//------------------------------//
// What's in a name, really? 
// Story: The Hero: Cozy Glow...? 
// by SoloBrony 
//------------------------------//

I woke Luna up by accident as I took off my armor and set it on the dresser. She eyed the scorch mark and broken rivets on the hauberk, but didn't say anything. I crawled up into the bed with her and she wrapped a wing around me.

We stayed like that for a while, just silent and together. Part of me wanted to stay that way forever.

But I knew it wouldn't be heroic.

Guess I'm really stuck on that. Even if I wasn't a hero before, it's just how I think now. I guess that's better than the alternative...

"Princess?"

Luna cracked open an eye to look at me and smiled. "Just Luna is fine. What is it, Quillon?"

"I, uh... I have something I need to tell you. I'm not who you think I am... maybe? I don't really understand it."

Luna quirked an eyebrow at that, but said nothing, so I eventually screwed up the courage to continue.

"This isn't my natural coat color. I disguised myself to hide from the ponies who were after me, but it seems like maybe they weren't the badguys after all..."

"Your friends were alright, then?"

I nodded. Then I cocked my head to consider. "Well, there was actually a stallion who was possessed by some amulet or something, and went crazy? I laid him out, though."

Luna's eye widened a bit. "The alicorn amulet?"

"Right, that's what Twilight called it."

"That is an artifact of immense power. I am surprised you prevailed."

I sighed, and slowly took off my cloak, revealing my oversized wings. Luna regarded them thoughtfully, but didn't seem all that surprised.

"I, uh, I might have been a badguy before. I'm not really clear on the details, but... well. This."

I had made my white coat permanent after my slip-up with Twilight, but I reversed the change and took out my contacts now. Luna watched me go through the process without a word. Once I'd set the contacts aside, I just watched her for a while. She didn't seem scared, or angry. Finally, I just shrugged.

"So, uh... they tell me I was Cozy Glow? If you knew her."

Luna nodded. "I had my suspicions."

"O-oh. Uhh... I see. So, uh..."

I gestured at myself.

"Am I? Because, uhh... I don't really remember?"

Luna hummed thoughtfully. "Well, I did not know Cozy personally, so who am I to say? You look like her, but if you don't remember, then how are we to know?"

I stared at her with a frown. "You're just messing with me now, aren't you."

Luna yawned and pulled me in tighter without another word. I was frustrated at first, thinking she was blowing me off, but then I realized what she actually meant by it all.

It doesn't really matter to her. Or... maybe it does, but she's saying it doesn't have to, right now.

I eyed my gems on the night stand, next to my contacts. If a crisis came up anywhere, they'd rattle and I'd know.

So... I'm not technically being unheroic by staying here, right? I'll still know if anything goes wrong. So I can just...

I curled up and let all of my cares slip away for the first time I could remember.