A/N: Well, it has been almost a month since I have updated. Reading week is in for me so I can have a bit of time to write a bit of the next chapter. Also a heads up for all of my fans who listen to Nightwish, a new single has been released since the 13th of February called "Elan". Be sure to check it out when you can.
Before I get into my review responses, I just want to state that I have seen the new trailers for Season 5 and they look rather promising. In my prediction, and I think it could be true, but the premiere airs on the 4th of April. Early or not, I still believe it will air that day and a new season for us all begins.
Review Responses, shall we?
sonic3461: No problem :) Brayden crossing into Equestria Girls will definitely be in after the Manehattan chapters and a slice-of-life Ponyville chapter. Also, I am glad you like this story. I really appreciate it. No really, I do.
jvs12: The reason I deleted that chapter and reuploaded it was because I believe there was a glitch going on at the time, therefore it messed up a bit. Don't worry, I definitely am going a little more into it.
4theworldman: Maybe. You decide. :)
slikkkkkkkkk: Si.
The first sound that comes to me from the silence of my quiet and peaceful dream was that of a ringing blare from the alarm clock on the nightstand. I quietly groan to myself, knowing that I'll have to accept the new day that interrupted the wonderful dream that I was having. I slowly start to open my eyes to see my dim room and move my left hand towards the alarm clock. My hand manages to gently tap the snooze button, turning off that noise like a siren that was a blaring about a warning throughout my room.
My eyes open up slowly in those walls of white paint that I have decided to rest in for my few days visit to Manehattan. I crawl out of bed and place my feet onto the wooden floor. As usual during a normal sun-risen morning, it feels rather cool but it does not get me cold. I move upward from the bed's open sheets, turning to them and making them.
After I have made the bed, I turn towards the wardrobe and open it up to find what I was to use for today. I select a pair of shorts that were in the color of pale green. For the shirt, it was short-sleeved and in the color of yellow. I slip them onto me and put the pyjamas that I was wearing for tonight away. I closed up the wardrobe.
My bare feet walk towards the white door across from where I was sleeping. Taking the handle of the door, I gently turned it to its side and pull the back of the door. In the other room from what I could see, the room with filled with a dim sunlight and the smell of coffee could be filling my nose with its sweet aroma. Coco must have been up early to brew it.
I step outside of the room and gently close the door behind me. After the door is closed, I began to pace across the wooden floor towards the corridor's corner. The sofa and couch with that white maple coffee table still stand there in the living room, lifeless but still looking as if it were only used a couple of days ago for parties. Nevertheless, they were clean. Not spotlessly clean, but it was close. From around the corner of the corridor, I peeked from behind out, still making myself visible for Coco.
There she was, sitting at the table that we had dinner together at last night. She was taking a sip from her grey glazed ceramic cup filled with coffee. She was using both of her hooves to grip onto the cup to take sips from. Across from her was a spot for me that had a cup of coffee made just for me by none other than Coco herself. She turns to her right and takes a look at me with her gentle and cyan coloured eyes that shone in a glare from the rising sun of Celestia.
"Oh, you're awake!" She said with that same tone of voice that I always heard her say. Well, there was that one other moment a while back in the weeks when she accidentally raised her voice when she was upset. A weak smile rose upon her mouth. "I- I made coffee for you." She stuttered a bit in her words, but I do not mind.
"Thank you Coco." I said, accepting the coffee from her. I walk towards the table in the kitchen and take a seat on that chair. I scoot my chair forward towards the table and use three of my fingers to grip onto the coffee cup.
I picked up the coffee cup and take a look at the hot liquid inside of the cup as a brief glance. The liquid looked very caramel color-like, with one sugar cube that had evaporated from its heat when dipped in. I move the cup towards my mouth and take a sip.
The taste of this coffee was very warm and sweet with the right amount of sugar inside it to taste right among its creamy substance and a spot of milk added with it. While it still had a bit of a sharp, bitter taste to it, I felt like this was just right. I proceed to take in another sip and then with a silent sigh, gently place the cup back onto the table for a bit of a breather, waiting until I take another sip. "This coffee you've made is delicious, Coco." I compliment.
"Why thank you Brayden," She says to me, smiling a bit and fiddling her two front hooves together. She takes another sip of coffee and places her cup onto the table when she is done. "It might not be the best, but it is something."
"Oh yes, I've only had coffee a few times, but this is actually pretty good." I take the spoon nearby on my side of the table and stir up the liquid inside the cup.
Coco keeps that smile on her face when she saw me take another sip of my coffee. Silence filled the gap between the both of us in our conversation. Having known Coco for a bit of time, I knew that she tended to act a bit shy, almost like my best friend but not quite. I will admit myself that I was only a tiny bit shy because of how I was as a person by my own personality.
"So what is the plan today?" I had asked, finishing another sip of cream-bitter coffee.
"The plan?" She pauses and looks at me, taking a sip. She places the coffee cup down onto the table and begins to finish what she had questioned for a plan. "I somehow have come up with a plan for today. I am going to take you outside of the apartment. I thought I'd show you around the city, since I don't think you'd want to be all cooped up in my apartment all day with nothing to do. Well, there is the swimming pool on the main floor, but I think some sunlight would do you good."
She sounds like she had definitely had kind of formed a good plan. Seeing how I had just arrived in Manehattan a few days ago, I've always wanted to go out to the tourist attractions and see the important figures around the big city. It felt almost like that one-day visit to the big city back home, but it felt the same here so it was all good.
My stomach slowly lets out a bit of a grumble and I knew from there that I could not forget about the most important meal of the day. "What about breakfast?" I asked. "So far, I've only had coffee so I'm not if that is enough for the body."
"Don't worry about it Brayden," Coco assures me. "On our way out the door, we'll be going to the nearby café close-by and order some breakfast to pick-up. I'll let you pick what you want to have for breakfast. I mean, I don't want to force you to eat anything."
"Coco, it'll be alright." I said, taking the last sip out of my coffee cup and placing it onto the table.
Coco paused for what seemed like minutes, though it was only moments. "I-I guess I'm just worrying a little too much," She spoke, before taking a final sip from that coffee. She places it down onto the table and scoots from the table and off of her chair. "Want to clean the cups for me?"
I scooted back from the table and stood up, getting off of my chair. "Of course, a fair mare like you shouldn't pressure herself into cleaning the mess that a guest has made. I will clean them both for you."
Her face tilted a bit to the side and small pink blushes were spread onto her cheeks. If it was embarrassment that she was facing, I could tell it was more in a fun and happy way rather than in a uncomfortable way. I mean, who can resist that cute face that she has. I for one would never try to embarrass her or my friends in a more downgraded way; to do so would end up making me regret that later on.
"I- Umm," She shyly said to me with the rosy cheeks still crossed onto her before stuttering a bit in her words. "I-I-I will go and get ready. And don't forget to brush your teeth." The pink on her cheeks fade away.
"Don't worry, I won't forget." I said, as if the visit to Minuette's dental office wasn't enough for me.
I pretty much do what needed to be done. I take the coffee cups that had been used by the both of us and wash it in the sink and using that special kind of soap to clean out the remains of germs in the cups. I dry them out with a dry cloth and place them both back into the cabinet from where they were located among the rest of the coffee cups. Once the kitchen is clean, I head into Coco's bathroom, grabbing my toothbrush and toothpaste from the guest bedroom to clean my teeth.
Once that was done, I clean off my brush from any remaining water bits and place them back into the guest bedroom on the nightstand. I am back out in the living room. Coco Pommel seems to look ready to get going whenever I was ready. On her two sides were the two red saddlebags that I remembered her carrying when she brought Rarity her prize that Prim was supposed to give to her when she won Fashion Week.
"Are you ready to go, Brayden?" Coco asks, sounding patient and keeping that timid smile on her face.
"Yes Coco." I said to her.
I move forward towards the door and turn the doorknob to open up the door for the both of us. I stand to the side of the open door to keep it still as I allow Coco Pommel to head outside her apartment first, into the bright hallway. After all, I still abide by the 'ladies first' rule, don't I?
Coco looked at me briefly when she trotted past me. "Thank you Brayden." She said to me with me following behind her after she passed through the door archway.
"You're welcome." I said with a gentle smile curved upon my mouth.
After exiting her apartment, I moved backwards a bit to take the doorknob and close the front door. I move away from it and allow her to trot forward with her jingling keys being carried by her mouth. She selects the right key to her apartment door and uses the light bronze key to inject it into the keyhole. She turns it until it makes a clicking sound. Her apartment is now locked until we come back later.
She places her keys back deep in her left saddlebag. She trots backwards one step from the door and proceeds forward with me down the lightened hallway. The elevator's metal doors stayed shut while we both went together towards it. I walk towards the elevator panel and press the pearl coloured button to activate the lift. Both of us then wait there at the double doors for the arrival of the mechanical lift.
Moments pass us by and the sound of the elevator doors moving catches our attention. Me and her both step onto the lift and she uses the panel inside of the lift, pressing a button to bring us both down to the ground floor. The elevator doors closed, and there was that small vibration that I could tell was the elevator starting to make its way down the building. On the speakers, classical music was being played. Everything felt really serene and quiet inside of the lift. I find myself looking at Coco Pommel, and she looks back at me. Both of us are sharing that smile of trust between the both of us.
Many more moments had passed between the both of us before we heard the elevator let out a chime that it has arrived on the ground floor. Coco and I stop looking in each other's eyes and I step out first of the elevator with her following behind me. Ah, the lobby. I still remember the design from yesterday and there was another mare accompanying the front desk and checking records and signing some important stuff. I walk beside Coco Pommel on our way outside of the building.
"Good morning Miss Pommel." The mare at the front desk called out to her, with a smile that were filled with joy and greeting.
"Morning to you too, Miss." I could hear Coco respond back to the mare with a wave from her right front hoof. Her face had turned towards her, but I could somehow tell that she was smiling.
After that brief greeting, the both of us walked up towards the double glass doors. Knowing me, I decided to do the honors for Coco Pommel and approach the door handle for the right-sided door. I take the iron handle and pull it open for the gentle warm breeze of Equestrian air to get through into the indoors. I was allowing her to go first.
"Thank you again Brayden." Coco says to me with a light blush upon her face. She trots past me and heads outside, waiting for me to come with her.
I step outside to join her, closing that side of the glass door behind me. Walking down those few steps, I join up with Coco Pommel. A smile lights up on her face and the both of us walk beside each other again. There was as usual, silence between the both of us. I didn't really know what to start for a conversation, so for nopony's sake, we just continued down the concrete streets of the suburbs of Manehattan to get to our destination, the cafe that Coco had mentioned while remaining quiet of conversation.
The ambient sounds of morning birds chirping and ponies talking with that mixture of the gentle wind filled the silence between the both of us. The sound of her trotting was another sound that filled into the silence while there was the muffled taps of my bare feet. A rare sound heard was the ruffling of her saddlebags as she was trotting.
"So…" Coco says to me, breaking the silence between the both of us. She turns to look at me.
"So?" I replied to her. A smile came back onto my face when she had started to talk to me again.
"I was wondering about a few things about what is happening back in Ponyville. How is Rarity doing?" She asked with that soft-spoken voice.
The name of my good friend Rarity brings a smile to my face and I look at Coco's eyes. "She is doing alright, I'm pretty sure that she is working on yet another fashion line which I know is typical of my good friend Rarity. But she has been a bit happier after the incident with Tirek." I told her.
"Tirek?" She questioned. "I heard about his attack on Equestria and how he managed to convince Discord to join his side. Luckily Tirek did not come anywhere near Manehattan during the attack."
"I was involved in the fight for the protection of Equestria from his wrath. I wanted to do what I can with the help of the Song of Order," I explained. "I wasn't going to risk losing Twilight and the others, so I did what I could to hold him back while my friends dealt with getting the last key to the chest by the Tree of Harmony."
"You weren't hurt, were you?" Coco asked. She started to sound a little worried about me.
"Well, I did take a bit of a beating and was knocked out by the end of the fight." I confessed to her.
"Brayden…" Coco says in a tone that almost sounds like a bit of a whisper. "Please do be careful next time; I don't want you to end up getting killed."
"Yeah…" I said to her. It sounded almost as if I had offended Coco Pommel in a sad way about what happened to me. "I-I'm sorry if I brought that up."
"Don't worry. I'm not offended or mad," Coco says to me. She stops trotting and I stop to turn to look at her. She takes my left hand with her right front hoof and holds onto it. "Know this Brayden, you are the nicest… non-pony that I have ever met. I could never yell or get angry towards you. For me to do so would be something I would regret big time." She struggled to find the right word so she didn't accidentally offend me. Even if she said the wrong word, I would find it easiest in my heart downright forgive her every time.
"I would never do the same either to anypony. Yelling and getting angry towards them is never the answer to letting out your frustration," I said to her with a calm and gentle voice. I move slightly forward towards her and gently move my arms around her neck, closing my eyes for a bit. I could feel her hooves move around my waist, with the both of us sharing a gentle hug. "I always find the heart to forgive others even if they were to yell at me, no matter how much I'll remember it."
I move my head and gently place my cheek onto hers, giving her a warm and friendly nuzzle. Her cheek felt really soft and warm. After that, the both of us let go of the hug.
"I-umm…" She said with another bit of nervousness crossing onto her. "W-We should continue, my stomach is starting to growl a bit." She began to start trotting once again.
I follow along with her and continue down that nearly busy street of Manehattan. I take a look at all of the stores that rest upon the suburbs. There were various shops such as barber shops where I could see ponies of the two genders having a change to their mane. Surprisingly you could even get a tail-cut, so it's something that you don't see every day. There were cake shops that Pinkie would definitely go to had she been here with me, furniture shops, pawn shops, bridal shops, food shops and even furniture shops for anypony who wanted to have an upgrade to what they had in their home/apartment.
Another couple of blocks down the street and I could already pick up on the smell of fresh and baked donuts with the sight of various business stallions trotting about while taking a bite from daffodil sandwiches. Coco could possibly see the cafe open with a fresh start to the day, with a couple of foals galloping by us to get to school for a Tuesday morning. I look to my left and I could see the open window of that cafe that Coco mentioned before we had gone out the door.
I took a look at the name of the café that I was looking at. It was known as "The Golden Stallion". Hmm, an interesting name. It almost reminded of the Diamond Mare, where I had performed for the audition. Coco trots up to the glass doors and pulls one open for me.
"Thank you very much, Coco." I said to her with much appreciation in my tone.
"You're welcome Brayden." She replied to me when she came behind me, following me inside. I can hear the glass door close shut with a swift metal sound.
I walk up to the cashier's desk and Coco joins us beside me. The cashier at the desk is yet again, a mare who had just finished serving a customer who had just about ordered himself some hay fries with the side of two over-easy eggs. I took a brief look at the menu. I could see that they had donuts on the breakfast menu this morning, but besides having one of them, I was also interested in having the egg sandwich that they had for the special on the menu.
"Can I help you out, hun?" The cashier says to me in her Manehattan-styled accent. I turn towards her and ignore the fact that she might be looking bored.
"Well yes," I said to her. "There are two of us. Just me and Coco Pommel the lovely mare beside me. I will personally have the special on your menu: the egg sandwich. For the side I shall have that glazed chocolate donut."
"Any drinks to go with it?"
"Yes, I'll have myself a cup filled with Apple Cider."
The cashier turns to look at Coco. "What about you, Miss Pommel? Can I get you anything?" She asked her.
"Me? I would like to have a Blueberry muffin with the side of a fresh apple. For a drink I will have a coffee filled a batch of cream and two sugarcubes." She told the cashier.
"Alright, that will be 6 bits in total. It was four bits, but adding Equestria tax it makes a total of 6 by how small you bought." The cashier was nice enough to inform us of this.
Coco reaches into her left red saddlebag and pulls out six golden bits to pay off the breakfast. The cashier takes the bits and places them into the machine among all of the other bits that customers had brought to them.
"Thank you very much, your breakfast will come along… wait." There is a pause between the three of us. The cashier was looking directly at me. "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?"
"Maybe?" I said with a bit of a confused shrug. "What do you mean?"
"You… You're Brayden, right? The human from Ponyville!"
"Uhhh, yes. But it's nothing s-"
"Special?! Whatever are you talking about, hun? You were all over the Manehattan Times newspaper when you first showed up." At this moment, she was really distracting herself from her job. Already, she noticed me as if I were somepony famous. I don't want to be famous though, I just want to be me.
"Please, I'm not that good." I just say to her to try and calm her down.
The cashier just giggles and hands both me and Coco our breakfast in two white paper bags with the logo of the "Golden Stallion" embedded onto the paper from the outside. The both of us take and hold onto our bags and we both head out of the café, on our way back to suburb streets of Manehattan.
I open up the white paper bag and begin to dig out the chocolate donut as a starter first. I take the donut with my right hand, taking it out into the open. I take a soft bite out of it and gently chew on it. It tasted delicious and the best part was the dry glazed material that covers the donut entirely. After chewing that piece down, I gently swallow it down so that it gets into my stomach.
Coco takes a small bite from her Blueberry muffin and gently swallowed it down while she was trotting. She places it back into the white paper bag and takes out the coffee in her right saddlebag. She puts the lid to her lips and takes a small swig out of the small open hole that was poked in at the lid's end-side. Once she is done, she places her coffee back into her saddlebag in that safe spot meant for coffee.
I just about finished taking a drink from my Apple Cider from a foam cup. "So what's next on the plan Coco?" I spoke out to her.
"I've got to deliver a letter to the office of Prim Hemline, it's a small update from Rarity that I thought she would like to hear after she won Fashion Week." Coco says with her soft-spoken voice.
Now I remember Prim herself for being the one who hosted the Fashion Week showcase in that Season 4 episode. It was also the first time that I had ever laid eyes upon none other than my good friend Coco Pommel herself. I felt bad for her being treated badly by her employer, Suri Polomare. Suri on the other hand was quite the ungrateful mare herself for being mean hearted and not to mention a plagiarizer because she stole Rarity's line with a piece of fabric she gave out to her.
"Oh yes, I recall hearing about Prim Hemline." I said to her, expressing out my thought briefly.
"Hmmm, maybe because you saw what happened before you came here?" Coco turns to me with a smile mixed with a joking suspicious glare. "Don't think I wouldn't know."
"So it looks like just about you and everypony else that is a friend to me knows." I said, scratching my head with a bit of embarrassment.
"Well, anyways. It shouldn't be too long. Prim is very understanding and friendly. Sure, she might look very strict on the job, but she is most patient pony you'll ever meet." Coco says to me. She takes another sip of her coffee.
I took a couple of bites of the donut and egg sandwich as well as a couple of sips of Apple Cider while I was walking through the suburbs of Manehattan into downtown with Coco Pommel. I suspect it myself that no food, not even a single drink are allowed in one of the taxi cabs. So I thought I would just go with the flow and take a look at the sights and sounds of the big city.
Blue birds of glory flew through the lit sky, chirping and singing away to the rest of their bird friends. I don't even know bird language so I most likely do not know what the chirping would mean. The only pony that I know who would be an expert would be my best friend. Seeing how she's been working and taking care of animals since she ended up getting her cutie mark for kindness towards them and the other ponies, she definitely would know the languages and speech for all sorts of other animals, minus how shy she still was.
I wrapped up on my donut and egg sandwich, but I still had a bit of apple cider in the foam cup with me. I continue to take sips every 30 seconds to a minute to quench a bit of my thirst when I became that way. The temperature here in the city is a bit warm than it is in Ponyville, so I'm lucky that I have something with me. Last thing I would want on my list to be dehydrated. The only thing that I happened to notice though would be that I was starting to get a little bit skinnier since I first arrived. It's no matter, it's most likely because I wanted to be like the rest of the civilians of Equestria. It pretty much explains why it's like becoming a vegetarian. Nopony has seemed to comment on it though, but as soon as I lost another pound, I am sure concern will be raised about it.
"The building is just around this corner Brayden. This way." Coco says to me, taking my hand and gently holding it as we are both turning the corner around a glass building with onyx like bricks.
On the streets, I could see a couple of fillies grouped up together and were heading on their way to school coming in the direction towards us. Each of them had a different colored single saddlebag on the left side of their body. I did not seem to recognize any of them… well, at least until I saw that familiar relative in the Apple family. Babs Seed. She was interacting with the rest of her filly friends and I don't think they noticed us. I have my eyes turned to Coco Pommel, as I want to make sure that she knows where we are going. I'm no expert at knowing where to go in a city as big as Manehattan, so it'll probably be memory that would have me remember where to go eventually.
"Whoa, look at him." I could hear one of the fillies says as we were getting closer towards the group. "That's him, that human from the Equestrian Times."
"Wait a minute, Ah think my Aunt Applejack mentioned him in one of her letters." I could hear Babs Seed speak out in that Bronx accent of hers.
With the mention of my friend Applejack, I stopped walking with Coco following suite and I approached the group of fillies. I knelt down on one knee to keep at a comfortable level. I didn't want to scare the rest of the fillies by my size. I mean, I still do that for my other three friends the Cutie Mark Crusaders which they don't mind. Seeing how I am tall, they might get scared. But just kneeling down will keep them calm, even then they still looked calm. It's sort of a habit that I am getting used to.
"Yes, I also happen to know Applejack as I live in Ponyville near Sweet Apple Acres," I told her. "Though I will admit, I take up… you could say 'residence' at another one of her friend's homes."
She looks at me with curiosity and smiles. "My name is Babs Seed." She introduces herself to me, though I already knew her name.
"Brayden. Brayden is my name," I told her, gentle extending my right hand out towards her small hooves for an offering hoofshake with my gentle hand. She extends her right front hoof and gently places it onto my hand. Both I and the small Apple filly shake hands in greeting. "It is nice to meet you Babs Seed."
The fillies began to group up around me with curiosity beaming in their eyes. They began to become interested in me. Crowding around me, they stray away from their 'going to school' habit and begin asking me question such as where I came from and what I did there. It seemed like at any moment the questions being asked repeatedly were going to overwhelm me.
"Umm… girls?" I could hear Coco say to the fillies at a good sense of volume for them to hear her. They stopped trying to ask me questions and turn to look at the older mare standing before them. "I hate to break it to all of you, but me and Brayden were just on our way somewhere and you have school as well. I don't want Brayden to make you all late." She says with a bit of concern in the tone of her soft voice.
"Sorry miss." One of the fillies that have glasses says to her in an apologetic tone. All of the group's ears were flopping downward with a sad look on their face except for Babs. She still looked a bit curious.
"Oh, it's perfectly alright," Coco says to them. "You can still talk to him, but please make sure that it's not when both of us are busy next time."
"Okay, Miss." The same filly with the glasses says.
"You know, you don't have to refer to me as Miss. Miss Coco Pommel will do just fine." Coco told them with a smile upon her face.
I get back up onto my two bare feet and look at the fillies. "I believe you should move along now to school. Good grades comes good success in your life," I told the group of fillies. "Getting a bad grade makes me sad."
"Alright, see you sir." They said to me and began trotting past me and Coco on their way to school once again without a problem.
I take a look back at Babs Seed, putting a smart smile onto my face. "Don't you have school too, Babs Seed?" I ask.
"Oh, right!" The young Apple filly snapped school back into her mind and began galloping past me to join us with the group of friends once again. "See ya later Brayden! Tell ma Aunt Applejack that Ah said hello!" She shouts from the distance apart.
"Don't worry, I will!" I shouted back, sharing a friendly wave to her. She smiles at me, waving her small filly hoof back at me. Finally, I turn back around with Coco Pommel by my side once again.
"Shall we continue with what we were doing?" She said, placing her warm hoof onto the top of my left hand.
"Errr, sure." I said to her. "Uh, sorry about that distraction there." I began walking again with her alongside me.
"Brayden, it's alright. It happens sometimes to all of us." Coco said to me. In my mind, I was still a bit worried because I always fear that when that happens, I still believe that they might be mad about what happened, no matter how small the distraction. Nevertheless, I believe that she accepted the brief apology I made.
"Is this the building?" I asked her, walking along the sidewalk with her, looking at the blue glass windows that surround the building.
"Yes, this is where Prim's office is." Coco said to me.
The both of us walk towards the double glass doors, with the handles being a bit more on the bronze side of color. I walk over to the right side of the doors and grip the handle with my own hand, pulling it back to open it up. I allow Coco Pommel to come in first. She smiles and trots in first. I follow along behind her with my two bare feet padding the ground onto the tiles. The glass door shuts behind me.
Suri Polomare's POV
I was dressing in all black robes and wearing the most expensive of sunglasses to keep my eyes from being recognized at all. From across that large street, I kept a close careful eye on what the human and Coco was doing. They had been talking with one another and were entering the office of Prim Hemline herself.
For those who do not know, I am none other than Suri Polomare. You might recognize me as an ex-dress designer after all that Coco had done. What did Coco Pommel do to you, you might ask? Why did she quit on you in the first place for another job? Well, you have no idea what it is like for them to have the trophy in their possession and having them splash your face with the hot coffee that you demanded. That is what this foolish filly of a mare did to betray me. I was still in a bit of shock from that, but soon she will be all part of the bait for a plan I had.
Oh I'm not out to get revenge on her for what she did. It's mostly Rarity's fault. She's the one who inspired Coco to leave her job as my assistant to me. Now she has some sort of job as a costume designer for somepony in the Entertainment district. I have so many plans for Rarity once I manage to get her.
I stop following the human and Coco for a moment. They're at the door of the large office. The human opens the door for Coco Pommel letting her in. After following her inside, the glass door closes shut and I turn my head slightly to the left to take a look at that dark alleyway in the middle of the day.
A normal-looking stallion with a black hat and a white short-sleeved t-shirt stood there, looking towards me with his aggressive blue eyes. I trot out of the streets and into the alley. The stallion nods with an evil smile and trots up towards me, taking off that black hat that had been worn on the top of his head.
"Was that her Miss Polomare?" The stallion asks. So he's been spying on her as well.
"Yes indeed, Mr. Spy." I told that stallion, saying his last name. His name in full was really Muscle Flex, but I placed him under the nickname of Mr. Spy to have him hired for this job. "That was Coco Pommel that you saw."
"She looks rather cute." A skinny looking stallion says, coming out of the dark. Oh Celestia, I totally forgot that I had hired at least two other morons that would help me out. "I'd totally hook up with her at any time."
"Please. You could never end up getting a mare of your own you geekhead." The third stallion says, coming out and showing him having as much strength as Mr. Spy himself. So fillies and gentlecolts, we have Mr. Spy 1, 2 and 3 if the annoyance factor of these two weren't enough.
"Focus on your job!" I shout towards the both of them, catching them by complete surprise by uprisen voice.
Mr. Spy trots closer towards me. "Coco had that 'human' from the Equestria Times with her. He could essentially be protecting her." He told me.
"Oh yes, I saw that myself as I was following them. I think I have sorted out a bit of a working plan to get what I want." I said. A wicked smile curls upward onto my face with a glare.
"What is the plan? Tell us!" Mr. Spy No. 2 asks impatiently.
"Maybe if you just keep quiet, then maybe she will tell us." Mr. Spy No. 3 said to No. 2 with annoyance in his voice. I am that happy that both me and No. 3 consider No. 2 to be annoying, but we'll need him if we want to complete this job.
"Thank you No. 3." I said with a smile, turning back to Mr. Spy No. 1 to tell out my plan loud and clear to the group so that they understand. "So here is the plan in which that human is involved after the observation: the four of us are going to break into Coco Pommel's apartment. We are going to wait until Coco Pommel steps into her home by herself and then foalnap her. Do not knock her unconscious."
"Don't knock her unconscious?!" Mr. Spy No. 2 shouts with a whine in his tone. "I've never knocked out a mare before!"
"Maybe it is because stallions and mare do not fight, No. 2. So unless you have more objections, keep that mouth on your snout shut or I'll have to kick my back legs into your snout!" I shouted towards that moron who spoke before thinking. His yellow ears lower in sadness. I just decide to go back to the rest of my plan.
"If that human is with her when they come back, you are allowed to knock him out. Don't forget to leave the note. In the note I will leave at the apartment, it will be my demands to bring in Rarity from Ponyville or else I will hurt Coco. The pressure will cause him to give up Rarity to me and as a result, I can have my revenge on her and Coco gets to be free. Where we will be holding Coco will be at the abandoned warehouse at the end of the Manehattan suburbs."
"Would you actually hurt a mare as beautiful as her just a promised in the note you have written down?" Mr. Spy No. 3 asks.
I let out a bit of a laugh. "Oh I don't intend to bring harm to her. I will only do it if it is absolutely necessary." I said to him. I turn around and take a look at the streets and away from my recruits with the look of cruel ambition and malice filled in my eyes.
"Let us head out to Coco's apartment then. I can't wait to get my hooves on that ungrateful mare herself, seeing her squeal like an unpleasant little pig when she's tied up would be my pleasure to see. As for the human, he looks sensitive enough…"
Brayden's POV
You would not believe how long it took to get up to the 20th floor of the office building. It felt way too long for both me and Coco since the elevator was out of order for the day because of something that was malfunctioning. I'm hoping that no others are stuck inside that elevator. It would suck to be them.
We stepped out of the stairway and in through the door into the hallway of numerous offices that had many names labeled onto their doors. Coco was slightly in front of me, being the guide for she has been to this place before many times with her old job working with Suri Polomare. The poor mare, she must have felt bad after being treated harshly by such a mean and deceiving fashion designer to which she forced Coco to do all the work for her. Unbelievable. I kind of feel bad for Coco that she was forced beyond any measure to plagiarize Rarity's work.
The carpet of red below my bare feet felt soft and shifted whenever I took a step onto it. I'm not looking down at the carpet as I keep my eyes ahead to know where Coco is going. A few ponies in the office came galloping by with the newspapers and the papers filled with lines of text that were probably too complicated for me to read, as I didn't know anything about this business material.
Coco stops and makes a slight turn down to the left side of the hallway where we could see the birch door with the natural wood color on the frame and door itself. The doorknob itself looked golden and there stood the texture of that certain name that Coco mentioned, labeled in bold. "Prim Hemline".
I decided to allow Coco to knock on the door first for confirmation that Prim was there. I keep my short distance, but close at the same time to hear if Prim was in there. Coco slowly trots forward towards the hard maple door, pausing for a moment with her hoof slight raised into the lifeless air. A few moments pass and she softly knocks on the door approximate three times. The soft knocking she made was of course at a good volume, so we both could probably hear if Prim was in there.
Silence filled the gap outside of the door for the two of us. At any moment, a shadow could be moving inside that could be seen by the open window that lay behind the door with barely visible sight as if rain had covered the door's window itself. "Come in." I could hear that grand voice of Prim Hemline herself call out from behind that hard maple wood.
Coco lets out a bit of a smile and places her hoof onto the golden knob, giving it a slight turn and opening the door. She goes into the room first and then I begin walking up behind her, joining her as I came into the room to bring good company for myself. I haven't meet Prim before though I have physically seen in the show, but this will be interested soon enough.
Prim sat at her desk, reading from the newspaper that was printed and posted out into the Manehattan public this morning. She lowers her newspaper and takes a look at the both of us. For me, there doesn't seem to be a change of look on her face, but she grows a soft smile when she had placed the newspaper down on her mahogany desk and saw Coco Pommel herself. She looked delighted to see her.
"Hello Miss Coco Pommel," Prim had said to her, placing both of her hooves together and it looked like she was going to start a small conversation with her. She keeps that soft smile upon her face. "I didn't expect anypony coming into the office today to visit me, even if it is for a short time. How are you?"
"I'm doing absolutely fine, Miss Hemline. Since I got my job as a costume designer, I've been feeling like less stress is being put on me. It's a relief to me," Coco says looking happy. "Plus with the summer coming close to an end and the autumn coming shortly, I'll be taking a vacation until they need me because the autumn is usually when they would start the auditions. That is usually when I'm needed."
Prim lets out a bit of a jolly giggle. "I see," She replied back. She scoots backwards in her chair and gets up off of it, trotting around to see the both of us. "Anyways, I suppose you might have a reason as to why you came to visit?" She rose an eyebrow, keeping her smile.
"Oh, umm…" Coco stumbles a bit as all the introduction had made her forget what she was doing. Then a look of realization snapped for me, having her look happy again. "Oh yes! I just came by to deliver a letter to you written by Rarity herself."
I watch as Coco reaches into her left saddlebag, digging out the letter if it was in there. A few moments pass of her searching through the bag and she pulls a white envelope with Rarity's cutie mark symbol embedded onto it to let Prim know that it was confirmation that Rarity delivered the letter, though she had it sent to Coco first. It would be most likely because she didn't know the address for Prim's workplace. Gripping it by the hoof, she passes it over to Prim, allowing her to take it.
Prim looks at it briefly and then takes it softly. She gently opens up the letter and sets it onto the desk. "I'll start reading it as soon we're done talking briefly Miss Pommel," She spoke to her, but then turns to look at me with that normal serious face that she had before. "I would personally like to know who in Equestria this is. I do not believe that I have seen him before."
"Well… I was in the Equestria Times for some time now…" I said with a bit of an awkward silence from what I was saying.
"You were in the newspaper, dear?" Prim said to me, approaching me. "Well I do sincerely apologize if I didn't see you on one of them. I usually skip the breaking news headlines in order to keep up with the news on fashion whether it's statements or a new line. But now, please tell me. Who are you, dear?"
I looked at her eyes and extended my hand towards her, but not too close. I don't want to look threatening, even though I would never be. "My name is Brayden, Miss Hemline," I introduced myself to her. "It is very nice to meet you."
Prim Hemline places her indigoish gray hoof into my open hand. I gently wrap my fingers around hers and share a gentle hand-hoofshake with her with the essence of friendliness and kindness coming from me. "My, you have such nice manners Brayden." She comments while a gentle smile full of greeting comes upon her face and cerise eyes.
"Thank you Miss Hemline." I said to her, sounding very welcome about the warm compliment she gave me.
"Now, I'm guessing that both you and Coco have something in common with one another, hm?" Prim asked me, with that suggestive look on her face and even in her tone. This of course, embarrasses both me and Coco to which blushes of pink appeared on both of our faces. I couldn't see the blush, but I knew that it was there.
"Umm," Coco shyly speaks out, looking down at her hooves and fiddling them together for a moment. That blush of hers still remained on her face. "Not exactly, Miss Hemline…"
"Well, if you allow me," I said, clearing my throat with that blush fading away from my cheeks. "Me and Coco are not in other words 'dating'. It is because I already have somepony in mind by the name of Princess Twilight, the princess of Friendship."
"You're dating a princess?" Prim says to me, stimulating a giggle from her mouth and placing her hoof close, but away from it. "Well, I do believe you. I just thought for a moment that you were visiting Miss Pommel here because you and she are interested in one another."
Coco still looked a bit shy from what Prim Hemline had told us and that blush was still there on her cheeks, but a bit faded. "Umm, Miss Hemline," Coco shyly says, and she looks like she is almost nervous about something else. "I-I only consider Brayden to be a friend." Already by her nervous stance, I could tell that something was up with her.
"I see," Prim Hemline says. She turns from me for a moment to trot back to her desk. She takes a seat on her chair, scooting herself back forward against near the edge. "Well I suppose you're wondering what is going on with me at the moment?"
"Oh yes," Coco says, now clearly hiding that nervousness she had for a few moments ago. "I have not seen you since Fashion Week ended."
Prim began to explain to us about what was going on in her work-life in the office. "Well, I have been writing out numerous factions of the fashion industry as on this floor to keep up with the usual. There's always somepony that comes into the office with news of a new fashion line for everypony on that floor to see. As part of the job, I have to join up with them as I don't really mind a new style once every while. The only con I would have to say about my job though is that squeaking window whenever Window Washer comes around to clean outside. Just remind me to install new glass windows whenever you can," She turns from Coco to look at me. "Now tell me Brayden… How goes your life outside of Manehattan?"
I pause for a moment and stumble a bit to get the right words out. "I live in Ponyville which is a bit far from here, but it is rather a nice and enjoyable town. I live at Fluttershy's cottage where she has given me free food and a bed to sleep on. She may be shy herself and not too talkative, but to me and her friends she's the kindest pony I know… she's my best friend. I've only been to Canterlot at least two other times from what I can remember so I've only had the chance to see the princesses there. The Crystal Empire, I've been there only once, but it was a sight to see and meeting Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence was an honor."
"The princess of love?" Prim commented. She was going to say something else, before she even utters the next couple of words though, there is a bunch of loud knocking at her door. "Uh, come in!"
The door opened up slightly with a bright orange hoof belonging to a mare going around the door. The head of that mare peeks through the open and looks at Prim with her orange eyes and a pair of glasses on her eyes. "Miss Hemline, I apologize if I am interrupting anything. But it is important that you come into the meeting room in an instant!" The giddy mare announced.
"Don't worry Miss Sharp, I'll be on my way. Just me wrap up." Prim says to the mare at the door. The mare peeks back from the door and disappears once again, closing the door behind her. "Well, I suppose it is as good a time for me to continue with work."
"Time really does fly by quickly Miss Hemline," I said to her as she gets up off of her chair and trots over to the both of us. "But it was very nice to meet you."
"It was very nice to meet you too Brayden." Prim says to me and extends her hoof out for a hoofshake, even though I have hands. I move my right hand to her hoof and give her the hoofshake she needed.
After a few moments, me and her let go of the shake and I walk over to the front door, gripping the golden doorknob with my left hand and pull the opening door backwards to allow both of the ladies to go out first. After all: ladies first.
"Thank you Brayden." Prim says to me with that smile on her face while she trotted out of her office and into the hallway. Coco follows along behind her with an accompanied warm smile and I follow behind her, closing the door to Prim's office behind me. I join up with both Coco and Prim.
"I apologize if we had to cut our meeting short, but it does explain why I get this busy in the office," Prim said to the both of us, trotting with us and me alongside Coco again. "But again, it was nice meeting you Brayden." She trots off once again with a happy smile, leaving both me and Coco to get back onto what was happening in the meeting room. It was probably fashion stuff, so I'm not really interested in hearing that.
Both I and Coco begin to walk again down the halls of the office. In the halls, we came passing by the same stuff that would normally happen outside of the office doors whether it came to ponies galloping along and trying not to lose expensive pieces of office-work. Another one, a stallion was at the water fountain and carrying a white foam cup to fill it with water. Aside from the entire ruckus that went on in the halls, I had a bit of my head turned to Coco. I'm not sure why Coco looked a bit nervous in the office Prim mentioned me and her, but I knew that something was up with her. I just needed to find the right timing to ask why she looked that way.
At the moment when we were close to the staircase door again, she is looking down at her soft hooves. "My hooves are killing me from all that trotting up the stairs. Even setting down the metal steps will probably hurt my hooves even more." She comments.
"Want me to carry you for a bit until the both of us get down the stairs?" I offered, unaware of what I had been thinking.
Coco looked a bit shy about this. "Are- are you sure?" She asked.
"It'll be fine. Trust me on this Coco." I said to her, opening my hands as a way to offer it.
Coco stops trotting for a moment and begins to think. At the same time, I have stopped walking and allow her to take the time that she needs to think. Moments pass and a smile lifts up on Coco as she approaches me. I gently allow her to fly backwards with her head resting onto my left hand. My right is carrying her from near the bottom of her body near her flank. As usual, I have to be careful as I was carrying Twilight and Fluttershy, as I do not want to accidentally drop Coco Pommel. But she felt a little lighter just like Twilight so it wasn't really too much of a problem.
"Umm… thank you Brayden." Coco says to me with a smile and her ears perked up all the way, looking happy about this. She holds a light blush upon her face. I begin to walk once again, but this time I am holding Coco in my arms.
Both me and her head down the flight of stairs back onto the main floor. Yes, the elevator was still trying to be repaired unless the technician had gone out to lunch as it seems very lazy of him to just abandon the repairs. Eventually, both I and Coco are back onto the streets of downtown Manehattan, with my feet stepping back onto the dry cement. I slowly lower down slightly to allow Coco to get out of my arms, safely.
"Thank you… again. I don't think any stallion… or male has ever done that for me before." She says to me, and she sounded happier than usual.
"Hey, don't sweat it," I said to her with the same happy smile that she was giving me. "If your hooves are ever hurting or tired when out somewhere, I can offer to carry you."
Her light cyan eyes sparkle a bit and she releases a giggle from her lips. "Well, whenever you come to visit and we're outdoors of course."
"Oh yes." I replied back to her with honesty in my voice.
"Well," She says, finally clearing her throat for a moment. "I suppose that you want to have a tour of the city? I'll provide you with lunch and after the tour, I'll allow you to make the choice for dinner as I already made something last night."
"Sure thing, Lead the way Coco." I said to her, beginning to walk again. She trots up beside me and I could swear that there was something there that just sparked about how cute that she looked when she was this happy. I continue with her as she began to explain what famous trademark places in the city.
"Well, we'll first start off with the square in the center of the city where the train station for the Friendship Express usually comes, since you came off of it yesterday." She tells me, as we are on our way.
A Few Hours plus a Lunch later…
5:26pm
"…And last but not least, we have the beach boardwalk in the lovely suburbs of Manehattan and the good news is that it is very close to wear my apartment is." She finishes explaining a bit, wrapping up the tour in a swift way.
I continue to walk alongside Coco as in front of us over the western horizon, Celestia's sun was starting to slowly dip down towards the horizon. It was an illumination that beautiful sunset that it had made with an orange colored sky. My bare feet were on the boardwalk of wooden clean planks that had been trotted before by many other ponies, but for me, this was the first time ever setting a human foot onto it.
I take a look across from the wooden railing of the boardwalk. Below in the grains of sand, I could see the various ponies down there having a good time. A couple of foals and fillies were down there, either playing in the shallow edge of the sea water or just upon the sand building a sandcastle. Mares were lying down on towels, sunbathing from the fading sun that hung above. Their stallions stay with them or were on the boardwalk just laughing away with a drink of apple cider. Those not with the mares were on the beach, or doing exercises near deep waters.
I could smell the fresh scent of baked potatoes being made over by the area of picnic tables. A few ponies had gathered there to have a bit of a more light dinner, but I could also see a few colts or fillies there with their parents, dining away. I take it this is where dinner is being held for tonight. I would have suspected Coco's apartment, but she already made dinner for the both of us last night.
Across from a few of the taken picnic tables built upon the walk was one that was empty for the both of us to sit at. The table had a good view of the sea and that of the western horizon's beautiful sunset. I take a look at Coco. She looks back at me. She gives me a nod with a very weak smile as she also saw the empty table as well. I turn back to the table and walk towards it.
I take a seat on the left side of the table, sitting down on the wooden bench that accompany it. Coco joins me, sitting right beside me. Silence comes between the both of us, with only the sound of ponies at the other tables, talking away about what they did today in the big city or how the work they had was either easygoing or not doing so good. My eyes wander a bit towards the sight of the suburbs with the orange color of the setting sun glowing on the bricked buildings.
"Um," I hear Coco let out a shy sound. I turn to look at her as she now has my full attention. She looks a bit shy for a moment, but breathes in and out quickly to get that shyness out of her. The way she sighed sounded a bit cute for such a young mare. "I think you should get the both of us some dinner from the baked potato stand. It's only one bit for a baked potato. One for me and one for you should be pretty good."
Gently, I move my left hand forward and open it up, turning it in order to grab the two bits that she was giving me. Coco opens up her right saddlebag and digs about for a couple of moments to get out the bits required for me. She takes them out and places her soft and warm hoof onto my hand, placing on the two golden bits.
Taking the bits she gave me, I get up off of the wooden bench at the table and begin to make my way to the stand. There was a bit of a line up with various ponies leaving after they had paid for a meal at the potato stand and from what I could see, it reminded me very much like fast food back on Earth, but much quicker surprisingly.
The line loosened and got a bit shorter by every couple of ten seconds. Eventually it was my turn to come up to the baked potato stand with the gruff but happy looking stallion with a hat upon his head, ready to serve his next customer. "Hello my good sir, and what would like you like to have this evening?" He bolts out joyfully. I can tell that he really enjoys doing this job so well.
"Well, I would like to have two baked potatoes. The second baked potato is for a friend at the table and I'll be giving it to her." I said, confirming my order for the food.
"Alright my good sir. That will be two bits." The peppy-sounding stallion said to me as I place the two golden bits onto the stand for him to have. He places his hooves on top of the bits and slides them across to his side, placing them into a safe for the money he makes. He then opens up the resembling BBQ-like pit and digs out two already baked potatoes, looking absolutely perfect to the crisp. With at least two foam plates already set up, he places one upon the left plate and the other potato on the right plate next to the other. "Here you go, two baked potatoes ready to go!"
"Thank you." I said to the stallion and use both of my hands to grip onto the foam plates, carefully balancing them so the baked potatoes don't drop onto the ground. Trust me it is better if I don't. I really don't want germs all over mine or Coco's.
I walk back over to the table that me and Coco are sitting at. I pause for a few moments just keeping my eyes on Coco as she was turned away from me and was looking towards the western horizon with the shadow behind her covering a bit of her beautiful two-toned light cyan and opal grey mane from behind. By the time I heard her let out a bit of an almost silent, but quiet sigh: I knew something was up for her. Something was wrong.
I place her plate with the baked potato down onto the table right close to her. She doesn't seem to notice or hear the sound though. I gently settle my plate down on my spot and carefully approach her from behind, moving my right hand towards her.
My right hand goes onto her shoulder, and she lets out a bit of a frightened shake. She turns around and looks at me, still a bit shaken up from that scare from behind. She doesn't scream though, which is a relief. The last thing I would want is somepony near our table thinking that I am trying to hurt her. Me? Hurt a pony? No, I wouldn't ever in my life try to do that! I already promised too many times to count that I would never hurt anypony and I tend to keep it that way.
"Oh Brayden!" Coco says, sighing loudly with a bit of a giggle. She places her right front hoof onto her own chest. "You scared me."
"My apologies." I apologized, feeling a bit of very tiny guilt over what I had done to scare her like that.
Coco turns herself around, still keeping her seat. She places her warm, fuzzy hoof onto my left hand. "Brayden, it's okay. I'm not mad at you." She tells me. Well, it is a relief that she has forgiven me easily as many friends do this quickly when it comes to mistakes like that.
"I brought you your food," I told her, taking my seat back at the table. "So let us begin dinner, shall we?"
"Oh… yes." Coco says to me. By the way she began to say it, the tone of it sounded a little off as if she was a bit nervous or shy to tell me anything else. She just turns towards her food and begins to eat with the necessary good manners.
I turn towards my baked potato and grab the small plastic knife that was included with the food. I place the knife atop of the potato and begin making a gentle swift to cut into it. A bit of the mild steam comes out from the inside of the potato when I had cut it in half like butter. I use the plastic fork that had been placed on my left side and take it with my left hand. I placed the knife back onto my right side of the table and move the fork in my left to my right hand.
I poke in a bit of the fork into the potato and take out a small piece. It was just the right size to chew down upon. I slide the fork with that piece of potato in my mouth. I had no idea, but it tasted really delicious and the scent that broke out from it reminded me of one of those more casual restaurants that I have been to, though most of the potato was turned into the design of fresh-cut French fries.
On the boardwalk ahead from me, I could see the seagulls flying over the beach, chirping loudly and away, sometimes descending towards the ground because of scraps or because it was because they would be personally bathing themselves. So I guess a little bit of Equestria is still a bit like Earth in that sort of way. The birds can sometimes act very relative to one another.
I continue to take slow and small bites of my baked potato. Coco was going one at a time and pausing for a couple of moments each time she went to take a bite of her baked potato. Silence was passing between the both of us, and she still had a bit of a hidden look that I could see that something was up. And when I noticed that something was up, I was determined to find out what was going on and why she seemed this quiet. Only the sounds of ponies talking to one another, seagulls and the gentle crashing of waves under the boardwalk could be heard.
The minutes pass us by, and we finish our dinner without even communicating with one another. Once she has finished, I slightly turn my head towards her. She has scooted a bit back and lowers her head a bit, turning a bit towards the sunset. I could notice that her ears have also flopped downward, which I could tell was when a pony was either sad or sometimes mad. This concerned me that something was now up and I really needed to ask her immediately.
I gently scoot up closer towards Coco, but I do not want 'too' close. The last thing that I would want is to surprise her yet again even though she has forgiven me for that. I keep myself within an arm's reach from her shoulder so that I can place my hand upon it to catch her attention.
"Coco?" I said to her in question. I had lowered my tone to sound more calm and gentle. "Is everything okay?"
Coco stayed silent for a couple of moments. She lets out a bit of a sad sigh and turns towards me to face me. "No… not really…" She says to me in a quiet and shy voice. Even then, I can still hear and understand what she said.
"No? What is on your mind then?" I asked her. I gently move my right hand towards her left front hoof. I gently take it and hold onto it.
Coco only lets out a bit of a blush before she starts to shake. I could tell that she was nervous about something. "I- I-I-" She was able to let out.
"Hey, don't worry." I said to her, scooting closer towards her. I move my left hand and gently place it onto her right cheek. "We all get nervous about anything, but I just want you to know that I do not have to be afraid to tell me anything."
Coco still shakes with nervousness and lets out more blushing when I had placed my hand onto her soft cheek. "I- I don't want to say it to you. If- I-I tell you… you're just going to get mad at me."
"I would never get mad at you," I said to her. Right now I was concerned. "But that is not the point, if you have anything you want to say, speak freely Coco. I promise that I will not get mad at you… wait…" I pause for a moment. "It's Suri, isn't it?"
"N-No." Coco says to me, her soft-spoken voice sounded like she was going to break out into tears at any moment. "I haven't seen her since I quit my job as her assistant."
"Please Coco…" I said to her. I move my hand from her cheek and take the both of her hooves with both of my hands gently. "You are worrying me a bit. Please… tell me…"
I find myself staring into those beautiful bright cyan eyes of hers, with her eyes just staring into my own. The both of us were there, close to one another. I could feel my head slowly starting to move towards Coco's. Through my vision, Coco was moving her head towards mine as well. Silence grew between the both of us again minus the sound of our soft breathing. Our eyes begin to close a bit slightly. The both of our mouths were both slightly open and our eyes were closed. Something was about to happen…
A frustrated sigh emerged from Coco's lips and my eyes were forced open at this. "I-I can't… I just c-can't!" She says with a bit of tears starting to run down a bit from her face. She just moves her hooves away from my two hands holding them. She gets off of the picnic table's seat and begins to gallop off with audible sobbing coming from her.
"Coco!" I call out to her and my right hand reaching towards her as she galloped. I don't think she heard it. She was already gone and I was left there sitting at the picnic table, both worried and devastated with myself. It was the feeling that I might have ended up accidentally hurting Coco emotionally.
Surely I didn't mean to do anything like that. I was only trying to find out why she was so quiet around dinnertime and after we had met up with Prim. But I didn't suspect that she could react in a way that she would just start galloping away from what she tried to let out. Surely what could she have been trying to tell me? Was it something important? From what I know, some were shy probably because they were mistreated or they just did not like being around others after an incident that affected them in their lives mentally. But that tone in her voice… I could tell that something was off.
I just sat there in the growing silence around me with the ambience of what was going on, fading a bit. In my mind, I could only recall any certain moments of ponies communicating to me. Coco was one of the voices from I remember her telling me, plus even myself.
"It could just be… you know… you and me."
"Of course."
I remembered hearing about that when both Spike and I had gone off to the Carousel Boutique to help out Rarity with the dresses before we headed for Canterlot. Ah yes, Coco was assisting me at the time. Now, those voices of memory come back again but mixed up randomly.
"Mind if I join you?"
"It's something else that I've wanted to tell you…"
"I'm- I'm so sorry for shouting at you like that."
"…I started to notice deep down that I was starting to have a crush on you…"
"…I just wanted to tell you my feelings."
The second last voice of Coco that I had heard in my head really started to echo through after the last was said through my memories. Realization was starting to mix in with the quote and even my feelings and thoughts towards her started to make me think long and hard.
"…that I was starting to have a crush on you…"
Something about the word 'crush' that she had meant really triggered something inside of my mind. My thoughts began to drag more onto Coco Pommel herself with that beautiful mane that she had. The echoing of voice continues on without stopping a bit. I could find myself with Coco in my thoughts. We were back at Canterlot Castle when it had happened. I was moving my head towards her soft forehead and then giving her a gentle kiss there with my lips.
Then and there snapped me back into the now of what made me snap out of my thoughts.
"…to have a crush on you…"
I was snapped back from the thoughts of my mind and I found myself still sitting there at the picnic table at the boardwalk. I was still struck with the point of realization as only a minute or two had passed when I had gone into my mind. This realization was different though aside from my romantic thoughts when relating to Twilight. With her in my mind, Coco was also there.
I knew what I needed to do now.
I get up off of the table's bench and turn back towards the entrance to the boardwalk where the city lights were slowly turning on with the setting sun touching the horizon with a still painted orange to color the sky. With it all right behind me, I begin to walk. My walking turns into fast walking, then the running.
I was running across the boardwalk, my bare feet making the sounds of them stepping onto the wooden planks as I kept going. I made sure to stay out of the path of ponies that were both either coming onto the boardwalk or off of it. I needed to go and find Coco immediately. I needed to let her know what I now was thinking as well.
I head off of the boardwalk and begin running across the streets of Manehattan. My bare feet can be heard muffled against the strong tiles below them when I was continuing to run into a sprint. MY breathing began to ascend quickly with the strength in my chest pushing. I rushed past a couple of busy stallions whom both were just talking to themselves. I didn't hear them as they were trying to yell at me to watch where I was going.
The building where Coco lived was right across the street. I made my way through the almost empty street and almost getting hit by a taxi carriage with that stallion almost not noticing me. I don't hear him shout at me for that and I just about make it to the entrance, out of breath. I grab the two of my knees, starting to let out hard and quick pants for air. I keep this up for just a couple of moments until my body and the state of my breathing had calmed down. I then step into the building, opening and closing the door right behind me.
The mare at the front desk could see that I was in a hurry, so she let me by as she saw me yesterday and this morning. I step across the hall and towards the elevator. I press the button to summon the elevator. Luckily for me, it was right on the main floor which was just my luck. I quickly step inside, still breathing a bit heavily and press the number destined for the ninth floor. I press another button to close the elevator door.
The elevator began to move upward with the sounds of 'ping' filling in by each floor I had gone up to. I take a look at the numbers as I go up each floor. 5… 6… 7… I stand there with the look of desperation on my face, just about ready to see how she'll look when I tell her in return what I thought of her truly now. Even though Twilight is a part in my heart, I think now she'll be a great side for it outside the heart. I just hope she'll understand and her shyness to respond won't get in the way.
The elevator pings once again and I take a look to see that I had reached the ninth floor. The elevator door opened up and I began to walk closely towards Coco's apartment. Hope rose up for me… but then it suddenly falls. Coming into view of her apartment door, I could notice that something had happened inside while I was heading back to see her. My worries began to not falter for me as I feared that she might have hurt herself.
"Coco! COCO!" I shouted and ran towards the open door, stepping inside and taking a look at what had happened.
There was a bit of a mess on the floor cause what seemed to be two stallions supposedly fighting in the room, even though it probably wouldn't have happened. Across from the room in the kitchen, there was a crack in the window, but there were no chills of the outside air coming in through there. Somehow, Coco will eventually replace that window with a new one. Judging by her job, she would have enough bits for afford it. But the question right now… scratch that, two questions were on my mind. Where was Coco Pommel and what happened in her apartment?
A small piece of paper at the end table behind the couch catches my full attention. On it was a writing of clear ink and it looked like it was already written already just an hour ago. I walk towards the note at the table and pick it up with my right hand and begin reading it.
"To the human who stumbles upon this,
Me and my henchstallions have broken into your friend's apartment and we have foalnapped her. If you ever want to see her again, you shall bring your good friend Rarity from Ponyville here to the factory district located near the end of Manehattan. I demand that you bring her immediately. If you do not, I shall hurt Coco Pommel. You have approximately 24 hours.
Her previous boss,
Suri Polomare"
I shocking gasp and my left hand is placed right onto my mouth after the gasp. I was in complete shock for what just about happened here. I couldn't believe that it was true what that witch Suri had done for an act of revenge. She had foalnapped Coco Pommel and unless I bring Rarity, she's going to hurt her possibly in front of me or when I'm not looking. And 24 hours?! That is WAY too short a time for Rarity to come from Ponyville to Manehattan, but I am clueless as to what is probably going on there anyway.
Another thought comes to mind when Suri came to mind, anger. I clench the paper as I formed my right hand into a fist and with a frustrated grunt, toss the paper across the room. Even if she is a pony, she has one of my friends… she wants to hurt her…
If I see Suri in front of me, she is going to pay for what she is doing right now… But first, I shall let the Manehattan local guard know what happened. Coco, hang tight in there… I'm coming to find you and save you…