I started in surprise as I heard a loud crack outside. Cozy must have been too tired to teleport back properly.
I suppose she must have gotten into a tough fight again... I wish she would be more careful, but I can't deny the good work she's doing.
I set aside the apartment listings on my desk and rose to my hooves just in time for her to open the door and stagger in. She huffed a loud sigh, but she smiled when she saw me.
"Oh, Luna, you're awake! I figured you would be passed out by now."
She cracked a genuine smile at me, but it was worn with fatigue. I tried my best to smile back, but I knew from experience I wasn't the best at faking that sort of thing. Besides which, she was partially covered in soot, and some of her feathers were out of place – I could only imagine what sort of villain she had run into.
"Been out fighting again?"
Cozy rolled her eyes and laughed faintly.
"I wish! Turns out the screaming was a bunch of foals playing in the street. When they spotted 'Dashing Savior' they demanded I stick around to sign autographs, and then one of the local police officers drafted me into helping with a fire that had gotten out of control. It was just a bunch of busy-work."
My smile became genuine at that. For all that she was complaining, she had stuck it out and gotten the job done – and I could tell she felt gratified by it, at the end of the day.
"I'm really proud of you, you know that?"
Cozy stuck her tongue out at me and blew a raspberry.
"Come on, don't get all mushy on me!"
She laughed as she started making her way to the bathroom. Tired as I was, I knew I'd end up putting off talking to her for another day if I didn't catch her now, so I held out a hoof and cleared my throat. She stopped and looked up to me with a quirked eyebrow.
"Cozy, I was thinking... wouldn't you like for us to live somewhere a bit bigger?"
I expected a few potential responses. I had braced myself for her to say something like she wanted to live on her own, and I hoped she would be excited to move in somewhere appropriate. Instead, she just seemed confused.
"Huh? Why? Do we need more stuff or something?"
It was my turn to be confused.
"Err, no, I just thought you might like your own room and so on. I mean, I've enjoyed staying at Silver Shoals, but it's hardly a place to bring up a foal."
Cozy giggled at that and shook her head.
"I don't have all of my memories back yet, but I remember that I spent the last year either sleeping in a cage in Tartarus or in a cave in the middle of a swamp. Having a soft bed to crash on and not having to smell sulfur all day – what is it with Tartarus and the swamp smelling the same, anyway? Totally unfair, even Tirek couldn't stand it – is just a major step up. I really don't mind at all. I like it here."
I winced at the reminder of how the last year had gone for her. Of all of the responses she could have given, this was easily the least expected. I glanced at the apartment listings and considered it for a few seconds.
"Well... if you change your mind, just let me know, alright? I know we met under odd circumstances, but..."
I trailed off and chewed my lip. How was I supposed to bring up the specifics of our situation? I had effectively adopted her before either of us realized what was happening, but I still had no idea how she felt about any of it.
I felt the same ball of nerves and stress in my gut that had plagued me any time I really thought about the whole thing over the past few weeks; was I ready for this? Was she? Were we a family, now, or was she just crashing here while she figured her life out?
Cozy studied my face carefully as I fought with myself. She opened her mouth, but then she tapped her chin with a hoof. For a moment I wondered if she was coming up with some way of manipulating me, but I tried to push that paranoia to the back; she'd been nothing but straightforward over the past few weeks, even after she accepted ponies using her real name again. She shook her head and finally spoke up.
"If you're considering getting a place for us, then I guess this is for real, huh?"
And just like that, that bundle of nerves leapt up into my throat. I couldn't read her emotions at all from that, but she smiled at me with a warmth I hadn't ever seen from her before – not the bright, goofy smile she threw on for crowds, or the coy smile she'd used so often before, but a soft, unconscious expression, as she went on.
"Luna, thank you. For, like... everything. You really caught me when I was at my lowest, and I don't think anypony else would have let me have the freedom I needed to get through all of this. I've kinda been going with the idea that I'd have to go sooner or later – I thought you were just being nice, but I was wearing out my welcome here. But if you want me to stay around, I'd be... well, I'm just really happy."
I'd never actually heard Cozy struggle with her words before. The realization that this was for real after all, that I'd just adopted a daughter, that she wanted to stay, that she was happy to be with me, was almost too much to take. I swept down and pulled her into a big hug; I wasn't much inclined towards such things, but I simply couldn't help it. Cozy cooed and leaned into me.
Then she giggled. "You're getting soot all over you, y'know."
I snickered at that. "Nopony shall notice; my coat is far too dark already."
Cozy snorted at that. We parted gently and she rolled her eyes at me.
"Well, I'm not washing it out of the bed when you inevitably pass out without another shower."
I gasped playfully, holding a hoof up to my mouth in mock indignation.
"Cozy! It is unfitting to speak thus of a Princess!"
Cozy snorted again as she trotted to the shower. "Mm-hmm, but I'm at that sassy teenage period, so I can say whatever I want about my mom."
I was too stunned to respond as she closed the door.
Ooh, that little—! She did that on purpose!
I laughed softly at that. Then the real weight of what had just happened hit me, and I started prancing in place like my sister.
Oh, oh! I need to go tell Celestia!
I dashed out the room to tell my sister the good news.
Of course, the mood was a little ruined when she immediately noticed the extra spots in my coat from the soot and cracked a joke about them!