//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - Planning One Day // Story: Hearts and Hooves // by Gemini Sparkle //------------------------------// Twilight enjoys her current book in the peace and quiet of the library. It doesn’t last, however, as she hears the door opening and closing. She walks out of her room and down the stairs to find Spike circling the library floor, his eyes narrowed in concentrated thinking. She gives a little giggle as she walks over to him, “I thought I was the one who did all the pacing around here.” Her smile falters to a look of confusion as she tilts her head, “Wait, I thought you went to help Rarity with her work.” The dragon stops his pacing to look back at the alicorn, “I did. But…something happened. Did you know that Rarity hasn’t had one good Hearts and Hooves Day date? Not one.” Twilight gives a look of unsure disbelief, “Rarity? Not have a date?” Spike shakes his head, “No, she’s had dates, but they were all bad. It’s why we’ve never seen her on one since we’ve been here. She’s given up on them. In fact, she hates Hearts and Hooves Day completely because of them. Well, that and she’s working herself half to death making the Hearts and Hooves Day outfits for everypony in Ponyville.” He sighs, “I wish I could help her somehow.” The dragon resumes his pacing as Twilight watches him with some concern, “Spike, I don’t think you can do much to help her with how bad she’s had it on Hearts and Hooves day. Although…” She smiles, “You could show her what a GOOD Hearts and Hooves Day is like.” Spike stops his pacing again and smiles brightly, “That’s a great idea! But…” His smile vanishes, “How do I do that?” Twilight keeps smiling as she goes over to the library shelves and starts looking, “I know it’s here somewhere…” Spike raises his scaled brow at the unicorn, “Don’t tell me there’s a book here about making a good Hearts and Hooves Day.” Twilight shakes her head, “Oh, no, but there iiiisss….THIS!” She pulls the book out and floats it over to him for the dragon to take. “Just One Day?’ What the heck is this?” He turns it over and starts reading the back, “Peachy Keen can’t stop thinking about Cream, and quickly learns that it’s not just because they are friends. As her feelings develop, Peachy decides to do what she can to show Cream just how much she cares. When Cream seems uninterested, Peachy gets Cream to give her one day to convince Cream of her affections.” He looks at Twilight, then at the book, “I don’t get it. It’s just a dinky romance novel. Why do you even have this?” Twilight’s face goes a little red, “Uh, diversity in the library.” She clears her throat, “But that’s beside the point. The point is that this book is about one pony showing how much she knows about and cares for the other by giving her a perfect day. Perhaps you can get Rarity out of her Hearts and Hooves Day funk by doing something similar.” Spike looks down at the book, rubbing his clawed finger over his chin as he thinks a bit. He gives a loud gasp and a wide smile before he rushes up to the bedroom. Confused, Twilight goes up to follow him and finds him digging under the bed, “Spike, what are you doing?” “Getting out my saved bits. I’m going to need them!” He says, pulling a floorboard out from under the bed and pulling out a decent sized container. He opens it up, revealing the container as filled with bits and gems. “If I’m going to give Rarity the best Hearts and Hooves Day ever, I need all the money I can get.” “But Spike, that’s your life savings! Besides, you know I’d be happy to lend-“ Spike looks at her, “No way, Twilight!” He stands up, box of currency under his arm, “This is something that’ll be from me to Rarity. That’s it. I want as little help as possible.” He then goes over to grab his hiking bag from where he put it, laying it out and starting to fill it with a few things. Twilight looks at him with utter confusion, “Uh, what are you doing? I thought you were going to do something for Rarity, not run away.” Spike rolls his eyes, “I’m not running away, Twilight. I’m going to Canterlot. I think I know exactly what would make Rarity’s Hearts and Hooves Day special, and I need to go there to set things up.” The unicorn puts her hoof to her head, “Spike, I think you might be going a little too far with this.” He stops and looks back at her, slowly setting down the fruit he got into the bag, “You said yourself that the purpose of this is to give them the perfect day, right?” Twilight nods, “Yeah, but-“ He interrupts her again, “But nothing. I’m going to give Rarity the perfect Hearts and Hooves Day, and there’s nothing you can do or say to stop me from doing it all on my own. If you want to help, just let me go.” She watches him as he gets the last of the things he needs into his bag, and then gives a sigh, “How long will you be there?” He starts to think a little, “A few days, maybe a week.” “A WEEK?!” He shrugs, “I got some popular, high class ponies that I need to talk to. I don’t know how hard it’ll be to get to them, let alone to try talking them into doing this.” Twilight sighs and nods, “Fine. But I want a letter from you every day while you’re there so I know you’re alright. And you’re going to stay in the castle suite.” Spike nods and ties the bag up, putting it over his shoulder, “Stay in the castle, write letters. Got it. Now what are we waiting for? I got a Hearts and Hooves Day to plan for Rarity.” He goes to the door and heads out with Twilight right behind him, glancing at the book and shaking her head with a smile as she follows him. She goes with Spike to the station and manages to convince him to at least let her buy the two-way ticket. She wishes him good luck and reminds him to write to her when he gets there. With a final goodbye, she waves at him as he boards the train and takes off for Canterlot. The following week is mostly uneventful for Twilight. Spike’s letters come with the dragon being extremely vague in his work in Canterlot, but at least he’s sending them. And it seems that, whatever he went there to do, he’s succeeding. With the dragon gone Twilight is able to spend the week doing as much binge studying as she wants, with only Owlucious to keep her company. As the week comes to a close, though, the unicorn can’t wait to see her number one assistant again. The day comes and she quietly waits for the time she needs to meet Spike, and she’s surprised when she finds a letter pushed underneath the library door. She tilts her head and opens the door, looking around for where it might have come from. With a shrug she picks up the letter and opens it. There are several things scribbled out on the letter, and for some reason there was a lot of glitter on it as well. She has to squint a little to read the writing. “Twilight Sparkle, Whatever you have planned for this Hearts and Hooves day, [scribbled out] I advise that you do not go through with them. Instead [scribbled out] you shall make plans for meeting with [scribbled out] me that evening. If you agree to this arrangement, leave this letter at the foot of the fountain next to Ponyville Town Hall by noon today for [scribbled . If not, burn this letter and forget you ever saw it. [scribbled out] I sincerely hope you accept. Signed, [scribbled out] Your potential date.” Twilight stares at the letter in a mix of confusion, amusement and a little embarrassment. Seems she had a secret admirer. She looks at the clock and sees she has precisely an hour to decide on this proposal. But she’s also got to meet Spike at the train station at noon as well. She glances at the letter and back at the clock, her mind racing to decide. She paces a little as she tries to think, moving back and forth. She stops as her eyes settle on the Just One Day book, and she glances from it to the letter. A little smile comes across her face as she examines the letter a bit, and suddenly she rushes out the door to get to the fountain in time.