//------------------------------// // Denouement // Story: The Social Rejects Squad: Loose Ends // by Betty_Starlight //------------------------------// As Cozy Glow drifted off to sleep in the fetal position on her bed while clutching her precious dolphin to her chest, she begins to stir and dream… Cozy once again emerges inside a fog. She sees the big open field where her house used to stand, but no longer sees any fences as she stares out over big open pasture. She trots forward, “Hello? Luna? I know you’re here!” Suddenly a feminine voice says from behind the filly, “Indeed little Cozy! I see with these letters; your ordeals are finally over!” Cozy turns to face a dark blue alicorn with a swirling colorful mane and tail as she trots out of the forest, at Cozy’s rear. Cozy lifts her head to speak, “Well golly, right? I don’t think Discord really has anything left to do with me, now that that’s taken care of?” Luna smiles down at the pegasus filly as her energetic mane dances to the right, “Don’t be so sure child. One can never be certain with him!” Cozy furrows her brows, “Well yeah, but nothing to do with the other two I was with earlier anyway! And certainly not Sombra either… I’m guessing he was banished to the frozen north shortly after I passed out?” Luna nods, “Yes, Starlight took care of everything. After that sound thrashing you gave him, he was in no condition to fight or argue!” Cozy furrows her brow, “But Crystal Heart was another story, huh? I ended up becoming her friend to defeat Discord!” “Yes child! It was all part of…” Cozy says in unison with her, “Discord’s plan!” Luna stops talking and Cozy continues, “Yes, I know!” Luna looks down at Cozy and frowns, “But Tirek was another story, wasn’t he?” Cozy looks up to the night princess, “Well, right! He had to go away and fix things with his brother!” Luna frowns, “Tirek has no place in Equestria and doesn’t belong here. He’ll do much better in his own nation.” Cozy looks down to Luna’s body, “Well, I guess that means I won’t need to see him anymore, anyway?” Luna smiles, “One can never be certain child!” Cozy widens her eyes, “That’s true too!” “So, now that that’s over, what you intend to do?” Cozy looks up wide-eyed, “Well, golly gee! I guess I’ll at least, try to be a normal filly for right now!” Luna smiles, “Well, until something else happens, you can do just that Cozy! You can at least be thankful for that!” Cozy looks at Luna’s head and frowns, “Until something else happens?” Luna smiles, “Life flows all the time! Nopony really knows what it will bring you…” Cozy smiles, “Yeah, but I’m not alone anymore! I have friends now! Finally, real true friends!” She lowers her gaze, “And Crystal Heart is my friend now too, huh?” “Correct, Cozy!” Cozy looks back up at Luna, “So, I’m guessing you had something to speak with me about?” “This is also true, filly! I wanted to see how you felt after everything you’ve been through…” Cozy lowers her gaze again, “Well, I feel different, somehow? Like, I can finally put a lot of things behind me?” “And you’re enjoying your new friend too, I take it?” Cozy looks up at Luna carefully and asks, “What do you mean?” Luna smiles, “Why do you think Little Snack was in that cabin with you?” Cozy furrows her brow, “You know, I can make my own friends, right?” “You need Little, and she needs you Cozy! Besides, Crystal Heart was all you… I had nothing to do with that…” Cozy relaxes her brow, “Well, that’s true too!” Luna smiles, “And now, you have several good friends and a new mommy!” Cozy widens her eyes again, “Oh, golly! Boy am I aware of that!” Luna says vehemently, “And you’re a good filly too!” Cozy starts, “Oh golly! I get it already! I make Equestria better and it needs me!” She looks down at Luna’s chest, “I guess we all make it better, huh?” before staring back up at Luna carefully, “So, why have you been talking to me in my dreams like this, huh? Why are you taking such an interest in me?” Luna smiles down at the filly, “Well, reformed villain or no, you are still a citizen of Equestria, and I take an interest in all of my subjects…” she smiles wider, “Even the bratty one!” Cozy widens her brown eyes and scrunches her mouth, “Well uh,” Cozy starts and widens her eyes more, “h-hey!” The Night Princess snickers softly, “I’ve been holding back this whole time! I had to get that one in there!” Cozy stares down blankly at Luna’s chest floof before busting out in hysterical giggling! After both ponies have a good laugh, Luna continues, “But for now, you will continue to study and learn at the School of Friendship! I’ll be checking on you from time to time in your dreams…” “Why would you, oh right! ‘Citizen of Equestria’, right?” Luna smiles as she trots to the filly and embraces her in a warm hug with her wings, “Of course Cozy! You’re important!” “Oh, golly right! Hugging!” Cozy exclaims before returning the hug feebly with her forehooves. Luna’s superior size made getting her legs around difficult, but the filly eventually manages to get her legs around part of Luna’s front. <*****> Suddenly, Cozy is startled awake out of her sleep the next morning as a hoof knocks on her door. She hears the familiar voice of Starshine behind the door saying, “Hey, Cozy! Are you up yet?” Cozy jerks awake and moves off her side to lay on her back, “Sure am! Come on in Starshine!” Suddenly, the doorknob glows blue and it swings open to reveal a white mop over a deep purple filly body as she stares at Cozy with wide blue eyes and says, “Hey, we wanted to check out a ravine out in the White Tail Woods!” while standing to the left of two large green ribboned pigtails underneath another filly body, this one freckled and orange. Cozy sits up to her haunches on her bed as her covers fall away from her front, her long bluish white locks fall to her shoulders, and her dolphin toy sits at the side, “Uh, remember what happened the last time we were in the White Tail Woods?” Little Snack looks over to Starshine at her right, “Uh, new idea! Let’s do something that’s not that!” Starshine widens her eyes, “Um, yeah! So uh, anypony else got any ideas?” (The end…)