"Wait hold on... What happened down there?" Gallus questioned as Ocellus, Smolder, and Cozy Glow tried to sneak off to the side.
They had woken up a while ago tired and sore from sleeping on the ground. After a disorienting recap of what most of them went through they decided it was best to tell the teachers and headmare. After all, near-death and trauma was a good excuse for missing the test. As they went to leave however, Cozy Glow tapped on Smolder's shoulder and hurriedly whispered into the other's ear. Ocellus seemed to perk up in realization and joined the two to the side. When asked where they were going all they could really say at the moment was that they needed to talk... privately. Their concern was mostly about the dark tests they were made to endure last night.
"A... A lot of things happened down there." Smolder admitted as she turned to face the griffin, "But it's a bit personal."
Sandbar stepped forward, "Aren't you going to come with us to tell Headmare Twilight about the tree?"
Ocellus glanced over at the other two beside her, "Um... We're going to have to catch up with you some other time. There's something the three of us need to talk about before we take this to Twilight. Do you mind letting her know that we have something important to tell her? We'll be with her later."
"Does it have to do with Cozy?" Silverstream asked as she pointed a talon at the pink filly.
Cozy Glow, who was embarrassingly hiding behind Smolder, perked up and let out a sigh, "Yes... It does." She confessed as she fluttered out into the open, "But we can talk about it later, okay? Not now! It's... It's not good."
Yona seriously considered the young pegasus, "Yona understand. Underground tests were very scary! Knew lots about us and our fears! Little pony don't have to talk about it with us if she don't want to."
"Thanks Yona..." Cozy smiled with relief, "But before you all go, I want to apologize. I haven't been the best lately... I shouldn't have said all those things I did earlier. I shouldn't have suggested we check out that grate. I'm sorry... can you ever forgive me for that? It was downright rotten." Her eyes went wide like a puppy's as she begged the young six for forgiveness.
Towards the end of Cozy's apology Smolder gave the little filly an uncertain stare.
The others however, even Ocellus, seemed to coo at this as Silverstream went up with a caring smile, "Oh Cozy! Don't worry about that. Sure some things you said were... a little hurtful, but none of us could've expected something like that down there."
"And besides, we all came out pretty okay. Even learned something. I think through this you learned something too! So you know, maybe getting into some mythical, magical danger was worth it." Sandbar shrugged with a simple smile.
"Excuse you I almost got crushed!" Gallus raised his wings towards Sandbar before turning towards the others, "But um... I'm not blaming you for all that Cozy. I still feel like we really need to talk about some of this stuff later on though."
"Yona think little pony has been through enough trouble today! Just like Yona and other friends! Let's not be mad at one another. Let's figure this out together!"
"Yeah!" Ocellus chirped before turning to the little pegasus, "Cozy listen, you really cared about me and Smolder down there... If it weren't for what you did I probably wouldn't believe you now but... I forgive you, and I'm sure every other creature here does too! Because you're our friend."
Cozy looked up to Ocellus with wide eyes before smiling back, "Gee... Thanks every creature! You really are the best!"
"Yeah well, we should really get to talking to Headmare Twilight right about now," Gallus walked up to the three, "Are you sure you'll be alright?"
Smolder nodded, "Mhm. Don't worry about us. We'll be with you all again soon."
Gallus nodded before leaving through the door with Silverstream, Yona, and Sandbar following behind.
"See you all soon! Try not to fall in more deadly traps without us~!" Silverstream chirped before she dashed out into the hallway.
Then from there it was only three. Cozy and Ocellus were smiling and waving goodbye towards the door until they both looked to the side. They were surprised to spot Smolder now glaring at the two of them with narrowed eyes.
Cozy was the one who decided to break the uneasy tension, "What?"
"Okay, look. Not trying to be rude or anything but after what you told us and after everything I now know that cute act is... starting to get on my nerves." The orange dragon crossed her arms with a huff.
Ocellus gave a confused glance towards Cozy, "Cute act?"
Cozy sheepishly smiled back, "Ahah... um... Listen. It's like second nature, alright? I have to! No pony or creature would like me if I didn't!"
"So wait- that apology wasn't genuine?" The changeling questioned.
"Well... It was still an apology! But... after what I did... and what they're going to find out later..." The pink filly tapped her hooves together as she slowly lowered herself back down onto the library floor, "I just want to get on their good sides again because after we tell them everything they'll hate me... but if I don't tell them anything they're just going to be even more upset with me..."
Smolder's glare softened into a look of concern, "Hey. Why're you so worried about what we think about you?"
"Huh?" Cozy looked up at the other.
"I mean- It's true you have to apologize when you can... and you did! Good on you! But you sound like you did it just to keep us happy. Why're you so focused on keeping us happy? We're already your friends. And right now, as your friend, I'm more concerned about you and your... partnership with Tirek. Which- by the way- we still need to talk about that." Smolder had crouched down to set a claw on the filly's shoulder.
Cozy looked up at Smolder- and suddenly let out a snrk. She pressed a hoof to her mouth but even then she couldn't hold back the laughter she felt bubbling up within her.
"What's so funny?" Ocellus uneasily asked.
"Ahah.. it's just- I just realized something is all. But- well... you’ll understand later. I guess I should start from the beginning, shouldn’t I?” She turned and fluttered deeper within the library.
Ocellus and Smolder glanced at one another with quiet worry before trailing after the filly.
Cozy Glow rounded one of the bookshelves as she continued on, "After Tirek's terrible attack on Equestria I did get curious... I wanted to know more about the magic he had and how to gain that much power for myself."
The two tried to follow but were surprised to find her already going behind another shelf. They hurried after her, looked down another aisle, and saw her disappearing at the end once again. Both were getting skeptical as they continued their chase.
"Uh- Cozy? Slow down!" Smolder shouted out as she turned a corner only to see the small pegasus disappear behind another bookshelf. Was she going in circles?
"I wrote to him and didn't expect a letter. He was in Tartarus, after all. Yet somehow, my message came through! And he responded..." The filly giggled, "It was my lucky day I guess!"
Both dragon and changeling came to a stop by a bookshelf full of large hard-covered history books when they lost sight of Cozy completely. They both scanned the area before looking at one another in concern.
The filly's voice seemed to come from either side of them. "You see, I at first just wanted to know how. Then it became why. Then- as my pen-pal continued I began to understand everything! Power. Control. Friendship. It's what makes you above it all! It's what made Princess Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Twilight herself the rulers of Equestria!"
"How long ago was this Cozy?" Smolder found herself asking as she instinctively pulled Ocellus close to her.
"Oh way before I met you all! Way before the school was even made! It was perfect when Twilight founded the school of friendship! I used it as a good excuse to come all the way over here~! Where I was closer to it all. But gee, all that shouldn't concern you, really. You might've figured out what goes on behind the scenes but golly! I think we should just put an end to this already, don't you?"
Suddenly, a loud THUMP was heard just before the bookshelves surged forward. They tilted and fell right over the unfortunate dragon and her friend. Not wanting to burn the editions ablaze, Smolder instead opted to try and pull Ocellus away, but the two of them would suddenly find books toppling on top of them and the heavy shelf pinning them to the ground. They roughly landed on the floor with their teeth clattering together and their heads spinning.
"Agh! Cozy!" Smolder growled as she tried to push herself back up.
"Cozy what're you doing??" Ocellus coughed out as she tried to do the same.
Cozy Glow flew up into view with a large heavy book in hoof. On the cover was a blue faucet and some pipes, "Aw~ I'm doing what I need to." She smiled innocently down at them, "I can't have you both running around knowing my deepest darkest secrets! Oh no no no! Tirek wouldn't be too happy to hear that I got caught, especially before the plan has even gone off! And I am NOT giving up that easily!"
She then abruptly swung the book down on Ocellus's head, managing to knock her out entirely. Great Celestia this filly could hit!
"Ocellus!" Smolder gasped before pushing up with all her strength to let out a blast of fiery flame towards Cozy and the book she held.
"Ah!" The pegasus jumped back in surprise as she dropped the burning book. She quickly backed out of the way before her feathers could get scorched as well, "Why you-"
With a flap of her wings Smolder suddenly popped right out from the shelf she was underneath and flew up high above Cozy, "What're you doing??? I thought you wanted to fix all this! To be honest and to be our friend!"
"I only agreed to be honest." The pegasus growled, "I still have plans... and I can't have you two getting in my way!"
Cozy turned and flew down to the other side of the library. Smolder followed in hot pursuit and from there it was a game of cat and mouse. The dragon repeatedly attempted to grab the slippery pegasus but the filly always managed to somehow get away at the last second! It was really started to get on the dragon's nerves.
Meanwhile Cozy was trying to anxiously search for some way to deal with Smolder. She could run but not for long! It was then that she spotted one of the hanging lights up above. With a new idea now blooming in her head she made one final loop around the room and hurriedly grabbed the dangling lights as she passed them.
Smolder, who was right behind her, was surprised by what the filly was doing and tried to slow down, "Wait wait wait-!"
"What's-?" Ocellus slowly stirred from the bookshelf she was under.
"-GOING ON?!"
Cozy Glow yelped in surprise at the new voice and turned to see Headmare Twilight at the library's door along with the rest of the young six, the counselor, and two other teachers. By then it was too late to stop the momentum of the hanging lantern from swinging straight into the orange dragon.
Smolder shouted out as a she was knocked out of the air and into the fallen bookshelves down below next to Ocellus. She landed with a groan and couldn't even raise her head.
Cozy blinked and realized how much damage she caused to the room around her. Ocellus was buried under a shelf, Smolder was down for the count, books and shelves had been knocked over with a fire just nearby, and now... she was in serious trouble. The filly looked down at the others with a sheepish smile,
"Ahahah... Oops..?"