//------------------------------//
// 292 - As a Mare 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

"I have an exciting offer for you." Night adjusted her glasses, looking into the swirling void that was her patient. "It will be frightening. You will be confused, but you will have freedom again."

The swirl was gone, replaced with that small mare. "What? I can handle it." She raised a hoof to her breast, rubbing the fur as she smirked softly. "Ain't nothing that scary, except maybe being locked in stone!" She stomped a hoof that exploded rock beneath it as if she were much taller than she was. "Show me your worst."

"Since you ask." Night twisted to the left and backed to the right, making room for an elder pony to step forward. "This is Star Swirl, the Bearded." She gestured over him from top to bottom. "This is also just my memory of him, so don't bother talking to him."

"Wasn't he part of the ponies that attacked us?" She scowled at the figure, advancing to circle around them, inspecting them. "Imagine that, hurting a cute little pony like me."

Night reached out, tapping Cozy on the head. "Uh uh, we've had that talk. If you don't want to be seen as a filly, leaning against it won't help."

Cozy glared at Night, but it faded into an innocent smile almost innocently. "A mare can be cute too, can't she?"

"Of course she can,  but she does it as a mare." Night pointed to the figure that stood there patiently. "This stallion doesn't know you as a filly. In fact, he knows you as a villain first. That's to your advantage."

Cozy scrunched her brows a moment, lifting on little wings and perching on Star's back, not that he seemed to care. "Break that down for me." She held up her hooves close together. "Small words. If he thinks I'm a bad pony, how does that help me?"

Night turned to face the two calmly. "It's more important that he does not see you as an innocent little filly. You're a small and potentially wicked mare. But focus on that part, a mare." She smiled gently. "And I know what he's looking for."

"He's looking for a tiny mare?" Cozy shook her head. "He has curious tastes."

Night rolled her eyes at that. "You're putting yourself down. He wants, needs, a friend. You know the power of friendship. It's time for you to put your own words to the test. Show him friendship. He will wander the lands, exploring all that the modern day has to offer, but he wants somepony at his side as he does it." 

She was suddenly just in front of Cozy, their faces close to one another, eyes locked. "You will get to move, walk, and ride across Equestria. You could have freedom, you could both gain a friend. Is that a bad deal?"

Cozy was suddenly on her, face mashed against Night's. "And how do you know I won't ruin Equestria?"

Night smiled gently. "Because you want a friend, and I know he won't go for that. As clueless as he is about friends, his moral compass is on mostly right. He already knows your wicked side." She reached up, placing her hooves on Cozy's shoulder. "Do you want this?"

"Trading one presumption for another," sighed out Cozy, drifting back a few inches on buzzing wings. "How can I be sure he won't just lock on that." She brought her small hooves together. "Treat me like some kind of criminal mastermind forever."

"I can't assure that." Night raised a hoof, pointing at Cozy. "But you've already told me how you've beaten that before. You almost stopped the whole thing, didn't you?"

Cozy looked away.

"Don't be like that. We talked, I listened. You tried to get the other two to see the benefit of friendship."

Cozy suddenly shoved Night, close enough to do so without actually approaching. "Chrysalis doesn't have room for friendship," she hissed out. "And she drove it out of us, kept reminding us how terrible it was."

"But is it?" Night gently rubbed one of Cozy's cheeks, and wasn't rebuffed. The little mare actually liked having her cheeks rubbed just like that. "You know that isn't true, I feel certain."

Cozy's face began to darken, leaning against the hoof with a loud sniff. "What if he hates me?"

Night felt a new tension, but also a little surge of hope. That was a moment of genuine vulnerability. She drew Cozy closer, making soft shushing noises. "It can be scary, reaching out... You scared me, you know. I was scared to come here."

"You were not!" Cozy shoved with one hoof, but it wasn't strong enough to force Night's position. "You came in here like you owned the place."

Night inclined her head. "I made it look like that, didn't I? I couldn't run the calculations very well. I wasn't sure if I could even reach you, let alone make progress." She resumed the gentle cheek rubbing, other hoof moving to work through Cozy's locks, another place the mare enjoyed contact. "Thank you for helping me beat those odds."

"Like I had a choice." Cozy was a foot back, out of grasping touching range, her arms folded across her front. "I'm a statue, if you forgot."

"You could have pushed me out." Night waved in the direction she had originally appeared. "You could still shove me out. I would accept your wish."

"And be alone." Cozy deflated in place. "You're ready to drop me."

"I'm ready to bring you back, to the light." She offered a hoof but didn't try to touch her again. "Everypony deserves another chance. You never got one."

"Just like that?" Cozy swiped a hoof, banishing the image of Star Swirl. "You'll take one of the greatest menaces known to Equestria, who almost destroyed it not once, but twice, and set her free?"

"Under the watchful gaze of one of our champions." Night nodded softly. "Hoping that both can grow from the experience. Does that sound too foalish?"

Cozy raised a brow, eye closest to Night bulging dangerously. Night put up her hooves. "Calm down. I'm not calling you a foal. I was asking if I was acting like one."

Her expression eased. "Oh, well, yes. You are a silly mare, full of foalish notions." She tapped Night on the nose. "But you are also a friend."

"If you'd like." Night reached for a cheek, rubbing gently. "I'd like to let you out. Will you give him a fair chance, as I ask him to give you one in return?"

"He's old." She turned in place to look at him, suddenly back from the void she had banished him from.

"And you're small." Night shrugged. "Who's perfect? I have to wear these glasses." She reached up to fiddle with them. "We all have our quirks."

Cozy reached for Night and the world inverted for them. She was adjusting her glasses, full sized wings pumping to keep her aloft at a more sedate rate.

Night was suddenly a tiny lunar pegasus, her wings beating wildly to keep her aloft, and no glasses perched on her nose. She blinked owlishly. "What did you just do?!"

"We're in my head, right?" Cozy made a duck face at Night with soft kissy noises. "Figured I'd try swapping our quirks. I could get used to this. Glasses are cute in their own way." She inclined her head, glasses going askew. "And they don't make ponies think you're a foal."

Night put her hooves on her little hips that didn't at all look like she'd already been a mother anymore. "That was very rude."

"Nopony's perfect," sang out Cozy with a giggle. "C'mon, don't I look cute?" She turned in place, feeling along her own altered body. "Like a real mare..."

"You look adorable, but also not like Cozy glow." Night buzzed in closer. "I want to learn more about Cozy Glow."

"Stop being a stick in the mud." Cozy nudged the little Night away. "It's just pretend, right?"

"Just pretend..." Night's form began to expand out, glasses popping into being on her restored snout. "Right. You will be your usual size, if I free you."

"Will Discord even let you?" She rolled her eyes. "Dummy head set me up. I woulda just been in Tartarus for a while if it wasn't for him. He's the one that made us into stone. How do you plan to undo that?"

"I will talk to him, but there was nothing to talk about." She shrugged. "That is, unless you're willing to give this a try." She pointed at Star Swirl's still form. "Are you willing to accept this friendship challenge?"

"A challenge?!" She brought her larger hooves together in a clop. "I'm a master of friendship. Just you watch. I'll have him singing my praises." But Night had a raised brow, hovering quietly. "I, uh... I mean we'll be good friends. I'll share secrets and we'll go on adventures around Equestria. That isn't so bad."

"I really don't think it is." She darted in, touching her nose to Cozy's. "I will go check with him and get you out of here. Have faith in me just a little longer, alright?"

There was an awkward quiet, broken only by their wings beating. Cozy was back to her usual small self. "Let's see if you're any better than the other friends I've made..."

Night nodded but said nothing, taking flight into the swirling maelstrom that her mind settled back into without her there to talk to.





"Are you crazy?" Discord pulled down glasses he hadn't been wearing a moment before, peering at Night.

"That's rich, coming from you." Night pointed in the direction of the statues. "I want Cozy Glow to have a second chance. I've arranged for a parole with a trusted champion of Equestria."

"May I remind, she's gotten a taste for stealing magic." He snapped his fingers and suddenly Night was a little thing, wings fluttering wildly, just as she had been in the dream, but all too real. "She couldn't even stop herself from stealing from you. Why do you think this is remotely a good idea?"

"You're not better!" she squealed in her higher-pitched voice. "They gave you a chance, and you held the kingdom to ransom for how many moons?" She pointed an accusing hoof at Discord. "This was your idea to start!"

"Well, yeah. Not one of my better ones," he grumped, arms folded on his front. "But it had a happy ending, at least. What a finale..." He leaned in, peering at the chibi-Night Watch. "Two bad ideas don't make a good one."

"We won't know if we don't try." Night raised a tufted ear. "Or are you afraid to try something new now? She'll be with Star Swirl. She needs a friend, and so does he. They'll go off on silly little adventures, looking at modern things." She turned a hoof back towards herself. "Now put me back, kindly. You like Silver, last I knew. You know he won't like it if I come home like this."

Discord burst into laughter at that. "I imagine he'd find you quite adorable, but fine." He clapped his hands, her form restored in a puff of colorful smoke. "There you go, back to normal."

"Make that two mares and I'm satisfied." She pointed meaningfully in the direction of the statues. "Just Cozy Glow. I haven't even started on the other two."

"Good luck with the other two," he grunted. "Doubt they'll be in much mood to chit chat."

"One step at a time. Will you let her out?"

He threw up his hands. "You're taking the blame if this all goes badly. I'm formally objecting! Hear me?!" Not that there was anyone besides the two of them in their immediate presence to hear his objection.

"This is my idea," agreed Night. "I accept full responsibility if this all end up poorly, but I'm hoping, and calculating, it won't."