Heart Dust

Rainbow Dash left and Lightning Dust finally let go her breath and rushed over to the pillow and flipped it over. The stain was still there and it mocked Lightning Dust. She decided that she’d get the chores around the house done later and she needed to take care of this right now. She flew quickly over to the only pony she knew who might be able to take care of this problem, and that was Rarity.

She knocked on the door and held the cushion to her chest tight so that no other pony would see it. There was a long pause and finally she saw the white unicorn open the door.

“Why Lightning Dust, darling so good to see you! I had nearly forgotten how adorable you look in that outfit, my I do good work.” Rarity relaxed her face and admired Lighting Dust for a minute.

Lightning Dust a bit out of patience spoke up,“Uh Rari- Mistress Rarity, I’ve come to help you clean and I’ve also come with a request.”

“Oh of course come on in dear, would you like a spot tea?” Lighting Dust bowed her head and walked in ahead of her.

“No thank you not right now, I need-“

“We’ll I could go for some, so would you be a dear?” Rarity said cutting her off and closing the door with her tail.

“Oh- y-yes,” Lighting Dust said shocked. Somehow Rarity could instantly be comfortable to having a servant around and she was more commanding than Twilight. She started the teapot and turned around to face Rarity in the chair.

“So tell me darling, how are things going so far? Are you enjoying servitude as much as you thought?” Lightning Dust’s ear twitched at the sound of Rarity making light of her situation and job, but she took a deep breath.

“Before I get into that I have a request, I need you to clean this cushion for me, I uh- spilled milk on it.” Lighting Dust flipped up the pillow and showed it to Rarity. Rarity used her magic to levitate it over to herself and examined it.

“You probably just could have put it under some running water and it would have come out dear.” Rarity said looking curiously at Lightning Dust. Now she began to get nervous.

“I uh, well I tried that and I think it was creamer instead of milk.” Lighting Dust chuckled nervously, but Rarities piercing eyes simply curled into a smile.

“Oh it must have been some type of cream alright…” Rarity said winking at her. Lighting Dust blushed hard at the sound of being caught. She heard the whistle of the teapot and got up quickly like a prisoner with his cell unlocked.

“Don’t worry about it dear, I know just the trick and I’ll have that ready for you by the time you leave today,” Rarity called out setting the cushion by her washer. “Other than that, how is everything?”

“It’s fine. It was a rocky start at first, but things are smoothing out slowly but surely.”

“Well that’s good, I hope we’re helping you the best we can.”

“I can’t tell the full effect yet, but I definitely feel better than I did. I was in a really dark place before, and I feel useful.”

“Well in the end that’s what we all want isn’t it?” Rarity said shooting her a smile.

“Yeah, will you be able to give me the pillow back before five?” For a second Rarity stared at her blankly not realizing what she was talking about. It finally clicked,

“Oh yes, that should be no problem. I should really get you started, follow me.” Rarity got up and levitated her tea with her.

She opened up the room to her designing room and Lighting Dust nearly turned and ran right out of the room. Twilight’s Library looked clean as a whistle compared to Rarity’s! There were loose pieces of fabric everywhere, and rolls of the stuff unraveled scattered about. Glitter and sequins along with gems nearly illuminated the room from the reflection on the floor.

This would be awhile, Lightning Dust thought. “I trust you can figure out where things need to go dear, I’m going to be sketching for quite a bit so I won’t need access here any time soon.” Rarity said as she left the room and closed the door. Rarity was unmerciful, but Lightning Dust figured this is what she wanted so she decided to get started.

Lightning Dust rushed home as fast as her wings could carry her. Rarity’s took up so much time to clean and even then she barely put a dent in cleaning her room.

The clock was dangerously close to five when Lightning Dust noticed the time and grabbed her pillow and bolted out of her house without permission. Not only did she not do her chores around the house, but she could possibly not be there when her Mistress came home.

She felt extremely scared of disobeying orders, even if she didn’t know what the punishment would be… what would the punishment be? They never discussed that possibility and she didn’t think Twilight thought of it either.

She saw the house in the clouds and gave a little extra push to quickly open and shut the door. As she did so she listened to the house a minute and after nothing but silence answered her presence she was relieved.

She quickly shoved the couch cushion back in place and just as she did, the door began to jiggle being open. “Shit!” she said to herself as she dashed into her usual spot and bowed her head. She made it just in time for Rainbow Dash to walk through the threshold of the door.

“Welcome home Mistress,” Lighting Dust said out of breath. Rainbow Dash paused for a second and looked at her.

“Are you out of breath?” She asked. Lighting Dust gulped and kept her head down.

“Yes Mistress, I was rushing.” Rainbow Dashed looked over to the dishes and around the house and noticed things were not as clean as they had been in the past days.

“Did you not clean the house?” Rainbow asked again now more lost than ever.

“Uh-well” Lighting Dust stammered. “I went to Mistress Rarity’s house to help her clean early and cleaning took much longer than I anticipated, so I gradually forgot about my chores here.” Lighting Dust gritted her teeth together and now was breathing hard from being scared rather than from adrenaline.

“Oh…” Rainbow Dash said as she walked over to the fridge. Lightning Dust stayed in the same position with her head bowed.

“I’m very sorry Mistress, I’ll readily accept any punishment you want to give me.” Rainbow stuck her head out of the fridge in shock.

‘Punishment?’ she thought. Why would she punish her… it’s probably something from her stupid books. Twilights words of needing to humor her rung through her head and she turned towards Lighting Dust.

“Uh…yeah I am going to think on it and will let you know when it decide.” Rainbow Dash was really uncomfortable.
“Yes Mistress,” Lighting Dust’s face was completely blushed and she was partly hiding it by bowing.

“Uh, we’re out of milk. Do you wanna go get some, there’s a few bits on the counter.”

“Sure!” Lighting Dust said getting up quickly and grabbing the money to speedily go out. Just before she closed the door behind her she stuck her head and a muttered, “I mean, yes Mistress.” The door closed and Rainbow Dashed put her head on dinner table.

“This is getting weird, now I gotta punish the girl as well?” Rainbow Dash was not cut out to give Lightning Dust the redemption she needed. She was definitely getting Twilight’s expertise on the situation tomorrow.

“Wait, wait what?” Twilight said as she blinked furiously extremely shocked at Rainbow Dash.

“You heard what I said, Twi! She asked me what punishment I’d have to give her, and I just didn’t know what to tell her I figured you’d know.” Twilight paused for a second and raised her wing up to her chin.

“Weeeellll…” She said. Rainbow waited with baited breath.

“I’m not really sure actually. I mean from the books that I read it would usually result in a deduction of pay, but since we’re not exactly paying her…” Rainbow sighed and sat back in her seat. She was on her lunch break and decided it would be best spent getting the info out of Twilight. They sat thinking in her study room that was stacked with books.

“Let’s take another look at the books shall we?” Twilight said. Her and Rainbow Dashed walked over to the library and Twilight floated up to a row of books. She narrowed her eyes and scanned through the row of books until she found the one she was looking for.

“I haven’t read this one yet, but I think it will do, Master and Slave relations.” Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder and Twilight carried it back into the study room. She looked through the table of contents and found a chapter labeled “Punishments.” She turned to the beginning of the chapter and read out loud.

“The corner stone of a Master/Slave relationship would be the reward and punishment system, emphasis being placed on punishment. While it may have a negative context, when done correctly punishment can be pleasurable and satisfying both for the Master and Slave.” Twilight paused and exchanged glances with each other.

“Why does it say slave, and not servant?” Rainbow asked.

“I guess they’re just using it as a synonym.” Twilight guessed, then she continued on.

“The most common form of punishment between a Slave and Master is in the form of spanking by either hoof or paddle…” again Twilight paused and exchanged looks with Rainbow Dash.

“Uhhh-” Rainbow Dash said with an open mouth.

“Let’s just keep reading,” Twilight responded determined just to get to the answer. “A swift slap across the slaves behind may serve to induce a sharp pain that will linger for minutes up to hours varying on intensity and quantity.

However due to the location, it will excite and give the slave a pleasurable experience-okay I think that’s all we need.” Twilight shut the book and looked at Rainbow Dash.
“That’s…a bit odd Twilight.” Rainbow Dash said plainly.

“I agree it’s most unusual. Although if that is what Lightning Dust is expecting than we shouldn’t let her down.”

“We? What do you mean we? I know you aren’t the one that is going to have to do it! I don’t know if I can do this much longer Twilight.”

“Relax Rainbow Dash, this is for your friend-“ she began, but was cut off.

“I know, it’s all about her humiliation and redemption thing Twilight its just- I’m confused.” Rainbow Dash put her head on the desk. Twilight instantly felt pity for her friend, as she knew it was a very odd predicament. She put her head down on the desk with her.

“Why are you confused Rainbow?” She asked trying to do something to help her friend.

“It’s just. You are use to having people call you Princess and what not and ordering them around because it’s their actual job. I know Rarity doesn’t have an issue cause she’s little Ms. Priss. I’m sure Pinkie Pie just laughs about the situation as nothing bothers her, Apple Jack will be happy to just have an extra hoof around and Fluttershy… I actually have no idea, but anyways. Everyone can put on a different attitude towards her like this- but for me…”

“She’s a good friend and you don’t like her being under you.” Rainbow Dash shot up and responded,

“Well yeah, but also…” Rainbow Dash couldn’t put her feelings into words.

“What? Something else?” Twilight asked.

“It’s just. Nopony took care of her the way I had to-or rather was lucky to. You were kind of there, but I spent a lot of time checking up on her to make sure she was okay, and trying to understand what she went through. I mean she wore a blindfold for nearly a month and a half and that alone would have been scary enough. She was so…broken I guess. Being able to be there for somepony like that was really nice and it’s something I’ve never gotten to before.”

“Wait Rainbow Dash…” Twilight said as something clicked in her head. She swiftly flew out of the room and came back with a book floating with her magic. Like a machine she opened it and scanned through line by line with her wing and eventually found what she was looking for.

“The Florence Nightingale effect occurs when a care taker begins to develop emotional attachment and even romantic feelings for a patient.” She closed the book and looked up at Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow Dash, I think you’re falling in love with Lighting Dust.” Her words struck Rainbow Dash like an empty bell.

It rang through her ears and racked her brain. She stood up straight and paralyzed as the revelation washed through her body like a title wave. Every hair and feather stood up on her body and he eyes unfocused and stared straight ahead into space. Did Rainbow Dash love Lighting Dust? It was a question that repeated itself over and over in her head like a broken record. Rainbow Dash did not know where she was as everything else was shut out and her world spun out of control.

“I-I…uh-…I.” Rainbow Dash stuttered.