The auditorium was as silent as a tomb, all eyes upon the small filly pegasus on the stage. Cozy Glow began to shiver as the silent stares penetrated the very core of her being. The words that had been on her lips seemed to have been lost. Her lips ran dry. She was scared. Her heart began to race as she stared out at the crowd. “What is it?!”
A voice called out from before the stage, a griffon named Gallus. His voiced conveyed the tone of the room; hurry up. She began to talk but faltered as she saw the judgemental glances of her peers. “I-I jus- I”
Murmuring erupted throughout the room. Cozy Glow could catch glimpses of what was being said. “Why are we here?”
“Why should we listen to her?”
“Yeah, Let’s go she’s wasted enough of our time already.”
“Waste of time.”
Cozy Glow’s eyes closed and she took a deep breath. This is it, now or never girl. It was then that Cozy stopped thinking and spoke straight from her soul. “STOP! PLEASE everyone... listen to me.”
The crowd had begun making it’s way to the doors as these words were shouted. Gallus paused upon hearing them and slowly turned, calling out. “Why should we?”
Beside him Smolder whispered. “Why did you stop?”
He ignored her and stared into Cozy Glow’s eyes from across the room. “Tell me why we should listen to anything you have to say?”
“Because, I-I’m SORRY!”
Every creature froze, Cozy Glow had used her real voice, not the sickly sweet childish one they were used to. I knew there was more to her! Gallus thought as he slowly approached her and yelled out loud enough for every creature there to hear. “You are sorry? For what? Your plans won't be going your way?”
A voice over by the doors shouted out. “I bet she’s just using us again, the little creep!”
“NO! I’m sorry for...for exploiting you all. All of you extended a branch of friendship and instead of cherishing it like the precious gift it is..I-I tried to use it as a tool to achieve my own means.”
Those at the door turned around murmuring slowly in disbelief, listened as Cozy Glow continued her tone carried her anguish, though the words seemed hard for her to say. “I was wrong! Friendship is… It’s not a trophy... or conquest.”
Twilight and her friends had stood at the back in silence watching the display. Fluttershy leaned over and whispered in Applejack’s ear. “I’ve never seen this side of her before. Can you tell? Is she being honest?”
Applejack was smiling and nodded. “She sure as sugar is, Flutters.”
Twilight silently observed the entire scene as Cozy Glow continued her apology, confidence building as she saw them pay attention. She gave it everything she had. “Friendship is powerful b-but-but not because of what it gives you but by how it makes you feel inside. Please, I am begging you; all of you, please can we start over?”
The room went silent once more as Gallus got onto the stage and before every creature’s eyes approached the young pegasus. “You say you want to start over?”
Yona, a yak whispered to Smolder. “Is nasty pony not so nasty anymore, or is it just Yona?”
Smolder crossed her arms and looked fierce but whispered back. “ I don’t know but she looks terrified, right now. Quite vulnerable.”
An earthpony with a turtle cutiemark remarked next to Yona. “That must have taken everything she had to say given the amount of pride she always has.”
A hippogriff next to him had tears in her eyes. She could hear what the others couldn’t; Cozy Glow’s heart was crying out. The pale pink, Silverstream sniffed. “You have no idea how scared she is. I wonder what Gallus will do.”
All eyes were on the stage as the gryphon held out a talon and said in a firm and uncharacteristically intimidating voice. “Go ahead, take my talon, that is if you trust me enough to do so.”
As Cozy Glow reached for his talon with her hoof, Gallus smiled and grasped it. He began to shake it up and down and spoke lightly. “Nice to meet you, my name is Gallus. What’s yours?”
The entire auditorium erupted in laughter, the ice had officially been broken. Gallus was known for his critical yet fair observations of others. Everycreature ran to ‘greet’ the young pegasus for the ‘first’ time. Cozy Glow smiled and glanced towards the door where Hazel stood nodding approvingly before turning to trot through the door. Cozy was about to go after her when suddenly a loud voice shouted. “THIS CALLS FOR A PARTY.”
No creature present had noticed but somehow inexplicably the Professor of Fun; Pinkie Pie had set up decorations and balloons as well as a full spread of food on a buffet table. Cozy Glow began to cry, all the anxiety and nerves catching up to her, and stumbled only to find herself braced by Yona. “Little pony very strong like yaks!”
Out in the hallway Hazel was using the wall to brace herself. Her chest was heaving from erratic breathing, as her ears played the sound of her own dread, pounding in her veins. Her eyes were dilating. By my sister’s grace, how does Starshine do that everyday? Frantically she summoned one of her favorite vices, a single cylinder of deadwood ash. Try as she might to light it however, she found herself completely unable to focus upon the cigarette in order to ignite the tip. Tears began to flow down her muzzle as she hung it in defeat. Much to her surprise, she found her head lifted up as the cylinder was placed in her muzzle, freshly lit. “Would you happen to have a spare?”
Hazel was stunned as she watched the mother of her partner, Twilight Sparkle approach her, a gentle smile upon her face. Hazel blushed slightly and angrily snapped. “What do you want?”
The tone was harsh, yet Twilight ignored it. It was yet another outburst to her. Ruffling her wings as she stood shoulder by shoulder with the sinful thestral, she asked her once again. “Would you happen to have a spare I could have?”
Hazel was non-plussed. “Why would you-”
Twilight’s face took on a serious expression. Her response not only cut Hazel off but carried with it an icy chill that caused the thestral to shiver. “Do. You. Have. One. You. Can. Spare?”
“Er-Yeah…Here.”
Hazel passed a fresh cylinder to Twilight, who didn’t hestitate to ignite the tip and take a long drag. The lavender alicorn smiled as she blew out a small smoke cloud. “Ahhh, that’s the stuff. Thank you.”
Hazel shook her head in confusion. “I-I don’t understand-”
Taking a slow inhale of the ash-ladened cylinder, Twilight smiled. “You don’t need to.”
“Aren’t you an alicorn? What would my sister say?”
Twilight laughed and blew out a stream of smoke. “Probably something about how it’s bad for
me...or the like, I’m sure.”
“Then why would a celestial-”
Taking a slow deliberate drag on the deadly ash, Twilight said softly and in a rather somber tone. “Because this isn’t about her. This has nothing to do with the heavens above or the Underworld. This is between one other and me.”
Silence fell as they stood side by side, listening to the party in the auditorium. This lasted for about five minutes before Twilight whispered. “Not as easy as you thought, is it?”
Hazel’s head whipped around to stare at the alicorn. Her reply was rather abrupt. “What are you talking about?”
Twilight locked eyes with her and smiled. I can hear her sorrow, why is she so sad, yet able to smile with such a genuine warmth? Hazel found herself thinking as she stared into that melancholy gaze. Twilight’s voice sounded almost broken. “Lowering your defenses to reach another.”
The thestral scuffed a hoof nervously. “It hurts. A lot.”
Twilight laughed and dropped the cylinder of ash to the stone floor, crushing it out with her hoof. “Indeed it does.”
Turning to walk away, Hazel heard her call back. “Though perhaps it’s a pain we all should bear. We all have our skeletons, Hazel. Alone, the darkness consumes. With others however, that pain can be the greatest feeling in the world. Don’t give up.”
Hazel turned towards the auditorium doorway and peeked in. She observed Cozy Glow dancing with the others and having the time of her life. All the gauges of the game were back to full, and she even showed an increase in friends gained. She smiled and gave a small chuckle. Her chest was pounding in anguish, and her body ached all over. She was uncomfortable and completely out of her element. Yet there she stood smiling at the scene. “A pain worth having, huh?”
Calmly, she produced and lit another of her ashen cylinders and thought about what Twilight said for a moment before voicing her thoughts out loud. “I guess that’s a cross I can learn to bear.”