Slice of Velvet and Pear

by David Silver

16 - Look Before You Sleep

Twilight flipped the sign from open to closed. The pegasi had warned everypony that some powerful rain was on the schedule. "If they think it's best." She turned away from the window, moving instead to get to putting some books away where they belonged. "It's beyond me."

One of the books she had been putting away caught her eye and she brought it closer. "But I could fix that." A book on weather and climate, best practices guide. It was meant for pegasi eyes. Just because they could push clouds around didn't mean they had an instinct for where to place them for the best effect. Though she didn't plan to join the weather brigade... Perhaps knowing more of the topic would be nice, just for fun?

"You're rubbing off on me." It was a Moon Dancer thing to do. She loved reading just because reading was fun. She liked learning because learning was fun. To know was reason enough.

Twilight hopped up on a chair and set the book before her. "A fine way to spend a rainy day." It hadn't started raining yet, but it would. She could get some reading done.

"Is the library closed?" There was Moon Dancer as if summoned, approaching at a relaxed walk. "I don't normally see you so relaxed during business hours."

"It's true." Twilight extended a hoof. Without a word, there was soon a Moon Dancer there to give a one armed hug to. "But there's going to be quite a rainstorm today. I decided it was safer to encourage ponies to stay home." She then pointed to the sign that announced them being closed. "They'll have to read what they have in hoof today."

Moon seemed to consider that a moment before nodding. "That is sensible. Spike already left." She looked left and right. "I think he went to visit his friends."

"Diamond Tiara?"

Moon inclined her head. "That one and some of the others."

Twilight let out a loud exhale. "Not alone, good."

This was confusing to Moon. "Not alone? Do you not trust Diamond Tiara? Should I be concerned?"

"Not like that," laughed out Twilight. "They're just in that... They've decided they are special someponies to each other. It's probably nothing. They're too young to do much with that besides adorable little kisses I bet."

Moon colored swiftly. "Spike has exchanged romantic kisses?! Dragons do not exchange romantic kisses."

"Spike is not a typical dragon." Twilight set her book aside, reading it not in the cards that moment. "He was raised by ponies."

"I did not instruct him in the mating habits of ponies," assured Moon, still colored. "Where did he learn this from?!" Her brows went up. "His comics. They are providing social data inappropriate to dragons. I should have forbidden them! I have failed as a dragon parent."

Before Twilight was a vision of what she could have been, but was not. She set a calming hoof on Moon's closer shoulder. "You have not. Spike is just fine."

"How can you say that?!" Moon turned on Twilight, brows furrowed together in a great meeting of bushiness. "How will he approach another dragon with his head filled with pony mating habits? I thought he was too young to cover such topics. I planned to bring them up when he started his first big molt. This is all happening so quickly."

"He'll figure it out," calmly assured Twilight. "Or, maybe, he won't. It won't be the end of the world if he decides he really likes a pony." She leaned in towards her heavily panting friend. "Not the first pony he's set his eyes on."

Moon jerked back. "Oh! Of course." She applied a hoof to her face. "Of course! I am such a foal! It was right there, and I ignored it! He was socializing on ponies, of course he would. We're all that's around him, and I ignored it!" She stomped in place in a building tantrum. "This is all my fault, and Princess Celestia will be very disappointed at the results of my assignment."

But then she was hugged. Twilight wrapped both of her arms around Moon and squeezed. No light squeeze, as if Moon could fly apart at any moment, Twilight held her together. "It'll be okay," she whispered gently, her magic nudging Moon's glasses back in proper position. "Shh..."

Moon trembled softly a moment, her lips moving without sounds. She was being hugged, by Twilight. Her color returned with confusion. "But I messed up?"

"You did not." Twilight released Moon, who seemed to have stopped her spiral into oblivion. "You are a parent, a caring parent. Sometimes, our foals surprise us, but this isn't even a bad surprise, just a surprise. Let's be supportive about it, hm? If he and the filly are getting along and neither is taking advantage of the other, is this a bad thing in the end?"

"But... actual dragons?" She wobbled a hoof weakly through the air.

"Will have to meet Spike as he is." Twilight nodded softly. "Not as if we plan to drop him off with the dragons and leave him to fend for himself. Spike is one of ours." She nudged her forehead against Moon's, horns jostling. "Did Princess Celestia say we'd do that?"

"No... No she did not." Moon took a slow shuddering breath. "She did not..." She wiped her eyes clear of the mess on them. "I apologize for the display. How can I assist?"

"I have a book on weather management." She turned to display the cover towards Moon. "Care to read it with me and compare notes?"

Moon's worry faded into a smile. "That sounds lovely."

---

Not far outside, Applejack and Rarity did battle over how to prepare the town for the coming storm. Aesthetics versus practicality butting heads with neither side willing to give up on their end. "Now see here!" But the only thing they got to see was a stroke of lightning, the rain falling upon them. Their arguing had wasted time, and the storm was upon them, just as the pegasi had promised.

Back inside, Moon raised an ear. "The rain's arrived." She pointed at the book she'd been reading with Twilight. "In accordance to--"

"--Rule 12," agreed Twilight with a smile. "The weather ponies are playing this by the cards." She set the book down a moment, moving for the door, just to blink. "There's a pony caught out there."

And so they opened the door to see Rarity and Applejack caught out in the middle of it. "This way!" called Twilight, waving them in.

Moon danced back out of the way of the two, looking more at Twilight then either of the other two. "Why not send them to their own houses?"

"In this weather?" With a glowing horn, Twilight closed the door tight. "Nopony would want to be outside in that a moment longer than they had to be."

"Thanks, pardner." Applejack worked her hat dry over the sink, shaking it out. "Didn't mean to go bargin' in on ya. Didn't work out the way ah did plan it. Somepony was busy trying to gussy up the town instead of getting ready fer the rain."

Rarity was working herself dry with a towel. "I really do appreciate it, darling. Just a few little touches to pretty things up. The ponies of this town can appreciate the finer things in life."

Moon silently judged them both. "Won't the rain damage your art installations?"

Rarity blinked softly. "Well... probably..."

Applejack emerged back into the room. "See, 'least one pony here gets it. And now we're here, stuck."

Moon thrust a hoof past Twilight to the small pile of books that had not yet been put away.

Twilight colored. "I was going to do that after we finished that last book." A likely story by some measures, but Twilight was not one known to leave books in disarray.

"No." Moon advanced, glowing horn plucking a book free of the pile. She waved it at Twilight. "Is this not appropriate for the situation?"

Twilight frowned, but that faded to a smile almost immediately. "A sleepover? Well, there's four of us." She counted with wags of her hoof. "Why not? I don't want to send the girls home in the rain."

Rarity approached with a pondering hum. "I don't see the harm in it, dear. If Applejack can deal with not working a moment?"

"When there's work to do, ah do it." She poked Rarity in the center of her chest. "But right now, we're rained in, so there ain't work t'do. Right now, there's a Twi." She waved a hoof towards Twilight. "And if she wants a sleepover, Ah say that's a fine idea."

Twilight was quick to pass that blame on. "This is Moon Dancer's idea. I'm just an attendee, like you."

Moon folded one ear back, the other quivering. "You'll assist, yes? Do you have experience with this?"

As it turned out... "Me and Applejack, I mean, Applejack and I have had sleepovers before." The two mares nodded at one another. "I'll be perfectly happy to lend a hoof."

And so the sleepover began, surely with no troubles ahead of them.

---

Spike nervously looked between the two fillies that shared the room with him. "I thought we were going to go out."

Silver Spoon pointed to the window, dark, rain spattering against it. "Not, like, in this weather."

Diamond nodded in agreement. "We're stuck inside. Everypony is." She hopped to her hooves. "And that's just fine." She stepped up and poked Spike. "Silver, did I mention I have a boyfriend?"

Silver burst into giggles. "Only a few times today." She looked Spike over a moment. "What a nice boyfriend you have."

"Aw." Spike smiled a bit goofily. "Thanks."

Silver's expression turned into a grin. "Which makes me the eye on you two. Don't do anything naughty."

Spike blushed as Diamond laughed at the idea. "What, like kiss?" She made a kissy face at the air, winking at Spike. "I'll kiss my boyfriend if I want to."

"Not a challenge," assured Silver Spoon, extending her tongue mildly. "Are you trying to make me super jealous?"

"Is it working?"

"Maybe a little." The two began to giggle, apparently finding humor in the exchange.

Humor that Spike did not entirely comprehend. "So, we have a whole day to do whatever. Let's do something fun."

Diamond sat to clop her hooves once smartly. "Now that's good thinking. I could call Randolph in. He's always good for a laugh."

Silver Spoon shook her head. "I've got something spicier in mind. Like, it'll knock your socks off."

"Lay it on me." Diamond reached for a treat on the table not far from her, popping a chocolate in her mouth. "It better not be dumb."

"A classic." Silver nodded at Diamond, then Spike. "A game no proper sleepover is without. Truth or--"

Spike gulped audibly "--Dare?!"

Diamond grinned. "You heard of it, good. Sure, let's play that. Now, we're in my house, and I'm the host, so I get to go first." She went off at a trot, grabbing a bottle in her mouth and dropping it between the three of them. "Let's see who I'll be asking first."

Spike sat down to complete the triangle of participants. "You already know most things."

"I doubt that." Diamond sent the bottle spinning wildly around and around. "You've told me what you want me to know. There's more. There's always more, Spike. You aren't half so innocently clean as you think you are."

Silver tapped her hooves together giddily, watching the bottle turn and turn. "Who's--me?! Well, alright..."

Diamond looked annoyed. "You get off this time. Alright, Silver, Truth, or dare, and don't expect me to play nice either way."

"It wouldn't be fun if you did," sang Silver as she considered. "Let's start interestingly. Truth."

"Truth, hm?" Diamond licked over her lips, glancing at Spike and back at Silver. "Are you secretly hoping you get a smooch on my boy?"

Silver burst into a squeal of laughter. "That's not even, like, fair!" She collapsed, face buried under her hooves.

"You played the game, you know the rules." Diamond poked the prone Silver. "Tell the truth! Or I make the dare even worse." Those were the rules. Those who refused to answer their question were to be punished.

"I..." She sat up shakilly, watching Spike, who was watching her. "I was wondering... What he..."

"Go on." Diamond prodded at her friend. "It was your idea."

An unhappy grumbling. But it was her idea... "I wondered what he tasted like."

Spike went a vibrant hue. "What?!"

"I mean, like... if I kissed you." Silver pointed at her mouth. "Ponies have fur. I know what fur tastes like. I know what fur smells like. You don't have that."

"He's a scaly boy. My scaly boy." Diamond nudged the bottle towards Silver Spoon. "Keep your curious lips off him."

Silver sent the bottle spinning. "The evening is still young..."

---

Moon hovered a book of 'Slumber 101: All You Ever Wanted to Know About Slumber Parties But Were Afraid to Ask' in view, ready to consult it as they went. "It is traditional, for a mare only slumber party, that we enhance our appearances." She flicked an ear. "I'm not sure why."

Rarity laughed lightly at that. "Darling, darling... Darling. Looking your best is just a thing that ponies do." She reached for Moon's cheeks. "Let me have a chance with you. We'll get your face relaxing in a smooth mud bathe that'll have your pores screaming for joy!"

"I am uncertain I want my pores to scream." Could pores do that?

"Ah'll pass too," added Applejack with a smirk. "Like mah pores nice an' quiet."

"Pish posh." Rarity was not easily dissuaded, and soon she had all their faces covered in brightly colored goop. "Now this for the eyes." And down came cucumber slices for each of them. "They relax your skin, removing bags from around your eyes. A vital thing."

Twilight was giggling softly, accepting her mask without objection. "It's like we're having a spa date, minus the spa."

"Exactly that!" sang out Rarity in agreement. "Moon, how..." She trailed off, noticing Applejack had no cucumber slices. "What happened to your cucumbers?"

"Ate 'em." Applejack shrugged softly. "Tasty. Thanks fer the snack."

Rarity set a hoof on her head, avoiding the mask. "Ugh. Moon Dancer?"

"Hm?" Moon Dancer had not devoured part of her mask. She was calmly seated. "Does something happen?"

"This is it," assured Rarity. "You just relax with it on and enjoy the effect it has on your fur and skin. That's it."

"I see." There was a moment of quiet. "What is next?"

Rarity blinked softly. "If you're feeling energetic..."

The slumber party would continue.

---

Spike looked up at Diamond Tiara, looking quite confident despite the bottle aimed at her. "Truth or Dare?" He asked, not entirely sure he wanted to ask either, but the rules were the rules. He was still bouncing on one foot, the dare he'd suffered on the last spin. Better than he'd feared. Maybe it'd work out?

"Dare," Diamond nodded softly, eyes never leaving Spike. "And it better be good, Spike. If you give me something foalish, I swear..."

"N-no! Of course not." He laughed with building tension. A dare? "Take off your tiara and you can't put it back on until the game's over."

He expected that to be a simple request. Diamond Tiara went red from the neck up, staring at him. Silver Spoon slapped a hoof over her mouth, catching herself in a gasp of scandal.

"Uh..."

"Fine!" Diamond shook her head violently, sending the tiara bouncing away on the ground. "If my boyfriend wants to see me without anything on that bad."

Silver reached over to rib Spike. "You sly dog. You'd better not ask that of me."

"I will kill you," flatly stated Diamond before her smile returned. "Asking another mare to do that in front of your girlfriend is how some ponies get hurt. Now... my turn." She kicked the bottle to get it going. "You can stop bouncing now."

"Oh yeah." Spike crashed down onto his bottom, clapping his hands together. Around and around the bottle went. And it came right back to him. Silver Spoon did not seem upset, measuring by her giggles.

Diamond leered. "Alright, Spike. Truth... or dare? You try to hide behind a dare again, we'll get more creative about it until you start spilling it all."

Spike swallowed thickly. "A-alright... Truth?" He didn't have that many super secrets, right? What could be the worse secret?"

"Who was your first crush?" challenged Diamond, causing Spike's world to fracture.

Oh... He then realized there were questions he would rather not answer. "Oh..."

"Go on." Diamond twirled a hoof. "That it took you this long already tells me I wasn't the first pony you ever thought about. Oh, was it a dragon?"

Silver's giggles only grew in intensity. "Maybe was the Cutie Mark Crudumbers. He used to hang out with them."

"Hey." He shot Silver an unkind look. "Don't be mean."

"Answer the question." Diamond tapped a hoof on the floor in front of her. "And you have to tell the truth."

"The truth, right." He worked his fingers together, hand to hand. "Well, um... So... I had this mare I... liked... a lot... for a long time..."

Silver looked Spike up and down with renewed interest. "How old are you again?"

"'Bout the same as you?" offered Spike with a shrug. "She's older than me... A lot older... Maybe that's why she shot me down."

Diamond clapped her hooves right over her snout. "She didn't!" When Spike nodded in a shaking way, she grabbed him, hauling him into her arms to hold tight. "Her loss, my gain! She didn't know what she was giving up."

Spike smiled, a torn expression. How did one feel in that situation? His own mind couldn't quite settle on an answer. "She said no... And... Nopony else, so... That's the question."

Diamond pecked his cheek. "That was very brave of you but you didn't tell us who the pony is, and don't think I wasn't paying attention." She shoved him right back out of her lap. "Go on."

"R-right!" Spike stood up, blushing badly. "Do you know, uh, Twilight?"

"The librarian?!" both fillies gushed at once.

Even as Silver Spoon rolled over with fresh laughter, Diamond rolled her eyes. "Seriously, her?" When Spike nodded, she pointed to the bottle. "Stick in your own age bracket, Spike. Your turn."

Spike grabbed the bottle. Unlike the fillies, he had fingers and could get it twirling without actually striking the bottle, getting it going around and around. "You're not mad, are you?"

"You can ask me if it lands on me." Diamond Tiara looked perfectly happy to let Spike worry about that, watching the bottle spin. "Me or Silver. Me or Silver..."

"Me me me me!" Silver waved a hoof wildly. "You two got the last onnnes, woo!" She began clopping excitedly as the bottle slid to a stop, more towards her than Diamond. "Lay it on me, Spike!"

"Alright." He nodded, pointing at Silver. "Truth... or dare?"

Silver bounced to her hooves. "Alright! Ooo, if I say truth, you don't even know what to ask that'd be juicy... So gonna go with dare. Make it interesting, dragonboy!"

Spike looked Silver Spoon up and down, considering the filly and what to ask. "Nothing lame..." Both fillies nodded at that. Asking her to touch her nose while singing a song, probably too lame... "I dare you... to do a forestand until after your turn's up."

Diamond snorted at that. "Foalish, but mean. I like it." She made a flipping motion with a hoof. "You heard 'em. Up."

Silver Stuck out her tongue, but soon was balanced percariously on her fore legs as best she could, swaying dangerously left and right. "Could, like, somepony get the bottle?"

Spike reached for it, only to get swatted by Diamond. "Nuh uh. Your dare, you get to figure out how to spin that bottle."

Silver groaned in defeated misery. Spike's dare had more spice than she had originally guessed.

---

"Okay. I dare Applejack to play dress-up in a frou-frou, glittery, lacey outfit." Applejack sulked off in a huff, leaving Rarity to smugly enjoy her victory. As if only foals could enjoy that game.

"Happy?" There was Applejack, dressed in a dazzlingly charming outfit that did not match her expression in it.

"Very," assured Rarity with a smirk.

"Well, my turn then. I dare you--"

Moon inclined her head. "I am also participating in this game. You should offer me the choice of humiliation in act or in statement. I am ready." But the two mares were not paying attention, bouncing insults and dares back and forth at one another. "You are both very good at this game, but I would like a turn."

Twilight set a hoof on Moon's chin, turning her head towards herself. "Moon Dancer, truth or dare?"

Moon Dancer smiled brilliantly. Of course Twilight would get it. And she was the one asking. Moon trembled softly, considering the choices. "I choose... humiliation in act. I mean, dare. Dare me, please."

Twilight tapped her chin in consideration. "I dare..." The other two paused in their arguing, noticing the game had moved on without them. "I dare you, Moon Dancer, to..." Twilight resumed tapping all the harder. "I don't play this game often... Alright, Moon Dancer, You are to try something I bought but never had the bravery to try." And off she went, returning with a pepper dangling from her teeth, just on the stem, held carefully. "One bite, and you're done." She set it down. "Now, a war--ning..."

In that pause, Moon chomped a big bite right out of the pepper. "Not bad. What--" And it hit her, or rather it hit her tongue. The chemicals in the pepper mixed with her own and suddenly it was like her tongue was on fire, no, that was too mild a comparison. More that someone had pulled it free and submerged it in lava, but she could still feel it. It was like she was burning, alive. Tears welled in her eyes without even thinking of it. There were no sobs, just pain. "This is..." She didn't have a word for what she was experiencing.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Was that..." Applejack inclined her head. "Get that mare some milk, yesterday!"

"On it!" Rarity burst into a gallop to fetch some as Moon slowly sank to the ground, stunned wordless. "Here, darling, here. Drink!"

It wasn't just her tongue. Her rough chomp had given it a chance to burn along the inside of her mouth, the whole thing, engulphed in fiery pain. When the milk was pressed against her lips, Moon Dancer gulped desperately, trying to put out the flame that came without heat, only pain.

Twilight came out of her shock. "Moon, swish the milk, get it all over."

Moon nodded silently, trying her best to get the milk around in her mouth with loud swishing noises. The pain was starting to ebb, fading as she washed away the burning oils that had taken up root in her mouth. "Did... I win?"

Twilight set a hoof on Moon's shuddering shoulder. "I don't think anypony here will mind if I say that you, Moon Dancer, are the winner of this game."

"Yeah." Applejack bobbed her head.

"No arguments there." Rarity sat up, leaving the milk where Moon could continue to nurse at it. "Are you alright, dear? Dreadfully sorry."

Applejack thumped against Twilight. "Why did you even have one of those?! Ya know how much they can burn a pony."

Twilight blushed softly. "When I got it, I imagined playing a prank. The perfect time never actually came up..."

"So ya fed it to Moon?" laughed out Applejack. "Yeah, she won that game. C'mon, let's go do somethin' else."

Author's Note:

This sleepover is not how it went in canon! Hax, I claim. Hax and typos!

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Comments

[Cyrus Colter]

The fuck kind of pepper was that? A ghost chili?

[Venerable Ro]

Moondancer and a somewhat more mature Twilight did a wonderful job of defusing Applejack and Rarity.

[i_am_the_jam]

They COULD have just teleported AJ and Rarity to their homes and be done with it.

[David Silver]

10937501
And miss the friendship lesson? Never. Besides, neither of them teleport so often this came to mind.

[PhycoKrusk]

10937357
Could have been anything; ghost peppers are not the only hot pepper, and aren't even the hottest in any case. But we aren't given a description of the pepper, so impossible to know.

(But based on the fact that Moondancer took "a big bite", my personal guess would be cayenne, which can be quite hot if you aren't used to hot peppers, but a ghost pepper or Carolina reaper would also be possible. The other "hot" peppers tend to have small fruit and it would be challenging to get a "big bite" out of one)

[jetman24]

"I dare you... to do a handstand until after your turn's up."

Not to be picky but wouldn't it technically be a hoofstand instead of a handstand?

[Enderstorm]

10952654
He's been talking to Lyra too much.

[Chess Star]

10937357
Magical Ghost Chili Pepper!