(Spoilers for the series finale)

Cozy Glow was supposed to be stripped of her phenomenal, cosmic power when she was defeated.

Instead, she just lost her memory. Having super powers and being pursued by the authorities, she comes to the only obvious conclusion a comic-reading child could:

She's clearly a superhero vigilante!

A trainwreck of idiotic decisions follows.

Part of the Cozy Hero continuity.

Every day for a year Starlight Glimmer has visited Cozy Glow in Tartarus in an attempt to get through to her, to try to understand why she did what she did. Every Day Cozy has refused help by telling more lies and fake stories about her past. But Starlight knows from experience that no one is beyond saving, so she decides to put everything on the line to help Cozy Glow, whether the stubborn filly wants it or not!

One lonely night, Starlight decides to release Cozy Glow from her stony prison, and plans to let out some of her frustrations on the vile filly until she discovers that Cozy Glow can't seem to remember who she is anymore, or much of anything else from her past.

Could this be yet another trick conjured up by this scheming pegasus? Can she really be trusted?

The cover art was done by VectorVito. The account on DeviantArt has been deleted. The cover art was used with permission.

Click this Soundcloud link if you wish to listen to music inspired by the story.
The music was made by Vector_Monster.

This story is a sequel to Empress Cozy Glow

Okay, so I conquered Equestria, imprisoned the Mane Six and princesses in Tartarus, and ascended to become the new Empress of Friendship, right? Well, that was about eight months ago... Well, six months ago, I found the gem that changed my life... It is purple and has six sides, and about five or six hoof-fulls, I'd say? It's called the Guardian Amethyst and it called to me. I'm still not sure, I understand it, but I somehow just felt like I should go into that cave... That's where I found it on the stone floor... I don't know how long I stared at it, but eventually, it began to glow and spark... I don't know what it was in my mind, but I just somehow felt better and accepted just then?

I now understand that when I left that cave, I left a changed pony... And it wasn't just the new horn on my head or the fact that I now had magick for the first time in my life, but there was something else... I'll admit, being the only pony with magick in Equestria was a lot like being in Tartarus again! I remembered how the other ponies would stare at me... I couldn't explain it then, but I just felt like I had to get magick back! I had no idea how I was going to do that, though?

Eventually, I discovered that there was another artifact that would let me get into Tartarus... It was called the Staff of Opening, although it disappeared immediately after I used it! I somehow felt like I should go in there though. I needed to understand the other ponies and why they were upset with me and I knew that there was at least one pony who'd have a pretty good idea... I'll admit, Twilight Sparkle's friends were very upset when I told them that I would only take her. After all! I'm still evil! I'm a baddie! A villain! I couldn't just, let them all go, r-right?

Well, two months ago, I gave a kidney transplant to a filly in need... And that's when I realized that I had been changing! I asked Twilight Sparkle, my new assistant about it, and she helped me begin to understand that about myself... I wasn't the same filly... After having a nightmare, I began to realize that I had begun to see Twilight as not just my assistant, but as something else entirely... Something I haven't had since long ago... I saw her as my mother... You know, that was really hard for me to admit to her?

Then, an annoying draconequus showed up and used his power to free the Mane Six and the other princesses, by my command! While I'm not sure if he's really gone or not, I'll admit that made things very convenient to wrap up! But are things ever that convenient?

Oh, golly! So, six months ago, I became the Supreme Empress of Friendship in all of Equestria, right? Yeah, I dethroned the existing princesses and imprisoned the Mane Six in Tartarus... But later, I found this Guardian Amethyst thingy and that transformed me into an alicorn! And then, for four long months, I was the only pony with magick... I saw how they all looked at me... I just knew they weren't happy and well, I can't really explain it, but something inside me kinda just broke?

And then three months ago, I decided that I needed a new assistant! Now, I needed somepony knowledgeable on what the other ponies want and need... And so, after talking with her about parole and freedoms, I released and employed Twilight Sparkle! Her friends must remain locked up for the time being as there's simply too many of them...

And then there was yesterday, when I decided to open the vortex again and allow magick to stream back into Equestria... I saw how happy that seemed to make everypony. I went to bed shortly thereafter and later woke up. I just had breakfast and was meeting with my assistant later that morning...

Years after the attack on Canterlot and the petrification of Cozy Glow, all hope for her seemed lost until one fateful day when a young, friendly voice called out to her consciousness inside her stone imprisonment. With the help of her new friend, Cozy decides to learn her lesson and give true friendship an honest try.

For five years, Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Chrysalis were trapped in stone. But now, they have been mysteriously freed! Desperate not to lose her newfound freedom, Cozy Glow finds herself on the run as everypony in Equestria tries to find her. Wanting something to confide in, she starts keeping a diary, and in it she records her adventures trying to survive in a world where nopony wants to be her friend. But nopony can guess what her destiny has in store for her.

Having settled down in a small coastal town, Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow now live together. They might not be family, but they were certainly more than friends. Having been given a chance at redemption, the three decided to leave their past behind.

But sometimes the past has a bad habit of seeking you out.

One sunny day a purple princess comes seeking them out. She brings mementos of the past, but more importantly, memories Cozy Glow wished she'd never have to relive.

Cover art by: Mychelle (FimFic)

Written for the 3rd Annual Cozy Glow Short Story Contest.

Prompts used:
-Twilight Sparkle gathers Cozy’s belongings for disposal. One object surprises her.
-Life was great until mom started barking like a dog.

Special thanks to Perfectly Insane for pre-reading and helping!

It had been nearly a decade since Cozy Glow was freed from the binds of her petrification. Still at large, and at the tail end of a visit to Kludgetown, she stumbles across a battered up filly who had just escaped some nasty creatures.

It's strange how a single change can create a massive difference in somepony's life.

Somewhere in a different world, Twilight Sparkle is thrust into an unforeseen destiny with the most unlikely (and possibly unstable) group of friends to fight the forces of darkness and bring the magic of friendship back to Equestria.

That's if they don't kill each other first.

Inspired by Lets Do This’ “Not Exactly Friends” series

Cover art done by Kids-In-The-Corner

Check out the rest of the series here:

Part 2: Pony Tails