Hearts and Hooves, Claws, and Paws Day

by Sir_RedFox

Chapter 7

Smolder flys high in the sky, looking down at Ponyville. With Ocellus, pretending to be some unicorn and running off with that uptight unicorn, Highbar. It's hard to know who she felt more hurt by. Highbar for saying such awful downward thoughts of her and dragons in general, or Occellus abandoning her. Best not to think about it, she thought. Such negative thoughts will only eat away at the mind.

"Smolder!" some creature shouted. Smolder looks up to see Silverstream and Gallus flying towards her. Silverstream holds a pink pastry box.

"Gallus. Silverstream," said Smolder. Concerned that something was a mist and require her help. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"Only for the time being," said Silverstream. "Right now, Gallus and I are at work on solving the biggest Hearts and Hooves day mystery. Earlier this evening I received this," Silver stream opens the pastry box to show Smolder. "It's a cake shaped like stairs. We're asking every pony and creature for leads as to who could have left this at my doorstep?"

Smolder gives a confused look at Silverstream. "But I thought Ga..." Smolder started to say, before seeing Gallus flying behind Silverstream shaking his head and hands to get her to stop talking before revealing him as the one that left the cake. "Uh..." said Smolder. "Never mind. Who knows who or what creature left it for you. It could be some griffon, a pony, maybe a changeling, or a griffon."

"You said griffon twice," said Silverstream

"Did I," retorts Smolder. "Listen, the best of luck to the two of you. Now if you excuse me, I have some flying alone time to do."

"I thought you and Ocellus were hanging out today?" said Gallus.

"Yeah. We were" Smolder said in a huff. "Until Ocellus decided to run off with some uptight, creature hating, unicorn, who doesn't even realize she's a changeling."

"That sounds terrible," said Silverstream. "Who knows what horrible, degrading thing that pony is putting her through."

"So what?" ask Smolder. "Going off with that creep was her choice."

"Despite her being right or wrong, you can't abandon her," said Silverstream. "It's like what Professor Dash always says. 'Friends stick with each other. Through the good times, but more importantly, through the bad times.'"

"You know what? You're right." Smolder turns around and flys back where she left Ocellus and that no good pony. "Good luck on your quest," said Smolder. "I'm sure, the creature you're looking for is closer than you realize."

"You're welcome! And thanks!" said Silverstream. She turns to Gallus. "What do you think she meant about that last part?" Gallus smiles, blushing red and shrugging his shoulders.

---

Ocellus, or rather Golden Heart as she was for the moment, walked beside High Bar. Since abandoning Smolder to join this uptight unicorn, exchange of words seems to have decreased. The long awkward silence was killing her.

"So," said Ocellus. "Was there anything special you wanted to do here in Ponyville?"

"Like what?" ask High Bar, in a condescending tone.

"Well..." said Ocellus, trying to think. "We could go to a Roller Derby match? I hear they're quite exciting."

"Sounds like a sport for uneducated brutes to smash into each other. Like a Yach."

"Oh," Ocellus said, a bit disappointed. "I guess your right."

"I'm only here because my father has dealings with the simple folks of this town. And the none-equestrian creatures feel like a burden to be around," said High Bar. "What I don't understand is how such a fascinating pony as your self is doing in this backwater town."

Before Ocellus could think of a lie, Smolder flys down and lands with style in front of them. Landing, she kicked up a cloud of dust. High Bar coughs heavy at all the dirt in the air.

"Ocel... I mean Golden Heart. I'm glad to have found you," said Smolder. "I forgot to give you some of those treats from Sugar Cube Corner."

"Ugh," said High Bar. "Let me guess. Some over baked, high calorie, a sugar-loaded treat for the underclass creatures this town harbors?"

Smolder bites her tongue to control her anger. "Or," said Smolder. "Go, have some fun. Of which you're welcome to tag along, High Bar."

High Bar sighs and rolls his eyes. "Let me guess," said High bar. "Is it terrorizing the ponies of Equestria?" High Bar steps forward to confront the dragon. "Haven't you figured it out by now? Golden Heart was only pretending to be your friend to spare you your feelings. A high standard unicorn pony would never want to be friends with some furious dragon."

Hearing everything High Bar was saying, made her final but her changeling hoof down, hard. She runs between Smolder and High Bar but stands up facing High Bar.

"And what if I like having a ferocious dragon for a friend?" Ocellus said, anger in her voice. "and what if I wasn't some fancy unicorn pony?" In a flash of blue light, Ocellus turns back into her blue changeling self. It was apparent to see High Bar caught off guard by this with the shocked expression on his face. High Bar takes a step backward with Ocellus taking stepping forward.

"You're ah, Changeling," said High Bar with surprised shock. "Well, Then. I guess the two of you go perfect with each other. A lying no good changeling and a filthy horrid dragon."

"Say what you will at me," said Ocellus. "But no one calls my best friend filthy or horrid. Especially some uppity unicorn, who puts all ponies to shame."

With a flash of blue light, Ocellus uses her changeling powers. Turning herself from sweet and shy Ocellus to a large UrsaMajor. Starring up at her, High Bar's hooves shake in fear. Ocellus, as the UrsaMajor, blows a loud ferocious roar at High Bar.

Scarred out of his witts, High Bar turns and runs. Ocellus and Smolder watch as the pony runs away. He even stumbles and falls a few times.

Ocellus, engulfing her self in a blast of blue light, turns back into her changeling self. She turns to Smolder. The feeling of shame and embarrassment weighing heavily on her. She hangs her head low as she steps to her dragon friend, Smolder.

"Smolder," Ocellus says. "You right about everything. And I feel like an idiot for not listening."

Smolder laughs. "I can't believe you turned into an UrsaMajor to protect me. I know a few dragons that would scare the scales off of them. Even I felt my knees shake in fear."

Ocellus smiles and wipes a tear away from her cheek. "Thank you for coming back. Even after the way, I treated you. Getting lost in all this Hearts and Hooves nonsense."

"You were pretty bad," said Smolder. "But the way you stood up for me was amazing. Besides, that's what friends do. In the end, we come through for each other."

Ocellus embraces Smolder in a friends hug, not wanting to let go. When she lets go of Ocellus, she wipes a few more tears off of her face.

"There's still much of the day left," said Ocellus. "Anything you'd like to do?"

Smolder smiles. "Oh, I have an idea or two about what we can do," said Smolder.

---

Within an hour later, Ocellus and Smolder found themselves skating in front of a roaring crowd. Smolder had not only brought Ocellus to a Roller Ball game. Instead, she signed both of them up for an amateur match.

Dressed, head to toe in protective roller ball gear. Helmets, vest, shoulder, and knee pads. All sporting a black color.

Ocellus and Smolder skate hard side by side. In front of them was a row of three ponies racing in front of them. Smolder and Ocellus look at each other and nod their heads. They know what to do.

Smolder grabs one of Ocellus's front legs. At the count of three, Smolder uses all her strength to hurl Ocellus forward, making the changeling speed ahead like a rocket. Ocellus even uses her insect-like wings, to get a little more speed. Ocellus crashes through the barricade of ponies. Two of the ponies stumble and take a hard fall, the third pony loses her balance and flys out of the ring.

Smolder catches up with Ocellus. If Smolder was correct, based on the rules Ocellus tried to explain to her, they tied with the other team in points. If she and Ocellus could do one more full lap around the ring, then the match should be theirs, and that would be game.

Both of them speed up, not wanting to stop till they cross that finish line. The line was close now. Smolder and Ocellus contribute all their energy and speed into making it past that line.

From out of nowhere, a pony on skates shoots right between the two of them. Both get knocked off balance and fall hard onto the skating-ring. The crowd cheers loud and wild.

Ocellus and Smolder lookup. One of the ponies on the other team had her front hooves up in victory. Meaning, Smolder and Ocellus had lost the game.

Later, as they strip themselves of the protective skating gear, Smolder apologies. "I'm sorry we didn't win," said Smolder.

"What are you talking about?" ask Ocellus. "Why do you think you need to apologies for us losing?"

Smolder smiles. Rubbing her shoulders and legs, where she was inevitable bruises would appear later. "Well," said Smolder. "Winning would've made these aches, pains, and bruises we'll have tomorrow much easier to deal with."

"I have a relaxing idea to help with those aches and pains," said Ocellus, smiling at her dragon friend. "Do you still have that bag of treats we got from Sugar Cube Corner?"

It became late in the afternoon. It would only be a few more minutes until the sun starts setting on the horizon. Ocellus had taken Smolder to Professor Fluttershy's animal sanctuary. At the top of one of the hills, they had laid out a blanket, saucers for the treats, and a small pot of tea.

Smolder would never admit it to Ocellus, but it was what she was hoping for all day. They laugh, they smile, and they enjoy their little tea party.

"You know," said smolder. "After this, we have to go to the Harmony Club House. We should be able to see Ponyville's firework show from there."

"Sounds like a perfect plan," said Ocellus.

Author's Note:

Always looking for feedback, good or bad. There will be one more chapter to finish off this story and I will get it out as fast as I can.

Comments

[SpikeSmolder fan]

Aww this was an adorable time for Smolder & Ocellus, great work there!😀💖

[OmniFox]

They do make the cute couple.

[Yoshifan30]

So Smolder was alone after being abandoned but then silverstream and gallus showed up and told her that they were looking for a secret admirer which of course Gallus put them and a wild goose chase for nothing but then smolder told them that Ocellus is with this jerk pony and then they told her to go after her and with that that she did Ocellus trying to make small conversation with high bar but unfortunately it did not go very well but smolder showed up and highbar is continuing insulting her and even the town so Ocellus had enough of him showing her true form and of course he did not take it too well insulting both of them so Ocellus transform into Ursa Minor and scare him off which that was pretty awesome but then shortly she apologized for her action but smolder forgive her and now they can spend the rest of the day with each other rolling Derby and watching the fireworks what's this was pretty nice I like that