Hoof on care

Because I pushed myself too hard in my Equestria dreamscape I found myself grounded with a bad left wing. link Problem was I was now grounded on the floor of Rainbow Dash’s cloud home, which floats about nine hundred above the valley floor.

    It quickly became evident that I could not even spread the wing to full extension never mind trying to flap it and it was really starting to hurt. Dash had me remove my panniers then she went into the kitchen and quickly got some ice from the icebox. She returned a couple minutes later with an icepack for my back. After placing it on the trouble area she went back into the kitchen and started heating a kettle. With kettle going she went into the bathroom and came back with a small metal tin in her mouth. She set it on the ground next to me and opened it up.

    “These are Foalsmane leaves, they’re really good at relieving muscle pain. Chew on a couple of them, but watch out they taste awful!” The prismatic mane mare then went and checked on the status of the kettle.

    I was already familiar with Foalsmane link and she was not kidding about the taste, but I forced myself to chew and swallow a couple of the leaves. Bleah! Dash came back with a hot compress and removed the ice pack, over the next hour she alternated between ice pack and fresh hot compresses on my back.

    My wing was no longer stabbing with pain, now it just had a constant burning sensation. The Foalsmane seemed to be helping some, I was able to slowly extend the wing but it wasn’t going to be supporting any weight. I was still lying on floor with my chin resting on a throw pillow feeling dejected.

    “Right! Now stage two.” She said.

    Without warning she climbed on top of me and straddled me with her hind legs, she then rested herself on my haunches. This might have been a fascinating little scenario except for the fact that she started working her front hoofs into the tender spot on my back. Needless to say I started making the appropriate yelps, screams and whimpers as she worked the trouble area with greater and greater force.

    “Oh quit whining Brick! You’re crying more than a little foal! If we’re going to get you airborne again we need to get these muscles to relax.”

    Over the next half hour she worked her hoofs along my back and under my left wing. Slowly the pain subsided and it started to feel really good. Dash discovered a couple of small knots in right wing flight muscles and massaged them out to.

    I was just lying blissfully there with my head on the pillow and eyes closed enjoying an excellent back rub when Dash suddenly lifted my now very limp left wing and began nibbling, tugging and preening my flight feathers with her teeth. It was most this odd almost electrical tingling sensation. I quickly lifted my head and looked back at her.

    “What, are you doing?” While it felt kind of odd I was in no hurry for her to stop it.

    Dash looked confused. “What does it look like?” She muttered with one of my flight feathers in her mouth.  “I’m preening your feathers. Gently pulling on them helps relax the muscles and stimulates blood flow, and with all the flying you’ve done today they could use a preening. Besides it feels good when it’s done right and since I’m doing it it’s awesome! Now let me get back to work!”  

    I wasn’t going protest since she was right it felt awesome. In fact she could just keep doing what she was doing for as long as she liked.

    “Oh.” I sighed. “I need to teach Petina or Carousel how to do this, or find some pony who can do it.”

    “Um, I can do it.” Stated Dash in a somewhat quiet voice.

    I lifted my head and looked back at her. “Do what?”

    “Um teach Petina or Carousel how to do it!” Said Dash rather quickly. “ Ah, it isn’t hard to learn and they’re a couple of smart ponies, so um they should be able to pick it up no problem.” I couldn’t help but notice she suddenly was blushing a bit.

    Rather quickly she climbed off my back. “Well I’m done, why don’t you stand up and see how if feels.”

    Slowly I rose to my hoofs and tested my left wing. I had a full range of motion in it, but it felt very weak.

    “Well it doesn’t hurt anymore but I doubt if I can put any load on it. So what’s next?” I asked.  

      Rainbow Dash nodded her light cerulean blue head. “Well it is not surprising that it’s weak. I wouldn’t try flying on it until morning. “ 

    I coughed once. “So where do I sleep tonight if not in my own bed?” I looked around what passed for the living room. The couches were nice for sitting on but not for getting an evening of shuteye. “ Do you have a guest bedroom?” 

    Dash got a sheepish grin. “Well technically yes but I’ve been using that room to store old weather records and work-related stuff. Besides there is no bed in it.” 

    “Got a sleeping bag I can use?” I asked Dash but she just shook her head.

    “Uh no, I loaned it to AJ so her and Applebloom and Big Mac could go camping and she hasn’t returned it.”

    I sighed and shook my head. “Well can you get me a blanket a pillow please I’ll find a place on the floor out here.” Dash started scuffing the floor with one hoof and staring at the far wall.

    “Um, my bed is big enough for two ponies.” She said while continuing to stare at the wall. “And lying on the floor might aggravate your wing again. “ She looked at me with forced bravado. “You don’t snore do you?”

     I just shook my head. “No has ever complained if I do. So what are we going to do about dinner? Since I’m starting to get a bit hungry, got any ideas? Your icebox looked kind of empty.”

    “Hee, hee! Yeah I usually don’t keep whole lot of food here, it just seems to go bad before I get around to eating it. Except for my winter provisions. Uh, I often just go down to the Bucking Mare and grab a sandwich or two; I could go down and pick up some for us. It’ll be my treat! How’s that work for you?”

    I nodded my head. “Thank you, it’s appreciated.”

    So dinner that night consisted of cheddar and onion melt sandwiches on rye bread and a large carafe of lager that Dash brought back from the Bucking Mare. By the time I’d finished dinner I was really starting to feel drained. A day of solid flying had really taken its toll and several large mugs of lager were contributing to my grogginess.

    My left wing was now just numb and a bit tingly. I gave my tail and mane a quick brushing and I was ready for bed. Dash’s bed was hardly as large as the one in our cottage, but there was definitely room for two adult ponies. Not surprising there was a comforter with the Wonderbolts logo emblazoned on it, and the linens had been recently changed. I crawled under the blankets plopped my head down on one of the pillows. Across the room Dash was sitting on a stool and brushing her tail.  I closed my eyes and almost immediately I dropped off to sleep.

To be continued.