//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Nightmares, Evil Glares, & Soft Little Teddy Bears // Story: An UnCozy Reformation // by AnUnCozyGlow //------------------------------// Willow ran down the hall trying to catch up to Cozy Glow, twisting and turning listening with her ears to find the foals wing-flaps, but it was no use, even though she had been training herself since she lost her sight to focus and block out unnecessary background noise there was just too much going on around her to focus on depending on her sense of sound to find her friend. "OK, think, think, where would she go, where could she go?" Willow asked herself before reaching the obvious conclusion. Cozy Glow set alone in her room, in the dark, the only light coming from the open door behind her and sliver from the window in front of her, though most of the sun's light had been blocked by a gathering mass of clouds. She stared at the window and it's faint blue glow, and as her anger grew she screamed loudly and wildly and began to fly around the room and pick-up whatever she could in a pathetic attempt to break the spell keeping it closed. "Cozy, what are you doing!?" A concerned voice gasped as it heard the commotion. "I'm trying to escape Willow!" Cozy growled. "I'm going to get out of here and Destroy Princess Celestia!!" "Cozy, I know you're angry but you shouldn't say things like that!" Willow pleaded as she walked towards her friends voice. Cozy breathing heavily slowly hovered down to the ground in front of Willow. "It's all a sick joke you know, all of it." Cozy spat. "What?" Will asked rather confused by her friends statement. "I thought this place was supposed to be different, but it's just another prison, just like Tartarus, just like.......The Orphanage." Cozy Glow sorrowfully sighed "Oh Cozy" Willow exhaled as she reached out to put her hoof on her friend's shoulder, only to find as soon as she did so a swift kick was dealt upon her cheek causing her to shriek out in pain. "You stupid weak little foal, do you think I need your pity?" Cozy angrily hissed. "I've put up with you because you amused me with your silly little predictions and delusions that people can change for the better, but i'm not in the mood right now Willow, I have my own issues to deal with right now and I don't need some dumb, blind foal who dreams of a happy ending for everyone giving me an even bigger headache then I already have." Cozy Glow wickedly growled. Willow just set on the floor and sobbed the young Pegasui's harsh words hurting worse then the kick. "I know you don't mean that" Willow groaned as she picked herself back-up. "I get it you're upset about what happened to your friend, and you're lashing out, that's OK" Willow sobbed. "Take it all out on me if you want, I don't care, you think is the first time i've been bulled, beaten, it's not, you can kick me all you want Cozy, but I won't let you hurt anyone else or yourself!" Willow stated as tears flooded from her eyes. "Oh, how noble of you, i'll make you regret those words!" Cozy hissed as she slowly stomped closer. "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" The voice of a stallion boomed from in front of the two causing Cozy to pause. In front of her and Willow at the door was Dr.Neuron and two orderly's looking down at the Filly with angry and judgmental eyes. "Ms. Glow, if you lay a hoof on that foal, so help me I will make sure you are shipped off back to Tartarus faster then the speed of a Sonic Rainboom!" Fritz scolded. "Do I make myself clear!?" Cozy remained in place and let out the most maniacal cackle she could. "Like I care" She huffed "But fine, get her out of my sight, not like I want her around anyway" Cozy growled as the shorter orderly picked up Willow and placer her on his back. "Get her to the infirmary just in case, i'll deal with this one....privately" Dr. Neuron stated as he looked down at Cozy. "Youngling, my office, NOW!" He glared cozy just staring him down in kind hoping he wouldn't notice her shaking hooves. Cozy set in the small wooden chair across from Dr. Neuron's desk as the older unicorn stallion continued to stare angrily at her. "So, yea gonna tell me why yea brought me in here or were you just in the mood to baby sit?" Cozy mocked giving a mischievous smile. Causing the doctor to bang his hooves on the desk with a huff. "Ms. Glow my wife may have a near infinite capacity to put up with you children and your shenanigans but I DO NOT!" The Doctor sternly stated. "While I am indeed fond of the noble goal of rehabilitating and helping those in need of our services, I will not allow you to harm others at this facility or put other patients or staff members in danger. So let this be your first warning, your first strike, you are on my list now and if I believe you to be too problematic to keep around I will have your flank shipped back to Tartarus, are we clear Ms. Glow?" The Doctor asked, pushing up his glasses giving the small foal a deathly serious face. "Crystal Clear Fritzy" Cozy mocked. Dr. Neuron was about to respond before one of the nurses came barging in. "Dr. i'm sorry to interrupt but one of the young colts snuck into floor six and is eating the paint from the supply closet. "Oh, for the love of....how does that little runt keep getting in there!" The Doctor huffed. "Well we best get him and make sure he doesn't poison himself, ugg how many times this year have we had to pump that foals stomach!?" Dr. Neuron complained as he trotted out the door before pausing "And you stay right in that seat Ms. Glow I am not done with you yet!" Fritz warned as he have her an intimidating glare. "Okie Dokie Docteroky!" Cozy Giggled in her faux innocent voice causing the Doctor to groan in disgust as he left the room. Cozy meanwhile began to examine the rest of her surrondings and noticed a door to her right marked "Private". "Oh My!" She sang "I wonder what goodies are tucked away in there?" After using the clip of her hair-bow to pick the lock to the door to Fritz private room Cozy Glow slowly but steadily opened it and felt for the nearest light switch. Finding her target she pushed it up as she finished opening the door. All around her were filing cabinets with different alphabetical and numerical designations. "Oh a filing room, how interesting" Cozy groaned. "Who puts private on something as boring as that!" she huffed once more. "I mean c'mon there's gotta be something interesting in here or he wouldn't....." Just then Cozy paused as she noticed a horizontal glass case at the back of the room near the ceiling above what appeared to be an old dusty desk. "Oh, now we're talking!" Cozy cackled as she flew up to the encased relic. Looking at the piece up close Cozy could see it was a staff or walking stick of some kind, long and gragley made of very old black wood with a long purple gem-stone at the tip. "Well, this is nice, wonder what it is?" She asked herself as she looked for any form of identification. Sadly she didn't see any on the case so she decided to hover down to the old dusty desk below. On it were a handful of papers, scribblings some obviously by Fritz, others torn pages from books. "Well, well look who has or had a little hobby?" Cozy chuckled. "Now let's see here...." She smiled as she picked up one of the less dusty papers. I tested the Staff of Somniuma on a patient, I thought it would make things better, but it seemed to only make their Nightmares worse! I fear I have made a grave mistake unearthing it from Queen Cleopatrot's tomb, the Somnambulian embassy however has refused to take it back so I shall keep it here until I can figure out how to use it's powers for the healing our patients need! "Hmm, Somniuma is old ponish for Dreams....Staff of dreams, or in the right hooves.....Nightmares!" Cozy cackled as she looked up at the artifact. "Oh yes, this will be quite fun, quite fun indeed!" She devilishly grinned as a plan began to form in her head. "Well I think you'd be much better off if you just stayed away from that freak!" Clover exclaimed as she fluffed Willow's pillow. "I mean she's obviously gotten even more screws loose then the rest of us, plus, as i've said before....she's scary!" The Doe shivered thinking about Cozy Glow's down right evil glare. "Well some people would say i'm scary too you know" Will argued her voice a soft rasp. "What, who would ever say such a...." Clover began before trailing off and walking towards the window. "Clover, whats going on, why'd you just pause like that?" Willow asked confused as she set up in her bed. "It's Cozy, she's...well she's outside in the playground area between the different sections of the building and she's well I don't know she's just fluttering up there really high, she's just hovering there right in line with the top of the building holding up some kind of....staff!? "What?" Willow asked again quite confused, but before Clover could reply the staff emitted a bright red light that engulfed the building. Clover blinked her eyes and shook her head, she suddenly felt a sense of dread as she heard a low growl by instinct she looked up and saw a giant Timber Wolf looking down at her, and all she could do was scream! "What in blazes is going on!?" Doctor Dula asked as she saw countless creatures and nightmares manifest all through out the hospital as if out of nowhere. Children running and screaming as their fears chased them. "I-I dunno m'am" The nearby nurse panicked. "Do you think Equestria is under attack again!?" "No, if that were the case we would have been warned in advance as most medical facilities are, this was spontaneous as if out of nowhere, it, well i'm not sure what it was!" The Doctor admitted. "I'll tell you what it was" Dr. Neuron huffed as she stomped towards his wife. "It was that girl, that Pegasus!" "Come now, she's just a child, how could she do all this!?" Dr. Dula asked. "Well, why don't we just go out there and ask her ourselves." Fritz huffed as he began to stomp towards the nearest exit. Willow seat deathly still as she heard the Timberwolf growl. She could hear Clover's screams as she ran around the room trying to avoid the beast. "Clover, calm down, it isn't real." Willow loudly spoke trying to get the Doe's attention. "It looks pretty real to me!" She shrieked as she backed into the nearest corner and began to tremble. "Oh why couldn't I have been born a Giraffe or a Yak, then I could get rid of this thing no problem!" Clover whined. "You still can clover!" Willow encouraged. "It isn't real, it's just a shadow born from your fears. Close your eyes, calm yourself and it'll go away!" "O-ok I'll try" Clover stuttered as she obeyed her friends command. "C-close my eyes, deep breaths, c-calm down" She repeated as she did her best to control her anxiety despite feeling the beast's breath beating down upon her. "Its not real, it's not real it's not real!" And then just like that, the Timberwolf was gone. "See, told you" Willow smiled as she slowly got out of the bed. "Now c'mon we have to find Cozy and fix this!" "Cozy!?" Clover asked in surprise as she opened her eyes. "Well, of course she's the one behind all this!" The Doe huffed as she slowly pranced behind her young unicorn protector. Outside in the playground area of The Hospital Cozy Fluttered above it all, laughing maniacally as she could hear the symphony of screams as the nightmares of those around her came to life. "Ms. Glow, stop this madness this very instant!!" Dr. Neuron angrily screamed up at the child. "Cozy, please, stop this!!" Dr. Dula begged as she looked up at the young filly holding the glowing staff. "Make Me!" Cozy cackled in reply. "Oh wait, you can't!!" She giggled as she clutched the staff tighter. "Why you!" Fritz huffed preparing to hit her with a blast of magic before his wife cut him off by putting her hoof in front of him. "No, we resolve this peacefully, we have to set an example for the children." The Doctor stated. Determination in her eyes. "Fine" Fritz huffed. "But just how do you suggest we do that?" The angry stallion asked. "I-I don't know." Dula admitted looking up at Cozy Glow and trying her best to think up a plan. Cozy just continued to laugh maniacally taking glee from her actions, but she paused when she heard a familiar sound. "I Wuv U Cozy Glow!" Cozy turned to see Willow on the roof with that annoying Doe and Buffalo by her side. Levitating Cozy's doll with her magic. "Put that down!!" Cozy shrieked as she quickly flew towards them. "Only if you stop this Cozy." Willow admitantly stated. "Pfft, as if. Why would I. I'm having fun bringing all your nightmares to life!" Cozy cackled. "Well then, you leave me no choice" Willow sighed as she set the doll down in front of the Buffalo. "Do it" she sorrowfully sighed. "With pleasure" The Buffalo smiled as she began to step on the doll, causing it to speak out again. "Stop that? What are you doing?" Cozy Glow panicked. "Child with rotten soul scare friends, so I Sunflower Spirit punish by destroying doll!" The buffalo stated as she began to press down harder and harder until Cozy heard a slight crack. "NO!!" Cozy shrieked as she dropped the staff and flew towards the doll, swiping it from underneath the buffalo's hoof. And she began hugging it like mad, only to find her own deepest fear had come true. The voice box was broken...it didn't work or sound right anymore. "I...I...You ...oozy...gloo" "I Love.....coozy....ooo" "I.....glow" The doll spoke as Cozy pressed and pressed as it got weaker until nothing came out at all. "No. No. Starlight. No. Please...No!!" Cozy began to shriek and sob as the others looked on, the doctors and orderlies soon arriving on the roof as well surprised by the scene. Cozy just lie there crying rocking herself,hugging the doll over and over, no sound coming out. "Starlight. Please. Please talk to me. No no no no, please!" Cozy sobbed still squeezing the doll. "Oh, oh dear" Dr. Dula exclaimed with a shocked and sorrowful tone. "It was the only way." Willow exclaimed as she trotted towards the doctor. "I'm sorry, please tell her that when you can." "What will happen to her now?" Clover asked. "We have no choice, she's to dangerous to keep in a regular room. I'm sorry dear, but Cozy must be moved to the maximum security wing on floor eight!" Fritz sighed as he went to pick-up the staff. "I-I guess you're right dear" Dula admitted as she levitated Cozy, still clinging tightly to her doll up on her back. "Come now little one" she softly spoke. "That's enough excitement for one day, let's get you cleaned up and off to bed." Cozy however said nothing as she was still oblivious to the world around her, the loss of the doll's voice, of Starlight's voice causing her to shut-down and sink within herself.