The day after takeoff from Canterlot, Cozy tries to read some of her books in peace, but her friend’s antics keep her distracted, even if Cheese isn't talking to Cozy directly. That doesn't matter. Cheese passes some of the time singing to herself, and the acoustics of the small room with sparse furniture makes this annoying habit impossible to ignore.
Eventually Cozy gives up in frustration. At first she thinks she can find someplace else to read quietly but, as she gets up, she recalls the fact that there might be something more productive and/or fun she can do.
“Where are you going?” Cheese asks her friend and roommate as Cozy makes her way to the exit.
For a second, Cozy was going to snap back at her friend with a biting remark, but she swallows it down before it escapes her lips. She rethinks her tactics and decides to go with a softer approach. In this case, the truth. Besides, what is the point in lying to an empath anyway?
“I was thinking about seeking out Rumble so we can go for another flying lesson.”
“Again? So soon?” Cheese sits up on her top bunk and gives her friend a coy grin. “Alright. I get'cha. Wink-wink. Nudge-nudge.”
Cozy's face flushes with embarrassment as she insists, “It isn't like that!”
“Sure it isn't,” Cheese sarcastically agrees with a roll of her eyes then lies flat on the bed. “You two go have fun. Just try not to have too much fun.”
Cozy grunts in annoyance then reaches for the doorknob with a hoof, but pauses just before she touches it as something occurs to her. She looks back at her friend over her left shoulder as she asks, “What about you? Did you have any plans today? It's bound to be a long voyage, even by airship, and you seem the type who could get bored easily.”
“True,” Cheese agrees as she crosses her forelegs behind her neck while she faces up towards the ceiling above her. “I actually have given that some thought. I was thinking about maybe exploring the ship some more. Another thought that crossed my mind is to check with Flapjack and see if he'd be willing to have some assistance. I do have some experience baking pastries, after all. Comes with the territory of growing up in a pastry shop.”
“Really? Didn't your folks get their own place?” Cozy checks.
Cheese shakes her head as she says, “No, it's the other way around. Mister and Misses Cake got their own place when they retired. My folks inherited Sugarcube Corner and promised to take care of it until Pound and Pumpkin were old enough to take over, or at least that was the initial plan. It turns out the Cake twins are in no hurry to inherit that responsibility. I think it's because they enjoy having us around.
“My mother used to tell me horror stories about how she used to foalsit for the Cake twins. The irony is, as they grew up, it became their turn to foalsit me.
“But, of course, I was a little angel,” Cheese brags, possibly not seriously.
“Hmm. Flapjack specializes in country-style cooking. Do you really think he'd hire you?” Cozy wonders.
“Okay, first of all, a lot of pastries can match country-style cooking. Ponyville kind of specializes in that.
“Second of all, even if that wasn't true, what makes you think that wouldn't be a selling point for me? I can do something that he can't in that case. Wouldn't that make me more marketable? After all, if he hires me on, we'd have more versatility in the meals we prepare together, and who doesn't like sweets?”
“Hmm. Maybe a dragon?” Cozy guesses.
“Hogwash, I say! Dragons can eat anything, even more so than the Pie family can claim, although their favorite is gems. Also, haven't you seen the meals Spike eats? Not only does he like sweets, but he can make some of them.”
“Yeah, but Spike isn't a typical dragon. Most of them wouldn't be caught dead wearing a cute little apron, let alone use it to help them prepare cute little meals.”
“Shows what you know,” Cheese retorts. “Okay, yes, such things aren't the most popular things in dragon society, but their ways of thinking are changing thanks to the School of Friendship. They are learning to embrace new ways of thinking and eating thanks to the new social connections they are making. Of the dragons that tried those meals, most of them claimed that they loved it.”
“Really?” Cozy asks hopefully.
“Really,”' Cheese confirms. “Cross my heart and hope to fly . . .”
“. . . stick a cupcake in my eye,” they finished together, then Cheese goes on to say, “Ex-actly.”
“Wow. I guess I really didn't know how much the world was changing because of that school,” Cozy muses aloud.
“Didn't you used to attend that school?” Cheese checks.
“Yeah. I was one of its first students,” Cozy answers, then brags, “Also one of its top students. I was Twilight's right-hoof filly for a little while there.”
“So you should know this stuff,” Cheese argues.
“Actually,” Cozy says with a roll of her eyes, “I secretly thought the entire affair was a fool's errand at best, and sinister brain-washing at worst. I thought the school was a way to try to indoctrinate all the other races to being docile to the pony master race, but I didn't think it would actually work! Races like yaks, griffins, and dragons, in particular, surprised me. In fact, I was even surprised any of them showed up in the first place.”
“Considering where you came from, I suppose I can understand that attitude,” Cheese realizes. “What about changelings? Didn't you regard them with suspicion?”
“Queen Chrysalis, yes,” Cozy answers. “The rest were obviously wimps. I didn't see them as much of a threat anymore, and for good reason. They seemed all-too-willing to embrace pony culture, but they also twisted it with their naive misunderstanding.”
“Wow! You are racist.”
“I prefer the term, 'enlightened',” Cozy corrects, “because I know the truth. I know how these horrid, non-pony races think!”
“Forgive me for saying, but I think your knowledge is a tad out of date,” Cheese argues. “Even you should be able to see that.”
Cozy looks down as she lowers her ears, then admits, “I guess that's true. I've been surprised one too many times to hold on to my previous beliefs with full conviction.” She looks back at Cheese. “I'm smart. I can learn.”
“By Celestia, I think she's got it!” Cheese cheers. “Anyway, you think about it as you go off and have fun with your new friend,” Cheese says with a dismissive wave of a hoof.
Cozy decides to go before her hoof ends up in her mouth again.
Cabin boy . . . Cozy contemplates that. Where would a cabin boy be assigned on this ship?
Answer; wherever he is needed. Prince Salizar said that in person.
So, okay. That means there is no fixed place she can check to find him. This annoys Cozy and makes her realize that a systematic check of the ship will be required. The problem with that is he could be in the air too, and it would be very difficult to check the entire sky. In that case, Cozy figures that finding him up there is a lost cause, so she might as well check where she can find him.
In this case, she decides to check the top deck first, but stay alert along the way up.
“Psst. Young mare,” a familiar voice calls to Cozy along her way up when she nears the stairs leading up or down to or from the upper deck. Cozy swivels her ears about to check where the sound seems to be coming from. Based on that, she finds Sombra standing in a small compartment behind the stairs.
“I would speak with you for a moment,” Sombra requests.
Cozy momentarily opens her mouth to answer, but then it occurs to her that no one else will be able to see or hear whom she is talking to. That realization makes her hesitate and check if the coast is clear. If it isn't, she knew she'd look like a crazy fool who is talking to empty air.
“Use your mind if it bothers you so much to speak aloud, young mare,” Sombra reminds telepathically with a bit of annoyance. It is eerie to hear him in his mind and yet the hallucination of him in front of her did not move his lips. He did, however, narrow his eyes slightly.
“Oh. Sorry,” Cozy apologizes to him mentally. “So,” she grins, “what's on your 'mind'?”
“Very cute,” Sombra sneers.
“Yeah. I'm pretty good at that.”
Sombra's expression grows more serious as he says, “There was a stray thought from you yesterday that caught my interest, and that was based on an observation of yours.
“First of all, let me just say that creating a mobile disk of force strong enough to stand on, let alone float in the air, is a rare gift because it takes a lot of magical energy to sustain a force field so intense that it can not only support the caster's own weight, but suspend him or her in the air. Technically, a unicorn could fly using a technique like that, but it is very power inefficient and most unicorns lack the training to make a force shield that strong. Prince Salizar is, therefore, obviously well trained, but of course he can afford the best in the business. To his credit, he takes such lessons seriously.
“Another strategy for a unicorn to float is simply to levitate themselves, but that strategy tingles and tickles. Most unicorns can't sustain their concentration under those circumstances which is why that is very rare. Creating and standing on a force shield, however, bypasses that problem at the cost of power efficiency.”
“Interesting,” Cozy thinks a little nonchalantly.
Sombra waves a hoof as he says, “I thought so to, but that is beside the point.
“The real point I want to make is the other thought you had attached to that observation earlier. You know, the one about human Rarity's magical ability to create gem shields.”
“Yeah. So?” Cozy questions, then realizes something. “Oh, wait a minute! That's up your alley, isn't it?”
Sombra nods emphatically, then says, “Indeed.
“Do note, I have your counterpart's memories as well, and it informs me of yet another fascinating bit of trivia about Rarity's talent. You see, unlike Prince Salizar with his force shield, Rarity's talent creates actual solid materials. My guess is her magic geode allows her the ability to sort of copy itself. One who knows crystal science as well as I can tell you that gems aren't normally created out of thin air but rather grown from a base material, like a seed that grows a plant. In this case, it's probably her geode.
“More to the point, unlike the force shield, Rarity's gems can be more permanent and even customizable in terms of shape. In my eyes, there is only one more . . . No, two things she is missing to catch up to my potential.”
“Ah . . . two things?” Cozy checks.
Sombra nods as he confirms, “That's right.”
“Well, one of them is obviously knowledge about crystal science. In other words, the enchantment process.”
Sombra nods again as he agrees, “Right . . . but my knowledge on either version of Rarity claims that she is no wizard, despite one of them being a unicorn. Accordingly, training her in the necessary spellcraft lore would be quite the challenge for her, and that is required for crystal science. Knowing how to imbue magical energy into crystals is almost the same as weaving raw energy in the air to form a spell. There is structure to it. It's a weave.”
“Well . . . Rarity is very good at sewing,” Cozy points out.
Sombra shakes his head as he says, “So she is, but that is not the same thing. I fear that, in this case, Rarity could create the base materials needed for crystal science enchantment, but her contribution likely stops there.
“Another potential problem is she'd also need the ability to create multiple types of gems because each type is better suited for certain kinds of spells. It's not impossible to pour any enchantment you want into any type of crystal, especially if it's quartz. That is the best blank canvas of the crystal family. However, the right or wrong type of crystal can either boost or hinder the end result. If she can create multiple types of crystal, or at least learn how, then her usefulness in this endeavor is considerably boosted.”
“A moot point, isn't it?” Cozy questions. “Rarity, either version, isn't a wizard. You said so yourself.
“But ah! Sunset Shimmer is a wizard, or at least she used to be. Maybe you can teach her how to enchant the crystals. Rarity can make them for her, and Sunset can enchant them.”
Sombra smiles proudly as he commends, “Now you're catching on, and here is another interesting tidbit of information. Sunset Shimmer is a mind sorceress. With a little extra training, I can just give her the knowledge I want. I can pour and basically, 'download' the knowledge of such spellcraft directly into her head without the need to devote years of training to the craft. In effect, she can just copy and paste my own experience in the field then 'recall' it as if that knowledge has always been hers.”
Cozy tilts her head as she asks, “Isn't that risky? What if she uploads your ego and personality as well?”
“My memory suggests she can be more selective with the knowledge she gains. In fact, so far, she has to be, unless she scans surface thoughts. The knowledge she gains is based on the answer to a question. In this case, all she would have to do is ask herself before touching this geode,” he points to it at Cozy's neck, “'How does Sombra practice crystal science?' or something to that effect.” He shrugs simply. “For her, that's all it takes. Technically, she can download anypony's knowledge that way. That is a great strategy for gaining knowledge quickly, but it comes with potential psychological risks. For instance, if she tried this with Queen Chrysalis, I fear Sunset risks gaining the mad changeling queens psychosis along with any knowledge that she is after.”
“That's what Doctor Patience feared,” Cozy recalls.
“It's a valid point, unless Chrysalis is faking her condition in order to get her captors to underestimate her. I wouldn't put it past her, either. She's very accustomed to being insincere, much like you.”
“Huh.” Cozy looks down. “Why didn't I think of that?”
Sombra shrugs as he goes on to say, “Considering her losses, what she's been through (such as the curse of stone) and the natural hunger her nature would induce, it is possible she really has gone insane. Even one of these factors really could have been enough to push her over the edge. Aside from that, her sanity was questionable even before all this happened to her.
“I'm afraid we can't know for sure. Not without making some very dangerous tests.”
Sombra pauses a moment as he looks off to his side, then looks back at Cozy as he changes the subject.
“There is something else I wanted to talk to you about as well.”
“Oh?” Cozy querries curiously.
“It's about this journey,” Sombra clarifies. “I am seeing a lot of parallels between now and the journey I made over a thousand years ago. At first, I dismissed it as a coincidence, but the evidence keeps piling up.”
“What evidence?” Cozy asks curiously.
“The connection between you and me, for one thing,” Sombra mentions. “I don't know if you really are a direct incarnation of me, but there are patterns which are distinctly similar but in some cases complementary opposite between you and me. It's almost as if the energy between us was attempting to balance itself.
“Sunset is another prime example because there is another from my time which Sunset reminds me of, and that is the mind sorceress responsible for erasing our minds in the first place. Talent like that is extremely rare, so what are the odds that a sorceress who caused us all to forget about our past is balanced out by yet another sorceress who can undo this damage one thousand years later?”
Cozy blinks as she thinks, “Huh. Interesting.”
“Add to that, Sunset becomes a victim of that very memory stone later,” Sombra puts in. “Coincidence? At first, I would have said yes, but now it's as if fate were preparing Sunset for this journey.
“I can go on like this. Flurry Heart is guarding and attuned to the Crystal Heart, just like her predecessor, Trinity Star. Trinity just happened to be the first queen of the Crystal Empire, and lo and behold . . . Flurry is just born into royalty as if to resume where she left off.
“Then there are also the Elements of Harmony who are in sync with and even rescue the original Pillars who created them. They, too, end up legendary heroes, just like their old predecessors.
“The more I think about it, the more I realize that history is repeating itself, but with a twist. It is kind of like staring at a reflection that is reversed.”
“So?” Cozy asks with rapt attention.
Sombra gives Cozy a warning look as he tells her, “So what if the problems of a thousand years ago repeat as well? Many of them already did. I was among them, and yet I still see heroes gathering together such as on this ship. It's as if it will be necessary to prepare us for what is to come.”
“Oh.” Cozy now looks spooked.
“So beware, young mare,” Sombra warns. “The last time I saw epic heroes gather like this, it was in response to some epic threat. It is important to pay attention to these patterns because they may herald the coming doom.”
Cozy gulps.
“There are some important distinctions, though,” Sombra goes on to say. “Back in my time, I wouldn't necessarily say there were any heroes or villains. They just didn't fit with that era. Instead, there were only winners or losers. Survivors or the dead. I dare you to find any survivors of that era who do not have any blood on their hooves, for desperate times called for desperate measures.”
“What about the Pillars?” Cozy questions. “They are pretty heroic, and they hailed from your time. Also there is Trinity Star. She seemed innocent enough not to have blood on her hooves.”
Sombra shakes his head as he assures, “Trinity, like Mage Meadowbrook, both had one thing in common . . . they are healers, and healers often have blood on their hooves, but they didn't cause it. In fact, they are the kind of ponies working to heal such problems, but one does not encounter such violence repeatedly and keep their innocence fully intact.
“Actually, though I am loathed to admit it, Trinity had another trait about her that I both loved and despised about her, and that was the fact she was often a martyr. In fact, that is often how she healed other ponies. First she absorbs their wounds, then she painfully heals it on herself.”
Cozy winces as she looks taken aback and thinks, “What?! That's stupid.”
“Trinity was an empath,” Sombra reminded. “In her mind and heart, she would be suffering in the presence of suffering anyway. At least that way she worked to relieve it.”
“But Mage Meadowbrook didn't have to use that strategy, did she? She's like Zecora. Both of them used potions instead.”
“Exactly,” Sombra agrees. “Both had different strategies, knowledge, capabilities, training, strengths, and drawbacks. For instance, Trinity didn't require some rare herbs to grow in the area. She didn't need time to analyze the symptoms of a sick pony and test individual remedies, didn't need time to brew a potion, and her power source was self-regenerating as long as she was in decent health, both mentally and physically. However, her own methods physically hurt her, and it was a terrible drain on her magical energy. That, in turn, limited how many patients she could heal at a time or the degree she could heal each one.
“Meadowbrook, in contrast, and other healers like her, can just keep going as long as she doesn't run out of materials.”
“Huh.” Cozy blinks. “That's interesting.
“Tell me . . . is that why, she went into your room while you were going through a magical temper tantrum, she did not raise her magic shield? Because, you know, she totally could have done that.”
Sombra looks down with a guilt-stricken face as he says, “Trinity knew that I cared for her so she put herself in harm’s way deliberately to compel me to calm down. Seeing me hurt had hurt her in return, so she did what she thought was necessary to alleviate the situation.” He looks back at Cozy. “Trinity was always like that. Always willing to absorb and take on the wounds of the world just so that the world suffers less. I admired her compassion for being willing to do something like that, but it also felt cruel and unjust. Whenever she got hurt, I felt like I failed her, especially if it happened to her under my watch. That's why I hated her for it as much as I loved her.
“True love is complicated, young mare. If and when you experience it, I will pity you as much as I would admire you.
“Anyway,” he waves her off. “Food for thought.”
Right after he says that, he vanishes before her eyes.