//------------------------------// // Intro: Hearts & Hooves Stranger // Story: Friendship is Failure #15: Love and Disparage // by DakariKingMykan //------------------------------// INTRO It was getting close to Hearts and Hooves Day, and Twilight was wasting no efforts to decorate her castle with colourful decorations-- mostly red and pink heart shaped balloons, and white streamers in the middle. She was planning a small dinner party for her relatives who were going to be visiting from the Crystal Empire that day, especially considering Princess Cadance has a special job to perform. Twilight explained to Spike “Every Hearts and Hooves Day, Cadance flies around every country in Equestria to spread her own love and joy to every pony anywhere.” Spike blinked in confusion, “What for?” Twilight felt a bit awkward, “I guess it’s just something playful she likes to do. You know, to help spread the joy of love and romance.” Spike still thought it silly. He just like many knew love wasn’t something that could magically happen. He especially knew this because he was trying to make Hearts and Hooves cards for all his friends. Each one was a heart-shaped card, each one the same color as the coat of the pony he was given it too. Within each card he wrote a little love poem. He already gave Twilight hers… “Twilight Sparkle, on this day There are many things I want to say You give me love and care so true, And you know what else… I love you too.” “Aw… Spike…” Twilight cooed, and she hugged him warmly. There was, however, one extra special card not like the others. It was a very light hinted grey card with purple jewels lining the edged. Obviously, it was for Rarity. It was no secret, Spike wanted to give his crush something extra special, but there was no poem written in it. “I have no idea what to say to her. Everything I come up with seems too plain, to simple. Rarity means more to me than that.” Twilight was about to give him some advice, when there was a knock at the castle doors. Twilight had to answer it. “Hey, wait up!” called Spike. No sooner had he left, did Spike’s card for Rarity magically lift up and float by the window where a mysterious stranger stood. It was defiantly a unicorn pony, but he was wearing a full black body suit, with a red cape, and a black fedora on his head, with a white feather on one side of the hat and a red rose with thorns on the other side. He almost looked like a male version of Mare Do Well. He grabbed the card, and took the feather from his hat, which was actually a quill, which he magically enchanted to write without actually dipping it into ink, and he began to write in the card-- writing words in a most elegantly done text. Suddenly, the doors opened, and the stranger winced softly. Starlight Glimmer came into the room, and glimpsed up at window believing she saw some-pony standing there, but there was nobody there at all. She didn’t even notice Spike’s card was missing. Starlight just shrugged it off and continued her work. Twilight answered the door, and it was her relatives, Shining Armor, Princess Cadance and little baby Flurry Heart. “Twily…!” “Bro…!” They hugged warmly, and Shining Armor gave her a playful noogie. Then Twilight proceeded to hug Cadance, and then she playfully cooed with the baby, “Hey little, Flurry. How are you?” As usual, her brother put on a cute voice pretending to speak for Flurry, “I just wanted to spend Hearts and Hooves day with my favourite auntie.” The ladies giggled, and Flurry Heart just shook her rattle, but suddenly, both Cadance and Shining’s cutiemarks began to resonate. “What’s happening?” asked Cadance. Twilight and Spike gawked in near disbelief, and suddenly, Starlight burst into the room, “Twilight! Twilight…!” she cried, and she was in such a panic she didn’t say hello to the Crystal Family “The Friendship Map is glowing.” There was no doubt about it; Twilight’s relatives were being called by the map, much to their astonishment.