“Cheese, do you still have that communication crystal?” Cozy asks shortly after she enters their room.
“Sure do!” Cheese confirms cheerfully. To prove her word, she yanks down on her pink, poofy mane for a moment using one hoof while the other holds up a book she is reading. During that time, she is sitting on a wooden chair in the corner of the room. A chair which was not there earlier today. When she lets go of her mane, it bounces back up. The crystal Cozy needs ejects from her hair. The hoof that originally pulled her mane returns to her book to hold it open before her. Without even looking at it, Cheese catches the crystal with her tail then stretches it across the room like some kind of tentacle made of cotton candy, then says, “Here you go.”
“Ah . . . golly, thanks,” Cozy expresses as she accepts the crystal by grabbing it with the feathers of her right wing. She gazes past the crystal at her friend with a slightly raised eyebrow. She feels tempted to ask how Cheese managed to pop out this crystal alone when surely dozens of other items are in her friend’s mane as well, but Cozy ultimately decides against this. She realizes that logic and the Pie family have parted ways long ago. Even Cozy's counterpart realized that in the human world.
“Um . . . gee, Cheese, do you mind if you . . . um . . .” Cozy expresses nervously.
“Head out so you can have a private conversation with your mother?” Cheese guesses, then answers, “Sure. No problem.” Cheese bounces to her hooves and stuffs her book into her mane. “I'll be back in a few hours. Don't have too much fun without me!”
Cheese starts to make her way to the exit of the room but hesitates when her friend asks her a question.
“What were you reading anyway?” Cozy checks. In truth, she isn't really too curious, but figures expressing some interest in her friend’s activity might come off as a bit of an apology. Plus, there is always a chance the answer will be interesting and that she could use that info in some future scheme.
Information is power, after all.
“Oh, this?” Cheese asks as she points to her mane. “Why, it's only one of Flapjack's books on cooking recipes. The reason I have it is because, earlier today, he said he wouldn't mind an assistant as long as I could prove my worth as a chef. I told him that sounds fair. He loaned me the book and told me to prepare anything I wanted from that book. If I pull it off well, then he'd accept me under his wing. I was looking through it in order to decide what I wanted to make.”
“Any decisions yet?” Cozy probes further. Privately she admits to herself that her interest got piqued more than she thought it would. After all, this is her friend. She has a vested interest in Cheese’s success.
Cheese shakes her head as she answers, “Nothing definitive yet because I haven't finished reading the book. So far, there are three that is a tossup, but I want to finish the book before making any official decision.”
“Oh.” Cozy looks down. “Neat.”
“So, without further adieu,” Cheese bows to Cozy, “adieu.”
With a pep to her step, Cheese makes her way out of the room.
As Cozy's gaze follows Cheese, she inwardly thinks, That Cheese Pie . . . always keeps me on the tip of my hooves. She certainly knows how to keep life interesting.
Cozy moves to sit on the chair Cheese recently vacated. She holds the crystal between her hooves as she closes her eyes in order to concentrate just as Sombra taught her during the week before she left Canterlot. In particular, she focuses on which of the other communication crystals she wants to contact. Doing so causes the crystal she has to flash three times. During that moment, she knows the crystal she is attempting to contact flashes a similar color.
Knowing how busy her mother can be, Cozy Glow is very surprised when somepony answers the crystal on the other end after the second series of flashes. It is as if her mother is sitting with the other crystal, constantly staring at it and eager for her daughter to call.
However, when the magical line picks up, Cozy Glow's ears go flat in disappointment when she discovers that it is not her mother that answered the other end of the line but rather some mare she hasn't seen before. In this case, it is a lime green mare with dark green mane intermittently mixed with strands of purple. Her mane is long behind her head and short at the front. Her mane and tail is straight except for the tip which curves back up the last few inches. She wears horn-rim glasses. Her eyes are sky blue.
“Oh, wow! This actually works. This is neat,” a holographic image of the mare says in front of Cozy. A mare who also looks around the room. “Oh, and I take it this is your room? Your room on the Flying Carpet?”
“Excuse me, but who are you?” Cozy asks the magical projection beaming from her crystal with caution and annoyance in her voice. During that time, her ears perk back up.
“Oh!” The mare bows to Cozy. “A thousand apologies, Your Majesty. I guess this is the first time we've met, huh?” She rises from her bow while gesturing to her chest with a hoof. “My name is Scripted Scroll, and I've been assigned by your mother, Princess Twilight Sparkle, to attend this communication crystal in her absence.”
Once again, Cozy's ears fell flat as she looks down. It occurs to her that she probably should have expected this, but it still hurts.
“Try to understand, Your Majesty,” Miss Scripted requests as her own ears lower halfway. “Your mother loves you very, very much . . . but she is Equestria's primary monarch. She has other duties that she needs to attend to on a daily and sometimes even nightly basis. She's doing the best she can. That's why she assigned me to this task, although I can't fathom why she would choose me in particular.”
When Cozy looks back at Scripted, she notices how Scripted Scroll's horn ignites with a golden/brown magic aura. She uses it to shift her horn-rim glasses a little further up her muzzle in a manner that strongly reminds Cozy of Professor Sunburst.
“Did she say Scripted Scroll?” Sombra asks as he, too, materializes beside Cozy while looking at Scripted, but of course Cozy is the only one that can see him.
“Yes, she did,” Cozy confirms. “Why? Does that matter?”
“Hmm.” He gives Miss Scripted an analyzing look, then decides aloud, “I'll tell you more about it after this conversation.”
“Let me guess,” Cozy says as she looks back at Scripted. “You are a mousy librarian who is great at magic but is also anti-social.”
“Ah . . .” Scripted looks taken aback. “Um . . . Have we met before? It sounds to me like you're reading a scroll with my life scripted all over it.”
Cozy rolls her eyes as she says, “No, but I've seen your type before. My mother seems to attract them by the dozen. First herself, then Moon Dancer, skip a few years then we have Luster Dawn.” Cozy shrugs. “My mother loves libraries. That's all there is to it, and in that environment she has a talent for spotting certain types of ponies. Specifically, mare unicorns with great potential for magic but their social skills could use a little polish. I'm thinking my mother pities unicorns like you because she sees her past self in mares like you, so she goes out of her way to get them socially involved with somepony. In this case, that somepony is me.”
Miss Scripted sighs as she looks to her left seemingly at nothing. After a moment, she says, “I had a feeling that was the case.” Her eyes shift back to Cozy. “As it stands, I'm flattered that she'd think of me, a lowly librarian, to be assigned such a prestigious honor. But, at the same time, I am very nervous about this assignment.
“To be honest, I'd rather just quietly read books and occasionally assist a few ponies with a book they are looking for. Now I'm getting mixed up with Equestrian royalty on two fronts. This is not what I signed up for.” Scripted focuses more fully on Cozy. “So, if you don't want me after all, I'd be more than happy to assign you to some other pony.”
Cozy shakes her head as she says, “Nah. Like it or not, I think we're both stuck with this assignment. I know my mother. When it comes to friendship issues, she can be surprisingly insistent.”
Scripted half frowns as she says, “While it is true that your mother encouraged me to develop a rapport with you, my actual assignment is to make answering these calls my number one priority and write down any messages you have for your mother.” Scripted cuts a hoof across the air. “So go ahead and call me whenever you'd like, although I would request you be reserved about it. At any time, day or night, even while I am sleeping, I will answer this call and write down whatever you want. In return, I'll also read to you any messages your mother had for you. To start with,” she gestures to herself again, “there is your introduction to me.
“Oh!” She blinks. “And, ah . . . if you'd like, I can also look up information for you and read it off when next you call.” She waves a hoof around her, presumably to gesture at something Cozy can't see. “I am in a library, after all, so that means you sort of have access to all of this information.”
“Now that could be useful to me,” Cozy admits, “but the only way I'll gain access to that information through you is for you to read the information to me verbatim.” Cozy shakes her head. “Not a situation I would normally call the most ideal, but having access to an entire library of information while on route may still come in hoofy.” Cozy nods at Scripted in approval. “I'll remember that offer because I might take advantage of it sometime.”
Scripted brightens a little as she says, “Feel free. Spreading information is something I rather enjoy, although my typical tactic to do so is to allow other ponies to check out the books for themselves.” She uses her magic to push up her glasses again. “Of course, I can't read you any information from a book that is already checked out. Sometimes you might need to be patient with the information you requested. Other times the book in question might not be here at all. I could write a scroll to another library and have it mailed here, but it could take a few weeks. Perhaps even moons.”
Cozy nods in acceptance, then says, “I understand. I know how libraries work. I've used them before.”
Scripted gives Cozy a slightly cautious look that Cozy had often seen. It is a look that is a reminder of her famously villainous past.
“Yes. I'm sure you are,” Scripted agrees.
Cozy decides to shift her slight annoyance at that reaction into a playful tease as she says while lifting and wiggling her hooves to the side of her head while shaking her head slightly. “Ooo! And I might use that information to plague Equestria with a nightmare where crayons are the only writing tool left to write with. Ooooo!”
“That's insidious!” Scripted exclaims with wide eyes but there is a slight twinkle in it which shows that she is aware that this is a tease. “Ooo, you are a wicked mare!”
At that moment, she looks to her right at something Cozy can't see. Whatever she sees, it surprises her greatly.
“Oh my Celestia! There she is!” Scripted exclaims in amazement.
“What? Who?” Cozy asks with sharply rising interest. As a result, her ears really perk up.
Scripted looks back at Cozy as she reports, “Your mother! She's actually here. Do you want to use this opportunity to talk to her directly?”
“YES!” Cozy chirps brightly. “Please.”
“Hold on.” Scripted looks back at presumably Twilight. “Um . . . in fact, I'll have her call you back when she's ready. If she refuses, then I'll call you back. How does that sound?”
“Perfect!” Cozy cheerfully agrees.
“Then we'll do that,” Scripted decides. “Oh, and, if this is the last time we talk to each other today, it's good to see you, Cozy. I look forward to our next meeting.”
No, you don't, Cozy objects in her mind but she bit her tongue on that one.
The call hangs up. Cozy waits for a few minutes for the crystal to flash again. During that time, she excitedly swings her hind legs under her seat.
“This may be a golden opportunity to inform you that I have some association with that family,” Sombra informs. “If, indeed, it is the same family I am thinking of, for you see,” he passes her a serious look, “if she is from that family, then you are beholding a very distant living relative of my family.”
Cozy widens her eyes at the disembodied image of Sombra as she exclaims, “Are you serious?!”
Sombra nods. “What's more, one of them discovered the Red Crystal which housed my Crystal Sage persona over a century ago. At the time, he needed some help with a minion of my other self, the Dark King.”
Sombra gazes forward fondly as he reminisces on that memory.
“He was a very good friend.” He says, then speaks again after a short pause and looks back at Cozy. “Also an enemy of mine of my other persona.” He shakes his head. “It feels weird to have both memories within me, but I lean on favoring him fondly because Crystal Sage spent much more time with him. Almost two decades, as a matter of fact, before he passed the Red Crystal to his daughter and onward till the last generation. The reason they did that was because I tasked them with the duty of gathering positive energy with the intention to use it to one day return the Crystal Empire from Limbo. Ironically, both halves of my soul, King Sombra and Crystal Sage, had that goal, but they had different intentions afterwards.” He waves a hoof at her. “I'm sure you're well aware what happened to King Sombra, but Crystal Sage passed on when the Red Crystal got absorbed into the Tree of Harmony. The energy given to that Tree allowed it to pull the Crystal Empire back into the prime.”
“Oh. So that is what happened,” Cozy realizes in a slight amount of awe.
“That should have been the end of me,” Sombra laments. “But, next thing I knew after my second defeat by the magic of Twilight and her friends, I awoke in your counterpart's mind.” He looks down and shakes his head. “Sometimes I still wonder if I'm a mere copy of the original Sombra or Crystal Sage. I don't know for sure. All I do know is I want to return to rest.”
Instinctively, Cozy reaches to pat his shoulder but her hoof passes right through him. She gets an empty feeling in her heart for a second before shaking it off and assures, “You'll get there someday. That's why we're on this journey.”
Sombra grins at her proudly as he goes on to announce, “It may interest you to know that my distant decendant, who discovered the Red Crystal, was also reputed to be Equestria's first known flying unicorn.”
“Really?” Cozy asks with a little interest.
He grins further as he adds, “You may be doubly interested to know that his daughter became a spellcasting pegasus. At first she used the Red Crystal itself to supplement for her own surrogate horn, but eventually she forged her own crystal wand.”
Cozy's eyes widens much further as she asks with much sharper interest, “Really?!”
“I thought that would get your attention,” Sombra figures. “So, you see, you really aren't the first pegasi I've attempted to train in spellcraft.”
“How did it go for her?” Cozy asks curiously.
“Complicated,” Sombra answers, “but also really well. For multiple reasons, Star Breeze was very talented.
“Oh, by the way, she was also the one who invented that,” he stabs a point at the magic geode Cozy is currently wearing.
Cozy shakes her head as she expresses, “I hate to sound like a broken record, but really?!”
Sombra nods, then says, “She became good friends with your human counterpart in a fractured reality. Crystal Sage was still in the Red Crystal at the time, so he bore witness to the whole thing.” He looks forward with a dull look. “That is a really long, crazy, and complicated story, so I'd rather not get into that.” He looks back at Cozy with a more normal expression. “But, because of that journey, Star Breeze made that geode and requested for her friend, Discord, to deliver it to your counterpart, only this time the version that isn't in a fractured reality.”
“Wait, she knew Discord?” Cozy asks with a wince of confusion. “That doesn't add up. She lived a long time ago, right? Before he got freed from stone?” She adds that last sentence a little bitterly.
“Yes, but she had a means to travel through time and space,” Sombra explains. “Plus . . . it's Discord. He can do anything, including travel through time, space, higher and lower dimensions himself without needing any external assistance. When it comes to beings like him, it is best to consider his potential in a non-linear fashion.”
“Is this before or after he was, 'reformed',” Cozy asks with hoof quotes.
“After,” Sombra answers quickly, “so he wasn't as much of a jerk, but he almost always was a total prankster and a troll. In fact, his first meeting with Feather Wind was downright antagonistic, but despite that, Feather Wind was among the few in that time and space machine to actually make friends with Discord later. Vision was the other one.”
Seeing Cozy's confused wince, Sombra explains, “Feather Wind was Star Breeze's father, the first known flying unicorn. For further reference, his birth name was Quill Scroll.”
“Oh. Okay. Gotcha,” Cozy accepted. “And Vision?”
Sombra grins a bit as he says, “Put it this way. Vision was the mare who wrote Predictions and Prophecies.”
“Oh! So she's a seer,” Cozy realizes.
“Most definitely yes,” Sombra strongly confirms. “A shockingly hoofycapable blind seer.”
The communication crystal between Cozy's forehooves flashes three times.
“I'll leave you two to it,” Sombra decides then fades away.
Cozy takes a deep intake of breath then releases it slowly to calm herself down. During that time, the crystal has enough time to flash three more times before she answers. This time she is pleased to see that it is indeed her mother on the other end of the line. The transparent, ghostly projection of her majestic mother seems to now be standing inside her room.
“It's good to see you again, my darling Cozy,” Twilight greets with a very fond smile at her daughter. “It's only been a day, but I already miss you.”
Cozy blushes a bit, but happily. She says, “Thanks, Mother. It's, ah . . . surprisingly good to see you too.”
Twilight bows her head as if to touch Cozy's forehead with her own, but ends up only hovering inches from Cozy's forehead. They spend a few minutes in silence simply enjoying each other's company, then Twilight lifts her head as she attempts to regather her regal bearing.
“So . . . what do you think of Miss Scripted Scroll? Do you think you can get along with her?” Twilight checks with a hopeful look in her eyes.
Cozy scoffs, then says, “To be honest, she seems like a typical pick for you, Mother.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Twilight asks with a tilt of her head. “You're not the only one I assign friendship homework to. Many other ponies need to learn and grow as well. Miss Scripted is also very close to your age so I thought you had that in common. I was hoping you two would get along.”
“She'll do,” Cozy accepts with a wave of a hoof. “The fact she also works at a library is a pleasant bonus because that means I'll have some access to all that information. And, as you know, information is power.”
“So is friendship,” Twilight reflected. “You said so yourself when you were still a little foal.”
“I know. I remember,” Cozy assures. “And I have not forgotten.”
Or forgiven, at least to some extent.
“Yay!” Twilight stood up on her hind legs for a few seconds and uses that opportunity to clomp her forehooves together in applause. “I'm sure you two will get along great!”
Twilight returns to all four of her hooves before she goes on speaking.
“I also assigned her to this task because I wanted somepony who could always be available for you. I regret to say this,” she says sadly, “but I cannot be as available for you as I would like to.” She brightens a bit as she goes on to say. “But I'm nothing if not resourceful. Being Princess of Equestria may have its drawbacks, but at least it also means I have others who work for me. I simply delegated one of them to you.”
“And not Spike?” Cozy checks.
Twilight shakes her head as she says, “Spike is also too busy. In fact, I think I rely on him a little too much. Now he never complains. He says he's proud to be so useful, and I believe him, but I also think he gets too overworked sometimes. If I don't put my hoof down, he could work himself ragged, and I care too much for him to let that happen.”
“I see,” Cozy says with a distant, thoughtful look.
“So . . . what is it you wanted to talk to me about today?” Twilight asks.
“Oh, um . . .” Cozy trails off as she tries to recall.
“The geode,” Sombra inwardly reminds her.
Cozy shakes her head as she exclaims, “Oh yeah!”
“Thanks for the reminder,” she tells Sombra inwardly.
She feels him bow to her as he says, “You're welcome.”
Cozy focuses back on her mother as she says, “This geode.” As she said that, she makes it float a few inches up using its own magic to levitate itself. “It had a very curious reaction today.”
“Really?” Twilight asks with rising interest. Then, suddenly, a bunch of quills, ink bottles, and scrolls teleports next to Twilight and hovers nearby her within a magenta color magic aura. “Tell me everything and don't leave out any details!” Twilight quickly and excitedly demands. She almost looks crazed when she said that.
So much for regal grace, Cozy thinks inwardly. Just, 'poof'. Gone.
“Ah . . . sure,” Cozy says a little lamely as she eyes the new floating items blankly. After that, she shakes her head to refocus herself again then proceeds to elaborate on today's events. In particular, she mentions the part of the crystal's reaction in the engineering room while talking to Gizmo.
“And you were suddenly able to understand Widget after the geode glowed?” Twilight double checks after her daughter finishes explaining.
Cozy nods, then reminds, “You do recall what function this geode served for my counterpart, right? She was able to use it to empower and control machines. Apparently that may also include magitech machines. Perhaps especially those kinds of machines.”
Twilight rubs her chin with a thoughtful pose as she recalls, “Discord gave your counterpart that crystal, but he was being annoyingly evasive with answers about it ever since. I asked Fluttershy to beg him for some answers at one time, but she just shrugged at me and said,” Twilight suddenly mimics Fluttershy's voice and mannerism. During that moment, she even has her hair swooped over in front of half her face exactly like Fluttershy. “'Oh Twilight. You should know him by now. Discord is just being Discord. He can't be himself without at least a little chaos.'”
Twilight shakes her head as if to force herself to return back to her own character. When she does, her mane returns to her normal ever-flowing and sparkling style.
“The only thing I remember him saying about it,” Twilight goes on to say, “was the fact he claimed he was just the messenger doing a favor for somepony else.
“I wrote to Sunset Shimmer multiple times ever since your counterpart got that geode in order to gain a follow-up report. She told me that this geode was very similar to her own insofar as it responded to the Magic of Friendship. She theorized that the deeper the other Cozy makes genuine bonds of friendship, the stronger that gem became.” Twilight returns her hoof that she was using to rub her chin back to the ground as she goes on to say, “But, regardless of its strength, its function was quite clear. It had a magical link to machines.”
“And it might have the same function here in Equestria,” Cozy suspects. “You know, besides doing what a unicorn horn can normally do.
“You know, at first I thought the function of this gem was strange, but then I recalled I did, at one time, have a fascination and even some talent with machines back when I visited Narch. What I learned during that time also taught me to network magical items to serve a greater purpose.” Cozy grew sheepish. “You remember how that turned out.”
“Riiiiiight,” Twilight says dryly. Her expression almost instantly returns to normal after a brief shake of her head. “Anyway, that's quite plausible. This crystal has a link to you as much as it does for your quasi-twin sister in another world. I think it can benefit you too, but only in the same way it did for her. Since it responds to the Magic of Friendship, you should continue to promote your relationship with others. As you said so long ago, friendship is quite literally power, but it's far more than just that.
“You wanted to become a Princess of Equestria too someday, don't you? Is that still true?”
“Of course,” Cozy answers. “I want your job.”
“And I'd be willing to give it to you,” Twilight tells her daughter. “But, unlike my predecessor, Princess Celestia, I won't suddenly spring it on you all willy-nilly. Instead, my plan is to gradually delegate more and more assignments and responsibilities on you until you adapt to the role over time. You must also demonstrate a keen understanding of the magic of friendship, and now I have something that will give me a visual report on that.” Twilight points at her geode. “The stronger I see you master that crystal, the more I'll be aware that you mastered this important lesson.”
Twilight's expression softens as she goes on to explain, “Friendship is important, Cozy. Such relationships are far more than just loyal, dutiful servants. Friends go above and beyond the call of duty. Friends try their best to anticipate your needs and act on their own for your greater benefit. Surprise parties, and the like, are really good examples of that.”
“Yeah, but Mom . . . what if I have to reject a request of a friend because I have to serve the greater needs of the country?” Cozy asks in concern. “That's exactly what you did to me all these years.” Cozy Glow looks down sadly as she droops her ears. “All this time . . . I felt like a lesser priority in your heart.”
“Oh Cozy!” Twilight moans sadly as she tries to lift Cozy's chin with a hoof, but just like Cozy's attempt to do that to the mental projection of Sombra, Twilight's hologram has no greater luck except for the fact that Cozy lifts her gaze on her own because her mother tried that. “You have never been a lesser priority in my heart. I'm so sorry if I made you feel that way, and it is true that the well-being of my country is also a high priority.”
Twilight sighs, then admits, “I'm not going to lie . . . you may get into a similar conundrum in your life. Balancing duty to your country as a princess with one's personal loyalty as a friend can be very tricky at times. It will always be a hard lesson. One we can grow from. One we must continually adapt to. Every situation is different just as every pony is different. Sometimes I do favor my friends over my country. When I set aside time to see my friends in our Friendship Council, that is all of us making a sacrifice to simply be with each other.
“But, that said, friendship has far more rewards than drawbacks. They comfort you when you are feeling depressed, and they uplift you further when you are feeling joy. They are a shoulder to cry on, a friend to laugh with, a means to enhance new experiences together. We're always the greater for it.” She applies a hoof to her chest. “I'm willing to be the first to admit that friendship isn't always easy, but it is definitely worth fighting for.”
Cozy grins fondly as she recalls, “You said that to me back in Friendship School.”
“And it remains no less true to this day,” Twilight assures.
They spend a quiet moment together. Twilight is the one to eventually break that silence.
“So, I have an assignment for you,” Twilight announces. “A friendship assignment.”
“Joy,” Cozy says dryly with a sarcastic roll of her eyes.
“You do want friends, right?” Twilight checks. “Friendship is power.”
Cozy waves her mother off as she says, “Go on.”
“Think of this airship like its own kingdom,” Twilight says as she spread her wings as if to wave to indicate their surroundings. “It's like a private little island in the middle of the ocean. On it, it has a sparse population of very unique and talented individuals. Your assignment is to make friends with them as deeply as you can. Spend time with each one and get to know their individual interests. When you do, try to find some common ground where you can build a bond.”
“Is that against the rules for a captain of a ship?” Cozy wonders. “I think they normally have some kind of professional detachment. On some vessels, they have their own private quarters and mess hall just to keep them more separate from their crew.”
“True, and that might prove to be an interesting challenge for you,” Twilight accepts, “but even a captain has to work through his or her crew to get things done on a ship. That means that the profession is an inherently social profession. If you apply a serious effort, you'll find a way. Captains, just like any social creature, don't want to be lonely. You can still find some common ground with him on a level that you can both accept.”
Cozy thinks about it for a silent moment but shifts her eyes back at her mother when her mother resumes speaking.
“Consider this practice for being an Equestrian Princess,” Twilight encourages. “The more friends I see you developing on this trip, the more ready I'll evaluate you for the next level of your training. But remember . . . we all have to learn our lessons in gradual steps, Cozy. It took me many years to get where I am today.”
Cozy sighs, then says, “I know.”
“If you do this, you won't just accumulate magical power,” Twilight says, “you'll also gather friends and allies who will watch your back. Friends who are willing to do whatever it takes to make you as happy and as fulfilled as possible, because that is the way you make them feel.” Twilight crosses her wings in front of her while interlocking her feathers together. “We all need each other, Cozy Glow. We share this world together. The more friends we have, the stronger our influence grows in this world in a positive way. Imagine how powerful you could be someday when you not only command incredible magical might on a personal level, but you're surrounded by an army of friends who will do whatever it takes for you to win together.”
“Okay-okay!” Cozy exclaims. “You made your point.”
“Then remember it and act upon it,” Twilight encourages as she folds her wings behind her back again. “I'm doing this for your benefit as a mother, a friend, and as the Princess of Friendship.”
Cozy sighs again before saying with a soft smile, “I know . . . and I do believe you. It's just . . .” Another sigh. “. . . it seems so long and involved. So much work.”
“Friendship is a journey, much like the one you're taking on this airship right now,” Twilight tells her daughter. “There will be challenges but just as many rewards. Let that encourage you and give you strength to keep moving forward. You're not the only one who will benefit in the attempt. They will too.”
Twilight pauses a moment as she looks out the porthole window. The silence sinks in deep before she speaks again.
“Besides,” she looks back at her daughter, “I can't help but get the feeling that the progress you make during the journey will be important. You are traveling to lands unknown, just like them. There might be a lot of danger in that, and who knows what you'll awaken along the way? The progress you make in not only strengthening yourselves might be necessary to prepare you all for what is to come.”
“Sombra said that too,” Cozy says in a spooked way.
“A mother can't help but worry for her foals,” Twilight expresses with a worried frown. “You may understand my position someday when you get to be my age.”
“Well, for now, I'm just focusing on living long enough to get to your age,” Cozy says.
“You have all the tools you need for that right in front of you,” Twilight tells Cozy. “But, like anything else in life, tools take time to learn how to use. Relationships are especially complicated because they talk back.”
Twilight takes in a deep breath, lets it out, then asks her daughter, “Are you still interested in magitech?”
“Oh, absolutely!” Cozy chirps so happily that she unconsciously flutters her wings.
“Then I'll ask Scripted Scroll to dig up some books on it,” Twilight decides. “I might do some digging of my own, too.” Suddenly she looks smug as she says while draping a wing on her chest dramatically, “I do happen to know my way around a library, after all.”
“And water is wet,” Cozy says with emphasis. “See? I can state the obvious too.”
Both girls laugh merrily together for a moment.
“Oh, Cozy!” Twilight says with intense love gleaming in her eyes towards her daughter. “As much as I fear for you, I'm excited for you too. You're going to have such a wonderful time on this ship with your new friends. I promise I'll do everything I can from my end to help you.”
That look in her mother's eyes is starting to remind Cozy of the look Twilight's human counterpart gave her twin sister. Maybe it was there for years, but either Twilight is finally opening up enough to show it, or Cozy finally growing perceptive enough to notice it.
Twilight can't always be there for Cozy personally considering all of Twilight's duties, but if that love is genuine then all the rest doesn't feel as important. Maybe that is a sign that that is what Cozy wanted all along.