//------------------------------// // Chapter 14: Looking Back, Looking Forward // Story: A Change In Fashion // by Kevinltk //------------------------------// Glamour sighed as she lay in bed, her eyes slowly combing the walls of her room. She was still processing everything that happened today. Things were complicated enough when she found out Coco had feelings for her, but their little shopping trip had ended up unearthing more questions for her to ponder about. First and foremost was the reveal that something happened with Coco and Suri years ago. Whatever it was, that seemed to be when the rift between them started to form. With Suri sort of giving her permission, Glamour was waiting for the right moment to talk to Coco about what happened. She hoped that learning about the event would be a step in the right direction to possibly getting Suri off her and Coco’s backs. The other thing bothering Glamour was her own relationship with Coco. After High Brow’s mistake at the restaurant and Grace’s half-joking, Suri was the third pony to call them out at being more than friends. It made her wonder if ponies were a bit more deluded than she thought or that there was some detail she missed that already marked her and Coco as marefriends. It was not just the observations of others that puzzled her. Recalling Coco’s accident back at the store, Glamour knew she could have used her magic to slow Coco’s fall, allowing her to come out with no worse than some scrapes and maybe a bruise or two. Instead, Glamour used herself as a cushion, saving her friend from any possible injury at the cost of her own safety. Her rescue went against her survival instincts. Luckily, all she received was some back pain, and that was pretty much gone now, thanks to both her changeling body and the burst of love she received. Between more and more ponies thinking they were already marefriends, Coco’s already-present love, and her own odd behavior, Glamour was questioning her relationship with Coco and her perception of love. It was all so confusing. There was one thing Glamour knew for sure though. She really needed to buy a clock for her room. As soon as they got home, Coco promptly headed to her room, taking the things she bought with her to put away. Glamour had offered to help, but Coco requested that she have some time to herself. With what happened during their encounter with Suri, Glamour agreed and postponed her questioning to allow Coco some rest. Glamour used the time to retreat into her room and do some of her own thinking. After an unknown time alone with her thoughts, she felt the need to do something else instead of wracking her brain with worry. She got out of bed and quietly exited her room, stopping in front of Coco’s door. Glamour’s mouth formed into a small frown. During the whole time she was in bed, she did not see Coco come out of her room, and now that she thought about it, she did not hear any sounds either. If Coco was really putting stuff away, there should have been at least a little bit of noise. Glamour slowly pressed an ear against the door, trying to check up on Coco without intruding into her room. She stayed there for a few moments, listening carefully, but she heard nothing. Just as she was about to give up, figuring that Coco went to sleep, she heard a chair squeak, recognizing it as the one that was in front of Coco’s desk. A sigh and the sounds of the desk drawer opening and closing followed soon after. Hearing nothing else after that, Glamour guessed Coco must have been working at her desk, likely working on the dress sketches again. Glamour headed into the living room and kitchen area, and she was surprised to see the clock show that it had been more than two hours since they got home. They were holed up in their rooms longer than she thought. Making her way to the stove, Glamour’s horn lit up, opening up the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator to let her gather up the tools and ingredients for her special recipe, even though it was the only recipe she knew. Coco had a rough day, and Glamour was sure that some white chocolate mocha would help cheer up her friend. After a few more successes since the first time, Glamour had become a bit more adept at preparing the drink, and she was able to make it to the coffee brewing phase while confining her messy preparations to just one area of the kitchen counter. As she waited on the coffee, another thought came to mind. Coco had also missed dinner during her seclusion, and while white chocolate mocha was delicious, Glamour had to concede that it probably was not enough to make a complete meal for a pony. Glamour quickly went through the cabinets and refrigerator again, but her search revealed nothing that she could prepare easily or safely except for one thing. Grumbling quietly, she grabbed two slices of bread and stuck them in the toaster. She really needed to learn how to cook better. After a few more minutes of preparation, Glamour was on her way back to Coco’s door with two cups of white chocolate mocha and a plate of toast levitating next to her. “Coco, it’s me,” she announced, knocking on the door. “You’ve been in there for quite a while, so I brought you something to eat. Can I come in?” “Of course, Glamour,” Coco’s voice replied. Glamour opened the door and walked into the room, noticing Coco closing her desk drawer. What interested her more though was what laid on Coco’s bed. “Are you alright, Coco?” “Yes, I’m fine,” Coco replied, turning around in her desk chair to Glamour. “Why do you ask?” “All the stuff you bought today is on your bed, and it looks like you barely touched them. You said you were going to put them away. That was over two hours ago.” Coco winced. “Has it really been that long? I guess I lost track of time while I was thinking.” “Well, you kind of forgot about dinner while you were in here so…” Glamour made a cup of white chocolate mocha and the plate of toast fly over to settle on Coco’s desk. “I made a little snack for you.” Coco sniffed the air, and a small smile sprouted on her face. “Mmm, Glamour’s famous white chocolate mocha,” she said, followed by a small chuckle. “And her other specialty, toast.” Glamour rolled her eyes and settled on the bed with her own cup in her hooves. “I really need to learn how to make something a bit more advanced than toast or cereal.” Coco giggled. “Thank you anyway, Glamour,” she said before starting her impromptu meal. “Oh, how is your back now?” Glamour tapped on her back with her hoof and felt nothing more than a small sting. “The pain is pretty much all gone now.” “That’s good. I was worried it would last for some time, but it seems like you heal quick.” A small, sheepish laugh escaped Glamour. “I guess it’s a little perk my body has. So… you’ve just been thinking the entire time since we came home?” “Pretty much.” “About what happened today?” “Pretty much…” Coco repeated as her gaze went to the floor. She sat quietly for a few seconds and then glanced up at Glamour, who was sipping her drink and watching her. “I’m guessing that you want to talk about what happened with Suri earlier.” “If you feel like it. I don’t want to push you if you’re not ready.” Coco shook her head, and she sat up straight in her chair. “No, now is a good time as any, but before you ask your questions, I need to properly thank you. What you did at the store was very valiant of you, and if that was not enough, you were ready to jump to my defense against Suri. You’re always so quick to help me, whether it’s saving me from a fall, standing up to others for me, or even making me some toast because I forget to eat. It means a lot that you care so much about me, and I’m extremely grateful to have you as a friend. Thank you, Glamour.” Glamour blushed a bit, both from the praise and feeling the love in the room rise. She had to take another drink of her mocha to hide her blush. “Um, you’re welcome, Coco. I guess that since we became such good friends, I don’t want to see anything bad happen to you, so looking after you just feels like the right thing to do. It’s the first time I actually took care of a pony like this, and well, it’s nice.” “I’m so glad to hear that, Glamour, because um…” Coco’s face grew red, and she cleared her throat. “Actually, we’re kind of getting sidetracked. You uh, you wanted to ask about Suri and me, right?” “Right.” “Well, uh go ahead. Ask away. I never really talked with anypony else about Suri, but you’ve gotten so involved with everything, it’s not fair that I keep so much from you. I can’t promise I’ll be able to answer everything, but I’ll do the best I can.” “Alright then,” Glamour finished her drink and set the cup to the side. “So um, I know you and Suri used to be friends. Could you tell me more about what she was like?” Coco nodded. “Like I mentioned before, she actually was pretty nice in the past. Do you think she would’ve taken me in if she wasn’t? I was pretty much only one step above knowing the basics when she accepted me. I had to work hard to keep up with her. She was strict and tough, yes, but because of that, I learned a lot. After a while, it felt like we were partners instead of an assistant and her boss. Well, until she um, changed.” “What caused her to change into how she is now? Does it have something to do with what you two were talking about earlier? The thing that happened a few years ago?” “Um well…” Coco glanced away. “Something bad happened to her, and it pretty much changed her outlook on life.” Glamour blinked. “Um, could you give me a bit more information than that?” Coco sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Glamour, but I can’t. You know that I still want to be friends with Suri, and I promised her that I would not talk about it with anypony else. Please understand that I do trust you, but I can’t break a promise either.” “Well, actually… Remember when I stepped away for a bit to talk to Suri?” Coco flinched. “Y-yes?” “I asked her about what happened in the past.” Coco leaned forward as her eyes widened. “Sh-she told you?” “Actually, she brushed me off.” Coco sank back into her seat. “Oh.” “But um, she told me to ask you about it.” “She… she did? Wait, what exactly did she say? What did you say? W-was she acting differently? Glamour frowned and rubbed the back of her neck. “I asked her why she did not like you, and she pretty much said that you betrayed her. When she mentioned that the two of you learning a lesson a few years ago, I asked about it. She just wanted me to leave her alone, so she directed me to you. She’s probably thinking that me knowing the truth would change things. Right before she left, she pretty much demanded that we drop out of the contest.” Coco turned back around in her chair and let her face drop into the desk with a heavy thud that made Glamour wince. “I should’ve known…” Glamour got up from the bed and went over to Coco. “You were hoping that she had a change of heart, weren’t you?” she asked as she rubbed Coco’s back. “I’ve been trying for so long to get the old Suri to come back,” came Coco’s reply. Even the wood in her face could not muffle the cracking in her voice. “It’s harder now that she’s so convinced that I wronged her. What really hurts is that it’s true. After all the years we spent together, I left her to try and get things to change. Sometimes, I wonder if I’ll ever get through to her.” Glamour felt a twinge inside of her. She hated seeing Coco like this. Noting Coco’s cup was still half-full, she urged, “Here, you still have some white chocolate mocha left. Maybe it’ll make you feel a bit better. We can continue talking about this some other time.” Coco slowly turned her head on its side so she could see her drink. Glamour knelt down so her head was also resting on the desk, their eyes level with each other. Giving a smile, she nudged the cup with her hoof towards her friend’s head. A quiet, amused snort escaped Coco, and she reached for her drink as she got up. She quickly drained the remains of her coffee, leaving behind a small smile on her face. “You really do know how to make a good white chocolate mocha, Glamour.” “I would hope so. It’s the only thing I can make, and I’m still cleaning up the stains on the ceiling from the first time.” Glamour got back up, and her face scrunched up as her eyes narrowed. “Also, I’m pretty sure it’s just my imagination, but I feel like I’m sticky in places that should not be sticky…” Coco chuckled. “Thank you, Glamour. I needed that.” Shifting in her seat, she moved her empty cup and dish to the edge of the desk. “Alright then, if Suri is alright with you knowing what happened, then I see no reason to keep it from you any longer.” “Are you sure? You were pretty upset just a moment ago. I can wait until you’re better.” “You’ve been waiting a long time for this, and you’ve been very patient with me. I’m not going to let you wait any longer.” Coco opened her desk drawer and reached in with a hoof to begin fishing around in it. “You’ll probably want to grab a seat.” Glamour quickly looked around the room and found a stool with some fabric and thread on top of it. With her magic, the materials were laid to the side, and the stool was moved to the front of Coco’s desk, allowing Glamour to sit next to Coco. Coco pulled out a brown book from the drawer and laid it flat on the desk. There was nothing on the cover, save for a few wrinkles and faded patches. Combined with the pages showing a faint red-brown tinge, the book had to be at least a few years old. “Soon after Suri and I became friends, I started this picture book to record our times together,” Coco began explaining as she opened up the book to the first page, revealing a photo of herself and Suri standing in front of a building and smiling. Glamour watched as Coco slowly flipped through the pages, revealing photo after photo. There were pictures of them working together, shopping, and smiling at the camera. She also recognized some of the places in the pictures, such as the fabric store, the backstage area of the fashion shows, and even Coco’s apartment. The biggest surprise was seeing Suri’s smile. The smugness that Glamour knew Suri for was also present in the photos, but unlike the present Suri, who looked down at others, the past Suri’s smile was just one of confidence and actually seemed friendly. “Wow, Suri looks so different back then. She doesn’t look so um… evil… Sorry…” “It’s alright. I know more than anypony else how much she has changed.” Coco sighed and continued to flip through more pages, stopping at a picture with her and Suri eating at a familiar cafe. “Hey, isn’t that the cafe you keep on taking me to?” Glamour asked, pointing at the picture. “It’s not only one of my favorite places, but Suri’s as well. That is, until she changed. Now, she hardly eats out, and even then, it’s only for a quick bite. It’s like she’s always restless and doesn’t want to waste time sitting down. This photo was the last time we went there together.” “So, what caused Suri to change so much? It seems like she was a nice enough pony back then.” “She met somepony…” Coco turned the page one more time to a different photo. Unlike the others, this picture was not only of Coco and Suri, but also a third pony. The new pony was a unicorn stallion with a dark-yellow coat and an even darker yellow mane. He wore a formal, black coat, complete with a white dress shirt, making him look dapper, but his grin made him seem a bit conceited in Glamour’s opinion. “A couple of years ago, there was a party, and many of Manehattan’s designers were invited, including Suri,” Coco explained. “She took me along. It was pretty grand soiree, and a lot of ponies were having fun. But being my shy self, I ended up sticking to Suri’s side throughout most of the party. Near the end, I had to excuse myself to go to the restroom, and when I came back, Suri was talking to this stallion.” Coco tapped her hoof on the yellow pony in the picture. “His name was Golden Thread, and he was also a fashion designer. He seemed friendly enough, and Suri spent the rest of the party with him. Since half the fashion business is knowing the right ponies, he and Suri exchanged contact information with each other at the end. A couple of days later, he invited Suri to lunch.” “Just Suri? What about you?” Glamour asked. “I didn’t go. Even though we were friends, I was still Suri’s assistant, and there were sometimes things she had to do alone. We both thought it was going to be more of a business lunch, so I paid it no heed. However, when she got back…” Coco turned the page again to show a closeup of Suri and Golden Thread kissing. “Suri announced that they were going to start dating.” “Suri started dating a stallion that she only met two times?” “Apparently, Golden Thread said he had her eye on Suri for some time, and during their lunch, they really hit it off. They shared a lot of interests, and he was such a gentlestallion. Even though they just met, Suri thought he was nice enough to at least give him a try. “They went out for their first date, then their second, then their third, and then, well you get the picture. Suri would spend more and more time with Golden Thread, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a tiny bit disappointed I didn’t get to see Suri as much. But then I would see how happy Suri was, talking about all the nice things Golden Thread said about her and showing off the gifts he got for her. Even though I didn’t have as much time with my friend as before, I was glad that she found somepony to make her happy.” Staring at the stallion in the picture, Glamour asked. “Did you get to interact with Golden Thread at all?” “A bit, when Golden Thread asked to see where Suri and I worked. He was invited to watch us at work a couple of times. He didn’t talk to me that much, but when he did, he always was polite. The two of them frequently went out for at least a couple more months until things slowed down when Golden Thread said he had a lot of work to do. Coincidentally, we had much to do as well because Suri was about to enter a big competition.” A frown came up on Coco’s face as she stared at the picture of Suri and Golden Thread. “When it was time for the competition rehearsal, we were surprised to find Golden Thread had also entered. Suri talked about the contest with him, but he never mentioned that he was going to be in it as well. That’s when we found out why.” Coco’s hoof landed roughly on Golden Thread’s picture. “He went before us, and when he unveiled his creation, it was practically the same as Suri’s, only with his own little touch added to it.” “He… he stole Suri’s design?” Glamour said, her mouth slightly agape. Coco slowly nodded. “Later on, we would find out that during the few times he came to see where we worked, he snuck out sketches and materials we were planning to use.” “And you two never noticed the missing things?” “Um, well…” Coco blushed and looked away from Glamour. “You already know how I’m pretty messy when I’m working. It’s the same story with Suri. Put the two of us together and… Well, when we couldn’t find something, we figured that it was just buried underneath our mess. We didn’t suspect Golden Thread of anything until the rehearsal.” “I see… I take it that Suri was not happy with Golden Thread.” Coco closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. “Suri… She was devastated… I won’t ever forget the look of despair on her face when she saw Golden Thread’s betrayal. However, she didn’t remain like that for long. She got really angry and stormed on stage during Golden Thread’s presentation, calling him out and yelling at him for being a cheater. But since we did not have any proof to show he stole Suri’s design, and Golden Thread had more experience and credibility, we couldn’t do anything. In fact, Suri was almost disqualified for misconduct. Not like it mattered… There was no way we could come up with a new design and create it by the next day so… Suri had to forfeit. “Later on, we found out that Golden Thread actually got second place with the stolen design. Before then, Suri had entered a few contests, even winning one or two, but this was the first time she was going to enter a huge contest like that. Winning second place on her first try would’ve done wonders for Suri’s career, but instead, it was stolen from her.” Coco sighed again and bowed her head. “Suri loved Golden Thread, but he just used her. He stomped all over her heart, stole her work, and forced Suri to give up her chance at winning one of the biggest fashion contests in Manehattan, The Fall Fashion Fantasia.” Glamour’s eyes widened. “The Fall Fashion Fantasia? You mean the same one we’re about to enter?” Coco nodded. “It’s why Suri is so angry that we’re in it. I bet that to her, it’s like what Golden Thread did to her. I was hoping I could convince her that was not the case, but you saw how that turned out.” Glamour’s heart sank, and her ears drooped. “I… I’m sorry, Coco. Because of me, I’m making you choose between me and Suri.” “It’s not your fault, Glamour,” Coco replied. She smiled, but Glamour could tell she was faking it. “Things just turned out the way it is. I made my choice already, and I’m seeing it through. I’ve always known that I would have to take a risk and face off against her. Either it will make her take me more seriously, or it will only deepen her hatred of me. At least by doing this, I’m helping you as well.” “And you’ll have me supporting you with whatever you need to do to get back together with Suri,” Glamour added, giving Coco a warm smile. “I can’t imagine how tough it must be to see your friend change into something completely different.” Coco turned the page again. The newest photo was just the two of them. Coco’s smile was barely perceivable, and Suri was actually scowling a little. “It was horrible. Since the Fall Fashion Fantasia, she treated me like an employee, nothing more. Suri did not trust anypony, and she treated everypony with scorn. That’s when she also began using underhoofed tactics to win, not caring if it hurt others as well. She was becoming an awful pony like Golden Thread.” Coco buried her face into her hooves. “I did try to stop her, but she would just yell at me, reminding me about what happened, and saying that she had to win, no matter the cost. Eventually, with how competitive the fashion business is, I started believing her. For the next few years, I just stood to the side, quietly doing what I was told. Partly because I didn’t think I could survive working alone, and partly because I hoped for the old Suri to come back. Things went on like that until the Fashion Week show.” Glamour tapped her chin in thought. “You know, now that I think about it, what Suri did to Rarity sounds just like what happened with Golden Thread.” “Well, it worked on her, so Suri figured she could do the same. But it didn’t. Even though the scheme succeeded, Rarity had good friends who were there to support her and inspire her.” Coco hung her head. “Suri only had me, a bumbling assistant who could not do anything to help.” Glamour brought a hoof around Coco’s back. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened. You’re only one pony. You should be blaming Golden Thread for using Suri like that. Ponies who pretend to love somepony, just to gain something from them, are…” Glamour paused before letting out a sigh. “They’re monsters…” “Yeah…” Coco quietly agreed, unknowingly making Glamour’s breath hitch. “Anyway, when Rarity won because of her friends, I knew that I could no longer let Suri go on like this. She was furious when I tried to do what was right and give the trophy to Rarity. I tried reasoning with her, telling her what she was doing was wrong, but she would not listen. That’s when I decided to quit. Suri was not going to listen to me because I was only an assistant to her. I had to make it on my own until she saw me as an equal. Then maybe, just maybe, she’ll listen to me, and I can convince her to change back. I’m not giving up on her.” “I’m sure she’ll come around one day,” Glamour replied. “So, where’s Golden Thread now? Do you think he is going to be in the Fall Fashion Fantasia?” “We won’t have to worry about him. Suri never got over what happened. I don’t know how, but she eventually got a hold of all sorts of information on him. It turned out that he had done quite a few scandalous and unethical things. She sent the information to the media, and they took care of the rest. Golden Thread’s reputation was ruined, and he was forced to quit as a fashion designer and even had to move out of the city.” “That was… harsh, but I can’t say he didn’t deserve it,” Glamour admitted. Coco slowly nodded and closed the picture book. With a sigh, she leaned more into Glamour’s embrace, and Glamour tightened her grip in return. “So, that’s pretty much all of what happened to Suri. She loved a pony, but in the end, she got her heart broken, and I lost a friend.” “Thank you for telling me all of this, Coco. It must’ve been hard for you to talk about those painful times.” “Actually, it wasn’t so bad. It was still unpleasant to dredge up those old memories, but talking about it with you was kind of liberating as well. Maybe it’s because I’m no longer keeping a secret from you or maybe because I just feel that comfortable around you. I kind of wish I was able to tell you all of this sooner.” Glamour glanced up at the clock on the wall and winced. “Wow, we’ve been at this for quite a while. It’s pretty late. After what happened today, I think we both deserve some rest.” Coco blinked. “Oh um, yeah. We should. Sorry for keeping you, Glamour.” Glamour got up and collected their empty cups and plate. “Nothing to be sorry about. I’m glad I got to know the truth, and now, maybe we can think of what to do with Suri.” Coco tilted her head. “We?” “Well, yeah. I meant it when I said I was going to support you. This competition isn’t about me anymore, it’s about you. I know how important Suri is to you now, and I want to do whatever I can do to help.” Glamour turned towards the door. “Goodnight, Coco.” Right before she made it out the door, she heard Coco call out, “Um, Glamour?”. She turned back to Coco and tilted her head. “Yes?” “Um… If it’s alright with you, could we talk a bit more?” Glamour blinked and then smiled. “Sure.” Coco smiled back and moved to sit on the bed as Glamour laid the dishes to the side. Coco patted the spot next to her, which Glamour quickly occupied. “So uh, the thing I want to talk about is um…” Coco drummed a forehoof on the bed. “It’s about another thing Suri said earlier. You know… About me…” “I think you’re going to have to be a bit more specific. Suri talked quite a lot about you.” “Uh, right. Actually, I’ve been thinking about this a lot, not just today. It’s about me maybe um…” Coco’s face grew red. She said something, but it was so quiet, Glamour did not hear any of it. “What was that?” Glamour asked as she leaned closer to Coco. “A-about me m-maybe l-l-l…” Coco went silent again and bit her lip. Glamour offered a small smile. “Take your time, Coco.” Coco nodded. “I want to talk to you about…” She drifted off again, and she held her breath. A few moments later, a loud, exasperated sigh escaped her as she flopped backwards onto her bed. “Ohh… I can’t do this…” Glamour crawled up the bed so that she could look directly down at Coco’s face with a concerned frown. “Are you alright? Maybe you can’t say whatever you wanted to talk about because you’re tired. We could always try again tomorrow if it’s not important.” “But it is important, Glamour!” Coco cried out a bit loudly. Noticing Glamour reeling back from the sudden outburst, she laughed nervously. “Uh, sorry. But yes, this is important, and I want to do this now. I’m just having trouble because I’m scared… Scared that you might not like what I say and cause a rift in our friendship.” “Hey, it’s not like one argument is going to end our friendship. I like to think that we’re two reasonable ponies who can work things out. Even if things don’t go the way you want tonight, I’m sure everything will be fine between us by the next day.” “Hopefully…” Coco quietly added. As Glamour waited for Coco to continue, she replayed Coco’s argument with Suri from earlier, trying to figure out what got her friend so flustered. She did not get much done before she noticed Coco sit up and stare at her. “What is it, Coco?” “I think I want to try something else. Instead of me trying to explain, maybe it would be easier if I tried showing you instead, but…” Coco blushed, and her gaze dropped back to the bed. “Actually, never mind. It’s kind of… kind of stupid, now that I think about it a bit more.” “Just go for it then. Sometimes you just have to jump into things instead of thinking about it too much. Admittedly, it’s led me to do my share of stupid stuff, but I wouldn’t be here with you if I didn’t take a risk. Besides, I’m sure whatever you do is not as dumb as some of the things I do.” “Umm, I’ll try… Just promise me that no matter what happens, we’ll still at least be friends.” “I don’t even have to. With how we are, I’m sure that’s a given.” “Just say it, please. I need to hear it.” Glamour was taken aback a bit, but she quickly recovered. “Alright, I promise that no matter what happens, we’ll still at least be friends.” “Okay then… So I’m just going to…” Coco slid closer to Glamour until their sides were touching. Looking straight into Glamour’s eyes, she slowly raised her forehooves to Glamour’s face. “Uh…” Glamour was not expecting this, but she remained still, allowing Coco to come closer and closer. Right when the hooves reached her face, they froze for a moment as Coco looked down. Coco took a deep breath before raising her head and resuming her movement. “W-what are you doing, Coco?” Glamour asked when Coco’s hooves gently clamped down on the sides of her face. “L-like I said, something very stupid, but I think this is the best way for me to answer my question.” As Coco’s face drew near, Glamour’s eyes widened when she realized what Coco was about to do. “You… You’re going to kiss me?” “Y-yes, please let me try, Glamour. It’s been on my mind for a while. I-I promise if this doesn’t work out, I won’t do something like this ever again, and we can pretend it never happened. Please, let me do this. I need to know.” A part of Glamour was making one of her forehooves rise off the bed to push Coco away, to prevent things from spiraling out of control, but another part was keeping her still, to accept the consequences of what was about to come in the hopes that it would lead to something better as a result. Unable to decide what to do, Glamour recalled her own advice and stopped thinking, letting her feelings take over. Her hoof dropped back onto the bed. Coco closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Glamour’s in a gentle kiss. Glamour could feel her whole body trembling, both from the disbelief that Coco was actually kissing her and the exhilarating rush she was feeling as Coco’s love flooded into her. Never before had she felt such pure love from a pony. It was sweeter and more potent than anything she encountered before. And it was all directed to her. The kiss only lasted two seconds before Coco slowly pulled back, keeping her gaze down on the bed. “S-sorry, Glamour, and thank you for letting me do that.” “Wow… You actually did it… You kissed me…” Glamour murmured, her eyes staring off into the distance. Her body was still recovering from the shock of the two most intense seconds of her life, but she felt like she could fly laps around Manehattan without her wings. Coco blushed. “I-I did… You aren’t angry or anything, are you?” “No, I’m alright with it,” Glamour replied, taking a deep, composing breath. “I was just surprised. So um, based on what you just did, I’m guessing the question you wanted to ask earlier was…” “If I loved you…” Coco finished. “And?” Glamour asked, even though she knew the answer. A small smile formed on Coco’s face as she held a hoof over her heart. “I… I think I do love you, Glamour. When I kissed you, it was wonderful, as if my whole body was being warmed and comforted by you. It made me feel safe and happy. I would love to do it again, but… ” She sighed as her smile shrunk until it was barely visible, and her gaze rose from the bed. “What do you think of me, Glamour? Do you think you might love me?” Glamour slowly blinked. “Um…” “I-it’s alright if you don’t, but if you’re willing, maybe you could give us a chance and see if things develop later on.” “Um…” “A-and if you’re not interested at all, th-that’s fine as well.” Coco offered a smile, but her lips were visibly quivering. “I… I would completely understand, and I hope that we can just go back to being friends. I would rather have you as a friend than having you pretend to love me.” “Um…” “Oh, uh, and if you can’t answer me now, then it’s alright, and you can tell me later. Take as long as you need, but uh, yeah, the sooner you can answer, the better. Oh goodness, I’m babbling, but I don’t know what to do, a-and I don’t want to pressure you into anything, so I just want to make sure that—” Coco stopped when Glamour covered her mouth with a hoof. “Relax, Coco,” Glamour said as she slowly let her hoof drop from Coco’s mouth. “I’m not sure of my answer yet, but like I promised earlier, we’re still going to be at least friends, no matter what. Whether we become more than that remains to be seen, but for now, could we talk a bit more?” Coco nodded. “S-sure.” “Good. So I have to ask, when did you discover that you were in love?” Glamour asked. She already knew when Coco’s love began, but she wanted to know how and why it started. “It was pretty much when Suri called me out on it.” Coco paused, and her gaze slowly drifted upwards, as if in thought. “Actually, I think it started a bit after Grace thought we were marefriends. I think what really set me off was when those rude stallions would not leave you alone. For some reason, I felt angry and jealous, and I just had to do something for you. That’s when I believe it all started. Still, I didn’t pay any heed to it until today’s talk with Suri. “That’s when I began to wonder if there was any merit to Suri’s accusation. I mean, she was not the first pony to mistake us as marefriends. At first, I thought it was because we were such close friends, but then I thought about how much you do for me and how you’re always cheering me up.” Coco smiled. “And it’s not just the things you do. When I’m with you, I feel happier, safer, and even braver. I don’t think I would’ve stood up to Suri if you weren’t there. I don’t think I would’ve done a lot of things without you there. Things are better when I’m around you, and that’s why I was so worried when you were planning to move out. I want to stay by your side, Glamour, so that’s why I’m pretty sure I love you.” “Well, love or not, I like being around you as well, and I enjoy doing all those stuff for you because it feels good to know I’m helping you,” Glamour replied. “And I’m thankful for everything that you do. So um, are you okay with me loving you?” “I… I’m not sure, to be honest.” Glamour’s eyes bulged when she saw Coco sigh and bow her head. “N-no, no, no! It’s not like I don’t want your love. It’s just that…” Glamour frowned and had to think for a moment. “Well, during my travels, I’ve come across many ponies in love and got to observe them. And yet being around all that love, I’ve never actually been in love. There’s so much about it that I thought I knew, but now that you love me, it’s clear I actually hardly know anything about it. So when I’m saying I’m not sure about you loving me, I’m not afraid of you. I’m afraid of not knowing what to do with it.” “I see… You make a good point, and I have to admit that I’m kind of scared as well. I mean, look at what happened when Suri fell in love. Love can make you happy, but it can also hurt you. But…” Coco took one of Glamour’s forehooves into her own hooves and gave her a small smile. “We’ve been such great friends for a while, and there is no doubt in my mind about how much you care for me. I don’t know if our relationship will succeed or fail, but I am confident that it would not end in disaster like Suri’s.” “I wish I could share that same confidence… You see Coco, I…. Uh…” Glamour closed her eyes. If she was going to accept Coco’s love, was it right that she would have to hide a big part of herself from her possible marefriend? Should she confess about everything so Coco would know what she was getting into? She did not know how Coco would react, but their entire relationship could be torn to pieces over her one secret. Glamour remained silent, weighing her options, and in the end, she shook her head and sighed. “Coco, I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve been playing around with the idea for a while as well, but I’ve been wary of it. I have no idea if I love you or not, but I definitely really like you. The problem is that… well… if we become marefriends, it would be all new territory for me. I’m afraid that I might hurt you. Not intentionally, of course, but before we met, I’ve done some stupid stuff. Stupid, dangerous stuff. There’s always the possibility that I’m going to mess things up, and I’m not sure if I want to take that risk with you.” Coco patted Glamour’s hoof. “Thank you for the concern, but I trust you, Glamour. Whatever may happen, I’m sure we’ll somehow work it out. I just want us to be together, and I think you do too.” “Me too…” Glamour sighed. “You really think we could be marefriends?” “I do,” Coco immediately replied. Glamour sat in silence for a few moments and then smiled. “Alright, as long as we take it slow and are careful, we should at least give the two of us a try as marefriends.” A big smile blossomed on Coco’s face as she squealed and clapped her hooves. She gave a quick kiss on Glamour’s cheek, sending a quick jolt of love through her body. “Oh, Glamour, I’m so happy that we’re actually doing this! I just know that everything is going to work out between us.” “I hope so too…” Glamour replied. “I really hope so too…” “Well, I think we stayed up late enough,” Coco said when she calmed down. “Shall we go to sleep now? We can figure out what we should do, now that we’re marefriends, tomorrow.” Glamour nodded, letting out a yawn due to the late hour catching up to her. “Sounds good. I’ll see you tomorrow, Coco.” “Good night, Glamour.” Glamour made a quick stop to drop off the dirty dishes in the kitchen before heading to her room and bed. But instead of going to sleep, she spent a few more moments thinking about what just happened. She had done a very stupid thing. She, a changeling, was now in a relationship with a pony, and she still had to hide her true self. Fearing for her new life and ruining Coco’s friendship, she had backed down from the truth. She did not know if it was the right thing to do, but she promised herself that one day, when she was more confident that Coco would accept her as a changeling, she would tell Coco everything. For now, she would have to live with her stupid decision. At least for now, this stupid decision made her happy, and she drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.