//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: Love is in the Air // Story: A Change In Fashion // by Kevinltk //------------------------------// The train ride to the Crystal Empire was not as simple as the trip from Manehattan to Ponyville due to the snowy mountains that surrounded the area. Fortunately, Glamour and Coco got to ride in a private car with Princess Twilight and most of the friends they made in Ponyville. Unfortunately, Glamour had to ride in a private car with Princess Twilight and most of the friends she made in Ponyville. But before the train ride, Glamour and Coco got to spend a few days in Ponyville with the Elements. Spending time with them, Glamour realized that they were not the fearsome, battle-hardened warriors that she assumed they were, and all of them, except Princess Twilight and the perplexing Pinkie Pie, were just like every other pony. Then she listened to some more tales of the adventures they went on, and she decided she would go right on ahead and keep on fearing them. Her notion was confirmed when she personally witnessed them chasing off a monster from the nearby forest and dismissing the annoyance as something that they do almost every Saturday. There was a bit of a silver lining though. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were actually participating in the Equestria Games, so they were taking a later train along with the rest of the athletes from Ponyville. But despite there being two less Elements, Glamour still felt a bit uneasy to be riding with the remaining ones. Glamour was sitting with Coco, half-listening to her marefriend talk with Rarity about fashion. Applejack was sharing a seat with Octavia near the corner as they talked, while Pinkie was gorging herself with the abundance of sweets that she emptied out of the snack cart. That left Twilight who was in the next seat, quietly reading from a stack of books next to her. Glamour flinched when Twilight looked up at her. “So, Glamour, do you know much about the Crystal Empire?” Twilight asked, probably trying to strike up a conversation since Glamour was not really talking with anypony at the moment. “Um, no, I don’t,” Glamour admitted. She regretted her answer as soon as she saw Twilight pull out a titanic tome that likely weighed more than her. And then the lecture started. Not even a minute passed and Glamour was already lost amidst the dates and names that spewed out of Twilight’s mouth. Not wanting to offend the purple alicorn, Glamour tried to grin and bear through the lecture, but after half an hour of nonstop talking, black started creeping up in her vision, and she wondered if she was actually dying of boredom. “Twilight, darling, perhaps you are overdoing it,” Rarity’s voice suddenly interrupted. “I do believe you might be losing your audience.” Feeling somepony nudge her, Glamour’s eyes blinked as she returned to the realm of the living. “Huh, w-what happened?” “You were falling asleep because of Twilight’s lesson,” Coco replied with a small smile as she pulled her hoof away from Glamour’s shoulder. “O-oh…” Glamour’s eyes shot wide open. “P-Princess Twilight, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you!” she apologized, fearing that she was about to get a rainbow laser to the face. Twilight chuckled sheepishly. “It’s alright, Glamour. I got carried away… again. I get the same reaction when I try to teach Rainbow something. Sorry, I often forget that many other ponies don’t share my passion for ancient history.” “Well, uh, if it’s any consolation, I do remember a few things, mainly that Crystal Heart thing. It’s a really important magical artifact for the crystal ponies, and when the Crystal Empire reappeared, you had to find the Crystal Heart to restore the empire’s magic or something like that before that evil unicorn, Sombra, came back.” Twilight nodded. “That’s right. The Crystal Heart is connected to the crystal ponies and the empire itself. Sombra hid it when he was banished, and it was imperative that we find it before he came back. In fact, Spike was the one who got it to Cadance when Sombra got into the empire. From what Cadance tells me, the crystal ponies see Spike as a really big hero, so we’re planning on letting him light the opening ceremony torch for the Equestria Games to commemorate his deed.” “Hey, everypony, look!” Pinkie cried out, pointing at the windows. “I can see the Crystal Empire! We’re almost there!” Glamour moved to the window with Coco to take her first look at the Crystal Empire. True to its name, she immediately saw that many of the buildings seemed to glimmer in the sunlight, and she soon realized that it was because they were all literally made out of crystal. The buildings were all in some shade of red, blue, or purple. Despite being in the snowy north, Glamour saw greenery surrounding a large area around the city, and she remembered Twilight mentioning that the Crystal Heart protected the city from danger, including the frigid temperatures. At the center was a big, white, crystalline castle with a massive spire reaching high up into the sky that would put all of Manehattan’s skyscrapers to shame. When Glamour asked about the structure, Twilight informed her that it was where Cadance and Shining Armor ruled, and at its base was the Crystal Heart. By the time the train pulled into the station, it was past dinner time. Luckily, there was enough food that escaped Pinkie’s grasp to make up for it, but it did mean that it was not too long before they had to start thinking about bed. When they all got off the train, Glamour was surprised to find out that even the crystal ponies were named in a literal sense. While all of them looked like earth ponies, their bodies glistened in the light, and she could not tell if it was because the ponies were actually made of crystal, or if it was some magical trait that they all possessed. Glamour had the morbid curiosity of wondering what would happen if a crystal pony tripped. Glamour shivered when she felt a slight tingling run through her entire body and fill her with warmth that felt distinctly familiar. “Are you cold, Glamour?” Coco asked. “No,” Glamour replied as she swiveled her head around, trying to locate the odd sensation. “I just thought I felt something, as though something is in the air.” “Oh, that would be the Crystal Heart I told you about earlier,” Twilight explained. “Since it’s connected to the light and love of the crystal ponies, it’s pretty much constantly projecting magic. I’m guessing you must be pretty sensitive to magic if you can feel it, but it’s nothing to worry about, and you’ll get used to it quick.” “Uh, right, sensitive to magic.” Glamour blinked. “Wait, so are you saying there’s love in the air?” “Um, I guess you could say that in the literal sense.” Twilight paused for a moment and then giggled. “Actually, we could say that metaphorically as well, since we have two couples here. You and Coco, as well as Applejack and Octavia.” “Almost sounds like a perfect place for couples then,” Coco remarked with a chuckle. “I’m so glad that I got to come here with you, Glamour.” “Me too, Coco,” Glamour said as she took in the love from both her marefriend and her surroundings. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that the Crystal Heart was literally emitting love into the air. Combined with the love she was getting from Coco, she could feel her magic reserves overflowing with energy. While the love in the air was not the most potent, probably due to being spread across such a wide area, Glamour could see a changeling living quite comfortably in the Crystal Empire, as long as they used their magic in moderation. That is, if they did not mind being in the same city as the bane of all changelings, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. “Gee, Rarity, are you sure you packed enough?” they heard Applejack dryly ask. Near the train, Applejack and Octavia were watching Rarity supervise a few train conductors as they unloaded luggage into a pile next to her. The mountain of bags and cases was already taller than the train itself. “A lady is always prepared for whatever may come up,” Rarity replied, thanking the conductors after they were done. “And this is the Equestria Games, Applejack. A special event like this demands you look your best, and you never know what kind of surprise might pop up.” “Ah suppose… It’s a good thing Princess Cadance and Shining Armor have rooms big enough to fit all of your stuff at their place.” “Wait, their place? Does that mean you’re all staying at the castle?” Coco asked. Rarity quickly turned to Coco and gasped. “Oh dear, I completely forgot about you two. Yes, Coco, we all are staying at the castle, given our, um, statuses. I suppose we could try asking them if they have an extra room for you and Glamour.” Coco waved her hooves in protest. “Oh, no, no, no. I was just making sure. You don’t have to go through the trouble. Photo Finish actually reserved a suite for us at the hotel.” “Are you sure? It really would not be too much trouble.” “We already got to ride in a private car with all of you,” Glamour added. “We don’t want to take advantage of your hospitality. Besides, I think Coco and I would feel a bit out of place to suddenly be roomed so close to so many important ponies.” Not to mention that it would be nice to be as far away as possible from Shining Armor and Cadance, she silently added. “I suppose if you two are sure then.” “Well, I need to get going,” Twilight said. “I have to help Cadance and Shining Armor with the rest of the preparations.” “And Ah suppose the rest of us should get our stuff to the castle, while you two check into the hotel,” Applejack finished. “Ah’m pretty beat, and wouldn’t mind hittin’ the hay pretty soon.” “Yes, it is getting a bit late,” Rarity agreed. She turned back to Coco and Glamour with a smile. “We’ll see you two tomorrow then. We'll have a bit of time to have some fun together before the games start.” “That sounds lovely, Rarity,” Coco replied. She waved her hoof as she and Glamour walked in the other direction. “Bye, everypony!” Making their way to the hotel, Glamour and Coco quickly found that the streets were teeming with ponies, both of the crystal and furry varieties. Still, with their experience in navigating the Manehattan crowds, it was actually pretty easy for them to keep moving, and following the directions of some helpful crystal ponies, they found themselves in front of the hotel. As soon as Glamour and Coco entered the building, they balked at the sight of the busy lobby. Ponies were busily running and fussing about the hotel floor, and there were even quite a few griffons and donkeys mingling amongst the horde. Worst of all, the line for the check-in desk snaked along the walls and ended right where they were standing at the entrance. With a sigh, Glamour and Coco got into the enormous line and hoped that it would not take too long. The check-in desk was fully staffed with crystal ponies, and even from a distance, Glamour could see that they were trying their best to keep the line moving. Coco was hoping that they could squeeze in a bit of sightseeing before bedtime, but unfortunately, that idea was discarded when they saw all the ponies, griffons, and donkeys in front of them. “Well, well, well, looks like I did manage to find you two.” Glamour and Coco turned their heads to find Grace trotting up to them with a grin on her face and a shopping bag by her side. “Oh my goodness, Grace, what are you doing here?” Coco cheerfully asked. She went to go hug their friend while Glamour held their place in line. “Taking a nice deserved break. You wouldn’t believe all the paperwork I had to go through after the Fall Fashion Fantasia.” “I didn’t know you were planning to come to the Crystal Empire,” Glamour remarked. “I didn’t know I was coming here either, but when I got all the work done, I just had to take some time off. I remembered that you two were coming here on your vacation, and I figured that sounded good to me too. I get to watch some intense competition and get to tour a shiny, new place at the same time.” “When did you get in?” Coco asked. “We only just arrived from Ponyville.” “Yesterday. Spent most of today touring the place and get some shopping done. Look what I got!” Grace grinned and pulled out a big glass bottle from her bag. “Crystal berry wine! I hear that it’s all the rage up here.” Coco eyed the bottle warily. “You’re drinking all of that by yourself?” “Not all at once. Of course I can handle my alcohol really well. I’m not like some ponies that get plastered in one of the fanciest restaurants in the city.” Glamour shot Grace a flat stare when she smirked at her. Grace stuck around to keep them company, but even then, the wait in line was draining. Even with the extra energy floating around in the air, by the time it was finally their turn, Glamour could not wait to get to bed. “Hello there, and welcome to the Crystal Empire,” a weary, but still cheerful crystal pony mare greeted Glamour and Coco when they approached the check-in desk. “Do you have a reservation?” “Yes, we do,” Glamour replied. “It should be under Glamour and Coco.” “Alright then, let’s see, Glamour and Coco… Glamour and Coco…” The crystal receptionist muttered while she leafed through a stack of papers. After a bit, the crystal pony pulled out one of the papers. “Ah, here it is. We have a one-bed suite reserved by a Photo Finish for Glamour and Coco Pommel. Is that correct?” Glamour nodded, but Coco’s eyebrow raised, and she asked, “W-wait? Did you say there’s only one bed?” “Um…” The crystal mare looked down at the paper again. “Yep, one bed.” A small frown formed on Glamour’s face when she caught on to the problem. “But there’s two of us.” “Not to worry, our suite beds are princess sized, and they should easily accommodate the both of you.” For some reason, Grace began to snicker. “Uh, that’s nice, but we would very much prefer to sleep in separate beds,” said Glamour. “We would very much appreciate it if we can switch to a different room.” The crystal mare quickly flipped through another stack of papers and shook her head. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’m afraid all the suites we have left only have single beds. Everything else has been booked up.” Glamour groaned. “Why would Photo Finish get us only one bed?” “Er, if I may, ma’am, we have been getting reservations ever since word got out that the Equestria Games were being hosted here. I do notice that this Photo Finish put in an order for a suite not too long ago, and it’s possible that we only had single bed suites left by that time.” “So there’s nothing we can do?” “Um, well, I guess you could downgrade into a standard room. We definitely have two-bed rooms for those. The rooms are still nice just… not as nice.” “Hold on,” Grace suddenly spoke up. “Are you two serious? You’re actually thinking of giving up a sweet room because of a bed? It’s like you two never slept together or something.” Grace’s jaw dropped when Glamour and Coco blushed and looked away. “Seriously? Not even once?” “Um, Coco did lean on me while she slept on the train,” Glamour pointed out. “Does that count?” Grace groaned and slapped her hoof into her forehead. “Wow, I didn’t realize you two were such prudes. Okay, I think you two need a little helping hoof here. Just leave this little problem to Dr. Grace here.” Before Glamour or Coco could ask her what she meant, Grace went up to the crystal receptionist who had been patiently waiting. “Hello there, ma’am. So sorry for the wait, but my friends will go ahead and stick with the suite.” “Um, are you sure, ma’am?” Grace nodded. “They’re really sorry for taking up so much of your time, especially when there’s still so many ponies you have to deal with. So why don’t you go ahead and give me the room key, and I’ll sort out this little problem for you. These two lovebirds here are a bit shy, but they go so well together, and I’m sure they’ll be just fine in their suite.” “Oh, uh, okay then.” The crystal pony passed the room key to Grace and smiled. “Thank you for helping out, and again, we’re sorry for the mixup. I hope that you and your friends can enjoy the rest of your stay here at the Crystal Empire.” “Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure they will.” “Um, what are you doing, Grace?” Glamour asked as they were led away from the counter. “Making sure you two don’t pass up an awesome opportunity. Look, you two make a great couple, and I know you also do everything together. Well, almost everything. Seriously, I still can’t believe you two haven’t slept together. I mean with all the kissing and hugging I see you two do.” Grace made a gagging noise. “Anyway, sleeping together might be a bit awkward, but you’re two awkward ponies, so it all works out just fine.” “I don’t think that’s how it works…” Glamour remarked. “It does when you prefer to give up a suite instead of getting a bit more touchy feely with each other. And before you say anything, no, I’m not pushing you guys to do anything funny in bed. Although, if it does go in that direction…” “Grace…” Glamour said in a warning tone. Grace chuckled. “Yeah, yeah, one step at a time. Look, you two need to loosen up a bit. You’re pretty crazy for each other, so don’t be afraid to try something a little new. It can lead to some fun things and bring you two even closer together.” Glamour felt Coco poke her side and turned her head. “Glamour, if it’s alright with you, maybe we could just follow Grace’s advice?” Coco asked. “Are you sure?” “We can work something out.” Coco blushed a little. “We’re on vacation, so maybe we can try something a little different.” For some reason, Glamour could feel her cheeks heat up. “Well, I guess if you’re okay with it…” She turned back to Grace. “Alright, Grace, you win. We’ll take the suite.” “That’s what I want to hear!” Grace tossed the key to Glamour. “Don’t worry, you two will be thanking me for this later. Just don’t forget to bring some nice gifts when you do.” Coco chuckled. “We’ll be sure to remember that. Good night, Grace.” Parting ways with their friend, Glamour and Coco made their way up the stairs and down a hallway to their room. When they found the room number that matched the number on the key, Glamour unlocked the door, held it open for Coco, and followed her in. Glamour was already starting to thank Grace for persuading them to take the suite when she saw their room. They were greeted by a large, spacious living room that was almost as big as their entire apartment home. There was a small dining table made out of crystal with matching silverware, or rather crystalware, and a bowl filled with small, colorful fruits, which Glamour assumed to be the famed crystal berries. On the other side was a comfy-looking couch, a wooden writing desk, and a cabinet filled with complimentary snacks and crystal berry juice. The main attraction was the wide window on the opposite side of the entrance, giving them a clear view toward the center of the Crystal Empire. Yet despite the luxurious living room, Glamour and Coco quickly unpacked and prepped themselves for bed and then headed for the suite’s bedroom. Like the living room, there were some fancy furniture pieces made out of crystal, but their eyes were focused on the single, big bed in the center of the room. Despite Grace’s words giving them the nudge they needed to get all the way here, they found their confidence waning now that they were only one step away. “So…” Glamour said, staring down at the bed. “So…” Coco replied, her gaze also fixed to the bed. After a brief silence, Glamour cleared her throat and asked, “Are you sure you want us to try this? If you feel uncomfortable, I could just sleep on the couch.” Coco shook her head. “No, stay, Glamour. I know this feels awkward, but Grace is right. We’re so close with each other, and yet, we never tried sleeping together. We’re two perfectly mature ponies that respect each other’s boundaries. This is something that could be good for our relationship.” The red in her cheeks became more prominent. “And um, to tell you the truth, I might have thought about asking you to sleep with me once or twice before.” Glamour chuckled nervously and scratched the back of her head. “I have to say the thought crossed my mind a couple of times as well.” “So if we both thought about it… And we’re right here…” Coco glanced up at Glamour and down at the bed before giggling. “I guess Grace did know what she was doing.” “I guess she did.” Glamour rolled her eyes. “Great, now we have to get her a thank you gift.” Coco giggled again and then, with a nod to Glamour, she slipped into her side of the bed. Once she situated herself comfortably, she looked up expectantly at Glamour. Glamour smiled back and got into the bed on the other side. She was not too surprised to find that the bedsheets were warm and silky smooth, and whatever material the pillow was made of almost felt like she was lying on a cloud, the one comfort that she got to enjoy quite a few times before moving to Manehattan. It was many times better than her own bed, and she was already beginning to think about investing in some upgrades when they returned home. For now though, she had to bring her attention back to the other pony in the bed. “Good night, Glamour,” Coco said with a yawn. Glamour switched off the lamp on a nearby nightstand with her magic, plunging the room into darkness. “Good night, Coco.” Glamour closed her eyes, but she soon found it was going to be impossible to sleep because of a nagging thought. Like the receptionist mentioned, the bed was wide enough to easily hold both of them. In fact, it fit them too easily. Lying on opposite sides, Glamour and Coco could fit a third and maybe even a fourth pony between them. Even though they were finally sharing the same bed, all that space between them kind of defeated the purpose, and Glamour was pretty sure this was not what Grace had intended. Glamour had to admit that she expected a bit more as well. Quietly, she slid herself across the bed, but when she made it to the center, she bumped into something that made a familiar squeak. “G-Glamour?” Coco’s voice came from the object she bumped into. Glamour lit up her horn, and through the faint green light, she saw Coco right next to her. “Uh, hi, Coco.” “Um, I guess we kind of had the same idea, huh?” Glamour nodded automatically. “Guess we did.” Glamour and Coco both stayed where they were. There were only a few inches in between them now, but they just stared at each other, neither of them making the move to close the remaining gap. “So… we already made it this far…” Coco said. “Mhmm…” “And yet, this still feels a bit awkward… But at the same time, we both want this to happen, right?” “Mhmm…” While they did not retreat from each other, they still didn’t move closer either. All they did was silently stare at each other. “Um, Glamour,” Coco uttered. “Maybe we should—” Glamour, tired of waiting and wanting to get to sleep, took a deep breath and quickly reached out with her forehooves, pulling Coco close to her and getting another squeak out of her marefriend. When Coco made no movement to break the hold, she wrapped her hooves securely around Coco’s back. She soon felt Coco’s hooves move to her back, locking themselves together. “This… this is nice,” Coco said with a sigh of content as she nuzzled into the crook of Glamour’s neck. “Mhmm…” Glamour smiled and rested her chin on top of Coco’s. They had hugged plenty of times before, but never this intimately. And it was perfect. It was not just the ample waves of love flooding into her. She already knew that finding Coco was the best thing that ever happened to her, but holding her in her hooves was the best feeling she ever felt before. She felt full, not in terms of hunger, but what she felt in her heart. She was happy. “I wish we could be like this forever,” Coco murmured. Glamour hugged Coco tighter as though she was the most precious thing in the world, and from the way she saw it, Coco fit that description perfectly. She let her magic fade, returning them to the darkness where all they could sense were their bodies entwined together. “Me too, Coco. Me too…” The games would begin soon, but for tonight, nothing else mattered to Glamour except what she held in her hooves as she finally drifted off into a peaceful sleep beside her special somepony.