//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: The Next Chapter // by Some Leech //------------------------------// Though the combination of horn and wings on the pony were unmistakable, it took Cozy a split second to figure out whom she was looking at. Covered in pale magenta fur and plumage, darkening towards the tips of her wings, the mare’s glimmering turquoise eyes peered down at her from beneath a prismatic, curled mane of cerulean, violet, and cerise hues. Her cutie mark wasn’t visible, positioned as she was, but it wasn’t difficult to put the pieces together. Leaping back, Cozy slammed the door shut and threw herself upon the wooden surface; it was, at best, a laughable defence, although she needed a moment to think. Faced with an alicorn’s titanic magical capabilities, there was next to nothing she could do to deter the mare from forcibly confronting her. Fleeing wasn’t really a viable option, considering the Princess was likely a stronger flyer than her. Cursing her host’s absence, she pressed her back to the door. “Go away!” she bleated, attempting to buy herself some time. “Anon isn’t in right now! Come back later!” “Cozy?” a lilting voice questioningly called. “Cozy Glow! I...I’m not here for Anon - well, I am, but I mostly came for you...Oh...Wait, no, that probably sounded bad. I’m not here for you, you’re not in trouble or anything, I just wanted to talk!” Cozy’s ear perked, as she heard the visitor’s obvious worry. Given that she would have to face the alicorn eventually, she drew a metered breath. “It’s not really fair that you clearly know who I am, so how about you introduce yourself,” she groused, anointing her words with the slightest trace of petulance. “It’s me, Princess Flurry Heart!” the mare cheerfully responded from behind the wooden planks. With her suspicion confirmed, she stepped away from the door. While she’d never gotten the opportunity to meet the Princess before, she’d seen pictures of the alicorn as a wee bab. Retreating to the recliner, should she require some sort of cover, she stared at the doorway. She didn’t think she was in any immediate danger, considering her visitor’s shaky and wavering tone, but she’d rather be safe than sorry. “Alright, come in, but no funny business!” she grumbled. Slowly, almost cautiously, the door was pushed open. Wearing a timid smile, Flurry lingered just outside the entryway. “I...I can always stay out here, i...if that makes you more comfortable…” As if the sudden appearance of an alicorn wasn’t jarring enough, the downright sheepish nature of her visitor left Cozy floored. Attempting to downplay her surprise, she shook her head. “No, you can come in, I guess,” she muttered. The Princess acquiesced, stepping inside but lingering on the welcome mat. Positively beaming, Flurry peered over at her. It was a bit disquieting, being smiled upon by something so wildly powerful; scrunching her snout and knitting her brow, her unease got the better of her. “What?!” “Sorry, sorry, you’re just so…” Flurry chuckled, trying and woefully failing to contain her mirth, “cute…” Though the comment was a bit unexpected, Cozy’s muscle memory and a lifetime of Pavlovian responses kicked her into action. “Awwww,” she reflexively hummed, blushing and turning a cheek. The guise of a sickeningly cute and innocent filly was second nature for her, oftentimes presenting itself automatically - still, the compliment did little to justify why the Princess had paid her a visit. “I’m pretty sure you didn’t come here just to fawn over me,” she sighed, clandestinely studying her guest. “Well, I wanted to see if Anon followed through with the plan. I know, I know, he expressly said not to come for a few weeks, but I couldn’t help myself,” the alicorn explained, taking a shy step forward. Despite having only heard a scant few sentences, Cozy was beginning to paint a picture of the mare’s character. Impulsive and mousy, not unlike an overly excited youth, the Princess was not what she’d been expecting. Either the mare was remarkably humble and naive or she was extraordinarily deceptive; given her lineage, Cozy was inclined to believe the former. “That’s ok, I’m always ready to meet a new friend,” she chirped, forcing herself to trot forward and hug the lanky Princess’ foreleg. While she was shorter than Celestia, her visitor was still larger than the average pony. “I bet, after being cooped up in that dingy statue for so long,” Flurry laughed, ruffling the little mare’s unkempt hair. The undue affection, while grating, was easy to ignore, as Cozy fought to suppress the rekindled bitterness and resentment of her imprisonment. “I...I wish you would have let me out s...sooner. It was so cold and lonely being trapped like that,” she lamented, peering up at her visitor with the most pitiful puppy dog eyes she could muster. The tactic worked flawlessly, as the alicorn quickly stepped back and sank to her haunches. “Oh sweetie! I would have, honest!” Flurry cooed, pulling the pint-sized pegasus into a tender hug. Keeping her mouth shut, for the time being, Cozy returned the kind gesture. As badly as she would have liked to pepper her guest with questions, playing things by ear and allowing the conversation to naturally flow seemed to be the logical course of action. Gently pulling free from the alicorn’s grasp, she sighed heavily. “B...but why didn’t you?” she sniffed, wiping at her nose. Straightening slightly, bearing a pained expression, Flurry looked away. “I couldn’t, not without permission,” she sullenly murmured, before a faltering smile reappeared on her face. “But you’re free now, so that’s all that matters.” It really wasn’t all that mattered, but Cozy bit back her vitriol. She was reasonably certain that she’d get the answers she so desperately craved - if that meant biding her time was the safest and most surefire bet, so be it. Trotting over to the sofa and hopping to its padded surface, she patted the empty cushion beside herself. Buying a Princess’ trust would be an immense boon, one she wasn’t going to pass up, therefore cultivating an air of fondness and gratitude was paramount. “I’m super duper grateful to be let out and can’t wait to make a better name for myself,” she giggled, watching the alicorn drawn nearer. “You are?” Flurry blurted, stopping dead in her tracks. “Mmmhmm,” Cozy smugly hummed, issuing an approving nod. “I had a whole bunch of time to think all about just how bad I was and how I could have done things differently. It’s only fair that I try to turn over a new leaf now!” she merrily added. Her statement wasn’t a full lie, more of a subtle misdirection. Her imprisonment had given her time to reflect on her actions and she had dwelled on how she would have done things differently, although all her ruminations had predominantly been on how she could have ultimately won. In the end, it was a moot point, given the circumstances, however her visitor seemed pleased with her response. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that!” Flurry nervously laughed, easing herself up and onto the couch. “If Discord got a second chance and became a hero, I figured that you, Chrysalis, and Tirek could too! I mean, everyone deserves a chance to right their wrongs, right?” “So they’re going to be freed too?!” Cozy gasped, seizing the initiative. Though their cooperation had been tenuous at times, the changeling queen and centaur had been exceptionally useful allies. “I’m hoping so, yes. You’re kind of our trial run, having been released first. No offense, but it would be much easier reigning in a filly instead of an irate shapeshifter or power hungry centaur,” the Princess chuckled. There was truth to the alicorn’s words, Cozy had to give her that. She was, objectively and literally speaking, the smallest threat amongst the trio of ne'er do wells. Chrysalis could assume the form of nearly anyone or anything, Tirek was able to absorb the inherent energy from living creatures, and she was relegated to her disarming charm and guile. “Well I’m sure things will go just grrrreat!” she whooped, shuffling over to the substantially larger pony. Leaning against the small mare, Flurry contentedly peered out the window. “I knew the stories about you couldn’t be as bad as they sounded. Even though you nearly did overthrow Celestia and Luna, you weren’t totally to blame. Discord, in some deluded scheme to help Twilight,” she moaned, including a pair of air quotes with her wingtips, “was the one who baited you and your friends into action.” “Yeah, that was pretty rotten of him,” Cozy murmured, trying not to launch into a tirade about the mad draconequus. “And I’m sure you had some reason behind it and your incident at the school,” Flurry continued, turning her attention down to her diminutive host, “didn’t you…?” “I…” Cozy began, thrown off by the abrupt shift of focus. The Princess’ assertion, while innocuous, had derailed her train of thought and left her somewhat morose. “I did, but I’d rather not talk about it…” It was, in fact, the first time anyone had taken the time to ask about her motivations and it struck a nerve. She had sought power because, simply put, she knew she’d be a better ruler than Celestia, Luna, or Twilight Sparkle. A peculiar amalgam of respect and sorrow welled within her, though she dare not show either. Slouching, she dispondantly looked to the floor. “Oh! No, that’s quite alright!” Flurry hastily interjected, stiffening slightly. “I d...didn’t mean to pry, it’s just that nopony has talked to you in ages - well, besides Anon. I just…” she groaned, her shoulders sagging, “I just get a little bit excited sometimes, that’s all.” Twisting her head, noting her company’s wilted demeanor, Cozy found her assessment of Flurry’s personality gaining more weight. In contrast to her impressive stature, the alicorn was still very much a juvenile and pitiably gullible; it was sad, really, even if a great many ponies in Equestria bore the same very exploitable weakness - still, it did raise a red flag. “It’s ok, I’m just happy you didn’t throw me in shackles and drag me off somewhere,” she dejectedly whispered. She’d really rather not dwell on the far-flung past, so a change of subject would be ideal. “Of course I wouldn’t, unless you gave me a darned good reason to! Shoot, that would be awful! Letting you out just to lock you up again - what sort of pony would do something like that?” Flurry huffed, apparently taken aback by the notion. Cozy found Flurry’s response relieving, if not exceedingly naive, given the fact that other alicorns had few reservations about depriving others of their freedom. Sensing an opening, she quested a bit deeper on her guest’s nature and history. “Golly! I bet you’ve helped all sorts of creatures, since you’re a Princess and all!” she uttered in impeccably executed mock awe. “Can you believe this is the first time I’ve ever met a villain in person? Well, I mean, the first time I can remember meeting a villain - Sombra doesn’t count, since I was a baby,” the alicorn chuckled. Squinting over at the mare, Cozy could scarcely believe what she’d heard. “You’re joking right?” “Nope!” Flurry chirped, shaking her head. “Hmmm...Oh! What about Discord, you mentioned him earlier!” Cozy pressed. Though she despised the patchwork creature, he was undeniably powerful and his chaotic nature could potentially impact whatever plans she decided to lay. “I guess he counts but nopony has seen him in ages - not since…” the Princess trailed off, her cheerful demeanor wavering. “No, I haven’t seen him in a long, long time, so I guess you’re technically the third villain I’ve ever met.” In spite of having said so little, the statement gave Cozy a wealth of information. Discord was, at least to an extent, out of the picture. Though there was no guarantee her conjecture was one-hundred percent accurate, her guest’s markedly sudden and downtrodden behavior was a pretty strong tell that something unfortunate had transpired. “Even if I’m the second used-to-be bad guy you’ve met, I’ll definitely be the first one you’ve helped to find her way!” Cozy noted, chipperly kicking her hind legs over the edge of the couch. “Oh shucks, where are my manners?! I was just in the middle of making some tea, would you like some?” she asked. Seeing no sense in having her company in a dour mood, she sought to improve the situation. The prospect of a hot caffeinated beverage, besides being a welcome addition to the morning, may brighten the Princess’ spirits. Sliding off the sofa’s edge, she nonchalantly flitted towards the kitchen. “Yes please, that would be lovely,” Flurry replied, sounding a bit more upbeat. “You just sit right there, I’ll be back in a jiffy!” Cozy called over her shoulder, flying around the corner and towards the stove. After fetching another mug from a cabinet and rummaging around for a second tea ball, she prepared two steaming cups for herself and her visitor. She couldn’t say how long the alicorn was planning on staying, but that was fine with the company. Whether through investigation or building rapport, she was going to get as much as she could out of their time together. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how do you think I should start on my road to salvation?” she inquired, drifting back into the parlor. “We have it all planned out,” the alicorn animatedly began, sorcerously plucking one of the two mugs from the pegasus’ grip. “We were - Darn it!” she hissed, having sipped the overly hot and under-steeped tea. “We thought it would be perfect to start things small - maybe delivering flowers or helping in Sugarcube Corner. Once you’ve shown that you’re not a threat, and the public warms up to you a bit, our plan was to have you teach at the School of Friendship!” Our...We...There was someone else at play and Cozy felt reasonably certain that Flurry wasn’t referring to Anon. Reclaiming her seat beside the Princess, she set down her tea and thoughtfully rubbed her chin. “We?” she ingenuously parroted. “Twilight and I. It was mostly her idea but, between you and me, I think I won her over on getting you off the hook,” Flurry explained, leaning over and giving the tiny mare a conspiratorial wink. “I sure do appreciate that! Say, how has Twilight been doing? It’s been forever since I heard anything about her - you know, since I was a statue for the last umpteen hundred years,” Cozy tittered, scooching closer to the mare. “Oh, she’s the same old Twilight: mostly keeps to herself, always studying, practically lives in the library of her palace,” Flurry casually commented, blowing on her steaming drink. “Huh - yeah, that does sound like her,” Cozy lied. That didn’t sound anything like the Twilight she’d spent years researching. The element of magic, after having moved to Ponyville, had become a paragon of friendship, unified nations, and vanquished numerous foes of Equestria! If she really was sequestering herself from the public, something was definitely off. “And Spike? I hope he’s been doing well!” she added, hoping to bait a bit more information from the Princess. Dragons were remarkably long lived and there was a chance that Twilight’s faithful assistant hadn’t expired. “I guess he’s doing alright. Besides Twilight, I don’t think anyone has kept up with him, since he left for the Dragon Lands. From what I’ve heard, he’s doing well!” Flurry answered. Now she knew something was wrong; there was no way Spike would leave Twilight’s side - at least, she couldn’t imagine such a thing happening. The two were inseparable and the alicorn was like a mother to him. Beyond that, she was aware that he had close ties with both the changeling and crystal empires. Something was amiss and she felt as though an explanation was dangling just out of reach. “So when do I get to see her? I really, really want to thank her for the opportunity to make amends!” Cozy exclaimed. Flurry seemed to think for a minute then shrugged. “Whenever she calls for you, I suppose. I’m sure she’ll summon you before too long,” the Princess hummed, carefully sipping her tea. Content to let the matter lie, Cozy gave herself a moment of silence. Being a bit curious was fine, but grilling Flurry on fine details may come across as suspicious. Unwilling to risk her first impression, she’d take the slow and steady route. As she leaned forward and reached for her tea, the Princess turned the inquisitorial tables. “I hope your meeting with Anon went well,” Flurry remarked. “It went pretty well. I have to say though, he is a little...weird,” Cozy muttered. “He is a little,” Flurry snickered, batting a hoof. “Don’t let him scare you - sure, he might be big and a bit different, but he’s a big softy. Can you believe it was his idea to be the one there when you were released?!” “Nuh-uh,” Cozy slowly shook her head from side to side. “I wonder why he’d want to do that…” In truth, there were a myriad of possible reasons as to why the human would have volunteered for the task, although the exact details were still murky. While it was true that his explanation from the night prior was feasible, she still wasn’t completely sold on the idea. There was something missing, a piece of the puzzle she’d yet to acquire, and it left her wondering what, if anything, it was. “I’m not sure either, but he was very appreciative that -” whatever the Princess was about to say was cut short, as a knock at the door interrupted their conversation. “It’s probably the mailpony,” Cozy said, as she hopped to the floor. Trotting over and opening the front door, she found just that. Standing on the stoop, just outside, was a pegasus stallion with a patchwork satchel slung around his neck. Rifling through the bag, producing a set of two letters, he looked up through the entrance. He tilted his head in confusion for a moment, presumably because he’d been expecting Anon, before his gaze wandered lower. As his eyes settled on the minuscule mare, he smiled. “Well hey there! I didn’t know Anon was having company over today!” the stallion softly sighed, lowering himself slightly and extending a hoof. “The name’s Patches.” “I’m Cozy. Pleased to meet you!” she greeted, shaking his hoof. No sooner had the final syllable left her lips than she realized she’d erred. Having let her guard down, she’d inadvertently given herself away. “Huh...Has anyone ever told you that you favor the Cozy Glow?” Patches snickered, releasing her foreleg and passing her the pair of envelopes. “Yeah, I’ve gotten that once or twice,” Cozy giggled, bashfully rubbing her neck. “Just make sure you give those to Anon. You have a good day now - ya hear!” he blithely stated, giving her a wave and taking to the skies. “I will! It was nice to meet you!” Cozy shouted, watching the stallion depart. Though she showed no external sign of it, her heart was racing. The first pony who hadn’t been expecting to see her had nearly recognized her right off the bat. Even if she hadn’t unwittingly given her name, her diminutive stature and cutie marks were a dead giveaway. Thankfully, Patches hadn’t noticed, probably because he was in the middle of making deliveries, but she realized she wouldn’t stay that lucky forever - sooner or later, ponies would know she had been set free. “Everything alright?” Flurry asked, watching the small pegasus sulk back into the room. “I...I’m just worried about introducing myself. I’d hate for anypony to get the wrong impression and think that I’m up to no good,” Cozy admitted, setting Anon’s mail on the table. While she doubted the alicorn would offer any insight on the matter, she saw no harm in broaching the subject. “I wouldn’t be too worried about it. I’d planned on making a visit to Ponyville to let the mayor know about you. Letting everypony know you’re around, and that you’ll be on your best behavior, will put a few minds at ease or, at the very least, will help avoid any panic,” the Princess proudly mused. “Oh perfect,” Cozy waveringly responded, unable to keep a hint of sarcasm from her voice. She was sure that word would eventually spread of her release, yet she hadn’t anticipated a royal formally announcing her return. She’d hoped to have few days of furtive reconnaissance through town, while accompanying Anon, although that plan was now out the window. As unfortunate as the development was, she couldn’t be that upset. Giving folks a heads up was probably for the best, considering they’d find out about her inevitably. Regardless of the validity of Flurry’s plan, she was less than pleased - not because the approach wasn’t prudent, but because of her lack of control with it. Fluttering back onto the sofa, she recalcitrantly took a drink of her slowly cooling tea. “Since you’re going to break the news about me, do you think I should join you? It might help make everypony a bit more comfortable if they see me with a Princess,” Cozy shrewdly suggested. Besides attempting to assert some modicum of control over her reveal to the general public, being spotted parading around with an alicorn could earn her a couple of points with the residents of Ponyville. “You know what, that is a great idea! I hadn’t really thought about it much, but having you come with me would be just perfect! As a matter of fact, unless you had any plans for the rest of the day, you can join me this morning!” Flurry proclaimed, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. “Sure! Just let me go leave a note for Anon! I’d hate for him to worry, if he got home and I was missing,” Cozy beamed, jumping to her hooves. “Alright! I’m going to use the little mare’s room real quick. Oh - this is going to be so exciting!” the Princess practically squealed, clapping her hooves together. Easing herself to the floor, she briskly trotted up the stairs and out of view. Proceeding back to the kitchen, hoping to find some paper and a pen, Cozy considered her impending royal escort through Ponyville a small victory. Though she felt reasonably sure that Anon would have done a fine job of showing her through town, she derived some small comfort from traveling with another pony. It wasn’t like there was anything wrong with the human, but she hadn’t quite adjusted to his alien appearance yet. Questing through the kitchen, she soon found what she was looking for. Amongst the bits and bobs of a junk drawer, she stumbled across the nub of a pencil and a few unused paper napkins. Ferrying the items to the table, she hastily scrawled a terse message. Anon, Don’t worry, I didn’t run away or anything. Flurry Heart stopped by and she’s going to give me a tour of Ponyville. Your mail is on the coffee table. Cozy She paused, thoughtfully tapping the pencil against the thin piece of paper. P.S. If you want to give me a second tour later, I wouldn’t mind. Nodding in approval, she returned the nub to the drawer and sailed back into the living room to await the Princess. While it was regrettable that she wouldn’t look her very best for her debut back into society, it was a cursory concern. With any luck, Anon would have a brush for her by that evening. Extending a wing to her face, while she lounged by the door, she licked her pinions and attempted to straighten her disheveled, curly locks. Looking towards the stairs, expecting to see the alicorn reappear any moment, the doorknob clicked behind her. Stepping away and turning towards the entrance, she grinned. With the man’s return, she would be able to make herself presentable - at least, if he’d obliged her request. She only saw the briefest flash of burnished silver and a crested helm, before she was tackled to the floor. The assault was so jarring, so extraordinarily abrupt, that she had no time to react. Stunned and pressed to the floor, she gasped for breath. She wasn’t able to see much, with a fur covered, muscular foreleg pressing her face to the hardwood, although whatever had her pinned was definitely armored and of a decent size. “Cozy Glow,” a deep voice intoned from overhead, “by order of Princess Twilight Sparkle, you’re under arrest for acts of sedition against the Equestrian Empire, conspiracy to commit regicide, and of escape from custody.”