Hearts and Hooves Day

Chapter 3: Pretty in Pink

Right after I got my belongings, I checked my watch as I left the station. It was only 7:45 PM, just one hour and fifteen minutes left before the Equestrian Gem and Loan Ponyville store closes. I walked down the street that leads to the back of City Hall for a short distance until I took a right on another street, passing an Antique Shop and a closed Tobacco store. Another street was coming up on my left while my rightside was nothing but bushes and trees that block my way and homes built behind them. I went in that direction where I came up to a few more stores and the Ponyville Pizzeria being the first building on the left. I saw a huge neon sign in shape of an arrow with a sign saying "EG & L," short for Equestrian Gem and Loan. It is right behind the Pizzeria, which is great since all that riding in the train and walking has made me very hungry. If I can quote The Mask, "BUT FIRST..." I have to drop off these fliers.

I walked towards the EG & L store and headed inside. The store was kind of small than it's counterpart in Canterlot. Instead of a warehouse in the back, most of the stuff that ponies or humans pawn are kept in a storage room in the back while other smaller items are kept on shelves or displayed on the showcase floor or glass cabinets. The number of staff members in EG & L Ponyville are a total of 11, five humans and six ponies with one out of the six being the manager of this store. As I stepped through the doors, I was greeted by two security guards, a male African American human named Lance and a masculine Earth Pony named Boulder Dodge.

"What's up, Frank?" Lance asked.

"Nothing much." I replied. "Is Bronze Bracelet here?"

"Yeah, she's in the office writing a memo for her father. I'll go get her for you."

I nodded as Lance walked away to the back office. There was another pony, an amber colored pegasus with an auburn mane, running the register up front as he cleaned the glass counter with a rag and glass cleaner. Another associate, a Caucasian human, was cleaning the floor with a mop. The two associates were preparing to close for the night as 8 PM approached. Normally, they stay open for another hour unless business is slow and there are no other customers coming into the store.

I stood waiting for another two minutes until the office door opened. Exiting out of the office was Lance and a female Earth Pony with her fur colored brass, a medium length mane with a black coloring, a necklace around her neck, and a cutie mark of a golden bracelet. She walked up to me a little exhausted from today's workday.

"Hi there, Frank." The mare greeted while letting out a small yawn. "What brings you here?"

"Hi Bronze Bracelet." I answered back. "I came here to drop off these fliers from your father's store."

"Fliers? What kind of fliers did he sent?"

"Next week is Hearts and Hooves Day and the main store in Canterlot is doing some sort of 'Monster Deal' for all married couples, dating couples, and singles. Your father already has fliers in his store to give out to the customers in Canterlot. Therefore, he insist that I drop off these extra ones to this store for all Ponyville residents."

She nods. "I see. You can put them on the front counter next to the register and don't worry about clocking out. I got that covered for you once you leave."

I thanked Bronze Bracelet as I walked over to the open register and place the extra stack of fliers next to it. I headed outside into the night as I remembered that I had to go to the grocery store to pick up some milk, cheese, eggs, chocolate candy, and bread. I checked my watch and realized that it's 8:03 PM. Shit! Friday Night Smackdown is on and I'm mis...Oh wait! Equestria does not have any cable and I just missed two years of WWE programming. What's worse? No internet and that means no Botchamania either. Argh! I wish there was some way I can know what I had been missing all this time and wonder if John Cena is STILL not the champion and if The Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak came to an end. I really don't like living here in Equestria but I already made a decision to pursue a better life than it was on Earth. Oh well!

The grocery store, as I remembered, is next to SugarCube Corner and it will be a long walk for me to get there and the store doesn't close until 11 PM. Then, I realized the Ponyville Pizzeria next door and my craving for a slice. I'll go in, order a delivery, walk to the grocery store for my items, and then go home. Sounds like a plan but most of these days, as much as I hate walking a lot here in Equestria, I just wish I had a bicycle to go everywhere.

I went inside the Ponyville Pizzeria and realized that the restaurant still has diners inside. I saw a grey pegasus with bubbles on her flank sitting with an Earth Pony, a stallion, with a cutie mark of an hour glass eating a large vegetable pizza in the middle of the restaurant. At the far end of the restaurant in the back, I saw two mares, an aquamarine unicorn and a beige Earth Pony, only having one slice of spinach pizza each for the both of them. Unlike other pizza restaurants back on Earth, most of the toppings only include Cheese, Vegetable, Spinach, Parmesan, Olive, Dandelion, Garlic, Popcorn, Fish Crackers, Potato Chips, Banana Slices, Apple Slices, and Pickles. Pretty much, the whole restaurant does not serve meat on the menu since all of Equestria's equine residents are not carnivores.

There was no line in front of the counter as I took a few steps to it and was greeted by the owner of the restaurant, Shaun. From what I heard, Shaun was the 98th human who entered Equestria from the state of Delaware. For about a year, he ran a pizza restaurant with his wife of two years that was a huge success in a small town near Dover, where the two grew up together. They met each other in high school during their freshmen term and eventually went to college where right after graduation, Shaun popped the question to his sweetheart and they were later married. He couldn't be any happier than ever.

Right after the week of his 26th birthday, tragedy struck when an armed robber burst into the restaurant demanding money. Refusing to do so, Shaun fought off the assailant but was overpowered when the robber's get away driver joined the fray and struck Shaun in the back of the head with a club. He was knocked unconscious for nearly 40 minutes. When he woke up, he remembered that he was in a hospital bed where two police officers were sitting in the room waiting for him. One of the officers told him that the robbers stole the money from the restaurant was stolen, a total sum of $520,000 that was kept in a safe in his office. When Shaun asked about his wife, the second officer told him the awful news about her that will forever haunt his mind. Shaun's wife of two years...was found in the office with two gunshot wounds to her chest. She died right after making a frantic call for 911 when the robbers left.

The restaurant owner went into deep depression after losing his wife and soon after closed his restaurant. The robbers got away with the money and they're still on the run somewhere. One day, Shaun couldn't handle the pain he was going through and felt like taking his life away by hanging himself in the bathroom of his room...until it happened. He was given a second chance of life by Equestria's ruler Princess Celestia and now lives in Ponyville where he now operates a brand new pizza restaurant. To make things better for him, he's now in a relationship with an Earth Pony that works at Ponyville General Hospital named Nurse Sweetheart. Good for him...but...man and pony dating? Ehhh, I don't know how to feel about that.

"Hi there, Frank." Shaun said smiling.

"Hey, man." I replied. "Let me have a Large Cheese Pizza with popcorn toppings and a side of Garlic sauce."

Shaun took out a small notepad and wrote down my order. "Is that For Here, To Go, or Delivery?"

"Delivery. My address is 400 Lancelot Road Apt. 601."

"Done. That will be 12 bits."

I took out 12 bits from my pocket and gave it to Shaun. He takes the bits from my hand and rings it up on the register while giving the order receipt to his employees, which are three unicorn ponies wearing aprons as they cook my pizza.

"Thanks a lot, Frank. You have a great night." The owner said.

"No problem." I replied. "I can't wait to eat since all that hard work in the pawn shop in Canterlot."

Shaun nods. "True, true. Say Frank, remember we have that Earth Brothers Gathering on Sunday at Barns and No Bell right?"

"Yeah...I know. What's on the topic for that gathering anyway?"

"From what I heard from Richard," Shaun recalled. "He said it's about discussing plans for the Hearts and Hooves Day Ball next week."

I held back a frustrated groan but decided to just a let out a small sigh. "Oh, is that so? I don't think I want to attend the gathering Sunday."

"You have to." The restaurant owner exclaimed. "It's mandatory and you must be there or you won't be accepted into the group ever again."

"Alright, alright!" I let out to clear things up. "I'll go, but just calm down. I didn't mean what I just said. Anyway, I have to get to the grocery store before it closes."

Shaun nods. "Cool. Your pizza should be at your apartment in the next twenty minutes. Have a great night and see you on Sunday."

"Thanks." I said before heading towards the exit. "Take it easy."

After passing SugarCube Corner, I found the grocery store where it seemed densely occupied. Though, I can see a few associates inside waiting for customers to come in for some shopping. As I went inside, I grabbed a small basket began to seek my items. I first grabbed the milk, cheese, and eggs near the Diary aisle at the side of the store. Next, I went to Aisle #5 and found some white bread next to the Ding Dongs and Twinkies. Now, to complete my list, came the chocolate candy and that was down a further north to the frozen food.

I left Aisle #5 and began to walk to Aisle #9 to the junk food section. As I approaching Aisle #8 which contained canned food items, I heard something that sounded like someone...or should I say somepony, letting out a few groans of frustrations like if it was trying to reach for something. It sounded almost female so I'm assuming it's a mare that needs some help. Being kind, I decided to go see the problem she's having and help her out. Then, I can go check out.

As I entered the Aisle and saw the troubled mare, I felt my heart skipped a beat. I stood there looking at one of the most beautiful mares in all of Ponyville and one that I befriended when I first came here. It was Aloe, one of the Ponyville Spa Twins. She was a pink Earth Pony with her tail and mane all blue and with a cutie mark of a blue lotus. Her eyes were also blue which I admit I can stop staring at because every time when I look at her, I lose all concentration whenever I speak to her in public. I can see she is still wearing her headband and neckband from her day working at the spa this morning before I left to Canterlot for my day at the pawn shop. What bothers me, though, is that she's having a tough time reaching for a can of chopped carrots on the top chef of the aisle by climbing on the bottom shelf. Why aren't any of the employees helping her with this? Talk about customer service but Aloe deserves better. I decide to go over and help out.

"Excuse me, ma'am." I said smiling as I came up to her. "May I be some assistance?"

She turns her head to see me, letting out a small gasp of happiness. "Frank! Oh my goodness, how are you?"

She gets off the bottom shelf and hugs me a bit by wrapping her right forehoof around my stomach. I wrapped my left arm around her head to make sure I don't mess up her mane or anything.

"I'm doing okay." I said after I release my arm and so did she. "Just doing some groceries before I head back home. What about you?"

She let out a little sigh. "I'm just trying to get that last can of chopped carrots for my basket. However, none of these stupid employees are helping me out since they're 'busy' cleaning up the store."

"If you want, I can send a complaint letter to the manager and let them know how absurd this service is."

Aloe chuckled a bit. "You don't have to do that. I can save you all the trouble if you can get that can for me, please."

I nodded in agreement and reached up to the top shelf and grabbed the can for her. She took the can with her teeth and dropped it into her basket of groceries.

"Thanks so much, Frank." Aloe said happily. "I really appreciate it."

I grabbed my basket and I walked over hers and picked it up as well. Aloe was a bit confused and cocked her head to the side.

"Um...what are you doing with my groceries?" Aloe questioned.

"I want to help you carry your stuff." I answered. "You seem to be too exhausted from all that frustration you've been having to get this can and I can guess the same goes to your day at the spa. Am I right?"

"Well, you got me there." Aloe confessed. "A girl like me can never catch a break with a life like this. Okay, Frank, you can help but you're paying for everything!"

"Me?!" I said all surprised. "But...but...I only ha..."

"I'm playing, silly!" Aloe laughed. "You thought I was being serious?"

"Well...sort of...er...I mean..."

"Heh heh. Lighten up, okay. I was only teasing you just so I can get a good laugh. Come on, let's go to the register and checkout."

She began her walk out of the aisle as I followed her with both baskets. I shrugged a bit after that conversation with Aloe but hey, she's always like that whenever I'm around. An Earth Pony, a dark brown stallion, rang up both grocery items and both Aloe and I paid for own stuff. Aloe placed her shopping back on her back while I carried my bag with my hands. As we both left, I began to depart to my apartment where I suspect my pizza to be waiting until Aloe called out.

"Hey, Frank!" The pink spa pony said.

"Yes, Aloe?" I said turning back to her.

"Um...would you mind walking me home? I...I...don't want to walk all by myself at this time of night?"

Is this for real? Aloe...asking me to walk with her? This must be a dream...or maybe it isn't. After two years of being friends with her, I never had this experience before but I went ahead and did it.

"Sure." I answered. "I'll escort you back."

I can see Aloe smile with glee as the both of us journey to her home that's somewhere in Ponyville.