Later that day, Coco was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling. She was getting some excellent fretting done. She had plenty to worry about, considering she was letting everypony she’d ever known down.
Her lamenting was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Hey, Coco! Can I come in?”
Coco rolled out of bed and opened the door. A freshly showered Sapphire was standing there, smelling faintly of lavender.
“Hey, Sapphire.”
Coco tried to keep the exhaustion out of her voice, but judging by the way Sapphire’s face fell that she hadn’t done a good job.
“Everything okay, Coco?”
“Oh, yeah, everything’s just fine.”
Sapphire didn’t seem convinced.
“It’s okay, hon, you can talk to me. We’re all friends here.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Coco mumbled.
“Hmm?”
“Oh, nothing. Just thinking a little.”
Sapphire hopped up on her bed. “Anything I can help with?”
Coco shrugged.
The two of them sat in silence. Well, near silence: Sapphire was humming something softly. Coco could feel the warmth radiating off the other mare. She found herself wanting to seek that warmth, to just cuddle up again and forget about everything. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She already felt like she was abusing everypony’s trust, and that would just make her feel like she was further exploiting Sapphire.
“Oh, I think I know what this is about,” Sapphire said suddenly.
Coco’s eyes shot open. Could Sapphire have actually figured it out? Had she said something wrong?
But before she could fully panic, Sapphire continued. “You’re just nervous about talking to Caddy.”
“What? The Princess? Again?”
“Come on, you know what she said. Gotta practise that name. Here, pretend I’m her.”
“I…”
“Good roleplaying! Wow, you’ve really got it bad for her, don’t you?”
“I don’t…”
“Now. What’s my name?”
“Sapphi—Cadance.”
“I’m pretty sure that counts as a stutter. Try again.”
“Sapphire.”
“Good job on not stuttering, but that’s not her name. Come on, you’ve got this.”
“SAPPHIRE. Please stop!”
Sapphire blinked at Coco, who realised, to her horror, that she’d been yelling.
“I’m sorry, Coco. I got a little carried away. I uh, really like roleplay.”
Coco filed that thought away to never think about again.
“It’s okay, Sapphire. Really. But what did you mean about her coming back? I thought she only came by once in a while.”
“Well she said you had ‘til the end of the day to say her name correctly, right?”
“I thought she was just teasing me…”
“Oh, she was absolutely teasing you. But that doesn’t mean she wasn’t serious.”
“Oh dear.”
“Hey. Coco?”
“Yeah?”
“Cadance is here.”
“Wait! What!? Where!”
“Okay, I was right. You’ve got it bad for her.”
“No I don’t!”
Even as Coco said it, she could feel her face flush. Of course Cadance was beautiful, she was the embodiment of love! But that didn’t mean she had a thing for the mare. She’d only just met her! It takes more than that, to fall for a pony, right?
“But, you do want to see her?”
“Absolutely!”
Just not for the reason you’re thinking of.
“I promise, you don’t need to be nervous. Here’s what you’re going to do…”
Coco and Sapphire were hanging out in the lounge with a gaggle of other residents. Most of the crystal ponies, Sapphire included, had never been outside the Empire before. Coco’s tales of skyscrapers in Manehattan and the sprawling residential neighbourhoods of Hooflyn and Queens had drawn quite the crowd.
“So how many ponies were there in your building?”
“I think there were at least a hundred. It was a pretty tall, and the rooms were really small.”
“Wow!”
“I don’t think there’s a hundred ponies in my whole neighbourhood!”
“I’m not even sure I know a hundred ponies!”
“Oh, I didn’t know everypony in my building. My immediate neighbours came over sometimes, and the super, but mostly we keep to ourselves.”
“That’s so weird!”
“How do you handle it?”
“It could be a little lonely,” Coco admitted.
“I can’t imagine living somewhere so… cold. I love knowing my neighbours! Especially all of you!”
“Aww! I like you too!”
Right in front of her, a bunch of the ponies gathered began trading nuzzles and even a few kisses. Not wanting to be left out, Coco offered Sapphire a nuzzle. Kisses would take a bit more time, though. After all, she’d never even… It would be a while, anyway.
A pony dressed in armour knocked politely on the open door. As if to further drive home the difference between here and Manehattan, everypony turned to greet her. A few addressed the newcomer as “Diamond Comet,” “Comet,” and “Di.”
“Business or pleasure, hon?” Sapphire asked.
“Business, I’m afraid,” she answered, to a chorus of disappointed groans. “I’m looking for somepony named ‘Coco,’ does anypony know them?”
Coco raised her hoof.“That’s me.”
Diamond Comet looked her up and down. Was she… checking her out? Appraising her? Looking for any hidden intentions, like joining a harem under false pretenses?
“The Princess has requested your presence.”
A chorous of “ooooohs” followed a very flushed Coco as she moved towards the door.
As she walked past, Sapphire whispered “Go get her!”
Coco’s attempt to sink into the floor was a mixed success at best. All she managed to do was lower her head and flatten her ears.
It was a long walk to… wherever they were going. Diamond wasn’t really the talkative type, it seemed. Coco’s attempts at small talk were rebuffed with single word responses or monosyllabic grunts. Coco could take a hint, so they continued in silence.
It was no wonder Coco had gotten lost in the palace. Diamond took turns seemingly at random, zig-zagging around in ways that should’ve led in circles but didn’t. Coco secretly wondered if she was being messed with, if this was all some sort of newbie hazing ritual. Surely the palace couldn’t be this big. And surely the throne room would be one of the easiest to find.
Then they walked past a large atrium with a pair of crystal thrones in it.
“We’re not going to the throne room?” Coco asked.
Diamond didn’t even glance back. “Princess Cadance will receive you in her quarters.”
“Oh.”
That could be a good thing! Maybe she wasn’t about to be thrown out. Surely banishments weren’t done in private.There’d be a trial or something. Ponies needed to witness a verdict for it to count, right?
Or… maybe the Princess wanted to handle this quietly. She’d be sternly told off, then shipped off to YakYakistan. That’d keep Coco off the grid, out of the press. Did the Crystal Empire even have newspapers? Did Rarity get them? What would she do if she saw Coco in one? Maybe there was a fate worse than being exiled.
They arrived at Cadance’s door, which was adorned with her cutie mark. Diamond knocked once.
“Come in,” Princess Cadance called.
Coco prayed her knees weren’t wobbling as she walked inside.
Diamond didn’t follow, instead saluting and taking up position outside.
The door closed behind Coco as she entered. It wasn’t loud, but to her it sounded like the tolling of a funeral bell.
“Hi—” Cadance began.
“PLEASE DON’T BANISH ME!” Coco blurted out.
Cadance blinked, then smiled coyly.
“Why, have you been... naughty?”
Coco may not have been particularly… adventurous before, but she knew innuendo when she heard it.
She flushed bright scarlet. “No… no your Highness.”
“Relax, Coco, I’m just teasing. And I told you to call me Cadance.”
“Right. Sorry, Cadance.”
“See? I knew you could do it. In fact…” Cadance purred.
Oh no oh no oh no.
“I think we had a little deal. Are you still interested in dinner?”
Then Princess Cadance smiled, and somehow Coco got even redder.
And almost without even realising she’d said it, Coco answered.“I think I would like that very much.”
“Excellent,” Princess Cadance replied.
She walked over to Coco and leaned down to nuzzle her. The Princess was impossibly soft, even softer than Sapphire.
As they nuzzled, Princess Cadance whispered in her ear.“It’s a date.”
Coco swallowed, and tried not to pass out.