Rainbow Dash turned the corner and through the divider, entering into the mane and groom room.

“Ah, a single pony? Ce magnifique,” a unicorn mare spoke with an over dramatic accent that would make Rarity sigh, “vith you, I shall make art of zat, scrub vou call a mane.”

Rainbow walked ahead and slapped the mare’s hoof away from her bangs as she walked past.

“Violette, drop the accent with me here and brush me ‘til I sparkle.”

The mare looked out the room to make sure she was out of earshot before sliding the door mostly closed.

“Ya know, Rainbow,” Violette said in a rough voice that sounded like she was speaking with gravel in her throat, “if ya didn’t drink while I smoked for those years, ya’d never know I sound like a wheelbarrow was rollin’ in my neck.”

“Yeah, and you’d never know what I’ll never remember, any more stories ya like to bring up?” Rainbow said as her voice cracked while climbing onto the table and lying on her side.

“Yeah,” she replied walking to the vanities, “these were dressers that Aloe and Lotus got from the garbage and made look like they’re worth a lotta money,” she grabbed a lower drawer and pulled it, the knob came off.

“See,” she grumbled, “it’s all junk just made to look nice. Now,” she grabbed a tray in her magic and walked over to a side table and set it down, taking a soft brush first, “let’s get ta cleanin’ ya?” her voice lightened as she took on a Manhattan accent.

“Sounds good,” Rainbow sighed as the brush began on her right foreleg from knee to hoof in soft, smooth strokes. Rainbow relaxed and let her wings slowly fall loose to her sides. “Oh yeah. That’s good stuff.”

“Ya know, ya ain’t as rough as usual. What gives, usin’ new conditioner?”

“No, I haven’t flown forever since I crashed.”

“Oh, ya don’t say? What happened?” she asked still brushing, moving in longer strokes along the whole side of Rainbow’s leg.

“I was having a day, just did a stunt to show off, ya know, make myself feel better. Then I messed up, crashed, and almost broke my wing and legs,” she said nonchalantly.

“Wait, ya almost broke yer body and it’s nothin’ to ya? The one time ya almost broke yer leg ya were drinkin’ and whinin’ for a week, ‘member?”

“Uh, no. Not really. That’s when I was drinking, remember?”

Violette hummed then snickered. “Well, guess I do now. Whelp, might as well bring ya up ta date.

“Ya crashed a couple years back doin’ a flying’ thing and it didn’t look good, the crash that is. When ya got rushed by the shop I worked at. Ya know back before my voice got messed in a fight; that I won, by the way,” she brushed against the fur and got a grumph from Rainbow, “sorry, dearie.

“Anyway, ya rushed by and that apple farmer was chasin’ after the cart that was draggin’ ya-”

“Wait, AJ was back there, back then?!”

“Yeah, that’s the one. Orange with yellow hair? Anyway, swear yer back leg was gonna come off that same day, had ten bits lost in the pool, by the end of the day.”

Rainbow sat up and glared at Violette. “You put bets on me losing my leg?!”

“No, no, no. We did, most of the town has what we call the crash pool… thought ya knew of it.”

Rainbow relaxed and laid on her brushed foreleg as Violette moved to the other one. “No, but I should join in… wait,” she asked raising her head and looking intently at her groomer, “who won about the crash?”

“Oh, I dunno. I haven’t played that since a few months ago when ya didn’t catch fire, you remember, ya kissed that farm pony outta nowhere,” she rolled her eyes, “now that’s a bet I wish we’d thought ta make.”

“What the hay, V. I thought we were buds from the same tree,” Rainbow retorted.

“I said that when you were the sap and I was on fire, ya dope,” Violette chuckled while grasping a bottle in her hooves and dispensing some liquid into her hooves. “Now don’t tell me you didn’t think it was funny then and now.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow huffed, “I guess it’s pretty funny.”

With a glow of Violette’s horn her voice softened again. “Now, I won’t talk like you’re in a fancy country, darling, but I don’t like my voice being rocky. However I would like to know what is wrong. You’re not yourself. You’re not the supermare we all know and love. Where’s your ego, the stories, the bragging?”

Rainbow didn’t react beyond laying her head on her forelegs again and sighing.

“Awe, c’mon Dash. I know you’re doing great with your mate. Oj, right?”

“Applejack and me’re doin’ fine. It’s, just, a lot’s been goin’ on.”

“And since when has that stopped the flood of stories about you? About the mighty Wonderbolts or anything. I can’t usually say a word and now you haven’t said anything. You’re in good hooves, tell me what’s going on.”

Rainbow sighed and her ears folded to her head. “I can’t fly and I’m bored.”

“Oh,” Violette dismissed with a giggle, “there’s more to it than that. I’ve know you and been in this business long enough… What’s really going on?” she asked in her sweet, smooth voice that dripped of sugary tea.

Rainbow tried to resist but the tone was something akin to what Applejack would use that melted right through her defenses.

“Fine. I’m not just bored, I’m worried about what kinda mom I’ll be to Scootaloo.”

Violetta rubbed Rainbow’s back and around her wings, making sure to stay away from the bandages and splints, while the brushes begun to work her back legs. Rainbow Yelped.

“Sorry, Dash, you have some knots in your leg fur. Been afraid to wash? You shouldn’t be, ya know. You don’t wanna have to see Doctor Horse or Nurse Redheart.”

“I can do to see nurse Hearts Crossed, though…”

They both giggled. “Oh yeah,” Violetta said with a grin, “I prefer stallions to mares anyday, but she’s a looker.”

“It’s her cheeks! Honestly,” Rainbow said looking back with a sappy smile, “I swear her cheeks are just so pinchable and I’ve seen her tongue… she gets a pony-pedi here, I can tell from when she helped me outta bed at the hospital, I…”

She blushed when she noticed the brushing and conditioner had stopped and the unicorn was looking at her with a restrained giggle.

“Well, yeah, but I won’t do that to AJ.”

“I know, mon ami,” she winked, “ but what’s getting to me is this… Why haven’t you rolled over?”

“Uhm… you’re doing my back?”

“Yeah, we’ve done this once a week every week for a year, more or less. As soon as I do your wings you roll like a puppy.”

“Maybe I don’t want my belly groomed today?” Rainbow answered awkwardly.

Violette blinked and her mouth opened slowly.

“Turn over, Rainbow.”

“Nah, I think I’m shining, thanks and-”

“Rainbow Dash,” she said sternly, like a mother to a disobedient foal.

“F-fine,” she relented and rolled to her side, carefully, lifting a leg to cover her teats.

“Holy cow pies… Rainbow,” she grinned and squealed, clapping her hooves together, “I can’t believe you haven’t told everypony in Equestria, how’d you get mphgghg.”

Rainbow stared down the length of her forelimb and to the hoof that was planted in Violetta’s mouth. “No pony knows yet,” she whispered harshly pulling her hoof clear.

“You’re lucky I know you were just bathed,” Violette wiped her mouth on her fetlock. “In any case,” her horn flickered again softening her voice from the slight grumble that had returned, “what’s the deal? Who’s the father? Is OJ okay with… this?!” she asked intently.

Rainbow growled and sneered. “Her name is AJ, Applejack; not OJ. Not Orangejack…” a light red glowed in her chest, “don’t you dare, dare, insult her,” she hopped to her hooves and would have extended her wings, had they not been splinted to prevent such an action.

“Woah, woah… I-I didn’t mean it, Dash. Just, please,” she fell to her flank and held her foreleg in a defensive manner.

Rainbow gasped and fell onto the bed panting. “Oh, Celestia, I’m so sorry, V. I, I just… What happened?”

Gulping heavily and standing on shaking hooves Violetta stood and moved towards Rainbow. “Uh, I don’t know. I sensed magic, like crazy magic… How?”

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