Dinner Guest

The knife slammed down onto the cutting board hard. Bits of lettuce flew into the air from the sheer force of the cut. Soon the blade was in the air again, slamming down once more. A sigh from the unicorn cutting the lettuce broke the constant clatter of the knife hitting the board.

Rarity brushed her mane out of her face as she continued to prepare her dinner. The meal, usually meager, was a quite a bit larger than she was used to making. Two bowls sat close by as levitated the chopped lettuce into each. A few slices of cabbage, some cherry tomatoes, and slices of cucumber joined the lettuce.

“Salads, check,” she muttered to herself with a bitter tone. She glanced out her kitchen window, finding the sun already starting its descent through the evening sky. “I just need to prepare the quiche, and the flaugnarde is almost ready to be pulled out of the oven. After that…” Rarity took a step back, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

Her horn lit up once more, opening a small cabinet next to the refrigerator. Inside were four wooden racks, bottle shaped, and tilted downwards into the cabinet. A lone bottle sat on the bottom rack, making Rarity groan in annoyance. The bottle slid free from its home, suspended in the air by a faint blue aura. “Merlot…Probably too much for my guest tonight, but a good hostess offers, none the less…” she muttered.

Just thinking about the night ahead of her sent a shiver down Rarity’s spine. Flashbacks to the events earlier that set her down this path popped into her head, setting her blood boiling once more. A ding from the timer on her oven grounded her before she could get too upset. “Priorities, Rarity,” she reminded herself.

After she pulled tonight’s dessert from the oven and placed the main course inside, she quickly headed upstairs. She glanced at the clock. It was only forty minutes until her guest was set to arrive. She could picture it now, the rapscallion casually strolling in as though nothing was wrong, walking all over her generosity. “No, tonight, Rainbow Dash will learn her lesson,” Rarity reaffirmed.

She entered the bathroom, and with a quick spark of her horn, she turned on the shower. Soon the pitter-patter of water falling filled the silence. After a moment to let the water heat up, she stepped behind the curtain. She let out a sigh as the hot water washed over her fur, slowly soaking down to her skin. Usually, such a sensation would put her at ease instantly, but not today.

“How can she be so careless?” she muttered to herself. She groaned softly as her brow furrowed. The events replayed again.

Earlier that day, Rarity had been standing at her desk. A slip of paper sat in front of her with the word ‘budget’ at the top. On the sheet were a few heavily crossed off items, and some small calculations to the side. She sighed as she tapped the pencil she held in her magic to her lip.

“This isn’t good…” The designer pulled her glasses off her face, and rubbed her forehead with her hoof. “These orders I have will need to be finished quickly, and I may have to tap into my savings…But, if I cut back on a few things, I think I can manage this month just fine,” she added with a halfhearted smile.

She sat back on her hind legs. “A good budget, and everything should work out.” She let out a small laugh. “Finances can be so stressful without a plan…” she remarked as she looked over her work with half-closed, almost tired eyes.

“Maybe I’ll indulge in a little stress relief tonight before bed,” she giggled to herself. A few stray naughty thoughts popped into her head, but there wasn’t any shame in indulging every once and a while. As long as no one found out that is.

Rarity clicked her glasses closed as she was wrapping up. But, just as Rarity closed her glasses and was about to set them on the table, a loud crash stopped her. The next few moments were utter chaos as a hail of dust and debris came down on her head, coating her in dirt. Her head snapped up to the source to find a new skylight overhead. She stared in disbelief as a chunk of wood barely hanging on, fell to the floor. Slowly, her head turned, following the angle of entry.

When her gaze came back to eye level, her eyes widened in horror. It was as if a bomb had gone off in her showroom. A few mannequins and her sewing station were in a huge heap with even more wood from the ceiling piled on. Rarity covered her mouth with her hoof. “W-What?”

A multicolored mop of hair popped up from under a board in the pile, shaking back and forth furiously. “Ah, I messed up,” Rainbow Dash said disappointed. After a moment, she looked around at her surroundings. It took a few seconds for her to notice Rarity standing in the middle of her showroom, completely shocked.

Rainbow raised her hoof up from the rubble. “Hey, Rarity!” she said with an upbeat attitude. Rainbow climbed out from under the mannequins and boards. Once free, she shook the excess dust off. “Sorry, about this…” She glanced back at the pile. “I, uh, lost control while doing a trick, and I guess I hit your house…” she said, trying to underplay her little accident.

“W-what have you…” Rarity fell back on her hind legs. Her words failed her as she simply sat there, her hoof still in front of her mouth and her eyes still wide.

“You should be able to fix this no problem, right!” Rainbow said optimistically. “I mean, Twi fixes a ton of stuff with her magic…” she trailed off as she noticed Rarity wasn’t sharing in her enthusiasm. The designer was still frozen. After it became clear Rarity wasn’t just being her usual drama queen self, Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head with her hoof. “R-Rarity, I’m sorry…”

“Sorry?” she asked, weakly. “Sorry?” her voice jumped from a whisper to a shriek. The pegasus jumped. “Rainbow Dash, do you know what you have done? My work…”

“I didn’t mean it! It was an accident…” She took a step towards her friend.

“An accident? I have two orders that I absolutely have to complete! This is a disaster!” Rarity jumped up and rushed over to the pile of rubble. She started levitating chunks of wood and mannequins out of her way as she searched the debris. “Dress…” Rarity muttered to herself repeatedly as she dug.

“You want me to help?”

“No, what I want is my roof fixed!” Rarity replied bitterly as she levitated her sewing machine up from the pile. The once pristine machine was now clearly broken. “And my sewing machine not destroyed!” Rarity dropped it next to her as her strength in her legs gave out. She covered her face with her hooves as tears started to fall down her cheeks. In an instant, her budget she had just finished was rendered useless.

“It’s not that bad, is it?” Rainbow Dash walked up next to her. She placed her hoof on the machine as she examined it. The dented case was the least of its concerns. Rainbow Dash could hear loose pieces rattle around inside the case as she tilted the machine back and forth. “Maybe it is pretty bad…”

“How are you going to fix this?” Rarity asked, her voice cracking.

“Me?” Rainbow asked, surprised.

“You do have insurance or something, right?” Rarity pulled her hooves down, exposing her puffy, bloodshot eyes.

“Insurance? Yeah, right! I can’t get covered, you’ve seen the stuff I do! My premiums would be through the roof even if I got coverage!”

Rarity stood up. She placed a hoof on her friend, begging her with her eyes. “Then do you have some bits set aside for damages you cause when this happens?”

“I got like two-hundred bits or so set aside…That should cover it, right?” Rainbow asked, almost too scared to know the answer.

Rarity stared at her for a moment. The sound of her heart breaking was almost audible. “Two-hundred?” she asked weakly.

Rainbow swallowed. Reluctantly, she nodded.

Rarity’s hoof fell to the floor. “That might cover the cost of materials for the hole in my roof, but what about a contractor? What about my sewing machine? There’s cloth in here you’ve ruined, mannequins that are unusable now! This could easily cost thousands of bits!”

“Thousands?” Dash’s pupils shrunk. “W-what do you need a contractor for? Can’t you just do that yourself? I mean, some boards will fix it, right?” Rainbow Dash felt her heart begin to race.

“I can’t look like I live in a shanty! The Carousel Boutique puts forth an image, Rainbow Dash! Ponies see my shop, and expect quality! Having some boards on my roof would look tacky! It would drive customers away!” Rarity snapped.

“Well, you got money, right?” she asked weakly.

“Not at the moment! I’m on a strict budget! My winter line didn’t sell as well as I expected, and the orders haven’t exactly been pouring in lately. I already planned on tapping into my savings to get by this month!” Rarity covered her eyes with her hooves again. A small sniffle was all Rainbow Dash heard before the unicorn’s face was covered.

“R-Rarity, I’m sorry! I…”

She pulled her hooves way from her eyes once more, slamming them on the ground. A fresh stream of tears were trickling down her eyes. “Sorry won’t fix this, Rainbow Dash! Y-you’re far too…too…” Rarity struggled to find the word. Her eyes darted around as she mentally searched. “Too inconsiderate!”

“Inconsiderate?” Rainbow took a step back. It took a moment for her to realize what Rarity has just said.

“What kind of pony practices dangerous stunts around civilization! You have a bad habit of crashing into things! A mare your age should know better!”

Rainbow Dash sat down. “I get you’re mad, but I’m saying I’m sorry, here!” She glared back at Rarity, clearly not taking her insults laying down.

Rarity glared at Rainbow Dash “Yes, and sorry isn’t enough! My livelihood has just been destroyed, Rainbow Dash!” she yelled.

Rainbow Dash stared at her for a moment. Seeing her friend’s eyes red from the tears and the pile of rubble beside them, she realized Rarity had every reason to be upset. She was wrong, she knew that, but now she needed to make things right. The intensity in her eyes softened. “What can I do…”

Rarity’s glare stopped as soon as her eyes widened with surprise. “What?” she asked, softly.

“What can I do to make this right? I’m sorry, Rarity, I screwed up, so tell me what I can do to fix this.”

“Pay for the damages, obviously…I thought that much was clear,” she retorted angrily after a small sniffle.

“I don’t have that kind of money…” Rainbow sunk down low, her ears folding back as she did.

Rarity looked at her for a moment, almost puzzled. Rainbow was remorseful, that much was true, but at the same time, she couldn’t let her get away without some sort of repercussion. If there were no consequences for her actions, she simply wouldn’t learn a lesson and before long she would have another hole in her roof—or worse, someone might actually get hurt.

Rarity sighed as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Money would be very tight, but she could manage. She didn’t want to garnish Rainbow’s wages, nor did she want to hold a financial grudge against one of her closest friends. Somehow, she would make this work, even if that meant temporarily having a hole in her roof. Finally she brushed her mane out of her face. “Somehow, I will make this work, Rainbow Dash. Perhaps my mother and father might be willing to give me a small loan until business picks up. I have a few fashion shows coming up next month. I’m sure business will pick up then…”

“So, you don’t need me to pay for this?” The pegasus’s ears perked up.

Rarity laughed. “Oh, no. You’re going to pay. Just not with bits.” An almost devilish smile came across Rarity’s lips. “You need to learn a lesson from all of this. Come back here at six o’clock sharp, and do not be late.”

“Uh…Rarity? I don’t think you’re bad looking, but I don’t swing that way…Beside I think that’s illegal…” Dash rubbed her foreleg with her opposite hoof, finding anything else in the room to look at other than Rarity. “I don’t think you can make somepony sleep with you to pay off a debt or whatever…”

The designer pinched her eyes closed as she placed her hoof to her forehead. She gently rubbed in a vain attempt to massage away the pain that comment just caused her. Her cheeks were practically glowing red from the implications. “We’re not…” She sighed heavily. “I’m going to give you a crash course in etiquette. We will be having dinner tonight, and you will be learning some manners. Hopefully then you will realize how impossibly rude it is to crash into somepony’s house!”

Dash nodded her head, but still looked reluctant. “Do I have to? I think I’d rather sleep with you than have some silly froufrou dinner…”

Rarity shuddered before her hoof snapped from her forehead to the door. “Six o’clock, Rainbow Dash…” was all she could manage to say.

She stared at her reflection as the towel wrapped around her head came unfurled in her magic. She discarded the damp cover on a hook to dry for the time being while she finished her preparations. “I swear that filly just doesn’t realize how crass she is at times.” A brush levitated and made its way through her mane. “I am certainly not the type of pony who would petition a friend for sexual favors, nor would I do so suddenly…” Her jaw clenched.

“All the more reason Rainbow Dash needs this evening. Maybe after tonight, she will understand the difference between polite conversation and…” she paused for a moment mentally searching for a way to phrase her feelings. “I suppose saying, ‘how friends would speak to one another,’ doesn’t quite make sense since we are friends.”

She stared distantly at her reflection as the brush lowered onto her vanity. However, the glow around her horn didn’t stop once the brush was free from her magical grasp. Her hair curled up into her usual hairstyle, guided by Rarity’s magic once more. Though the process to sculpt her perfectly-styled mane was arduous, the thought behind it was minimal. After years of practice, she could do it blindfolded. “Time and place,” she said with a small smile. “Hopefully after tonight, she will know the proper time and place for when to talk about such crude topics.” Rarity nodded to her reflection. “Time and place, as well as forethought…” she added, finally satisfied with that night’s goals.

Her thoughts lingered over Rainbow Dash’s misunderstanding. “After all of this added stress she’s put me through, a little affection wouldn’t be unwelcomed…” she reluctantly admitted. The smile that had grown on her face faded. She could feel her cheeks burning as her face in the mirror turned red. “That can wait until bedtime though…” She levitated her makeup case to her as she glanced at the time.

“A quarter until six,” Rarity thought. She popped open her makeup case, and began applying enough to make herself presentable. “It’s just dinner with a friend, so I don’t need to be too dressed,” she said as she closed her eye to apply some pale blue shadow. “Some makeup, freshly-styled mane…Should I wear a dress this evening?” she glanced out to her bedroom across the hall. “That might make Rainbow Dash feel a little underdressed. A good hostess would never make their guest feel inadequate.” She stopped herself for a moment. “Though that might be what I’m doing tonight…” Rarity couldn’t help but furrow her brow at herself in the mirror.

“The good hostess may have to a back seat tonight…” she muttered as she continued to apply her eyeshadow. “This is supposed to be a punishment after all, so maybe a bit of inadequacy might drive my point home.” She stared silently for a moment before letting out a sigh. “As a last resort…”

Rarity stood by her front door, tapping her hoof. She glanced up at the clock, finding it was already five minutes past the hour. She rolled her eyes. “Late…I had a feeling she would be…” she muttered angrily to herself. With a humph, Rarity turned her back to the door.

Her eyes darted to the kitchen. The alluring aroma of her hard work wafted into the rest of her home, but instead of eliciting hunger, it only tied knots in her stomach. “The quiche is already finished. If she doesn’t hurry, it will be cold…I told her, six o’clock sharp!” Rarity’s jaw clench for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Just as she was about to let out a deeply frustrated groan, a knock came from her door. The sound stopped Rarity in her tracks. “Speak of the devil,” she said under her breath.

The door handle enveloped in her magic and turned quickly. She pulled it open to reveal the pegasus standing rather nonchalantly in her doorway. “Good evening, Rainbow Dash…” she said, barely hiding her anger. That scorn only grew once she noticed her guest’s appearance. Rainbow Dash’s mane was the usual mess it always was, her coat was ruffled, and it was apparent she didn’t try to make herself look presentable in the slightest. Rarity closed her eyes and pressed her hoof to her forehead. ”I said six o’clock…”

“Yeah, sorry. I kinda lost track of time. A stallion I work with wanted to talk for a bit,” Rainbow said as she strolled inside, leisurely. The remorsefulness Rarity saw in Rainbow Dash earlier that day was but a distant memory. The pegasus’s lax attitude felt like an almost insult in the face of Rarity’s hard work. The dinner, the effort she put into her appearance, the night she had planned—it was all being spit on right before her.

Rarity took a deep breath to calm herself before she said something she might regret. This was Rainbow Dash after all, a pony she knew had almost no courtesy. This wasn’t an insult, just a lack of awareness, or at least that is what she told herself. Rarity’s eyes finally cracked open as she extended her hoof from her forehead, leading Rainbow Dash to the dining room. “I hope you are ready for dinner.”

“Yeah, I’m starved!” Dash said eagerly as she walked past her hostess.

Rarity almost cringed. “Rainbow, this isn’t just a dinner. You are here for a reason!”

Rainbow stopped without turning to face Rarity. “Right…” Her ears fell flat.

“Your first lesson will be polite conversation. You sound far too casual when speaking to your host. You must try and sound more refined, darling.”

“We’re not even at the table yet, Rarity! Do I have to?” she whined.

“Yes, you do!”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “What should I say…”

“When I said, ‘I hope you are ready for dinner,’ you should reply with something more polite, as if you were speaking to Princess Celestia. Try, ‘I’m glad we could get together,’ or something to that effect,” Rarity tried to force a smile, one she hoped would reach Rainbow. Politeness had never been Rainbow’s forte, but Rarity couldn’t sound condescending. She had to tell Rainbow in a way that made sense to her or else it would start this evening off on a sour note.

Rainbow sighed. “I’m glad we could get together.” she said with barely veiled irritation.

Rarity nodded to herself. “I’ll take what I can get, I suppose…” she muttered to herself. She walked past Rainbow Dash. “Right this way, darling.”

The pegasus followed behind her, rolling her eyes at the ‘darling’ forced at the end of that sentence. They entered into Rarity’s dining room, which made Rainbow’s eyes widen for a moment. It was a larger room with an elegant, gold and crystal chandelier hanging down from the ceiling just above a rectangular table that could comfortably sit six ponies. Two square cushions sat on the floor at each place at the table. Off the dining room, Rainbow could see the kitchen, which had a delectable scent drifting from inside.

As she looked around the room, she half expected to be eating dinner amidst the designer’s mannequins and sewing equipment, but the room was surprisingly clear of her work. Atop the table was a pristine white tablecloth, trimmed with a regal purple. Two plates sat on the opposite ends of the table, two glasses—one of which was filled with water—three forks, two spoons, and a knife for each plate. Rainbow couldn’t help but sigh. This was the nightmare she feared would be ahead of her. A night spent drilling which fork to use for what dish. She shuddered just imagining it. “So, can I ask what we’re having for dinner?”

“You may.” Rarity’s horn lit up, and the pillow closest to them slid out from the table. She motioned for her friend to take a seat as she walked towards the kitchen. “We are having a three course meal this evening. We will start with a garden salad with a light vinaigrette dressing. After that will be the main course, a vegetable quiche—”

“What’s a quiche? Is that what smells so good?” she asked as she sat down on the pillow.

Rarity narrowed her eyes, which caused Rainbow Dash to shrink down. “Yes, it is. For dessert, I prepared an apple flaugnarde—“ Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but Rarity shot her a stern glare, silencing the pony. “I believe you will find both dinner and dessert enjoyable,” she said letting a stern tone seep into her voice.

Rainbow’s eyes narrowed a bit after Rarity cut her off. “I’ve just never heard of any of those…”

“They are dishes popular in Prance. Now, please, do not interrupt when somepony is speaking, Rainbow. It is very rude.” Rarity said before turning to the kitchen.

As Rarity vanished into the kitchen, Rainbow slumped down. It didn’t take long for her eyes to fall down upon the table, which only made her sigh. So far, this night was playing out exactly how she feared. She was stuck here forced to learn a bunch of stupid stuff, and there was nothing she could do to get out of it. “Why did I have to hit Rarity’s house? Twi would’ve just poofed it back to normal and yelled at me for a bit…”

“Oh, for Celestia’s sake! Rainbow, do not slouch at the table!” Rarity yelled like a scolding mother as she came back into the dining room.

Rainbow’s eyes slowly drifted up to her, radiating with irritation as they met Rarity’s. She couldn’t stop her eyes from rolling as she straightened her back. “Fine…”

“Good,” Rarity replied, her expression softening slightly. She stood at the opposite end of the table from Rainbow before she daintily sat down on her cushion. It was a process watching the mare sit for dinner, one Rainbow Dash would have found amusing if she hadn’t been so irritated. Rarity had to adjusted herself in her seat so she was perfectly square in the middle of her pillow.

Next, Rainbow’s eyes drifted upwards as a bowl lowered down in front of her. She didn’t notice that Rarity had brought it in with her when she came back. Her eyes looked down at a garden salad with a bit of disgust. The edges of the lettuce were already wilting, a sign that Rarity had left it sit out. She took a small breath to speak, but decided to keep the remark to herself. Rainbow’s eyes bounced up from the bowl to her hostess.

The mare sat there, her eyes closed as if she was in deep thought. Rainbow looked back at her salad, and then to her forks. When she looked back at Rarity, she noticed the unicorn’s eyes were opened, and staring at her patiently. “Is she seriously testing me? She knows I don’t know the first thing about this crap…”

Rainbow narrowed her eyes defiantly as she reached for the largest fork of the three. Once her hoof was on it, she noticed Rarity cringe. “Wrong,” was all the mare said.

“You know I don’t know what I’m doing!” Rainbow snapped. “Usually you tell somepony something before you test them on it!”

“Any good teacher would see what a student already knows, Rainbow,” Rarity levitated her glass of water to her lips.

“And you know I don’t know this stuff!” Rainbow rolled her eyes.

Rarity didn’t say a word. She levitated up her second largest fork in her own set of silverware. Rarity stabbed the fork down into the salad, perfectly having a single leaf pierced on it’s tines. She brought the utensil up from her bowl, showing it to Rainbow Dash. “The salad fork is the smaller one next to the fork you were reaching for. It is used for salad and nothing else,” she stressed before taking a bite.

Rainbow rolled her eyes again with a sigh. “Do you have to be so dramatic about it? Who cares, it’s a fork…”

Rarity brought a napkin up, daintily wiping her mouth with the cloth. “Etiquette is very important, Rainbow Dash. It separates us from animals. Manners show respect to those around you, something you clearly lack. Which is why we’re here tonight.”

“I thought I was here because I crashed into your roof…”

“And you crashed into my roof because you were irresponsible, short-sighted, and didn’t have respect for others’ property. I can only try to fix so many of those things at once. Tonight, we’re fixing your apparent lack of respect. Anymore questions?”

Rainbow narrowed her eyes. Even if she did break Rarity’s roof, that wasn’t any reason for her to act so snooty. She was here, doing what Rarity said would make this right, which was taking her stupid etiquette class. But that doesn’t mean that Rainbow Dash had to sit here and be insulted, at least not laying down. “Yeah, how rude is it to serve a wilted salad to your guest?” she asked with a smirk.

Rarity’s eyes popped open, and her cheeks flushed red. “That was because you were late!” she snapped.

“Yeah, by like five minutes…”

“I told you six o’clock, sharp!” Rarity stood up off her cushion, glaring at Rainbow Dash. “Sharp means at the exact time specified! Not one minute later!”

Rainbow stood up in response. “Yeah, and just because I broke your roof and was forced into this doesn’t mean the rest of my life has to get put on hold for it, Rarity! So what if I was late? I’m allowed to talk to somepony!”

“What could be more important than repaying your friend?” Rarity asked, her voice growing louder.

“Maybe getting laid once in a while? I was making plans for a date!”

“Language!”

“No! I’m not going to put my social life on hold just because I screwed up, alright?”

Why do you have to keep the conversation going to such…” she paused as she struggled for the right word. She couldn’t stoop down to Rainbow’s level, she had to maintain the high ground. “Why do you keep delving into such lewd topics!”

“What?”

“Everything is... sex with you!” She threw her hoof up into the air, too frustrated to restrain herself anymore.

“It’s spring, and I’m a healthy mare. So, yeah, it’s on my mind,” Rainbow Dash said as she sat back down on her cushion. “But instead of going out tonight, I had to reschedule because of this dinner thing…” Rainbow muttered under her breath, angrily.

Rarity heard what the pegasus said, however. Her jaw clenched tightly as she lowered herself down onto her cushion. This was not how she planned this evening. She pressed her hoof to her forehead as she struggled with how to salvage this night. Rainbow Dash had to learn her lesson, and if simple scolding wouldn’t get through to her, she would have to try something else.

A clang drew Rarity’s focus from her angered thoughts. Her eyes bounced up to her guest, lazily stabbing her fork into the salad as she leaned her head against her hoof. The sight only sent Rarity’s blood boiling again. Nothing was getting through to Rainbow Dash. Everytime Rarity tried to teach, Rainbow defied her, so a change in approach was her best chance.

“But what?” she asked herself. Her eyes bounced back to Rainbow Dash, almost glaring at her. “If she’s so eager for sex, then a good hostess would obviously obliged.” Rarity could feel a devilish smirk growing on her face. If she played her cards right, she could teach Rainbow Dash a lesson and get a little revenge as well. Her horn lit up, and her fork levitated once more into the air.

“You’re much too tense, darling…” Rainbow’s eyebrow raised as she felt Rarity’s magic also gently pressing down on her back between her wings. “Perhaps I’ve been too blunt. We’ll try a different approach. If that’s okay with you, of course.”

“I…guess?” Rainbow cautiously sat up straight. She knew something wasn’t right. Rarity was on the verge of a meltdown just a moment ago, but now, all of a sudden, she was smiling. Rainbow kept a skeptical eye on her friend as she stabbed into a chunk of lettuce. “What’s her deal…”

Her concerns melted away in an instant as soon as she felt a delightful pulse push down onto her back. She let out a soft moan as Rarity’s magic began kneading into her sore back muscles. Between work, practice, and the accident today, Rainbow’s wings and back were practically screaming. Not that she wasn’t used to sore muscles, but she would never turn down a massage.

She placed the bite into her mouth, feeling Rarity’s magic drift down lower on her back. Rainbow’s eyes drifted closed as she felt her friend massaging just below her wings. The soreness and fatigue melted away. “That’s the spot…” she thought. She lazily chewed her bite, basking in the wonderful relief. This punishment suddenly didn’t seem so bad.

“Rarity, if this is how you treat ponies who crash into your house, I might have to do it more often…” Dash said between chews as her eyes drifted open.

Just then, Rarity’s eyes narrowed. Rainbow felt her friend’s magic slide down her back, passed her tail, and slip between her and the cushion. The relaxed look in her eyes vanished when she felt Rarity touching her somewhere she wasn’t expecting. “Whoa—”

“Don’t speak when chewing, Rainbow. It’s very rude…” Rarity said with a small, teasing snicker.

Rainbow swallowed the bite in her mouth. “What the hay do you think you’re do—” Rainbow’s eyes pinched closed as a small, involuntary moan slipped past her lips. A sudden jolt shot up from her loins as Rarity’s magic enveloped her marehood. A tingling sensation slipped inside her nethers. A gentle pulse sent a ripple of pleasure through her as Rarity’s magic teased her clit.

“Is something the matter, Darling?” Rarity asked with a smug look in her eyes as she took a small bite of a slice of cucumber.

“S-stop, Rarity! What’re you doing?” Rainbow stood up, but the tingling sensation only grew stronger. Another moan tried to slip out again, but Rainbow bit her lip to stop it from escaping.

“I told you, we’re going to try a different approach. Since you can’t keep your mind out of the gutter, I thought this would be the perfect stick for you.” Rarity eyes drifted closed as she took a bite of her meal.

“Are you kidding me?” Rainbow struggled to say. She tried to fight the sudden onslaught of pleasure rippling through her body.

“No, I’m not ‘kidding you,’ I’m quite serious,” Rarity replied with an almost harsh tone. “There are other methods besides scolding as punishment. I simply thought that since you’re so vocal about such vulgar topics, I might oblige your perverse fantasies.” Rarity gave an almost cocky smile, once Rainbow Dash would usually throw around to imply she had won.

“I didn’t say I wanted this!” Rainbow snapped.

“Didn’t you?” The unicorn feigned surprise.

“You know I didn’t!”

Her eyes drifted closed as she took a small bite of her meal. When she finished chewing, she spoke once more. “How silly of me. Of course, if you disapprove of my teaching methods, you can always leave. But, don’t think that means you’re off the hook about destroying my roof.”

Rainbow’s went wide for a second. The designer had a smug smile on her face as she took a small nibble of her salad, waiting patiently for Rainbow to decide. All she could do though was stare at Rarity as the implications sunk in. After a few moments, Rainbow took a small breath. “Are you really going to blackmail me over this?” she mumbled angrily.

“Of course not. You have an obligation, and I’m merely offering you a way out without paying monetarily for it. As long as you listen and have proper etiquette, things will be fine.” As Rarity spoke, her magic continued to work on Rainbow. Ever pulsing and tingling the mare’s sex until she was almost trembling while she stood. “Now, it is incredibly rude to stand at the table while your fellow diners are eating. Take a seat…That is unless this is too much for you. Would rather stop and pay for the damages, yourself?” The mare’s eyes cracked opened just in time to see Rainbow looking to and then back at her dinner, hesitantly.

Finally, Rainbow nodded, sitting back down on her cushion as she did. “Fine…Let’s just finish dinner…”

Rarity brought her glass of water to her lips once more. As the cool liquid slid down her throat, she let her magic ease up on the squirming mare across from her. Rainbow was practically panting by the time Rarity set her glass down. “She’s actually enjoying this.” Rarity fought a smirk trying to form on her lips at the thought. “No pony would be this worked up over a bit of light teasing. Maybe she really is in heat. My evening might have just gotten a little more interesting…”

Rarity cleared her throat to grab her guest’s attention once more. Rainbow looked up at her with a mix between a defiant glare and puppydog eyes. It might have been reluctant acceptance or perhaps a firm plea of mercy. Either way, Rarity took her hoof and motioned for her guest to continue eating.

Rainbow stabbed her fork into the salad with little care for what it hit. After she felt it stick something, her eyes fell back down to her plate. She stared at the leafy platter, finding herself not quite as hungry as she thought. Her jaw clenched as her body fidgeted against her will. She pushed her salad around the bowl. “Stupid…” she muttered to herself.

A sudden jolt rushed through her causing her to snap at attention. She looked up to see Rarity no longer playing coy like she had a moment ago. As her host pulled her fork from her mouth, she set it next to her salad bowl. “Do not play with your food, Rainbow,” she said after she swallowed her bite.

Rainbow sighed, only to feel Rarity’s magic pulse again. The new rules to this little dinner were starting to come together for Rainbow. She lifted her fork up to her mouth, and finally took a bite. She glared at Rarity, waiting for another pulse of her host’s magic, but it didn’t come. Instead, Rarity nodded once before resuming her meal.

By the time Rainbow was almost finished with her salad, she was at wit’s end. She was already breathing heavily, and chewing was becoming a chore. The dull vibrations of Rarity’s magic teased her throughout her entire course. Though it was less intense than when they started, she was getting close. Rainbow looked up to Rarity with pleading eyes, but her hostess was absorbed in her own meal.

A small moan escaped her lips, as she stabbed her fork into the last piece of lettuce on her plate. “Just one more bite…” Rainbow swallowed her saliva to ready herself. As she raised the small morsel to her mouth, she was panting. She had to finish before Rarity finished her. Just as Rainbow was about to take a bite, Rarity’s magic pulsed again. A powerful wave washed through Rainbow Dash, pushing her over the edge. She dropped her fork on the table, and braced herself as her orgasm overtook her.

As soon as she started, Rarity’s magic intensified. Rainbow whimpered as her poor marehood felt like it was engulfed in a fiery, vibrating mass. Every inch of her sensitive flesh was being stroked, kneaded, or stimulated in some way. She couldn’t even keep track of everything she was feeling anymore. Finally, as the sensation died down, Rainbow looked up at Rarity with lazy eyes to see her host simply continued to eat through her orgasm.

When the surge of pleasure finally dulled, Rainbow glanced across the table. She noticed Rarity finally make eye contact with her. The stern look immediately made her try to sit up straight. “Are you quite finished?” Rarity asked.

Between pants, Rainbow managed to say, “Yeah.”

“Good. It is unbelievably rude to cause such a spectacle at dinner. You’re lucky you’re just among friends or you would be a laughing stock right now.”

“Yeah, and whose fault do you think this was?” Rainbow asked with a growing aggravation.

Rarity didn’t respond, instead, she took the last bite of her salad before levitating a napkin to her mouth. Daintily, she tapped the white cloth against the corners of her mouth before setting it down next to her. “I hope you are ready for the main course.”

Rainbow’s eyes pinched closed. “I completely forgot this wasn’t all she made…” With a small sigh, she stretched her back and took her salad fork once again. When she opened her eyes she shot Rarity a defiant glare. With a swift move, she finished her salad and flash Rarity a smirk. “Yeah.”

“Good,” Rarity said plainly. “I will have to excuse myself so I may fetch the main course. Be back in just a moment, darling.” Both salad bowls lifted into the air surrounded by a blue aura.

As Rarity left the room, Rainbow relaxed her posture. “Why am I just letting this happen?” she asked herself. She wanted to tell herself it was out of duty to her friend, but that wasn’t it. Rainbow grabbed her water and took a small sip of it to cool her head. It was because Rarity raised the stakes so much, that Rainbow was doing this. Rarity placed a challenge right in front of her and dared her to face it, so she would. But, even that wasn’t the sole reason she was putting up with this treatment. Her face flushed red as her own stubbornness stopped her from admitting the other reason. It was actually a little exhilarating.

After a few moments, Rarity emerged from the kitchen with two plates and a bottle. She levitated one plate in front of Rainbow Dash, and the other to her own place at the table. Once the plates were down, Rarity took her seat once more.

Rainbow looked down at the dish in front of her, not quite sure what to make of it. It looked like a slice of pie, but instead of a gooey, fruity filling, it was filled with various vegetables and cheese. She held her nose over the dish, taking a small wiff. It smelled pleasant enough, though peculiar looking.

The sound of Rarity clearing her throat, caught Rainbow’s attention. Her eyes bounced up to her host, seeing Rarity almost glaring at her. Before Rarity could berate her, Rainbow sat up straight. “Sorry.”

Rarity’s expression softened. “It’s quite alright.” The bottle in Rarity’s magic levitated towards Rainbow. Her guest’s glass soon found itself being filled with a scarlet liquid that made the pegasus almost roll her eyes involuntarily. “The main course is a vegetable quiche, in case you have forgotten. We are also having a merlot with dinner tonight. Hopefully, you will find it to your liking,” Rarity smiled. Her hoof raised, and she motioned for Rainbow Dash to start eating.

The pegasus hesitated for a minute. She looked down at her tableware once more with a look of utter concentration on her face. “Rarity said something about forks earlier…” Her eyes bounced between the three forks. The fork she just used was out, since it was already used for a course. That left the smallest and largest forks in front of her. Rainbow bit her lower lip. “Well, I got a fifty-fifty chance…”

She reached for the smallest fork, only to feel the familiar sensation of Rarity’s magic against her rump. Her muscles tightened on their own from the buzzing caress of unicorn magic. Her eyes shot to Rarity only to see her shaking her head softly. Rainbow nodded, and grabbed the largest fork. Please with her guest’s decision, Rarity’s magic stopped as well.

Rarity couldn’t help but smile to herself. “It seems my method is working.” She levitated her own fork up as well as the knife. She cut the tip of her slice of quiche off, and lifted the small morsel to her mouth. “After her first orgasm, she should be trying to avoid me stimulating her again. Any mistakes now will be receiving a proper punishment.”

As she chewed, her gaze drifted over to Rainbow Dash’s plate, finding her cutting the quiche with the side of her fork. Rarity inhaled sharply. She had to say something to correct that behavior, but with food in her mouth, she couldn’t. Suddenly, Rarity’s horn glowed brighter as more magic flowed from it.

Rainbow jumped when she felt Rarity’s magic sliding underneath her once more. The strange vibrating sensation didn’t simply alert her to its presence like last time. Instead, it made its way right for Rainbow’s nethers. The mare’s whole body tensed as an huge surge of pleasure rippled through her body. Before she could even process what was happening, Rainbow let out a soft moan. Every nerve in her screamed out for it too stop. The sensation was just too much for her right after her recent orgasm.

It took her a moment to regain her composure and push through the agonizing pleasure. Her eyes shot to Rarity, demanding an answer with her gaze. Rarity swallowed what she had in her mouth, and simply held up her own knife. Rainbow’s eyes went wide in disbelief. “Are you serious? You couldn’t just tell me?” she asked with a shaky voice.

“My mouth was full.”

Rainbow groaned as she scooped the already cut piece of quiche onto her fork and raised the bite to her mouth. After that, she grabbed ahold of her knife and raised it up for Rarity to see in the most sarcastic way she could think to do. Rarity nodded to her. Though the unicorn’s magic relaxed, it still made its presence known. The soft tingle was still there, but much more tolerable.

Rainbow cut a piece of quiche and took another bite. As she stared at a lone string from the cheese stretching from the small morsel on her fork to the dish itself, she tried to push the sensations out of her head. “Focus on the food, and just try to keep cool. You can do this…You can beat Rarity at this game!” Rainbow’s eyes narrowed with determination as she took her bite. The warm, gooey texture of the cheese mixed with the flavor of the vegetables perfectly. Much to Rainbow’s surprise, it was actually palatable, unlike most of the fancy food Rarity had tried to serve her in the past.

“This is pretty good,” she said in between chews.

Rarity cleared her throat, loudly. Her eyes shot to Rainbow Dash with a small glare.

“What?” the pegasus asked.

Rarity’s magic pulsed again, making Rainbow shudder. “I can’t believe I have to actually tell you this: do not speak with food in your mouth!”

Rainbow stopped chewing as her body spasmed involuntarily. Barely, she managed to keep a soft moan down. “Sorry,” she muttered, only to be met with another strong surge of magical stimulation.

“Apologize after you swallow.” Rarity sighed as she shook her head.

A groan came from Rainbow Dash, both of annoyance and frustration. Even a compliment landed her in trouble. She could feel Rarity’s magic easing up, but something was different. Before, Rarity would ease the aura around Rainbow’s nethers enough to the point it was merely noticeable, but not overbearing. But now, in the second course, Rarity was keeping it stronger. It was as if someone was constantly rubbing their hoof against her slit as she tried to eat. She could feel her own juices soaking her fur and the pillow she was seated upon. “I bet she’ll be pissed about that too…”

Rainbow tried to put her focus elsewhere, but that proved more of a challenge than she anticipated. Chewing at this point was more of a chore than a passive part of eating. The endless stimulation on Rarity’s part was starting to win out. Rainbow was fidgeting again as she sat, trying to shake off the feeling, but it was no use. Rarity’s magic stuck with her.

Finally, she managed to swallow. By the end of her bite, she was already panting with desire. She looked down at her plate. She was only two bites into her dinner. At this rate, she wouldn’t make it to dessert.

“Now, you were saying?” Rarity asked after her guest paused.

Rainbow shook her head. “I said this is pretty good.” Rainbow placed her foreleg on the table, and rested her head against her hoof as she ate.

“Why, thank you. Quiche isn’t the most healthy—” Rarity’s horn pulsed brighter, making Rainbow tremble briefly. “Forelegs off the table,” she said casually, interrupting her own thought. “But, it has a little something to offer everyone.” Rarity took another bite. Her eyes never left Rainbow, keeping a close, but never focused eye on her. After all, watching her too closely would be rude on her part.

Rainbow couldn’t help but roll her eyes. This evening was beyond confusing for her. Between the constant teasing between her legs and Rarity’s scolding, she couldn’t tell if she was enjoying or hating this dinner. Rainbow reached for her glass of wine. Unceremoniously, she tipped the glass back. As soon as the liquid hit her tongue, Rainbow spit most of it back into her glass. “Oh, Celestia, what the hay is this?”

Rarity’s jaw was firmly clenched. She took a few deep breaths before replying. “I told you, it is a merlot.” Without warning, her horn shone brighter, and immediately, Rainbow felt her nethers vibrating once again.

Rainbow slouched forward from the sheer pleasure rushing through her. Her hoof instinctively touched her sex, trying to control the sensations, but Rarity’s magic just continued to torment the sensitive mare.

“Do you know how rude it is to spit out a glass of wine? At the table no less?” Rarity raised her voice, her eyes focused like a beam at Rainbow Dash.

“S-sorry! I-I didn’t know it would taste so…bitter…”

Rarity took a deep breath. The light of her horn dimmed, and the tingling sensations around Rainbow’s nethers calmed. “Perhaps, I should have warned you.”

“Wine is to be savored, Rainbow. It isn’t like cider or beer. You can’t just…chug it.” The unicorn physically shuddered at the mere mention of chugging wine. Once she regained her composure, she lifted the glass for Rainbow to see. “You must swirl it in the glass. Wine tastes best after it has had time to breathe.” The glass spun in a small circle in the unicorn’s magic, causing the liquid to stick to the sides from the force.

Rainbow nodded without really listening. She picked up her fork and knife again, instead choosing to go for the food than the alcohol.

As the pegasus continued eating, she could feel her body starting to tremble. Her hips instinctively started bucking slightly. She could feel herself inching closer and closer to the edge with each passing moment. Her brow furrowed in frustration. “No…You can do it, just keep holding out…” Rainbow mentally coached as she carefully ate her dinner.

Each bite became a battle. There were too many things she had to juggle between. She had to sit down, keep her forelegs off the table, sit up straight, no using a fork to cut, no talking while chewing—on top of trying to keep her mind off the constant magical fondling she was being put through. It was all too much to think about.

She could feel Rarity’s magic growing strong, only showing that she could finish Rainbow off at any moment. As the sensations took the forefront in her mind, Rainbow knew her posture was slipping. The loud panting was probably not polite either, but she couldn’t help that. Between bites, she couldn’t help but moan softly as her only outlet for the pleasure building.

Slowly, she worked her way through her piece of quiche, teetering on the brink of orgasm until she was finally on her last bite. Everything was in a haze for her by this point and felt distant. As much as she tried to ignore the tingling vibrating mass around her sex, she simply couldn’t. With her last bite on her fork, Rainbow put it into her mouth.

Her eye lazily looked across the table, finding Rarity cringing. Before Rainbow could even think to ask, she felt the mass of magic between her hind legs spear inside her. Her eyes went wide as she let out a sharp gasp. Rainbow’s body shuddered against her will as the invading magic pushed her over the edge once more. She cried out in a high-pitched moan before placing her hoof on the table for support.

“Of all things…” Rarity said just loud enough for Rainbow to hear. “I honestly am wondering if you’re even taking this seriously, Rainbow.” She levitated her glass of wine to her lips. She swirled the red liquid about in the glass before taking a small sip. “You can’t even chew with your mouth closed. This is beyond basic. These are things expected not even in polite company.”

“Well, if…you didn’t keep…punishing me the whole time over stupid mistakes…” she said between pants.

“How else would you learn if I don’t keep the punishment prevalent in your mind?” Rarity lifted the last bite on her plate to her mouth. After she set her fork down, she raised a napkin to her mouth, and dabbed it softly against her lips. “Any good stick must be visible or else it loses its power.”

“Maybe you could tell me instead…” Rainbow tried to sit up straight, but her she still felt weak.

“We tried that. It worked so well, we moved onto this method, which has been showing marvelous results.” Rarity stood up from the table as she spoke. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must fetch the last course of the evening.”

Rainbow sighed as Rarity levitated her plate from in front of her, and carried it off to the kitchen. She grabbed the glass of wine on the table and tossed the bitter drink back. She didn’t even let the flavor sit on her tongue before she swallowed it down. A small shudder rolled through her as the faint taste of grapes and alcohol hung on her breath.

Her whole body felt numb after the first two courses. The cushion she was sitting on was thoroughly drenched in her juices too, making it not the most comfortable to sit on. The mare shook her head. “Keep it together, Rainbow…” she muttered to herself. “Just dessert, and you’re done. Try to remember to sit up straight, and chew with your mouth closed. Don’t even talk…Just eat…”

“Did you say something, darling?” Rarity asked, emerging from the kitchen with two different plates held in her magic.

“Nope,” Rainbow said as she straightened her back.

Rarity returned to her seat before levitating down the two plates in front of either of them. “Well, I hope you can behave yourself for dessert.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Let’s just get this over with…”

Rarity furrowed her brow. “Now, dessert, is, as I said before, an apple flaugnarde—”

“Pie for dinner and pie for dessert…” Rainbow said unenthusiastically as she poked the pastry in front of her. “Great…”

Rarity groaned as she pinched her eyes closed. Her hoof found its way to her forehead, and immediately began to rub away a building headache. “Flaugnarde is not a pie, Rainbow. Neither is quiche, for your information. Dessert tonight is more along the lines of a spongy apple cake cooked in a pan and covered with powdered sugar.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow at Rarity.”So, pie for dinner and cake for dessert. And here I starting to think I was eating dinner with Pinkie.”

Rarity didn’t even remove her hoof from her forehead. Her only response was her horn lighting up once more. As Rarity’s hoof slid down her cheek, a sharp gasp came from across the table. She stared at the shuddering pegasus across from her with an almost forlorn look. “I swear, you’re not trying at all.”

“S-stop, Rarity!” Rainbow pleaded, desperately.

“What kind of guest insults their host, Rainbow?” Rarity asked, shaking her head. “Would you say that’s rude? I spent hours preparing this meal, getting this evening together, just so I could try and help you. I only wanted to teach you not to be so disrespectful.” Rarity’s horn glowed brighter.

Rainbow squirmed as her friend’s slithering aura worked its way back inside her. “O-okay, I get it! I’m sorry!” Rainbow slid her hoof between her legs, trying to put an end to Rarity’s onslaught. She could feel the unicorn’s magic writhing inside her body with reckless abandon. But as much as she tried to put a stop to it, the magic only flailed about more inside her. Rainbow cried out as a strong pulse of magic surged through her body.

“I have a hard time believing that.” Rarity sighed. “I have a hole in my roof because of you. Since you couldn’t pay me back, I offered you a small lesson in etiquette, and you can’t even take this seriously!”

“Yeah? And what kind of hostess gets their friend off instead of actually teaching them!” Rainbow slammed her hoof down on the table. Rarity’s eyes popped open wide with the sound. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were the one getting off to this!”

“How dare you! I’ve taken no sexual gratification in this whatsoever!”

“Then why do you keep getting that smug little grin on your face, huh?” Rainbow narrowed her eyes at her friend. “Admit it, you’re getting off on this!”

Rarity cleared her throat. “I-I…” Without any warning, the glow around her horn died. Her cheeks were bright red. “T-that’s slanderous.”

As soon as the magic was gone, Rainbow fell forward, panting wildly. Rainbow swallowed the saliva in her mouth, trying desperately to catch her breath. As she sat there, her heart rate finally coming back down, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah right…It’s true.”

“And you weren’t enjoying it?” Please. You orgasmed each course.”

“Hay, I came twice for dessert.” Rainbow laughed in disbelief. The absurdity of the situation was finally catching up to her.

“Why do you have to be so crude?” The red in Rarity’s cheeks grew brighter.

“Calm down, Rarity. I didn’t say I didn’t enjoy it. It was a little annoying at times, not being told what to do and suddenly being magically hoofed, but it felt good. Hay, I’d say it was even a little fun.”

Rarity’s cheeks puffed out slightly and her brow furrowed once more. “It wasn’t supposed to be fun. I wanted you to be embarrassed. You were supposed to learn a lesson on how to behave in polite company!”

Rainbow laughed again. “And you thought making me cum ‘in polite company’ was going to do that?”

Rarity’s gaze drifted downward, her shame clearly showing on her face.

“Didn’t think that one through, did you…”

“Not entirely…”

Rainbow stared down at the dessert in front of her. “Look, Rarity, I am sorry about what I did to your house. I’ll help pay for the damages, alright? I’ll give you some of my paycheck and the little bit of savings I have, alright?”

Rarity sighed. “I’ve already budgeted around this whole mess. This dinner was your payment, so I can’t accept your money Rainbow.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “You have a funny way of making ponies pay you back, you know that? I broke your house, and you make me dinner?”

“Well, I didn’t look at it that way. I was thinking of this as more a public service by curbing the damage you will cause in the future.” Rarity cracked a small smile. “Besides, I have more than gotten my entertainment from the evening.”

“Nah, what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t take responsibility here.” Rainbow smiled back at her.

“Thank you, Rainbow.”

Rainbow set her fork down with a content sigh. “So this stuff’s called fernyard, huh?”

“Flaugnarde,” Rarity corrected as she dabbed her napkin against her lips. “And I am glad to see you enjoyed it.”

“Yeah, it was pretty good.” Rainbow stood up, and immediately began to stretch. “It was all pretty good.”

Once her guest was up, Rarity also excused herself from the table. “Well, since you’re being so kind as to pay me back, I suppose we can cancel next week’s lesson.” She flashed a sly smile to her friend.

Rainbow stared at her blankly while it took a moment to sink in. “This wasn’t the only dinner you had planned?” she asked with a hint of fear in her voice.

“Of course not.” Rarity placed her hoof over her mouth as she laughed. “We couldn’t even begin to scratch the surface on table etiquette with a single meal.”

Rainbow’s cheeks flushed bright red. “W-well…we don’t have to rule anything out…”

Rarity’s eyebrows raised, her eyes half-closed, and a small seductive smile was revealed on her mouth as her hoof moved away from her mouth. “Are you saying you would like another dinner like tonight?”

“I-I…uh…I don’t think I’d mind…”

Rarity giggled as she moved mere inches away from Rainbow Dash’s face. “I thought you said you didn’t swing that way, Rainbow…”

“Well…uh…I don’t…” She cleared her throat. “Usually…” Rainbow Dash moved in a little closer to Rarity, biting her lower lip in anticipation.

Rarity giggled again as her usually confident friend acted like a school filly around her first crush. “Well, unfortunately for you, Rainbow…” Rarity playfully pushed the pegasus back with her hoof. The seductive nature of her smile and eyes melted away into mere teasing. “I don’t swing that way.”

“Then what do you call tonight?” Rainbow asked after she regained her balance.

“Just a little fun between friends.”

The End

Author's Note

So, this was a bit of an experiment in writing for me. I didn't want a typical clop scene, nor a story where any character is 100% in the right.

Hopefully you guys enjoyed this story, and I would really like to do an actual RariDash story at some point in the future where they are actually together.