//------------------------------//
// The Bet 
// Story: Why Maids Don't Date the Guards 
// by Lunarus Solaris Nexus 
//------------------------------//

	It'd been a long week. Not just Luna's study but even Nexus'! There are a lot of oil stains on the floor for some reason, why would computer circuits need oil? Regardless, annoying Nexus with the wines is payback enough. Though he's been… happier? I can't really tell, I think he's more complacent than happy. He's smiling at jokes so maybe he is happier? Either way, I'm liking him more. Tonight he's been kind of off though, well normal for him but off by the standards of the last few days. We were sitting in the stone brick cellar for about an hour now, we'd gotten to the end of the two hundred year old wines and were getting ready to start the chardonnays. He was about to pop the quark on the first bottle, only fifty years old, I grabbed the one spare glass Luna insisted he bring and put a hoof on the bottle.
"Why don't we sample this one." I say wiggling the glass.
"I don't drink." He said dumping the wine bucket down a drain.
"You don't or you haven't?"
"Don't. I've had a pina colada and hard cider before. I just don't like alcohol very much."
"Well I'm not asking you to get drunk Nexus. I'm just asking you to sit down and have one glass with me."
He looks skeptical. "Why?"
"Well I haven't been exactly nice to you. I guess you know that." He rolled his eyes at me. "Come on. One drink, that's it. Sit." I tell him patting the floor next to me.
Nexus sighed and sat down. I smile and pull the bottle out of his magic thingy. He didn't seem like he wanted to fight me like usual. What was up with him today?
"So how are things going Nexus?"
"Going." he said as I poured him his drink.
"Okay, you can't expect me to accept that. Come on, take a sip and talk to mama."
"Okay Ms. Storm-"
"And enough of that Miss bull. My name's Dust. Say it with me, Duh-st." I say say making sure to put emphasis on the "U".
"Okay, Dust," I smile when he said my first name. "I'm still doing what I usually do."
"Aside from guarding Princess Luna and planning in your doom fortress of a study what exactly do you do?" I pour my own as he pauses to consider his words.
"Well…" He starts swirling the drink. "I…."
"Spill it or chug it."
"Isn't that like a party foul for college kids?"
"It is. I was in Art School and that's what we did when we thought somepony was sleeping with somepony else. We'd figure it out either way by the end of the night."
"And you think I'm sleeping with somepony?"
"No." He raised an eyebrow at me. "What? It shouldn't be a surprise for me to think you don't get any. Especially from wh- oh you thought I-"
"What NO! AND NO!"
"I didn’t mean it like that! God no… I think her sister would have your head if you did."
He looked like he was about to yell again then he thought about it. "Yeah she probably would."
I giggle and he smiles. He kind of had a nice smile. "Alright, talk or chug."
"Ugh… you won't believe it when I tell you this but I'm a C.E.O. when I'm not here or with Luna."
"C.E.O.? You're right I don't believe you."
"Well if you heard what it was then you wouldn't believe me even more." he took a sip and cringed. 
"I thought you said you've drank before."
"I said I had a pina colada and a hard cider. That's it. I've drank but I don't like it that much. Besides I had a feeling I wouldn't like chardonnay anyways."
"So what's this company that I'm sure is totally real?" I start taking a sip of my glass.
"It's Lunarus Corp. I'm the C.E.O. of  Lunarus Corp Prosthetics."
"Uh… Yeah I think I heard about that in some magazine. A little boy got a leg paid for by a Wonderbolt."
"Yeah, Wind Rider. Good guy but a bit shady if you ask me."
"So you're the C.E.O. of that company?"
"Founder and head designer."
"You? You created the prosthetic leg?"
"The kind that actually moves and works exactly like an normal leg yeah. I did."
"I don't believe you. I mean you seem smart, you had a book on computers and shit but there is no way you did that."
"Really?"
"What?"
"I get I wear cloths most of the time but in just my armor? When they're completely visible?"
What the hell is he talking about? He's wearing leg armor right n- Wait… His armor is different than normal guards, at least Luna's. If that's not armor th- Nexus took his boot off and showed his hoof to me. He bends and turns it like a normal hoof but it's made of scratched but still shining, silvery metal.
"All four of 'em. I'm a quadruple amputee."
"Oh my god… Wh-"
"Not for you to know."
"I…If you don't have legs then how di-"
"I had the basic idea before I lost my legs but I didn't take it seriously until I actually needed them. I had somepony make the first one and I made the rest once I could use it."
"B-"
"These are the second version I made. The originals were only good enough to move. These enhance my natural strength instead of mimic it."
"How do they work?"
"It's uh… complicated. I can't get my Mother to understand so I'm not gonna even try. I'm not saying you're dumb or anything it's just it's advanced magic and engineering that took me years to understand." I took a sip.
"No I get it. I don't think I could even if I had a degree in geek." I take another sip after he finished.
"I don't actually have a degree in anything."
"You're joking! What are you some super genius?"
"No. I'm not good with math not really building machines. I had to have somepony make the first leg and I just copied what they did."
"So what about them? They get a cut?"
"Yeah, he's chief engineer. He gets half of all the profits. Hasn't done anything with them but he's happy with his little machine shop."
"That's good." I could say that again. At least he's not screwing people over.
"So what about you? You said you were in Art School?"
"Yeah, I was." I sit up a bit so he can see my feather duster and paint brush cutie mark. "I was trying to be a painter but I d- had to drop out."
Nexus raised an eyebrow. "Why? Run out of money?"
"No… My mom's very well off and my dad's a captain on the police force here in Canterlot. Money wasn't a problem but… I really wasn't enjoying it. So after a year I dropped out and found a job as a maid here until I figured out what I wanted to do."
"Hm. Good plan I guess. Mind if I see what you got?"
"What?"
"I have respect for artists. I can only make technical drawings so I'd like to see what a real artist can do."
"Um…" What do I say to that!? I haven't painted in almost two years! And forget drawing! Drawing would be faster… Why am I considering this? I can just show him something from school. Problem solved! "Sure. I'll send a letter to my parents to send me something from school."
"No." Shit. "I want something new. Besides I took art in school, no soul in being told what to make"
"Uh… " Shit. What am I going to do now!? I just agreed to it. "Anything specific you want me to draw?"
"Like I said, make whatever you want however you want. Drawl, pain, needlepoint crochet, I don't care. I just want to see what got you that mark."
"I did a painting of my parent's maid when I was bored. And my work station was always clean before everypony else. My teachers said I was the cleanest artist they'd ever seen."
"Well prove it. Find something to draw…" He looked off to the side for a second, pondering I think. "And I'll show you what I've been working on in my spare time. And I'll have it finished."
"Time limit?"
"Hmmm…" He smirked at me. I don't like the look of that face he's giving me.
"Two weeks. And I want it to be as good as something you'd turn into a professor."
"Okay… If you want it that fast then I need a subject matter."
He made a pondering look again. "A pony. Whoever you want. Just have it done by this time in two weeks."
Oh that ass! A pony made in college level quality in two weeks! "Alright. But let me sweeten the deal. If I finish my painting before you get whatever you're doing done and working like it should I'll choose my two bottles and we don’t' have to do this again."
"And if you win?"
I hold for a moment. What could I get out of him. He's got some money, maybe I could make his wallet hurt? Not bankrupting him but something expensive. I could use a treat for making a quality painting in two weeks anyways. "You take me to a restaurant of my choice and I get whatever I want.
"Alright, it's a deal." Nexus held out a hoof.
"Nope. Chug on it." I smile and put my glass up for a toast. "May the best pony win."
Nexus groaned and clinked glasses with me. "May the best pony win." he repeated.
I throw my head back and try and down the whole glass as fast as I can. I do get half down in one gulp but I have to hold the other half for a second so I could catch my breath. I shake my head and find Nexus holding back a cough. I have to cover my muzzle with my hoof to try and stop from laughing. He finally gave up and let out a raspy, hacking cough.
"I hate you sometimes…" He said sitting up straight still coughing slightly.
"I know. Let's call it a night. We can take a break until we're done with our work."
"Deal. I'll show you out."



Well that went well. I would've gone straight to my room and gotten to work but I don't like standing ponies up on a regular thing without letting them know what was happening. I did have enough time before training to change out of my armor. The whole time I had to fight my with my temptation to just get straight to work. I grabbed my computer technician's book before leaving for the gym. I arrived about ten minutes before Swift would usually get there and sat down on one of the benches near the entrance. I started rereading the chapter on basic programming and simple commands and was about to start the reading the first command all computers need, start up commands, when I heard the clatter of Swift's armor as she jogged in. She saw me and raised her brow seeing me out of my armor.
"Oh so you wanna play like that eh?" she said lighting up her horn.
All the clasps and screws on her armor came undone and in one motion she slipped the plating off and even somehow got her chainmail off. I hadn't really paid attention when we were at the bar that one night but her feminine figure wasn't quite as feminine as I thought it'd be. The usual smooth physique of a mare was accented by the curve of superb muscle tone, something mares avoided to avoid looking too masculine because that's what the magazines told them to do this week. That is if they gave a crap. I also hadn't noticed her shooting star cutie mark.
"It's not that, though you'd lose to me without armor."
"Care to put your money where your mouth is then?"
"I made a bet with Dust."
"Dust? You mean the mare you've been complaining about for a week? Why would you make a bet with her?"
"Well it might get me out of having to help her in the cellar again."
"She make you chug on it?"
"Yes."
"I thought that was against the agreement wasn't it."
"It was one glass and it's not something I want to do again."
"So what is this bet anyways?" Swift asked walking over and sitting down next to me.
"I have to finish A.L.I.S. and she has to make me a picture of a pony in two weeks. If I win she picks her wines. And if she wins I have to take her to dinner at what I'm going to assume is the most expensive restaurant she can think of in Canterlot."
"Ah, yeah she got Martini with something like that. Same wager different means. She bet that Martini couldn't go a week without alcohol. Her side was she had to see if she could get somepony in a bar wearing her maid uniform."
"I'm guessing she won? Filthy maids are a fetish aren't they?"
"They are but most ponies don't go to a bar wearing it. That kind of repels ponies. But Dust actually lost. Martini sustained herself on salt licks but went on a day long party binge. Found some frat house at Canterlot U and had to have her stomach pumped."
"Oh… She's alright now right?"
"Yeah she only gets drunk at parties twice a month instead of every weekend. I might not be an expert but you want some help?"
"No. She'll be doing it on her own so so do I."
"You said it won't be up and running for at least another two months."
"Well I just need to get her to start up and store something. I don't know what she'll store yet but I was just thinking a couple of birthdays."
"April 16th 1036." Swift said.
"I guess you want it on the hard drive?"
"If it helps beat Dusty then yeah. I'd be more than happy to put my birthday in A.L.I.S.' memory banks."
"Alright then. April 16th 1036. I'll be sure to get it right."
"Good. Just be warned, when you come back, I'm going to kick your ass to the base of this mountain." she said getting up.
"We'll see about that." I say getting up as well. "I better get to work."
"I'll be checking on you. Can't have you fall into those habits that got you stuck with Dust can we?"