Love or Hate
Dislike for Hearts & Hooves
By: Autistic Writer
Zinch was simply checking his mail around six o’clock in the morning. Zinch wasn’t always at his best when waiting up at such a time. He was a green unicorn with a messy black mane. He looked closer at his mailbox putting on his glasses. The stallion had problems with his vision, which was why he never participate in any job requiring him to be activity. He merely fixes materials such as clocks, broken machinery or the ocasional glass when his talents were brought forward; for this, his cutie mark was of a hammer and nail. Ponies often confused this with construction and assumed he was apart of construction for Ponyville. He used his magical horn to look inside the mailbox to see if anything exciting was in the mail today. He groaned seeing there wasn’t much of mail today. He knew the very reason for the lack of mail. As he was pondering, he looked upon a couple that was exiting the house across the street.
“I love you dear, tonight I have planned something special for Hearts and Hooves day” the mare winked
“I am looking forward to it” The stallion kissed his Pegasus wife goodbye.
Ugggggghhhhhhhh Zinch groaned in protest. Why did Hearts and Hooves day have to be today? Can’t couples stop making out in front of mares and colts that aren’t together. Do they think they are better than we are?
Zinch went inside to escape the couple's conversation of love. The colt didn’t particular have a taste for Hearts and Hooves day. There were various reasons he disliked the holiday.
Actually…..
Zinch disliked Hearts and Hooves day to the point of holding hatred for it. No mare too particular interest in him. he didn’t understand why this was. He had qualities that would make him likable, however the main reason mares wouldn’t go out with him or like him more than just a friend was due to his social awkwardness.
This was something out of Zinch’s control. He would get so involved in a conversation that he particularly creeped out the mares he was friends with. Zinch never felt he was awkward in any way.
It’s better this way He thought. No mare would have to be around a freak like me. I mean it’s not my fault I can’t get a marefriend. I was born this way. there’s nothing I can do to change it. Well, like my granny use to tell me ‘You can still be happy, if you love yourself’, that’s what really matters in life.
Zinch pulled a big grin as he started to clean his house. There was no real need to clean his house. He had spend all day yesterday making sure he wasn't living like a pig. He just needed something to keep his mind off the holiday. He didn't need to see stallions and mares walking around saying romance words in front of him. That would just make Zinch feel worse about not having a marefriend.
Suddenly, three rapid pounds were hit against his door. Zinch lifted his head and put his broom to the side. He slowly approached the pounding door as there was another three more knocks.
Zinch looked to his keyhole seeing who his mysterious knocker was. From the eyeglass, he discovered his mysterious knocker was a bubbly pink mare. The green unicorn shook his head. Pinkie had came once more to his place in order to convince him that Hearts and Hooves day wasn’t as bad as he thought. As much as he enjoyed Pinkie's parties, especially on Hearts and Hooves day, Zinch wasn't prepared to put his heart through another humiliation. Not like the last time.
"Hi Zinch, wow you look really cool fixing that clock" one of the giggling Pegasi said. Three mares were inside Zinch's workshop as he was fixing a clock for one of them.
"Oh, there's nothing to it" Zinch let out a triumph cheer as he kept to his work.
"Actually, i think Zinch looks pretty cute" the mare in the middle walked towards Zinch.
"Oh, you do" Zinch blushed as he never received the words 'cute' in a way that describes him.
"He does" The two mares stare at their friend.
"Yea, and if you are not too busy. Maybe we can get a shake together at Sugarcube Corner" The mare smiled, but glared at her two friends.
"Oh, umm sure" Zinch's cheeks got even hotter when the mare flirted with him.
"Okay, see you after work" The mare walked away as she opened the doors out of ZInch's shop after he had fixed her clock. Her friends followed suite. Zinch's happiness couldn't be contained. He was just asked out by a mare. He felt so overjoyed that he couldn't stop smiling. Finally, some mare sees me for who i really am. I feel so happy that i might just get her the shake and just wait
Once Zinch was ready, he made his way to Sugarcube Corner. He saw a huge party was overway. The green unicorn saw Pinkie talking with her friends, while Zinch was going up to the stand where he saw Mr. Cake was in charge of the register.
"Hi Zinch, i haven't seen you here in a while" Mr. Cake smirked
"Yea, i know weird right?" Zinch laughed "Well, i need two chocolate milk shakes pleases. I am just waiting on a pegasus, who has asked me out"
"Awwwwww, that's very sweet. I hope that mare knows what she is getting herself into" Mr. Cake laughed as did Zinch.
"You're funny" Zinch laughed of the humor in the joke.
"Okay, i will have it right up" Mr. Cake smiled
Zinch nods and sat down to wait for the Pegasus that invited him to Sugarcube Corner. The unicorn looked around the place. He didn't see any Pegasi that looked like the mare that flirted with him. Zinch smiled seeing everypony was getting along at the Corner, yet he wondered what was taking so long.
"Maybe she is running late" He mumbled to himself.
About five minute later, Mr. Cake brought along the two chocolate milk shakes. "There you go Zinch"
"Thanks, Mr. Cake" Zinch smiled
Mr. Cake went back to see to his other customers. At 4 P.M, Mrs. Cake walked outside the kitchen to see Zinch was sitting at a table. Mr. Cake walked over to his wife wondering what she was staring at.
"Awwww, Zinch is here. I wonder why he has two glasses" Mrs. Cake smiled
"Oh, Zinch is still here?" Mr. Cake said suspiciously.
"Something wrong sweetums?" Mrs. Cake raised a brow.
"It's just that Zinch has been here since noon and his so called "Special marefriend" hasn't shown up yet" Mr. Cake was starting to connect the dots, but felt he shouldn't overlook it.
"Maybe she is running late" his wife reassured him.
"Could be, honey" Mr. Cake felt his wife kissing his cheek.
Mrs. Cake decided to check up on Zinch. She saw that he still kept a big grin on his face despite the fact that the chocolate milk he had already finished, but the other chocolate milk shake was getting warm. "Hi Zinch, how's it going"
"Going great so far. Just waiting for this mare to show up. I couldn't be happier" Zinch felt proud in announcing that a mare held interest in him.
"Well, can i get you anything while you wait?" Mrs. Cake smiled
"Ummm not that i can think of. Thanks for the shake, it was delicious" Zinch smiled as he felt the shake hit the spot. He levitated the drink to Mrs. Cake and smiled.
"Oh, okay Zinch" Mrs. Cake smiled and went back to the kitchen seeing several more mares and colts arrived to Pinkie's Hearts and Hooves day party. Probably one of the busiest times of the year for Sugarcube Corner.
At the end of the Hearts and Hooves party Pinkie hosted, which was around nine o'clock, Pinkie was helping cleaning up at the shop. "Oh Dear" Mrs. Cake said seeing Zinch was still smiling at the empty seat at the table.
Mr. Cake shook his head. Both the Cake's suspicions had been confirmed. The mare that Zinch kept complimenting on had made a cruel joke out of his emotions. Mr. Cake looks at his wife. "I should tell him"
"I can talk to him, Mr. Cake" Pinkie saluted as she bounced over to Zinch.
"Hi best buddy" Pinkie smiled seeing Zinch was still happy. "Yo, Pinkie Pie"
Pinkie grinned as she saw the happiness in Zinch's heart was surging through his system. She didn't understand what was going on, but she could tell Zinch was waiting on a special somepony to show up.
"So, whatcha doing" Pinkie giggled
"Well, i am waiting on a mare friend that i have. I suppose she is running late. I am sure she is just running late or probably forgot. It's okay" Zinch yawned but still smiled proudly.
"Okie dokie lokie" Pinkie bounced away as she felt reassured that everything was alright.
After midnight, Mr. Cake sighed as he looked down at the green unicorn, who was sleeping. Mr. Cake had taken away the extra shake and walked back to where the sleeping stallion was. He pounded on the table, causing him to wake up.
"Wha-what" Zinch announced before viewing Mr. Cake. "Oh, i am sorry Mr. Cake. Something wrong?"
"Yea, i think that mare stood you up" Mr. Cake said with a serious tone.
"No, she didn't. I probably slept while she was around" Zinch said in denial of the ordeal.
"No, i didn't see her at all" Mrs. Cake stood next to her husband. "It's getting pretty late Zinch"
Zinch panicked as he didn't want to leave the store out of fear that the mare would have arrived after the store had closed "Wait, ummmm i can watch over the store overnight"
Mr. and Mrs. Cake looked at one another in hesitation. Zinch kept their fears to rest "I can watch over the store. You don't have to worry about a thing. There might possibly be some overnight customers. I know how to bake some things"
Zinch led the couple to their rooms "I promise not to wake Pumpkin and Pound if i can watch over the shop. I will be as quiet as a mouse"
The two store owners looked at one another before smiling a little bit. "Sure, okay Zinch. We will trust you with the shop"
"Thanks" Zinch gave them a hug.
In the morning of Febuary fifteenth, Mr. and Mrs. Cake woke up around 9 am to check on things at Sugarcube Corner. Mr. Cake felt concerned about Zinch. It wasn't right for those mares to do that to a point dealing with social awkwardness. Mrs. Cake reassured her husband. She decided to give the mare a chance since she saw the good in everypony.
As soon as they opened the doors, they saw Zinch's smile was breaking down as he zoomed from the kitchen to the counter giving the orders to everypony at a fast pace. Pinkie Pie wasn't as fast as Zinch was as he used his magic to help along.
"Zinch" Mr. Cake walked over taking over for the unicorn, who probably didn't sleep. Mr. Cake then noticed about seven empty glasses of chocolate milk. Zinch must have stayed up all night.
"Sorry, about that. I needed to stay awake and i haven't slept at all. That Pegasus never showed up" Zinch said
Mr. Cake halted as he looked directly at Zinch, who was obvious to the tears pouring from his eyes. "Zinch?"
"I have to go home now, i will see you guys around" Zinch took off towards the door with great speed.
Pinkie Pie smiled as she noticed her friend running towards her. "Hi Zinch, How's it......Going?"
Zinch zoomed passed Pinkie. Pinkie saw the sadness in his eyes as Zinch was heart broken. His heart was tearing apart of how foolish he was.
Zinch coughed hoping to forget what he had experinced and never again will he return to that moment. He was never going to get a marefriend due to that lesson he learned. Never get emotionally involved on Hearts and Hooves day, or any day for that matter. He used his magic to open the door and Pinkie bounced her way in. “Morning Zinchy, how’s it going”
“Nothing much Pinkie” Zinch said trying to fake a grin “What’s up”
“I am just here inviting you to a Hearts and Hooves day event at Sugarcube Corner” Pinkie Pie did a dance and tried to give Zinch a flier; however the unicorn used his magic to give her back the flier.
“It’s a kind gesture, but I think I am going to pass on the party this year” Zinch told Pinkie. He noticed the pink earth pony stopped dead in her tracks.
“You…Don’t….Want…To go?” Pinkie said seeing the flier back in her hooves.
“It’s not you Pinkie, its just that I don’t want to go to a party like this only to have my heart smashed with a sludge hammer” Zinch said as he was finishing his sweeping as he stared at Pinkie Pie.
The party planning pony looked at Zinch, for the fifth year in a row, he wasn’t going to come to a Hearts and Hooves party. Before his dislike for the holiday, Zinch actually loved getting involved with Hearts and Hooves day. His approach to it has made couples out of fifty different ponies.
“Okay buster” Pinkie said pulling her friend to the couch. “Ow, Pinkie what was that for?”
“I want to hear the reason you dislike Hearts and Hooves day” Pinkie looked at him with such serious eyes. Pinkie only got serious on a couple of occasions. Zinch could tell Pinkie was as serious as serious could be.
“Because I don’t see the point of having a holiday to celebrate love when mares and colts break up, divorce, or feel the love anymore. It doesn’t make any sense. Why should I give my heart away to somepony who could potentially break my heart?” Zinch said as he looked at Pinkie.
“Well….Everypony goes through break ups. Everypony does go through a divorce. Sometimes they fall out of love, but those individuals get up and stand on their hooves to try it once more. They do it because those ponies believe that eventually there will be a mare or a colt that become their true love” Pinkie smiled
“You don’t understand Pinkie. Not everypony is meant to have a true love. Stallions might hook up with mares. Mares hook up with other mares. Stallions hook up with other stallions. You ponies are forgetting that there are some ponies that fall under the category of not having a potential love interest. Those ponies are are all alone and don't have anypony to be comforted with. How exactly do you expect them to get up if there is no hope for romance in their lives? They just go through this endless cycle of heart break. What is in it for them?” Zinch spoke as his rage was increasing by the minute.
Pinkie Pie for a moment and smiled “Well, that are other colts and mares that don’t have love interests. That is sad, but that isn’t an excuse of isolating yourself from everypony”
Pinkie’s pointing at him with her hoof made Zinch growl with his increased anger. “So, this is about me not going out to meet a mare? I have a news flash for you, Pinkie. I have tried this whole dating game. I have tried to make it work, but it isn’t for me”
“What are you talking about?” Pinkie asked with confusion.
“What am I talking about; how about the many times I tried asking a mare out? How each mare told me they would rather be my friend than to go out with me? They are just letting me down easy so they wouldn’t have to tell me the true feelings they have. They hate me. They are disgusted with my looks or appearances. They can’t deal with me being socially awkward. DO you know how many times I have tried asking”
“Ummmmm…three hundred and seventeen times” Pinkie used her powers of estimation to figure out the times Zack has asked a mare out.
Zinch growled “Yes, and each of their replies was no no no no no…” Zinch repeated phrase of no as he leaned forward to Pinkie to voice his anger. “….NO NO NO NO NO”
“Do you realize how one gets tired of hearing that word?” Zinch said as tears came pouring in his eyes. He didn’t realize he was crying “For once I would like to hear a mare tell me she would like to go out with me and actually mean it. I would find those words very rewarding. I would cherish that moment of my life, but guess what Pinkie; it’s never going to happen”
Pinkie saw Zack rubbing his eyes as she looked at him.
"Am i just a big joke to everypony? Did i mess the memo that Hearts and Hooves day was about making fun of socially awkward ponies like Zinch" He mimicked other mares as he groaned in anger once more as he saw Pinkie just staying there looking at him.
“No matter what I do, I will always be socially awkward in one form or another. I don’t have a princess waiting for me to save her. I don’t have a mare that is interested in me. I just have mares that just feel sorry for me or mares that just want to get a good laugh” Zinch looked towards the glass window as he sighed.
“I just wish some mare would express some form of romantic emotions towards me” Zinch finished his rage as he felt reality kicking in.
Pinkie Pie watched her best friend feeling sad. She wasn’t sure what she could do. If she could cure his social awkwardness she would. Pinkie could see no normal method she could use would work to cheer up the sad unicorn.
Zinch looked out the window as he looked upon various couples that were spending the Hearts and Hooves day together. Pinkie couldn’t bare to see him sad. Everypony deserved to be with somepony on Hearts and Hooves day with their special somepony.
Pinkie looks at Zinch, who shut the window. As he walks away, he looks at himself in the mirror. As much as he disliked Hearts and Hooves days, he must had admit that he is very lonely and hoped one day a mare would see pass his social awkwardness and actually give him a chance.
Pinkie was about to say something, but Zinch breathed in and out "I understand why now. I understand that i shouldn't mope around expecting love to find me; that the world isn't over just because one mare doesn't like me. I just want at least one mare to acknowledge that i am a worthy candidate of being a lover to her. I am just tired of hearing every mare telling me that they would rather be my friend than a special somepony"
Pinkie Pie saw Zinch putting on his fedora and he smiled "I know you didn't speak much, but you do have a point. I shouldn't use my social awkwardness as an excuse. Eventually, a mare is going to see me in a different light than any other mare would. She is going to smile at me and tell me that she likes me. I guess i have some waiting to do. Let's go to that party Pinkie"
Pinkie grinned as she zoomed to walk side by side with her friend, ZInch.
Zinch stood by Pinkie as he took a quill and wrote down in a scroll:
Dear Princess Celestia,
I have learned something today on Hearts and Hooves day.
I have learned that love stinks and there isn't much you could do to prevent challenges one might face on the road to meeting the very special somepony you are destined to fall in love with. But, who said love was easy?
I understand that my special somepony might be out there. She could find me or i could find her, but it doesn't matter though. I am not ready to meet my special somepony at the very moment. I am just going to enjoy life until i know who she is. She might be somepony i just met or could be a friend i have had for a very long time, but i do know one thing.
She is going to love me just for me, and hopefully she will accept my little "Glitches" i have with myself.
Happy Hearts and Hooves day, Princess. I hope you find your special somepony someday.
From your faithful subject.
Zinch Fixalot
Author's Note
I don't own the rights to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. My Little Pony:FIM is owned by Hasbro.
the OC Zinch Fixalot is owned by me.
Wow, i know people are going to react to how painful Zinch had to go through in order to realize that he got stood up. I really do hope that Zinch does end up with somepony soon.
So, what did you think? Tell me your thoughts in the comments section. Also, if you think that i should make another one-shot or sequel to this story where Zinch does find a special somepony to share his interest with, let me know as well. It might not even be a pony. I am just thinking of ideas of who i should pair Zinch up with.
Give me your comments, thoughts, or concerns on this. Until then, see you all later.
