Ch.9: Unicorn and Dragonoid Courtship

The next morning, Marvin and Dialga joined Twilight, Drago, Skyress, and Spike for some breakfast. Since Twilight and Drago will be with Marvin and Dialga all day, Spike and Skyress have their day all to themselves. In secret, they plan to use this day-off in helping the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Circle of Evolution Seekers get their two Unicorn friends and two Dragonoid friends together…romantically, that is. And what is their cover story, you may ask? Spending the day helping Rarity and Taylean, of course!

"Have fun at Rarity and Taylean's, you two," Twilight said to them, oblivious about their real plan, as the six of them stepped out the door after breakfast.

"We will," Skyress said as she and Spike waved at her, Drago, Dialga, and Marvin as the four of them left to see the town. Once they're a good distance away, the little dragon and his guardian turned to the back of the library, where Apple Bloom, Fraxure, Sweetie Belle, Dragonair, Gabite, and Scootaloo are hiding.

"You guys ready?" Spike asked.

"Ready!" the Dragon trio answered.

"The Cutie Mark Crusaders Operation Hook-Up is a go!" the filly trio cheered. The eight of them then followed Twilight, Drago, Dialga, and Marvin at a good distance so as not to catch their attention.

The two Unicorns and their guardians were having a wonderful time together. The first place they visited was the marketplace. With all the hustle and bustle going about, they were unaware of Spike, Skyress, the Dragon Pokemon, and the little fillies following them. As they passed a bouquet cart, an idea formed in Sweetie Belle's head, and she whispered it to Spike and Skyress. With a wink, the two of them went up to the cart with some cash on Spike.

"Two rose bouquets, please," he said, handing him the money. With a nod, the seller handed him two bouquets; one of red roses with a pink one in the center, and the other of pink roses with a red one in the center. Spike then took the red bouquet while Skyress took the pink one. She then flew over Drago and dropped it into his pouch before hiding in a nearby cloud, and Spike then tossed it into Marvin's saddle pack before diving into a nearby bush.

Marvin and Drago stopped with a blink of surprise when they felt something fall into their packs. Looking at it, Marvin spotted a bouquet of red roses with a pink rose in the center inside. Drago was also surprised to find a bouquet of pink roses with a red one in the center in his pack. Who would toss two fine bouquets like these in their packs? The black Unicorn and red Dragonoid then looked up at the bouquet seller, who just smiled at them.

"Don't worry," she whispered to them. "They're on me." Marvin blinked when Twilight spoke to him.

"Marvin, what's wrong?" Getting the idea about the bouquet in his head, Marvin used his horn's magic to pick up the bouquet and hand it to her. Her cheeks turned pink at the lovely flowers.

"Oh, Marvin," she said to him as she took the bouquet. "They're beautiful…" With a smirk at the pink rose, Marvin then lifted it out of the bouquet and stuck it gently into her mane, just at the front of her ear. Drago's bottom jaw dropped when he saw this.

"It looks much better on you," Marvin wrote in the parchment he brought with him.

"Oh, Marvin," Twilight laughed shyly. After putting the bouquet in her saddle pack, the two Unicorns set out again to see the town. Drago glared after them with gritting teeth.

"Why, I oughta…" He stopped when Dialga placed her hand on his shoulder, and he turned to her.

"Is everything alright, Drago?" she wrote, concern on her face.

"Uh, yeah," Drago assured her with a smile before he remembered his own bouquet and got it out. "Uh…for you." He then held it up to her, and the blue Dragonoid took it with a smile.

"Oh, Drago," she said, taking out the red one and putting it onto her horn. "They're beautiful."

"I really like the red one myself," Drago said with a smile. "It really brings out your eyes." Realizing what he just said, the red Dragonoid looked away with a blush, as did Dialga with a blush also at his words.

"Drago?" Twilight called. "Dialga?"

"Coming!" Drago called back as he gently took Dialga's hand, and they followed their two Unicorn partners. Spike and Skyress popped their head out of their hiding spots as the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Circle of Evolution Seekers rushed over to them (Skyress flew down to them, of course).

"Phase One of Operation Hook-Up completed," Skyress said to them as Spike stepped out of the bush, and the little fillies smiled in reply as his guardian perched onto his shoulder.

Meanwhile, just a good distance ahead of the Unicorn couple and Dragonoid couple, Dodgers, Cadet, Palkia, and Queen Tyr'hanee (disguised, of course) were waiting for Marvin, Drago, Dialga, and Twilight to approach.

"Here they come," Tyr'hanee whispered to Dodgers and Palkia.

"Are you sure this will work, Dodgers?" her guardian asked.

"He's got his cape with him, right?" the duck answered.

"Yes?"

"Then it'll work." With that, he and the Spacial Dragon took a bucket of water they had close by and dumped its contents out across the path.

As Marvin, Drago, Dialga, and Twilight were leaving the marketplace to see the other parts of Ponyville, Marvin spotted a puddle out in front of them and quickly held his front leg out in front of his crush. Drago would've smacked him had he not noticed the puddle also and stopped Dialga.

"What the—" Twilight started before she saw the puddle. "Wow, that was close. A few more steps, and we would've—" She stopped when Marvin took off his cape and laid it over the puddle.

"Allow me," he wrote before holding his hoof up to her. Returning his smile bashfully, she took it, and Marvin gently guided her across the cape. Drago reluctantly did the same and helped Dialga across the cape, glaring at Marvin.

"Marvin, if I don't know any better," Twilight said as he packed his now wet cape into his saddle pack, "I'd say you're charming me." Marvin smiled with a deep red blush.

"Well, truth be told," he wrote, "I find you rather…charming yourself." Drago's eye started twitching with a growl.

"Oh, Marvin," she replied, looking away with a shy, blushing smile. "You're just saying that."

"No, really," he wrote quickly. "You have that intelligent aura on you that I find radiant."

"Intelligent aura?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I have this thing call aura senses. I can sense a certain aura on someone that tells me whether that someone is good news or bad news. Dialga has that sort of thing as well."

"Really?" Drago replied, turning to the blue Dragonoid and forgetting about his anger towards Marvin. "Well…what does my aura say about me?"

"That you are brave and caring," she answered with a smile. Drago blushed with a sheepish chuckle.

"Well, uh," he stuttered, "I…have my moments…"

"Wow," Twilight replied to Marvin. "And I thought you were amazing before."

"Not as amazing as you," he wrote with a blush.

"Oh, Marvin," she replied, leaning into his side. "You're such a sweet guy." Marvin's heart began fluttering like crazy. He can only hope that it will be enough to earn him a kiss, but he knows he shouldn't rush it. They had only known each other for at least a day.

I can only hope that I fulfill the spell soon, he thought to himself as they continued their stroll through the town.

Drago glared after them before feeling someone nuzzling into the side of his neck and saw that it's Dialga. He immediately forgot his anger and smiled at her before they caught up with their partners.

The four of them then enjoyed the rest of their day together, not knowing about Spike, Skyress, the Circle of Evolution Seekers, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Dodgers, Cadet, Palkia, and Queen Tyr'hanee helping out in the romance. When they stopped at the Sugar Cube Corner for some tea and sweets, Mr. and Mrs. Cake brought them lit candles. Mrs. Cake then said that they're scented candles she and Pinkie Pie want to try out and see what the customers think. What the two Unicorns and two Dragonoids don't know is that Spike, Skyress, Fraxure, and Apple Bloom gave them those candles to put them in a romantic mood. After all, one of the many romantic scenes is a couple enjoying a meal together in candlelight…even though it's still daylight outside.

After the Sugar Cube Corner, they went to a dancing square where some Ponies were dancing to some music and shared a slow dance. Unknown to them, Dodgers and Tyr'hanee requested the romantic song they're dancing to from the DJ.

Despite their friends' efforts to create a romantic courtship, neither the two Dragonoids nor the two Unicorn Ponies shared a kiss.

Later on, as the sun was setting to end Day Two of Marvin's Unicorn form and Dialga's Dragonoid form, the Martian and Twilight decided to take a boat ride across a large pond surrounded by willow trees while the Temporal Dragon and Drago rested under the branches of the largest willow nearby. As the two Unicorns were riding in the boat together while their guardians watched them nearby, the twelve matchmakers watch them, not knowing of each other's presence.

"Scootaloo, move your wings," Apple Bloom hissed as they, Sweetie Belle, and Spike hid behind some ferns. "I can't see a thing!"

"Yeah, Skyress," Fraxure hissed as they, Dragonair, and Gabite hid behind another one nearby. "C'mon, we wanna know what's going on!"

"Nothing's going on, that's what!" the little Ventus Pegasus grumbled, glaring at the two Unicorns and two Dragonoids.

"Yeah," Scootaloo concurred with a glare. "Despite all that romance we're putting them through, they haven't puckered up once."

"Well, it's not a good idea to kiss on a first date," Sweetie Belle stated quietly. "Rarity and Taylean say that's how you rush too quickly into a relationship."

"Especially when your chaperone's your guardian," Dragonair added.

Meanwhile, Dodgers, Cadet, Palkia, and Queen Tyr'hanee were watching the double-daters on the other side of the pond.

"Jeez, why don't they just kiss them already and get it over with?" Dodgers grumbled from behind a willow tree.

"They probably don't want to rush things," Tyr'hanee answered. "Besides, the spell will only work when their lovers returns the kiss."

"She has a point, sir," Cadet stated.

"Well, yeah," the duck protested, "but they now have tomorrow evening to kiss those two! They better hurry up if they wants to stay with Twilight and Drago." Palkia then began thinking a bit.

"I got it!" he said with a snap of his claws. He then reached into Tyr'hanee pack and pulled out a portable stereo.

"Good thing we had this charged before we left the ship," he said as her partner got the idea and put a CD in.

"Uh, what is it you're doing?" asked the confused Dodgers.

"Creating the mood," Palkia answered, turning on the stereo. "This is a Martian CD with romantic music played on a bi-ola."

"A what?" asked Cadet.

"It's like an Earth viola," Tyr'hanee explained, "only it made of two violas fashioned into one."

"Huh," Dodgers replied. "Makes me wonder what your cellos look like." Brushing it aside, Tyr'hanee pressed the play button and turned up the volume.

In the boat, Twilight perked up her head to some strange music.

"What is that?" she asked. Marvin, of course, recognized that music. It is a Martian bi-ola! How in the world did that get here?

"It sounds like two violas in sync with each other," she said with a smile. "It's so…beautiful…"

"Maybe a pair of Ponies are practicing on their violas," he wrote, surprised that she finds Martian music enchanting.

"They've chosen a good time to do so," she replied, leaning into his side. Marvin smiled in reply, enjoying this moment with her. Drago isn't enjoying what he's seeing though.

"Okay, seriously," he growled, "that guys starting to get on my nerves." He then noticed the slightly hurt look in Dialga's eyes and regretted what he said.

"Uh, don't get me wrong, Dia," he said quickly. "I know you care about your partner. It's just that…*sigh*…all those years I've been Twilight's guardian, I've been very protective of her. I think this might be what my mentor Lady Arceus was telling me about."

"What did she tell you?" Dialga asked.

"Well," the red Dragonoid answered, "according to her, if a female partner has a male guardian, and the partner meets this guy who wants to be her boyfriend, the guardian will become overprotective of his partner and must challenge the suitor to a Courtship Battle. If the suitor beats the guardian, he is granted permission to court the guardian's partner. But if he looses…" Drago gulped before he finished. "Then the guardian must decide whether or not to erase the suitor's memories of the partner he fell in love with." He frowned when he saw the tears in Dialga's eyes at the last part and nuzzled her in comfort.

"Oh, c'mon, don't be like that," he begged softly. "I don't wanna do that either, but I have to. It's the way of the male guardian."

"Why don't you want to do it?" she asked.

"Two reasons," he answered. "One, I know how fond Twilight is of him. And two…I don't want you to forget about me. You're a wonder Dragonoid, Dialga, and I don't think I can ever replace that." Dialga, now more hopeful than before, then nuzzled her cheek into his throat.

"Don't forget, Dialga," she said. "You decide whether or not Marvin should forget about Twilight if you do beat him in the Courtship Battle." Drago then hugged her with a smile on his face at those words.

The double-daters then looked around them and saw that they're not the only ones enchanted by the music and moments. About a hundred fireflies have appeared and started to dance around the boat and willow tree.

"Wow, I didn't know Martian music could do that to fireflies," Dodgers said to Tyr'hanee.

"Me, neither," she stated in awe. "Must have something to do with musical vibes or something."

Meanwhile, Spike, Skyress, the Circle of Evolution Seekers, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders saw the magic that was going on.

"I don't what's causing that," Dragonair said, "but this gives me an idea. Sweetie Belle, time to put that Sparkling Spell Rarity and Taylean taught us to good use."

"Got it," the little Unicorn replied. They then placed her horn tip and his tail tip into the water's surface and concentrated hard. The horn and tail then began glowing, and a sparkling aura grew from them, spreading across the pond's surface to make it glitter like sapphires.

"Wh-Where did th-that come from?" asked Cadet, pointing at the glittering aura.

"I don't know," Palkia answered, "but it seems to be making it work. Look!"

All twelve watched as Marvin and Twilight looked into each other's eyes and Dialga and Drago looked into each other's eyes. Ruby red into amethyst violet…amethyst violet into ruby red…crimson red into emerald green…emerald green into crimson red…They then started to lean closer to each other slowly.

"I think they're gonna kiss!" Apple Bloom cried, jumping on top of Fraxure's head and covering his eyes with her front hooves.

"Apple Bloom, get off!" her guardian hissed, flailing his arms about. "I can't see a thing!" Fortunately, the couples didn't hear them. They were too focused on each other…on their feelings…on—

Twilight then pulled away with a cry as a sudden downpour fell on them! Draco did the same with a cry of surprise before his lips met Dialga's!

"Aw, no!" Spike cried as Fraxure got Apple Bloom off of him.

"We better head back!" Skyress said, and the eight of them ran off for home.

"Aw, this was just great!" Dodgers grumbled as he, Tyr'hanee, Palkia, and Cadet ran for cover. "And we were so close, too!" Back with Twilight and Marvin, they have just docked their boat and are now running back to Ponyville along with their guardians.

I can't believe it, Marvin thought, wanting to hit himself in the face. We were just about to kiss, and this happens! Wait…she was about to kiss me as I was about to kiss her. Is it possible that…she likes me too? He felt like flying. She must like him. She must!

I was so close! Dialga thought to herself with a silent groan. We were about to…kiss? Oh, my goodness! He wanted to kiss me too! He must really like me!

It has been decided for Marvin and Dialga. Once they give Arceus and Celestia the packages and get their voices back, they will tell Twilight and Drago their true feelings for them. Not through writing, but through their own voices.