A/N: Hello again to my fellow bronies and readers! I bring with me very good news!
1. They have announced a release date for the new Season 5 premiere that will come out. This is not a joke, it will be released on "April 4". You have no idea how excited I am to see new material in April. So not only does my favorite band release a new album in the same week but a new season after almost a year hiatus! Thank Celestia!
2. I am almost done my second semester in college, and then it is possible that I will get a better chance at writing more material to come. Depends on how fast I am at writing, though I nearly ran into writer's block so many times. I try not to let whatever bother me stop me from writing this story. I am really impressed by how many readers are favoriting and following this story, and for that I am grateful.
3. I am going to TFCon yet again, but this time I am going to have an opportunity to meet the legendary voice of Optimus Prime himself: Peter Cullen, yet another childhood voice for me. No idea who will show up at FanExpo, but I will so be going if one of the VAs from MLP, VAs from GTA V or Markiplier will be there. Yes, I am a fan of Markiplier, but mostly because of his Five Nights At Freddy's playthroughs. I have played the game and it's sequel, I have yet to play the third game though I know what happens after watching his playthroughs for them. Expect a one-shot for Five Nights At Freddy's from me in the future.
4. Motley Crue and Alice Cooper's show in August and close to my birthday as well!
Review Response Time! Yeah!
sonic3461: Thank you. :)
jvs12: Yes, glitches happen sometimes. I am no expert on them, so... yeah.
4theworldman: Read ahead, you're in for something. ;)
"I am telling you sir that Coco ended up slipping from my eyes. I thought she would be here, but she wasn't!" I shouted to the guard who kept a firm stare towards me as I was explaining everything that I had witnessed so far about Coco's foalnapping. That look on the guard's face could tell that he did not seem to believe a single word I said, no matter how angrily truthful I was shouting about it. "Suri ended up responsible for this! See the note, it's the proof!"
"I apologize, my good sir but even with the proof in your own human hands, I kind of find it hard to believe that two stallions would just waltz right into the building without being confronted by the front desk." The guard with his golden armor said to me, standing still near the kitchen counter and keeping an eye as the Manehattan detective was scanning about the area with his own observation on what could have possibly happened here.
I literally have the note in my hands that I am feeling like giving to him. "But the proof is here! Even the detective himself should believe me!" I said to him.
"I do not," The detective said to me from across the room while looking at the stallion tracks on the floor. "In fact, I suspect that they left a fake."
"For Celestia's sake, these guards are not even trying to do their job." I thought to myself, rather annoyed by their fact that they weren't actually making up excuses, but not believing what I was trying to get across them. For crying out loud, even the place where Suri is holding Coco hostage is right directly stated onto the paper she left. The factory district.
"Sir, even the paper says the factory district is where she took her!" I said to him. Right now, I sounded rather angry about this.
"Please do calm down," The guard said to me in his gruff voice. "Me and my men will take care of the situation. I suggest you step aside and let us do the business here in order to find Miss Pommel and get her back to safety."
"But sir-" I tried to get out. The guard signals some other guards to the both of us. The two of them approach from behind me and I can tell that they are looking at the commander.
"Make sure that he gets to his room to get some rest. He's earned it." The commander had told to both of the two guards.
I just take a look at the guard one last time as I could feel the guard behind me on my left give me a gentle pat on the back to reassure me. I turn from the commander and walk away from him with the other two guards accompanying me. The sounds of their hooves could be heard against the hard wooden planks of the floor as they trotted behind alongside me.
I arrive in front of the guest bedroom door. The guard on my left trots a little past me and places his hoof onto the doorknob. Giving it a gentle turn, he opens up the door and the guard on my right trots past to hold the door open for me.
"Thanks." I mutter to the both of them when I walk past them.
I enter into the bedroom with the same white walls that I woke up to this morning. No sun was out during this time as the sun had set a few hours ago. Luna's moon was just over the eastern horizon, out of view from the window that could be seen in the room. The two guards that had been accompanying me to escort me into the room close the door shut behind me. I could hear that door close with only the sound of a loud thud and a click to note that the doorknob was turned again back.
I turned towards the closed window. My bare feet gently pace the wooden floor, walking to get across the room. The buildings lit at night and the sea waters overhead from the boardwalk are enlightened by the light of the moon itself. The moon itself has a bit of a curved shadow on its side, resembling that of a crescent moon. As enchanted as the moon was looking even when I could not see it, it was not helping to relax the state of my mind filled with worry.
I take a look up at the night sky and began to look as the few stars that were out were changing colors or in other words 'twinkling'. The few stars out were ever so distant from where the sun of Equestria would be located. The sun was buried underneath the western horizon and making its way on the other side of the Equestria world where others would need that light. I move my hands towards the pane of the window and grip onto it. The force of pulling it upward sends a gentle and cool breeze into the room, moving the curtains by the sides. My hair that has grown a bit since I came here has grown a bit, and started to blow back a bit by the breeze.
I look out at the city lost in my own thoughts and what could have been and what I could have done to prevent her from being foalnapped by Suri.
If only I ran after her, catching up with her and letting her know exactly how I was feeling to her as well, she would still be crying a bit, yes, but I would be there for her to comfort her. Since last night, I've been really nice towards Coco, but I felt like there was something there that wasn't before. It was something about her light blue eyes that really got me. I've already managed to emotionally hurt her before, but I wasn't going to risk it again.
But why was she super nervous about telling me then and there? Surely I wouldn't have had a problem with her telling me that, but she should also be aware that the special somepony to me at the moment was Princess Twilight. I didn't want to break a princess' young heart, but with the feelings I had now developed for Coco, I fear the consequence if Twilight found out about this. Not only would I be breaking that alicorn's heart, I would hate myself for doing that.
Outside the bedroom, I could hear the sounds of the Manehattan guard trotting out and closing the door behind them. So they didn't believe me… what a fool I am to think they would best help out in a situation like this. For crying out loud, they know she was kidnapped, but don't understand that Coco is going to get hurt if I don't bring in Rarity. I cannot just get her in 24 hours! She might be busy in Ponyville for all I know!
The wind gets too cold for me and I place my hands back onto the top of the windowpane. I push it downward and close the window shut all the way. The wind ceases into the room and the curtain on the window's sides drop dead once again, not moving at any moment from what the wind was doing. The wind could be heard outside, blowing gently onto the clear glass. Besides that, only silence could be heard inside of the room.
I get back onto my two feet with determination filling me. I wasn't going to let Suri get away with any of this whatsoever. I turn back towards the white door and walk towards it. I place my hand onto the doorknob and give it a turn. The door creaks open.
I am back in Coco's living room and I walk from under the white door-arch from the guest bedroom, closing the door behind me. I take a look to my right and move my head to the left. Most of the guards that I saw were here had been cleaning up a bit in her apartment and had gathered the evidence before cleaning it up. It didn't really matter if the evidence I was gone, I pretty much knew what I needed to do. My head turns to the left and down the hallway. It was the slightly-opened door to Coco Pommel's room.
Curious enough, I began to pace forward on the glossed planks below my bare feet which softly thumped as I took each step. I passed by the bathroom and the office where she would sew dresses on her own time. I approach the white door. My hand moves towards it and gives it a gentle push. Light from the lit hallway shines into her bedroom and I could see that same carpet that I saw when I had first tried to get into her room to take a look. I step inside and I use the switch by the doorframe to turn the light on in the room.
The whole room lit up and unveiled how the room that I saw looked like in clue when I first arrived here. The wallpaper was still those two shades of red the last time I saw it with the zebra-like design for the carpet remaining the same. Her dark blue bed remained the same as well with the exception of a book that was lying near the end of the left side.
I took a look at the book lying there. The hard cover of the book was in the color of a brown. That is the usual color for a personal diary. So that is probably what I suspect that I am looking at. Coco's personal diary.
I walk over towards her bed. I could feel the warm plush of carpet below my bare feet whilst I paced. I proceed to take a seat at the end of her bed. The sheets on top of the bed felt soft and like a soft blanket. I use my right hand, reaching over to the book and grabbing it by its end that held all the pages together.
I take the right side of the book and by its cover; pull it back a bit with my left hand and without the use of hesitation… I opened the book. The written ink was abroad on the paper that she had placed upon whenever it was at night or not. The entries of her diary lay in an order with the date of when it was written. I began to move throughout the pages of her diary, finding for anything.
I flip through a couple of pages to the month that was going on at the moment. There was a bit of text there that was written by her. I suspected that this could have some information about me. Even the written ink still looked very fresh as it was written yesterday. I take a look closer into the diary and began reading it all to myself, quietly as possible. Reading out loud wasn't really much for me anyway.
Dear Diary,
I just can't help myself. It was only a couple of days since I had last talked to him. Last time I had talked to him was at his birthday. Even though I made my confession to him that I had a crush on him, he still liked the gift that I gave to him. What is it though? I've still got something about him. I understand that both he and the Princess of Friendship are both in a relationship together, but why not me? Can't he understand without me having to act all nervous?
He made a promise to me that he still intended on doing when he isn't too busy, but he did it though. He's over at my apartment now and he's visiting. He's asleep right now as I write this. I've only peeked into his room once as he slept, and he looks so cute.
The feelings that I have him won't stop trying to get out to him and somehow my shyness keeps refraining me from telling him this. But I wish he could understand how I feel and I don't care if he already has somepony in his life to love.
I love him.
Coco Pommel
I placed down the book back onto the bed and let go of it. The place when the book lay creates another mark, covering the other that had laid there. I just place the both of my hands together, gently holding onto one another. Coco came into my thoughts again with the word she had written in her diary repeating itself again and again.
I love him…
I finally got up off of her bed and make my way outside of her room, closing the door behind me. I just couldn't stand there and do nothing while Coco was being held in wherever factory building that Suri was holding her in. It was time for me to finally get out there and take a look for her. I walk across the floor out of the hallway and into the living room, towards the front door. I grab the front door's handle and push it open.
Coco, no matter who tries to stop me from getting to you, I'm coming to save you.
Coco Pommel's POV
First there was the sound of silence, and then there was the sound of a fan blowing in the room. The fan itself sounded gentle, but I felt a bit uncomfortable around my mouth and around the centre of my body. I begin to slowly open up my eyes. My vision starts off a bit blurry, but I let out come out blurry and hard to open for a couple of moments before I am able to open them up again and look clearly at where I was and what was wrong and why it felt tight around me.
I could see that I was placed inside of a small room with walls of red brick and cement plastered in-between the ends of the bricks that lie upon the walls. The door ahead is made of wood, but it is unknown as it was kind of wood it is. I'm a costume designer, not a brick designer. I turn towards the floor and below me. There was a rope that was tied around me so I could not move from the chair. The floor was rather cement-like but looked rather dirty as it was like construction was taking place here in the room.
I began to struggle a bit to try and move somehow, but to no use it was. The chair hadn't even moved an inch. I would try to call out, but I'm guessing whatever happened in the result of bringing me here caused those three stallions that snuck into my apartment and foalnap me. They placed tape over my mouth so that I wouldn't be able to scream for help.
All I could remember was being shaken around by one of the three and the skinny one trying to act all flirty towards me. Excuse me?! I wouldn't dare accept his own flirts and if he was in the room and I was untied right about now, I would have slapped him across his face with my own hoof. But I am not a fighter, so I don't want to hit anypony.
The whole room was a bit dark, minus the light of the moon that shone in through the building's windows that I clearly saw in the small isolated room with only a door of my means to escape, but with me acting all tied up. I couldn't.
I can hear the sound of voices coming from outside the small room, still being heard by my own ears. My flopped ears perk up a bit to listen in closely. The voices sounded muffled, so I couldn't really tell what they were saying. There were three stallions and a mare talking though from what I could hear. No conversation can be described though. After that, there was a few seconds of silence.
The door in the room sounded off with a click and I could see light coming in from the door archway as it had been pushed open by the mare hidden in the shadows outside. With her was a lantern that had not yet been lit, so as soon as the darkness covers us both again, she'll light it up. Her hooves sound off clicking against the tiles. The clicking echoes throughout the room when she trotted in.
Darkness surrounded the both of us in the room with only silence between the both of us minus the sound of hooves. "Who are you?" I tried to call out, but most of what I had said, comes out more muffled and untranslatable due by the tape on my mouth.
The lantern lights up and the mare trotted closer towards me. The mare places it onto a wooden table that I did not notice the first time in the room. Finally, her face and that familiar mane came into my view.
It was none other than Suri Polomare, that witch of a boss that I had dared to work with. She had a dark smile upon her face, illuminated by the light that came from the lantern and onto her face. Already, I wanted out. Whatever she was confronting me about, she already deserved that hot cup of coffee in her face when I quit. She trots the closest she can to me and places her hoof onto my face, gripping onto something as if I was losing a bit of my coat.
She tears off the tape that had been placed onto my mouth. It was a bit of a relief that she took off the tape, but the pain that had left for me was rather excruciating and it hurt. When she had torn it off, I had let out a bit of a pained yelp.
"Quiet!" Suri snapped at me. Sure when I worked with her, she had snapped at me a lot to get her coffee or to work faster. To be honest, it was rather exhausting on my end when I worked for her.
My lips felt numb from the pain that burned when she took off the tape, but I managed to get out "Suri…" with a glare starting to grow upon my face. A frown curves around my mouth and my ears flop down once again.
"Well, surprise indeed for me," She says to me, looking at me as if it was an interrogation that was about to happen between me and her. "I thought it wouldn't be possible to find you in the city again. When I heard that 'human' was looking for you, I was quick with my henchmen to gather the plan quickly. I mostly hid in the shadows watching you."
"But why?" I manage to get out, weakly as possible.
"Only I am going to talk, not you Coco!" She snaps at me again, causing me to shake a little. That bad memory of working with her was starting to come back to me.
"S-sorry…" I stuttered out softly and quietly.
Suri just chuckles. "At least a brat like you knows good manners," She said to me, turning to trot to the left side of the chair. Because she was closer to me, I was more nervous for what she would do. "But that is not the point; I have brought you here into this old sewing factory for one reason."
My ears were perked up and I was listening to what she was going to say to me about her plan. "The reason why I brought you here, Coco… is because you are part of a plan to help me get my revenge on Rarity! You helped her get her trophy from Fashion Week, but for that I will spare you, but keep you as the bait for my plan."
"W-wha-what plan?" I ask again, a bit worried about what she'll do to Rarity. Why would she want to do anything to her? Rarity never did anything but show generosity, and inspired me to do so as well.
"That human is going to bring Rarity along and initiate a trade. He will trade in one of his best friends in order to have you in return. You go along free and with him. Rarity stays with me and she will help me make the best dresses ever. She'll make me so stinking rich that I'll probably keep her forever as a personal dress-maker for me." Suri explained to me in the small short details that I absolutely didn't need to hear for what she planned for one of my friends.
"No!" I shout out to her. "I'm not going to let myself be a part of this! Let me go!"
"What did I say about me talking only, brat!" She snapped again. This time her face is right close to mine with that sadistic glare and fire raging in her eyes that really frightened me a bit, causing me to shake more. "Your task is to just be quiet while I arrange the trade with your 'human' friend."
"But S-Suri… I-I don't know where he is." I stumbled out to her, sounding nervous and shaky.
Suri turned back to the other side of the room. My head follows her as she trots back in front of me. "Now for the trade, you'll still be tied to this chair and I can just imagine Rarity taking your place in the chair once you are set free. You'll never get to see her again, and I will be rich. She'll become what she once was as somepony rich and become poor that she'll have to sell that Carousel Boutique store she has." She told me, that smile coming upon her face again. "The human will only have 23 hours now to bring in Rarity."
"His name… is Brayden." I said to her with an intimidating tone in my voice. Suri just looks at me with a fake shocked look and then finally, bursts out into laughter. But this laughter sounded crazy than it seemed. Ever since I quit as her apprentice, I feel like she changed for the worst and not for the better.
"Oh you are quite a drama stirrer aren't you Coco?" Suri says, still chucking from what I said.
"Nevertheless, h-he will come to save you and bring an end to you!" I shouted at her, starting to get a bit irritated by her taunting of calling him just 'human' and not his name.
"So what if his name is Brayden? I have my reasons to call him a 'human'," Suri continues. "He looks like he isn't going to harm anypony, so he wouldn't dare try to fight me as I'm a mare."
I let out a low growl. "Don't… call him… A HUMAN!" I had bursted out with some anger that I never thought that I would release since I was a bit shy. I mean, his other friend Fluttershy is much more shy than I am, but she seems nice enough and got to talk with her at his birthday party.
"Human." She says just to arouse more anger out of me.
If only I had another set of hot coffee on me… I would have tossed the hot liquid onto her once again. But with the situation of being tied up in a chair, the chances of that seem impossible. Suri just laughs and begins to trot towards the door.
"When I've completed my plan, you'll always feel like the loser. Nothing will stop me now." Suri said to me, going to dismiss herself from the room.
"When Brayden saves me, you'll continue to be that heartless witch you have been and always will be," I said to her as a comeback. She turns back around and an angry glare has grown onto her face again. "I quit the job because I couldn't handle the fact that you were acting so demanding and that you were a stinking liar to not only me, but to Prim herself!"
This set off a string for her when I saw that she was galloping towards me. My glare changes into that of a frightened look upon my face. She gallops towards me and raises her hoof. Her hoof moves fast towards me and it strikes me hard in the face. The impact had gone straight under my left eye and when it had moved away, I could feel the burn of the strike under my left eye and it was stinging. It began to make me tear up a bit, not to mention that I had already been tearing up that evening. All I just wanted was to tell Brayden how I really felt again.
Suri could notice the tears in my eyes and a teasing smile grows across her face. "Awwww, is the baby going to cry?" She teased, with a laugh coming after it.
I didn't say anything as a sob emerged from my mouth quietly. Suri was across the room and she was rather impressed by the mess that she made to me. Suri trots back towards the door. "Well, that'll be what you get for trying to backtalk me. So just sit there and cry." She said to me.
She opened the door that she came in through and trots out, but peeks in once more to say one more thing to me. "If your 'human' friend doesn't bring Rarity in a day, expect another hoof to the face." She threatened with only the tone of malice filling her voice. She closes the door again, leaving me all alone.
My quiet sobs grow a bit in volume and I begin to cry generally at the normal volume that I had cried in when I was alone at the apartment with nopony around to see them. If anypony saw me cry, they would probably laugh at me. Brayden hasn't laughed at me though, he is the only one that I recall seeing me cry. The rest of his friends haven't seen me cry, so they'd try to comfort me as well. They seemed pretty nice enough as well.
My reason of ponies laughing at me as I cried came all the way back to childhood when I was only a wee filly attending school. Being teased and bullied was just about one of the reasons why I turned out to be a bit shy. But I tried not to let those bad memories get into the way. I was trapped in this room. My lips and left cheek were stinging with pain, and the tears I shed began to fall onto both me and eventually drip to the floor from my hooves they slid down.
Brayden, if you are coming... Please… save me from this Tartarus that I have been placed into…
Brayden's POV
Night was filling the factory district of Manehattan. The cool breeze could be felt underneath my bare feet and sliding right into me, blowing only a bit of my growing hair. It wasn't too cold, since it was still in the summer equinox according to Equestria standards. I'm no expert at the seasons, so I can't really know too much about it. My bare feet were touching the cement that I walked upon and my eyes were looking at the industry buildings.
There were many signs that were placed onto the sides of the buildings. Mostly were those that were still in operation or they had just left it years before, but it still stood there possibly for another industrial company located in Manehattan to rebuild it back to its former glory one day. The many buildings each had different types that had been worked upon. Shampoo, toys, this and all that were part of the business that still is or used to be. Coco could not have been placed in any of those buildings, for her captor did not leave any evidence on that. In fact, Suri never told me where the building was. How lazy is that of her!
The street lights that hang above me on poles of iron and what almost resembles ceramic. A few of the lights flicker a bit, but none of them are too damaged to break yet. From what I could see, they still had some life in them. The lights up the street in the direction I was going in started to grow darker. This would probably be because the smashed particles of light bulb glass that was lying on the tiled ground. Hopefully the street janitors will do something about it eventually. I keep on the sidewalk, as I do not want to accidentally cut my foot with the broken glass on the street.
I keep walking, letting the moon's shining white light become the guide for me in the district. The echoes of carriages in the busy streets could still be heard as I continue into the darkness. More factory buildings had come into view. Each one that I had passed had the exact same bricks that the other factories had. For Celestia's sake, isn't there even a single factory plant that wouldn't even try to have the exact same shade of red for the bricks?
In the night sky, I could see a few tiny white clouds illuminated in black by the moon's immortal light while I continued. The moon would be covered sometimes by them, shrouding me into total darkness. I was no expert at seeing in the dark, so I had no idea where I would eventually end up. This cloud was huge through and I was left in the dark, completely blind by the pitch-black that it had created. Only the tall structures of the buildings could be seen amongst the stars in the black sky.
The cloud eventually lifts as I stood there and waited patiently. Once the light of Luna's moon had gone back into view, the whole area had been lit up again. I begin to pace through the cold streets again, looking around the areas. Judging by the position of the moon, I could tell that the time was already 10:43pm. I must be the only one who doesn't own a watch, but guess what position the moon is in for the time.
I look straight ahead down the street. In the corner of my eye, I could see a building that had a different shade of color to the bricks. The look of the bricks was almost pale gold like, and the sign on the side of the building was seen. A bit of it looked like it was starting to fall apart. It said "Manehattan Sewing Wares and Materials". At last, I think I might have discovered a bit of a clue. Suri worked as a dress maker before the entire Fashion Week incident, so this has to be where… she had taken Coco. I better note that clue in my head.
I make my way towards the building and lean up against the walls on the left side where the alleyway seemed dark. Ahead from where I was positioned, I could see light in the distance and a few stallions in the shadow dimly lit by the highlighted light. I scoot along across the wall and keep my eye on the three stallions standing close to this light which I could now recognize as 'fire in a metal barrel'. Conversation between the three of them seemed a bit faint at first, so I scoot much closer and out of sight, keeping an ear out to hear what they were saying.
"…and did you see how that poor mare reacted? She was screaming when we grabbed her!" The skinny looking one was saying, moving a hoof.
"Oh yes, but I'm just lucky that Suri did not give us a lecture after accidentally knocking her out. Something like that again will probably have our paychecks cut in half for that." A tall, almost bulked one says in a mysterious tone. "She hasn't paid us yet, but she will once she has that unicorn in her hooves."
In the silence, I quietly gasp to myself. So it was these three that were responsible for the foalnapping of Coco herself? I stay where I am and closely begin to observe the area. There had to be a way that I can sneak past the henchmen without raising an alarm for Suri to come find me. As much as these stallions will try to hurt me, I do not want to fight them. If they do catch me in the act, I will do my best to try and defend myself possible. I scan around the area to look for anything that could distract them.
A large rock fit for my hand was lying a few feet from me, and was deep hidden in shadow. With my eye on the rock, I bent down while the three continued talking. My hand manages to grip onto the rock and I lift it up off the ground, trying not to drop it. Dropping it would end up giving away my location to the henchmen and that would not be a good sign. Keeping that firm grip, I take a look across from the light source and see what seemed to be a metal garbage can that you'd normally see in the streets of Manehattan. I take that risky chance and with aim, I throw that rock like a baseball bat.
The small rock went right above the heads of the stallions. It descends back into the dark again, and I keep out an ear to listen. CLANG! I could hear that the stone had collided with the garbage and I thought for a moment that it would end up inside the garbage can, because it would make a big noise. However, the clang of metal was just about enough to perk up the ears of the henchmen and turn to that noisy direction.
"Did you hear that?" The skinny one had said with a suspicious tone in his voice.
"I did…" The brute-like stallion said amongst the others. "It does sound like clanging of metal. The human must be foolish enough to try and sneak past us!"
"Let's go and get him then!" The other one says.
The others proceed to gallop towards the other side of the dark alley, unaware that I wasn't actually there hiding like sheep among wolves. I retract from my hiding place and make my way towards the doors with the steel handles to pull them open. My right hand reaches for the metal switch on the door and with a quiet click with my thumb pushing down; I take one more look to my left.
With the sounds of hooves moving away from the light scene, and the stallions now in the shadows out of sight, I open up the door slightly and slip into the dim building, lit in nocturnal moonlight. I turn back towards the opposite side of the door and close the door with a bit of a metal click when it had gone all the way.
I turn back around to face the interior of the factory. The whole building had large windows that had moonlight gleaming out of them to light up the path around the corners of the old factory. I begin to start walking again in the silence with only the sound of soft steps from my bare feet echoing throughout the factory floor.
All seemed to be too quiet around the factory walls, and there would be wooden doors to accompany the rooms that separated themselves from the halls. So while I sneaked around the place to look, I kept listening in to hear if anypony was coming behind me or towards the area by the sound of their echoing hooves. If in the case I heard anypony coming this way, I would just duck into a dark corner covered in darkness and wait until that pony or Suri was gone. I would also have to look behind me or ahead in the halls at all times. It would be rather unexpected should the henchmen decide to sneak up on me behind my back or catch me off-guard when taking a look.
Then, in the silence I could hear something. It sounded out muffled at first. So I just about stopped moving and began to clearly listen in the silence to find out where that emerging sound was coming from. To my surprise, it wasn't the sound of hooves coming either way. It sounded muffled like somepony was crying in one of the rooms.
Something about that muffled cry told me that it was Coco Pommel herself and the crying sounded very distressed. I knew that she was in trouble and I began to hurry along scurrying along the walls to get more closer to the room source where Coco could be.
Clip-Clop… Clip-Clop…
Dammit! There's that sound in the distance of hooves coming my way. My eyes can around quickly to find a dark area to hide. My eyes catch the attention of an olive green desk with a sheet of wood to cover up the hiding place. With no time to think about this, I stumble forward towards the desk and get down on my knees. I could feel the granite floor below my knees when I would stop crawling for a few brief moments, heading under the desk. Once inside, I grip onto the wooden sheet and slid it over the desk opening, shrouding me in the dark again. I kept my eyes underneath the desk to see the oncoming hooves that just about came out of the other hall.
I could recognize those hooves when I saw them. Suri Polomare… That witch. Her hooves trot towards the desk and down the hall. I just wait patiently with only the sound of my breathing trying to remain as quiet as possible. Any loud noises I make, it's an automatic "Game Over" and Coco will probably get hurt.
I couldn't let Suri do this. I just about waited until she was distant from the area with only the soft echoes of her trotting disappearing. Once she was gone and out of sight with no other sound to accompany her presence, I gently push off the wooden sheet.
I crawled right back out from under the desk and begin to stay quiet again. I could already hear Coco much louder now and I could tell that she was nearby. I could see a wooden door near me, standing alongside two others distant in the hall; I swiftly walk with such small pace towards that wooden door. I gently press my ear against it to listen. There was only silence in that room, so it looks like I will have to try the door in the center of all three. I made my quick move to try not to catch attention and place my ear against the door.
I can definitely hear the crying louder now and I could sense that Coco Pommel was inside. But why was she crying though? It sounds like a mixture of both distress and pain. Wait… did she get hurt?! Alarm fills me and I grab a hold of the door and just about throw it wide open.
The door hit the brick wall right behind me and I took a look over at the lit area on the left side of the room. In that chair was none other than that mare Coco Pommel herself which I recognized by the color of her mane; and she was tied up to the chair. Her face was turned to face the wall as I could see the visible clear tears fall from her face and onto the floor.
"Coco?" I softly called out to her in the silence.
Her sobbing comes to a bit of an abrupt stop. Her head moves upwards and turns slightly to look at me. Half of her face is still hidden though. Her ears perk up all the way and a rather joyful and happy smile comes upon her face as the tears continued to stream down. Gasps came out of her that sound most rather happy to see me and hope was filled with it to know that I was saving her.
"Brayden! You're- you're here!" Coco said to me. "P-Please come help me out of this chair I'm tied to."
I walked up to the chair she was at and began to move all of the rope that had been placed around her. I move a loose knot that had been supposedly forgotten about by the three stallions outside and eventually, the ropes come off and onto the floor, setting her free.
Coco just about jumps at me off of the chair, placing her hooves and she felt really close to me. I could still hear her sobs whilst she sounded happy about this. "Thank you thank you thank you so much for coming for me!" She just about said to me with happiness in her soft-spoken, raspy tone. I move my arms around her and I gently gave her a gentle hug, sharing between the both of us.
"I had to save you… I couldn't just let you get hurt." I spoke in a gentle and soft voice that would come off to her that I ended up caring about her after all. "Wait… she hurt you, didn't she?"
Coco pauses for a few moments and then moves her head to take a look at mine. There I could see the other side of her face in complete light. There was a bruise caused by a hoof alone that was just underneath her left eye. I softly gasp and move my right hand towards her left cheek. Ièm being careful as I don't want to inflame the pain even more.
"Coco… did Suri do this to you?" I asked out with the alarm of worry just about punching me.
She just about stutters a bit in her words to get something out. "N-no- I mean, I- Y-Yes… she did this to me. She punched me there and it hurts…" She confessed a truth that I just about knew.
"It looks like it does," I said to her. "When we get back to your apartment, I'll make sure that I find the treatment for that with bandages."
"Alright Brayden, and we better slip out quietly," She said to me, lowering the tone of her volume. "Do you know which way you came in?"
I nod my head and both of us let go of the hug. She gets back onto her four hooves once again and trots over to the corner of the room. It was her red saddlebags that she was just about gathering from over there. I join her in helping to put the saddlebags over her and onto her back so she was comfortable there as she had them.
"Thanks Brayden." She lets out a soft smile as she said this.
The both of us start to make our way towards the open door, with me walking behind her. She gets to the door first, passing underneath the wooden arch. I follow behind her and then begin to walk alongside her. In the dark moonlit hallways I was back in, I turn my head towards Coco whilst she trots alongside me. I felt like I need to tell her what I needed to say to her.
"Coco?" I asked, her ears perking up when I said her name.
The both of us stop and she turns around, facing me. A look of concern is upon her face. "Yes Brayden?" She asked me, wondering what was going to happen.
I let out a bit of a sigh, knowing that she's either going to happy to hear it, or devastated to hear what would come out. "T-There is something that I have to tell you. It's… you know…" I said, with only some nervousness crossing into my tone of voice.
Coco looks worried and her left front hoof moves forward and takes a hold of my right hand. I gently move my hand a bit and begin to start holding her hoof gently. "Please tell me… I-I promise I won't get upset at you." She says, gently moving her hoof a bit on my hand to stroke it tenderly.
I look straight into Coco's beautiful light cyan eyes and I could feel my mind urging myself subliminally to start telling her right away. I blink for a moment of hope and good luck for myself. "It-It's because I too now realize that I ca-"
The clearing of a throat could be heard right behind me and ahead from Coco, but out of her sight. The clearing of somepony's throat interrupted that moment for me, but don't worry, in no time when I deal with who's behind us, then I can tell Coco. I turn around and I am rather surprised to see who was standing there just a couple of feet away.
Suri Polomare herself. She was not alone though, she also had her henchmen alongside of her. A glare on her face accompanied her cruel smile. The three of the stallions that worked with her were just about preparing to probably pummel me with their hooves. Coco lets out a gasp behind me and it sounded surprised and shocked as well. A sinister chuckle emerges from Suri's lips.
"Well now… what do we have here?" Suri said, trotting towards the two of us. "We've got that 'human' and somepony as part of my plan trying to get away and put my plans into disaster."
"You let us go, Suri!" Coco says to her. "I've already dealt with you before, I don't need to deal with you again."
"Oh no doubtingly," She said, her eyelids are bit tilted down while still looking at me, focused towards me as if I were her prey. "But now that you are here human, I have to ask you one thing."
"Please don't call me by human." I said to her in a very calm addressing state of manner. "I have a name after all, and it is-"
"I do not care what your name is!" Suri shouts at me, interrupting me. "You are going to let me do the talking now, so your mouth needs to be kept shut while at it!"
I am in a bit of a shock about how rude Suri was being towards me. "Miss Polomare, I suggest you calm down." I said to her, keeping my cool.
"Calm down? Me? I'LL CALM DOWN YOU!" She shouted at me in a comeback, even though my words didn't mean any harm towards her. Coco backs up a bit and I can feel her hiding right behind me to stay out of the talk between me and Suri.
"Why do you want Rarity so bad?" I asked her, sounding really confused but with a bit of tension in my voice.
"Why do I want her, human?" Suri says to me with question before she lets out a laugh. She finally began to explain. "I want Rarity here so I can take my revenge on her for taking my trophy in the first place."
"You cheated though, you wanted to win!" I said to her, knowing about what had happened when I saw the episode.
"Yes I did cheat, but for all good reason as to why I wanted to cheat in order to win. It's everypony for herself." Suri says to me, trotting forward towards me. I gulped nervously, prepared for what she might be planning against me.
Coco moves a bit behind me and stands between both me and her. "Don't hurt him!" She shouts at her previous boss, with such an intimidating tone that I had never expected that she would eventually go to.
"What give you the privilege to stand in my way Coco?" Suri says, trying to sway her away from me. "Now move out of the way, I am going to ask the human where Rarity is hiding."
Coco shook her head. "No." She simply answers. "If you're going to try and hurt him, you're going to have to go through me."
"Coco…" I said to her, sounding worried about what would happen next to her. "You don't have to do this."
"Brayden, please…" She says to me in a calm and worried tone to keep me calm. "I don't want her to hurt you as she did to me."
Suri chuckles a bit. "I suppose you must have seen the bruise underneath her eye," She says to me. "Well, I will admit she was rather tearful on that one for acting like a complete baby there. Now I am going to ask you again and I demand an answer. Where… is… Rarity?"
"I never brought her along with me." I confessed to her, releasing the truth to her.
"Liar!" She shouts at me with such aggression. "I know you have her with you, hiding in the shadows!"
"I'm telling you that I don't!" I shout back at her.
"I suppose you want to know why I want to have Rarity in full detail just as I told Coco here." Suri says, calming down. This raises an eyebrow on me. Since both I and Coco were cornered there and only a long way down the dim hallway with no easy way of escape, I decided to play along. "Well, here was the original plan that I had in mind which I was doing after all. I foalnapped Coco, and then you would get Rarity from Ponyville and bring her here to trade her for the safety of Coco."
"You hurt her though, and it is not necessary to bring harm to her." I said to her, defending the mare right in front of me.
"She talked back to me, and it is a lesson she will learn for that," Suri says, releasing a firm glare towards Coco. She turns her eyes back towards me. "Once you got Coco back, Rarity would be forced by me to make dresses and I will sell them, become a billionaire and then retire in peace."
"So you would force somepony else into slavery over a trophy you lost?" I said to her, sounding a bit shocked about how Suri was sounding right now. I mean, she stole Rarity's line and Coco exposed her for it. But slavery though? She was now taking it too far. "Suri, you are a con artist. You stole her work and it's no wonder you're trying a bit too hard to get what you want." My eyes drift only a bit towards the empty hall on my right.
However Suri notices this and then figures that both me and Coco are going to try and escape that way. She begins to trot over towards Coco. I couldn't see Coco's face, but she probably looked scared. "Ah, trying to make your route of escape out of here, aren't you both?" She asked with question in her voice.
"No, not at all!" I said, trying to make it seem as innocent as I could.
"Oh I don't think so. I'm not letting you leave." The mare warns us both sharply and another glare fills up upon her face. I gulped and then realized that this might be bad news. Suri then turns towards her henchmen blocking the left hallway. "Grab him, I want him to see what happens when he doesn't reveal the truth to me."
The stallions trot toward both me and Coco as the stronger and buffed one grab a hold of me and grip me tightly with their hooves. The moderate one, looking dull and bored as ever grabs my right arm and grips as well. The skinny and goofy one pushes Coco out of the way. I watch as he is holding her back from what was going to happen.
I could hear a gasp as Suri was approaching me with a smile filled with malice and cruelty. "Don't hurt him!" I could hear Coco shout at her, out of my sight. I knew she was being held back, but my eyes were focused on what Suri was going to do.
Suri trots right forward in front of me, turns around and then I could notice the both of her back legs getting ready to buck me right into the stomach. Her hooves make impact on them, and I could feel the absolute pain of her hooves hitting there and it hurt like a billion stones being thrown at me. It almost felt like I had broken a bone, but I never did. But it was crazy right now… Suri was acting too far and wrongly.
At the same time, I am trying my hardest at struggling to get out of there. But I am being held back as Suri continues to kick me at what seemed to be non-stop. It felt like this would go on for hours without end. It was just another quick memory to me as a small child as I had been trying my hardest to fight back, but always getting pummeled in the end. It was another traumatic moment that I was reliving. I had to get a bit of strength in me. Anger began to take its course.
"Stop this Suri…" I groaned weakly, trying to persuade her at the same time.
"Shut up!" Suri says, no longer caring about if she was hurting me and forcing Coco to watch. I just close my eyes and try my best as I struggle to endure every single moment while groaning weakly sometimes during this assault. Then, it is when I noticed… I was close with the buffed stallion's hoof range.
I think about this for a moment while Suri continues to do what she can into submitting me to do her very deed in taking my friend for her own greedy needs. But that wasn't going to happen, not while I care for a good dear friend of mine. She helped to make a suit for me, and was ever so generous to me… I won't let her hurt her. I tilt my head back a bit, open my mouth to expose my teeth and bit right into the buffed stallion's arm.
The stallion let out a scream and Suri stopped bucking me in the stomach, trotting backwards a few steps. My teeth were biting right into the stallion's arm as he continues to scream a bit. Finally, his grip is loosened and he lets go of me. The other not wanting to mess or get bitten by me lets me go as well, standing back. I looked rather intimidating to them and they were scared.
"You fools!" Suri shouts to both of them. "Don't just run away like cowards, fight him!"
The stallions remained quiet as ever. Judging by the looks on their faces, they were scared about dealing with me. This was probably the first anypony would be scared of me. Coco on the other hand… or hoof whatever you want, just stands there with her mouth gaping open at what just happened. The skinny male lets her go and backs up as well.
"Did you not hear me?!" Suri said, sounding very demanding. "I said fight him!"
None of them even moved towards me to even lift a hoof to me. Suri just has this look on her face that she looked totally defeated by my own ability. Silence fills in the gap for a few moments, and then she lets out a frustrated growl at this sight. I walk towards Coco while she is dealing with them.
"You betrayed me! All of you, being cowards for not holding him back and attacking him!" Suri shouts towards them.
I turn my attention from what was happening behind me and turn to Coco. She looks rather concerned about how injured I am as well as her. She places her soft hoof onto my stomach and I groan a bit. It really began to sting a lot.
"Are you okay Brayden?" Coco said, taking the same hoof and placing it onto my hand.
"It's a bit stingy from the hoof-bucking, but I think I can hold out. I've already had that happen to me before." I told her. "We should get out of here while we can now that she's distracted."
Coco nods for a moment and then has a face of realization strike her in the face. She turns towards her red saddlebag and pulls out a cold and almost done cup of coffee that she still had from since this morning. Huh, who would have known that this would be something that she would do to Suri again. Second time's the charm after all, right?
I just stand there as she trots up towards the yelling mare that was once her boss. "Hey Suri…" I could hear her say to that mare. The snappy mare then turns towards Coco Pommel and I already knew what was going to come up next. Coco throws cold coffee in Suri's face for the second time. Suri's face was literally frozen when she had done this to her. She face and mane were now dripping with brown liquid, now without a scent of scalding heat to be smelt.
"That's for foalnapping me in the first place!" Coco snapped at her. "The next time that you try to hurt me or my friends, I'm going to call the guard on you!"
"A fine way to conclude that Miss Pommel." The buffed stallion said to her. His tone sounded like he was regretting that he foalnapped her in the first place.
Coco turns her head towards the stallions and said "Thank you. Also, if you are planning to apologize… don't. I already forgive you for what you did to work for Suri." The truth in her words now finally brings a bit on confidence into the three of them and they weakly smile.
I walk towards Coco and I am beside her once again. She turns her head from the scene and looks back at me with a smile. "Well that takes care of them. Let's head out of here and back to my apartment. The both of us might want to patch ourselves up."
"Yeah, let's get out of here. I don't want to deal with Suri's drama anymore," I said to her. I turn my eyes towards Suri and I unleash a glare towards her filled with warning. "Stay away from me and Coco." I warned her with sharpness in my tone.
I finally turn back and begin to walk alongside Coco once again. I would occasionally check up behind us to make sure that Suri Polomare, that wicked mare wasn't following behind us. She wasn't by the time that me and Coco were out of the factory building. The stallions that were once working with Suri, left with us and went their own separate ways. While I hope Suri never lays a hoof on Coco again, I hoped that one day she would change her ways into good.
Nevertheless, first aid should be the first thing on my mind when dealing with bruises that I achieved tonight, so I guess it's back to the suburbs.
The bathroom light flickers for only a quick moment, but the power doesn't go off which is good. These lights are good enough for now. I could feel myself trying not to let the bruising pain get to me while I could feel the ice pack being packed upon them. It was really cold, but it would start to feel soothing after a while. It was still hurting though, it will only be a short time until it happens.
I was sitting on top of a closed toilet and Coco was busy placing an ice pack onto my stomach to ease it. I groaned softly and quietly a little bit, knowing how much it was hurting. Coco was feeling bad for me and I knew that would make her sad.
"Just hold still Brayden. It won't hurt as much." She advised to me in that same soft-spoken tone that I knew and loved to hear.
I acknowledge what she said and my groaning starts to go away. In my right hand, I had an ice pack and I was gently pressing it against her cheek where Suri hit her. I was probably the first to give her an ice pack. It was the same reaction for her when I gave her an ice pack, but was completely different as it was more solely a gasp of air she emitted. It cooled down a while, and I was ready whenever she was for me to take it off her gentle cheek.
I could feel the skin starting to cool and lose its stinging heat that felt rather searing to me. The ice pack must have been working after all for me, just as it was working for Coco as well. I take very calm breaths through my nostrils while trying not to feel cold from the ice.
"Brayden, you can take the ice pack off my cheek now," Coco says to me. "It's starting to get a bit cold."
I smile and moved the ice pack away from her cheek and place it onto the bathroom counter just right on my left. I turn back and begin to look back at Coco. She continues to gently rub at the bruises on my bare stomach and takes it off on occasion to make sure that I'm not too cold. I'm just staring into her eyes, unable to look away from them. A sparkle glimmers for a moment in the both of her eyes, and then she looks right at me, locked in the same gaze I was in.
We stare into each other's eyes for a few moments. Finally, she turns away looking very shy about this. My face holds both a concerned and yet, caring look at the same time. My hand gently moves forward towards her left front hoof and takes a hold of it.
"Coco." I said to her. Her ears perk up a bit and she turns to face me. She still holds a shy look on her face, but is listening to what I was probably going to say next to her. "Why- why did you run away?"
I could feel Coco shaking a bit now and nervousness began to cross into how she looked. I hold her hoof gently and slide a bit forward on the closed toilet seat to get closer towards her. The pupils in her eyes shrink a bit and she looked absolutely frightened to tell me. I move my other hand and gently move it towards her soft mane, giving it a gentle stroke.
I keep my tone at a low volume, remaining gentle with her at all times. "Please, Coco… tell me." I said to her.
"It-" Coco says to me with a bit of a stutter and then she finally takes in a deep breath and just lets it all out about the truth, raising a bit of her shy voice. "Okay, I ran away because I still have a crush on you! I don't care if you have Twilight in your life as your special somepony, I do not care if you marry her either! Ever since meeting you at the swimming centre for those brief moments, I took some interest in you! I can't help this feeling that I have developed for you over the weeks and I really don't want to be brushed aside as just a friend, even if it has to be kept a secret between the both of us! …I love you!"
Silence filled between the both of us. I looked a little surprised at Coco's small emotional outburst and she didn't even release the tears this time. She only looked a little distressed. Her ears were flopped down and her eyes were closed as if she was waiting for the pain of rejection being flown towards her once more. Her breathing seems a bit fast, but keeps at an average pace. I don't want her to start hyperventilating there.
A smile emerges on my face and move off the closed seat, getting closer towards Coco. I knelt down on a knee and pulled her closer towards me. Her hoof moves around my back and gently presses down there without force. My two arms go around her back and gently stroke her withers. I was sharing a gentle, yet soft hug with her to keep her calm. The hug lasts for a few silent seconds and while keeping my arms there, I turn my head to look at Coco.
Coco's eyes open up a bit and I'm gazing into her eyes. The gaze felt heavenly and it feels like the first time I've fallen in love all over again. The both of our heads start to move slowly towards each other. My lips open up only a tiny bit as well as hers. Both of my eyes tint down a bit, and eventually come to a close. I could tell that Coco's eyes were probably also closed as well. My head kept going forward while I kept some expectation of what could happen next. Then, it happened.
My lips were softly pressing against Coco's gentle and smooth lips. Her lips soon press against mine and we are both locked together in a passionate and romantic kiss. My heart inside was beating really fast, and I could tell that even though my heart doesn't have a mind, it was beating of happiness.
The kiss lasted for a few moments, and both me and Coco release from it and look each other in the eye. She looked rather happy to see my silent response to her. Now it is as good a time for me to confess about this.
"The truth is… I love you too. I care about you and how beautiful you look. I'm not sure what got it snapped into me, but it's the same feeling that I have now developed for you. Twilight will always be a major part in my heart, but I am willing to let you in." I told her, pressing my head gently against her soft forehead.
From the top angle, I could see her cheeks begin to light up with a hint of blushing. I never let go of the gaze between the both of us. From what I see outside her eyes, she looked a little bit tired. It was already 12:55am in the morning when the both of us got back to the apartment. So it must explain the bags under her beautiful eyes. I too was feeling a bit tired as well from the day, plus tomorrow would be my last day in Manehattan, so I better make tomorrow feel good for the both of us.
"Coco…" I said to her with a gentle touch to my voice. "It's late at night, and the both of us are tired as of now. Shall… shall I bring you to bed?"
Coco smiles at me softly and says "Yes, please."
I nod with the smiles shared among each other. I bend upward a bit and extend out my arms so she can get into them. Coco trots towards me, getting onto two hooves and falling backwards into my arms, feeling warm and soft. Finally, I get back onto my two feet and begin to carry her out of the bathroom.
I step out into the hallway, and head towards the slightly opened bedroom door. My right foot is gentle to push open the door and let the slight tint of moonlight fill into the room. My feet step right onto her carpet again and I move towards the side of the bed. Lowering down on one knee, I gently stretch out a bit of my arms and place Coco onto her bed, letting my hands that underneath her back slide out.
Coco looked rather relaxed and her closed mouth makes a bit of a moan for that purpose.
I am quick to slide out of the bedroom for a few moments to get myself changed into my Pyjamas. After doing all of that business inside of the guest bedroom I was staying in, I come walking back into Coco's bedroom. She had her hair clip by her nightstand and the tie I saw her wear each day was placing upon that same nightstand as well. She looks at me with those tired eyes and smiles a bit.
I walked forward onto the opposite side of her bed and place my hands onto the ends of the covers she placed her under. I pull them back and allow myself to slide right onto her bed and place the cover right back on top of me. It felt rather comfortable and I always thought about having this kind of bed if I could afford it in bits.
I turn towards Coco Pommel and she is smiling at me. She says "I was going to ask you that kind of question. Can you sleep with me tonight? I- I promise I won't try to do anything 'funny' that would cause trouble between you and Twilight."
I move my left hand and gently caress her soft right cheek. I smile and just say "Of course, and I'll take the promise wisely." A blush emerges on her face again.
I moved much closer to Coco and wrap the both of my arms around her, gently holding her close to me and my nose touching her nose in a romantic kind of way. All was quiet for the ambience except for the furnace which was only making a rather light non-bothering noise.
"Let's get some rest," She says to me. "I can't wait to spend tomorrow with you."
"Me too," I replied back to her. "It's my last day here in Manehattan, but I'm sure we'll do something together that both of us will mutually agree upon."
Coco giggles and gently places her lips onto my own and gives me a gentle and caring peck. I too, share this peck with her and then she lets out a happy sigh, placing her head onto the pillow and closing her eyes right there with the smile on her face. I too, place my head onto her pillow, holding her close to me and gently nuzzle her nose one last time before I closed my eyes to earn that rest that I just earned.
Good night Equestria, and good night Manehattan. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I will see you at the breaking of dawn. I already know my last day in Manehattan will be worth it before I head back to Ponyville to see my friends again.