I fumbled with the shop’s key. It seemed to refuse to go into the lock no matter what angle I tried. “I’m more tired than I thought,” I said to Coco.
“We could go back to Rarity’s and crash on one of her couches.” Coco leaned against me and giggled. “I bet she could magic us both one in less than a minute.”
“You wouldn’t know where she hides those things would you?” The lock and key worked together, and I opened the door.
“I don’t know, but it has to be a big place.” Coco giggled again. “Maybe she buys all of Davenport’s rejects for cheap and stores them in the basement of Twilight’s castle.”
I let Coco enter the shop first. After stepping inside, I shut and locked the door behind us.
Coco led us to the back of the shop and into the workroom. “Oh, right stairs,” she half groaned, looking toward the stairwell. “No rest for the weary. Unless there is some way I could convince you to haul me up.”
“I can do that.”
“I’m kidding, but thanks for being sweet.” Coco giggled and put a hoof over her mouth. “Sorry, I’m so tired I have the giggles.”
I smiled at her and asked, “Has anypony carried you by magic before?”
“Not since I was little. I don’t even have a clear memory of it, it was so long ago.”
“Let’s fix that.”
Coco blinked. “You’re serious?”
“I’m serious.”
“I’ve wondered what it would be like, now that I’m older.” One of her ears turned in concern. “But I’m so much bigger, isn’t that going to be a problem? I remember my brother saying that it was tougher to levitate something than it was to lift it by hoof.”
“I’ll admit Rarity and Sassy have an edge on their control, but for sheer oomph I’ve got them beat thanks to all the training I’ve done. You’re a petite mare. Carrying you won’t be a problem at all.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Hold still for a second.” I focused my magic on Coco and lifted her from the floor. “Comfy?”
“This is great.” Coco giggled. “You’re magic tingles against my coat a bit.”
“I’ll make it quick.”
“Don’t rush, I didn’t mean it like it was a bad thing.”
Walking up the stairs while carrying Coco in my magic took most of the concentration I had left. When I got to the top of the stairs, I remembered I had locked the door. I muttered impolite things under my breath.
“If you need to, you can put me down,” Coco said. “This has to be similar to trying to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time enough as it is.”
“I don’t trust myself to let you down safe on the stairs. Levitating you back to the first floor would push my abilities more than I want to risk too. We’ll have to go back down the stairs.”
“How about you put me on your back?”
I turned my head to look at Coco.
“I’m serious,” she said and gave a sure nod.
Being careful of the limited space, I floated Coco so she could settle on my back. I got a hold of the key in the spot I had tucked it. Never mind the lovely distraction on your back, let’s see if you can manage this lock better than the last one, I thought.
Coco shifted so more of her body pressed against my back.
I tensed at the new sensations the contact brought.
I think I can feel her-!
Coco wrapped her forelegs around my neck and kissed my left ear.
Clean thoughts and control! Clean thoughts and control! I begged myself in a pseudo mantra.
“You’re comfy.” She said and rested her chin on top of my head. “You’re mane is nice and soft too.”
I somehow got the key in the lock and opened the door.
“You’re getting warm.” Coco said as I stepped into the apartment. “Are you feeling okay?” she asked and shifted her position again.
If you weren’t certain you were feeling them before, you know you’re feeling them now!
“You have that effect on me,” I said aloud, trying to sound collected and failing.
“I’ve noticed, and I’m glad I do.” She slid from my back, rubbing against me last as long as possible before making a light landing on her hooves.
I stared at her as she walked in front of me and tried to regain my composure.
She looked over her shoulder, gave her tail a flirtatious flick, and smiled.
“You, Miss Coco, are a tease.”
Coco giggled and raised an eyebrow. “This coming from the pony who just levitated me at the perfect angle so I could admire his rear end and get glimpses of his other assets as he walked up the stairs.”
I imagined what she must have seen as we came up the stairs and groaned. “I didn’t plan that!” I protested. “Had I thought about it I wouldn’t have done it.” I put a hoof to my forehead and sighed. “I can’t seem but embarrass myself when I’m alone with you today.”
“From what I’ve seen you have nothing to be ashamed of.” Coco turned and I could see she had a light blush herself. “Thank you for carrying me up the stairs.” She grinned. “And thanks for giving me a ride for the last bit too.”
“I think I enjoyed that part more than you did,” I admitted.
“Somepony’s being more open about what he likes.” She giggled. “I wonder what I need to do to get you to tease back.”
“That was more than enough.”
“Really? Let’s see.” She shifted into an imitation of a Royal Guard’s standard pose. “I want you to show both your verbal and tactile teasing skills.”
I stepped to her and kissed her forehead. “Keep your eyes shut for me, please.”
“Okay.”
I kissed and nibbled her ear. Controlling my breath and making as little noise as possible, I lowered my head to kiss her cheek and then her jaw. Putting my nose just under her jawbone, I kissed her neck, letting my lips linger on her pulse.
“It’s getting hard for me to just stand here,” Coco said with a touch of pleased tension in her voice.
I chuckled. “Good.” I traced my lips down her neck, keeping gentle contact with her coat. When I reached the crook of her neck, I gave her collarbone a light nip and a kiss. I she rewarded my actions by taking a catching breath.
“After we finish our courtship, I plan to make up for not showing you the proper amounts and kinds of affection I have for you.”
I raised my head to her ear, while touching the spot where I had kissed her collarbone with my hoof.
“You’re a very enticing temptation for me, but I’ve kept my passion for you in check.”
I kissed the tip of her ear, let my lips slide down to the edge of the soft furred warm inner portion of her ear, and kissed it again.
Coco pawed the floor with a hoof and gave an appreciative noise.
“As you saw this morning, that is becoming all but impossible for me.” Keeping my movements as silent as possible, I moved parallel to her side and traced my hoof with as light a touch as I could manage along her collarbone. “There is no aspect of you I am not eager to explore.”
I stopped my hoof at her shoulder and then moved it down her upper foreleg. “Your strong, supple legs.”
Keeping my hoof at the same elevation on her body, I moved further back and ran my hoof along her ribs. “Your beautiful coat.”
My hoof came to her cutie mark and I traced its outline. “Your eye drawing flanks.”
I let my hoof make slow circles to the center of her mark and I eased myself closer to her. I positioned myself so I would remain clear of her hind legs and lifted my hoof from her cutie mark.
For several silent, uneventful seconds, I enjoyed the sound of Coco’s excitement laced breathing.
I smiled as she turned an ear and then her head towards me but kept her eyes closed. I leaned to get at a safe angle for the finale. I drew in a breath and her scent with enough force I was certain she could feel it.
“Pin?”
As soon as she said my name, I gave a nip to base of her tail where it connected to her hips.
Coco whinnied, jumped forward, and gave a slight buck with her hind legs.
“And your more delicate aspects,” I finished, grinning as she looked back at me with a full blush and wide eyes.
“Where did that come from?!”
“You’ve been driving me wild, so I thought it appropriate that I acted in a manner reflecting that.”
Coco did not respond, but stood looking at me as if I had appeared out thin air.
Through my bravado, there was a flash of fear that I had taken things too far.
“You didn’t learn that from any book,” Coco praised.
My relief at her words allowed my full smile to return. “That’s true, but I look forward to being able to demonstrate to you all that I’ve learned from them.”
She looked down at my hindquarters and raised her eyebrows. “Somepony is feeling bolder. Maybe I have unleashed a wild animal.”
I turned to face her, wanting her to focus what I wanted to tell her. “I want to be passionate with you, but I never want to be an uncontrolled beast.”
Coco’s ears fell a bit. “I didn’t mean anything like that.”
“I know you didn’t, but giving you the impression that I’m a lust crazed brute has worried me.”
Coco’s ears returned to standing and she gave me a sweet smile. “Pin, I have only felt cared for and safe around you.”
I let out a relieved breath. “I’m glad.”
“To be honest, I’ve worried that my kidding around and teasing you makes me look like an easy mare or a gold digger.”
I snorted. “Neither of those thoughts ever crossed my mind. I’ve only thought of you as an attractive, talented mare, and that I’ve been very lucky to have you come into my life.”
Coco turned so she was square to me, wrapped her forelegs around my neck, and kissed me. She broke off the kiss with a sudden withdrawal of her lips from mine. “Pin, if we want to keep our special night as special as Canterlot tradition would have it, I need to take a cold shower right now.”
“We may want to sleep apart tonight too,” I suggested. “As you can tell, I am very, very tempted for us to break with tradition, but I think we’re both too tired for us to make the event what we want.”
Coco gave me a look and asked, “Just what kind of event are you thinking about?”
“The kind that lasts until one or both of us gives out.”
She giggled and kissed my nose. “Be careful. I’m an earth pony mare with lots of endurance. That could be quite a challenge.”
“I’m a wily unicorn with lots of tricks, magical and otherwise.” I returned her hug with a foreleg and nuzzled her cheek. “I look forward to facing that challenge.”
*****
A knock on the shop’s back door made me pause.
I stepped from behind the shop’s counter and went into the workroom. “I’ll be right there,” I called.
When I opened the door I paused. I had the surprise of seeing Berry, Cheerilee, Pinch, and Spike standing outside.
“Good afternoon ladies and dragon,” I said.
“Good afternoon,” Cheerilee said. “I’m beginning to think that you and Rarity may need some remedial math lessons.”
“What do you mean?”
She gave me a disapproving look. “I still haven’t gotten that invoice.”
I laughed. “Rarity and I had to stop when we got to the point we would need to divide by zero to figure out what portion of nothing each of us would have.”
“Pin, that is not acceptable,” Cheerilee fussed. “I owe you two, and I will pay it back.”
“Get Rarity a gift card to the Ponyville Spa, and that will settle things,” I suggested.
Cheerilee thought for a moment and nodded. “For her it would. What about you?”
I lifted a hoof and inspected it. “My hooves aren’t perfect, but I don’t think they need professional help.”
Cheerilee gave a snort. “Pin, be serious.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I have everything I need or want. In fact, I feel that I owe you since you helped me clear out some shelf space. Now Coco and I can experiment with new designs.”
“Wow, dude, you do have it bad,” Spike muttered.
“Is Coco here?” Pinch asked.
“No, she’s over at Rarity’s right now. I was closing up the shop and about to head there myself.”
“Oh.” Pinch seemed anxious. “Well, we were going to go there too.”
“Pinch, are you okay?”
She nodded and hugged me. “I just got some big news and I’m still working through it in my head.”
I looked to Berry as I hugged Pinch.
“None of us can say anything yet,” Spike said. “It’s royal, secret business that we can only talk about when we’ve gathered the ponies involved all together.”
“I will do anything I can to help the Sisters,” I vowed. “Name what you need, and I’ll provide.”
“Wow, I’ve never seen this side of you,” Berry said with a grin. “Too bad Coco isn’t here, she’d swoon.”
Before I could form a question or response, Pinch looked up at me and said, “It’s nothing like that.”
“Wrong princesses too,” Spike said.
“Don’t tell him that, he might back out,” Berry said. “He gets weird if you mention one princess in particular.”
I looked back down to Pinch. “What in Equestria is going on?”
Pinch shook her head. “I can’t give hints. I promised.”
“Promised who?”
Pinch shook her head again. “I can’t say who made me promise either.”
I chuckled and let go of Pinch. “Sounds like I’ll have to finish up closing up so I can find out.”
Pinch nodded. “Can I help?”
“Thanks, but there’s nothing much you could do.” I looked to Spike. “Want me to meet you over at Rarity’s, since you’re heading that way too?”
“That’ll work,” Spike said.
“I’ll be right behind you,” I promised. “The last thing I have to do is close the register, and I’m about done with that.”
“I want to stay and visit with him for a couple minutes, while he works,” Berry said. “We’ll catch up.”
Berry and I waved to the others goodbye and watched them disappear around the corner of the shop.
“So… how did things go?” Berry asked, while we were still waving.
“We’ve put things off.”
“Pin.”
I turned just in time to have Berry take my muzzle in her hooves.
Berry looked me in the eye and said, “I hope you’re not serious, or you’re both in berry serious trouble with me. You two either need to move things along or call it all off right now.”
“Just for two nights!” I explained. “We’re helping Rarity meet her orders. We wanted to take a full evening for ourselves when we finish our courtship.”
Berry’s eyes lost their dangerous glint. “Oh, good, there for a second I thought the three of us would need to sit down together and have a berry intense talk.”
“You don’t have to worry about us putting things off for too long. She and I are at the point that one of us will take a tease a bit too far and we’ll break Canterlot courting traditions in the most carnal way they can be.”
“Wait, you’ve teased her? I’m so proud of you!” Berry smiled, leaned closer, almost putting her nose to mine, and demanded, “Details.”
I blushed. “I won’t give you all the details, things got… intense, but I’ll tell you what I can without embarrassing her or myself too much.”
“Never mind, I can wait.” Berry’s grin shifted. “We will be over at Rarity’s.”
The way she said it made my ears pin back.
Berry released my muzzle and gave my nose a light tap with her hooves. “Rarity, Sassy, and me will get the details out of both of you.”
Two fillies ran around the far corner of the shop.
“Sis?!” Piña said, as she and Noi skidded to a stop close to Berry and me.
“What are you two doing here?” Berry asked. “I thought you were supposed to be helping setting everything up with your class.”
“Everypony is taking a break for dinner,” Piña said. “Have you seen Pinch?”
“You just missed her,” I said. “She, Spike, and Cheerilee are heading over to Rarity’s for some kind of meeting.”
“So she was invited,” Noi said to Piña.
Piña turned her attention to me. “Do you know what the meeting’s about?”
“I haven’t a clue,” I answered. “I was about to close up shop and Berry and I were going head over there ourselves.”
Noi looked to Piña. “What do we do now?”
“We go to the meeting,” Piña said without hesitation.
“Sis, I don’t know what’s going on either, but from what I can tell the meeting is invitation only and at least two of the princesses are involved so you can’t just storm in,” Berry told her.
Piña’s expression became worried, and she swallowed. “Do you know how long the meeting will be?”
“I don’t have a clue, to be honest.”
“But Liza is waiting. I can’t go back and tell her that Pinch isn’t coming to see her.” Piña sniffed. “I promised I would bring Pinch to her.”
Noi hugged Piña from the side. “We’ll figure something out.”
“We don’t have enough time.” Piña’s cheeks discolored with tears. “I feel horrible. She’s going to have her heart broken again.” She pawed the ground in frustration, kicking up a clod of dirt and crass. “I should have kept my big mouth shut.”
“Oh, Sis, don’t cry.” Berry took both fillies in a hug and nuzzled the top of Piña’s head. “Tell us what is going on, and we’ll help.”
A push of air along the ground heralded Thunderlane’s arrival as he landed. “Whoa, I was just supposed to help gather ponies together, but this looks serious.” He looked to the fillies with concern. “What’s going on?”
“We’re okay. I was trying to help Liza.” Piña buried her face in Berry’s coat. “And I messed it up.”
“Liza’s waiting at the castle with a note to give to Pinch, since she’s too nervous to talk with her,” Noi said. “Piña volunteered to find Pinch for Liza, but Pinch had left the castle and nopony knew where she went.”
“What did she mean ‘break her heart again’?” I asked.
“Liza had a crush on Twist and tried to give her a Heart and Hooves Day letter. Before she could, Twist and Truffle, a colt in our class, exchanged cards they had written for each other. Liza was so upset she threw the card she had written for Twist away.”
“Ouch,” Thuderlane said.
“Yeah, it was bad,” Noi said. “Pinch, who was her friend already, helped Liza get over her disappointment.”
“And Liza developed a crush on Pinch,” Berry said.
Noi nodded. “We think so.”
Piña raised her head from Berry’s coat. “I told Liza about what Pinch had said about her yesterday, while we were helping set things up. She asked whether Pinch had anypony to go to the Celebration with. When I told her no, Liza got excited. I think Liza is going to ask Pinch to go to the Celebration.”
“Which adds to your overall time pressure since its two days away,” I said.
Piña nodded and sniffed. “It’s so important to her, and after what happened with Twist I don’t want her to get feelings hurt again. Even if Pinch tells her no, she can do it in way that won’t tear Liza up.”
A shadow passed over us and then made a sharp turn around.
“Don’t move anypony, he’s coming in fast!” Thunderlane said.
Rumble passed back over us and made an impressive, near vertical landing just a few lengths away. As soon as he got his hoofs back under him, he turned and ran the short distance to us.
“Is somepony hurt?!” He stopped a foreleg’s length away from Berry and the girls and looked them over. His coat bristled and his wings flared in an angry display. “Did somepony hurt my training partners?”
“Whoa there, Bro!” Thunderlane said and waved his hooves in placating manner. “No need to go protective pegasus on us, everypony is fine.”
“But Piña’s crying,” Rumble said. “Piña’s tough, she never cries.”
“I’m fine. I’m just stupid, did something stupid, and now I’m crying about it like a foal,” Piña said and sniffed.
“You are not stupid,” Rumble told her with insistence. “Are you hurt?”
Piña looked at him and shook her head.
Rumble looked into Piña’s eyes and asked, “You promise?”
She gave him a smile through the last of her tears. “I promise.”
Rumble’s coat smoothed out and his wings relaxed.
Thunderlane chuckled. “That was impressive.”
Rumble looked toward his brother. “What, my landing? I could have done better, but I was worried about Noi and Piña and didn’t concentrate. I’m lucky I didn’t get hurt.”
“The landing wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what I was talking about. I’ve seen Rainbow when she’s protecting somepony important to her.” Thunderlane gave Rumble a proud older brother’s grin. “You were right up there with her in your display.”
“Thanks,” Rumble said and looked back toward Berry and girls. “Noi and Piña are important to me.”
Berry gave a good-humored snort. “I see how it is. The rest of us are just window dressing.”
“That’s not what I meant!” Rumble protested. “I was worried about you and Mister Pin too. I just...”
Rumble’s words seemed to fail him and he looked ashamed.
“Rumble, it’s all right, I get it,” Berry said.
The colt approached Berry with his ears down, his wings pinned firm to his side, and his tail half tucked. “Miss Berry, ma’am.”
Berry raised an elder sister’s scrutinizing eyebrow. “Yes, Rumble.”
“Can I,” Rumble seemed to have trouble phrasing his words, but his gaze went to Noi and Piña with clear intent. “Please?” he asked Berry, his nose a mere hoof above the ground.
Berry smiled. “Sure.”
Berry let go of Noi and Piña. As soon as she gave enough room, Rumble hurried in and took Piña in his forelegs. Noi joined him in hugging Piña, and he wrapped both fillies in his wings. He gave Piña a comforting nuzzle and cooed soft noises to her. “It’s okay. We’re right here. We’ll help, whatever is going on.”
Thunderlane’s mouth fell open as he stared at the three foals.
Berry giggled. “I take it Rumble didn’t tell you.”
Thunderlane shook his head. “Bro, you have to tell me things like you having two training partners now.”
Rumble blushed. “I sort of have two training partners.”
Thunderlane’s wings rustled in agitation. “You either you do or you don’t. You shouldn’t play around with fillies’ affections like that.”
“He has two training partners, but only one ‘training partner’,” Noi said. “We both love Piña, but he got to her first. I got jealous of him for having her and of her for getting the extra training, but we worked things out.” Noi leaned a bit and nuzzled Rumble, which caused his blush to intensify. “I’m getting a crush on him fast, though. He’s a sweetheart.”
“I’ve worried about him being able to keep up with Piña,” Thunderlane stage whispered to Berry in a joking tone. “Noi’s so much like Piña they might as well be twins. There’s no way he will survive two of them.”
Noi and Piña gave Thunderlane near to identical glares.
“In for a bit, in for a gem,” Berry said. She looked to the foals. “Back on subject, how are we going to help Liza?”
Rumble looked at Berry with his ears askew. “Liza?” He folded his wings back to his side and let go of Piña. “Liza was fine, when I saw her back at the castle. I was about to go back to keep helping set things up, but I saw you guys and thought there might be trouble. Do you need me to deliver a message to her or something?”
“Let me close up the shop, while you bring Rumble and Thunderlane up to speed,” I said. “We’ll be on a tight time table, if we’re going to help.”
I trotted back into the shop and finished putting things away as fast as I could. When I stepped back outside to lock the door, Piña was finishing her summary of what had happened.
“We’ve got this,” Rumble said. “We just have to get to Rarity’s and Spike first.” He looked to Berry. “Miss Berry, can you and Pin walk slow over to Rarity’s? They can’t start the meeting if you two aren’t there too.”
Berry smiled. “We can do that.”
“Thank you, Ma’am,” he said and gave Berry a bow.
“Sis, Noi,” Berry said and gave them a nod. “You have a keeper.”
Rumble turned to his brother. “Lane, can you fly to the castle and tell Liza we’ll be there as soon as we can, and we’re bringing Pinch with us?”
“I can.” Thunderlane gave Rumble a look. “Bro, what are you thinking?”
“We’re going to fillynap my niece aren’t we,” Piña said and grinned.
“We’re going to ‘borrow’ her. Spike too, if we have to,” Rumble said. “Princess Twilight sent me with a message give to Lane to get everypony involved in the meeting there. She told me that Spike would send her a message when everypony was at Rarity’s.”
“Let’s do this!” Noi said.
Berry laughed as the trio of foals raced towards Rarity’s boutique.
Thunderlane sighed and shook his head. “My little brother, what have you gotten yourself into?”
“Conspiring against a princess, fillynapping, dragonnapping,” I named. “Impressive for a colt of his age, I think.”
Thunderlane snorted. “I meant getting himself tangled up with those two.”
“That’s my sister you’re disparaging,” Berry mock growled. “As much as Noi is around our place, I’m all but an aunt to her, so I take offense for her sake too.”
“Since time is of the essence, I better go,” Thunderlane said backing away from Berry.
“Lane, running won’t help,” I told him. “She will be at the meeting too.”
“This buys me a little more time and it’s for a good cause,” he said and took off. “Remember, amble that way!”
“We will finish this discussion!” Berry called after him and laughed.
“Let me lock the door, and we can go.”
“Don’t rush,” Berry said. “Remember, slow is the word.”
I locked the door and tucked the key away. “As fast as they took off, they’re half way to Rarity’s by now.”
When I turned to her, Berry put a hoof on my chest, stopping me in mid step. “Pin, as much as I want to see you and Coco happy, if you have any doubts about her not being the one for you I want you to call the courtship off. It would be rough for her to recover, but it would destroy you, if things didn’t work out after you two took things that far.” She hugged me. “You can think me an interfering nag, but I don’t want you hurting yourself because of your sense of honor.”
“I would never think you’re a nag.” I hugged Berry back. “Thanks for looking out for me.”
“No doubts?” she asked, giving me a squeeze.
“No doubts. I love her, Berry. There will never be another mare in my life like her.”
She patted my back with a hoof. “Good.” She grinned. “I figured as much, after you showed up with that goodie bag on your back yesterday.”
Berry and I made our way towards Carousel Boutique. A minute or two into our walk she bumped her side into mine. “I’m curious, what was in that bag?”
My cheeks warmed. “Grooming products,” I answered.
“That’s rather vague.”
“I haven’t given her gifts to her. I feel kind of odd letting you know what they are before she does.”
“I thought you would give her the presents yesterday.”
“We changed plans a bit. I gave her one gift; a blanket.”
Berry gave me a look. “A blanket?”
“Made of wool from the ewes of the Crystal Empire.”
“An exotic blanket. That makes more sense.” She bumped into me again. “What was in that bag that’s making you blush?”
“I think I’ll keep that to myself for now.”
Berry giggled. “Did Aloe help you make your selections?”
“She did,” I admitted.
“You and Coco won’t be disappointed. Those oils work like a charm.”
I shut my eyes and shook my head. “Berry, I don’t need those images.”
“I little bit goes a long way too.”
“That’s good to know, but-”
She interrupted, “They don’t taste bad either.”
I looked at her in shock. “Berry!”
Berry pointed a hoof. “I think we walked slow enough.”
I looked where she was pointing and grinned. Rumble was leading Pinch, Noi, and Spike away from the back of Rarity’s boutique at a brisk trot. The quartet of friends had formed a circle around Pinch as if acting as her honor guard.
“Looks like they had to dragonnap Spike.”
“I’m worried about how this will go,” Berry confided.
“Why?”
“Unless something has changed, Pinch has only been interested in stallions.”
“They’ll work things out. Just look at Piña, Noi, and Rumble.”
“I’m not sure how that’s going to turn out either. Golden told me she thought Noi had a crush on Piña a while back. I thought once Piña and Rumble became an item that Noi would find somepony else to moon over.”
“Noi and Piña are a lot alike,” I pointed out. “Would you expect Piña to give up on Noi, if things had been reversed?”
Berry thought for a moment and shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t. I don't want her to get hurt. She acts like she’s tough, but you saw how sensitive she is.”
I hummed a note, tilted my head, and put a hoof to my chin. “That reminds me of somepony, but I just can’t seem to think of who.”
Berry gave me an unamuzed look. “Ha. Ha.”
“She’ll be fine and they’ll be fine. If things go sour, which I doubt they will, we’ll be there to help her bounce back.”
“You seem sure things will work with them. Why?”
“The way they hugged each other, there was genuine concern and affection among the three of them.”
As we approached the boutique’s front door, Rarity opened it, looked at us for a second, and then glanced around as if searching for something. “You wouldn’t have seen a group of foals and Spike come this way would you?”
“So they sneaked out with their objectives,” I said. “Impressive.”
Rarity raised an eyebrow. “I take it you know something I’m not privy to.”
I grinned but did not say a thing.
“They’ll be back,” Berry assured. “They’re helping a friend with something that came up at the last minute.”
“If that is all, why did they do things in secrecy?”
“It adds to the excitement,” I said.
“Ah, yes, I keep forgetting you used to be a bit of a wild colt when you were younger,” Rarity said.
“He’s still got a bit of wild side to him,” Coco said from behind Rarity.
I felt a bit of blush come to my cheeks at the comment.
Coco peeked around the door frame and smiled. “Hello you two.”
“Hello to you too,” I touched my nose to Coco’s for a second in greeting. “How are things coming?”
“We’re getting there. It will be a long night, but we’ll make it.”
“I’m up for getting dinner again and then we can get back to it,” I told her. “What would you like?”
“I get the impression we might as well not be here,” Berry said to Rarity.
“It would seem that way,” Rarity replied, sounding amused and a touch slighted. “Did you notice his ears perked up when he saw her and his smile gained that little something extra?”
Berry nodded. “I did. I noticed her voice got a touch sweeter with him too.”
“I think we’re being mocked,” I said to Coco.
Thunderlane landed not too far behind Berry and me. “Good. Most of us are here. Twilight said she will be starting the meeting on time.”
“How were things when you left?” Berry asked.
“Liza’s a bundle of nerves, but she’s glad that I told her about what was going on. I took off just as soon as Liza and I saw Pinch and the others coming.” Thunderlane made an assuring motion with a wing. “Don’t worry, I didn’t leave her alone. Dinky was there for her for support and Twilight had found us and stayed with her too.”
“Twilight came to see you?” Rarity asked. “She’s been so busy planning everything she’s hasn’t been out of the castle the last few days.”
“Spike sent Twilight a message about what was going on. Whatever happens between Pinch and Liza may impact something concerning the meeting.”
“Let’s step inside,” Rarity said. “We’ve left poor Cheerilee alone by herself.”
We stepped into the boutique’s storefront.
Cheerilee waved at us. “Hello everypony. I take it the foals snuck off.”
“It seems so,” Rarity said. “They took Spike with them, so they shouldn’t get into too much trouble.”
I glanced around, nothing that many of the racks of dresses were gone. “Lots of ponies must have come by to pick their orders up today.”
“Poor Sassy has been helping ponies get their dresses all day, while Coco and I have been in the back,” Rarity told me.
“That’s good. Before we walked in, I was thinking about how we would arrange things if the meeting would have a lot of ponies involved.”
“From what I understand, there should be just a hooffull more coming,” Rarity said.
“We’ll still be a little on the cozy side, which I don’t mind at all,” Thunderlane said and wrapped a wing around Rarity. When she turned to look at him, Thunderlane gave her a soft kiss on the nose. “Hello, my lovely lady. How are you holding up?”
“Tired, stressed, and happy this is all going to be done tomorrow.”
“I’m glad it will be over for you too. You deserve a break, and I plan to treat you to finest that Cloudsdale offers.”
She leaned her head against him. “That sounds wonderful darling.”
Sassy walked in from the workroom. She looked at the gathered ponies and laughed. “It looks like we lost some and gained some. Where did the foals go?”
“They sneaked off to Twilight’s castle,” Rarity said. “They’re on some secret mission to help somepony.”
“At least we know where they went,” Sassy said. She looked at Thunderlane and gave a teasing huff. “You know how to make a mare jealous.”
“I haven’t been able to see her too much, so I’ve got to make up for lost time.”
“Maybe you could follow your brother’s example,” I kidded Thunderlane.
“Ahhhh, no,” Thunderlane responded, while Rarity gave me a look.
Sassy looked towards me and raised an eyebrow. “Speaking of making me jealous, I still want to know what was in that goodie bag you got Coco.”
“You won’t get anything out of him,” Berry said. “I tried and didn’t get much.”
Sassy grinned. “What did you get out of him?”
A slight hum filled the room. A musical popping tone announced Twilight, Barrel, Muffins, Pinch, Spike, and Turner as they teleported into the room.
Pinch glanced around, looking half stunned.
“That was awesome!” Muffins said. “Thank you Princess!”
“I agree!” Turner said, sounding like a colt. “What a remarkable way to travel!”
Twilight grinned. “You’re welcome.”
Barrel sat down, closed his eyes, and shook his head. “I think my vertical and my horizontal are trying to swap places on me.”
Muffins patted Barrel’s back with a wing.
“Good, we’re all here,” Twilight said. She glanced at the boutique’s clock and nodded. “We’re right on schedule too.”
I bowed, but stopped as Twilight gave a noise of dissatisfaction.
“No bowing or titles, please. I may have gotten wings but I’m still just me.”
“Yes, Princess,” I said and raised my head.
Twilight gave me a look.
“Excuse me,” I gave a polite cough into my hoof, “yes, Twilight.”
“Spike, if you would be as so kind as to pass out the letters,” Twilight said.
“On it!” Spike went to everypony in the room and gave us each a letter bearing the royal seal of the Crystal Empire.
I stared down at the envelope. Though my name was on its surface with beautiful script, I could not believe it was for me.
“We’ve lost him,” Berry said. “Coco, give him a poke.”
Hearing Berry’s words, I looked around just as Coco gave me a light jab in the side. The others had opened their letters and seemed to be waiting on me.
“Sorry,” I told them.
“What happened?” Sassy asked. “You zoned out on us there.”
“He was thinking how he would enshrine the letter,” Berry said. “Since Princess Cadence touched it, I’ll bet it’ll end up in a glass case in prominent display somewhere in his apartment.”
I ignored Berry’s joking, and, with care not to damage the wax seal, opened the letter.
Twilight asked, “Why is getting a letter from Cadance such a big deal?”
I looked up from the letter. “She’s the Princess of Love.”
Twilight gave me a confused look.
“I understand, Uncle Pin,” Pinch said. She turned to Twilight. “He thinks about Princess Cadance like I do. Since love is so important to us, we admire her.”
“They’re hopeless romantics and they idolize her,” Barrel said and chuckled.
“There’s nothing wrong with being a romantic,” Muffins said. “Turner is one too.”
“True,” Turner said. “However, I do not have the admiration for Princess Cadance Pin has.”
“She and Shining armor stopped an invasion with the power of their love,” I reminded them, “that’s something to admire to me.”
We all read our letters. When I finished, I looked up at Twilight.
“We get a Crystal Guard?!” Sassy pranced in place. “Can I take him with me to the Celebration too?”
“Darling, I’m not sure that is what Cadance intended,” Rarity told her with a smile.
“Twilight, I’m not sure I understand what is going on,” Coco said. “We’re supposed to meet with a diplomat?”
“Sort of,” Twilight said. “Crystal Hoof is from a kingdom that differs greatly from ours. Cadance and I hoped that having him meet ponies from Ponyville and seeing the town would help him get to know how things can be.”
Rarity blushed. “I take it were to help him with his special dietary needs.”
Twilight smiled and nodded. “We thought it would help him feel better if he could nibble a bit here and there all day.”
“Wow,” Thunderlane said. “I never thought I would ever have met him. Much less…”
Everypony turned to Thunderlane, waiting for him to say something more.
“You know about Crystal Hoof?” Rarity asked.
Thunderlane nodded. “Since the Wonderbolts are part of Equestria’s defenses, we get briefed on certain allies and potential threats.”
“Threats?!” Muffins’ feathers fluffed up and her wings went into a defensive display. “I’m not letting any kind of ‘threat’ near my daughter.”
“He’s an ally!” Thunderlane assured. “From what I understand, he’s all but harmless.”
“You got that right,” Spike said. “The guy wouldn’t hurt a parasprite.”
“You know him too?” Berry asked.
Spike puffed his chest up and tapped on it with a fist. “I’m the one that helped him get the job he has now. He and I are best buds.”
“What’s his job?” Barrel asked.
“He helps look after Princess Flurry along with Sunburst, her Crystaler,” Spike said.
Muffins relaxed. “If Princess Cadence and Shining Armor trust him with Flurry, then Dinky and the other foals should be fine.”
“How does Pinch figure into all of this?” I asked.
“They have selected me as Ponyville’s ambassador for him. I will be showing him around town. Part of the tour will be introducing him to my class and Miss Cheerilee.”
“That seems quite a task for one pony,” Turner said to Cheerilee. “Just managing the foals in such a situation would be more than I would want to contend with. Would you like some assistance?”
“Thank you for the offer, but Ameythest Star and Royal Riff will help me tomorrow. You’ve got your own projects you need to focus on.”
“We won’t give you and Amethyst any trouble,” Pinch said. “Why is Mister Riff coming?”
Cheerilee blushed. “We could use the help, and it’s part of a personal project.”
“You mean?!” Pinch asked, her ears up at attention.
Cheerilee gave a nod.
Pinch squealed in delight.
“Oh no…” Muffins said, and her ears fell, “poor Amethyst.”
“What do you mean, ‘poor Amethyst?’ She’s-” Cheerilee paused and her blush turned cherry red. “Oh. You don’t… oh. She is keeping things quiet then.”
“Darling, you’re not making much sense,” Rarity said. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, thanks. What meant to say is that she and I have talked. We’re… working things out.”
Pinch gasped and a look of realization came to her.
Cheerilee gave Pinch a vulnerable smile. “Pinch, I am trusting you with this, not a word to your classmates, especially not to the Crusaders.”
Pinch nodded. “I promise!” She then went through a full Pinkie Promise. “I’m so happy for you!” She ran up and hugged Cheerilee. “I agree with the Crusaders. You deserve all the love in the world for everything you do for us.”
“You’re so sweet.” Cheerilee gave Pinch a hug back. “Thank you.”
“My daughter might be in a herd?” Muffins asked, sounding as if she had some disbelief.
Berry laughed. “You and I need to sit down and have a nice, long chat.”
Barrel glanced at Pinch. “You’re in a herd?”
“No, Dad, I don’t even have a special somepony,” Pinch said, letting go of Cheerilee.
I felt a sting for Liza.
Berry glanced at me, giving me a silent signal to keep what I knew secret.
“What about that filly that came to talk to me while I was unloading the wine orders at the castle?” Barrel asked with a father’s teasing smile. “She said she had been looking for you and needed to ask you something. Liza is her name, right? I remember she’s come by the house too.”
“Dad!” Pinch turned a wonderful shade of red. “She’s going to the Celebration with Cotton Cloudy! Liza wanted to invite me to go with them since I was the one that helped her open up to Cloudy. She didn’t want me going to the Celebration alone and invited me to go with her and Cloudy.”
“Oh,” Berry and I said at the same time.
“You guys missed that part,” Thunderlane said with a smirk.
Pinch looked at Berry and then at me. “Piña must have said something to you, didn’t she?”
I nodded. “She thought Liza planned on asking you to Celebration.”
Pinch shook her head. “She had it all wrong. Liza gets very shy when she’s trying to say something important to somepony, so she gives them letters or notes instead.”
“Well, you have been friends for a while,” Berry said. “You two had talked a lot too.”
“While intriguing, why don’t we have this conversation at a future time?” Rarity asked, before Pinch could continue. “We’re all on rather tight schedules.”
“True,” Barrel nodded. “I’ve still got wagons to unload, and not much daylight left.”
“Then let’s make this quick.” Twilight looked at all of us. “Anypony who does not want to be a part of this, raise your hoof.”
No pony raised their hooves.
Twilight smiled. “Every pony who is in-”
Everypony raised their hooves before Twilight could finish.
Twilight grinned. “Thank you all for agreeing to this. It will mean a lot to Crystal Hoof.”
“Great!” Spike said with satisfaction, “Another item off the checklist.”
Muffin’s looked to Twilight and asked, “What does this part about ‘another potential guest’ mean?”
Twilight shook her head. “I can’t say, but Cadance and I are hoping to help someone else along with Crystal Hoof. Don’t worry; the ‘potential guest’ is just as harmless as Crystal Hoof.”
“We’ll help as best we can,” Muffins said with conviction.
“I know you all will. Anypony want to go back with me and Spike?” Twilight grinned. “Teleportation would save you steps and time!”
Barrel and Pinch pinned their ears back and grinned awkwardly. “No, thank you,” they said in unison.
“Thanks, but I’ve got things to pick up before coming back by the castle for Rumble,” Thunderlane said.
Cheerilee gave a polite wave. “Thanks, but I’ll walk back with the others.”
“I’m in!” Muffins and moved to stand closer to Twilight.
“Allons-y!” Turner cheered and stood beside Muffins.
Twilight smiled. Her horn lit up for a second and she, Muffins, Spike, and Turner vanished with a flash of light and a hissing pop.
“Wait a minute,” Pinch said, turning to Berry. “If I’m not the one in the herd, then… Piña?!”
“Yep,” Berry said, “guess with who.”
“Rumble and Noi, it has to be.”
Berry confirmed, “Got it in one.”
“Poor Rumble’s not going to make it,” Pinch said.
“If he kicks his training up a notch or two he might,” Thunderlane said. “If not, there are worse ways to go.”
“If herds are so common here...” Sassy cut her eyes toward me and grinned.
I gave a less than dignified squeak, as Coco grabbed me into a firm, possessive hug and glared at Sassy.
*****
“We did it!” I cheered in a quiet voice and touched a hoof to the back door.
“We haven’t made it up the stairs,” Coco pointed out.
“Let’s savor this small victory and then we can worry about going up the stairs.” I managed to work the lock with little effort. “After you,” I said opening the door.
Coco walked into the workshop.
I followed her, locking the door behind us. “Rarity seemed ecstatic that we got everything done, even thought she was dead on her hooves.”
“Earlier she thought we might need to would work through the night to get everything done.” Coco glanced at the clock. “We beat the deadline by five hours.”
I moved to the foot of the stairs and paused. I looked to Coco, who shook her head.
“No magic tonight. I know how tired you have to be.”
“I know how tired you have to be too.” I lowered myself to the floor. “If I can’t use magic, then perhaps you would let me carry you another way.”
“That’s not happening either.” She walked over and kissed my nose as I looked up to her. “I would feel guilty if you hurt yourself carrying me.”
“I would be fine, if you didn’t distract me the way you did last night.”
Coco giggled and touched her nose to mine. “Did you enjoy it, though?”
Looking up at her made me feel like I was confessing a transgression like a naughty colt. “I did.”
“So did I, but let’s not chance anything. Remember, we have tomorrow night to look forward to.” With dainty steps, she made her way around me and started up the stairs. She paused, looked back, at me, and swished her tail to the side.
My blood warmed at the sight.
“Turnabout is fair play,” she teased and ascended the stairs. Every third step, Coco would flick her tail to the side. She reached the top of the stairs, retrieved the key from its hidden nook, and unlocked the door. She looked back at me. “You coming?” she asked in a musical tone, breaking me from my stupor.
“That is a terrible thing to ask a stallion in the condition I’m in.”
Coco laughed. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to get you that riled up.”
“Like you said, turnabout is fair play. I noticed I got you wound up last night.”
“That has to be uncomfortable against the floor. Don’t worry, there’s nothing of you I haven’t seen before.”
I chuckled. “Have you been talking to Zecora?”
“Who?”
“A zebra mare who lives in the Everfree Forest. She talks in rhyme. I’ve heard that if you stay around her long enough it’s catching.”
“She lives in the Everfree Forest?!”
“She’s an alchemist that can handle herself. Ponyville gossip says she’s a spiritual mystic or guru too. She’s braver than I am. I have trouble making it through the forest in broad daylight to visit her cottage to get medicines. I couldn’t imagine living in there.”
I had calmed down enough not to embarrass myself when I stood. I made my way up the stairs and touched noses with Coco. “Thank you.”
She smiled. “For getting the door?”
“For being the mare you are,” I gave her a kiss, “and for the show,” I added and smiled back.
“Pin, no more teasing for either of us,” she said and tapped my nose with a hoof. “If we were tired last night, we’re exhausted now.”
I took her hoof, kissed it, and looked into her eyes, wondering if I dared say what was going through my mind.
Coco giggled. “I know that look. You’re debating whether or not to say something.”
“Coco I want to tell you something.”
Coco’s smile fell a little. “That’s not quite the tone I was expecting.”
“This morning I woke clutching a pillow. When I realized it wasn’t you, I had a horrible thought you had left or that you being here had been some kind of prolonged dream.”
“Pin,” Coco whispered in sympathy and used her free hoof to give my cheek a comforting touch.
“I don’t want to wake up with you not being there.” I looked down to her hoof and mine. “I don’t mean we have to sleep together every night, but I would like to hold you tonight.”
She used her hoof to raise my chin and gave me a kiss that warmed my soul. She ended the kiss and smiled. “That was the most romantic thing anypony has ever said to me.”
“I meant it.”
“I know.” She kissed my nose. “I get to be the big spoon this time.”
“I’ll have to wear protection for that. We were lucky nothing happened when we slept together last time.”
Coco giggled.
It took my tired brain a moment to realize what I had said. Coco gave a full laugh as I sighed and dropped my head. “That did not come out the way I wanted it to.”
“I take it we’re in your bed tonight,” Coco said through the last of her laughter.
“Or the cloud chair, whichever you prefer.”
“I like the cloud chair idea.”
“One second.” I ducked into my room to get my horn protector and my alarm clock. I slid the ball on the tip of my horn, making double sure it was in place.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been in your room before,” Coco said, as I returned to her. “We need to fix that tomorrow.”
Coco led me into the study. She took her sailor’s collar from around her neck the heart’s desire from behind her ear and put them on my desk. She then got on the cloud chair and arranged herself. She patted the space beside her. “Here you go.”
After putting down the alarm clock, I smiled and admired her for a second.
“What?”
“You look as alluring as a mare in a Prench painting,” I said, as I joined her on the chair.
“You flatterer.” She gave me a gentle push so I rolled on my side still facing her. “Better.” She shimmied closer to me and hugged me around my neck. “Scoot closer.”
As I wiggled towards her, I had to turn a bit to avoid poking her with my horn.
She guided my head to her chest and settled against me while putting her hind legs on either side of knees, leaving a comfortable space between us. “There we go. Are you comfy? I don’t want to do anything uncomfortable to your neck.”
“This is perfect. I’m being held my the mare I love.”
She kissed my head just behind my horn. “I love you too.”
I fell into a gentle sleep listening to her breathe and the sound of her heart.