Ropes and Chains and other Delightful Things

Summer.

Long days and beautiful nights.

Swimming in the local pond. Play dates. Sleepovers…

That almost magical time of year when the colt next door just seemed to be a little cuter, even if they were still annoying.

Fun for the foals, headaches for the parents.

There was nothing quite like the combination of school being out for the summer, with nothing better to do, and then going into heat, with nothing to distract you. Nopony could say if school being out for the summer was meant to keep colts and filly’s apart, so they weren’t cooped up in the classroom together or so that they had time to ‘play’ without it being the teacher’s fault.

Either way, it was more time for the Cutie Mark Crusaders to figure out how to get their cutie marks… at long last. They were ‘late bloomers’ by every definition, with several younger ponies being gotten cutie marks before them. It was getting old quick.

Having a cutie mark would give them more access to adult type activities that fillies and young adults without a cutie mark weren’t allowed to do. Of course, nature in general didn’t care about whether a pony had or didn’t have something, and it didn’t take them long to realize that they were going into heat. Again.

This wasn’t their first heat, but it might as well have been. Not having a cutie mark greatly restricted what they were allowed to do despite being eighteen now.

The looks the younger colts had been giving them was unnerving. The looks the older stallions were giving them was worse. The three of them agreed amongst themselves that Sweetie Belle was the cutest of the three of them but now all three of them were getting extra attention and they weren’t sure that they liked it.

Being eighteen had its advantages, mostly in feminine development. Sweetie Belle had an almost classic beauty, complete with the largest rack of the three of them, with a commendable Size C cup size. Apple Bloom was muscular and well-built from working on the farm, and while her chest was smaller than Sweetie Belle’s, as only a Size B cup size, it was clear that she’d at least give her older sister a run for her money once her tits finished filling out completely. Scootaloo, had the smallest rack, but she liked that since she preferred to be cool… not cute. From her time on the scooter and other athletic activities, she was lithe with a fit, trim and small chested body. She could still pass as a younger teenager and not as the adult that she was. They were legally considered adults at eighteen years old, although without a cutie mark, they were still treated like children when it came to certain things, which made everything else harder.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were good friends with the Crusaders following that disastrous Student Pony President incident years ago, but they couldn’t help them with their recent crusading while having their own heat to deal with. The girls weren’t interested in dating until they got their cutie marks, and they weren’t looking for a one-night stand… at least not one with a pony they would see around town every week. All of them had been warned of the trouble that ex-coltfriends could cause… especially in a town as small as Ponyville. Still… being in heat, again, without a coltfriend was borderline unbearable.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were already waiting in the old clubhouse when Scootaloo came through the door with a huff.

Apple Bloom turned to her friend and raised an eyebrow. “Somethin’ wrong, Scoots?”

She sighed. “Just the usual. I’m still in heat and the colts and stallions can smell it. It’s so hot that I’m sweating in places that I didn’t know could sweat.”

The two girls exchanged a look and Apple Bloom responded. “Scoots… ya’re wearing a white cotton t-shirt and no bra. Yah would almost be less obvious if yah went naked. We can see yare tits and nipples as clearly as if yah wanted everypony ta look at them.”

Scootaloo looked down at her sweaty wet t-shirt with disdain and pulled it off, exposing herself. “Are these stupid things really that cute? I don’t see what the big deal is.”

The two girls looked at Scootaloo’s A-cup sized chest with a slight blush. Apple Bloom was almost envious of Scootaloo’s smaller chest, given that her larger chest was starting to interfere with her ability to do certain tasks on the farm. She didn’t know how Applejack managed as well as she did with her rack.

Sweetie Belle smiled and answered the question. “There’s a cup size for every colt. Some like ‘em big and some like them small. If you ask me… that is part of the reason why Diamond and Silver aren’t willing to help us right now. Me and Bloom have bigger tits than both of them and while that might not normally bother them, during heat, it’s impossible not to notice.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Here. We have a few clean, dry shirts on stand-by. Put this on and let’s talk about how we’re goin’ ta get our cutie marks today.”

Scootaloo finished putting the shirt on and smiled. “I have the coolest idea… if I can figure out what it means and how to do it.”

Sweetie Belle beamed while Apple Bloom seemed to hop in place, bouncing her modest tits up and down in a mesmerizing motion. Scootaloo wasn’t interested in girls, other than Rainbow Dash, but her heat was making even normal interactions more sexual. They had been going into heat since they were twelve, but they still didn’t seem to have a good way to deal with it. Yet.

Scootaloo had to shake it off and focus. “While I was in town, one of the bolder colts asked me if I wanted to hit the hay with him in an alley to blow off some heat. I told him off but said, and I quote, ‘How about I tie you to a tree and beat the crap out of you?’ A nearby mare overheard me say that and she commented that, ‘With that attitude… you’d make a good dominatrix.’ Now… I’ve never heard that term before and the mare got flustered and wouldn’t tell me what it was when I asked her what it meant. So, I’ve spent the better part of the last two hours asking mares around town what a dominatrix is and nopony will tell me! I know it’s something we’ve never tried before so how cool is that?”

Sweetie Belle clapped her hands together in excitement. “I bet Rarity knows! Let’s go ask her!”

The cutie mark crusaders entered Carousel Boutique and waited for Rarity to finish what she was working on. Time and experience had taught them to be patient when it came to getting anything from Rarity and fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long today.

Rarity looked up from the completed dress with a frown. Sweetie Belle hedged a comment. “Is something wrong, Rarity?”

Rarity shook her head and tutted. “It’s not wrong, per se, but it’s definitely not my style. However, this is exactly what the customer wanted so I’ll just have to wash my hands of it and hope they don’t brag too much about where they got it from. This was also the last commission I had waiting for completion so now I have nothing to do! The next Counsel of Friendship meeting is over two weeks away. You girls wouldn’t happen to be free, would you darlings?”

Sweetie eyed her sister with suspicion. “You want to update our measurements again and then make us some extra frilly dresses to wear around town to advertise the store since your bored.”

Rarity wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t. “Normally I’d just start making the dresses and then talk you into it later once they were almost done since I put in such a lot of work, but I can’t do that anymore. I can barely keep up with your consistently updating bust sizes. It won’t take long, I promise.”

Sweetie nodded. “Alright. We’ll help you with the store if you help us.”

Rarity smiled warmly at her sister as she got up on the podium for new measurements. “Of course, darling. Anything you want.”

Rarity had started taping Sweetie Belle when Scootaloo asked the question on their minds bluntly. “Do you know what a dominatrix is?”

Rarity’s eyes tightened in a way that showed her displeasure, but she kept her voice under control. “I trust that you have a good reason for asking that?”

Scootaloo relayed the same story to Rarity that she had told to her friends earlier while Rarity got the new measurements for all three girls.

Rarity mumbled to herself. ‘I don’t care what Cream Heart does with Button Mash behind closed doors in the privacy of their own home, but she needs to stop corrupting the town’s fillies and younger mares.’

Rarity cleared her throat. “I don’t suppose there is any point in trying to talk you out of this, so I won’t try. That being said… there is more than one way to be a dominatrix. As a matter of fact… there are at least 19 different styles… though I doubt that girls as young as you could pull off all of them. In general, a dominatrix, as the name implies, is normally the dominant one. The most common time is during sex or during some other sexual foreplay. However, outside of the bedroom, it can also involve manipulation… or emotional control… like offering to take a partner out to eat but then changing your mind halfway there and claiming that they didn’t really want to eat there in the first place.”

Apple Bloom muttered. “That kinda sounds like what Diamond Tiara does ta Silver Spoon. Ah would have never thought that what she was doing was a form of domination, but it fits. Ah know ah wouldn’t like ta be a long-term relationship like that.”

Rarity continued. “Very few ponies keep up a dominatrix role or attitude permanently although we could all probably name a few ponies where that attitude comes more naturally. I’ve personally found that being too assertive all the time can hurt relationships as the deeper relationships do require a degree of give and take. Acting as a dominatrix is usually just for certain prearranged encounters, sexual or otherwise. The other side of the coin is the submissive. They take the punishment from their dom, but they can also take the lead in meeting the physical, mental or emotional needs of their partner. Like… throwing a tea party perfectly suited to their dom’s taste. Some ponies play a dom or sub role professionally for money. They tailor their attitudes to exactly what the client wants. It can be simple or complex and of course, requires patience and practice.”

Scootaloo had been following along closely. “So… you can get a cutie mark in being a dominatrix?”

Rarity winced. “I can’t say for sure that I’ve ever seen one… and if such ponies exist, they probably live and work in Las Pegasus where the commercial practice of such a trade is most common. If you’re going to give this a real try, you’re going to need the right supplies. Dominatrix leathers, lingerie, whips, chains, ball gags…”

Sweetie Belle frowned. “And where do we get all that?”

Rarity fanned herself, clearly overheating from the hot under collar conversation. “Darling… there are no sex shops in Ponyville… and the regular general goods stores only can provide such things from special order, as they don’t carry them in stock normally. And even if they did carry them in stock, you would be considered too young to buy any of it, despite being eighteen.”

Apple Bloom sighed dejectedly. “This is about our lack of cutie marks again, ain’t it… Then how are we supposed ta get any of it?”

All three sets of eyes turned to Rarity, and she sighed. She seemed to consider the question honestly but still didn’t know what or how much to say. Her thoughts were brooding.

Buck it… they are eighteen. If a line is going to be crossed, then it needs to be crossed cleanly. And fashionably.

“There is a traveling Zebra merchant that sells these types of adult toys that just so happens to pass through Ponyville regularly. I believe he may be related to Zecora, but I can’t say for certain. Zebra culture is… different than pony culture. He would be willing to sell you anything and everything that he sells without question. He might even be persuaded to offer a discount for the right exchange of services. Full dominatrix gear is expensive, but you only need the toys… I’ll make you girls a full set of dominatrix leathers and submissive lingerie to wear during your… sessions. You may have to be patient with him coming and going on a whim… just check the town marketplace everyday and you’ll find him eventually. I should have the outfits done for you before you get the toys you need.”

Scootaloo nodded. “I guess that means that we’re going to be doing something normal today while we wait… but… how are we supposed to pay for the toys? Aren’t they expensive?”

Rarity tilted her head in agreement. “Yes… the cost can really add up. I’ll tell you what… I’ll sweeten the deal. If you three will model both a frilly dress and another ‘upscale everyday outfit’ made by me to an official promotion of my store… I’ll pay you the same as I would normally pay to a professional model, and you can use that money to buy your new toys.”

Sweetie Belle licked her lips. “That sounds too good to be true… why ‘hire’ us?”

Rarity bit her lip. “The new line of clothing I’m creating is for older teens and young adults. It’s an untapped market in the town given that most of the clothes I make are for older adults. For better or worse… there are very few Teen and young adult models… so I’d more than likely be forced to hire you or a few of the other teens or mares in the town to model the outfits anyways. Given a choice, darling, I’d rather pay you and your friends than some random pony from the town. Kills two birds with one stone.”

Apple Bloom eyed Rarity uncertainly. “Ah may not be the element of honesty, but ah can tell when somepony is holding back.”

Rarity hated being called out, but she knew it was true. “Plausible deniability, darling. I don’t want to be accused of buying this stuff for you… and I’ll deny even having told you where you can buy it for yourselves. But I won’t stop you from buying it or using it… as long as your careful. You all may well be adults, but you are still accountable to your families. Sweetie Belle has my permission as her guardian to be a little risqué, but the rest of you are on your own. Whatever happens… I’m washing my hands of it.”