The School of Friendship. One of the youngest institutions of learning in Equestria, and in just over a decade it had become one of the most prestigious as well. Creatures from all over came to learn about friendship (and a variety of other subjects, too), establishing diplomatic ties between nations that more often than not were at each other's throats or utterly apathetic. Now, with the combined efforts of the school, Twilight Sparkle's leadership, and Spike's diplomacy, the world was in the early dawn of a golden age.
The thought of a bright future for all living things did little to alleviate the annoyance Flurry Heart felt at the upcoming friendship exam. Despite her family, she was absolutely terrible at making friends with her fellow classmates. She'd griped about the situation to Chrysalis while they played a game of Hyperspace Hyperwars, waiting for Shining Armor to come home. The changeling queen had recommended a list of ponies that could help: Starlight Glimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, even Discord - redeemed 'villains'. They'd all had trouble making friends, and they were all unusual and beyond the pale. Friendship had been a completely foreign concept to them at first.
In the end, Flurry had decided to go to the student counselors. She was surprised to see a light-pink mare with a blue mane done up in curls in Apple Bloom's office.
"Ain't you supposed to be at Wonderbolt training or something?" the counselor asked in an annoyed drawl.
"Rainbow Dash encourages me to spend time with civilians instead of staying in the barracks all the time," the new mare explained in a fake-sweet tone, "Gosh, aren't you happy to see me?"
"Quit talking like that, Cozy Glow," Apple Bloom deadpanned, "Why try and get a job here? I thought you wanted to, I don't know... go into politics or something."
"Why does everypony think that?" Cozy scowled, then tsked, "Every creature..."
"You don't have to correct yourself every time, you know that right?" the other mare smiled, "So, you're really interested in working at the School?"
"I figured if Rainbow Dash could be a Wonderbolt and a teacher, there's no reason I can't try for both too," Cozy shrugged. Her own smile fell, her voice becoming more sincere. "I... know I've apologized about it before, but-"
"Let me stop you right there," the earth pony giggled, "What you did happened more than a decade ago, alright? The girls and I don't hold it against you. Oh! Hello, Flurry Heart!"
The filly flinched at being caught eavesdropping and decided to play it off like she'd just stopped by.
"Hey, Ms. Apple Bloom," she greeted with a chuckle, "Who's this?"
"This here's Cozy Glow," Apple Bloom smirked, "Old friend."
"Witty," Cozy returned the expression before shooting a neutral one at Flurry Heart, "Huh. Never seen an alicorn filly before. Aside from myself, anyways."
"...Right..." Flurry narrowed her eyes at the pegasus before addressing Apple Bloom in a poorly-concealed whisper, "So, are you guys branching out into psychiatry or something?"
Apple Bloom laughed out loud while Cozy only rolled her eyes. It figured this filly had no idea who she was; she must have been a baby when- Wait a minute! This filly had no idea who she was!
"You don't know me?" Cozy asked, eyes wide, "You've never heard the name Cozy Glow before?"
"I mean, it sounds kinda familiar," Flurry scratched her chin, "from Modern Equestrian History, I think. But, I was drifting in and out pretty bad. You another hero creatures overlook because of the Elements?"
"Cozy's Headmare Starlight's daughter," Apple Bloom explained. Cozy shot her a thankful look for the save.
"Really?" the alicorn eyed the pegasus skeptically, "I thought Luster Dawn was an only foal."
"I'm adopted, you little punk," Cozy said with a light scowl, but the heavy-eyeliner-wearing alicorn wasn't fazed.
"Uh, Cozy?" Apple Bloom interjected, "That's Princess Cadance's daughter. Y'know - the only pony ever to be born an alicorn?"
"Ah..." the pegasus blanched. If Flurry complained to her mother that Cozy had been aggressive... if the authorities found out she wasn't being nice and friendly, they'd think she'd had a relapse. She'd be in Tartarus faster than she could think. "S-sorry."
"What's with the sudden personality change?" Flurry snorted, "You worried you'll hurt my feelings? Relax; I might be a princess, but I'm not made of paper."
Cozy felt her anxiety die down a little, but she was still visibly shaken. She excused herself and left in a hurry. Flurry raised an eyebrow, but turned her attention to Apple Bloom.
"Friendship exams?" Apple Bloom guessed.
"I'm having a terrible time at it," the alicorn groaned, "The only one worse than me is Luster Dawn, but she gets to be a prodigy at literally everything else."
"You get to be an alicorn princess," the earth pony shrugged with a grin.
"Chrysalis suggested I talk to somebody about it."
"I think she meant for you to talk to someone with experience about how hard it is to make friends," Apple Bloom said, "The girls and I are better at answering questions like 'what do you wanna do when you grow up?'"
"I don't want to talk to Headmare Starlight, or Ms. Trixie," Flurry pouted, "and I really don't want to talk to Discord."
"Ah, but Discord's fun," Apple Bloom giggled. Seeing Flurry's discomfort, she asked, "Why don't you want to talk to any of them?"
"Because I can't relate to them," Flurry scoffed, "I know they all started off with no friends, but I don't know... I need someone closer to my age, someone who shares my interests."
"Someone closer to your age, huh?" Apple Bloom mused. Flurry had come to her, so if she were close enough in age to relate to, then... "Try talking to Cozy Glow."
"The mare that just left?" Flurry laughed, "She seemed a little crazy to me."
"You said you wanted someone you could relate to," the mare smirked.
"Your parents should have named you Apple Sass," Flurry rolled her eyes, "Alright, alright. I'll go find her."
The filly left as hastily as she could without being rude, searching for this so-called Cozy Glow. She ended up running right into one of her favorite professors. Bumping her head, Flurry Heart craned her neck to look up at the tall centaur. Everyone knew about the evil Tirek - a foreboding, magic-consuming monster who sought to destroy all magic. They'd all seen artful renditions of him as both a scrawny, emaciated schemer, and a muscular, powerful warlord. His current appearance was far more... dignified. Neither lanky, nor muscular, the centaur wore a black top with flowing sleeves and a hood, his ruddy face and long, white beard half-hidden in shadow. Through holes in his hood, his horns protruded - neither nubby nor massive. Despite his newfound balance providing him a stable, well-proportioned form, Tirek's appearance still looked villainous. He didn't look like a normal pony like Sombra or Cozy Glow, and he hadn't gone through a metamorphosis like Chrysalis had. His eyes still glinted from the shadows of his hood, and his smile rarely looked wholesome.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry, little one?" Tirek asked with a smirk. Most students got a creepy vibe from how he talked to them - like a predator would talk to prey - but Flurry didn't mind. If he was still interested in stealing the magic from Equestria, he had had ample opportunity to suck her dry whenever she was in class.
"Hello, Professor Tirek," Flurry greeted, "I'm looking for somepony. A mare I just met."
"Oh?" Tirek asked, curious. His tone no longer had the creepy-amused edge it usually did; now he was just being his true self.
"About the same age as Ms. Apple Bloom, Ms. Scootaloo, and Ms. Sweetie Belle," Flurry put her hoof level with a rough estimate of Cozy's height, "Pegasus, pinkish fur, light blue mane done up in curls. Had a chess piece for a cutie mark."
"Cozy Glow?" Tirek's eyes widened, "She came back here?"
"Back?" Flurry blinked in surprise, "Is she an alumnus?"
"You could say that..." Tirek looked away sheepishly. Out of all the redeemed villains, he was the least apologetic, but there was some guilt engraved on his features. "I haven't seen her."
"You okay, Professor?"
"I'm fine, Flurry," Tirek's yellow eyes flitted elsewhere, "You should check the library. She enjoys studying."
Flurry gave her thanks and went to search the library. Sure enough, there was Cozy Glow, poring over some books. Vice Headmare Sunburst stopped by to greet the mare - reminding Flurry Heart that her former teacher was now the adoptive father of this blue-maned mystery. Considering Sunburst had been almost like a second father to the alicorn, in a roundabout way the pegasus was almost like a sister. Sort of.
"Cozy Glow, right?" Flurry gave a cocky grin in an effort to ease the tension in the other mare, "Sup. It's me, Flurry Heart."
"H-hey," Cozy mumbled, turning her attention back to her book.
"Whatcha reading?" the alicorn asked, trying not to let her disappointment show. How could Professor Smolder manage to waltz up to every student, act cool, and immediately get them to warm up to her, but any effort Flurry ever made was a dead end?
"Just some history," the mare didn't look up or elaborate, so Flurry got into her personal space to take a look.
"Wonderbolts, huh?" the princess asked, then with a grin she added, "You know, my aunt is best friends with Rainbow Dash."
"I train under Captain Dash," Cozy let out a chuckle, a smile creeping onto her lips, "Was that supposed to impress me?"
"Oh look at that," Flurry feigned surprise, "she talks."
"Do you need something?" Cozy sighed, giving the filly her full attention.
"Now that you mention it..." Flurry avoided eye contact, "Friendship exams are coming up and I'm terrible with friends. Like... really bad. I tried talking to others about it, but they suggested I talk to you."
"To me?" Cozy guffawed before she could stop herself, "You're joking, right? They lied to you; I'm the worst at making friends. I started trying thirteen years ago, and I think Rainbow Dash and I are something like acquaintances - and I work with her almost everyday!"
"At least you have an acquaintance," Flurry rolled her eyes, "My only friend right now is my stepmom - who I spent the last five years hating."
"What about all these students?" Cozy gestured around her, indicating the school and not just the empty library, "I mean, you're a princess for crying out loud! Friends should be lining up!"
"Yeah, you'd think that," Flurry grimaced, "I don't like being bubbly and cutesy. Apparently that turns a lot of creatures off."
"Why not just pretend to be bubbly?" Cozy smirked, "It's pretty easy; I used to do it all the time."
"How'd that turn out for you?" Flurry asked in a deadpan.
"So, are you the Princess of Mouthing Off?" Cozy glared at the filly, "Look, ask anybody about me and you'll see I'm not the pony to talk to about friends."
"I'd rather hear it from you," Flurry took a seat next to the mare, "Even Professor Tirek didn't want to talk about it. What in Equestria happened?"
"Wow, you really need to pay attention in class, kid," Cozy chuckled darkly, "Nothing much happened. I just lied and cheated my way into taking over the school, turned the pony students against the non-ponies, and then tried to destroy all magic in Equestria which would have destroyed life as we know it."
Cozy's forced smile was edged with pain and quiet frustration. She waited for the filly to doubt her, or to cringe back in repulsion, but instead young Flurry Heart let out a whistle.
"Wow, really?" she started laughing, "That's pretty metal! You almost destroyed all the magic in Equestria?"
"...In the world, actually," Cozy furrowed her brow. Sweet Celestia, was she this odd as a filly? Cozy was fine with it, but she knew that nearly any other creature would have felt uncomfortable around any pony that could laugh in the face of total annihilation. "It's not funny. I served a sentence in Tartarus - twice - before Starlight and Sunburst rescued me. I've... made a lot of mistakes."
"Sorry," Flurry sobered up, "How old were you when this happened?"
"Eight or so," the pegasus shrugged. Now the alicorn looked horrified.
"They put a filly in Tartarus?" Flurry shuddered. Cozy had been younger than her! Tartarus was a prison for monsters who posed a serious, physical danger to the world; not a powerless filly who had already been exposed as a liar!
"They almost imprisoned me in stone..." Cozy had a distant look on her face now, something like terror in her eyes, "I've already been forgiven twice... if I mess up again, I- they could..."
"Whoa, stay with me, Cozy," the princess chuckled nervously, "That was years ago. You're joining the Wonderbolts, and your parents work for one of the most prestigious institutions in Equestria. You can relax."
"What about you, kid?" the pegasus deflected, trying to distract herself from creeping anxiety, "You mentioned a stepmom? I thought you were a princess?"
"Yeah, well, apparently the Princess of Love doesn't live up to her title," Flurry spat out, "You'd think an all-powerful alicorn whose domain is familial and romantic affection would have chosen a husband she could be with for eternity, but no!"
"Gosh, that's awful!" Cozy said. Despite dropping her fake, sugary attitude for most conversations, much of her false mannerisms had become second-nature to her, especially when she was trying to be genuinely kind. She simply didn't know a better way to act when trying to be nice.
"It's... whatever," Flurry blew a loose strand of her mane out of her face, "It's just hard to find creatures who can relate, y'know? My mom does such a good job with keeping love flowing that few marriages end in divorce. Ironic, right?"
"Wow, so you get two sets of parents?" Cozy whistled much like Flurry had earlier. The filly shot her a disbelieving look. "Sorry, heh."
At the comment, Flurry realized something had been on her mind regarding the mare.
"Wait, you were adopted?"
"I know you're struggling in your classes, but did you really forget that quickly?" Cozy smirked.
"What I mean is, what about your real parents?" Flurry asked, "I mean, somebody raised you, right? You had an education before coming to the School of Friendship?"
"Equestria is filled with a surprising amount of orphans, kid," the mare frowned, "Apparently turning to villainy isn't uncommon for us."
The conversation turned into a stilted silence as the pair were uncertain of what to do or say. Cozy wondered how she could possibly help the filly with friendship exams in the first place. Her only friend-making experiences had been in an effort gain power. After she'd given up on designs for vengeance, she'd given friendship a genuine effort, but no one her age wanted to be friends with her. After a few years of trying, only the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the Student Six - ever the altruists - had accepted her, but she was always just the secondary friend.
"So... will you help me study?" Flurry Heart asked at last.
"What, seriously?" the pegasus' lip curled in distaste, "Sure. Because I clearly have nothing better to do." She held up her own study material to emphasize the point.
"I'll take your sarcasm as permission," Flurry teleported the books out of Cozy's hooves and replaced them with a copy of her textbook.
"Oh goody," Cozy sighed, looking at the cover and noting in a bored tone, "The Compendium of Companionship. Fourth Edition. Wow-ee, back in my day it was in the first edition."
"Oh hey, you're in the book," Flurry snickered, "I checked the index."
"Fantastic. Can we just focus-"
"Found it!" the alicorn began reading the text, "'Forgiveness is a key component to companionship. Throughout Equestria's history there have been many villains, creatures who have abused power and nearly brought ruin to the entire world. Names like Nightmare Moon, Discord, Tirek, Chrysalis, Sombra, and Cozy Glow have become bywords for disharmony and terror in cationary horror stories for years.'"
"Golly, putting me on the level of Nightmare Moon and Discord," Cozy sighed, "Then again, I did try to take Discord's powers for myself, and I was an alicorn who attempted to overthrow Princess Celestia, so I guess that fits."
"Wait, when was this?" Flurry did a double-take, "I thought you tried to destroy all magic in Equestria?"
"This was after I was busted out of Tartarus," Cozy waved a hoof, dismissively.
"Dude, could you get any cooler?" Flurry cackled, "Anyway, shush! I didn't finish reading yet! 'Despite the severity of their actions, each was given multiple attempts at redemption. They struggled to embrace the ideals of harmony, even stumbling into graver and graver mistakes, but in the end each of the aforementioned creatures turned over a new leaf. They are exemplars of the virtue of forgiveness, of never giving up on someone even when they are trapped in darkness.'"
Cozy Glow felt something in her chest that was unfamiliar but not entirely unwelcome. It was a sort of lightness, as if she felt... lifted up. It was almost terrifying how foreign the sensation was, making her almost giddy.
"Let's just get started, alright?" Cozy said, quietly, opening her own textbook.
They spent several hours studying before Flurry decided it was late and she should get home. Cozy found it odd she could go home while others couldn't, and Flurry explained that - as royalty - normal rules didn't apply to her. Oh, and she could teleport across the country, so why share a dorm? Cozy noted she might learn more about friendship if she had a roommate, which left the alicorn introspective before she departed.
The pegasus, for her part, packed up and met her adoptive parents in front of the school.
"Hey, sweetie," Starlight greeted. Cozy had gotten used to the motherly side of her years ago, but it had been a bit of a shock when she was younger. Starlight had always been so young and cool, hardly the one you'd expect to call someone 'sweetie'.
"Hey, mom, dad," Cozy nodded to each of them as she approached. Sunburst and Starlight's eyes widened in shock. "What?"
"You just... called us..." Sunburst's jaw was slightly slack.
"You called me 'mom'!" Starlight had tears in her eyes and a smile that would put Pinkie Pie to shame, "Oh my gosh! Give me a hug!"
"Gah!" Cozy cried out as she was roped into the embrace. Sunburst had attempted to turn and flee, but Starlight snagged his cape and dragged him back. "It's not that big of a deal, is it? I mean, I've called you guys 'mom' and 'dad' before!"
"No you haven't," Starlight frowned as she ended the hug.
"What? Really? Not even once?"
"No," Sunburst shook his head, thankful to be able to breathe again.
"Oh..." Cozy suddenly felt very guilty for that, "Sorry for that."
"Apologizing, too?" Starlight snorted, "What's gotten into you, Cozy?"
"Are you okay, honey?" Sunburst looked a little concerned.
"Yeah," the pegasus gave an amused grunt, "I was talking to a student and realized... I'm really lucky."
"You knew that already," her father looked uncomfortable, "you've always talked about how you only escaped 'justice' because you were lucky..."
"Which isn't true, sweetie," her mother added, sternly, "you deserved another chance, and you've proved yourself. Luck had nothing to do with that."
"No, no, not that," Cozy felt that lightness again and it was a little less overwhelming this time, "I meant, I'm really lucky to have parents like you."
Now both the older ponies were stunned and struggling not to cry. To help them save face, Cozy brought them back into a group hug so she couldn't see them cry. They could be so emotional sometimes, always fretting over her, always so proud of her. Cozy blinked as she realized she was crying too. It was a weird sensation, crying but not feeling sad. She felt silly for it and a laugh escaped her lips.
They all had a good laugh before going home.