//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Unexpected Aftermath // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 6 ___________________________________________________________ “I… honestly don’t quite understand how the stories are true,” the purple crystal Pegasus guard says, glancing over his shoulder. “Yeah,” the yellow one on his right says, glancing back as well. “I mean, it does sound pretty insane something so small could do all that.” “Then again, she’s an Alicorn and we’ve seen what Princess Flurry Heart can do,” the purple one said, causing the two to shudder. The yellow one rubs his chin with a hoof. “Though, didn’t those first things happen before she became an Alicorn?” “Look, could you two either shut up or at least not talk about me like I’m not in the room?” I grumble, glancing up, but not bother to lift my head off my folded forelegs. I’m currently situated in a barren crystal themed room that was originally a guest room, while locked in a crystal cage, a magical dampening ring over my horn. 2 HOUR AGO “Well, fuck,” I mutter, glancing to the baby Alicorn. “Not exactly your brightest idea there, baby voiced by Tabitha St Germain.” “Cozy Glow?!” Shining cries in alarm, before his eyes narrow, his horn glowing with his purple aura. A confused looking Flurry Heart is teleported to his side, where he pulls her to him with a foreleg and holds her tight while yelling, “Guards!” The sound of thundering hoofsteps on crystal are quickly followed by the sound of doors opening from behind me, before several yellow and purple Crystal Pony guards surround me, pointing their spires at me. “We have you surrounded,” one of them, a purple one, says loudly and firmly, thrusting his spire forward. “Don’t try any funny business, or else.” “Oh, yeah,” I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes. “Because you need to surrounded a filly less than half any of your sizes who’s already been crushed by a stallion slamming his whole weight down on her tiny bones. Clearly, while in such stiff pain, I’m gonna fly up and do kung fu on all your asses.” “We don’t have any donkeys in the Empire!” a yellow guard growls. “Any threats against them are in vein when none are here.” I blink, before rolling my eyes again. “Whelp, guess there has to be a few idiots among the only competent guards. Transfer from Canterlot, I take it?” “Don’t get smart with me, criminal!” he growls, thrusting his spire closer. Suddenly, I’m looking at his backside from a distance as I float next to Flurry Heart and Shining Armour. “Stay back!” the father yells, backing away. Flurry, however, laughs, teleporting out of her father’s grip and reappearing atop my head as I drop due to her no longer holding me in her magic. Next moment I’m on the other side of the room near the guards, who all cry out in confusion, while Flurry laughs, clapping her hooves. The guards charge towards us and I find myself now above Cadance’s throne. Two guards fly up towards us, before I’m back by the doors, my head spinning from all the sudden shifts in position and very little time to acclimatize. A yell from my right causes me to glance to see a blurry white and purple blotch that I think is Shining Armour rushing towards me. Next moment, I’m sitting in Cadance’s throne, my body flopping down, Flurry still atop my head, laughing. My vision whirls around and around. My stomach gurgles, teleporting so many times in rapid succession after being flattened clearly not sitting well with it and I feel a burning sensation coming up my throat, before I vomit all over the floor in front of throne. After I finish, I just lay there, groaning as Flurry giggles and claps. NOW Yep. I wasn’t caught hiding in a secret location or after having some big fight. I was caught because a baby Alicorn tried to save me by taking me to her home after I’d been crushed, thus couldn’t fight back, then being teleported around the room by said baby so much I ended up hurling my stomach’s contents all over the throne room floor. Despite getting only a look over by the Castle Doctor, I wasn’t given much treatment. Apparently I didn’t need it, since Alicorns are supposed to be able to recover from physical easily. I wonder if Alicorns get stronger after recovering from beat downs like Saiyans do? Do Alicorns get Zenkai Boosts? The door opens and a pair of guards in colours matching the two already in the room walk in, followed by the pink Alicorn of Love herself… and she looks pissed. I haven’t seen her that angry since the season 9 premiere when she seemed ready to kick Sombra’s ass after he foalnapped Flurry. Then again, she’s barely been in the season after that and I missed episodes, clearly, due to Cozy switching bodies with me. She walks up to my cage and just glares down at me. I don’t bother meeting her eyes. What’s the point? She isn’t going to listen. Her Mama Bear instincts are in full swing right now. Everyone knows that leaves out any rationale if their worried about their babies. “Why?” she says tensely after several long minutes of silence. I just shift around, turning my head on its side. “Gonna have to be a bit more specific there, Princess.” “Why did you steal my baby from Ponyville?!” she almost shouts. I can feel the anger emanating from her. “How are you not still trapped in the statue?! How did you know I was visiting Twilight with Flurry Heart? What was your angle? Were you going to hold her hostage in exchange for freeing your allies? And how are you still an Alicorn?!” “I didn’t. Never was. Had no clue. None. No. Was the only one smart enough to jump out of the way,” I say monotone. “You honestly expect me to believe that?” My cage shakes, making me glance up to see she’s slammed a hoof against it, glaring malice at me. “You just happened to be in Ponyville? You just happened to run into my daughter? You just happened to teleport here into the Empire?” “Was reuniting the Apples. Yes. And why would I be so stupid as to steal your daughter and then teleport right into your empire, right into the throne room, with your husband right there?” I ask, getting up, turning around so my back is to her and laying down again. “I… wait…” Cadance says slowly, seeming to take what I said into consideration. “Let me guess,” I say, looking at the blank wall before me. “Twilight and the others are on their way, with plans on turning me into stone. Thanks for nothing, Cozy Glow, you bitch.” “Calling yourself a bitch is rather foolish, don’t you think?” “Considering your daughter’s actions in the past and you ignoring them now, are you one to talk?” Shortly after I’d been taken into custody, Flurry had kept teleporting into the room and opening the cage, trying to free me so she could play. Eventually, the guards had to put a magical inhibitor ring on her too and she’s currently confined to her room, with guards keeping a close eye on her. “Look, just get Discord and get this over with,” I say, standing up and turning around, looking firmly at her. “Once Cozy and I switch back, you can do whatever the fuck you wanna do to her. I couldn’t give two shits how harsh a punishment she receives. After everything she’s done to you all and me, Cozy can burn in Hell for all eternity for all I care.” Cadance gives me an odd look, before narrowing her eyes. “Just because Trixie is a kind of friend, don’t thinking talking in the third person like her can endear you in any way. Not after what you’ve done.” I roll my eyes. “Whatever. Just get the Lord of Chaos so we can wrap this up. I’m sick of this tiny body. Being able to fly is cool and all, but I want to get that bitch away from my family as soon as possible.” Cadance cocks an eyebrow at me, before shaking her head. “Grogar’s power must be messing with your head.” She leaves, the guards who’d been standing watch over me leaving with her. “Not even addressing Discord?” I call as the door closes. “No wonder he always feels left out.” “The Lord of Chaos cannot be reached, right now,” the purple new guard says as he and his partner take their places either side of the front of my cage. “If he were, this would already been over with.” You got that right, bucko. Just not in the way you’re thinking. I blink, glancing at him. “Wait, why not?” “After the mess he caused in Canterlot, he suggested he take some time off,” the yellow guard says curtly. “Nopony know where he is or when he will return.” “Great,” I grumble, slumping down on the floor of my cage, folding my forelegs and laying my head over them. “Just wonderful.” “I find it odd you are in a hurry to be punished,” the guard says, giving me an odd look. I snort. “Trust me. The sooner Cozy Glow gets the punishment for her crimes she deserves, the happier I’ll be.” The two guards look to each other, uncertain. “None of the reports said she was a masochistic,” the purple one says. I snort. ___________________________________________________________ “So,” the purple Alicorn says, looking down at me with contempt. “You escaped. And tried to foalnap my niece. Do you deny it?” “No to the first and second, yes to the third,” I say, giving her a blank look. I’m now in the crystal throne room. Cadance is sitting in her throne, Shining Armour by her side. The Mane 6 and Spike are standing in front them, each giving me a disgusted look. Even Fluttershy. Sheesh, I may know I personally have done nothing wrong, but that stare is pretty harsh coming from her. Crystal guards are all surrounding me, several with spires pointed at me, others holding ends of the chains wrapped around me to prevent me from escaping. If not for the fact I know how fucked up I know Cozy is, I’d say they were going overboard. The doors open and I glance behind me to see the Royal Sisters walk in, before giving me the darkest of glares. Feels odd, Celestia giving me such a look when I met her voice actress at a convention only a few months ago and she’d been so nice to me. The two walk passed me, Luna particularly giving me a narrowed glare, before they join the others and all stand before me. Twilight steps forward, her gaze stern. “You will answer for your crimes, Cozy Glow. But first, you will answer questions.” I roll my eyes. Great means of intimidation there, future ruler of Equestria. Tell the criminal they will be punished, then say they must answer questions. If a criminal already knows they’re fucked, why would they feel obligated to answer any questions at all? “Why were you unaffected? How were you unaffected? How come you were turned to stone, but are now here and still an Alicorn, when you were a Pegasus again when turned to stone?” “Trust me, Bookhorse,” I deadpan, “if I knew how Cozy pulled all this shit off, it would do me no good.” “Talkin’ ’bout yerself like ya ain’t you ain’t gonna fool us like ya did mah parents!” Applejack growls, stomping a hoof. “Convincin’ them ya ain’t who ya are. Ya no good brat! Ah should teach ya a lesson mahself.” “Yeah. Because if Cozy could whoop the Royal Guards’ asses all by herself, you could do it better,” I snort, before frowning. “Wait. Sorry. That’s insulting to you. Forgot which Royal Guard I was talking about for a second there.” “Don’t try changing the subject!” Dash thumps a hoof against the other. “Answer Twilight’s questions, or else!” I roll my eyes. “Or else what? You’ll turn me to stone and then turn me to stone again. You ponies really need to get better with your threats.” “Enough!” Celestia cold, stern voice causes the room to go silent and I actually feel anxious. I’ve never heard her speak that way in the show before. “There is no punishment worthy of the things you and your cohorts did.” “And it seems the one Discord suggested is ineffective, at least against you,” Luna continues for her sister. You’d think I’d be panicking. Well, I am on the inside. This is so fucked up! It has been made very clear since I was caught that I am no getting out of here. My request for the Apple parents to defend my case? Ignored. Chances of Discord returning like a Deus Ex Machina to save me? Pretty much none of he’s off in another world vacationing. The fact I am very certain I am going to face the same fate as Cheese Legs and Tirek is terrifying me. I’ll never see my family again, frozen in time for very likely the rest of time, never to be free. Joking around, pointing out the flaws in their arguments and being snarky, iss the only thing keeping me from going full out panic and start kicking and screaming for them to listen, even though I know they all just don’t care, seeing anything I say as another Cozy Glow Lie. What’s the point in fighting back when no one is willing to listen? I dunno, but I still don’t wanna go down without a fight. But how do you fight when all the odds are literally against you?! “Cozy Glow,” Twilight steps forward, glaring. “For all your crimes against Equestria, for all the suffering you’ve caused, lives you’ve hurt, I sentence you to—” “Wee!” I blink. Huh? A popping sound is followed by Flurry Heart appearing in the middle of the room, high in the air, the four guards who’d been watching over her crying out us they drop through the air and thump against the crystal floor. The baby Alicorn looks around, before noticing me. At once, she frowns in confusion, before scowling, her horn glowing. I feel the familiar sensation of another pony’s teleport grabbing me and my vision goes white. ___________________________________________________________ There was a long silence as everypony and dragon just stared at the empty chains and inhibitor ring on the floor. What…? What had just happened? One moment, they’d been about to sentence Cozy Glow for her crimes, the next, Flurry Heart came bargaining in, glared at the filly and the two vanished in a teleport, the chains and ring falling to the floor, their captive now absent. “Send out a search party at once!” Shining Armour yelled, the guards nodding and hurrying out the doors. “We dunno where Flurry might’ve gone. But if she’s taken Cozy Glow with her, for whatever reason, she’s in danger!” “I don’t understand,” Spike shook his head, looking to the Alicorn who was like his mother. “Why would Flurry Heart barge in her a teleport Cozy Glow away?” “I… I honestly don’t know,” Twilight said, her face a mask of puzzlement, before she shook her head, her expression firming. “But, whatever the case, we need to find her before Cozy Glow tries to do anything to her.” ___________________________________________________________ “Yah!” I yell as I appear in the air and drop, crashing into several metal objects, causing a domino effect as countless things topple over, smashing, clanging and banging. After what feels like forever, it all stops, leaving a still silence… until Flurry laughs, before flying down and lands on my back, snuggling against me. I’d find it cute if she hadn’t just dropped me into a tons of metal shit. Sighing, I push myself up and take stock of where we are. A small room, maybe as big as Scootaloo’s bedroom, no windows, filled with tons of things like dusty armour, dull spires, among other things I don’t recognize likely because they never appeared in the show. I crane my next to look at the little foal. “You really are a hell spawn, you know that?” She just lifts her head to look at me, her expression saying she clearly has no idea what I’m talking about. I sigh, shaking my head and look around the room for an exit. Seeing a door hidden behind several fallen over pieces of armour and other crap, I move towards it, before pausing, glancing up at my horn. Wait a minute. If Discord isn’t in this dimension right now, does that mean I could use magic without having to worry about being detected? I deadpan. Yeah, because you know how to do that. I literally have no idea how I used my magic against Stalwart Stallion back in Somnambula. I can barely even remember what I was thinking at the time, I’d been so blinded by rage. Still, I can’t stay here. I’d be found eventually and it’s not like anypony’s been willing to listen since I got to the empire. I frown, looking down. I need to think about what I’m going to do before I do it. I can’t just go blindly rushing into things here. Technically speaking, right now, I’m in enemy territory. No one but Flurry is close by that trusts me and she’s just a baby. It’s not like she can argue a case for me. “Too bad I can’t just teleport us outta here easily as you, Flurry,” I glance over my shoulder. “You’re so OP.” She lifts her head, blinks at me, before smiling, her horn glowing. Aw, shit. Here we go again.