//------------------------------// // Chapter 32 // Story: Pinning the Heart // by Random_User //------------------------------// Chapter 32 “Pin!” somepony called. I looked around, certain I knew the voice. “Pin, over here!” Rose called and waved from her stall. I trotted over to her. “Is everything all right?” “I was going to ask you the same,” Rose said. “You haven’t bought flowers in weeks.” “I should have stopped by, but I don’t buy flowers for myself all that often.” Rose gave me a concerned look. “Is everything between you and Coco okay?” “From what I can tell from her letters.” “Letters?” Rose looked confused. “I thought she had moved in with you.” “She did, but she’s in Manehatten with Rarity working to get a new shop going right now.” Rose’s eyes widened in alarm. “She’s not going to keep Coco up there, is she?!” A few ponies looked in our direction, and I motioned for Rose to keep her voice down. “That wasn’t the plan, but Rarity’s not sure how long she’s going to need Coco’s help before she can come back.” Rose sighed with relief. “That’s good to hear. For a second there, I was getting worried.” She gave me a grin. “The lost sales for me and the girls would have been terrible.” “Ah, now I see the true motivations for your ‘concern’,” I said, unable to keep a smile off my face. Rose’s ears perked up as she looked behind me. “It looks like you’re being searched for.” I looked over my shoulder just as Piña pointed a hoof at me and said something to Pinch. “Seems they found me.” “Are they checking in on you again?” Rose asked. “They are,” I said. “Though, If they are looking for me in the market, I think they’re after me for a different reason.” Piña and Pinch made their way through the market’s crowd to Rose’s stall. “Hello, Miss Rose,” Piña greeted. “Thank you for holding Uncle Pin for us.” “You’re welcome,” Rose said. “Take care of him and make sure he gets Coco back. My sales have been suffering since she left.” Piña giggled. “We’ll do our best.” “Uncle Pin, we got the results back!” Pinch said. “Is he pregnant?” Rose asked. All three of us turned and stared at Rose. Rose grinned. “Is she pregnant?” “Rose!” I hissed through clenched teeth, after glancing around to see if anypony had reacted to her words. “We’re in the middle of the market. Rumors get started that way.” Rose gave me a knowing look and raised an eyebrow. “Like the rumor that a certain pony visited Clarity and Karat’s shop not long after he got back from going to Canterlot to see his new nephew?” Feeling two pairs of eyes on me, I turned back to the fillies. Their excited, expectant expressions caused me to grin. “Yes?” Pinch’s eyes got a strange look in them. “How many times did he go, Miss Rose?” she asked, not looking away from me. Rose giggled. “At least once is all I know.” Pinch turned to Rose. “Do you know if he was carrying anything when he left their shop?” “You found him!” a fresh voice called out. Kevin trotted up to us. “Whoa, Pinch, you okay?” “I’m fine,” Pinch said. Kevin looked at Pinch with an ear at a disbelieving angle. “You sure? You’re really… I mean, you seem excited about something.” “Let’s get Uncle Pin over to Dinky’s,” Pinch said. “Then, we can get more information out of him without worrying about anypony hearing us.” “That sounded a little creepy,” Rose said. “It did,” I said, feeling a bit uneasy under Pinch’s gaze. “Remember, he’s ticklish if you need to ‘convince’ him to talk,” Rose said. “I’m sure your mom would be glad to help press him for information too.” “Wait a minute!” I protested. “There’s no need to bring tickling, or Berry, or her style of puns into this.” “We’ll ask Dinky’s mom for help,” Pinch said. “We’ll already be at their house, and Miss Muffin’s the best tickler in town.” “Or you could just ask him about whatever this is about,” Kevin suggested. “Nah,” Piña said. “Having Dinky’s mom tickle it out of him would be more fun.” “You have to tell me about whatever you get out of him,” Rose said. “We can do that,” Piña said. “Isn’t Dinky’s mom doing her rounds?” Kevin asked. “We’ll hold him there until she gets home, if we have to,” Pinch said with conviction. “I think I’ll just tell you what you want to know,” I said. “It will save us both a lot of trouble.” “Awwww!” Piña said with mock disappointment. “There they are!” Dinky called, sounding as if she had been running. “Speak of the filly,” Rose said and waved. “Hey Dinks. Hey Rumble.” “You’ve got good timing, Dinks,” Piña said. “We were just about to head to your house.” Kevin’s ears went up in alarm. “What’s wrong?” “I don’t know.” Dinky said. “Mom’s got some kind of super important urgent message to give Uncle Pin.” “That doesn’t sound good,” I said. “Where is she right now?” “I’m not sure,” Dinky said. “She thought you might be at our house, picking up the report, since you weren’t at your shop. She asked me to help find you, when I told her you hadn’t come by yet.” “Let’s go back to my shop,” I said. “That would be the most likely place she would check again.” I turned to Rose. “Can I get one large variety sample bouquet to go?” Rose looked guilty. “Pin, I wasn’t trying to twist your leg to buy something, I promise.” I waved her concerns away with a hoof. “I know that, and we could all use something to snack on while we wait for Muffins to find us,” I told her. “Thanks, Pin.” Rose’s smile returned. “One large sample bouquet coming right up.” I felt a pang of longing, as I watched Rose gather the various flowers she needed for the bouquet. “Dinks,” Kevin said and pointed a hoof at me. “Hug needed.” Dinky nodded. “Got it!” “Wait, I-” I could not get a proper protest out before Dinky rushed to me and gave me a hug. I chuckled as I realized the hug was making me feel better. I hugged Dinky back. “Thanks, I needed that more than I thought.” Dinky looked up at me with knowing eyes. “You miss her.” I patted Dinky’s back and let her go. “I do,” I admitted. “Buying the flowers made me think of her.” “We need to break you of that,” Rose said, as she put the bouquet on the stall’s counter top. “You should treat yourself to some now and then too.” “If I do things like this for myself, I feel selfish.” I paid Rose for the bouquet and thanked her. “Besides, it’s more fun being able to share something like this,” I told her as I picked the bouquet up. “I can carry those,” Piña said. After I gave her the bouquet, she gave the flowers a long sniff. “These are going to taste great! Thank you, Miss Rose. Thanks, Uncle Pin.” “You’re welcome,” Rose and I said at the same time. Rose shooed us away with a hoof. “As much as I’d like to talk, you need to get going.” We said our goodbyes to Rose, and Piña and Rumble led our impromptu herd towards my shop. “Did your Mom know the message was about?” Pinch asked. “No, she didn’t,” Dinky said. “That’s one reason she’s so worried about getting the message to him.” Catastrophic thoughts of all sorts went through my head. I said to myself, more than anypony else, “I’m sure everything will be fine, whatever the message is.” Kevin gave me a supportive look and nodded. “We’ll help too, if we can.” “We sure will,” Dinky said. “Thanks, I appreciate it.” I gave them a smile. “I hope there's nothing anypony will need to help with, though.” “Pin! There you are!” Dinky’s ears swiveled around as she looked around. “Mom?!” “Uncle Pin, dodge!” Piña said. Piña’s warning was too late. An impact on my side bowled me over. Out of instinct, I grabbed onto what had struck me and let momentum carry me along. After the rolling stopped, I found myself pinned to the ground by somepony’s body weight. The sound of several envelopes floating to the ground and resting on the grass accompanied the ringing in my ears. “Whoa!” Rumble said. “That was a griffin style takedown! I didn’t know your mom could do that!” A fuzzy image of Dinky appeared at the edge of my hazy and partially gray coat obscured vision. “Quit being a doofus and help me check them!” Dinky said. Muffins rolled off me, and I got a better view of the sky. “He looks like a dead bug, with his legs like that,” Rumble said. “Can you feel this?” he asked, as he prodded me in various places with his hooves. “I can,” I grunted after getting some air back in my lungs. “I’m going to feel that in the morning, but nothing’s broken. Check on Muffins.” My still somewhat unfocused vision blurred again as Muffins hauled me into a sitting position and a hug. “Pin, I’m so sorry!” I gave her shoulder a pat. “It’s alright. I’ve had much worse. Are you okay?” “Don’t worry about me, I’m the one who crashed into you,” Muffins said. “You didn’t ‘crash into’ him; you tackled him!” Rumble said. “It was awesome! Did you ever play cloudball? It looked like you did, the way you took him down.” Pinch shook her head. “Colts.” “It was a good tackle,” Piña said with a grin. She offered Muffins a stack of envelopes. “Here are your letters.” “The message!” Muffins said, sounding near panicked. I came near to collapsing back to the ground, as she let go of me and made a frantic search for something. “What happened to my mailbag?!” “It’s over there,” Rumble said and pointed a hoof towards the bag. “Thank Celestia! I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost it.” Muffins took me in a full wing hug. “You promise you’re okay?” she asked me. I hugged her back. “I’m fine.” “I’ve got your bag,” Pinch said, as she levitated them from the ground. “Your hat’s back where you tackled him, though,” Rumble said, sounding impressed. “I didn’t realize how far you two went.” “Don’t say it like that!” Dinky chided. “It’s a wonder they weren’t hurt!” I chuckled as I watched Rumble trot toward Muffin’s hat. “We did go a ways.” Rumble had a grin, and a light blush, as he came back towards us. “What are you thinking?” Piña said. “I was wondering if she still smells like muffins,” Rumble said. “She does,” I confirmed. I made a show of taking a couple of sniffs of one of her wings. “Raspberry, this time, I think.” “You two are crazy,” Dinky said, smiling. Muffins and I ended our hug. “Thanks, Pinch.” Muffins took her mailbag from Pinch’s magic and rummaged around in one pouch. “Here it is!” she announced and gave me a scrollwork embellished envelope. “Spike came by the post office with this and asked for help to find you. He said that if you needed to send a return letter fast, he would be at the castle’s library.” “It’s a royal missive!” Pinch said. “From Princess Twilight,” I said. This can’t be pleasant news, I thought to myself. She wouldn’t send something like this without it being urgent. “Open it!” Piña said, prancing from hoof to hoof. Steeling myself, I opened the envelope, took out the letter, and read Twilight’s elegant writing. “It’s not good!” Pinch said “Look at his ears! They’re all the way down!” Dinky hugged my side. “What’s wrong?” “Coco’s sick,” I said, summing up the message and hugging Dinky with my free foreleg. “Bad sick too. She couldn’t even help Rarity with her shop opening.” “Oh, no!” Dinky said. “Rarity and the other Elements are too busy helping with opening the shop to take care of Coco.” Using my magic, I pulled a pair of train vouchers from the envelope. “They want me to head up there as soon as I can.” “Poor Coco!” Muffins said. “She looked so tired, when she came to see Rain. With everything she’s been doing, I’m sure she wore herself down to the point some nasty bug got her.” Pinch glanced at me. “Sounds like somepony else we know.” “I’m sorry, everypony, but I’ve got to run to Zecora’s. After that, I’ll get my stuff ready for the trip as fast as I can. The next train for Canterlot is leaving this afternoon. If I’m going to make it, I need to hustle.” Feeling guilty, I looked at the foals. “I’m sorry I won’t be able to go over the report with you.” “That’s all right, Coco should come first,” Dinky said. She perked up a bit. “We can run your copy of the report by your store. That way you can share it with Coco, when you get up there.” Pinch grinned. “That’s a great idea. I think she’ll like what’s in the report. It will make her feel better.” “Take care of Miss Coco for us,” Piña said. “I will,” I promised. “Take care of yourself too,” Muffins said. “You can’t do her any good if you get sick too.” “I’ll try,” I assured her. “You better,” Piña said, pointing a hoof at me. Dropping her serious act, she gave Pinch the bouquet and then me a hug. “Tell her we love her and we miss her and we want her to get better and for her to get her tail back here where she belongs.” I laughed, which helped my anxiety level a good bit. “I’m not sure I’ll use those exact words, but I’ll tell her.” ***** I stepped off the train onto Manehattan Station’s pony packed platform. I was bumped, jostled, and given nasty looks by several ponies as I unwittingly went against the local movement patterns, trying to find a spot to pause and orient myself. “No wonder Coco’s not fond of the ponies here,” I grumbled, after finding a somewhat quiet spot on the edge of the platform. I reached for my saddlebags to get my map, just as a voice called, “You’re Royal Pin, ain’t you?!” I glanced around and saw a stallion waving at me. “Yes, sir, I am!” I said and trotted over to a stallion wearing a taxi pony’s hat and vest. “You stick out like a sore hoof,” the stallion said and grinned. He held out his hoof to me. “Fast Fare, at your service.” “Pleased to meet you,” I said and shook his hoof. “How did you know I was coming?” “Miss Rarity sent me for you,” he said. “She got your message yesterday and hired me to pick you up.” “Sisters bless her,” I said. “I haven’t been here five minutes and I already feel overwhelmed.” “Manehatten will do that to you, if you ain’t ready for it.” Fare motioned to follow him. “My cart’s this way.” As we walked, he told me, “Don’t mind those jerks on the platform. Those types give us Manehattan ponies a bad name.” I loaded my saddlebags and myself into Fare’s taxi cart. The speed with which he strapped himself into the cart’s harness was impressive. “You make that look easy,” I told him. “Lot’s of practice,” Fare replied with a grin. “Sit back and relax. I’ll have you at Rarity’s place in no time.” Fare pulled the cart away from the curb with a smooth gait. I kept a hoof on my saddlebags, making sure they did not slide around in the cart as Fare maneuvered through traffic and took a series of turns. It felt odd being carried along by somepony else, but I was glad that I had somepony I could rely on to get me where I needed to go. “You here to help Miss Rarity with her new place?” Fare asked. “Sort of,” I answered. “I’m here to take care of somepony that was going to be helping Rarity with the opening who caught a something that’s making her sneeze uncontrollably.” Fare glanced back at me. “You came all the way from Ponyville to take care of somepony with a case of the sniffles?” “That’s the long and the short of it,” I said. Fare chuckled. “This somepony’s special to you, I take it.” “More than I can put into words,” I told him. “I know what you’re talkin’ about,” Fare said. “If my wife were sick, I’d go across Equestria for her too.” “We’re not quite to that point.” “You’re close, though,” Fare said, sounding certain. “Very,” I said. Fare pulled the cart to the side of the road and in front of a boutique with a storefront that looked recently renovated. “Here you go,” he announced. I could see a good number of ponies inside the boutique through the shop’s front window. “Looks like the opening went well.” I got out of the cart, put my saddlebags on, and reached for my money pouch. “How much do I owe you for the trip?” “Nothing,” Fare said. “Miss Rarity paid upfront.” I gave Fare what I thought was an appropriate amount of bits. “Consider this as a tip. Without you, I would have gotten lost.” “Thanks,” Fare said, and tucked the bits in his vest pocket. “You tell that special somepony of yours I hope she gets to feelin’ better.” “I will,” I promised. “Tell Miss Rarity hello for me, won’t you?” “I will.” Fare appeared to have an insight, as he looked towards the boutique. He turned back to me and said, “I don’t mean to put my nose where it ain’t wanted, but is it Miss Coco you’re takin’ care of?” “It is.” “I figured that was the case. The poor gal didn’t look her best the last time I saw her.” Somepony whistled, and Fare’s ears snapped to attention. “I got to go,” he said, after glancing down the street. Fare pulled his cart away from the curb. “You tell Miss Coco I hope she gets back on her hooves in no time.” “I will.” I waved at Fare as he trotted off, “Thanks again!” I stepped into the boutique, took about a dozen steps, and my vision became pink. “Pokey! You made it!” “Hello Pinkie,” I said, my voice muffled by her mane. I hugged her back. “It’s good to see you too.” “I’m so glad you’re here! Poor Coco is all sniffly and sneezy and miserable.” Pinkie pulled back, keeping her hooves on my shoulders, looked into my eyes, and gave me a shake. “You have to make her feel better.” “I’ll do my best,” I assured her. “Pinkie, dear, would you let go of Pokey for me?” Rarity said, as she approached. “I need to give him directions so he can go take care of Coco for us.” “Thank you for helping us help Coco!” Pinkie gave me another hug. “When we get back to Ponyville, I’m going to blow up a roomful of balloons for you to pop for this!” Somepony out of my line of sight caught her eye. “Ooo! Another customer!” she said and rushed off. I stood still and blinked a few times to recover. “Hello, Pin,” Rarity said, with a hint of a giggle in her voice. “I hope your trip went well.” “It did. Thank you for sending Fare to pick me up. I would have gotten myself lost without him.” “You are quite welcome. Fare’s such a dear. I knew he would take good care of you.” Rarity gave me a knowing smile. “Speaking of taking care of ponies, I’m sure you want to be on your way to take care of Coco, so I won’t keep you long.” She gave me a sheet of paper with detailed directions on how to get to Coco’s apartment and a key. “Coco’s building is three blocks from here. Up two and over one. You can’t miss it. She’s on the third floor.” “Thank you,” I said, staring at the paper and trying to memorize the directions to Coco’s. “Somepony will be by later to deliver dinner for you two, so you don’t have to worry about fixing anything.” “Thank you again. I would be glad to cook for her, but having dinner delivered will be a treat for both of us.” “Pin.” Raritys’ tone made me look up from the paper. “Through a source who shall remain nameless, I have learned that a certain pony has been discussing a deal with the Apple family and Mister Burnt Oak to add on an expansion to his shop.” You’re getting me back for helping the Cutie Mark Crusaders with their project aren’t you, Applejack? I thought to myself. Tucking Coco’s key away in my saddlebags, I told Rarity, “I honestly don’t know what to say.” Rarity glanced around and then stepped close to me. “I would wager there is a certain question that might coincide with the project,” she said in a softer voice. I swallowed. “That’s very possible, but timing is everything with these kinds of things, and the pony doesn’t know wh-” Rarity put a hoof on my shoulder and leaned close. “I’m planning to be back in Ponyville in five weeks,” she whispered. My ears snapped up. “Do with that information what you will,” Rarity said in the same soft tone. I hugged Rarity. “Thank you!” Rarity giggled and hugged me back. “You’re welcome.” She patted my back, let me go, and said, “Now, run along and take care of our dear Miss Pommel, please.” I released Rarity and smiled. “I will.” ***** I knocked on Coco’s door, waited for some time, and then knocked again. “She must be asleep,” I told myself, after more time passed, and turned to get the key from my saddlebags. The door opened a crack. “I’m sorry,” Coco said, sounding congested and pitiful. “I would invite you in, but I’m sick and I don’t want anypony to catch it.” “Thank you for warning me, but I’m willing to take that risk,” I said. “Pin?!” The door swung open. Coco, holding a tissue to her chest with one hoof while holding the door open with the other, stared at me. “What are you doing here?!” “I got a royal summons from Princess Twilight and the Elements of Harmony to take care of a sick friend of theirs,” I told her and held up the royal missive. “Pin, I-” Coco sneezed, and I just got a hoof up to shield myself somewhat. Coco looked mortified as she wiped her nose with her tissue. “Not again! I sneezed all over Rarity, and now I got you!” She sniffed and looked pitiful. “I’m so sorry! When the sneezes come, I don’t get any warn-” I created a brief magic barrier to shield myself from her next sneeze. “Don’t worry about me. Let’s get you back inside and bundled up. I brought some stuff from Zecora that should help.” Coco sniffed. “That sounds good,” she said, sounding tired. She opened the door and led me into her apartment’s den. “I feel bad for making you get up to open the door, but just coming in with the key didn’t seem right.” “I wasn’t sleeping, so don’t -” Coco sneezed and sniffed again. “Feel bad,” she finished. “I’ve been sneezing too much to rest.” I could tell she had made herself a cozy spot on her couch with a blanket, pair of pillows, and a book before I had caused her to rouse herself. When Coco sat down on the couch, I said, “Please hold still.” Using my magic, I wrapped her in the blanket. “Pin, you don’t-” she sneezed again. “Ohhh,” she groaned, sniffed, and wiped her nose with a fresh tissue she got from the almost empty box sitting on her coffee table. She added her previous tissue to an enormous pile of wadded up castaways. “Let’s start with this,” I said, putting my saddlebags down on the floor and pulling out a jar of ointment. “Zecora told me, when she gave me this for you, ‘If her trouble is a terrible sneeze, this will put her nose at ease.’ ” “How do I take it?” Coco asked. “You won’t have to.” I opened the jar and a pleasant rain dampened woodsy scent filled the air. “But then how-” Coco sneezed again. I put a dollop of the medicine from the jar on my hoof. “Hold still.” Coco’s eyes went cross as I rubbed the pale green ointment on her irritated red nose. “Your poor nose,” I said, as I put the top back on the jar. “At one point I thought I was going to sneeze it off,” Coco said. I snorted a laugh. “Zecora said that if you breathe this stuff in through your nose as best you can for a few minutes it would help pretty fast.” I pulled out a potion from my saddlebags. “She said this would help your body fight off the bug. You have to take it with food, though.” “I’ve got some crackers right here,” Coco said and reached for the plate of stale looking crackers on her coffee table. “Coco,” I said, and her hoof stopped halfway to the plate. “Yes?” she said and sniffed. “Are crackers all you have been eating?” Coco’s ear’s angled out, and she looked up at me with guilty eyes. “Pretty much.” She gave a sneeze, but it was lighter than her previous ones. “I haven’t felt like making anything the last couple of days,” she said. “That won’t do,” I said. I put the potion on the coffee table. “I’ll go make you something.” “Pin, you just got here. You don’t need to cook for me. Sit down and relax for a couple of minutes.” I shook my head. “I won’t be able to sit down and relax without making sure you’re taken care of. How about I fix you something comforting and quick like cinnamon toast and tea? Coco sniffed and said, “That sounds good.” I glanced around the room. “Which way to the kitchen?” “This way,” she said, and got up from the couch. She gave me a look when I opened my mouth to protest. “I will be in the kitchen with you,” she said, with a smile. “I haven’t seen you in three weeks, and I want to know what’s going on back home.” My ears perked, and I grinned at her use of ‘home’. Coco led me into the kitchen and then turned to face me. “First thing, though, I want you to know, I am officially not going to be staying in Manehattan after I get through helping Rarity with this new shop.” She giggled at my poor attempt to not let my excitement show. “You don’t have to hide what you’re feeling trying to be polite towards Rarity. You have my permission to act however you like.” “Thank you!” I grabbed Coco up in a hug and nuzzled her mane. “You’re coming home.” I kissed her forehead. “You’re coming home,” I whispered with giddy relief. Coco hugged me back. “I told Rarity that I would still work for her, when and if she needed me, but only at her Ponyville boutique.” She gave me a squeeze. “Were you still worried I might stay here?” “The back of my mind has tormented me with all kinds of horrible thoughts, but my heart knew you wouldn’t.” “Your heart was right.” She paused and tilted her head. “What are you thinking?” Before she could prod further about the thoughts I had about my plans for the shop, I told her, “Thinking about me thinking about you just reminded me, the research team got the results from the study written up.” Her ears perked up. “That fast?” “Amethyst, Twilight, and Turner worked with the foals to analyze the data and draft the report. The three of them have published papers before, so I’m sure they had no trouble pulling things together.” Coco covered her nose with her tissue and gave a sneeze. “Zecora’s medicine must be working already. That was much better.” She sniffed, wiped her nose with the tissue, and then asked, “What did they find?” “I don’t know. They gave me a copy of the report right before I headed up here. The ‘report’ is more like a book, to be honest. I was hoping to read it with you, so I didn’t peek.” I smiled, noticing Coco’s nose was not looking as red as it had been. “After we get some toast, tea, and the potion in you, would you like to look over their findings with me?” Coco smiled and nodded. “That sounds great.” ***** “Coco, are you doing all right?” I said, as her eyes closed on their own. “Hmmm?” she said and opened her eyes a little. “Why don’t I stop here, for the time being, and you get some sleep?” “I’m sorry for drifting off,” Coco said, sounding groggy. “The potion’s kicking in, and I’m feeling like I can rest.” “Don’t apologize. That’s what supposed to happen.” “Your reading voice is nice to listen to too,” she said. “It helped me relax.” “Thank you. Would you like me to carry your stuff to your room?” Coco gave a sleepy shake of her head. “I think I’m going to stay on the couch.” She turned and sneezed into a tissue. “At least I’m getting some warning now,” she said and sniffed. “You’ve been sick, it’s going to take some time for this to clear your system, even after we get the other doses of the potion in you.” I got out of my seat and put my hoof to Coco’s forehead. “You still have a bit of a fever too.” “I’m doing a lot better than I was,” she said, leaned over, and slumped down onto the couch’s cushions. She struggled with getting her blanket out from around her for a couple of seconds, stopped, and gave a self-defeated sigh. “I didn’t think that through. I should have taken the blanket off first.” I did my best to keep from smiling. “Would you mind if I helped?” “Thanks, but we need to limit our close contact as much as possible.” “You forget.” I pointed a hoof towards my horn. “I can cheat.” “Oh. Right. It must be the fever. I’m not thinking straight.” “Relax, and I’ll get you unwrapped.” I lifted her with my magic and untangled the blanket from around her. I chuckled as I straightened out the blanket. “I’ll have to tell the foals about how you made yourself into a Coco burrito, when I get back.” She raised an eyebrow at me, but Coco’s small smile told me she found my comment somewhat amusing. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it.” Using more magic, I straightened out the cushions on the couch and fluffed her pillow. “I’ll put back down in a second, but I want to make sure you’re going to be comfy when I put you back down.” Coco stretched her legs and hummed. “Take your time. This is nice.” After getting everything ready, I lowered Coco back to the couch. She rested on her side, put her head on her pillow, and I put the blanket over her. I brushed Coco’s mane from her face with a touch of magic and smiled at her. She smiled back at me. “What’s that look for?” “I was admiring you.” She gave a light snort. “I look horrible.” “You’re beautiful.” Coco sniffed and her eyes drifted shut. “You’re biased.” “A bit, I’ll admit.” Coco sank into sleep after a few seconds. I skimmed the next two pages in the report and then put it down after thinking that knowing about the results would take the fun out of finding out about them with Coco. My eyes wandered around the den, taking in details about the room. A lot of the items on the various shelves fit in with a theater and photography theme. I noticed there were no family pictures, but there was a couple of a unicorn mare standing on stage in costume. A famous friend of the family, maybe? I asked myself. I stood up and moved to one photograph. It took me a second to realize that the angle of the photo would have required the photographer to be elevated to look down toward the stage. I studied the picture. “She looks familiar,” I whispered to myself. There was a knock on the apartment’s door. Coco made a soft, half asleep noise as I trotted to Coco’s front door and opened it. A dark purple maned mare with a pink coat and golden eyes greeted me with an uncertain look. I put on a welcoming smile. “Hello.” She did not say a word as she continued to give me an uneasy stare. “Are you looking for Coco Pommel’s?” I asked. The mare gave a slow nod. “You’re at the right apartment, then. I’m helping take care of Coco while she’s sick. My name’s Royal Pin.” The mare took two of the three carry out bags from her back, put them down in front of her, and then backed away as if she were facing a dangerous wild animal. “Is everything all right?” I asked her, growing concerned something was wrong. She took another step back until her tail touched the wall across the hall from Coco’s apartment’s door. “Everything’s fine, but I need to get going.” “Come in, please,” Coco said from right at my side, making me jump. I had been so focused on the nervous mare I had not heard Coco approach. The mare would not make eye contact with either Coco or me. “Coco, I can’t. It took about everything I had to make myself come and-” “Suri, please, come in,” Coco said, with a note in her voice I had not heard before. My attention snapped back to Suri as a variety of thoughts and questions ran through my mind. Suri bit her bottom lip and glanced back and forth between Coco and me as if debating about which one of us she needed to be more worried about. “Would you like some tea?” I offered and stepped back. “I would be happy to make some.” “Did Rarity put you up to this?” Coco said, as she picked up the two bags with a hoof. “No, I volunteered,” Suri said and tapped her chest with a hoof. “I wanted to see you again and to talk about… everything, but I wasn’t ready for your… New friend to open the door.” “Come in and eat with us,” Coco said. “You, Pin, and I have a lot to talk about.” Suri gave me a wary look. “How much has she told you about me?” “I know you were lovers, and that you had a rough break up,” I said and did my best to maintain an amiable tone. “Nope.” Suri turned as if to leave. “This is going to be too much drama.” “Suri!” Coco protested. Things snapped together in my mind. “You’re the pony that’s been helping Rarity and Sassy in Canterlot.” “I am,” Suri said and turned back towards Coco and me. “Rarity offered me a job after she found out I...” Though she maintained a neutral expression, she wiped her tears away with a hoof. “I lost my shop.” “Suri,” Coco said, sounding brokenhearted. “Pin, hug her for me, please.” I looked at Coco, not sure I had heard her right. “Please,” Coco said. “She needs it, and I need somepony to hug her.” I braced myself and offered, “Suri, I’ll give you a hug, if you want one.” Suri gave a teary, wet snort and then looked at me. “You’re kidding.” “You’re feeling awful, and Coco asked me to, so I have two good reasons not to joke around.” Suri shook her head, but she had a small smile on her face. “Sassy was right, you’d walk into Tartarus if Coco asked you to. If we're going to do this, I better step inside. If I cry, I don’t want everypony on the hall to hear me.” Suri stepped into Coco’s apartment, and I shut the door behind her. “Does he give as good a hug as you do?” Suri asked Coco, as she put her dinner bag down on the floor. “I don’t know about how I give hugs, but I know he’s good at them,” Coco said. Suri looked at me as if still uncertain. “I’m only doing this because Coco is asking.” She sniffed and gave me a stiff, formal hug. “Likewise.” I returned Suri’s hug with as much comfort and warmth as I could. “However, I can’t imagine losing my shop and home. I hate you’ve gone through something like that.” “Don’t you dare!” Suri sniffed. “You’re not supposed to be nice. Yell at me. Cuss me out. Tell me I’m a lousy pony that got what I deserved, but don’t be nice!” “That’s against his nature,” Coco said. “Suri, give him a real hug, please.” “You’re supposed to be mad at me too, not sharing your special somepony like this,” Suri said, as more tears went down her face. “We yelled at each other enough, when things fell apart,” Coco said. “It didn’t help then, and I don’t think it would help anything now.” “You’re both horrible,” Suri said between sobs. Despite her words, Suri hugged me tighter and cried against my chest. ***** Suri put her fork down and sat up straighter. “Now that dinner’s over, let's talk about what we need to talk about. After we’re done, I’ll leave, and he can put you to bed.” She turned to me and said, “Coco’s caught up on what’s been going on with me by Rarity, I’m sure, but let me give you the short version real quick.” “Okay,” I said. “After word got out about the stunts I had pulled against Rarity, several very influential ponies in the fashion world blacklisted me, including: Fancy Pants, Photo Finish, and Hoity Toity. When word got around about why I had been blacklisted by them, I stopped getting referrals and my sales all but stopped. It didn’t take long, before I couldn’t make the payments for my shop and then my apartment.” “You made some pretty bad mistakes, but you shouldn’t have lost your business and your home over them,” Coco told her. “If there is a dark side to ponies’ herding instincts, it’s that we gang up against anything or anypony that is a threat to who or what we care about,” I said. “After Trixie tangled with Twilight, pony’s would vandalize her cart, whenever she stopped at town that had heard about what happened.” “Yet we’re sharing a meal after I wronged Rarity and treated Coco like I did for years,” Suri said and raised her glass in a sarcastic gesture. “The good thing about ponies is that we tend to forgive and make friends with those who we overreact to. Trixie’s now has a good fan base in Ponyville, and her shows are some of the most popular events in town. Starlight is now Twilight’s student and even lives with her in the same castle.” “And Rarity’s offered me a job as an assistant manager here at her new shop until I can get back on my own hooves, even after what I did to her,” Suri said as if conceding the point. “As the Element of Generosity, I can see her being forgiving. You two, I don’t quite get; you in particular, Pin. Why give me a chance, when you don’t even know me?” “If Coco wants to give you another chance, even after what you did to her, I will follow her lead.” I looked Suri in the eye and told her, “I’ll also do my best to make sure she doesn’t get hurt by you again.” “So there might be some stallion under that soft coat of yours,” Suri said in a mocking tone. My hackles rose at her goad. “Suri, be careful,” Coco warned. “He threw his own sister out of his life for two years, after a fight with her.” When Suri turned to her, Coco told her in a level tone, “If you aren’t going to act civilly, I’ll give him permission to do the same to you in the physical sense of the phrase.” Suri slumped back in her chair, closed her eyes, took a slow breath, and nodded. “You’re right. I was out of line.” She opened her eyes and looked at me. “I came geared for a fight, and I think part of me still wants one.” She looked to Coco with emotion filled eyes. “The break would be easier that way.” “There doesn’t have to be more of a break than what there’s already been,” Coco said. “Suri, you were my mentor for years. You taught me new design and sewing techniques, business acumen, and how to go after what I wanted in life. There is a part of me that will forever be grateful for what you did for me, but-” “But I was a complete ursa major to you and any other pony I thought I could bully or manipulate into getting what I wanted, including you.” Coco’s ears fell a bit. “I tried to stay with you. I adored you, but you treated me like-” “I know how I treated you and for how long,” Suri interrupted, with guilt in her voice. “Of course, I realized what I had done after I lost my cuddle toy and my… No. I can’t act like I treated you other than as a go-for, even with myself.” I looked to Coco to see what she wanted me to do. “You stay right where you are, even if she asks you to hug me.” Suri straightened herself back up in her seat. “I need to pay for what I did to her.” “I think you already have,” I said. Suri snorted. “Would you ever forgive yourself for hurting her like I did?” “No, I wouldn’t,” I admitted. “I love Coco too much to ever forgive myself for hurting her like that.” “I didn’t realize how much I loved Coco, until I lost her.” Suri took in an uneven breath. “I still love her.” “I knew you loved me, but you almost never made me feel loved, and you wouldn’t let me show how much I loved you. You would always tell me I was being ‘too soft,’ when I tried.” “I take it he’s different?” Suri said, giving me a meaningful glance. Coco was about to say something, but she turned her head with a sudden sneeze. “Sorry.” Coco wiped her nose with a tissue. “I couldn’t keep that one from coming out.” “Rarity said you were sneezing your nose off,” Suri said, with a sympathetic wince. “I thought I was going to, there for a bit,” Coco said. “The ointment Pin brought has helped a lot.” Coco sniffed again. “Yes, Pin is different. He tells me he loves me every day. He thanks me for anything and everything I do. Whenever he cooks, he makes some for me, whether or not I’m eating with him. He brushes out my coat, whenever I want, and braids my mane and tail for me, when we have special nights out.” “Wait, he does what?” Suri said with disbelief. “It’s a Canterlot thing,” I said, blushing. “Must be,” Suri said, giving me a look. “Just how do you let her show you affection back?” “Any way she wants,” I said. “Words, hugs, letting her brush out my coat and tail when she asks to.” “That’s enough saccharine stuff from you both,” Suri said, holding up a hoof. “Is he good to you in the sewing room, though?” she asked Coco. It took me a second to get where Suri was going with her inquiry. When I did, my blush deepened. “He pays me well, allows me to experiment with the designs he’s shared with me, and always gives me supplies when I ask for them,” Coco said. “He keeps trying to pay me commission for when he sells any of the designs I’ve altered, but-” “Coco, you’re precious, but that’s not what I meant,” Suri said, interrupting. Suri made a crude demonstrative gesture with her hooves as she asked, “Does he know how to oil up and get your sewing machine running?” Coco’s blush reached her ear tips. “I thought you were talking about how he treated me business-wise!” Suri grinned. “Wrong business, but there’s still ‘horizontal and vertical bobbins’ and ‘stitch lengths’ involved, though.” “Suri!” Coco put her head down on the kitchen table and covered her face with her hooves. “I want an answer,” Suri said in a half teasing voice. “Yes!” Coco said, without uncovering her face. “He knows how to sew my buttons on!” Thank the Sisters neither Sassy or Satin are here or we’d never hear the end of this, I thought to myself. Aloud, I told Coco, in as professional a tone as I could manage, “I am glad you find my ‘sewing’ satisfactory.” “Sounds like you found a stallion like the ones from those plays you love,” Suri said, sounding amused and hollow at the same time. She looked at me and asked, “Do you go to plays with her?” I nodded. “The last one we went to see was The Ponies.” “After a romantic dinner, I bet,” Suri said. “A very nice one,” Coco said, as she raised her head from the table as if it were an effort. Suri looked toward Coco, smirked, and shook her head. “We need to stop talking. She had to fight to sit back up and her eyes are closing on her.” “I can stay awake,” Coco said. “I know you can. I pushed you to stay awake way too much, when you worked for me,” Suri told her. “That doesn’t mean you should.” She pointed a hoof at me. “Since you’re serving as a hugging substitute, give her a hug for me.” I moved from my spot at the table and gave Coco a hug. “Coco, I’m sorry for what I did to you,” Suri said. “I-” “Suri, don’t,” Coco said, cutting her off. “Friends forgive each other, learn from what happened, and move on.” “Friends,” Suri echoed as if the word were lacking. “Why did you say it like that?” Coco asked. “I’m glad we’re talking again, but I would be lying if I’m said there isn’t a part of me that’s not taking it well that there’s no possibility of me convincing you to come back to work with me.” Suri smiled in a less than innocent way. “Another part of me is also very disappointed I won’t have the opportunity to tie you up with ribbons and take my time enjoying some hot Coco and whipped cream again.” Coco gasped. “Suri!” The mental image I had of such a scene made it impossible for me to form a response. “Let that thought stay with you for a while,” Suri said to me. “You two stay where you are. I’ll see myself out.” Suri stood and walked toward the kitchen door. “Get to feeling better, Coco,” she said over her shoulder, as she walked out of sight. A couple of seconds past, then there was the sound of the apartment's door opening and closing. “Oh Celestia, I can’t believe she said that,” Coco said. “She was trying to get under my coat again,” I said. “ She strikes me as a possessive type.” “She can be. Or, could be, I should say.” Coco sighed. “If another pony ever showed any interest in me, on the personal or professional level, she would run them off. That, along with the long hours we worked, made it very difficult for me to make connections with other ponies.” “Since everypony who meets you adores you, I’m sure she had to run off a lot of ponies.” “A few,” Coco said as if confessing something. “I have to admit, I am a little miffed at her.” Coco looked at me with concern, and I waggled my eyebrows. “She didn’t go into details or draw diagrams.” Coco laughed and hugged me tighter. “We shouldn’t be doing this, with me sick, but I have to admit I’m enjoying it.” “I’m enjoying it too, but Suri was right; I should tuck you in. I think it’s about time for me to put more of that goop on your nose too. That should help you sleep.” Coco let me go, gave me a look that made me think of a filly being bashful about asking for something, and blushed. I smiled. “What is it?” “Could you use your magic again?” Her ears went out and she ducked her head in an adorable display. “When I was little, Mom would use her magic to carry me to bed, when I was sick.” “Sure,” I said. “Hold still.” Using my magic I lifted her from the floor. “Whenever you want me to do this, just ask.” “Doesn’t it wear you out?” “If I held you for a while, it might. You don’t weigh enough to be much of a challenge.” I carried her into the den, and then added carrying her box of tissues and Zecora’s ointment to my magical grip. “Which way to your room?” “That way.” Coco pointed and smiled. “I’m glad you’re enjoying this.” “I’ve missed these moments.” Coco said. I opened the door to her room, as she listed, “I’ve missed you. I’ve missed the foals. I’ve missed our friends.” “We’ve missed you too.” I smiled, when I saw Woofs sitting on top of one of Coco’s pillows. “Hello, Woofs. Thanks for looking out for Coco for me.” “He has helped a lot.” Coco watched me get her bed ready for her with my magic. “How many things can you hold or do with your magic at the same time?” “This is about it for me.” I said and tucked her into her bed. “I can’t do like Rarity can, and move dozens of items at the same time.” I levitated Woofs to Coco, who smiled and hugged him to her chest. “I’m counting on you to keep looking after her for a while longer,” I told the plushie. “He’s done a good job so far,” Coco said and kissed the top of Woofs’ head. “He’s not you, though.” I opened the jar of ointment and then put a bit of the medicinal goo on my hoof. “I’m glad he’s been taking care of you, but I’m jealous of him,” I told Coco, as she leaned towards me a bit. “He’s gotten to cuddle with you, and I haven’t.” I put the medicine on her nose. “Your nose is looking better already. It doesn’t feel as hot too. I can’t tell if it’s the ointment, the potion, or the combination of the two, but there’s a difference.” Coco caught my hoof with hers, when I drew it back from her nose. “Thank you.” She took in an emotional breath. “Thank you for coming to take care of me.” “I’m glad I’m here, but don’t give me too much credit. I got a royal summons to do this.” Coco giggled. “I doubt the summons included anything about ‘putting up with your special somepony’s ex’ in it.” Her smile faded a bit. “Suri’s trying to do better, I can tell, but what she said there at the end was wrong.” “There’s part of me that wants to be mad at her, but I know she’s worried about you and she’s hurting from missing you. Even knowing you were coming back, your being gone for a few weeks has been rough. I can only imagine knowing that she will not have you back in her life is tearing her up.” I could not help but grin, as I thought of Piña’s message. “Speaking of ponies who are not happy about not seeing you, the training partners and the research team told me to tell you to get better. Piña told me to tell you to, ‘get her tail back here where she belongs.’ ” Coco laughed. “The other’s agreed with the message, but I think they would have phrased it differently.” I looked into Coco’s eyes. “All of us have missed you and we can’t wait to have you back with us.” “I’ve missed all of you too.” Her eyes closed, and she fought them back open. “Pin, I won’t be able to stay awake much longer.” “That’s fine. You need to rest.” She gripped my hoof a touch tighter. “Stay with me, until I drift off, please.” “I’d be glad to.” I leaned against the side of the bed and put my chin down on the bed’s comforter. “I love you. ” “I love you too.” Coco smiled, closed her eyes, and relaxed. It did not take long, and her breathing even out in sleep. I studied her sleeping face and smiled. “Sweet dreams.”