Stuck in Canterlot
Although Canterlot's train platform was full of ponies, Sunburst felt absolutely alone. He was traveling from the Crystal Empire to the School of Friendship. Rarity had invited him to be a chaperone at an end of the year dance and he gladly accepted. He had been looking forward to seeing his friends and helping out with the dance. Now he was worried that that plan was in jeopardy.
While waiting for the train to Ponyville to arrive, there had been an announcement. Due to safety concerns with the engine, a team was examining it and the train would not be arriving in Canterlot until the next morning. It was disconcerting that not only was there a delay, but that the train destined to take him to his destination was now stuck there. However, assuming the train was repaired in a timely fashion, he would still make it with plenty of time.
He didn't know what he would do in the meantime...
Except for Celestia, Sunburst didn't really know anypony in Canterlot and he didn't want to bother the Princess over something like this. Perhaps Sunburst could find some of his old... well, "friends" wasn't exactly the right word - he had hardly known most of them - but perhaps he could find some of his old schoolmates from his time at Celestia's School. It was all he had to go with for now. Hopefully some of them would at least recognize him.
"Sunburst?"
Upon hearing that, Sunburst twisted his head and adjusted his glasses to look at who had just said his name.
An Earth pony mare had walked over to him. She had a gray coat with just a touch of amber and a short-cut cyan mane with a light streak running down the middle. She wore a lavender shirt collar with a red tie and a matching flower hair clip and brought with her a rack of clothing on wheels, each item neatly stored in a vinyl garment bag.
"Yes, I'm Sunburst," he said to her. "Do I know you?"
"No, we've never met," she admitted. "But you know my friend Rarity. I run her Manehattan boutique. My name is Coco Pommel." The mare extended a hoof, which Sunburst shook.
"It's nice to meet you, Coco," Sunburst said with a light smile. After the shake he then asked, "But if we've never met before, how do you know who I am?"
The mare turned and began to shift though the clothing items on the rack. As she did so, she explained, "Rarity gave me a picture of you along with the measurements. I'm the pony who designed the outfits you'll all be wearing at the dance in two nights." She then removed one of the outfits and carefully took off the protective bag around it.
"What do you think?"
The outfit was a cyan tuxedo. It featured a diamond pattern of cornflower blue that was mirrored in the color of the lapel and buttons and perfectly matched Sunburst's robe. The shirt inside was not perfectly white, but instead matched the color of the light spots of Sunburst's coat.
"You made that for me?" Sunburst said, his mouth agape. "It looks amazing!"
Coco blushed. "Thank you. I'm glad you like it." She then put the tux back in its bag and rehung it on the clothing rack. "I just hope you and all your friends actually get to wear these."
Sunburst was about to respond when suddenly a voice said. "Excuse me." The pair turned to see a stallion a ways down the platform approaching them. He was sporting his own tuxedo jacket, black with two long tails, a purple bow tie and a monocle. At his side was a tall, thin, white mare with a long horn and pink mane.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," he said, "and I'm terribly sorry about what happened with the train. I know it won't get you to your destination, but perhaps I could offer you something to make your stay in Canterlot worth the time. Do you both enjoy the theatre?"
Coco's eyes lit up. "Oh! I love plays!"
"Sure," said Sunburst. "Plays are nice."
Reaching into his jacket, the stallion removed a pair of tickets from a pocket. "I happen to have two tickets to a production of Hoofchestershire. I'd like you to have them."
"Really?" said Coco.
The stallion smiled. "Please, I insist. Besides, I already have another engagement I was thinking of attending tonight. Now I know that these seats will not be going to waste." He held the tickets out to the pair and each took one and gave their thanks.
"I do hope you two enjoy yourselves." The stallion gave a light bow. Then he and the mare accompanying him left.
"Well, that was awfully nice of those two," Sunburst said.
"It sure was," said Coco, a big smile on her face. "Hoofchestershire is one of my favorite plays!"
"I've never seen it before, but I've heard good things. I know it was written over a thousand years ago."
"Yeah, it's one of the oldest plays still performed in Equestria." Coco looked at the ticket to see what time the play started, but then her smile became a look of confusion.
Seeing this, Sunburst asked, "What's wrong?"
"These seats. Look at the numbering."
Coco held the ticket toward Sunburst and the stallion adjusted his glasses to look at it. After a moment he said, "I'm sorry, I don't go to many plays. What's the matter?"
"They're not normal seats. They're in a box."
Canterlot's Circle Theatre was a historic location. The interior of the theater's hall was still made of wood, although the seating had been upgraded to plush red chairs that would not have been out of place in a more modern venue. Still, between the large chandelier at the center of the hall and the beautiful original crown moldings throughout, it was the perfect setting for such a classic production to take place.
Sunburst and Coco arrived at the theater around the same time. The two had separated at the train station several hours before. Coco had had some errands to run, including taking the outfits to Canterlot Carousel. Sassy Saddles had been more than willing to store them overnight and the mares had talked business in the hours before the play started. Sunburst had taken a trip to his old school and enjoyed the nostalgia of seeing it for the first time in years.
When they arrived at the theater, the pair were shown to their box by an usher. It was much fancier than either had anticipated. Something fitting of royalty and high society ponies. Sunburst now wished he was wearing the tuxedo Coco had made him instead of his robe. The pair was even more surprised to find that the box only held their two seats. It was formal, but intimate.
"I can't believe somepony gave these seats away," said Coco, looking down at the stage. "This is amazing."
"Yeah," said Sunburst, sitting down and pulling out his program. "I've never gotten to sit in a private box before."
"Excuse me." The usher had returned and knocked on the wall just inside the pair's box. "I also have a delivery of flowers for the mare in this box."
Coco and Sunburst looked at each other. "It must have been for that stallion's special somepony," said Sunburst.
"I'm sorry," Coco said to the usher. "We got these tickets from somepony else. They couldn't make it tonight."
The stallion frowned. "Huh. Well, the flowers were already paid for. I'm just here to deliver them." He showed her the bouquet. It was a gorgeous arrangement of red and purple carnations tied with a cyan bow.
"Oh, carnations! Those are my absolute favorite flower."
The stallion smiled. "Then they're yours." He held out the bouquet and Coco gladly took it.
"Thank you!" she said.
"No trouble at all," said the usher. "Enjoy the show." And he left.
Coco held the bouquet to her nose and inhaled deeply, enjoying the complex, yet delicate, spicy-sweet aroma. It reminded her of summer days in her grandmother's flower garden. She remembered one time when she had made a bouquet for herself from those carnations. She found one of her grandmother's dresses and made a veil by taping together some coffee filters. Then she stood in the garden and pretended that it was her wedding day. It had been such a silly little filly's dream.
She didn't have time for those sorts of dreams anymore. She had a career. She had a social life. She had clothes to design and community events to organize. Still, sometimes it was nice to pretend that life wasn't so complicated. To enjoy the simple things. To stop and smell the flowers.
Pressing the carnations to her muzzle, she took another deep breath.
As Coco appreciated her bouquet, Sunburst took some time to look through the play's program. It gave a nice introduction to the story. It explained some of the history and the setting. When he got to a particular line, however, he said, "Uh-oh."
"What is it?" asked Coco, breaking out of her thoughts.
"It says here the play is being performed in the original Olde Ponish," he said.
Coco simply nodded. "It usually is. But don't worry, you'll still be able to understand most of it. The actors always do a really good job of displaying what's happening through tone and gestures."
"Oh, well if you're fine with it, then it's no problem. I actually speak Olde Ponish. I was just worried that you wouldn't understand."
"You speak Olde Ponish?"
"Yeah," Sunburst said. "I study old spells and if you want to work with the originals, you need to learn it."
"That sounds really interesting," said Coco.
"Well, thanks. Most ponies think it's a weird hobby, but it's proven itself useful from time to time."
The lights around the theater began dimming and a spotlight struck the center of the curtain. It soon opened and a lone pony stood in the light wearing an old fashioned outfit with large shoulders and a feathered cap. She began to speak in Olde Ponish, her gestures very grandiose as she explained the setting of the story.
Sunburst smiled as he enjoyed the introduction. The mare's pronunciation was good and he had no trouble understanding her. However, he soon felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked back to Coco. "Everything okay?"
Coco looked back to him, a nervous expression on her face. She whispered, "Sorry. I know it's a lot to ask, but do you think you could translate for me? I've always wanted to know what they're actually saying."
Sunburst nodded. "Sure. I'd be happy to." He looked back to the stage and listened for a moment, then said, "Our tale begins in the county of Hoofchestershire. It is a simple place, where the shepherd ponies live simple lives. None of them expected the events that would befall them on that fateful day when the Lady of their kingdom passed through, only to be kidnapped by the enemies of the King! It was up to a brave Knight, Sir Percheval, to rescue her and restore harmony to their land."
The play was well performed. Sunburst could see why the rest of the ponies in the audience had no trouble understanding what was happening even without knowing the language. Still, he faithfully translated everything for Coco.
Well, almost everything...
At one point, Sunburst stopped mid-sentence, his face turning red. Several ponies in the audience laughed at the line.
Coco looked over at Sunburst. "Every time I see this play some ponies laugh at that line. What did those two ponies just say?"
Sunburst gulped. "It's... uh... it's a joke."
"But what's the joke?"
"It's uh... not exactly appropriate..."
Coco gently pushed on Sunburst's shoulder. "Sunburst, I'm a grown mare. I can handle it."
Sunburst looked around. Even though the two were in a private box, he still worried about ponies in the nearby ones. "Let me whisper it to you. I don't want anypony else to hear." The two leaned toward each other and Sunburst whispered something into Coco's ear.
"Oh my!" Coco's cheeks immediately reddened and she covered her mouth with a hoof. Her pupils had shrunk as her eyes went wide.
At the sight of Coco's extreme reaction, Sunburst began to laugh. Coco looked back at him and couldn't help but start laughing herself.
By the time the play had ended, Luna's stars dominated the sky and the streets of Canterlot had emptied of ponies, except for those making their way out of the theater. This included Coco and Sunburst, smiling and talking to each other as they exited the building.
"Thanks again for translating," said Coco.
"It was my pleasure!" said Sunburst. "I always love getting a chance to use Olde Ponish. I didn't even know they performed plays in it."
"There are still a few plays in Olde Ponish. It makes it easy to keep the meter. The cadence of each line is quite precise. It's hard to make it work if translated."
"It did sound nice," said Sunburst. "I'm used to reading technical information about spells. It's fascinating, but not exactly poetic. The writing for that play was excellent! It's just too bad that more ponies didn't have a chance to understand all of it."
"Even that one joke?" asked Coco.
Sunburst chuckled. "Fair enough. Maybe not that one joke. But the rest of it was beautiful."
Coco nodded. Then she held up her bouquet of flowers like a sword and said another one of the lines from the play in Olde Ponish. "I accept this quest for not riches nor glory, but for My Lady. Her safety is worth the treasures of a dozen kingdoms."
Sunburst grinned. "That was really good." He then said the next line, "If in pursuit of mere gold, I would grow weary from the task. In pursuit of her rescue, my hooves can carry me a thousand leagues."
The two laughed together and, in the midst of the laughter, each let out a yawn.
"Speaking of being weary," said Coco. "Where are we going to sleep tonight?"
The Biltmare Hotel was one of the nicest hotels in Canterlot. The lobby's walls were a mix of beautiful white and speckled marble. Large square wooden pillars held up a ceiling decorated with intricately patterned wrought iron. A large, lit abstract sculpture that was simultaneously reminiscent of a tree and a seashell sat at the center of a fountain of water just to the side of the reception desk.
Letting Sunburst go first, Coco walked over to inspect the sculpture, admiring the handiwork and thinking about ways that she could incorporate a similar feeling into a dress that she had been working on. With the right stitching, she might be able to make a summer dress that would be appropriate for both a stroll on the beach and a walk in the park while feeling like it matched the scenery. She smiled as she thought of the possibilities.
"Hi. I need a room for the night, please," said Sunburst to the stallion behind the desk.
The receptionist nodded and went over to a small cabinet. Opening it up, he pulled out a key and said, "Wow! You arrived just in time."
"What do you mean?" asked Sunburst as the receptionist returned and placed the key on the desk.
"Well, what with the train being fixed, everywhere is totally booked. We're the biggest hotel in town, so they've all been sending their customers to us, but now we're full too. It looks like you're gonna have the last room in Canterlot."
Upon hearing that, Coco's smile evaporated and her attention returned to the desk. The last room in Canterlot, she thought to herself. Her head and ears drooped.
Not noticing the mare, Sunburst said, "Wow, I guess that is pretty luck--" He stopped. Looking toward the fountain, he saw that Coco was completely crestfallen. He turned back to the receptionist. "You're sure it's the last room?"
The receptionist was frowning at Coco, but looked back to Sunburst. "It's the last key we have."
"I'll be alright," said Coco, putting on a fake smile. "I'm sure there has to be a hotel somewhere in town that still has a room." She turned to leave. "You have a good night, Sunburst. I'll see you tomorrow at the train station."
Sunburst looked between the key and his new friend as she started walking away. Closing his eyes and sighing, the stallion picked up the key and said, "Wait." He held out the key toward the mare, whose eyes went wide. "You take it."
She immediately shook her head and pushed the key away. "No, Sunburst, I can't do that. What if you can't find another room?"
"What if you can't find another room?"
Coco bit her lip.
"Please," said Sunburst, holding out the key again. "I'll be alright."
For about twenty seconds, Coco just stared at the key. For the majority of her life, Coco had come to believe that the world was everypony for herself. It had only been a few years before that she had met ponies like Rarity and her friends. How can he be so generous to somepony he barely knows? she thought. Looking up into his bespectacled eyes, she could see the sincerity in them as clearly as their vibrant cornflower blue color. "You really are Rarity's friend," she said, with a smile. "But I just--"
"Um, excuse me," said the receptionist. The pair glanced back to him. "I know it's not my place and all, but uh, you two could always share the room."
Coco and Sunburst looked back at each other.
"I suppose it's better than one of us wandering the streets of Canterlot all night," said Coco.
"I guess so," said Sunburst. Then he said to the receptionist, "We'll take it."
The room was simple, but elegant. The walls were a warm, burnt orange and the lights from Canterlot shown gently through the two windows to the left. There was a queen-sized bed on the far wall flanked by bedside tables and finally a desk and chair to the right.
"I thought for sure there'd be a couch or something in here," said Coco. "I guess I can always sleep on the floor."
Sunburst was taken aback. "What? No, no. You can have the bed. I'll take the floor."
"Oh, Sir Knight, how very chivalrous of you," said Coco, laughing at her own joke. "But this was supposed to be your room. If anypony has to sleep on the floor, it should be me."
"It's not a matter of chivalry. I just know I won't be able to get any sleep if I know you have to sleep on the floor."
The two stood for a minute, looking around for a solution. Coco was ignoring the mattress shaped elephant in the room. She wasn't comfortable with the idea of sharing a bed with a stranger. However, as she thought about the matter, she started to justify the idea to herself. Sunburst had been as kind to her tonight as any of her friends had ever been. He had even offered to sleep on the floor just to make sure she was comfortable. He certainly seemed trustworthy.
"The bed is pretty big," Coco finally said. "We could probably share it. Then nopony has to sleep on the floor."
Sunburst scratched at his beard. It was a solution that brought a great deal of cognitive dissonance. On the one hoof, it was obvious, utilitarian, perfectly logical. On the other, he hadn't shared a bed with anypony since he was a colt. Especially not a cute mare I only met a few hours ago, Sunburst thought. The "cute mare" thought surprised him a bit.
"Sharing the bed would seem logical," Sunburst said, more to himself than to Coco. Then he added, "How about this? I'll go back to the desk and get some extra pillows. We can put them between us so we each get our own side to sleep on."
Coco nodded. "Sure. That'll work."
A few minutes later, Sunburst came back into the room, his horn aglow. He brought a few pillows with him and a glass vase. "I also asked for a vase and some water while I was there," he said, "for your flowers."
"Oh, thank you! I set them on the desk."
Sunburst nodded and levitated the pillows over to Coco, who began to arrange them on the bed. While she did that, Sunburst put the flowers in the vase. After finishing his task, he looked back and saw Coco removing her collar and hair clip. He then glanced back to the carnations.
"I gotta say, these flowers match your outfit perfectly. And the bow matches your mane. And they're your favorite flower to boot! It's like the bouquet was made for you."
"I know! I was thinking that. It's a crazy coincidence. That other mare must like them too. I guess liking old plays and carnations goes hoof-in-hoof or something?"
"Must be."
As Coco got into bed, Sunburst felt a slight tightness in his chest. There are pillows, he told himself. He took off his robe and carefully folded it, setting it on the desk next to the vase. Taking a deep breath, one much deeper than he had intended, Sunburst made his way to the bed as he removed his glasses. There are pillows.
After setting the glasses on the bedside table, Sunburst slid back the sheets and got into bed. Once he was settled, he said, "Have a good night, Coco."
For a few moments, the mare was silent, lost in thought. Sunburst was about to ask if everything was okay when she said, "Sunburst?"
"Yeah?" he said, looking over. Sunburst couldn't see her all that clearly without his glasses, but he could tell that Coco was facing him.
"I just wanna say thank you for being such a gentlecolt tonight."
Sunburst smiled. "You don't think I was being too chivalrous?"
"Maybe." Coco laughed a bit. "But it was really sweet. I'm not used to somepony being so... well, selfless." After a moment of hesitation, she reached over the pillows and touched one of Sunburst's hooves with her own. "So, thank you."
The stallion was taken aback. He stared at the mare's hoof resting on top of his. At first, all he could think was to simply say "you're welcome," but then an idea struck him.
Turning his hoof to hold hers, Sunburst said, "Anything for you, My Lady." He then lifted her hoof to his lips and gently kissed it.
When he looked back at Coco, even without his glasses Sunburst could see the smile on her face. The two then burst out laughing. It was a laughter that carried on and, at the end of it, Coco was wiping tears out of her eyes. The pair then smiled at each other one more time and Coco said, "Goodnight, Sunburst."
"Goodnight, Coco."
Sunburst's horn lit up as he turned out the lights.
The first rays of Celestia's sun made their way into the hotel room as Sunburst and Coco slept. When the light touched Coco's eyes, she opened them to a wall of orange. However, it was not the wall of her hotel room, but instead the coat of the stallion sleeping next to her. She found that she had shifted in her sleep. She had begun to hug one of the pillows in the middle of the bed and her head now rested against Sunburst's chest.
For some reason, she had no problem with this.
Instead of moving away, Coco gently closed her eyes and listened to the beating of the stallion's heart and felt the rising and falling of his chest as he breathed. A part of her thought she should be concerned, but she felt comfortable here. It felt nice to be close. She unconsciously nuzzled her mane into Sunburst.
The act caused the stallion to open his eyes. He could feel Coco's mane on his body before he looked down to see her. She was somewhat blurry without his glasses, but he could tell that her eyes were closed. So much for pillows, he thought. He expected his anxiety to kick in and to want to move away from the mare that was leaning against him.
Yet the feelings didn't come.
Instead, he felt a different impulse. The same sort of impulse that had struck him the night before. As if by instinct, he reached up his forelimb and placed it on Coco's shoulder. Sunburst couldn't see it, but when the hoof initially touched her, Coco's eyelids winced slightly in surprise and she took a breath in, but then she let out a gentle sigh and her face relaxed. Her smile grew ever so slightly.
And the two stayed that way for a while.
Checkout had given the two yet another pleasant surprise, as the manager met them at the desk to apologize for what had happened and insisted that the two not pay for their room. Of course, Coco and Sunburst objected, but the manager stood firm.
"I want the Biltmare to be seen as the finest hotel in Equestria," he had said. "That means our guests' satisfaction is paramount. And besides, your circumstances, both in sharing the room and in being here to share it, were out of your control. On behalf of the Biltmare, and the residents of the city of Canterlot, giving you this night for free is the least we can do for the inconvenience."
The streets of Canterlot were becoming busy as Sunburst and Coco headed to the train station. On the way, the two stopped off at Canterlot Carousel to get the outfits for the dance. The whole trip, the two shared their respective stories of how they met Rarity and her friends. Sunburst was impressed by Coco's degree of honesty and generosity in her willingness to give Rarity her trophy. And Coco was impressed by Sunburst's ingenuity and tenacity in the face of danger as he helped save the Crystal Empire.
At last, the two entered onto the platform at the train station. They continued talking as they approached the train. However, they naturally began to separate from each other after a few steps. Realizing what was happening, they both stopped. For a moment, they looked at each other, but then Sunburst facehoofed.
"What is it?" asked Coco.
Sunburst walked back over to her. "What car are you in?" said Sunburst.
Coco frowned. "I hadn't even thought about that."
"I'm in the car next to the caboose," said Sunburst.
"And I'm up near the front."
The two stood in silence. The two had been connecting and neither were prepared for the thought of separation. It felt sudden. Jarring. Like the length of the train between them was going to be ripping something apart.
While the thought didn't help him much, Sunburst said, "We'll get to see each other again in Ponyville in a few hours."
"Yeah, I know." Coco sighed. "It's just..."
"What's wrong?"
Coco shook her head and laughed. "Oh, it's so stupid."
"Tell me."
"I feel like... I mean, I barely know you. We just met yesterday! But I feel like... like I'm going to miss you."
"That's not stupid." Sunburst put a hoof on her shoulder. The same shoulder he had dared to touch earlier that morning. "I feel the same way."
Coco felt herself shiver at the touch and the words. He feels the same way. She looked down at his hoof and then up, past the off-white coat of his lower forelimb to the blues of his robe, then across the orange of his face and back to the white on the bridge of his nose. She saw that his glasses had slipped down. She lifted a hoof, carefully pushing them back up.
Sunburst smiled at the gesture. He noticed that a portion of Coco's cyan mane was out of place. He slowly took his hoof off her shoulder and put it on the side of her face, pushing the stray hairs out of the way.
And then the two looked into each other's eyes. Smiles on their faces. Light in their eyes. Slight pink showing on each of their cheeks. And neither wanted to spoil the moment with words. It felt past words. There was nothing to say. And yet, there was a tension. Both knew that something needed to happen here. But what?
"Oh, just kiss him already!"
The sound of the voice startled the pair and they looked over to see a white unicorn with a styled purple mane standing just behind a potted plant, a hoof now planted firmly over her own mouth. The two responded to the sight in unison, saying, "Rarity?"
"Ahahaha!" Rarity laughed nervously. "Oh, Sunburst, Miss Pommel, what a surprise to see you two here!"
"Why do I get the feeling that your being here isn't an accident?" said Coco, her eyes narrowing.
Rarity smiled. "Miss Pommel, you know me well enough. When I have a project, I always see it through to the end."
"Are you saying," said Sunburst, "that you sabotaged a train and stranded dozens of ponies in Canterlot just to force us into a date?"
"Of course not!" said Rarity. "I had nothing to do with the train. In fact, when I heard what happened, I thought my plan was ruined! How would I get you two to go to the dance together if you were stuck here in Canterlot?
"But then I was struck by inspiration! I had Spike send some letters to request a few favors and now here you two are, gazing into each other's eyes."
"So the tickets, the flowers, the hotel room," said Coco. "All of that was your doing?"
"What happened with a hotel room?" asked Rarity. Her eyes went wide. "Oh-hoho! You two shared a room last night?"
The pair blushed. "Technically, yes," admitted Sunburst.
A devilish grin appeared on Rarity's face. "Then I should say my plan went even better than expected."
"It wasn't like that," said Coco. "There was only one room left because of all the ponies stuck here. We didn't have a choice."
"And there were pillows!" Sunburst added.
Rarity frowned. "Oh. Well, no matter. I still saw the way you two were looking at each other just now. If there isn't something there then my name isn't Rarity!"
Coco and Sunburst looked at each other. Both of them thought back on the last 24 hours. While they were not convinced that there was the "something" that Rarity suspected, neither could deny that they had enjoyed each other's company. And that, in and of itself, was something.
"Well--" Coco began.
But suddenly, the train conductor shouted to the platform. "All aboard who's going aboard!"
"Goodness! We need to go take our seats at once," said Rarity. She then waved a hoof toward the pair. "Now hurry up and declare your love for one another before the train leaves!"
"Rarity," said Sunburst, firmly. "Do you think you could give us some space here?"
"Oh, of course!" Rarity bowed slightly as she stepped away, but made sure to stay within earshot.
Sunburst rolled his eyes at that, but he didn't have time to complain. He looked back at Coco. She was looking at him.
"I guess this is goodbye for now," Coco said.
"Guess so."
Coco shifted her weight slightly. "It really was a lot of fun getting to know you."
"Yeah, I enjoyed it too." Sunburst rubbed a hoof behind his neck and then looked into Coco's eyes. "Listen. Do you think--"
Coco cut in.
The mare said a phrase in Olde Ponish. It was a phrase from the play. Her face went red as she formed the words and her lips curled into a smile.
Upon recognizing the phrase, Sunburst's cheeks went red as well. He was a little taken aback, but in short order he said the next line to her.
The two smiled broadly at each other, then glanced over at Rarity, who was gaping at the pair. Then the two began to laugh and made their respective ways to the train.
As Coco approached Rarity, the unicorn shouted, "What did you two just say?! Tell me!"
Coco continued to laugh. "It's just a line from the play we saw last night."
"I gathered as much," said Rarity. "But what does it mean?!"
A broad grin on her face, Coco motioned for Rarity to lean in. The unicorn eagerly complied and Coco whispered something into her ear.
Rarity's jaw dropped. "Bah! Miss Pommel, puh-lease! There are children on this platform!"
As Sunburst prepared to step onto the train, he looked back at Coco. She and Rarity had now grabbed the rack of outfits and were making their way toward the front of the train. Sunburst was sure that Coco wasn't telling Rarity what the pair had actually said.
The line wasn't the joke. It wasn't the lines they had shared the previous night. It was a different line from the play. It was the line that the Lady said to the Knight when he asked if he could see her again.
"Sir Knight," she said. "If I must become accustomed to your presence, I do not believe my heart would object."
"If that be the case, My Lady," he said, "then from the morrow let me meet you each sunrise at the castle's gate."
He didn't know what he would do in the meantime, but Sunburst knew where he was going to be tomorrow morning.
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This is a wonderful story! I can see these two clicking. They are both shy, kind ponies that would complement each other. The touch with Sunburst translating the play was genius. It brings them together in a way that fits both of their personalities.
Thank you for sharing this with us. It was a real treat.
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Why didn't she eat the flowers?
This story is great, the pacing is fast enough that I don't get bored reading the story, yet slow enough that I can realistically see this happening. The way that you incorporated fancy pants was genius, not outright telling us but letting us imply it. This story is great.
I hope you write more of this!
Yes, they make a cute couple.
Slices of Life like this involving minor characters can be a rarity.
I always said he and Moondancer are meant for eachother, but Coco is a cute idea too. Actually, any mare but Starlight.
Has anyone written him paired with Sassy Saddles yet? A fic of her trying to give him a makeover would be amusing.
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I can get behind that sentiment. It's kind of the same reason I generally don't ship Rainbow Dash with anyone; she's hyperfocused on her flying career and isn't interested in a romantic partner. Starlight is hyperfocused on being the best guidance counselor and magician she possibly can be. Maybe one day, her priorities will change, but not soon.
Also...
Can you imagine every part of Rarity's plan going wrong? Once they learned that they had the last hotel room. Sunburst could have stayed at the castle, or maybe retuned to Ponyville by chariot or airship.
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Not gonna lie, I was pretty pleased when I came up with that idea. The moment I thought of it, I immediately ran with it.
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Not gonna lie, I thought of Sweetie Bell saying that every time I got to that part during editing.
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Not gonna lie, those were the things I worked hardest on in this story - trying to balance quick pacing to avoid losing readers with making the romance feel "earned" rather than just "given," if that makes any sense. And I'm glad I was able to fight the urge to have Fancy Pants introduce himself; I wanted to leave it to the reader.
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Not gonna lie, I'm only starting this comment that way to make them all match. I'll see what I can come up with. I suck at sequels (never finished even one) but if something comes to me, I wouldn't mind giving it a go.
I really enjoyed this story, these two would probably be great together
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Any chance there will be a sequel to this?
This was sweet, wouldn't mind seeing more.
I've never seen these two shipped before, but I really like it. A beautiful story.
This really cheered me up.
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No promises, but I'll look into it. If I come up with an idea, I wouldn't be opposed to it.
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When I was considering entering the May Pairing Contest, I used the search function with a few minor character combinations. When I saw that there had never been a story featuring Coco and Sunburst, I jumped at the opportunity; I was truly surprised no on had done it before.
I'm glad this story could cheer you up.
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Thanks.
Great story though personally I think it should have been both Cadance and Rarity working together.
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That's freaky. I kid you not, that was how the story originally was.
In my notes for this story from before I wrote it, I have this: The pair arrive at the train station again, ready to go to Ponyville, but realize that they have seats in different cars. They say temporary goodbyes, commenting on how they enjoyed getting to know each other. When there is a long pause, suddenly Rarity shouts "Oh, just kiss him already!" from behind a potted plant. She and Cadence had arranged the whole thing to get the two together. The two tell the conspirators off, but not without letting some of their feelings slip.
I rejected the idea because it seemed to over-complicate the final scene to have both of them, and I felt it messed with the story's pacing. (I also changed the way that the two admit their feelings to each other, because I felt it was a strong character moment for the two of them to say it directly, albeit in Olde Ponish.)
That said, I certainly don't disagree with the idea of the two of them conspiring together and if I do write a sequel I will likely be including that in there.
I wasn't initially aware that this was an entry in a writing competition, and don't remember how I even came upon this story, but I am very glad that I did. This was certainly a unique pairing and I don't think I've ever seen it done before, but I could be wrong. I loved the natural flow of this story and the bits of humor thrown in. I thought it was a clever idea to put Sunburst's ability to understand and speak Olde Ponish to this non-magic-related, practical use.
I definitely wouldn't mind seeing more from these two in the future, but only if that is something you have in mind or get an idea about. I will say one final thing though: this made me ship Coco x Sunburst and I'm actually starting to like that pairing better than Starburst. Congratulations on the first place win! It was well-deserved, for sure. 👍
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if you do have cadence involved in a potential imagine if she then gets flash sentry involved to be a literal cupid. just an idea i have of sunburst and flash being well acquainted since both are significant figures working under shining armor and cadence. especially since both were canterlot pony's who through different means (sunburst moving and flash being transferred) ended up in the crystal empire with royal jobs. and you can compound this if cadence nominates flash being a pony in her personal traveling guard to be a bodyguard for flurryheart and by extension her guardian sunburst. imagine an episode in the crystal empire with just the three of them seeing the day to day life of the crystal empire where while sunburst try's to teach flurry how to use magic more practically and other unicorn etiquette flash also teaches flurry how to fly better and Pegasus etiquette.
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That... actually sounds like a really good story idea. Sunburst and Flash teaching Flurry Heart while Cadence and Shining get a break from parenting for the day. Throw in some Flurry shenanigans, and some cute moments between her and each of the stallions, and it would be a fun, lighthearted slice of life. Is there a reason you haven't written it yourself?
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im better at providing ideas for others to work off of then putting them into form myself. my creativity stretches only as far as the planning phase. if you feel so motivated feel free to write out this idea of mine into form. better to make a sculpture with the hands of a sculptor then the hands of one who delivers the rock.
also to respond to your response of my comment my idea was less shining armor and cadence performing less parenting duties and more so sunburst actually doing his job as crystaller and educating flurry while flash initially does his "teaching" indirectly while supervising them and as time goes on interactions between the trio grow more casual where flash does his "teaching" more freely.
This was a really great story, their chemistry is adorable and the events of their day are very creative and well-written. I'd really love to read a sequel!!!!
This is cute, and I wouldn't mind a sequel to it.
Oh wow I would say that's a pretty luck and also cool of them to give their tickets to them
Whoa I sort of heard about that those things are very expensive to get when you going to a play dang again talk about luck
Awww this was a pretty nice story seeing two ponies had to meet with each other under the circumstances but somehow getting to know each other which it was pretty lucky lot of things happened like Sunburst and coco went to the play together and even the hotels was pretty full after the show but then they had to share a room at first they were pretty awkward but then they started to feel comfortable with each other than the day was here they finally made it to Ponyville but there were about to leave again but hopefully they will see each other again because that's a cute shipping between those two this was pretty nice I like this one keep up the good work