.
“Deal,” Tech agreed. “Well, see you then.” He walked in the direction of the train station.
“Bye,” Level said, heading home. She smiled and blushed all the way back home. For the first time in her life, she had a special somepony. And he offered her happiness that no day at the spa could ever bring. “In your face, long lines,” she thought as she merrily trotted back home.
My Little Pony Developed for Television by
Lauren Faust
Applejack’s “Day” Off Written By
Michael P. Fox and Will Fox
Featured (or would-be Featured) Voice Actors
Tara Strong as Level Up
Peter New as Tech Savvy
Guest (or would-be Guest) Voice Actors
Ashleigh Ball as Applejack
Tabitha St. Germain as Rarity, Aloe, Spa Pony
Chantal Strand as Spoiled Rich
Jason Simpson as Line Pony, Officer
Andrea Libman as Daisy
Featured Songs
“Love Is An Open Door”
By Robert Lopez and Kirsten Anderson-Lopez
Originally from Frozen
Lyrics Modified
Level Up and Tech Savvy belong to me. Everything else is owned by Hasbro and DHX Studios. Thank you.
“C’mon, Level, think,” she urged herself. “You’ve had an unprecedented amount of free time since you came to Ponyville. You don’t have any reformed villains to recruit at the moment. Everything’s going right. Why are you stressed?” She sighed, sitting down in defeat. “Maybe it’s because everything’s going right,” she theorized. “I’m probably just used to waiting for something to go wrong so that I can slip away without Princess Celestia finding out. But that’s not a problem anymore, so I’m left with an empty void.”
“Why don’t you mix things up a little?” her counterpart suggested. “You’re always doing the same things day in and day out; maybe a change of pace is just what you need.”
“Yeah, but what?” Pony Level thought back. “What could I possibly try that’s new and exciting, yet relaxing enough to take my mind off the fact that there’s nothing to do?” As she thought this, she heard the sound of the newspaper hitting her door. With nothing else to do at the moment, she opened the door and collected it. Casually reading the headline, she muttered, “‘Ponyville Day Spa Lines Longest They’ve Ever Been. Steam Room Is Hot In More Ways Than One.’”
Suddenly, an idea struck Level upside the head like an angry monkey with a crowbar. “That’s it!” she proclaimed. “That’s what I need to take my mind off things. Today, I’m going to the spa!”
“Are you kidding?” Human Level thought. “Did you not read the part about the absurdly long lines?”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Pony Level replied. “Besides, even if the spa has lines out the door, I’ll still get my appointment. What could go wrong?”
My Little Pony, My Little Pony
(SKRRRT!)
So this is what you meant
When you said that you were spent
And now it’s time to build
From the bottom of the pit
Right to the top
Don’t hold back
Packing my bags and
Giving the academy a rain check
I don’t ever wanna let you down
I don’t ever wanna leave this town
‘Cause after all
The city never sleeps at night
It’s time to begin isn’t it?
I get a little bit bigger
But then I’ll admit
I’m just the same as I was
Now don’t you understand
That I’m never changing who I am
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: The Untold Story
By Princess-Level-Up
Original Series Developed for Television By
Lauren Faust
Applejack’s “Day” Off
A short while later, Level was on her way to the spa. “I wonder what treatments I’ll be able to get for myself,” she mused as she walked. “I know that there are hooficures, but I’ve already done that back at Canterlot Castle. I should try something new. How about a massage? Or maybe a mud bath? This is so exciting.”
The Ponyville Day Spa came into view, its soft, cream-colored exterior welcoming Level like a warm hug. “I know,” she finally decided. “I’ll start with the steam room. The newspaper said it was very popular, so it must be a good place to start.”
“But what about the lines?” Human Level cut in.
“Well, I’m not seeing anything out the door, so it can’t be that big a deal,” Pony Level thought back. “Clearly, the paper was exaggerating. Newspapers do that.”
Level stepped into the spa. The waiting room was full of other ponies, all waiting to get spa treatments. Level walked up to the window and said, “Hello, there. I’d like to book the steam room, please.”
“Oh,” the receptionist replied in a European accent of some sort, sounding worried. “I am so sorry, your Majesty, but we are running just a tad behind. Are you prepared to wait for a while?”
“Sure. No problem,” Level replied. “Just let me know when you’re ready.” With that, she sat down on one of the chairs, opened a magazine, and began to read, certain that she would be in the steam room before she knew it.
Two hours later…
This was taking longer than she thought it would.
Level was getting seriously bored. She had read all of the magazines, used her magic to summon all of her favorite books so she could reread her favorite parts, and now she was left with nothing to do except sit and wait. She was starting to wonder if they were ever going to-
“All right, Miss Level Up,” the receptionist finally said. “You may get in line now.”
“Thank you,” Level sighed, standing up. She felt a little stiff after sitting down for so long, but she knew it was worth it. Finally, she would get her spa appointment. Then she could sit some more!
“Oh, but first,” the receptionist added, “take one of our complimentary towels. They’re freshly washed.”
“Oh, no thanks,” Level declined.
“No?” the receptionist replied. “Then perhaps you would like a nice robe, instead?”
“I don’t see why I need one,” Level stated matter-of-factly. “We’re naked all the time, anyway.” With that, she walked into the main spa area… and immediately bumped into somepony. She was shocked and appalled to see herself at the back of an enormous line that seemed to stretch on forever!
“Okay,” Level muttered. “So the newspapers weren’t exaggerating about the length of the lines.”
“I told you so,” Human Level mentally bragged.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Pony Level grumbled. Then she asked the pony in front of her, “Excuse me. How long have you been waiting here?”
“I’m not sure,” she replied. “But it feels like it’s been forever. Apparently, they’re having some kind of problem with the steam.”
Level sighed, slumping her shoulders. “Brilliant,” she grumbled. “I came here for a day of relaxation, and instead I got this.” After a second, she straightened up and added, “Ah, well. This line can’t possibly take that long, right?”
Thirty minutes later…
This was getting seriously old.
The line had moved, but it was moving at a snail’s pace. There were still four ponies in front of Level, and they all looked just as impatient as she was. And, to make matters worse, the hallway was freezing. It left Level shivering to the point where she had wished that she had taken a robe or towel. Luckily, the spa had noticed this problem and had provided a warm towel service to all of the ponies in line, allowing them to replace their towels with fresh, warm ones every 5 minutes. Level was only too glad to take advantage of this, wrapping her mane in one towel and draping another over her shoulders.
After what felt like forever, something finally happened to shake things up. Or rather, somepony happened. Applejack came around the corner, probably to see what the holdup was, with Rarity and another spa attendant in tow. She turned to a young colt who was standing in front of Level, separated by two other ponies, and asked, “Why are y’all just standing here?”
The colt shuddered with cold and replied, “Just waiting for the steam to build up.”
The pony currently in front of the line – a greedy, middle-aged mare who Level had learned against her will was named Spoiled Rich – added, “Without steam, a steam room’s just a room, and I’ve got plenty of those at home. Because I live in a mansion.” Level rolled her eyes at this. She had heard enough of Spoiled Rich’s bragging during her time in line. The only useful thing she’d learned from that insufferable mare was that she was Diamond Tiara’s mother, which might be useful when the time came to recruit Diamond into the ranks of the Royal Society of the Reformed.
Applejack cautiously approached the meter that measured the steam and tapped it with her forehoof. The pipe it was attached to hissed unpleasantly, the needle moved a tiny bit, then it returned to its original, unpromising position of “0”.
“It has been taking longer for the steam to reach that ‘Ponyville Day Spa’ quality. We even had to add a warm towel service.” Right on cue, the handsome young unicorn stallion who handled the warm towel service came around the corner with a cart full of warm towels. “So sorry for the delay, everypony,” the first spa attendant addressed the line. “Please help yourselves.”
Nopony needed to tell Level twice. Her towels were getting miserably cold, making her feel the exact same way. She, along with everypony else, quickly grabbed warm towels to wrap herself in before dumping her old ones into the cart. She sighed with relief, the warm fabric pressing through her fur to make contact with her skin.
Applejack frowned thoughtfully, “So, if you’re not getting enough steam, that must mean there’s not enough hot water.”
“Oh, Applejack, honestly,” Rarity said frantically. “Can’t we just start with a hooficure? We’re going to run out of time!” Applejack ignored her companion, however, and instead started following the pipe on the ceiling that was supposed to provide steam for the steam room. As soon as she left, along with Applejack and the spa attendant, something occurred to Level.
“Why is it so cold in here?” she mused. “I mean, it’s not like any of us is wearing less than we would be wearing, anyway. In fact, we’re wearing more.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it, your Highness,” Spoiled Rich addressed her from the front of the line. “There’s probably just something wrong with the air conditioner. When the air conditioner breaks, it can cause problems literally everywhere in the building, even if you live-”
“In a mansion?” Level guessed, her voice and face completely deadpan.
“Exactly,” Spoiled Rich concurred. “You would think that having that many rooms would make it easy to escape a faulty air conditioner, but that is not the case. Not even remotely.”
It was Level’s turn to frown thoughtfully. “I see,” she muttered. If this air conditioning problem was really affecting the entire building, then, clearly, somepony would have to get to the bottom of it. She glanced around. She saw nopony she could report the problem to, but she did see an air vent that she could have sworn was blowing snow, which melted before it could hit the ground. An idea formed in her mind; it wasn’t entirely ethical, but she could see no other alternative.
Level quickly cast a spell over the towels on her body, allowing them to warm her for a far longer time than they would have been able to otherwise. She then turned to the pony behind her and asked, “Save my place in line for me?”
“Um, sure,” the pony responded, sounding a little perplexed.
“Good,” Level asserted. Then, she turned to the vent with a defiant glare and growled, “I’m going in.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” said the colt ahead of her in line. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? You’ll get frozen. Or caught. Or frozen and caught.”
“Do you want to stand here freezing your flank off until it’s your turn?” Level challenged. The colt gulped and shook his head no. Level turned back to the air vent and added, “That’s what I thought,” before using her magic to remove the cover, flying inside, and replacing the cover to avoid drawing suspicion. This was it. She was going to save these spa goers, no matter what it took.
Ten minutes later…
Level wasn’t quite sure where she was, but she knew it wasn’t where she was supposed to be. As she crawled around, she was pretty sure that she passed the same sections of tubing several times. Her legs were ached, her horn repeatedly scraped the top of the duct, and she’d had to magically defrost her glasses several times.
After she passed the same vent for the umpteenth time in a row, she sighed with annoyance, her breath clearly visible, and muttered, “How the heck am I supposed to find the AC unit in this place?”
“Hey. Maybe I can help,” a familiar voice suddenly said right behind her. Level yelped with surprise and turned around. To her shock, she found that Tech Savvy, wearing a robe and a towel wrapped around his head, had joined her in the air vent.
“Tech?” she asked. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, I was here at the spa on official royal business when I noticed that it was unseasonably cold in here, so I thought I’d check it out,” Tech answered.
Level rubbed her chin thoughtfully, a smirk appearing on her face. “Official royal business, huh?” she asked. She gave Tech a look that made it clear that she wasn’t buying his story. Why would he be here on royal business? It wasn’t like there was anything major going on, and reports were never written about the Princesses taking a spa day. In fact, when they took spa days, it was to avoid the public eye for a while.
After a few seconds, Tech sighed in defeat and grumbled, “Okay, so I was here for the mud bath and beard-trimming services, but the point is that the AC is busted, and nopony else seems to care, so I thought I’d take a look at it.”
“That’s exactly why I’m here,” Level remarked. “The problem is, I seem to be lost. I’ve passed the same air vents more times than I can count.”
“Well, I think I can help you with that,” Tech offered. “If we just travel downwind of the currents, we should find the AC, no problem.”
“Wait, wait,” Level muttered. “Downwind?”
“Yes,” Tech confirmed.
“As in, with the cold air blowing directly in our faces,” Level prodded.
“How else are we supposed to know we’re getting closer to the source?” Tech pointed out.
It seemed flawed, but Level couldn’t think of a better idea. Tech’s logic seemed right on the money, and there was no way to counter it. “Okay,” she relented, defrosting her glasses yet again. “Let’s do this.”
A while later, the two of them were still crawling through the air ducts. They had found an area that was wide enough so that they could at least crawl next to each other, but it was still rather cramped, to say the absolute least. “Well, this could obviously be going better.”
“Meh,” Tech replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “Could be worse. At least you’re here.”
“Oh, you,” Level teased coyly.
“No, I’m serious,” Tech added. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this close to anypony before. From the moment I bumped into you, all I’ve ever been able to do was think about you.”
Level blushed. Was this really happening? Was Tech really saying what she thought he was saying? There was only one way to know for sure. After listening carefully to make sure that nopony else was hanging outside the nearby air vents, she asked, “Okay, can I just say something crazy?”
Tech’s response was a mellow, “I’m cool with crazy.” Level took that as a ‘yes’ and began pouring out what she had thought about him ever since they’d met.
All my life has been a series
Of doors in my face
And then, suddenly,
I bump into you
Tech smiled and said, “I was thinking the same thing. ‘Cause, like-” And then he joined in the song.
I’ve been searching my whole life
To find my own place
And maybe it’s the chill wind talking
But I’m crazy for you
Level: And with you
(Tech: And with you
I’ve found my place)
I see your face
Both: And it’s nothing like
I’ve never known before
Love is an open door!
Love is an open
(Level: door!)
(Tech: Doooor!)
Both: Love is an open door
Level: with you
(Tech: with you)
With you
(With you)
Both: Love is an open door
Tech: I mean it’s crazy
Level: What?
Tech: We finish each other’s
Level: Sandwhiches!
Tech: That’s what I was gonna say!
Level: I’ve never met someone
Both: Who thinks so much like me!
(Jynx!)
(Jynx again!)
Our mental synchronization
Can have but one explanation
Tech: You
Level: And I
Tech: Were
Level: Just
Both: Meant to be!
Level: Say goodbye
(Tech: say goodbye)
Both: To the pain of the past
We don’t have to feel it anymore
Love is an open door!
Love is an open
Level: Door!
(Tech: Doooooor!)
Both: Life can be so much more
Level: With you
Tech: With you
Level: With you
Tech: With you
Both: Love is an open
Tech: Door
Level: Dooooor
As the song wrapped up, Tech asked, “Can I say something crazy?” Level giggled and nodded, prompting Tech to ask, “Wanna go out with me?”
Level’s response was, “Can I say something even crazier?” However, before she could give a proper answer, they managed to approach the air conditioning unit. Fortunately, they could see what the problem was: a few loose wires that prevented the air-conditioning from running at anything warmer than freeze-your-flank-off temperatures. Unfortunately, there was already a mechanic working on the problem.
And he saw them.
And they stared at each other.
The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. What was going on? Level had thought that nopony was fixing this thing! She wouldn’t have come up here if she had known that somepony was fixing this thing! Now what was she going to do?
The mechanic turned to a nearby vent and called out, “Security!”
And then Level figured out what she was going to do. Apparently, she and Tech were going to deal with the police.
It wasn’t long before the cops showed up. They hauled Level and Tech out of the duct and brought them outside the spa, where four or five police carts barricaded their path. The spa attendant who had called the police stood nearby, eyeing Level and Tech with clear disapproval.
“Now, you’d better have a good explanation for this,” the chief officer grumbled. He turned to address Level specifically and added, “And don’t think you’re off the hook just because you’re royalty, Princess. Nopony is above the law, and I will hold you for however long it takes for Princess Celestia to give her verdict on you crawling around this establishment’s air ducts.”
“Look, we’re really sorry, officer,” Level tried to explain herself. “We were just tired of having to wait for our appointments in the cold. We didn’t know that somepony was already working on it. And if we had known-”
“How could you not have known?” the officer demanded. “When an air conditioner is broken, somepony calls a mechanic to fix it. Everypony knows that! So what were the two of you thinking?”
Level’s train of thought came to a screeching halt, leaving her at a complete loss for words. How was she going to explain that the totally obvious hadn’t occurred to her? What excuse could she possibly have other than that she was distracted by the thought of not freezing before her appointment? He probably wouldn’t believe that, anyway, even though it was true.
“Um…” Level muttered. “Well, you see…”
“Actually, she was against it,” Tech said. Level couldn’t help but look at him, wide-eyed and startled. Why was he saying this? She had been all for it.
“Really, now?” the cop asked skeptically.
“It’s true,” Tech lied. “She kept telling me not to do it. She kept saying that we were going to get in trouble, that we were breaking every rule she could think of, etc. etc. But I didn’t listen to her. I was just so sick of having to wait for my mud bath in the cold. So I forcibly dragged her along with me as a lookout.”
“Which you never should have done,” Level scolded, deciding to play this new angle for all it was worth.
“I know,” Tech sighed, hanging his head low. “I’m sorry.”
“You should be,” the officer grumbled. “I understand the frustrations that a broken air conditioner can cause, but this wasn’t your air conditioner. You had no right to try to fix it. In addition, if something had gone wrong, you could have caused a disaster that would have led to, at the very least, an evacuation of the whole building. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” Tech mumbled.
“Good,” the officer said. “Seeing as you obviously regret your actions, your punishment is null and void.”
“Not quite,” the spa attendant said. “Tech Savvy, as one of the founders and the current head attendant of the Ponyville Day Spa, I hereby revoke your spa privileges for one month.”
Tech sighed and muttered, “Aw, nuts.”
“And as for you, Princess,” the officer addressed Level, “you, too, have been nulled and voided in terms of punishment, seeing as you were forced against your will.”
“And your spa appointment is still open, if you want to take it,” the attendant offered. Level could hardly believe her ears. Was she really being let off the hook so easily? Were these ponies really believing Tech Savvy and letting her off scot-free? Was she…
Was she seriously considering going in and enjoying herself while Tech was forced to miss his appointment?
“Actually, you know what?” Level addressed the attendant. “Move it to next month. I’ve got more important things to worry about right now.” She turned to the officer and asked, “Are we free to go, officer?”
“Um… yes,” the officer answered, looking a little perplexed. “Have a nice day, you two.”
“Thank you,” Level replied. “We will. Come on, Tech.”
The two of them walked away. As soon as the Ponyville Day Spa was out of sight, Tech asked, “Why didn’t you go take your spa appointment?” Tech asked. “You must’ve been waiting for it a long time to become desperate enough to try to fix the AC yourself.”
“Well,” Level explained, “I came to the spa in the first place in order to take my mind off my troubles. Then I realized that the only thing I need to take my mind off my troubles,” she paused, eyeing Tech amorously, “is you.”
Tech blushed. “R-really?” he asked.
“Yeah, really,” Level replied. “Don’t you remember when we were singing that song in there? Or what about when Trixie was in town and we were killing time until her performance by playing a dancing game? Or even that one art class where we both made terrible paintings? Those were all examples of the most fun I’ve ever had. And I had them all with you.”
Tech smiled. “They were the most fun I’ve ever had, too,” he said simply.
“Oh, and by the way,” Level added with a smile, “I never got a chance to answer your question.” She stopped and pecked him on the cheek. “Yes, Tech Savvy, I will go out with you.”
“Sweet!” Tech cheered. “When can I see you again?”
“How about 11:45 on Saturday?” Level offered.
“Deal,” Tech agreed. “Well, see you then.” He walked in the direction of the train station.
“Bye,” Level said, heading home. She smiled and blushed all the way back home. For the first time in her life, she had a special somepony. And he offered her happiness that no day at the spa could ever bring. “In your face, long lines,” she thought as she merrily trotted back home.
My Little Pony Developed for Television by
Lauren Faust
Applejack’s “Day” Off Written By
Michael P. Fox and Will Fox
Featured (or would-be Featured) Voice Actors
Tara Strong as Level Up
Peter New as Tech Savvy
Guest (or would-be Guest) Voice Actors
Ashleigh Ball as Applejack
Tabitha St. Germain as Rarity, Aloe, Spa Pony
Chantal Strand as Spoiled Rich
Jason Simpson as Line Pony, Officer
Andrea Libman as Daisy
Featured Songs
“Love Is An Open Door”
By Robert Lopez and Kirsten Anderson-Lopez
Originally from Frozen
Lyrics Modified
Level Up and Tech Savvy belong to me. Everything else is owned by Hasbro and DHX Studios. Thank you.
Ever notice how Equestrian law is surprisingly lax?
© 2016 - 2024 Princess-Level-Up
Comments1
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One fan I've been chatting with is of the opinion that when it comes to Equestria, justice is often trumped by harmony. Whether that's a good thing or not is debatable.
Anyway, hey, three in one day! Yay!
Anyway, hey, three in one day! Yay!