//------------------------------// // Just Ask Her // Story: As Sweet As Lavender // by Draconian Soul //------------------------------// “Lavender. Hey… Lavender.” Feeling someone nudge her, she swatted at the intruder who dared to interrupt her nap. “Not now, Daddy,” she mumbled. “I already beat you in the gem-eating contest…” “Um, Lavender, it’s me. Just hurry up and wake up. The teacher is coming.” “Huh? Wha—” Lavender leaned up, her vision still blurry. Fizzle was tapping her shoulder. She rapidly sat up, drool still pooling from her mouth. The teacher began scanning the classroom, nodding his head. “Good. Now that I have your attention, I want to inform you that your next exam will be at the beginning of next week. I advise you study hard for this one. Might be a deciding factor if you want to participate in the Twilight’s Institution of Gifted Ponies Ball. So, I suggest studying really hard for this exam.” Lavender groaned, lowering her head on the desk. She glared at the professor with fiery disdain. “That being said, if you paid even an ounce of attention in class, and didn’t spend the majority of your time sleeping through my lectures, you should be fine.” His emphasis on sleeping made Lavender cringe. If he had targeted his statement directly at her, it wouldn’t be a surprise. “That’s all the time we have for today. Remember, study hard, and make sure you go over the material.” The students left their desks and trotted towards the exit, discussing what they had planned for the weekend. Lavender leaned against her desk, waiting for Fizzle to grab his saddlebag. “You know, I never understood why you bothered bringing all that junk to school with you to school,” she said. “Wouldn’t it be easier if you left some of that stuff at home? We barely use the books in class.” Fizzle zipped his bag and threw it over his shoulder, letting it dangle from his side. “You never know when you’ll need something. I always like to be prepared for a class, no matter what.” Fizzle tapped his hooves together. “No offense, Lavender, but you usually come… well… underprepared.” Lavender grunted and stuck her tongue out at him. "Please! All you need is a pencil and a few sheets of paper to make it through the day. I still make good grades, so it's not like I should care." “But you might need the extra help sometime. What if a test gets extremely difficult?” Lavender chuckled. “Well, that’s why I have you, Fizzle.” Fizzle’s face turned red. He kicked at the ground and looked away from her. “Well, I’m not that smart.” “Are you kidding me?” Lavender punched him lightly in the arm, causing Fizzle to jolt and sway. “How can you say you aren’t that smart when you have the highest percentile in the school?” “Well, you’re not that far behind, Lavender. You’re like… fifth, I believe.” Lavender laughed. “Yeah, that was sheer luck. That, and my mother would kill me if I did poorly.” She groaned, disgruntled. “I still can’t believe she made me go to this Celestia-forsaken school. I don’t see the point of it.” Fizzle lifted his bag and headed off, Lavender following behind. “She just wants you to excel, that’s all.” “Yeah, I guess.” The two walked out of the classroom, continuing on with idle conversation. As they walked down the street, Fizzle decided it would be best to go ahead and ask about the event that was being talked about throughout school. “So, are you thinking about going to the ball?” he asked. Lavender sighed. “Not like I have a choice,” she said. “Mom is kind of making me go. She says it would be good for my social endeavors. Yeah, like my past thousand attempts to be social worked.” “What about Sugar Snap, and Brass Bolt, and…” Fizzle went silent, stammering over his last words. “W-well… me.” Lavender smiled. “Yeah, and you guys are pretty cool. Well… it took a while for me to warm up to the idiot known as Brass Bolt, but he ain’t half bad. Still, I can’t just go with my friends. Don’t you think that would be a little, you know, weird?” Fizzle felt as if his hopes had been shattered. The words crashed down on him like a piano from the sky. Shaking his head, he looked towards her and tried to turn the situation in his favor. “Well, I don’t think it’s… that bad,” he said, face completely reddened. “There’s nothing wrong with going with a friend. I mean, at least they’re familiar faces.” “Yeah, familiar faces that I see every day. Besides, why would I want to go out with any of my friends? That’s kinda weird, wouldn’t you agree?” Once again, Fizzle’s hopes were demolished. He felt like quivering and tearing up, but decided not to in order to stave off suspicion. “Y-yeah. Why would anyone ever consider going to the prom with a friend?” Fizzle chuckled awkwardly, avoiding her gaze. “I think I might just go by myself,” Lavender said. “Mom can make me go, but she can’t make me go out with somepony if I don’t want to.” “I don’t think you would have to worry about finding somepony to go out with you,” Fizzle stated. “You’re already cute enough to…” Fizzle froze in place. Looking horrified, he shifted his eyes while he desperately tried to find a way around what he just said. “Well, what I meant is that many colts would find you really attractive. I mean, you’re cool, and funny, you take good care of your appearance, even when you get dirty.” Lavender just shook her head, slapping Fizzle in the face with her tail. What was a playful gesture to Lavender made Fizzle’s heart race. “Ha, how flattering. Though, I doubt I’d want to go out with those drooling colts anyways. Have you seen some of those guys?” Lavender gagged. “They’re horrible!” Fizzle got ahold of himself and nodded. “Yeah, I suppose so.” Fizzle took a deep breath and looked into Lavender’s eyes. “Hey, I thought we could go to Sugarcube Corner and get us a little snack. We can talk to Sugar Snap there as well. You know, if you want to, and all.” “That’s not a bad idea, actually!” Lavender exclaimed, trotting a little faster. “I could use a milkshake to liven up this boring day. Bet that spoiled ball of energy is manning the counter today.” Fizzle chuckled. “Let’s hope so.” “Sweetie, could you be a dear and pass me some lime-green fabric?” Sweetie Belle trotted towards Rarity, who was focused on stitching together a dress with her sewing machine. “Here you go,” Sweetie said, setting it next to her sister. “Ready whenever you need it.” Rarity smiled, barely looking away from her work. “Thank you, Sweetie. Now, if you don’t mind, could you tell me what time it is? I haven’t really checked in a while.” “No problem.” Sweetie Belle looked towards the clock. “It’s about 3:00 P.M now.” Rarity paused, glaring at the clock. “Oh my word! It’s already that late? Lavender will be home any minute now!” She doubled her pace, pushing the fabric through the machine as fast as she possibly could go. “I’m not even close to done yet! I was supposed to meet my quota on this before she got back, or at least the base done. Maybe I can shave off some time.” Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow, and laid a hoof her hoof on Rarity’s shoulders. “Um, Sis? You alright?” “Sweetie, could you please let me focus!” Rarity exclaimed. “I’m trying to get this done before she gets back. I don’t have much time!” She levitated the fabric to a different mannequin, grabbing a sewing needle. “Oh, and Opal hasn’t been fed yet. Twilight! Twilight, can you hear me?!” “Yes! How can I not when you’re screaming at the top of your lungs?” Twilight poked her head through the door. “I take it you’re quite in the zone right now.” “You could say that,” Rarity said, moving around frantically. She grabbed spindles and fabric, trotting closer to Sweetie Belle. “I don’t have much time to complete this dress before you-know-who gets here! Sweetie, hold these for a moment.” She dropped them in front of her, expecting her to catch the load she was holding. Sweetie managed to catch them with her magic, swaying slightly from the suddenness of it. “Twilight, could you do me a favor and feed Opal? Food should be under the sink. She likes eating out of her diamond-crusted bowl and drinking out of the regular one. Please don’t confuse the two.” Twilight nodded. “You know, when Spike offered to clean the library so I could come over and relax with my sister-in-law, I expected to relax with my sister-in-law.” “I’m sorry, Twilight, but I have to get most of this done before she gets here. Believe me, after this, you and Sweetie Belle will have all the time in the world to catch up. Right now, I just need you to do this teeny-tiny favor for me.” “Alright. But if Opal scratches me one more time, food will be the last thing she’ll be worried about.” Twilight left the room, leaving Sweetie to deal with her compulsive sister. Rarity struggled to keep herself balanced, her magic beginning to fail her. Rarity continued to bolt around her workroom, making Sweetie Belle roll her eyes. “Rarity, don’t you think you’re overreacting a bit?” “Overreacting?! My daughter has a ball coming up in a few weeks, and I have barely anything ready for her! I simply must give her the best outfit possible for this occasion!” “But the ball isn’t for another few weeks,” Sweetie Belle stated, passing Rarity her materials as she pointed towards them. “You have plenty of time to make her something.” “No I don’t! With as many clients as I have, I will barely have any time to finish both her dress and their projects! And I want to make sure that Lavender looks the best.” “I don’t know if we’re talking about the same dracony here, but I know for a fact that Lavender I know doesn’t care about how her dresses look. Need I remind you how miserable she looked when you made her wear a frilly little pink dress back when she was a filly?” “Oh, how could I forget!” Rarity smiled, and opened her Fire Ruby to display a picture of Lavender in such a dress. “Whenever I feel down, I open this up and look at it. She looked so adorable in that dress.” Rarity sighed, pressing her hoof against the picture of her and Spike sharing a kiss. After reminiscing, she glanced back at Sweetie Belle. “She really didn’t like that dress?” Sweetie Belle shook her head. “She took it off as soon as she got home. She just wore it because she didn’t want you to be sad, along with your other dresses you thought she liked.” “Oh.” Rarity lowered the partially made dress. “She tells you a lot, doesn’t she?” “Mails me at least once a week!” Sweetie Belle winked at Rarity, wrapping her front hoof around her shoulders. “Look, she doesn’t hate your dresses. I can tell you firsthoof that she appreciates the effort you put into your dresses. She just wishes you would take less time making them look so pretty, and maybe just make them a little more simplistic. She’s not as picky as you, you know?” Rarity huffed. However, she shook it off and hugged her. “I guess I could do something a little bit less complex.” Rarity looked at the unfinished dress and sighed. “I’m sure that I can still make something really good out of this.” “That’s all she truly wants, Rarity.” Rarity giggled. “Oh, and here I thought that she actually liked most of my dresses. Oh well, at least she might be pleasantly surprised about this dress, right?” “How much you want to bet that Mom is busy trying to make me some frou-frou nonsense again?” Lavender laughed, sitting at one of the tables inside of the Sugarcube Corner with Fizzle. Sugar Snap fluttered near their table, giggling to herself. “Yeah, well, Mrs. Rarity knows her way around a nicely made dress,” Sugar Snap said. “I would love it if she made me a dress for the ball. Imagine me in some of those nice, sparkly dresses she makes her clients!” Lavender rested her elbow on the table and her hand on her chin. “Why are you even going to the ball? You don’t go to our school.” “Why, it’s simple, Lavender.” Sugar Snap lowered herself to her hooves, smiling fiendishly. “I might not go to the school, but I do like to partake in social events of the sort. How else will I be able to show off if I don’t go to these youth gatherings?” “Oh yeah, I keep forgetting! You’re the queen of attention-grabbing. My mistake for thinking that you could stay out of the center of a stallion’s eyesight for longer than five seconds.” Sugar Snap stuck her tongue out at Lavender, and turned away from her. “At least I’m not an antisocial tomboy such as yourself. I can hold my weight around others better than thou. Then again, it’s easier for the naturally beautiful.” “Vain and fixated on the spotlight. Like mother, like daughter, they always say.” Sugar Snap giggled. “Well, you surely haven’t.” She pulled out a notepad from her apron. “But as much as I would love to chat with you longer, I’m on the clock, soooo… Order up!” Fizzle ordered first. “I’ll have a root beer float.” “Same here,” Lavender said, “except with chocolate, some sprinkles, and cookie crumbs in it. Oh, and drown it in the soda!” “Only you would be so oddly specific about what you want. Alright, I should be back in a minute.” Sugar Snap flew back behind the counter and entered the back room. Lavender chuckled, looking back at Fizzle. “Never in a thousand years would I think I’d be best friends with a drama queen like her. Now, like I was saying, why don’t you just go by yourself?” Fizzle tapped the desk, barely making eye contact with Lavender. “Well, the thought did cross my mind. However… I, um… wouldn't have minded going with someone else if possible.” “Oh?” Lavender leaned closer, intrigued. “So, who’s the mare you’re into?” Fizzle leaned back. “Well, it’s not exactly a mare.” Lavender’s ears rose, her eyes widening. “Huh. I didn’t peg you as somepony who was into stallions, but hey, if that’s what you’re into…” “No! It’s not a stallion either!” Fizzle shouted, instantly regretting it. “Well, sorry. Didn’t mean to imply anything by that. It’s just that, if you aren’t interested in a mare, then who are you interested in?” Fizzle’s eyes wandered. Every time he looked back at Lavender, his heart began to race. She had both of her claws pressed against her face, waiting for his response. He was shivering, rubbing his hooves together while he tried to form the right words to say. “Well… I—” Before he could finish, a loud noise similar to a party favor was heard from under the table. Confetti shot up as well. Lavender looked under the table, but there was nothing there. “What in the—” As she looked back up, she was greeted by a smiling, pink face,making her jolt backwards and nearly fall out of her chair. “CONGRATULATIONS!” The pony bounced on the table, tossing confetti around. “You’re our three-millionth customer!” “Pinkie?” Lavender shook her head. “Where did you come from?” Pinkie Pie giggled. “Because you have met our special super-spectacular milestone, you get a sextuple scooped, chocolate-and-caramel-covered, sprinkle-deluxe Neapolitan ice cream bowl for free!” “Seriously, how are you doing that? Do you have some kind of compartment under the—” Lavender’s ears perked, finally picking up on what Pinkie Pie had just said. “Wait, sextuple? As in six?” “You betcha!” Pinkie turned towards Fizzle. “And hey, since Fizzle was with you, he can get his own bowl as well!” Fizzle shook his head. “Well, that’s a lot of ice cream, and I don’t really want that much.” “Well, you can share the one I’m getting then,” Lavender suggested. “R-really?” Fizzle felt his throat grow dry. “Y-you’d share with me?” “Why is that so surprising?” Lavender asked, chuckling. “I mean, you might as well eat some of this instead of waiting around for the root beer float. Besides, free ice cream! If you say no, then you’re not as bright as you let on.” Fizzle was quite used to her teasing. Back when he was a young colt, her words would have demoralized him. More recently, he found comfort and joy in her sarcasm. His face reddened as he nodded. “I suppose that does make sense.” “Great!” Pinkie leapt off the table and trotted towards the counter. “I’ll be back…” Just as soon as she left, she reappeared with a glass bowl stacked high with mounds of ice cream covered with the works. “...Right now!” Pinkie placed two spoons inside the bowl. Lavender grabbed hers and scooped some of the ice cream into her mouth. She hummed with delight, bringing an even wider smile to Pinkie’s face. “I gotta say, Pinkie, I don’t know how you do it,” Lavender said as she continued to dig through the desert with great speed. “What do you mean?” Pinkie asked. “Are you talking about the ice cream? That’s really easy, silly! Just take six scoops, pour chocolate and caramel on it, and add some extra toppings! It’s surprisingly simple!” “No, I meant how do you keep so spry when you’re holding out for not only one, but two ponies?” “Oooooooh!” Pinkie giggled and rubbed her stomach. “I’ve always heard from other ponies that it takes so much energy out of you, but I don’t see how! I feel just dandy!” She kicked her hooves back and forth, practically floating in the air. “I mean, sure, sometimes I get a little moody, but that doesn’t happen that often. The strangest thing I’ve done since I’ve been pregnant was eat ice cream with melted cheddar, and I’ve done that before anyways! Crazy, huh?” “Yeah, that sure is interesting,” Fizzle said, rubbing his nape with a hoof while he tried to eat some of the ice cream. However, at the rate Lavender was going, he doubted he would be able to get much. “Have you decided what you’re going to name your foals?” “Well, we have some ideas of what to name the two,” Pinkie said. “Pokey suggested that we wait until we go see our babies’ gender through something called a… um…” Pinkie knocked a hoof against her forehead. The sound was hollow, as if nothing was in her cranium. “An ultrasound?” Fizzle suggested. “Yeah! That thingy! Once we get that, we’ll finally be able to name our foals!” “Just pray they’re colts,” Lavender said with a mouthful of ice cream. “Dealing with colts is a lot easier than dealing with mares. They’re cheaper to take care of, too.” Pinkie laughed, patting Lavender on the head. “Oh, don’t be silly, Lavy! Whether it’s a boy or a girl, they will be a bundle of sunshine. I can’t wait! That’s why I took the liberty of making a long long long long loooong list of names! Cakey, Sugar, Spice, Popper, Flour, Pierce, Pinkie Jr., Pokey II, Cherry, Grape, Melon, Cushion, Pi—” “Okay, okay, we get the picture,” Lavender said. “You have a lot of names planned for them. Pinkie nodded wildly. “And that’s not even half of it. I have like, three hundred more names to name them! I don’t know how I will figure out what to name them! So many choices!” “Don’t you think it would have been easier if you would have… well… limited them to just a few names?” Fizzle asked. “Then I might not have enough choices to go over,” Pinkie Pie said. “What if I can’t find a name for my kid? A no-name pony. That would be crazy!” Lavender and Fizzle didn’t attempt to respond afterwards. It was beyond their ability to figure out the insanity that was Pinkie Pie, and, quite frankly, they were better off leaving her be. Not that they minded. She did provide them with a great source of entertainment, as well as a giant bowl of ice cream. “Well, you two enjoy your ice cream. I’m going to help the Cakes with their newest creation!” Pinkie Pie licked her lips, drool trickling from her tongue. “Mmm… Strawberry Brownie Delight!” She skipped off, leaving Lavender and Fizzle alone again. Fizzle stared at Lavender, watching her drill through the last bit of chocolate ice cream left. He didn’t really get that much of the dessert. Most of it went down Lavender’s throat. All that was left was most of strawberry ice cream she didn’t bother eating. Still, he didn’t care. He could have gotten no ice cream so long as he got to be around Lavender. She stared up at him, her face smeared with vanilla and chocolate. “Um, are you going to eat some, or are you going to stare at me while I finish?” Fizzle shook his head and clumsily grabbed at his spoon, shoveling it into the ice cream. Even though he was still eating the treat, he eyed Lavender as she continued. Only she could make him blush, even when her face was a sloppy mess. “So, I take it that you enjoyed the promotional reward?” Sugar Snap flew towards the two, slurping on two straws. She was drinking the root beer floats that Lavender and Fizzle had originally ordered, smiling gleefully. “Wow. You’re a terrible worker, Sugar Snap,” Lavender teased. “Are you really going to eat your customers’ orders in front of them?” Sugar Snap rolled her eyes. “Oh, please! You weren’t going to eat this anyways, so why should I let it go to waste?” “You don’t know that,” Lavender countered. “Maybe I wanted both.” “Did you though?” Lavender swallowed the last bit of her ice cream, burping loudly. With a wide, toothy smile, she replied, “Nope. I just felt like messing with you.” “I figured as much. I also bet you ate all of Fizzle’s share of the ice cream as well.” “Not like he was trying to challenge me,” Lavender said, wiping her face with her claw. “Besides, I’m saving him some. He can join in and finish up as he pleases. If I am eating too much, I can always buy some more.” Fizzle shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I honestly didn’t want to eat that much anyways. You eat as much as you want. I’ll just take the leftovers.” Lavender smiled. “Sweet! I’ve had a strong sweet tooth recently.” She continued through the ice cream. “You know, I wish there were more stallions like you, Fizzle.” Fizzle’s face went crimson. He hid his blush behind the mounds of strawberry ice cream. “Y-you really mean that?” “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t. At least you’re actually nice, not some dolt who tries to act better than others. You also helped me out of a jam when it came to those quizzes. Thanks. My Mom would have killed me if I had failed that.” Lavender chuckled, eating more of the ice cream while Fizzle gazed at her with half-lidded eyes. Everything about her was amplified and beautified tenfold as he looked at her. Her eyes, her mane, her talons and fluffy tail, her personality: it made his heart soar. It was maddening thinking about her so much, but he couldn’t help it. He cursed himself for not being able to talk to her properly. “Hey, Fizz! You’re good with chemical concoctions, right?” Sugar Snap asked, snapping him out of his trance. “Um, yeah, I suppose,” he answered. “I mean, I kinda have a cutie mark based on it, if that wasn’t apparent.” Fizzle showcased his cutie mark, which was a flask being overflowed with bubbles of fizzing liquids. Sugar Snap nodded and lowered herself to her hooves. “Right, right! If you aren’t going to eat the ice cream, I would like you to come with me. Maybe you can figure out some awesome mix for a new soda line!” Fizzle looked at Sugar Snap with wide, unbelieving eyes. “Y-you actually need my help with something here?” “Yes indeedy!” she said. “Best to have somepony who knows what he’s doing, wouldn’t you agree?” “Yeah.” Fizzle lowered himself from his seat and followed Sugar Snap. He looked back at Lavender, who was too busy burying herself in the ice cream to care about him leaving. Sugar Snap looked up at Lavender, then back down at Fizzle, her smile melting into a more stoic expression. That alone made Fizzle nervous. “Um… so… What kind of drink did you want to make?” Fizzle asked. Sugar Snap didn’t answer, crossing her forehooves over her chest. Fizzle kicked at the ground and smiled nervously. “Well, it really just depends on what you want. I can easily tell you how to make a cola, but if it is going to be a cream flavor, along with fruit, I suggest strawberry or—” “You haven’t asked her yet, have you?” Fizzle froze. His head drooped as he sighed. That was the last thing he had expected to come up, but, thinking about it, it should have been apparent from the start. “No.” He looked up to see her shaking her head and audibly clicking her tongue. “B-but I’m trying! I… I just can’t bring myself to do it.” “Trying isn’t enough,” Sugar Snap barked. “I want to see action! I want to see determination! And, better yet, I want to see it today, right here and right now!” Fizzle’s legs began to shake, his face becoming more flushed. “B-but I—” “I’m getting really tired of your buts, Fizzle. You say you really like her, and yet, after all these years you still haven’t told her how you feel. Asking her out to the ball is the first step to getting the ma—erm,dracony—of your dreams, and you’re squandering it!” “But on our way here, she said that she would never go with a friend because it would be weird.” Sugar Snap waved her hooves and blew a raspberry. “You really think she means that? We girls like to put on a tough act so you guys actually have to fight for us! I bet that if you asked her, she would say yes in a pinch.” Fizzle rubbed his nappy mane, and glanced towards her again. Nearly her entire face was caked with ice cream of mixed colors. He felt his heart stop just looking at her eat sloppily, as weird as that thought was. “I-I don’t know…” Sugar Snap grabbed Fizzle’s face, forcing him to look at her. “Look, you got this, Fizz! You’re like, her bestest friend in all of Equestria!” “I thought that was you,” Fizzle mumbled. “Well… best male friend. She thinks quite highly of you, so why not go for it? I mean, the worse she could do is say no.” “She could also laugh at me, too,” Fizzle added, which earned him a smack to the face. “No! No thoughts that will prevent you from asking. I’m serious! If you don’t do this, I will dub you biggest wimp in all of Equestria!” Fizzle sighed, his ears drooping. He knew that Sugar Snap meant well, but sometimes her methods seemed a little too drastic at times. Still, she did have a point. He was never going to get Lavender if he was too scared of her reaction. Taking a deep breath, he released himself from Sugar Snap’s grasp. “You’re right.” He puffed out his chest and smiled. “I’m going to ask her out to the ball. Not that hard to do.” “That’s the spirit! Now, go get her!” Sugar Snap pushed Fizzle towards his goal, nearly knocking him off-balance. He swallowed hard and continued towards Lavender, who was wiping the excess ice cream from her face. His heart beat against his chest, and his hooves felt heavy. Everything seemed to freeze around him. The only thing mattering at that moment was Lavender. Okay, you got this, Fizzle. he thought. It’s just some stupid ball. That’s it. You can easily ask her out to that without any problems. Just go up, ask if she wants to go to the ball with me, and wait for a response. She won’t bite you. She won’t hate you. She won’t laugh… Well, maybe she’ll laugh, but who cares! She’ll still be your friend. You’re losing nothing, but if you do well, you’ll gain everything. Just do it. Do it, idiot! He bumped against Lavender’s chair, jolting back and blushing after realizing he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going. Lavender raised an eyebrow at him. “Hey, do you need glasses or something? How do you bump into a big, purple dracony in a chair?” “Oh.. um… sorry.” Fizzle retreated a little before shaking his head and looking back up at her. This was his chance. The shot he needed. “Hey… Lavender, can I ask you something?” “Oh?” Lavender looked at him with wide, eager eyes, scratching her mane. “What’cha want?” Fizzle rocked from side to side. “I-I just wanted to know if you… erm… If you…” “Yeah, Fizzle?” Lavender’s beauty was intensified yet again. This time, her eyes were glistening, her mane sparkled, and her smile seemed to border the lines of seductive and innocent. To make matters worse for him, her blinking was rapid and inviting, making his heart race to the point where he couldn’t feel it anymore. “I… I just wanted to know if you, um…” Fizzle stumbled over his words, reduced to a nervous wreck. “I wanted to know… If you wanted to study a little while today. You know… at your place?” Fizzle could hear Sugar Snap slapped her forehooves against her forehead. He was slapping himself internally for his cowardice, but he couldn’t make up for it at the moment. All he could do was continue with his screw-up, and wait a response from Lavender. “Really?” Lavender said, bemused. “You of all ponies would want to study during the weekend.” Lavender laid a claw against her cheek. “Still, this test does look kind of hard. I guess we can study a little bit today. Wanna head there now?” Fizzle nodded, staying silent in shame. “Sweet!” Lavender leapt off the chair and walked towards Sugar Snap, passing her six bits while sticking her tongue out. “For the root beer float you were supposed to give us.” “Har har!” Sugar Snap counted the bits and placed them on the counter. “Nice of you to pay anyway. I’ll drop by when I get off work if you want.” “Cool.” Lavender waved goodbye. “See ya, Sugar Snap!” Sugar Snap waved at Lavender with a smile, waiting for her to reach the door. Once she was certain Lavender wasn’t paying attention, she looked at Fizzle, shaking her head in disgust. “Shaaamefuuuul.” Fizzle lowered his head. “I know.” He followed Lavender towards the boutique, mentally berating himself. Just another day for Fizzle: in the company of the dracony he adored, but unable to tell her how much he adored that company. “Do you think this is good enough?” Rarity held up the dress, her mane unkempt and looking visibly stressed. Sweetie Belle and Twilight Sparkle inspected her work, thinking long and hard. The wait made Rarity even more anxious. “Oh, for the love of all that is good, just tell me!” “Okay, okay,” Twilight said. “Calm down! You’re acting crazier than…” She blushed slightly. “You know what, I won’t finish that thought.” Sweetie Belle giggled. “Well, I think that you did a fine job with this one, Sis! I’m sure Lavender will love it!” Rarity asked, “You really think so?” Sweetie Belle nodded. “I have to second that,” Twilight added. “Like she said, something simple and nice fits Lavender much better than a diamond-crusted dress, wouldn't you agree?” Rarity smiled, a tint of red on her cheek. “In hindsight, she would have probably just eaten them, wouldn’t she?” They nodded and laughed, lighting their horns up. “So, where do you want us to hide this mannequin?” Sweetie asked. Rarity rubbed her chin. “How about behind the show curtains?” she suggested. “Lavender hasn’t snooped around back there since she was a little filly. I doubt she would start now.” “Got it!” Sweetie Belle encased the mannequin with her magic. “Twilight?” “Ready when you are,” Twilight replied. They moved the mannequin at the same pace, slowly trotting towards the curtains. Rarity used her aura to grab the end of the curtain and push it to the side, allowing for Twilight and Sweetie to easily access the back area. “Now, put it somewhere in the back. Can’t have it poking out. She might get suspicious,” Rarity said. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “I think we know how to hide something, Rarity. How do you think me and Lavender snuck those pet spiders in here when we were young?” Rarity’s eyes twitched. “That was you who let her bring those filthy things in here?!” “Well…” Sweetie Belle’s eyes wavered. Twilight giggled at the awkward situation she had put herself in. Sweetie’s desire to change the subject was fulfilled when she heard the front door creak open. “Oh, speaking of my favorite niece, that should be her right now. You should go check on her while we finish hiding this.” “Wait… she’s home already? Please, hurry it up! I’ll go hold her off!” Rarity darted towards the living room faster than the others believe she could. Twilight and Sweetie Belle stared at each other, sustaining their laughter. “Wow, my sister is a wreck when she’s making something,” Sweetie Belle said. “Even I don’t get that nervous, and I have to perform for ponies on stage!” “Well, that’s just how our sister is,” Twilight said with a smile. “Not that I'm complaining. It’s quite amusing watching her work.” The two shared a laugh and placed the mannequin in a discrete location behind the curtains. “Speaking of stage, how is your career going, Sweetie?” Twilight asked. “I’m afraid we haven’t had as much time to speak to each other much recently.” “It’s quite alright, Twilight,” Sweetie Belle said. “You’re a princess and all, and I don’t want to bother you when you’re busy.” “It’s not a problem at all,” Twilight said, waving a forehoof. “I am more than happy to spend time with my sister-in-law, especially one as talented as yourself.” “Why thanks, Twilight,” Sweetie said. “I can’t believe they let me off for a week to visit you guys! I have a concert next week, and I’m supposed to be practicing for my newest single.” “That’s wonderful!” Sweetie Belle nodded. “It’s heavily inspired by my fiance. As you can tell, I’m going to be a happily wedded mare soon. We’re planning to have it here in Ponyville for simplicity’s sake.” Sweetie Belle raised her hoof, showing off her golden hoofring with a shining pearl in the center. “It’s beautiful!” Twilight asked, “I take it that the lucky stallion is Half Note, correct?” Sweetie Belle nodded, blushing madly. “He was so romantic about it. Right there on the stage after my performance two months ago.” She sighed dreamily, dwelling on the memory of that momentous day. “I can’t wait for it, and I bet Lavender can’t wait either. And while we’re on that subject, you should probably go say hi to her. I bet she doesn’t even know you’re here yet.” Sweetie Belle smiled, making sure the dress was carefully hidden behind the curtains. “Of course. This will be a nice surprise for her.” The two walked into the living room to greet the young dracony. Lavender was standing next to Fizzle, talking to her mother. As she cocked her head to the side, she saw Sweetie Belle and immediately smiled. “No way!” Lavender ran past Rarity and into the hooves of her aunt, who embraced her. “What are you doing here? I thought you had some kind of concert to practice for.” “Yeah, and that’s still the case, but I always have time for my favorite niece.” Sweetie Belle watched as Lavender’s tail wagged around rapidly. Her niece had a tight grip on her, hugging her tightly. “Besides, I can always practice here. Might need a critic with a good ear for sound. Guess who I’m considering?” Lavender chuckled. “Trust me, you don’t need my help with that. I just want to listen to the best singer in Equestria.” Lavender turned towards Fizzle, gesturing for him to come closer. “Hey, Fizz, you’ve met my Aunt before, right? She’s a pretty rockin’ singer!” “Y-yeah I know that,” Fizzle said, walking towards her. “Good afternoon, Ms. Sweetie Belle. Princess Twilight.” Fizzle began to bow before Twilight held out her hooves. “There’s no need for that here, young stallion,” she said with a smile. “You don’t have to be so formal around me. If Lavender can talk to me casually, so can you.” Lavender’s ears perked as she looked up at Twilight. “Oh, sorry, Aunt Twi.” She walked towards her and hugged her as well. “Don’t worry about it, Lavender. You can see me anytime you want. It’s not often you get to see Sweetie Belle, so I would expect such a reaction.” Lavender smiled, hugging Twilight just as tightly as she did Sweetie Belle. Unlike Sweetie, Twilight wasn’t used to Lavender’s hugs, and felt constrained and crushed. It took every ounce of restraint for her not to pry those gripping claws from her. She didn’t want to hurt Lavender by telling her that she was a little too strong for a simple hug, so she just endured it. That, and it was a good mental note on the physical strength of draconies. Lavender let go of Twilight and looked around. Something was missing from the scenery. A certain tubby pet wasn’t around. Lavender stuck her fingers in her mouth and whistled. “Hey, Opal! Come here, girl.” She heard a faint meow coming from the kitchen and the sound of paws pattering against the floor. Slowly but surely, Opalescence walked into the living room, greeting Lavender by rubbing against her legs. Unfortunately, much to her annoyance, Lavender decided to pick her up. She grunted in disdain, but found the effort to get away pointless. “Well, haven’t you gotten a little tubby over the years,” Lavender teased. “I think Mom needs to stop feeding you so much catnip.” Opal growled, licking at Lavender regardless. Her teasing was annoying enough to grate her, yet be oddly charming. However, soon, she started flailing around, ready to be put down. “Oh, alright! I’ll let you down, you fussy little feline.” Lavender lowered Opalescence to the ground, who immediately laid on her back, kicking her legs up. Lavender shook her head, chuckling. “Oh, you’re pathetic, you know that?” Lavender leaned down and scratched her stomach, pressing into it slightly with her sharp nails. Opal purred, a smile forming on her face as she was pampered. “Hey, Fizzle, why don’t you pet her?” Fizzle trotted closer to the cat and tried to touch Opal. She pawed at Fizzle, snarling. “She’s not that pleasant around me, huh?” Fizzle asked, leaning back with a nervous expression. “Aww. She’s just a jealous little kitty, aren’t you?” Opal continued glaring at Fizzle while purring from Lavender’s massage. As Lavender continued, she looked up at Rarity, noting that her normal welcoming party was down by one, plus two visitors. “Where’s Dad?” Lavender asked. “Oh, he’s at the library helping clean up so Twilight and Sweetie Belle can have some quality time today,” Rarity explained. “I’m sure you want to enjoy the moment with them as well, right?” Lavender nodded. “Of course I do. But it might have to wait a little while. Fizzle wanted to study with me for a bit today.” “Yeah, but I don’t want to intrude if you want to spend some time with your family. I can just go back home.” Lavender pulled Fizzle closer to her. “Nonsense. You already walked over here, so you might as well stay. Besides, I can get some good use out of you.” Rarity held back her laughter, watching the flustered Fizzle nod in agreement. “Well, you two should get that out of the way then. I’ll make you some snacks just in case you get hungry. Does celery and peanut butter sound good to you?” “Yes, Mrs. Rarity,” Fizzle said. “I appreciate your kindness.” Lavender looked at her with pleading eyes. “Mom, I like celery and all, but do you have anything better, like… salmon or something?” Rarity shook her head. “Lavender, I’ve already told you that you aren’t going to snack on fish all the time, nor are you going to have it every dinner. However, because I’m in a good mood today, I’ll consider cooking some for dinner, but only if you don’t bother me about it.” Lavender’s ears flopped. She kicked her claw against the ground. “Yeah, yeah. I won’t bother you about it.” “Good.” Rarity nudged Lavender towards the stairs. “Now, move along. You and Fizzle have some studying to do, and I want to make sure that you get a good grade on your exam. Don’t come down until you’re completely done now!” Lavender sighed and glanced Fizzle. “You heard the boss. We’re going up to my room for a while.” “Alright.” Fizzle trotted beside Lavender, still blushing but not as nervous as he once was. “So, what should we study first? It seemed like you were struggling the most on different chemical reactions.” “Yeah, or those stupid synthetic elements. How in Tartarus—” “Lavender, watch your mouth,” Rarity ordered, making Lavender to twitch. “Erm, how do you figure those out?” Lavender asked. “Well, it’s not that hard, really. It just takes some memorization,” Fizzle said. Lavender and Fizzle walked up the stairs, discussing what they would study first. As they went up the stairs, Rarity giggled to herself. “I wonder if that kid will ever tell her. She seems so… oblivious to the obvious signs.” “Kind of like how you were. Right, Rarity?” Twilight put a hoof on Rarity’s back, grinning from ear to ear. Rarity glared at Twilight with malicious intent. “Oh, shut up.”