Cozy couldn’t tell when she’d nodded off, or for how long she’d fitfully slept, yet she awoke to the sound of shattering glass. Bolting awake, she inadvertently rolled from her seat and onto the floor. Looking upwards, in a panic, she saw an armor clad stallion crashing onto the spot where she’d been resting. Intentional or not, her fall had spared her from being crushed.
Bolting towards the exit of the small room, she desperately sought escape. As she’d feared, they must have been ambushed and, somehow or another, at least one soldier had boarded the moving train. Reaching for the door, frantically attempting to slide it open, her luck ran out; just as the hatch began to move, her hind legs were seized.
“Help!” she bleated, angrily kicking back to buck her would-be captor.
Her cry didn’t fall on deaf ears, as the door was thrown open before her. A dazzling beam of harlequin energy blasted the pony behind her, sending him slamming into the exterior wall. Peering up at her rescuer, towards the source of the sorcerous attack, a chitinous hoof extended towards her.
“We have to leave now,” Chrysalis huffed, hauling the small mare to her hooves.
“How many?” Cozy asked, standing and shaking the glass from her mane.
“At least a dozen,” the Matriarch tersely responded, glancing down both ends of the corridor. “Pegasi are air dropping earth ponies and unicorns onto the cars.”
Cozy nodded and scrunched her snout. “We need to get everyone together right here, right now. Consolidate everyone and have the conductor…” she fell silent, as the towering changeling shifted uncomfortably. “What?”
“We don’t have a conductor…” Chrysalis muttered.
“I...what?” Cozy blurted.
“Once we were underway, I had him depart,” the shapeshifter explained.
Before Cozy could ask how or why they were without an operator for the locomotive, the distant noises of dispelled magic drew her attention away. Scampering past the Queen, she peered down the corridor. Even if they couldn’t slow the titanic vehicle, leaving was their most prudent option. Regardless of their proximity to Ponyville, rolling through the town in a train beset by guards would only exacerbate matters.
The doorway at the tail end of the car flew open, as Anon and Flurry backed into view. The man was acting as a walking bulwark, shielding the Princess from mystical bombardments, while the alicorn returned fire from behind him. As for the trio of changelings, there was no sign.
“Chrysalis, once they’re inside, seal the door,” Cozy instructed, racing towards the embattled duo. “Where are Rush and the others?” she cried out, causing the Princess to look back.
“I...I didn’t know what else to do, I told them to make it to the caboose and book it,” Flurry responded, wincing as a dazzling eruption drove Anon back.
As regrettable as being separated from the three helpful shapeshifters was, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Eventually separating into two groups had been part of the plan and would split the attention of their pursuers, although she’d hoped they wouldn’t have to go through with it so quickly. Peeking between Anon’s legs, Cozy’s fears were confirmed.
Over half a dozen guards were steadily advancing on their position and, if she had to guess, there were likely more preparing to board their car. A quartet of unicorns strode towards them, with the foremost two shielding those in the rear; behind them marched three sturdy looking earth ponies. As she looked away, turning her beleaguered companions, something caught her eye.
Surging forward, though the crossfire of magical rays, she seized the locking mechanism between the carriages and heaved. With a heavy clunk, the clasp opened. Without waiting to see the results of her action, knowing it would take a moment for the forward cars to pull away, she darted back.
“Seal it!” she shouted, seeking shelter behind Anon’s calf.
The man reached forward and slammed the door closed, a split second before Chrysalis coughed a globule of resin onto the door. It wouldn’t hold forever, but it would buy them a bit of time. Turning, without waiting for a reply from her allies, she scampered towards the front of the train. The guards knew where they were, so holding their position would serve no purpose.
The sound of hooves and feet quickly followed her, as she made her way towards the engine. Any additional space they could put between themselves and their assailants would do nothing but help them and, if they were lucky, cause a bit more confusion among the guards who’d so doggedly hunted them down. Their biggest issue, besides being apprehended, would be figuring out how to safely abandon the locomotive.
With everyone on high alert, running past the covered windows, the quartet passed through the passenger coach towards the lead car. Save for the sound of a distant set of impacts on the roof, they successfully made their way to the foremost compartment. Kicking the release and decoupling the engine from the rest of the train, Anon jogged up behind them. As he threw the door closed, they found themselves in the cramped engine room.
A pair of windows sat to either side of the area, while a dizzying array of levers and switches rested beside the engine itself. The glowing furnace, fueled by a mound of nearby coal, dominated the small space, leaving the four with little room to work with. It was a wonder they’d made it as far as they had, without anyone keeping the fires fed, although that mattered little in the grand scheme of things.
“Where the heck is the conductor?” Anon asked, fruitlessly looking around for the operator.
“I threw him overboard just outside of Dodge Junction,” Chrysalis mirthlessly responded, glancing over at him.
“What?! Why?!?” he groaned, facepalming.
Glowering up at the human, the changeling huffed. “He was a liability.”
“And you didn’t think that we might need somepony to operate this thing?” Flurry groused, trotting towards the controls.
“Trains go in one of two directions along a set path, how hard can it be?” Chrysalis countered, joining the Princess.
“It doesn’t matter now. Just give me a second to -” Cozy was interrupted, as a series of shocks hammered the roof of the car. Before she could react, a large, furred hand came smashing through the window on her left.
Chrysalis flung open the opposite portal, and waved her colleagues over. “This way, let them have the blasted train!”
While Flurry discharged a sorcerous missile through the shattered window, the doorway angrily rattled behind them. They’d been boxed in, with nowhere left to run. Fleeing the vehicle wouldn’t be an issue, were it not for the human. Lacking the ability to fly, and considering how fast they were moving, extracting the man would be difficult, to say the least.
“Alright, Flurry, Chrysalis, you’ll have to carry Anon to the ground. Even if you can only slow him down enough to roll, it’s better than nothing,” Cozy intoned, looking between the three.
“Oh boy, broken ribs, my favorite,” the man darkly muttered, holding the door closed.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get you,” Flurry reassured, eliciting a nod from Chrysalis.
“Go! We can’t waste anymore time!” Cozy shouted, pointing towards the open window.
Chrysalis leapt through the opening, with the Princess following shortly behind. Though she couldn’t see much, the sounds of arcane lightning and spellwork almost immediately followed their departure. Taking to the air, she tapped the man’s shoulder and shot through the window. She had assumed the wind would make flight difficult, but she was wholly unready for the gale which struck her.
Flapping as hard as she could, doing her best to stabilize herself, she tumbled through the open air. The train rumbled past, as she fought not to crash to the ground below. Drifting away from the locomotive, only just avoiding crashing to the earth, she oriented herself. The sight which found her caused her blood to freeze.
Anon’s upper half was out of the window, while Flurry desperately attempted to pull him clear. Chrysalis, hovering just above the Princess, was doing her best to stave off two pegasi and a Diamond dog atop the engine car. Struggling to keep pace with the train, she realized things were far worse than she’d assumed.
The brawny limb of a second canine reached through the opening and seized the man’s shoulder. He wasn’t just trying to get out of the train, he was stuck in a tug-of-war between the alicorn and another soldier. Outnumbered, attempting to fend off three opponents, Chrysalis was quickly overwhelmed.
One of the pegasi circled her as she was pawed at by the lumbering canine. The strike to her back caught her completely by surprise, sending her spinning into the brute’s grasp. Her superior agility and sorcerous might were outshone by the diamond dog’s raw strength. Kicking wildly, biting and discharging bolts of magic, Crysalis frenziedly fought to free herself.
Cozy could do nothing more than watch the calamitous scene unfold. She’d never been the strongest flier, so she’d be unable to catch up and lend a hoof - even if she could, there would have been little she could do. Trying to think of something - anything she could to to help, she drew a blank. They’d been outnumbered, cornered, and overpowered, it was as simple as that.
“Help her!” Anon cried out, his voice carried by the deafening wind.
Shaking free from the Princess’ hooves, he thrust himself back into the cabin. Flurry hung by the window for a moment, presumably watching him confront his attacker, before doing as asked. Face contorted in rage, she unleashed a volley of magical projectiles at the flying ponies. The assault caused them to retreat, if only temporarily, allowing her to deal with the changeling’s opponent.
Lending her strength, Flurry was able to repel the muscular canid from the changeling. Stumbling back, taking one savage swing at the alicorn and shapeshifter, the diamond dog sent the pair plummeting away from the train. While the Princess was able to recover, Chrysalis wasn’t so lucky. Careening away from the locomotive, the changeling bounced and rolled through the hedges beside the track. Catching up to the stricken Queen, Cozy was quickly joined by her fellow pony.
Chrysalis was conscious, if only just, and in rough condition. Dazed, shakily trying to get her hooves under herself, she faltered and fell. Though she appeared intact, one of her wings was bent and pinned beneath her carapace. Sadly, under such dreadful circumstances, time was a luxury they couldn’t afford.
Things couldn’t be much worse; the guards likely had reinforcements on the way, the troops they’d marooned on the detached cars would be rushing to catch up, and the duo of pegasi would probably be on them soon. They needed to move and there was only one option. Helping the changeling stand, Cozy peered over at Flurry.
“Get us out of here!” she blared, bearing some of the Queen’s weight on her shoulder.
Although she seemed torn by the order, power flowed through Flurry’s horn. A golden glow encircled the three, before they winked from existence. Reappearing in darkness, with Chrysalis breathing heavily beside her, Cozy fretfully looked around. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the utter lack of light, but she quickly realized where they were.
Beneath a lush canopy of trees, they’d reappeared a short distance from what remained of Anon’s house. Whether or not the unexpected loss of their human compatriot sparked the decision, or if it had just been a random and hurriedly selected choice of the Princess, Cozy couldn’t say - regardless, they’d been able to make a getaway. A stifled sniffle to her left drew her attention from the razed structure.
Flurry rocked back to her haunches, burying her face in her hooves. Sobbing quietly, shivering, she shook her head. Wincing slightly, Chrysalis eased herself to the ground. None of them were in the best shape, be it physically, mentally, or both. Trotting over to the Princess, Cozy patted the mare’s side.
“What are we supposed to do now?” Flurry wept, wiping one eye.
Cozy opened her mouth, but remained silent. Realistically, there wasn’t much they could do. Chrysalis was injured, Flurry was suffering through an emotional breakdown, and she was virtually powerless against the forces which opposed them. Rush and his friends were gone and Anon had been captured, leaving their already pitiably small number of allies further reduced.
“I tell you what we - Mmmph - aren’t going to do,” Chrysalis grunted, attempting to right her wing. “We most certainly aren’t going to fight. Flurry, if you know of somewhere we can seek refuge, now would be the time to tell us.”
“I...I don’t know,” the Princess whimpered. “Everywhere I can think of has ponies who would recognize me. Maybe we should just turn ourselves in, I can’t handle this anymore.”
“I will not hand myself into this supposed Twilight’s clutches!” Chrysalis barked, albeit weakly. “If that is your intent, I’ll have no part of it. If Tirek were here maybe - maybe we’d stand a chance against a lone alicorn, but-”
“Where is Tirek?” Cozy interrupted, holding up a hoof.
If there was even a chance of freeing the centaur, their odds in an outright confrontation would improve dramatically. While she certainly hadn’t forgotten about him, any chances of releasing him before that point had been impossibly low. For as much of a help as Anon was, his inability to be teleported would have complicated the probability of liberating the centaur dramatically.
“After - Sniff - we decided to free you, he and Chrysalis were moved to the courtyard of the Castle of Friendship,” Flurry whispered.
“Dang it,” Cozy cursed, kicking a pebble in frustration.
Deliberate or not, the board had been nearly cleared. They were without anyone to go to or places to safely run, and there were only so many moves they could make. The obvious answer would be to flee, yet the chances of them making it far were slim. With Chrysalis wounded and the Princess being easily recognizable, finding a refuge would be like blindly finding a needle in a haystack.
Knowing all too well that the net was tightening around them, Cozy sighed. “We should turn ourselves in.”
“Are you mad?!” Chrysalis croaked, glaring angrily over at the small pegasus. “You know full well that Twilight will have us thrown in Tartarus or worse!”
“Hear me out. If it really is Twilight, there’s a chance we could reason with her - a slim chance, but a chance nonetheless. If it’s not Twilight, we might be able to reveal the truth to anypony and everypony present - granted, we may still be imprisoned, but word would spread that we were dealt an injustice by an imposter. The way I see it, all things considered, it’s only a matter of time until we face her,” Cozy explained. “If we do it on our terms, at least we’d have some strength left in us.”
Looking between the alicorn and pegasus in disbelief, Chrysalis’ brash defiance wavered. “Is there no other way…?”
“If there was, do you think I wouldn’t say it?” Cozy breathed.
“Ponyville isn’t far, only a mile or two into the valley, it shouldn’t take us long to reach the city by hoof,” Flurry noted, having regained a bit of her composure. “I just hope Anon is alright.”
“If they hurt the hyu-man, I will make them pay,” Chrysalis darkly uttered, leering into the distance.
“They probably wouldn’t rough him up too badly,” Cozy remarked. “After we catch our breath, we should probably get going.”
“Fine,” the Queen dully stated, unsteadily getting to her hooves, “but since I can’t fly, one of you will carry me.” In a gleaming conflagration, she transmuted herself into a minuscule paraspite, albeit one with a still-disabled wing.
Limping over and carefully plucking the insect from the ground, Flurry stashed the metamorphosed Chrysalis in her mane. “It goes without saying, but you know I’ll do everything I can to sway Twilight on the matter.”
“Thanks,” Cozy soberly intoned, trotting beside the Princess.
With the alicorn leading the way, the trio began the long hike towards the city. Though the sun wasn’t visible, the first traces of daybreak could be seen on the horizon. Traveling in silence, down a winding and well-worn path. Ponyville soon sprang into view, with one or two distant figures moving between the buildings, a quiet resignation settled over Cozy.
The worst case scenario would be getting thrust into a stony prison once again, although that wasn’t the only possible outcome. Tartarus or banishment may await her, after their encounter with Twilight, and those were two of the more ideal conclusions. A chance of legitimate reformation was virtually nonexistent, seeing as how she’d had a number of false charges levied against her.
Whatever consequences awaited her and her companions, they’d find out soon enough. As they crested a hill on the outskirts of town, they encountered a patrol of guards. Four ponies, including a duo of unicorns, a pegasus, and a stout earth pony spotted them and came rushing over. Drawing to a halt, Cozy moved behind the Princess.
“We surrender,” Flurry announced, causing the quartet to slow.
“Princess, please step away from the fugitive,” one of the soldiers ordered, stepping before his troupe.
“No, I won’t leave my friends. We will go with you peacefully, but we’re going together,” the Princess sternly declared.
The guards looked to one another in confusion, before realization hit Cozy. The sentries had no way of knowing Chrysalis was with them. Concealed within the alicorn’s unkempt and exceedingly disheveled mane, the shapeshifter was hidden from view and unable to talk. She could only assume that Flurry wasn’t aware of the fact, since she’d referred to her friends. Keeping her mouth shut, content to keep the small secret, she nodded and weakly smiled at the guards.
After a tense moment, one of the soldiers moved forward with a pair of manacles - that was, until the Princess affixed him with a cold stare. “Escort us if you wish, but you will treat us with some modicum of respect!” she defiantly protested, stomping a hoof. Without another word, she smoothly continued trotting towards Ponyville.
Sticking close to the alicorn’s side, Cozy glanced around at the guards. Not a single one of them moved to intervene, either too stunned or too considerate to do otherwise - given their treatment thus far, she was inclined to believe the former. Flanking them, with two soldiers to either side, they were accompanied by the armored troops.
Proceeding into town, along with their unwanted chaperones, the three leisurely made their way towards the castle at the opposite end of the settlement. Their pace was slow, with the Princess trotting along on a scuffed up leg, but they were in no rush. Whatever future awaited them was with Twilight in the palace, irrespective of how long it took.
As they languidly moved through Ponyville, they slowly began drawing attention. Seeing a Princess was a spectacle enough, let alone one attended by sentries. Cozy was unsure of how widely news of her supposed transgressions had spread, yet she did hear several ponies whisper her name. She had no way of knowing if they simply recognized her from her past exploits or if they’d been fed misinformation - either way, several definitely recognized her.
Suddenly, out of the blue, divine inspiration struck her. Turning, looking over at one of the guards, she put on a pained expression. “Can I use the little filly’s room?”
“You can use it in the Castle,” the unicorn grunted, frowning down at her.
Flurry came to an abrupt halt and scowled over at the sentry. “You would deny a filly the chance to relieve herself?!” she blared, attracting yet more curious stares from the townsponies. Leaning over, shifting her focus to the diminutive pegasus by her side, she lowered her tone. “Do you really have to go?”
Thinking fast, praising her own genius, Cozy shook her head. “I think I can. I...I’m sorry, I’d hate to make a scene and make our captors look bad,” she dejectedly noted, praying the alicorn would catch her hint.
“To think that Princess Twilight Sparkle would have her troops mistreat foes in such a shameless and unseemly fashion. If this poor filly is such a menace, let these fair ponies bare witness to her censure!” Flurry declared, raising her voice. “Come now, if these ruffians are so gosh darn pressed to see us to the palace, let’s not give them the pleasure of more harassment!”
Strutting away, leaving the guards to linger for a second, the Princess continued on her trek. Cozy fought back a grin and scurried up beside her. It was a masterfully executed act, and not out of turn. Flurry had played the part exquisitely, causing a scene and bringing more ponies out of their homes. Having a throng of onlookers with them would demand forthrightness, as well as convincing evidence from Twilight to their alleged misdeeds.
If the soldiers moved to block the citizens, they’d be working to undo whatever nefarious plot the Princess of Friendship had enacted. The more spectators they had, the harder it would be for Twilight to paint them in an ill light. Somehow, despite all odds, they’d found an advantageous move and seized it with both hooves.
Continuing towards the palace, with a growing number of townsponies and creatures following in their wake, it was obvious that the guards were not prepared for such a disturbance. Although the sentries tried to address questions or concerns, they simply didn’t have all the answers; they were there to fulfill a simple duty, obediently following their orders, and little else. As the castle crept into view, with dozens of followers lingering behind them, they made the final approach.
To Flurry’s credit, she spoke with several rather worried looking ponies along the way - assuring them that everything would be alright and that there’d been some terrible misunderstanding. The troops, though initially attempting to shoo the public away from the Princess, were quickly cowed by the resentful and well placed unease of those they interacted with. It was a deliciously chaotic, albeit relatively placid scene.
As Cozy watched the exchanges develop, reveling in how well the hastily laid plan was playing out, a tap on her shoulder caused her to turn. Beside her, having timidly poked her and shied away, was a young colt. No larger than herself, with a shortly cropped mane and tail, he sheepishly kept his pace with her.
“Are you really the Cozy Glow?” he inquired, sheepishly rubbing his neck.
Despite herself, she genuinely smiled. “Yeah, I am.”
“Huh…” he numbly responded, curiously looking her over. “Ms. Jubilee taught us that you were a monster, but you don’t look that bad - no scary teeth or nothing.”
The thought that she’d been portrayed as some monstrous caricature caused Cozy to chuckle. “Nah, I’m not that bad - at least, not anymore.”
“So,” he began, cocking his head to the side, “you’re a good guy now?”
“I…” she paused, considering her answer.
Was she a good guy? She most certainly hadn’t transgressed since regaining her freedom, unless one considered self-defense from unjust accusations as such. Though she had unwittingly gotten a wholly innocent Princess and Anon involved, as well as inadvertently causing Queen Chrysalis to be released, she had done no overt wrongdoing. She didn’t consider her recent actions immoral, yet convincing others otherwise would doubtlessly be a monumental affair.
With a heavy sigh, Cozy shook her head. “I hope I am…”
“Sweetie, come back to Mommy,” an older mare urged, waving the colt towards herself.
Waving goodbye and offering a fleeting smile, Cozy watched the lad depart back to his mother. The brief encounter left her feeling odd and strangely contemplative. She couldn’t rightly call herself a villain anymore, although she definitely wasn’t a hero. Stuck on some hazy ground between the two, distanced from her past deeds and capable of redemption, she honestly couldn’t say what she was.
For the time being, it mattered little. She may be sentenced to spend time immemorial as a statue, or perhaps live out the rest of her days within a cold cell; if, by some absurd reversal of fortune, she was allowed to be a free mare, she wasn’t sure what she was going to do with herself. In the grand scheme of things, with her future hinging precariously upon her meeting with Twilight, she may not have much of a say in the matter, though she did hope that Anon, Flurry, Chrysalis, and the benevolent changelings she’d encountered would spared any harsh punishment.
Though Anon wasn’t with them, he would likely be brought to join them within several hours. Given the speed of the train, the locomotive would arrive well before noon. His absence, while regrettable, could be used as an additional delaying tactic, since his testimony would surely be requested. Things were still far from ideal, yet all hope hadn’t been lost.