Friendship is Gambling

Luna sat next to the bed. There was a rustling of the trees coming from outside one of the windows, and as it awoke Rainbow, she looked warily towards her mistress.

"Princess Lun- I mean... Ms. Luna?"

The pony looked at Rainbow with sagging eyes, and asked, "Why are you up?" There was a momentary pause. "Go ahead and sleep..."

"Are... you alright?"

The two mares just stayed still for quite awhile until at last, Luna gave up. "No... I did something... terrible to you, and you didn't deserve it at all. Wh-what's wrong with me?"

She looked at Rainbow confusingly. "It's... alright. Like I said, I forgave you."

Responding with a sigh, Luna gestured, "That may not be enough. I think that I... should just let you go."

Again, another pause.

"But... why?"

Luna breathed in deeply before saying, "Rainbow Dash..." It had been days since Rainbow had last heard anypony use her first name. "You have a chance to escape my custody. Just... take it."

Rainbow could feel herself slowly, and intensely breathing. Was this for real? Was this actually happening? She had a get out of jail free card, but was she to use it?

"No," Rainbow said while she shook her head left and right. "No, that's not happening... Ms. Luna." She looked Luna right in the eyes, and told her, "I lost... because I was stupid enough to think that I ever even had a chance of going up against an alicorn like you. A normal pony with any brains would've refused your offer that day. I've turned down con artists in the streets of Manehatten that had worse setups than what you came up with."

Luna blinked with raised eyebrows. "Dash..."

"I... promise..." She hoofed at her torso, and pointed at herself. "I'll stay with you until the very end... because..." She looked down for a few seconds, and then, she got up to approach Luna. "Hey... It's not like I'm having a terrible time." She kissed Luna before saying, "You've been a great host so far, and I can't wait to find out what tonight's going to be like... even though I know that I'll be cleaning something! Hehe..."

Luna snickered, too, but then, she remembered what she had originally planned for the night. "Well then, Ms. Dash..." She smiled happily at Rainbow. "Would you kindly hold still... This will tingle, but I think you'll enjoy the end result." Her Highness's horn flared a particularly interesting hue of blue, and as her aura encompassed Rainbow, all the maid could do was try her best not to shake and shiver where she stood. "Tonight, Ms. Dash... You'll be receiving a little bit of assistance. After all, two maids are better than one."