Slice of Velvet and Pear

by David Silver

63 - May the Best Pet Win Part One

"How do you stand it?" Rainbow prodded at Moon, just to turn away and stomp off in a meandering pattern around the library. "We're the only ones missing out."

Moon looked around slowly. "I don't see what we're missing. What is it?"

"A pet." Rainbow rolled a hoof. "Didn't you notice everypony else having fun with theirs? Shoot, your Twilight's even got one with that owl. Where's your pet, huh? Where's mine?!"

Moon waved that owl closer, who had been perching peacefully. Owloicious descended to land in front of her. "Who?"

"Hello." Moon smiled at the bird. "What manner of pet would suit me?"

"Who?"

"Me." Moon pointed at herself.

"Who?"

Rainbow thrust a hoof between them, prompting Owlie to flap off in surprise. "You're not going to get answers from him. He knows one word, and he's sticking to it."

"Hm." Moon tapped at her chin, rubbing thoughtfully. "How does a pony select one of those?"

"What I want to know!" Rainbow huffed, but an idea came to her. "I know the right pony to ask. Fluttershy's an expert with animals. Who else would be better at this kinda thing?"

Moon adjusted her glasses. "I struggle to think of many. That is an excellent idea. But I can... think of one. I'll try my idea. You try yours."

"I'll find one before you!" Rainbow zipped off to face her own way to finding a pet. She'd have to learn to slow down a bit, in the end.

Moon went instead for Twilight, knocking on her door.

Twilight jumped. "Hm?" She turned around to face Moon. "Oh, hello." She approached with a smile. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is... Hm." She paused to touch noses with Twilight, drawing a smile from her in kind. "Rainbow reminded me that I lack a pet, but I wanted to speak to other ponies about what pet would be best suited for me."

Twilight inclined her head left and right slowly. "I see... Pets do not take care of themself, I should warn. Having one is a great responsibility."

Moon cocked a bushy brow. "I can see to their needs. I am succeeding at being a sister to a dragon."

"Which is why I bring it up." Twilight put a hoof on Moon's shoulder. "I don't want you to be overwhelmed. You're already a busy pony."

"Hm." Moon turned. "You have one, and you are a busy pony too."

"Yes... But I don't have a ward." Twilight flashed a bright smile. "Listen to me. Sorry, I don't mean to neigh-say your ideas. If you want a pet, let's get you a pet. But which one... Two owls won't work, they can be territorial..."

Moon raised a hoof. "Unless they are a pair."

Twilight perked at that. "True, but hoping to find owlie's plus one is unlikely." She giggled at the idea. "But that would be adorable, for a paired set of ponies to have a paired set of pets..."

Moon stole a kiss from Twilight's cheek. "Let's ask Pear Butter."

Twilight tilted an ear over her colored cheek. "Her? Why?"

"She is a standing mother figure." Moon gestured at Twilight and herself. "And she has a pet. Why not ask her?"

"This... This makes sense." Twilight shrugged as she began putting her things away properly. "Let's."

The two set off, pausing only to flip the sign over to closed, lest any pony get confused trying to reach the library.

---

"You deserve it." Diamond set a large crown on Spike's head. "There you are. Now we match!" She slid around him and pressed her head to his, her tiara and his crown bumping with a little metal clink.

Spike giggled, but it faltered into a cough. "Yeah, um..." He reached up to adjust the new crown. "I never had one of these before."

Diamond cocked a brow. "You date a filly of means, these things happen. Wear your status with pride."

Spike ran a hand over diamond's cheek, stroking back and up, gently knocking her tiara free into his other hand. "What if I like you even without the tiara?"

Diamond went red across her cheeks. "Spike!" She pawed at him, bursting into laughter. "You absolute monster! Give that back." She reclaimed her tiara and got it back on her head. "You have your own."

Spike took his crown off, just to plonk it down on Diamond's head, snatching her tiara anew. He put the tiara on his head with a smirk. "How do I look?"

Diamond rolled her eyes. "Now yours is too dainty, and mine is too heavy." She batted at the crown. "You can be a pain to shop for sometimes, Spike."

"I'm just playing." He swapped the headgear back onto the proper heads. "Thanks. Um, I like it." He adjusted the crown to perfection and struck a pose. "How's that look?"

"Now you're getting it." Diamond clopped appreciatively. "We are movers and shakers. Nothing wrong in looking like it."

---

"Well, hello there." Pear waved into the home. She wasn't the only one there. Besides herself and Granny Smith, Twilight Velvet was there with a smile. "Look who's come to visit."

Velvet perked as Twilight entered. "What are the odds? I was going to surprise you on the way out." She hurried over to hug her daughter. "But this works just as well!"

Twilight returned the embrace with a little laugh. "Visiting mom #2?"

"You know it." Velvet backed a step. "And you're with maybe future daughter #2."

Moon inclined her head. "Perhaps. Um, since you're all here, allow me to ask a question."

Pear Butter shooed Moon further inside, to sit at the dining table. "You go ahead and ask what you have on your mind."

"She wants a pet," answered Twilight first.

"Yes." Moon rubbed her cheek. "I would like to take part in activities that require a pet, but I don't have one."

Velvet turned her gaze upwards. "I don't have one either..."

Pear whistled in a strange way, summoning her dog, Winona, to come scrambling into view. "I do, and she is the best dog in the whole world, aren't you?" She cupped Winona's cheeks in her hooves and ruffled the ecstatic canine with happy little sounds. The bond between the two seemed beyond question. "Now, I should start with saying I don't entirely approve of why you want a pet. Having one just to show off ain't 'xactly nice fer the pet."

Moon pointed at Winona. "Why did you get her?"

"That's a fine question." She gently pet along the back of Winona. "We Apples have had a dog fer more generations than ah can remember, and they're part of the family. It's become tradition at this point. Would hardly be this orchard without a dog runnin' wild through it."

Granny Smith nodded at that. "I've had no few myself afore Winona. Each, a beloved part of the family an' the farm. So, fer us, ya get a dog the same way ya get a pony, and treat 'em just as kindly afterwards." She held out a hoof and got her turn with some Winona love.

Moon curled a hoof to her chin. "Well, it wouldn't be a tradition..."

Twilight shrugged. "Traditions need a pony to start them."

Pear winked at Twilight and bumped against Velvet. "No truer words have been spoken. Like our outtings. A fine tradition, if a scary one half the time, but we had to start it first."

"And I'm glad we did." Velvet snagged Pear with an arm. "Speaking of that, I have our next trip planned. You're going to love this one."

Pear laughed tensely. "Should ah avoid eating that day?"

"This is more of a 'look at the sites' kind of splendor. We won't be worrying about that," assured Velvet, to Pear's relief. "And, after that one, your turn."

Granny shook her head at her daughters, honorary and not. "You two... Now, Moon Dancer." The unicorn perked. "What they're sayin' ain't a lie. Ya need a reason for a pet that ain't gonna stop bein' true afore the pet does. It's a commitment!" She rubbed at her chin. "They don't last as long as a pony might, but long enough you'll be sorry if you get one fer the weekend."

Moon sat and tapped her hooves in a moment of quiet. "If they could be the focus of a project, I would want them around for a long period of time."

Twilight swatted at Moon gently. "What about the project of Friendship, the relationship between ponies and their pets, traced from youth to the end?"

Moon pricked her ears. "Twilight...Genius! That ties perfectly into my already ongoing project." She stopped tapping her hooves and went ahead to full applauding clops. "But that doesn't assist me in selecting a pet. What animal would be best for this purpose?"

Velvet hummed. "Well, you'd want something you could have from a little thing, from the sound of it." She held up her hooves together. "And you are a bookworm, the two of you, so something that's alright with you being distracted sometimes." She wagged a hoof at Moon. "But, whatever it is, they'll need your love and attention."

Moon nodded slowly, working the numbers. "Something that can live comfortably in a library. Something that isn't too loud..."

Twilight nodded at the two parents, and one grandparent. "Thank you. I think Moon Dancer has a start to her search now."

"Yes, a start... Maybe Rainbow wasn't wrong?"

Twilight blinked, turning to Moon entirely. "What did Rainbow say?"

Moon pointed the way. "She was going to visit Fluttershy for some animal advice on what pet to select."

"Excellent idea!" Twilight started for the door. "And it'll be easier for everypony involved now that you have an idea what you need out of a pet.

They marched free of the farmhouse, a new destination clearly in mind.

Pear looked to Velvet. "So what is this next destination?"

Velvet threw a hoof into the air. "A baloon ride, over the Breezie migration! It'll be magic."

Pear considered that with a curled hoof. "That sounds... almost alarmingly peaceful."

Velvet swatted at Pear. "I don't always drag you on scary things." She huffed at Pear's skepital look. "Come on! No thrills here, just a really nice view. I want to see it, and I think you do too."

Granny shook her head. "Ah'll keep the orchard in one piece. You two have yer fun." Her eyes focused on Velvet. "Is Night Light goin' with ya?"

"I had planned on that, and so has he. Planning is one of his things... And this is the sort of event he can shine in." Velvet giggled with growing confidence. "So, what do you think?"

Pear pulled Velvet close with an arm, hoof pressing into Velvet's side. "I think it sounds lovely. Ah heard they have to guide the breezies the whole time. Makes me wonder how that started... But tradition's tradition!"

"Let's watch it." With that agreed on, they moved on to other topics.

---

"Oh." Fluttershy stepped out of the way to allow the two unicorns inside. "I was just trying to help Rainbow Dash with the same thing... She's very particular about what animal she'd want as a pet... Um... Do you have a better idea of what you'd like? I'm not sure I want to go through all the animals... again..."

Moon pointed off. "Something quiet, that would enjoy living in a library. It should be reasonably independant, but also approachable for affection."

Fluttershy tapped at her chin. "Something not too large... Quiet..." She inclined her head. "I should warn, any animal can become quite loud, especially if they're not being treated well. Um, not all ponies can understand them, so how else can they get our attention?"

Moon considered that with a slow nod. "That makes sense. Any suggestions?"

Fluttershy curled on herself, drawing out a book of animal pictures. "A cat could be very nice, or..." She flipped through the book. "I think you may very much like a rodent." There was a picture of a smiling mouse. "Small, quiet by nature. Once you become friends, they may even enjoy resting on you as you study."

Moon smiled, imagining such a pet.

Author's Note:

What if new episode! While Rainbow goes through her trials to find her pet, Moon tries to approach this more logically. Moonie mouse? Cat? What animal would fit her best?

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Comments

[raven618]

A mouse or rat seems like a nice fit; clever, quiet, at home among books (presuming they don't nibble on any). But then you also need to take Owlicious into acount.

[Booster Spice]

Given Twilight, Moondancer could end up with Justin?

Courage of the Heart is very rare. The stone has a power when its there.

[David Silver]

11695782
Justin?

[Booster Spice]

11695821

Leader of The Rats Of NIMH?

[TheGJ90]

It's Friday and you know what that means!

Moony's pet will be adorable!

[Tangent]

11695773
Very much this, since rodents are part of an owl's natural diet.

On the other hand, Owlicious is very smart and is capable of understanding Twilight to the point of occasionally helping out with library duties, so maybe he would understand not to eat another pet if they let him know that the new pet wasn't food?

[Jmunoz13]

Both. Than they’ll have their own Tom and Jerry .

[Hobbestc]

no no no, Don't buy live food for the owl!!!

[howard035]

I just realized, given this story is about sisterhood and has been prominently featuring Moondancer, will we ever see her sister?

[David Silver]

11707658
I seem to dimly recall her showing up at least once. She lives all the way up in Canterlot and isn't as much of a traveler as Twilight Velvet.