//------------------------------//
// Chapter 34: Mother and Daughter 
// Story: One Thousand Years Ago 
// by Scroll 
//------------------------------//

“Cozy,” Cheese says in Cozy’s room as she tosses her dice. She advances her dragon on the game board five spaces forward in compliance with her dice results. “you don't have to pretend to like this game. If you don't want to play, you should just say so.”

    “I don't . . .” Cozy almost objects, but then she recalls her friend’s ability to sense other's emotions. Cozy growls at this. She despises that ability! Being forced to be honest really puts her off her game, although she doesn't forget that there are some potential advantages for her. If Cheese could learn to be patient and/or keep her mouth shut, she could be an excellent pawn at a diplomatic or negotiating table.

    Cozy sighs in resignation, then admits, “Well . . . I do enjoy doing things with you, but . . . this kind of game isn't my cup of tea. It's just a pointless game of random chance. There is no strategy involved.”

    “Well, that's true,” Cheese agreed. “But, when the volcano erupts and the ball rolls towards your dragon, isn't it fun to watch your dragon sink into the pit?”

    “Not really,” Cozy tells her friend with a facial expression and vocal tone which both reveal pure boredom. If her friend is empathic anyway then there is no point in hiding her feelings. In that case, she might as well reveal the whole truth with no holds barred.

    “Let me guess . . . you'd rather play chess?” Cheese figures.

    “I'd rather watch the hoof polish on my hooves dry,” Cozy says flatly. “We might as well flip a bit coin in the air. Heads I win, tails you win. Boom! Done in one toss. If we're going to rely on pure random chance anyway, let's just cut the fluff of this game and get down to brass tacks.”

    “Well you're no fun,” Cheese accuses.

    “I can be,” Cozy argues. “As long as the game involved is at least partially mentally stimulating. I like a challenge in my games, and I also want to be more involved. With this,” she gestures to their game and says, “I might as well let you to toss the dice for me and you move my pieces as well as yours. While you do that, I can sit back on my bed and read.”

    “But then I wouldn't be playing with you,” Cheese counters.

    “But do you see my point?” Cozy checks. “With this game . . . I don't have to be involved at all, but I dare you to play chess by yourself. There is no dice, no cards, no goofy gimmicks . . . just pure wit and strategy. Because of that, each player of the game really owns their moves.”

    “Goofy gimmicks are fun,” Cheese pouts with a frown.

    Cozy sighs again, then shakes her head as she says irritably, “Whatever. Let’s just get this over with. We started it, so I want to finish it.”

    “Nah, I don't want to play anymore,” Cheese suddenly decides as she sits up. “Besides, we don't have time to finish the game anyway.”

    Feeling instantly intrigued, Cozy asks her friend as she looks up at her (since Cozy is still laying down in a lower position), “Why is that?”

    “Because your mother is about to knock on the door,” Cheese answers with a wave of a hoof to the door in question. “And she's come here wanting to talk to you . . . in private,” Cheese finishes with emphasis.

    Cozy opens her mouth to question this further, but she's cut off when she looks at the door as they both hear a knock on it.

    “Told you,” Cheese says smugly.

    “One of these days,” Cozy says as she sits up as well, “you're going to have to tell me how you manage to do things like that.”

    Cheese bursts out laughing for a brief moment, then reaches forward to pat Cozy on her left cheek as she says, “No, I don't.”

    “Cozy? Are you in there?” Twilight's slightly muffled voice calls through the door. “Can I come in?”

    “Yeah, I'm here,” Cozy calls back. “Come in, Mother,” Cozy invites, then says under her breath in irritation through grit teeth, “It's not like denying you would stop you anyway.”

    Cheese bounces to her hooves as Cozy's doorknob gets enveloped by a purple aura. When the doorknob turns, then opens, Cheese bounces her way out of the room.

    “Oh!” Twilight exclaims with a blink of surprise. “I didn't know you had compony. I can come back later, if you prefer,” Twilight offers.

    “Nah! That's okay, Twilight. I was just leaving,” Cheese merrily informs on her way out.

    “Are you sure?” Twilight double checks.

    “See you tomorrow morning, Cozy!” Cheese calls back brightly. “Our first day as we set sail off into the skies, then it's off to infinity . . . and beyond!”

    “Ah . . .” Cozy blinks in confusion. “Is that a reference to-”

    “Bye!” Cheese interrupts from the next hallway then exits out another door that connects this hallway to the one adjacent to it. The next hallway leads to the rest of the castle.

    Cozy's eyes droop halfway as she shakes her head. “That mare definitely does not treat us like the royalty we are.”

    “She's a friend,” Twilight reminds as she looks from the door Cheese left through then back to Cozy. “She does not have to. I made that clear a very long time ago. Friends are exempt from treating us like royalty.”

    Cozy casts a very long sigh mixed with a grunt of annoyance, then asks her mother as she flies up and lands on her bouncy cloud bed, “What can I do for you, Mother?”

    Cozy wants to get whatever issue is driving her mother here over with so she can get rid of her faster.

    Twilight waves a hoof as she steps inside. Behind her, she uses her magic to close Cozy's bedroom door. “There is no reason to stand on formalities right now. This is an unofficial visit.”

    “That means unnecessary,” Cozy translates as she narrows her eyes at her mother. “In that case, if it's all the same with you, I'd rather you leave. I have a big day tomorrow, so I want to get up early.”

    Twilight sighs sadly as she looks down. Afterwards, Cozy is taken aback when she notices that her mother's eyes are wet with tears. She asks sadly, “Why, Cozy? What have I ever done to earn such unrelenting ire from you?”

    Cozy is stunned because usually, even in privacy, Twilight typically treats her daughter with royal elegance and mystique, but not today, apparently.

    Although, on second thought, it does kind of make sense to her. Cozy is about to leave on the airship tomorrow for a very long journey. The outcome of that is not certain. If things really go south, Cozy might not survive the trip at all. In her favor, the threat of a crashing airship isn't as much of a problem for a pegasus, but still . . . even with that safeguard, there are still other kinds of threats out there.

    The communication crystal diminishes the impact of that separation some. Not only could they talk to each other as much (or as little) as they want, but it can act as a guide to help Twilight teleport whenever she wants.

    Nevertheless, when Cozy really thinks about what could happen while traveling out there, the weight of this situation suddenly hits her.

    What if this is the last time I see my mother in person? Cozy wonders to herself. That is so unlikely, but what if?

    It's hard to put her hoof on why, but that prospect bothers Cozy for some reason.    

    “I didn't send you to Tartarus,” Twilight reminds.

    “You didn't free me either,” Cozy argues bitingly. “You also didn't defend me. You didn't even try!”

    “But I did free you from stone,” Twilight argues in her defense. “And I wasn't the one who did that to you either.”

    That shut Cozy up, but she glares at her mother harshly as hot tears rise to her own eyes. Cozy still has painful psychological scars from that experience. Any reminder of it feels like a sharp slap in the face.

    “I freed you at great risk to myself and my country, Cozy,” Twilight goes on. “I did it to you, and I did it to them,” she says in reference to Cozy's former stone mates. “I also took you into my home, adopted you as my daughter, made you into a princess like you always wanted, and I gave you my heart.”

    Twilight's voice wavers very badly at this point, and her tears flood down even harder.

    Cozy looks down because it's hard to meet her mother’s gaze right now. Cozy feels some powerful emotions at this moment, but she does not want to acknowledge them. It's too painful.

    “So I repeat . . . what have I done to earn your ire?” Twilight asks again. “Can't we, for once, just be mother and daughter together? Just this one night, Cozy?”

    Cozy is silent and she continues to avoid eye contact with her mother, but she says, “If I do that . . . wouldn't I be betraying my mother? My real mother?” Cautiously, Cozy meets her mother's gaze just a little off the upper left corner of her eyes. As she does so, tears drip from her own eyes too. “I don't have much left of her, Twilight. Not even my memories of her. She gave birth to me. That's it! Sometimes I curse her for that. Sometimes I really hate her for going through with that . . . but the fact of the matter is . . . I'm here . . . and she was probably given no choice either. She was a slave . . . just like I was.”

    Cozy looks down in depression, then says, “I don't know if she's even alive anymore.” Cozy's lips quiver and her chin wrinkles. “If she is . . . does she ever think of me?”

    Cozy bursts into a sob. As she does so, she covers her face with her hooves.

    “Does she even miss me?” Cozy squeaks with a small, pain-filled voice. “Her own daughter . . . lost in the cruel mechanization of this harsh and unforgiving world.”

    “Oh, Cozy!” Twilight wails then teleports a mere twelve feet ahead of her. She embraces her daughter with both forelegs and her wings. Twilight surrounds her daughter with as much of her body and love as she can.

    There is a small part of Cozy that instantly wants to rebel by kicking and screaming for Twilight to get off of her, but the vast majority of her is too tired to fight this right now.

    There is even a small part of Cozy that desperately wants this. Perhaps even needs this.

    “I know what it feels like to be a mother now,” Twilight tells Cozy with a still quivering voice but it's more steady than her previous attempt. “It's probably how your birth mother felt about you. If she's anything like me, she wouldn't want you to be miserable, and I certainly know I feel that way.”

    Both mares need quite a few minutes to recover before they can speak again. Until then, they just sob and hug each other.

    That caught Cozy off guard, too, when she finally notices that. She is hugging Twilight back with forelegs and wings as well.

    Cozy hates this! Hates how scared, weak, and vulnerable this reveals her to be. She is not a fool enough to be blind to these inherent facts within herself. Actually, she thinks and feels this way pretty much all of her life, but the problem is her upbringing taught her that revealing these weaknesses to others causes them to abuse and exploit her more. She can never drop her guard. Never ever! If she did, it would make a bad situation so much worse!

    Cozy is startled to realize that she never did escape that, the pain of her past. In a way, she is still in prison. Still a slave to her old wounds and her pain.

    Cozy shivers because that is such a depressing realization. The reason for that is all of this circular reasoning feels inescapable, unavoidable, and inevitable. It's as if she is born to be miserable, period.

    

    “When you entered my life,” Twilight sings in the style of a lullaby, “a liiiiiiiiight shined above.

    “And I wasn't prepared . . . for my fears and my looooooove.

    “Through rainbows . . . dark clouds and rain

    “And all my plans sank down the drain.


    “My Cozy . . . my loooooove, my pain

    “The one who drove us all insane.”


    Despite herself, Cozy giggles a little at that wording. She keenly remembers how she and her dark allies drove everypony to be against each other.

    Maybe there was a collective insanity back then, for even Cozy feels surprised that plan worked so easily and so quickly.

    How thin this bubble of delusion is when somepony finally has the gall to pop it with a needle.

    Happy songs. Ponies prancing in the streets and dancing on bright, shiny rainbows . . . all of it to hide from the darkness within their hearts. Since they ignored it for so long, they didn't realize how close and powerful it was.


    “But through the tunnel,” Twilight sings onward, “there is a light.

    “The warmth of friendship . . . and endless delight.


    “Shadow and light . . . two sides of the same coin

    “A pact is made . . . our hearts did join.

    “What affects the one, affects us all

    “Together we win, or together we fall.


    “I'll carry you . . . through clouds . . . by wing

    “My love for you, my heart shall ever sing.


    “Cozy Glooooooow . . . my darling Cozy Gloooooow

    “You never heard . . . you didn't knoooooow

    “That I am there for you . . .

    “always . . .

    “and foreeeeeeeeeeeeee . . . veeeeeeer!”


    Cozy Glow feels her head sink into Twilight's chest. As she did so, she keeps thinking of her counterpart's mother. Human Twilight adopted her there, too. In fact, that's probably what gave this Twilight the idea.

    But the thing is . . . it worked over there. Her human counterpart certainly was no saint. She admitted that personally, but nevertheless . . . that Cozy loved her mother. She loved her dearly.

    Why? What happened that separated these two realities? How can four of the same characters produce opposite outcomes? At least for Cozy. She loves Twilight in one reality and despises her in the other.

    It feels weird to dwell and borrow the memories of someone who feels like a different incarnation and another life, yet one that feels so close at the same time. She takes a moment to pause and assess this. When she does, she soon realizes one difference; the other Twilight spent more time with her daughter. That Twilight had other priorities too, but human Cozy always felt like she was number one. She felt like she was her mother's top priority. No matter what else she was doing, even if it was her job, human Twilight would instantly drop everything and rush to her daughter's aide if it seemed like an emergency.

    But would this Twilight do that? On the one hoof is Cozy herself, and on the other is the fate of an entire nation. Human Twilight was only responsible for one place, and that is being a Principal of Canterlot High. Her mother, however, is Princess of Equestria.

    That's a big difference in the degree of responsibility.

    The thing is, here, Cozy never felt like she was number one. If Cozy was about to be crushed by a rock and the nation was about to blow up and Twilight only had time to save one or the other, there doesn't seem to be a contest here. Of course Twilight is going to choose her nation.

    Is that her fault? It's certainly logical. It comes down to simple numbers. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

    In her head, Cozy knows that, but in her heart . . . she feels betrayed. She feels like she does not matter because she can also be compared to a greater priority and lose every single time.

    The proof is in the pudding. The fact of the matter is human Twilight was there for her daughter far more frequently, but here? Princess Twilight is almost always busy supporting her subjects. That includes Cozy Glow too, but in this case, she's simply another face in the crowd.

    Royalty was something Cozy Glow always wanted because it is a symbol of the pinnacle of power. Royalty is thee most important pony. The one everypony is forced to listen to and take seriously. From that strategic position, it's so easy to gather an army of friends and followers. Being the center of attention, especially while armed with such supreme authority, is a dream for Cozy.

    So why, oh why, is she jealous of her own counterpart?

    She closes her eyes as memories of her counterpart flood her mind. Memories of gathering around a Hearts Warming tree while singing carols. Hot coco, apple cider, and eggnog are being passed around. Human Cozy Glow opens a present. Inside is a handmade sweater that has Cozy's cutie mark surrounded by a pink heart. At first she thought Rarity made this, but as she looks up, she sees that it is her mother that has the most tears in her eyes.

    “Way to go, Sport!” Rainbow Dash cheers. “That looks awesome! That aughta keep ya nice and toasty!”

    “And darn cozy too, I reckon,” Applejack agrees as she thumbs up the edge of her cowboy hat despite being indoors. A fact Rarity briefly complained about moments earlier.

    “You made this for me?!” young human Cozy asks her mother in stunned awe.

    “Happy Heart's Warming, my darling Cozy!” Twilight cheers with tears of joy shining in her eyes. This, in turn, fogs her glasses. “I hope you like it. I made it with love.”

    “I bet you did!” Rarity agrees proudly. “And it looks lovely, darling.” Excitedly, she waves at Cozy several times as she encourages, “Quickly, darling, put it on! Put it on! We'll take a picture of you in it.”

    “Because it will last longer,” Sweetie Belle adds, followed by a short giggle.

    Instead of that, Cozy puts it down before getting up and rushing into her mother's warm embrace.

    She couldn't believe it! Couldn't believe how much her mother loved her, and how desperately Cozy needed that. When she was abandoned at the orphanage, she feared something like this would never happen again.

    Thinking of that, pony Cozy is reminded of something else.

    “Don't do what I've done, Cozy Glow! Don't take your friends and family for granted!” human Cozy begged of pony Cozy personally, albeit in a shared dream. “We need them . . . so much more than we can possibly know! They are a part of us just as much as we are to each other, and they . . .” She sank to her knees as she whimpered strongly. Her shoulders bobbed in the dream at the time. “These are such very good people. Cherish them, Cozy! I beg of you. Pleeeeeeeeease!”

    When pony Cozy accepted that promise, she meant every word of it. Maybe she will see her counterpart again, and that is the plan, but at the time . . . it felt like a dying wish. A wish from her other self. A life that could have been her own if she just happened to land on the other side of the coin.

    How could she refuse?

    Of course, that also meant making a serious attempt with her mother. In other words, this version of Twilight.

    But, aside from a feeling like it might betray the memory of her birth mother, why does she resist Twilight's advances so much? When push comes to shove, thinking back, she has to admit that Twilight isn't personally guilty of much against Cozy directly. It was more like guilt by association. Twilight is friends with Celestia, Luna, and Discord? Then BAM! Automatically guilty! The gavel comes down. Court is adjourned.

    But Twilight did free her from the curse of stone. After that, she did the same thing that her own counterpart did. She adopts Cozy Glow and gives her a home. That had so much meaning for Cozy's counterpart because the act was framed in the mindset that it was a rescue from a horrible fate.

    In a way, that has happened here too, except pony Cozy was deeply traumatized with a severe case of P-T-S-D.

    Pain leads to fear, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate . . . leads right back to pain. A vicious cycle that was already there from day one! Twilight didn't really have a serious chance in Cozy's heart if she thinks about it.

    But is that it? Is that the whole reason?

    For a moment, Cozy struggles to simply imagine herself forgiving and accepting pony Twilight just as her human counterpart did with that world's Twilight. When she does, some deep part of her ego lashes back at the idea, and she notices that that voice inside her does it in anger mixed with terror.

    Terror? Why? Why is she afraid? What consequences does forgiveness bring? What does she have to lose?

    “Your pride,” Cozy hears in her head, but this time the voice sounds like Sunset Shimmer.

    Sunset Shimmer? Huh. That's interesting, Cozy thinks to herself. A splinter of her existed in my counterpart too for several moons. That was a byproduct of Equestrian magic which accidentally afflicted my counterpart.

    But as for me . . . I don't need some magic stone to afflict me with magic. I am magic . . . and I've existed within the magical source that afflicted my counterpart. While she got zapped by it for a brief moment, I've been living within it my whole life.

    “What do you mean by my pride?” Cozy asks within herself to Sunset Shimmer while secretly unsure if Sunset will answer. If she does, then Cozy has to acknowledge the fact that her insanity has kicked up a notch. First Sombra, and now Sunset. It's getting awfully crowded in here.

    “Indeed, your pride,” Sunset confirms. “Think about it! Twilight is a symbol for all that you defied. By rejecting her friendship, you took a stance against her. You defined that as who you are.

    “However, if you suddenly abandon those principles, then it is the same as admitting that you've been wrong all along, or that you have at least changed your mind. Who was it that changed your mind? Twilight Sparkle . . . the Princess of Friendship . . . and the one you regarded as your nemesis.

    “So, in other words, to accept her friendship is the same as accepting defeat, and you already suffered that plenty of times before because of her and her friends. Your anger towards her is the last holdout of your pride. If you lose that, then her victory is complete. Since you labeled her as an enemy earlier, then that also means that you regard her victory as your defeat, and that . . . is something your pride cannot tolerate.

    “That's a sad perspective, Cozy Glow, because she's honestly on your side. She's your ally, not your enemy.”

    My pride? Cozy wonders to herself.

    Yes. That feels accurate. When she thinks of it from that perspective, her determination to reject Twilight suddenly becomes clearer because that means there is something to lose. There is something at stake.

    So, the question is: Is it still worth defending?

    In her mind, Cozy Glow imagines her pride as a black skull that is held between her wingtips. The black skull has a miasma-like purple glow hovering out its eye sockets. The glow leaks out and drifts above like noxious, poisonous fume. Looking at it that way doesn't even feel insulting to Cozy. She knows she's a little demon deep down.

    Now this is what she's got. This is what is at stake. Right now she's standing at the edge of a cliff. Down below, there is a lake of fire and burning lava. The churning lava of an active volcano. She is poised above it while holding the black skull over the cliff. She's about ready to drop it and she's considering it very seriously because of the promise she made to her counterpart. Giving Twilight Sparkle, her “mother” an honest chance would fulfill the conditions of that promise at least one step further.

    And the truth is, a part of her wants to. There will probably always be some lingering loyalty she'll always feel for her birth mother, but the sad truth is her birth mother was never there for Cozy, even when she needed her mother the most. That probably isn't her mother's fault, but it's true nonetheless.

    However, Twilight has stepped up to the plate and willingly embraced that role with gusto. She said, “Here I am! I'll be your mother, Cozy Glow! Please accept my love for you, my special little girl. I give it to you willingly.”

    Then, all of the sudden, another flashback from her counterpart.

    “Okay then . . . we're here! You can open your eyes now.”

    Cozy's counterpart opened her eyes, then she gasped in astonishment as she beheld her new room for the first time.

    “What do you think?” Cozy's mother asked in delight as she twirled happily to the cloudy-looking bed in the center of the room. She grasped one of its poles as she sat down on the corner of the bed. “Do you like it?” she pressed. “Be honest now. Miss Winda told me that you like childish and cutesy things, so I did my best to accommodate you with this. What do you think?”

    Cozy was speechless! Her wide eyes swept through the room in heavy shock, absorbing all the details she saw before her.

    “Everything you see here is all for you!” Cozy's mother told her cheerfully. “Everything, including me.”

    Cozy focused on her.

    “Here.” She stood up while she pulled one of many pillows from the bed. This one was shaped as a red heart symbol. It looked like the kind of gift one buys on Valentines Day. She approached Cozy with it until she stood before her daughter. She thrust the pillow to Cozy's chest. “Take it,” she commands softly. “It's all for you. You hold everything in your hands now, Cozy Glow. All that I am. All of my heart. Take it. I give it to you freely.”

    Cozy loved her mother for that moment, but it was difficult to accept. She was far more accustomed to pain at that point of her life. It felt unreal to shift to the opposite so suddenly. It felt like a trick. Something that's too good to be true, and her ever-suspicious nature in either reality kept her from fully embracing this for a moment.

    But human Twilight hugged her and her emotion felt so sincere. Cozy was so accustomed to living a lie that experiencing such raw and wholly naked truth felt daunting. A liar and a cheat always looks over their shoulders, prepared to guard themselves against others whom she suspects shares her own nature.

    Back on the imaginary cliff over the lake of fire, Cozy looks over her pony shoulders to see who is standing there. She expects to see her voice of conscience. In a way, she finds what she seeks, for Sunset Shimmer is standing there, albeit the human version of her. The version that Cozy has always accepted as the “normal” version of her.

    That Sunset Shimmer, who is wearing her traditional black leather jacket (which should be a nightmare near the heat of lava). Her jacket is open which reveals her purple shirt and her cutie mark splayed in front of that.

    Sunset doesn't say anything. She just gives a calm nod as if to say, “You know what you have to do.”

    As Cozy looks back at Sunset, she notices the other woman's look of confidence and pride towards Cozy as if she knows what Cozy will decide and knows it will be the right thing. After all, a true friend has faith and trust in their friends.

    But there is another side to this scenario, isn't there? If Sunset is the proverbial angel, then there should also be a devil.

    Looking over her other shoulder, Cozy isn't surprised to see King Sombra standing . . .

    Wait! Actually, no. That's Crystal Sage! This pony is not wearing his kingly, tyrant attire. Instead, he's only wearing his traditional red scarf that a loved one gave him which, again, seems out of place for this particular environment, especially considering what it is enchanted to do.

    He, too, isn't saying anything to Cozy. He's just standing there and staring at Cozy.

    There is, however, a subtle look in his eyes that seems to serve as a warning. If she had to translate that expression into words, it would be, “I've been down that dark path before, and deep down . . . you know where it leads. You know this because we both experienced it.

    “Think carefully about your choices. If a tragic history can serve as one bit of consolation, it is this; it can serve as a guide for the future. For every wrong turn you make, you augment your knowledge and wisdom on what doesn't work in life. Remember this, and find your true path.”

    Wow! That's actually a lot of deep meaning from a mere look, but that's King Sombra for you. He always did have a lot of weight and gravitas to his powerful, if also tragic, spirit.

    Cozy looks forward with a surprised blink as she thinks, Okay. This is rare. The angel and devil on my shoulder are basically agreeing with each other. They are encouraging me to decide for myself, but I can read between the lines. They are also implying that I should let my pride go. Maybe they think I don't need it anymore.

    And do I? If I surrender to Twilight, I'll still live in her castle with my cozy room, armies of servants, the finest chefs in the lands, and most importantly . . . plenty of friendship opportunities.

    Is there any part of my mind . . . from anyone . . . who thinks this is a bad idea?

    Cozy searches deep within herself for the most likely voices who might encourage her to hold onto her pride. Eventually she comes up with a potential answer. She looks over her shoulder again, this time seeing Queen Chrysalis.

    In her head, she thinks there is a chance that the former changeling queen would encourage Cozy to hold onto her pride with stubborn determination. After all, that's what Chrysalis did herself. Friendship was offered to her too. In response, she proudly, and angrily, slapped it away.

    But, when her mind considers a truly realistic response Chrysalis would give at a moment like this, all she could see is Chrysalis cackling madly. She's literally tied up in a straight jacket and doesn't seem aware of her environment. In Cozy's imagination, Chrysalis is lost inside her own head as well. She's probably laughing because some delusion of hers shows her in victory over all her enemies and she's in charge of the changeling swarm again.

    As far as Cozy is concerned, however, she isn't a factor to Chrysalis at all. In the changeling queen's head, Cozy isn't even standing there. Instead, she's too lost in her own fantasy.

    So, in other words, no guidance there one way or another.

    Cozy looks forward, closes her imaginary eyes, and shakes her head. Perhaps she should have expected that from Chrysalis, but there was one more dark guide in her life that she looked up to.

    Cozy swallows hard then checks over her shoulder again, this time seeing Lord Tirek standing there instead of Chrysalis. In Cozy's mind, the true image of Tirek is a buff version of himself because that is the way he sees himself. He's not a gargantuan giant towering over the mountains of Equestria, but he still cuts an imposing figure.

    In this case, he has his arms crossed in front of his chest and gives Cozy a stoic look that also has respect in his eyes. From him, that is the closest he seems to come to showing true affection. Despite how great he can be with magic (especially when he steals a great deal of it) in his heart, he's always been a hardcore and solid warrior.

    At first, Cozy thinks he'd encourage her to hold onto her pride. After all, that's something he's always done for himself.

    But again . . . her own imagination surprises her because the depths of her subconscious brings up other factors that she isn't consciously considering. In this case, it is the love and respect he has for her and how someone like him would express that.

    Once again he doesn't say a word, but he does give a firm nod to her. In his eyes, he communicates to Cozy that she needs to be strong, and the strong decide for themselves what that means and what is required to achieve it. In general, it is likely he'd encourage her to take whatever path is the most challenging and beneficial for her in the long run. He wouldn't be so quick to encourage her to consider anyone else's feelings. In his mind, everyone should only look after themselves, for it is the law of nature.

    He'd hate to admit it, but he has coddled Cozy before far more than he has ever done with anyone else. However, that is a habit he tried to ween himself and her out of. Instead of that, he would encourage independence for her and that, in turn, requires confidence and intense inner strength.

    No doubt he'd also admit that outer strength certainly helps with that, regardless of its source. For him, all paths are morally justified if it leads to ultimate strength for one's self in the end. After that, he knows that it is only the winners that write the story, so it doesn't matter what it takes to get there. There are no true consequences for one's actions as long as victory is secured.

    But there are many paths to victory, and any one is as good as another. For him, it is stealing other's magic to artificially augment his strength. For Cozy, securing a solid alliance with the most powerful mare in Equestria can easily be considered a win. Tirek would squint in disgust at this because he hates relying upon others and he hates ponies in general, but ultimately it could be considered a means to an end. Tirek is indeed cunning enough to realize subversive tactics can be effective in winning a war, so he's the last person to tell Cozy to avoid it if it gives her a solid chance at victory.

    And, if Cozy's pride is the last obstacle that is blocking her from her path to victory, then it is a weakness that he would encourage to be destroyed without mercy, for a true warrior does not brook weaknesses if such a person can help it.

    Cozy is shocked because she really did not expect that. All the voices in her head are suggesting for her to let this go, even the ones she'd expect to serve the opposite message.

    Although, in Chrysalis's case, her opinion is technically neutral. Since there is no true vote here, that gives more weight to the others who do have a stronger opinion.

    In fact, the only voice in her head that is encouraging her to keep her pride is her pride itself.

    In her mind, that black skull is melting through her hooves and threatening to drop into the lava below but, just before it drops, it clings to her wingtips like melted wax. It's still slipping but it is the only force that is making a true attempt to defend itself.

     Dare I? Cozy wonders to herself. Do I make this sacrifice? Is it worth it?

    Cozy read somewhere that victory that is achieved at all costs is no true victory, and retreat to fight another day is no true defeat. Whatever the smart move is is always the best tactic.

    “Where would you be without me?” the voice in the black skull asked her in what sounded like a sinister and impish voice. “When you had nothing else, I was there! When you shivered in the cold of your filthy slave cage, I was there! When you were on the brink of giving up and was about to die, I was there to defend you!

    “Admit it! You wouldn't have made it nearly this far without me!

    “I saved your life when you needed it the most! It was me! It was all ME!

    “How dare you even consider doing this to me, you filthy swine! If you give me up, you'll lose a lot more than you realize.

    “Consider all the times I saved you in the past, then project that importance into the future. If I'm not there, next time you will fall! It's just a matter of time!”

    “No she will not!” calls the voice of Twilight behind her. Cozy looks back and sees her mother shining with brilliant purple sparkles all around her, especially in her mane and tail. She has her wings spread out wide. She is also standing tall with her legs spread out a bit in a firm and determined stance, yet there is a soft gentleness to her expression as she regards her daughter.

    “Your pride is not the only source of your strength anymore, Cozy,” Twilight promises. “I'll make sure of that.

    “Maybe, at one time, pride really was your only defense, but that is just not the case anymore. We all grow as we evolve and our situation changes. Now you have me, and all of my friends, to back you up. Now you have friends, Cozy Glow, and friends look out for each other.

    “We all have strengths and weaknesses within ourselves, and we all carry burdens that we might not even want to admit that we have, but the advantage of friendship is that we don't need to carry those burdens alone. Together we are stronger. Together we will both meet and defeat any obstacle placed in front of us.

    “Cozy Glow . . . please come home to me! I'm here for you now . . . and I will never abandon you again! Not EVER again! You hear me, Cozy? NEVER!”

    One more time, Cozy scans all the imaginary compony she has behind her upon on that cliff. One by one, she gets a final nod of confirmation from each one except for Chrysalis. She's too far gone to be aware what's going on around her.

    Once she sees that, she looks back at the black melting skull between her wings with a look of resolve.

    As if aware what her decision is, her pride snaps at her in pure spite, “You will regret this!”

    Like the others behind her, Cozy doesn't say a word, for this thing isn't worth it. Instead, she spreads her wings apart too far for the skull to be supported between it. There is a bit of resistance to pull her wings apart because of the melted wax. This is the last futile attempt for her pride to defend itself.

    Down it drops into the lava. Cozy watches it melt into black smoke without pity or remorse.

    Thank you, Cozy thinks to her dying pride. You were useful for a time, but that usefulness is at an end. I have more resources to work with now, so you are obsolete.

    After that, Cozy turns about to look back at her mother far more emotionally, for this is her alternative. This is what she gained in exchange for her sacrifice. Now that she's given up her pride, she'll need what she gained all the more desperately.

    So she races into her mother's embrace in her mind.

    That vision of the warmth of that glowing hug melts back into her true reality.

    “Thank you, Mother!” Cozy cried into her mother's chest. “Thank you for taking care of me and welcoming me into your heart.”

    Twilight laughs softly even through her tears, then she said, “Truth be told, you didn't give me much of a choice.”