Twilight Gets a Puppy
Season 2
By TDR
Hearts and Paws Day,
part 4
[ Ponyville]
Rahs yawned again as he made his way into Ponyville, fluffing up his long coat a bit as he walked along. The weather had turned icy again after a few days of slightly warmer temperatures, though none of that seemed to bother any one out and about today.
The whole town was covered in various heart like decorations, pink hearts streamers garlands white red and pink every where. This year coral and copper also seemed to have joined the coloration as more ponies started to recognize Princess Cadence as the one to thank for these sort of things.
There was no great tradition for Hearts and Hooves day, no historic relevance at all. There was also no massive merchant conspiracy for it either like several companies had done for Santa Hooves. Turning the terrifying warrior elk god, into a jolly fat deer in a red suit with a glowing nose for Hearths Warming had been weird.
He and his sister had met the mammoth beast when he came to speak with Princess Celestia a long while back. Thankfully the massive Elk had thought the whole thing funny and had not been offended by ponies and their odd traditions. It was always good that a warrior ice god that hunted Windigos didn't take offense to things like that.
No, Hearts and Hooves day came about because of a screw up by Cadence about 50 years or before Twilight was born, during one of Cadence's trips to Canterlot before she moved there. Princess Celestia had been training her on using her magic and it got out of hoof. It had made a huge mess that was best left unspoken of, and the date had been made a holiday as a way to distract ponies as to why the capitol was going to have a bumper crop of foals in nine months. The event caught on like wild fire across the rest of Equestria.
Rahs flattened his ears as he sighed. Really one of the down sides to knowing the Princesses like he did, and having a sister like the one he had, was a lot of the 'magic' of certain holidays was fully lost once it was explained in a detail that sated Twilight.
Granted this hadn't stopped Twilight from heading off with Rainbow Dash, and Big Mac to a fancy dinner and show that Prince had reserved in Canterlot for the four of them.
Pinkie Pie had vanished and Fluttershy was probably holed up in her home like she did with every holiday. Applejack was working, no surprise there, and judging by the magic aura he smelt around Carousel Boutique, it would be best to avoid Rarity.
Still with all of the bearers occupied, and a very strongly worded letter full of menace from Shining Armor about what would happen if Twilight did something that screwed up his plans with Cadence, nothing was likely to happen today.
At least not until the CMC and Spike got out of school, though after last time they were fully banned from doing any crusading on a week day without close adult supervision.
So while everything was calm it might be a good idea to do a bit of shopping, it wasn't like he had a date or anything.
Rahs grumbled at that thought, his little brother found a filly friend before he did, and Spike had taken the time to rub it in.
Of course his options were rather limited. Ponies as a whole were pretty much off the list as he couldn't get past the fact most of them smelled like prey. A few of them didn't of course, but that was usually the ones with some sort of dragon heritage, like the Nox-Cal and the rare few like Trixie.
He briefly wondered where she had gone, he hadn't heard from her in nearly a year.
There was the mystery mare as well that kept popping up and trying to talk to him. She didn't smell like prey either, but she didn't smell like a dragon. Most dragon ponies either had a gunpowder like scent or a sulfuric one, she smelled sorta like a griffon, it was odd. He got the idea she was some what interested in him, but she always seemed to take off whenever Pinkie Pie or Twilight popped up so he never really understood what she wanted.
Of course there was Jynx as well, though he doubted she would be interested in him. She was the Alpha of her pack after all, she was probably swarmed with suitors. Besides she still terrified him, and it had nothing to do with his encounter with the Bone Hounds. She was like the Diamond Dog equivalent of Big Mac.
He wouldn't deny she was attractive, but he also wouldn't say that in her ear shot.
He stopped suddenly his ears perking as he thought he heard a shriek. Looking around he saw a number of ponies milling about going about their business, but none of them seemed concerned with the noise.
He shrugged.
It was probably nothing. Some pony probably got a super gift and couldn't contain themselves.
Jynx growled stuffing the pegasus mare into a dumpster before pouring the potion out on the ground. The mare cursed and shouted at her from inside the steel bin though she was unharmed, just coated in yesterdays produce.
Jynx ignored it setting another dumpster atop the first to make sure she didn't get out any time soon. She wasn't sure where the other two seeking Rahs' affections went but she had spotted the pegasus rushing up to dump the potion vial on Rahs. She had manged to snatch the annoying pony out of the air and stop the attack, but looking out across the street she had lost sight of the Moon Dog.
Letting out a low growl she darted back into the street trying to find him again before the others did.
Rahs put his paws in his pockets as he looked up at the clear sky. Another snow storm was scheduled for later tonight, something to help the holidays' lovers cuddle up more.
He offered a wave to Lyra and Bon Bon as they walked past, going about their business. He should probably check to see if anything showed up for him at the post office. Were they even open today?
Sweetie Drops's ear twitched and she reacted without thinking while Lyra was distracted looking back at Rahs.
The vial had arced their way and she had snatched it out of the air with a hoof emptied the contents on the ground and launched the vial back with enough force to bean the attacker and send her tumbling off to bounce off a shop wall. Sweetie Drops wasn't sure what was in the vial, she wasn't sure why it had been thrown in their direction, but instinct took over and the attacker was out of commission. She'd report this later, but for now she'd keep an eye out for any more suspicious pegasi with vials of strange liquids.
“Everything alright Bonnie?” Lyra asked.
“Huh? Oh yeah, sorry. I just zoned out for a moment. What was that about Rahs?” Bon Bon asked.
“The pot for when Rahs notices Trixie has the hots for him has hit close to four thousand bits. And half the original bets will be lost if he doesn't catch on today.” Lyra explained.
“Hmm, I saw her wagon earlier, she's in town so he just might. “Bon Bon considered.
“I hope not. I put my bits on her becoming a super villain and challenging Twilight to a duel for possession of Rahs before he finally figured it out.” Lyra explained.
“Okay you either need to quit gambling all together, or stop making such silly bets.” Bon Bon sighed.
Rahs stepped through the door, the little bell jingling as the door closed behind him. He shook out his coat working out the cold as he wiped off his rear paws on the mat.
There was a splatter as something hit the window behind him. Turning back to look he saw a spatter of water against the glass and let out a sigh as he smirked, he had just missed a snowball.
He turned back, heading into the book store, missing a green eyed stallion with a brown coat and sandy blonde hair being flung through the air to impact two pegasi mares trying to get into the shop after him.
Rahs blinked looking back again swearing he heard some one scream 'Not the Bees'. Seeing nothing, he shrugged again and started looking over the new release section of the book store.
Ah, the new Double Moon book, Ancient Amour, was out.
“Look there he is.” a pink and yellow maned mare muttered to a Phthalo green and pale gold maned pegasus mare next to her.
“You think this stuff will work?” the gold mare questioned looking at a vial in her wing.
“The guy who sold it said it was 100% guaranteed to do something if he was splashed with it or drank it.” the green mare muttered.
“Yeah but 100% guaranteed to do what?” the gold mare questioned.
“Cure the curse of course. They said that super handsome pony we saw in Cloudsdale was cursed and that diamond dog is him. It's a tale as old as time, yah know beauty and the beast? We cure him and he'll fall in love with us, just like the stories.”
“I think that was stock-home syndrome. But ehh, whatever.”
The pair looked over at the navy furred diamond dog reading a book as he walked down the snow covered street, somehow managing to avoid running into any pony as he did so.
“Right here he comes, get ready.”
“Now!”
The pair zipped out slinging the 'cure' on the diamond dog, the potions gracefully arced through the air hitting him point blank, then passed through him with a shimmer as he continued to walk on seemingly to not having noticed any of it.
“What?” the gold mare asked.
The navy furred diamond dog made it a few more steps more before he faded away with a light poof.
The pair looked on in shock as Trixie's illusion faded.
“Ahem.” stated a voice.
The two pegasus turned back to see three earth pony mares glaring at them, water dripping from them and the massive Nox-Cal behind them.
“Umm …. oops?” the gold pegasus muttered before a pink hoof connected with her muzzle.
“You know you probably shouldn't have done that.” Lodestone chided as the trio of mares led him along a bit quicker.
“It was self defense.” Lily snorted.
“Seriously, they attacked us first.” Rose added.
“Who throws freezing water in the middle of winter.”Daisy agreed. “Though now we really need to get you back home to dry off.”
“Yeah can't have you getting a cold.” Lily purred.
“Though we can take care of you if we need to, I am a registered nurse trainee.” Rose added.
Behind the four of them, two battered pegasus mares twitched where they had been deposited head first into a snowbank.