>The path through the Everfree is as spooky as it is familiar
>Seriously, why would anyone ever want to live in a place like this?
>Weird skittering noises and yellow, unblinking eyes surround you on all sides as you travel, but you make it to Zecora's hut unmolested
>Though your hand is shaking a little where it clasps the cookbook
>You reach up to knock on Zecora's door, but are interrupted by a voice behind you
>"Anon, my friend, is that you I see? Oh, fool I am, who else could it be?"
>There she goes with the rhyme thing again
>Does every zebra talk like this?
"Hey, Zecora. Can I talk to you about something?"
>"Of course Anon, follow me inside. And tell of the troubles currently on your mind."
>Zecora unlocks the hut, and you follow her in
>The place smells of herbs and incense, making you feel a little lightheaded
>Zecora has a giant pot of glowing purple goo in the center of the room, and she rhythmically stirs it as she speaks
>"I listen best when I can brew. Now tell me, what troubles you?"
"Welll... it's kind of a long story."
>"This brew shall take me much time still. So tell me the whole tale, if you will."
"Okay, I guess. Here goes..."
>You take a deep breath, and begin
>Zecora stares passively into her glop, methodically stirring it as she occasionally throws hoof-fulls of various plant parts into the pot
>Your story begins a few weeks before the Gala, when Rarity began acting more paranoid and controlling then before
>You assumed it was just stress, but the problem continued and intensified, culminating at the events of the Gala
>At points you hesitate, but you figure it's best to tell Zecora the whole story
>And so you gloss over almost nothing, not your feelings toward Coco, Rarity's misery, or Twilight's betrayal
>By the time you finish, your throat's dry and your chest aches from recalling so much emotional trauma
>Zecora continues to stare into the pot
>Goddammit, was she even paying attention?
>A few minutes of silence stretch between the two of you, in which Zecora continues to stare into the bubbling goo
>"This tale you tell me is truly one of misery. I am not sure how much help I will be."
"Yeah, I know. It's really not fair of me to dump all this on you, I just needed someone to vent to."
>You're seated on Zecora's floor now, leaning up against one of her giant wooden tiki masks
>You Zebra friend hops down from her pot, and offers you a hoof to help you up
>Standing, you allow Zecora to lead you outside, to a small, glassy pond behind her home
>"These troubles cannot be solved by help. To fix this, you must look within yourself."
"Within myself? Like meditation, or something?"
>"In a manner of speaking, yes, I would guess. But we will not proceed without some of these."
>Zecora procures two vials of the purplish liquid
"Hehe, now you're talkin'."
>She hands one to you, and you uncork it, draining the liquid
>It tastes heavily of grape
>"This potion will take you deep into your own mind. There, only you know what you will find."
"Bitchin'."
>Honestly, the idea of a pony-magic-induced drug trip is sounding pretty appealing to you right now
>Even if you don't manage to figure everything out, it'll be nice just to escape this drama for a bit
>Zecora swallows down her own potion, licking at her lips
>Tossing the bottle over her withers, she trots toward the pond, stepping onto a floating lilypad and pushing herself toward the center of the water
>You follow, testing your weight on the lilypad first
>It supports you, and you push yourself out after Zecora
>The zebra sits serenely on the leaf, eyes glazing as she seems to stare into infinity
>You drift across from her, sitting zen-like and cross-legged on your own pad
>A few minutes pass, and the potion doesn't seem to do much
"Hey, uh, Zecora? When is this going to--"
>Oh, wait, there it goes
>The world seems to lurch and spin around you, picking up speed until everything is a single, solid mass of blurred color
>It gets so bad, you start to worry you'll topple into the pond
>Zecora would save you if that happened... right?
>However, as quickly as it began, the spinning stops
>You're no longer drifting on the pond with Zecora
>Instead, you find yourself back at the Gala, only this time there's no other ponies
>You've never had a lucid dream before, but you imagine this is what one would feel like
>Every detail of the Gala is exactly as you remember it, save the lack of company
>You make your way into the ballroom, wondering if this entire trip is going to be you aimlessly wandering a deserted building
>The dance floor seems to be barren as well
>Until you spot Coco, sitting dejectedly in the center of the room
>Surrounded by so much grandiose architecture, the cream mare looks even meeker than usual
>You call out for Coco, but your voice catches in your throat
>Instead, you stamp on the floor, trying to catch her attention
>The sound echoes through the room, and Coco whirls her head to look for the source
>Her eyes meet yours across the deserted ballroom
>And then she whirls around, and sprints away
"Coco!"
>Your voice is back, but it's quickly swallowed up by the huge space around you
>Coco stays just out of your reach as you chase after her, barreling through the ballroom and out into the terraces where you, Rarity, and Suri shared a meal together
>The tables are gone, and the air is absolutely freezing
>It whips around you as you run, chilling you straight to the bone
>Coco charges straight toward the edge of the terrace, showing no signs of halting
>In fact, she's picking up speed as she approaches the ledge
"Coco! Stop!"
>You drive yourself forward after her, running at a pace you didn't know you could reach
>Your lungs burn with the effort, but you manage to gain on Coco
>Just as your hands are about to close around her, she puts on a burst of speed, escaping your grasp and hurtling over the ledge
"Coco, no!"
>Any sense of this being a dream is now lost on you
>Panic overwhelms your mind, and you charge after Coco, throwing yourself over the ledge
>Immediately, you're falling
>But you're not falling over the side of Canterlot's mountain
>Instead, you fall after Coco through what seems to be empty space
>She's not panicking at all; on the contrary, she wears that mellow, resigned expression she always has around Suri
>Coco lets out a delicate, melancholy sigh, and curls into a ball as she hurtles downward through space
>You stretch your hand out, trying to reach her, to comfort her, but the distance between you is too great
"Coco! Coco!"
>Coco looks up at your voice, eyes scanning the blackness around her as she tries to locate you
"Coco! I'm right here!"
>Coco's eyes sweep right over you, not even noticing you're there
>She sighs again curls back up, falling farther and farther away from you until she disappears
>You lose the sensation of falling immediately, finding yourself floating in the inky blackness
>There's no way of telling what's up or down, or if up or down even exist here
>You reach out and try to 'swim' through the emptiness, but you can't tell if you're making any progress
>Eventually, you give up
>Are you going to be stuck like this until the potion wears off?
>What if you OD?
>It was a potion brewed for ponies, what if this is going to be your last experience in life?
>Or what if you're already dead?
>Maybe this is the afterlife: just floating in the dark, forever
>It's kinda peaceful here, you guess...
>You physically shake those thoughts away, rapping your knuckles against your head for good measure
>You can't be dead, you'd know it
>After all, you've already died once before, technically...
>Okay, okay, focus
>Zecora said this potion would help you to find yourself, right?
>Alright, well, right now you want to see Coco
>You relax, letting yourself float languidly, directionless, as you concentrate on the little cream mare
>When you open your eyes, you're back in Coco's house
>The dishes of egg casserole lie half-eaten between you two, and Coco has her forelegs outstretched, as if to say "hug me"
>She's actually looking at you this time, and speaking to you as well
>However, you can't make out the words she says
>Coco leans in toward you, forelegs reaching to embrace you as her eyes close, and her lips pucker
>Is this... is this the potion showing you what you really want?
>You lean forward to return Coco's embrace, lips ready to taste her softness once again...
>As soon as your fingers brush her sides, however, Coco lets out a scream of pain, recoiling
>The spots where you touched her are smoking and blackened
"Shit! Coco, I'm so sorry!"
>You pull your hands away from the mare, trying to scoot as far from her as possible
>"Anon! Please...."
>Coco lunges toward you, forelegs grabbing you in an impossibly tight embrace
>She wails again as they begin to char and burn
"Coco! Stop! What the hell are you do--"
>Coco presses her lips to yours, still moaning in pain
>The smell of smoke fills your nostrils has her mouth begins to burn to
"Coco! Get off! Stop this!"
>You grab her and try to push her away, but your hands only burn her further, accelerating the process until Coco is reduced to nothing but a collar and a pile of ash in your lap
"Oh, god... oh, fuck..."
>Numbly, you sift through handfuls of the dust
>This is all a dream... it's all a dream...
>"You really had to do it, didn't you?"
>Suddenly, the walls around you collapse outward, revealing a barren, wind-torn landscape
>The howling currents of air scatter Coco's ashes, pulling them away from you
"No! Coco, no! Come back!"
>"It's too for that, Anon. But you already know that, don't you, mm?"
>You turn, to see Suri standing behind you
"What... how could..."
>You feel like you're going to be sick
>Even if this isn't real... oh fuck, that was awful
>You collapse to the ground, breaths coming in short, ragged bursts
>"You knew what you were doing. Luring in that sweet little mare. Just like you did to Rarity. Just like Twilight. And where are they now, hmm?"
"I didn't... I never meant for this to..."
>"Maybe you didn't. But you let it happen, didn't you?"
"No, I just... I just wanted to be happy for once. And I was, until goddamn Twilight..."
>"Now you're blaming her for this?"
"Yes! She fucking lied to Rarity about me! Drove her fucking crazy, broke the two of us up, fuck her!"
>"And who was the one who made his marefriend's worst fears a reality?"
"What? That was... that was different. She was acting like a bitch!"
>"And instead of trying to help her, you run off with another girl, yeah?"
"No, I... That's not what happened!"
>"Oh? Then what did?"
"I don't fucking know what happened!"
>You curl back up on the ground
>Just let this dream end...
>You feel something warm and soft press against your side as Suri curls up against you
"Get off me!"
>You sit up, arm braced to throw Suri as far away you possibly can
>Only the pony next to you isn't Suri
>It's Rarity
>The two of you are back in your bedroom at the boutique, yellow-white sun streaming through the open windows
"Rarity, what the...?"
>You gaze around the sunlit bedroom
>It all feels so real
>"Good morning, deary. Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, I... wait, is this real?"
>"Of course it is, darling. What else would it be?"
"But I... Zecora.... Coco... the potion..."
>"What on earth are you talking about? Did you have a bad dream?"
>Rarity smiles as she runs a hoof through your hair
"I... I guess."
>Gently, Rarity kisses your forehead
>"Well, you'd better get up, dear. We need to take Sweetie Belle to school, remember?"
"Yeah... of course."
>Rarity gets out of bed, trotting to the bathroom for her daily beauty routine
>You stand slowly from bed, making your way to the dresser
>Everything's exactly where you remember it being
>No, this can't be real
>You took the potion, you're dreaming
>This is all a dream
>You close your eyes, trying to concentrate as hard as possible on the fact that you're still dreaming
>Coco...
>You want Coco back
>But when you open your eyes, you're still standing there, in your underwear, hand resting on the open dresser drawer
>Your head has begun spinning violently, and you sit back onto the bed
>All that with Coco, Twilight, and Suri...
>You sit there on the bed, head in your hands, waiting until Rarity returns through the open door
>She looks her usual fabulous self, but her eyebrows arch in surprise when she sees you
>"Anon? Heavens, darling, are you okay?"
>She rushes to your side, laying a hoof across your forehead
"Rares?"
>"Yes, dear?"
"You don't happen to know a mare named Suri Polomare, do you?"
>"Suri what-now? I don't think I've met a mare with that name..."
>You exhale heavily, chest deflating as you slump backward onto the mattress
>What the hell is going on?
>You stay in bed, listening to the sounds of Rarity preparing breakfast and Sweetie excitedly chattering that come from downstairs
>This all feels so real...
>But everything has felt real since you took the potion
>You just have to focus
>Once again, you shut your eyes, and try to focus on Coco
>If you could just get dream-Coco to talk to you, maybe you could figure all this out
>You only succeed in giving yourself a headache
 
>A half hour later, you're walking next to Rarity as the two of you take Sweetie to school
>Everything is so damn real
>Twilight passes you, waving hello without a hint of weirdness or deviancy
>AJ is just as polite, even tossing you an apple as you pass her stall at the market
>Sweetie Belle skips along, bursting with her usual energy
>When you reach the school, she sits back and holds her forelegs up, demanding to be hugged
>You kneel down and oblige, feeling the filly nuzzle your cheek before bounding away to join her classmates
>Rarity places a hoof on your shoulder
>"Does it bother you, Anon?"
"Does what bother me?"
>"Knowing you gave all of this up..."
>Rarity kisses you on cheek
>Her lips are icy cold against your skin, and immediately the entire seen around you seems to dissolve
>You're back in the wasteland again, only this time the wind-torn landscape gives way to a cliff
>Beyond the ledge, you can see a drop of several thousand feet into churning gray water below
>"You want your way out? There it is."
>Suri stands behind you, her little neckerchief flapping in the wind
"Fuck off."
>You knew you were still in the dream
>You fucking knew it
>But, a part of you wanted to believe...
>"Hmph, still feeling a little bitter, are we?"
"I said fuck off. Bring Coco back."
>"Come on, Anon. You know I can't. The only one who can find her now is you."
"Alright. Then bring back Coco!"
>You shout the demand to no one in particular
>"Seems like you might not want little Ms. Pommel as much as you thought, mm?"
"Shut up!"
>You squeeze your eyes shut, and try your hardest to focus on Coco
>But every time you think of Coco, you can't help but remember the feeling of holding her as she crumbled to dust
>You begin to feel sick again
>"Not so easy, huh? You seemed pretty happy when you were with Rarity. Maybe she was really the right one all along. Too bad you had to go and cock that up..."
"I told you, that wasn't me!"
>"Right, of course, it's all Twilight's fault. And let me guess, the fact that you don't want Coco anymore is my fault now?"
"I said shut up!"
>"You came here to learn about yourself, right, Anon? Did you think all the truth would be pleasant?"
"Nothing you've said is the truth. You're a liar. You're deceitful, abusive, and evil, and I want you out of my head!"
>You stand and lunge toward Suri, swinging a clumsy, powerful blow right toward her head
>As soon as your fist makes contact, she explodes into more ash, swirling up into your eyes and nose
>You cough and sputter, trying to keep the dust from filling your lungs
>As the wind whips it away, you can still hear Suri's laughter mixed with its howl
>Fucking purple cunt
>Why do all the purple horses in your life have to be so terrible?
>The hatred in your stomach burns so intensely, you actually feel yourself growing lightheaded
>And where's Coco?
>You can see for miles across the featureless landscape, but the little cream mare is nowhere to be found
>Okay...
>You'll just have to try what you tried earlier
>You sit, cross-legged, near the edge of the cliff, and close your eyes
>Coco
>You want to see Coco
>Images of her smiling, milky face affix themselves in your mind
>The feel of her fur, the way she smells, her warm mouth under yours...
>"Anon! Help!"
>Your eyes fly open at the sound
>Far bellow you, a small, white speck is bobbing up and down in the vicious current
>"Help me!"
>There's no mistaking that voice
"I'm coming, Coco!"
>Whether out of desperation to save the mare, or simply due to the fearlessness inspired by dreams, you hurtle yourself off the cliff
>The wind whips painfully at your clothes and skin as you plummet towards the water
>But it's nothing compared to the shock as you land
>The water hits you like an icy concrete wall, driving the breath from you and you submerge
>Your hands claw desperately as you fight to stay above the waves, mouth filling with salt as it gasps for air
>"Help me! Anon, help!"
>Coco's voice sounds from somewhere on your left, and you begin frantically paddling towards her
>You've never been much of a swimmer, and it's all you can do to keep yourself above the water and moving
>Coco's cries for help seem to be growing louder, filling you with the energy you need to keep moving
>The frigid water saps the warmth from your limbs, and the relentless undertow threatens to drag you under
>"Anon! Over here!"
>You plunge headlong through a swelling wave, and emerge to see Coco drifting only a few dozen feet from you
>Her forelegs wave frantically in the air, and her eyes are wide with terror
"I'm --*cough*-- coming, Coco!"
>You claw frantically at the water, dragging yourself toward Coco's soaked, ragged frame
>"Anon! Help!"
>She begins to drift away, forelegs still reaching desperately for you
"Coco! I'm--"
>What you see behind her rips the words right from your mouth
>The water behind Coco opens into a huge, swirling whirlpool
>From your vantage point you can't see the bottom, only darkness surrounded by the howling wind
>The current drags Coco faster and faster away from you, pulling her towards that awful center
>But it doesn't seem to effect you at all!
>"Anon! Please, help!"
"I'm trying, Coco! Hold on!"
>You force yourself to swim faster, arms burning with lactic acid
>Yet the distance between you only widens as the water surges around Coco's body
"Coco, no! No!"
>Coco yelps in fright as she's sucked below the waves, only barely managing to pull herself back up for air
>"Anon! Ano--"
>Coco goes under again, to the point where you can only see the tips of her forelegs flailing as she's dragged into the vortex's center
"No! Coco!"
>Immediately, the vortex collapses in on itself, sending a huge surge of water radially out in all directions
>The colossal wave scoops you up, flinging you away from the spot you last saw Coco
>You tumble like a scrap of seaweed through the water, feeling it rush into your nose and mouth
>It's all you can do to pull yourself back to the surface, coughing up mouthfuls of the bitter water
>Frantically, you scan the area around you
>There's no sign of Coco
"Coco! Coco!"
>You plunge back beneath the waves, forcing your eyes open under the water
>The water is cloudy and the light dim; you can only see about five feet in front of your face
>You can't find Coco like this
"Coco! Where are you!?"
>You take off swimming in a random direction, hoping to hear her calling your name back
>But all you see is granite water
>An immense sense of despair settles over you, and you feel the water's chill creep deep into your chest
>Your arms and legs begin to stiffen, and keeping yourself above the waves is becoming exponentially more difficult
"Coco..."
>A surge of water envelops your head, forcing you under
>This time, you don't fight to resurface
>Because you realize what this whole stupid dream is trying to tell you
>You don't need any more of this
>The air leaves your lungs in a stream of bubbles, and you allow yourself to sink down into the blackness
>...
>"...gave me quite a fright."
"Huh?"
>You blink twice as your body undergoes that brain-wrenching feeling of shifting between realities
>"Anon, I asked if you were quite alright. You've been asleep so long, it gave me quite a fright."
>You sit up slowly, your body stiff and cold
>You're still on the lilypad, only you must fallen onto your side at some point
>Zecora sits next to you, running a comforting hoof across your back
"Yeah, I'm... oh fuck--"
>You lean over the side of the lilypad, and cough up the remainder of your pancakes and some bitter black goo into the pond
>Zecora's hoof remains at your back, massaging the base of your neck until your sickness has subsided
"Blech... eh..."
>You spit once into the water, then sit back on the pad
>You're shaking pretty badly, and your entire body is covered in cold sweat
>"I forgot how troublesome the first time can be. We should get you inside, if you'll follow me."
>The two of you paddle back to the shore, and you follow Zecora back into her hut
>The bubbling cauldron ensures that it's toasty warm inside, for which your shivering form is grateful
>Zecora procures some cushions, and makes a little cozy spot for you on the floor
>She sits across from you, stormy blue eyes sparkling with concern as they follow your movements
>You make yourself comfortable on the floor, allowing yourself to by hypnotized by the glimmering firelight
>The two of you stay like that, silent, for several minutes until Zecora interrupts you
>"So, I'd like to ask, and I hope you won't mind the intrusion, but how did it go inside the illusion?"
"Eh..."
>Your memories of the dream don't feel like dream-memories
>They're too uncanny, to real
>"On the first time, it is not uncommon for the dream to be bad. Though I will understand if you are mad."
"I'm not mad. I guess I just didn't know what I was getting into."
>You shudder, as more of the memories resurface
>Coco in ashes, Coco being pulled into that whirpool...
>"Truth my told, on my first try, I saw horrid things, and I did cry."
"Really?"
>You've never heard the zebra admit any sort of weakness before
>In fact, you kinda just assumed she was the very portrait of stoicism
>And really, now that you think about it, you don't know Zecora that well at all
>She nods, lost in her memories
>"Things were much different, in the land I called home. They did not accept me as one of their own."
"Fuck. Sounds rough."
>Zecora shrugs
>"I learned to accept it as the way of my life. I've learned that's what we all must do with our strife."
>Man, how does she come up with these rhymes so fast?
"That makes sense, I guess."
>A part of you wants to ask Zecora more about her former home, but you don't imagine she's too keen on sharing those memories
>Before you can come to a conclusion, she presses you with questions about your own dream journey
>"As for you, Anon, if you're willing to share... what was it you saw that gave you such a scare?"
>As concisely as possible, you describe to Zecora the course of the dream
>You omit a fair amount of detail, but each memory is impossibly vivid in your mind
>Throughout the tale, Zecora's face is a mixture of pain, pity, and understanding
>By the time you finish, you feel even more drained than before
>Recalling all of that wasn't pleasant
>"Your mind seems to favor dark places, Anon. I regret now that I let this carry on."
"No. No, what you gave me was exactly perfect. It was unpleasant, sure, but I guess that's just another sign that it worked. I really can't thank you enough."
>Zecora raises an eyebrow, surprised
>"Well, then this is better than I thought. Tell me please this conclusion you've wrought."
"It's simple: I'm weak."
>Zecora blinks, confused
>"That is it? It seems so quick..."
>You shrug
"I was kinda surprised too. But, now that I think about it... it all makes sense."
>"Well, I promise I will not show disdain. And I am curious, so please explain."
"Okay, uh... since I've come to this town, I've kinda just been letting things happen to me. This world's all seemed to unreal, so dream-like, I just kinda... went with things. I've never had any real ambition, or drive since I showed up here."
>Zecora nods, listening intently
"I've just let life and circumstances rip away the things I care about. I was too weak to deal with Rarity, I let Suri and AJ get to me, and I almost let Coco slip away too. Because I have no idea where I'm going. I'm aimless."
>A look of pain flashes across Zecora's face
>"Though it may seem strange, I've... felt the same."
"You have?"
>"Indeed. While Ponyville has been kind to me, I miss my home across the sea."
"I thought you said they didn't accept you."
>"That is true. I did not fit in with them, but still, I've always missed it, and I suppose I always will."
>Something about Zecora's tone of voice tells you she doesn't really feel like going into much more detail
>Which, honestly, you're a little disappointed by
>She's one of the last friends you have in Ponyville, and you'd really like to get to know her better
>But it looks like now isn't the right time
"I know the feeling. My home was pretty underwhelming, but I still think about it now and again."
>Zecora stands wordlessly, and walks to a cupboard
>She procures two strange-looking fruits, and brings you one
>Biting into it, you find it tastes like ripe watermelon with the consistency of a giant grape
>Pretty good, actually
>"Anon, I'd like to thank you for coming to see me. I don't see the other ponies much, and it can get rather lonely."
"Hey, I should be thanking you. You helped me out a lot today."
>The Zebra smiles at you
>"So, this mare Coco, how is she? A good match for you, I'd hope, and pretty?"
"Oh, yeah, she's..."
>Wait a minute
>Zecora's really happy to see you
>'You really helped me out a lot today'
>The smile earlier
>Sharing all these secrets
>Asking about Coco
>You look the zebra over again
>She sure is sitting awfully close to you right now
>And she's staring at you pretty intently
>Is... is Zecora hitting on you too?
>Oh Christ, she is, isn't she?
>It's okay, you can handle this
>You'll just make sure she knows that you're stuck on Coco
"...she's pretty nice. Gorgeous little mare, always friendly, makes me happy."
>Zecora looks a little downcast
>"I see. You're a lucky one, Anon, indeed."
"Heh, yeah. I honestly don't know how this kind of shit keeps happening to me."
>Expertly handled
>Zecora curls up on the floor, resting her head on her forelegs
>She does look pretty lonely, and you feel bad about having to turn her down
>Her face keeps twitching, and you get the feeling she has something she wants to say, but won't
>You suppose that's for the best
>Zecora sighs, and drags herself to her hooves before going to grab more of the fruits
>On the way, she also grabs a wooden pitcher, setting it between the two of you along with the fruit
>She takes a long drink from the pitcher, before beginning to nibble at her own fruit
>You've never seen the zebra like this
>Normally she's so passive, but she looks downright miserable right now
"Zecora... what happened in your dream?"
>You swear you see a blush appearing under Zecora's striped
>"I'm sorry, Anon. Though it would be polite to share it, I fear that I am too embarrassed."
"Aw, come on. I'm not gonna judge you. I shared mine..."
>Zecora takes another sip from the pitcher
>"Well, okay, if you insist I must. But know that this is a sign of trust."
"Of course. I won't tell a soul."
>"I dreamed of a zebra with whom I once was in love. But, due to circumstances, we couldn't... no, I've said enough."
"No, tell me more. This sounds interesting."
>Zecora shakes her head
>"No, there are certain things I've learned not to share. Though it is refreshing to have someone who cares."
"Well... alright."
>You reach slowly for the pitcher, giving Zecora ample time to stop you if she doesn't feel like sharing
>She gestures for you to go ahead, and you take a nice long drink
>It tastes like some sort of bitter wine, but it's pretty good
>The two of you sit in silence for a good ten minutes, watching the fire under the cauldron slowly burn to ruby coals
>...
>"Anon, if you will tell me the truth, is it alright if I ask a personal question or two?"
>The question catches you off guard
"A personal question? Well, sure, I guess. What's up?"
>"Well, erm, if you would agree to share, what is it that makes you so good with mares?"
>And there's the one question you have no chance of answering
"I honestly have no idea. I just kinda do my thing, you know, and all this crazy drama just attaches itself to me."
>Zecora looks somewhat disappointed
"And I wouldn't really say I'm 'good with mares.' I mean, my last relationship ended with stuff being thrown at me. And I don't get along too well with most of this town's female population."
>"I guess that is true. Though it's not much advice, I still thank you."
"Advice?"
>"Advice? Oh, that was... not the word I meant. I just wanted to let you know I enjoyed your sentiment."
"O...kay?"
>Zecora's ears flatten in embarrassment, but you do your best to ignore whatever she might have just let slip
>Your zebra friend scratches her ear, turning back to focus on the glowing coals
>"So, Anon, *ahem*, my second question for you: now that you have your answer, what do you intend to do?"
"My answer? Oh, right, yeah. I guess I'm not really sure yet."
>You bring your knees up to your chest, hugging them as you watch the flickering lights under the cauldron
"I mean, I've got something great going with Coco right now, and I think I need to let her know that. I don't wanna scare the poor girl, but I also don't want to lose her because we never went official. As for the rest of the mares I know... Christ, I have no idea."
>Zecora nods
>"You have a long and treacherous path ahead of you, my friend. Though at least you're not alone, in the end."
"Yeah, I... oh."
>Zecora's turned away from you, but the firelight seems to reflect a profound sadness in her eyes
>Somehow, you get the feeling she's not just sad because you're not giving her the dick
>Unsure of what to say to the zebra, you simply scoot next to her, and wrap an arm around her withers
>The two of you watch as the coals slowly burn themselves to nothing, leaving the hut in a cozy darkness
>Silently, Zecora stands and heads over to her bed in the corner
>You scoot back into your pile of cushions, curling up amongst them
>Well... a lot sure has changed since you woke up
>But you feel like you've got a better grasp on where you're going right now
>And tomorrow, hopefully, you can set at least a few things right
>Thankfully, your sleep that night is dreamless
>You've had more than enough of dreams
 
>Sadly, you don't wake up to the smell of Coco baking pancakes
>Still, Zecora's weird brews aren't too bad either
>The zebra's intensely focused on the broiling cauldron before her, and doesn't even notice you're up until you bid her good morning
>She returns the greeting, smiling warmly
>"Anonymous, it's good to see you out of bed. I trust you have a complicated day ahead?"
"Yeah. It's gonna be something, alright."
>You stretch, feeling several joints pop across your body
>Damn, are you really that old?
>"Well, I will bid you whatever fortune I can bring. And should you find yourself without a home, you're always welcome back with me."
>You nod
>Suddenly, your gratitude towards the zebra overwhelms you, and you pull her into a hug
"Thanks, Zecora. It's good to know there's at least one pony-- er, zebra, here that I can count on."
>Zecora nuzzles you back
>"It is good to have you here too, Anon. There aren't many who I can count on."
 
>After that little Hallmark-card moment, you find yourself on the path back to Ponyville
>You hope you weren't leading Zecora on back there
>She didn't seem nearly as into you as Twilight was, but still...
>You'd hate to accidentally cause even more drama
>And speaking of drama, the first thing you need to do when you get back is find Coco
>You're not entirely sure what you're going to say to her yet, but you have to say something
>Either this weird pseudo-relationship between the two of you goes official, or it ends
>Actually, that might be a little too harsh for the timid mare
>Still, you need to say something, right?
>Emerging from the forest into the fresh daylight, you enter the main Ponyville road, which will lead you to Coco's place without having to get too close to Twilight or Rarity
>Even though you'll still have to confront them eventually...
>Christ, when did your life get so damn complicated?
>It's a Sunday morning, and most of the townsponies are still inside, meaning you get less frightened glances than usual
>Not a bad way to start the day at all
 
>You knock on Coco's door, then lean back against the front porch railing as you wait for her to answer
>After about five minutes of no Coco, you're just about ready to turn around and head back when the door slowly opens
>Coco stands there, looking... well, not great
>There are large bags under her eyes, her mane's frayed and tussled, and there are matted, discolored splotches in her fur
>"Hey, Anon..."
>Coco's exhausted features form a weak smile
"Holy shit, Coco, are you okay?"
>"What, me? I'm great..."
>She yawns, and you can smell her rank morning breath from three feet away
>"Jus' stayed up a bit lating working on Ms. Suri's new patterns. I think they're pretty good. Sure hope she'll like them."
>Coco slumps against the doorframe, eyes closing
"Coco? Coco!"
>She jolts back awake
>"Ah! Sorry, I'm a lil' bit sleepy..."
"That's fine. Uh... can I come in?"
>"Sure thing, Anon..."
>Coco staggers drunkenly back into her home
>"I still gotta bit of work t' do... d'you mind waiting for me a bit?"
>She lurches into the kitchen
"Coco, I think you need some sleep."
>"Can't sleep. Suri needs these sketches. She told me it's real 'mportant."
>Coco sticks her head in the sink, running the water into her mouth
"I'm pretty sure Suri wouldn't want you to do this to yourself, Coco."
>Coco pulls her dripping muzzle away from the faucet
>"Nah, Suri always says this is what a good assistant should do."
"Why don't you tell Suri you need more time?"
>Coco just shakes her head
>"She wouldn't like that. Trus' me, Anon, I jus' gotta take care of a few things..."
>She staggers back towards her bedroom
>You follow her, prepared to catch her at any second if she falls over
>Coco slumps into her chair, bleary eyes staring at the sketches in front of her
>Despite her extreme fatigue, however, the sketches still looks pretty damn good
>Like, Rarity-level quality, at the very least
"Did you make all these in one night, Coco?"
>"Yeah... I jus' hope Suri likes them."
>She takes the pencil up in her mouth again, painstakingly adding details to her currently sketch
>Even when she can barely stand, this girl is still amazing at art
>Makes you wonder what the hell Suri's issue with her sketches is
>Wait a minute...
"Coco, what did Suri do with the last sketches you gave her?"
>"What'd she do?"
>Coco massages her forehead as she concentrates
>"She jus' took 'em. Said she was gonna throw 'em away..."
>She sniffles
>"She was so mad..."
>For a brief moment, little specks of red flash before your eyes
>If Suri was here, you'd strangle her
"Coco... I'm pretty sure Suri did like your sketches. I think she just took them for herself."
>"What? No, Ms. Suri'd never do that... she's a good boss."
>Coco slumps forward onto her drawing, pencil dropping form her mouth onto the floor
>"A good boss..."
"Coco? You alright? Coco?"
>You place a hand on the cream pony's withers, but she's already fast asleep
>Poor girl deserves it too, you figure
>Trying your best not to disturb her rest, you lift Coco up from her desk, and lay her in bed
>Christ, you hate Suri so damn much
>What kind of awful creature do you have to be to purposefully hurt a mare like Coco?
>After you get the little mare tucked in, you head back out to Coco's living room
>It's probably not proper to stay here in her house, but you don't exactly have anywhere else to go
>And you really don't feel like taking care of things with Twilight or Rarity right now
>That can come later, you figure
>You decide this could be a nice opportunity to rack up some points with Coco, and set to straightening up her apartment
>It's not a terribly large task; she doesn't have many belongings to straighten
>Still, last night obviously took a huge toll on the poor girl, you feel it's best to help her any way you can
>Once the apartment is as neat as you can possibly make it, you whip out the cookbook from Twilight's
>You feel fixing a nice meal would be a good way to redeem yourself from the catastrophe two nights ago
>It still makes you shudder to think of the awful concoction you put together...
>You open up the book, and flip through the first few pages
>Salad?
>That's not a bid idea; it's simple, but still classy
>Grill cheese-and-egg sandwiches?
>That's not a bad idea, kinda out of the box
>Stuffed peppers?
>That's getting a little too advanced for you
>Man, all these options, what are you gonna do?
>Unfortunately, your thought process is interrupted by the front doorbell
>Immediately, you glance around the room, wondering what to do
>It might seem kinda sketch if you're here in Coco's house while she's asleep
>And if it's Twilight or Rarity here... oh fuck, you're in for a lot of drama
>The bell sounds again, followed by a hoof rapping on the door
>Eh, fuck it, you'll handle this
>You pull open the door, ready to make peace with some angry Ponyville citizen
>But all thoughts of peace fly out of your mind as soon as you see Suri standing there
>A brief looks of shock crosses her face, but it's quickly replaced by smug hostility
>"Well, what do we have here?"
"Fuck off."
>You try to shut the door in Suri's face, but she wedges a hoof between the door and its frame at the last second
>"Ah ah, Coco's my assistant, remember? This isn't your place to interfere, hon."
"I don't give a shit. You're an abusive, awful thing, and Coco deserves better than you."
>"Oh, am I? Then what are you, hotshot? I hear you decided to go and break another mare's heart now too."
"I said fuck off. I don't have to explain myself to you."
>"Sure you don't, and I don't care what you have to say anyway. Now move aside."
"No."
>You open the door, positioning yourself in the center of the frame
>Suri's look up at you with a bemused expression on her face
"You're working Coco to the bone. She needs rest."
>"Aw, you're playing the hero now? That's real cute. But I feel like Coco's not gonna be too happy when she hears you got between her and her inspiration."
>You remember the photograph, and Coco's story about her and Suri, and for a moment your resolve wavers
>The last thing you want to do is let Suri get the better of you
>But Suri does have a point: isn't this more of Coco's choice than it is yours?
>She's the one who chooses to work for this purple hag
>And, ass twisted as it is, she does look up to Suri as a mentor and friend
>She'd probably be pretty upset if you forced yourself between them
>But... Suri's such a horrible pony
>You have to protect Coco, right?
>What do you do?
 
>Fuck it, you've gotta stick up for Coco
>If she gets mad about it, she gets mad about it
"I'm not getting between the two of you. I'm telling you to come back later. Coco's asleep."
>Suri stares up at you, defiance burning in her eyes
>You do your best to give her the same look right back
>"You think you can tell me what to do with my own employee?"
"Yeah, I do. It's called decency, you stupid purple bitch."
>Suri grits her teeth at the insult, but quickly hides it in a haughty smile
>"Ohoho, that's just rich, you taking the moral high ground. Alright, hon, I'll come back later. I'll give the worthless lump of fur in their her little nap. But mark my words: you're gonna regret ever messing with my assistant."
"I'm goddamn terrified."
>You can tell the sarcasm in your voice bugs the hell out of Suri, but she's doing her best not to show it
>"Joke while you can, monkey boy. I've taken down plenty of hotshots before. You aren't the first, and you're not gonna be the last, mmkay? So enjoy this while you can, 'cause I'm about to bring your whole little world crashing down around you."
>You hock as much shit into your throat as you can, and spit it at her hooves
"Bring it on."
>Suri gives you a look filled with so much hate you're surprised her eyebrows don't start smoldering
>You don't even give her the satisfaction of returning it; you just calmly smile at her
>She's not getting the better of you
>And, if you can help it, she won't be getting the better of Coco anymore either
>Suri turns, flicking your face with her tail, and storms off
>You wait until she's out of sight, and shut the door
>Your hands are shaking with rage, and your heart's racing
>Christ, you never knew you could hate another living being this much
>'I'm about to bring your whole little world crashing down around you'
>You can't wait to see her try
>You'll drop-kick the bitch the first thing she tries
>...
>Anyway, you should probably get back to your food preparation
>You end up going with a basic lettuce/cucumber/tomato salad
>Nothing fancy, but you think Coco will be pleasantly surprised when she wakes up
>However, that probably won't be for a few more hours
>So... what now?
>A part of your brain continues to nag you about fixing things with Rarity and Twilight
>But you really, really don't want to deal with them today
>And besides Zecora, the only pony in this town you really get along with is Pinkie
>But her store has a habit of attracting more drama for you
>So, in the end, you decide to just chill at Coco's until she wakes up
 
>It's mid afternoon by the time you hear any sound from the bedroom
>A very tousled, very but rested-looking Coco appears in the hallway
>"G'morning, Anon. Wait, what time is it?"
>Coco peers out the window, confused
"Almost seven. You've been out for a while now."
>"Huh. I must've been a lot more tired than I thought."
>She drags herself to the kitchen table, laying her head on her forelegs
>You follow Coco, grabbing the bowl of salad from the fridge
"I made you some breakfast. Or dinner, I guess."
>Coco eyes the bowl
>"Are you sure about this, Anon? You remember what happened the last time you tried to make food, right?"
>She gives you a teasing little smile
"This time is better. I promise."
>You scoop some onto a plate for Coco, and she takes a little nibble
>"Not bad. You're improving, Anon."
>She pats your arm, before laying back down on the table
>"Ugh..."
"What's the matter?"
>"I feel really dizzy. Did Suri come by?"
"Uh, yeah."
>"What did she say?"
"Well, not much. I kinda... told her to leave."
>Coco looks up at you, shocked
>"You did? Why?"
"You were asleep. I didn't want her barging in here and demanding more sketches."
>Coco buries her face back in her forelegs
>"Anon..."
"Coco, she's abusive as hell to you. I wasn't about to let her come in and tromp all over you, especially after you've worked yourself to the bone for her."
>"Anon... please. You don't understand what's happened between Suri and me."
"Only because you won't tell me..."
>"I won't tell you because it's not your business. She's been my closest friend since I was a little filly. She looks after me, she promotes me, she understands me... Just because things have been a little rough between us lately doesn't mean you need to intervene."
"A little rough? This doesn't look like 'a little rough' to me."
>"It doesn't matter what it looks like to you. It's not your business."
"Coco..."
>"No. Anon, I like you, but please stay out of Suri and my friendship."
>You ball your fists up at your sides
>How can she just take all this abuse from Suri?
>Is there really something here you're not getting?
>Or is this just classic Stockholm Syndrome?
>Coco stares back up at you, her face scrunched in defiance
>You let your breath out in a huff
"Alright. I'll do my best to leave the two of you alone. But if she takes things too far..."
>"Anon, don't."
"I'm sorry, Coco, but I have my limits. I like you too much to see you get treated this badly."
>Coco looks like she's about to argue, but suddenly the drive to debate seems to leave her
>"Okay. That's fair."
>Coco relaxes, slumping back into her seat
>She takes another few nibbles of the salad
>You sit on the floor next to her, silently keeping Coco company while she eats
>It's impossible to tell if she's mad at you or not
>Mostly because she still looks exhausted
"So... what're your plans for tonight?"
>"I have to finish these sketches. I know it bugs you, Anon, but I have a responsibility to finish them as Suri's assistant and protégée."
"Hey, that's fine. I just wanted to know if you'd like me to keep you company or not."
>Coco's face brightens
>"Oh! Of course I would!"
>Energy apparently renewed, she hops from her chair and leads you back into her bedroom
>"You've got to see the new designs I've been working on! Suri will be impressed for sure!"
>You don't have the heart to tell Coco you saw them earlier, and you let her explain each one in perfect detail
>"This one cuts right under the flank with with an olive fabric, which'll give the dress sort of an earthy appearance, and..."
>Even though you've seen these before, you're still impressed
>This girl has some serious talent; these put most of Rarity's work to shame
>And Coco churned them out in one night, on no sleep
>As much as you hate Suri, you can see why she's trying to keep Coco down
>This little mare would annihilate her in any fair competition
>"So, what do you think?"
"I think they're great, Coco."
>"Really? What's your favorite part?"
"Uh... I really like the ruffly bits on this one."
>"Anon, that's lace."
"Oh, right. It looks really nice though. Makes it look like the whole thing is moving, or something."
>Coco beams
>"You know, if you want, I could make something for you too."
"I don't wear dresses."
>Coco bonks you on the head with a bolt of cloth
>"Not a dress, silly. A new suit. A special Anon-shaped suit."
"Oh, right, yeah."
>Man, you really aren't on the ball tonight, are you?
"That'd be cool. Great, actually. I could use some new threads."
>You pick at the faded gray shirt you're currently wearing
>Coco squees in excitement and claps her hooves
>"Yay! You could be my first-ever model, Anon!"
"Me? A model?"
>Coco nods, clearly fixated on the idea
>"Uh huh. Normally all the models choose to go to Suri, since she's my boss, but you could be mine! I'd make you some super dapper suits, and you'd strut around and look handsome, and everybody would marvel at your talents and my work! It'd be a dream come true!"
>Coco's practically glowing, she's so excited
"Haha... yeah... wait, are you serious?"
>"Of course I am! This is a great idea!"
"Oh, jeez, uh... I dunno, Coco..."
>Coco's face falls
>"Aww, why not? This could be your big break, Anon!"
"I know, I just... I'm not really one for the spotlight."
>"Oh, stage fright?"
"Well, not exactly..."
>"Well, what is it, then? Do you just not wanna work with me?"
"What? Of course I wanna work with you Coco, it's just..."
>Honestly, you're not sure what troubles you so much about this idea
>You're just getting a weird gut feeling about it
>However, now that you think about it, being Coco's model would be pretty great
>The two of you could spend all the time you wanted together
>You could get away from Ponyville more
>Make a name for yourself
>Sure, this is all pretty crazy, and a little sudden, but...
>Coco looks up at you, expectantly
"Ah, what the hell. I'm in."
>"Yay!"
>Coco throws herself onto you, wrapping her forelegs around your neck
>You return her hug, wrapping her soft little body in your arms
>"This is going to be so cool, Anon, you have no idea! My own model, wow! Suri will be so proud of me..."
>The look on Coco's face is so exuberant, you don't have the heart to tell her how not-proud Suri's going to be
"It's gonna be great. You're the exact kind of mare I'd want to work with, Coco."
>You scratch her between the ears, and Coco leans her head into your hand
>The moment only lasts a few seconds, however, before Coco jumps back off you
>"I gotta finish these sketches for Suri right now. But as soon as I get done, Anon, I'm gonna get straight to work on the first piece for you to model."
"Heh. Alright."
>You lay down on Coco's bed, legs hanging off the end
>For a few minutes, the only sound to be heard in the room is the scratching of Coco's pencil
"Hey, Coco?"
>"Mm? What is it?"
"Can I ask you a random question?"
>"Of course, Anon."
>She doesn't pause in her sketching, but her ears are perked in attention
"What's your cutie mark from? I've never seen you make hats before."
>"Oh, heheh. It's kind of a long story."
"I don't mind long stories."
>"Well, I told you about me and Suri, right?"
"Part of it, yeah. You and her were in a fashion club?"
>"Mhm. I was pretty shy as a kid, and I didn't really make friends very easily. Most days, I'd just sit by myself and work on my own little art projects. I wasn't really bullied, I guess, but most of the ponies there thought I was pretty strange."
>The scratching of Coco's pencil stops, and she stares up at the ceiling, lost in her memories
>"It went on like that for a few years, I guess. I just got used to spending most of my time alone. Until, one day, Suri came up to me during lunch. One of the older, cooler girls just walked up to a weird little filly like me. She said she liked my art, and I was so happy."
>Coco pauses, a small smile forming on her lips
>"Nopony'd ever complimented my work before. It was such a good feeling. And then she even invited me to join fashion club. I was a little nervous at first, I guess, working with and talking to so many other ponies. But Suri was always so supportive, introducing me and helping me make friends. For the first time ever, I felt like I was wanted somewhere."
>She crosses her forelegs over her chest, as if to keep the warm memories fresh in her heart
>"At the end of that year, the whole club entered the Manehattan-wide junior fashion show. It was a pretty big deal. Apparently, they were giving away a scholarship to Upper Crust's School of Arts. Suri was dead-set on winning it, and she worked harder on her entry than I'd ever seen her work on something before."
>One of Coco's hooves begins fiddling with her pencil, and she pauses to catch her breath
>"The final product was amazing, especially for a filly. Everyone in the club knew she would win for sure. But then... then something happened. Somepony sabotaged her work, ripped it to shreds in the middle of the night before the competition. Suri was crushed. She's spent hundreds of hours on that dress, and had nothing to show for it. I couldn't bear seeing my big sister like that."
>Coco chuckles to herself
>"Looking back, the idea I had was pretty stupid. I'd only put together a simple feathered hat. But I knew that Suri would be humiliated if she had nothing to present. So, at the last minute, I entered my work in her name."
>You can't help but chuckle
>Even though you've only known Coco for two weeks, that seems like exactly the kind of thing she would do
"And it won?"
>"Not quite. Second place. Which still got Suri a pretty nice trophy, and guaranteed her a spot in the school. She was shocked... You should have seen her. She had tears all down her face, and she hugged me so hard I thought I was gonna break in two."
>"I got the mark that day. Suri took me out for ice cream, and she kept alternating between telling me I had to take the prize for myself, and thanking me. She called me 'the best friend she'd ever had.'"
>A tear slides down each of Coco's cheeks
>"It was the best day of my life."
>She wipes the tears away
>"Sorry. I get a little emotional when I think about those days."
"No, you're fine. I'm kinda sad I never got to see you two at the height of your friendship."
>"Yeah..."
>She lays her head on the desk, sighing
>"It's my fault we're not as close anymore. I'd do anything to get those days back."
>You gaze at the freshly-done sketches littering her desk
>Amidst them lie a good dozen pencils, all worn down to nubs
>Anything to get those days back...
>Coco forces herself back upright, taking the pencil in her mouth again
>"Buh I shou-n't talk 'bout muhself so mush. Whuh 'bout you?"
"Huh?"
>She adjusts the pencil
>"What about you? Do you have a cutie mark?"
>You shake your head
"Nope. Humans don't get cutie marks."
>"Aww. Then how do you know what you're good at?"
"You don't, really. You have to find something, and you have to practice, and... well, sometimes you never get all that good at anything."
>"That's terrible. Did you ever find something you were good at?"
"Eh. Not much."
>"Aw, c'mon. Nothing at all?"
"Well, there was one thing, but it's kinda stupid."
>"Tell me."
>Coco's facing you now, the pencil sticking sideways out of her mouth
>Fuck, you need more cigarettes, don't you?
"Alright, alright, fine. I used to... write poetry."
>You feel like such a fruit admitting that
>"Ooh! That's so cool Can I read some?"
"Eh, I dunno... it was all pretty shi-- pretty bad."
>"Don't be so modest. I bet it was really good."
>She gives you a reassuring pat on the head
"If you say so. I left all of it behind, thankfully. I feel bad for whoever ends up reading it now."
>"What was it about?"
"You know, life and stuff."
>"Life and stuff? Like what?"
"Nothing that interesting."
>"C'mon, Anon, just tell me."
"I don't really feel like going into any more detail than that."
>"Come oooooooon."
"Don't you have work to do anyway?"
>"Anon. Just tell me."
"Sorry, not happening. You have your little secrets, I have mine."
>Coco scrunches her snout at you
>"You're no fun."
"Now, you know that's not true."
>You wiggle your eyebrows at Coco
>She blushes, and turns back to her work
>Coco's bedroom is just small enough that you can reach her while still sitting on the bed
>You lean over, running your fingers along the fur of her back
>Lightly, you scratch the spot between her withers, and she coos in delight
>"Anon, stooooop~. I have to finish theeeeese..."
>Despite her protests, she makes no effort to move away from your touch, instead shifting in her seat so you can scratch lower
>Your fingers move to the small of her back, just above her tail, and Coco's leg reflexively twitches a little
>"Mmm... right there..."
>Your fingernails trace light little zigzag patterns up and down her back
>Coco wriggles in a little in her seat
>Her eyes are shut, and she wears a big, contented grin
"You've been working too hard, Coco."
>"I need to get these done. For--"
"For Suri, I know. But Suri wouldn't want her assistant running herself into the ground, would she?"
>That seems to give Coco pause
>"I guess not... but she'll be mad if I don't get these done on time."
"You'll still get 'em done. C'mon, we'll just take a quick walk. You could use the fresh air after being cooped up in here all day."
 
>After a bit more squabbling, you get Coco to agree to take a walk with you
>The night air is perfectly temperature-less, and incredibly invigorating after a day inside
>Coco plods along besides you, her eyes fixed on the night sky above her
>Luna's really outdone herself tonight; the stars swirl above you in captivating diamond patterns
"See? Good idea, huh?"
>"It is really pretty... wanna go to the park?"
>The park doesn't sound too bad, but being able to see the town hall has given you an idea
"I've got a better place, actually."
>"Oh? What's that?"
"Just follow me."
>You quicken your pace, leading Coco to the center of Ponyville
>She follows along, obviously curious
>"Town hall?"
"Sort of. C'mon."
>You lead Coco around the back of the hall
>"Anon? Are we allowed to be here?"
"Who cares? We won't get caught."
>"Okay..."
>Coco looks a little worried, so you give her a reassuring pat on her head
"Hey, if anyone asks, this was all my idea. Okay?"
>"If you say so..."
"That's the spirit. Now here, climb up on my back."
>"Climb up... why?"
"Coco, just work with me here."
>You squat down, and Coco clambers onto your back
>She wraps her forelegs over your shoulders, and her hind legs around your waist, giving you the impression of wearing a very soft, vanilla-scented backpack
"Hold tight."
>You place your hands on one of the wooden supports for town hall
>Last time you did this, you only had your own weight to carry
>Can you do it with Coco on your back?
>Eh, fuck it, of course you can
>You have to be stronger now, right?
>This is just the first step
>Slowly, gripping at the myriad rough patches and scars along the wooden support, you begin to shimmy up
>Hopefully you don't get as many splinters as last time
>Coco clings tightly to your body, her warm breath tickling the back of your neck
>"Anon? Are you sure this is a good idea."
"Not really, honestly. But who cares?"
>Coco grumbles, but you can't make out the words
 
>By the time you reach the second terrace of town hall, your arms are aching with exhaustion
>Despite that, you waste no time in grabbing another support beam, and hauling yourself up toward the roof
>"We're pretty high up. Are you sure this is safe?"
"Don't worry. I'm not gonna drop you."
>The image of Coco being dragged away from you by the whirlpool pops into your mind
>This time, you're not gonna let her slip away
>Your fingers reach the tiled roof, and you haul you and Coco up with a grunt
>That was a lot harder than you expected...
>Coco rolls off your back, getting to her hooves next to you on the roof
>"Wow..."
>It's nowhere near as impressive as the view from Canterlot, but the top of Town Hall still gives you a beautiful vantage point over the rest of sleeping Ponyville
>Coco creeps to the edge, glancing down to the ground, then scanning the rest of the town laid out before her
>"I never realized how cozy this place was. Look, there's my house!"
"It's pretty nice, I guess. As nice as anyplace else I've found in Equestria."
>"I thought you said you didn't have a lot friends here."
"I don't."
>You sit next to Coco on the edge
>"Oh. Guess that's something you and I have in common."
"What is?"
>"Not making friends easily. All I really have left is Suri... and you."
>She just barely rests her hoof against the tips of your fingers
>Coco sighs
>"Anon, I'm sorry about how I've been with you lately."
"What do you mean?"
>"You know, being difficult. Keeping secrets. Leading you on. You've been a really, really good friend to me. Since I came to Ponyville, I've been happier than I've been in a long time."
>The tip of her hoof lightly traces along your knuckles
>"When you agreed to start working with me, maybe you did it just to get me off your back, I don't know... but I want you to know it made me really, really happy."
>Coco loops her foreleg under your arm, drawing herself closer to you
>"I'm sure I hurt you with the way I acted, and I want you to know I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be such a crummy mare to you."
>You wrap your arm around Coco, squeezing her lightly against you
"You've been a little frustrating, Coco, but I'd never hold that against you. Nothing about you makes you 'crummy.'"
>For a second, Coco seems distracted by some bitter memory
>But it quickly passes, her face breaking into a smile of relief after she ponders your words
>Coco leans her head against your chest, closing her eyes
>"Thank you, Anon. I forgot what it was like to feel wanted by somepony."
>She rubs a hoof over your stomach
>"You do still want me, right?"
>You heart skips a beat
"Want you?"
>Does she mean what you think she means?
>Coco nods, ruffling your shirt with her cheek
>"I had a lot of time to think while I was working on my sketches. And, if you still want me... I'd like to be your marefriend, Anon. Is that okay?"
>Coco looks up at you, eyes wide and glimmering in the starlight
>Despite the emotional weight of the moment, you can't help but laugh out loud
"Okay? Of course it's okay! Why wouldn't it b--"
>Coco throws herself into your arms, mashing her lips to yours
>Thank Christ she's so light, or her excitement wouldn't knocked you off the roof
>You squeeze Coco against you, returning her kiss with equal intensity
>The two of you sit there on the edge of the roof, holding each other close, bodies warm in the cool night air
>Coco's tail wraps around your waist, and she snuggles up under you, angling her head so you can kiss her more easily
>By the time you finally break apart, you're both breathing hard
>Though not from any physical exertion
>You can't remember the last time you felt like this
>Your head is weightless and spinning, and holding Coco like this has brought a long-missing warmth back to your chest
>Neither of you say a word
>Instead, you just sit there, cradling her little body against you, lightly stroking her mane as you wonder how everything turned out this well
 
>On the way back, your new marefriend ride on your shoulders
>You're pretty sure she was lying about being too tired to walk, but you're not complaining
>Her weight on your back is reassuring, in a way
>And warm, soft little legs gripping your body seem to anchor you to her
>For now, you and Coco are together
>Bit by bit, the loneliness that's plagued you your whole life is beginning to abate
>Rarity did her part, of course, but with Coco...
>There's something soothing about this mare, something wholesome
>You can't quite put your finger on what it is, though
 
>As you carry Coco into your house, she hops down from your back, trotting back towards her bedroom
>"Sorry we can't spend more time, you know, doing stuff. I really gotta finish these sketches."
"I know, I know. Want me to cook something up while you work?"
>Coco nods, enthusiastically
>"That'd be great! I'll be in my room if you need me, okay?"
"Right. Work hard, cutie."
>You wink at Coco, and she blushes before scampering into her bedroom
>It's impossible not to chuckle at the sight
 
>You flip through the cookbook, looking for another recipe
>The salad went okay, but you'd like to whip up something to really impress Coco
>Your eyes land on that stuffed-pepper recipe from earlier
>It's a fair bit more complicated than a salad, but you think you can manage it
>You have all the ingredients, at least
>As you begin slicing the peppers, you allow yourself to revel in your joy a bit
>It finally happened
>You and Coco are officially an item
>Now you don't have to worry about sleeping alone anymore
>Now you finally have another pony you know you can trust
>And now...
>Now...
>Fuck, what now?
>Coco's still going back to Mantehattan
>Are you going to have to go with her?
>You guess that's not a huge deal; it's not like things are going great for you here, anyway
>But still, everything you've known since you arrived here has been located in and around Ponyville
>To leave all this behind... it's a pretty hefty price
>But... Coco's worth that price
>And besides... you think the two of you need each other
>She gives you a reason to be happy, and you protect her
>That's a noble goal, isn't it?
>'You drove them away, Anon, and you'll do the same to Coco!'
>AJ's words spring into your mind, causing your knife hand to slip, nicking your left hand
>You put the utensils down, resting your weight on the countertop
>No, AJ was wrong
>You haven't driven away Coco, and you're not going to
>This time, you're going to make sure no mares get hurt
>But, as you return to your cooking, that angry orange face still won't leave your thoughts
>Maybe you should talk to AJ
>Even though the two of you have never exactly been good friends, you still don't want her to have a low opinion of you
>Maybe if you just explained some shit to her, the two of you could get along
>After all, you could use another friend in this town...
>Stooping, you pull some cheese from the fridge, wedging little shavings of it into the peppers
>You know, this whole "cooking" thing isn't so hard when you have a book telling you exactly what to do
>You suppose you owe Twilight one for this
>Poor little bookhorse...
>You arrange the peppers neatly onto a tray, before sliding them into the oven
>Was there anything else you could have done?
>Any other way you could have handled that?
>The way things went with Rarity was at least partially your fault, but Twilight...
>Fuck, man, that was just bad for everyone
>And what was going on with Zecora last night?
>She was definitely sending you some strange signals, but... well, she definitely wasn't as overt as Twilight
>Eh, it's always possible you're just over-thinking things again
>Either way, it might be best to watch yourself around the zebra next time you're there
>Wouldn't want to drag another mare into this mess you call your romantic life
>And speaking of your romantic life, why Coco's sudden change of heart?
>You're ecstatic to finally be able to have a real relationship with her
>But... what changed her mind?
>Maybe you're just paranoid, but something has to have happened to make her suddenly take charge
>The oven dings, and you pull the tray out
>The peppers steam and spit, gooey cheese bubbling from their insides
>Smells pretty good, actually
>You set them on the counter to cool, and take a seat at the kitchen table
>Fuck, look at you
>You've finally got Coco as your marefriend, and all you can think about is how things might go wrong
>This is a happy moment
>Just let yourself be happy for once
>Sighing, you arrange the peppers onto a plate, carrying them into Coco's room
>She smiles when you enter, though she doesn't look up from her work
>The new sketch looks elegant and flowery, and as far as you can tell it's pretty complicated
>You'd like to think that you gave Coco at least a little of her inspiration tonight
>You set the plate on the lone empty corner of her desk, and go back to sitting on her bed
>It's pretty damn comfy here
>You lean forward, and begin lazily scratching Coco's back
>A little shiver goes down her, and she presses back into your hand, humming contentedly
"How much more of these are you planning to do?"
>"One or two. These should be enough for Suri."
"Alrighty. I'm here if you need me."
>You pat Coco on the head, before returning to idly scratching her
>About twenty minutes of silent work pass before Coco tries one of your peppers
>Her eyes widen in surprise
>"Dese 're realluh gud!"
>She swallows, cheeks pink
>"I mean, these are really good, Anon! How did you learn to cook so fast?"
"Eh, I dunno. Just read a book."
>"This is better than I could do! Wow, you're a natural!"
>Coco quickly shovels three more down, licking the grease from her hooves
"Wait, Coco, slow down, these are pretty--"
>"Eep!"
>Coco jumps up from her chair, sprinting into the kitchen
>She throws the faucet on, and jams her head under it, letting the water rush into her open mouth
"--spicy."
>She stays like that for half a minute, before pulling herself back out
>Her mane is soaked, and water drips from her muzzle
>Coco sticks her tongue out, and wipes it with her hooves
>"Heh... heh... hot..."
>You awkwardly put a hand to the back of your neck
"Sorry... probably should have warned you about that..."
>"No, 's okay. Dey were really good doe..."
>Coco gulps down more water, before pouring herself a glass of milk to take back to her bedroom
>Back in the room, Coco returns dutifully to her sketching, occasionally snacking on another of the peppers
>During her occasional trips to the bathroom, you take the opportunity to peek at more of her designs
>They're all just as impressive as you'd expect
>Seriously, why hasn't she started working on her own yet?
>Coco slinks back into the room yawning loudly, and hops back into her chair, returning once again to her work
>Oh, yeah, that's why
>Poor girl has no self confidence
>As far as you could glean from her stories, no one besides Suri has ever supported her in any real way
>And now her only friend mocks and derides her on a daily basis
>The thought of how miserable this little mare's life must be... holy shit
>"Um, Anon... what are you doing?"
>Overcome with sympathy for you new marefriend, you currently have your arms wrapped tightly around her, face pressed into the back of her mane
>"Anon?"
"It's gonna be okay, Coco. It's all gonna be okay."
>"What?"
>You nuzzle the back of Coco's neck
>She chuckles, and reaches up to pat your head
>"You're so weird, Anon."
 
>After about another hour of Coco working, your eyelids are starting to drip
>The clock above Coco's desk claims it's past 2 AM, and you really feel it
>Today's been a long day, hasn't it?
>You want to stay up and keep Coco company, but... damn...
>Her bed is really, really comfy, even if it's a little too small for you
>You turn to your side, trying to stay focused on Coco
>She really is pretty, isn't she?
>The way her mane slips down around her ears
>That little collar she always wears
>Her silky, creamy fur
>Those innocent, expressive eyes
>The way she lightly grips that pencil in her mouth...
>She really is something
>Really something...
 
>You don't recall falling asleep, but when you next open your eyes sunlight streams through Coco's bedroom window
>Little silvery motes of dust float in the golden beam as it drapes over you
>Coco's curled up at your side, with your arm resting across her midsection
>She's breathing deeply, still fast asleep
>You wonder what time she ended up going to bed last night
>Trying not to disturb the mare, you lean in and kiss her forehead
>Poor girl needs a day off, or something
>You're feeling pretty rested yourself, but you remain in the bed, sprawled out alongside Coco
>You wonder what she's dreaming about
>Hope it's something good...
>Your free arm strokes her mane, hoping she's enjoying the few hours of peace she gets
>It's the definition of 'cozy'
>Until you hear a knock at the door, that is
>Groaning, you untangle yourself from Coco, joints creaking as you walk to the front of the house
>Some illogical part of your brain hopes it won't be Suri, but, honestly, who else would it be?
>An even more illogical part worries that Suri will have hired some gang of thugs to break your knees for interfering with her assistant
>But that's retarded
>How could these tiny ponies ever beat up someone twice their size?
>Completely ridiculous
>As you reach the door, you pause to brace yourself, taking a deep breath
>You really, really don't want to deal with Suri first thing in the morning
>But when you finally do muster the strength to open the door, it's not Suri's purple form standing there
>The alabaster mare before you is skinnier than you remember, and her once-elegant purple mane lies in tatters around her mascara-tear-stained cheeks
>"G-good morning, Anonymous."
>Rarity forces a smile as she looks up at you with her bleary, reddened violet eyes
>For a second, you just stare at her, mouth agape
"Rarity? What the hell are you doing here?"
>You try to keep your voice low enough not to wake Coco
>"Suri told me what you said. I want you to know that I forgive you, Anon."
"Suri told you what? What did I say?"
>"She said you'd act like you didn't know... but it's okay, Anon. It's all okay. I'll forgive you. Just please, please come back."
>Rarity tries to grab you, but you dodge away from her, retreating into Coco's house
>She follows you, a slightly desperate gleam in her eyes
"Rarity, I don't know what you're talking about. Please, let's just sit down and talk this out."
>"You want to talk things out, darling? That's fine. But it won't be here. I refuse to spend any more time in the home of the mare who stole my stallion!"
"Stole? Rarity, I told you, this was my choice. Please, just let it go."
>"I will NOT let this go! You don't understand, Anon, I love you! You're the only stallion I've ever met that I've felt this way about! And you. Can't. Leave. Me."
>Rarity gnashes her teeth over every word, and her eyes seem to shrink to pinpoints
"I can. I am. Look, if we really need to, we can talk about this. But you need to understand that our relationship is done."
>Rarity flinches as if you smacked her
>"It can't be done! I won't let it be done!"
>She flings herself at you
>Some primal instinct causes you to raise your fists, as if to ward off an attack
>But Rarity throws her forelegs around your stomach
>"Please, Anon! I know you still love me! Suri told me! She said you'd deny it, but I know I can break through to you!"
"Rarity, let go!"
>You try to pry Rarity off you, but she just grips your arms instead
"Suri lied to you! She's fucking lying!"
>You try in vain to shake Rarity off, but she clings to you like, well, a clingy ex-marefriend
>"Suri would never lie to me! I know how you feel, Anon!"
>Rarity's trying to crawl towards your face now
>You do your best to push her away, but she worms her way of your arm, wrapping herself against your chest
"Rarity, get off me!"
>"No! I won't leave until you admit your real feelings!"
>Rarity clings to you like some sort of parasite, her legs wrapped in a death grip around your midsection
"I told you my real feelings! It's over!"
>"That's not true! You love me! Forever! You said it, I know you said it!"
>Rarity seems to slip between your attempts to push her off, her vaguely wine-scented breath flowing over your face as she works her way closer to eye level
>"Please, Anon, I don't know why you're doing this. We can be happy together again! You, Sweetie Belle, and me. We can be a family like we used to!"
>Rarity grips your cheeks in her hooves
>"We can make it work, dear. All you have to do is come back to me. I promise we can be happy again."
>Without warning, Rarity presses her lips against yours
>Just as you reach your hands up to push her off of you, you hear Coco's voice behind you
>"Anon? What are you--"
>You manage to pull Rarity away from your face, and turn just in time to see Coco staring at you, horrified
>For a few seconds, the three of you freeze, each trying to process what to do next
>"You!"
>Rarity throws herself off of your chest, landing only a few feet from Coco
>Coco's look of horror intensifies, and she begins to back away from the demented fashionista
>"You have a lot of nerve showing yourself in front of me again!"
>"But this is my house..."
>"And this is MY stallion you're trying to take from me! Don't you have any shame? Any self-respect? Any common decency!? In all my life, I've never met a mare so conniving, so DISGUSTING as you-- MMF!"
>You grab Rarity from behind, clamping your hand over her mouth
>She wriggles like a furry, bony eel in your grasp
>The back of her head slams against your nose, causing you to drop her
>You fall back against the couch, stars swimming in your eyes
>Rarity lands on the ground, and charges at Coco
>The junior fashion pony yelps in terror and tries to escape her, but Rarity tackles Coco to the ground pinning her
>"Suri told me about you! She warned me about what you did to her coltfriend, and she told me you'd do the same!"
>Coco curls up under Rarity, hooves covering her face
>"No! What happened with Gin was an accident! I didn't mean to..."
>"Lies! Lies, lies, lies! You stole her colt because you were jealous! You just couldn't let any other mare be happy, knowing no self-respecting creature would ever love you of their own free will!"
>Rarity's practically foaming at the mouth, and Coco looks like she's about to burst into tears
>"No... it wasn't... no..."
>"Oh, it was, darling. How does it feel to know you're nothing but a parasite? Nothing but a-- gah!"
>You grab Rarity again, holding her tighter this time
>She fails furiously in your grasp, and you feel her teeth gnashing against the hand clamped over her mouth
>Coco still hasn't moved, and her has her eyes tightly shut
>Seeing her at this just intensifies your anger at the unicorn in your arms
>You manage to wedge Coco's door open, and fling Rarity to the ground
>She hits the ground with an *oof!*, and lays there, panting
>For a second, even through your blistering anger, you're worried you might have thrown her a bit too hard
>You're breathing hard to, and for a few seconds you just stand there, towering over the broken pony on the ground before you
"Rarity. Why?"
>"Because I... deserve you... Anonymous. I... I need you."
"Rarity, you're insane. You don't need me. You never needed me. You have Sweetie Belle, and all your friends, and--"
>Rarity's aura clamps your jaws shut
>"No, Anonymous. You don't understand. I need someone who loves me. Without it I'm... I'm nothing..."
>She curls up pathetically on the ground, more tears staining the matted fur of her face
>Christ, what the hell do you say now?
>Coco's probably in just as bad of state inside, but you need to clear up this bullshit with Rarity now, before some new fresh hell--
>"Anon? What in the hay is goin' on here?"
>AJ appears as if from nowhere on your right, apple cart hitched to her back
>She glances between you and the battered Rarity on the ground before you drawing the obvious conclusion
"Wait, AJ, I can expl--"
>"What in tarnation did you do to her!?"
>She sprints forward, grabbing Rarity in her forelegs
"I didn't do anything! She barged in here and attacked me and my new marefriend!"
>Actually, that was probably a bad way to introduce Coco
>"Yer new... already? Yer absolutely shameless, Anon, you know that?"
"Fuck off. Why are you even here?"
>"You watch yer language with me, mister. I'm here for a delivery, but right now it looks like I've got bigger problems!"
>She examines Rarity's body, face drawing first into a frown, then cracking into a look of borderline rage
>Amongst Rarity's alabaster coat, purple bruises from your struggle are clearly visible
>"Anon. I'm gonna give you ten seconds to explain this, before I really lose my temper."
"Okay. I'm dating a new mare, yeah, fucking crucify me or whatever. And now this one shows up here, starts a huge scene, and attacks her. Rarity caused those bruises herself while I was trying to restrain her."
>You cross your arms, finished explaining yourself
>Applejack turns to Rarity, confused
>"Is that what happened, Rares?"
>Rarity just shakes her head, lying there one the ground
>AJ looks back up at you, eyes narrowing
>"Then what did?"
"She's lying to you, AJ. What I said was the truth."
>"Anon, zip it. Let her speak ta me."
"No. I'm not gonna let--"
>Rarity's aura clamps your jaws shut, again
>"He's been cheating on me, but I know he still loves me. He said so! I was just trying to free him from whatever horrid spell that "Coco" creature cast on him. But it's worse than I thought. She even got him to attack me."
"Mmm mm! Mmm mmm!"
>You shake your head violently, trying to pry your mouth open with your hands
>"Wait... yer tellin' me Anon's been bewitched?"
>Rarity nods, grimly
>You glare at Rarity with as much disapproval as you can muster
>Is she really this gullible?
>How in the hell could Coco bewitch you?
>"Well, I think I'm gonna have to talk ta this mare, then. Stand aside, Anon."
>You shake your head
>"Anon, I don't want this ta get ugly. So just stand aside, and let me handle this."
>You shake your head again, wishing Rarity would let go of your mouth
>"Anon, I'm warnin' ya."
>You raise your hands, fingers curling toward you, giving AJ the universal sign for "bring it on"
>She lowers her head, and charges toward you, steam curling from her nostrils
>You step back into the doorframe, ready to make sure AJ doesn't get past you
>She builds up an impressive amount of speed in a short amount of time, hurtling towards you like a little orange missile
>Just as AJ is about to impact your legs, you stoop down, wrapping your hands around her midsection, and scoop her up
>She's definitely heavier than Coco or Rarity, but she's still a tiny horsie
>"Hey! What are you... put me down!"
>AJ wriggles furiously in your grasp, but her flailing hooves can't quite reach your chest or face
"Not until you quit threatening my marefriend."
>"Darnit, Anon, she has no right ta be yer marefriend!"
"Not your business."
>"You made it my business when ya attacked Rarity!"
"I never attacked her you stupid-- OW!"
>AJ manages to clamp her teeth down on your hand, causing you to reflexively drop her
>You recoil, clutching your hand against your chest
>"This is yer last chance, Anon. I jus' wanna talk things out with this 'Coco' mare, while you apologize to Rarity."
>You massage your throbbing hand, glaring at AJ
"Fuck off! She's the one who should be apologizing."
>Christ, you're really pissed right now
>An angry mouth-shaped bruise is forming on the back of your hand, and it hurts like hell
>AJ stamps a hoof
>"Anon! If you won't let me handle this, yer gonna force me to find a pony who can!"
"Oh yeah? And who's that? You? Your slightly-larger brother?"
>"Twilight. If you've really got some kinda spell on you, maybe it's high time I found the Element of Magic to sort you out!"
>It takes a few seconds to process what AJ means
>She's going to bring Twilight here
>With you
>And Rarity
>And Coco
>What the fuck do you do now?
 
>...
>You know what?
>Fuck this, you're done
>If they want to bring Twilight here, they can bring Twilight here
>Right now, you have a Coco who needs comforting, and you can't spend any more time trying to reason with your insane former lover and her even-more-insane orange friend
>And so, after flipping a quick middle finger to AJ, you slam and lock the door
>You can hear her yelling something after you from outside, but you don't care
>Coco's not in the living room anymore, and she's not in her bedroom either
>The bathroom door is shut, and when you try the handle, you find it's locked
"Coco? You in there?"
>You get no response
"Coco? Are you okay? C'mon, say something."
>You hear a small, quiet sob
"I'm gonna come in. Is that okay?"
>More silence
>You grip the doorknob in your hands, twisting it until your knuckles turn white from the strain
>With a loud cracking noise, the nob gives, and you slowly push the door open
>Coco lies curled up in the bottom of the bathtub, staring up at the ceiling
>You don't see any tears on her face, but somehow that just worries you more
"Coco? You... you alright?"
>Of course she's not, but you have no idea what to say
>Rarity really touched a nerve back there, you could tell
>You kneel down beside the bathtub, reaching in to touch Coco's cheek
>She doesn't react to your touch
>You notice she's shivering slightly
>Somewhat awkwardly, you gather Coco in your arms, and place her in your lap
>There's no blankets around, so you grab a bath towel and drape it over her, holding her close to your chest for warmth
>Her shivering calms, but she still doesn't seem to be able to focus her eyes
>Is she in shock?
>What awful memory could Rarity have brought back to do this to her?
>You cradle Coco in your lap, running your hand along her side as you whisper into her ear
"It's okay. It's gonna be okay, Coco. I'm here. I've got you. You didn't do anything wrong. You're a good mare. A really, really good mare."
>Her forehead feels clammy when you kiss it
>You're not sure how long the two of you sit there on the bathroom floor, but by the time Coco finally moves, your back is stiff and your ass hurts from sitting on the tile floor
>"Anon? What happened? I remember Rarity was here, and she started yelling about... about..."
>The tears that Coco's kept restrained begin to well in her eyes
>"Oh Celestia... Rarity knows..."
>Coco curls into a tight little ball, gritting her teeth as the tears spill down her cheeks
>You have no idea what to say right now, and instead just hold Coco close to you, using the corners of the towel to dab at her tears
>"She was right, Anon..."
"No she wasn't."
>"No, she was... I'm such a terrible pony..."
"Dammit, no you're not, Coco. Rarity was just trying to get under your skin."
>"Still, what she said... it's true. I'm just a parasite. I steal from other mares, because no one would love me otherwise. I'm just a... just a paras--"
>You kiss Coco on the mouth, stemming her tide of self-deprecation
>She doesn't resist your kiss, but doesn't return it either
"Coco, Rarity was wrong. She's the jealous one here. I chose you of my own free will, because you're better than she is. You're better than Suri. You're better than any mare I've ever met."
>Coco shakes her head
>"I'm not... I've done horrible things, Anon."
"Bullshit. You haven't done anything near as bad as Suri's done to you."
>"I deserve everything Suri's done to me, Anon..."
"How? How the fuck can you say that, Coco? You're kind, loving, respectful, generous... I don't think I've ever met a mare as amazing as you."
>Coco bites her tongue, glancing to the side
"Coco?"
>"Anon... I have something I need to tell you."
>A chill begins to creep into your chest
>Something about the tone of Coco's voice...
>This isn't going to be good
"Sure, cutie. Tell me whatever you have to."
>"Can you... can you promise you won't hate me?"
"I could never hate you, Coco."
>"Then can you... can you promise you'll still try to think of me as a good mare? Even once you know I'm not?"
"Coco, nothing you say is going to change things between us. I think you're a fantastic mare, no matter what you might have done."
>"Okay, I... I guess I should start at the beginning."
>Coco takes a deep breath, and shuts her eyes
>"Could we, uh, move to the living room first? It's kinda chilly in here."
 
>Back in the living room, you and Coco sit huddled under a blanket together, each of you with your own mug of hot cocoa
>Yes, you noticed the pun
>You've drawn the blinds and locked ever door in the house, hoping no ponies will disturb you
>Right now, Coco needs you, and you're not letting anything come between the two of you
>One of your hands holds one of her hooves, and you stroke is reassuringly with your thumb
>Coco laps some chocolately foam from her mug, wipes her mouth, and begins
>"It was six years ago. I had just graduated school, and was planning on heading into the academy of arts. At the same time, Suri had just finished her own apprenticeship, and was looking to start a business of her own. She told me to skip the academy, and that I could go right to being her own apprentice. She said it was the least she could do to repay me for getting her into the school in the first place."
>Coco stares up at the photograph on her bookshelf
>"We went out to celebrate the new partnership, and that's when that photo was taken. Suri was so excited..."
>A small, sad smile forms on Coco's lips
>"For about half a year, things were perfect between us. Suri was working her way up, and I did my best to support her along the way. We were making pretty good headway for a startup team in Manehattan. Suri even began working her way into the Manehattan elite, and kept on dragging me to these snooty balls. 'Coco, you're my assistant, you have to come with,' she'd say. I also felt so out of place next to Suri. She always knew just what to say, and everyone liked her. I was just the shy, weird little mare who followed her around. I guess I was a little jealous."
>Coco takes another little sip of her cocoa, scooting closer to you on the couch
>"One night, the two of us were at an afterparty after attending this huge fashion convention. The convention itself had lasted for days, and the party was only for those who managed to successfully network themselves into the higher levels. Suri was perfect at it, of course. And, as usual, I was there. And that's where Suri met..."
"Gin?"
>Coco nods
>"Gin and Tonic. He was the bartender there. He was probably the most handsome stallion either of us had ever seen: suave, smooth-voiced, an excellent storyteller, and he mixed better drinks than I'd ever tasted. Suri was smitten, and I... I had a little bit of a crush on him too. But I could tell he would go for Suri. Everypony went for Suri. The two of them hit it off almost instantly, and I had to spend most of the night alone."
>Coco hands her head, and you give her a little pat on the back
>"It hurt. Everypony always wanted Suri. All the top designers gave her credit for everything, even stuff I designed. And now she had this great stallion too. It really hurt me, Anon. And that's why I... I..."
>Coco moves away from you, putting a hoof to her face
>You try to pull her back against you, but she pushes your hand away
>Oh shit
>"One day, Suri was upstairs in a private meeting. Gin and I were downstairs, alone, and he... we just started talking, and... one thing lead to another... I give him my... you know..."
>Coco can't seem to quite find the words, and you can hear her choking up
>Fresh tears are welling in her eyes
>You try to scoot closer to her, but she shakes her head
>"He was Suri's coltfriend. They'd been official for almost two months. And I... I didn't even feel bad. I liked it. He called me 'sexy.' He called me a 'bad little mare.' And I liked it. It made me feel so bad, so dirty, but I liked it..."
>Tears spill onto Coco's cheeks, and she hangs her head
>"Oh, Celestia. I didn't know what to think. I kept telling myself I'd never do it again, I felt so guilty... but... next week, he... he came by while I was alone, and... it happened again."
>Coco sniffles, her nose and face a runny mess
>"He told me I... I was the one he really wanted. Suri was just good for his reputation. I felt so... I'd never felt like that, Anon. Nopony had ever wanted me before, and this handsome stallion... I was overwhelmed. But I still felt so guilty. Suri was be best friend. She'd believed in me when no one else did. Now I was... why was I so awful?"
>Coco shakes her head. trying to wipe the tears out of her eyes
>"Why couldn't I stop myself, Anon? I was so weak... I kept saying I wouldn't do it anymore, but he wouldn't let me stop. He threatened to tell Suri if I wouldn't... wouldn't do things for him."
>Oh God, please no
>A horrible green pressure forms in the pit of your stomach
>You know what's going to happen next
>"He made me do... awful things for him. He told me I was his dirty little mare, that I had to do them, or he'd tell... and if he told, I'd lose the only friend I had in the world. I had to..."
>Coco seems to deflate, falling against the backrest
>This time, Coco makes no attempt to resist when you grab her
>You pull the frightened, broken little mare against your chest, wrapping her in your arms, and the blanket
>She sobs against your chest, covering it in all manner of fluids
>You don't care, though
>Right now, all you want is to make sure she's safe
>It's a feeling you've never felt before
>An all-encompassing desire to protect the shattered girl you're holding
>You'd do anything to erase her pain, if you could
>For a moment, you feel all the agony, all the shame, all the grief Coco's carried for all these years
>Words fail you, but you do as much to comfort Coco through your actions as you can
>You stroke along her back, and plant little kisses on her forehead
"It's okay... you're a good pony, Coco... you're a good pony..."
>Coco cries and cries until no more tears come, and she's just shuddering against your chest
>Little fragments of words escape her trembling lips as her memories resurface, but you can't quite connect them
>What do you hear, though, if enough to make your stomach churn
>One thing's for sure
>If you ever meet this Gin pony, you're going to kill him
>After nearly an hour, Coco's shuddering slowly calms, reducing to mere shivering, and her breathing returns to a reasonable rate
>She shifts on your chest, and tries to pull away
>"Anon... if you hate me now... I'll understand... You don't have to put up with me anymore."
>You squeeze Coco back against you, not allowing her to escape
"I don't hate you. I'll never hate you. It wasn't your fault, Coco. You're as great a pony as you ever were."
>Coco shakes her head
>"It's not true. No good pony does what I did. Please, Anon. I don't deserve you being nice to me. I took you from Rarity. I did the same thing again. I'm a terrible, terrible--"
>You press your lips to Coco's cutting her off
>She slowly pulls away from the kiss
>"You deserve a better pony than me, Anon."
"Coco... I guess there's nothing I can say to change your mind. But please, please just listen to me. You're a good pony. An amazing pony. This stallion took advantage of you, of your jealousy, and your loneliness. He's the awful one here. You made mistakes, but you were frightened, and confused. In the end, no one was hurt but you."
>"But Suri--"
"Suri was dating an awful, abusive stallion. If you took him away from her, than you did something good."
>"But I... I... she hated me, Anon. I hurt her so bad."
"Coco, pain is as much a part of friendship as anything. She knows you didn't mean to do what you did, right?"
>"She... she doesn't know the full story. She only ever caught him kissing me."
"Oh."
>"Suri can never know what I let him do. She'd hate me forever. I can't do it, Anon. It took me so long just to get her to speak to me again. If she were to leave me... I'd have no one..."
>You rub the back of Coco's neck
"You'd have me."
>Coco looks taken aback
>"You still want me? Even after what I told you?"
"Of course I still want you. Look, Coco, as bad as you might think you are, I'm no better. I let Rarity get hurt, I let Twilight get hurt, I probably let Zecora get hurt. Sure, maybe it wasn't all my fault, but fault doesn't really matter in the end. They were my friends, and I couldn't protect them. And... I've done my own share of shitty things in the past."
>"You have?"
>You nod, but you're not terribly eager to elaborate
>"And you really don't mind? You don't think I'm... dirty?"
"I think you're gorgeous, Coco. I told you nothing was gonna change that."
>Coco shivers, and mashes her lips against yours
>It's a dainty, tight-lipped little kiss, but you can taste a bounty of this little mare's love behind it
>"Thank you so much, Anon. I've never told anypony about this before. I was so worried you'd hate me, or throw me away..."
"Why would I throw away a treasure like you?"
>Coco snuggles up against you, laying her head in the crook of your neck
>"Hold me? Like you did last night?"
>You oblige, wrapping your arms around Coco's midsection, gripping her close to your chest
"I gotcha, Coco. No one's ever going to hurt you again. I promise."
>Coco kisses your neck, and her voice quiets to barely a whisper
>"Thanks, Anon... Iloveyou..."
"Huh? What was that?"
>"Nothing. Just... clearing my throat."
"Alright."
>You lay there, Coco's weight comforting on your chest
>As far as you can tell, the sun has long since set outside
>It's been a drama-filled, hellish day, even though you've barely left the house
>Coco's breathing is already rapidly slowing
>Poor girl just can't catch a break, can she?
>Just looking at her, you feel your heart rending
>Such a sweet little girl, why does life have to fuck her over so hard?
>One of your hands brushes over Coco's ear
>So much talent, so much kindness, so much genuine purity of spirit...
>She deserves so much more than this
>If there were any justice in this cartoon world, Coco would have her own fashion line by now
>She'd be the star of Manehattan, with her name and face famous throughout Equestria
>Instead she gets abuse, wallowing in her own misers
>Christ, it makes you sick to think about
>You'd give anything to undo the damage done to this poor pony, anything
>But as much as you want to, you can't change what's happened to Coco
>So, you guess you just have to make sure nothing like that ever happens again
>You'll protect her
>Because your new marefriend is worth it
>You lean in, and whisper a promise in her ear
"No one's ever gonna hurt you like that again, Coco. You don't have to be afraid anymore."
>You pat her on the back as you close your eyes, feeling drowsiness beginning to overtake you
"Together, we'll get you what you deserve. I promise."
>When you awaken, that comforting Coco-y warmth is missing from your chest
>You panic, groping around for her in the darkness
>Why is it so dark all of a sudden?
>You left the lights on when you went to sleep
>If any of the ponies got in, you thought you'd have heard them
>What the hell...
>"Anon."
>The voice speaking to you isn't Coco's
>A purple light flashes to life in the middle of the room, revealing the alicorn standing before you
>Twilight's expression is grim, and the light gives her a powerful, ghostly appearance
"Twi? Where's Coco?"
>Your voice is icy cold
>If Twilight did anything to hurt that mare...
>"I moved her to her bed. Don't worry. It's you I'm here for."
"Oh, really? Why? You gonna yell at me too? Gonna try to fuck me? Gonna lie to my new marefriend now?"
>Twilight's eye twitches
>"No! It's not that... look, Anon, I just want to fix things. Rarity's been distraught for hours, and the girls begged me to come out here and get you."
"Is that why you're breaking into another pony's house in the middle of the night?"
>"I'm not breaking in! I just teleported in."
>You glare at Twilight
"You ruined things between me and Rarity. All of this shit and misery she's gone through is your fault."
>As you say it, you know it's not entirely true, but your anger has mutated into some sadistic desire to watch Twilight squirm
>And squirm she does
>Twilight hands her head, guilt and grief evident on her purple features
>"Anon, please... please just come with me. I have to fix things."
"Ugh. Why now? Can't this wait?"
>"No. If you don't agree, I... I'll just teleport you there anyway."
>She stares defiantly up at you, letting you know she's serious
"...fuck you."
>Twilight winces, and you see a single tear slide down her cheek
"Alright, fine. Let's get this shit over with. But this had better be quick"
>With a pop, and a flash of purple light, the world around you disappears
>When the purple glow fades, you find yourself in the center of the Golden Oaks Library
>The place is brightly lit, stark contrast to the dead of night outside
>All the Elements of Harmony stand in a circle around you, giving this meeting a confrontational vibe right from the start
>Rarity looks even worse than before, her face an absolute mess of tears and smeared mascara
>AJ's staring daggers into you
>Fluttershy just looks like she doesn't want to be here
>Rainbow looks bored
>Pinkie seems completely oblivious
>And Twilight looks to be on the verge of tears still
>For a few seconds, the six of them just stare at you, with you looking to each of them in turn
>Looking at Rarity is particularly hard
>Goddamn Twilight breaking the two of you apart...
>Speaking of purple-princess, she's the first to speak up
>"Okay, girls... I brought Anon here, so, uh... I guess all of you can say what you need to say."
>AJ is, of course, the first one to speak
>"Yer darn right I need to say somethin'! I want him ta apologize ta Rarity!"
>Rarity looks over at you when her name is mentioned
>You keep your expression blank, completely unsure of how to respond
>Rarity's been awful to Coco, and to you, but it's not entirely her fault
>The pony you're really angry at is standing behind you
>Twilight's trying hard not to cry in front of her friends, and refuses to meet your eyes
"I think there's more than one of us here that could stand to do some apologizing."
>AJ follows your gaze
>"Whaddaya mean? Twi, what's he talkin' about?"
>"I..."
>Twilight looks around, to each of her friends in turn
>"I... I'm not sure what Anon's talking about."
"Twilight. Don't do this."
>"Anon, are you feeling okay? I should have remembered that teleportation can induce shock, in rare occasions."
"Twi. Tell them."
>"What do you mean, Anon? There's nothing for me to tell, hahah. Now why don't you talk things over with Rarity."
>She gives you an awkward smile, and pushes you toward your ex
"Twi, I'm gonna ask you. Please don't do this. I'm sorry about what happened between us."
>"I don't know what you're talking about, Anon. It sounds to me like you're trying to weasel out of facing Rarity."
>This time, you think you detect a hint of malice in her voice
>She's really not too happy about you rejecting her, is she?
>You guess cussing her out, and refusing her apology, didn't help too much either
>Christ, why couldn't you just control your temper?
>You guess you could try to tell the rest of Twilight's friends what she did, but...
>Who are they going to believe?
>Twilight's aura continues to shove you toward Rarity
>Your ex-marefriend stares up at you with sorrow-filled, destitute eyes
>What the hell are you going to say to her?
>You could apologize, but what the hell would that solve?
>You're not going to leave Coco
>But there's no way Twilight's going to let you leave
>Fuck, what do you do, what do you do, what do you do...?
>"Wait, what did Anon to do Rarity again?"
>Pinkie Pie interrupts the terse moment, popping up between you and Rarity
>AJ steps in, pushing Pinkie away before turning to stare accusingly at you
>"He cheated on Rarity! He lied to her, an' he had the nerve to attack her when she caught him with his new mare!"
"That's not what fucking happened!"
>"Oh? Then what did, Anon? How do you explain this?"
>She gestures to Rarity's battered, miserable form
"I could explain it pretty well. But SOMEONE ELSE in here might know a bit more."
>You turn towards Twilight
>"Anon, don't try to shift the blame. Answer Applejack."
>Fucking purple devil...
"Alright, you want the story? Here goes! Everybody gather the fuck around, Anon's about to tell his tale!"
>Fluttershy shrinks away at the noise, and Rainbow finally looks up
>In the loudest, most obnoxious way you can, you describe how Rarity had acted in the months leading up to the Gala, and after
>You do, however, go into great detail about Rarity's mania when you tried to break things off with her, including showing them the scar on your cheek from where the statuette cut you
>Throughout the ordeal, you're entirely aware of how much of an asshole you're being
>But, at this point, you're really not too concerned with the opinions of the elements
>By the time you finish, Fluttershy is cowering in the corner, Rarity's back to crying, and the rest are staring at you in varying degrees of shock
"And that's what happened. You all happy? Well, it's half of what happened, but a certain someone here isn't telling her side of the story."
>Twilight's eye twitches, but she says nothing
"Now what the hell do all of you want, huh? Look, Rares, I hate the way things turned out between us. You were everything to me, for a really long time. But wether it was your fault, or my fault, or SOMEONE ELSE'S, we drifted apart. It's not gonna happen between us again. You gotta move on."
>"Can it, Anon. Yer not the one she needs motivational speeches from."
>You flip AJ off
>"Put that away, mister. Yer the only one who feels the need to be uncivilized here."
"Me uncivilized? You attacked me! She attacked Coco! Twilight broke into another pony's house! Out of the four of us, I'm practically a goddamn angel!"
>"Oh, now yer an angel, huh? Look what ya did ta Rares? Take a good hard look at the pony ya destroyed, Anon!"
"That I destroyed!? I..."
>You clamp your jaw shut, trying really hard to get yourself under control
>God, you're so pissed right now
>Chill, Anon, chill...
>She's just a dumb horse
"AJ. You don't know the whole story. None of you do, because a certain pony in here has decided not to tell her part."
>"Anon, no one believes that Twilight's hiding something from us. Quit tryin' ta hide behind other ponies, and face what you did."
"Oh, you don't believe me, huh? I'm not lying, am I?"
>That seems to give AJ pause
>"Well, yer not, but..."
"Twilight's hiding something about Rarity and me. Was that a lie?"
>"No, but... I..."
>AJ looks at Twilight, who's beginning to sweat
>"Twi? What's he talkin' about?"
>"I have no idea! Maybe your Element doesn't apply to humans, AJ?"
>"I dunno, it's always worked on him before, I think..."
>"Well, that's not important right now, heheh. Anon... I think we're all here for you and Rarity."
>Twilight once again pushes you toward the alabaster unicorn
"For me and Rarity? What is this, some kind of fucked up drama show?"
>"No, of course not. We're here to help the two of you."
"Is that what you were doing, pointing hooves and accusing me of God knows what?"
>"No, no. Look, we're all tired, scared, and afraid, Anon. We want Rarity and you to be happy again. That's why we brought you here. We all just want you to be happy again."
>Rainbow pokes her head up
>"Actually, I don't really care."
>You give her a thumbs up
"Thanks Rainbow. You can leave."
>"Sweet!"
>She hurtles out of the room like a torpedo, leaving only a cloud of blue dust behind
"You're all free to go. This is between me and Rarity. The rest of you... out."
>Twilight steps in front of you indignantly
>"Anon, this is my house, you can't send ponies out."
"Okay, then teleport us somewhere else. I'm not gonna have my relationship put on public display for all of you."
>AJ speaks up this time, stepping defensively in front of Rarity
>"Anon, I'm not gonna let you be alone with her. Not after what you've done."
>You resist the temptation to punt AJ across the library
"You're just gonna have to learn to trust me, AJ. I lived with this mare for half a year. I think we can handle another fifteen minutes."
>The mention of your time together causes Rarity to let out a small little hiccup
>She's been quiet for most of the encounter, but now she stands, placing herself between you and AJ
>"No, it's okay. I'll go with Anonymous. Twi, could you and the others leave us alone for a few minutes?"
>Twilight looks at Rarity in shock
>"Are you sure, Rarity? You don't look so good..."
>"I'll be fine. Please, just let me and Anonymous have our last few minutes together."
>Twilight nods, and she and the other Elements usher themselves out the front door
>Rarity watches them go, before turning back to you
>Twilight was right, Rarity looks even worse than yesterday
>Even after the awful shit that's gone down between the two of you, it destroys you to see her like this
>Half your brain screams at you to scoop the miserable pony before you up into your arms, to pat her ragged mane and tell her it'll be okay
>But it's too late for that now
>"Anonymous... I don't know where to begin."
>You raise an eyebrow at that
>Rarity's attitude has at least improved since yesterday
"I think you've said enough at this point, Rares."
>She nods
>"I've been awful, I know I have. I'm sorry Anonymous. Sometimes, I just can't... I just lose control. But it's all because I love you! I want you to understand that. I never meant to hurt anypony, I didn't mean to be such a terribly pony to you, or my friends, or Coco..."
>She hangs her head, one of the tears already soaked into her fur dripping
>"I realize now that I'm not going to get you back. But I can't live with myself if I know you're going to hate me forever. Please, Anonymous. If you could... maybe try to by friend again? If not for me... if not for me, at least for Sweetie Belle? You were like an older brother to her, Anon. She misses you terribly. Even Opal won't stop howling now that you're gone. I know you can't be a part of my family, and that... that hurts me so bad..."
>Rarity pauses, squeezing her eyes in pain as yet more tears leak onto her matted cheeks
>"But please, please, don't abandon us. The house is so lonely without you there. Suri's tried to fill in for you, but she's not the same. Please, Anon. I know you probably don't feel particularly obliged to help me right now, but... we need you. Even if it's just every once in a while. I want us to feel like a family again."
>She looks up at you, her teary, mascara-ringed eyes pleading
>You want more than anything to squeeze the fuck out of her and tell her you accept
>In truth, you miss Sweetie Belle too, and Rarity's doofy cat
>You miss all of it
>But another part of you wants to spit in Rarity's face
>You saw what she did to Coco
>Agh, fuck, it feels like your chest is coming apart
>"Anon?"
"O... okay, Rarity."
>A glimmer of hope begins to shine in Rarity's face
"On one condition. You tell AJ what really happened between us. She's getting a little too defensive of you for comfort. Just let her know there's no bad blood between us, and hopefully she'll get off my case."
>Rarity nods, wiping tears from her eyes
"And I want you to hear me out on this. I never cheated on you. I was never checking out other mares. Twilight lied to you."
>The blossoming hope on Rarity's face seems to shatter
>"Wh-what on earth do you mean? How did you know about that?"
>You tell Rarity the story of your visit to Twilight's treehouse, and her attempted seduction
>By the end, Rarity's face has gone from newfound hope to shock
>"How could she... I never thought... oh, Celestia..."
>Rarity slumps back down, burying her head in her hooves
>"How could she? Twilight... she was my friend... she's a princess! How could she abuse her power that way!"
>Rarity's voice rises into and angry shriek
"Easy, easy. If it makes things any better, she feels terrible."
>"She has every right to feel terrible! How dare she! Agh!"
>Rarity grits her teeth, staring at the door
"Rares, don't!"
>She sprints toward the door, ducking underneath your arms as you attempt to grab her
"Rarity, wait!"
>The unicorn doesn't heed your warning, however, pulling the front door open with her aura
"Oh, fuck."
>"TWILIGHT!"
>Rarity's voice reaches an octave you didn't know was produceable by horses
>You follow her out the door, trying in vain to restrain the furious mare
>But, as it turns out, Rarity can move pretty damn fast when she's mad
>The other Elements, sans Dash, are milling about outside, but they turn in shock when they hear Rarity
>She charges toward them, head down and eyes blazing with anger
>"Rarity? What's going on?"
>Twilight steps protectively in front of her friends, but you see a glimmer of fear on her face
>Rarity launches herself at Twilight, hooves swinging madly
>A purple aura surrounds her almost immediately, leaving the flailing, furious unicorn dangling there in midair
>"Rarity, what's wrong?"
>Judging by the look on Twilight's face, she already knows
>"I know what you did, Twilight! I know you--"
>Rarity's mouth forcefully shuts, leaving her to gesticulate violently, still suspended in the air
>"She knows you what, Twi?"
>AJ steps forward, looking suspiciously at Twilight
>"I don't know what she's talking about! Heheh, you saw how upset she looked, it must just be the stress getting to her."
>AJ narrows her eyes at Twilight, before turning to you
>"Anon? You know what she's talking about?"
"I do."
>Still maintaining the spell, Twilight positions herself between you and AJ
>"He's just cranky because we brought him out here so late. You really probably shouldn't listen to him either."
>AJ shakes her head
>"Twi, yer my friend and all, but there's something mighty suspicious going on here, and I want ta get ta the bottom of it. If you won't tell me what's happenin', maybe Anon here can."
>Twilight shoves AJ backwards with a ball of purple light
>"There's nothing going on here, AJ. Now c'mon, how about we all just head on home and--"
>"Boink!"
>Pinkie seems to pop into existence behind Twilight, slapping her across the rump
>"Gah!"
>Twilight's hold on Rarity vanishes, and your ex-marefriend drops to the ground, jaws freed
>Twilight whirls, looking angry enough to vaporize Pinkie on the spot
>A few loose strands pop from her neat little hime-cut
>"Pinkie! What in Equestria was that for!?"
>"You looked so mad, silly. I was just trying to get you to lighten up!"
>"This is NOT the time for me to lighten up! Rarity is the one who needs to lighten up!"
>She whirls on the ragged pearl unicorn, who's currently struggling to pull herself into a sitting position
>"No, Twi."
>AJ calmly lays a hoof on Twilight's wither
>"I think we should let her say her part. After all, what do you have to hide?"
>"I... nothing, of course, it's just... we can't be sure she's telling the truth, right?"
>"I can usually tell. C'mon, Twi, let her say her piece. Rarity, what's wrong?"
>"Plenty."
>Rarity's voice is pure acid, and her eyes bore holes into Twilight, who glances nervously from Rarity, to AJ, to you, then to the two ponies behind her
>"Rarity... easy now... I just got a little carried away. I made a mistake, alright? Everypony makes mistakes sometimes..."
>Rarity manages to stand, prowling slowly toward Twilight
>"Oh, everypony makes mistakes, darling. But most ponies have the decency not to let their mistakes ruin the lives of ponies they call their friends."
>AJ steps between Twilight and Rarity, hooves held apart as she plays the peacemaker
>"Easy now, girls. Twi, what 'mistakes' is Rarity talkin' about?"
>"I, uh..."
>"Yes, Twilight, why don't you tell them, darling?"
>"Well... I..."
>"Yes, Twi! Tell us! All your deepest, darkest secrets must be revealed!"
>Pinkie seems pretty excited about the whole ordeal
>Twilight's starting to sweat now, and she casts her eyes up towards her bedroom
>It occurs to you that she could easily teleport away from this whole confrontation
>You guess what happens next depends entirely on Twilight's character as a pony
>Ordinarily, you'd put your trust one hundred percent in her good nature
>But, given what's happened recently, you're not so sure...
>You stare Twilight down, trying at the same time to appear both challenging and comforting
"Twi. Don't. What would Princess Celestia think about this?"
>"Celestia? She would... she..."
>Twilight hangs her head
>"She'd be ashamed. I know that, Anon. I said I was sorry! I'm not going to do it again, I promise."
>"Do what?"
>AJ looks extremely confused
>"I..."
"Twi, tell them."
>"Yes, deary. I think the rest of our friends deserve to hear what happened from you."
>You can almost feel the ice spilling from Rarity's mouth next to you
>Twilight stares at each of her friends, including you, in turn
>The energy seems to leave her as she realizes you have her trapped
>"Okay. I'll tell. Just, please, girls... promise you won't hate me, okay?"
>"We could never hate ya, Twi. But, if this is as bad as it seems... I'd reckon we might be a little mad."
>Or really, really mad, in Rarity's case
>You're somewhat impressed by how well your ex has managed to compose herself
>"I know, I know. I lied to Rarity about Anon. I told her he was... I told he was thinking of cheating on her. It wasn't to hurt her, that wasn't what I wanted. I just... I was so lonely. I didn't know what to do."
>"Ya really... Twilight..."
>AJ backs a step away from her friend
>"She tore the love of my life away from me. My own little family, broken."
>"I know, Rarity. Please, I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen."
>Twilight slumps back onto her hindquarters, staring dejectedly at the ground
>Rarity, meanwhile, has tears of rage streaming down her face
>"Everything I ever wanted, taken away by a pony I thought was my friend. I hope you're feeling something beyond shame right now, Sparkle. I hope you can feel even a tenth of what you did to me!"
>Shit
>You knew Rarity had a tendency for drama, but... damn
>"Rarity, please... I'm so sorry..."
>Tears flow freely down Twilight's face now, matting her purple fur and dripping silently into grass
>"Oh, yes, apologize, now that we've gone and caught you. Why don't you tell them what you did afterwards, Twilight? How you attempted to seduce Anonymous next!?"
>AJ gasps
>"Twi? How could ya!?"
>"I just wanted love, okay!? Is that too much!? All my life has been tests, quizzes, learning, trying to impress my parents and the princess and... for once I just wanted to have someone love me!"
>Twilight pounds a hoof into the ground
>"Is that really so much to ask...?"
>She hiccups, and two more tears drip from the tip of her purple nose
>"And we just weren't good enough for ya, huh?"
>"What? No... all of you are my best friends, but..."
>"But nothing! You turned me against my coltfriend, then attempted to seduce him afterward!"
>Rarity's face twists as she struggles to maintain control of her emotions
>She puts on an air of haughty indifference, though you can still sense her rage broiling underneath
>"Twilight... I'm afraid this is the end of our friendship."
>Twilight's eyes widen in horror
>"No... Rarity, no... you can't..."
>"I'm afraid I must. I can no longer trust you, it would appear. And no amount of remorse can fix the damage you've done. I'm afraid this is the end."
>AJ looks like she's about to say something, but Rarity cuts her off, turning to you
>"And Anonymous..."
>The demeanor breaks, and Rarity squeezes her eyes in pain
>"I'm sorry... about me... about everything. I love you. And nothing will change that. If you can, please... don't disappear on me..."
>She lets out a single, anguished sob as she turns, sprinting away from the scene
>"Rarity, wait!"
>AJ takes off after her, not even saying a word to crumpled Twilight as she passes
>The purple princess watches her go, a foreleg stretched longingly after her
>"AJ, wait... not you too."
>She turns to Pinkie and Fluttershy --actually just Pinkie now, Fluttershy seems to have slunk off-- with desperation growing in her eyes
>"Pinkie... please... don't go."
>Pinkie hangs her head, mane flopping down along the side of her head
>"Sorry, Twilight. I, uh... have to go."
>Missing her usual energy, Pinkie turns and slinks away down the darkened streets
>Twilight turns to you, her face a mess of desperation and tears
>"Anon... not you too..."
>She holds out her forelegs, whether in an offering of peace or a request for comfort, you're not sure
>"I'm so sorry... please... don't leave me too..."
>A trick of the light makes it seems as though her coat has taken on an ugly, grayish hue
"I hate to do this, Twi. But... I think the two of us need some time apart. It'll be a long time before I can forgive you for what you've done."
>You turn, and begin to walk away from the shattered princess
>"No... no, Anon, no... you can't..."
>It absolutely rends your heart to do this, but you have to
>"You can't leave me... Please, no... I'm nothing without my friends..."
>Her pleas fall on deaf ears as you stride away from her, determined not to look back at the sobbing mess of a pony behind you
>Eventually, you're far enough away that you can't even hear what she's saying
>Had you turned around, you would have noticed the last speck of color draining from Twilight's coat, as tear followed tear, dropping into the grass beneath her
>"Please don't let me be nothing, Anon..."
 
>As you continue the long walk back to... Coco's house, you guess, you don't really have anywhere else to go... you do your best to choke back your feelings for Twilight and Rarity
>It's over
>Maybe you can fix things in the future, maybe
>But for now... it's over
>And if you let it, the pain of that knowledge will fucking kill you
>So, right now, you have to do your best not to feel
>Right now, you just want to get back to Coco
>Everything seems so much simpler when you're with her
>Is that the only reason you like her?
>Because you don't think she can hurt you?
>You'd like to think there's more to it than that, but... how can you really know?
>Are you just using her, like everyone else in her life?
>Fuck, man, you can't deal with this right now
 
>You're not sure if you subconsciously took the long way, or if you're just moving slowly tonight, but it takes you longer than usual to reach Coco's rental home
>And when you do...
>"Well, well, look who it is. Off breaking more mares' hearts, hmm?"
>Suri grins smugly at you from atop Coco's front porch
>The flood of anger that would normally have filled you upon seeing her is missing
>Instead, you just feel tired
>It's not like this night was going to get any better, so everything might as well just wrong at once
"Fuck off. Why are you here?"
>"I wanted to see how you were holdin' out, champ. Not too good, huh?"
>You flip Suri off, not even dignifying that question with an answer
>"Aw, someone's cranky. You here to see your little maretoy?"
>You freeze in your tracks
>"Hee hee. Looks like I touched a nerve... Don't actually tell me you're developing feelings for that little waste of space now."
"Go to hell."
>You notice a decent size rock lying half-buried in the ground next to you
>A single swing from that would burst Suri's head like an overripe watermelon
>And it's getting more tempting by the minute...
>"Ooh! So scary! You do realize she'll cheat on you the first option she gets, yeah? I could tell you stories and stories about that mare..."
"She told me enough. I know about Gin."
>Suri's eyes widen, just for a second
>"She... she actually told you? Hmm, cute. Little minx was always too trusting."
"She told me more than you know. Apparently, he never liked you at all."
>"Shut up! You honestly think she's telling the truth?"
"Why would Coco lie? Apparently, you were just his path to her. Not that I can blame him. She's pretty obviously the better choice."
>Suri grits her teeth so hard they look like they might shatter, before forcing herself to relax
>"Funny. But you're not gonna get to me that easily. I know for a FACT he loved me more than her. She just beguiled him with her sleazy little waif act. But I know the real Coco. You're nothing to her, Anon. You hear me? Nothing!"
>She hisses the last word at you, jabbing with a hoof for emphasis
"That's great. Now how about you fuck off before I decide to remove you myself?"
>"Threatening me? Naughty, naughty. Coco wouldn't be too happy if you laid a hand on her best friend, now would she?"
"She doesn't have to know."
>"Oh, I'm pretty sure she does. I can scream pretty loud. Maybe I should try it right now..."
>She takes a deep breath, and your blood runs cold
>Holding eye contact with Suri, you kneel down and lay a hand on the rock
"Two of us can play the threat game. I've been pushed pretty far today. Who knows what the hell I'm capable of right now?"
>"You wouldn't dare."
>Suri tries to continue looking smug, but you see the smallest hint of fear play in her eyes
"Normally, you'd be right. But you've got my backed into a corner. I could do some crazy shit."
>"Hmm. Heh. Heheheh..."
>Suri chortles, pressing her hoof up against her mouth
>"You know, Anonymous? I'm starting to wish it was me who ruined all your little friendships. You're the exact kind of disgusting pig I've learned to expect from stallions, living in Manehattan."
"Aw, you still mad 'cause your sweetheart traded you in for a better model?"
>Suri takes a step forward
>"Don't. You. Dare. Say that again."
"Aw, why not? Can't handle knowing you got pumped and dumped?"
>"Shut up!"
>Suri stomps toward you, face mutating into a mask of rage
>She's probably look intimidating too, if she wasn't half your size
>"You know NOTHING about me! You understand that!? Nothing!"
>She jabs a hoof in your face, but you just give her her own smug grin
>A vein begins to pulse in Suri's forehead
>"Gin's not like you! He loves me! He said so! And you'll see that as soon as he gets here!"
>Wait, what?
>That shitbag is actually coming to Ponyville?
>Suri must detect the surprise on your face, and her face regains its usual haughtiness
>"That's right, Anonymous. In two days' time, my sweetheart's coming back for me. I'm going to be happy and loved, while you'll rot here, alone, for the rest of your miserable life. So keep that in mind next time you want to make snide comments about my relationships."
>She jabs you in chest with a hoof, before turning and strutting away, smacking your face with her tail
>You grab it as it passes, giving it a solid yank
>Suri yelps
>She whirls, and gives a look filled with so much foul, unbridled rage that you can't help but recoil
>"You... you're really no better than an animal, aren't you Anonymous."
"Maybe I am. But at least I've still got more self-respect than you. I only hope I'll be around to see this Gin faggot dump your sorry purple ass again."
>That vein looks like it's about to explode now
>"Oh, don't worry, you won't. As soon as Gin gets here, all three of us are going back to Manehattan. Him, me, and Coco. You're never going to see her again."
>...and there's the first real thing Suri's had to threaten you with all night
>Maybe it's just the state you're in, but the thought of losing Coco makes you uncomfortably panic-y
"What makes you so sure she'll go with you."
>Suri just grins
>"Oh, she will. I've been her only friend since she was eight. She's not going to pick you over me, Anonymous. So enjoy your time with the little spaz while you can. Two days, and you're not going to see her again."
>You honestly can't think of anything to say back
>So, because you can't think of anything else to say to Suri, you do the next worst thing
>You spit on her
>"Agh! Ah! Disgusting!"
>She paws at her face, trying to wipe the saliva away
>"You disgusting, disgusting animal! You'll pay, Anonymous! Your friends are gone, everything you own is gone, and Coco will be gone too! You're nothing, you hear me!? Nothing!"
>Suri kicks dirt in your face, and sprints away, howling in rage
 
>You relish watching Suri scamper off, even though you're sure she'll find a way to give you hell for what you just did
>Christ, you never knew you could hate anyone so much
>You brush the dirt from your clothes, and wipe as much from your eyes as you can
>Hopefully that little exchange didn't wake Coco
>Speaking of your favorite mare, you find that you're locked out of her house
>Which would make sense, seeing as Twilight teleported you here
>Fortunately, the simple fact that you have fingers gives you a huge advantage when it comes to Equestrian lock-picking, and you let yourself in after about five minutes of fidgeting
>Inside, the house is exactly as you left it
>Suddenly overcome with worry, you rush back to Coco's room, pulling the door open as quickly, yet quietly, as you can
>Coco is sleeping peacefully, curled in the middle of her bed
>Well, Twilight was telling the truth about that, at least
>You sigh in relief, leaning against Coco's doorframe
>She's safe, at least for now
 
>You decide to bathe for the first time since you left Rarity, washing the dirt, tears, and days of stress from your body
>As you lay in the warm water, your thoughts wander to darker places
>Twilight, Rarity, Coco...
>Why are you so important to all of them?
>Nobody ever gave that much of a shit about you back on earth
>Now, all of a sudden all these cartoon horses are trying to jump on your dick
>Actually, 'jump on your dick' doesn't even begin to describe it
>It's like they've based all their happiness around wether or not you like them
>Why?
>Goddammit, why?
>Twilight and Rarity have friends, families, and fulfilling lives full of ponies who care for and respect them
>Why in the mother of living hell are you so important to them?
>If anything, you should be the one that needs them, not the other way around
>Christ, this world is fucked
>You sink deeper into the water, until only your eyes and nose remain above the surface
>Was there anything you could have done to help them?
>Maybe leaving Twilight behind wasn't the right idea...
>But you were so fucking mad
>If not for Coco, Twilight's lies could well have ruined your life!
>You remember what Suri told you in your dream
>Sure, Twilight was the catalyst, but you definitely weren't there for Rarity when she needed you
>Fuck... you were a little too hard on purple-princess, weren't you?
>Maybe tomorrow you can go by and try to apologize
>Poor girl probably really needs a friend right now...
>But right now, you've got another pony who needs you more
 
>Rising from the water, you towel off, dress, and head into Coco's bedroom
>She looks so peaceful, lying there
>Gently, you reach down and trace a finger along the spot where her mane tucks behind her ear
>She's so pretty...
>What's a girl like her doing with a fuck-up like you?
>For what feels like the hundredth time, you hear AJ's words echoing in your head
>Are you dooming Coco to Twilight and Rarity's fate just by being with her?
>Poor girl, she doesn't deserve any more pain in her life...
>You run your hand down her back, giving the spot between her withers a comforting scratch
>Can you really protect her?
>Hell, you have a hard enough time taking care of yourself
>But that Gin asshole is coming here in two days
>And Suri intends to drag Coco back with her
>You don't feel like you can count on Coco to stick up for herself in that situation
>So... what will you do, when that time comes?
>The though won't leave your head, even as you lay in bed next to Coco
>You promised her she wouldn't have to be afraid anymore
>And this is one mare you're going to keep your promises to
>You form the big spoon, pulling Coco up against your chest
>Raising your head, you plant a small kiss on her cheek
>Coco smiles in her sleep, one of her ears twitching
>You hope at least her dreams are peaceful
>Gently, your hand strokes along Coco's side, smoothing out her silky fur
>With each stroke, you feel your worries abating
>Something about this mare, man
>She's so soothing
>Coco won't let Suri split the two of you up
>You're sure of it
>And while you may have hurt mares in this past, things are going to be different with her
>You won't let yourself hurt Coco
>This isn't a promise to her, this is a promise to you
>You're going to make sure no one hurts her again
>Placing another kiss on the top of Coco's head, you allow yourself to fall asleep, with the adorable little mare curled against your stomach
>Your dreams are... dark ones, to say the least
>By the time you wake, you can't quite remember what they were
>But something has filled you with a powerful sense of foreboding
>You have a really bad feeling about Coco, and an even worse one about Twilight...
>"G'morning, Anon!"
>You bedroom door opens, and Coco trots in carrying a cup of steaming coffee in her mouth
>She passes it to you
>"You must've been tired, you were asleep for a long time."
"Yeah, I didn't... didn't sleep to well last night."
>Coco nuzzles your neck
>"Well, I've finished up my sketches. You wanna take a day just for us?"
"That sounds amazing, Coco."
>It does; you and your new marefriend have had almost no bonding time without interruption from her work, or your former friends
"But I have some stuff I have to take care of first. Is that okay?"
>"Of course! I'm gonna get some breakfast ready."
>Coco kisses your forehead, before skipping back to the kitchen
>Seeing her in a good mood does soothe your foreboding, at least a little
>Still... you need to check on Twilight
>Your gut's telling you something's really wrong with her
 
>Back in the kitchen, Coco's prepared a vibrantly-colored fruit salad
>She gestures for you to sit in the kitchen's single chair, and you follow suit
>Coco hops into your lap, and the two of you share breakfast off a single plate
>You spear a slice of delicious, delicious mango on your fork, slipping it into Coco's mouth
>She giggles as she chews, and raises a chunk of strawberry to your lips
>The fruit here has an almost candy-like sweetness to it, and you relish the taste
>Coco leans back against your chest, the top of her mane tickling the bottom of your chin as she eats
>Where has this cuteness been your whole life?
>Once the salad is finished, you cross your arms over Coco, hugging her tightly against the chest
>The two of you just sit there at the table, snuggled together
>Outside, the sky is dreary and gray, but inside you've got your own bright little pony propped in your lap
>For a little while, the world seems to consist of nothing but Coco's steady, rhythmic breathing and the silky warmth of her coat
>But, as always, dread is quick to return to you
>Maybe it's just the fact that this is the first non-sunny day in a while
>Or maybe it's the dreams from last night
>But you've got a really bad feeling about today...
>"So, whaddaya wanna do today, Anon?"
"I'm not sure, but I'm... I'm thinking of introducing you to a friend of mine."
>"A... a friend? Oh. I was kinda hoping it could be just us..."
"It will be, don't worry. We're just gonna drop by and say hi. Is that alright?"
>"Oh, sure. But you promise the rest of the day will be just us, okay?"
"I promise. I'll give you a tour of the town. Everything fun there is to do, we'll do it."
>"Yay!"
>Coco claps her hooves together excitedly
>"So, who's your friend?"
"You know the new princess?"
>Coco's eyes widen in surprise
"Twilight Sparkle? You're actually friends with her?"
>You nod
"Yeah. Well, I was. There's been some... difficulties with us lately."
>"Aw. Is that why you're going over there today?"
"Uh... yeah. And I think she'd like to meet you too."
>You honestly have no idea how Twilight will react to meeting Coco, but you aren't keen on having to face her alone
>"Really!? You think she would?"
"Of course. Who wouldn't want to meet you, cutie?"
>You ruffle Coco's mane, and give her a kiss on the cheek
"Just gimme a few minutes to get dressed, and we'll head out."
 
>There's a definite chill in the air when you step outside, and you wish you had the jacket Rarity made for you
>But fucking Suri sold it, apparently
>You feel like you should hate her for that a lot more than you actually do
>But you think you've gotten somewhat tired of hating ponies
>It really is a lot of effort
>"What's up, Anon?"
>Coco trots closer to you, brushing her tail against your knee
>"You look even more worried than usual. Did something happen?"
"I'll tell you about it later. Let's focus on the happy stuff right now."
>"Oh. Okay!"
>Coco grins, and bumps your leg with your hip
>"Race ya!"
"Where to?"
>Coco's already taken off running, moving with surprising speed down the street
>You take off after her, legs hammering against the dirt path
>Coco leads you through the mostly-empty streets of Ponyville, her laughter spritely and bright as it reaches your your ears
>After barely a block, you're already out of breath
>It feels as if an iron hand is closing around your lungs, but you force yourself after Coco
>She's so damn quick, holy shit
>You make it two more blocks before you collapse, falling into the grass, and rolling until you come to a halt
>The entire world is doing cartwheels, and it's hard to fill your lungs
>As if from far away, you hear Coco calling out to you
>"Anon! Are you okay?"
"NNnngh... yeah... I'm... fine..."
>You roll over onto your side, laughing in long, wheezing gasps
>Coco sprints to your side, shaking your shoulder
>"Anon! Anon! Are you alright? Do you need me to take you to a hospital! Anon, say someth--"
>You grab Coco and pull on top of you, pressing your lips against hers
>"Eep!"
>She yelps in surprise, but quickly recovers, kissing you back before pulling away and bonking you on the head
>"You big dummy! I thought you were hurt."
>You chuckle, your laugh wheezy and somewhat painful
>Coco sighs, and kisses you
>Her vanilla scent fills your lungs as you gasp for air
 
>It takes you a disappointingly long time to recover
>Coco's pretty antsy, and she keeps trying, unsuccessfully, to pull you to your feet
>"Come on, Anon, I want to meet the princess!"
"Hold on... Coco... I have to..."
>You have to quit smoking, that's what you have to do
>Fortunately, you haven't really felt the desire since meeting Coco
>Guess that's one thing you've got going for you
>Finally, you manage to get back into a standing position
>Coco's practically prancing in circles around you now, she's so excited
>"Come on, Anon, you big slowpoke! You need to start getting some more exercise."
"Yeah, yeah."
>You're not about to take fitness tips from a cartoon horse, no matter how cute she may be
>The two of you take things slowly on the way to Twilight's
>Coco looks worried, as if you could collapse at any minute
>She walks really close to you, as if to catch you when you fall
>It's so cute, you don't have the heart to tell her your heavy ass would probably squish her
>"How close are we, Anon? Are we almost there?"
"Yeah, we're close. See the giant tree thing there? That's where she lives."
>"Ooo, cool! Let's go!"
>Coco sprints about ten feet ahead, before remembering
>She reverse-trots back to your side, nudging your knee with her hip
>Together, the two of you complete the walk to Twilight's
>Coco's giddy with anticipation as you step up to the front door
>"Oh my, I can't believe I'm actually about to meet a real princess! Me! I hope she likes me... Do you think she'll like me? Does my mane look okay?"
"It looks fine. Don't worry, she's gonna love you."
>She's not, but you trust Twilight to at least be civil to the little mare
>How could anyone hate Coco?
>You knock on Twilight's door, only to find it opened by Spike
>He gives you the most hateful stare you've ever seen from the young dragon
>"Anon. What do you want?"
"Uh, hey Spike. Is Twilight here?"
>"Uh huh."
"Can I see her?"
>"She's been locked in her room all day. I haven't seen her, and I don't think she wants to see anypony else."
"This is important. I think she'd like to see me."
>"Too bad. I'm not letting you in."
"Sure you're not."
>You push Spike aside and stroll inside the Golden Oaks
>"Hey! Get back here!"
>Spike grabs your leg, trying to slow you down
"C'mon, Coco!"
>"Um, Anon, this really doesn't look like we should be here..."
"It'll be okay, Spike's just cranky today."
>"Hey! You're the one who's the problem here! I know what you did to Rarity! And you did something to Twilight, too."
"Don't listen to him. He's always like this."
>Coco looks like she's reconsidering this entire venture
>You're starting to feel kinda bad for bringing her along
>But something's giving you a really bad feeling about this
>Twilight's been known to hole up in her study, sure, but she'd never neglect Spike
>You climb the stairs to Twilight's bedroom, with Spike clinging to your leg, and Coco following sheepishly at your heels
>Reaching the top, you rap on her door
"Hey, Twi, you in there? It's Anon."
>No response
>You knock a little louder
"Twilight! It's Anon! Listen, I'm really sorry about last night. Can we talk?"
>The answering silence is somewhat eerie
"Twi! I'm coming in, okay?"
>You try the knob, finding it locked
>Wrapping your hands around the doorknob, you twist it until you hear a metallic *crunch*
>"Hey!"
"Shut up, Spike."
>You throw the door open, expecting to see Twilight engrossed in a book, or gazing through her telescope, or any of the other Twilight-y things you've come to expect from the young princess
>But Twilight's books sit unopened on their shelves, and the telescope gathers dust in the corner
>And, on the ground in front of her desk, her coat an ashy gray, Twilight lies motionless
 
>Immediately, the entire world seems to recede to pinpoints
>One focused on you, and one on the lifeless gray body
>Even as you sprint towards her, everything seems to be moving in slow motion
>It can't have happened
>It can't
>You won't let it
"Twi!"
>You fall to your knees at her side, scooping the limp body in your arms
>Please no, please, please, please no...
"Twi, wake up. Please wake up."
>You shake her, praying to whatever might be listening that she'll have just been asleep
>Twilight doesn't wake
"No, no, Twilight, please!"
>You bend down, placing your cheek next to Twilight's open mouth
>There's no hint of breath
>Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck
>This can't be happening, it can't
>You press two fingers against Twilight's neck, hoping for something, anything...
>It's still, and unnaturally chilly
>No, no, no...
>You press your fingers deeper, hoping for something, anything
>A tiny, fluttering hint of a pulse meets your fingertips
>It's faint, but she's not dead
>Not yet
>For a millisecond, your brain flies into relief mode, thanking any and every god that may exist
>Then, it's quickly overwhelmed by a paniced urgency
"Call an ambulance!"
>"T-T-Twi..."
>Spike is staring at the two of you, eyes widened and pupils reduced to pinpricks
>Coco is almost as bad herself, deathly pale under her cream coat
"Coco! Help!"
>Your marefriend shakes her head, and springs foreward
"How the hell do we call an ambulance!?"
>"I... I don't..."
"Coco, c'mon, answer me!"
>"I don't know! In Manehattan we used the phone, but I haven't seen phones here, I..."
>You bite your tongue in frustration
>Twilight's gonna fucking die if you don't get some help
>Coco grabs Twilight in her hooves
>"I know CPR. Can you get to the hospital? The one I was at?"
>You nod, immediately catching her drift
>Coco leans down, pressing her mouth to Twilight's
>You see the princess' chest rise and fall, before Coco begins to beat on her chest
"I'll be back as soon as I can. Hold in there, Twi."
>You turn, and sprint out the door
 
>Why did there have to be no ponies around today?
>Why?
>You scream for help, but no one answers
>Fucking shitty untrustworthy town horses
>You decide to conserve your breath, pouring every drop of your stamina into running faster
>After only two blocks, your lungs are burning
>You don't think you've ever felt pain like this in your life
>But you push yourself on
>Twilight's not too far from Ponyville general
>Just half a mile, give or take
>Half a mile...
>Holy shit, you didn't know anything could hurt this bad
>Please, don't collapse yet
>You're not even sure who you're praying to now
>Just please, anything that might listen
>Don't let you collapse
 
>You don't quit running, even as you reach the hospital
>The ponies inside look up, startled
>You crash against the desk, collapsing onto jellied legs
>Every inch of your body burns, but the pain in your chest is worst of all
>Still, you manage to draw enough breath to wheeze out a few key words
"ambulance... golden oaks... please..."
>Uniformed hospital ponies lead you to a cart with a red cross painted on it
>You haul yourself into the back, and they take off for Twilight's library at a breakneck pace
 
>It only takes them a minute and a half to reach the treehouse, and you will yourself to follow them inside, propping your weight on ruined legs
>Inside, Coco's whole body shines with sweat, but her CPR routine continues
>The medic ponies roll Twilight onto a stretcher, carrying her out and into the ambulance
>Spike follows her out, looking as if he's in a trance
>You grab the exhausted Coco, and carry her with you
>You give her quick kiss on the forehead, letting her know how grateful you are
>The three of you pile into the cart, before it speeds off back to the hospital
>You hold Coco close to you for comfort, staring at Twilight's unconscious body
>Spike's clinging to Twilight, tears streaming down his face
>As much as you normally hate the little bastard, you can't help but feel terrible
>Twilight was his mother, older sister, and best friend all in one
>If he loses her...
>Fuck, poor little guy
>The ambulance finally rolls back into the hospital, and the medics wheel Twilight out and into the building
>You follow them, Coco still cradled in your arms
>How you're still moving is a mystery even to you; your legs feel like they can barely support your own weight, let alone yours and Coco's
>Inside, you try to follow Twilight further, but the medic ponies don't allow you through
>Panicked as you are, you're about to get violent, before Coco whispers into your ear
>"They know what they're doing, Anon. Let them work."
>You sigh, and collapse into one of the waiting room chairs
>Now that the initial shock of adrenaline has worn off, the horrible green dread has returned to you
>You slump forward, placing your head in your hands
>Twilight still had a pulse, sure, but it was so faint...
>And that gray coat... what the hell was that about?
>Oh, fuck, man...
>You might have killed Twilight
>You want to scream, or cry, or smash your head into a wall, or something
>Anything but sitting here and waiting
>Coco sits in the seat next to you, rubbing a comforting hoof along your back
>"Anon?"
>You don't answer her
>If you open your mouth, you're afraid your breakfast is gonna end up on the hospital floor
>All you had to do was stay with her...
>If you'd just said you forgave her, probably none of this would have happened
>A teary, sobbing Spike walks into the waiting room, wiping his eyes with his little claws
>The little guy looks absolutely wretched
>You tap the other seat next to you, and he slowly climbs into it
>You pat his scaly back as comfortingly as you can
>"An-n-n-non, sh-she's g-g-g-gonna b-be okay, r-r-right?"
"Yeah, yeah, 'course she is. Twilight's not going anywhere."
>You wish you felt as confident in that as you sounded
>"It's n-n-not m-my f-f-f-fault, r-r-ight?"
"No, of course not. It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault."
>It's yours
"Twilight's gonna wake up in a day or two. And she's gonna be so happy to see you. Just wait."
>You put an arm around the little dragon, trying to be reassuring as you can
>He actually leans against you, crying his eyes out against your shirt
>You don't stop him
>Even if you've hated the kid in the past, right now is the time to put that past you
>Coco wraps her forelegs around your arm, leaning her head against your shoulder
>And together, the three of you share in your grief, if just for a little while
>Eventually, the other Elements arrive, though you're not sure who contacted them
>They're distraught, as you can imagine
>Each one seems to blame themselves for what happened
>Rainbow in particular seems to take it pretty hard
>Each of them once to be admitted to be with their friend, but the doctors won't allow it
>According to them, Twilight's condition is critical, and they can't afford any disturbances
>All of that just makes you feel considerably worse
>"A-Anon? W-w-w-what's 'c-c-critical c-condition?'"
>Spike looks up at you, terror rife in his watery eyes
"It just means the doctors are working extra hard on Twilight now. It means they really, really want her to be okay."
>"A-alright. P-p-please b-be okay, T-T-T-Twilight..."
>Spike presses his face back into your shoulder
>The Elements have a million questions for you, but you can barely hear them
>Your head feels heavy from guilt, and you can't lift it from your lap
>Endless questions of your own spin through your head
>Why didn't you stay with Twilight?
>You could've helped her
>All of this traces back to you, in the end
>Somehow, you let Twilight become jealous
>You let her get hurt
>If only you'd done something different
>Anything
>You could've prevented all of this
>Now Spike might lose his only family
>Equestria might lose a princess
>All because you let your anger get the best of you
>Coco tries her best to shoo the Elements off of you, but she's not exactly accustomed to being assertive
>All of them look like they're about ready to start pointing hooves about whose fault it is
>You just retreat further into your own little world
>No matter what, you can't seem to focus on anything but your own guilt
>If Twilight dies...
>How are you ever gonna live with yourself again?
>And if by some miracle she does wake up, how will you ever look her in the eye?
>"Anon! You were with Twilight last! How could ya let this happen?"
>AJ stands ahead of all her friends, who are lying about in various states of misery throughout the waiting room
>You glance up at her, but her don't say anything
>Mostly because you can't think of anything to say
>"Ya knew she liked ya! How could ya just abandon her like that?"
>Your head droops lower, your arms becoming sore from supporting its weight
>Fuck you, AJ
>Why does she have to kick you while you're down?
>"Now, darling. You can hardly blame Anonymous for this. We're all at fault here..."
>Rarity steps to AJ's side, laying a hoof on her withers
>"Gosh darn it all, I can blame him! He's been nothin' but trouble to us since he arrived! Hurtin' you, hurtin' Twi... I really don't think we oughtta trust him anymore!"
>"Applejack, darling, you can't say that. Look at him, he already feels terrible. We all feel terrible."
>"I'm not sayin' it's his fault alone. But he was the last one with Twi! He had the responsibility ta make sure she was okay!"
>"Dear, he was the last one with Twilight because... because all of us left first."
>You peek through your fingers, seeing that the rest of the Elements have turned on AJ
>"But he... he... he left her!"
>"We all left her, dear. Anonymous is no more to blame than any of us."
>Rarity turns away from AJ, walking slowly over to you
>"Anon? Darling? Are you... are you okay?"
>You lift your head to meet Rarity's teary gaze
>When you do, it's as if you can see your entire history with her reflected there
>The love, the pain, the anger...
>But, more importantly, you see compassion
>In that instant, something clicks between the two of you
>Wordlessly, you both understand that you're over
>It's sad, and you'll both miss the hell out of each other
>But... it's done
>Right now, there's other ponies who need the two of you
"AJ's right, Rares. I knew about Twilight's lies. I brought them up because I wanted to hurt her. I wanted revenge on her for ruining things between us. And... I guess it worked a little too well."
>"Anonymous, you can't think like that--"
>You hold up a hand
"Rarity, please. Nothing you say is going to change this."
>You look down at the wretched, sniveling young dragon next to you
"Look after him for me, will you?"
>"Anon? What do you mean?"
>Without answering her, you get to your feet, and slowly begin making your way towards the door
>"Anon! Where are you going?"
>You remain silent, stepping away from Coco and Spike, and walking slowly, numbly out of the hospital
 
>"Anon! Wait!"
>It's not Rarity's voice calling for you this time
>It's Coco's
>The little cream mare easily catches up with you, concern and fear rife in her aqua eyes
>"Where are you going?"
"I don't know. I just... I couldn't stand to be in there any longer. I think I need some time alone, Coco."
>"Alone? What do you mean alone?"
>You show her exactly what you mean by quickening your pace, trying to outdistance her
>"Anon! Get back here!"
>Again, Coco easily matches your pace
>"You can't go off by yourself! You need somepony right now!"
"No, I don't. Coco, I don't think you understand, I need to--"
>"I'm not gonna let you sit around and wallow in your own guilt, Anon! Is this all you ever do?"
"Of course, not, Coco, but--"
>"Anon. You promised me a day together, right?"
"Well, yeah, I did, but I think--"
>"A promise is a promise. Wherever you go, I go."
>Coco stamps a hoof for emphasis, and her facial expression tells you that you're not going to convince her otherwise
"Alright, alright..."
 
>You continue wandering aimlessly though town, only this time you have a pretty cream mare tagging along next to you
>Coco doesn't say anything, but she continually bumps against your leg, just to let you know she's there
>Eventually, you find yourself at that familiar spot in the park
>The one where you first told Coco how you felt about her
>You retrace your steps to that familiar bench, sitting alone, eyes glazing as you stare out over the lake
>Coco hops up next to you, taking your hand in her hooves, lightly squeezing it
>You look over at Coco, to find her smiling up at you
>She reaches up, and kisses your nose
>Touched, you blink twice before wrapping her in your arms, and pulling her into your lap as you bury your face in her mane
>Right now, you just want to lose yourself in her
>The way she smells, the sound of her voice, the way she feels...
>Is Coco all you have left in the world?
>You lose track of time as you hold Coco on the bench, trying to forget what's happened today
>"You're a good stallion, Anon."
"..."
>"I know... I know what your friends said back there must have hurt. But you can't blame yourself for this. The princess made her own choice. I wasn't there for what happened, but... but it sounds like all of you made mistakes. And that's okay. Everypony hurts their friends sometimes. And sometimes... sometimes they hurt them more than you realize. But please... please don't blame yourself."
"Sounds kinda like you and Suri."
>Coco glances away
>"That was... that was different. I knew what I was doing."
"So did I. I wanted Twilight hurt, Coco. She... she broke up me and Rarity. I was so mad, and I don't even know why. I guess I just wanted a target for all of my pain, all my anger..."
>"Anon... I don't know what to say. I've never had something like this happen to me before."
>You shrug, and place your face back in her mane
>"But... please don't think you're a bad pony. You have to learn to live with your own flaws."
"Sounds like something I'd say to you."
>"But that's different."
"How?"
>"It's... I don't know, it's... but what I did..."
"Coco, I might have driven one of my closest friends to kill herself. What you did is nothing in comparison."
>"I guess..."
>Coco slumps forward in your arms
>"Maybe I'm just used to feeling like a bad pony. It's all anyone's ever told me. Until I met you..."
>She places a hoof over your hand
>"Maybe... maybe neither of us are good. We're just broken ponies trying to do our best in a big, scary world."
"Or maybe nobody's good. Everyone has missing pieces and jagged edges. Sometimes, even though we don't mean to, we hurt each other. It's just part of being human. Or pony. Or whatever."
>You finish your statement, and breathe deeply from Coco's mane
>"Nopony's good... that's such a depressing way to think, Anon. Just because we make mistakes doesn't mean we're not good."
"Well, that's always kinda been my strong suit."
>Coco sighs
"What's wrong?"
>"I don't know, Anon. Why do you always have to act so miserable? Does nothing make you happy? Do I not make you happy?"
>You hug Coco tighter
"You make me happier than I've ever been, Coco. I know I'm not good at showing it. I really never have been. But you're really, really important to me."
>"Does nothing else make you happy? You just always seem so... down."
"A lotta stuff makes me happy. It's just that... a little stuff also doesn't."
>"I... I just wish I could help you. I don't like seeing you be so hard on yourself all the time."
"I could say the same thing about you."
>Coco hangs her head
>"I have a good reason to be so hard on myself."
"No, you don't, Coco. Why is that so hard for you to believe? You're a talented, wonderful pony. It doesn't matter what Gin, or Suri, or anyone else has told you. You're great because of who you are, and what they think of you won't change that."
>"I wish it were that simple, Anon."
"Who says it's not? Coco, you just gotta open your eyes and see all the great stuff there is to see about you."
>"There's nothing to see. My designs are mediocre at best. I'm not pretty, or terribly interesting. At best, I'm a toy."
"What the fuck, Coco?"
>"Anon!"
>Coco spins around in your lap to face you, face scrunched and pouty at your use of language
"Coco, none of that was true. All of those are lies that Suri's told you."
>"It's not just Suri."
>Coco's response is matter-of-fact, but it stops you in your verbal tracks
"It's... it's not? Who else?"
>Coco looks down, ashamed
>"My dad. I was always a disappointment to him, and... well... everything he's told me came true. I'm a boring failure of a pony."
>You run your hand along Coco's mane
"Your dad was full of shit. Suri is full of shit. You're an amazing pony. I wish there were some way I could explain that to you. But I can't."
>Without warning, you plant a kiss on Coco's mouth
"I can only try to show you. I want you to know how much I care about you, Coco. You're so much more than a ruined loser like me deserves."
>"Anon..."
>Coco touches a hoof to her mouth, as if to seal your kiss there
>"We're just going to go on like this forever, aren't we?"
"I guess. We're a lot alike in that way, huh?"
>"Mhm..."
>Coco lays her head against your chest
>"You're still really worried about your friend, aren't you?"
"Yeah... Fuck, Coco, I don't know what I'll do if she doesn't make it out of this."
>You lean your head on top of Coco's for support
"I really want to believe you, that this isn't my fault. But I feel so shitty. If she doesn't make it through... Coco, I think I'm gonna go crazy."
>Coco squeezes herself tighter against you
>"I want to tell you everything'll be alright, Anon. But I think you know that's not true."
"Yeah..."
>"But, no matter what, I'll still be here with you."
>Coco runs a hoof through your hair, and kisses your nose
>You squeeze her in return
"That's all I could ever ask for."
>As touching as her gesture is, you can't help be a little bothered by it
"Coco... there's something I forgot to tell you. Last night, I... I spoke with Suri."
>"Suri? When did you see Suri?"
>You fill Coco in on what happened after she fell asleep
>"The princess... was in my house? And she kidnapped you?"
"Well, not exactly kidnapped, but yeah. Anyway, on the way back, I saw Suri, and... she's planning to take you back to Manehattan tomorrow. She says Gin's going to be here too."
>Coco's face pales
>"G-Gin? Here?"
>You nod
>"Oh no..."
"I thought you knew this was coming."
>"I did, but... I hoped it wasn't going to happen."
"So don't go with them. Stay here with me. Or the two of us can escape this place together. I was gonna be your model, remember?"
>"Y-yeah, but... I can't leave Suri..."
"Why the hell not? She practically hates you, Coco."
>"I know she does!"
>Coco's voice cracks, and she falls back against your chest
>"Don't you get it, Anon? I know Suri hates me. That's why I have to be a good friend to her. She's the only pony to ever like me... I can't let her hate me. I can't live with myself like this."
>You see a tear slide down the right side of her face
>"I have to make her like me again. She did so much for me, I can't just... I can't let her hate me. But I'm so afraid of him, Anon. He'll try to make me... make me..."
>She shudders in your grasp
"Coco... I think your relationship with Suri is over."
>"No! It can't be! I won't let it be... she's been my only friend since I was a filly, Anon. She's the only reason I'm connected to the fashion industry at all. Without her... without her I'm nothing."
"But that's not true. You're great all on your own, Coco. Your designs were better than Suri's even when you were a kid."
>"I know but... without my best friend... I need her, Anon."
"You don't! Come on, Coco, please just listen to me!"
>"I can't, Anon. I can't, I can't, I can't!"
>Coco shakes her head, smearing tears across the front of your shirt
>"I'm just... I'm so weak, Anon."
"Weak? Coco, look what you've been through. I couldn't even handle living, but you... you've been through so many awful things, and you survived. Not only that, but you're still happy. Your soul survived. And goddammit, Coco, not enough ponies have a soul like yours. I've seen so much ugliness, before I got here and since... but there's none of it in you. You're pure. You're golden."
>You stroke the back of Coco's mane with every word
"Please don't give that up for a mare like Suri..."
>Coco sniffles, and nods
>"I know..."
>Coco crawls off you, stepping to the ground
>She begins walking toward the lake, motioning for you to follow
>You follow along behind her, walking slowly on your stiffened, exhausted legs
>She leads you in a circuit around the lake, walking aimlessly and occasionally glancing at her reflection in the murky water
>"Anon... I know you're worried about your friend. So I feel bad that I keep making this about me..."
"No, you're fine. Say whatever you've gotta say, Coco."
>"I just... I don't..."
>She sighs, walking to the water's edge to stare at herself
>"Who am I, Anon? Take away you and Suri, the only ponies who have ever cared about me, and what is there left? Just a boring, lonely mare, with dreams too big for her scared little hooves. Without somepony else... I'm no one."
"No you're not. You're Coco Pommel. You're a shy, gold-hearted mare who places the needs of her friends over herself. You love beauty and discovery and art, and your dreams are closer than you realize. None of that comes from Suri. None of that comes from me. It's all you, Coco."
>"But I'm so afraid of losing her, Anon..."
"It's okay to be afraid, Coco. You think I'm not afraid? That Suri's not afraid? Even a world as pretty as this one is filled with ugly, scary things. You just have to try to trust in your own goodness, and the goodness of the ponies around you."
>You place a hand under her chin, tilting her head up to look into your eyes
"Because you're not alone. You'll still have me. And, one day, Suri will realize the friend she pushed away. You just... you have to try trusting the world, for once."
>Even though you're speaking to Coco, you half feel like you're speaking to yourself
>Coco nods, slowly, pulling herself against your chest
>"I can try... But you have to promise you'll never leave me, Anon."
"I promise."
>"I mean really promise!"
>Coco looks up at you, muzzle scrunched in a stern little ball
"I promise."
>You lean in, and kiss Coco on the mouth
>She kisses back, before resting her head on your shoulder
>You hold her there by the waterfront until the set begins to set, and a chill air creeps in around you
 
"Coco, would you be alright if we went back to the hospital for a bit?"
>"Of course, Anon."
>You stand slowly, legs protesting the entire way
>Coco remains on the ground, holding her forelegs up to you
>"Carry me~"
"Coco..."
>"Please?"
"Fine."
>You lift Coco onto your back, feeling her forelegs wrap over your shoulders
>She nuzzles the back of your neck
>"You know, you're pretty strong for someone who can't run a block without dying."
"Har har."
>You jostle Coco a little, before heading off
 
>That familiar, grim feeling settles into your stomach as soon as the hospital comes into view
>While you were with Coco, you honestly believed everything might be alright, but now...
>Coco senses your nervousness, and leans in to whisper in your ear
>"It's gonna be okay, Anon. No matter what happens, I'll be right here with you."
>That doesn't do much good for poor Twilight, but having Coco with you does ease your nerves, at least slightly
>Back in the waiting room, the Elements have all left except for Applejack and Rarity
>Both of them look up when you enter, and both break out into very different facial expressions
>Rarity looks tired, and a little sad
>And Applejack looks... you don't even know; equal parts angry, scared, confused...
>"Anon. Can I have a word with ya?"
>You look to Coco, then to Rarity
>Should you leave the two of them together?
>Hell, do you even want to give AJ the satisfaction of laying into you about whatever horrible things she thinks you've done now?
>Rarity nods, as if to say 'it'll be okay'
"Alright, AJ. But only if you agree to let me say my part. I've seen how you get when you argue."
>"I'll be as civil as I can, Anon, given th' circumstances."
"Not good enough. I want the Element of Honesty's word that I'm not setting up myself for some stupid trap."
>"Fine, you jittery little..."
>AJ cuts herself off
>"I promise I'll let you have yer say. Now, are we good?"
"We good. Lead the way."
>AJ leads you into a small, abandoned meeting room
>It's just large enough for about six ponies to sit comfortably around the small table
>Which means there's plenty of room for you and orange
>"Alright, Anon. I want you ta explain what happened with you and Rares. I want ta know why she's hurt, why she was swearin' up an' down that you still loved her, and just what happened with you an' Twi. An' remember, I'll know if yer lyin' ta me."
"Okay. I'll tell you everything you want to know. But in return, you're going to help Coco out."
>"What? Anon, Twi is dyin' in there and all you can think about is yer new maretoy?"
>You voice drops to near whisper
"Don't caller her that."
>"Why not? Isn't that exact--"
>Something in your eyes tells AJ not to go there
>"I'm sorry, Anon. That was outta line. But still, Twi is dyin'! Don't you have more important things ta worry about?"
"What happened with Twi is fucking killing me, AJ. But I can't help her by worrying. Right now, I can help Coco. Now, do we have a deal, or not?"
>AJ scowls
>"Ugh, fine. We have a deal."
>She spits on her hoof, and holds it out to you
>Fucking ew
>Still you need your help
>You do the same to your hand, shaking with AJ
>Aaand that shit's getting wiped on the chair
>"So. You first. I wanna hear it all, Anon."
"You want it all? You got it."
>You take a deep breath, and begin
>Your story begins with your difficulties with Rarity, then traces through your meeting with Coco, the feelings you developed for her, and your alienation from Rarity.
>AJ looks like she'd like to interject at several parts, but she keeps silent
>You give your side of things on the breakup with Rarity, and then tell AJ about you and Twilight
>And you give her every dirty detail
>AJ looks horrified, but you know she can tell you're not lying
>"Twi wouldn't... that's so..."
"She did."
>You describe the dream at Zecora's, your resulting outlook on life, and how things changed between you and Coco because of it
>By the time you arrive at the fateful night of Twilight's suicide attempt, AJ is visibly shaken
"That's what happened. I'd swear it's true, but I'm pretty sure I don't have to."
>"No... no, ya don't. I... Things looked different ta me, Anon, ya hafta understand..."
"Did they now?"
>"Yes they did, dagnabbit! I saw one of my best friends bein' hurt, and... I got a little overprotective, okay?"
>AJ's mouth scrunches up, and her eyes go to pinpoints, glancing up at the ceiling
>What the fuck?
"AJ... are you lying to me?"
>"What? No!"
>It happens again
"AJ... what's your real problem with me?"
>AJ glances around the room
>"Alright, alright. Look, Anon... I love my friends and all, but... sometimes I feel like I'm... not all that important to 'em."
>Oh
>AJ glances down at the table, pain reflecting in her eyes
>"Like... they're perfectly nice ta me an' all, I'm not tryin' ta complain. But I feel like I'm the... the one in the background. The one they're mostly likely ta forget when they're making plans that don't involve us bein' the Elements of Harmony."
>You hear one of AJ's rear hooves tapping against the table
>"Then along comes you, this crazy alien critter outta the sky. Talks like a pony, but don't look like anything else outta this world. And suddenly, everypony wants ta be your friend. Rarity's fawnin' over ya, Twilight wants ta learn about ya, Dash is doin' that thing she does..."
>She leans her head on her forelegs
>"I guess I was just jealous. Why did all my friends, friends I'd known for years, care so much more about some alien than about old Applejack? Especially when you were, y'know... not always all that nice to 'em. I guess it made me act pretty rotten to ya."
"Oh. Well... shit, AJ. I had no idea..."
>AJ just shrugs
>"Not that any of it matters now. Twilight might be dead, for all we know. The doctors haven't said a word since we brought her here."
>You reach across the table, and pat AJ's hoof
>It feels strange doing so, after all the tension between you two
"AJ... I can't promise everything will be alright. But we can't fix things by worrying about Twilight. She's a strong, strong pony. We just have to trust in her to get through this."
>"I really hope you're right, Anon... I really hope..."
>AJ sighs, removing her stetson to hold it against her chest
>"So... what was it ya said you and Coco needed help with? Maybe that can take my mind of this for a bit."
>You explain to AJ what Coco told you about her, Gin, and Suri
>It almost takes longer than your first story, as you can hardly bring yourself to describe most of it
>If AJ was shaken before, now she looks like she's about to be sick
>"He... Oh, Celestia, Anon, that's... Woo, nelly..."
>AJ places her head between her rear legs, breathing deeply
>"An' this all really happened to that poor girl out there?"
"Pretty much. Put her in shock for half a day when Rarity brought it up."
>AJ sighs, finally straightening back up, though she looks a little green in the face
>"So... why do you want my help with this? It sounds more like a job for the guard."
"There's not much the guard can do about it now. I just want you to help me get Coco away from him and Suri."
>AJ nods
>"I guess that's fair. I'll admit I may hold a bit of a grudge towards that mare for comin' between you an' Rarity, but... I can't let another pony go through somethin' like that."
>A shudder travels through AJ's body
"Thanks, AJ. I think I might've been wrong about you."
>"Same here. Though... if you could, could ya try yer best to be nice ta Rarity? Losin' you really shook her up."
"I can tell. And I'm gonna try my best, assuming she doesn't attack Coco again."
>"Fair enough. Well, in that case... I guess I owe ya an apology. I have been pretty rotten to ya over the past months. An' it wasn't right of me ta blame ya about what happened to Twi. Rarity sure let me have it for that..."
>Somehow, knowing that Rarity's still going out of her way to defend you make you a little sad
"I can imagine..."
>You glance down at your shoes, trying to sort out several different emotions currently whirling through your head
>"Anon?"
"Hmm?"
>"You don't reckon that what happened to Twi is actually... my fault, do ya?"
"Your fault? Why would it be your fault, AJ?"
>Applejack's ears flatten against her head
>"Well... I really had no reason ta leave her. She'd broken your and Rarity's relationship, so it's understandable you two were mad at her. But me... I let my jealousy get in the way. I thought that if she was really so focused on you, that if never needed my help before... then she sure didn't need it then."
>AJ glances to the side, eyes rife with pain
>"I feel so rotten about it now. I wanted her ta miss me, Anon. I wanted her ta realize I was as important of a friend as you were. I never thought she'd... y'know... Anon, what am I gonna do? If Twi doesn't make it thought this... If I never get to tell her I'm sorry... it'll destroy me."
>She glances down at the ground, looking absolutely miserable
>You try to think of something to comfort her, but... what is there?
>If Twilight really does die here, her last thoughts will have been of betrayal, loneliness, and despair
"AJ... I know this doesn't make it any better, but I know how you feel. And you can't blame yourself. We all share part of the blame. Every single one of us who knew what she was going through, and chose to leave her side. And if... if Twilight really doesn't survive... I don't think she'd want her friends hating themselves for the rest of their lives."
>"I really, really hope you're right, Anon."
>AJ sniffs, and squeezes her eyes shut, fighting back tears
>You wonder how long she's been trying not to cry
>She manages to choke back her sadness and silently stands, walking back out of the room
>You follow her back into the waiting room, only to see that you have a new arrival
>Princess Celestia stands tall and radiant, face unreadable as she stares cooly at you
>Beside her, Coco and Rarity are seated together, and it looks like your arrival interrupted their conversation
>As spooked as you are to see the towering horse princess here, you're glad your marefriend and ex are talking
>Hopefully they're getting along...
>"Anonymous."
>The princess's tone is calm, but carries with it a regal authority
>"I would like to have a word with you. It is my understanding that you were at least tangentially involved with what happened to my student?"
"Umm... yeah, I guess you could say that."
>"Very well. Follow me, please."
>She leads you down a different hallway, and to an empty hospital room
>Inside, she turns to face you, and you can't help but be unnerved by the fact that she stands at eye level with you
>For the first time in your life, you feel honestly intimidated by a pony
>"Explain the situation as best you can, please."
"Alright, uh... I guess I should warn you, it gets pretty gross. Are you--"
>"Spare no detail, please. I need to know exactly how my protege came to this state."
"Well... okay..."
>You're really not too keen on explaining to the princess how her prized pupil attempted seduction and later suicide
>However, you're even less keen on disappointing the towering horse goddess
"Here goes."
>You begin the story at no particular point, instead just trying to give Celestia a little background on your and Twilight's friendship
>She watches, emotionless and barely blinking, as you describe the latter parts of the story
>It's all you can do to force out the words describing that afternoon in the library, where Twilight made her last attempt to get you for herself
>And when you reach last night (was it really only last night?), you find you can't go on any more
>You've thought about that night, and talked about that night, too many times
>As frayed as your nerves are at this point, you nearly jump from your seat when you near a knock on the door
>It slowly creaks open, revealing a nervous Coco, standing with her head down and her eye staring up at the princess
>"Um, your highness, I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but would it be okay if I were here with Anonymous while you talk to him?"
>Celestia raises an eyebrow
>"Of course, Ms. Pommel."
>Eyes firmly on the ground, Coco scampers across the room to you, sitting at your feet and reaching up to grab your hand
>She gives it a firm squeeze with her hooves, looking up to give you a reassuring smile
>You nod down to her, returning the expression
>Taking a deep breath to steady yourself, you look back up to Celestia, losing yourself in that timeless magenta gaze
>Mouth seeming to move on its own, you continue your tail through Twilight's pseudo-kidnapping, and the confrontation in the library
>When you have to inform Celestia that you left her student behind, the shame burns like fire on your brow
>As if sensing this, Coco squeezes your hand again, planting a little kiss right above your knuckle
>Finally, you reach the end of the awful story, your chest tight from guilt and grief
>How many more ponies are going to make you relive that night?
>Celestia's outward appearance hasn't changed much, but you can see in her eyes how shaken she is
>"I thank you for sharing this with me, Anonymous... Now, if you'll excuse me, I must rejoin the others."
>She trots somewhat ungracefully out of the room, and you swear you see her blink back a tear or two
>Coco leans against your thigh, refreshingly warm in the cold hospital room
>You sit on the edge of the hospital bed, with her next to you
>She leans back on the bed, pulling you after her
>Your head comes to lay on her stomach, and Coco runs her hooves softly through your hair
>She doesn't say anything --there's nothing left to say-- but she's there
>Life has seen fit to take everything from you, it seems
>But it hasn't taken Coco
>She's so warm under your cheek, and you can feel her heart tapping against her ribs
>Christ, you never knew you could love this little pony so much
>"Anon?"
"Yeah, Coco?"
>"You're a good stallion."
"Thanks, Coco."
 
>You're pretty sure you dozed off at some point while lying against Coco, because by the time a knock comes at the door, the digital clock reads half past 2 AM
>You rub exhaustion from your ears, and open it
>AJ's standing there
"AJ? What's up?"
>AJ points to the center of the room, where an exhausted-looking doctor pony stands, sweat dripping from his brow
>The others, including Celestia herself, are already gathered around him
>You approach their circle slowly, afraid of what you might hear
>The doctor's expression is unreadable
>When you and the other ponies have gathered around him, he finally begins to speak
>His breath is wheezing and weary
>"She... well, she's stabilized, at least."
>The relief hits you like a flood of cool water, turning your limbs to jelly
>You collapse into one of the waiting room chairs, and many of the Elements simply fall to the floor
>Coco pats your leg, smiling up at you
>You squeeze her so hard she squeaks
>Tears are flowing down your face, and Rarity and Applejack embrace
>Applejack pulls away, running towards a hospital room
>"I'll get Spike!"
>The doctor, however, doesn't seem to quite share in your joy
"Uh, doc? Is there something else?"
>"Well..."
>The doctor wipes sweat from his brow
>"She's stable, but she's yet to awaken. The liquid she consumed was basilisk venom. No ordinary pony would have had a chance of surviving. I assume her alicorn status had something to do with that. Still... it could be a long time before she wakes."
>Everyone in the room turns to each other, a glimmer of fear returning to your faces
>"She's gonna wake up though, right?"
>"Given her remarkable recovery so far, I could only assume so. But when... I can't say. I've never seen a case like this, as you can imagine."
>You settle back into a... semi-relieved state
>Twilight's not dead
>There's hope now
>Even if you can't be certain she'll be okay... at least all's not lost
>A tired Spike wanders back in, rubbing his reddened eyes
>"Wha-- wha' happened? Is Twilight-- she's not--"
"She's gonna be okay, buddy."
>"Yeah, Twilight resting now. The Doc's not sure when she'll wake up, but... we hope it'll be soon."
>"O-oh. Can I see her yet?"
>Everyone turns in unison to glance at the doctor pony
>"I-- I don't see why not. This way."
>He leads all of you a few rooms down the hall, pushing the door open to a room on the left
>Inside, Twilight lays on a hospital bed much like the one you shared with Coco just two weeks ago
>Just two weeks...
>Holy shit
>The princess pony's fur has regained a little of its purple coloration, but she still looks washed out and gray
>Other than that though, Twilight could just be taking a nap
>Her chest rises and falls peacefully, and her face is peaceful
>"Twilight..."
>Spike pulls himself into her bed, wrapping his little arms around his caretaker
>He cuddles up against her, pressing his face into her mane
>"Please, please wake up soon..."
>You blink away tears from your eyes
>Once this is all over, you resolve to be a lot nicer to Spike in the future
>Rarity and Applejack walk to Twilight's side next, eyes pull of pain as they behold their friend
>AJ removes her hat, holding it against her chest
>Rarity brushes Twilight's mane from her eyes
>"Darling... I'm so sorry about all of this."
>Rarity chokes, and retreats from the room, with AJ following her
>You walk to Twilight, laying your hand on her brow
>She feels warm, which you guess is good
"Twilight..."
>Even if she could hear you, you have no idea what you'd say
>'Sorry' doesn't even begin to cover it
>So you just stand there, watching her, saying a wordless prayer that things will turn out well for the young princess
>Coco steps up next to you, placing her head under your hand and nuzzling your palm
>The two of you watch Twilight until you can't bear to be in the room anymore, and then you step out
>Spike stays after the two of you, of course
>You feel the little dragon deserves that much, at least
>Back in the lobby, you, Coco, Rarity, Applejack, and the Princess converge in a half-circle
>Celestia's voice is missing its sharper tone from earlier
>"Thank you all for staying by Twilight's side through this. I cannot express my gratitude enough for what you've done to save the life of my student."
>You notice she doesn't bring up the fact that you might have caused Twilight more trouble than you helped her out of
>"I will stay here for now. If there is any change in her condition, I will notify you somehow."
>The rest of the ponies nod, and you do too
>However, as you all turn to leave, Celestia calls out behind you
>"Anonymous. Wait a moment, if you could."
>You do wait, and all the other ponies, minus Coco, file out of the hospital
>Celestia looks toward you, expression once again indecipherable
>"Anonymous... I wanted to let you know that I do not blame you for what happened to Twilight. While some poor decisions were made on your part, you could never have foreseen this. None of us could have."
>
"Thank you, princess."
>Celestia now gestures to Coco
>"And I would advise you to cherish this new pony you've found. I see much of each Element of Harmony within her."
>Coco blushes furiously, staring at the ground
>"Th-thank you, your majesty."
>Celestia chuckles
>"Now, you may go. I will contact you should Twilight's condition change."
>You thank the princess again, and head for home
>The walk home is exhausting beyond belief
>Every inch of your body aches, and it's hard to keep your eyes focused straight ahead
>By the time you finally do reach Coco's little rental home, you collapse against the door until she opens it
>Drunkenly, you stagger towards the couch, collapsing onto it
>Coco strolls into the kitchen, and you hear the clatter of plates as she sets to preparing something
>A few minutes later, she walks in carrying a tray of freshly-brewed hot chocolate, steaming, sweet-smelling pastries, and the leftover fruit salad from breakfast
>You didn't realize how painfully hungry you were until just now
>Coco sits on the floor next to you, and the two of you quickly devour the food
>Everything's so delicious that you feel kinda bad for scarfing it down
>When you finish, Coco hops up to join you on the couch, sitting across your thighs and patting her belly contentedly
>The food in your belly has turned your exhaustion into a comfy fatigue, and you snuggle into the couch, ready for a long nap
>Coco lays across your chest, her head resting on your shoulder
>You reach up and stroke along her back, silky fur flowing between your fingers
"Sorry our day together didn't happen."
>"What do you mean? It's not your fault."
"I know, but... I feel bad. I wanted to have a special day with you."
>A silence falls over the two of you, each aware of what the other is thinking
"Coco... are you going to go back with Suri?"
>"I-- I don't know, Anon."
>You sigh
"What do you want, Coco?"
>"Huh?"
"What do you want? You keep talking about Suri, but... what do you really want? What would really make you the happiest you could be?"
>"I... well..."
>Coco's brow furrows
>"I actually don't know. No one... no one's ever asked me that..."
"No one...? Jeez, Coco..."
>"I'm sorry, Anon."
"Sorry? No, you don't have to be sorry for anything."
>You shift a little under Coco
"Alright, here, listen. I'm gonna go take a quick bath. While I do, I want you to forget everyone else you know."
>"Forget?"
"That's right. Just for a few minutes, forget about me. Forget about what'll make me happy. Forget about what'll make Suri happy. Just think about what makes you happy. For a few minutes, pretend you're the only pony who matters."
>"Only pony who... I don't think I can do that, Anon."
"Of course you can. Just think. What does Coco want more than anything? Not Suri, not me, and definitely not Gin. Just Coco."
>"O... okay. I'll try, at least."
"There ya go. I'll be back soon."
>Standing is an effort, and your chest feels cold as soon as Coco's warm body leaves it
>You stagger into the bathroom, drawing warm water from the tap and into the pony-sized bathtub
>The warm water is a godsend to your sore muscles, and it's difficult to keep yourself from drifting to sleep
>You scrub the sweat from your skin, then just lie there, thinking of nothing
>After a few minutes, you hear the bathroom door creak open
>The soft clip-clop of hooves reaches your ears as Coco creeps into the bathroom
>She walks to the side of the tub, and removes her little collar and bow
>"Mind if I join you?"
"Go ahead."
>Coco clambers into the tub with you, laying against your chest
>She sighs contentedly from the warmth
>"Oooh... that's nice."
>You're too tired to feel any sort of arousal, but the feeling of her wet fur against your skin is pretty damn great
"So? Did it work?"
>"I... I think so. It worked a little, at least."
"Well, do you feel like sharing?"
>Coco ponders for a moment, swishing her tail in the water
>"I... I want to be a designer. That's what I've always wanted, ever since I was a filly. I want to make beautiful clothes for ponies to wear, clothes they'll love themselves in. I want to make them happy."
>You nod
"That good. That's really good."
>"But... I don't want to be lonely. I never want to be the weird pony who has no friends again. I want ponies to like me."
"That's understandable."
>"And... I want you, Anon. When I'm with you, I feel special, and wanted. You tell me I'm a great mare, and when you're around I can believe it. So... yeah."
>Coco kissed the bridge of your nose
>"I'd also like it if you'd try to be less of a grouch all the time, but that's probably not gonna happen."
"Har har."
>In retaliation, you splash a little water in Coco's face
>She giggles and sucks a little into her mouth, spitting it at your eye
"Alright, that's enough. I gotta get to bed."
>You stand from the tub, with a sodden Coco still clinging to you
>"Not without me, mister. You promised me a day together. And I'm taking a whole day."
>She says it as if you actually could refuse
 
>After towling off and finding some boxers for PJ's, you and Coco lay in bed together, spooning
"So, have you made a decision about what to do tomorrow?"
>"I... I think so."
"Can I ask what is it?"
>"I'm staying."
>For the second time today, relief hits your body like a tidal wave
>Thankfully, this time you're already laying down
"Thank Christ. Coco... I'm glad. I'm really glad."
>You kiss the back of her neck, wrapping an arm around her in a sideways hug
"I talked to Applejack, and she's willing to help out if--"
>"No. I have to do this myself, Anon."
>You ponder what Coco said for a moment
>The last thing you'd want to do is let her confront Gin and Suri alone
>But she has a point
>This is her fight to fight, in the end
"Right, yeah. Just be careful, okay?"
>Coco play-kicks you with a rear hoof
>"You worry so much, Anon."
"That may be true. But I almost lost a really important pony today, Coco. If something were to happen to you too..."
>You don't even have anything to complete that sentence with
>Coco places a small kiss on the back of your hand
>"I'll be fine, Anon. I promise. And besides, I'd like to have you with me. Suri's hurt you as well, hasn't she?"
"Yeah. Didn't know you knew about that."
>"I had my suspicions. I didn't want to believe them, but... well, I guess there's no point turning a blind eye to what she's done. I just hope I can still reach her."
"Me too. But if not... you have to be prepared to let her go, Coco."
>"I know. I can't promise I'll be able to, Anon, but... I'll try. Either way though, I won't let myself go anywhere with Gin. I can't go back to that. I can't."
>She squeezes her eyes shut, and a shudder runs through her body
>Reflexively, you pull Coco tighter against you
"You won't. You're never gonna have to go through that again, Coco. I won't let it."
>"Thanks, Anon."
>Coco's tail curls around your leg
>Something clicks in your head at that moment
>This pony... this is a pony you could spend forever with
>The mare you currently have clutched in your arms is a mare you wouldn't mind waking up to for the rest of your life
"From now on, you're gonna be nothing but safe and warm. I promise you that."
>You bury your face in Coco's mane, the scent of her flowery vanilla shampoo filling your head
>One of her hooves brushes over your hand
>"The same goes for you, Anon. I... I know why you're here."
"Why I'm here?"
>"In Equestria. What you told me, about being from another world. About not wanting to tell me how you got here. Back in your world, you... you tried to do what Twilight did, didn't you?"
"I... yeah. I did."
>"I could see it on your face. As soon as we got there. Now that I think about it... it makes sense, in a weird way. I needed somepony to protect me from Gin. You needed somepony to protect you from yourself. Now... I guess the universe brought us both here."
"Damn, that's pretty... wow, Coco."
>"Maybe it's just silly, I don't know."
"No, that's beautiful. And, if I can say so, you're definitely a pony worth transcending time and space for."
>"Oh, stop~. You're not so bad yourself, when you're not being a grouch."
>You chuckle, and kiss the back of her neck
>Coco wraps the blankets closer around the two of you, and sleep quickly overtakes you
 
>You wake up on the floor somehow, with Coco tangled in her blankets on top of you
>The sun is high in the sky already; the two of you must have slept late
>Figures, you were completely exhausted
>You place Coco back on the bed, giving her a pat on the head before moving into the kitchen
>The cookbook Twilight gave you is still on the counter, and you page through it until you find a decently-simple french toast recipe
>Digging the ingredients from Coco's fridge, you set the toast to grill and rejoin your marefriend on the bed
>Coco's fast asleep still, not even stirring when you sit down next to her
>Your hand strokes along her side, fingers trailing through her silky coat
>She's so pretty it almost makes your eyes water to look at her
>Back in the kitchen, breakfast continues to sizzle in the pan
>You scoops the first slices of toast onto a plate, then root through Coco's pantry for some syrup
>All the while, you try to make plans for later
>Suri will probably come by to grab Coco at some point
>You figure the two of you could just wait here for her
>But another part of you wants to take the fight to her
>This time, you can be the one who pops up uninvited
>If Coco catches her off guard, maybe she'll have a better chance of convincing Suri of her innocence and Gin's wrongdoings
>Or maybe not
>There's a distinct possibility this could end in a lot of tears
>You just hope you'll be able to comfort Coco if her friend really does choose to go her separate way
>As much as you hate Suri, you'd hate seeing a sad Coco even more
>Just as you've finished breakfast preparations, a sleepy Coco rounds the corner into the kitchen
>She looks strangely naked without her collar and bow-thing
>"G'morning, Anon. Whuzzat?"
>She gestures to the table
"Breakfast. You like french toast?"
>Coco nods, rubbing her eyes
>You slap two slices onto her plate, slathering them syrup
>Coco chows down eagerly, all signs of tiredness quickly fading from her
>"This is really good, Anon! Your cooking skills have improved fast!"
"Aww, you..."
>You ruffle Coco's mane from your spot next to her on the floor
>She really needs to get a bigger table, doesn't she?
>Coco finishes her last few bites, washing them down with a glass of orange juice
>You reach up and wipe a little syrup from her muzzle
"Messy pony."
>Coco sticks her tongue out at you, before carrying her dishes to the sink
>"Has Suri come by yet?"
>She asks it completely matter-of-factly, but the mention of that mare still sets your nerves on edge
"Not that I know of. You expecting her?"
>"She won't wait long for me. Before too long, she'll be by to try and drag me back."
>She shivers
>"I don't wanna go back, Anon..."
"You're not going to, Coco. I'm gonna call some friends over just in case, okay?"
>"Okay. But remember, I want to speak to Suri myself, okay?"
"Right. I just want to make sure she doesn't try anything funny. I'm not gonna let her take you, Coco."
>Coco lays a hoof against your thigh
>"Thanks, Anon."
"Now, let's get ready. We've got a big day ahead of us, don't we?"
>"Big... that might not be the word I'd use to describe it."
"Okay, we've got an insane, dangerous day ahead of us. Does that sound better?"
>Coco smiles sadly
>"Well, it's more accurate."
 
>Outside, the bleak weather from yesterday has coalesced into the makings of a killer thunderstorm
>A few ominous booms sound in the distance as you and Coco traverse the ground
>The grass sways underneath you, the light breeze reminiscent of bated breath
>"So, where are we going, exactly?"
"We're going to find some friends of mine."
>"Friends? Anon, I told you I want to confront Suri on my own."
"They're not for Suri. They're for Gin."
>"For Gin?"
"Mhm. I want to make sure he doesn't get an opportunity to try any sleazy shit."
>"Alright... honestly, I'm more worried about Suri. She's going to be so mad, Anon. I hate it when she's mad at me."
>You lay your hand gently between Coco's ears
"You can do it, Coco. Just remember, even if she gets mad at you, you're still trying to help her. One day, she's bound to realize that."
>"You think so?"
"Of course. Suri may be mean, but she's not dumb, right?"
>"Right. I just hope she listens..."
>You and Coco continue your walk until you end up at Sweet Apple Acres
>AJ answers the door of her rustic little home, looking like she hasn't slept in a while
>"Oh, g'morning Anon. Coco. What can I help y'all with?"
>AJ rubs her eyes, yawning
"You remember that pony I told you about last night?"
>The farmpony and junior fashionista exchange awkward looks
>"The one who... who hurt her?"
"Yeah, that's the one. He's arriving in town today."
>"Today?"
>AJ's eyes widen in surprise
>"Ya mean that monster's gonna be here in Ponyville?"
"Pretty much. He's going to take Coco's friend with him, if he can. I'm hoping you can help me explain to her what he's done, and make sure that shitbag never shows up here again."
>AJ runs a hoof through her mane
>"Well... I guess I did say I'd help ya, didn't I? And I can't let a scumbag like that stay in my town. So... sure, Anon. What's the plan?"
"Well... that's a good question."
>"Well, here. Come inside, and we'll discuss this over some nice cider."
>AJ waves you inside, leading you to her kitchen
>You and Coco sit together at the worn-down wooden table, and AJ carries in few mugs of the bubbly apple drink
>It's delicious, as ever
>"Is there anything else I can get for ya?"
>You look to Coco, and you both shake your heads
>AJ's clearly trying to make up for her previous rudeness toward the two of you, and you'd rather not take advantage of her attempts
>The farmpony slides into a seat across from you
>"So... what're ya thinkin', Anon?"
"Uhh... well, I have an idea. It might be stupid, but it's something."
>Coco looks up, interested
"You know how Pinkie has an obsession with throwing parties every time someone new arrives in town?"
>AJ nods
"If we have her throw one for Gin, it'd be a good way to trap him in a conversation. If we can get him to admit what happened with Coco..."
>"Then I can make sure the rest of my friends know he's telling the truth, and make sure he never gets near Ponyville again."
"Yeah, that."
>"And maybe, if Suri hears the real story, she'll finally... she might try and be my friend again."
>Coco clacks her hooves together in front of her chest
>All three of you fall silent, processing the details of the newly-formed plan
>"Well... I'd better go find Pinkie, then. She's been awful down in the dumps ever since what happened with Twilight. Maybe somethin' like this'll cheer her up a bit. I guess helpin' out a new friend would do us all some good."
>Coco's ears perk up at the words 'new friend'
>You slip an arm over her withers
"Right. So... off to Sugar Cube Corner, I guess?"
 
>AJ and Coco accompany you to the Ponyville-famous bakery
>You make sure to take as wide a path around Rarity's boutique as you can, knowing Suri might still be staying there
>She could be anywhere in town, you figure
>The thought of Suri out there, looking for you and Coco, gives you a vaguely slasher movie-esque feeling
>AJ opens the door to the store, where you find Mrs. Cake working behind the counter
>She's smiles brightly when she sees
>"Hello there Applejack, Anonymous. Who's the new friend?"
"This is Coco. Is Pinkie here?"
>"Pinkie? Yeah, she's here. Been in her room all day. What happened to Twilight really shook the poor girl up."
"Can we talk to her? I think we've got an idea that might cheer her up."
>"Sure thing. I'll go get her."
>Mrs. Cake disappears up the stairs, reappearing a few minutes later with a deflated-looking Pinkie in tow
>The normally bubbly pony has creases under her eyes, and her mane hangs in limp curls along the side of her head
>"Hey guys. Is there any word on Twilight?"
>"Still hasn't woken up, last thing I heard."
>Pinkie hangs her head
>"Oh... right... Well, what's up? You guys want some cupcakes?"
>"Actually, Anon had somethin' he wanted ta ask ya."
>Pinkie looks to you
"Well, Pinkie, uh... I heard we've got a new pony in town, and..."
>You realize now how scummy it would be to lie to Pinkie right now
>Asking her to throw a party for a pony you despise, only for you to ruin it with drama?
>Not really cool
"I could use your help."
>"My help? What with?"
>Pinkie perks up a little, obviously curious
"I need you to plan a party."
>"A party? Well, Anon, you've come to the right pony!"
>She reaches under the store's counter, procuring an impossibly vast array of colorful objects: party hats, rolls of streamers, already-inflated balloons, and a full-size cake
>"What kinda party? A birthday party? Anniversary party? Graduation party? Communist party? Party-because-you-want-to party?"
"Actually, it's going to be a different kind of party."
>"Ooooh, a new kind of party? What kind?"
"Well, you see... there's a new pony in town, and..."
>"A welcome-to-Ponyville party! Good idea!"
"Not exactly."
>"Not exactly? What do you mean?"
"This pony who's coming to town... he's a bad pony. I need you to lure him somewhere with a party so we can try to get him to expose what he's done."
>"Oooooh, you mean a Guilt-Exposition-Red-Herring Party! Silly Anon, why didn't you just say so?"
"I... uh... okay. Yeah. Great. How quickly do you think you can have it ready?"
>"Well, in about..."
>A pink blur flashes across your vision, making your eyes water
>When you regain your eyesight, the entire room is perfectly decorated to Pinkie Pie party standards
>"...two-thirds of a second. Does everything look okay?"
>You scan the room, head aching as you try to make sense of what the hell just happened
"Uh... yeah. Looks great. Now we just have to find those two, I guess. The question is, where?"
>"Oooh! I know! Why don't you try the train station?"
"Train station? Makes about as much sense as anything, I guess."
>You kneel down in front of Coco
"You stay here. I'm gonna bring Gin and Suri back. AJ, can you get the other Elements?"
>AJ nods
"Alright. Coco... what does Gin look like?"
>Coco ponders for a moment
>"He's taller than most ponies. And handsome, I guess. Blond mane, dark brown fur. And his voice... you'll know him when you hear him talk. Other ponies don't talk the way he does."
>You're about to ask Coco to clarify what she means by that last line, but you can tell that making her remember Gin is hard enough already
>Poor girl, today's going to be hard for her, isn't it?
>You make a mental note to treat Coco like a little princess as soon as the two of you get home
>But for now, you place a small kiss on her ear, and head out to find your least favorite ponies
 
>You remember approximately where Ponyville's train station is
>It's called 'Friendship Junction' or some other suitably retarded name
>You glance around, realizing you don't know when the train is even set to arrive
>Those two could already be--
>"Oh, there you are."
>Christ, her voice feels like a constant kick to the nuts
>"Thought you'd try to steal my assistant away, huh? Clever, for a monkey. Where is she?"
>You turn slowly, dreading having to look at Suri for even one more second
>The purple mare stands there, face rife with hatred as she stares you down
>You resist the urge to pick the mare up and toss her against a tree
>Next to Suri stands a pony that could only be Gin
>He's tall, meets Coco's color descriptions, and positively radiates smugness
>You meet his eyes, chills overtaking you as you realize you're staring into the face of the stallion who raped Coco
>Next to your side, your fist clenches
>He's half your size, and definitely not a pony bodybuilder
>You could pound this piece of garbage into blond goo right here, if you wanted to
>But you need him to expose himself in front of Suri
>As much as you hate the purple bitch, she means a lot to Coco
>After all your marefriend has been through, you feel the universe owes her a chance to get her best friend back
>So, you force yourself to smile
"Hey there, Suri. Somebody sure is grouchy today. Coco's back at Sugarcube Corner. We've cooked up a little surprise for you."
>Acting at its finest right here
>You can't tell if Suri's buying it or not, but Gin steps ahead of her
>"A surprise? Well, isn't that something. Is this really the guy you were complaining so much about? He doesn't seem too bad."
>Coco was right, his voice does sound off
>It's not anything as overt as a weird accent, his manner of speaking just doesn't match up with that of most ponies
>You can tell he possesses a sinister intelligence, a kind of smarts beyond what a pony like Twilight has
>This stallion is a master manipulator
>"So, whattaya say? Let's see this surprise."
>"Gin, deary, you're not really going to follow this nutjob, are you? He's just trying to pull some stupid trick on you, mkay?"
>"A trick? Nonsense, look at this guy. I can tell he's someone I'd like to get to know."
>You nearly throw up
>"You worry to much, Suri. C'mon, buddy, let' see where this surprise is."
>He has such an easy, friendly, complimentary air about him
>If you didn't know what a horrible, vile thing he is, you'd probably have fallen for it
"Alrighty. Follow me."
>You keep your smile as bright and friendly as possible, waving for them to follow
>Suri looks between you and Gin, and sighs
>"Ugh, fine. But this had better not take long, mmkay? I'd like to get back to Manehattan sometime tonight."
"Sure, sure, it'll be quick. Now let's go!"
 
>You make certain that it's not quick
>As far as you know, Suri has no idea where Sugarcube Corner is
>So, you take the most roundabout path possible through Ponyville, ensuring that AJ, Pinkie, and Coco have plenty of time to gather the other three Elements
>Other three...
>Fuck, you hope Twilight is okay
>But you can't worry about her right now
>Right now, you have a friendship to help repare
>"Hey, buddy, are you sure we're going the right way? Seems like we've been walking an awfully long time. We wouldn't want to keep this lady waiting, would we?"
>He jostles Suri, who blushes deeply
>Christ, how is she so smitten with this asshole?
"I'm just taking the long way. Figured I'd give you a bit of an impromptu tour of the town. Plus, I need to give my friends time to make sure the surprise is ready."
>"Alright, alright..."
>Suri grumbles. stepping closer to Gin
>He seems to take no notice of her, eyes wandering across the buildings around you
>"Quite a quaint little place, isn't it? Nothing like Manehattan."
>Suri laughs, even though you're pretty sure that wasn't a joke
>"It's an absolute dump. I have no idea how anypony can live in a place like this."
>"Well, I wouldn't call it a dump. It has certain charm, I'm sure, for simpler folk."
>This time, he joins her in laughter
 
>The three of you take about twenty more minutes to arrive at Sugarcube Corner, thanks to your delays
>Suri's whining gets worse and worse as you go on, but Gin remains almost disconcertingly calm
>It's like he's expecting something
>When you do get there though, you notice that all the lights in the bakery are out, leaving the place dark
>"It looks empty. Did you honestly drag us all this way just to waste time, you stupid monkey?"
>"Now Suri, calm down. I'm sure he's got something for us, don't you?"
>You see a wicked gleam in his eye, and you realize what he's thinking
>He's waiting for you to lead him to Coco
>He must think Coco sent you out here to get him, or something
>Fucking sleeze
>You push the door open, revealing a dark, lonely interior
>Gin follows you in, the look in his eye approaching something disgustingly close to hunger
>This party had better be over quickly, or you're going to kill this motherfucker
>Suri steps in last
>"What the hay is all this? Some run-down bakery? I swear, Rarity should have never let you off your lea--"
>"SURPRISE!"
>The lights fly on, and each of the Elements, minus Twilight, pops out from behind a random piece of furniture
>Suri shrieks in surprise, but Gin merely raises an eyebrow
>Pinkie materializes in front of him, plopping a party hard onto his slicked-back hair
>"Heeeeey you! Welcome to Ponyville!"
>She procures a slice of cake, and confetti explodes around her
>Despite the seriousness of the situation, you can't help but smile a little
>She did this same thing to you when you first arrived
>You fucking hated it
>Gin seems to take the whole thing in stride, eyes glancing around the room for his prize
>You notice his eyes seem to hover over Rarity, and you swear his tongue darts out to lick his lips
>At your sides, your fingers twitch in a desire to wrap around his skinny neck
>"Well, isn't this delightful. Thank you, all of you. Sadly, I won't be staying long. It so happens I'm looking for somepony here."
>"Oh?"
>Pinkie responds, her face the picture of innocence
>"Who's that?"
>Gin smiles
>"Her name's Coco Pommel. Little mare, blue mane, sort of a creamy coat. And the most delicate voice you've ever heard."
>You notice Suri's flash of annoyance
>"Yeah, they know who Coco is. Rarity, where is she?"
>"I don't know. I haven't seen her in days."
>"In days!? Then where is she? Stupid little rat, always trying to ruin my... Forget it, we're leaving without her."
>Gin places a hoof over her mouth
>"Now now, Suri, don't be hasty. She must be somewhere around here."
>Suri dodges away from Gin
>"Last I heard, she was getting really friendly with the shaved monkey over there."
>She points accusingly at you
>Gin raises an eyebrow
>"Oh? Was she now?"
>He turns to you, that unnerving smile once again on his face
>"Well, Mr... Anonymous, was it? Have you seen my dear little Coco?"
>Suri's frown deepens
"Nope. Haven't seen her since yesterday. She was talking about leaving town."
>You think you know what the others are planning, and you do your best to play along
>"Leaving town? Now where could she be going? Surely one of you must know."
"I'm afraid not. She seemed awful upset about something, too."
>"Upset? Upset by what?"
>For a moment, fear flickers on Gin's face
"That's a good question. You seem like you know Coco pretty well. Any idea what she might be talking about."
>Gin puts on an air of deepest concern
>"None whatsoever, sadly. But it pains me greatly to know that my little Coco is in trouble."
>"Well, he's lyin' about somethin'."
>AJ steps up behind you, eyes focused on Gin
>The bartender pony's eyes widen, but he quickly regains composure
>"Lying? Whatever do you mean? I feel nothing but concern for my dear Coco."
>AJ opens her mouth to say something, but Suri cuts her off
>"Could you please quit calling her that, Gin? She doesn't deserve praise from a stallion like you."
>Gin pushes Suri away
>"Nonsense. I'm just searching for my friend. It's been so long since I've seen little Coco. She couldn't have gotten far, could she?"
"She could have, seeing as no one's seen her in a long time."
>You think you see sweat breaking out along Gin's brow
>"Well... Suri, if you wouldn't mind..."
>"You aren't seriously going to ask me to help you find that little waste of space, are you?"
>"I... well, if you're not willing to help, I'll understand, but..."
>"Oh my Celestia! You're actually trying to find her, aren't you!"
>Suri's voice reaches such a shrill note that your ears ache
>"Of course I am, Suri darling. She's been my friend as long as you have..."
>"Your friend? Your FRIEND?! You just want to go behind my back with her again, don't you!?"
>Suri's in Gin's face now, turning even purpler with rage
>"Oh course not, darling. You know you're the only one I really love."
>AJ speaks up from behind you
>"That's a lie."
>Gin sighs, turning to face the orange farmpony
>"My dear, can't you see this is between me and my marefriend here."
>Suri relaxes a little at the word 'marefriend,' but she's still obviously unhappy
>"I can. I just thought she deserved to know that you're tellin' a big 'ole lie."
>"Oh, am I? And how would you know?
>"Element of Honesty. Ain't a pony alive, 'cept maybe the princesses, who can lie without me spottin' it."
>"I... hah. Cute. Still, this is between--"
>"This is between you and me, Gin. But I'd like to hear the truth from you for once."
>"The truth?"
>Gin glances around the room, definitely starting to sweat now
>"The truth is that I love you, Suri dear. I'll admit I enjoy Coco's company quite a bit, but there's no way I'd ever prefer a little thing like her over a real mare like you."
>As much as you hate Gin, he definitely has sweet-talking down to an art
>Unfortunately, the power of bullshit pales in comparison to the power of friendship, or something
>You think your balls just shrank slightly
>"Another lie. Suri, I'm startin' to think this guy ain't all that trustworthy."
>"Would you shut--!"
>Gin quickly regains his composure
>"Listen. I don't know what's going on here. Suri, dearest, please don't tell me you really believe this hick can read your thoughts."
>"Who you callin' a hick?"
>AJ says in the hick-est accent imaginable
>"An' I'm not readin' yer thoughts. I can just tell when yer lyin'."
>"As if I'd believe that. Suri dear, please, let's just get out of here, and find Coco."
>"Ugh, more about that stupid filly! If you really want her so badly, why don't you go find her yourself?"
>"What? Darling, I'm just trying to reconnect with a long-lost friend. I thought you would understand."
>"Well I don't!"
>Tears begin to flow down Suri's cheeks, her eyes widening in pain and hysteria
>"You told me you loved me, Gin! You promised! Now here you are, chasing after Coco, just like before..."
>Gin looks to you, then to AJ, then to Suri
>Sweat is evident on his forehead now, as the careful threads of his plan begin to unravel around him
>"No, I... look, Suri, babe, you're right. Let's forget about Coco. We'll go back to Manehattan, just you and me. I've made mistakes, I know, but I can change. It'll be just you and me, our own little family."
>He wipes the tears from Suri's face, planting a kiss on the tip of her nose
>"Gin, you... you really mean it?"
>"Of course. You're the one I really want. I could never lose you."
>You look over to AJ
>She mouths 'lie'
>As if you needed to know that
>Gin's obviously lying to Suri, but if the two of them leave...
>Suri's life will be a hell of abuse and neglect at Gin's hooves
>You fucking despise the purple cunt, but you don't hate her enough to let her live with that
>Gin wraps his foreleg around Suri after kissing her
>"Let's leave these country folk to themselves, and get back to our new life, hmm?"
>Suri smiles radiantly through her tears
>"Gin, I... yes, please, let's go..."
>Just as you've opened your mouth to say something, however, a different voice interrupts yours
>"Wait!"
>Coco appears on the stairs, her mouth set in a line of determination
>A look of genuine relief appears on Gin's face
>"Coco! Darling, where were you? They said you'd left!"
>Gin rushes toward her, but you and AJ step in his way
>"Whoa, there. Easy, you two. I just want to say hello."
"You say if plenty from right there."
>"Oh come on, what's this about? Just let me hug my sweet little Coco."
"I think you know why we can't let you do that."
>"Me? I have no idea what you're talking about."
>"That there's a lie."
"Thanks, AJ."
>"A lie? Now you're just pointing hooves. Coco, darling, just come with me. Suri and I are headed back to Manehattan, and you're more than invited."
>"Her!? I thought you said it would be just you and me!"
>"Please, Suri, darling..."
>"You're still lying to me, aren't you!?"
>"He is!"
>AJ chimes in for confirmation
>"No! Never! Suri, please, I just want the three of us to be together, like we used to."
>"Why!? You just want to go behind my back with her again! Dammit, Gin, why!? Why!? Am I not good enough for you!? Was I ever good enough!? Please, just... just... oh, Celestia..."
>Suri presses a hoof against her face, trying to hide the mess of tears now flowing down her cheeks
>Gin looks frantically from her to Coco
>You've got him trapped now
>What's this scumbag going to try now, you wonder?
>Gin closes his eyes, taking a deep breath
>And laughs
>It starts off as a small chuckle, but quickly grows until he's holding his belly, guffawing
>"Wow. Just... wow. Is this some kind of joke? Or has everypony here gone completely insane?"
>Gin looks around, as if expecting one of you to answer
>Suri stares at him through reddened, tear-stained eyes, face drawn in rage and pain
>Coco is all determination, but you can see fear in her eyes
>Having to look this pony in the eye again must be awful for her
>"No joke? So, let me get this straight: the six --no, seven-- of you gathered here, just to try and embarrass me in front of my marefriend?"
>He smiles easily, stepping closer to Suri
>"This would be funnier, I suppose, if I were a little younger. But now... this is just sad. I don't know what I ever did to you all to deserve something like this."
"It's not what you did to us. It's what you did to Coco."
>The change in Gin's face is subtle, but you're paying just enough attention to catch it
>He knows; he knows you know
>"I have no idea what you're on about."
>"That's a lie!"
>Thanks, AJ
>"Gin, what are they talking about now?"
>The amount of vitriol in Suri's voice is music to your ears
>"I have no idea! Honestly, Suri, do you trust these bumpkins?"
>"I trust them more than I trust you right now!"
>Gin recoils from Suri's fury
>He begins looking around the room, obviously grasping at straws, until his eyes land on Coco
>"Coco, girl, you know nothing bad's happened between us, right? Tell them."
>He says the last sentence amicably enough, but you detect a hint of a threat in his voice
>Which makes you hate him all the more
>Coco shakes her head
>"It's too late. I told Anonymous. He knows what you did."
>Gin glances up at you
>"Oh? Anonymous, come now, you don't really believe this mare, do you? She's clearly jealous of her more-dashing friend here."
>He tries to pat Suri's back, but the purple mare scoots away from him
>Gin looks to Suri, biting his bottom lip in frustration
>"She's lying! How can any of you believe this?"
>"Because we know it's not a lie."
>AJ tips her hat towards Gin, winking
>His face pales
>"But-- but-- ugh, fine. Come on, Suri. We'll leave with her, then."
>He turns to leave, only to find the doors locked
>"What in the--?"
>He tries to unlock them himself, only to find the mechanism jammed with bubblegum
>Thank you, Pinkie
>He turns back to you, face drawn taught with barely-controlled rage
>"Unlock these doors. Now."
"Not gonna happen. Not until you admit what you did to Coco."
>"Admit? There's nothing to admit! I've done nothing to her!"
>"Lie."
>Gin whirls on AJ, and for a moment you think he's going to attack her
>You almost want him to, it'd give you and her an excuse to stomp his ass
>"Actually, Anon..."
>The tension temporarily defuses as everyone turns to look at Coco
>She blushes from the sudden spurt of attention, crossing her hind legs
>"I'd actually prefer that he not tell everyone. Just Suri."
>You stare blankly at Coco for a few moments until you understand what she's saying
"Right, yeah. Guys, can me, purple, and evil have a few minutes together?"
>"Sure thing, Anon! Call me if you need me!"
>Pinkie bounds up the stairs, with the rest of the Elements in tow
>Coco stops Applejack as she passes
>"Wait, um, Ms. Applejack?"
>"What is it, sugarcube?"
>"I was wondering if you could, um... stay with us. I want to make sure that Gin tells the truth."
>AJ pats Coco on the head
>"You got it, partner. Let's hogtie this varmint."
>The two of them rejoin you on the floor, forming a crude circle at the center of the room
>Suri's keeping her distance from Gin now, the fur of her cheeks now matted with tears
>Gin looks like a caged animal, eyes darting furiously around the room as he tries to come up with a plan
>Unfortunately for him, there's nowhere to go
"Alright, scumbag. Tell your 'marefriend'--"
>You make some obnoxious air quotes around 'marefriend'
"--what you did to Coco here."
>"I did nothing!"
>"Lie!"
>Gin grits his teeth, staring pure hatred into AJ
>"Listen, will all of you just stop this farce? Just let me go. This little minx will never have to hear from me again, if that's what she really wants."
>He spits toward Coco
>"Just let me take Suri, and go."
>"No."
>Suri's voice reflects her sadness, but still possesses her strength and bitchy attitude beneath
>"I want to know what you're hiding from me, Gin. Explain."
>"Suri, babe, it's nothing, really. Coco's obviously lying, she wants you upset at me so she can have me for herself."
>"And you want her too, dammit! I can tell, Gin! I can see it in the way you look at her! You never cared about me, or my work, or anything! All you ever wanted was her..."
>Suri stamps her hoof, biting her lips to try and hold in her tears
>"Suri, babe, no. You're the only one I love--"
>"Lie."
>"Shut up!"
>Gin tries to pull Suri into an embrace, but she pushes him away
>"You never loved me at all, did you? It was all for her. For that stupid, stupid little creature!"
>She whirls on Coco
>"You! Why can't you let me be happy!? Everything I have, you take away from me! Why!? Why can't you just let me be happy for once!? Why!? Why...."
>Suri slumps to the floor, her face a mess
>Gin's sweating hard now
>He glances toward the window, and you realize his intentions a split second before he moves
>Curling back on his hind legs, he launches himself towards the glass panes, forelegs in front of his face to shield against the impact
>You throw yourself on top of him, tackling the pony to the ground
>The two of you hit the ground with a smack, and you roll to avoid right-out killing him
>As it is, he seems to deflate a little at you land, emitting a cry of pain
>Coco rushes to your side to make sure you're okay, while Gin just lies there, groaning
>You don't see any physical sings of damage, but his labored breathing indicates that he didn't land too well
>Standing, you pull the pony to his hooves
>"Let... me... go... you... damn... barbarian..."
>He's wheezing pretty bad
>You hope he can catch his breath long enough to spill the metaphorical beans
"Alright, you. Unless you want that to happen again, I'd suggest you tell us all what exactly happened between you and this ANGEL OF A MARE."
>You direct the last words at Suri
>"Buck... you... she's lying..."
>"No she's not, partner. Now, how long are ya gonna keep this up?"
>Gin sighs
>"I need... a hospital..."
"You'll get one. Maybe. Depends on if you tell the truth or not."
>Gin looks at you with so much hatred, you're half surprised his eyeballs don't catch fire
>"Alright. Bucking dammit, alright... I made her mine... She was a stupid, naive filly... so I turned her into MY stupid, naive little filly... It's her own fault, little minx... never stood up for herself... never fought back... You're still mine, you little... little..."
>Gin winces in pain, clutching at his chest
>Suri's looking up at him, horror dawning on her face
>"Gin, are you saying... are you saying what I think you're saying?"
>"I don't care what you're thinking... stupid bucking horse... always self obsessed, always boring... Coco's mine. I'll make her mine again."
 
>Suri's pupils have shrunken to pinpoints now, and she gazes at Gin with abject horror
>"You... Gin, please don't tell me you really... Coco... oh, Celestia"
>Her face is deathly pale now
>"Of course I did... Little vixen deserved it... it'll happen to her again... next time, she'll wish it was me...
>Suri looks from her former lover over at her former assistant, quaking in horror
>Then leans over the bench she's sitting in, and throws up
>You drop Gin, relishing his resulting cry of pain, and put your foot to his chest
"So, you admit to raping this mare?"
>"Yes, I bucking admit... stupid animal... horse deserved it..."
>AJ looks Gin over, disgust rife on her face
>"Well, he's not lyin'. That enough for you, captain Armor?"
>Captain who?
>From the darkness of the kitchen, a muscular white stallion steps into view
>His mane is a blue striped pattern that reminds you vaguely of Twilight
>"That's enough for me. I'll be taking this sorry bag of fur back to Canterlot with me."
>His aura wraps around Gin, lifting him a few feet into the air
"Wait, um, captain? Before you go, could I...?"
>You motion toward Gin with your hand
>"Eh, I won't tell anyone."
"Thanks."
>You pull your hand behind your head, and slam your fist into Gin's face
>His nose shatters against your knuckles, blood dripping onto the floorboards
>Crying in pain, the monstrous stallion wriggles in the guard pony's aura
>"Not bad. Alright, I'm taking off. Hopefully, we'll put this guy away for a nice long time. Maybe even some time on the moon. But when I get back..."
>He looks directly at you
>"I'd like ta talk to you, Anon."
"Me? Why--"
>Before you can finish, he teleports out of existence, taking Gin with him
>For a few seconds, the only sound in the room is Suri's wailing sobs
>You collapse into a chair, breathing heavily
>Coco walks over to you, laying her head against your shoulder
>The two of you watch Suri, unsure of what to do
>Her crying is grating on your already-frayed nerves
>Gradually though, Suri goes from unconsolable wailing, to sobbing, to blubbering, and finally just to a silent, teary sniffling, head lying on her forelegs
>It's hard to even understand what she's crying about; shouldn't she be happy to be rid of Gin, knowing what he's done?
>Suri slowly lifts her head, red puffy eyes landing on Coco
>"C-C-C-Coco... p-p-p-please..."
>Crying has ruined her voice, completing her pathetic appearance
>"I-I-I n-n-never m-m-meant... I d-d-d-didn't kn-kn-know..."
>You raise an eyebrow at Coco, then look over to AJ
>None of you have any idea what's going on
>Suri doesn't seriously think she can fix things by apologizing, does she?
>Slowly, the purple mare drags herself from her desk, and over to Coco
>She falls at her previous assistant's hooves
>"C-C-Coco, p-please... I-I-I n-never knew he... I d-d-didn't think he w-was..."
>She takes a shaky breath, trying to calm herself
>"It really looked like you were ch-cheating. I c-c-couldn't have known. P-p-please understand..."
>Coco just stares straight ahead, not even acknowledging the other pony
>To everyone else, Coco probably looks completely stoic
>But you can see the pain reflected in her eyes
>Ignoring her former best friend must be incredibly painful to the poor mare
>"Coco, please! I r-realize now! I realize wh-what you w-w-were to me. P-please don't do this..."
>Coco's practically a statue
>Suri wraps her forelegs around Coco's, tugging on them in an effort to get the cream mare's attention
>"I p-promise, I'll d-do anything... please don't l-leave me. I-if you leave, I'll h-have no one. P-please Coco."
>She kisses Coco's forelegs, right above her hooves
>"Please... anything you want, I promise... please don't leave me alone."
>Coco sighs, staring coldly down at Suri
>"What do you have that I would ever want?"
>Holy fuck, she's like ice
>You know how badly Coco wanted Suri as a friend again
>How is she maintaining this act so well?
>"What do I... I have connections, Coco. You and me, together. I can get you the fame you deserve."
>"You mean the fame you've been stealing from me?"
>"I... yes. The fame I've stolen from you. It'll all be yours. I'll... I'll be the assistant now. You were always better than me, Coco. You can yell at me and throw coffee on me... whatever you need to do. Please, don't leave me alone."
>Suri kisses Coco's legs again, before pressing her face into the ground in a gesture of supplication
>Coco sighs, her stony demeanor finally shattering around her
>She reaches down, and slowly picks Suri up
>Suri's eyes widen, and her ruined face slowly breaks into a smile
>"Coco?"
>*SMACK!*
>Coco slaps Suri, hard, across the face
>The purple mare is stunned, for second, before her face twists back into a pained expression as tears fill her eyes once more
>Then Coco wraps her forelegs around Suri, hugging her
>"C-Coco?"
>Coco pats the back of Suri's head
>"I can't forgive you for how you treated me, Suri. Not yet at least. But I can't hate you either. Hating you won't make you or me a better pony."
>Coco breaks her hug, holding Suri at foreleg's length
>"Does that mean...?"
>"We can't be friends yet, Suri. But you can be my assistant, if that's what you want."
>"Oh, yes! Thank you, Coco!"
>This time, it's Suri pulling your cream marefriend into her embrace
>"Thank you, thank you, thank you..."
>She nuzzles her face into Coco's neck
>You notice that Coco's composure is close to breaking, but she manages to remain stoic
>Suri gives Coco a little squeeze, before pulling away
>Coco doesn't even acknowledge her friend
>She turns to you next
>"Anonymous, I... I don't like you. But... I guess I've treated you worse than you deserve. I'd apologize, but... well, I don't think you'd wanna hear it."
"I don't really care. Coco's the one you hurt. She's the the one who you need to worry about."
>Suri looks up to her former apprentice
>"I... yes. I guess you're right, for once."
>Suri bows her head before Coco again
>"Well, Co-- Ms. Pommel... if you need me for anything I'll be... well I don't know where I'll be. But I promise you I'll be a much better assistant than I ever was as a manager."
>Coco *hmph*s
>"You'd better be. I want to see you at my house, nine o'clock tomorrow, sharp. Bring coffee."
>"Yes ma'am."
>"Now go. I don't want to see you before then."
>Suri nods, and slinks out of Sugar Cube Corner
>Pinkie opens the door for her
>Where the hell the party pony came from, you have no idea
>She waves you to as Suri leaves, before shutting the door again, leaving you alone with Coco and AJ
>Coco collapses into your lap, shivering
>"Oh, Celestia... Anon... I never knew I could be so mean..."
>Coco's looks like she's about to be sick
>You gently stroke her back
"Easy, easy. You did great, Coco. I never knew you were such an actor."
>"Well... neither did I, I guess. Oh no..."
>Coco sprints to the corner of the room, and is sick in a trashcan
>When she returns, she flops back into your lap, chest heaving
>It's pretty clear her nerves are shot, and she's exhausted to boot
>You gently pull her up into a sitting position, letting her rest against your chest
>Coco lays her head on your shoulder, her breath shaky as it flows across your neck
>AJ somewhat awkwardly looks away from the two of you, clacking her hooves together
>"I'll, uh, go tell the others what happened."
>She hops up from her chair, and heads up the stairs
>Once she's gone, you kiss Coco's forehead and wrap her tightly in your arms
"You really did great back there, cutie."
>"Thanks, Anon."
"Gin's never gonna hurt you again. Neither is Suri. You're safe now."
>Coco smiles up at you, before pecking you on the lips
>"I know. Thanks to you, Anon."
"I didn't do all the work. Remember what you said last night? You--"
>A cracking noise sounds throughout the room, and your eyes are dazzled by a sudden blue light
>The stallion from earlier is back, this time without Gin
>"Alright, Anon. Now that that's taken care of, how about you and me have our little chat?"
>You don't like the way he says 'chat'
"'Kay. What's up?"
>He raises an eyebrow
>"You seriously gonna act like you don't know? C'mon, Anon, I'm not as dumb as I look. Now out with it."
"Out with what?"
>He facehoofs
>"You're going to pretend you have no idea what happened to a certain purple, princess-y younger sister of mine?"
"Twilight? You mean--"
>You realize why his mane pattern looked so familiar
"You're Twilight's brother?"
>"Mhm. And captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard. So, Anon, I'd like you hope you'll give me a straight answer when I ask: what happened to Twily?"
"Well... that's a bit of a long explanation you're asking for."
>"I've got time."
"Okay then. So, uh..."
>You had honestly hoped you wouldn't have to tell this story ever again, but it looks like your wish was not granted
>Shining Armor, at least that's what you think Twilight called him, summons AJ back down, ensuring that you'll be telling him the truth
>And tell the truth you do
>To his credit, he shows no emotional reaction to anything you tell him, even the tale of his sister's attempted seduction
>AJ watches you as well, waiting for any hint of dishonesty
>By the time you finish the tale, you're holding Coco tightly for comfort
>Man, you hate recalling this stuff
>By the time you finish, AJ looks a little pale, but Shining seems mostly unaffected
>He nods, serenely
>"I see. Anon, could you stand for a moment?"
>You shrug, and place Coco onto a seat beside you before standing
>You turn to face the unicorn, wondering what exactly he wants
>Before you get a chance to react, he punches you in the stomach
>Hard
>You sink to your knees, doubled over and wheezing in pain
>"That's for almost getting my sister killed, jackass."
>Gritting your teeth against the pain, you nod
>You deserved that
>In fact, you probably deserve a lot more
>"But... you still did save her. So I'm going to spare you the gnarly beating I had planned."
>He lays his hoof on your shoulder
>Looking up, you see that he's smiling
>"Thanks, man.  Take care of her."
>Without another word, Shining turns and lets himself out of the building
>Coco rushes to your side
>"Anon! Are you okay?"
>"Y'alright, sugarcube? That was quite the hit you took."
"Ugh... yeah, I'm good. Can't pretend I didn't deserve that."
>Neither of them say anything, but they help you stagger back to a chair
"AJ... is there any chance you could bring us some water?"
>"Sure thing, sugarcube."
>The farmpony disappears into the kitchen, returning with a glass for you and Coco
>As you drink, you hear the rest of the Elements file back down from the stairs
>"So, um... how'd it go, darling?"
>Judging by the guilty expression on Rarity's and her friends faces, they already know
>Not that you can blame them, the four of you weren't exactly keeping your voices down
>Still, you fill them in on the details, just to make sure everyone's up to speed
>By the end of your story, the mood in the room is particularly somber
>Still... Gin's gone
>All in all, while things may have gotten ugly, it seems they've turned out okay
 
>Well, mostly okay
>You stop by the hospital to visit Twilight, who still has yet to awaken
>A pair of unicorns you can only assume are her parents are there, but you do your best to avoid them
>While you're sure they wouldn't attack you like their son, the look in their eyes would be too much for you
>You do manage get a moment alone with Twilight, thankfully
>Spike apparently has barely left her bedside, going as far as to bring his foster sister her favorite books while she sleeps
>You, however, have no such gesture to make
>Before you leave, you brush Twilight's mane away from her eyes
"C'mon, Twi. You can get through this. You're a very impressive princess, remember? Impress us all again. Please..."
>You fight back your own tears, waiting a few seconds to get your face under composure
>Once you're back to normal, you turn to leave
>AJ's rejoined the other Elements by now, leaving you alone with Coco
>Your marefriend takes your hand in her hooves, kissing your fingers
>You ruffle her mane in response
"Well... it's done. You're your own mare now, Coco."
>Coco nods
>"It's a weird feeling. I've never had so much... control over my own life before. It's honestly hard to know where to go next. I'm kinda... kinda scared."
"That's understandable. But you don't have to be. Remember, you've still got friends, Coco. Just because you can make your own decisions, doesn't mean you have to make them on your own."
>Coco nods
>"Right. Thanks, Anon."
>By the time you and Coco leave the hospital, the sun is already setting
>It's one of those days that feels much too long, yet strangely short at the same time
>Coco's so exhausted she can barely walk, and ends up riding on your shoulders again
>You carry her home, and the two of you collapse onto the couch together
>The pain from your stomach has mostly faded, replaced by the type of hunger that comes naturally with fatigue
>You raid Coco's fridge, preparing a heaping bowl of spaghetti for the two of you
>She digs into hers greedily, no doubt starved after such a traumatic day
>You annihilate your own plateful pretty quickly too, and the entire pot is gone after only fifteen minutes
>Belly full, you sink back into the couch, with Coco leaning against you
>Your marefriend pats her tummy contentedly, letting out a little burp
>"Anon?"
"What's up, Coco?"
>"I was wondering... Last night, you asked me what I wanted, and I told you. But... what do you want?"
"What do I want? That's easy, I..."
>You have no fucking idea what you want
>For months now, all you've wanted was for the drama to clear up
>Now that it almost has... what's next?
"I'm not sure. Whoa. I mean, I want Twilight to be okay. But... I mean, for just me... I don't know. I guess I just want a quiet, simple life with my favorite mare."
>You run your fingers through Coco's mane, and she smiles
>"Am I really your favorite?"
"Who else would it be? Suri? Fuck no."
>You close your eyes for a minute, trying to think of what to say next as Coco's hair flows through your fingers
"I guess that's what it all comes down to, really. I want to make sure you and my friends are happy. I don't want to see any of you end up like me."
>Coco kisses you so quickly she almost knocks your teeth out
>"I wouldn't mind more ponies like you, Anon. I think you're a lot better than you give yourself credit for."
"Eh."
>"Come on. How could you mean so much to so many ponies if you weren't a good stallion yourself? Do you think we're all crazy?"
"You... probably don't want me to answer that."
>Coco play-slaps you
>"Come on, Anon. You helped me overcome Gin, reunited me and Suri, saved Twilight..."
"Only after I nearly killed her..."
>Coco gives you a 'seriously?' look
>"Anon... Anon, Anon, Anon..."
"Coco, Coco, Coco..."
>Coco pulls herself onto her favorite spot on your chest, laying her head against the crook of your neck
>"There has to be something you want for yourself. Something you really care about. Some sort of dream."
"I mean, yeah, there is. But it's stupid."
>Another play slap
>"It is not! C'mon, Anon, just tell me!"
"Alright, alright, jeez. When I was young, I liked writing a lot. It was more of the shitty poetry I told you about. I always wanted to make it big one day, y'know? Have millions of people reading my stuff. I thought I could make people understand the each other a little better, and maybe make the world just a bit better."
>"Anon, that's incredible!"
"And stupid. I was never half the writer I thought I was. Learned that the hard way."
>There you go, being a sad sap again
>"That's not what matters, Anon. Success isn't really what matters, that's just something ponies like Suri think. What matters is passion, and doing what you love. If you love your poetry, that's the only reason you need to make it."
"I..."
>You're about to argue, but why bother?
"Thanks, Coco."
>"You don't have to thank me, Anon. I'm just trying to return a favor."
>She pats you on the head
>"Besides, your poetry couldn't have been that bad. Do you have any of it left?"
"Nope. It all got left behind. For the best, I'd assume."
>"Aww. Don't you remember any of it?"
"Not really."
>"Well, why don't you make one now? C'mon, Anon, I wanna hear your writing!"
"Make one now? About what?"
>"I dunno, pick something."
>Coco presses her face close to yours, filling almost your entire vision
>It's clear who she wants you to write about
"Alright, alright. Just gimme a minute."
>"Yay!"
>Coco lays back on your chest, waiting patiently
>You keep your hand atop her head, thinking
>Inspiration find you easily, strangely enough
>All your thoughts about Coco: the fear for her future, your love for her, your desire to protect her...
>They all seem to make sense inside your head, coalescing and waiting just behind your tongue
>When you open your mouth, the words flow out easily
"Stay with me, my little one
Don't disappear at break of day
Because I'll keep you safe as houses
If you promise me you'll stay
I can't pretend to be your Midas
I've no fortune, fame, nor gold
But I'll keep you close my little one
A shelter from the cold
I can't pretend I'm worth that much
But I'm certain that you are
So I'll carry up on my back
To keep you safe from harm
While I know that you've felt broken, betrayed
And scared so very long
But as long as I can hold you here
I'll make right every wrong
You know I love you, little one
And we'll weather darkened days
I can keep you safe as houses
If you'll promise me you'll stay"
>When you finish, Coco's staring at you, her face blank
>You give her an unsure smile in return
"Okay, it wasn't great, but I'll try to work on it some mo--"
>Coco kisses you, hard, pushing your face back into the couch cushions
>She starts with soft, cute little Coco-kisses, but quickly opens her mouth and presses her tongue against yours
>You reach up and wrap your arms around her midsection, cradling her there against your chest
>Coco's breath is hot, and you can feel sweat forming underneath her soft cream fur
>She reaches up to grab your face in her hooves, kissing you greedily
>You shift into a more comfortable position, and Coco ends up straddling your leg
>Something warm, and slightly wet presses against your thigh
>After what happened last time you made an advance on Coco, you're a little hesitant
>But you get a feeling it'll be different this time
>Slowly, you move a hand down Coco's back, circling around the base of her sleek blue tail to her plot
>It's so impossibly soft, and the little squeak Coco makes when you squeeze her hits you right in the heart
>And, well, somewhere else
>Coco must notice your arousal, because she kisses you even harder, clamping her lips against yours and salivating in your mouth with her passion
>You can feel her hips grinding against you, smearing her excitement all over your jeans
>Your free hand moves to the back of Coco's head, holding her at optimal kissing angle while you move from her plot to her soaked marehood
>The first finger slips in easily, causing Coco to shiver in delight
>You snag her tongue in between your lips, sucking at it as you slip a second finger into her, rubbing along her slippery insides until you find that tiny, slightly-rough patch
>Coco jolts in your grasp as soon as you make contact
>"Anon, that's... oh, wow..."
>You stroke across her spot slowly, kissing her nose and her forehead as you do so
>"Oh Celestia, Anon... don't stop... ah~"
>Your hand is soaked in Coco's juices, and it drips from your wrist as you slowly increase your pace
>"Ungh... ah... Anon... Anon... wait..."
>Coco moves a hoof to your hand, pull it away from her
>"I want you to... to..."
>You know what she means, even if she's too embarrassed to say it
>Coco's hoof fumbles with the zipper of your jeans, until your eager manhood springs from the fabric
>She gasps as your tip grazes her marehood
>"Ha~"
>Coco positions herself awkwardly over your crotch, ready to take you inside of her...
"Wait."
>"A-Anon?"
>You pull your erection back into your pants, and take Coco in your arms
"I want to do this properly."
>Holding Coco to your chest, you carry her to the bedroom, laying your marefriend on her bed
>She curls her forelegs against her chest, but leaves her hind legs splayed, revealing herself to you
>Coco's winking hard, staining the bed with her eagerness
>Slowly, you strip your clothing away until you stand naked before her
>Even in the darkness, you can see how hard Coco's blushing
>"Anon... I'm ready..."
>You position yourself on top of Coco, careful not to put too much weight on her little body
>She shivers at your touch, wrapping her hooves around your back
>Coco closes her eyes, and nods
>Taking that as the signal, you slowly push yourself into her
>Coco arches her back, gasping as you enter
>She feels amazing
>Not just to your dick, but everywhere
>Somehow, being with this mare feels so incredibly, transcendentally... right
>Your body seems to move on its own, adjusting easily to Coco's rhythm as you slide in and out of her
>Coco's clearly enjoying it as much as you are
>Her adorable little squeaks of pleasure increase in volume and frequency until the little mare is hollering her head off
>The neighbors must love you right now
>"Anon! I'm gonna--! I'm-- aaaahhhn~!"
>Jesus Christ, she's like a waterfall down there
>You're honestly not sure what to do now
>Rarity and the girls back home never got like this
>Should you give Coco some time to rest?
>As if sensing your hesitation, Coco calls out to you, words barely discernible amongst her shrieks of ecstasy:
>"D-don't stop! AH~!"
>Well, if she wants it, you'll give it to her
>You pour every once of strength you have into Coco, and it seems her bliss flows into you as well
>Her juices coat your legs now, and you're sure the sheets are a mess too
>When you finally reach your own climax, the relief hits you like a wall, knocking you back to the bed
>You barely manage to avoid crushing Coco, instead pressing your lips to hers as your love spills into her
 
>When your throes of pleasure calm, you roll onto your back, pulling Coco onto your chest
>She's panting hard, and shaking
>But not from fear
>Both of you are covered in sweat and essence of Coco
>Speaking of which, Coco's still shaking too hard to form coherent sentences
>"Oh, Celestia, Anon, that... that was... oh, wow... I... wow..."
>You smile, patting the back of her head until she calms down
>"You really meant it when you said you loved me, didn't you?"
"Of course I did, you crazy mare."
>You lift Coco up from the bed, and carry her into a the bathroom, filling the tub with hot water for the both of you
>Turns out, the second time bathing with Coco is just as good
>The two of you trade playful little kisses as you wash the exertion from your bodies
 
>After drying off (which leaves Coco hilariously poofy-looking), you find yourself back in the bedroom
>You pull the bedsheets off, replacing them with a clean set of spares
>Coco snuggles tightly against you, smelling of soap
>"Anon?"
"What is it, cutie?"
>"This is the safest I've felt in a long time. Thank you."
>You kiss her on the forehead
"You're the one I should be thanking. Thanks for being a mare worth keeping safe, Coco."
>Coco's resulting giggle is the last thing you hear before you fall asleep
 
>You're awoken, like so many times before, by a knock on the door
>Coco awakens with you, blinking her tired eyes in confusion
>"A... Anon? Whuzzat?"
"It's just the door, cutie. Let me get it."
>Untangling yourself from Coco's forelegs, you stand slowly from the bed
>After pulling on some pants, you head to the front door, a little anxious as to who it might be
>There aren't any more ponies you have a beef with, are there?
>Fuck, you really don't need that this morning
 
>When you open the door, you're greeted by none other than the purple ascotted visage of Suri Polomare
>Oh, yeah, you REALLY don't need this right now
>Just as you're about to close the door, though, Suri calls out to you
>"Wait!"
>She jams a hoof in between the door and frame
>A little surprised by her urgency, you open the door back open
>Suri looks up at you, awkwardly shifting her weight on her hind legs
>"You friends sent me. They wanted me to tell you that... Twilight woke up."
>...
"Wh-what?
>"You friend, the princess. She's awake. Her friends sent me t--"
>You're already running back into your bedroom
>As you pull on your clothes, you shake Coco awake
>"Mmm... just a few more minutes, Anon..."
"She's awake, Coco! She's awake!"
>"Who?"
>Coco blinks in confusion, before reaching up to rub her eyes
>"Your friend? The princess?"
"Yes! Twilight's okay! Come on!"
>Coco groggily rolls out of bed, slipping her collar back around her neck and returning the little bow thing to her mane
>You're already almost dressed, if somewhat sloppily, and as soon as Coco's ready, you take off out the door
 
>You sprint to the hospital as fast as you can without murdering your lungs
>Coco easily matches your pace, yawning
>"How do you know she's awake?"
"Suri told me. She came by this morning."
>"Suri? Huh... I honestly though she was going to leave. Maybe she really did have a change of heart?"
>Coco continues to ponder what may have happened with Suri, but you've got a different purple mare on your mind
>Twilight's awake!
>You push yourself to run faster, drawing a concerned look from Coco
>"I know you're excited, Anon, but you don't me to have to carry you home, do you?"
"Is that an offer?"
>Coco laughs, and jabs you in the thigh, taking off ahead of you
 
>By the time you get there, in hot pursuit of the little cream mare, your chest is on fire
>Not that you care, though
>Everything's finally okay
>Twilight's not going to die
>Coco's safe
>Everyone's finally okay
>You pull the hospital door open, revealing the Elements of Harmony gathered around the doctor pony from yesterday
>He looks up as you enter
>"Ah, Mr. Anonymous. Princess Sparkle has been asking for you specifically."
"Um... that's good, I guess. Why isn't everyone else in there?"
>The doctor sighs, glancing at his clipboard
>"She's still extremely weak. It wouldn't be wise to allow her to speak to anypony for more than a few minutes."
>He clears his throat
>"Still, she continues to improve. A few days, and all of you will have all the time you want with your friend. Now, if you'll follow me..."
>You pat Coco on the head before leaving her, following the doctor pony down to Twilight's room
>He gestures for you to go in alone
>Swallowing, you grip the doorknob, suddenly nervous of what Twilight might have to say to you
>The door creaks on its hinges as you swing it open, revealing Twilight lying in her bed
>Her coat has regained more of its color, though it's not quite back up to her familiar vibrant purple
"Hey, Twi."
>You keep your voice barely above a whisper
>Twilight's eyes flutter open, searching the room until they land on you
>She gives you a small, weak smile
>"Hey Anon."
>You slowly approach her bedside, not sure if you're allowed to touch her or not
"How you holdin' up?"
>It's a stupid question, but you can't think of anything else to say
>"I'm alive, thanks to you."
>Somehow, the fact that Twilight is the only one so far not to blame you makes you feel guilty all over again
"Look, Twi, about what happened..."
>Twilight holds up a hoof
>"Don't apologize to me, Anon. All of this has been my fault. My lies. My jealousy. My choice."
>A somber silence falls between the two of you
"Well... I'm really glad you're okay, Twi. I know it may not seem like it all the time, Twi, but you're really important to me. I just wish--"
>"Anon..."
"I just wish I'd let you know that. I let myself get caught up in my anger. And for that, I am sorry, Twilight."
>"If we're trading apologies, I guess I owe you the biggest one of all. I was awful. Completely unbecoming of a princess."
>She shuts her eyes, trying to fight back tears
>"Princess Celestia must hate me now..."
>You reach out, and lay a hand against Twilight's cheek
"No, no, never. She's worried sick about you, Twi. And besides, she could never hate her favorite student for a single mistake."
>"This was so much more than a mistake, Anon..."
"Well, yeah, it was a pretty stupid thing to do, Twi. But we all love you, Twilight. Me, the Elements, Spike, the Princesses... all of Ponyville, really."
>A tear seeps out from Twilight's eye
"I'm not saying that to try and make you feel bad. I just want you to know that no one's mad at you. We're all just really, really happy you're okay. And a lot of us have tried to blame ourselves."
>You place a hand to the back of our neck
"And, well, what I'm trying to say is... I'm just really glad you're still here. And I promise I'm never going to let anything like this happen to you again."
>Twilight finally opens her eyes
>She places her hoof against your hand, pressing it against her cheek
>"Thank you, Anon."
>Twilight takes a deep, shaky breath
>"Can I... can I ask you a question?"
"Of course, Twi."
>Why do you have a bad feeling about this?
>"Is there... is there still any hope for... for you and me?"
"For you and me? You mean like... Twilight, I have a marefriend."
>"I know, but... I mean, you broke up with Rarity... the same thing might happen with Coco, you never know..."
"Twi, I don't really like where you're going with this."
>"I don't mean... I'm not gonna do to her what I did to you and Rarity. I promise. But, could you, you know... keep me in mind? In case things don't work out and you want a, you know..."
>She trails off, her cheeks a bright red
>You sigh, removing your hand from her cheek
>Twilight looks down at the blanket, obviously disappointed
"Twi, that's not the kind of thing I can give you a yes or no answer on. I've got a marefriend now, who I love more than anything. I can't bring another girl into this. Even if she's one as great as you."
>"I... I know, Anon. I knew. It was just a foolish hope, I guess."
>She sinks deeper into her pillows
>"You can go now."
"Twi..."
>She doesn't respond, and instead rolls over on her bed, facing away from you
>You turn, and begin to head out of the room
>As you reach the door, however, you turn back to the purple princess
"Look, Twilight. I'm sorry we can't be together. Just... know that it's not because of you. You're a really amazing pony, and I don't think you realize just how many ponies around you love you. If... if you're really broken up about this, then hate me, if you have to. But don't hate yourself. Please. You're really, really great, Twilight. Please, don't ever think you're not."
>With that, you turn and leave
>The door clicks softly closed behind you
>The rest of the Elements are milling about in the lobby
>The doctor looks over all of you
>"Well, that's everyone. You way come visit her again tonight, if you wish. If her condition should change, I'll be sure to let you know."
>You thank him, then exit the hospital
 
"Wait a minute, where's Spike?"
>"Twilight's parents took him to get some food. Poor little guy has barely left Twilight's side since she woke. He's the only one the doctor will let stay with her."
"That's good, I guess."
>You're glad to hear it, the poor little guy could use some time with his foster sister
>Rarity split off from the main group to walk with you and Coco
>You were suspicious at first, but Coco gave you a reassuring look, and you assumed this was something they planned
>So here you are, walking between your ex and your new mare
>Strangely, the two of them seem to be getting along well enough
>Though you can't tell if it's just Rarity trying to act mature
>"So, Anonymous, Coco tells me you've an interest in modeling, is that correct?"
"Well, not so much an interest, as just... it's something I'd be willing to do."
>"I see. Well, the two of us have been talking, and we've made tentative plans to form a sort of 'joint business,' at least until Coco can get her name out."
"Really?"
>"Yep!"
>Coco speaks up now
>"Rarity's coming to see my work. If she likes it, the three of us can get started right away! Isn't that cool?"
"It is, Coco. Rares. That's really good to hear."
>You're a bit skeptical of how well this will work, but... you can hope, right?
 
>Rarity and Coco end up spending most of the day together, pouring over designs and discussing the finer points of pony fashion
>You do your best to stay out of there way, figuring it'll be easier if you're not around to make Rarity jealous
>Your ex-marefriend ever goes as far as to donate several bolts of cloth and a manikin to Coco
>Element of Generosity, you always liked that about her
>You spend most of your day in the living room, looking over Coco's travel guides
>Now that Suri's out of the way, the two of you could actually go to these places
>You fix food the girls as well, trying to put your time to use
>Coco thanks you profusely, giving you a little kiss every time she comes in for a snack
 
>Later in the evening, you sit propped up on the couch, leafing through a section on Appleloosa
>Soft hooffalls alert you to a visitor and you look up, expecting to see Coco
>Instead, Rarity stands in the doorway, looking unusually bashful
>"Evening, Anonymous."
"Hey Rares. Everything going okay?"
>"Yes, exquisitely, in fact. This Coco mare is actually quite talented."
>You nod, a bad feeling forming in the pit of your stomach
"She is. So what's up, Rares?"
>"Well, I... I wanted to talk to you, Anonymous."
>Great, here we go
"Alright. Hop up."
>You sit back up and pat a spot on the couch next to you
>Rarity clambers onto the couch, sitting a little closer than she probably should
>"Anonymous, I wanted to... to give you my definitive apology on what happened between us."
>Oh
>That's not what you were expecting
>"I drove you away. I was jealous, and mean, and controlling, and... and just a bad marefriend in general. I guess Twilight shares a little of the blame too, but... but in the end, I drove you away. And I want to say I'm sorry. For all the awful things I said about you, and Coco."
>Rarity crosses her legs, glancing at the ground
>"I'm trying to be a good friend to her, Anon. I want to be a good friend to you too. But it's hard. Knowing that she's everything to you now... it hurts, Anon. I feel replaced."
>Fuck, that hurt to hear
"Rarity..."
>What do you say to her?
>"I don't mean to put you on the spot like this. I just... I needed to say that. Anon, I know we can't get together again, so I'm not going to ask you. But please... just... don't shut me out, okay? Don't forget the good times we had. I... I guess that's all I had to say."
>Rarity hangs her head, and stands up from the couch
"Rares, wait."
>She pauses, looking back towards you
"I... I miss you too. You're right, we're not gonna get back together. But... I'll never forget what we had. And you'll always be a very important pony to me. You're talented, charismatic, and kind. Use those qualities, and make a name for yourself. Don't waste your time worrying about a loser like me."
>Rarity gives a teary chuckle
>"Oh, Anon... ever self-deprecating."
>She sighs
>"I'm going places, Anon. I know that much. But I don't want to go there alone."
"You won't. You've got friends and family who love you. And there'll be other guys for you, Rarity. You're one pony who'll never have to worry about that."
>Rarity's cheeks redden a little
>"Thank you, Anonymous. I suppose I should leave the two of you alone now... See you tomorrow, I suppose?"
"Sure thing."
>She smiles sadly up at you, then turns to leave
>You watch her go, trying to comprehend what exactly is going on in your chest
>A year of loving that pony is hard to forget, even if you have Coco now
>You collapse back into the couch, heaving a sigh
>More hooffalls sound in the hallway, this time signaling Coco's approach
>She hops onto the couch next to you, leaning against your side
>You wrap your arm around her withers, letting her lay her head on your shoulder
"Hey, cutie. How're the dresses coming along?"
>"They're great. Rarity's a really good designer, Anon. And she said she sees a lot of potential in me."
>Coco wriggles in pride and delight, grinning
"Of course she does. Do I still get to be your stunning model?"
>"Yep! It's gonna be amazing, Anon."
"As long as you're a part of it, it will be."
>You poke Coco in the belly, and she giggles
>She wraps her forelegs around your arm, giving you a little squeeze
>"Anon... I've honestly never felt like this before. I'm so happy. For once, everything's going well. Everyone likes me. It's... it's really great."
>You feel a tear drop onto your arm
"Coco? Are you okay?"
>Coco nods
>"It's all just so amazing. Thank you, Anon. Thank you, thank you, thank you..."
>She nuzzles her face against your shoulder, smearing her tears of joy along your shirt
"You don't have to thank me, Coco. Being with you... I feel so much better. Not perfect, but... I feel whole. I feel safe, and warm."
>You kiss Coco's head, wiping tears away from her eyes
>From her head, you trail kisses down her neck, body, and over her legs, until you end up at her rear hooves
>You plant little kisses on the bottom of her hoof, making her giggle
>"Anooon~.... stoooop~..."
>You kiss her hoof again, making her snort laughing as her legs reflexively kick
>"Anon, that tickles~"
>She kicks her leg out of your grasp
>You let her escape, leaning back on the couch
>...
>Coco nudges your leg
>"Could you, um... do that some more?"
>Chuckling to yourself, you take hold of her hoof again, kissing its smooth bottom
>Coco giggles again, her free leg kicking in the air
>Slowly, her giggles turn into little coos of delight as your tongue gets to work on the bottom of her hoof
>And as you gradually move up Coco's leg, her coos increase in volume until you reach that sweet, sweet spot between her thighs
>Needless to say, your neighbors are in for another noisy night
>Coco shudders in surprise as your tongue grazes her sex, involuntarily clamping her legs around your head
>"Hnng... Anon... oh..."
>You begin slowly tonguing her, tasting her juices as they spill onto her fur
>They're as creamy and sweet as she is
>Coco wails in pleasure, grabbing your head and jamming your face into her crotch, thrusting her hips up to meet you
>"Anon, I'm... I'm... ~aaah!"
>When she orgasms, you can taste her love
>After Coco's recovered, she attempts to return the favor, tugging your jeans down and clumsily taking you into her mouth
>She's not skilled by any means, but the face she makes up at you, her eyes so full of love and a desire to please...
>You cum hard, right into her soft little mouth
>Coco smiles up at you when she's done
>"Did I do good, Anon?"
>You reach down, wiping her spit and your seed away from her mouth
"You're amazing, Coco."
 
>Later that night, the two of you lie in bed, spooning
>Coco's flavor is on your tongue, and you can smell her mane with every breath
>Over on the desk, a huge pile of new sketches lie, expertly drawn by both Coco and Rarity
>This is it, right here
>This is all you ever needed
>You think back to what Coco said, about not being used to being as happy as you are now
>It's true; you can honestly say you've never felt like this in your life
>Unconsciously, you hug Coco closer to you, kissing her mane
>She sighs happily in her sleep, her body wriggling against yours
>This mare...
>This is a mare you could happily wake up to for the rest of your life
 
>And wake up next to her you do
>The next day is whirlwind of fashion, with Rarity and Coco using you as reference as they stitch together rough cuts of their new designs
>Coco finally calls on Suri, having her new assistant purchase the bolts and gems that she and Rarity require
>Every time the purple mare is around, Coco does an excellent job acting authoritarian and mean toward Suri
>But it takes a tole on her; every time Suri leaves, Coco needs a good ten minutes of hugs before she can get back to work
>Things are a little awkward with all three of you in the same room, but, as the days wear on, they get easier
>Gradually, you and Rarity readjust to life as friends instead of ex-lovers
>You wouldn't call it easy, but it gets a little less difficult every day
 
>As for you and Coco, things get a little better with every night spent cuddled together in Coco's tiny bed
>Each day, you find a new little something you love about her
>Sometimes it's the way she skips a little as she walks, sometimes it's the way her breath always kinda smells like candy
>Needless to say, you haven't touched a cigarette in weeks
 
>As for you and Twilight, well... things haven't been as easy
>For the most part, you and the princess go out of your way to avoid each other
>It's not how you wanted things to end between you, not at all, but... well, you can't think of anything else to do
>From what Rarity tells you though, she's doing okay
>At least one of the Elements of Harmony is at her library almost 24/7
>It's not a very cleverly-disguised suicide watch, but you think Twilight appreciates the company
 
>Speaking of company, you didn't forget your zebra pal out in the woods
>You try to make time to visit Zecora at least once a week, usually while Coco and Rarity are busy sewing
>The two of you chill out over weird, magical pony drugs, shooting the shit about life in town
>She always acts a little weird, and a little jealous, when she's around you, though
>You assumed her strange actions were caused by the same thing that caused Twilight's
>That is, until you walked in on her making out with that purple drunk from town
>Man, THAT lead to an interesting conversation
>Zecora was horrified, frantically rhyming as she tried to explain, begging you not to hate her or tell the rest of Ponyville
>You promised that her secret was safe with you, and that you were actually really happy she'd found someone
>You followed your explanation with a hug, assuring Zecora you had no qualms about who she was
>That wast he first time you'd ever seen the zebra cry
 
>Things are pretty smooth between you and AJ too
>She'll stop by to check on you and Coco, and sometimes the two of you would head over to her barn for some cider and pie
>Over time, she becomes one of your closest friends in Ponyville
>Whenever problems arise in your and Coco's relationship, she's always the first one you go to for advice
 
>Speaking of you and Coco, well, things obviously aren't perfect
>The two of you have your disagreements, your arguments, and your full-on fights
>Coco will call you emotionless, unmotivated, heartless, and mean
>You can't bring yourself to insult her, but you can get real neglectful when you're angry
>But those are the bad days, and there aren't too many of those
>On most days, Coco makes you feel so happy your chest hurts
>Together with Rarity, Suri, and you, she launches herself head first into the fashion world
>Turns out, Equestria has a taste for alt-fashion, and a giant, two-legged alien serves as the perfect model
>Coco could easily become one of Canterlot's most famous celebrities, if she wanted to
>But she doesn't
>After every tour, every show, each meeting with the Equestrian elite, she always returns to the little house you two now share
>Being her model is fun, you guess, but you do it more out of a desire to please Coco than out of enjoyment
>And please her it does
>She's jumped your bones more than once after a tour, telling you how amazing you looked in her new work
>You've also returned to your writing, at Coco's insistence
>As you guessed, your work never gets terrible popular
>Though you do have a small, dedicated group of readers
>Chief among which is Twilight; you make sure to hook her up with a first edition print of everything you write
>In return, she helps you find a very rare, yet very important spell
 
********************************************
 
>The snow swirls in thick, white eddies around you as you trudge across the ground, dragging the plastic sled behind you
>You turn back, calling to the little tan filly who sits in its center, all bundled up against the cold
"Mocha! You ready to go back home? Momma probably has dinner ready!"
>"Just a minute, daddy!"
>She hops out of the sled onto the white-blanketed ground, sprinting in a wide circle around you as she tries to catch flakes on her little tongue
>You stand there and watch her, smiling to yourself
>Mocha continues happily skipping along, until she gets a little ahead of herself and trips, tumbling head-over-hoof through the white powder
>She emerges laughing, shaking flakes from her silver-gray mane
>You scoop her up, and help clean the snow from her fur
"Somebody needs to be more careful."
>You poke her in the belly, and she sticks her tongue out at you
>When you set the filly back on the ground, she takes off again, disappearing amongst the snow-covered houses
"Hey, Mocha! Get back here!"
>You try not be overprotective, but it always bothers you when she disappears from view
>*WHAP!*
>A snowball explodes against the left side of your head, dripping frigid white powder down your shirt
>Mocha sprints from behind a bush, pelting you with more snowballs
>You stoop down and crush the snow into several of your own projectiles, lobbing them back at the filly
>She's moving too fast though, and all your shots miss, even as she continues to land shots at your legs and thighs
>Realizing you're beaten, you take off running back towards the house, sled bumping up and down in the snow behind you
>Mocha chases after you, but her stubby legs can't keep up with your strides
>The two of you run until she wears herself out, collapsing into the snow
>You scoop up the panting filly, and carry her the rest of the way to your house
"Looks like somebody tired herself out, huh?"
>You poke her tummy, making her wriggle in her grasp
>"I'm not tired! I just..."
>She yawns, drooping in your grasp
>"Okay, maybe a little tired."
"Well, it's time to get back anyway. Momma's waiting for us."
 
>You pull open the door to your familiar, tiny house, relishing the rush of warm air that greets you
>The inside smells delicious, and you follow your nose right to the kitchen after dusting yourself and Mocha off
>Coco stands by the stove, stirring a huge pot of vegetable stew
>She waves when she sees the two of you
>You set your filly down, and pull Coco into a hug
>Mocha jumps up to join you, and the three of you huddle together in the kitchen, enjoying the warmth and the smell of food
>"How was your walk? Did you two have fun?"
>"Uh huh! I beat daddy in a snowball fight, and he ran away!"
>"Aww, you need to quit beating up on your old dad so much."
>Coco ruffles your hair, and kisses your cheek
"She's quite the snowball-fighter, I'll give her that."
>You stand, still keeping your hand on the back of Coco's head
"So, what's for dinner?"
>"Stew!"
>Coco pulls the pot off the stove, ladling it into three bowls
>The three of you carry the bowls to your dinner table, which finally has more than one chair
>"I talked to Rarity today. She's got a tour for the three of us in Phillydelphia in the Spring. Also, she wanted to know if we could watch Iris over the weekend."
>"Can we!?"
>Mocha perked up, clearly excited about spending a weekend with Rarity's daughter, and her best friend
"Sure thing. Speaking of Rarity, how's Hayseed?"
>The pony Rarity ended up marrying was surprisingly ugly, yet easily the nicest stallion you'd ever met
>They're pretty happy together, and their kid a goddamn riot
>"Also, Sweetie Belle wanted to know if you could come to her recital next Thursday."
"Of course. You're not gonna need me then, are you?"
>Coco winks at you
>"Not during the day, at least."
 
>After dinner, the three of you sit on the front porch, wrapped together in a giant quilt
>Coco heated up mugs of hot chocolate for all of you, and the brown liquid steams in the frigid air
>The snow falls lazily through darkened sky, draping over the rooftops of your neighbors
>Coco leans against you, placing her head on your shoulder
>Mocha sits in your lap, sipping happily at her hot chocolate
>A little gets on her muzzle, though it's hard to distinguish it from her tan fur
>You smile to yourself, remembering a similar, yet very different scene from long ago
>You, sitting on Rarity's porch, rain pouring down all around you...
>It's amazing how much has changed since then
>You wrap an arm around Coco under the blanket
>Another goes around Mocha's midsection, and you hold your favorite mares close to your chest
>Your mind returns to the past
>How thick the rain was falling, how the mist felt against your face
>How your lungs burned as you filled them with cigarette smoke
>It's impossible not to smile as you give your daughter and wife a comforting squeeze
>You haven't needed a cigarette in seven years
 
True End