The Hearth's Warming day was one of the favorite holidays for all ponies of Equestria. Pegasi release the snow from the clouds that fill up the sky, they fly up to houses helping their friends and all kinds of ponies to decorate, earth ponies taking care of food supplies and growing seeds out of the ground, unicorns keeping the other ponies warm and safe. Although, most ponies actually do that.
While all the ponies-and creatures... were enjoying at their homes, Cozy Glow was stuck at Tartarus.
The young foal was sitting in her steel cage, her front hooves crossed. She grunted every once in a while in annoyance, that include every bad memory she experienced. She would usually talk to his penpal Tirek, or, well, she being the only one talking, and Tirek rarely asking questions. He got bored out of her stories being repeated over, over, and over again. Tirek though, was quite surprised that his very young penpal stopped telling stories at all times. Other than being surprised, he was glad she was silent for a while. Hopefully.
Tirek had just stood in his cage, doing nothing but staring at the Cerberus that was napping next to the stairway that led to the cages of the 2 prisoners. Cozy's silence confused him though. She would comment at him looking at places. Still, he didn't want to ask. If he did, she'd probably break the silence he had, and he did not want to mess it up. So he kept being quiet as Cozy did.
He turned his head around to the left, looking at the pink foal, who's now laying on the bottom of her slightly smaller cage, her back being turned to Tirek's side. He ignored and turned back.
"Hey, Tirek!"
He grunted at the sound of Cozy's voice, the one time he thought he won't hear it.
"...yes?" He turned his head around, mumbling something before answering.
"Are you wondering why I'm silent?!" Cozy yelled.
"You sure aren't now..."
"WHY AM I YELLING?!" Cozy yelled again, finally standing up from her position.
"I should be asking you that..." Tirek said rather quietly, turning away from the yelling filly. Cozy Glow sighed, and sat down again, holding the prison bars with her hooves.
"Have you ever thought of freedom?" Cozy asked in her normal tone, looking at the creature.
Tirek sighed aswell, but in annoyance. He didn't reply, just kept looking away.
"Can you answer?" Cozy asked in her cute tone, looking at Tirek with her big pupils.
"No," Tirek answered.
"Please? Pleaseee? Please please please please please please please please..." Cozy continued for a few more moments, before Tirek finally snapped.
"FINE! Yes, I have!" Tirek turned his head around yelling, slowly quieting down. "I'm pretty sure we both want freedom, but criminals like us don't have a big chance of escaping!"
Cozy stared at him, her eyebrow raised. "How can we not?" She asked. "There's still a chance that we-"
"NO, THERE ISN'T!" Tirek interrupted Cozy while she spoke, yelling. "There is NO CHANCE we could leave this place! Nopony can save us! Nopony can break in!" He continued.
"Well... What if there is..." Cozy smiled sinisterly.
"Depends. What's your plan?" Tirek came closer to the smaller steel cage to hear the plan.
"There are some specific ponies - and by that I mean Twilight and her friends
- that actually plan on releasing some creatures from Tartarus soon. I overheard it while I was being taken here. Maybe we could trick those ponies that will probably carry the keys, and then we'll steal it from them, then escape! Easy! As quick as you can make a cupcake! And I'm sayin' that a lot," Cozy whispered to Tirek, trying to keep the other creatures in Tartarus from hearing her words. She smiled sinisterly once again, and Tirek just stared, and took a moment to think about Cozy's plan.
"Hm.. You know, that's not a bad idea. When will they arrive?" Tirek asked.
"Probably in 20 years. 'Cause these creatures will need a lot of work to get released into nature," Cozy calmly said, while Tirek started to lose his patience.
"I've been here for a long time, and I've lost count of the years. I need to wait 20 more years?" Tirek asked, amount of anger increasing in his tone.
"Yes," Cozy said normally, unlike Tirek. "Although there are ponies who will come here and try to save us. Other than those idiots I just mentioned," she spoke.
Tirek huffed, turning away from the pink filly, looking to Cerberus instead. "What ponies?" He asked.
Cozy smiled again, none of the two noticing the hoofsteps of a lavender mare hiding behind a decent amount of rocks, listening to their conversation.
Cozy bored herself to sleep, while Tirek continued to stand, his hands crossed. It was silent, as he had enjoyed as always.
Cozy woken up with a twitch. Tirek was surprised of the sudden twich of the foal. He got his answer instantly.
Hoofsteps were heard in Tartarus. They were unlike any creature. It was certainly a pony.
"Who's the visitor today?" Tirek asked.
The pony stepped out from the shadow. It was no other pony than..
"Starlight Glimmer," Cozy exclaimed.
"Hello Cozy. Long time no see," Starlight greeted, looking at her flatly.
"Long time indeed," Cozy grinned.
The Cerberus stood in front of Starlight, not allowing her to pass. Starlight stood to ask politely:
"Hey pup, mind if I pass to see these prisoners?" She asked.
The three headed dog licked Starlight, each licking once, allowing her to walk up to them.
She walked up the stairway to Cozy and Tirek. There were a few moments of silence, until Cozy finally started to speak.
"What brings you here?" Cozy asked.
"To tell you that your plan isn't a possibility," Starlight told. Cozy looked at her with surprise.
"How do you know about that plan?" She asked.
"You probably hadn't noticed I come to visit here once a month," Starlight grinned.
"Wait... What?" Tirek joined in the conversation. "Still haven't asked though. Who exactly are you?" He asked.
"Hasn't Cozy told you about me?" Starlight asked. "You know, the 'dumb' councillor?"
"For how long have you been listening?" Cozy asked suddenly.
"At least an hour until you come up with a plan that doesn't have a possibility of working," Starlight answered.
"Ugh!" Cozy facehoofed.
"This is gonna be a long argument..." Tirek complained.
"Why did you come in the first place?!" Cozy yelled. "I'm just a criminal foal! I don't deserve freedom, don't I?! That's all you ponies say!"
"None of that was said, Cozy," Starlight began.
"Yeah, right! You totally didn't say so!" Cozy said sarcastically.
"You're right there. I didn't."
"Why are you here anyways?!" Cozy said, still yelling.
"To tell you that there are way more peaceful ways to solve this. You and Tirek want freedom, and that's understandable. I'm just here to ask questions." Starlight said.
"Yeah, whatever. Ask away so we can end with this," Cozy said, grunting afterwards.
"Why did you want to take magic away?" Starlight asked first.
"Because!" Cozy said loudly.
"Well, 'because' isn't an answer," Starlight continued.
"Yet, it is." Cozy replied.
Starlight sighed. "You need to answer me, Cozy."
"Have you not heard me when you were in the magic orb?! To take it to an another realm!" Cozy answered.
"Huh..." Starlight spoke. "What realm is that?"
I'm not telling you," Cozy relaxed and spoke in her normal tone.
"...Okay then. This conversation isn't over Cozy," Starlight said. She began walking away, going down the stairs and teleporting back to Twilight's castle.
"Let's hope you don't come back anytime soon..." Cozy whispered to herself. Tirek just looked in confusion.
"What the hay happened?"