//------------------------------// // Chapter 66: epilogue. // Story: I am my own OC // by KittyrinnAiko //------------------------------// Canterlot castle Tonight’s the night, the Grand Galloping Gala and I’m all dolled up in a formal gown, off the shoulder, dark blue fading to cobalt with a pearl bodice. That’s strings of pearls. Pretty sure it cost a fortune. I’m walking down a hallway in the back portion of the royal apartments headed for a room where Cozy Glow is waiting. “Cozy!” I call as I enter the room she’s waiting in. She has a cute little purple outfit on and the curls are mostly gone. She looks cute like that. “Your Highness,” Cozy offered as she got up, followed by a polite curtsy. “Thank you for the invitation.” “But?” I ask knowing full well she is curious about this little meeting I set up. She looks at me with a look of concern on her face. “You are wondering why you were invited,” I offered. “Why the private meeting?” “Well, yes, I suppose I am.” “I wanted a chance to get to know you a little better. Maybe even become friends.” “Thank you, but I must confess I’m a little confused.” There is also the issue that she was one of the lucky ones who managed to get out of Daisy’s orphanage of doom. And yes, that in of itself is suspicious. “It’s got nothing to do with Daisy Woods if that’s what you are worried about. Granted you are one of the survivors from her orphanage. No, the reason I wanted to talk to you is because you get some of my more obscure references.” “I’m not from the past, your time if that’s what you are thinking.” “No, you are from the human world.” There’s a look of panic in her eyes. “When I and my mother got banished I ended up in the human world. My married name was Nova Arthol.” “Arthol?!” Cozy’s expression had switched to surprise and recognition. “Did you like, have a bone spur in your forehead?” “Turns out it was a unicorn horn. Did I know you?” “I’m so sorry.” “Sorry? Why? What for?” “I was the technician tasked with removing that bone growth on your forehead. Sam Ayers.” “Wow; small multiverse. Hang on, weren’t you a guy?” “Ya, and I wake up as Cozy glow. A villain.” “No, not in this dimension. You are not a villain. So long as you are in control, Cozy is you and will be whoever you want her to be. You don’t even have the same cutie mark.” “But it is the same, isn’t it?” “She had a castle and you have a Rook. There is a difference. The irony is that they both represent protection. Neither represents subterfuge, cunning, manipulation, deceit, or misguided ambition. I suspect the one in the show had been manipulated by Discord. Just like we suspect Daisy had been influenced by Discord. Aunt Celestia has had that statue moved to a place no one will ever be able to gain access to him again.” “But won’t the spell wear off eventually anyway?” “Perhaps. Meanwhile, we have time to find ways to better counter him.” “And Daisy, did she really fall into a bottomless pit?” “Well, between you and me, there was a portal at the bottom of that pit. Dropped us into the human world. Yes, I guess you could say it was bottomless. And I left her there. ” “You just left her there?” “She’s a human child now. In a human world cut off from Equestria. Not like we need to worry and the whole locking someone away indefinitely never set well with me anyway. She’s in a little City called Derry, Maine.” “Derry… Derry Maine?” “Do you know it?” “Location setting for Stephen King’s ‘It’.” “It? Seriously?” “Bound to be a coincidence, I’m sure.” “I just figured that was where the spirit of Harmony wanted me to leave her.” “Nova!” Scootaloo called as she entered the room wearing a vibrant violet gown. And looking downright cute. “Hi Scoots,” I called and went to give her a hug. “Every pony is gathering in the small dining room,” Scootaloo informed me. Small she says. Technically it was the north wing dining hall. Well away from the main event. “Scootaloo?” Cozy asked. “Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?” I teased. “What?” Scootaloo asked. “You all dolled up,” I supplied. “Well, if you and Dash can do it so can I. Just don’t ask me to do this too often.” “Wouldn't dream of it. Besides, being dressed up can be so limiting.” “Being dressed up usually means being on our best behavior too,” Cozy commented. “Cozy, wasn’t it?” Scootaloo asked. “Sam Ayers, actually,” I offered. “Cozy is just an assigned name when she got scooped up by Foal Protective Services.” “Oh, sounds like one of the old family names,” Scootaloo said with a smile. “What’s it mean?” “I would imagine that it roughly translates to…” cozy had to think for a bit. “A servant who listens to the word of their king, I believe, would be about right.” “A king?” Scoots asked. “If Princess Celestia’s father was still around he might be a king,” I offered. “Shall we go join the others?” “Oh ya, every pony from the Drumlin Hay is here and we are ready to start the party.” “ Let's get going,” I offered and we started walking. “Sam, is it OK if we call you Sam?” “Ya, sure. I’d kind of prefer it. I mean, it’s not much of a pony name but as you say, it’s me.” “If you could go back, back home, would you?” I ask as we turn out the door and down the hall. “How long?” “Just shy of two years and no guarantees before we could even try.” “Home?” Scoots asked. “It’s complicated,” I offered. “How I got here complicated.” “Considering I’m stuck here for the duration and things are looking up for me, as much as I’d love to reconnect with family, I’m not going to worry about it. Not like we got along all that well, to begin with.” “And going back certainly has its problematic challenges,” I mused. “Why do I have this feeling you aren’t talking about just simply finding her family?” Scootaloo asked. “Like going back involves a portal? Don’t give me that look, I’ve heard enough about what happened to you, and to Sunset to know she wasn’t in limbo, and you weren’t either. Cozy, or rather, Sam was living in a different world. Wasn’t she?” “I was. And they as likely think I’m dead.” “No doubt your family would have to give back the insurance money,” I mused. “In that case I should go back. I’ve no doubt they’ve already spent any settlement they got. As I said, we didn’t exactly get along.” “Go back, announce yourself, and then vanish again maybe?” I teas. She gets a wicked smile and laughs. I join in. “OK, what am I missing?” Scoots asks. “You see, she and I transported from the same place and time. Because they don’t know what happened to us they think we are dead. Perished in an unexplained explosion. Her family would have to give back all the bits they got as a settlement and then there’d be a whole bunch of awkward questions following her return to Equestria.” “Oh, that’s just mean,” Scoots offered, but her smile suggested she found the idea amusing. A moment later we had turned through a doorway onto a balcony that overlooked the dining hall. To our right, there was a grand staircase down into the hall. Below us was an assortment of ponies, mostly foals. Luna was down there along with Lofty and Holiday. Firebrand was down there with a big burly Earth pony next to him. Every single foal had been taken in by this time and Firebrand had scored himself that Smithy apprenticeship he’d wanted. He was even living in Ponyville now. An applause erupted moments after the ponies down on the floor spotted us. Kenta was there in a wheeled chair, applauding vigorously by thumping his good front hoof on the chair he was in and stomping his back hooves. Prince junior was there, as well as a number of the suns and daughters of the nobility who applauded politely. I waited for the applause to stop, smiled, and started to sing, “I’m coming down so you better get this party started…” Sam lit up with delight and a moment later it was the two of us singing as we descended the staircase accompanied by a band I’d picked out myself. And yes, they were pumping up the volume. The noble sons and daughters were about to get initiated to party rock. When the columns fell, when the animals stampeded, we never heard a thing. We were party rocking. All … night … long.