This Time of Year

by Bambisbb

Rating: everyone
Tags: Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 1048

Doodle Bug and Hoop always get into trouble around this time of year, but this year, they aren't together to get in trouble.

Doodle Bug's always thought that she'd be fine if Hoop found a girlfriend, if he got new friends and stopped hanging out with her...Turns out, she wasn't as fine with it as she thought...

It seems like everypony is ignoring her today...

I thought it was supposed to be the 'most wonderful time of the year'...

Published 2014-12-18 01:30:05 UTC
Last updated 2014-12-18 01:30:05 UTC

Happy Hearth's Warming...Oh why bother.

Doodle Bug sat patiently in the living room, waiting for Hoop. He said he was going to the store for more batteries...What was taking him so long...She shifted, looking at the clock and tilting her head. "Tick tock tick tock tick tock tick- UGH, WHERE IS HE?!" She squealed, slamming her hooves into the table in front of her, "Why is he taking so long?!" She asked no one, sliding down and kicking her hooves into the air. Buster looked at her from across the room, tilting his head before going back to his naping. "He should be here by now, why isn't he? Did he get lost, or foalnapped, or hurt, or-" She shut her mouth mid-sentence, shaking her head. It wasn't good for her anxiety to think like that, she reminded herself, even if it was her anxiety causing said thoughts. She sighed loudly, shaking her head. 'He's fine' she repeated in her head, over and over. He'd be there soon. She knew it.

~

"It was nice seeing you, Cotton!" Hoop smiled, waving goodbye at a certain pink unicorn. Cotton Swirl had always been Hoop's favorite pony to run into, she always had something near to invite somepony to. Today, however, she only asked Hoop to go to something. A date, on Hearth's Warming Eve, because she just 'loves the holidays so much'. Hoop, of course, agreed, Cotton was a pretty mare after all. He turned and walked into the house, shutting the door and shaking his scarf off, "Sorry that took so long, Doodle, I ran into- Doodle Bug?" Hoop blinked, staring at the crumpled filly in the middle of the floor, who looked up slowly before jumping up with surprising agility and tacklepouncing him.

"OHMYGOSHHOOPWHEREWEREYOUITHOUGHTYOUWEREDEADDON'TEVERDOTHATAGAINAHHH!"

"Augh! One, ow, are you trying to deafen me, and two, I was talking with Cotton! She asked me out!"

"Oh, really, that's cool, when?" Doodle Bug asked, her panicking stopping almost instantly as she tilted her head, all signs of worry completely gone.

"...You're terrifying when you do that." Hoop sighed, lightly pushing Doodle Bug off, "And it's on Hearth's Warming Eve. Kinda weird, ya know, but..."

"Hearth's...Warming...Eve? But...I thought that we were going to..." Doodle Bug muttered

"Yea, I was planning on spending time with you, but...Well..."

"Oh...That's uh...That's okay!" Doodle Bug said, looking up with a fake smile.

"Really?" Hoop sighed in relief, "Thanks, Doodle."

"Yea, um...No problem..." She trailed off as Hoop walked away, looking down when he was gone. "I'll be fine..."

~

Today was Heath's Warming Eve. Doodle Bug could hear the foals outside, playing excitedly as they waited for the day to end so Santa Hooves would visit. Doodle Bug would usually be so excited, doing last minute things in preparation, but not today. Hoop had left happily a few minutes before, going to his date. She was...Not happy with it, to say the least. She should be happy for him, she know she should, but...She couldn't...

French Vanilla hadn't been answering her messages, but, it was Hearth's Warming Eve, so that was expected...

But neither was Seafoam...Seafoam didn't celebrate Hearth's Warming Eve, there was no reason to ignore the messages...

Doodle Bug couldn't bring herself to talk to Minty...They had a falling out and he'd said some very hurtful things...She refused to even think about it, if he could talk like that to her completely guiltless, she didn't want anything to do with him...

So, here she was, standing in random places around the house, staring at nothing. Even Buster seemed to ignore her...She sighed, turning around to walk into the living room. "I'll try Grey." She whispered, walking to the phone and struggling to dial the number.

"Hello?" Answered somepony from the other side of the phone. Somepony that was not Grey.

"Um...Hello?" Doodle Bug frowned, unsure of who was talking, "Uh, who is this?" She questioned

"Who's askin'? Ha, nah, I'm jokin', my name's Neon Lines, who's dis?"

"Oh, um...Doodle Bug, I'm Doodle Bug...Why are you-" Doodle Bug was cut off as another voice rang through the phone

"Neon, have you seen my hat? Oh, who's on the phone?"

"Some filly named Doodle Bug? I gotta go get ready, so you can talk to her if ya want."

The phone was hastily handed over to Grey, and he answered, "Doodle Bug? What's wrong?"

"I...Um...Hoop had a date, and I was kinda lonely, so I was gonna ask if..." She trailed off, trying to think of something else to say. Just as Grey started to say something, she slammed the phone down. That's two, two best friends that had dates. It hurt more with Hoop though...He knew that Doodle Bug had something planned, and he ditched her for some stupid floozy...

Doodle Bug shook her head quickly. No, Cotton was her friend, she wasn't a floozy, whatever that was, she was a sweet mare that loved everyone.

And also had a big ego and even bigger eyes.

Augh, no, bad thoughts, Cotton was compassionate and kind and her eyes were an okay size!

Her snout was kinda big though.

~

No no no! She didn't use her magic to attract stallions, and she wasn't a demon!

She was a sweet, kind, lovely mare and that's that!

Doodle Bug nodded to herself, content with this conclusion. Until another thought popped into her head.

She was also kinda pink.

A little too pink.

WAIT, NO!

~

SHE WAS A NORMAL SHADE OF PINK AND SHE DIDN'T DYE HER COAT, AUGH!

Doodle Bug groaned audibly, flopping down on the floor. She hated Hearth's Warming Eve...She hated it! When she was a foal, it was the best day ever, and when she became a (old-ish) filly, it was the only day she was happy to be alive, and now that she was an (almost) full grown mare (16 was almost there!) it was the best day, because her and Hoop would get into trouble and have to find a way out! But today...Today it wasn't fun...Today, it was like a day when she was a filly, and she wanted it to stop! She wouldn't have it...

But why was everyone ignoring her...

She sighed, and curled up. So much for the 'most wonderful time of the year'.....