Slice of Velvet and Pear

by David Silver

46 - Lesson Zero

Twilight leaned in from outside the room. "Moon?"

"Yes?" Moon turned to Twilight, abandoning what she had been reading. Girlfriend rated higher than that. "Can I help?"

"You always do," Twilight assured gently. "But I haven't seen you write a letter to Celestia in a while. Is there a schedule she's expecting?"

Moon frowned in thought. "Hm. Hmm... I had been giving weekly updates, but nothing noteworthy has occurred recently. I don't want to mail her stating that nothing has happened..."

"I suppose not." Twilight shrugged gently. "Maybe a good time to be around your new friends. You might learn something?"

"Excellent idea!" She advanced on Twilight, touching noses. "That can't be the lesson. You're always a source of great ideas."

Twilight returned the nuzzle. "Aw, thanks. Oh! What about Spike?"

"What about Spike?" she echoed, confused at the call of her brother.

"He's surely been learning things, possibly relevant things. He's right in the middle of expanding his own knowledge of friendships and his place in the--" She wove her hooves in the air in a complicated pattern. "--larger picture. He has a marefriend, a rich one. That doesn't come without a few complexities."

"I can... only imagine." It wasn't like she ever had a rich girlfriend, especially at that age. She only just got one! And she wasn't rich. "But you do bring up an excellent point. I should be consulting with him to see what he's learned, and to offer support. As his big sister, that is my responsibility."

"I know you can do it." They shared a gentle hug and Moon trotted off, jogging out of the building. "You are so adorable." She giggled softly at her friendship-discovering girlfriend. "Now, back to cleaning..." Those books wouldn't sort themselves.

"Somepony home?" came a new voice from the front. "Where ya hidin', Twilight?"

Twilight rushed out with a bright smile. "AJ!" They came together in a hug without prompting on either side. "Good to see you."

"Hey, cous'." Applejack adjusted her hat. "We're settin' up fer a family reunion."

"So soon?" Twilight inclined her head. "It feels like the last was just a moon ago."

"We got thin's to announce." She thrust a hoof at Twilight. "Yer one of 'em!"

Twilight recoiled. "I am?! Did... I do something wrong?"

"Ain't hardly none of that. No. Yer part of the family. We didn't mean that as no joke, so ya gotta be there, so we can show ya off an' everypony else can gawk atcha."

Twilight colored warmly. "R-really, um... So, this is... official then?"

"Mmhmm, speakin' of, was kinda hopin' you could invite yer mom over. Technically she's the important connection. She an' my mom are becomin' sisters. That's what makes you a cousin of mine."

Twilight raised a hoof. "I... hm... If we're announcing that, then Moon..."

"Should be there too," agreed Applejack without a hint of hesitation. "Girlfriend of family? Family. Ah mean, unless ya two break up or somethin'... Gonna hope that don't happen. You two are cute togetha."

Twilight colored, but said nothing on that compliment. "I... Is your grandma alright with this?"

"She knows, to start." Applejack hiked a brow. "Was I supposed to go keepin' it a secret? Either way, ya ain't her foal, so it ain't her problem, not directly. Ah don't think she was expectin' many great grandfoals outta ya anywho. Not really how you go."

"Hey!" She swatted at her country friend. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Applejack waved a hoof slowly across the library. "It means you work in a library and spend most of yer time in it. Lovely mare, but socializer? Not what I'd say ya spend most of yer time doin'. Now, don't get me wrong! Perfectly pleasant. Lotsa ponies like ya, me included."

"Hmmph..." It didn't help that it wasn't wrong really... "I have some very close friends." She glanced away and back. "I even..."

"Stop that right there." Applejack shook her head firmly. "As lovely as that was, weren't gonna put a foal in the picture even if I had said yes."

"We could have adopted?" suggested Twilight, sounding lame even in her own ears.

"You already did that." She hiked a brow. "His name's Spike, an' if ya finish tyin' that knot with Moon, he's yers too."

Twilight crashed to her haunches. "I hadn't considered that..." And yet, there it was... "You're not incorrect... Wait! He's her brother, not son!"

Applejack waved a hoof in a cycle in the air. "Yeah yeah, semantics. Either way, neither of ya are gonna do that. Already got a little one to keep an eye on. A fine creature, deserves all our love, so don't think I'm implyin' any different."

"Of course not." She went in for a hug and wasn't denied it. "Sorry, this is just... new. Either way, you can count on me!" She thudded her own chest. "We'll be there."

"We?" Applejack's eyes darted about, spotting no other ponies but a few library browsers.

"Moon and Spike, of course." Twilight bobbed a hoof with each name. "You said you wanted them there too, didn't you?"

"'Course, yeah, but you really aughta talk to them afore makin' promises they're gonna haveta check, ya know?" She threw one arm over Twilight. "Don't need to poke them when they ain't lookin'. Maybe they're busy that day or whatever." She drew her arm back, drawing out a card to offer to Twilight. "Here ya go. Let 'em have a look."

Twilight accepted the letter, glowing with her magic as she tucked it away. "Right. Sorry! Today suddenly got a lot more interesting than I was expecting, and I was already planning on a re-shelving." She pointed to a cart burdened with countless books. "Which I should get back to."

Applejack whistled appreciatively. "Well, don't let me get in the way none." She turned for the door. "See ya there." She headed out for other things in her own day.

---

"I hear you helped defeat a whole spirit." Diamond clapped her hooves together, smiling at Spike. "You must have been scared."

"Um... no actually..." He wobbled forwards and back in place. "The, uh... Moon and the others, they did the big part. I just helped them get ready, in the end."

"Well, alright..." She didn't look convinced. "They wouldn't have gotten ready without you. You need to give yourself more credit." She smirked at him. "And don't feel bad gloating a little. that was a big deal!"

"The next one that comes along." Silver Spoon was there, next to diamond. "You go right up to them and tell them what's what!"

Spike laughed nervously. "I'll do my best... So, hey, you said you had something in mind?"

"I did." Diamond reared up onto her hinds. "Your sister's not the only one that knows how to read a book."

"Like, really. We found some good ones." Silver darted off and returned with a book in her mouth by the spine.

Diamond tapped at the held book. "This one." She grabbed the book with her hooves, turning it so Spike could see the cover.

"On the Social Habits of Dragons," it read in firm and bold text. A picture of two great dragons fighting for dominance was added for taste.

Spike lit up. "Woah! Where'd you get that?!"

Diamond curled her arms, hugging the book close. "It's amazing what a little money, and a good friend--" She winked at Silver. "--can accomplish. Now, before you remind me, you're not a wild dragon. You're a very well behaved and cultured dragon." She set the book down at her feet. "But you're still a dragon."

"Y-yeah..." That he was a dragon wasn't up for debate. It was... even kind of nice to have that confirmed. "I am a dragon."

"And I--" She pointed at herself. "--am a pony. Ponies have habits, and so do dragons. It's part of the package, like it or not."

"I like your package." Wait... Did he just say that? He recoiled, realizing the other meanings of the words that had just emerged from him. "Um!"

"Saucy." Silver looked thoroughly amused.

"We're here to talk about yours." Diamond nudged the book with the nearest hoof. "Dragons have some things... Like..." She suddenly pounced, not tackling Spike, but making a hiss as if she were attacking, curling her hooves like they were claws.

It pressed against a habit Spike didn't even really know. He hissed back, recoiling, hands up defensively. He felt silly an instant later. "Sorry! I wouldn't hurt you, promise."

Diamond hugged him in a display of just how terrified she was. "Silly, I did that on purpose. You. You're a dragon, you do dragon things."

Spike huffed with indignation. "And you are a pony." He went in for a hug and casually grabbed her, on the bottom.

It was the blind spot of near any equine creature. She squeaked in dismay, lashing out a foot behind her at nothing.

"You do pony things," Spike finished, a cocky grin on his face.

Silver laughed in a sudden uproar, falling off her chair in her gales. Diamond scowled at her boyfriend. "Very clever! Anyway, there is a point to this." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Knowing how you tick is important. There are things dragons like, and don't like. Pretending you aren't a dragon just gets us both upset." She nudged the book. "So, I'll be studying this. And when I make you blush so hard your head explodes, you'll know why."

Spike apparently decided to try that blushing to death thing for a spin. "Um..."

"That's a thing girlfriends do, dummy." She fell back to all fours. "You live in a library. Pick up some pony books. I know you can read."

The blush only got worse! Study how to tease the inner pony of his girlfriend?!

"Have some mercy." Silver was smiling at Spike. "Not all girlfriends do that. Just the good ones."

It was diamond's turn to color. "Silver!"

"Just telling, like, the truth." She buffed her chest with a snicker. "You two are so cute! Almost makes me wish I had a dragon..."

Spike hiked both thumbs at himself. "Sorry, only one dragon to go around, and this dragon's taken."

"By me." Just in case anypony around wasn't entirely aware of that. Diamond went in to stand next to Spike in solidarity. "All the other dragons I hear about are... big... I wonder how much you'll grow..."

Silver got a new fit of giggles. "If he grows big enough, are you gonna start riding him? Like, that would be pretty amazing."

Spike shrugged helplessly. "I won't... know until I stop growing, and I'm not there yet!" He was putting on inches all the time, it felt like.. "Um, will you get scared? I'd still be... Spike, you know, even if I did get super huge..."

"Still Spike," agreed Diamond, grabbing him in a firm hug. "Still my Spike, no matter how big you get. Just means we'll have to be more careful, if that happens. Well, I'll promise, if I become an alicorn princess and end up the big one, I'll be just as careful with my dragon. No hurting each other!"

"No hurting each other," Spike quickly agreed.

"Nope." Silver sat up, grinning at the two. "So. Cute."

Diamond stomped over to deliver a swat to her friend. "Stop teasing us! Sheesh...If I see some more dragons, I'll check them out for you."

"No promises," quickly added Spike. "Um... let me know if you see one... I kinda want to talk to them if I can." He rubbed at his chin. "Uh, speaking of that..." He pointed at the book on the floor. "Any chance I could... borrow that?"

Diamond sat right on the book. "Nope! This is mine, my secret stash of tricks to use on you. You'll like it, promise."

"Uh..." On one hand... But on the other... "Alright..." Maybe letting his girlfriend win that fight was the best decision for the moment. Part of him felt sure of that.

Comments

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

Silver laughed in a sudden uproar, falling off his chair in her gales. Diamond scowled at her boyfriend. "Very clever! Anyway, there is a point to this." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Knowing how you tick is important. There are things dragons like, and don't like. Pretending you aren't a dragon just gets us both upset." She nudged the book. "So, I'll be studying this. And when I make you blush so hard your head explodes, you'll know why."

Should be
falling off her chair

[Booster Spice]

Theres always The Gravitational Slump Rate of Matured Fruitcake.

[badninja]

Diamond sat right on the book. "Nope! This is mine, my secret stash of tricks to use on you. You'll like it, promise."

"Uh..." On one hand... But on the other... "Alright..." Maybe letting his girlfriend win that fight was the best decision for the moment. Part of him felt sure of that.

Spike that is the smartest thing and also the most dangerous thing you did here. Also I had to check the rating on the story but Diamond’s last line sounds a bit suggestive.

[David Silver]

11483986
Nothing past a T rating, learning where to tickle someone for optimal giggles.

[redmar]

That book might be usefull to prevent Spike from getting greed growth.

[Venerable Ro]

Diamond being a responsible xenophile, surprising but quite in character really.

[redandready45]

"Ain't hardly none of that. No. Yer part of the family. We didn't mean that as no joke, so ya gotta be there, so we can show ya off an' everypony else can gawk atcha."

AWWW! Their relationship is so adorable.

[TheGJ90]

Seeing Diamond being so darn cute around Spike again really makes me wonder about future events and I am all for it!

What will she do? What won't she do? So exciting!

Also, I should have expected that Lesson Zero would be far less... nerve wracking for Twi thanks to the calming presence of Moon Dancer. The Power of Moon compels you to chill, Twilight Sparkle!

[David Silver]

11486569
It's also not Twi being tested here.

[Moonlight_Mist]

"The next one that comes along." Silver Spoon was there, next to diamond. "You go right up to them and tell them what's what!"

I honestly can't wait to see Diamond's reaction when Spike becomes the hero of the Crystal Empire, with a commemorative stained glass window in the Canterlot palace and everything.

[Moonlight_Mist]

Spike shrugged helplessly. "I won't... know until I stop growing, and I'm not there yet!" He was putting on inches all the time, it felt like.. "Um, will you get scared? I'd still be... Spike, you know, even if I did get super huge..."

I wonder if differences in the story will prevent Spike-zilla, or make it happen faster? I suppose it depends on if Diamond takes the dragon habit of hoarding as a reason to encourage him to hoard, and in such an instance, if anyone notices in time to stop it.