Surviving Sand Island

by The 24th Pegasus

Good for Sore Feathers

Rainbow swallowed hard as she looked in on the massage room. The two tables inside didn’t look all that much different from torture racks, at least to her eyes, and the bright lights and leafy plants in the room didn’t do all that much to settle her. Next to each table, a vibrant mare stood with a big smile plastered on her face, and as one, they gestured to their tables as Rarity and Rainbow entered the room.

“Please, do enjoy yourselves,” the receptionist said with a bow of her head. “If you need anything more, just ask your masseuses, and they can take care of it immediately. Soft Step and Detendu are simply the best!”

“I’m certainly looking forward to their expert touch,” Rarity said, smiling. “Though the Ponyville Spa is my go-to back home, it’s nice to experience the more exotic and refined hoof from time to time.” She grinned at Rainbow and nudged her shoulder. “Well, Rainbow? What do you think?”

Rainbow fidgeted in place. “I don’t really like anypony touching my wings…”

“I assure you, Miss, Soft Step knows what she’s doing,” the receptionist assured her, and she pointed to the bright green pegasus inside. “She’ll give your wings a wonderful treatment.”

“Best treatment I’ve ever had is sticking my wings in buckets of ice after a show,” Rainbow grumbled.

Rarity rolled her eyes and tugged on Rainbow’s ear with her magic. “I know the Wonderbolts, darling, and I know that many of them regularly get massages and chiropractor adjustments after their shows to loosen up. Now quit being such a foal,” she grumbled, practically dragging Rainbow into the room by her ear.

“Ack! Rarity! Stop!” Rainbow grunted, rubbing her ear when Rarity finally let go. “Celestia! Can’t you be patient? I’m already here, let’s just get this over with!”

“You just looked like you needed some persuasion, darling,” Rarity teased, and with a shake of her damp mane, she climbed onto the table and laid on her stomach. “I’ll take the works, dear,” she said to the masseuse, closing her eyes. “As for her, see to it that her wings are taken care of. Heavens know she could use some real care and attention with how much she uses them.”

Rainbow scowled at Rarity as she climbed onto her table. “My wings are my life, Rares. I preen them all the time.” Gingerly lying down, Rainbow spread her wings loose at her sides and looked up at the masseuse standing next to her. “Just make it quick, alright?”

“Don’t mind her,” Rarity said. “She just doesn’t know what’s good for her.”

Soft Step gently smiled. “It’s okay, Miss Rainbow Dash, I know my way around the feathers.” She took one of Rainbow’s wings in her hooves and spread it out, looking it over. “In fact, I used to give massages to the Wonderbolts on occasion. I know exactly what you need.”

The statement was enough to disarm Rainbow, at least a little bit. “Really? You used to give the Wonderbolts massages?”

“Mmhmm,” she said, nodding. “When I was an apprentice. I’ve seen a lot of stunt fliers, I know what you all need.” She placed her hoof just under the crest of Rainbow’s wing and began to move it in small circles. “Please, relax. This will feel good, I promise.”

Rainbow sighed and tried to loosen her wings as much as she could. “Well, okay, I’ll try, I just don’t like ponies really touching my wi—aaaahhhhhhmmmmmmffffffff…”

Rarity opened an eye and raised her eyebrow while the other masseuse worked on her shoulders. “Rainbow?” She giggled when she saw the dazed look on Rainbow’s face and how her whole body twitched when Soft Step made her wing pop. “Enjoying yourself?”

“Celestia…” Rainbow moaned, her muzzle slowly melting into a smile. “I think I died and went to the Summer Lands…”

Soft Step giggled and slowly worked her way up Rainbow’s wing, inching closer to the stunt flier’s shoulder. “Misty was a lot like you, now that I think about it. She didn’t trust other ponies touching her wings until I got ahold of her. Then she just couldn’t get enough!”

“Mmmrrffff… the softy still can’t,” Rainbow said. “I used to make fun of her for how much she loved her massages. She acted like she couldn’t fly if she didn’t get them every so often.”

“Maybe you can join her next time,” Rarity said. “I’m sure she’d appreciate it.”

“Maybe,” Rainbow said. Her free wing twitched like she was trying to shrug it, but Soft Step’s hooves had turned her body into jelly. She almost couldn’t wait for Soft Step to get to her other wing. “Okay, I take it back, Rarity. This is great.”

Rarity grinned. “I told you it wouldn’t be so bad,” she said. “Maybe I can convince you to come again one more time before we get off in the Confederacy, hmm?”

“Eh… don’t push it,” Rainbow said. “You’d have to beat me in tennis again.”

“Oh? Is that a challenge?” She chuckled and sighed as Detendu’s hooves pressed at a tight knot in her lower back; no doubt she’d picked that one up in their game today. “I don’t believe that’ll be too hard.”

“I’m onto you now, Rares,” Rainbow said in between happy sighs and grunts as Soft Step worked on her other wing. “It won’t be so easy next time.”

“I’m sure, I’m sure. Maybe you’ll win a game, hmm?”

Rainbow frowned and stared straight ahead. “Shut up,” she grumbled. “The stupid dress was weighing me down.”

Rarity chuckled. “I’m sure it was, darling, I’m sure it was.” She moaned as her masseuse worked out a sore spot near her tail, and her hooves pawed at the table under her. “But, for the meanwhile, how about we just enjoy our massages, hmm?”

“Yeah, sure, whatevaaaaahhhahahahhhhmmmmmm…” Rainbow practically melted again as Soft Step’s hooves found another sore spot in her wing. “Celestia, you’re good at that…”

Soft Step giggled. “I try to be. It’s my job, after all.”

“Well, you certainly are,” Rainbow hummed, resting her cheek on the table. “Yeah, you’re really good.”

Rarity slowly shook her head. She might have crushed Rainbow on the tennis court, but this right here was the real victory.

Comments

[RoboRed]

Yep. Dashputty.

[Neece]

Rarity will SO pamper Rainbow with a nice massage once they crash and all.

[Merula]

Turning Your Dash Into Butter: 101

[RyuImperator]

See Dashy it is good for you