//------------------------------// // Chapter 63 A lesson learn part 2 // Story: Spike the Knight // by vadram //------------------------------// A lesson learn part 2 Inside the main room of Imamu’s cave he and Spike were talking about the duel Zecora and Kirabo had while Imamu made something for them to eat. Kirabo and Zecora were still busy developing the hate part of their complicated love-hate relationship. If it wasn’t for the great distance that separated them Spike and Imamu’s conversation would have been flooded with obscenities and death threats, some of them in rhyme even. When the old simian asked Spike what he had learned from watching the two dance, Spike more or less guessed that the two were holding back at the start because of they were friends and did not want to hurt each other. “So Spike...” Imamu's voice could be heard echoing through the crystalline structure that separated the, “you figured out that they both wanted to win, but did not want to hurt the other too badly, but why else would the hold back at the beginning of the fight?” he put a heavy emphasis on the word ‘beginning’. Again he tried to think of a reason but came out empty. “I have no idea.” “Have you ever played cards?” “Huh? What does that have to do with... Ah I see. They did not go full strength so one could not see what cards the other had.” “Exactly. So they did not go all in because they did not want to hurt each other and...” “So that one would not know how strong the other was.” “And then...” “Then things escalated... quickly.” “Yes, as they went on both of them put more and more force into their attacks. Can you tell when they stopped playing around and actually started fighting?” “Umm...” Spike paused trying to remember the battle as a whole. In the meantime Imamu returned with a small pile of assorted gems wrapped around a large leaf and a even larger ceramic vase. “When Zecora put on the amulet?” “No.” Imamu placed the pile of gems in front of Spike. “When zecora kissed Kirabo?” Imamu laughed. “No.” He placed the vase in front of him and opened the lid. “Umm... When the trees appeared?” “Thats right.” He took something from the vase and popped into his mouth before continuing. “Before that they only fought hand to hoof. But when Zecora started using the saplings Kirabo knew he had to get serious.” He pooped another. Spike managed to get a quick look at it before it disappeared inside Imamu’s mouth. It looked like something wrapped in some sort of leave that was kept submerged in some liquid, possible a sort of preservant. Imamo took another one out of the vase and tossed it in his mouth. “Then Kirabo started using more power and Zecora responded with more of hers and so on.” He ate another. “Until one of them went to far.” And another. “Kirabo right?” Spike asked, still curious about what the giant was eating. “Maybe...” Both of them remained silent until Imamu ate another. “Maybe? He was the one that tried to kill Zecora first.” “Things are not usually black and white.” Imamu picked up another one from the vase and ate it. “Do you remember what Zecora did before Kirabo lost it?” “She buried him alive?” “No.” Imamu replied eating another. “He was already gone by then. Try to guess when Kirabo snapped.” One more. “Hmm...” Spike said stroking an imaginary beard. “He was acting weird after Zecora kissed him.” Imamu laughed again, almost choking on his food. “Why do you keep saying that they kissed?” “Umm... because they did.” Once again Imamu laughed. After calming down a little he ate another one. “If one she did...” He said much quieter than usual. “What?” Spike asked. “Nothing. Look kid, she did not kiss him she just forced feed him something and...” “Wait, force feed? Really?” Spike said in disbelief. “Look I have been a feisty eater when I was younger, to the point that Twilight had to force feed me, but she never... did...” he blushed, “that.” “Look kid, as far as I know ponies don’t do it, but since they do kiss they must have done it sometimes in the past.” “What are you talking about?” Imamu sighted. “Okay kid time for a history and biology lesson.” Spike turned from the stinking pile of gems, that stood in front of him, so he could face Imamu. Spike search for a more comfortable position and ended up laying in a similar fashion to when he was perched on Imamu’s shoulder. He was laying on his stomach, his body arched to one side so his tail could reach beneath his head, his arms placed on the tail and his head resting on his arms. Just like before the tip of his tail was wiggling. “Right. I am guessing you know where babies come from, if you don’t ask someone else I am really tired of explaining it. So a baby mammal is feed with milk...” “What is a mammal?” “Really?” He sighted. “The short version is a mammal is a creature that has babies and feed them with milk. Like a simian, or a cow...” “Or a pony?” Spike asked. “Yes, like a pony. So a mammal feeds its offsprings...” He looked at Spike and anticipating his question continued “its babies with milk until they can eat on their own, some even after but that is a different story. But some want their children to eat something else than milk sooner than they could normally eat it they would take the food in their mouth and chew it for the young.” “So that was what Zecora did? She chewed something then forced it into Kirabo’s mouth.” “Exactly.” “But it looked just like a kiss.” “Yes it did. While most animals show their affection by a similar practices such as licking, nuzzling or grooming. In higher intelligent animals such as simians...” He took a look at Spike, “and maybe ponies the practice of kissing is believed to have originated from premastication...” Again he looked at Spike, “pre-chewing or kiss-feeding.” “So, you’re telling me that ponies kiss because once they used to feed their foals that way?” He paused. “Huh, I am surprisingly unfazed by that.” “You may still be in shock.” Imamu said as he ate a few more of those. “Maybe... So what are those anyway?” “Grubs.”