//------------------------------// // Applejack's Aching Arches // Story: RMT: Redheart's Massage Therapy // by Norm De Plume //------------------------------// Nurse Redheart sipped from her water bottle, then picked up one of the prickly massage balls to roll it between her hands as she sat in the break room. Starlight Glimmer had left some hours before, moving much more smoothly than when she had come in. Coming out of the back rooms into the reception area again was like returning from another world with the darkroom portal. The transition to afternoon Canterlot sunlight often dazzled people who had been in the blackout rooms, and Lotus and Aloe would draw the sun blinds so their clients didn't squint. Her second appointment of the day would arrive soon, and she had filled in the afternoon by studying some of the twins' relaxation sessions. The spa did all sorts of treatments and while she had been brought in to help with therapy for more intense cases, she was more than well-paid for her time. Redheart appreciated the skill the other masseuses brought to their tables and had picked up tidbits of wisdom from various employees when she was on-shift. Even though she considered tracing energy lines mostly a sham, she was shameless when it came to stealing small gripping and pressure techniques for herself. Clients needed a range of options to feel at their best, after all. She studied her next customer’s form. One Applejack, who apparently had a full body ache. Redheart wasn't too surprised, because she knew that name. She'd run into that tired, overworked, and stressed out farmer before. The whole Baked Bads episode was one of those things that had become legend at the nurses’ station. At least Applejack was friends with Miss Rarity, and both ladies were spa regulars together. If she wasn't relaxed from ordinary sessions, it made sense that Lotus and Aloe would recommend some deeper therapy. Well, looking at her sheet, and combined with what she knew about Applejack from previous encounters, Redheart was sure she could come up with a session to unravel some of those knots. As she spun back through the darkroom portal, she decided on a different massage room than where she had worked on Starlight Glimmer. While the sheets had been changed and the room aired out, she liked to start fresh with each new client. Applejack was very much an outdoor sort of woman, so Redheart chose a room with the most windows. In late afternoon, the sun set on the building’s opposite side. Leaving the sunshades halfway open wouldn't make the room too bright. She did adjust the thermostat, though, as a session like this could quickly become overheated. Rewrapping her table in clean sheets, she considered a choice of scents for the diffuser. The obvious answer was 'apples', but Redheart balked at that simple path. She knew of the Apple Family and all its various branches out there, and considered the harmony of all their fruit scents. Applejack was most at home in an apple orchard, but what about when she wasn't home? Redheart considered the neat little case that held all the fragrance oil bottles. Her fingers strayed toward one particular citrus-laced concoction, and she hesitated before picking it up. It would fit the theme she was currently crafting here, at least. Moreso than lavender or vanilla, which were for darker and calmer moods. This time she waited in the hallway for her client. She wanted to be seen the minute the darkroom door revolved, so Applejack would know which room was hers. They would tackle her pain together as a team. Sure enough, the metallic whisper of the cylinder soon came and Applejack stepped out. She didn't appear to limp, but Redheart could see the tightness in her eyes and the shallow breathing. Somewhere in that upper back was a strain or a knot that kept Applejack from breathing without pain. “Redheart.” Applejack tilted her cowgirl hat in greeting, but shuddered when she lifted her arm. “Sorry. I'm a bit out of sorts.” “Clearly.” Redheart looked her up and down. “We should get you lying flat as soon as possible to take some of the weight off what's hurting. Come on in.” Halfway down the hall, Applejack paused and Redheart watched her shift her weight on her low-heeled cowgirl boots. She looked as if she was trying to decide on the best way to keep moving without causing herself more pain. The next step Applejack took, Redheart saw the angle of her foot change and she made another mental note. Definite issues with either the soles or the sides of her feet. “Is it hard to get dressed?” she asked Applejack, shutting the door behind them both and leaning back against it. “If you need help removing your boots and clothes, you should tell me now. Otherwise we aren't starting off your session very well.” “Wasn't bad getting ready,” Applejack admitted, setting her hat down on a bare table. “But I sneezed wrong right before coming over and something twinged in a bad way.” She began undoing the buttons on her green and white collared shirt. “If I keep my arms down, can you slide it off for me? Redheart nodded. “Of course.” Moving behind her, she helped Applejack out of her top and hung it up. Now that she could see some of her client's bare back, the knotted muscles on the right side were obvious from the shoulder on down. Once she moved that long ponytail out of the way, she would have a better idea of the situation. “What about your skirt?” Applejack unbuckled her belt and the short little jean skirt fell around her ankles with a clatter from the oversized buckle. “Easy peasy, mac 'n cheesy.” She started to reach up behind her to unclasp her plain white bra, but hesitated. “Nggh. That's pullin' a bit harder than I'd like.” “Then allow me.” Redheart unhooked her and pushed the shoulder straps down so Applejack didn't have to shrug it off. She had quite the set of tan lines beneath the straps and Redheart knew she would see more once she got Applejack's boots and socks off. The outdoor types always had a deep tan up to the shoulder and down to the ankles. “Now, normally, I would put you under the covers, but if you give me one second ...” She had already peeled off the blanket for this session, but now she removed the top sheet off her massage table. “If you can lie face down without it hurting too much, we should start that way. I can take your boots off once you're comfortable.” Turning around, Applejack breathed out a strained laugh as she lurched towards the table. “What?” Redheart asked. “Nothing,” she said. “Just remembering the last time I was in nothin' but my knickers and my boots. This'll probably end better, though.” With a groan, she swung one thick leg up onto the table and braced her elbows so she could crawl up and lie flat. Redheart managed to catch a boot and helped lift her other leg, accompanied by a grunt from Applejack. Grinning, Redheart patted the leather. “Do you need a minute, or should I slip these off right now?” When she received an impatient heel waggle in response, she smiled even wider and carefully tugged Applejack's boot. As it slid off she found the knot of a woollen sock bunched up around her client's toes, so she plucked it free. The other boot came off with less disruption of its corresponding sock, and Redheart rolled the wool down. “I'm going to press on a few spots. Let me know if I'm close to anything painful. Ready?” “Uh-huh.” “Don't kick me too hard,” she joked gently, then cupped an ankle and felt the tendons down to the top of Applejack's foot. At first glance, there wasn't much wrong with either foot. No blisters, and no awkwardly curled toes or bumps. Redheart rubbed a thumb over the back of her heel, searching for marks that would indicate rubbing or raw patches, but found none. Applejack took some care of her feet, despite the overwork and soreness.  Her pale, stubby toes curled and flexed, the nails unvarnished and unpainted. For someone smaller than Starlight Glimmer, Applejack had thicker soles and as Redheart squeezed beneath the plump ball of her foot, it was like digging into hard rubber. There was some give, but far too much tension to be comfortable.  Ah, here was one of the issues.  As strong as she was, she was overdoing it. “Gnnngh!” came a muffled comment from the headrest. “Too light?” Redheart asked. She shifted her grip to Applejack's instep, feeling the same tightness as she slid up to the heel and squeezed again. “I suppose I could press harder.” “Guuuhhhh. Don't you dare!” Applejack's whole body seemed to quiver in indignation. Redheart dug a knuckle in and rolled it around, prompting a deeper groan. “Judging by the feel of your foot, this could take some time.” She turned her attention to the other foot, starting beneath the toes and prompting more of the same agonized noises from Applejack. As a farmer, she obviously spent far too much time trudging and standing, given the thickness of her soles and the calluses that covered her heel and toes. Redheart picked up Applejack's other foot and pushed it up into the air, bending the knee so she could rotate her ankle properly and feel the tendons move. Nothing felt out of place. She flexed each toe, watching the nail turn white as she pressed down then resume its colour when she let up. Seeing nothing wrong with the circulation, she pressed her thumb against Applejack's ruddy instep in several places, seeking anything painful.  Her client shifted, but stayed quiet. As she worked her way up, she could almost trace the line of tension that obviously started higher, probably in the pelvis. “All right.” Setting Applejack's foot down, Redheart followed the line up the back of one calf, behind the knee, and up to her hip. “Let me guess. A lot of hay bales?” “Yup,” Applejack grunted again. She seemed far away from relaxation right now, and so Redheart paused to wash her hands off while she considered the best place to start. Foot pain came from overwork, plus sore legs and hips could change walking and standing patterns. That meant pressure on unused areas, which caused more pain. If she could relieve the aches up high, the tension would drain down and a lighter upper body meant less stress on the lower half. Redheart selected an oil vial and uncapped it with a flick of her thumb. “I'll start with what you say you pulled earlier.” She could see the knot between Applejack's shoulder and spine. “Remember to breathe while I'm working through this, and you don't have to worry about noise. The room is soundproof.” “Afraid I'll ruin someone's manicure if I get loud?” Applejack asked, lifting her head. She didn't get very far before she winced and flopped back down again. “Ooof.” Oh, that was not good. Applejack's range of motion was even more limited than she thought. Redheart sighed and moved that blonde ponytail aside before briskly rubbing her hands together to warm them. “Once you loosen up, it shouldn't hurt as much.” ----- Applejack had wound herself tighter than a bullrope. Between the stiffness in her shoulder, the sharp stab between the other shoulder and her spine, and the throb in her swollen feet, she'd struggled mightily to endure the day. Only the thought of keeping this appointment had kept her together. Redheart had already done her poking and prodding, searching out tender spots. Now she slid Applejack's long braid aside to bare the nape of her neck. Quick finger swipes brushed oil over her shoulders. “Ready?” “Been ready.” Applejack wanted to say more, but she felt odd talking to the sunbeam in the middle of the wooden floor. Redheart obviously had no trouble understanding her, though, because her thumb settled into the groove between neck and shoulder, applying slow pressure. “Unnnffff!” “Lotus and Aloe always say the pain is worse where your energy is blocked,” Redheart commented, smoothing careful, deep strokes down the shoulder muscle. Her thumbs slid over the ache in a constant rotation, one smoothing down the line of Applejack's shoulder, the other following down and around the triangle of her shoulder blade. “Now, I'm not an energy person, but I can't deny that there's a pattern after seeing so many people on my table.” Applejack settled down into the padding, Redheart still talking overhead as her hands moved from shoulder to back.  The pressure of thumbs transferred to a loose elbow that squeezed the air from Applejack's lungs with a slow grind down into the lump of a knot. “Hmmphhhh!” was all she could wheeze. “It's only for a moment,” said Redheart, the dig of her elbow reaching the end of the muscle line and lifting. The warmth of her palm replaced the ache and resumed kneading Applejack's ribs, all the way down to her hip, then gliding upwards again. The pressure slowed, Redheart matching the pace of her strokes to Applejack's breaths. The knot loosened somewhat as the insistent kneading and gentle elbow grinds unravelled her tension, and Applejack groaned. Her focus narrowed the more her pain receded and the smooth, rocking pressure up and down her back lulled her into a hypnotic rhythm. By the time Redheart wrapped warm hands around her bicep and stretched her arm out straight, Applejack leaned into the pull without so much as a thought. Nothing popped, but she could feel the kink behind her shoulder blade unwind. “Nnngh,” she breathed. “I think, ahh, that's got it ...” “You should take it easy tonight.” Redheart soothed the ache with more warm kneading, both hands encircling her upper arm and pushing up to her shoulder. “Have a warm bath and sleep well. I'm sure you'll be up early again tomorrow.” Applejack laughed softly, a lazy puff of breath. “Can't stop. Too much to do.” “Which is fine.” Redheart's touch slid down to her hips, finding the tension coiled in Applejack's lower back. “If you can recognize when you've overdone it, that’s helpful. You were smart to come here.” The rhythm resumed in a slow circle, Applejack's hips swaying slightly as her body surrendered to the rocking. “Oh, there we go, you're starting to relax.” Yeah, she was. The aching from a long week of work had finally begun to fade. With the curtains wide open, sunbeams warmed her bare back and so Applejack floated for a spell while Redheart took care of her hips and calves, the occasional slow drag of knuckles working the tightness out. When Redheart's touch lifted without reaching her feet, Applejack almost whined in disappointment. They were the most sore out of any part of her! But then came a soft tap on her shoulder and she lifted her head up out of the donut. “Hmm?” “I'd like to turn you over,” Redheart said, her blue eyes twinkling. “Did you want a sheet to cover yourself while I do your feet, or are you okay like this?” Propping herself up a little more, Applejack squinted. 'Reckon I'm okay like this. You've probably seen it all far too often.” “You'd be right.” Redheart showed her how to turn over without reaggravating any tender spots, and Applejack pressed an arm over her breasts as she shifted around. Once she’d nestled down again, she sighed at the hum in her back as the muscles relaxed for the first time in ages with the change of position. Redheart brushed her fingers through the bowl of body oil and shook excess droplets free. “If there's too much pain, let me know if it gets sharp. Sharp is bad; dull, while painful, is what we're looking for.” She cupped an ankle and her thumb dug into the middle of Applejack's thick sole. Eyes widening, Applejack shuddered as the forceful pressure pushed past the numbness she'd endured for so long. Tingles sparked the more Redheart curled her thumb into the arch, twisting her foot slowly back and forth to wring out the tension. “Hooohhoooo.... hooboy...” She caught Redheart's inquisitive gaze. “Dull,” she admitted, “still dull. But goooood.” Redheart's other hand cupped Applejack's heel as her thumb began to move higher in a 'walking up' motion. She worked up to the ball of the foot, then slid down to begin the march up again, each press part of the climb from heel to toe. Her heel-holding hand would squeeze, turn, and massage the Achilles tendon, occasionally pinching in behind and beneath the ankle bone as well. “While your boots are good,” she said, lowering Applejack's foot so she could rub between her toes and clean down between her foot bones with firm strokes, “you do spend too much time on your feet. I can't tell you to change your lifestyle, but look after yourself once you take those boots off at the end of the day.” She skirted the tendons on the top, tilting her ankle down to stretch them out slowly. “It means not ignoring the ache in favour of working harder. That's where damage can set in.” Applejack could only nod as Redheart wrapped her toes one at a time to stretch them. “I could be takin' it easier, but that ain't easy to do by itself.” She groaned as one particular pull on a middle toe produced a soft crack when the knuckle stretched. Switching feet, Redheart turned to one side so she could set this heel against her own hip. At that angle, she swept her thumb down the soft instep and sent ripples up Applejack's shin. “It's a little advice. Your therapist can offer it.” Smiling, she dug her thumb up into the ball of the foot to twist it back and forth, wringing and stretching the tendons. “Owww.” The stretch certainly felt different on this foot. “That's kinda achin' a little,” Applejack told her. “Not too sharp, but something ain't happy under my toes.” “That's okay,” Redheart said softly, easing up on the twist and instead using both thumbs to press along the pads of Applejack's foot. “This is why you came.” She dug in with slow upward slides, one thumb taking over from the other, and generally using enough pressure to make Applejack's eyes roll back into her head. More toe-flexing and kneading of the ball of her foot followed, her heel securely propped on Redheart's hipbone. The pain didn't quite fade, but whatever fancy tricks Redheart brought to bear certainly sent enough buzzing through her foot that Applejack soon couldn't feel what she'd been complaining about. Slick little slides of thumb pressure up and down, the squeezing of her heel, and a thorough kneading of the space between all those foot bones rendered her almost dizzy with relief. Far too soon, Redheart placed her foot back down on the towel and reached for a sheet with which to cover her. “There we go. You can have as long as you like to recover here.” She switched off the diffuser and it gave one last weak puff of citrus-scented air.  As she covered Applejack's body, Redheart squeezed a few spots on her legs and shoulders, working her way up to trail a knuckle over the middle of her forehead. “Soak up the sun, soak up the warmth, and don't forget to dry your feet off before you slip them back into your wool socks. See you out in the front, Miss Applejack.” With that, she left Applejack to gaze blankly at the sun’s reflection on the ceiling and soak in the light rush of endorphins. ---- As it turned out, Redheart didn't see Applejack on her way out. There had been a break room disagreement over whether or not the Aloe Vera juice in the refrigerator was helping anyone lose weight. Someone had been brave enough to ask her medical opinion, and Redheart had to spend a good half hour moderating the discussion before both participants could leave satisfied. Once that was through, Lotus insisted on giving her a demonstration of the usefulness some of the massage rollers could be. While she knew Redheart would never make recommendations for the spa's own products, there was no harm in making up one's own mind on what felt good in the first place. “Whatever can take some of the strain off your fingers, eh?” Lotus said, smiling as she used one of the handheld wooden rollers on the back of her own hand. “For me, it is all that typing and paperwork that makes the need for these.” She set it down and flexed her fingers. “Good work today, with very happy clients. I could see how they moved once they left, and you made a world of difference.” Redheart nodded. “Glad I was able to do that.” “Yes, bonus offer for you in your pay for the week, too.” Lotus gestured at the cabinet beside her desk. “One roller free, your item of choice.” She winked. “If it doesn't do well for you, find a friend you can regift it to for whatever occasion seems proper.” Laughing to herself, Redheart shook her head, but wandered over to the display anyway. She liked working with the twins and could indulge them as long as they kept sending clients her way. As she perused the selection, she wondered who would be next to come through the portal to her rooms, seeking her attention. She would do her best to quell the pain and send them back out into the hustle and bustle of life a little more whole.  Her therapy often wasn’t so soft, but it got results. All that would be another day, though. Ttomorrow she would be a nurse again, helping save lives and keeping an eye on patients who needed her.  For now, she would pick out a fancy piece of polished wood and head on home. -----