There was quite the chatter now that fifteen changelings were mingling among themselves in Coco’s domain. Coco didn't know most of the changelings that stood around, but a few familiar faces were about such as Snackrifice, Silky Maggot, and Stitch Snitch.
While everychangeling was talking, Coco stood at the dresses. She wanted to talk with others, but something stood out among the mare outfits: one of the dresses weren't blue; it was turquoise. Coco counted the dresses over and over and the blue dresses were the same amount as red outfits: ten.
Did Suri make an extra or did Sea More accidentally take this dress?
The pony scooted the blue dresses out of the way to get a good look at it.
It came almost close to a wedding dress. The flank side was mostly turquoise. At the bottom of the skirt, the trim looked to be very small creamy white roses that spun around the bottom edge. Two small light-cream stripes ran down the back of the dress and touched the back of the neck. At the front were short ribbons that were knitted into the breast and had a nice arc to them as they stuck out. And at the knot of the ribbons was a clear diamond. It shined and glittered every time Coco moved her eyes ever so slightly.
Coco loved how the dress looked. It stood out among the others with its lighter color scheme.
But it still bothered the pony. It still made her wonder why it was here. Perhaps it was a mystery.
The room suddenly grew quiet. Coco turned around to see all the changelings facing the door, bowing. There at the entrance, their queen stood. Chrysalis looked around at her subjects, proud to see them submit to her rule.
As the queen's large emerald eyes fell upon the pony, she took no time at all and walked over to her.
“Good day my queen,” Coco Pommel spoke, bowing her head.
A smile crept onto Chrysalis’ face without knowing it. “Today is a good day indeed.”
Looking back up, Coco noticed Fang standing beside Chrysalis. She also noticed three new changelings behind him, making twenty in total now in the room.
“Are you ready to start fitting my gatherers?” Chrysalis asked the pony.
“Of course,” Coco beamed.
***
It was a surprise to Coco that fitting the changelings was taking no time at all. Even though some had a hard time getting in and out of their clothing, it was none too difficult to give them a helping hoof.
The only one that was the most difficult to deal with was Snack. Snack didn't have a tough time getting into his clothing, but instead complained about how hungry he was. It got to a point to where Chrysalis picked a random outfit, shoved him into it, and threw him out quite literally.
Coco was now fitting Stitch Snitch into the last dress. It was one of the dresses made by Suri. The outfit was in a very dark blue that had blue ribbons knitted into it.
“You look like a wrapped gift ready to be unwrapped,” Coco said with a smile as she helped Stitch weave her head through the head hole.
“That sounds like a terrible one liner some stallion may ask me,” the changeling responded, rolling her eyes. After getting settled in the dress, Stitch stood in front of a mirror propped close by and saw her black self. Quickly, the mare turned into a lovely goldenrod earth pony with a wavy rose red mane.
Coco gasped a little, taken away by how beautiful she looked.
“You look very fancy in that,” Chrysalis said to Stitch.
The changeling was taken aback by the complement. “Y-you think so?”
“Your beauty almost marvels my own.”
As the queen smiled sincerely, the tailor couldn’t help but sob happily. “T-th-thank you my queen,” Stitch sniffed.
“You do look very beautiful,” Coco commented.
Stitch couldn't help but blush brightly as more streams of water ran down her face. “S-stop, please. I-I just morphed into a p-pony. Nothing else.”
“Then I bet your heart is ten times this physical beauty.”
Stitch Snitch could tell Coco was not lying. Love wafted off of the pony as she complimented the changeling.
Coco let out a sigh as only Fang, Chrysalis, and Stitch Snitch remained in the room. Sea More did come by to see how things were going, but quickly left when Chrysalis refused him to enter for some reason.
“You may now leave,” the queen spoke to Stitch.
“Of course my queen.”
Coco had to assist the changeling in getting her out of her dress. If Stitch could, she would do it herself. But because she was a changeling and the dress would stick to her like a magnet, help from another was needed.
With a quick bow to her queen and hug from her pony friend. Stitch left the room.
Now there were three who remained in the room. Coco Pommel looked up at the queen with a smile. “Now all we need is for you to be fitted into your dress.”
Chrysalis looked through the racks and found her dress. It stood out among the other blue dresses. She smiled at how great it looked and was still amazed by her friend’s work.
“Yes,” Chrysalis spoke. “We shall.” But a thought crossed her mind. “What about Inferno Fang?” He turned his head upwards at his leader as his name was pronounced.
“Fang doesn't need to be fitted into his outfit,” Coco replied. “He already fits in his clothes.”
“True,” he commented. “I was used as a model after all.”
“Still,” Chrysalis spoke, not convinced that was a reasonable excuse, “I want to see him fitted beside me. I umm…” Coco looked to the large changeling with interest as Chrysalis made a strange pause in her sentence. “I… also want to talk with my friend.” An awkward smile twitched and grew on the queen’s face.
She was not quite used to having a pony friend, let alone a friend she wanted to talk to. Chrysalis does not mind speaking to other changelings, but it is always “my queen” this, “my queen” that. Rarely do any of the changelings ask her if she is okay or if she needs someone to talk to. And when somechangeling does, it's always a child. They can somehow tell if their queen is feeling. Besides, Chrysalis had to hide most of her emotions to herself. She can't have her kind think she is going soft if she is scared or upset about something.
Despite the strange feeling of being friends with an earth pony, it was nice to finally have someone able to converse with her and not always be so formal.
“You can tell me anything,” Coco winked. Walking over to the dress wrack, she pulled out Fang’s and Chrysalis’ outfit. “Should I start with you Fang, or you Chrysalis?” she asked as she gestured each piece of clothing to the appropriate changeling.
“Fang,” Chrysalis ordered.
Coco shrugged, “Very well.”
Putting the dress back on the rack, the pony walked over to the stallion with his uniform in hoof and began to dress him.
Fang turned into his unicorn form not so that he could match his clothing. He did it so that he could hide his blush from both Coco and Chrysalis.
“Comfortable?” Coco asked Fang as she buttoned his shirt.
He wiggled his torso a little, feeling the fabric stick to his skin. “I think so.”
From a distance, Chrysalis watched her friend clothe Fang. Not wanting to stay quiet, she spoke, “Coco, may I ask you something?”
“Anything,” Coco answered without looking to the queen. “Though it's interesting that you are the one asking a question.”
“I know.” Chrysalis glanced around, nervous about something. “So I was wondering, if we could… What is the word…” She brought a hoof up to her head, trying to conjure up a better way of explaining what she wanted to say. “What is it called when mares want to talk about… things?”
“Girl talk.” Coco turned around to see her friend. “You did say you wanted to talk.”
Looking at Fang, Chrysalis said, “But I don’t want anychangeling to listen.” Suddenly, the queen shot a beam of green energy from her black horn at the changeling’s head. Fang flinched as his leader cast her spell on him. But when he realised he didn’t feel any pain, he was confused.
“What did you do?” Fang asked. But when he spoke, he couldn’t hear his words. The changeling was about to panic and wonder why he couldn’t hear, but recalled that his queen didn’t want others to hear hers and Coco’s conversation.
However, the pony was confused at the action. Before she could speak, however, Chrysalis said, “I cast a spell on him that removed his hearing. And don’t worry, he will be fine. I’ll give him his hearing back.”
“Alright.” Facing Fang again, Coco continued to clothe him. He and she smiled as they looked into each other's eyes for a short moment. “So what do you want to talk about?”
“Anything really.”
Thinking long and hard, Coco thought of an interesting question. “Okay, I have one for you: Have you ever thought about wanting to be with a stallion again?”
Chrysalis snorted, “Please, no stallion is worth my love. Besides, none of the changeling males here have the courage to try and sway me.”
“Then how did Left Wing become your husband?” A soft grumble came from the queen. “W-we don’t have to talk about him if you don’t want to.”
“No no, it’s… fine. I just- hate him a lot.”
Coco paused her movements. “But you loved him at some point, didn’t you?”
“You sure know how to ask your questions,” Chrysalis sighed.
“I try,” Coco shrugged as she resumed her work.”
A moment of silence rested in the air before the queen continued speaking. “I did love him. No. I was infatuated with that-” Another pause. “Whenever I was around, Left Wing was never afraid of casually greeting me. As much as I hate being greeted in such a manner, it never bothered me when he did it. But the one thing I absolutely loved about him was when he said, ‘Is there anything I can do to help?’ whenever I was bothered, sad, angry, or frustrated with something. No matter how hard I tried, Left Wing was able to read me so easily. He was so good with words, convincing me that things were not all that bad when in reality they were. Just… he knew how to speak.”
“Sounds to me like he was very nice,” Coco spoke as she began to adjust Fang’s mane.
“Too bad it was all a lie,” Chrysalis leered toward the ground.
“When did you fall in love with him?” the pony pursued.
Despite her hatred toward her ex-husband, the memory of his proposal was still a happy one. “One night, I have having terrible nightmares. Nightmares of mutiny. I awoke screaming hysterically. Of course, my guards quickly came to my aid. But he was the first to show up not only with flare, but power; and I love a stallion with power. When I got out of my bed, Left Wing came to me and said to me, ‘I am hear for you.’ And for some accursed reason, I fell in love with that traitorous freak.”
Lifting up Fang’s chin with her hoof, Coco turned his head left and right. “When did he become a traitor?”
Chrysalis let out a sigh, “Just three years after Beauty Fly’s birth. He asked me if he could obtain the title king. I obviously refused.”
“I thought when a subject marries somepony of loyal decent by default becomes king, or queen, or whatever.”
“Not in my kingdom.”
“Why is that?”
“Have you ever heard of a king bee? We changelings are an insect-like race. There is always one ruler.”
Coco nodded, “Fair point.” Taking a step back, the mare smiled at Fang. “You look very handsome,” she blushed. Fang didn’t know what his pony friend had just said, but he could only assume that she complimented him. Coco saw how everything complimented Fang. The shirt and its details and the crown that rested on his cranium.
Looking at Chrysalis, Coco said, “Now it’s your turn.”
“Very well.”
Walking over to the rolling rack, Coco removed Chrysalis dress. “I can’t wait to see you in this,” she said gleefully. But remembering Fang, Coco asked, “What about him?”
“I have an idea,” Chrysalis answered. Once more, she shot another beam of energy at his head. “Fang, go get your weapon.”
Being able to hear again slightly startled the changeling. “My scythe?”
“Yes. Go!”
“Y-es my queen!” At once Fang moved and left without giving a passing glance to Coco.
“Why does he need his big scary weapon?” Coco asked.
“Like I said, I love a stallion with power.”
Coco gasped a little. “You love Fang?”
“AHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Chrysalis laughed hysterically. “As if! He may be my personal guard, but that changeling will never please me the way Left Wing did.”
Something inside Coco was relieved that Chrysalis didn’t have any true feelings for Fang. Perhaps the love bug was biting her.
“You will see,” the queen spoke.
“Okay.” Finished with that train of thought, Coco went over to Chrysalis; ready to dress the queen. “Are you ready?”
“More than ever my friend,” she answered as she placed a hoof on the pony’s shoulder.
With a giggle, Coco began.
“So back to your husband,” Coco asked, “why did he betray you?”
“Because he wanted authority. The only title I was willing to give him was my husband. Then one day, when Beauty Fly was little, he told me an eeree threat: ‘I have the power to make a kingdom vanish. If I can persuade a queen to love me, I can persuade her followers to turn against her.’ And before I could retaliate against him, he vanished…”
Chrysalis shuffled herself as she slipped her forearms through the sleeves of the dress.
Coco paused her movement. “When did he… come back to kidnap Beauty Fly?”
“Years after he decided to turncoat. I- rather not think about it.”
Without any warning, Coco Pommel reached up towards Chrysalis’ neck and gently pulled it down. The queen leaned down as she allowed her friend to pull her in. Chrysalis lifted her hole-filled arm and embraced Coco. “I am enjoying this ‘girl talk.’ It’s nice to just talk about things.”
“Even though I ask too many questions,” Coco asked.
“Yes,” Chrysalis laughed.
“Hehe.” Coco then went to Chrysalis’ right side to adjust her dress. “It is nice to work for you.”
“Even though I am a changeling?”
The pony let out a soft sigh. “It has nothing to do with you being anything. Sometimes it’s not what you work for, but who you work for.”
Chrysalis turned her head toward the pony. “Explain what you mean.”
With the dress now fully on Chrysalis, Coco said, “Lower your head and turn into Your Majesty.” Chrysalis complied with the pony’s order. As the queen changed into the lovely white unicorn she will be disguised as, her mane flowed like a river of blonde cream. Coco then began to add the golden medieval to Chrysalis’ mane.
“So, you were saying?” the queen asked.
“Right. So let me put it to you this way: let’s say I am working for a multi-million bit company. I am among the best of the best in the fashion industry.” Coco fluffed Chrysalis’ mane and made it less messy with a comb. “However, the one who manages my team is a horrible manager. He treats us like manure, does not complement or promote anypony, takes all the credit. Things like that.”
“Sounds like your old boss.”
“Yeah…”
Coco took a step back and admired how her dress looked upon the queen. The white and blue diamonds were such a lovely compliment and the gold trim at not just the hem of the dress, but all of it. And the golden visor. It glistened with the light that shined through the large glass window.
“Do you… think my dress is fit for a queen.”
Chrysalis stepped in front of the mirror and began to admire herself. She spun around and looked at how amazing the colors fit her unicorn color scheme. “Your dress fits more than a queen.” Looking to Coco Pommel, Chrysalis said with a smile, “It fits your friend perfectly.”
The pony’s heart was suddenly flooded with emotions. Her eyes were glazed with salty tears as they beaded at the edge of her two light-blue orbs. Coco sniffled and scratched her right cheek as a tear tickled it while it ran down her face.
Using her magic, Chrysalis pulled the mare to her and hugged her closely. Coco didn’t budge, nor comply back with an embrace of her own. She did muster up to say, “Thank- you.”
“Your welcome.”
Suddering, Coco Pommel began to sob happily in her friend’s arm. Chrysalis had to fight back tears. She had cried a few days prior to this event and would rather not let out anymore emotions as much as needed.
“I- I- never thought I would find somepon- I m-mean somechangeling who I would love to work with. With Suri, I was miserable! I hated working for her. She turned my passion, my dream into a nightmare! And- and you-”
“Turned it into a dream?”
Coco couldn’t answer that question aloud. The pony was too overwhelmed with happiness and her throat hurt. She had to wait a minute before speaking again. “Thank you. Thank you for letting Fang seek out a tailor and having him find me. Thank you for the riches you are paying me in. Thank you for… being my friend. Thank you. Thank you.”
“Thank you Chrysalis…”
And with those last words, Coco finally wrapped her arms around Chrysalis’ neck for a close hug.
KNOCK KNOCK!
At the sound of the door being hit with a hoof, both mares turned to see Inferno Fang standing at the entrance of the room. “Am I interrupting?” he asked as his massive weapon loomed over him in his grasp. Fang then noticed Coco’s tears. Immediately, he placed his scythe against the wall and briskly walked over to the pony. “Coco, are you alright?!”
“I’m fine,” Coco choked as she smiled, happy to see her another friend.
“She is just happy to have us close to her,” Chrysalis spoke. “She is happy with who she works for.”
“Good,” Fang sighed with relief. “So why did you want me to get my scythe?”
Coco broke her contact with Chrysalis. “Yes, why did you want him to get it?”
“Come stand beside me Fang with your weapon,” Chrysalis ordered, ignoring her friend’s question.
“Of course my queen.” Lifting his scythe with magic, Fang brought the large blade over to him. Coco felt the need to duck, afraid it might hit her head. Or worse.
Getting a good grip of it, he stood beside his queen in front of the mirror. Chrysalis smiled widely. “You and I look wonderful together.” Fang couldn’t disagree as he stared at his own reflection.
Turning to Coco, Chrysalis said, “You’re designs will definitely win the contest.”
“Thank you,” the pony giggled with delight. She stared at Chrysalis and Fang with a happy smile. She was proud of herself with her work and now couldn’t wait for tomorrow. Coco turned to see all of her other dresses she had made. Pride burned in her chest like a hot furnace. A feeling she has not felt in a while.
But then her eyes fell upon the turquoise dress. Coco looked at it with wonder, asking herself why it is even there.
“Something on your mind Coco?” the queen asked from behind her friend.
The pony’s eyes didn’t move from the dress, but she was startled by Chrysalis’ sudden voice. “It’s that dress,” Coco pointed. “Why is it even there?”
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s yours.”
Chrysalis’ statement tore Coco’s eyes from the outfit. “Excuse me?”
“I commissioned Suri to make you a dress for the Grand Galloping Gala. Think of it as a gift.”
A large smile slowly grew on Coco Pommel’s face. Wasting no time, the mare ran over to the rolling rack and took the dress, dressing herself.
After a short moment, Coco was in the cream-colored dress. And then she walked in front of the mirror; Fang moved out of her way, knowing she was eager to look at her reflection. What Coco saw was a lovely pony in what she would describe as blueberries and cream.
Chrysalis then came into the mirror. “You look lovely.”
“Hehe.” Looking to her friend, Coco blushed and said, “Thank you.”
“What do you think, Fang?” Chrysalis asked.
Walking over to the two mares, he looked at Coco Pommel in awe. “Your beauty rivals the queen’s.” A rough clear of the throat came from Chrysalis as she glared at him. “O-only very slightly. Nothing can compare to your lovely stature my queen.”
“Much better.”
A bump pushed into Chrysalis’ ribcage. “You don’t have to be like that,” Coco smirked.
“I am a queen,” Chrysalis boasted. “Your Princess Celestia does not have the title queen. Therefore, higher title, higher beauty.”
Coco could only roll her eyes and continue staring at herself. Something was not right with how she looked. Was it the dress? No. It was perfect. Was it her mane? No. It was too short to be altered. A needed accessory? Yes. That what was missing. But what could be used?
“I know!” Coco said aloud.
Chrysalis and Fang looked at each other with confusion, not sure what to make of the sudden exclamation.
Coco walked over to her worktable and took the pink rose that rested on it ever so nicely. Then returning to the mirror, the mare placed the flower by her left ear. It twitched at it slightly scratched her temple. But once it was nice and secure, Coco Pommel was now fully pleased with how she looked.
“Where… did you get that rose?” Chrysalis asked as she noticed the accessory.
“Oh, Fang picked it from the garden.”
Enrages, the changeling queen stomped over to the guard. “You did WHAT?!” Her voice boomed so loud that it cracked the mirror and caused Coco to shriek.
“M-my q-q-queen,” Fang stuttered in fear, “I th-thought maybe one rose wouldn’t hurt.”
“That garden is in memory of my beloved daughter, not for picking flowers. I don’t suppose you took a tulip from her grave as well!”
In his defence, Coco stepped in between Chrysalis and Fang. “Hey, no need to get hostel.” Her words, however, did not change Chrysalis’ attitude. Thinking of something fast, Coco said, “Think about it this way: every time you see my rose, remember how happy she made you and how she raised a caterpillar and watched it grow. Just like you did when you watched her grow.”
Quickly, the ice-queen’s cold temper began to melt.
Looking to the pony, Queen Chrysalis looked at the rose and smiled. “Yeah, I should.” Satisfied with herself and how everything played out, the queen began to remove her dress. She looked at Coco, wanting her friend to help take the dress off. After Chrysalis was undressed, she said, “You are free to do whatever you want, Coco. Thank you for all of your help.”
“Your welcome,” Coco smiled. Both mares gave an exchange of hugs. The queen sniffed the sweet love out of the air, enjoying her simple meal.
“I will be leaving now,” Chrysalis said in a low tone.
“Okay,” Coco replied. The pony now began to take her dress as well. Noticing her friend’s vision was blocked, Chrysalis looked at Fang with a harsh glare.
Remember: Do not become too attached, the queen blinked. It WILL hurt more in the end.
Fang nodded.
And with that, Queen Chrysalis left. Looking to the mare, Fang saw Coco shake her head a little, her hair slightly messy. She then placed her dress on a hanger, then the rack.
“So, what would you like to do now?” Fang asked.
Coco hummed aloud, thinking about the question. “Perhaps a bath would be nice. I would love to be clean for tomorrow.”
“I could heat the water at the falls. Would you like me to bathe with you?” Realizing what he said, Fang’s face flushed with color. Coco Pommel blushed, smiled, and looked away from her friend.
“If you like,” she responded shyly.
An awkward silence lingered in the air as the two stood in each other’s presence. Fang glanced around, wondering what to say. When his eyes looked at the door, he noticed it was cracked open. And somechangeling was staring through the crack.
Fang used magic to open the door. lo and behold, Scar Splash stood at the entrance of the room.