//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: Flurry Heart's Story: Dream of Alicornication 
// by AleximusPrime 
//------------------------------//

Back at the crystal palace, Twilight sat down at the Cutie Map table with Flurry and Spike next to her.  Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack joined them since they thought they might need to call in some former Elements of Harmony to deal with this problem.  Elsewhere in the room were Zecora, Starlight, Trixie, and Sunburst as well as the rest of Flurry’s friends.
“Rarity’s still out doing important fashion business in Manehattan, but if this ain’t dealt with soon, she’ll hurry on over to help out,” Applejack told Twilight.
“And Pinkie’s out visiting the soon-to-be in-laws with Cheese. They’ve got a lot to plan for the wedding, but she's willing to come too,” Rainbow added.
“That will complicate things,” Twilight sighed.
“So what do we do, Twilight?” asked Flurry.
“I’m not sure, but let’s not forget that we’ve used the power of the Elements of Harmony without the physical artifacts before,” Twilight continued. “The teachers might be able to handle themselves in there just fine.”
“Yeah, but too much time has passed, Twilight,” Fluttershy interjected. “I’d hate to know what they’re doing to poor Discord in there right now.”
Fluttershy shuddered at the idea of Discord being age-reversed and working as a slave for Cozy Glow.  Starlight put her hoof on her shoulder to calm her down.
“We’ll find a way, Fluttershy,” she said. “I’m sure Discord will be fine, but I don’t know how we’re going to rescue him right now. Cozy already blocked the secret entrance I made that connects the castle to the school.”
“At least she hasn’t gone for Ponyville…yet,” Trixie said gloomily with Sunburst patting her on the back.
“So how did Cozy even find the Amulet?” asked Chip.
“Yeah, wouldn’t you have kept it locked away in Canterlot, Twilight?” asked Annie.
“Well, first it was safe in Canterlot,” Twilight explained. “Celestia kept it locked away in the palace, but the room it was being kept in was destroyed along with part of the palace when Cozy, Tirek, and Chrysalis attacked.  The amulet fell into the forest ground below and we had to go search for it in all the rubble.  Thankfully we got it before anyone else could.”
“That is where I volunteered to keep the Amulet safely in my hut.” added Zecora. “Twilight and I thought no one would think it would be kept in such a place, and we told everyone that it is in Canterlot, but little Cozy Glow is a brilliant one for her age.”
“So what do we do?” Storm Streak spoke up. “I don’t wanna even go outside with that little weirdo around!”
“You’ll be fine, champ,” Rainbow said, putting her wing around her trembling son.
“Well Twilight, I say we get a few former Elements together and try to take her down,” advised Spike.  “I know Pinkie, Rarity and the Pillars aren’t here right now and we’ve already lost the teachers, but I helped use the same power back during the Canterlot battle, I’m sure I can do it again.  We’ve still got the Element necklaces here with us.”
“Yeah, that may be the best option,” Flurry said.
“Right now I think it’s the only option,” Twilight replied. “Alright, here’s the plan.  Me, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Fluttershy go outside and see if we can use the Elements while they’re around our necks.”
Twilight used her magic to give each of them a necklace. Twilight took Gallus’s while Rainbow Dash had Silverstream’s, Applejack had Smolder’s, Fluttershy had Ocellus’s, and Spike had Yona’s.
“But Twilight, we’ve only got five Elements,” Rainbow said.
“I know, but how many there are doesn’t matter.  Where two or more are gathered in the name of the Magic of Friendship, anything can be done.  If the power does still reside in us all, we might not even need the necklaces, but I say we keep them just in case.”
“And how about the Teachers?” Applejack asked. “Cozy took them while they were wearin’ the necklaces.”
“The teachers were caught off guard when they were teleported out of the castle.  We won’t be caught of guard.”
“Are you sure this will work, Twilight?” asked Flurry.
“I believe it will.  It has to.  If the Elements within the teachers are really choosing to not take Cozy down, they will at least protect us.  If anything, we may be able to at least rescue them.  These Elements are the only thing we have against her.  We best use them wisely.”
“That won’t be necessary, Princess,” said a familiar voice near the entrance to the map room.
Everyone looked to see Starswirl the Bearded enter.
“Starswirl!” shouted Flurry as she rushed over to give her mentor a hug.
“It’s good to see you, Flurry,” he told her.
“Starswirl, what are you doing here?” Sunburst asked.
“What do ya think he’s doin’ here?  Now we have six Elements!” Applejack answered, happily.
“Actually, Applejack, I came once I heard about what Cozy Glow had done, and while I think Twilight’s plan can work, there may be a better way to stop that filly.  I have something that can protect against the amulet’s magic.”
Starswirl reached into his robe and pulled out a small, red jewelry box, adorned with golden lining and a small lock on the front. Starswirl used his magic to make a key appear out of a pocket dimension and used it to open the box.
“What is that, Starswirl?” Flurry asked.
“Something I made years ago and hid before my friends and I went into limbo.  I dug it up just a few hours ago and brought it here,” he replied.
Starswirl opened the box and showed what appeared to be a bracelet.  It was the most unusual bracelet any of them had ever seen.  Instead of being a rather exquisite piece of jewelry, it was a very rugged, poorly chiseled ring of bronze.



“That’s gonna stop Cozy Glow?!” Storm Streak said rowdily.
“Shhhh!” said the rest of his friends around him.
“What?!”
Starswirl laughed as he pulled the bracelet out with his magic.
“I know it doesn’t look like much, Storm Streak, but it was designed to look shabby to turn away greedy eyes.  No one would ever think such an ugly hunk of metal would be as powerful as this is.  I call this the Safeguard Bracelet.  I created it to counteract the powers of the amulet when I heard a powerful sorcerer was wearing the amulet to conquer Equestria long ago.  Any blast, any spell at all that is dispelled from a creature wearing the amulet cannot hurt anyone wearing the bracelet so long as they are awake and conscious.  It creates a passive shield around the wearer so the wearer doesn’t need to use a spell of their own to protect against the amulet.”
“Sheesh!  That’s a really powerful artifact!” said Trixie.  “I wish you guys had known about this back when I was wearing the amulet.”
“Can it stop anything else?” Pumpkin asked, walking forward to get a closer look at the bracelet.
“Sadly it can only protect against the powers of the amulet,” Starswirl continued. “But when I made this bracelet, I filled it with magic that can create an evolutionary process in itself.  In layponies terms: if someone uses the Safeguard Bracelet long enough, it might grow more powerful.  I don’t know what will happen exactly, but the bracelet practically has its own mind and will learn over time.”
“Okay, so it can protect whoever wears it from Cozy, but we still need to take that there amulet off her neck,” Applejack pointed out.  “Can the bracelet take the amulet off?”
“Well it is said that no one can remove the Alicorn Amulet except for the creature who wears it, but if this bracelet can grow stronger, such a thing it might be possible.  If we could at least wear Cozy out, she might give up or remove it in her confusion. If not, that’s when the teachers come in,” Starswirl said, picking up Sandbar’s necklace.
“Well we don’t have a fake amulet like the one we used to trick Trixie,” said Rainbow Dash. “It’s gonna be tough getting Cozy to take it off.”
“So who will use the bracelet?” asked Zecora.
“Well, that’s another catch,” Starswirl continued. “It cannot be used by anyone with such powerful magic.  That helps to keep most villains from using it.  Cozy couldn’t even put this on while she’s still wearing the amulet without having an overload.  When I first used it against that sorcerer, I almost hurt myself so that already leaves me, Twilight, Sunburst, and Starlight out of question.”
Everyone suddenly turned to Trixie who had a shocked look on her face.
“Me?” she said. “Uh…guys, I don’t know.  I don’t think I should be trusted with it.  We know what happened last time I put on some powerful artifact.”
“Trix, it’s not going to mess with you like the amulet did,” said Starlight. “It’s supposed to protect you from it.”
“I know, it’s just…”
“I’ll wear it,” said Flurry.
Everyone turned to her and gasped.
“Flurry, are you sure you want to do this?” Twilight asked.
“I mean I don’t want to, but I tried talking with Cozy earlier and it didn’t work.  Maybe somehow I can get her to listen this time if she can’t hurt me.  I came here to study friendship and I’d be happy to reform Cozy.”
“We do still have Pumpkin, you know,” Pound said, elbowing his sister.
“Good one, bro,” Pumpkin replied, nudging Pound. “I could be the backup or something in case things get hairy.”
“Then it’s settled,” Starswirl said, handing the bracelet to Flurry. “The bracelet is yours to use, Princess.”
Flurry stared momentarily at the ugly metal circle and then slipped it onto her left leg.  It was a bit tight but had a good enough fit.  She did not feel any sort of magic emanating from it.  Its powers could not work until she received a blast of magic from Cozy.



“So, should we go take care of it now?” Spike asked.
“I wouldn’t wait too much longer.  It would be best to go now,” Twilight answered. “Here’s the plan: Flurry goes first and tries to stop Cozy.  With Cozy distracted, we’ll take the kids safely back to their homes to and then me, Starswirl, Zecora Spike, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy meetup at the school and rescue everyone.  We’ll give the teachers the Elements back and then Zecora can take Discord, Celestia and Luna into the Everfree Forest.”
“Aw, so we don’t get to watch?” Stormy whined.
“You were the one who was afraid to be around Cozy Glow to begin with, kiddo,” said Rainbow Dash, playfully. 
“Fine.” Stormy said, crossing his arms.
“Is everypony ready?” Twilight said before they all nodded their heads to confirm. “Let’s do it.”
They all left the room and walked down the hallway to the front entrance with Flurry leading the way.  They opened the door and prepared to turn left to the school but were instead met by Ponyville under attack as the sky began to fill with dark clouds. Random ponies were running around screaming and Cozy and her parents were hovering over the town, shooting beams of magic at random buildings and transforming them into architecture that resembled giant chess pieces.  Flurry and the others stood still, dumbfounded over the sight.
“Oooookay, not good,” Twilight said.
“Now what?” asked Spike.
“We still go through with the original plan.  Cozy’s not watching the school right now so it will be easier for us to rescue everyone there.”
“Alright, everypony, you heard her!” called Rainbow Dash. “Let’s roll!”
She and Storm Streak headed to her house, Applejack, Chip, and Annie all ran towards Sweet Apple Acres, and Starlight, Sunburst and Trixie took Pound and Pumpkin to Sugarcube Corner, though they had to lay low since it was right in the middle of town.  Twilight, Starswirl, Fluttershy and Zecora headed for the school and Flurry took off to go confront Cozy.
“Well this is it,” Flurry said to herself.



The teachers continued to sit in their cell, no longer making attempts to get out.  They continued to wait for help or for Cozy to come in to give them some half decent food. Suddenly, a bright light appeared in the center and Twilight teleported inside.
“TWILIGHT!” shouted Gallus.
“Princess!  Cozy Glow come for you if you not careful!” said Yona.
“It’s okay, Yona,” she said. “Cozy’s too distracted right now. Now let’s get you all out of here.”
Her horn glowed and she immediately teleported the teachers and herself outside of the school.

In the throne room, Discord and the princesses waited impatiently.  Luna was still trying to get the door open with her hooves, but it was locked.
“What am I thinking of?” Celestia asked as she and Discord lay down on the ground, staring at the ceiling.
“Is it a cake?” Discord asked.
“No, I’m on a diet.”
“Oh boy, I’ll bet that’s been tough.  Hehehe.”
“Are you calling me fat?”
“Not in this form, your royal shortness!”
“DISCORD!”
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!  Sorry, I’m just getting so bored like this.  I need to be back in my true form.”
“But this is your true form.  Or at least your original for-”
Discord firmly placed his hoof on her mouth and glared at her.
“Sorry,” she said. “I know you don’t like when we talk about it.”
Luna walked over and stared at them angrily as they looked up at her.
“Are you two going to come help me or what?!” she shouted.
“Luna, that door’s not going to open and we don’t have our magic,” Celestia told her.
“Tia, they’re going to ruin Ponyville!”
“I know, but what can we do?  I can’t think of a way to get out of here.  Can you?”
“No,” Luna sighed sitting down, miserably. 
“Hey, Luna, cheer up,” Discord said. “They’ll find a way to stop Cozy.  They’ve got to.”
“Ugh, what’s that?!”  Celestia said, pointing to an orb of light that appeared next to them.
The light flashed and Starswirl appeared before them.
“STARSWIRL!!” shouted Luna and Celestia as they rushed forward to give him a hug.
“Girls!  I haven’t seen you like this in over a thousand years!  In your time that is.” he said, delightedly. “Oh, and Discord.  It’s nice to see you like how I remember you, albeit far younger.”
“Yeah yeah yeah, don’t get comfortable with it, old man,” Discord said, grouchily.
“He doesn’t like being reminded of his past,” Luna whispered in Starswirl’s ear.
“Right.  Well it’s time for all of us to go.”
“What about Cozy Glow?” Celestia asked.
“Flurry Heart is taking care of her as we speak.”
“Flurry?!  How can she stop her?!”
“There’s no time to talk about it.  Let’s get you three out of this place.”
Starswirl’s horn glowed and they all were transported outside where Twilight had just retrieved the teachers.  She and her friends had given them all their necklaces and Starswirl took out Sandbar’s to give to him.
“Thanks Starswirl,” Sandbar said, putting it back on.
“Celestia, Luna!” Twilight said. “I…I can’t believe she did this to you.”
“She…she turned you guys into fillies?!” Rainbow Dash said, trying not to laugh.
“Ooooh boy,” Applejack said.
“BAHAHA!” Rainbow said, bursting into laughter and leaning on Applejack’s back. “Sorry, I…hehehe, cant’ stop…laughing!”
“Yeah, sorry we didn’t come prepared,” Celestia said with a nervous smile on her face as a grumpy Luna crossed her arms.
“And, where’s Discord?” Fluttershy asked.
“Right here,” Discord said, hiding behind Starswirl and waving his hoof.
Fluttershy gasped as Discord walked out slowly and Applejack and Spike joined Rainbow Dash laughing.
“Aw gee!  Discord, we’re sorry, we just weren’t expectin’ this!” Applejack said.
“DISCORD!!!” Fluttershy said, rushing over to pick him up in her hooves.
“Hi Fluttershy,” he said flatly.
“Discord, I know you don’t like me talking about…you know, but did anypony ever tell you that you looked soooo cute as a colt?!”



She brought him in closer and hugged him tightly as his eyes bulged.
“FLUTTERSHY, I CAN’T BREATHE!!”
“Sorry,” she said, loosening her grip.
“You guys shoulda seen Twilight when she got turned into a filly!” Spike told everyone.
“Alright, Spike, let’s not get distracted,” Twilight reminded him. “Starswirl, can you transform them back?”
“I’m afraid not, Twilight,” he told her.  “It’s impossible for me to undo a spell from the Alicorn Amulet."
“It’s okay, we’ll turn them back later.  Zecora, take Discord, Celestia and Luna to the Everfree Forest, and be careful.”
“Understood.  Come little ones!” Zecora called to them.
The two groups separated, but Fluttershy turned around and went back to pick up Discord again.
“Just one last hug before you turn back to normal!” she said.
“Ugh, okay!”
“FLUTTERSHY!” the others called.
“Coming!” she said as she let him go.