This massage is so gooood
The faint sound of heels clicking against the wood floor grew steadily until the door to the Headmaster’s office opened. Briefly, the dull roar of students outside crept into the room until finally, mercifully, the door shut again.
Twilight Sparkle almost slumped against the door, papers in hand, finally able to relax after a downright exhausting week. She could have stayed there for an hour, just resting against the door, but a shooting pain up her ankle and into her leg drove her to to her chair - a plain, simple thing that sat before a wide desk strewn with papers. Although she was Headmaster, she still struggled to keep her files organized. This stack of papers joined the mess as Twilight carefully folded her wings behind her and sat. Ah, she’d get to it later.
With a sigh, she looked about her office. Her desk sat near the center of the room, with her chair facing the door and bookshelves lining the back wall. A large window to her right allowed light to spill through the office - illuminating the dust particles dancing in the air. The far side of the room was home to a small lounge couch, a couple more chairs, and a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf of its own.
Another shooting pain made her grimace, and she wasted no time in zipping down her black knee-high boot to free her foot. With a small sigh of relief, she leaned over to rub her lower calf. As she ran her thumb down the muscle, she murmured happily under her breath. Even the simple, one-finger rub was a welcome bit of relief after the week she’d had. She kept going, running her hand across her nylon-clad leg and foot, pressing gently into pressure points and releasing little bits of tension as she went. Her mind became drowsy and hazy, the only thoughts of her aching muscles and the lovely sensation as she worked herself over.
Twilight startled as a knock came at her door. “Oh! Uh, please, come in,” she said, hastily setting her foot back under the desk and sitting up a little straighter. She grasped at some papers, trying to build up the illusion she was doing something work-related just moments ago.
“Hiya!” A blur of pink and white flashed through the door.
Twilight instantly felt herself relax as Pinkie Pie practically bounded into the room. “Oh, Pinkie, good to see you. Come in, come in,” she said with a smile.
Pinkie grinned, shutting the door behind her and glancing about the room. “I’ll tell you, Twi, I still don’t know how you stand this place. It’s all soooooo drab. Come on, where’s the flavor?”
And Pinkie certainly had something to say about flavor. She was dressed exclusively in pastel pink and white, with white boots over long white socks, a belted pink skirt, and a white tank top emblazoned with her bakery’s logo. In all, a far cry from Twilight’s own suit and blouse in subdued purples and blues. How in Equestria she didn’t get dirty while baking, Twilight had no idea.
Twilight rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “And if you had your way, there would be crushed sprinkles between the pages of every book. Come on, pull up a chair. Let’s catch up.” She set her papers back down, leaning forward.
Pinkie followed suit, sitting back and resting her arms on the back as she smiled at her old friend. “How are things treating you, here?”
“Oh, good, good. Always something new to do,” Twilight replied. “And the bakery?”
“Goin’ great, as always!” Pinkie was practically overflowing with energy. “Just recently got an order for more than a hundred cupcakes! And get this! The theme they want is pink and sparkles!”
“Well, that’s a match made in heaven,” Twilight chuckled. As she adjusted, a shot of pain spiked up her leg, through her hip, and up her back. She visibly winced.
Pinkie’s face shifted from excitement to concern as she looked at her friend. “What’s bothering ya?”
Twilight grit her teeth as her leg twinged again. “Just sore, I guess. Feels like no matter what I do, I just get stiffer and stiffer. There’s a cramp in my foot, it’s shooting all up my leg.”
Pinkie thought for just a moment, then replied with a slight smile. “You know, I might know just the thing,” she said. “Have you had a massage recently?”
“Uh, no, not recently,” Twilight replied. In truth, she hadn’t ever had one. She just never had the time, between working with students and organizing classes and responding to letters and writing reports and-
“Oh, that’ll do it! Come on, we’ll get you all worked out.” Pinkie stood up, dragging the chair over to the lounge couch on the opposite side of the room. Awkwardly, Twilight set her foot back into her boot and half walked, half stumbled to the couch. She sat on the edge of the couch hesitantly. Then, in a moment of foresight, she concentrated, casting a lock spell on the entrance to her office, also signaling she wasn’t officially there.
“Go ahead and lay down, face-down,” Pinkie said. “Your foot’s what’s bothering you, right?”
“Uh, um, mmhmm,” Twilight responded, awkwardly positioning herself on the couch. Pinkie sat in the chair adjacent, watching the headmaster get settled.
“Oookay, which foot was it?”
“Uh, my right?”
In one fluid motion, Pinkie slid the tall boot off her friend’s leg and set it off to the side. Twilight almost gasped at the sudden movement, but held it in, thankfully. “We’re just going to roll up your pant leg, here, so I can work a little on your calf too. That okay?”
“Yes, ah, of course.”
Nodding to herself, Pinkie rolled up her friend’s pant to expose more of her leg, dressed in nude-tone nylon. “Ready?”
“Mmhmm?”
Pinkie started gently, running her thumbs down the length of Twilight’s foot. “Ah!” she cried out. Even with this simple movement, the Headmaster’s wings fluttered slightly in response.
Pinkie smiled to herself as she continued gently rubbing the bottom of her foot. As she worked, Twilight was squirming on the couch, clearly unaccustomed to the feeling of someone else’s hands on her body. “Just do your best to relax, Twi,” she said gently.
“Oh-oh-oh-okay,” the Headmaster replied, stuttering.
“I’m sorry I don’t have any oil on me,” Pinkie said. “But the socks should be making this a bit easier.” She took her foot in both hands, holding her heel in one hand and her toes in the other, gently flexing them back and forth. Twilight sighed, her wings relaxing against her back as Pinkie rolled her foot in circles.
“Tha’s.. nice,” Twilight mumbled. As Pinkie worked, Twilight became more and more relaxed with her touch - strong fingers, strengthened by years of work kneading dough, but still slender and delicate, spreading warmth everywhere she touched. As Twilight thought, a faint blush rose to her cheeks, and she was suddenly very thankful for her stomach-down position, hiding her face. Pinkie continued with the little stretches and flexes, relaxing her friend’s tired foot as well as she could. Eventually, she moved back to thumb movements, kneading and spreading her foot. Twilight’s toes spasmed slightly, and her wings ruffled as she breathed a sigh of relief. They remained silent for a minute more until Pinkie was finished with her friend’s sole. Then, she moved on to her leg, running her thumbs up the back of her calf. Twilight groaned, some mixture of pain and pleasure, but she was at least done squirming. The muscle was tight and knotted, far tenser than Pinkie had been expecting, but she kept at it. The thin nylon slid and shifted over Twilight’s skin as Pinkie worked, and she started using her whole palm to roll across the tight tissues.
Eventually, about halfway up her calf, Pinkie encountered a stiff knot in Twilight’s leg. She rubbed around it for a little bit, but the slightest touch made Twilight clench and froze up. “Sorry, Twi, this one just doesn’t quite want to give,” she apologized.
“It’s- ah! -okay, don’t worry, thank you, thank you thank- ow! -Maybe that’s- ugh -enough?”
Pinkie stopped, moving her hands off Twilight’s calf. “Are you sure? That knot isn’t hardly worked out, and it’s only gonna get worse.”
Twilight’s wings slowly folded back into position as she pushed herself up from a laying position. Her suit jacket was just a little wrinkled, and her normally-tidy hair was a little scrambled around. When she spoke, she sounded halfway to sleep. “Ye- yeah, that’s enough. Thank you so much, Pinkie. That was truly lovely.”
Pinkie thought for a moment. “Actually, I think I know just what you need!” her bubbly energy was back, hardly set back by the challenge before her.
“Hmm?” hummed Twilight as she drowsily zipped her boot back up, tucking down her pant leg again.
“A professional! Come on, it’s Friday, and you could use an evening of relaxation. I know just the place!”
Twilight stretched her arms, looking conflicted at the proposition. “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve just got so much to do,” she said as she rubbed her eyes.
“Ridiculous! Come on! I’ll give Lotus a call right now!”
“Do you think the spa will even have open slots this late?”
“Oh, I’ve helped them out before. They owe me one, and I’m sure we can figure something out! Come on!” Pinkie grabbed Twilight’s wrist and practically dragged her out of the room - the locking spell dissolving at Twilight’s approach.
As they passed through the revolving doors, Twilight glanced over at Pinkie Pie. “How on earth did you get a slot open here and on such short notice?”
“Oh, I’ve got my tricks!” Pinkie giggled, taking a slight bow.
Aloe welcomed them with a smile. “Hello, Pinkie. Twilight. A pleasure to have you in again. From your call, it seems you’re looking for Nurse Redheart?”
“That’s the one!” Pinkie smiled.
“Well, you are in luck. It seems she has an open slot this evening. Twilight, since it’s your first time working with Nurse Redheart, I’ll ask you to fill out this form, nice and quick. Just write where you’re hurting and circle where you’d like to focus, mmkay? Now Pinkie, about that spa treatment…”
Twilight took the offered paper and pen and stepped a bit away to fill out the form. As she read and wrote, she shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, chewing her lip in focus. A minute later, she stepped back and returned the form.
“Excellent. Nurse Redheart should be out in just a moment. Please, take a seat and relax. Pinkie, if you’ll come with me, we’ll get that treatment started.” With a smile and a small wave, Pinkie left Twilight in the waiting room.
Twilight stood uncertainly, heels clicking against the wood as she paced. Just a minute later, a voice spoke up from behind her, and she startled slightly - she hadn’t heard the Nurse approaching. In contrast to Twilight’s formal outfit, she was dressed in light blue scrubs, with simple, comfortable sneakers.
“Welcome, Twilight. I’m Nurse Redheart.” The nurse, smiling, looked her over. Nearly knee-high boots with heel, with a nice purple pantsuit over a light blue blouse. Uncomfortable stance, favoring one leg. Probably overstressed at a desk job. Without even looking at the form, Redheart could guess the issue. Lower back pain, probably posture issues. Still, for the sake of professionalism, she looked over the intake form.
“Hm… It seems we’re looking at lumbar aches, some shooting pain, and soreness in your feet and legs?”
Twilight shifted slightly in her boots. “Ah, yes, that’s it.”
“Got it. If you come right this way, we’ll do a quick look-over before we start the massage properly,” Redheart said with a smile. Then, turning on her heel, she led Twilight down the hallway to her massage room.
The massage room was simple, carpeted with a massage table, a chair near the door, and a small cabinet of oils and aromas in the corner. A diffuser stood atop the cabinet, and some electric candles cast a warm light across the room. Since no sunlight crept in, the entire massage room was dim but still welcoming.“Go ahead and take a seat there,” Redheart gestured to the massage table, keeping a small, welcoming smile on her face. Hesitantly, almost timidly, Twilight hopped up on the bed.
“So, um, what do you have to do for the examination?” Twilight let her feet drape, heavy boots a few inches off the ground.
“I’m just going to take a quick look at your feet. Posture, where you hold your tension, the basics. It will help guide the rest of the massage. Would you take off your boots?” As she spoke, the nurse took a small bottle of peppermint oil and locked it into the diffuser. With a slight hum, the machine started to waft the faint, sharp aroma through the room.
With a faint zip-zip sound, the zippers opened and relaxed Twilight’s feet from her boots. Gently, Redheart took them, setting them aside. She pulled up the chair and sat across from Twilight, taking her feet in her hands.
In a moment of horror, Twilight thought, oh, no, I’ve been wearing these all day! Thankfully, though, the nurse didn’t mention anything - smell or otherwise.
Redheart hummed slightly to herself as she looked over Twilight’s feet. Grasping her heel firmly and rotating the ankle, flexing and relaxing her toes, and glancing over her nailbed - through the nude stocking, Redheart confirmed that there wasn’t any nail polish and, more importantly, no cracks or sources of discomfort there. As she worked, she noticed the incredible smoothness of Twilight’s skin. Perhaps she has a charm for daily hygiene, which would explain why there’s no smell. Impressive.
Twilight giggled slightly when Redheart ran her finger down the inside of her arch, her face immediately heating in a blush. “Oh are you ticklish?” the nurse chuckled. Twilight simply nodded in response, a little embarrassed.
“Sorry, couldn’t help myself. I promise I’ll be gentle.”
She repeated the process, slowly working across Twilight’s other slender, shapely foot. This time, she also ran her thumbs up to cup Twilight’s heel and ankle, feeling around the joint. Tense tendons, mild swelling. Hm.
“What do you do for work, Miss Twilight?”
“Ah? Oh, I, uh, work at the Academy.” Caught off guard, Twilight blushed once again.
“Plenty of sitting, papers, meetings, am I right?” The nurse’s fingers ran along Twilight’s inside arch, brushing softly against the nylon.
“Ah, yes,” she replied, stammering slightly as her brain tried to both form words and processed the feather-light touches. “B-but I do get out for walks, every day.”
“Hm,” Redheart murmured. “That’s probably how this got so bad,” she commented as she touched Twilight’s ankle once again. The headmistress let out a small gasp. Even through the nylons, she was incredibly sensitive.
Abruptly, she took her hands away and stood, nudging her chair out of the way. “Okay, that’s all for the examination. It looks like you have some slight swelling around your ankle. Normally this wouldn’t happen with just walks, but your entire lower back through your feet is one big tense system. So small injuries and stresses can build up to much more severe problems. Tell me, do you ever take time to relax?” Redheart stood tall over her patient, a faint smile playing on her face.
Looking down once more, Twilight shook her head. “I hardly ever have the time,” she replied.
“Well, by the end of this session I think you’ll be very… convinced of its benefits,” the nurse said coyly. As she stepped back to the wall and replaced the chair, she continued. “I’m going to step out of the room now. Go ahead and get undressed to your comfort level and slide under the sheet, there. I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?”
Twilight nodded, and Redheart stepped out of the room. The door clicked shut behind her.
Twilight waited for a moment after Nurse Redheart left the room, her body still tingling from the initial examination. After a couple of deep breaths, letting the peppermint scent of the room clear her head, she began to undress.
She started with her outer jacket, slipping it off her shoulders and carefully around her wings. She folded it neatly and set it on the chair, then started on her blouse. Normally, she would use a simple charm to do this all at once, but for whatever reason, Twilight didn’t really know herself, she decided to undress manually.
The light blue blouse followed the jacket, leaving Twilight in a simple black bra. Her wings fluttered slightly as her torso was exposed to the air. She quickly unbuckled her belt and slid off her trousers, adding them neatly to the small pile. Finally, she peeled off her stockings, setting them beside her boots. With that done, she stepped back to the massage table, peeling back the sheet and sliding onto the bed, laying face down. Her head rested comfortably against the table’s half-circle pillow, and her wings folded snugly against her body.
She lay there for a minute, breathing deeply in the dim room. The faint waver of candlelight, the wafting peppermint, and the gentle, even pressure of the covering cloth all filtered through Twilight’s senses, lulling her quickly into a relaxed, not-quite-drowsy state.
She was roused slightly by a soft but crisp knock at the door. “Ready?”
Twilight took another deep breath before answering. “Yes, come in.”
The door opened, brushing softly against the carpet. Nurse Redheart stepped in, nodding with approval at the room. “Very good,” she said. “I’m going to get some last things settled, and then I’ll begin.”
Twilight hummed in approval and closed her eyes as Redheart moved quietly to the cabinet. Some soft, gliding ambient music started to play, and Twilight heard the slight pop of a bottle of oil is opened.
“We’re going to do a full-body massage here, so I’ll start with your head and shoulders and move down from there,” Redheart said softly. “Just go ahead and relax your muscles, and I’ll take care of everything.”
Twilight felt the gentle motion as Redheart folded the sheet across her back, exposing her shoulder and clearing her wings. First came long, wide, light strokes across the length of her neck, beginning at the base of her skull and continuing down along her spine, finally ending at her bra strap. The oil spread easily, creating a clean, frictionless glide as Twilight’s muscles began to warm. She quickly drifted into a steady, flowing rhythm as her muscles were gently pushed and pulled with Redheart’s fingers, dispersing the knots and stiffness that were just starting to accumulate. Twilight let out a relieved sigh as her muscles started to warm and loosen, and a tension headache she hadn’t even realized was there was slowly alleviated. Her upper back relaxed from a semi-tense posture into a gentle, relaxed state, and the peppermint from the diffuser started to brush her nostrils.
From her neck, Redheart moved on to her shoulder, repeating that same, gentle pulling motion to draw tension through and out of Twilight’s upper back. After a few strokes to warm the muscle, she felt a gentle pinching motion as Redheart grasped the muscle between her fingertips and palm. This pattern continued from Twilight’s neck out to her shoulder, the tense fibers of the muscle being isolated and worked out bit by bit. Redheart’s ministrations returned back to Twilight’s neck with a slow push of her thumbs, ensuring no knots or aching spots were left behind. Though not so dramatic as her neck, Twilight still felt the small aches and pains she’d ignored for so long vanishing beneath Redheart’s skilled fingers, and she started to breathe a little easier.
Adding an extra drop of oil to her hands, the massage therapist stepped around Twilight’s head to repeat the same motion on her other shoulder. Long, pulling fingertips drew warmth and relaxation into Twilight’s shoulder, then Redheart worked out the tense muscle with firm, rolling grasps between her fingertips and palms. Twilight continued to sigh and groan softly under her hands, and Redheart smiled at the quiet responses.
Twilight’s growing calm was interrupted as Redheart brushed against Twilight’s wing. She let out a gasp and a shiver rippled through her body, a response to the touch against her sensitive wing. Her feathers ruffled slightly before settling back into place. “Apologies,” murmured Redheart, and Twilight responded with a drowsy groan as she settled back into a trance.
So soft, Redheart thought. How does she manage that?
The massage continued in near-silence, and Twilight felt as Redheart’s hands made the journey from her upper shoulder down to her upper back, firmly pressing on the corded muscle that ran along her spine. Redheart’s fingers made small pushes and pulls up and down Twilight’s back, adjusting the muscles all around her wing and relieving those that hid beneath her shoulder blade. Twilight felt her wing flutter ever so slightly in response, though Redheart was careful not to brush against it again. Eventually, however, it became impossible to avoid any longer.
“I’m going to hold and adjust your wing, here, okay?”
Twilight sighed softly in response, and she felt Redheart’s gentle hands softly grasp the base of her pale purple wing. Another shiver ran through her body as the nurse gently flexed and adjusted her body, ensuring the muscles that connected through her wing were free of any tension. She felt as Redheart’s hands stroked, slowly, across the sensitive feathers and nearly moaned in response. While one wing was well-secured in Nurse Redheart’s hands, the other made little twitches and ruffles in response to her work - Twilight’s mind practically dissolving in the raw feelings of hands on her wings. By the time the nurse switched her focus, Twilight was lost in euphoric bliss, and her wings rest, exhausted, against her back.
The pressure moved back to Twilight’s neck for a minute as Redheart pressed one fingertip slowly after another down the length of her spine. Nodding to herself, she pulled her hands back up, finishing that section of her work.
Twilight felt the light sheet settle once again over her upper body, and her wings shivered yet again as even that slight pressure was returned. “We’re going to move on to your lower back. This may be a little more sensitive, so tell me if you want less pressure, okay?” Redheart asked in a soothing voice.
“Mmmmhhnnn,” replied Twilight in some form of acknowledgment, her mind hazy and warm.
Just as gently as it was replaced, Twilight now felt the sheet folded off of her right side, exposing her back and leg. Over the ambiance playing in the room, Twilight heard a soft click as Redheart adjusted the diffuser. Slowly, slightly, the scent of peppermint grew. Twilight breathed in deeply, letting it fill her nostrils.
Twilight felt the nurse’s hands return to her body, tracing her spine just below her wings. Despite Redheart using just the slightest amount of pressure, she could tell that her back only got tenser the further down it went. Her lower back had been aching for ages, and she really hadn’t admitted how bad it had gotten. Now, under Redheart’s fingers, she realized she may have waited a bit too long to get some professional assistance.
She let out a little cry as Redheart’s fingers brushed over a particularly sensitive spot at the curve of her back - seemingly where all the tension from her desk job had settled. The massage therapist paused, then moved her hands to focus on that spot, pressing with one finger, then two, moving in gentle circles to work out the knot. Twilight’s toes clenched and flexed, and she resisted the urge to cry out more.
“Relax, Twilight,” said Nurse Redheart, shifting her hands to allow her thumbs to press at the knot. “Tensing up is going to be worse for you in the long run.”
Taking a deep breath, Twilight did as Redheart instructed, letting her legs and feet relax as Redheart’s hands paused their presses and rubs. She lay there quietly for a moment, breathing in and out, as Redheart moved her focus to the rest of Twilight’s lower back. She left the knot alone for a little bit, choosing instead to push tension up and away from Twilight’s spine, and the headmaster sighed as the relief flooded her body.
“Okay, we have to get this knot out, so take a deep breath, okay?”
Forcing herself to relax, Twilight nodded, then cried out before she could reply. “Ah-h-h-h!” as Redheart’s fingers pulled firmly across the knot - painful but relieving all in one. She kept breathing heavily, the peppermint thankfully occupying some of her mind, as Redheart kept working at the tension spot - pushing, pressing, and pulling the muscle to unwind and untangle the bunched muscle that was causing so much discomfort.
Bit by bit, the pain lessened, and when Nurse Redheart finally pulled away and returned to long strokes along Twilight’s spine, she could hardly tell where the knot had been. She let out a long, shaky breath of relief, and Nurse Redheart stepped away to add some more oil to her hands.
“You see? I told you,” she said with a hint of a tease in her voice.
Twilight could only reply with a groan. What had once been a ball of tension radiating pain out into her back was now a relaxed, warm section of muscle that just oozed relief. She sighed again as Nurse Redheart pushed her palms along her back, ensuring that the muscle was truly all worked out. Satisfied, she pulled the sheet back, replacing it over Twilight’s right side and moving over to her left.
The left side went much easier, with no one spot of tension to work out. Still, Twilight let out a steady stream of quiet sighs, moans, and groans as Redheart went to work. Strong fingers pressed into her muscles, playing just above her panty line and pushing relief up through her lower back. Redheart also switched angles, pulling with her fingertips away from Twilight’s spine and toward her side, bringing another direction of relief into play. Slowly but surely, with a combination of pressure, pulls and pushes, and rolling muscle beneath her thumbs, Redheart thoroughly worked every inch of muscle in Twilight’s back.
Eventually, Twilight couldn’t even feel individual muscles and parts of her back - it all just became one warm, relaxed blur. She didn’t know if she’d ever been so relaxed - certainly not since taking her position as headmaster. She let herself sink deeply into the massage table, drinking in the peppermint air and allowing Nurse Redheart’s fingers push and pull her like clay. She was vaguely aware that her masseuse was increasing the pressure as she went, and the thought of how painful this would have been just a few hours ago flitted across her mind. Now, though, she could feel the heel of Redheart’s hands pressing deeply into her lower back, and all she could do was sigh with the sensation of warm-cool relief.
Eventually, after her back was fully worked over, Twilight felt the pressure concentrate at the lowest parts of her back, running into her hips and legs - small, smooth movements that pushed the last bits of tension out of her back.
Then, the hands were removed, and the cloth replaced, and Twilight felt like she would fall asleep then and there, floating on the massage high. Thankfully, before that could happen, the sheet was lifted once again - this time exposing her legs and feet, as Redheart tucked it and set it just below Twilight’s underwear.
She felt as Nurse Redheart started her familiar pattern again, pulling in long, relaxing strokes down the length of her thigh. She could feel the tension hiding just beneath the surface, but was content to simply lay and let Redheart’s hands work their magic. Redheart moved from the foot of the bed over to Twilight’s side and began working on her thigh - one hand securing her leg at the knee, the other pushing and pulling into and out of her muscles. Twilight gasped as Redheart started to work deeper, pressing into the tight tissue of her inner thigh. With practiced, firm motions, Redheart rocked her hands back and forth across the muscle, and Twilight sighed happily. This pattern continued down Twilight’s leg to her knee. Nothing too deep, nothing too painful, just enough to work out all the accumulated stress of her work. Redheart’s strong hands sent shivers and chills across Twilight’s body despite the warm room, and she shifted back and forth as Redheart’s work continued. Redheart moved to one side, adjusting her angle to massage the width of Twilight’s thighs. She shifted slightly as Redheart’s hands grasped her muscles, spreading and stretching them to relieve any tension. Redheart took her time, working from the back of Twilight’s knee back up towards her back, pausing just below the towel she’d laid down.
Twilight took a deep breath as Redheart moved from one leg to the other, filling her nostrils with peppermint. God, this was heaven. Her entire body was just melting into the bed, while Redheart made sure her mind was always occupied with some new rub or stretch. She repeated her work on Twilight’s right leg, pressing with her thumbs into the muscle to work out the little knots and bundles of tension. Twilight groaned, her body both pained and in ecstasy. Redheart moved on to using her full hands, layering one atop the other as she ran her fingers up from Twilight’s knee towards the towel. This motion alone sent sparks of pleasure all throughout Twilight’s body, and her cheeks heated in a bit of embarrassment. This repeated a few more times, traveling from the outside of Twilight’s leg toward her inner thigh, each time drawing more warmth to her muscles and mind.
Twilight made a contented noise between a groan and a sigh when Redheart finally removed her hands. “We’re going to move on to your feet, okay?” the nurse asked as she adjusted the sheet to cover her patient’s lower body. Twilight just sighed in response, brain far too lost in peppermint joy to form any coherent reply.
Twilight first felt as Redheart held her heel, gently rotating and flexing her foot. The muscles and tendons around her ankle stretched and ached, and Redheart gently pressed her fingers into Twilight’s lower calf and ankle. “This is where a lot of the pain is coming from,” Redheart said. “But don’t worry, we’ll get this all worked out. This is the most… sensitive part of the massage.”
Twilight nodded, trusting herself over to Redheart’s skilled hands.
She started by gently pulling Twilight’s foot back, flexing out the back of her ankle and gently pressing her fingers in a walking motion down into her heel. She repeated this a few more times, slightly adjusting her angle to get at the whole of Twilight’s lower leg. Suddenly, Twilight let out a soft cry, and her foot sized up as Redheart touched on a particularly sore spot near her ankle. “Okay, there we go. Deep breath, now,” Redheart said, unhurried. “Things will feel better after this.”
Pain that normally stayed as a constant ache in Twilight’s ankle now spiked down through her foot and up nearly to her knee as Redheart pressed more firmly at the spot. She let out another cry, grabbing tightly against the sheet near her head.
Her wings fluttered, disturbing the sheet as Redheart stepped to the side, standing instead at the foot of the table. “Go ahead and lift up your foot here,” she said in a soothing tone. “Just try to relax.”
With another slow, deep breath, Twilight’s muscles relaxed again and Redheart held her foot carefully. Ironically, it seemed that Twilight’s daily walks had actually been inflaming the small muscle aches and stiffness that came with her deck job. Redheart made a mental note to review it with Twilight after the massage. For now, though, she returned to the task at hand.
Twilight’s foot was pointed, now, relaxing her calf muscles. Redheart kept her heel firmly in one hand and caressed her upper foot, avoiding the injured spot as she worked out the surrounding tendons. After that, she moved on to Twilight’s sole.
She felt as Redheart held her foot in both hands, thumbs pressing gently into her sole. Even this slight pressure was enough to send a shiver through her body, and she took a deep breath in. She cried out, sound luckily dampened by the heavy door and soft walls of the massage room, as Redheart ran her thumbs down the length of Twilight’s arch. From top to bottom, in a smooth, firm motion, Twilight felt her body warm as Redheart drew blood down into her soles. Then starting from the heel, Redheart rubbed small circles outward, spreading Twilight’s sole and relaxing the bunched arch muscle. She repeated this, slightly smiling as Twilight made a mixture of cries and sighs - not uncommon for this sensitive of a massage. By the time she was finished, Twilight was almost trembling, her body wracked with chills but a dazed smile on her face.
Redheart stepped back to the opposite side of the bed, gauging the status of Twilight’s other ankle and foot. Twilight felt as if her foot was held and rotated, her ankle flexed and pressed on. This time, luckily, there was no concentrated spot of pain - her left still ached from even the slight touch. Redheart’s fingers pressed laterally across her ankle, then gently around it, slowly relaxing the joint before she moved on.
From there, Redheart’s hands moved to her sole again, and the almost lovely torture started again. Twilight grit her teeth and let out a small squeal as Redheart presses against her arch, opting to use her main fingers rather than just her thumbs this time. Still, she couldn’t deny it felt good. All the stress built up over the years just melted away, and she groaned happily. Her foot relaxed all the way up her leg, melting into a warm sensation between the massage oil and Redheart’s hands.
Back and forth it went, as Redheart spread out Twilight’s sole, flexed her leg this way and that until she was finally satisfied with her work. “Okay, we’re going to tackle this last trouble spot here. Deep breath,” she said.
Twilight nodded and filled her lungs again with peppermint. Her body, despite her best efforts, was on high alert as Redheart stepped back to her left side. Under Redheart’s guidance, she let her body go through the flex-relax cycle as the massage started to work around the spot of pain. She felt as fingers grazed the spot and winced.
“Things are still a little tender around here, so I’m not going to go too hard. Just know it’s okay to shout; the room’s insulated,” Redheart reassured. Tightly, Twilight nodded.
Twilight cried out almost immediately. Even the slightest press at the tension was enough to shoot pain up through her leg, but Redheart pressed a little deeper, trying to coax the muscle to loosen up enough to even work at.
Twilight kept up a steady stream of gasps and cries, even swearing occasionally, as her foot protested against the massage. Still, she could feel a little bit of progress. Redheart, with just a couple of fingers, started to spread out the underlying tissue to relieve the tension it was holding. Twilight felt as she brought her other hand into play, holding her leg just above the ankle and simultaneously massaging her lower calf, bringing as much tension as she could away from the ankle.
Twilight cried out again, her loudest yet, just as Redheart was finishing up. With a final pull away from the ankle, she nodded to herself. “Okay, deep breath. Nicely done. Take just a minute,” Redheart said kindly. “To finish, we’re just going to work over your whole body one more time to make sure everything is worked out.”
Twilight nodded shakily, goosebumps running across her body. As painful as the message was, Twilight couldn’t deny that she did feel better - pain she hadn’t even realized was there was now gone. As Redheart adjusted the sheet, she sighed with content.
Redheart stepped back to Twilight’s head, adding some last oil to her hands. Starting with Twilight’s neck, she made long, slow strokes across her skin and into her muscles, repeating her motions from earlier in smooth, fluid motions. Twilight sighed under her hands, more relaxed than she’d ever felt - as far as she could remember, at least.
Redheart’s hands traveled from Twilight’s neck out towards her shoulder blades, gently pushing and pulling at the muscles there as Twilight took deep, slow breaths. The room’s ambient music played on in soft flowing notes, and the candles flickered ever so slightly. Now that Twilight’s body was free of tension, Redheart took her time with the follow-up. Push, and pull. A gentle rub here, a small bit of pressure there. Twilight felt as Redheart’s hands moved from her shoulders to her upper back, strong fingers pressing in beside her spine. Her wings fluttered slightly as Redheart’s arm brushed against them, and she murmured a soft apology. She finger-stepped down the length of Twilight’s back, checking the muscle of any last sign of tension. Moving back up slightly, Redheart gently flexed and rubbed the base of each of Twilight’s sensitive wings, smiling as her feathers ruffled at the contact. Twilight continued to breathe deeply, chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm. Redheart adjusted to pull out and away from Twilight’s spine, drawing warmth everywhere she touched. From the base of Twilight’s wing down to the rise of her hips, Redheart massaged every little bit of Twilight’s back. She spent a little extra time at the curve of her patient’s spine, pressing up and away from the base of her back to be totally sure no lingering tension was there.
With her work on Twilight’s back finished, Redheart moved back up to her shoulders, gently taking her patient’s arm and moving down her tricep, bicep, and forearm down to her palm. All the way, she rolled the muscle beneath her fingers, ending with a brief massage on Twilight’s palm. Satisfied, Redheart repeated the process on Twilight’s other arm. Long, confident strokes within Redheart’s firm grasp helped to ensure her arm was fully relaxed, with some light presses and thumb circles on her forearm and palm to finish it out.
Silently, Redheart stepped away from her patient, adjusting the diffuser back to a lighter setting. Twilight stayed silent, breathing in that same patient rhythm. Smiling to herself, Redheart adjusted the sheet once again, laying it across Twilight’s upper back and instead exposing her legs.
Redheart quickly settled into her usual rhythm, starting just below the sheet and using her fingertips to pull down the length of her thigh to the back of her knee. With slow but firm strokes, she worked down the length of Twilight’s leg, adjusting slightly to get her outer, middle, and inner thigh. She followed that up with gentle heel pressure, pressing step by step down Twilight’s thigh and rubbing ever so slightly against her skin. Twilight responded ever so slightly to her movements, sighing happily as Redheart’s hands grasped her inner thigh. Smiling again, Redheart stepped to the other side, repeating her routine on Twilight’s other thigh. She took her time, rubbing lengthwise and crosswise across her patient’s leg. Was it necessary? Probably not. Redheart was confident she’d done excellent work on the first pass. But that wasn’t going to stop her from being thorough, and besides, it was clear Twilight needed this.
She moved on to Twilight’s calves, firmly grasping the muscle between her fingers and heel and rubbing slightly. She repeated this pinching movement down the length of her calf, ending above her once-injured heel. She repeated her movements with thumb circles, checking for any lasting tension - and if any was there, it was quickly worked away by Redheart’s fingers.
After she’d finished with Twilight’s calves, Redheart returned to her feet, checking over one more time and marveling at the soft, unblemished skin she found. By now, the oils from her first pass had sunk into her skin, providing a faint, but healthy shine.
She held Twilight’s foot gently, pressing into her arch with her thumbs and spreading the muscles one more time. From there, she pressed into the balls of Twilight’s feet, gently massaging and spreading them. Her patient’s toes twitched slightly, and Twilight let out a contented sigh. With a last stretch and flex, Redheart moved on to her other foot. She worked around Twilight’s ankle, ensuring the tendons and muscles there were relaxed before moving on to her sole. She gently rubbed the arch, brushing her thumbs firmly into the muscle, before spreading and repeating the process once again. She spread Twilight’s toes and massaged the balls of her feet, then, finally finished, she pulled the sheet back across her patient.
Twilight, who had seemingly dozed off at some point during the massage, sighed as the sheet settled back over her body. Redheart smiled to herself as she tidied the room, turning off the diffuser and slowly bringing up the dimmer lights in the room. She gently touched Twilight’s shoulder. “We’re all finished up, Twilight.”
She groaned, quickly blinking sleep out of her eyes. “Oh, uh- sorry, must’ve… dozed off,” she replied.
“No worries,” Redheart chuckled. “Go ahead and get dressed, then meet Aloe up front. It was a pleasure.” With a smile, she turned and stepped softly out of the room. The door clicked shut behind her.
After Nurse Redheart left the room, Twilight lay on the massage table for a minute longer, at serious risk of dozing back off. Her body was warm, and she didn’t think she’d ever been more relaxed. Finally, with a slight groan, she removed the soft sheet covering her body and swung her legs down off the table. Her feet, tender from the intense massage they’d just been given, gingerly stepped down. Twilight was delighted to find that there wasn’t a single twinge or ache left - Redheart’s magic hands had done an excellent job.
She got dressed, slowly relishing all the feelings as she could stretch and bend without pain. First came her nylons, rolled up nicely along her legs and rubbing softly against her skin. Then pants, blouse, and shoes, all coming together to recreate the sharp, neat look Twilight prided herself on. Still, she did carry herself differently, she could feel it. Her shoulders were held more naturally, and she stood more evenly in her boots, since she didn’t have to correct for any pain. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she stooped to pick up her jacket. After a moment’s hesitation, she folded it over her arm - she’d just be taking of back off once she got home, after all. Her hair also stayed in a loose ponytail rather than the tighter-held hairstyle she normally wore for work duties.
When she stepped out of the massage room, she blinked rapidly, adjusting to the brighter hallway and that, unfortunately, she had to be awake now. Nurse Redheart, smiling, handed her a small cup of water. “Here, have this. Aloe will get you taken care of at the front desk. Have a lovely evening, Twilight.”
Twilight graciously accepted the drink, noticing now just how dry her mouth was. She sipped it as she walked to the front, her boots clicking on the floor once again.
In the waiting room, Pinkie was relaxing on one of the couches, though she bounded up at first sight of Twilight.
“Hey there!” she beamed. “How was it? Have a great time?” she asked, looking her friend up and down. “It sure seems like you did!”
Smiling, Twilight replied. “It was lovely. I didn’t know just how much I needed it.”
Aloe, at the desk, smiled as well. “I’m glad you both enjoyed your stays. Now, payment has already been handled for you two, so you’re good to go! Thank you again for coming by, we hope to see you again soon!”
Pinkie turned to Twilight. “Come on, I’ll drive you back!”
Considering it, Twilight replied. “Thanks, Pinkie, but I’ve got it. It’s late, I’ll just spell myself. Thank you again, it was so so good.”
“Okay! I’ll see you soon!” the ever-bubbly Pinkie replied. Twilight stepped through the revolving door and, once outside, vanished in a small flash of purple light.
Pinkie glanced outside, then at Aloe. “You’re close now, right? No more appointments? Mind if I chat with Redheart?”
“Go ahead, Pinkie. I’m sure she’d love to talk with you,” Aloe replied, chuckling. “I’m still getting things wrapped up.”
“Thanks!” she replied as she headed down the back hallway. She made it back to Redheart’s small office in the back, knocking quickly on the door. A moment later, it opened.
“Hiya!”
Redheart laughed. “Hi, Pinkie. Come on in. What can I do for you?” she asked, opening the door for her old friend.
Pinkie stepped in, glancing about the room. It was professional but with enough life to not feel like a doctor’s office, thank goodness. A few charts of muscle groups and circulatory systems dotted the walls, along with plenty of pictures from Redheart’s personal life. Her desk was neatly organized, with a computer for bookings up on one side and some papers carried over from her day job stacked on the other. Pinkie took a seat before her desk, kicking back in the chair, stretching out as Redheart sat across from her.
“I hope you enjoyed your spa day,” Redheart said as she started to clear off her desk. “You certainly look refreshed.”
“It was great! But actually, I wanted to talk about you!”
“Oh, really?” Redheart looked curiously at Pinkie. “Well, I’m doing well. Today was full, but not stressful, which is always a relief.”
“You know, I got out of my appointment a little before you finished with Twilight,” Pinkie said. “And the massage room doors aren’t quite soundproof,” she teased. “What were you doing to her in there, doc? She was screaming like crazy.”
Redheart chuckled. “Full body massage, Pinkie. You know how tense Twilight can get. We were just working out that tension in her feet. It’s a sensitive spot, you know.”
Pinkie pondered this for a moment. “Would you show me?” she asked, kicking back again and setting her boots up on Redheart’s desk.
With a cocked eyebrow, Redheart leaned forward. She deftly unclasped Pinkie’s boots, setting them off to one side. Pinkie’s toes wiggled slightly as they were exposed to the air. Redheart looked carefully at Pinkie’s feet, clad in white ankle-length nylons. Long and slender, with nylons ever-so-slightly damp from Pinkie’s feet in boots. She gently passed her hands across the socks, nodding at what she found - clearly, her spa treatment had done her well - and Pinkie obviously took care of herself.
Nurse Redheart didn’t stop there, next pulling off Pinkie’s white ankle nylons, revealing her friend’s pale pink skin. Redheart grasped Pinkie’s foot, again impressed by the soft skin she found. It wasn’t often that she got to work with such smooth, unblemished skin. Pinkie gasped as Redheart’s thumbs pressed into the arch of her foot - softly, but like Redheart warned, sensitive. Redheart smiled as she ran her fingers along the length of Pinkie’s lovely foot, relishing all the little gasps and breaths she made as she worked.
She could spend all the time she needed right here.
