Rain of Revelation · 12:33am Dec 10th, 2019
If you come to an epiphany while driving through a rainstorm, does it count as a shower thought? I ask because I had two today, one on each leg of my commute. One I was able to expand into the latest Dueling Keyboards short. The other I present below:
Cozy Glow's special talent is, if not identical, then very similar to Diamond Tiara's. Both fillies excel at manipulation—especially adults—ingratiation, and getting others to do what they want. Cozy was just better able to fly under the radar until her cunning masterstroke. After all, she's a rook while Diamond is a queen. A queen is a far bigger target... but they can't castle, and goodness knows Cozy longs to take the king's place.
It makes it all the more disappointing the two never clashed in canon. Still, there's a story idea...
....and given "Crusaders of the Lost Mark", makes the finale all the more tragic....
I like this. Will be cool to see.
Also, it sounds like you had a literal Brainstorm.
Assuming Diamond Tiara still exists. She and Silver Spoon dropped off the face of Equestria once the Crusaders got their marks. I'm not even sure if they appeared in any group shots later on.
Did they ever explain where Cozy Glow even came from? Was she from Ponyville? Cloudsdale? The Moon? Never really could take Cozy seriously as a villain. Maybe if there was a strong motive, I could get behind her, but as it is, I'm more apathetic.
Good thing we have fanfics, though.
That could have some fun moments. Imagine Cozy trying to pull her cutesy and innocent look, trying to get Diamond and Silver to do something (and, maybe, even have Silver Spoon falling for it), only for Diamond Tiara to sudden burst out in laughter and mock Cozy Glow's act for being so obviously that.
Cranial precipitation, weather manipulation, and philosophical consternation; that's what little Pegasi are made of.
... meh, two out of three ain't bad.
Heck, I'd read that story...
They're so similar and so different. Both of their Talents revolve around getting others to do what they want, but whereas Tiara's is inspiration/leadership, Cozy is pure manipulation. Tiara at her best inspires with such extraordinary audacity that you can't help but follow just to see where she will lead. Brass enough to plate the moon, if you take my meaning.
Cozy understands that the best way to deceive is to let your victim deceive themselves, so she sits in her web pulling strings of assumption and misinformation.
Neat.
5166950
They've been in lots of group shots. Just not had any spoken lines. Diamond Tiara was the focus of a shot or two in the Scootaloo parents episode and I really thought she was going to get a line at long long last, but nope, apparently the Hasbro bigwigs vetoed it.
The chess-related musing is fun, even if it's somewhat stretched
5166950
They show up in some group shots and the like, but I don't think they ever have any major roles after that.
5166950
Diamond Tiara appeared in several group shots and backgrounds in later seasons: “The Mane Attraction”, “The Cutie Re-mark Part 2”, “On Your Marks”, “A Hearth’s Warming Tail”, “The Cart Before the Ponies”, “The Fault in Our Cutie Marks”, “Forever Filly”, “Parental Glideance”, “Fame and Misfortune”, “It Isn’t the Mane Thing About You”, “She’s All Yak”, “The Last Crusade”, “A Trivial Pursuit”, “The Ending of the End Part 2”, and “The Last Problem”.
It’s true she had no more spoken lines, however. According to scuttlebutt from production staff, Hasbro considered her story concluded in “Crusaders of the Lost Mark” and refused to approve any further story material featuring her.
I love this idea. Needs to happen.
I do wonder if the CMCs could have given her guidance on using a mark like that constructively if they'd met her early enough. Catch is that she'd have to want to use it differently, and she definitely seems to hit the sociopath checklist.
5166950
Sociopath and hunger for power make sense to me. But I'll also easily accept her as a demon in Pony form. Whatever works really. I just kindof prefer her as a pegasus because she confirms that yes, magic (of the flashy dramatic kind) isn't confined to Unicorns.
I was lying in bed, thought about this, then suddenly had an idea that could be potentially equal parts horrifying and hilarious.
You may want to sit down and brace yourselves.
Ready.
Spoiled Rich adopts Cozy Glow and takes her on as a protege of her own.
5166943
I doubt the Crusaders could turn Cozy around. We've seen how they interact, and she knows how to twist their good intentions in whatever direction she wants. That said, see my responses to Darkstarling and Hopeful_Ink_Hoof above.
5166950
Discord doesn't turn ponies to stone. He helped petrify for a centaur, a changeling, and Cozy Glow. Ergo, Cozy isn't a pony. QED. (Just don't ask me what she is. Maybe a lesser emanation of Nyarlathotep.)
5166958
Exactly what I had in mind. "You can't horseapple a horseappler, filly. I was working this town when you were still counting on your feathers."
5166965
Diplomacy vs. Bluff, as expressed through tiny pink horses.
5166969
It's Cozy Glow versus another master manipulator. If there isn't a chess metaphor in there somewhere, why even bother?
5166972
Oh, executive meddling, how I despise you...
Because once a character completes one arc, clearly they have nowhere else to go. Which is why the show never focused on Twilight after she got her wings.
5166947 5166991
I can't guarantee it'll happen any time soon, but I'm glad to hear the concept appeals to so many people.
5166993
As I said to Fillyfoolish, I don't think they'd be able to do much. Cozy knows the Crusaders too well; something else would have to break her resistance enough to even consider reformation. The best suggestion I've seen for the one to finally get through to Cozy is Sunset Shimmer in Glow in the Dark, Shine in the Sun. Sunset's own experience as a manipulator plus touch telepathy make for a potent parole officer. Diamond might also serve well in that role.
5167112
... You know what? Spoiled might actually be able to get Cozy to change to a more socially acceptable form of evil. Still evil, yes, but she'd be less inclined to overthrow society when given a more subtle and less risky way of building status and power.
I think it's only a shower thought if it's lightly raining. Other precipitation inspirations would have different names, like rain rumination or deluge muse.
5166972
People's lives don't end because A story arc ends. Corporate needed to have that impressed upon them.
5168233
Tvtropes uses exactly that pun for a trope name.