Castling is a special move in chess involving one of the player’s rooks and the player’s king. The move consists of moving the king two squares towards a rook on the player's first rank, then moving the rook to the square over which the king crossed. After this move, the king and the rook end up just next to one another.
And thanks to a friend’s kindness, a certain calculating, chess master filly would have a chance to end up closer to her princess than she ever thought. But can a filly like her truly leave her past behind to find another way? Can you learn to trust another when manipulation is your destiny?
Can a chess player like Cozy Glow learn to be a pawn?
Chapters (23)
This is cool can't wait for more
Faved, thumbs up, and tracking. I am very interested to see where this goes. And Sweetie Belle is right about Cozy Glow helping the CMC's. It didn't benefit Cozy Glow, but she did it anyway.
Now to see if Sweetie Belle can win a game a chess against a strategist who has managed to lose twice in taking over Equestria and has managed to achieve one little good thing, she is likely to give up on taking over the country and just change her identity and disappear given the change.
Slim chance of giving Cozy a chance since they stole years of her time. It's like a coma but worst.
Oh this really has my interest can't wait to see where it goes. I'm curious thought will it be connected to your other Cozy Glow stories, or will she have the same family tree in this story?
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This takes place not too long after episode 25 though.
Interesting idea to have Sweetie be the catalist for Cozy's reformation. I wonder how this'll play out.
One, good to know it wasn't a time skip and two why the show never showed her origins? I bet the rush job the entire season because the creators lost their creativity.
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I am absolutely disgusted that the finale didn't at least reveal her backstory. Why didn't they ever show what happened to Cozy? I wish hasbro took ideas from fans if they lose their creativity.
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I doubt it was that, and more that they felt they needed a third villain and threw Cozy Glow together. They may not have expected she'd get as strong a reaction as she has.
Good chapter, I like how prepared Twilight is about this. I also like that while she still seems to be mad at Cozy and is harsh to her she's putting in a genuen effort to try and help her. Can't wait to see what's next.
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The worst part is that according to an interview, they never even had a backstory for Cozy Glow planned out, and had intended on Stoneing them from the start...
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If they always intended this, then that makes me lose a bit of love for the writers. It just seems off to throw together a half-baked new villain character just for that purpose right at the end of the show.
A decision which seems to have backfired in the fandom, because many of us do find her more interesting and worthy of exploring her personality/character. All in all, because of the stuff with Cozy Glow, I'll always have a bit of a gripe with S8 and S9.
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Agreed.
Enjoying the story. Here's hoping things turn out well for Cozy.
Another excellent chapter.
It turned out to be something called "Diaries of a Madman".
One of my favourite fanfiction on this site
Well that was a nice little adventure for poor Cozy.
Intense chapter, I wonder if/how Twilight will confront her about this. Also Cozy could really use some other company right about now.
Can't wait for the next!
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Rumble. He's not way older, and he's already in the castle.
That was tense, had me gripped the entire time.
Can't wait to see what comes off this; the keys seemed like a trap, too simple of a mistakes for somepony like Twilight to mess up with.
Maybe Twilight being forgiving and even understanding about this transgression will be what makes Cozy see that she truly wants to help her and makes her open up and be more cooperative.
This promises to be interesting.
One thing I noted is that you’re quite good at fitting in important details that don’t seem so at the time, like the details of Twilight’s apartments during Cozy’s arrival and her post-meal “thanks” (and even earlier) that figure into Cozy’s escape attempt.
But wow, apparently one loyal owl was all that stood between Princess Bookhorse and a literal royal screwup....
Waiting for more, this is a good story!
Interesting take on her cutie mark. It's almost like she needs to manipulate others for the sake of her sanity. I wonder how Twilight's talk with her will go.
"She had promised Cozy Glow one more chance, and Cozy had replied by trying to break free and threaten Equestria again. She had not showed any regret, nor had she tried to change her ways"
Should I remind you how many second chances you gave Starlight, even after she trapped you and Spike in a crystal, and threw from skies to a certain death? She's a goddamn filly with a messed up understanding for friendship. She is definitely a different case than Stygian, Trixie or Tempest, more demanding and complicated, but giving up on her would mean she was right - friendship is power and you, as a princess of "friendship", decide if someone could be a good tool to help you rule, or a useless threat to be eliminated.
You already locked her in the worst prison created for the most dangerous monsters in Equestria, then allowed Discord to manipulate and recruit her as a literal terrorist, then, you sentenced her to endless sufferiing as a stone statue.
And who is the real villain in this situation?
Doesn't anypony know or recognize Cozy Glow, even after the final battle? Or does Rumble have a poor short-term memory?
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Well, for one he didn't see her. Two, was there ever any times in the show the two would have been in direct contact?
I request more Rumble and Cozy Glow interactions. And no, I'm not shipping it (yet). But they could work well together.
I am loving this story and this chapter was a great one, can't wait to see more.
Good to know Twilight wasn't completely unprepared.
But yeah, the one who believed in Cozy from the start should have a sizable role in this process. And hey, Cozy's encounter with Rumble gave me a scare, but maybe that will do her some good too! (Hopefully he'll get a few misconceptions about Twilight cleared up soon, though....)
Nice interaction between Sweetie and Cozy and I like that little glimps into Cozy's motivations.
And this is Twilight we all know, not that weird clone from S9.
My only issue is the interaction between Cozy and Sweetie Belle. It feels like Cozy accepted Sweetie's presence way too quickly, not really questioning or being suspicious why she visited her, since everyone would fear or hate Cozy after destroying Canterlot's tower.
Bonus points for the friendship-chess analogy... after the S9 finale it looks like Cozy was right about the definition of friendship. Now it's Twilight's mission to fix it.
"I gave you a chance and you tried to escape! Your last chance is blown and now it is darkness eternal for you AAAAHHH!!!!- PFT! Seriously, of course you're going to try and get out and test boundaries. Until I break through to whatever twisted logic you keep trying to apply, you won't stop. One doesn't stop their ways after a day or three. That would be silly. Like me just switching panic mode off one day."
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Cozy might not have been as skeptical of Sweetie being there because of all the stress she's been through. It makes sense to me that a situation like the one she is in would wear on any mind, even one as sharp and analytical as her own.
The Princess is the most powerful piece, but without her friends pieces to help she'll lose every match. Hopefully Cozy will realize that soon enough.
Great story so far. Keep it up!
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She's well aware of that, that's why she wants friends to be powerful. She mixed making connections with making friends, and she needs to understand being friends works both ways - a friend will help you, but you will also help them.
Looks like Sweetie has her work cut out for her. But at least she's still eager to try, which in itself should do some good for Cozy's outlook. And speaking of which, it should be interesting to uncover just how Cozy got started on that path....
This is so good, I want much more, please and thank you - is what I would like to scream at the top of my lungs, but I have a couple reservations at the moment, so I'll just silently slide this into my favourites and conserve the screaming for now
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It just different writern from original ones. Entire original crew left one by one, for different reasons, including management reaction to PR. Lauren Faust gsined ire of some idiotic parents though that wasn't the reason, I think.
It also could be Prince(ss), Sage, Knight. That kind of names existed in some canons of game
It's really hard to tell if your Cozy is scared of Twilight and is simply manipulating Rumble, or if she genuinely thinks of Twilight as a cruel, deceptive monster, you know? That's a compliment, btw.
Or perhaps I'm just daft.Oh that Rumble. At least Cozy has another friend her age to talk to. I think Sweetie should have told Twilight about Cozy's philosophy. It would have helped her understand Cozy a bit better.
Poor Cozy, she's not only trapped in her room, but also in her old thinking.
I still don't see how Rumble cannot recognise CG.
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I think its just manipulation. Cozy is scared of twilight not because she is a master manipulator, but simply because she can lock her away in stone at a whim. I mean imagine how uncomfortable it would be if you essentially lived with an executioner as a known criminal. The axe hanging over you no matter where you hide, knowing it can drop at any moment. At least thats how cozy sees it I think.
This is a really good story that deserves more attention.
(Hank Hill voice) Dangit, Rumble
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I've got to ask, was it you who drew that Drawfriend picture for the Equestria Daily CMC day with the CMC dressed as villains and Cozy Glow as herself? Nice work if it was.
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Thanks, I have more:
Cozy Glow - alternative S8 timeline
I don't post on EqD, usually they pick my art from deviantArt using a bot.
You go, Owlowiscious
Very cute, much like.