....Look I know....
...Wkdw lv …
.....you're angry but…..
....qr gudjrq….
....Cozy….
....lw'v…..
...Hey now! Hey!....
....Cozy....
....Take it easy! Calm Down!....
....wkh ghylo….
“GAH!” Cozy shouted as she fell out of bed. “Owww.” She groaned, her ears perked at the sound of pounding, and turned to her door. “WHAT?!”
“Finally up? Well, hurry up! It’s almost noon!” Tirek yelled from the other side of the door.
“I’m up, I’m up!” Cozy yelled back, she heard Tirek huff before trotting away. She glared at the door before sighing. “Did I oversleep again? Greeeat.” She said before standing up and glanced around her quarters. Grogar had provided each of them with a cave-like room when he recruited them months ago. Several different decorations hung around the room. A dartboard hung on the wall, at its center was a photo of the mane six with a few darts piercing it. A small drawer sat in the corner that held various bows and brushes for her mane and tail.
“Ugh, I need to stop staying up so late." Cozy groaned. "Although beating Tirek and Chrysalis in those board games was fun.” Cozy giggled as she pulled out a brush. As she got ready her mind wandered to her dream, she couldn’t remember much. Normally her dreams were clear as day but lately, they’ve been cryptic. Nothing but darkness and whispers.
“Eh, I’ll deal with that later.” She shrugged as she finished getting ready. She flew out of her room and made her way toward the dining room. There she found Chrysalis waiting at the table with some newspaper. The queen looked annoyed as she struggled to solve a crossword puzzle.
“Look who’s finally awake,” Chrysalis snarked as Cozy sat at the table. “While you were busy snoozing we have been hounded on by our great ‘leader’.”
“What’s got his fur in a twist?” Cozy asked taking a seat. “Is he still mad about us ‘failing’ our mission?”
“That or whatever tick has crawled in his hide. Honestly, that goat is always grumpy.” Chrysalis snarked.
“He seems more like a ram if I think.” Cozy corrected.
“Still doesn’t give him the right to act so rude. I am-"
“A queen yes you’ve said that a hundred times already.” Cozy interjected with a groan. Chrysalis hissed toward the pegasus as Tirek entered the room.
“Good you’re here, I’ve got lunch or in your case brunch,” Tirek said trotting over with a bowl of fruit and a cage of parasprites. “Grogar has gone off in search of another magical artifact by himself since we ‘failed’ to retrieve the bell.” The centaurs said placing the cage and bowl on the table.
“He still has no clue about our plan right?” Cozy asked as she hovered over and grabbed an orange from the bowl.
“Of course not, that old fool has no idea what we’re up to,” Chrysalis said as she grabbed the cage with her magic, she licked her lips as she stared down the trapped creatures. The parasprites buzzed in terror as she drained them of their love. Cozy grimaced as she watched the bugs flop down to the bottom of the cage devoid of emotion, while she may have gotten to know her fellow evildoer, she still wasn’t used to her ally’s dietary needs.
“That or he doesn’t think we pose enough of a threat to care,” Tirek said munching on a pear. “Honestly I think that old ram is becoming senile with what we’ve gotten away with under his watch.”
“As long as he doesn’t find the bell we’re in the clear,” Cozy said taking a bite out of her food. “We don’t want to end up like Sombra.”
“He was an overconfident fool, how he conquered the Crystal Empire in the past is beyond me,” Chrysalis said with distaste.
“He did destroy the Tree of Harmony, and had most of Equestria under his control.” Cozy pointed out.
“And he could’ve had complete control if he brainwashed or eliminated those six annoying mares,” Tirek said. “He had them in his grasp, trapped and defenseless! But he just left them to their own devices! He was an idiot, and even if he did do something he would never have bested that blasted draconequus.” Tirek grumbled crushing an apple in his hand.
“We will deal with Discord in due time. In the meantime, we must learn to master the Bewitching Bell’s power.” Chrysalis proclaimed. “So far we haven’t had been able to do anything with it.”
“None of the books here tell us how to use the bell, and we can’t ask Grogar without tipping him off.” Cozy groaned.
“Then it’s time we broaden our search then,” Chrysalis said. “Perhaps we should pay a visit to Twilight Sparkle’s castle.”
“Don’t bother, I would’ve found something when I was pretending to be her top student at the Friendship School. Although she did mention once that the vast archives in Canterlot have a restricted area.” Cozy added.
“Celestia and Luna love to hoard knowledge for themselves. If there’s an answer it’s there.” Tirek proposed.
“My triumphant return to Canterlot? I like the sound of that.” Chrysalis smirked.
“Oh, my gosh road trip! I’ll go pack!” Cozy said excitedly before flying back to her room. Tirek and Chrysalis looked on in surprise.
“It’s times like this I’m reminded that she is just a child,” Tirek says crossing his arms.
“Indeed, though her intellect would dare to contest that notion,” Chrysalis said with an eyebrow raised. “But she’s right, we must prepare. I’ll draw up a map of the city and castle.”
“And I will find us a route to get there us there quickly, who knows how long Grogar will be gone.” The two nodded and head off to prepare. Cozy meanwhile zooms around her room getting her things together.
“Hehe, finally! No more sitting around, with the bell under our control Equestria will be ours!” Cozy giggled evilly as she packed. “At least till I beat those two dumb-dumbs and take everything for myself.” She thought to herself.
...Kh dzdnhqv….
Cozy sat up straight, her ears perking at the noise. Did she just hear something? No, she couldn’t have. But her feathers ruffled and her fur stood on end. She felt like she was being watched. Turning she cast her gaze around her room, her eyes paused on her bookshelf.
It was less of a bookshelf and more of a missing chunk of the wall, that held her various books. An ‘Art of Swindling’ guidebook written by the Flim Flam Brothers, one of their few genuine products that she ‘borrowed’. A ‘Guide to helping Others’ written by Starlight Glimmer and Fluttershy, along with multiple books on battle tactics and manipulating others, some Cozy wrote herself in her off time, and finally one slightly beat-up copy of Princess Twilight’s Friendship Journal.
She narrowed her eyes before flying to the shelf. Cozy felt her heartbeat increase as a chill went down her spine. She reached out to the journal, she paused looking toward the door. Shaking her head she grabbed the book, carefully she opened it. The inside had been hollowed out, and there sat the Bewitching Bell. It laid there quietly, dormant, dead. It hadn’t glowed or done anything since she brought it out of the cave. Slowly she raised a hoof toward it, bracing herself she touched the cold metal of the bell.
Nothing.
Sighing Cozy groaned, “Ugh I think Chrysalis’s crazy is starting to rub off on me.” She shook her head and closed the book returning it to her shelf. She grabbed her bag and headed out the door. She gave one last look to the shelf before leaving.
Not a moment after the journal gave off a dull teal glow.