A Few Bits Short

by RazBro

The Main Course

~A Few Bits Short~

Chapter Four: The Main Course

Bottom Line leaned back in his chair, releasing a pent up sigh as he examined the two mares sitting in front of him in his office. They were both still rather wet, but sat quietly. Applejack looked appropriately abashed and didn't meet Bottom Line’s gaze. Rarity on the other hand assumed an air of haughty indifference.

Running a restaurant was difficult; especially one as high class as his. There was the finance for one. Some ponies might assume that the high-priced menu would more than fill Bottom Line’s coffers, but the cost was necessary to cover the expenses the business incurred. Food costs took up at least a third of his budget. After all, part of the reason Culina had become so well-known was because of their high quality dishes. That meant fresh ingredients - nothing processed - which led to increased food costs. Then there were the employee salaries; it all added up rather quickly.

Bottom Line’s father had owned Culina as soon as he had mastered the trade, and his father before then. Bottom’s great-grandfather had founded the place and it’d been in his family ever since. He took running the establishment and carrying on the honor of his family very seriously. He hoped one day to pass it on to his own son.

All this weighed on Bottom Line as he delicately rubbed a tired eye. The night was growing long, and he was ready for it to be over. He had enough on his plate already just running this place without these two upstart Elements making a complete mess of his dish room. Elements of Harmony? Hardly.

"I don't know what to do with you ponies," Bottom Line finally started, "whether to let you finish paying off your debt or just cut my losses and let you go before you burn this place to the ground."

"Obviously we've suffered enough and made an example for your patrons, have we not?" Rarity retorted.

Bottom Line sighed, preparing a response, when Applejack spoke first, gently.

"Rarity, Ah'm surprised at you," the country pony said softly. Rarity turned towards her, indignation on her face.

"Surprised at me? Why ever would that be?" She said icily.

"You jus' can't put yerself in Mr. Line's hooves fer a couple minutes? He knows it ain't our fault we couldn't pay the bill. He believes us. He ain't out to ruin our night. But we still have a debt to pay. An' if he'd rather let us welch on our bill than pay it off fairly on account'a our bad behavior...Well Ah don't have to tell ya why that don't sit right with me. An' it shouldn't sit right with you either, Generosity." Applejack spoke quietly and gently, trying to adopt a mannerism that wasn't condemning, but trying to get Rarity to look past her own perceived slights.

Rarity opened her mouth as if to answer but thought better of it and remained quiet for a moment. The tone of Applejack's lecture had done just what she hoped- disarm Rarity's attitude. Bottom Line watched carefully, an eyebrow raised. After having to break up the fight in the dish room, he had a hard time believing that this is how the Elements of Harmony behaved. He had thought them to be on some higher moral plane. That was a big reason he was eventually able to accept Twilight's explanation for their predicament, despite putting up a tough front at first.

Now he thought that maybe he had misunderstood. Perhaps on their own, each of the Elements were really not much different than other ponies. But working together, keeping each other accountable for their actions and encouraging each other to be the best representation of their Element that they could be? That was a truer sense of Harmony than he had understood.

Suddenly the door to his office opened and Grease walked in, breaking the mood. Bottom Line looked towards him, annoyed.

"I'm in the middle of a meeting, Ellbogen." He said curtly, intending to dismiss him. However Grease remained, though flicking his ear at the use of his real name.

"Sorry, sir. But we have a bit of an issue," Grease replied, not moving.

Bottom Line closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure how many more issues he could take tonight.

"What is it." He said in more of a statement than a question.

In answer, Twilight trotted in.

"I got him his drink, he's looking over the menu now," she said nervously.

"Who are you talking about?" Bottom Line said suspiciously. Obviously Culina was no stranger to famous ponies, so he wondered who might be able to set his staff on edge. Suddenly, it dawned on him.

"He's here?" Bottom Line answered his own question, looking towards Grease.

"He is. He got seated in Twilight's section. He was quite impressed to be having the Element of Magic serving him," Grease responded.

Bottom Line and Grease started talking while Twilight caught sight of Rarity and Applejack.

"What happened to you two?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow at their drenched appearance.

"Uh...Long story," Applejack answered. Rarity grinned sheepishly.

"Who are you talking about?" Rarity asked of the mysterious patron who had Grease and Bottom Line up in arms.

Twilight bit her lip and looked nervous. "It's Perfect Appetite. I guess he's the biggest food critic in Canterlot-"

"Perfect Appetite? Oh dear, no wonder those two are so set off," Rarity said with concern.

Applejack and Twilight both looked at Rarity in surprise.

"What? I get the Canterlot paper every morning. How else am I to keep up with the latest fashion trends? Perfect Appetite writes a column reviewing Canterlot's notable eateries. He's not known for being, er...Lenient, shall we say."

"That's putting it lightly," Bottom Line chimed in. Grease had finished filling him in and the business pony held his front hooves together as he leaned against his desk. "I've been expecting his visit for some time. Of course it would be tonight."

Bottom Line stood up and slowly walked around his desk towards the wall where a few frames hung. One was his business license, the others framed newspaper clippings.

"Appetite has been here before of course and we've delivered every time. Five stars. But about once a year he comes back to check up on us and it's never any less painful," Bottom Line said, examining last years clipping.

"What do you want me to do?" Twilight asked, not sure if she could - or wanted to - take on the challenge.

"Nothing. I'll reassign another of my servers to him, and you'll go about serving the other patrons," Bottom Line answered, heading for the door. "I'm going to go and greet him. Rarity, Applejack please go and get yourselves composed, then meet me back here. Twilight, make sure your other tables are properly settled."

With that Bottom Line exited his office. Grease scowled, looking irritated.

"I guess I'll just go back to work then," the stallion said, before looking over at Applejack and Rarity and allowing a small smirk to appear. "Guess you were right Applejack. Whatever happened, I'm glad I didn't stick around. Follow me ladies, I'll show you where some towels are."

~~~

"Good evening, Mr. Appetite. How are we doing?" Bottom Line said gracefully as he approached the critic's table. Perfect Appetite looked up, levitating a glass of water to his lips and taking a sip.

"The water is fabulous, as always," Perfect replied, smiling.

Bottom Line chuckled and took a seat next to the critic. The two had known each other ever since Bottom Line had taken over running Culina. While 'friends' was a stretch, they enjoyed a somewhat comfortable business relationship. Granted, even that relationship was strained when one of them held the power to destroy the other's livelihood.

"I say, I'm impressed, Line. Twilight Sparkle, serving in a run-down establishment like this? You must have drained Celestia's vault to have her student indentured to you," Perfect inquired.

Bottom Line smiled conservatively. He didn't want to acknowledge the true reason for the Elements' service here and embarrass them further. Before Applejack's rather passionate explanation to Rarity, he had been planning on letting them all go and calling it even. Something told him that the country pony wouldn't accept that though, not until her debt was paid.

Besides, if this conversation was about to go where Bottom Line thought it was-

"Good evening, Mr. Appetite. Have you decided what you'll be sampling from the kitchen tonight?" Stellar Tray, Bottom Line's best serving mare had made her way over to relieve Twilight of serving the food critic.

"Ah, good evening my fine mare," Perfect replied politely, though looking confused, "and here I thought you were using Miss Sparkle to get on my good side. It would have been an impressive show I admit, I do admire the young mare's work..."

- He was going to need them. There it was. The hook. Bottom Line held back an exasperated sigh. Perfect Appetite was hanging his evaluation of Culina on being able to chat with Twilight. Normally not something that he would have minded, but despite her rather impressive service being a waitress thus far, she was still inexperienced. Still, perhaps Perfect would be too engrossed in getting to know Twilight to really take notice of any mistakes she made serving. An idea struck.

"Then allow yourself to be impressed. I just asked Miss Tray here to assist with serving you. Twilight will be back to see you shortly," Bottom Line replied smoothly, hoping he could deliver.

"Excellent! Well in that case, I'd like a few more moments to decide, Miss Tray, but thank you for asking," Perfect said smugly.

"Of course sir," Stellar Tray said, watching Bottom Line for a cue. He nodded in the direction of the kitchen and she headed that way.

"Well, I must go about my business, but please do not hesitate to tell me if you need anything, Perfect. Enjoy your visit to Culina," Bottom Line said, standing up from his seat, bowing and leaving him to peruse the menu.

Bottom Line met Stellar in the kitchen and finally released his pleasant and cordial demeanor, allowing a more tired one to take it's place.

"What do you need me to do, Mr. Line?" Stellar asked, concerned. That was just one of the qualities Bottom had hired Stellar for. She was always willing to work hard to please the customer and fill whatever gaps necessary.

"I'm sorry to do this, Miss Tray, but I need you to take over Twilight's other tables. I have a feeling that Mr. Appetite is going to be monopolizing her time," he said, starting to walk towards his office. He passed Rainbow Dash as she was coming in from the dining room. She looked disturbed and nervous, but Bottom Line didn't notice and spoke quickly as he passed.

"Would you send Twilight into my office as soon as she is able, please?"

Rainbow, startled, looked toward Bottom Line and replied distractedly.

"Uh...Yea, no problem, boss."

~~~

A few moments earlier...

Rainbow Dash had adjusted to serving the patrons of Culina well. Deciding to approach it as a challenge, she wanted to see how many tips she could collect in an hour. How fast could she bring out drinks, or an order? And she had finally learned to control her inner monologue in such a way that she didn't blurt out her impatience in front of the customers. That aided her efforts greatly.

Until They came. That's right, Them, with a capital T. They weren't dressed in Their uniforms, but Rainbow recognized Them immediately.

Spitfire and Soarin. Elite members of the one and only Wonderbolts. They had just been seated in her area and Rainbow had nearly trotted right up to hem to greet them and take their order before she stopped short at the revelation. Her wings snapped hard against the restrictive server's vest she was wearing, holding them back from flaring out and evacuating her from the situation.

Instead she turned around darted behind another table.

"Uh...Excuse me, miss?"

Rainbow looked up at the occupant of the chair she was hiding behind. A well-mannered unicorn that had been enjoying his meal looked down at Rainbow in confusion.

"Uh...Just checking the, uh...stability of your chair! Yep! Solid as a rock! Enjoy your meal sir!" Rainbow said nervously, then laughed awkwardly and backed away from the table.

"Indeed..." the patron said, returning to his food.

Rainbow backed up until she made it safely into the kitchen and ran into Bottom Line.

"Would you send Twilight into my office as soon as she is able, please?"

Rainbow jumped, caught off guard at being addressed directly. Thankfully Bottom Line didn't notice, although the other serving mare he was with - Rainbow thought her name was Stella or something - looked at her strangely.

"Uh...Yea, no problem, boss." Rainbow flinched after agreeing to the task blindly. Twilight was out on the serving floor, and that meant that she would have to go out there where They were. It would require all her stealth and cunning.

She first approached the door and looked through the window, trying to find Twilight before going out on the floor. She spotted her only a couple tables away, but it would require her to pass in view of where Spitfire and Soarin were sitting.

She exited the kitchen, head low, ducking behind tables and patrons whenever possible as she made her way towards Twilight. As she approached the aisle that gave her a clear line of sight towards the two Wonderbolts, she found no way to cross the gap without being seen. Twilight was so close. She was at the table just on the other side of the gap.

"Twilight," she tried whispering.

The unicorn took no notice of her friend trying to get her attention and finished up the order.

"I'll have your order in right away!" Twilight said, turning around and trotting back towards the kitchen. As she passed by a table something suddenly grabbed her hoof and dragged her down.

"Ah! Wha-"

"Shhhh!"

"Rainbow? What are you doing?" Twilight said, now level with the pegasus behind the table.

"Bottom Line wants to see you in his office right away," Rainbow whispered, looking around the table at the Wonderbolts. Spitfire was tapping a hoof, looking impatient. Soarin just looked hungry, but that wasn't terribly different from his normal appearance.

"Ok, I'll go see him but I don't understand why we're un-" Twilight started but was interrupted by the unicorn in the chair above them clearing his throat.

Both Rainbow and Twilight looked up in surprise. It was the same unicorn whose chair Rainbow had 'inspected' earlier.

"Uh...Needed a second opinion," Rainbow said sheepishly. The unicorn rolled his eyes and ignored them.

Together they both returned to the kitchen. Twilight started for Bottom Line's office, before turning back towards Rainbow.

"Oh! Did you see? Spitfire and Soarin are here! I got them seated in your section so you can get some face time with them. Good luck!" Twilight winked, glad for being able to help her friend out.

"Oh. Thanks," Rainbow said weakly as Twilight trotted off to Bottom Line's office. Rainbow couldn't muster up the sentiment to be angry with Twilight. She only thought she was helping her with her dreams. The reason she was trying to avoid them was because she didn't want to be seen serving in a restaurant. What would they think? Going from captain of the Ponyville Weather Team to some serving mare in Canterlot? She couldn't explain to them the reason she was serving, that was too embarrassing too...And who would believe that the Princess of all people would stand somepony up at dinner, much less the Elements?

The frantic panic in Rainbow's mind kept her from realizing, that in actuality, it wasn't really that unbelievable of a story. The thought of her heroes and idols kept her a little irrational, however. She had to be cool. Maybe she could make the best of this situation. She could be working for... charity! That was it. It wasn't really untrue, after all. She was just working for her own charity: her rather expensive appetite.

She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself. The door to the kitchen opened and Stellar trotted through, busily handling the increased stress of Twilight's previous tables.

"Hey, I think you've got a table waiting on you. They don't look very happy. Not good to keep Wonderbolts waiting, you know," Stellar mentioned, hiding her slight irritation. The Wonderbolts tipped well, and she would have preferred to have them in her section. Although, with taking on two sections at once now, Stellar supposed she was still in for a good, albeit busy night. She instead was more bothered by Rainbow's attitude. She moved too fast and didn't pay enough attention, or respect, to the customers. In short, Rainbow made Culina look bad, and by extension, Stellar looked bad as well.

Rainbow Dash picked up on none of this however, as a feeling of dread gripped her stomach. All this time she had kept Spitfire and Soarin waiting was only exacerbating her internal crisis. They might think she was lazy! They might think she wasn't dedicated! Worst of all, they might think she was slow!

"Omigoshomigoshomigoshomigosh!" Rainbow bolted out of the kitchen.

~~~

"You wanted to see me, Bottom Line?" Twilight said as she trotted into his office.

Bottom Line looked up from his desk and nodded, then gestured for Twilight to join Applejack and Rarity who were already sitting in front of his desk.

The two mares had cleaned up as best as they could in the little filly's room with the towels that Grease had found for them. Rarity had used a generous portion of magic re-styling her mane and tail to their former curls, but on the inside still felt grimy from the fight. Oh, the bits she would spend at the spa tomorrow.

Applejack on the other hand, had gathered her mane back into it's braid by hoof, although Rarity had tried to offer her services out of apology for causing it. The mood between the two mares was still somewhat cool, although Rarity felt genuine remorse for the situation. All they needed was a little time to talk and bring peace back into their friendship.

"Just a moment, Twilight. Applejack, Rarity, can I trust you two back in the dish room again?" Bottom Line asked. They had all just been finishing their discussion that had previously been interrupted by the arrival of Perfect Appetite.

"Ya have mah word on the honor of tha Apple Family name," Applejack said, taking her Stetson and and holding it over her heart as she bowed her head.

"I do apologize for my most unladylike behavior. It won't happen again," Rarity said.

"Good. Return to Sudsy then and let him know you are ready to get back to work," Bottom Line said. The two mares stood up and exited the room. Twilight offered them an encouraging smile.

"Twilight, I believe you've already met Mr. Appetite, our most esteemed guest for tonight," Bottom Line started. Twilight shivered at the memory. She hadn't known who Appetite was at first, but he had recognized her on sight. It was a feeling she wasn't used to, and the way he looked at her thoroughly creeped her out.

"Yes. It was an uh...Awkward introduction," Twilight said. Considering his first reaction upon seeing her was to clap his hooves together and exclaim, "Twilight Sparkle! Oh, I know all about you!" awkward was a bit of an understatement.

"Yes, well I have a favor to ask of you-" Bottom Line began, but Twilight, already seeing where this was going, cut him off.

"You want me to serve him? Why me? Why not one of your staff?" Twilight said, not at all successful in concealing her grimace.

"Believe me, I would much rather that be the case. However, he is quite intent on being able to interact with you. Let me be blunt. The success of Culina depends on it's good reputation. Perfect Appetite controls that reputation, and right now he is holding it hostage. Please, Twilight. If you help me out here, I will absolve all of you of your debt and let you all leave. I will even welcome you back with open arms should you choose to visit again," Bottom Line said. It was all he could do to keep the pleading tone out of his voice.

Twilight frowned and thought over the new deal. It seemed that the scales had shifted. Twilight considered the power she now held in her hooves. She was tempted for a moment to reject Bottom Line's request just to spite him. But it wouldn't be right, and it was never in her to deny a pony in need. She smiled.

"Okay. What do I need to know?" She asked confidently, certain that she would have to step up her game in order to impress the critic.

"Thank you, Twilight," Bottom Line said sincerely. "Now then, let me fill you in on a couple subtleties..."

Author's Note:

This chapter got long in a hurry! Don't worry, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Spike will return in the next chapter!

Comments

[Themaskedferret]

Not totally understanding Twilight's thought of refusing out of spite. She's the one in the wrong her so the idea of her debating pique feels off. Honestly other than really enjoying the fic so far and yay new chapter complete with creepy stalker!

[RazBro]

2045182
It's intended to just be a momentary thought that crosses Twilight's mind, not to be taken too seriously. Kind of a nod towards 'absolute power corrupting absolutely' but the reference is admittedly a little weak. You are on to something though, the tone Twilight uses is not quite what I intended. I rushed the end a bit wanting to get it out before I had another commitment :-p

[canius]

eeep its back :

[RazBro]

2048588
Good catch! Of course I meant ponies...What are people?

[SuperChaosKG]

HolaHolaHolaHolaHola-Hold up.

You're putting your restaurant in the hooves of a mare who may have caused the death of two colts via hypothermia?

I'm just saying. What proof do you have that she won't teleport him to the Griffon Kingdom?

[OmniFox]

Are Spitfire and Soarin on a date?!?!