//------------------------------// // Hearts and Hooves Day (Part 1) [Draft] // Story: A Cog in the Machine // by Zoom zoom //------------------------------// You questioned how you ended up in this mess. You should have known something like this was going to happen. All the signs were there but still you were dumb enough not to see them. Was your mind just so fixated on your struggles with Scootaloo and Applebloom that you just couldn’t see this coming? But we are getting ahead of things, what should have tipped you off was how nothing about this day seemed to go as Scootaloo planned. It had all started by the filly’s sudden appearance in front of your house at the crack of dawn. “Come on!” she called out as you were still rubbing your eyes and gaggling with mouthwash. The shock from the knocking caused you to swallow the stuff and it stung like “I got a full day ahead planned!” To your credit, it you didn’t freak out about this until after you washed your face and let her into the house. Granted that was because you were still gagging a bit on Pinkie’s special mouth wash. It took you till Scootaloo got through the door to remember what day it was: Hearts and Hooves Day. You swallowed hard as Scootaloo rushed into the kitchen and rang the bell for service several times impatiently. How can she be so bold and in control right now? Yesterday she was better than she had been but she was still freaking out a bit when it came to talking to you. Now it was all gone just like that? Did you miss something? “Come on,” Scootaloo repeats ringing the bell again and again. Her wings beating frantically to keep her from falling from her jump to the counter. “Come on! I need some service here stat!” “Um,” you finally manage to say shaking off your initial confusion. “Scootaloo, the Cakes are not here for another hour. Pinkie isn’t even up yet since we don’t open for three more hours.” Scootaloo looked crestfallen, “Oh but I need to get my order in now! Rainbow Dash will be so disappointed if I don’t get her something today.” Now it all started to click into place. If there was one pony that could get Scootaloo to forget everything else, it was Rainbow Dash. “Why do you need to get Rainbow something so early anyway?” You avoided asking the question of why she wanted to get her anything for a day lovers usually only give gifts. Though the thought was going to give you some weird dreams later. “You’re not going to believe this,” Scootaloo said still hyper. “I just found out that Rainbow Dash doesn’t have a special somepony.” You held back commenting with a huge, “Well Duh.” The fact was even if this town didn’t have a high ratio for female to male, that in general it was common most ponies didn’t have a special somepony on this day. You decided to go with the tried and true, “What’s that have to do with you then?” “Well I figured what she needed was a sweet based on how she really wanted one but couldn’t have one to cheer her up. If not I could catch her a guy with it, still haven’t decided. Maybe you heard of it cause I haven’t.” You blinked, there was no way she’d think something like that would work. Then again you do recall helping Carrot throw out a stallion who was hitting on Cup because her cake was so good to him. You were not strong enough to help lift him, but your horn did give get the point across. Sorry, sorry, I just had to do that, it was too easy. “Okay shoot,” you say trying to think of all the sweet available at the shop. You still didn’t know all of them, but you knew enough to know if it was a least possible to make and how long something would be depending. “It’s called a Rubbing,” Scootaloo stated looking like she was trying to remember. “Do you mean a Rum Cake?” You asked not sure what a Rubbing was. “No,” replied the filly, “I’m sure of that. I overheard her complaining to Fluttershy the other day that she really needed a guy to give her a good Rubbing for Hearts and Hooves Day. It isn’t a toy or any gift I’ve ever heard of so I figured it was a sweet.” “Well it sounds like one,” you agreed. If it wasn’t a Rum Cake however you were at a lose what a Rubbing was. Was it some kind of taffy like treat, or was it really just some item to two of you never heard of? Time was not on your side if it was a treat, since it may take hours to make. Especially if it was something uncommon to the point neither you or Scootaloo knew of it. “Isn’t there an easier way?” you stated taking your seat on the register to sit across from her. “I mean couldn’t you just get somepony to drink a love potion or something? That at least we can get out of a book or something.” “Tried that already,” she stated off hand ringing the bell again, “Needless to say, the last thing I need to hear is more gushy romance terms on Hearts and Hooves Day.” You made a note of asking her about that later since it seemed backwards as she cried out to the upstairs. “Come ON! Pinkie Pie, get your sorry flank down here.” Well she’s not going to win any friend points with Pinkie today with that attitude. “Tell you what,” you offer, “Pinkie obviously isn’t coming down so how about the two of us try to make something.” “I don’t know,” Scootaloo replied, “I’ve tried baking before. I didn’t get my cutie mark in baking AND I blew up my mom’s oven.” “Well you only tried that one time,” you countered, “Practice makes perfect. Besides, just because something isn’t your calling doesn’t mean you’re not good at it. We may not be as good as Pinkie, but if speed is needed we can’t do THAT much worse right? Besides, even if we can’t make this ‘Rubbing’ thing, if Pinkie can’t either in time it will at least be a decent gift you can give Rainbow right?” “I guess,” Scootaloo nods. So with the two of you in agreement you let her into the kitchen and get to work. You’ve cooked with Pinkie before, nothing could go too bad. I mean it isn’t like you’d let Scootaloo use the oven anyway, just in case.