Velvet grinned at her friend. "Aren't you glad you came?!"
Pear Butter looked back over her shoulder at the strange backpack she wore. "Neither of us are pegasi," she said in a little cautionary tone. "Sure we aught be doin' this?"
"Absolutely sure." Velvet bobbed her head, thumping sideways against Pear. "You ain't ever felt a rush like the ground rushing up at you."
They were high in the sky, a balloon holding them up on a platform they were free to jump from. A task Velvet had a stuck grin about as she moved towards the edge. "We'll go together. I haven't let you get hurt yet, right?"
"N-no, you haven't." Pear shuffled forward with less certainty, taking slow breaths to try to calm herself. "Ah can do this..." Sure, she could, but should she? She wasn't sure of that. "Sugar, ya know I got nothin' but love fer ya, but why do ya gotta do things like this?!"
Velvet grabbed her friend, an arm around Pear's neck near the withers. "Because life is only worth having when you can feel it between your hooves, and you only get to do that when it feels like it could be taken away and you wrench it back with a shout! That rush, and just afterwards, ain't not a pony around that can say you're not alive."
Pear leaned into her adventorous friend. "Ah'm trustin' you. My foals already..."
Velvet's expression softened dramatically. "You're alright. We're alright, I swear it... Pear, if you're not feeling up for it, then we stop. We do not make that jump if you're not feeling it. Being a friend is not dragging you where you don't want to be."
Pear took a loud shaky breath, shaking her head firmly. "No! No... Ah got this. Ain't gonna be a wet blanket over my friend." They touched noses gently, the tension melting a bit. "If yer here... Ah feel safe enough." Maybe not... entirely safe, but they'd make it, right?
Velvet drew Pear in closer. "We go when you want to go, not a second before." She suddenly giggled. "I'll just add that to the spice, not knowing when you'll want it. Could be any second, or maybe never, who knows." She nuzzled into her friend's cheek. "And I'm here to wait either way."
Pear pulled Velvet with her motion towards the edge. "Ah ain't gonna make ya wait forever none." She peered down into the depths, to the cold rocks far below. "If this kills me, gonna haunt yer hubby. Ya know he can't take it."
Velvet burst into laughter at that, giving a little bounce. "Now that's the right attitude. Make 'em squeal for me!"
The two laughed, and plummeted. They looked death in the eyes, and screamed. One with the wild joy of life, the other with a moment of terror. Still, it was a brushing meeting. They clung to each other, their parachutes slowing their drop to a hasty, but not bone breaking, descent.
"Oh, um, hello..." Fluttershy inclined her head at the unicorn at her door. "Can I... help you?"
"I hope we can provide assistance to one another." One sided gift-giving made for poor friendship! She was perfectly aware of that. Moondancer offered a smile, an expression that made ponies more willing to exchange favors. "I heard that you enjoy reading."
"Oh, well, yes, I do." Fluttershy rubbed her cheek gently. "You're staying with Twilight, right? She has a lot more books than I do."
"This is undoubtedly true." Moon doubted a random pegasus had more books than Twilight. "But I'm looking for a pony to read with, quietly. How does that sound?"
Fluttershy perked up, ears lifting and her eyes shining. "Oh! That doesn't sound bad at all." She sat down and brought her hooves together. "What genres do you prefer? I never belonged to a book reading club before..."
Book reading club? Moon made a note to look up how those usually worked, but then a thought hit her. "I have not either. Do you have any working knowledge of them?"
"Well, I haven't been in one," she reminded. "But if you really want to read books with me, that sounds lovely." She tapped her chin softly. "We should invite Twilight. She loves reading books even more than I do."
Moon perked up much as Fluttershy had. What a great idea! "Do you think she would be amenable to such an idea?"
"I..." Fluttershy trailed off. "I'm a little nervous to ask her..."
"I will do it," blurted Moon with a grin. "Consider it a favor, from a new friend."
"Well, thank you." Fluttershy bowed her front a little. "Why don't you come in? I had just made tea."
"Caffeine can be a useful tool for remaining sharp," agreed Moon as she stepped inside, her magic closing the door behind her as her eyes wandered over the cottage. One thing she noted quickly, Fluttershy had an invasion! Several! All manner of animals scurried about as if they owned the place. "Do you require assistance in animal control?"
"Mm? Oh, no." She extended a hoof and a mouse ran up onto it with no fear of her. "These are my friends. I take care of many animals that know this is a safe place." She extended the hoof with the mouse perched atop it. "Say hello."
Moon inclined her head with obvious confusion, considering the mouse. "Mice cannot speak Ponish," she noted. "Hello," she attempted anyway. "I am Moon Dancer. What is your name?"
The mouse squeaked, no ponish words escaping it, much as she expected. Fluttershy looked delighted. "They're happy to meet you too." She set her hoof down and the mouse scampered away. "If you... plan to visit more often, you should meet--" A rabbit thumped her in the rear right leg. "I was just bringing you up." She reached back to pat the small bunny. "This is Angel Bunny."
"Moon Dancer," repeated Moon, gesturing at herself. The rabbit gave her a guarded look, then bounced away. "All these animals must make upkeep on your books increased." She imagined a random deer coming along and eating a page of some tome she was studying. "It would not be preferable to me."
"I set boundaries," assured Fluttershy, pointing at a bookcase. "They don't climb that, or look for food there, so my books are safe."
"Smart," complimented Moon, looking relieved. "Do you have a preferred literary genre? I am fond of magical works, but I haven't met many books I don't like."
"I... well..." Fluttershy looked suddenly shy, or embarassed?
Moon wasn't sure which it was. "I haven't met a book I didn't like," she repeated with an awkward but hopeful smile.
"Does this count as a book?" She reached into the depths of her bookcase, past the books in easy sight. Out came a smaller book, soft bound. A comic book? No, it was perfect bound, not saddle stitched. She flipped it open and it looked all the more like a comic book, though it was backwards, going from right to left, and...
"Neighponese," noted Moon, inclining her head. "You speak Neighponese?"
"You recognize it?!" blurted Fluttershy with obvious amazement.
"Yes. I can read it, a little." Moon squinted as her mouth worked as if silently reading out each word one by one. "You... must be new... to school. I'm Jazzy Hoofs... a teacher or older student?"
Fluttershy's wings spread out in either direction. "Oh my! How wonderful! I don't speak it, but I can read it, a little... Enough to enjoy these books." She wrapped her arms around it, hugging the book. "They are like little adventures that you can be safe while you enjoy. They're exactly the right amount of excitement for me."
Moon's horn glowed, plucking another manga hidden back there, then another, collecting them in little organized piles. "Your collection is impressive. Neighponese 'comics' cover all genres. What are your favorites?" She inclined her head. "Why do you look surprised?"
"Most... just assume they're silly comics. Well, I mean... many of them are." She laughed nervously. "I prefer the day to day ones, um, slice of life? I have a few about cooking and animal care too." She reached in and pulled out one that had a picture of a dazzling array of animals on the cover. "Their viewpoint is an interesting take on veterinarian care."
"I can imagine." Her magic moved to the animal book, floating it into view. "I prefer books with... information." She pointed a hoof at the Neighponese vet book. "Like this. Perhaps we could read this together?"
"That would be wonderful," breathed out Fluttershy, sagging with relief. She hadn't been laughed at for being a comic reader, or reading something in another language, or other things she thought she'd be laughed at for. "It has a lot of very complicated words," she warned. "It has to, to speak on such heavy topics."
"My favorite kind of book." With ears perked and a little smile, Moon nodded in agreement. "I look forward to this. Oh. Are we friends now?"
Fluttershy blinked gently. "That's a curious question."
"Sorry. I am... new... but I am attempting to make friends. Have I succeeded?" She inclined her head. "We will exchange favors."
"Exchange favors?"
Moon blinked softly. Had she met a pony even less aware of the rules of friendship?! "Friends exchange favors to solidify their friendship," she explained. "Like I am explaining friendship, and you offered to let me read this book." She tapped the vet book. "Exchanged favors."
Fluttershy rubbed her cheek gently. "Well, I... I just want to be... nice... Even if we weren't friends, you would help a pony that needed it, wouldn't you?"
"But regular exchange of favors is what make a pony a friend," argued Moon, confident in her logic. "A single exchange is usually not enough, but we will continue."
"I... don't think it quite works that way." Fluttershy inclined her head. "But, yes... I would call you a friend. We can--" She was cut off, hugged with one arm around her. "Oh, um, hello?"
"Physical contact is another thing that friends exchange," proudly declared Moon Dancer, showing off her friendship skills as she backed up. "It is a pleasure to be your friend."
"Me... too..." Fluttershy sounded less sure. "As your... friend... I ask... that you not do that again... Physical contact makes me... nervous..." She coughed into a hoof, red in the cheeks. "You didn't do anything wrong..."
"Is this a pegasus thing?"
Fluttershy blinked softly. "No... Rainbow loves to be physical." She smiled a little, thinking of her many-colored friend. "Often a little hard and often..."
"So this is a personal preference..." She nodded as she made a mental note. "Got it. You are permitted to initiate physical contact, unless Twilight is around."
Fluttershy blinked at that. What a curiously specific demand! "Why not then?"
Moon began to color, realizing she had said something perhaps she should not have. "I don't want to make her jealous!" Yes, push the blame...
Fluttershy didn't seem put off, instead confused. "Twilight is very affectionate. I don't think... being hugged... will upset her."
"It's just a fear!" blurted Moondancer. "You have those... Please respect my fear."
Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Oh! Of course. I'm sorry... Of all ponies, there I go, making small of another pony's fears like that. Bad Fluttershy." She waved a hoof at herself as if chastising. "Please forgive me."
"Forgiven," gave Moon quickly before a thought came back. "We are now friends. I will conduct research on the proper means of a 'book club', and extend an invitation to Twilight. With luck, she will join us."
Fluttershy could see the silly smile on Moon's face. Ideas began to surface. "You must really like her."
"Huh? Oh! She's a good friend." Moon quickly scampered to her hooves. "Thank you. I'll be back for our first book club meeting."
"You never had your tea." Fluttershy offered a cup.
"How silly of me..." Moon's retreat was cut off, and she sat down to have tea with her new friend. She had much to learn.
"Today we are going to be talking about cutie marks." Cheerilee turned to present her rump. "You can all see my cutie mark, can't you? Like all ponies, I wasn't born with a cutie mark. My flank was blank." She had a flipboard up, showing pictures of ponies with no pictures on their rump. "Then one day, when I was about your age, I woke up to find that a cutie mark had appeared."
A letter landed on Spike's desk. He slipped it down out of view and worked it open to peer at it.
Most of us have our cutie marks. Check out that blank flank in the second row.
There was a rough doodle at the end of Diamond Tiara winking. Spike looked towards the second row, counting along it the foals he knew had marks. Oh, there was Apple Bloom. He knew her, kinda had to, being an Apple.
He dig out a quill and got to scribbling a reply.
Don't be mean to her. She's a friend of the family.
He added a sketch of himself just as a hoof came down on his hand.
"Spike, that doesn't look like notes," warned Cheerilee despite having a big smile. "Please focus on the lesson at hoof." The crowd giggled as Spike tucked away the note for later, getting back to the lesson.
"I had decided to become a teacher, and the flowers symbolized my hope that I could help my future students bloom if ..."
Moon sank onto a chair with a loud huff of breath. "Today was challenging in ways I did not expect." She looked across at her dragon ward. "You appear to have encountered a similiar situation. Was an earth pony too different to comprehend?"
"Huh?" Spike perked up, stunned out of his fugue state. "No, no... Pinkie was really nice, and she'd like to talk to you more, um, if you have time." He rubbed his cheek. "And, uh... Don't be mad... I kinda joined school."
Moon blinked softly.
Twilight was faster to react, "How wonderful! Take your studies seriously."
"But he's already being instructed," noted Moon with a raised brow. "What can he learn there that we are not already offering?"
"Socialization with ponies of his equivalent emotional age?" proposed Twilight with a wry smile. "I think some time in a normal school with normal ponies will be good for him. Spike, did you make any friends?"
"Actually, yeah." Spike smiled brightly. "Two of them!"
"Two friends on the first day?" Twilight sat down next to Spike's chair. "How wonderful. Would you like to tell us about them?"
Moon Dancer didn't get it... but didn't argue Twilight's approach. As foal sitters went, Twilight had a good view of things, and Spike looked happy to babble to her about the two friends he made, two fillies? "I also made a friend. I had a complete success with Fluttershy. Oh!" Her eyes focused on Twilight. "I almost forgot. We are starting a book club. Would you care to join? We're going to start with Neighponese comics."
"Neighponese comics?" Twilight raised a brow at that. "Can't say I ever tried that before..."
"They're great!" gushed Spike with a big grin. "They're like comics, mostly."
"But from Neighpon," finished Twilight. "I gathered that. What makes them different, other than the language?"
"The subject matter," provided Moon. "They have no restriction. The book we meant to start with is about veterinarian techniques that Fluttershy found fascinating. I look forward to diving into the topic."
"That does sound like something you'd do." Twilight smirked a little at the thought. "Not my... preferred genre." She could see Moon looking increasingly upset at the idea of her denial. "But perhaps after that one, we can do some action?"
Moon blinked with surprise. "You prefer action books?"
"Have I never showed you my collection?" laughed Twilight. "A good action book can be quite stimulating. As much as I like exploring new magic, when I'm reading... for the fun of reading, a good adventure book is the way to go!"
"I like superheroes," noted Spike, suddenly rejoining the conversation. "Uh, they're in Ponish. I don't know how to read Neighponese."
"Neither do I," admitted Twilight.
Moon inclined her head in surprise. Something she knew that Twilight didn't? What a strange day it had turned out to be! "I would be honored to show you how."
Twilight put a hoof to her chest. "But why do that? Telling me what's going on will be half the fun."
"You mean..."
"I will join that book club of yours." Twilight nodded firmly. "Sounds like something that'll help Fluttershy open up too, which is a win for all sides. How thoughtful of you." She reached out, setting a hoof on Moon's shoulder. "Already you're making friends."
Moon beamed at the good review. "I will write up a report to the princess!" And off she galloped to get on that, looking quite self-pleased with her progress.
Spike looked to Twilight. "Um, so I... didn't mean to join, at first... but it's kinda nice."
"I can imagine." Twilight stepped up into the seat Moon had abandoned. "Enjoy yourself. Learn something, meet some new ponies. Those are your jobs."
"I'm on the case." Spike saluted sharply. "But what if I mess up?"
"Then we'll take note of where things went wrong." Twilight tapped the top of the table. "And how to avoid it in the future." She tapped again. "But that won't make you a bad person, Spike. You're a great dragon. So if you feel... confused, or need any help, you should just ask."
Spike hopped down and hurried around the table, the two exchanging a gentle hug of a babysitter and the babysat, both loving one another, even if romantic feelings had been squashed. "Thanks! I'll give it my best."
"I'm sure you will." She smiled a little. "But don't feel bad if you make a mistake. We all do."
Spike hurried off to do his homework.
She slapped down the note, pinned under her hoof. "Explain this."
Spike smiled nervously at Diamond Tiara. "Apple Bloom's part of the, um, Apples, and they're a friend of mine... So, you know, we shouldn't--"
Diamond smiled. "Oh, a family connection thing? I can understand that."
"Yeah! Wait, what?" Silver Spoon inclined her head, not getting it.
"Daddy has plenty of business with the Apples," noted Diamond with a little nod. "He'd probably say the same thing... Alright, for the sake of business..." She rubbed at her chin. "Are you sure you're as poor as you said? You have an eye for business."
Spike beamed with pride. "You think?"
"Or you got lucky," laughed Diamond, thumping into Spike. "C'mon. We're gonna have a big party, all the ponies with cutie marks will be there." She raised a brow. "The rest will be too embarrassed to show."
"But I don't--"
She pressed a hoof into his cheek from the side. "Duh, you're a dragon. You'll never get one."
"Like, so sad." Silver Spoon shook her head. "But you're still, like, great."
"Yeah," agreed Diamond with a grin. "You're a dragon," she repeated. "So you don't need a cutie mark. Be proud of it."
Silver suddenly giggled. "What would his mark look like?"
"Something big and fierce!" Diamond grabbed a crayon in her mouth. "We could find out."
Silver grabbed a different color, ready to join. "Let's make it amazing!"
Spike inclined his head as his filly friends came in, crayons at the ready. He was pretty sure nothing they did would hurt, or leave a mark that'd last longer than a day or two. Still... "There is school tomorrow."
"I can wash you afterwards," scoffed Diamond. "If you don't like it."
"You'll like it," countered Silver, starting to apply touches of her crayon. "It's going to be, like, totally amazing."
And thus Spike became their canvas, to unleash their creativity on him of what they thought a dragon's destiny could be. There was fire involved, and maybe a captured princess. "Do you really think I could do that?" He gestured down at his adorned rump.
Diamond inclined her head left and right, considering. "Probably not."
"Not really your thing," agreed Silver. "You're, like, a nice dragon."
"And a smart dragon," added Diamond with a smirk. "You'd only capture a princess because she wanted to get out of a test and she paid you."
Silver burst into giggles at the thought. "You'd start fires because the ponies asked you to, to clear away weeds or, like, something."
Spike smiled at the ideas, better than what he had originally envisioned. "Yeah, uhm... are you going to want me to foalnap you?"
Diamond hiked a brow. "Right now, no... but maybe later." She waved it away.
Silver Spoon tittered at the idea. "You could, like, foalnap me anytime we have a big test coming up."
"Rar." Spike displayed his claws in a completely not-ferocious way and began chasing the fillies around, all three of them laughing at the absurdity of it all.
"He keeps watchin' me..." Apple Bloom rubbed her cheek nervously. "And he's friends with Diamond Tiara, so I know he's up to no good!"
"Now ah won't accept that." Applejack gently bonked her sister on the head. "She can't be so bad." Apple Bloom glared at her in challenge. "Give her a chance to come around."
"Ugh." Apple Bloom stormed away from her sister to find a real pony that'd understand! She flopped against her mother. "And I don't know what to do!"
"Well..." Pear Butter considered a moment. "If he's watching you, that's because he's interested. Besides, he's a friend."
"He is?" She raised a brow at the idea. "I ain't his friend none."
"He's a friend of the family," offered Pear with a warm expression. "A brother to Moon Dancer, do you remember her?"
"Oh, Moonie! She's a silly mare."
"She is," agreed Pear with a smile. "And that's her brother. He probably don't mean nothing wrong. If you're that worried, just walk up to him and ask him what's up. Bet he'll say."
"But he's a dragon..." Apple Bloom ran a hoof in slow circles on the ground. "How can he be a brother to a pony? Don't make no sense."
"Not every family is as... straight forward as ours." She wrapped one arm around her daughter. "But even ours has... things..." She coughed softly, thinking about it. "Like you ain't got a father."
Her little face went red. "I have a pop!"
"But not one you could point to," countered Pear. "That's just how it is... We wouldn't want nopony pointing at us and calling us strange for it, would we?"
"I... guess not." She deflated, sinking to her belly. "Sorry."
"Don't apologize to me none." She pointed out. "You have a dragon to talk to. Just ask him what he wants, be nice, and ah bet he'll return the favor. Moon's an odd pony, but she's nice enough."
"Yeah..." Apple Bloom stood up, nodding again to herself. "Yeah. Alright. Thanks, mom!" They touched noses in a moment of solidarity and she hurried off with new plans in mind.
"She came in here?" There was Applejack, entering the room with a concerned look. "I tried ta help."
"Ah'm sure ya did." Pear sat up and offered a hoof, soon hugging Applejack gently. "Yer her sister, it can be hard."
"Ah'm trying to be a good big sister," huffed Applejack.
"And ya are." Pear gently rubbed cheeks with her larger daughter. "She's just growin' up. Ya were just as much trouble, ah promise. Just keep your hoof out, let her come to it when she's ready. We're all Apples."
"Apples to the core," agreed Applejack with a little smile. "Glad you could get a hoof on it."
"What's a mother for?" They touched noses gently.