Dominant Ideal

The weather is freezing. I've been here Celestia knows how long. I can't even remember when was the last time I could feel my hooves. I hate the mountains, and most of all, I hate snow. The blinding white stuff gets everywhere. It doesn't help that I was stranded here after my ride crashed. All I could take with me were these goggles and my trusty black turtleneck. I wish I'd had time to pick up my suitcase which was full of the gadgets that Number Pi gave me for the mission. Well, a good agent makes do. And the goggles have kept me from going blind up here. How can there even be so much snow? I'm way above the clouds already. But normal rules of nature don't work here. No pegasi come here to clean the slopes or cut down the sharp icicles that threaten to rip my shirt whenever I slip past them. I wouldn't put it past for the clouds to snow upwards here. It's that kind of a place.

I didn't even have time to send out a S.O.S when I went down. The Agency doesn't know where I am. No help is coming for me. All I know is that S.N.A.K.E is after me, and the only direction I can go is up. The thought gives me a clear purpose. When all you can do is one thing, you do it as hard as you can, and maybe, just maybe, you'll pull through. I've never given up, and I'm not going to start now that I'm lost here, far behind The Princess' back.

As I climb up the last ledge and finally reach the high plateau, my heart sinks down to my numb limbs. I was hoping something, ANYTHING, to be here. But instead of my salvation, I find the sneering face of Mane Hari, the international mare of mystery, staring at me.

"Agent double-ou-zero. How nice of you to join us," she says, "or should I just say Con Mane?" Her sneer turns into a wicked smile, even colder than the mountaintop. She's dressed warmly in a thick winter coat and even has a nice warm cap covering her mane. Only her white horn is visible from underneath its warmth. Warm, warm, warm... That's all I can think of when I see her. She leisurely takes a sip from the cup of cocoa she's been drinking, and then pours it in the powdery snow in front of me. I'm not giving her the satisfaction of crying out, but I have to fight to keep my mouth shut.

"You should know by now that SNAKE has this whole mountain surrounded. The only way out is on my helicopter. You are, of course, welcome to join me, Mr. Mane."

"So nice of you to offer a ride to a stranger, Miss Hari. I can't help but worry, though, that the rosy offer might have a hidden barb."

The secret agent of S.N.A.K.E gives a shrill laughter, so unbecoming of her beautiful looks and glittering eyes. "You know as well as I do, that our leader, Stavro Bridlefeldt, is waiting for you at his ski lodge, only a few miles away. I hear he has a new pair of ski boots he's been itching to try."

"I can imagine, my dear. But there might be a small factor that you have forgotten."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Unicorn magic doesn't work this high up. It's the air here. It's so thin that it cannot carry you twisted spells."
The gloating mare seems to be taken aback by the information that almost every pony knows from elementary school. It seems that the Number One Agent of the nefarious S.N.A.K.E missed an important lesson. Or maybe not, I think, as her shrill laughter once again fills the air.

"You think I would not take something as elementary as that into my plans? No, Mr. Mane. I brough a friend today. BIT BAT! Come here!"

Bit Bat. It had to be Bit Bat, Bridlefeldt's favored bruiser. I've gone a few rounds with the monster and never ended up victorious. Usually it takes all my training in Kara-hizume just to distract him long enough for me to skawker. And now I'm stuck here, on a mountaintop, with nowhere to run. This is not looking good. With trepidation I turn to look at my future assailant and expect to see his trademark saw-edged fedora.

And I only see a white snowfield before me.

"Hey wasn't Apple Bloom supposed to come over today?" the orange pegasus filly, dressed in a black turtleneck and goggles, asked in confusion.

"Yeah... but I guess she's still grounded." The unicorn filly, on the other hoof, took the opportunity to ease her winter jacket open for a moment to let the cool summer breeze in.

"Still? It's been a week now! How long's her sis gonna keep her locked up?"
The unicorn only shrugged. "Well... what are we gonna do now? We can't do the scene without Bit Bat"

"I guess well just have to... IMPROVISE!" yelled the pegasus and charged directly at the other filly, catching her completely off guard."

"SCOOTS! WE'RE ON THE ROOOOAIEEEEEE!"

The duo of spies plummeted down from the roof of Crusader HQ and down to the ground several feet below. Sweetie Belle managed to find a soft landing place, but unfortunately for Scootaloo, she was that place.

"OWWW!" the unicorn filly shouted, more out of habit than of actual pain. She quickly noticed the body of her friend underneath her and rolled to her side. "Hey Scootaloo. You okay there?"

The orange filly didn't answer immediately, but instead opted for a lungful of air after having the wind knocked out from her. After a few laboured gasps, she finally managed to get enough air to speak.

"Yeah... I guess so." She tried to get up, but only managed to rise up to her elbows before falling down on her back again with a small grunt.

"You sure? I mean... we musta fallen at least twenty feet down."

"More like ten. And I'm okay. Really. I think I'm gonna have a bump but that's all"

"Bump? Where?"

"I think... everywhere?" she tried to flash a grin, but thought better of it and only closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

"So..."

"Hmh?"

Two heavy hooves landed on top of the orange pegasus' shoulders. "I got you now, Con Mane. You're in no condition to fight, so give up and come quietly!" She leaned in closer so that their muzzles were almost touching. Scootaloo could smell the faint traces of pepperminty toothpaste the unicorn had used in the morning.

"Don't you remember... " Scootaloo muttered, "that Con Mane NEVER gives up!" She quickly dug her forehooves deep into her assailant's sides and started rolling them around as fast as she could.

"EEEK! Nooo-ho-ohoo fa-he-he-heeeir!"

"Hah! My secret agent training allows me to fight even when weakened! What do you say, Mane Hari! Give up!" she called out as she rolled both of them around, ending on top of the unicorn filly instead.

"Ahhhaaaahahhaahaa Con... Scoots.... hiiii"

"What was that?

"UNCLE!"

"I knew it!" Scootaloo yelled in triumph as she lifted both of her forehooves high in the air and fell directly on her back.
The white unicorn had already gotten up and was inching closer to her prey. "This isn't over, Con Mane. I'll get you for this—" she was interrupted by the evil grin and deviously half-closed eyes of her friend as she made a warning gesture with her hoof. With a gulp, Sweetie Belle continued, "...one day," and fell on her back as well. They were both soon overcome with giggles, and for a while they just lied on the grass, side by side and looked at the few slowly moving clouds that the weatherponies hadn't cleared out yet.

"Hey Scoots... you sure you're alright? I mean we did fall kinda far."

"Didn't I tell you I was fine? It'll take a lot more than a small erm... EMERGENCY LANDING like that to slow the most awesomest pegasus in Ponyville down!"

"I thought Rainbow Dash was the most awesomest pegasus in town?"

"Well... she... I... Actually Rainbow Dash once told me I have great stamina."

"No way. She did?"

"Yeah. Told me I was built for crashing."

"Is that good?"

"Of course it is! You can't be the best if you aren't prepared to get hurt. At least that's what she said. "

"So... is that why you keep crashing all the time?"

"NO! It's not like I do it on purpose," the pegasus filly said with a slight pout on her face.

"Teehee, sorry."

"Mmm... It's okay."

"You ever had to go to the hospital?"

"Whah?"

"Yeah, like, after crashing. You ever had to go to the hospital?"

"A few times but... I usually just go home if I get hurt."

"But if you get hurt, shouldn't you—"

"The doc always asks so many questions on how I got hurt and then they want my parents to pick me up and they're usually away somewhere and mom can only come pick me up real late after she gets home and stuff. And I can't really ask a neighbour to pick me up and we don't really have that many friends either so... it's kind of a hassle so I'd rather go straight home. And mom patches me up when she gets home."

"Is your mom, like, a doctor or something?"

"Yeah."

"Really?" Sweetie's voice snuck up a few octaves as she turned to look at her friend.

"She works in Cloudsdale Central Hospital. She's some really hotshot specialist or something and has to work really long days and stuff."

"So... she flies to Cloudsdale every day then?"

"Usually yeah. And she goes to other hospitals sometimes too. That's why we live in Ponyville. She says that it doesn't matter where we live cos she'd still have to go everywhere, so it might as well be here."

Once again they just returned to staring at the blue summer sky. It felt like it was endless, like you could fall up into the blue sky and never stop falling. They marveled at the beauty of it in amazement that only a foal can muster at something so simple for what felt like an eternity, but was something more on the lines of a few seconds.

"Snack time?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"You kidding? I thought we'd never stop just lying around."

They made their way into the shade of the Clubhouse and removed their costumes. Sweetie put her clothes back into her saddlebags and pulled out a large bag.

"What are you having Scoots?"

"I've got a tomato sammich and some dried banana chips."

"Wow! where'd you get dried bananas?"

"Bon Bon's. She says they're kinda like candy, but healthier."

"When'd you start caring about healthy?"

"Hey! I'm an athlete! I gotta watch my diet."

"Right... so wanna trade a few chips?"

"Depends. What are you offering?"

"Well I kinda only got a big bag of carrots."

"Carrots? No thanks. I don't eat them."

"Huh? How can somepony not eat carrots?"

"I just don't, okay. I don't wanna talk about it," Scootaloo said, in an irritated voice.

"Okay okay. Sorry I asked."

Scootaloo only grunted and muttered something under her breath, and they finished their meals in silence. Or at least the pegasus filly did. Sweetie had packed way too many carrots to eat in one go, and put the rest back into her saddlebags.

"Umm... Scoots?"

"Mmmh?"

"So you really don't eat carrots?"

"I told you to let it go."

"It's not that. It's just... well if I ever told my folks or sis that I won't eat something, they made me sit in the table until I ate it."

"Really? My folks never do that."

"That's so unfair. So you've never had to eat pickled baby onions? Or," she had to stop herself from retching, "spinach?"

"Nah. I usually cook for myself, or mom just makes what I ask."

"You cook for yourself?"

"Yeah. Mom leaves me some bits and I go shop at the market and then head home. Cooking's kinda easy when you get the hang of it."

"My folks tell me I'm a good cook, but the stuff I make usually ends up being... brown."

"Brown?"

"Yeah. Like burned or stuff. I once even burned juice."

"How's that even possible?" Scootaloo asked while trying her best to hide her giggles behind her hoof.

"It wasn't my fault!" she answered, and ignored her friend. "I followed the instructions on the machine to a letter! I don't know why it didn't work! I even measured the ground beans with this really tiny measure and made sure I added the right amount of juice in the tank and stuff."

"You... you actually made juice in... in a coffee machine?" By this point the pegasus was openly laughing and holding her stomach.

"HEY! Stop laughing! Dad told me it tasted good!"

The conversation ended with Sweetie harrumphing and turning to pout, while Scootaloo finally managed to stifle her chortles.

"Scootaloo... I think you've been really naughty."

"What?" The pegasus' final giggles stopped cold.

"Yeah. I think that only naughty fillies refuse to eat their food... and I think you need someone to teach you a lesson."

"Wait... what? What are you talking about?"

"If your parents won't tell you how to act then... I guess I have to be your big sister today and teach you some proper manners."

"You don't mean... Are you gonna..?" Scootaloo was already blushing, having finally figured out where her friend was going with this.

"Yes, Scootaloo. I think you deserve a punishment." The white unicorn could also feel her cheeks starting to glow and her heart starting to pound from excitement. But there was something else that she didn't expect. Anger. She was starting to feel really angry.

"Well. Um. If you say so, big sis?" The usual flair was gone from the pegasus' voice, and instead it had become a little bit quieter. Sweetie thought it sounded more fillyish than the normal rough, tomcoltish way her friend used to speak in.

"Well... young lady. I think... I think that first of all you are going to do some corner time to think about what you've done."

"Corner time? But I've never been sent to the corner before... "

"Well now you are. Get moving. Right over there." Sweetie pointed to the far corner of the Clubhouse, the one furthest one from the door and the window.

Scootaloo hadn't expected something like this. It was her first time to be sent to a corner, and even though the Clubhouse was like a second home to her by now, the intersection between the two walls suddenly felt a lot darker than usual. As she walked up to it, Sweetie was right behind her.

"Now sit down as close to the corner as you can and put your forehead against the wall. And no peeking around or talking. And hold your forehooves behind your back. Now you gotta think about why you are in trouble and what's gonna happen next."

"Wait! What's going to happen next?"

"No talking! You're just making things worse for yourself, young lady." Sweetie was using all the phrases her parents used whenever she was caught doing something bad. It felt so good to be the one commanding someone else and knowing they'd do whatever you told them to. But there was something even more, but she couldn't put her hoof on what it was. She watched her friend for a while, sitting with her head against the wooden surfaces of the corner.

Sweetie wasn't a stranger to the corner herself. It was one of the favored ways of her parents to discipline her. She could remember the feeling that came with being sent to the corner. You couldn't see anything, and all the time you felt like you were being watched. If you moved even the tiniest bit, someone would call you out on it, so you had to stay absolutely still. And the position felt easy at first, just having to sit down, but she knew there was something more to it. When you leaned forward, you had to keep your head way down to reach the corner with your head. That made you look at the wall from only half an inch, and it would get harder to breathe too. And you couldn't support your body with your forehooves because they were behind your back. Worst of all was the waiting, while your parents were thinking about a suitable punishment for you. Being sent to the corner ALWAYS preceded something worse. And you knew it. Your imagination would run wild, thinking about all the things they could do to you, because they really could. You'd disappointed them and done something wrong, and now there was nothing you could do but take it.

She'd never thought what it looked like when someone else was doing corner-time. Scootaloo was already sweating, for a part of course for the heat in the small Clubhouse, but also from nervousness. She already had a plan. Sweetie'd never admit it to Scootaloo, but she'd been anxiously waiting for another chance to punish her friend, even having had a dream about it one night. That's when she'd gotten her best idea yet. The corner-time was just a warm-up.

"Now, Scootaloo. You wanted to know what happens next? Well I think that the best way to make you think about what you've done is give you a good reminder about it. I think that when you go to bed today, a hurting butt will do the trick." With delight she saw how Scootaloo instinctively moved her forehooves downwards to cover her rear. She had to stifle a small giggle of joy. It was all working perfectly up to now.

"And there's more. Because last time you squirmed around so much when I was giving you your punishment, I think I'll have to do something about that."

"Wait! Sweetie! What are you—"

"No talking in the corner, Scootaloo!" It was almost too much for the unicorn filly. Scootaloo was already twitching nervously in the corner, and all she'd had to say were a few words. And it would only get better from now on. But it was time to get to work.

"Now remember, no peeking and no moving. I'm gonna prepare your punishment now."

Sweetie started gathering the things she needed from around the room while keeping a close eye on her friend in the corner. First of all she went to the table and pushed it noisily to the corner next to the one Scootaloo was waiting in. The pegasus gave a big shiver as goosebumps ran through her back from the noise, but she didn't move. Next was the thing Sweetie was most excited about. She went to her saddlebags again and brought out the roll of twine she'd taken from her sister's shop. It was much too thick and coarse for sewing, but Rarity used it for tying mail packages she sent to her customers. She'd also brought a pair of scissors to cut it to size. But first... there was one more thing.

"Scootaloo... I'm going out for a moment. You will NOT move an inch until I'm back or you'll get in SO much trouble."

Scootaloo was by now almost in tears. The corner thing was much worse than she thought. She was sure that it hadn't been designed with pegasi in mind, because when you tried to hold your forehooves behind your back your wings would get in your way. Ponies didn't even usually need to reach behind their back, so she was unused to the position. And leaning on the wall was making her neck ache from all the weight. And her hindlegs were going to sleep from having so much weight put onto them. The temptation to lift her head up or even move around a bit was almost unbearable. Especially now that Sweetie had gone out. She could so easily just rest for a bit and move around, and she'd never know, right?

Scootaloo almost gave in, when a frightful thought made its way into her mind. What if Sweetie wasn't anywhere far, and was actually looking at her, seeing if she'd move. With a gulp the pegasus remembered Sweetie choosing the corner directly opposite the window. Was her friend... her big sis just waiting outside, watching her in the corner. It was a silly thought, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to move from the corner, out of fear of being caught doing something bad.

She was also supposed to be thinking about what she'd done to be in trouble. The pegasus knew it was mostly just Sweetie setting up the stage for their game, but somehow it felt like there was something more to it. She'd seemed genuinely angry about something. But Scootaloo knew she'd never eat carrots. Sweetie didn't know the reason why she hated carrots so much, and she'd never tell. After a long, long time in the corner, she heard hooffalls behind her, coming inside the Clubhouse. But there was no voice. Just someone, standing there, looking at her. Maybe it wasn't even Sweetie Belle, she thought in horror. Maybe someone was there, looking at her back as she was sitting in the corner in shame. What if it was Applejack who'd come to check on them or some other adult. How'd she explain what they were doing? Would she get into real trouble for this?

"Are you ready for your punishment, Scootaloo?" came Sweetie's voice from behind the pegasus. What really scared her was that her friend's voice sounded really nasty. It had a sharp edge that was usually missing from her happy voice. Maybe Sweetie was getting a bit too much into their game.

"Yeah."

"Good. Now get your butt over here."

Scootaloo was both relieved and anxious when she finally got to leave the corner. She noticed that her forehead had left a dark stain on the corner from her nervous sweat. Sweetie reminding her of her butt being in pain soon didn't help either. As she turned around, she was horrified to see Sweetie standing next to the table, playfully rolling a ball of string on the table.

"Like I said, Scootaloo. Last time I gave your butt what it deserved, you kept moving around so much that I could hardly keep you down. Now I think I'll use a bit of this twine," she paused to deliberately make the pegasus look at the item in question, "to tie you up."

"Uh... you serious? I mean... If I promise to not move around so much and—"

"No."

After looking at the string and feeling her feet begin to shiver, she finally managed to say in barely a whisper, "Okay."

"Move over here and stand at the corner of the table. I'm gonna tie your hindhooves to the corner leg of the table so you won't move away. And don't worry, my sister taught me how to make really good knots, so you won't be going anywhere."

The orange filly moved to her place, and put her forehooves on the table while trying to position her hindhooves so they could be tied to the leg. Sweetie didn't wait for long, crouching near the floor and starting to roll the string around Scootaloo's hooves. First she rolled it around a few times around each of the pegasus' pasterns and doing a few loops on the either side of her fetlocks. Then the unicorn started moving upwards, circling the string around several times, finally reaching Scootaloo's gaskins, and after making sure the string wasn't too tight, but still kept the filly in place, she tied a simple double knot to secure the tie.

"That string is... kinda tight."

"Stop being a crybaby. Next I'm gonna do your forehooves too."

"Eh? I thought it was just gonna be the backs."

"No. I'm gonna make sure you stay still. So lie forward and put your hooves together."

Without saying anything further, Scootaloo complied. Her hindlegs were really tightly bound, and leaning forward on the table made her realize how exposed her backside would soon be. She couldn't help but clench her buttocks nervously.

"Are you feeling nervous, Scoots?" Sweetie asked in a sing-song voice that was usually only reserved for sniping at Diamond Tiara. The unicorn gave a small smack on the pegasus' behind, eliciting a surprised yelp from the tied-up pony as she instinctively covered her rear.

"Wait! Weren't you gonna tie my hooves first?"

"Just a little taste of what's coming next. Now show me those hooves, it seems you really can't keep them away."

Sweetie once again got to work, tying several loops of the string around each of her prone friend's hooves.

"Now put them underneath you."

"Why?"

"Cos... cos I said so! I'm the big sis so you gotta do what I tell you to."

"Oh... yeah right. Just..." It was hard to get up from lying face first with effectively one hoof, but somehow Scootaloo managed to get up to her elbows and then finally to lift up her whole upper body. "There. Is that good?"

"Nope. I said under. You have to lie down again but with those hooves under your belly."

"Oh... I get it." The orange pegasus lowered herself down with an unceremonious thump and a small wince from the unicorn.

"That looked like it hurt."

"Nah... My chin is my hardest part. I always seem to fall headfirst, so it's used to this by now."

Scootaloo gave a nervous chuckle, but Sweetie Belle just kept quiet.

"That's enough laughing. Because you dared to laugh, I'm going to tie your forehooves even tighter!" Not waiting for possible protests, she took another piece of string and slipped it through the knots between Scootaloos forehooves and circled the string all the way around the pegasus' stomach, sides and back near her tail, securing them tightly in place. Sweetie then looped anothers string through the ties behind the orange pony's back, and secured her tail in the same string, lifting it up and away from her rump.

"What... even the tail?"

"Even the tail... and now the wings."

"Umm... No."

"What? How dare you say no to your Big Sis?"

"No it's not that... I mean... you... really shouldn't tie my wings. Or you know... pegasus' wings. It's dangerous. At least mom told me so. Some stuff about involuntary muscle movement and stuff."

"Really? I didn't know that." Sweetie had clearly been waiting to tie the orange pegasus' wings. "Well... we'll skip the wings I guess."

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me. You know what comes next?", Sweetie Belle asked with a wide grin spreading on her face.

"Y-Yeah"