Slice of Velvet and Pear

by David Silver

66 - Secret of my Excess Part One

Spike accepted the gem with a smile. Sure, the gem had been one he'd helped Rarity dig up, but it meant something that she gave it back instead of putting it into some dress somewhere. "Thanks." But there were so many more more ponies to collect from. Each and every one of them owed him, the birthday dragon, a gift!

It had all started with an avalanche of gifts from the girls. They each had gotten him something thoughtful. Well... Most of them. He was sure Twilight and Moondancer meant well, but their yearly tradition of 'a book' had not changed. On the plus-side, they were interesting books at least. At least if the titles were any hint.

But he'd gotten their gifts, thanked them, and set off to visit other ponies. Each would give him something if he just reminded them that it was his special day. It was that easy! "This is gonna be great." Rubbing his hands together with a wry smile, he began his tour of visiting ponies, or just running into them on the road. It was going to be a great day.

There was one pony that hadn't come to his little birthday party, but who shoulda! He swung by her manor with a big smile, rapping on her door. "You in there?"

The door swung open on silent hinges. Diamond's butler looked down at Spike, considering him. "Good afternoon, sir. I presume you are looking for the little madame?"

"You know it." Spike fired a great big thumbs up. "Today's my birthday!"

"Is it? Very good, sir." He turned in place, leading Spike inside. "I have a present prepared."

Spike inclined his head. "You're just learning about it, but you have a present ready?"

"It pays to be prepared in my line of work, sir." Randolph pushed open a closet door. Inside was a tuxedo sized for Spike. "For you, Sir."

Spike couldn't believe his eyes as Randolph presented him with the perfectly tailored tuxedo. He carefully put it on, admiring himself in the nearby mirror. The fine fabric and expert stitching made him feel like royalty himself.

"How do I look?" Spike turned around in place, trying to look himself over from different angles.

"Very dashing, sir." Randolph closed the closet with a swipe of a hoof.

Spike strutted around the foyer, imagining himself at a fancy ball. Just then, he heard Diamond Tiara approaching. He swept into an elaborate bow as she entered the room, eliciting a delighted giggle from her.

"What's the occasion?" Diamond Tiara asked, playing along.

"Why, my birthday of course!" Spike flashed a grin, greed flashing through him with almost a tremble. "Did you get me something?"

"Duh." Diamond rolled her eyes. "As if you had to ask."

"Why didn't you come over?" He matched her pace, being led through the manor.

"I didn't want..." She paused, turning to him. "Your friend circle is... colorful. No offense, but I wasn't feeling it." She reached her hooves to Spike's cheeks. "But I am feeling you. Literally and not." She smushed Spike's face with a giggle.

Spike laughed along, though her words gave him a twinge. He pushed it down, focusing on his eager anticipation of whatever birthday gift awaited him.

Diamond Tiara led him into an opulent dining room, where a towering cake coated in frosting and sprinkles stood waiting. Spike's mouth watered at the sight. Though a part of him wondered if he should have tried harder to include Diamond Tiara in his main party, a bigger part just wanted to dig into that cake.

That a lot of the 'frosting' was actual gemstones, waiting to be devoured, didn't help. "That looks... tasty..." He licked his lips, but resisted jumping on it. "I wish you woulda told me though."

"Told you what?" Diamond cocked a brow. "Half the fun of these things is being surprised. Oh, unless you had a gift list? Did you? You should tell me if you have one of those."

"W-wait. Wait." Spike held up both hands. "You can make a list of gifts?!"

Diamond burst into laughter. "Spike, I swear. Sometimes, you act like you know it all, and sometimes, clueless." She smooched his cheek, causing it to darken swiftly. "Yes you can. It can really help if your friends are struggling to figure out what to get you. Or for friends who aren't really that close." She rolled her eyes. "Like, say, Fluttershy."

Spike blinked. "What about Fluttershy?"

Diamond rolled a hoof slowly. "If she was going to get me a gift, I'd way rather she consult my gift list. Otherwise I'm going to get something she wants, which isn't going to be what I want. Nopony would win there. Now... I like to think I know my dragon better than that." She made a sweeping wave at the cake. "Be honest, good gift, or bad gift?"

Spike's mouth watered as he gazed at the gem-encrusted cake before him. It was perhaps the most extravagant birthday dessert he had ever seen.

"Are you kidding? This is the best gift ever!" he exclaimed. Though a part of him did feel surprised that gift lists were an option, the glittering gems quickly drowned out that thought.

Diamond Tiara smiled in satisfaction, pleased she knew her dragon so well. As Spike dove fork-first into the cake with delight, she sauntered around the table to join him.

"I figured you'd like it. Only the best for my favorite dragon's special day," she purred. Spike's heart swelled at her words. The gems tasted even sweeter knowing they came from her.

Yet even as he gobbled up forkful after forkful, Spike couldn't quite shake Diamond Tiara's earlier comments. Did she really think so poorly of his other friends? And was a gift list something he should have made? He resolved to ask Twilight about it later...after he finished off every last gemstone on that cake, of course!

Spike staggered out of Diamond's manor, belly protruding and full, but in all the good ways. With a parting wave, he went to continue his birthday. "Ooo, I know who's next." He didn't go into town, instead heading out to the apple orchard and the family that lived there.

A short knock brought a mare at the door. "Hi..." Spike frowned with thought. "Aunt?"

Pear Butter laughed at his confusion. "I'm a mother to your sister. Honorary." She poked Spike gently. "I wouldn't be sad if you went with that. Hello, Spike."

"Hiya." Spike stepped in, hugging Pear gently. "It's my birthday!"

"It sure is." She nodded lightly. "Applejack was talkin' 'bout it earlier. Didn't she go runnin' off to a party fer it? Why're you here? Not that ah'm sad to see ya."

"Well, I wanted to stop by because I..." Spike considered how to explain his gift-gathering journey around town. He decided to opt for a simpler response. "I just wanted to say hi to my favorite honorary mom on my special day!"

He gave his most charming, toothy grin. Pear Butter laughed and pulled him in for another warm hug. "Ain't you the sweetest thing..."

She then led him further inside, where the rest of the Apple family was waiting to celebrate their honorary dragon relative's big day. Granny thrust a lucky horse shoe at him. Big Mac gave, surprisingly, a book. "Ah hear it's a lot of fun. Maybe we could try it some time?"

Spike inclined his head at the strange tome. "Ogres and Oooo, Bli... etts? Oubliettes! Ogres and Oubliettes? Never heard of it." He flipped through the book in a quick skim. Inside were many illustrations of ponies and other creatures in situations of adventure and excitement. "Ooo, neat... Um, but what do you do?"

"It's a game, um..." Big Mac rubbed one hoof on the other leg. "Ya pretend yer a mighty warrior, or a wizard, or whatnot, and ya go on adventures."

"Neat!" Spike tucked the book away and hugged Big Mac. "Love it!"

"Now..." Pear turned Spike towards herself. "I would have helped make you a treat, but you're looking awfully full already."

"What, me?!" He patted his full belly. "Starving." With a twitch, he suddenly gained twice his height, thumping his head into the ceiling. "Ow... But yeah, starving."

Pear blinked at the enlarged dragon. "You are... a growing drake..." She shook her head slowly. "But ah thin' maybe this has been quite a day fer ya."

"It's been a great day!" He spitted a glint, a brooch woven into Pear's mane. He reached for it without thought. "That'd be a great gift."

Pear slapped him, hoof to his chest. Reaching his cheek was a bit hard with how tall he'd become. "That is not a gift I can part with, Spike." She glared at him with burning fury. "Never touch that 'gain."

Big Mac slid between them and started shoving Spike towards the door, chuckling nervously as he went. "That belongs to pa. Touchin' that's a one way ticket to her bad side. Ah'll try to patch things up. Ya better get goin' fer today."

Numbly, Spike allowed himself to be led outside. The door closed firmly behind him. What had come over him? He'd been so caught up in collecting gifts that he'd tried to take something irreplaceable from Pear Butter.

Spike sighed, scuffing the ground with his foot. The joy and excitement of his birthday felt drained away, replaced by guilt. Maybe he'd gotten a little too greedy... He resolved to go back tomorrow and properly apologize to Pear Butter. For now, though, it was probably best he head home.

Ears drooping, Spike began the long walk back, reflecting on the day's events. He was the birthday dragons. Birthday dragons got gifts. He was just collecting them...

What had he done wrong? Nothing. No. As the birthday dragon, it was his right to get gifts. With a hiss, he went to add to his collection. One emotional mare would not dissuade his hoarding instincts.

A pony rushed into the library. "You have to do something!"

Twilight and Moon looked up. Twilight took the lead. "What's wrong?"

The mare pointed outside. "It's Spike!"

"Spike?" Moon hopped to her hooves and galloped out of the door, Twilight a step behind. There, outside, was Spike. He had continued to grow, becoming a fully grown dragon with all the lack of manners that went with it. Moon glared up at the huge beast that was her brother. "This is my mistake."

Twilight perked an ear at Moon. "I don't think you did... that." She waved at Spike.

"I failed to prevent it." She sank to her haunches. "It was my responsibility to raise Spike correctly. To allow a greed metamorphosis is a sure sign that I failed, as a sister, parent, or any caretaker."

Twilight moved to her side, resting a consoling hoof on Moon's withers. "I don't think you did this," she said gently. "We'll figure out what happened and set things right."

Just then, another pony came galloping up in a panic. "You have to do something!" they cried, pointing at Spike. The drake let out an earth-shaking roar, spewing flames into the sky.

Moon tensed, determination steeling her gaze. She stood, facing the raging behemoth that had been her baby brother. Though it pained her to see him this way, she knew what had to be done.

"Spike!" she called out firmly. "I apologize for failing you before, but I will make things right. You will return to normal - I promise you that."

It was a pity Spike wasn't paying much mind to the tiny speck that was Moon Dancer. He had more gifts to collect, and a whole town to collect them in. Keeping them in his hands was becoming awkward, so he grabbed the top of a water tower to serve as a fine carrying cup instead. With a huff of annoyance, he stormed through town, grabbing whatever caught his eye.

It was a fine evening to be a birthday dragon.

Comments

[TheGJ90]

Oh dear, mistakes have been made by many a pony! Spike almost saw sense on his own, but his dragon instincts still overtook him!

[Booster Spice]

Thank goodness his Greed didnt trigger into Consuming Books.

[David Silver]

11739637
Neither Twilight nor Moon would approve.

[Bronyshot2020]

11739752
Oh I mean on the site 90% of what I read she's as bad as sweetie bell sry for not clarifying.

[howard035]

I love the internal monolog of Spike, we don't usually get that perspective in stories where he's undergoing greed growth.

[David Silver]

11746073
It felt proper. That, and I tend to do that anyway.

[howard035]

11746178
He's the birthday dragon!