Cozy Glow sat attentively listening to every word that Twilight spoke. Twilight’s words dripped through the air like candy floss into Cozy’s ears. The only thing that broke Cozy’s attention was when she occasionally picked up her pencil and wrote down something that would be important for later use.
Unlike the unicorns in the classroom, she had to quickly grab the pencil with her mouth, write down some notes, then put it back down just to look at the board again. It wasn’t easy, but Cozy managed to take the notes that she needed. In a way, she hated watching Twilight work. Twilight didn’t even need to look at the board to write. The way that she hovered the chalk, it almost mocked Cozy as she sat with the pencil in her mouth.
It must be nice not to taste a pencil whenever you want to write. Cozy thought to herself.
One might think that Cozy hated Twilight and her friends, but if she did, then why would she get herself into Twilight’s school? It was simple, Twilight had stopped many monsters on her way to becoming a princess. Twilight loved to say that friendship was magic. Well, if Cozy had friends, then she could have magic also; therefore, she would have power. Power was something that Cozy Glow wanted.
Nothing in life was easy for Cozy. Every part of her life was a great challenge, and nothing for her came easy. Nopony even noticed her. It was just so gosh darn hard even to approach other ponies and start a conversation. That is why she joined this cursed school. Who better to learn from than Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship.
Cozy Glow never really knew who her father was. He was always working and didn’t have a social life. Also, just recently, her mother passed away. Because of that, she had to move to Ponyville to live with her grandfather. Nopony even knew her parent’s names. They were like trash in the road. Her family only existed to be forgotten. They were weak and had no power. Her mother was buried in the backyard behind a rickety old house.
The problem was, how do you get somepony to want to be your friend? Whatever the secret is, it did not seem to be a problem for Drizzle Rain.
Now there was a pony that was easy to notice!
Drizzle Rain was a little larger than Cozy, but not by much. She looked at his perfectly combed hair. Drizzle Rain’s coat was light blue, and his mane was dark blue. They both seemed so monochromatic that his golden eyes glowed when you looked into them.
As he sat in his school chair, it looked like he was absorbing everything that Twilight said.
He was only a year or two older than Cozy Glow, but he was far more mature than anypony else in the class. He was always calm and collected. His pencil moved across the paper so fluidly that you would think he was a cursed Unicorn.
All the girls in the school all liked him. Cozy could see them in the corner fawning over him.
Now, Cozy thought to herself, if I could get him as a friend, then everypony would be lining up to meet me, the new princess of friendship. If friendship was magic and magic was power, then I would finally have power.
Twilight looked up at the class. “Wow! Time, sure does fly. With the remainder of the class, I need everypony to reach into this bowl.” Twilight showed off again by hovering a bowl with paper in it.
Twilight smiled at the class and said, “I want everyone to select three of these pictures, and then I will tell you what your homework is for.”
Cozy Glow was puzzled by this. Every creature lined up, eagerly picking the paper out of the bowl. Cozy Glow, as usual, stood in the back of the line.
Eventually it was Cozy Glow’s turn to select three. Cozy was confused because, in a pile, there were three pictures. Before picking them out, she said to Twilight, “Golly Miss Twilight, I wonder why we are selecting pictures.”
Twilight smiled, “Don’t worry; you will find out soon.”
Cozy Glow looked into the pile to see that there were only three pictures left. “I hope this isn’t going to be too hard. I am getting stuck with the last three.”
Twilight grinned, “Don’t worry! The best is the last.”
Cozy Glow grabbed the photos and went to her seat.
Twilight got up from her desk and stood in front of the class.
Twilight looked determined, “Your homework for this week is to do something nice for each of these three ponies.”
Cozy Glow’s heart sank, Oh no! She thought to herself. I have to do something nice for three ponies that I don’t even know ... for free?! Thousands of thoughts raced through her mind at once. Why would I do something for no benefit? How am I going to do that? What if they don’t like me? What if they think I am strange? How do I greet them?
It was, in that moment, that Cozy felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around. When she noticed who it was, she thought that her dreams came true. The pony that had tapped her shoulder was Drizzle Rain. She said the first thing that came to her mind, “Golly Mister, how can I help you.” She felt so bad after that. Should she have called him Mister? Was saying Golly too much? Too little? Curse her pink body! Playing cute is the only thing I can do.
Drizzle Rain asked, “Can I copy your notes? I didn’t get everything.”
Cozy Glow grinned from ear to ear. She thought to herself. Score! I can’t believe this happened. Do not waste this opportunity. If anypony could help you with your assignment, it would be Drizzle Rain.
Cozy Glow answered, “Sure thing Drizzle Rain. Anything for a friend.”
Drizzle Rain smiled, “Thanks.”
Cozy Glow became ecstatic inside. The most popular colt in the school was talking to her. She thought, Play it safe. Don’t turn into professor Pinkie Pie. He didn’t run away when you called him a friend. The first step on your path to becoming the new Princess of Friendship is complete.
Drizzle said, “Thanks. I can copy them over lunch today.”
Cozy Glow thought hard on how to respond to him. She said in an upbeat and chipper voice, “Works for me.”
The rest of the day passed by too slowly for Cozy Glow’s taste. The only excitement was when three young fillies snuck into the back of the classroom. She occasionally looked back at Dizzle Rain and watched in futile as all the other mares tried to talk to him. They made it look so easy.
Finally, it was time for lunch. Cozy Glow raced to the lunchroom, nearly forgetting her notes. She slowed down as she got to the main entrance of the cafeteria. She wanted to play it cool.
She opened the lunchroom doors to see Drizzle Rain waiting for her. She slowly trotted over to the table with her bag of food. Inside of the bag was just an apple.
She grew excited when Daisy Sprout, a new student with her pink fur and yellow hair, attempted to sit by him. He responded that he was saving the seat for somepony. This filled Cozy Glow with glee. She had made her first friend!
Cozy Glow sat down at the lunch table across from Drizzle Rain. He looked at her and said, “Ah, sweet. Did you bring your notes?”
Cozy Glow put on as cute of a face as she could. Cozy Glow said, “I sure did! Anything for a good friend.” She passed her notebook to him.
Cozy Glow pulled what little she had in her lunch out of a paper bag, a small apple. She watched Drizzle Rain as he wrote.
Cozy Glow quietly asked, “Are you excited the fair is going to be in town?”
Drizzle Rain put down the pencil and scanned the paper. “I am not a fan of fairs,” he answered.
Cozy Glow frowned. After she had finished gnawing on an apple core, she looked back at Drizzle Rain.
She thought that, maybe. this would be her chance. She said, “So ... I can’t believe that Twilight wants us to do something nice to three total strangers.”
Rain’s eyes darted back and forth as he read through her notebook. “It is not so bad.”
Cozy Glow snorted and tried to play it off like a joke. “Right. I can’t believe she would give us homework that easy.”
Drizzle Rain put down his pencil and responded, “Oh, it is tough to go up to total strangers. In a way, it is like a game of cat and mouse. You have to question what you can say or do to make a good impression.”
Cozy Glow grinned and responded, “I know, right? I am new in Ponyville, and I don’t know anypony.”
The bell rang which signaled the end of lunch break. Drizzle Rain closed the book and sighed. “I still have more to copy.”
Cozy asks, “Wow! You missed more than I thought.”
He flipped open his notebook and showed her a picture of a flower that he had drawn.
“I was a little distracted.”
Cozy smiled at him. “I can see that.”
Her smile turned to a grin as she said, “Ya know, I can’t just let you copy my notes all day.”
Drizzle Rain groaned. “Come on, Cozy.”
Cozy Glow replied, “I have my own work that I need to do.”
Drizzle Rain replied, “What if I help you do your homework?”
Cozy Glow knew that she could not let this opportunity pass. She had him right where she wanted him. She also knew that she just had to get him to sweeten the deal. She hovered over the table and looked at her hooves. “I don’t know.”
Drizzle Rain replied, “What if I take you to the fair tonight? Can I use your notes then?”
Cozy Glow flew in front of his face. “Golly, you would do that for me?”
Cozy Glow pet him on the head. “You are so nice! Nopony would normally take me anywhere.”
Cozy Glow ignored the fact that she could hear Rain say under his breath. “Big surprise.”
Drizzle Rain replied openly, “So can I borrow your notebook?”
Cozy Glow giggled. “Don’t be silly, silly! I can’t give it to you.”
Cozy Glow’s face turned to a frown. Her voice became deep. “If I did, then what reason would you have to take me to the fair?”
Rain groaned, “See you tonight.”
Cozy Glow cheered, “Yay! See you tonight!”
The rest of the day passed by too slow for Cozy Glow’s taste. The only bit of excitement that she had was when three young fillies snuck into Twilight’s class again. This time they were wearing mustaches, and one of them, who was named Applebloom, tried speaking fancy. This time Cozy Glow managed to find out, from Spike, that the three girls went by the name the Cutie Mark Crusaders, or the CMC for short. Cozy Glow decided to make a mental note of who they are. If she could make friends with the sisters of the teachers, she bet that she could easily make friends.
Cozy Glow and Rain met at the end of the school day in the hallway. Cozy Glow neighed in excitement when she saw him. “Let me go put my things away, then we can go.”
Cozy Glow galloped to her room.
Cozy Glow stopped outside the door. “I need to get dressed. You can stay out here.”
Rain replied. “I would feel better waiting with you in the room.”
Cozy Glow opened her door. “I am going to be getting dressed,” she reminded.
Rain replied, “You don’t normally wear anything.”
Cozy Glow said, “Oh fine, then. Be that way.” She held open the door. After that, they both trotted into the tiny room.
Drizzle Rain looked around the room. The room was not as big as the other bedrooms at the school. One bed and a giant mirror used up most of the space. A tiny desk sat by the window. The roof was too low to fit the bunk beds that most students used.
Cozy Glow reached into a dresser in the room and pulled out a roll of bright yellow ribbon. “Don’t you think I should change the ribbon in my hair? It does seem a little faded.”
Rain looked at her old ribbon. It was almost faded to white. Rain asked, “Cozy, why don’t you just buy another one?”
Cozy said, “I can’t. If I did, then I couldn’t afford lunch.”
Rain looked into the cardboard box. To his surprise, all that was in the box was two pictures of Cozy Glow, some bright yellow ribbon, and a pair of scissors. Rain asked, “Is this all that you have?”
Cozy answered, “I sure do, Mister.”
Rain asked, “You don’t share the room with anypony else?”
Cozy Glow answered, “Not since my last roommate left. Ever since then, Twilight put me in this room.”
Rain watched as Cozy Glow cut the bright yellow ribbon with the scissors.
Cozy Glow said, “One more thing; can you not tell Twilight that I have scissors in my room?”
Drizzle Rain stuttered, “Ok, but why?”
Cozy Glow answered, “On account that I had an accident with the last pair. But don’t worry, I am sure that she will wake up ...eventually.”
Drizzle Rain said, “Wait, what?!”
Cozy Glow tied the ribbon into her hair and answered, “Thanks. Remember, don’t tell anypony.” Cozy Glow looked into the mirror and studied her appearance.
Drizzle Rain said, “How about if I copy the notes while you are getting ready for the fair?”
Cozy laughed. She trotted over to Rain and rubbed her hoofs against his face as she said, “I can’t give you my notes. If I do, then why would you take me to the fair?”
Rain pleaded, “Oh, come on! I said that I would take you.”
She replied, “But you might not keep your word.”
Rain groaned. “I am ready when you are.”
Cozy Glow smiled, “Let us go then.”
Rain and Cozy Glow walked to the festival. The sounds of ponies on the ferries go round, and ponies screaming filled the night. At the entrance to the fair, there were two booths with ponies collecting tickets and a giant arch made of balloons. Scarecrows and haystacks decorated the paths of the fair.
Cozy walked up to the ticket booth and took out a few bits, but Rain objected by saying. “Cozy, you can put those away.”
Cozy Glow looked confused. “I can pay for it.”
Rain responded, “How am I taking you to the fair if you pay for your ticket?”
Cozy replied, “I just wanted somepony to go with me to the fair. It feels lonely going alone. You don’t have to pay for my ticket.”
Rain insisted, “Nope! Your bits are no good here. I insist you let me pay.”
Cozy said, “What a gentalcolt! Ok, then.”
Rain gave some bits to the colt in the booth and then got two tickets. He gave one to Cozy. After that, they both walked under the balloon arch and into the fair. Cozy Glow looked around at all the neon lights with all the music. It filled their heads.
Cozy Glow responded, “What should we do first?”
Rain smiled. “Anything, but we better do something. They are going to pack up tomorrow and leave, so we can’t take too long.”
Cozy Glow laughed. “You’re so funny.”
Cozy Glow looked around and saw a sign that caught her interest. She pointed to it.
Cozy Glow said, “Hey, look! There is going to be a show starting soon.”
Rain responded, “The one with the skeletons on the posters?”
Cozy Glow said, “Yes. Can we see it?”
Rain rubbed his temple. “Why am I not surprised that it was the skeletons that you are interested in?”
Cozy Glow pouted, “That is not fair. The doctor said she was ok.”
Rain asked, “Wait, what?”
Cozy Glow grabbed Rain by the hoof and pulled him towards the massive tent. Cozy said, “Come on. We are going to miss the show.”
Cozy Glow and Rain trotted into the tent to show. Once inside, they sat on empty chairs that they found. A few minutes later, the lights turned off and a deep voice could be heard on the speakers. “A long time ago in the land of Equerstria, The Darkness ruled the land.” A dark-colored stallion with white stripes painted on his body walked out onto the stage. His face was covered in white makeup that made it look like a skull. He also wore a top hat on his head. His cutie mark was of two wooden planks forming an X. The performer said, “The line between our world and the afterlife was thin.”
Cozy Glow grabbed Rain’s hoof and held on as tight as she could. Rain looked over to her and smiled.
Just then, the pony hovered skulls around his body. They made circles in the air. The stallion caught one of them on his hoof. He held the skull up to a mirror, and it spoke. “That’s right. Ponies would cross the line all the time.”
Cozy Glow held to Rain’s arm tightly. Rain looked over to Cozy and said, “Could you let go for a second? My arm does need blood flow.”
Cozy Glow let go and put her head into her hooves. Cozy Glow sighed and watched the show. After a few minutes, Rain rolled his eyes. He put his arm near Cozy Glow again and said, “Oh here.”
Cozy Glow looked excited and rested her head on his shoulder. They both looked back at the show.
In it now, the performer was using magic to use his puppets. The puppets looked like Twilight and her five friends.
The performer spoke, “And the forces of the light have and always will keep the dark forces at bay, until the day that darkness rises again.”
Just then, the stage erupted in green flames. The green flames circled the performer. After that, he disappeared. The puppets continued a speech about friendship at the end, and then the lights went out.
All the ponies stomped their hooves and cheered.
Cozy looked over at Rain. “That was awesome!” she cheered.
Drizzle Rain smiled sincerely. “I am glad that you liked it.”
Drizzle Rain and Cozy Glow exited the tent. Cozy Glow was hopping with joy. “That was awesome. What do you want to do next?”
Drizzle Rain said, “We could go to some of the rides.”
Cozy Glow’s stomach growled. She blushed.
Drizzle Rain looked around at the food stalls. “Do you want a carrot dog?”
Cozy Glow asked, “Wait! Why are you acting so nice? What is in it for you?”
Rain answered, “We are supposed to be having fun. You can’t have fun on an empty stomach.”
Cozy Glow looked puzzled. After a brief pause, she said, “A carrot dog would be fine. ”
Rain trotted toward the stall and eagerly waited in line.
Cozy Glow’s ears folded down. “I guess I will wait here for you.”
She walked down all the stalls and watched the ponies doing all the activities. She noticed a pony playing buckball. It was just the basket, and he was throwing the ball into it. No unicorn was needed to hold the basket. The pony was very good at the game. The ball went in the hoop all the time. Cozy Glow guessed that meant that he was scoring lots of points. Her guess was confirmed when the pony received rolls of tickets after playing the game.
Cozy started to feel queasy. She sat down on a bench. She began to ponder why Rain was being so kind to her. Was he only being nice for her class notes?
Cozy Glow rested her head on her hooves as she looked down at the ground while thinking about her friendship with Rain. Eventually, she noticed that a skull rolled underneath her.
Cozy Glow picked up the skull and looked around. In the shadows from a tent, she noticed the performer from early.
She walked up to him and held the skull out for him to grab.
She said, “I think you dropped this.”
The stallion was so still that he could have been a statue. Cozy Glow started to back up slowly. The stallion began to walk up to her.
She held out the skull, closed her eyes, and said, “I really liked the show.”
He was still silent, and he walked closer to her. Cozy Glow looked to the side to see that Rain was still in line and was not looking in her direction.
Cozy Glow closed her eyes and cowered beside a wall. “I am sorry! I shouldn’t have touched your stuff.”
The stallion punched the wall. Splitters fell on both sides of Cozy Glow.
The stallion whispered, “You know it is not going to last.”
Cozy Glow opened her eyes and answered, “What?”
The performer spoke with a deep growl, “I can sense these things. He wants something. No!! He needs something from you, and as soon as the boy gets what he wants, he is going to pack up his bag and leave you like trash in the road.”
The performer grinned, “And then Cozy Glow is going to be all alone.”
Cozy Glow asked, “How did you know my name?”
The performer said, “I know many things. My friends tell me many things about everypony.”
Cozy Glow fluttered up to his face. She said, “You don’t know jack. I have him wrapped around my hoof.”
Cozy Glow looked to Rain and saw that he was second in line.
Just a few more minutes of stalling.
Cozy Glow continued, “I am not going to lose him.”
The performer said, “I know what you are doing, my little filly. You think you are stalling?”
Cozy Glow rolled her eyes. “I am not…”
He responded, “I am a performer. I know what you are doing. Just like how I know that the boy is going to leave you in the dust.”
Cozy Glow insisted, “That is not going to happen!”
The performer responded, “It will unless you use this on him.”
The performer held out a vial of red powder. The powder glowed in the tiny bottle.
The performer said, “If you pour this on him, he is never going to leave you. I can give this to you no charge.”
Cozy Glow asked, “What’s in it for you?”
The performer answered, “I am just an innocent stallion trying to help a filly out.”
Cozy Glow looked at him and then looked at the powder.
Cozy Glow asked, “So this will make him be my friend forever?”
The performer grinned, “Kind of.”
The performer picked the skull off the ground. “It will make it so he can never leave you, just like my friend over here. I mean, he can try to roll away, but it is easy enough to find him.”
Cozy Glow insisted, “I am not killing him.”
The performer said, “He will not die. Only a mirror will reveal the truth.”
The performer held out a mirror in front of the skull. The skull reflected an image of a mare. The mare said, “Do not worry, little one. I am fine and have been for hundreds of years with my friend.”
Cozy Glow’s eyes gleamed, “We can be friends forever?”
The performer dropped the mirror into his hat and put the hat on. “That is right, little filly. We have been traveling around the world for many years.”
Cozy Glow took the vial and asked, “What happened to her body then?”
The performer responded, “She doesn’t need one to survive. She is now a Skelly. A creature from the Undiscovered West.”
The performer held out the vial of red powder. Cozy Glow reached out to it. It glowed red and sparkled in the dim lights of the night. Only a cork was keeping the contents of the vial from spilling out. Cozy Glow grabbed the vial by a rope tied around it, and she slowly started to put it around her neck.
Cozy Glow heard some creature yell, “Stop.”
She looked to her side and saw a zebra with gold hoop earrings and a grey and white striped mohawk standing next to her.
The zebra said, “Do not let that powder drop.”
Cozy Glow dared, “Oh yeah? And who are you to tell me what to do?”
The zebra said, “My name is Zecora, and I bare news most dire. With this stallion, you play with fire. Dark magic is all that thing will produce. Such powers are easy to abuse.”
The performer grabbed Cozy Glow and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “You have been poor your whole life. You deserve to be happy for once.”
Zecora warned, “Do not trust him, little foal. Dark magic stains his soul.”
The performer stomped his hoof. Upon doing so, Zecora disappeared within a flash of green fire, then he declared, “That is enough of that.”
Cozy Glow looked at the performer and put the vial around her neck. It hung like a necklace.
The performer grinned at her and said, “That is it, my little filly. I take it we have a deal, then?”
Cozy Glow heard Rain walk up behind her. “Hey Cozy, I was wondering where you went. I got you a drink.”
Cozy Glow looked at Rain and saw him holding two cups with his wings.
Rain said, “I wasn’t sure what you wanted to drink, so I bought apple cider. I hope you like it.”
Cozy Glow said, “Golly, thanks! Apple cider is great.”
Rain looked at the performer. “You look like the stallion from the show.”
The performer smiled, “I am that stallion from the show.” Following that, the performer held up one of the skulls and levitated it up in the air.
Rain took a big sip of his cider, then said, “Big deal. Any unicorn could do that.”
The performer picked up his top hat with one hoof to reveal that his mane was shaved off, and there was no horn.
Rain responded, “Big deal. You most likely have a unicorn helping you.”
The performer looked slightly irritated. “How can I help you, sir?”
Rain demanded, “What were you talking to Cozy Glow about anyway?”
The performer said, “We were talking about how much your friend liked my puppet show.”
Rain rolled his eyes and took a deep sip of cider. He said sarcastically, “Fascinating.”
The performer cleared his throat. “See you later fillies and Gentalcolts. I have work that I need to do.”
The performer started trotting down the path, whistling.
Rain looked at Cozy Glow. “Are you ok? That guy really creeps me out.”
Cozy Glow answered, “Yeah, I am fine. Thanks for asking.”
Rain smiled, “I would be a bad friend if I let anything happen to you.”
Cozy Glow got excited, “Did you just call me friend?”
A smile formed on Cozy Glow’s face and her eyes sparkled. She thought to herself. Forget being the Princess of Friendship, I am going to be the Queen of Friendship!
Rain said, “I did, now don’t let it go to your head.”
Cozy Glow laughed. She finished eating her carrot dog in a few bites and she started drinking her cider.
For the rest of the night, they played different games. Cozy Glow was right. Rain beat several stallions at the buckball game. She thought to herself. He really is awesome. In fact, he was good at many of the games. By the end of the night, she was surprised at how many tickets Drizzle Rain had gotten.
Later that night, Cozy Glow and Drizzle Rain stood in line in front of a prize counter.
Cozy Glow looked at all the prizes on the counter. “Wow! I can’t believe how many tickets you have. You might even be able to get a Neightendo.”
Drizzle Rain said, “I already have one.”
Cozy Glow responded, “Wow, Ummm… How about a Hoofstation?”
Drizzle Rain looked at the prize counter. “I think somepony already got it.”
Cozy Glow frowned. “Oh, what are you going to get?”
Drizzle Rain looked at Cozy Glow. “I don’t really see anything that I want. How about if you pick something?”
Cozy Glow’s eyes grew wide and shiny and her cheeks blushed rosy as she asked, “Are you sure?”
Drizzle Rain smiled and nodded.
Cozy Glow responded, “Thank you.”
Cozy Glow looked at the items behind the counter. She didn’t really see anything that she wanted. There were some pencils themed after Twilight and her friends. Cozy Glow started pointing to the pencil’s “I guess I will select those.”
Cozy Glow heard a set of familiar hoofsteps.
The performer said, “How sweet the stallion wants to get the filly a prize.”
Rain demanded, “What do you want now?”
The performer said, “I am just a friendly stallion trying to make sure the filly has a night to remember.”
Rain demanded to know, “And what is that suppose to mean?!”
The performer laughed. “I am willing to make a deal. You give me all your tickets, and I will give you the puppets that I used in my show.”
Cozy Glow asked with surprise in her voice, “Really? All you want is the tickets?”
The performer responded, “Do you blame a stallion for wanting to get a Neighstation.”
Cozy Glow responded, “It is called a Neightendo.”
Rain turned to Cozy Glow and added, “Or a Hoofstation.”
The performer flipped his top hat around to reveal that there was nothing inside of it. Then he reached into it and pulled out six wooden carved string puppets. He said, “Give me your tickets, and the puppets are yours.”
Cozy Glow said, “I think I might want the pencils instead.”
Drizzle Rain looked at the puppets. Something about them drew him to them. He looked at Cozy Glow. Rain said, “They provide pencils at school. Those puppets are hoof carved. They are one of a kind. A deal like this is not common.”
Cozy Glow asked, “Doesn’t it seem a little strange then that he is so giving? Nopony would give away anything for free.”
Drizzle Rain asked in return, “What is the worst thing that could happen?”
Cozy Glow frowned, “I don’t know about this deal.”
Drizzle Rain handed over the tickets. The performer grinned and said. “I guess we have a deal, then.” The performer took the tickets and gave the puppets to Rain.
Rain took the puppets and gave them to Cozy Glow. “You can keep them. They are souvenir’s so you can remember your first time at a fair.”
Cozy Glow and Drizzle Rain trotted out of the fair. Cozy Glow looked back to see the tickets erupt into a small green fire. Then the performer disappeared.
When Cozy Glow and Drizzle Rain got back to the school, they spoke outside of Cozy Glow’s room. Drizzle Rain said, “Good night, Cozy Glow. I hope that you had fun.”
Cozy Glow answered, “I had lots of fun. Thank you for taking me.”
Drizzle Rain put a hoof behind his head and said, “It is the weekend, so I can stay up later. So, I was wondering if I could copy your notes tonight? Then we can spend the rest of the weekend doing your homework.”
Cozy Glow answered, “You can see my notes tomorrow after we do my homework.”
Drizzle Rain pleaded, “Come on! You can trust me.”
Cozy Glow said, “I can’t.”
Drizzle Rain complained, “I took you to the fair.”
Cozy Glow answered, “I know, but … what if you don’t help me?”
Drizzle Rain responded, “I wouldn’t do that to you. We are friends.”
Cozy Glow retorted, “They all say that.”
Drizzle Rain responded, “But I bought you food. I paid for your ticket.”
Cozy Glow snarled, “How dare you hold that above my head! Just because you have money and throw it around doesn’t mean that you can hold against me forever.”
Rain said, “I wasn’t trying to control you.”
Cozy Glow said, “The deal was tomorrow after you help me get done with my homework, and it will stay that way.”
Cozy Glow walked into her room and slammed the door shut. She placed the bottle of red powder into her dresser drawer. She threw the puppets onto the bed. They rolled off the side of it and onto the floor. Cozy Glow thought she heard someone say, “Ow.” Cozy Glow flew over to the puppets. She checked over them and noticed that they had gotten scratched up from the process.
Cozy Glow asked, “Seriously? Can’t one thing that I have look nice?”
She looked into her mirror. “Was he really only being nice to me for my notes?”
She flopped down onto her bed. “What am I going to do? If he only wants to be my friend for the notes, I can’t give them to him. Then I am going to be alone again.”
A tear formed in her eyes. Cozy Glow said, “I can’t be alone forever.”
Cozy Glow looked at the table beside her bed to see the flask of red powder. Her heart skipped a beat. Didn’t she just put that in the drawer? Cozy Glow got up and put the vial back into the drawer.
Cozy Glow didn’t sleep much during the night. No matter what Cozy did, she felt like the puppets were staring at her. Even after she put them in her cardboard box and closed the lid she felt like they were watching her every move. Maybe they were waiting for something? She also worried too much about her homework and on wondering what Rain thought about her.
In the morning, she woke up feeling like she had the biggest headache.
Cozy Glow looked at her side table to see the red powder sitting there. She put it back in her drawer.
Cozy Glow flopped back onto her bed and looked up at the ceiling. Her stomach felt like it was in knots. She had Saturday and Sunday to get her homework done, but she didn’t know how to start it. Was Rain only going to help so he could use her notes?
Cozy Glow decided what she was going to do. She was going to let him borrow her notebook. If he wanted to be her friend just for her notes, he was putting way too much effort into it.
Cozy Glow flew out of her room into the hallway. She went down the stairs toward the boy’s section of student housing, looking for Drizzle Rain. After a few minutes of searching, Cozy Glow saw Rain talking in the hallway with Daisy Sprout.
Drizzle Rain passed a notebook to Daisy Sprout.
Drizzle Rain said, “Thanks for your notes.”
Daisy Sprout said, “Sorry to hear that the annoying pink Pegasus did that to you.”
Drizzle Rain said, “Yeah, she has been a bit of a pain. I can’t believe she thought she would bribe me just to spend time with her.”
Rain looked shocked when he realized that Cozy Glow was behind Daisy. Cozy Glow’s heart fell, and she struggled to breathe. Cozy Glow bit her lip, and her eyes welled up with tears.
Rain struggled for words. He murmured, “Cozy Glow.”
Daisy Sprout looked behind her, then decided, “I am going to go before this gets ugly.” She kissed Rain on the cheek. “Bye, my little Drizzle.”
Cozy galloped down the hallway. Her vision was blurred and moist.
Rain followed Cozy Glow to the main staircase for the school. He paused at the stairs. He was not sure if she went up or down. Rain followed the sounds of crying and stopped when he saw the little filly rolled into a ball on the steps. Rain slowly walked up to Cozy Glow.
Cozy Glow looked up at him, “Why would you say that?”
Rain stomped a hoof, “You can’t keep asking me for favors. You were taking too long. It is not right.”
Cozy Glow whimpered, “You were only spending time with me because I was bribing you.”
Rain stood a few steps higher than Cozy Glow, “Now that I am done with my notes, I can help you with your homework. One of the ponies that you have to do something nice for is Applejack’s brother. We can go help him now and then help the rest later. No rush.”
Cozy Glow’s eyes filled with anger. She said in a deep voice, “No more lies! If you could get anyone’s notes, then why go to the fair with me?”
Rain breathed out calmly and said, “I felt sorry for you.”
Cozy Glow got off the floor and scoffed, “So is that it? I am your pet project?”
Rain continued, “Every day, you stare at me and follow me around.”
Cozy sneered, “Not to the bathroom.”
Rain held open his hooves and walked toward Cozy, “Every day you look so lonely. I wanted to help you out.”
Cozy Glow walked up a few steps until she was above Rain. Cozy Glow looked down at Rain and said, “Get away from me.”
Rain looked up and said. “You are too upset. I don’t want for us to leave on bad terms.”
Cozy Glow cried, “You are the most popular guy at school. Go find somepony else.”
He gently placed his arms on Cozy. “Friends don’t let friends feel bad.”
Cozy Glow pushed hard with her hoofs. “I said, get away.”
Cozy Glow gasped as Rain's hooves slipped out from under him. Rain fell back with the look of panic on his face. Cozy Glow reached out to Rain in an attempt to grab him but she failed. Rain tried to open his wings so he could fly away, but his wings were unable to stop the fall. Rain smashed his face onto the stone staircase, and then his body did a flip. The sound of bones cracking filled the stairwell when Rain’s head slammed into the pavement. His body flopped sideways, and his wings broke next. Rain rolled down the remaining steps. A bone stuck out of his rear right leg. Blood dripped down his face. His eyes were glazed.
Cozy Glow shouted, “RAIN, RAIN!”
She grew alarmed when he didn’t move. Cozy Glow flew down the stairs and looked at him. His breathing was shallow. Cozy Glow looked at his head and noticed that many of his injuries needed to tended to imminently.
Cozy Glows shouted, “OH, BUCK! NOW I AM GOING TO GET KICKED OUT OF THE SCHOOL FOR SURE!”
Cozy Glow didn’t know what to do. Lucky for her, her room was just down the stairs.
Cozy Glow could hear Rain moaning.
Cozy Glow said, “Don’t worry, Rain. I will help you.”
Cozy Glow helped Rain get up by putting a hoof under his arm. Cozy Glow said reassuringly to her friend, “First, we have to get you somewhere safe.”
Cozy Glow never noticed Rain waking up, but carrying him on her back got easier, so she guessed that he must have been trying to help her when they got closer to her room. Her hunch was confirmed when She left to open the door. He walked in under his own hoof power and fell onto the bed.
Cozy Glow reached into her desk drawer and pulled out the first aid kit. The first thing that she did was she wrapped his leg in gauze. The gauze quickly became soaked with blood. Once she was satisfied that it was wrapped enough, she moved onto more important things. Several cuts decorated Rain's wings. A few of the wounds looked deep enough to need to be cleaned. Cozy Glow reached into her drawer and found some rubbing alcohol. She gently poured the chemical down his wing.
Rain clenched his teeth and screamed. Rain cried out, “OW! What are you doing? That hurts!”
Cozy Glow rubbed her hoof softly against Rain’s face. “It is ok, Rain. Doctor Cozy is going to take care of you.”
Rain looked down on her and calmly informed, “My head feels wet.”
He rubbed his temple and looked at his hoof, “Is that blood?”
Cozy glow stated, “Well duh. What did you expect flowed through your body?”
Rain responded, “Honestly, I thought we were full of jelly filling. The kind you can find in doughnuts, except Professor Pinkie Pie. I think she is full of chocolate frosting.”
Cozy Glow giggled, trotted to her box, and pulled out the roll of yellow ribbon. She said, “Rain, you are so funny.”
Rain said, “Ok, Cozy Glow, no more playing. I need to see a real doctor.”
Rain started trying to get up. Cozy Glow wrapped ribbon around his hooves then tied them to her bedpost.
Cozy Glow pet his forehead, “Golly, you can’t see a doctor. They are going to wonder what happened. If Twilight finds out, then I am going to be kicked out of the school for sure. I can’t let that happen. If I did, then I can’t be the Queen of Friendship.”
Rain screamed, “YOU CAN’T KEEP ME LIKE THIS! I DON’T FEEL WELL. WHAT IF I DIE?!”
Cozy Glow responded, “Well, gosh, you need to calm down and save your energy. I am going to get this figured out. You will be fine. you just need to calm down.”
Rain complained, “You can’t do this! I can’t stay here forever. I am going to bleed to death.”
She brushed the blue locks of mane out of his eyes, “Dr. Cozy is going to think of something.”
Cozy Glow looked in the first aid kit and pulled out a small bandage.
Rain said, “That is not going to be enough. How long have I been out for?”
Cozy Glow answered, “Not that long. Just a few minutes. Good thing, too. It is not healthy to be unconscious for too long.”
Cozy Glow placed the remaining gauze over his head. In a few minutes, it was soaked with crimson liquid.
Cozy Glow threw the used gauze into a wastebasket. Cozy Glow scoffed, “Well, that is just great! I am out of gauze.”
Rain panicked, “Cozy Glow, I am in real trouble. I need Nurse Redheart. I don’t want to bleed to death.”
Cozy Glow answered, “Golly, don’t worry about that. I have clean sheets that I can use if I can’t find any more gauze.”
Cozy Glow flew around the room, checking all the drawers, but to no avail. “Well, I guess it is clean sheets then.”
Rain said, “Cozy, that is not going to be enough. I am starting to feel dizzy. A good friend would not let a friend die.”
Cozy Glow looked around the room. She looked back at Rain to see the red vial sitting right next to him. Cozy Glow’s heart beat super fast. “I can’t.”
Cozy Glow heard Fluttershy’s voice come from the corner of her room. She looked to see the small puppet sitting on her desk. It spoke, “Use it. You need to save him. It would be the kind thing to do.”
Cozy flew over to the puppet. “I can’t. It would kill him.”
The puppet retorted, “It would save him. Skelly’s don’t bleed. He would be alive.”
Cozy Glow shook her head, “I can’t; he is a friend.”
Rain’s voice got weak. “Who are you talking to?”
The Twilight puppet stood up and spoke. “You would be the best friend ever if you did. He would be your friend forever, unless he was to perish before you use it.”
Cozy Glow reached out and grabbed the bottle. She used her teeth to take the cork out.
She looked over at the cardboard box. The puppets all sang, “Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!”
Cozy Glow held the bottle over Rain. Her heart pounded.
Rain’s head fell to the pillow. He said faintly, “Cozy, please, help!”
Cozy Glow took a deep breath, shut her eyes, and poured the vial onto Rain until it was empty.
The Powder turned green as it hit Rain's body. Rain’s feet started to glow with a green hue. As they glowed green, his flesh disappeared. After that, all that was left of his lower hooves was bone. The green light slowly moved up his body, leaving only bones. The light faded after it reached the top of his head. Now all that was left of the colt was his skeleton. His skull turned and gazed with its empty eye sockets around the room, quietly scanning his surroundings.
Cozy Glow said, “There you go. At least now we can’t hear you scream.”
The bones started to shake, their clanking filled the room.
Cozy gasps, “Golly, you did hit your head hard; there is a big old crack on the side of it.”
She looked at him and giggled while wondering why he was not answering. Cozy Glow said, “Oh, that’s right.” Cozy Glow held up a mirror to him.
Rain Screamed, “WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME! ARE YOU CRAZY?!”
Cozy giggled. “The jury is out on that one!”
Cozy pat the top of his head. “The good news is that you can’t bleed to death.”
Rain said, “Yeah, because I DON’T HAVE A BODY!!!”
Cozy Glow moved the mirror away from Rain. “If you can’t keep your voice down, then I can’t let you speak.”
Rain said, “I will get out. How could you do this to me?”
Cozy Glow replied, “I couldn’t let you bleed to death.”
Rain said, “A normal pony would have gotten me a doctor.”
Cozy Glow glared. “I can’t get a doctor. If I do, I am going to get kicked out of school.”
Rain laughed. “Do you realize how forgiving Twilight is?”
Cozy Glow responded, “You don’t understand. I can’t go back home! Do you know what it is like bending metal? You need fires big enough for me to fit in. When I work with my grandfather every day, I have to worry about falling into the forge. I also get covered in soot. I can’t go back to that life. I am too cute for that.”
Rain sneered, “Debatable.”
Cozy yelled, “SHUT UP!”
Just then, Cozy could hear footsteps walking up to her door.
Rain said, “You are worried about fire. When they see me, they are going to send you to Tartarus.”
Cozy pleaded, “I am too cute for Tartarus!”
Rain said, “You are going, and nopony will ever be your friend, you little freak! Except maybe Tirek.”
Cozy yelled, “STOP!”
Rain laughed, “It is the truth. You are going to burn.”
Just then, Cozy heard a hoof knock on the door.
Cozy panicked. “Horseapples.”
Rain said, “Open the door and give up. You are caught.”
Cozy snapped back, “Quiet!”
Rain dared, “Make me. Cozy is going away! Cozy is going to burn!”
Cozy eyes were wet with tears. She screamed, “STOP IT!”
Cozy took the mirror away from Rain, but the bones on her bed clattered, almost as if still singing.
Cozy insisted, “Stop making fun of me!”
They continued clattering. She could hear his voice in her head.
One of the puppets stood up on the dresser. “You need to stop him.”
Another stood up, “He is going to tell Twilight.”
The Twilight puppet stood up; its head tilted to the side as if not completely attached. “I am going to catch you. I am at the door.”
Cozy got mad and threw the mirror at the bed. The mirror landed on top of Rain. One of his ribs broke from the force. The skeleton continued clattering. Cozy flew across the room and landed on Rain’s rib cage. She started punching the bones. One by one, most of them broke.
Cozy, with tears in her eyes, started whimpering. “I said! Stop, stop, stop.”
She fell back onto her bed and wept. After a few minutes, she dried her eyes and realized that nothing was left of the skeleton but shards of bones and a skull. Angry, she picked up the skull and motioned that she was going to throw it at the wall. She wept and dropped it back onto the bed. She looked back in the mirror to see Rain standing beside her.
He quietly asked, “What did you do?”
They were interrupted by the sound of Twilight on the other side of the door.
Twilight yelled, “COZY, YOU HAVE UNTIL THE COUNT OF FIVE TO OPEN THIS DOOR, OR I WILL.
“1….”
Cozy Glow put the skull under her pillow.
“2…..”
Cozy Glow quickly wrapped the bone shards in her blanket and threw her blanket under the bed.
“3…..”
Cozy Glow quickly flew toward the door.
“4…”
Cozy Glow opened the door for Twilight and answered it.
“Golly, Miss Twilight, how can I help you? Do you need me to sort files for you?”
Twilight said with a stern look in her face. “No, the other students were complaining about noises that were coming from your room.”
Cozy Glow smiled and fought for an answer. She said, “I was reading a good book.”
Twilight responded, “They heard screaming and crying.”
Cozy Glow replied, “It was a good book.”
Twilight asked, “Then, can I see your room?”
Cozy Glow knew that she couldn’t say no to Twilight.
Twilight entered the room and looked around.
Twilight asked, “Where are your blankets?”
Cozy Glow shrugged. “They were missing when I came home last night.”
Twilight looked around and let out a good loud, “Hmmm…”
Cozy Glow panicked. Twilight started lowering her head to look under the bed.
Cozy Glow screamed. “THERE IS NOTHING UNDER THERE!”
Twilight pulled out the sheets. They were covered in thick dripping mud. Cozy Glow was astonished at what happened. She expected to see bone shards and to get caught.
Twilight asked, “Why would you have mud in your sheets?”
Cozy Glow answered, “I was tired last night. I didn’t shower before I went to bed.”
Twilight scolded, “Cozy Glow, I am surprised by you.”
Twilight started walking toward the door. “Bring your sheets downstairs so they can be cleaned.”
Cozy Glow said, “Golly, Twilight, you’re not mad?”
Twilight sighed, “I don’t know why I would be mad. You need to clean your sheets. I was afraid you had hurt another student.”
Cozy Glow fluttered her wings. “Does this mean I can get another roommate?”
Twilight responded, “As long as you don’t hurt anycreature else.”
Just then, Cozy Glow heard the skull under her pillow start to rattle. She put a grin on her face and saluted with a wing to her forehead as she swore, “Scouts honor.”
Twilight started to leave but then turned around before closing the door. “Don’t forget your homework.”
The door shut, and Cozy fell to her knees. “That was a close one.”
She went under the pillow and pulled out the skull. The teeth rattled at her.
Cozy responded. “I bet you are happy with yourself.”
She rubbed her head up and down the skull. “Now, Rain, we can be friends forever.”
Cozy Glow looked at the skull. “I am adorable. How could you not like me?”
Rain responded, “Because you are a freak. And, after they find me, you are going to Tartarus.”
Cozy Glow puts the skull back into the cardboard box.
Cozy Glow realized that she doesn’t know what to do for her homework. In the corner, she can hear Rain laughing and singing, “Run, little filly, Run. They are going to find you!”
Cozy picked the skull out of the box. “Wow, you are persistent.”
Cozy Glow looked in the box and saw two pictures of herself as a filly. She guessed that the glass from the picture frames acted as a mirror of sorts and let him speak.
Cozy Glow looked at the skull with leering eyes. “I said to stop talking.”
She took off the jaw bone and crushed it with her hoof.
Cozy Glow held the skull in the mirror. She looked in it and saw terror in Rain’s eyes. “Say something right now,” she commanded.
Rain moved his mouth in the mirror, but no sound came out. Cozy Glow smiled. “Looks like I was right without a jaw, not even your reflection can speak. Now you have no choice but to be quiet.”
Cozy Glow flew in the room and spun the skull around. “Oh, Rain, we are going to be the best of friends!”
She held the skull in the air and said, “What is a matter, Rain? Can’t find anything to say?” She chuckled. She rubbed the skull against her cheek, and embraced the skull into a hug. “Don’t worry. Cozy Glow is going to keep you safe. Anything for a friend.”
She put the skull in the bottom of her box and said, “There now these stupid toys can keep you company.”
She grinned while looking at the box. “Night, night, my little Rain. Now you can’t scream for anypony to help you.”
She picked up the skull and held it up to the mirror. “Forget being the Queen of Friendship. Now that you can’t tell anyone our little secret, I will be Empress of Friendship!”
Cozy Glow remembered that she still needed to do her homework, but she was running out of time and Rain was not going to help her. She still needed to do something nice for the three ponies.
Cozy Glow slammed a hoof onto a table near the window.
She looked out of the window and looked at the sunset. “What am I going to do for my homework?”
Cozy Glow growled and looked at the skull. “You were supposed to help me.” She looked out the window and saw the CMC leave the school again.
She flew up slightly in the air. She held the skull to the window. “Look at that. The sisters of three teachers that work here. If anyone can help me with my homework, they can.”
She looked at the skull and placed it back into the cardboard box.
She looked at the skull and said, “Don’t you move or get yourself into any trouble.”
She picked up the puppets and gently placed them on top of Rain’s skull. “Why don’t you use these to keep yourself company until I can get you some more friends.”
She gently placed the puppets on top of the skull. “There! That way, if anypony comes in, they can’t see you.”
She opened her bedroom window and flew out of it. "Now all I have to do is follow them and then figure out how she was going to get their help. Then I will make them into my friends."
With the sisters of the teachers as my friends, nopony is going to be able to stop me from becoming the Empress of friendship.
Cozy Glow thought about Rain a lot while she had nothing to do. Cozy Glow’s skin was now made of stone. Her body was unable to move. She was suspended in time. All that she could do was think. She thought it was slightly ironic that she and Rain had similar fates.
Cozy Glow and Rain were both in prisons of their own making. Unable to move. Unable to see the light. Unable to feel. Unable to scream.
Cozy Glow did eventually start to feel sorry for Rain. In a way, she hoped that somepony would be able to save him. Chancellor Neighsay did seem very shocked when he saw the skull. Hopefully, the Chancellor was smart enough to figure out that it was a real pony skull.
Rain was the first pony who did anything nice for her, and she threw him away like the trash that she was afraid of becoming.
Cozy Glow liked to imagine that somepony would save Rain and that Rain would have a long and fulfilling life, even if she didn’t.Cozy Glow had begun to accept her fate and she fully felt like she deserved it.
The look in his face during the fair seemed so full of joy the night of the fair. And Cozy Glow grew uneasy knowing that it was the last time anypony saw him happy.
Was he really only pretending to be my friend?
Would anybody figure out that it was a real pony skull? Rain was not going to be able to tell anypony what happened. Not without a jaw, so her secret might always be safe.