Your eyes slowly crack open. You had fallen asleep in the arms of the mare you had secretly loved for the past week (strange, it felt like it had been months and months since you met). The first thing you see was Coco, her eyes closed, a smile on her muzzle, and her breathing at a slow, steady pace, peacefully asleep. The sight brought a dreamy smile to your face.
You scooted closer towards the cute mare, pulling her tighter into your embrace, gently nuzzling your muzzle against hers. Coco hummed in her sleep in response; you even think you hear her sighed your name. You can see her slowly stirring from her slumber. Her eyes opened up very slowly. As soon as her gaze reaches yours, you smiled in genuine warmth.
The mare in your arms however has a different reaction than yours.
Immediately, her eyes widen to a nearly impossible size. Before you can even ask what is wrong, your ears were assaulted by a scream so loud and high-pitched, you were amazed the glass windows stay intact. You covered your ears with your hoofs, trying to block out the sound. Bad idea, because the next thing Coco does is pull back all four of her hooves, then pushed you away with an incredible force (for such a shy, petite mare, she packs a helluva punch). You fall to the ground with a loud thud and let out a long groan.
“How- why- I don’t-, What are you doing here!?” Coco frantically stutters over her words, obviously quite flustered.
“Y-you invited me.” You responded holding up your hoofs to protect yourself from…you don’t even know what.
“I…what? No, I didn’t!” You pulled yourself off the ground to look Coco in the eyes. She isn’t angry (it’s doubtful she ever really has been) but her expression shows you that she is quite scared. Against your better judgment, you decide to walk around the bed and approach. She inches back away from you like a kitten, not fully startled yet, but clearly scared. You placed a hoof on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, she seems to be retracting from you somewhat, but she doesn’t pulled away entirely.
“Coco, you need to calm down, okay? It’s alright.”
“What- I- but-,” her eyes darted around each time she tries to form a new sentence. “What- What happened last night?”
You tilted your head in confusion for a second, then your eyes widen in realization.
“You mean, you don’t remember last night at all?” you asked.
Coco shuts her eyes and furrows her brow, evidently struggling to remember just what happened.
“I remember you giving me flowers, then finishing our work, you bringing out a bottle of…champagne…” her eyes grew wide at a sudden realization, and then she laid her head down in her hooves. “Oh, Celestia! I was drunk, wasn’t I?”
“Mmhm,” You confirmed.
“Then, I remember telling you about Suri, and then you…helped…” she trails off, obviously taken aback by what you had done. “And then… I can’t remember…” She hid her face in her hooves, ashamed and seemingly on the verge of tears.
You wrap your forehooves around her in a comforting hug.
“It’s okay, Coco, it’s okay…” you whispered.
“Wait…” Coco pulled herself from her fallen state for a moment, as you suddenly see her in deep thought, “If…If you’re here, and I was… does…does that mean…?”
“Mean what?” You asked. Coco’s whole face quickly turned a very deep shade of crimson, redder than any blush she had had before.
“D-did, we, um, I-I mean, was there, d-did I, oh dear. What I mean is, w-well, I-if I was, um, impaired, and you’re h-here now, did we, um, I mean, d-di we have…eep!” She ends her mass of stuttering with a sharp squeak, attempting to hide her face with her mane like the one she did when you first met. It worked about as well as it had then.
You lowed your hoof and gazed upon the mare in your hooves with a furrowed brow. “If I’m here and you were drunk, what do you mean? What could we have done that would be so-…oh…Ooooh…. ” In your mind somewhere, the stream of thoughts suddenly connected to exactly what Coco thinks you two could have done with those parameters. As that thought reached you, you felt your own blush come on, possibly even darker than Coco’s.
“Oh, no. Nononononononononononono!” You shake your head violently, blurting out as many “no’s” as you can “No, we, no, that- that didn’t happen. Nonononononono.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” Coco sighed in relief as her posture relaxes a bit, but becomes rigid again, “But then…w-what did happen?”
You don’t responded right away. Instead, you closed your eyes, took a few deep breaths, and attempted to organize your thoughts into a way that will easily and eloquently state last night’s events.
“Um, well,” (Great Start.) “Once we left the theatre, I walked you home, and then helped you into to bed. I was about to leave, but then you stopped me. Then you told me to stay here with you, so I did. And, um, then, you, well, uh…” you find yourself stammering and blushing almost as much as the mare in front of you. You gulped once in nervousness, and then sighed for confidence.
“You said you loved me.”
The mare was stunned in silence. She no longer shivers, nor twitches. When she finally does speak, you can’t hear a stutter in her voice.
“Oh, I see…”
The sight before you was heart breaking. The mare you truly cared for had her head hung in shame. Her bangs draped in front of her eyes, hiding her gaze. Her mouth is not a smile, nor a frown, just blank. Then, from the right side of her face, you saw a single drop of water roll down her cheek.
“I’m sorry.”
“Coco…” you say pleadingly extending your hoof toward the mare again. This time she fully retreats, not letting any contact occur. She turned her body so she faces away from you.
“No, please. You…you should go.” The hollowness of her voice was like a knife in your heart. She has neither joy, nor anger, and that makes it all the worse.
“Coco, please. I-”
“NO. Don’t you dare say those words.” She does not yell, but her very presence becomes sterner. Coming from her, it is almost frightening, in a way. “I know you value my happiness, but do not say those words for my benefit. I wish the best for both of us, so you should just…leave.”
You don’t know what to say. What could you say? The mare of your dreams just denied your love for her. Even if you said it in the most sincere way, she would think it only pity. So how? How do you prove it?
…there is only one way. I have to tell her the truth…I hope this works.
“Coco,” you whispered, barely even audible, “forgive me.” You focus on your chest, your presence concentrating to your very heart. Soon you can heard it, no feeling it beating. Then, once you have concentrated, you reached out towards Coco.
The effects were immediate and harsh. You were overtaken by an overwhelming wave of depression and heartbreak. You feel of heartbreak, of ruining the one big chance you had at true happiness, of taking something you had been searching for your whole life and crushing it under the weight of your own shortcomings, of a love that neither can nor will ever be returned. The pain is so sharp it stabs through your very soul, so intense that it burns in your chest. You fall to ground, losing all reason to remain standing. Your hooves come to your face as you began to sob uncontrollably.
This is what Coco is feeling? How does…how is she…
“H-how- c-can…*sniff* can y-you- stand there- like- that?” Your thoughts become broken sentences, due to both your confused state and your constant weeping.
Coco turns back to face you. The tears in her eyes gone for only a second, until they meet with yours. “You…you promised…” Her eyes begin to fill with tears again. “You promised you’d never do that. Why?”
“Because…I lied,” you somehow gathered enough strength to keep your sentences fluid, “About two things, actually.” You raise yourself up from the ground to look the mare in the eyes. Both of you had tears streaming down your cheeks, yet both of you were holding each other’s gaze perfectly.
“First, I must apologize to you, for I didn’t really intent on keeping your promise.” The shocked look on the mare’s face was enough for you to feel the shame of breaking her trust. “I’m sorry. Truly. But I could never simply sit idly by while you’re in pain. It would be too much for me. To be completely honest with you. I do plan to use my Gift. I will keep to only times of necessity, but I will never completely stop. I’m sorry, truly deeply sorry. If you wish to never trust me again, I wouldn’t blame you; you have every reason to, but I just can’t help it.”
Coco’s face falls. She seems confused and hurt. It was a lot of information to take in at once. Instead of being angry with you, she gave but a single word in response:
“Why?”
“That is the second lie I told,” you begin, having to brace yourself for the real confession. “When I first used my gift, you asked if I could take ‘anypony’s’ sadness, and I agreed, but that’s not true.”
“What do you mean it isn’t true?”
“Think about it, it’s the gift of Cadence, Mi Amore Cadenza.” You took a deep breath for some kind of confidence, and then look the mare in the center of her eyes, hoping these next words will have the effect you want them to, “The Gift can only be used for somepony you love.”
Coco stares at you, awed by what you just said.
“You mean…you…you really-”
Your next few actions happen distantly, as if you were not quite the one in control of your body. You were simply an observer to what now unfolds. Your hoof slowly comes to rest on Coco’s cheek. Your eyelids become heavy as they begin to close. You, ever so slowly, lean in towards her, slowly closing the distance between you.
Then your lips meet.
You kept your eyes closed, lost in the ever so sweet bliss of finally kissing the mare of your dreams. Your whole body relaxes, all worries leave you, and for a moment (just a moment), nothing in the world truly matters other than the two of you.
After a time that will forever remain uncountable, the two of you finally separate (as much as you both wish it could last forever, it just wouldn’t be as special if it never ended now would it?).
Coco’s eyes, her endlessly beautiful eyes, look up at you with some wonderful mix of amazement, wonder, happiness, and just about any kind of positive emotion that a pony can experience.
“You…you really love me?” she excitedly asks.
“I do.” you responded without another thought.
“So…I mean, can we-”
“We can.” You don’t even need her to finish,
“Then, a-are we-”
“If you want us to be.” A wide grin spread across your face, and you can only imagine the same for Coco.
“I-I-I…Yes!”
“COCO!”
Without warning the mare sprung forward and tackled you to the ground in the biggest and tightest hug you had ever experienced. Before you can even reacted to that, she began to pepper you with little kisses on your lips, your cheeks, your forehead, really just about anywhere that she can find. You laugh at the adorableness of it all and just let her continue (it’s not like you were going to start complaining anyway).
When Coco finally runs out of energy, which is no small amount of time, she laid her head down on the crook of your neck so the top of her mane is snug against your chin.
“I love you,” she says quietly.
You raised your forelegs up around her to return her hug finally.
“I love you, too, Coco,” you said, your laughter betraying your intended sincerity, “Been saving that outburst up all week, eh?”
“Heehee, maybe~” she giggles out.
You were surprised at how quickly her attitude had changed; you were used to her being the timid, quivering ball of adorable shyness. She was still adorable (like that’s ever going to change), and you could still felt her lightly trembling in your arms, but she seems to have developed a certain playfulness about her (not to mention she changed from being scared out of her mind from hugging you to full on tackling you). That’s not to say you were put off by her new demeanor, if anything it was even more endearing.
While you were busy snuggling with Coco, your eyes drift to the small alarm clock atop the nightstand. Your eyes shoot wide open.
“Oh Cadence, I’m late!” You shout out, suddenly overcome by a state of alarm. Coco raises her head at your outburst.
“Hmm? Late for what?”
“The dress rehearsal! The play opens tomorrow!”
Coco’s eyes begin to widen in realization. “...Oh. OH! Right, we need to go!” She says excitedly as she rolls of you and scrambles to her hooves.
“We?” You raised one eyebrow in suspicion, “What do you have to do at the theatre?”
“Nothing,” Coco replied, before leaning down to lay another kiss upon your cheek, “But wherever you go, I’ll follow.”
Aw...that’s so sweet.
You enter the theatre with a confident stride. Your head was held high, and each step you take was filled with purpose. Even your breathing was happy.
The mare next to you was a different story. Despite the side of her you saw this morning, the second you left her home for public view, she reverted into her shy little ball of cuteness. Even then, as you walked towards the theatre, you can felt her lightly trembling against your side.
As much as you liked her more playful side, you can’t say you were completely disappointed with this either. It made you feel... stronger, maybe? Like you were the shield that protected her from danger, the wall that guarded her, the tower of her defenses (or she just has social anxiety and you’re the only pony she knows near-by, but hey, those other things are possible, too, eh?).
You shift your gaze over to the mare of your thoughts. Her eyes are kept firmly at her hooves, and you can see her cheeks are tinted a not-so-subtle shade of pink.
As you continued to stare, a little idea crept its way into your mind. An impish smile crawls across your face, and you have to suppress a small giggle. Ever so slowly, you swing your tail up towards Coco, before she can even react, you jerk your tails around so that yours and hers were now intertwined. Her eyes shoot wide open and the blush on her face turns from pink to deep red.
“I-I-I-y-you-I-wha-huh-I…I…I…”
You turn your head over to the stuttering mare.
“Hm? Something wrong Coco?” you ask, smiling innocently.
“Oh…um…I-I guess not,” she returns your smile, though her cheeks remain reasonably flushed.
As the two of you approach the stage, you had to make a conscious effort not to get swept up in the commotion. Around the entire stage, ponies mil about like a swarm of bees. Actors and actresses ran around, trying to get their costumes from the set ponies, who are busy putting the props together. Nearby, Hamlet stands on his chair, shouting through his megaphone:
“Everypony! Please calm down! Actors move to set one!”
Coco’s head moved around, she seems entranced trying to follow the haphazard movements. You place a hoof on her head to keep it in place, goddess knows it would have fallen off if you had let her continue. She shuts her eyes and shakes her head, as if trying to shake off the weight of her stupor.
“Is it always like this?” she asks, obviously trying not to fall back into her pony-following state.
“You mean you’ve never seen this?” you ask, cocking your head to the side.
“No…this…um…this is my first show…” Her eyes drift downward.
“Wait, really?” A wave of excitement washes over you, “Oh, Coco, it’s amazing! It’s like having your own personal show! Even if I am just a musician, it’s always incredible to actually think that I’m a part of such a big and Equestria-known event as a Bridleway Play. Isn’t it amazing?”
“I…I guess I never actually thought about it,” A wide grin spread across her face, “Yeah…It is kinda neat, huh?”
A small laugh bubbles out of your throat. “‘Kinda neat’? Oh, Coco…” you lean and kiss her gently on the cheek, “That’s so adorable.” It feels good to actually say it out loud, your head was starting to get tired of keeping all of your adoration in. (Tell me about it…). Coco’s cheeks flush pink once again, but she quickly gave your cheek a peck in return. As you peered around the room, you found a certain gray mare in the back corner quietly tuning her Cello. You nudged Coco to get her attention, then motion toward Octavia. She nods, and the two of you trot over toward the cellist.
“Hey, Octavia!” You greet cheerily.
“Good Morning.” She returns, her attention still kept to her Cello, “Are you ready for the bi-” She stops mid-sentence as her gaze has finally reached you. Well, you and…
For a long moment, she does nothing more than gape at the sight of you with your tail around a mare’s.
“Oh my, where are my manners?” Octavia fretted, reaching her hoof out toward Coco. “My name is Octavia Philharmonica Melody. You must be Miss Pommel, it’s so nice to finally meet you.”
“F-finally?” Coco asked, timidly accepting Octavia’s hoof-shake, Octavia’s eyes move toward you, smiling slyly. Your eyes drift off to some random corner of the room.
“Oh, trust me. I’ve heard many things about you.”
Coco turns her head towards you.
“You…you’ve been talking about me…?”
“I, well, I, uh...I mean.,” You stammer out, before clearing your throat, “I suppose I talked to Octavia a lot during the day, and I guess you came up a few times.”
“A few times?” Octavia nearly laughs, “He found a way to work you into every conversation. You’d think his life didn’t exist outside of when he helps you with your sewing.”
Your face began to grow very warm.
“Wow…you were always talking about me?”
“Well, I mean I…I guess…”
Coco leans in and gives you a peck on the check, “That’s so sweet,” She coos happily. “It looks like everypony’s getting ready to start, break a leg.” And after another kiss on your cheek, she leaves to take her seat for the show.
As she’s walking back, you notice she’s stopped by one of the actresses, but ignore it, it was probably a question about her costume or something.
“Well, well, well. It seems that Lyra’s ‘misplaced’ theory had a bit more accuracy than somepony was letting on,” Octavia’s voice brings you back to reality.
“S-shut up.”
“Oh, I can’t even wait until Lyra herself gets word of it.”
“Actually…”
“You already told her didn’t you?”
“Uh-huh.”
“You know sometimes your little shell is easier to melt than you think.” Octavia smiles.
“Hmph,” you harrumph, closing your eyes and slightly pouting, “Please, like you could even break my resolve.”
“You sure you want us to go down this road again~”
Your eyes open, and you see her bow poised to strike your wings yet again.
“I-Don-you don’t-please don’t do it.”
“That’s what I thought.” She returns to her Cello to continue her tuning.
You trotted over to your piano and sat down at the bench. You played a few scales and pent chords just to warm up, and then steal yourself mentally for the show.
“You ready?” Octavia says, standing up at her cello, bow at the ready.
“Yeah, ready.”
Story Time steps up to the podium and holds his baton at the ready. From the side of the stage you hear Hamlet call out:
“ACTION”
And it begins…
When the play ends there is a massive cheer throughout all the cast and the crew.
“Alright, alright, settle down.” Hamlet shouted through his microphone, “Everypony did a great job. Everypony go home, have a good night’s rest, and be ready for the big show tomorrow!”
As everypony began to pack up, you immediately jumped up from the piano, and walked towards the seats. You simply couldn’t wait to be back with your mare (Yay! I have a marefriend!) You only make it half way, however, as you are interrupted by a shocking sight:
The star of latest Bridleway play, Lyra Heartstrings, blushing and shivering like a maniac.
“Hey, Lyra are you okay?” She visibly jumps.
“Jeez, don’t scare me like that?” She quavers.
“Whoa...a bit jumpy, eh?” you question, somewhat joking, but mostly out of genuine concern.
“It’s just…I…I don’t know what- how do I- how- but,”
“Bon-Bon?” You ask knowingly.
“Y-yeah.”
“I’m guessing you had to fake your bid scene today, right?”
“Mhm.”
“You know what, that’s fine.”
“What? But, how- Tomorrow- How will I- the scene-”
“You want to try full sentences maybe?” You joke again. Before you can react, her gaze suddenly shifts to a scowl and her hoof swings around to strike you across your face. The force is actually enough to knock you onto the ground.
“I hate you.” She growled out of her clenched teeth.
“You feel better?” You groaned from the floor.
“A little bit,” She says, smiling for a second, until her previous thoughts catch up with her. She sighs and falls to her haunches. Ponies swirl about you, but you two remain in your own world.
“Don’t worry, kid. Things will work out.”
She sighed again. “How did you do it?” She muttered.
“Do what?” You asked as you sit up.
“How did you finally confess to her?”
You notice Lyra’s gaze was aimed out toward the seats. You follow your gaze until you saw she’s looking at Coco talking to the same actress as before. Strange, she seems familiar…oh…oh! It takes you a moment to recognize the blue-and-pink-maned earth pony.
“If you want the truth,” You said to Lyra, “I failed. By the end of the night, I had already admitted defeat to myself. It took Coco accidently drinking herself stupid and insane magical workings that are beyond most ponies perception. As amazing as that sounds, it was really just luck.”
“Great,” Lyra said, smacking her head against the ground, “So there’s no possible way I could ever confess to Bonnie.”
“Bonnie?” You raise an eyebrow.
“I said that out loud didn’t I? Doesn’t matter I guess, It’s not like I’ll ever actually be able to call her by my stupid little pet names.” You start to see tears formed at the corners of her eyes.
“Lyra…”
“No. Just shut up. I can’t feel better, and you’re help certainly isn’t going to help. I know…” She begins to sob quietly, “I know it won’t work.”
Despite her protest, you pick Lyra up off the floor and lean your shoulder up against her to try and keep her from falling back to the ground.
“Now Lyra, how could you ever truly know?”
“Octavia and Vinyl. You and Coco. Beauty and her marefriend whose name I never even learned. Every time there were two ponies in love, I was able to tell that they were, I could just sense it. I tried and tried so hard but I…I…” The tears now streamed heavily down her cheeks. “I can’t tell at all with Bonnie. If I can’t feel it…then it just can’t be there…”
You couldn’t comprehend what you were seeing. Lyra Heartstrings, one of the strongest mares you’d ever met, had been reduced to a sniveling mess.
“Lyra…come on. Of course you can’t tell if she loves you back. It’s not like ponies in love are the ones with the clearest thoughts.”
“But...I can always tell.”
“Starswirl the bearded, one of the greatest unicorns in history, was known for his foresight and future-telling capabilities, but he had one weakness, he was blind to his own future…”
“That is quite possibly the nerdiest possible way that one pony has ever convinced another to go and get a marefriend.”
“Does it help though?”
“Yeah I guess…”
“Alright, good. How’s that scene gonna go tomorrow?”
You felt a sinking in your chest as you saw any happiness you had given her slowly melt away from her face.
“But you failed. And that was just you and her, nopony else. I would have to kiss her fully in front of an enormous crowd. There’s no way I’m gonna be able to do it.”
“Pff, come on…since when do you ever put yourself on my level. You’re Lyra Heartstrings, now get out there and prove you’re better than me!”
Lyra’s eyes drift off somewhere else as her thoughts seem to overcome her.
“You know what? You’re right.” Her face steels into her usual confident smirk, “Tomorrow’s the day!”
“Atta girl!” You cheered, nearly flying off the ground in excitement.
“Alright, I’ve wasted enough of my time, you go have fun with your marefriend.”
“She’s not-” You reflexively snap before catching yourself, “Wow, I guess I’ve grown a bit too used to refuting that.”
You begin to trot away. “Wait!”
“Whaaat?” You groan.
“Thanks. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“Just returning the favor.” You say, smiling and then continuing to walk toward the seats.
When you reached Coco, you can’t help but notice the large smile on her face.
“Helping Lyra with her troubles?” She asked.
“Yeah, how’d you know?”
“Oh, I have my ways…” She smiled secretively.
“Well, I guess I ought to be heading home.”
Before anything else can happen, she stood right up against you, and her tail wrapped tightly around yours.
“You mean we ought to be heading home…” her voice returning to the playful tone that it was this morning.
You blushed and laughed, “I suppose I’ll have to be getting used to that, hm?”
“Yup.” She smiled in the perfect, shyly impish way that only she could ever be capable of.
When the two of you reached your flat, you began to walk toward your couch, out of basic habit, but are soon stopped as Coco refuses to let go of her grip on your tail.
“Aw, that’s so cute,” She coos, before leading you into the bedroom. She tilted her head toward the bed, “Go on…”
You climb up on the mattress and slip under the sheets, feeling warm and comfortable. Coco follows you until she laid next to you, then before you can even respond, she throws her two left legs cross you so she stood over you.
“C-Coco?” you stammer, your face growing hot.
“Shhh.” She places a hoof over your lips. And then, without another word she kisses you, this time her lips meeting yours as she pours all her passion into you. You happily return her kiss. The two of you just happy to be with each other. Just to exist in the other’s presence was enough. After many, many more kisses, Coco eventually falls asleep on top of you, her head resting against your chest, you can’t help but extend your hooves, and even your wings, to wrap around her in a strong embrace.
“Good night Coco, I love you.”
“I love you, too” she sighed dreamily, and the two of you slowly drift off into slumber.
You laid your hooves against the keys, you turn your head towards the front stage, where you see Hamlet stride out to the center a wide smile painted across his face.
“Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome, Fillies and Gentlecolts, to the Bridleway production:
“ANTHROPOLOGY: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR
“I can tell you, without a doubt, that I and all the cast and crew are more than ecstatic about this opening day. So without further ado, I’ll leave up to the actors and musicians, so please enjoy!”
Your gaze drifts to a mare in the front row, wearing a beautiful, light-blue dress, a purple collar with a red, silk tie, and a pretty red flower clipped into her short blue mane. You see her lift a hoof to her lips and blow you a kiss. You smiled blissfully before turning back to look at Story Time. As the Curtain rises, he lifted his baton up in his magic. The lights dim and a minty green mare with a Lyre cutie mark walks out onto the stage as the play begins…