Just This Once

“No. Way.” Emphatically shaking her head, Rainbow Dash scoffs. “I'm not into that stuff.”

The cyan pegasus and her gentle friend Fluttershy idly trot down Ponyville's bustling main street. Through cloudless skies, the sun casts a balmy glow, drawing ponies outside to the springtime warmth.

Fluttershy looks down as they walk the cobblestone path, her flowing, pink mane covering her face. “But, you've been working so hard all week. The spa will help you relax.” After a short pause, she peeks through her tresses at her rainbow-maned companion. “Haven't you been covering two other ponies' weather shifts?”

Not-so-humbly polishing a hoof against her chest with closed eyes, Rainbow Dash flashes a grin. “Well, yeah. I have been working pretty awesomely lately. Not a cloud in the sky!” Her self-admiration fades as they approach the spa itself. “But I'm still not getting . . . primped,” she says, shivering with her last word.

Stopping before the spa doors, Fluttershy gives her one more pleading look. “Please. You don't have to get any spa treatment. Can you at least keep me company?”

Rainbow Dash meets Fluttershy's stare, but the yellow mare's soft, gentle eyes prove compelling. “Argh,” she groans, “fine. I'll just tag along and watch.”

With a cheery skip, Fluttershy merrily canters into the spa. After surreptitiously checking for any witnesses, Rainbow Dash scurries in after her.

A soft melody wafts throughout the room, its gentle chimes and soothing hum adding a calming layer of ambience to the spa. Fluttershy lies outstretched, wearing a fuzzy robe, two cucumber slices, and a modest smile. Standing next to her, Rainbow Dash surveys her surroundings with half-lidded eyes.

A rose-colored mare gently touches Fluttershy on the shoulder. “I'll be back shortly, okay?”

“O-Of course. Thank you.”

With a slight nod, the spa mare slowly steps toward the other end of the room, her azure tail swaying as she prepares salts and oils for a bath.

“Hey!” With a scrunched nose, Rainbow Dash calls out to the spa pony. “Can you turn the smells off for a few minutes, or something?”

The mare giggles but says nothing as she returns to her work.

Fluttershy delicately lifts a cucumber slice, offering Rainbow Dash a worried look. “If you really don't like it, you don't have to stay.”

“Nah, I'm fine,” she says, waving a hoof in the air. “It's kinda the only time we have to hang out, I guess. I can see why Rarity likes this place so much, though.”

“Mmm.” Fluttershy nods. “You should, um, lie down at least.”

A sudden shiver intercepts Rainbow Dash before she can respond. “Whoa, no thanks. I'm good standing.” She watches Fluttershy replace the slice of cucumber. “What's with the eye vegetables, anyway?”

“The cucumber?”

“Yeah. Is there any more?”

Fluttershy's voice brightens. “You want to try it?”

Rainbow Dash looks away as her stomach growls. “Well, not exactly . . .”

A few minutes pass in passive conversation. Every so often, Fluttershy makes an innocent offer to join, but each one is soundly refused. Their friendly banter is supplemented by the sounds of subtle bubbling and splashing; across the room, the spa pony fills the bath with water. As steam begins to rise from its surface, she canters back toward the two ponies with a smile. “Your bath is ready.”

Fluttershy rises, gingerly taking off the cucumber slices and stepping up to the open bath.

Rainbow Dash begins to follow, but the azure-maned mare steps between them, pointing toward a sectioned-off alcove at the far end of the spa. “You can wait there while your friend finishes.”

“Huh? I can't stick around?”

Giggling, the mare shakes her head. “Not unless you're getting in with her.”

“Don't worry,” says Fluttershy, her cheeks now somewhat flush. “I won't take too long.”

With crossed hooves, Rainbow Dash floats back and forth in the corner of the spa, a makeshift waiting area. A tall barrier divides her from the rest of the room, leaving Fluttershy unseen. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't carry a conversation with her at this distance; between the bubbling water and her meek voice, nothing the timid yellow mare said was quite audible.

Sighing, Rainbow Dash plops down on a nearby massage bench, holding her head with her hooves.

The spa mare peeks into the private alcove. “You look awfully bored.” She trots inside, smiling.

“Well, yeah. There's nothing to do here. I might as well be out clearing the northern skies for tomorrow's weather.”

“There's always something to do. Why don't you lie down and let me give you a massage?”

“Oh, no. Not happening!” Rainbow Dash jumps off the massage bench. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

The azure-maned mare giggles. “You're so cute when you resist.”

“What? I'm . . . look, I have a reputation to keep. I don't wanna be seen by anypony.”

“You won't.” The mare idly waves a hoof. “In this little corner, no one can see you . . .” She takes a step forward.

Rainbow Dash glances about the room. Windows are shaded. Door is locked. Even Fluttershy is out of sight. With a jittery shake of her head, she refuses. “Uh, still. I just don't like ponies touching me.”

Her smile growing ever wider, the spa pony takes another step and extends a forehoof toward Rainbow Dash, lightly grazing her neck. “Why not? I think you'd like it—”

But Rainbow Dash recoils with a giggle.

The mare gasps. “So that's it. You're ticklish!”

“No, I'm not!”

“Then let me touch your neck again.”

Rainbow Dash holds still, awaiting her touch, but as her hoof slowly approaches, she leaps backward with a yelp. “Okay, okay! I'm ticklish, really ticklish.”

“You know, being ticklish isn't bad,” she says, smirking. “It means you're sensitive . . . more responsive . . . to a delicate touch. You'd enjoy a good rub that much more.”

“Is that, uh, is that really how it works?”

“Trust me and try it out. It'll be on me. I want to show you how it feels.”

Rainbow Dash peacefully sighs, looking down. After a moment's hesitation, she tosses her mane in a shrug. “Argh, fine, whatever. Just this once.”

With a quick nod, the spa pony claps her hooves. “I know you'll love it.”

“Well . . .” Rainbow Dash trails off, looking away. “I guess I have been kinda curious.”

“'Have been'? Is this really your first time?”

She frowns. “Yeah. And only time, too, so don't get too excited.”

The mare chuckles. “It's okay. I promise I won't tickle you. I know just the right touch.” She motions toward the massage bench. “Ready?”

Nodding softly, Rainbow Dash hovers to the bench and lies across, face down. Watching her settle into a comfortable position, the rose mare raises a hoof to her lips, hiding a smile upon noticing Rainbow Dash's slightly open wings. She saunters over to the bench.

“Your wings are . . .”

“Oh! Sorry,” she says, folding them back.

The spa pony places her hooves on her body, firmly yet carefully rubbing her shoulders. Almost immediately, Rainbow Dash gasps.

“Are you all right?”

“Y-Yeah. It's, uh, it's not bad.”

A few minutes later, the mare moves down to her back, alternating between deep kneading and delicate caressing. Lost in the moment, Rainbow Dash closes her eyes.

“Do you want some oil?”

“I don't know,” she responds, stretching her prone body. “What does that do?”

“You'll see.” The spa pony applies a few drops to her back and continues rubbing. Underneath her touch, Rainbow Dash sighs. “You like it?” asks the mare.

“Yeah. Warm . . .”

Sliding her hooves down, the mare caresses her flank, gently rubbing circles around her mark. “And this?”

Rainbow Dash responds with a low hum.

The mare presses against her body more aggressively. “Do you want some Aloe?”

“S-Sure.” She opens her eyes lazily. “What is that?”

The mare yields a sly grin as she leans toward her ear. “That's me. I'm Aloe,” she whispers before licking her cheek.

Rainbow Dash tenses up, but before she can speak, Aloe continues. “You're not ticklish right now. Do you know why?”

The cyan pegasus swallows hard.

“Because of how you feel on the inside.” Aloe runs a hoof through her rainbow mane, her face hovering mere inches away as she whispers. “So let me take good care of those feelings, Rainbow.”

“I . . . I'm not . . . I don't know.”

“You tried a massage, and you liked it.” Aloe strokes her cheek with one forehoof, lightly rubbing the edge of her folded wing with the other. “Now try me.”

Rainbow Dash turns her head toward the barrier, behind which Fluttershy was soaking in her bath. “But, my friend—”

“—can't see a thing, so don't make a sound,” she says, still grinning. Carefully flipping her onto her back, Aloe climbs on top of her and straddles her. “I have a special treatment for somepony like you.”

“Like me—mmmph!”

Aloe's lips press against hers, silencing the pegasus. Holding her face with both forehooves, she gives her kiss after kiss, each one more forceful than the last. Underneath her, Rainbow Dash weakly resists, but as soon as Aloe's tongue slides into her mouth, her struggling stops, replaced by faint moaning.

As if signaled, Aloe pulls back and begins working her way down the cyan mare's lithe body, licking and kissing every inch. Unable to control herself, Rainbow Dash moans slightly as her wings unfurl.

“Mmm,” hums Aloe, staring at her outstretched wings. “That's what I want to see.”

Seeing Aloe's eyes light up, Rainbow Dash blushes.

“Wings can be very sensitive to touch, you know.” Leaning forward, she presses her body against Rainbow Dash and whispers into her ear. “And a pony like me knows just how to handle them.”

At that, her wings involuntarily spread further. Her mouth opens slightly as she looks into Aloe's eyes, exhaling softly.

“That's a good pegasus . . .” Aloe slides down her body and runs her tongue along the edge of her wings. Feeling Rainbow Dash quiver, she moves toward the base of her wings and gives them a playful nip before kissing them gently.

The sensation causes Rainbow Dash to begin panting. As her wings are caressed, she finds herself sliding her hips forward, rubbing them against Aloe's body.

Seeing the once-apprehensive pony lose control of her own body, Aloe strokes her wings even harder, relishing her every reaction, driving her to her limit.

Behind tightly shut eyes, Rainbow Dash breathes faster, matching Aloe's rhythm. Just as the intensity reaches its peak, the rainbow-maned mare cries out sharply, waves of pleasure pulsing from her wings, overtaking her. Aloe leans forward and firmly kisses her, feeling her moan inside her mouth before moving back upright.

Sitting proudly on the still-panting pegasus, Aloe peacefully watches her breathe, content to watch her recover. Rainbow Dash slowly opens her eyes, surrendering a guilty smile to the mare above her.

A timid voice from the other side of the barrier breaks the moment. “Is, um, is everything okay?”

“Naughty little pegasus,” whispers Aloe, slyly grinning. “You were a little too loud.” Almost soundlessly, she slides off of Rainbow Dash, landing gracefully on the floor. She turns back around and gives her a soft kiss, adding, “Until our next session.”

Moments later, a freshly dry Fluttershy stands before Rainbow Dash, the two ready to leave.

“Oh, you tried the massage!” says Fluttershy. “Did you like it?”

Rainbow Dash clears her throat and stretches her stiff wings. “Yeah. It was, uh, relaxing.”

“I can always give you one at home if you're feeling tense,” she says, innocently smiling.

With the faintest eye twitch, Rainbow Dash nervously laughs.

“I'm glad you came with me. You can come tomorrow, too, if you want . . .” As she opens the front door, Fluttershy gazes at the sky, a few rogue clouds now beginning to cut into the dusky sky. “Oh, but you're working tomorrow, aren't you?”

From behind the front counter, the spa pony warmly smiles.

“. . . nah,” says Rainbow Dash, turning to meet the mare's eyes. “I think tomorrow's going to be a cloudy day.”