Echo immediately started his brand new day bright and early, changing into his alternate pony form before coming out of his room and getting as much work done as possible so he could have more free time in his day to explore his new home even more. For the first few hours of his morning, he carried large bags and miscellaneous luggage up and down staircases, to various rooms and floors of the hotel. He could occasionally use the elevator if the guests had a very small amount of luggage, but more often than not, they would have over four bags packed with personal belongings that Echo would then have to carry manually up and down the long flights of stairs. It was honest, well-paying work, but his back began to feel it after a while, especially in his back and hooves. He then was able to have a break for lunch, a full hour, so he hobbled weakly to the plaza again, flapping his wings a little to give his hooves a break from walking the many flights of stairs.
He happened upon the café in the plaza where he met the stunningly beautiful white and pink mare the day before, and there she was again, almost as if attending the café on a regular schedule. With a sudden act of bravery, Echo, still in his pony form, walked up to the mare and blurred out impulsively, "YOU ARE VERY BEAUTIFUL AND I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD HAVE LUNCH WITH YOU." Echo then blushed heavily, not knowing what came over him, and started to walk away to avoid any scoffing or scorning from her. "Why did I do that? She would never want to go on a date with me, not in a million years..." Echo thought to himself as he began to trot off in embarassment. "Wait," the mare replied, "Sure, I'll have lunch with you." Echo looked back and immediately returned, standing in front of her at the table, asking in delight, "Really?!"
"Of course," she replied casually, "I haven't had lunch with a colt in such a long time, most of them are so nervous around me that they never get the courage to ask me out, it's a shame really... believe it or not, sometimes it can be a little hard to be beautiful..." The white mare continued solemnly as she sipped her tea. Sitting down in the chair across from her, Echo found it a little hard to actually pay any attention to what she was saying, too preoccupied with her miraculous beauty to care about anything else. Though he managed to pay attention to most of what she was saying as she went on talking about her "hot mare problems", he often lost himself a little in his imagination, focusing on her soft pink mane glistening in the sun, her slender white body, her perfect curves; he imagined occasionally during her one-way conversation what it would be like to kiss her hoof, to hold her gently... to make love to her. He caught himself before his increasingly-pervasive thoughts got too graphic, blushing a little as she finished a sentence. "Hm, what is it?" The pony asked, wondering what Echo was blushing randomly about. "It's just.... you are so incredibly beautiful..." Echo impulsively held her hoof in his and kissed it gently, causing the mare to also blush a little. "Oh, my..." She said as she looked away a little, flattered at Echo's impressive chivalry. "What is your name, by the way?" Echo asked as he looked up, able to hide his surprise that his daring move actually worked on her. "My... *ahem* my name is Fleur de Lis. It's a pleasure to meet you, uh..."
"Echo. Likewise." Echo replied with a broad grin, almost unable to contain his excitement. He kissed her hoof again, even more confident the second time. "Hehe, oh..." Fleur blushed a little heavier as she held out her hoof in a ladylike fashion. "You're such a gentlecolt." She said, smiling uncontrollably. He kept kissing, moving up her arm little by little, almost reaching her shoulder before she stopped him by holding his own shoulder. "S-sorry..." Echo said a little shamefully, hoping she wouldn't reject him now. Fleur responded by lifting his chin up and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Echo blushed deeply as his eyes widened in response, unable to speak. Although a very mild kiss, her touch still sent shockwaves of adrenaline up his spine. "Hehe, I like you Echo, you're cute." Fleur said as she smiled, finishing her tea. "There's something about you that I just like. Would you like to meet again for lunch tomorrow?"
"A-absolutely! I had a wonderful time today, I look forward to seeing you again!" Echo stammered as he got up from his seat and said goodbye, heading back to the hotel. His lunch break was almost over, and although he never actually had any lunch while he sat with Fleur, he didn't care; he was too eager to see her the next day to care about anything. Echo finished up his work for the day, heading back to his room after having a rather large dinner (from not having any lunch earlier), and went out onto the balcony, daydreaming about Fleur as he watched Luna's stars gradually begin to replace Celestia's setting sun. As he changed back into his changeling form for the night, he began to remember what he really was, and what Fleur might think of him if she ever saw him like this. His heart sunk a little as he started to feel the pressure of having to choose between being himself and having the mare he wanted. "I'm.... a monster..." A single tear fell to the floor as he walked out of the balcony and into bed, finding it hard to sleep with all the thoughts swirling in his mind. A while after he finally fell asleep, the mysterious storm from the previous night reappeared in the distance and moved even closer to Canterlot.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Meanwhile, Luna kept watch on the horizon with the telescope from atop the watchtower, her focus held on the ominous glow from the storm. "Sister," She called out to the inner chamber of the room behind her. "It seems as if she's back again, and much stronger than before." Celestia emerged from behind the veil over the doorway, also focusing on the storm. "What should we do, sister?" Luna asked somberly, obviously concerned.
"There is nothing we CAN do." Celestia replied in a serious tone as she also peered through the telescope. "I was not even a match for her in her normal form, much less this monstrosity she's become. I feel the presence of an Ultimelement in the castle, I have for the past few days. We can only hope that this wielder of the element is prepared, because if they can not stop her, we are doomed."