“Hey y’all! In case y’ didn’t know, it’s Hearts and Hooves day again!”
Apple Bloom entered the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse that morning.
“We know!” Scootaloo, a little orange pegasus pony called out to her friend. “We’ve been trying to figure out what to do all morning!”
“But we haven’t gotten anything.” Sweetie Bell, a little unicorn said.
“Good.” Apple Bloom said. “‘Cause Ah have an idea.”
“Really? What?” Her two friends pressed her.
“We can help somepony find their special somepony!”
Sweetie Bell looked confused. “Wait, didn’t we do that last year with Cheerilee and Big Mac?”
“Well, if’n you think about that, that was basically forcin’ them, but now, we can help them! No forcin’!”
“That’s an awesome idea!” Scootaloo yelled. “But who can we help?”
“Ah thought about that.” Apple Bloom said. “We can just go t’ Ponyville and look for somepony to help!”
Sweetie Bell donned her CMC cape. “Cutie Mark Crusaders, go!”
The three ponies strolled through Ponyville, searching for a candidate.
“Who will we pick?” Sweetie Bell complained. “There are so many ponies around!”
Apple Bloom was about to answer, when a voice bellowed above: “INCOMING!”
All three of them ducked as something sailed over their heads.
Scootaloo peeked out from in between her hooves, and saw Derpy, the gray mail pegasus landing at the mailbox of the building across the street.
Apple Bloom gasped. “Derpy’s perfect! As far as Ah know, she has no real friends ‘cepting Princess Luna! There’s gotta be somepony for her!”
“Don’t forget that strange brown pony that lives in that blue box.” Sweetie Bell said. “He’s weird.”
Derpy turned around as a small voice called out: “Hi Miss Derpy!”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders were at her hooves, grinning widely up at her.
Derpy tried to get her crossed eyes to focus on them. “Well hello girls! My, you look happy. What stunt are you all pulling today?”
“We ain’t pullin’ any states today.” Apple Bloom said. “Since it’s Hearts and Hooves day, we’re going to help ponies find their very special somepony! And we were wonderin’, do you have a special somepony?”
Derpy sat down. “Well... no.”
“I knew it!” Sweetie Bell yelled.
“Do y’ have anypony in mind that y’ would like to be your special somepony?” Apple Bloom pressed on.
Briefly, a wistful look crossed Derpy’s face, but it vanished as soon as it disappeared. “...No.”
“Then what was that look you just had on your face?” Scootaloo asked.
Derpy sighed. “Okay... Maybe I do.”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders stared up at her with big, pleading eyes. “Can you tell us? PLEEEEEEEEEE...”
“I’m not sure--”
“...EEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAA...”
“I don’t know if--”
“...SSSSEEEEEEEE...”
“Fine, fine!” Derpy relented. “But you have to swear not to tell said pony without my okay. Promise?”
“Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a cupcake in my eye!” The three fillies recited in unison.
“Okay.” Derpy lowered her voice. “I wish my special somepony was... the Doctor.”
Sweetie Bell let out the beginnings of a scream, but Scootaloo slapped her hoof across her mouth.
“Wait,” The orange pegasus said. “You mean that strange pony that lives in that box-thingy?”
“He’s not that strange.” Derpy said. “He’s just a little hard to understand, that’s all. And anyway, he probably doesn’t feel the same way about me, even though Luna has told me so a thousand times...”
Apple Bloom gasped. “Y’ know what? We c’n go and ask th’ Doctor if he wants a special somepony! Maybe he’ll say yes!”
Derpy blinked. “Really?”
Sweetie Bell nodded. “Sure! That’s all we’re doing today!”
Scootaloo pointed. “There he is!”
Sure enough, a brown, spiky haired Earth Pony was coming toward them.
“Oh, hello Doctor.” Derpy said as he arrived.
“Hello Derpy!” The Doctor said in his strange accent. “I don’t quite understand this holiday, though it does bear an uncanny resemblance to...” Then he noticed the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who were grinning and laughing softly. “Who are they?”
“Oh. This is Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo.” Derpy pointed each pony out with her hoof. “They were just asking me some questions about Hearts and Hooves day. They probably have some questions for you, too. But, I must be going. Mail won’t deliver itself.”
While the mail pegasus flew off, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had a brief private discussion among themselves.
“What if he says no?” Apple Bloom said.
“What if he says somepony else?” Sweetie Bell said.
“That would break Derpy’s heart.” Scootaloo mused.
“I got a backup plan.” Apple Bloom said. “If all else fails, we c’n use a love potion, not a poison, mind you.”
The Crusaders turned back around to face the Doctor, who was waiting patiently.
“Mister Doctor,” Apple Bloom said. “We had a question. Since it’s Hearts and Hooves day, do you wish you had a special somepony?”
The Doctor thought for a moment. “Well, I guess so. I get ever so lonely at the TARDIS by myself.”
“That’s all we wanted to know!” Apple Bloom said. “Bye!”
The Crusaders dashed off, leaving a confused-looking Doctor behind.
Back at the CMC clubhouse, Sweetie Bell said: “We can’t just tell Derpy that he guesses so! What do we do?”
“Plan B.” Scootaloo said. “We can get them both to drink a love potion, but on a much smaller scale to prevent what happened last year.”
“But how are we going to do that?” Sweetie Bell asked. “We can’t just ask them to drink it without a reason!”
“Ah got it!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “Instead of getting them to drink it, why not get them to eat it? You know how Derpy is always makin’ those delicious muffins, and no doubt today she’ll makin’ special muffins for the occasion. And, most likely, she’ll ask for a taste test. So what we can do is put a lil’ bit of potion into a few muffins, and get the Doctor an’ Derpy to eat ‘em! Simple!”
“Yeah!” Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell exclaimed.
Scootaloo went over to a corner of the clubhouse and pried up a loose floorboard. “I knew there was a good reason to save this?” From the hole she produced a vial of purple liquid.
“Good thing Applejack never found that.” Apple Bloom said.
“Cutie Mark Crusaders, go! ...Again.” Sweetie Bell said.
Derpy looked up as Apple Bloom entered Sugarcube Corner, where she was in the process of making special heart-theme muffins. “Hello Apple Bloom! Did you find out anything?”
“Ah’ll get t’ that in just a moment.” Apple Bloom said. “Since Ah know that you like your muffins taste-tested before you sell them, Ah sent Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo t’ get your friend the Doctor t’ help, since he lives right up the hill.”
“That’s nice Apple Bloom! Now, I must finish this other order of muffins...” Derpy turned away to another batch of pastries.
While Derpy’s back was turned, Apple Bloom took out the vial of love potion and put a drop into each muffin Derpy had set aside for taste-testing.
She had barely completed the job, when the bell on the door dinged, and Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell entered, followed by the Doctor, who was saying something about how interesting it was that equines possessed magic.
Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo ran over to her. “Did you finish the job?”
Apple Bloom nodded. “Eeyup.”
Derpy appeared at the counter. “Doctor! I needed your opinion on these muffins. I hope we didn’t disturb you from anything.”
“No, not at all.” The Doctor looked down at the two muffins, which had sugar hearts set on the top. “Are these English Muffins?”
Derpy made a face. “Ew, no. What’s wrong with you?”
The Doctor rolled his eyes as he took a bite of his muffin, as did Derpy.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders watched the two closely, but nothing seemed to happen.
The Doctor finished off the last bite of muffin. “This is absolutely brilliant! Can you pack me a couple more?”
Derpy bounded off to the back of the store. “Sure!”
“Aw,” Apple Bloom murmured. “It didn’t work.”
Back at the CMC clubhouse, the three fillies were giving themselves headaches as to why the potion didn’t work.
“Ah don’t understand.” Apple Bloom said. “It worked last year with Cheerilee and Big Mac, so why didn’t it work this time?”
“Maybe we gave them to little?” Scootaloo tried.
Sweetie Bell suddenly jumped up. “I got it girls! Maybe, those two actually love each other already, so the potion had nothing to add!”
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo gasped. It made perfect sense!
“Maybe we should jus’ let them figure it out themselves.” Apple Bloom said. “Ah’m sure they will.”
Derpy trudged to her house after a long day’s work. She was completely frazzled.
As she reached her doorstep, she saw a piece of paper lying there. It read:
Derpy, please come by the TARDIS as soon as you are able.
I have something to ask of you. ~Doctor
Derpy groaned as she turned her hooves in the direction of the TARDIS. It had better not be another pear nightmare.
She opened the door of the TARDIS wearily. “Yes, Doctor?”
The Doctor came out from behind various control panels. “Ah! Derpy. I’m so glad you came by.”
Derpy cocked her head. This didn’t sound like a pear nightmare.
“I was wondering...” The Doctor carried on, seemingly nervous. “I was wondering if you would like to go on a date tomorrow night, maybe?”
Derpy was stunned, but she already knew her answer.
“Yes!”
The Doctor was so relieved at her response, that he hardly noticed her bouncing out of the TARDIS happily.
He smiled as he heard a loud exclamation from outside.
“YIPEE!”