Coco was jerked awake, jolted by a sudden noise which could only be described as a flash, like a crashing detonation of energy but lacking its explosive violence. Her head and eyelids shot upward, her muzzle leaping from her folded forehooves crossed on the counter in front of her. Her vision however immediately changed from unconscious black to still featureless white as it met an all-consuming brightness on waking. Briefly blinded, she felt a wave of rushing air whip through her mane as she rapidly blinked away the stars filling her eyes. As the dancing lights faded clear the world reformed in their absence, revealing a forest of lightly ruffled fabric and a newly materialised dark navy alicorn in the midst of once again lowering the blinds of the shop’s front windows.
‘Hey, sorry about that. I figured from past experience that it might be best for me to ditch the carriage in order to attempt to be a bit more incognito.’
‘It’s okay’ the earth mare corrected, suppressing a rising yawn from interrupting her. ‘You just… well you woke me up’ she confessed with a bashful shrug.
‘Rough night?’ Luna enquired, true concern at the back of her tone, as she turned, coming further in.
‘Yeah, something like that.’ Coco’s answer as she got to her hooves, doing her best to disguise a slight stretch as she went, was if anything a major understatement. The previous night had been “rough” in that it had been generally devoid of sleep, filled instead with sombre discussion trying to fix the damage the preceding day had wrought, whilst she also fought to hold back her anger at those that had caused it. In the end she felt that they had succeeded in at least one of those aims, but nonetheless felt drained by her endeavours, hence her snoozing on the job.
‘I’m sorry’ the princess nodded with a look of care, managing to impossibly convey a total understanding of the other mare’s concerns.
‘Thanks.’ Coco managed to crack a smile. No matter what was overhanging her as a shadow, she would have been lying if she said that she was not still looking forward to the present. ‘Anyway, these are they.’ She gestured to a pair of shapes sat in the middle of the little room. Each one was covered by an expanse of plain cloth which, although she was aware were an indulgent theatricality, she was glad had remained in place in spite of the unexpectedly teleported arrival.
Luna stepped forward light, almost skipping, on her hooves. ‘May I?’
‘Please’ the designer confirmed with a nod, enjoying immensely the princess’ reactions in anticipation.
In one swift motion both covers were swept up from their settled places, wrapped in silvery magic, Luna almost looking like a filly tearing open presents to Coco’s continued delight. With this flourish both outfits stood revealed: an officer’s jacket and a brocaded tunic each in an off-navy blue, elegant without an excess of showy complexity. The now beaming princess was set in motion, ciclinging a slow figure of eight around the pieces as she took them in, reflected light playing in the back of her adoring gaze as her residual power (distractedly casting aside what it held) glittered back from their silver details.
‘They’re pretty much exactly what we discussed’ Coco explained to her captivated audience, ‘aside from the couple of additions which we passed over.’ She moved beside the other mare, filled with fresh confidence as well as a satisfied rush, to guide her eye as she continued. ‘To add texture to the coat’s sash I embroidered it in a scale mail pattern to give it a metallic look, which also emulates the Guard’s segmented armour and the only other major extra I put into the buttons.’ Both jackets were fronted by a double row of four buttons (with others elsewhere topping their few pockets) and each of the minor shined pieces was like jewellery in of its intricate self, their gilded faces embossed with slitted irises formed of blue garnet and onyx. ‘So, what do you think?’
Luna, still smiling, raised an eyebrow as if to mock the necessity of the question whose answer was clearly obvious. ‘Surely you don’t need me to tell you that they’re fabulous, and as for what I think: I can’t wait to try them on. You’ve outdone yourself.’
A faint pink blush spread across Coco’s cheeks at the compliment. It was not the case that she went searching or fishing for such praise, rather she enjoyed seeing the success of her creations, simply appreciating that they were appreciated. ‘Okay, let’s get to fitting.’
---
‘I really do love these.’ Three Princesses of the Night each brought a forehoof over the buttoned fronts of their jackets, pausing on each of the gemstone eyes, whilst a shorter trio of earth mares moved around them altering their outfits. Luna and her circle of reflections smiled, enjoying the view of their look.
‘They seemed to be the central element of the armour’ Coco nodded, taking a momentary step backward in consideration of her work, checking the pinned seam that she was in the midst of adjusting, ‘and after Silhouette explained them they seemed perfect.’
The princesses made an inquisitive frown. ‘So how did she explain them?’
‘Erm…’ Coco cocked her head to one side, more focused on her task at hoof rather than the unexpected question. ‘She said… it was a symbol of you watching over Equestria and by extension them doing so as well in your stead.’
‘And what of their predator’s pupils?’
‘She called them nocturnal as opposed to predatory, after all she and the other guards wear the said same eyes in their faces, being about ever-presence in darkness, defensive as opposed to aggressive. She talked at some length actually, proudly, but you’re the expert so is that right?’
‘When it comes to heraldry the meaning is more often in the beholders’ hooves’ the princess sighed, her tones skirting on the edge of melancholy before resurfacing, ‘but yes, that’s what I’d like it to mean. Anyway, as I said I love their incorporation.’
‘Most of the credit for them should go to Fleur, she’s the one who actually put them together’ Coco jumped in with the correction.
‘Ah yes, that reminds me’ Luna started, gaining a new grin with an added conspiratorial air. ‘I hear by way of Silhouette that congratulations are in order for the two of you.’
‘Yeah.’ It was now the earth mare’s turn to indulge in her own personal grin, although in contrast to the alicorn’s hers bore a certain sheepishness. ‘Thank you. No really thank you’ she repeated meaningfully on receiving a confused look from the one she addressed.
‘For what? For my congratulations? That’s really not necessary, and if you’re thinking of bowing please don’t. Can we just forget that I’ve got a crown?’
‘No no I don’t mean anything like that’ Coco shook her head. ‘It was the night after you first came here to place the order that I got up the guts to ask her, majorly motivated by what you said, having previously just played around with the idea. So yeah, I think I at the very least think I owe you a thank you.’
‘Don’t mention it’ Luna managed, taken aback by the obviously heartfelt praise, ‘I’m glad my rambling served some purpose.’ The room went quiet for a while, broken only by the snapping sound of Coco biting through a couple of loose hanging threads, both mares caught by their own thoughts. ‘So when’s the big day?’
‘In about a week and a half’ Coco answered before taking an elongated pause seemingly having to deliberate what she was on the cusp of saying. ‘And actually I’d like to ask you something about that.’
‘I’m all ears.’
‘Well it’s less of a query and more of a sort of request, although there’s no onus attached to it, which it would be hard for there to be anyway seen as you’re royalty and all, and so I don’t really expect you to say yes but…’
‘Coco please’ Luna interrupted, ‘I’m well aware that you have much more confidence than you let on; what you create speaks volumes for your spirit. You’re a wonderful, talented young mare who a certain unicorn is extremely lucky to have, and who should know better than to cast doubt on her own worth and my want to hear what she has to say. So please, just ask away. If there’s anything within my power that I can do for you, short of turning you into an alicorn which everypony seems to request for some reason, it’s yours. That’s what friends do, and I’d like to think that we’re friends, or at the very least could be.’
‘Um…’ Coco paused again to digest the weighty words the princess spoke, being internally elated but still stumbling over her speech. ‘Erm… I know it’s a big ask, but it would be really nice and would mean a lot if you could be the one to marry us.’
‘I’d be honoured’ the alicorn answered without hesitation.
‘Really?’ Coco’s heart skipped joyously, already tightly wound up by all that the day had gifted her, her form having to resist following suit.
‘Why yes’ Luna confirmed with a clear look of happiness written across her own features, ‘it’s not something that I’ve been asked before. Generally most who want a princess at their wedding look to Cadence or Tia, but then again Love and the Sun are far more appropriate than Friendship or the Night, so I can’t blame them.’ Again that deeper glint of emotion played at the back of her bright azure eyes, but whatever it was the princess was well versed in keeping her feelings in check, at least in terms of their expression. ‘Like I said, I’d be honoured.’