Writing is Magic

          “Sweetie Belle, the next time I offer to fit some of Rarity’s designs, stop me.”

          The unicorn filly just stood there and smiled. Yet again I had been tricked into getting all trussed up and used as a mannequin.

          “Thanks again Art,” Rarity said, returning to the room, “You don’t know how hard it is to find stallions willing to dress up for me. I’ll promise I’ll make it up to you.”

          “No problem Rarity,” I half-lied.

          At that moment, two small figures dashed into the room, and stopped right in front of Sweetie Belle.

          “Apple Bloom, Scootaloo,” Sweetie greeted excitedly.

          “You ready to go,” Scootaloo asked.

          “Of course, another Hearts and Hooves day of finding some lucky mare her very special somepony!”

          “Just don’t do anything rash like before,” Rarity warned, “I’m sure you don’t want to do Big Mac’s chores again.”

          “Oh we’ve got a much safer plan this time,” Apple Bloom said, “no more silly potions.”

          “Well good luck then.”

          The three fillies dashed out of the shop.

          “Is it really Hearts and Hooves day,” I asked, contemplating it, “Never really paid much attention to the holiday.”

          “How can you not enjoy Hearts and Hooves day,” Rarity asked, swooning a bit, “The day where two ponies can come together and express their true feelings for one another, it’s so chivalrous.”

          “If you say so,” I sighed, “I think you missed a hem.”

          …

          Meanwhile, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were hard at work with their plan.

          “So what is our plan,” Sweetie Belle asked her comrades.

          “I don’t have a plan,” Scootaloo admitted, “I thought you had the plan, Apple Bloom.”

          “I thought Sweetie Belle had the plan,” the Earth filly said, surprised.

          “So what you’re saying is we don’t have a plan,” Sweetie concluded.

          The three of them slumped down under a tree.

          “Well the first part is to figure out which pony we should help,” Apple Bloom decided, “There are plenty of ponies in town who don’t have somepony, I’m sure we can help one of them.”

          “Or two of them,” Scootaloo joked, “but where do we start?”

          “Maybe with the ponies we know the best,” Sweetie suggested, “our sisters and their friends.”

          “You really think they would want our help?”

          “Of course, why wouldn’t they? It couldn’t hurt. And I know just which pony to start with.”

          The three of them got on their way, using Scootaloo’s trusty scooter for transportation. They eventually reached their destination: Sugarcube Corner. They crashed in, as per usual, but Pinkie Pie met them at the door.

          “Shhhhhhh,” the party pony shushed, “don’t wake up the foals.”

          “What are you doing,” Sweetie whispered.

          “I’m babysitting Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake today. I gave Mr. and Mrs. Cake the day off so that they could have a nice Hearts and Hooves day.”

          “Wow, that’s really nice of you,” Apple Bloom commented, “But Pinkie, what about your day? You should have a nice day too.”

          “You kidding, I’m having a great day!”

          “Babysitting foals, maybe. But don’t you want to spend the day somepony special?”

          “You girls are silly. Everypony is my special somepony. That’s what makes life fun!”

          “That’s a nice way of looking at it,” Sweetie said, “we’ll get out of your mane now.”

          The CMC left the shop and returned to their scooter.

          “Now who do we go to,” Apple Bloom asked.

          “I know,” Scootaloo answered, “we’ll help a hard-working pony find her strong stallion.”

          “Who’s that?”

          “Your sister, of course.”

          “Oh right, my sis- my sister?”

          The CMC made their way to Sweet Apple Acres to find Applejack. They found her hard at work, like always, along with Big Mac.

          “Howdy y’all,” the workhorse greeted.

          “Howdy sis, happy Hearts and Hooves Day.”

          “What are y’all doin’ all the way out ‘ere on such a nice day?”

          “So, uh, we were wondering if you wanted any help finding your special somepony this year.”

          AJ and Mac glanced at each other. It was Mac whom the CMC had tried to help before, with less-than-perfect results.

          “Y’alls obsession with ponies findin’ a special pony is almost as big as y’alls obsessions over gettin’ your cutie marks. Trust me, if I ever find a special somepony, I won’t need y’alls help.”

          The CMC swiftly left Sweet Apple Acres, no point in pushing the issue and getting on Applejack’s bad side. They were 0-for-2 so far on the day, but there were more mares where that came from. As the traveled back toward Ponyville, they passed under a cloud which happened to be carrying a sleeping Rainbow Dash. Seeing her ‘big sister’, Scootaloo stopped on a dime.

          “Hey Rainbow Dash,” the Pegasus called, “are you awake?”

          “I am now,” she answered, slightly irritated, “what’s up?”

          “We could sure use your help with something.”

          “What d’ya need,” Rainbow asked as she flew down.

          “Well I figured, since its Hearts and Hooves Day that we could help you.”

          “Hearts and Hooves Day?”

          “Oh you know. And I’m sure that every stallion in Ponyville would want to be seen with someone as awesome as you Rainbow Dash.”

          “Look, sport. As true as that statement is, I’m just not looking for somepony right now. I mean, I appreciate the thought and all, I’m sure there are plenty of lonely ponies out there, I’m just not one of them.”

          The CMC scooted back to the tree under which they had started their day. They each tried to think of somepony else who they could help.

          “Fluttershy,” Sweetie Belle offered.

          “She’s too shy for something so sudden,” Scootaloo countered, “Twilight?”

          “She’s too busy,” Apple Bloom answered, “probably knee-deep in books as we speak. Rarity?”

          The three fillies all perked up at once, their eyes and pupils growing in size.

          “Rarity and Art,” they said together.

          “They know each other really well,” Apple Bloom listed.

          “They’ve already spent all day together,” Sweetie Belle pointed out.

          “And they’re both single,” Scootaloo shouted, “Let’s get to work.”

          …

          It was almost dusk by the time Rarity finished with me. Truth be told, my patience was wearing pretty thin. Fortunately, at this point the Crusaders burst in again.

          “Rarity, Art, come quick,” Sweetie Belle called, “we have to show you something.”

          Sweetie began pushing her sister out the door, while Scootaloo and Apple Bloom pulled me. We walked to the outskirts of Ponyville, to a place the locals call Stargaze Hill. There we could see a red- and white-checkered blanket upon which sat a basket. A telescope stood near-by. I could only assume that they had somehow convinced Twilight to let them borrow it.

          “Oh what a splendid spread,” Rarity complimented, “and whom is all this for?”

          “You two,” the Crusaders said together.

          Rarity was taken back for a second. Then she turned to me, her eyes in full doe mode.

          “Oh Art,” she cooed, “How thoughtful of you to set this up.”

          “Believe me, I wish I could have thought of something like this.”

          “You girls did this all on your own?”

          “Sure,” Apple Bloom answered, “we were trying too hard to find two ponies to get together on Hearts and Hooves day when the answer was right in front of us the entire time.”

          “Yeah,” Sweetie Belle continued as the other two pushed Rarity and I closer together, “you two are perfect together.”

          “Well I,” I began, but was interrupted.

          “Shhhh,” Rarity whispered, motioning with her hoof, “Run along girls, it would be terrible if all your work went to waste.”

          The three fillies pranced off, quite pleased with themselves.

          “Well now what,” I asked, taking a seat on the blanket.

          Rarity sat down next to me, gently leaning her head on my shoulder.

          “Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, ma chère.”