//------------------------------//
// 15 - Great and Powerful Friendship 
// Story: Slice of Velvet and Pear 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

"Hey." Spike was waving a hand through the opened door.

"Get in here." Diamond grabbed Spike by the arm, biting into it lightly as she tugged him inside. "I was waiting for you."

"You were?!" His cheeks lit up as he followed her even without being pulled on. "What's up?"

"Silver Spoon brought up a good point." She turned only after they had arrived in Diamond's room. "And it's bothering me."

Silver Spoon was not always the source of sage advice, but Spike could see Diamond was thinking about it. "What'd she say?"

"She said that two fillies--" She raised two hooves up. "--hanging out is pretty normal. A filly and a colt, maybe at school, sure, but a filly and a colt..."

Spike tensed with a wave of fear. "Is--"

She had a hoof up, silencing him. "A filly and a colt," she repeated with a serious tone. "A filly and a colt has implications."

"What does it imply?" asked Spike in a lame little voice, not entirely certain himself. "We're friends, right?"

"Sure, yeah." Diamond Tiara inclined her head at her dragon friend. "But friends only goes so far. A high class filly, like me, does not casually 'hang out' with colt friends, in her room." Her eyes wandered about her own space as if to emphasize it. "Alone."

"Do you need me to go?" He hiked a thumb right back at the door he had come in through. "I can go."

"Spike."

He went rigid at her tone of voice. "Yeah?"

"Shoosh." She put a hoof to her lips before clearing her throat, resuming her speech. "Silly boy. As I was saying, there are a few ways this can make sense." She leaned forward, lashes batting. "Spike, do you like me?"

Spike slowly blinked, but was silent.

Diamond rolled that commanding hoof. "You can answer."

"Right! Um, I mean..." Did he dare? The last pony he had admitted anything to... that hadn't gone well... He fidgeted, his fingers working against each other as he looked over Diamond. She was a prickly filly, but also... "Y-yes," Spike stammered out, cheeks going dark. "Does that bother--"

Diamond's hoof was in his mouth suddenly, silencing him. "Silver Spoon was right, again." She shoved Spike back a step. "Don't let her know that. As far as she's concerned, I swept you off your feet and made you mine, today. Got it?"

"R-right." That was not the response he expected, not at all. "Uh, wait, does that mean?"

"You're my boyfriend?" She laughed at the very idea. "Of course not. Not yet." She turned her hoof on herself. "There are steps and rules. Have you spoken to my parents?" Spike shook his head. "Then you aren't my boyfriend. But you desperately want to be, because I made you fall head over hooves."

"Yeah..." Spike was really unsure what was happening, but he wasn't being told no, not really... "So... Um, how about your dad?" He smiled hopefully. "He seems like a nice pony, why don't we start with him?"

"Daring move."

Spike blinked. That was the daring move?! "Your mom'd be easier?"

"Actually, yes." Diamond stepped closer, her breath felt against him. "My mom sees you as a connection to Moon Dancer. My father will see you as a little colt trying to take his little filly away." She leaned in closer still, just short of touching. "Do you think you can handle that? You're going to have to..."

Spike grabbed the back of his head, looking off to the side. "Um, yeah, eventually... Why don't we start with your mom then, if she's easier? Maybe she can help, with your dad?"

"Now you're getting it," agreed Diamond with a little chuckle. "Make connections, use them, and you can get what you're after." She sat to clap her hooves, a grin on her face. "Good. I wouldn't want to be involved with a colt that didn't know that much."

Spike realized he had passed a test he never even knew was being given. "Yeah! Is she around? We could just talk to her now."

Diamond was holding up a hoof for quiet. "First..." She strolled over to one of her many closets, grabbing the doorknob in her mouth and wrenching it open. "Get dressed." She pointed to the collection of suits they had amassed for Spike. "You want to make a good impression, even if she already knows you."

Spike hurried up to grab a suit off the rack. "Got it." He was a little more confident as he quickly got himself presentable. "Uh, thanks."

Diamond cocked a brow. "Don't thank me yet. It's up to you how well you manage this." Diamond leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. "See if you earn another one." And off she went, trotting away from the stunned dragon with a smug look.





Moon clopped softly on the door. "Are you there? I would like to speak with you." Her notebook floated nearby, a quill poised to write in it.

The top of the door swung open, revealing the blue unicorn. "Hm?" She cocked a brow at Moon Dancer. "Oh, you. Have you come to challenge the Great and Powerful Trixie? She is off duty."

"Negative." Moon looked over the other unicorn. Trixie looked tired, perhaps worn after her demonstration? Moon could imagine performing in front of such a crowd would be quite draining. "I was hoping to have a conversation. Have I chosen a bad time?"

"Ye--" Trixie's word didn't finish, tapping her chin instead. "What do you want?"

"Your performance was a complete success."

Trixie perked up at that, her smile returning brightly. "As if the Great and Powerful Trixie would allow for anything else, but she does like it when you notice it. What was your favorite part?"

Moon considered that a moment. "I have read about the Major Ursa. It is a most formidable creature." Moon's eyes darted to Trixie's horn. "I doubt you could have defeated it."

"What?!"

"But your tale was interesting, and entertaining." Moon gestured back at where the performance had been. "The crowd was impressed, which was the goal."

Trixie's nose scrunched. "It's the Ursa Major, not Major Ursa," she scoffed as if that proved she was superior. "For a unicorn too cowardly to face Trixie, you sure are ready to assume you know how magnificent she would be."

"What's the most complex spell you know?" challenged Moon Dancer. "That will allow me to assess your basic ability."

Trixie turned a hoof on herself. "Trixie thought you were here to compliment her on her show."

"Your show was fine." Moon inclined her head lightly. "A complete success. I recommend not picking on members of your audience, even if they are..."

"You don't know anything." Trixie reached over the top of her door to boop Moon on her stupid nose, nudging her back so the rest of the door could open. "If you let hecklers have their way, they only get worse. Trust Trixie, she's tried that before, and it never went well."

Moon backed away in time for the door to miss her. "You speak from experience." She was, perhaps, a bit proud of herself. She was learning to read ponies. "May I hear about it?"

"Only if you apologize." Trixie turned up her nose. "Trixie is a Great and Powerful unicorn. Admit you were wrong."

Moon struggled a moment. They were not in the show. There were no other ponies listening. Why was Trixie insisting on that falsehood? Moon tried to make sense of it, but couldn't put a hoof on it. Still, if she really wanted to say such a silly thing, perhaps another equal lie was just the right thing. "You are Great and Powerful. I was clearly mistaken."

"That's better." Trixie sat, smug smile worn as she seemed to relax with the admission. "Back when Trixie was a new magician, but still pretty Great, she was in Baltimare." She inclined her head faintly. "Do you know where that is?"

Moon nodded faintly. "I have heard of that city, but have not visited it. Did you know that--"

Trixie plugged that mouth promptly. "Trixie is the one telling the story here. Now, as she was saying... There she was, in Baltimare. This was earlier in Trixie's career, she had less tricks. Card demonstrations." A deck of cards spread out over her head, glowing with her magic. "Making things appear behind ponies' ears, you know the sort." But Moon Dancer did not appear to know the sort. "What's that Trixie sees?" She reached for Moon Dancer.

Moon glanced behind herself, but nothing was there but the evening town, already sleepy. "What?"

"A bit!" Trixie plucked a bit from Moon's ear. "When did you get that stuck in there?" With an expert flick of her hoof, the bit was banished to nowhere, but her horn was not glowing. "Feel proud, you got Trixie to do a trick just for you. Few can make that claim."

Moon reached up to her ear, patting over it, but no other coins could be found. "That... was impressive." She smiled then, a little smile. "I like this trick better than your other ones."

Trixie blinked at that. "You are joking." But Moon Dancer seemed entirely genuine. "Well... good." She cleared her throat and sat up all the taller. "As Trixie was saying! She was performing her best, the crowd was engaged, they loved it... except one."

"Who would not enjoy this display?" asked Moon as if the very idea were alien.

"Trixie was just as confused." Trixie nodded, in unison with Moon Dancer. "They knew magic too, is the thing. And they began, loudly, saying how Trixie did her tricks, and making fun of her, saying she was hardly a magician at all." Trixie began to scowl. "Trixie tried to ignore it, but they scared away the crowd. The magic was destroyed." She leaned in closer. "Let me tell you a secret. A proper magician never reveals their magic. That ruins it."

An entire magic based on little lies? "Your horn was not glowing." Moon's eyes were fixed on Trixie's horn, unlit as it was. "What kind of magic can be done without that?"

"That's a secret." Trixie booped herself on the nose, tongue sticking out a little. "Stagecraft is a very special magic all on its own. The best part? Even an earth pony could do it, if they learned how. Now, Trixie, being a Great and Powerful unicorn, has unicorn magic in addition." She clopped her hooves smartly. "Which just makes her all the more astounding!" Looking perfectly confident in herself, she regarded Moon Dancer haughtily. "Well, your turn. What is the 'most complex' magic you know?"

Moon shifted through the spells she had ready. "I know a facial hair configuration spell that is surprisingly complicated." She inclined her head. "Do you know why the hair of Equestrian species is resistant to alteration." It hit her. "You adjusted Equestrian hair; Rarity's mane. Please don't do that again. She did not... She takes her mane very seriously."

"I did." Trixie buffed a hoof against her chest. "Did Trixie not just tell you? Ponies that neigh-say Trixie's shows are put in their place, so Trixie can continue to delight ponies that deserve it in peace." She rolled her eyes softly. "Still, you are not wrong. Hair spells are surprisingly... tricky."

"Mine only affects facial hair." Moon reached up to touch her snout, her horn glowing with a spell that caused her hoof to run into a big bushy moustache she grew on herself, allowing her to twirl the mighty moustache. "Like this."

Trixie burst into laughter at the display. "Most ponies are not so eager to make themselves the butt of a magical joke. Still, Trixie is pleased you did not cast that on her. She likes her facial hair right where it is." She rubbed her own snout and its soft fur, right where it needed to be, no moustache involved. "Got something better? That's barely a tie with Trixie."

Moon missed Trixie's smarmy attitude. "Hm. Ah!" She perked. "I am still practicing it, but I can teleport."

Trixie's ears pricked up. "This Trixie would like to see. Transportation magics are no small feat."

Moon circled in place, looking over the town. "This is fair. You showed me a trick." How that bit had gotten in her ear, she still wasn't certain. Still, they were exchanging favors, and they were getting along reasonably enough. A friendship was being made! Ah. "Up there." Moon pointed on top of Trixie's wagon. "How about there?"

Trixie hiked a brow. "So long as it doesn't hurt the wagon. Go on, show Trixie what you have."

Moon's horn began to glow as she concentrated, just to vanish with a sparkle in the form of her cutie mark, another appearing just above the wagon, where she fell to its roof with a soft grunt. "Success!" she declared despite that, standing up.

Trixie inclined her head left and right. "Not bad." As much of a compliment as one was likely to get out of Trixie. "Trixie acknowledges you as another magical unicorn."

Moon vanished, carrying herself back to the ground in a short magical hop. "Thank you." She inclined her head faintly. "You are also a magical unicorn, and an accomplished performer."

Trixie looked quite pleased. "Not that Trixie didn't know this... But do continue."

Moon wasn't sure she entirely 'got' Trixie, but she knew enough to nod. "Tell me when your next performance is."

Trixie inclined her head faintly. "You are far less infuriating than your friends. They just don't understand how to be a showmare." She rolled her eyes mightily. "Now, Trixie is tired and--"

Two dopey colts ran up towards her cart. With great deferrment, they offered her an oat shake, which Trixie accepted with proper magnanimity. "Did you really defeat the Ursa Major?" asked one of them with a big smile.

"Of course. Now..." She withdrew towards her cart. "Trixie must retire. She requires Great and Powerful sleep to put on her shows." And with a clap of her door, they were dismissed.

"She's so amazing," gushed the pudgy pony colt.

"Yeah." The unicorn colt nodded slowly, not as energetic, but clearly in agreement.

"Hey." The rounder pony pointed off towards the Everfree. "That bear lives in there, right?"

Moon was still there. "I cannot advise that foals enter the Everfree Forest."

The pudgy one waved Moon away. "What do you know? We just have to get the bear out here and we'll get to see Trixie defeat it all over again, but in real life!"

"Yeah." The other nodded softly. "You don't want to see that?"

Moon tapped at her chin softly. "You have spoken with Trixie?" Both foals nodded. "Does she like surprises?"

The unicorn frowned. "No."

"Yeah, I mean, no." The unicorn shook his head slowly. "We tried to bring her a new flavor of, um, drink. She got upset."

"It was a good one too," grumped the pudgy one.

"Bringing the bear... would be like a new flavor." Moon sat lightly. "She will not thank you."

"But she had this flavor before!" wailed the wider pony, hooves raising into the air.

"But she didn't like it before," argued the unicorn, perhaps catching what Moon was implying. "Let's ask her."

"What?"

"Ask her." The unicorn pointed at the wagon. "When she wakes up."

The pudgy one considered with a chin stroke. "Huh... I guess it can wait one day... Hey who are you again?" He was looking at Moon Dancer.

"Moon Dancer," she introduced. "What are your names?"

"Snips."

"Snails."

"Nice to meet you both." She wasn't sure how much she valued either as a potential friendship target, still... "If Trixie does not like that shake--"

"I got the idea." Snips rolled his eyes. "Don't need to keep calling it a shake."

"Ah, yes." Moon turned back towards her own home. "If she is not amenable to performing the trick, ask for me at Twilight's library." She pointed the way. "I will see what can be done."

Snail got a happy smile at that. "Alright."

They had a plan, and a backup plan! Things were looking up.





"Spike." Spoiled was looking over the dragon, a false smile on her face quite brilliantly displayed. "Always good to see you. How are you, how is your sister?"

Spike tried to return the smile, a bit less certain. "I'm great. Moon's fantastic! She's making real progress."

"Is she now? The princess must be elated." Spoiled nodded with certainty. "Now what brings you here?" To one of several living rooms, where Spoiled had been reading a book. "Something wrong?"

"No! No..." He rubbed behind his head, but then it hit him. "Actually, it's a way you could help Moon Dancer."

Spoiled perked at that. "Really? Do tell." She leaned forward a bit, hooves together under her chin. "You know I am eager to help."

Eager to get a favor, Spike reasoned silently. Still, that was a trade Moon actually liked doing... "She is investigating the 'nature of friendship'."

"How arcane." Spoiled inclined her head at Spike. "How can I help with that?"

"I am friends with, um, your daughter." Who wasn't there. It would not do for her to be present for that conversation. "And Moon is very interested in that."

Spoiled hiked a brow. "Are you two getting along?"

"Uh, yeah!" That much was true, so far Spike could tell. "In fact... I wanted to... be her boyfriend." His voice got lower and lower as he got towards the end of that.

"Be her what?" Spoiled turned up her nose, not a large motion needed to do so. "A little louder, kindly?"

"Ma'am!" he squeaked. "I want to be her boyfriend." He set a hand on his chest. "May I have your permission?"

Spoiled hiked a brow. "A non-pony suitor? How... unorthodox..." Was that a no? Spike fidgeted, uncertain. "You don't plan to add her to some pile of treasure, do you?"

Spike coughed, "W-what? No!" He waved his hands frantically. "I don't even have a pile of treasure, um... Unless you count a stack of comic books?"

"I do not," she replied simply, clearly not seeing any humor in the idea.

"Um, me neither..." He rubbed one hand along the other arm. "But, yeah... I, uh... I like her, and you'd be doing Moon Dancer a favor, um, if Diamond says alright."

Spoiled got a wicked little smile. "If I tell her to do it, she will do it if she knows what is best for her. Now, this will assist Miss Dancer with her project?"

"Oh, yeah, totally." Spike fired a double thumbs up. "And I'll be sure to tell her you helped."

"Perfect." Spoiled sat up, considering Spike. "There will be rules, mind. No child of mine will be suited without the proper decorum."

"O-of course." Spike saluted sharply. "She's a high class filly and deserves to be treated properly."

"So glad you understand." Spoiled suddenly chortled. "Filthy put on quite some displays to secure my hoof, charmer that he was..." Her eyes refocused on Spike. "And I expect you to perform properly. You are clearly untrained."

Spike sagged a little. "I understand," he muttered in defeat.

"Don't slouch," she barked, frown on her face. "I will be sending a tutor over. You will follow their every direction. With proper work, we'll have you in proper shape before you can make an embarrassment for anypony involved." She grabbed a quill in her mouth and got to writing. "You're dismissed," she added, as if she had just forgotten to do so. "Expect them shortly."

"Oh, uh... Have a nice day?" Spike staggered out of the room as well as he could, only to be tackled the instant he turned a corner.

"You did it!" squeaked Diamond Tiara with a huge smile. "That went better than I thought it would." Her eyes rolled then. "Even if mom thinks it's her idea. Genius, by the way." She flipped her mane with a hoof brush, starting to trot away. "Make them think it was their idea, a classic."

Spike gathered himself up and rushed after her. "She said she was going to get me a teacher."

"A tutor, yeah, I heard." Not that Spike or Spoiled had seen wherever she had been hiding. "Do what they say, just to keep mom happy."

"Yeah..." He was quiet for a moment, walking with her. "Diamond?"

"Hm?"

"Do you actually want to be my girlfriend?"

Diamond circled in front of him. "If I change my mind, you'll be the first to know. That's part of what I like in this little relationship of ours." She waggled a hoof between herself and Spike. "There are no lies. There is no performance. You say exactly what you mean, and around you... I feel like I can do the same." She leaned dangerously close. "So, right now, yes. If that ever is a no, I'll tell you."

"You'll tell me." They resumed their movement, Spike watching out each window as they passed by them. "So... If we're... Um, Diamond?"

"Hm?" She glanced over her shoulder. "We're already talking. You don't have to keep calling me."

"Yeah! Yeah... Just, um..." Spike rocked on his feet as he went. "I just want to say... You're pretty."

Diamond burst into sudden giggles, leaving Spike to wonder if those were good giggles or not. She did not reply aside that, just arriving at her room and going inside, but not letting him in after her. "Boyfriends do not visit girlfriends in their room, that's not proper." She waggled her brows with laden meaning. "At least not alone."

"I thought the whole, you know, point, was so that we could hang out." Spike peeked around her towards the room he had been banned from. "Wasn't it?"

"Don't stop being adorable." She put a hoof on Spike's cheek, gazing in his eyes. "You'll get it, in time. For now, just be happy we're a thing now." She suddenly grabbed him, hugging. "My dragon, mine."

Spike, at that moment, went stiff. He was hers. That... actually sounded kind of nice. "Are you my pony?" he got out, only to realize the door had been closed on him in his moment of being stunned. That question would not be answered that day.

He scampered on home with a little smile that he couldn't make go away, and perhaps didn't want to.

"Guys!" He burst into the library to get a shushing from a few ponies reading. "Oh, sorry." He lowered his voice and hurried over to Twilight. "Twi!"

Twilight smiled from the book she was just putting away. "Good evening, Spike. You look especially peppy today." With the book secured, she brought her full attention on her little dragon friend. "Something good happen?"

"Something great happened!" He threw his hands wide, but kept his voice low for those actually reading in the library. "You're looking at a dragon with a girlfriend."

Twilight blinked at that. "What? I mean, you do?" She erupted into an awkward smile. "Who's the lucky mare?"

"Um, I've mentioned her before." Spike waved it off like it wasn't a sudden thing. "Diamond Tiara?"

"Huh."

"That is not a happy sound."

"Sorry." Twilight waved a hoof at the idea. "I was just thinking, she can be... You two get along?"

"Yeah." He bobbed his head furiously. "And I got permission from her mom."

Twilight blinked softly. "That's very formal of you... And not something I would have guessed you would have thought of on your own." She set a hoof on her chin. "Let me guess, Diamond Tiara told you to do that."

Spike began to blush brightly, caught, instantly. "Y-yeah... Is that bad?"

"No... You did nothing wrong, Spike. Congratulations." She smooched the top of his head gently. "I'll make something tasty, after the library closes. You can tell us all about it."