Scampering up to the trio of interlopers, Cozy beamed from ear to ear. As she made her approach, leaving her associates behind, she noticed that one of the encroaching ponies - the unicorn - was levitating what appeared to be an oversized picnic basket. The sight was marginally relieving, lending weight to her assumption about the three.
“Golly! I wasn’t expecting to see anypony out in these parts! I hope none of you are lost!” she greeted, coming to a halt a stone’s throw from the group.
“Not at all!” the pegasus stallion merrily responded, offering a curt nod. “My friends and I were simply coming out to enjoy such a wonderful day with some peace and quiet. The name is Rush and these are Whir and Storm,” he continued, extending his wings and motioning towards the unicorn and earth pony respectively.
The introduction, while expected, would be the first of many hurdles. Having the alicorn and human meant she’d have little more to rely on than luck, since neither were exactly inconspicuous. Turning, looking back and waving her diverse cadre forward, she nodded to them each in turn.
“There’s Anon, Princess Flurry, Shutter Bug, and I’m Cozy!” she cheerfully responded, grinning broadly up at the stallion. The concocted name for Chrysalis’ disguise seemed fitting enough, given the ladybug cutie mark she bore.
Her companions each waved and grinned, acknowledging the new group in a relatively neutral manner - well, almost. Chrysalis only ever so slightly dipped her head, retaining a stoic and vaguely annoyed expression. As for the newcomers themselves, save for the pegasus, they seemed rather impassive.
Rush’s smile never faltered, as he surveyed the band before him. “Such a colorful group you have! Would you care to join us for lunch? We have more than enough to share!”
“We would simply love to share our meal with you. Surely, you’d like some iced cider!” Whir added, stepping forward and magically fetching a large thermos from the basket hovering beside herself.
“Oh no, we’d hate to impose!” Cozy countered. The last thing they needed was to be mired into a conversation. Talking begat questions and curiosity - both of which could lead to the situation being complicated. While she and Chrysalis were rather versed with deception and cunning, she had no way of knowing how capable Anon or -
“I wouldn’t mind some cider,” Flurry spoke out, raising her hoof.
The only sign of Cozy’s immediate frustration was a momentary tensing of her legs and a subtle twitch in one eye. Fortunately, Rush didn’t seem to notice her fleeting annoyance, too focused on the Princess to do otherwise. Taking a deep breath, holding it for a second, then slowly exhaling through her pursed lips, she composed herself.
“That sure is nice of you! We can stay for a little bit, but not too long. My mom’s gonna be expecting me home soon!” she explained, hoping to mitigate their time.
“Wonderful!” Rush and Whir responded, in unison, while Storm nodded.
No sooner had they replied than they converged on the levitating basket. Working in perfect harmony and without saying so much as a word to one another, they quickly set up a picturesque area to relax and socialize. The unicorn draped a thick sheet over the ground, while the earth pony and pegasus retrieved and arranged a number of refreshments.
As unsettling as watching three creatures conducting a silent symphony of movement was, something else immediately struck Cozy as odd. Unless the band were planning on gorging themselves, they’d brought far more food and drink than was necessary. Fruit, sandwiches, cookies, a cake, the aforementioned cider, as well as enough paper plates and cups to host a moderately large get together had all been stashed within the wicker container they’d toted.
“One of you must eat like a horse - no pun intended,” Anon chuckled.
“Oh, yes, Storm always has quite the appetite,” Rush replied, arranging the dishes upon the cloth lined ground.
Whir trotted over to Flurry, sorcerously moving a freshly poured glass of the chilled drink. “Here, Princess, I hope you find it cold and refreshing!”
Unable to do anything more than watch, lest she come off as suspicious, Cozy observed the alicorn step forward, take the beverage in her magical grip, and move the cup to her lips. Sternly reminding herself to lecture Flurry on the potential danger of strangers, her jaw clenched. She gulped, seeing the Princess swallow down whatever she’d just been handed.
Flurry went rigid, upon taking a second sip of the cider. Peering into the cup, eyes wide with surprise, she peered at the unicorn standing before her. “This is really good! What’s in here? Is it honey?”
“The secret is to use brown sugar instead of white, fresh cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg,” Whir smugly whispered.
Cozy breathed a sigh of relief, having half expected the alicorn to be stricken by some poison. Anon soon joined the Princess, helping himself to an apple from the proffered goods, although Chrysalis held back. Looking to their unexpected company, she examined them each for any traces of trickery. Her stomach growled in protest at the delay.
“Please,” Rush intoned, extending a forehoof to the small feast, “help yourself.”
“That sure is super kind of you!” Cozy cheerily responded, trotting forward and picking up a peach.
She turned it over in her hoof, giving it a cursory inspection for any signs of tampering. Even if the outsiders had done something to the food, the chances that they could do something to the produce without leaving any trace of meddling was slim. After she’d given it a sniff, she took the smallest nibble and carefully chewed.
It tasted fantastic. Compared to the preserved goods they’d found at the abandoned house, or the flora they’d scavenged from around Fluttershy’s home, the fresh fruit was downright heavenly. The fact that they’d been trotting for the entire morning, on nearly empty stomachs, made the experience all the more enjoyable.
She grinned and swallowed, forcing herself to stop for a moment. Holding the peach in one hoof, she hugged the pegasus stallion’s leg and beamed up at him. “Thank you so, so much for this, Mister Rush!” she bleated, squeezing his limb.
Although it was, for the most part, an act, a part of her was genuinely grateful for the food. If they played their cards right, they might be able to talk their mysterious hosts out of a few snacks, before they continued on their journey. Humming contentedly, rocking back and forth on the stallion’s leg, a low growl caught her ear.
“This is just adorable - really, it is, but you can all drop this pitiful charade…” Chrysalis hissed, grimacing at the trio of amiable ponies and drawing everyone’s attention.
“I...I’m sorry. Would you like some cake?” Whir quickly asked, plating a slice and extending it in her direction.
The Queen stared down at the offering with disdain, before squinting over at the unicorn. “Funny how a group of ponies wouldn’t partake of their own banquet…”
Cozy quickly turned, glancing to each of the newcomers for a fleeting second. Chrysalis had been right, not a single one of the strangers had so much as touched any of the fare they’d been carrying with them. Dropping the peach, she leapt away from the pegasus. “Don’t eat it!” she yelled, but it was too late.
Anon, Flurry, and herself had already partaken from the provisions, tainting them with whatever may lurk within the various offerings. To her horror, the man and Princess appeared nonplussed at her order, causing her temper to get the best of her. Scowling, soaring to the pegasus’ face, she grasped his snout between her hooves.
“What did you dose us with?!” she demanded angrily, staring him dead in the eyes.
“N...nothing, I swear! U...unless the bakery put something in there we didn’t know about!” Rush stammered.
“Lies,” Chrysalis growled. “You thought that I wouldn’t notice how hungry you were - how you surreptitiously feasted on the appreciation and glee from the hyu-man and alicorn?” she snarled, stomping a hoof. With a phlegmy cough, she launched two gobbets of viscous resin at Whir and Storm, trapping their hooves and immobilizing them. “You really are pathetic excuses of my kin…”
“We weren’t going to hurt you, honest!” Whir pleaded, struggling against her rapidly cementing bonds. “W...we were just-”
“Silence!” Chrysalis barked. Throwing her head back, an emerald inferno engulfed her frame.
The brilliant light of the conflagration outshone the sun, casting deep shadows on the glen. Everyone silently stared in alarm at the spectacle, too shocked or fearful to do otherwise - that was, until a soft, ominous laughter cut through the air. What began as a chuckle grew into a twisted cackle, as a lone onyx foreleg stepped through the flame.
“Look upon your Queen, you insignificant, wretched grubs, and despair,” the Matriarch smugly stated, stepping from the conflagration.
Cozy had to admit, theatrical reveal aside, the changeling had managed to entrap two of the three outsiders, while leaving each of them stunned by her grand introduction. Acting quickly, she squeezed the pegasus’ cheeks and drew his attention. For the time being, they had the element of surprise and she was not about to squander it.
“Who sent you? Why are you really here?” she pressed.
“And drop the act, you simpletons,” Chrysalis added, trotting forward in her unveiled glory.
In an azure flash, the trio of ponies instantaneously metamorphosed. Gone was the facade of bright fur, replaced by darkened shades of pastel carapace. While they were obviously reformed to some extent, their coloration was markedly darker than the overly friendly changelings Cozy had seen in ages past.
Rush was a deep mahogany, while Whir and Storm were a dusky aegean and spruce respectively. Regardless of their intent, they clearly weren’t above subterfuge to accomplish their goals. Cozy glared at each of them for a moment, before leering at their leader.
“Did you seriously put something in the food?” Flurry glumly asked, eyeing the cake.
“No, of course not! We just stole them from the bakery in town!” Rush replied, peering over at the Princess.
“Explain yourselves this instant,” Chrysalis murmured, gently pushing Cozy aside to address the stallion.
“W...we were just doing what we normally do! Great Chrysalis impression, by the way,” Rush sputtered, looking up at the Queen.
“Fool! I am the Queen Chrysalis!” the Matriarch furiously corrected, sneering upon the lesser changeling. “Perhaps a demonstration is in order…”
Licking her lips and opening her fanged maw, a sickening green glow emanated from her horn. A similar aura surrounded Rush, before he was magically lifted into the air. Wisps of fuchsia power wafted from the smaller shapeshifter’s frame and into the Queen’s slavering jaws.
“Don’t-” Flurry was cut off, as Cozy extended a hoof and shook her head.
She was acutely aware of what Chrysalis was capable of and she felt certain that the draining was simply a show of force - albeit a jarring and disquieting one. Changelings were a strange lot and, admittedly, she had no way of knowing if the gamble would work. Strangely enough, the flow of energy from the stallion appeared to redouble, as a faltering smile crept across his face.
“Now let’s try this again,” Chrysalis relented, easing him to the ground. “Why are you here?”
“We’re like you,” he wheezed, nearly collapsing.
“Can I go next!” Whiz enthusiastically squawked.
Glancing over at the pair of partially encased shapeshifters, seeing the fanatical expression they bore, Cozy knit her brow. “Like her how?”
“We’re bad guys,” Rush answered, staring with open admiration at the Queen.
“...Explain…” Chrysalis whispered.
“Oh! We do all sorts of naughty stuff! We slip into towns and make mischief to sustain ourselves: folding laundry, helping deliver packages, sneaking treats into the school - it’s great!” Whiz gleefully explained, practically vibrating with excitement.
“How in Equestria does that make you bad guys?! Stealing baked goods hardly qualifies you as villains!” Chrysalis coughed.
“Because we didn’t order the pastries; we just took them, paid, and left. We just do charitable things and reap the kind benefits,” Rush clarified.
Chrysalis’ jaw flapped uselessly, unable to form a response, leaving Cozy to intervene. Stepping over to the stricken stallion, she carefully studied him. While she did still have her reservations, it would have been extraordinarily difficult for the changelings to fake their eager reactions to the deposed Matriarch.
“Wait,” Flurry blurted, trotting closer. “You three are the Dastardly Do-Gooders?”
“Who?” Cozy and Chrysalis asked in unison, turning towards the alicorn.
“There’ve been reports about three ponies mysteriously going around doing dubiously helpful things,” the Princess said, magically working to free the mare. Without awaiting a reply, Anon quickly joined her - pulling at the hardening substance around the changeling’s hooves.
“I’m glad that word of our misdeeds have reached the ear of a Princess,” Rush croaked, shakily moving over to release Storm. “Like I said, we’re bad guys like you.”
“Bad guys,” Chrysalis scoffed, finally finding her voice. “You would have me believe that gallivanting about Equestria, helping ponies to suckle at the dregs of their appreciation and fondness could be considered any sort of dastardly? Preposterous!”
“Isn’t it though?” Cozy contended, peering up at the Matriarch. “They’re just trying to get by, doing their best not to conform - that is, if it’s true.”
Turning, she looked to the three changelings. If Flurry was correct, they may have unwittingly stumbled upon some potential aid, although there were several pivotal questions which needed to be addressed. Trotting to Storm, she kicked at the resin encasing his legs.
Leaving the trio trapped would, at worst, lead to potential enemies who could hunt them down or alert the authorities on their whereabouts. Given the state of the situation, with the shapeshifters’ leader partially drained of his essence, they posed little immediate threat. Between herself, Anon, Flurry, and Chrysalis, they could overpower the newcomers with relative ease, though a diplomatic solution to their conundrum would be ideal.
“What have you guys heard about us?” Cozy inquired, glancing back at the stricken stallion.
“Everyone knows about Flurry, she’s one of the two Princesses of Equestria. Most ponies have heard about Anon the human, but I don’t know much about him. Queen Chrysalis - gosh - she’s the primeval leader of the ancient changelings! She did - er - does whatever she wants and kept her hive safe for centuries!” Rush gushed, smittenly peering over at the Queen.
“And me?” Cozy asked, turning to face him.
Rush shrugged, too enwrapt by no doubt glorious visage of his primeval Matriarch. “Just some filly, I suppose.”
As dumbfounding as it was, that the changeling hadn’t put the pieces together, Cozy took some solace that word of her and Chrysalis’ freedom hadn’t spread. If news had yet to reach the far corners of Equestria, any action they chose to take would be vastly easier.
“Cretin,” Chrysalis snapped, curling her lip. “that is Cozy Glow, self-declared leader of the villainous trio!”
“Oh yeah! That evil filly who helped you almost rule Equestria!” Whir added. Shaking the gooey, sap-like substance from her hooves, she cantered over to the Queen. “Can you drain me next? I’ve got plenty of love for you!”
“No, I’ll not lower myself to feeding off sycophants,” Chrysalis huffed, literally turning her nose up at the offer.
“You don’t have to be rude,” Anon groused. Pulling one of Storm’s hind legs free, he crossed his arms over his chest. “So what if someone wants to give you some love? Is it really that bad?”
“Because they’re a parody of their past splendor!” the Queen balked, looking to the trio with contempt. The changelings shied away, wounded by her words.
“They were born like this! They didn’t have a choice, just like how you didn’t have a choice to feed on others to survive!” Flurry shouted. “I’m...I’m not gonna stand here and let you be so mean to somepony who wants to help you!” she continued, stepping between the Matriarch the shapeshifters.
“And what makes you think that I’d listen to some whelp of a Princess?” Chrysalis murmured. Though her words lacked much fight, she stuck a nerve.
Flurry stood mute, slowly shaking her head in disbelief. “You know, I’d hoped the stories about you were wrong - that you weren’t as bad as Twilight and my parents made you out to be…”
“Why would you care?! You’re a Princess! You know nothing about struggle and loss!” the Queen protested defiantly.
“Because I lost my parents and I wanted to give you a chance!” the Princess blared. Standing firm and unflinching, despite the resentment and grief on her face, she stared the villain down.
Before Cozy could intervene, Anon stepped forward with his hands extended. “Let’s all just take a breath, calm down, and be civil. Can we all agree that things have been a little extra crazy for the last day or two?” he asserted, forcing a smile and looking between the arguing pair.
The Princess and Queen continued glaring at one another, as a tense silence fell between them. It was clear that most of the fight had left each of them, yet neither budged an inch. Their success hinged upon cooperation between them, moreso in Chrysalis’ case. Trotting to them, Cozy cleared her throat and prepared to take a bullet.
“Since I’m the leader, let’s have a group exercise. Flurry, Whiz, and Storm, go think of what our next step should be over there,” she instructed, pointing to one corner of the clearing. “Chrysalis, Anon, and Rush, you do the same thing over there,” she continued, leveling a wing at the opposite end of the glade.
Chrysalis squinted at her for a moment, before shifting her focus to the stallion drone. “Minion, grab the cake. If we must convene with the obstinate hyu-man, we will have pastry.”
“What if I wanted some cake?” Flurry quipped.
Levitating a rather generous slice of the confection towards the Princess, Chrysalis scowled. “There,” she coldly remarked, sauntering off to the area with Rush following behind her.
“W...well I’m taking the cookies then!” Flurry quickly rebuked. After lobbing one of the sugary disks into the retreating cake, she turned and stomped to her side of the clearing.
Seeing the two parties disengage, Cozy breathed a sigh of relief. If nothing else, her little ploy had bought them some time to let the flared tempers cool. She couldn’t blame either of them, given how bizarre the last few days had been, but she hoped a schism wouldn’t develop between the two. If Chrysalis could rein herself in and try to make a friend in Flurry, she’d doubtlessly make the most powerful and influential ally she’d ever known.
“That was pretty slick,” Anon commented, causing her to start.
The man hadn’t fled with either party, lingering just behind her. Squatting down, he reached out and gently patted her on the head. The fond gesture and compliment brought the barest grin to her face. Strange look and mysterious origins aside, Anon seemed to have a grounded grasp of things and she found herself fortunate to have him as company.
“I’m gonna go see what my team is cooking up,” he grunted. Giving her hair a brief tussle, he stood and started walking. “I hope you stay on our side.”
Intentional or not, the comment reminded her of something; for the first time in a very, very long time, she wasn’t working on the machinations of some grand scheme. For most of her life, she’d carefully crafted and implemented plans to get what she wanted - now she was relegated to playing by ear. Without her companions, she wouldn’t have made it as far as she had.
Easing herself down, she reached for the peach she’d discarded and casually looked between the two groups. Besides allowing Chrysalis and Flurry to calm themselves, separating the teams as she had served several purposes. Removing Rush from his band would put Storm and Whir on the back hoof and hopefully allow Flurry to gather some information on the pair. Chrysalis seemed to tolerate Anon relatively well, so cultivating trust between them would ideally strengthen that tenuous bond. Lastly and most prudently, there was a high likelihood that their growing party would have to separate in order to perform some action or other in the future.
Her move to temporarily split the party was shrewd and only slightly manipulative, but in a mutualistic way. Nobody had anything to lose from the exercise and there was much to be gained. She saw no reason to interact with either crew, realizing that she’d be tempted to steer conversations or ideas in a direction she saw fit; it was a weakness she had, but one she was cognizant of.
Content to help herself to a snack, while avoiding consciously eavesdropping, she meditated in silence. The appearance of the vagabond changelings, while a bit bizarre, could prove as an invaluable asset - if they could be coerced into assisting with one’s endeavor. Having a shapeshifter at their disposal was helpful, although having a team of them would be an immense windfall.
That being said, there was one question which eluded her. Even if Rush, Whir, and Storm roamed the land helping ponies and lending a hoof to those in need, why were they in such a remote location? Hayseed Junction was derelict and the tracks running through the small settlement were in a severe state of disuse. The likelihood of anyone having simply wandered in their direction was inordinately slim and she doubted it was a mere coincidence.
“How long must we dally?” Chrysalis loudly groaned, catching her ear. “We’ve had a plan for several minutes and the cake is gone.”
“We have a plan too!” Flurry shouted, as if it were some competition.
“Alright, come on over and let’s hear them,” Cozy urged, waving the two groups towards herself. The pair of teams reconvened around her, with the Matriarch to her right and the Princess to her left. They each appeared mollified to an extent, with Chrysalis having reassumed her regular discontented demeanor and Flurry looking nearly as exuberant as usual.
“You first,” the alicorn intoned, gesturing to the Queen.
“Our plan is simple. We forge north, through the wilderness to Horseshoe Bay, then we board a ship and sail east. It’s less than ideal, but it would get us away from the clutches of our pursuers,” Chrysalis uttered.
Cozy nodded, mulling the notion over. “And your idea?” she inquired, peering to the Princess.
“We storm the Castle of Friendship and demand answers,” Flurry flatly stated.
“That would be suicide. If Twilight is indeed after us, we may as well turn ourselves in with the local guards at Dodge Junction!” Chrysalis rebuked.
“That’s just it - no matter what we do, regardless of how long it takes, creatures everywhere will eventually be looking for us. The Equestrian empire has alliances with the dragons, griffons, hippogriffs, yaks, changelings, everycreature! We would only be delaying the inevitable. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to constantly have eyes in the back of my head,” the Princess countered.
“She has a point,” Anon admitted. “If we do run, there’s a good chance we’ll get found eventually and that’s even if we could hijack a ship to cross the sea.”
“I will not be imprisoned again!” Chrysalis railed.
“I don’t want that either, but Flurry is right. Considering how long we’ve been gone and that the various creatures of the world are working in harmony, we don’t have anywhere safe we could hide. We might be able to find temporary refuge, sure, although a permanent safe harbor probably doesn’t exist for us,” Cozy sighed.
“Madness! Have you all lost your minds?!” the Matriarch jeered, glaring at each of them. “You expect me - us to wage a full frontal assault against one of the most powerful creatures in the realm?!”
“I might not be as strong as Twilight, but I’ll be gosh darned if I’m going to let her do anything to hurt you - either of you!” Flurry attested, confidently stepping forward and smiling at Cozy and Chrysalis.
“Given that I lost my house and all my stuff, I’m game. If we’re going to go in and demand answers from an alicorn, I’ve got your back,” Anon chuckled, closing the circle. “I just hope they have decent food in Tartarus - if we end up getting arrested, that is.”
“I...I still don’t know what’s going on, but you four clearly need a bit of help,” Rush hesitantly added, nodding to his companions.
Chrysalis shook her head in defeat. “So I don’t have a choice in the matter.”
“You can leave, if you really want to, but wouldn’t it make sense to stay with us?” Flurry asked matter-of-factly.
“No! Because what you’re talking about doing is insane! Every single creature who’s ever dared to attack Twilight has been reformed, imprisoned, or worse!” the Queen rebutted.
“Yes, but we’re not going to attack Twilight - we’re going to talk to her. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you’re protected,” the Princess sternly noted, extending her hoof.
“Me too,” Anon added, patting Chrysalis’ shoulder and causing her to start. “Just stick behind me. I’ll tank whatever magic she hurls at you.”
“You know,” Cozy snickered, trotting up and smiling at the Matriarch, “it would be ironic if the Princess of Friendship finds herself facing a team of friends. If you, Tirek, and I nearly took her, Celestia, and Luna down, don’t you think the four of us could talk our way to a pardon?”
“Seven,” Whiz asserted.
“Right - seven,” Cozy quickly corrected, nodding to the trio of changelings.
“If we get petrified again, I swear, I’ll be throttling you as a statue,” Chrysalis groaned, rolling her eyes.
“Um…” Rush anxiously hummed, causing everyone to turn. “What are we doing and why are we doing it again?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll explain on the way; there’s still plenty of walking to do,” Cozy mused.