Dominant Ideal: Paying the Price

Sweetie Belle looked at the paper in front of her. Neat, meticulous lines of numbers sat there, glaring at her expectantly, yet utterly ignored. She'd managed to fill in a few answers to her math problems, but she couldn't concentrate. For probably the dozenth time in as many minutes, she glanced to her side. Scootaloo was bent over her own pulpit, staring intently at her own paper and rolling her pencil from one side of her mouth to another. A tiny bead of sweat was on her orange brow from concentration. Sweetie sighed and gave her head a tiny shake to clear her mind and tried to return to her own work. "If a train leaves Canterlot at ten in the morning and another train leaves Ponyville at eleven..." The rest of the question could have been written in a foreign language for all she cared. Her stomach lurched as her thoughts once again traveled to Carousel Boutique the day before.

"Umm, Rarity?" Sweetie Belle asked. She'd been watching her big sister work on another dress for some customer in Canterlot. She knew it was a really important thing and that Rarity needed all her concentration on it, but she just had to ask.

"In a minute, darling!" Rarity answered. The fabrics, strings, gems, and needles danced around her in a magical glow, forming almost hypnotic patterns around her workstation. She finished putting the last folds into the hem where she'd soon need to sew them together, but it was a good moment to take a break. As she laid her unfinished masterpiece and the tools of her trade neatly on the table, her eyes caught sight of the clock on the wall. "Oh, Sweetie Belle! You should have said it was already so late. You must be simply famished."

"No, uhh..." Sweetie Belle started. "It's not that. I kinda need to ask you something."

The tone in Sweetie Belle's voice immediately told Rarity that something was bothering her sister. She took off the glasses she always wore when working on more detailed work, and walked next to Sweetie Belle. They sat down on a couch, with Sweetie not even able to look at her sister, instead opting to let her gaze fall on the multi-coloured carpet on the floor.

"What do you do if you make someone really angry and feel really bad about it?"

"Well you apologise to them of course," Rarity answered curtly.

"Yeah, but what if the reason they're angry at you is really big and even though I've—you've told them you're really, really sorry like a hundred times and they've said it's okay, but they're still really angry at you on the inside?"

Rarity moved a bit closer to Sweetie Belle on the couch and put a hoof onto her sister's back. "Would you like to tell me what's wrong?"

Sweetie Belle shook her head.

"Well..." Rarity said. "Sometimes it takes time for a pony to forgive you. It might feel like they're never even going to."

Sweetie Belle let out a long, trembling sigh, and nodded.

Rarity stroked Sweetie Belle's back comfortingly. "Are you sure you've apologised to them properly?"

"Yeah, like a million times," Sweetie Belle answered.

"Yes, darling, but just saying you're sorry over and over again won't work. After a while, ponies just stop hearing it because they don't want to believe you."

Sweetie looked up to her sister, feeling her eyes burning. Rarity's expression was slightly confused, but her smile was warm and genuine. "So what do I do?" Sweetie asked.

"There are three parts to an apology. Telling them you're sorry is only the first part."

"Really?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"The second part is telling them that what you did wrong will never, ever happen again," Rarity said.

Sweetie nodded.

"The last part is the hardest one of all," Rarity said. "You have to ask them how you can make things right to help them forgive you, and then try to do what they ask."

"But what if they tell me they never want to see me again?" Sweetie asked, her voice quivering.

"Then you give them space. Let them think things over. If you're sincere in your apology, then you've done everything you can, and that should be enough. Like I said, ponies sometimes need a long time to forgive you, and sometimes giving them that time is the best way to bring you back together. That's what they mean when they say time heals all wounds."

Sweetie wrapped her hooves around her sister's chest, and Rarity pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm scared," Sweetie said.

"I'm sure it will work out, darling. I don't think anyone could stay angry at you for too long, and believe me, I'm speaking from experience."

Sweetie Belle smiled as she nuzzled against her sister's chest. "You're the best, Rarity."

A wet slap woke Sweetie Belle from her reverie. The wind had slammed a huge, brown maple leaf into the window next to her. As she looked at it, it was slowly peeled off the window by the driving rain of yet another Autumn storm. Just the thought of having to go out there in—she peered at the clock on the wall—five minutes made her shiver. When her gaze fell on Scootaloo, the shivers doubled. There was an empty seat between them where Apple Bloom would normally have sat. Her family had taken a head start for the weekend to go to some large gathering. That left the Crusaders with just Scootaloo and Sweetie. Normally that would have meant that there would be no Crusaders at all. They hadn't done anything together since Summer without Apple Bloom to keep them together. Sometimes it had been just like before, the three fillies laughing and playing like nothing had happened, but even then, sometimes Sweetie Belle would catch Scootaloos eyes, and see the coldness there. It was the same in the classroom. Even though they were just a few feet apart, it felt like there was a huge bottomless chasm between them. It was something Sweetie would give her everything to remedy, and she was going to do it in just a few minutes.

The bell tolled, and before Miss Cheerilee could even begin to talk about the weekend's homework, the foals rushed out the room, leaving the teacher leaning on her table with both forehooves against her face. Sweetie Belle didn't even notice though; she was making a beeline for the orange pegasus dashing outside. She caught up to her just inside the door, a heavy curtain of rain stopping several of the foals to gather their determination to leave. Some had packed raincoats in the morning, but most, like Sweetie and Scootaloo, would just have to rough it.

"Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Scootaloo turned around to look at her. Her expression immediately told Sweetie Belle that things would be even worse than she thought. "Yeah?"

"Would you like to hang out today? My folks are out—"

"No. Got stuff," Scootaloo said, and stepped out into the rain.

Sweetie ran after her, feeling the falling water glue her mane to her face. She circled around Scootaloo to stop her. "Please, Scootaloo, it's important."

Scootaloo looked at her, then around her. She moved to step aside and continue on, but Sweetie Belle blocked her way again.

"Please? Just this once? It's really, really important." Sweetie Belle felt her heart pound inside her chest desperately. Everything hinged on what Scootaloo would say next. Everything.

Scootaloo tossed her wet mane out of her face. "Fine."

"Thank you," Sweetie said. The huge weight in her chest barely moved though. This was only the start. The hard part was yet to come. She stepped aside, and they started walking towards her house. "My folks are out of town, so we have the whole house to ourselves today. I mean, I have to go to Rarity's place for the night, but I don't need to go there before the evening."

Scootaloo didn't answer. She just walked forward, her hooves splashing cold water from the puddles. Sweetie Belle also fell silent, following a few steps behind Scootaloo, going over the things she was going to say inside her mind.

Her house wasn't too far from the school, and they soon arrived. Stepping inside felt like night had fallen on the fillies. The heavy overcast and the rain made the whole house feel small, and the incessant rapping of the raindrops falling on the windows only drove the point further in. Sweetie dropped her saddlebag off and quickly flicked on the lights, both in the kitchen and the living room. Finally she went to the bathroom and grabbed two small towels for them to dry their manes and tails. All the while Scootaloo stood near the exit, eyeing the door, apparently ready to bolt outside at any moment.

"Here," Sweetie Belle said, giving Scootaloo the towel. Scootaloo looked at it like she'd never seen a towel before, but as a shiver of cold ran through her body, she grabbed it and threw it over her dripping mane and started to rub it dry.

Sweetie Belle walked to the kitchen and opened up the fridge. She grabbed a plastic bag from the fridge, which she knew contained a few sandwiches her mother had made for her to eat after school. She tried to open the bag with her teeth, but after that failed, she grabbed a pair of scissors and cut the whole package up and poured the sandwiches out on a plate. "You want one? They're really good," she said to Scootaloo.

After a short hesitation, Scootaloo also removed her saddlebag and walked to the table as well and sat down opposite Sweetie Belle. She turned the offering around on its plate, looking slightly worried. "Umm, did you make these?"

"Nu-uh. They're mom's," Sweetie Belle said, only slightly offended about the clear aversion to her cooking skills. She had to admit these were a bit better than the ones she'd tried to make for her friends once. More solid too. And made of actual bread, come to think of it.

Scootaloo bit down on her sandwich, and after a few more mouthfuls, smiled. "Hey, these aren't half bad."

It was the first time Sweetie remembered seeing Scootaloo smile for what felt like an eternity. Everypony knew Scootaloo ate a lot and her huge lunchboxes were a bit of a joke among the Crusaders. She always said she was just carbo-loading for exercise and stuck out her tongue to her laughing classmates. According to Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash ate a lot and took a lot of naps, so both were something to aspire to. Sweetie leaned on the table, resting her chin on her hooves and smiled as well. For a moment, it was the old Scootaloo she remembered. It was like some wall had crumbled between the two, at least for the time being. It wouldn't last, Sweetie knew, but she tried to enjoy the fleeting moment. After cleaning the table they moved upstairs to Sweetie Belle's room.

The room itself was a mess, or like Sweetie Belle told her parents, 'organized chaos'. A useful term she'd learned from Rarity. In essence it meant that toys, plushies, comic books, stage props, strewn about clothes, and pretty much everything else Sweetie had managed to hoard covered every surface of the room. She knew where everything was out of memory, or could at least find most things with a little bit of rummaging around. The only place only half-covered with debris was her bed in the middle of the room. Pushing some of the comics she'd been reading the past few days out of the way, Sweetie Belle sat down on it, motioning Scootaloo to join her.

Scootaloo stood still at the doorway, not stepping in. "What's this about, Sweetie?" she asked.

"I just wanna talk," Sweetie said.

"Talking's boring. Is that why you dragged me here?" Scootaloo scoffed. "I mean, sure, the sammich was good, but I kinda just came here so I wouldn't need to walk home in the rain."

Every word felt like an icicle being struck into Sweetie Belle's heart. The warmth that she'd felt from Scootaloo downstairs was gone, replaced by the same cold emptiness that had been between them ever since what happened at the Clubhouse in the Summer. "We could, umm, read some comics, or play something, or—"

"Nah. I think I'll head home." Scootaloo turned around in the doorway and headed for the stairs down.

"N-no! Scootaloo! Wait!" Sweetie yelled, and dashed after her friend. She caught up to her just before the stairs. "We gotta talk. I mean I want to tell you something really important!"

Scootaloo hesitated for a moment. After a moment she sat down and crossed her forehooves and looked at Sweetie Belle with a scowl. "Okay. Tell me."

This was it then. Sweetie Belle sat down as well, trying to give Scootaloo a warm, reassuring smile. "I... uhh..." She looked directly into Scootaloo's eyes, feeling her courage faltering by the moment. If she didn't do it now, she'd never get another chance like this. "I wanted to tell you I'm sorry."

Scootaloo's scowl was replaced with slight confusion, and she tilted her head to the side. "What about?"

"Well, everything. Everything's that been going on between us ever since Summer. What happened—"

"Oh, Celestia, this again?" Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "You've told me that a gazillion times and I've said it's okay! What else do you want from me?"

"I..." Sweetie Belle paused for a moment, thinking of what Rarity had told her to say next. "I'll never do anything like that to you again. Ever."

Scootaloo barked out a dry laugh. "As if I'd ever let you do anything like what happened back then again? You stupid or something?"

This wasn't going at all how Sweetie Belle hoped, but she had to try. The last part was the hardest, Rarity had said. She took a deep breath of air. "I wanna make it up to you. I'll do anything so you won't be angry at me any more. So we could be friends again. Like, real friends. Like we used to be before I did all that stupid stuff." Sweetie felt her eyes burning. "I miss you so much and every time we're together it feels like you're so far away and I'd do anything, ANYTHING, to fix things."

Scootaloo's face had turned back into an angry scowl. "This is stupid. I'm gone." She started down the stairs.

Sweetie didn't know what else to do, so she grabbed Scootaloo's tail with her teeth.

Scootaloo almost fell on her face down the stairs. "Hey! Lemme go!"

"NNHHH!" Sweetie shouted, her mouth full of Scootaloo's hair.

Scootaloo yanked as hard as she could, finally slipping loose... and unceremoniously tumbled down the stairs to the wider part halfway, ending with her chin on the floor and her rump high in the air.

Sweetie was frozen at the top of the stairs. "S-scootaloo! Are you okay?"

Scootaloo bounced up, rubbing her chin. "Of course I'm not, stupid! What's wrong with you!?"

"I panicked!" Sweetie Belle answered, starting down the stairs.

"Stop!" Scootaloo said, aiming a forehoof at Sweetie Belle. "Stay away. Like for real. You wanna know what you can do to make up and stuff? Well just stay the hay away from me!"

Sweetie felt like someone had hit her in the face. Her hooves felt cold and numb, threatening to buckle underneath her. "I WILL!" Sweetie yelled, shocking both herself and Scootaloo into silence.

"W-what?" Scootaloo finally asked.

"I'll do it. If that's what you really want me to do, I'll... I'll stay away from you. As long as you want me to." She couldn't help but sniffle. "I want us to be friends again, real friends again, but if you want me to stay away from you, I will."

Scootaloo looked at her with a hanging mouth. "You... but I—"

"I mean..." A huge sob escaped Sweetie Belle "I'll wait for you. If you ever change your mind, I'll be your friend again. But if you never wanna see me again..." another sob racked her body, "it's okay."

"Of course I don't want that!" Scootaloo shouted back at her. "Of course I want to be your friend! I just can't!"

"Why!?" Sweetie Belle shouted, her voice cracking as the next sob came over her.

"I just can't! I really want to! I've tried to! But I can't help it! Every time I'm with you, I'm... scared, okay! I'm scared!"

Sweetie shook her head in confusion. "What, of me?"

Scootaloo's wings furled open. "Of course of you! I trusted you and you did all that weird stuff to me! And then you told me you liked it! And the stuff you make me think of and, I dunno, feel when I'm around with you! I don't want it! Any of it!"

A silence fell inside the room. Somewhere outside the wind howled forlornly against the corner of the house like a lone banshee looking for its lost love. Sweetie Belle tried to form words with her mouth, but nothing would come out.

Scootaloo shook her head and looked away. "It just feels like I don't know who you are. I'm sorry, Sweetie, but I just can't trust you. I've really tried but it just won't happen," Scootaloo said quietly. She sat down and rubbed one of her forehooves on another.

"Isn't there anything I could do? Anything? I'll do anything!" Sweetie stammered. "There's gotta be a way for me to show you you can trust me again. I mean, I totally trust you, so there's gotta be a way!"

Scootaloo couldn't turn to face Sweetie Belle. "How can you trust me? I gave you a black eye."

"And I totally deserved it," Sweetie Belle said. "And if you want to, you can give me another right now if it'll help." She leaned forward to show she was being serious.

Scootaloo looked at Sweetie Belle like she'd turned into some weird alien from one of her comics. "Hit you? I never wanna hit anypony again."

"There's gotta be some way!" Sweetie Belle shouted, her voice rising as the horror kept gripping her more and more by the second. "Anything! Shout at me!"

"No, I—"

"I'd even let you spank me!"

Scootaloo's mouth fell open. "What?"

Sweetie Belle wasn't sure where that thought had come from, but Scootaloo hadn't shot the idea down immediately, so it was worth a shot. "I'd let you spank me if you want to."

Scootaloo looked at her with conflicting emotions of anger, confusion, and interest fighting for room on her face. "Wait, seriously?"

"Of course I'm serious! I'd take a thousand spankings if it meant I could fix things between us. I'll crawl over your lap right now if you tell me to. Or anything else you want me to. I did something horrible to you, so its only right for you to do the same to me."

"It was different. I deserved it. Well, most of it, I guess," Scootaloo said.

"Well I deserve it too, don't I? I've been feeling so awful ever since and knowing how bad I've made you feel as well makes it, like, double the worse."

"But I don't want to hurt anypony," Scootaloo said. Despite herself, she'd turned to look at Sweetie Belle and held her head slightly tilted the way she did when seriously pondering something.

"It would be a p-punishment," Sweetie Belle said. Looking at Scootaloo's expression brought about a new chaotic mix of feelings inside her head. On one hand, this might actually work, but it would also mean she'd be getting the first spanking of her life.

"I dunno," Scootaloo held her head and shook it from side to side. "Argh! This is what I mean! You make me feel so weird!"

"Will you do it?" Sweetie Belle asked incessantly, desperate to hear Scootaloo give in.

"I don't know! I gotta think about it!" Scootaloo said. She stood up and paced back and forth. After a moment she stopped, and looked at Sweetie Belle standing at the top of the stairs above her. "Do you... do you think it'd work?" she asked, a faint tint of hope in her voice.

Sweetie Belle thought about it for a moment too. "I'm not sure. I mean, if I can show you I totally trust you, then maybe you can trust me too?"

"And you'd really let me do it? And anything else I wanted to?"

"I..." Sweetie Belle had to stop to swallow the huge lump in her throat. Now that it had come to this, the reality of the situation was dawning on her. "If it helps even a tiny bit, then yeah. Anything."

Scootaloo looked at Sweetie Belle, then to the floor. "I gotta think about it," she said.

"Okay. Take all the time you want," Sweetie Belle said.

"No, I mean, I need to think about it. Alone. Like, go outside or something and think."

"Oh... okay," Sweetie Belle said. She tried to hide her fear and disappointment. If Scootaloo left now, she might never come back.

Scootaloo didn't move for the door immediately. Instead she seemed to be pondering the situation over in her head, until she suddenly jumped up. "Let's go to your room." Without waiting for an answer, she dashed past Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie Belle stepped in the open door to her room as well. Inside, Scootaloo was pushing away toys and discarded clothes with her forehooves.

"Are you looking for something?" Sweetie Belle asked in confusion.

"No. Come here." Scootaloo pointed at the small zone of clear floor she'd created.

Sweetie Belle did as she was told, even though her mind was filled with questions.

"Now turn around and face the corner," Scootaloo said.

Sweetie Belle only now realised where exactly the area Scootaloo had cleared was. It took a moment for Sweetie Belle to realise the implication. "You want me to do corner time?"

Scootaloo nodded and pointed at the corner for emphasis. "I'm going out for a while to think and, well, think. And I want you to stand here, in the corner, while I'm gone."

Sweetie Belle shuddered lightly, but stepped into the corner, leaning forward until she felt her horn lightly scratch against the wall. "You'll come back, won't you?" she asked.

Scootaloo had walked over to the door. "Probably, but, uhh, no promises."

"But..." Sweetie Belle felt her heart sank. "If you won't come back, how will I know how long I'm supposed to stand here?"

Scootaloo didn't answer. All Sweetie Belle could hear were hoofsteps going down the stairs, and then a moment later, far away, a door opening and closing.

The only thing left for Sweetie Belle was to lean against the corner and listen to the howling wind outside. Her heart was pounding like it was going to rip out of her chest to run away and hide. Her legs shook from all the adrenaline leaving her body after the horror of almost losing her friend forever. She tried to take a few deep breaths to steady herself, but it took her several minutes for the shivers to stop. The cold sweat clinging to her coat and her damp mane from the rain outside didn't help.

This wasn't Sweetie's first foray into corner time. Far from it actually. It was something her parents—and Rarity—made her do whenever she was acting out or being too 'wild'. She couldn't help that her parents were so slow on the uptake sometimes or weren't excited about the important things, like catching a frog with the Crusaders, or reaching a record height with her new kite. All her mother usually took notice of were Sweetie Belle being covered in mud, and her father having to climb on the roof to untangle the kite from the weathervane. Still, she'd probably have to admit that she'd deserved at least some of her time-outs, and as far as punishment went, it wasn't too bad. Sure, her thoughts would start racing on everything she was missing out on right at the moment, but being bored for a few minutes was bearable. Especially because she knew that there wasn't going to be anything worse than maybe a stern talking-to afterwards. Her parents weren't believers of spankings, though Rarity had once confided in her that she'd gotten a few after really being out of line after gaining her Cutie Mark and destroying half of her mother's dresses while 'improving' them. Rarity had probably meant it as a lesson about not getting carried away by getting a Cutie Mark, but all Sweetie Belle could think of was her sister howling and kicking over their father's lap while getting her butt smacked. She'd made a mental note not to push her parents too hard after that, knowing that there was the remote possibility of something other than cornertime and scolding, and maybe having a few weeks of allowance docked.

Sweetie had sometimes wondered how exactly Rarity's spanking would have gone. She'd probably been older than Sweetie Belle was now, seeing as she'd already gotten her Cutie Mark. Knowing Rarity, she would have probably taken it like a dignified lady, maybe yelling a lot but really not losing her composure. Sure, she could turn into a drama queen over the smallest of things, but when push came to shove, she was one of the strongest-willed mares Sweetie Belle knew. She definitely wouldn't cry. Not all out like a little filly would anyways. Maybe a few tears, but that's it. Yeah, Rarity wouldn't get flustered by something so trivial as a spanking. She'd probably think it more a nuisance than anything really.

The mental image of Rarity being spanked turned into Sweetie Belle herself soon being spanked. Even that was if Scootaloo even came back and agreed to it. Would it hurt a lot? It would hurt for sure, and she'd said it was okay, but how bad? She clenched her buttocks together out of instinct, then laughed nervously at the silly gesture. And froze in horror. There was supposed to be no talking or especially laughing in the corner! She bit her teeth together to make sure there wouldn't be any more outbursts. But how bad could a spanking be? Scootaloo usually didn't cry after taking a bump while playing or scooting, but she'd been crying and bawling when she'd given her those spankings. That meant it had to hurt a lot, didn't it? Back then Sweetie Belle had been using a switch on Scootaloo too. Would Scootaloo give her the switch as well? The thought of Scootaloo's rump dancing from side to side as the switch hit her over and over again brought Sweetie Belle back in time to those weird days in the Summer, when her own body had started doing things she couldn't control. The power she felt as she watched Scootaloo squirm helplessly against the ropes tying her down, begging for her to let her go.

A familiar itch started between Sweetie Belle's legs, but she shook her head to clear her thoughts, her horn rattling against the narrow space it had between the walls. She'd found a new thing to do with her body, but every time she'd tried to touch herself afterwards, she'd remembered the other things that came with it, and pretty soon lost any sort of interest.

How long had she been standing in the corner now? A few minutes? Maybe a quarter of an hour? Half? There was no way to tell. She had a tiny alarm clock somewhere on her bedside table, lost underneath the latest passing of Hurricane Sweetie. She could probably find it, but it'd take time, and she wasn't really sure when she'd been sent to the corner. There was also the fact that she would have to move from the corner, and that was a big no-no. Sweetie Belle knew perfectly well that there was nopony in the house, and that she wouldn't get caught if she stepped out, but that wasn't the point. She'd promised to do whatever Scootaloo told her to, and she wasn't going to risk it for anything.

Scootaloo was sure taking her time just thinking though. Sweetie Belle had thought that her firebrand of a friend would just sit outside on their porch for a few minutes and then come back. As time slowly inched forward, the determination of not moving an inch was slowly starting to change into cold trepidation. What if Scootaloo didn't come back? No, that wouldn't happen. Scootaloo'd never leave her hanging like this? But what if she was so angry at her that she'd just gone home and never wanted to see her again? Scootaloo hadn't said anything when she left, so maybe she'd just told her to stand in the corner so she could run off without any more hassle? Scootaloo wouldn't do stuff like that, would she? It wasn't like her at all. She'd probably made up her mind already and was just waiting for Sweetie Belle to start really sweating and worrying. Yeah, that had to be it. She'd soon rush in and everything was going to be okay. Well, except the spanking, but after that it would all be like it used to be, and they'd get to play together again and have fun. Real Fun with a capital F. Scootaloo always came up with the craziest stuff to do, and even though some of them ended up with crash-landings and bruises and treesap, most of them worked out at least partway, and were pretty awesome. They were a lot scary too, but it was okay because they were together and where the hay was Scootaloo? It must have been at least an hour since she'd left.

A sudden thought flashed up inside Sweetie Belle's head: The saddlebag! Scootaloo had rushed outside, so she'd probably forgotten her saddlebag in the hall. Even on normal visits Scootaloo forgot it half the time and had to come back for it. So if she'd forgotten it, she had to come back after all. But did she leave it? Sweetie Belle could quickly sneak down to the hall downstairs. A quick peek to see if it was still lying there, then immediately back to the corner. It had been way over an hour at least since Scootaloo left, so she'd probably done enough cornertime already. Just a quick peek and right back. It would only take a few seconds, and Scootaloo would never know. No! She had to stay in the corner! She'd promised! If she was going to break her promise, then the whole thing wouldn't work. She had to trust Scootaloo, but oh mane were her legs getting tired of standing.

Was Scootaloo coming back? It had been so long already. Maybe she was at home right now, under a warm blanket reading a comic and eating some nice snacks and laughing at how stupid Sweetie Belle had been. Offering to take a spanking just to be friends again? What kind of a dummy would do something like that? Oh, Celestia, Scootaloo wasn't coming back. She'd probably thought Sweetie was totally cuckoo and wanted nothing to do with her! Maybe she could explain to her that she'd been desperate and so scared that she'd just blurted out whatever. Try to laugh the whole thing off. But that would have to wait until Monday, unless Scootaloo had forgotten her bag and had to come back for it! She had to go check!

Sweetie Belle leaned beck from the corner, seeing the two damp spots left by her cheeks where she'd been leaning her head, and immediately pushed her head back with a thunk. She couldn't leave the corner! No way was she going to break her promise! Scootaloo would come! But what if she didn't!? No, she would! WAS THE BAG THERE!? Once more she leaned back from the wall, just a few inches. She lifted a forehoof up, feeling it tingle from falling asleep from being still so long. She quickly put it down and leaned back into the corner, but couldn't stay still for more than a few seconds. Her whole universe had shrunk into one burning question, and if she didn't find out, she'd probably explode. Once again she leaned back... and heard it.

The front door. Had it just been opened and closed? The rain was rapping against the window so hard that it was hard to hear. Were those hoofsteps coming up the stairs? If they were, Scootaloo was sure taking her sweet time. Maybe she was trying to sneak up on her to give her a scare? Any moment now she'd jump on Sweetie Belle and bury her forehooves into Sweetie Belle's sides. The thought made goosebumps run along her back. Scootaloo was the best sneaker one out of the Crusaders by a long shot, making Sweetie Belle sound like a bumbling ox and Apple Bloom like a wild elephant in comparison. She could be just behind her, right now, just looking at her, seeing if she'd make a move. Was that her breathing? Was she just a few feet behind her, enjoying seeing Sweetie Belle squirm, waiting to see if she'd move. Sweetie Belle shifted her weight uneasily from one pair of legs to another, nervously feeling her tail swish against her rump. The same rump Scootaloo was going to be spanking in a minute. How would Scootaloo do it? Over her lap? Or would she make Sweetie Belle bend over a chair or her bed? Would she tie her up to make her unable to escape, just like Sweetie Belle had done to her? She was sure being super patient with her stalking. Maybe she'd imagined the whole thing, and was just worried about an empty room? Maybe she could take a peek without Scootaloo noticing? No, there was no way she'd be able to do it sneakily enough.

This time she definitely heard it. Their front door had just opened and closed, hadn't it? And there were clear hoofsteps slowly walking up the stairs. Someone foal-sized. It had to be Scootaloo! She'd done it! She'd stood in the corner all that time and waited without moving. At least not looking away from the corner.

"Seriously? You're still in there?" Scootaloo said behind her.

Sweetie Belle wanted to tell her everything, how she hadn't moved at all, but she caught herself just before she blurted it all out. Maybe Scootaloo was testing her to see if she'd talk in the corner. She wouldn't fall for that.

"Hey, you can stop now," Scootaloo said.

With a relieved sigh, Sweetie Belle turned around. "I didn't move an inch! Because I promised you I wouldn't. I really wanted to see how long I'd been standing there and it must have been over an hour or something and then I thought you wouldn't come and maybe you forgot your bag and I had to come back for it and—"

"Woah! Slow down!" Scootaloo said. She wiped her wet mane from her face. She'd clearly been out in the rain for a good while. "An hour? I wasn't gone for more than maybe fifteen minutes. I just went home and came back on my scooter.

Sweetie Belle sat down on the floor, her aching legs thanking her for the kind gesture. "Really? But it felt like ages!"

Scootaloo shook her head, a few droplets falling from her mane. "Nope, twenty tops." she gave a short smirk, clearly proud of how fast she'd been. It didn't last too long though.

"Hey, I'll go get your towel and you can dry off," Sweetie Belle said, and moved for the door.

Scootaloo jumped in front of her and put up a forehoof. "No! Don't go out the room! I left something in the hallway and you can't see it.

"Oh, okay," Sweetie Belle said, then jumped in the air. "Does that mean you'll do it!?" she shrieked. Her horn sputtered out a few sparks out of sheer enthusiasm.

Scootaloo had to step back from her. "Y-yeah, I'll do it." She squinted her eyes at Sweetie Belle. "Do you realise I'm going to spank you?"

Sweetie's hooves turned into lead and she fell down to the floor. "Oh yeah, that." She was going to get the first spanking of her life. And it was going to happen right now.

Suddenly the whole idea didn't feel all that great at all.