//------------------------------// // Act 3 // Story: LOLO Fillydelphia // by AizakkuHorooee //------------------------------// Cozy Glow looks one last time at AIta and I, and finally beaming for us since we first pulled her away. “Classmates… I guess I have a little explaining to do.  This field trip is not what you all think.  Ever since the news with Canterlot City Spitfire first spread a year and a half ago, I’ve been wanting you all to enjoy the same stuff I have, mostly just living a comfy lifestyle.  This field trip was never about me.  Yes, I enjoy bowling, but I wanted us to enjoy it together… and now, I realize I was going about that all wrong.  It was Aita and Chrysalis that taught me that it wasn’t a field trip I needed.  It was a friend.  I’m sorry about dragging you guys to LOLO.  I hope you can forgive me for having done all this.” Within the front of the crowd, a unicorn voices her confusion.  That looks like the one Aita called Lily Trail earlier.  “Wait… this field trip… was for us?  But what about the school budget?” “That was untouched, Lily,” Cozy says.  “We both know that money is for educational purposes ONLY.” A dragon besides Lily Trail crosses his arms.  “Yup.  Not gonna fall for it.  We’ve gone bowling too many times to think this was remotely for the student body.” The dragon’s comment to Cozy enrages me inside, but I have to stop myself this time.  He is a child after all, and he could also be dangerous in combat if I’m not careful.  In fact, this is a new situation I’ve never faced before: an offender being an actual child.  I grit my teeth and close my eyes.  I then take a deep breath before looking at Aita. “His name is Smoky,” Aita whispers, allowing me to finally approach this drake. “Smoky, was it?”  Smoky hurriedly nods to me.  “Charmed meeting such a delusional drake!”  I stop and take another deep breath, trying to calm down and think.  “It is with gargantuan effort that I simply relay to you my experience with Cozy Glow and nothing more.  It would certainly be a different story on a level playing field.  Think about what happened to Cozy when news broke out about Canterlot High School’s former superintendent.  Now, I believe Aita talked to you and Lily Trail soon after that first strike.  So, what did you tell her about Cozy?” Smoky thinks over what happened a year and a half ago like I ordered him.  However, the way I conveyed the message has him thinking longer than I expected.  “Smoky…”  I startle him, getting his attention.  “I would appreciate an answer.  What did you tell Aita about Cozy Glow?” “Um, that she didn’t have any s-sense for others’ w-wellbeing?” I sigh relief that he managed to say something at least. “Good, he admitted,” Aita remarks before walking by my side. “What you said to Aita, Smoky, was highly inaccurate.  In fact, the exact opposite was true.  Cozy started planning field trips after hearing of me and Princess Twilight’s actions against Canterlot City Spitfire.” “I wasn’t trying to do this for me.  I could just go alone if I was only thinking of myself.  I just didn’t realize I was distracting you all from school by planning all these field trips, and I’m sorry.  I promise I won’t plan anymore like this.  Whatever I do next for everyone, it could something more manageable, like a class party?” The students initially consider forgiving Cozy Glow until she gives them the idea of a party, returning to a collective expression of distrust. “That apology doesn’t hamper the fact that you haven’t learned a thing!” Lily Trail shouts. Upon hearing this, Universe A Pinkie Pie zips over to the crowd, specifically to Lily Trail.  “Wh- hey, hey!  That’s not how you treat a fellow classmate!  A party sounds like a great idea!  I know somepony who knows ALL about parties, as much as I hate to say it.” “Our Pinkie Pie,” I guess.  “She planned my son’s reconciliation party.” “Yep.  That’s the one,” confirms Pinkie. “For now, Cozy, why don’t we start smaller, something you could manage by yourself,” Aita suggests, getting Cozy to think. “What about… bringing in sweets?  That should be easy to do, right?” Hearing her idea, I float Cozy and hug her.  “I think that’s a wonderful idea, Cozy, exactly as I taught you.” “So, you did learn?” Lily Trail asks Cozy.  “I’d love to see the way your food turns out.” The rest of the student body sans Smoky begin murmuring with positive tones.  Unfortunately, he’s really conflicted. Lily Trail wraps her hoof around him.  “Hey, come on, you silly dragon.  She ain’t gonna bite.” “He doesn’t need to, Lily.  I know it’ll take some knee grease for him to like me again, so you shouldn’t pressure him.  He’ll come around when my actions speak for themselves.” As Cozy gets her friend to relax, everyone hears the same shimmering sound Carve and I heard back home.  Aita takes the saddlebag and removes the DS from inside.  The stylus is glowing yet again.  She then looks at my crown which is glowing too. Ooooh! everyone exclaims in awe. “Your crown can glow?” Cozy asks, to which I nod.  “What does that mean?” “It means we’ve accomplished our mission.  It won’t be immediate, but Aita and I will have to return home.” “I’m glad we gave this a shot.  You should have new friends here in no time, Cozy,” Cozy Glow and Aita hug each other.  “Thank you, Aita, Chrysalis.  Thank you for believing in me.  I’ll visit as soon as I can.” “So, would you like to participate in game two with your peers?” I ask. “Actually, mind if I join you two for a bit?” With my crown and Aita’s stylus still glowing as we stay in LOLO, we allow Cozy to bowl by our side on the south half of the building once we order two games for each of us.  After we select a ball for each of us, we arrive on the second farthest lane from the entrance, Lane Eleven, I think.  I know the lane Cozy bowled on earlier was Lane Twenty One, which was fourth farthest, just on the north side instead of south. “Are you sure you didn’t want to bowl with your classmates?” I ask Cozy, who nods. “I’ll always have time for my peers, and that will be easily doable, but for now, I just want to spend a quiet moment with the two best friends I ever knew.” “After all that you’ve been through today, Cozy, that might be for the best,” says Aita. “She’s not the only one, Aita.”  Aita and Cozy look at me as I walk to the ball queue, taking the marker and dry-erase bowling sheet to the table.  “After a friendship mission like this, a relaxing couple games of bowling is everything we need.  So, who would like to go first?”  Cozy immediately raises a hoof, prompting me to sign her name on the far left of the first row on the sheet.  “It’s been a while since you last bowled; is that correct, AIta?” “Yeah, I last went to LOLO in May, and that was the Ponyville location.” I sign AIta’s name on the second row and mine on the third.  “No worries then.  I’ll go last.  That way horn memory will cover for you.” Cozy Glow looks back at me in front of our lane, waiting for me to cue her to start.  I raise my hoof a little and nod, giving her affirmation that she can bowl now.  I watch while putting back the sheet and marker on the ball queue as she takes the ball in her wing, gives it a good swing, and sends it speeding down the lane in an arc to her right.  The ball manages to hit the one-three pocket and send all ten pins careening into each other.  Yep, Cozy got yet another strike. “So that’s how you keep getting those.  You are an innovative filly, I see,” I comment, rubbing Cozy’s mane with affection as Aita trots past. “Whatever happens next in school, I know it’s going to be perfect.” “How do you know that, Cozy?” “With you and Aita as my friends, how could it not?” With Chrysalis and Aita gone to Fillydelphia, and Starlight and Twilight gone to run some errands here in Ponyville to pass the time, I invited Kevin, George, and Big Mac to play O&O with me.  After a good six hours, the map glowed, signaling everyone to return home. So, as Aita heads back to the throne room, I’m in the middle of cleaning up after the session. “Oh!  Hey Aita.  How was your mission with Chrysalis?” Aita looks around and asks “Where’s Twilight and Starlight?” “Oh, they’re just running some errands around Ponyville.” “Think you can gather them while I summon some pears?  I’d like to tell the whole family, and I wouldn’t want Chrysalis left out.  She might still have Carve up there too.” “You got it, Aita.  After six hours of gameplay with Big Mac, Kevin and George, I’m ready to do anything.” And so, I leave Aita to begin her pear-summoning spell while I go find Twilight and Starlight, the latter of whom once told me it was the same one Cervix, Brand and a few others used one time to call Chrysalis from here a couple years ago.