//------------------------------//
// Chapter Three: Twitchy Equestria 
// Story: Bizarre Happenings 
// by Art Inspired 
//------------------------------//

It was impossible for Cozy Glow to keep track of how many different discomforting faces she saw that day. Walking through the afternoon bustle of Canterlot was hardly an enjoyable experience for her due to how many ponies stopped, and then simply stared at her. 

Some of them even commented about it, saying things like, "It can't be."

Twilight even heard a rather charming looking mare ask her friend, "What's Princess Twilight doing with Cozy Glow?"

Twilight looked behind her, and at Cozy Glow. The filly asked, "Err... is everypony alright?" She looked around again, and asked, "Why is everypony acting this way?"

Twilight gulped, and just kept trotting faster and faster. "Cozy Glow," she said while rounding a corner. "I'll tell you what I can when we get to the ice cream shop." Eventually, they arrived at their destination. As they did, Twilight looked down at Cozy Glow, and said, "Just head on inside and sit down at the far corner. Can you do that for me?"

Cozy nodded at Twilight before leaving her side, and after she sat down, she watched as Twilight and her friends all got their own flavor of ice cream. Discord tried to order his scoop with spiderwebs inside of it which made Cozy Glow giggle, but they were fresh out. So he turned whatever he got into spiderwebs instead.

Twilight came back holding two scoops, but Discord and Starlight sat at the other end of the shop. Sitting a bowl down in front of Cozy, she said, "I went ahead and got you tutti frutti. I saw you eating some of it when you used to attend my school."

Cozy didn't have anything to say. She simply started eating. Without smiling, she just slowly placed one small spoonful after another into her mouth, and chewed.

Twilight continued, "I don't know much about you except... who you were before, and I hope this doesn't come off as too insulting, but the Cozy Glow that we knew... she wasn't exactly a nice pony." Twilight hadn't even placed a hoof on her spoon to try her ice cream. Instead, she put her hoof on her chest, and said, "Since all that has been erased, and you're free to start over, I just... I don't want to see you end up the way you were."

Cozy stopped eating her ice cream, and asked, "Huh?"

Twilight blinked, and asked, "Were you even listening?"

Cozy looked away promptly, and then returned her gaze to Twilight. "Sort of, but the taste of this... ice cream... is weird. Are you sure that you saw me eating this?"

Twilight nodded, and said, "I can't be sure if you even liked it, though, to be honest."

Cozy shrugged, but kept eating it. After a few more bites, she said, "It's growing on me."

Twilight laughed lightly, and watched as the filly continued to eat. Then, after a minute or so, she asked Cozy, "Are you sure you heard what I said?"

Cozy nodded, and asked, "What's a school?"

Twilight's smile went away, but nevertheless, she persevered, and explained what that was. After a few more lessons that followed, she'd be able to get to the actual story. Cozy listened rather politely, and once Twilight had finished, the Princess asked, "And you know what stone is, right?"

Cozy nodded. "Yes, Twilight..." She looked down, and some more of her mane uncurled. While it flopped downwards, and dangled in front of Cozy's face, she asked Twilight, "All that for... what again?"

Twilight grimaced, and said, "Revenge."

Cozy's face turned bleak. "Revenge?"

Twilight nodded, and said, "I just told you about it, but yes, that's what all three of you tried to achieve. You... misinterpreted friendship, allied with some of the worst, and most sinister villains in all of Equestria, all for extremely selfish gain. By then, your fate was out of my hooves, Cozy Glow."

The filly had stopped eating, and placed the bowl down gently. She didn't necessarily look upset to Twilight. She seemed more as if she was still piecing together the puzzles. Either that, or she was trying to remember. "I, uh," she said with a raspy voice. She cleared her throat, and said again, "I'm so sorry... I don't really know what else to say." She looked away, blinking, and then asked, "Why can't I remember stuff?"

Twilight glanced towards Discord from across the room, and said, "Chances are... Discord's to blame."

Discord was busy laughing with Starlight at the time, which was something of a rare sight. Nevertheless, it was a welcomed sight to see by Twilight. Cozy Glow asked the Princess, "Why's that?"

Twilight looked back at the filly, and explained, "He likes to brag about how great his magic is, but we've seen what happens when he leaves his magic unchecked. Since he's also tampered with the spell, we can't necessarily dismiss the possibility that he's to blame after all."

Cozy nodded, and said, "Okay, but I really can't remember any of this."

Twilight nodded back, and said, "I know, Cozy. I'm planning on making an official explanation to everypony soon, but please, don't be alarmed if ponies react to you... differently." She sighed, and said, "Which brings us... to the next thing on our list."

Cozy asked, "What's that?"

Twilight looked out the window, and towards the east side of town. "Rarity's going to be your caretaker." Cozy stared at Twilight curiously. "She can be a bit... eccentric at times."

Cozy Glow sighed, and commented, "I don't see why she has to be my caretaker, then. Why can't it be you, Twilight? You're so... kind, and thoughtful."

Twilight smiled at those remarks, and said, "Thank you, but you'll come to learn that Rarity's every bit as kind as me, and more. She's my most generous friend." Twilight finally reached for her spoon to take a bite from her melted ice cream, but stopped just in time. She then used her magic to restore its frosty texture and temperature. "Mmh," she hummed as she continued eating.

Cozy breathed in deeply before saying, "There has to be more."

Twilight nodded, and said in between her bites, "She has a sister, and she's visiting for about a week."

Cozy's eye brows raised, and she voiced, "Oh... What's her name?"

Twilight then said, "Sweetie Belle, and she's about your age. You may want to start with apologizing to her for locking her in that closet."

Cozy Glow's face became animated, and she said, "You haven't told me about that, Twilight."

"Oh, sorry," Twilight said after gulping down more of her treat. "I forgot a few smaller details like that..."

Twilight wrapped things up with Cozy Glow in time, but by then, more ponies had come into the establishment, so Discord and Starlight came up to Twilight to see if she and Cozy Glow were ready. They made their way to the exit, but not before Cozy Glow got even more attention than earlier, so the group had to make it to Rarity's Canterlot Boutique in a hurry.



Twilight's group had finally arrived. Before knocking on the door, though, Twilight hesitated, and asked aloud, "Perhaps somepony at Ponyville will do instead."

Discord glanced at her while she continued.

"But, then again, on such short notice-"

"I'm sorry," Discord interrupted. "What are you doing?"

Twilight gave him an unamused look, and stated, "I'm trying to figure things out!"

He replied, "But, why are you talking to yourself? Is that really necessary?" He looked at Starlight, and asked, "Who else does that? Am I right, Starlight?"

The unicorn chuckled sheepishly, and bluffed, "Oh, not me! Err, Twilight does it constantly."

He smiled at her, and then looked back at Twilight who said, "Oh, fine! Rarity will do." She knocked on the door, and waited for an answer. "Besides, she'll understand that I've got too much work already to also be taking care of Cozy Glow."

Soon, the door opened, and Rarity invited them from inside, "Come in, Twilight! I'm in the back, and I haven't finished that dress for you yet if that's what you're here for."

Twilight smiled while walking in, and said to Rarity, "That's okay. That's actually not why we're here."

Rarity came around from the other room, and stopped dead in her tracks the second she saw Cozy Glow. With a sharp gasp, and a look to Twilight, Rarity asked, "What is she doing here? Twilight, have you gone mad?"

Twilight shook her head, and said, "No, and try to calm down."

Before Twilight could get another word in, Rarity asked sharply, "Calm down?! Twilight, have you forgotten what she tried to do? What they might've done to poor Spikey Wikey's wings? She seemed perfectly alright with Chrysalis ripping them clean off his backside!" 

Cozy Glow backed away nearly into the wall, and Twilight huffed at that remark, and had to nod. However, she replied, "That doesn't matter now, though. Listen, Rarity..." She stopped, and stared at Twilight and the others. Just then, Sweetie Belle came around the corner, and heard Twilight tell Rarity, "Cozy Glow has lost her memory."

"What?" Rarity asked.

"She doesn't remember anything," Twilight resumed. "And I just got done explaining everything to her in an ice cream parlor. Look... I know how you're going to feel about this, but still... I need you to take care of Cozy Glow for me."

Rarity nearly gasped yet again, but instead, she kept herself just about as composed as she could've, and simply inhaled. "Oh," she voiced with closed eyes. "I... know why you're choosing me, Twilight, but..." She opened her eyes while rolling them, and said, "Why does it have to be me?"

Twilight giggled, and said, "I kind of need you for this." She looked towards Cozy, and said, "Besides, I've been testing her all this time, and my magic says that she's telling me the truth." She looked back at Rarity, and asked, "Do you think you can do this for me? It's not like I'd be very far away."

Rarity smiled, and looked at Cozy, and then at Discord. "Well... of course I'll do this for you Twilight. Although, I have to ask... Why is Discord here?"

Twilight looked from Rarity to Discord, and said, "Oh, uh..."

Discord jokingly said, "I think Twilight just likes having me along."

Twilight replied, "I do not! Starlight's the one who's been enjoying your company."

Starlight had wandered off and was looking at dresses. She poked her head out from the rows and rows of fabric to ask, "What's that, Twilight? You called me?"

Twilight snickered, and replied, "No, Starlight. go back to what you were doing." She then averted her attention back to Rarity, and said, "Besides, Discord was just tagging along in case something... strange happened."

Rarity nodded with a smile while saying, "I know, darling. I was only teasing. Anyways..." She looked at Cozy Glow with a puzzled expression. "I suppose I'll show you to your room. That is, if there's nothing else..."

Cozy looked from Rarity to Twilight, and asked, "This is where I'll be staying?"

That's when Sweetie Belle ran down the halls all of the sudden. Rarity voiced to the others, "Uh-oh... She was probably eavesdropping. I'll go talk to her about this. Cozy Glow?"

The filly looked at Rarity, and nervously started to approach her. "Yes, Rarity?"

"I'll be with you momentarily." As she spoke, Starlight and Discord began showing themselves out. "Your room is upstairs, and to your left. It's the first door you see once you reach the second floor."

Cozy nodded contently, and then turned to Twilight while Rarity walked off. "Uhm... Will you come to visit me?"

Twilight gulped while thinking about the various duties she had. Modestly, she said, "I'll try, but I've got a lot of work to do. Don't worry, though. I'll visit you again as soon as I can."

Cozy nodded, and following that conversation, Twilight headed for the door. Before leaving Rarity's Canterlot Boutique, she looked back at Cozy Glow, and waved. The filly waved back with a slight smile, and then Twilight closed the door. Cozy's smile went away, and for the first time since being freed from stone, she was all alone. She looked around, and towards the stairs that would take her to her room, but for a second, she didn't move. She just sat there.

Slowly, she breathed, wondering to herself, "How am I going to fix all of this? Is that even something that I can do? Twilight's going to tell Equestria about my innocence, but... I managed to hide my feelings back in the ice cream shop, but... that was a lot of bad things that I've done!"

She stood up, and started towards her room. While trotting up the stairs, she continued thinking, "I have a feeling that not everypony is just going to up and forgive me."

She closed the door behind herself, and laid down on the bed to wait for Rarity to finish with Sweetie Belle. Rarity wouldn't get the chance to talk to Cozy Glow again that day, however, because upon entering Cozy's room, Rarity would catch the filly fast asleep, and snuggled up with at least six or seven pillows. Considering the kind of day Cozy Glow had just experienced, Rarity wasn't about to wake her up, and after extinguishing the lights, she left the filly to her peaceful slumber.