“Rainbow Dash, may I speak with you?” Rarity addressed a particular cloud which seemed to have sprouted a multi-colored tail.

“You are speaking to me,” a scratchy voice replied. The tail quivered.

“Yes, I suppose. Fine, may I ask you a question?”

“You just did, twice.” The voice seemed to be trying with little success not to laugh, the tail twitching in time with the stifled chortles.

Rarity’s eye twitched.

“Hahahaha! Only messing with you!” Dash slid off the cloud, spreading her wings and drifting to the ground in a lazy spiral. “What’s up? It’s not some sort of fashion thing, is it?”

“Not today, darling.” Rarity sighed. “It’s about Fluttershy. She’s been acting very oddly, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why.”

“And, you thought you’d ask me instead of her?” Dash raised an eyebrow.

“I have asked her, darling. She won’t say what’s wrong; she keeps avoiding the subject. I’m sure you know how hard it is to get information from her when she doesn’t wish to speak.”

“Yeah, that sounds like her.” Dash nodded with a frown.

“What’s especially odd is that she’s been flying more often than usual.” Rarity’s gaze drifted to the sky, as if Fluttershy might drift by at any moment. “Right now, she’s out flying around Ponyville with several of the birds under her care. That’s not exactly unusual in itself, but lately she’s been going out for a flight once a day rather than once a week.” Rarity turned back to Dash. “Do you have any ideas, darling?”

Dash blinked twice and put a hoof to her muzzle.

“Yeah, I think I know what’s wrong.” A few moments of silence passed by uncomfortably. “It’s a pegasus thing. She’s using her wings because she wants to be preened.”

“Oh,” came Rarity’s most elegant response. “Well, can’t you?...” Rarity trailed off at the look Dash gave her.

“No, I can’t.” Dash sighed. “Look, you don’t have wings, so I’ll have to explain a bit. There’s different kinds of preening. There’s the basic stuff, what they teach you as a foal at flight camp. Kid stuff.” Dash twitched her wings unconsciously. “Then there’s a more thorough preening, the kind of thing you’d ask a close friend or a family member to help with. That might be what she’s after, but...”

“But?” Rarity raised an eyebrow.

“But, there’s another kind of preening.” Dash fidgeted. “The kind where you’d better be near a bed.”

Both ponies just stared uncomfortably at each other for a bit as the silence dragged on.

“Alright look, Fluttershy’s my friend, I want her to be happy as much as you do.” Dash looked pointedly at the ground rather than meet Rarity’s eye. “If we go back to the boutique and close all the windows, I’ll teach you some basic flight school stuff, enough to make sure you won’t hurt her.” Dash stood and walked a few paces before she stopped and turned to look at Rarity. “Just don’t tell her where you learned, okay?”

Rarity nodded in agreement.