The train to Manehattan blistered across the tracks at a break-neck pace as the passenger cars shook causing a few ponies to feel a bit queasy. Thankfully a few cars back in a smaller private cart usually reserved for royalty two ponies set quietly in a somewhat more shock resistant accommodations.
It had been a little over an hour since Starlight Glimmer, Head Student Counselor of the School of Friendship. First Student of Twilight Sparkle had broken Cozy out of Tartarus and snuck aboard the last train of the evening headed towards Manehattan.
Cozy looked over at the older Unicorn mare noting the mixture of emotions her facial expressions and body language were giving. Anxiety over what she had done, maybe fear over what would happen if she and Cozy were caught or even if they weren't. Stubborn determination mixed causing her desire to stay true to her guts conflicting with her sense of loyalty to Twilight. Cozy looked at her savior and saw the turmoil building inside her and all she could say as she stared at Starlight from across the seat was "why?"
"Oh, what was that dear?" Starlight asked looking over at the filly. Cozy's question knocking herself back out of her own mind and worries.
"Why are you doing this!? You're gonna get in trouble, you might end up in Tartarus too!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Hehe, maybe" Starlight nervously chuckled. "But I believe in always following my gut, and my gut tells me helping you is right!" Starlight reassured herself.
"But how did you know I wouldn't try to hurt you or run away!?" Cozy asked still confused by this entire situation.
"Oh, I didn't." Starlight bluntly admitted. "But like Pinkie and Somnambula say, sometimes you just gotta have faith and hope things work out for the best!" Starlight smiled as a bead of sweat rolled down her fur.
"And they say I'm the one that's crazy!" Cozy snorted. "Where are you taking me anyway?"
Starlight took a deep breath and sighed as she calmed herself so she could answer Cozy Glow's question. "There's a place in Manehattan. A Hospital that specializes helping young fillies and colts that suffer from different psychological issues or that have experienced deeply damaging emotional traumas." Starlight explained. "My dad offered to take me there when I was young, but like you I was stubborn an angry, and I refused, and as any stubborn teenager does shortly after I ran away and...." Starlight paused.
"And then you started a creepy cult in a town you built at the edge of Equestria and ruled it like a dictator with an Iron Hoof!" Cozy sneered.
"Yea..." Starlight sorrowfully chuckled.
"But I don't want you to run away, I don't want you to have to wait till you're a grown mare to realize what you did was wrong, to have that guilt hovering over your head everyday, or picking at the back of your mind at your insecurities until you find yourself sitting in your room sobbing into your pillow in the middle of the night." Starlight explained. "Of course I won't force you to stay there if you don't want, but I hope you'll at least give me a chance to show it to you." Starlight softly smiled despite the sorrow and pain evident in her eyes.
"Fine, whatever. Not like I have anything better to do anyway" Cozy reluctantly agreed giving Starlight a mischievous smile. "But you better get me some Ice Cream while we're here" Cozy demanded despite being in no position to do so.
Cozy looked up at the rather large building. It was made of gray stone and brick and had a golden trim across the edges. It was an impressive eight stories tall and above the entrance their was a sign that read. Healing Hoofs Psychiatric Clinic. "Well that sure is a building all right" Cozy snarkily huffed. Starlight just rolling her eyes with a chuckle as she began to trot forward towards the entrance, Cozy reluctantly fluttering behind.
"Good evening Ms. Glimmer, we're so very glad you could make it." A soft voice greeted them at the enterance and Cozy saw a long sleek white-furred unicorn mare with golden eyes and mane smiling at them.
"Same here, I was nervous there for awhile, but now that we're here I feel a lot better!" Starlight admitted with a relieved sigh. Cozy just rolling her eyes
"And is this Ms. Cozy Glow?" The mare asked looking down at the curly haired filly.
"Well it sure as buck ain't Grogar The Tormenter" Cozy rudely replied.
"Oh she's a fiesty one! The mare laughed. "Oh honey, do come here, Ms. Glimmer is here with the new arrival" she sang as her voice echoed down the hall.
"C-coming dear" a Male voice echoed back from deeper within the building and the group saw a rather chunky old brown furred unicorn stumbling down the halls.
"O-oh Ms. Glimmer, you made it. Good" The obviously out of shape stallion wheezed as he ran to the other mare's side.
"Yep, just got here" Starlight exclaimed before turning her attention back to Cozy. "Cozy, this is Mrs. Dula Ablingota and her husband Neuron Fritz. They run this hospital, they'll be taking care of you while we work to get you better, ok" Starlight attempted to explain to the filly. Cozy however just continued to stare at the two.
"You two are married!?" Cozy bluntly asked. Causing the two doctors to stare at her in surprise.
"Um, why yes darling. Why do you ask!?" Ms. Dula inquired.
"Well cause you look like a super model like Fleur-De-Liz and he looks like a tubby dumb-dumb out of a cartoon!" Cozy exclaimed causing Fritz to become flustered and Dula to burst out in laughter.
"What can I say, he's smart and he makes me laugh" Dula replied as she hugged fritz tightly. "Now how about we show you your room before you ask one too many rude questions and make my poor husbands blood pressure skyrocket." Dula chuckled as she began to move towards the elevator waving her hoof for the others to come along.
Cozy stared at the door. A simple wooden door with a small square window and an opening to put a tray in and out, the number on the door being #443.
"Well don't keep us waiting darling, open it!" Doctor Dula excitedly exclaimed. Cozy just let out a small groan and did as she was told. Inside to her surprise was a fairly sizable room painted in many bright yet calming shades of blue, green and yellow . A decently sizable and comfey looking bed set against the wall to the left in the middle a large window for Cozy to look out of, but she doubted she could use it to escape as a soft glow dominated from it most likely meaning it was magically sealed. Beyond the window to the right a dresser and a mirror a small bookshelf with childrens books and comics and a small play table with an old teddy bear taking up one chair, the other vacant with coloring books and a box of crayons sitting in front of it.
"Huh, guess this place is half way decent after all." Cozy bluntly expressed.
"H-halfway decent! Doctor Neuron angrily huffed. "I'll have you know our facility is one of the best in Equestria and we've helped children around the nation!!" Fritz boasted "even helped a couple young Yaks get over their fear of quesadillas last year!" Fritz added.
"That's a weird phobia" Cozy replied with a chuckle.
"Yea, tell that to Twilight" Starlight chuckled as she walked up to Cozy, the filly looking at her with one of those "was that a bad inside joke?" Looks. "So Cozy, what do you think? Wanna give this place a shot? I mean seems better than Tartarus to me." Starlight teased giving the girl an awkward smile.
Cozy paused and thought it over before answering. "I suppose. But-I-I'll still get to see you, right?" Cozy asked, her eyes pleading.
"Of course, I'll come visit as soon as I get things settled with Twilight and the others." Starlight softly smiled as she levitated the Doll She had made for Cozy into the filly's arms. "I'm sure they'll understand why I did what I did. Celestia might get mad, but honestly and don't tell anyone I said this, but buck her! Twilight and Luna are better princesses anyway!" Starlight exclaimed causing Cozy to chuckle.
"Yes yes this is cute and all but there are still forms to fill out you know!" The portly stallion stated pushing up his glasses.
"Oh-oh of course, just a second!" Starlight replied. "I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise!" Starlight repeated as she bent down and tightly hugged the little filly before leaving the room with the doctors, Mrs. Dula carefully closing and locking the door behind her giving the foal a soft smile.
Cozy just looked at her doll and squeezed it tightly as she could. "I WUV you cozy glow!" It said.
"Y-you too" Cozy sobbed trying to mentally reassure her self and that Starlight would be OK, that Princess Twiliight would'nt let Celestia do anything to her. She had to believe her friends words were true, as it would most likely be one of the few things to help get her through this.