//------------------------------//
// Chapter 19- What Lies Beneath Her Mask Pt.2 
// Story: The Thestral With The Golden Halo 
// by DougtheLoremaster 
//------------------------------//

Cozy Glow gracefully illustrated her story as she spoke. With every word she spoke two lines made their appearance as the drawing was brought to life. “I was adept at chess, even got my cutiemark at that tournament. It shocked everyone there; a three-year-old able to go against Expert ranked players who had been playing for decades. Naturally, an interview was requested.”
She paused to hold up the drawing. It depicted a news pony holding a notebook, writing. Cozy Glow stood before her answering the questions. Hazel stared at the image for a moment  It’s so life-like. . Cozy turned the page and began again. “It was in that interview that my life changed. You see I was naive, and soon it became widespread knowledge how wealthy my family was.”
“I still don’t..”
“When ponies learn you have something to offer them, they tend to be a lot nicer. Those classmates who shunned me, were suddenly my bestest friends. Though none was more friendly than that colt.”
Pausing her narrative, Cozy Glow brought her hoof to her chin in thought. “Looking back, I should have noticed, how whenever I would have tickets to something or an extra juice box, he would be first in line. He would gush about how great i was only to vanish the instant the freebies stopped.”
Continuing her drawing, Cozy Glow once more began narrating her image. “At the time though all I noticed was how everyone was ‘so proud’ of me and how everyone ‘was my best friend.’”
Holding up the sketch pad, Cozy revealed a charcoal scene of her surrounded by many others as she patted on the back giving them toys and things. “After a few weeks of feeling on top of the world, I was sent crashing into the ground once more.”
Hazel’s horn glowed once more and a pair of boxed lunches appeared. “I hate to interrupt but I think now would be the perfect time for a nice lunch, don’t you? I know I am hungry, perhaps you are as well?”
Cozy stared at Hazel in surprise.  Her horn glowed amethyst that time instead of that crimson it usually does. Strange.  “Erm, oh yes! I haven’t eaten since this morning.”
Hazel opened her lunchbox with a smile and produced a strange food Cozy Glow had never seen before. Curious Cozy asked about it. “Mrs Hazel? What’s that?”
Hazel held up the strange food, which she held with two strange sticks. “This is a delicacy from a land Equestria may one day meet. It features rice, avocado, minced carrots, cream cheese and a splash of mango sauce. All of this wrapped in a specially dried plant in a style known as nori.”
Cozy Glow looked at it and her face scrunched. “Sounds weird.”
Hazel took a nibble on the strange food and laughed. “Perhaps, though, if you open yours, I am sure you will find something more to your palate young one.”
Quickly opening her box Cozy Glow was met with a glorious sight. Two perfectly seared, steaming carrots on a bun lay next to a box of apple juice. It was her favorite meal. Looking at the happilly munching thestral, completely startled, Cozy asked her. “H-how did you…?”
Hazel laughed and shook her head. “I didn’t. These are special boxes that produce the opener’s favorite meal once per day. Enjoy!”
The two sat there happily eating their meals when Cozy thought of something. “Mrs Hazel?”
“Hmmm?”
Cozy Glow was looking at her as if trying to analyze a new species. “You eat like me, talk like me, even have a material form. Are you alive? Do you have a heart? Are you flesh and blood?”
Setting down her chopsticks, Hazel smiled and said in a gentle manner.”Place your ear upon my chest to hear my heartbeat.”
 Did her wings just flash to gray? Wait why are her eyes dark purple?  Cozy was confused but intrigued and like most fillies and many grown mares and stallions, her curiosity won. She placed her ear against the chest of the thestral. She had expected a heartbeat or perhaps nothing at all but what she heard caused her eyes to widen to the size of dinner plates. The sound of laughter, crying, yelling, rage, love and sorrow filled the filly’s ears. Hazel spoke calmly. “As you can hear through my veins runs the emotions; desires and fears of all creatures in existence. Just as blood flows through your body and gives you life, this to is what emotions do for me.”
Cozy Glow pulled away looking up at her. “I don’t understand.”
Hazel thought about this as Cozy watched the thestral’s left wing seemingly change from black scales to gray feathers.  How can I explain this to a child? Oh, I know!  You asked if I am alive. Think of it this way. My blood is the emotions of all creatures; alive, in the Otherworld, or in the Underworld and Tartarus. When another cries in pain, I am alive. When you see a creature smile because of the pride they feel, I am alive.”
“Oh wow-”
“And when you cried yourself to sleep night after night because the others in this school shunned you for being different than them Cozy, when you screamed out why my sister had forsaken you, It was proof I am alive.”
Cozy’s expression changed to that of a unicorn in a windstorm. “You-uh-you know about that?”
Hazel nodded and as her horn glowed a deep purple, another cylinder appeared in her hooves which she at once ignited and began to smoke. “Let me tell you something few realize about my sister which no creature knows more than myself. She painstakingly created the life within existence. Hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of souls, all created by her very hooves. When a baby is born, another of her masterpieces has begun its journey in life.”
 She really admires her sister.  Cozy noticed the fangs in Hazel’s mouth had receded. Hazel continued as if nothing had happened. "She is a perfectionist, refusing to let a single flaw go. None could be like the other. All unique. Such a pain.”
She took a long drag on the cylinder. Silent for a moment she continued as if lost in thought. “Though I suppose that is because she cared for her creations. She even believed they should be free to choose their own destiny. Why should they all think alike? Why should they all do the same things? Creative and adventurous, that’s my sis.”
Grinning down at Cozy Glow, Hazel continued. “Though, unlike me she was never neglectful towards her ‘children’ as she called them. True life was theirs to make, free will to do right or wrong. However, she would never forsake another creature unless they specifically told her they did not need her. It is then and only then that she would leave. Though it was never without a heavy heart. She felt the pain and distress of every rejection. When I would ask why she took this kind of abuse from the creatures, she would simply say with a smile and broken-hearted tone, It was their choice. I was always jealous of her resolve to stick to those morals of hers.”
Cozy sat there staring in awe watching the fully ashen gray colored alicorn beside her. Those amethyst eyes twinkled as what was a thestral moments ago, spoke in a gentle voice. “Which brings us to you. It is your choice. Shall we continue with the game?"
Cozy Glow smiled. "Let's!"
Reaching down into her bag she pulled her notebook from it and lifting her head to begin her narration, she immediately dropped it in shock. She was standing on a stage in front of the entire student body while the teachers stood in the back, watching. "What the - ?"
Hazel stood beside her and smiled as her horn glowed and everything froze. "Cozy, I know you want to finish your tale. Perhaps though it isn't just me that should be hearing it right now."
"Mrs. Hazel what are you talking about?"
Gesturing to the students and teachers, Hazel laughed. "This."
"Why on Equestria would I ever share my life with them?" 
"Right now the entire school is out for your blood. Perhaps if they understood you more, it might be a way to start over."
Cozy Glow shook her head in dismay. "And how would I even start?!"
Hazel's horn began to glow once more. A strange window began to appear. "Allow me to share something with you, take a look at this."
Cozy's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as she observed the scene in the window. An alabaster alicorn was bleeding profusely as wave after wave of energy slammed into her, produced by an ashen gray alicorn. "What is this?"
Producing another cylinder which she began to smoke, Hazel answered her in a casual tone. "Ragnarok, Rapture, The Apocalypse. It has many names."
"Wait, what?" 
As the battle waged between the two alicorns destroyed their surroundings on a galactic scale, Hazel explained. "It's the first 'end of the world' conflict my sister and I had."
"Wh-why are you showing me this?"
"Keep watching."
Cozy Glow watched the insane fight until finally the alabaster alicorn, though her fur now was predominantly the color of a rose in bloom, smiled. "Sister, are you done with this tantrum of yours?"
The ash-colored alicorn began to cry as her sister wrapped a wing around her in a hug. "I-I I'm sorry, I should have paid more attention instead of blaming you, Faust."
Faust whispered gently to her sister. "Shh. Relax Hazel. We can just start over. I forgive you."
The window closed as Hazel commented to Cozy Glow. "Can't you see it yet? Listen to me Cozy, you would be surprised at how understanding others can be if you give a genuine apology and try to fix it after. I've caused the end of the world, my partner has erased entire timelines. We have been forgiven for those misdeeds, but you? All you did was misuse the friendship others had with you. You may have hurt them but it isn't too late to rebuild those bridges."
Cozy Glow looked out at the crowd before the stage she stood on. "So you mean-"
"That's right, you should start there.  I mean you are looking at the being who created plague, famine, pestilence, and the ability to die themselves. If even somecreature as vile as myself can be given another chance, you can as well."
Cozy Glow nodded as the light went on in her head. "Hazel?"
Blowing out a smoke ring, the ash colored alicorn spoke gently. "Hmmm?"
"I'm ready."
Dropping the cylinder to the stage and crushing it out with her hoof, Hazel smiled. "You got this."
With those words, Hazel's horn coursed with magic and everyone in the auditorium started to move and talk again. Cozy Glow took a deep breath and sweating profusely, spoke into the microphone that had appeared in her hooves. "Everycreature, I have something to say."