Cozy Glow looked around, perplexed. Questions filled her mind. Why did the throne room look so different? Why was there a picture of Flurry Heart on that stained glass window? And was that a picture of her on the window being hit by a rainbow laser?!
But Cozy's biggest question was: Where in Equestria were Celestia and Luna?
The thrones were empty. There was nopony in sight. It was actually kind of creepy, despite the bright colors around Cozy. She had been expecting the Sisters angry at her return and ready to fight. Instead, she got...this.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are! Or are you too scared to face me?!" Cozy yelled. Her voice echoed in the spacious room. She got no reply.
"Well, I guess I'll just go help myself to whatever I want!" Cozy felt a little ridiculous talking to herself, but she hoped somepony would hear the threat.
"Oh, I don't think so." Cozy's eyes grew wide and she slowly turned around...
To see a huge, purple alicorn with a flowing mane and tail, accompanied by a smaller light-pink alicorn with blue, purple, and pink curls.
"Flurry? P-Princess Celestia? Why are you purple?"
The alicorn looked confused for a fraction of a second, and then realization dawned on her. She laughed in amusement.
"Dear little Cozy, I am not Princess Celestia. I'm Twilight Sparkle, of course."
"Twilight?! But you're so big!"
"Alicorns grow too, you know, like regular ponies."
"Where are Celestia and Luna? I want to fight!" Cozy said, trying to sound fierce. But she just sounded like a pouty little pony.
"Auntie Celestia and Auntie Luna have been retired for ten years. Didn't you know?" Flurry said, trying not to laugh at Cozy's failed attempt of sounding threatening. She was so cute when she was like that!
Magic kindergarten cute...not cute like...! Flurry thought, trying not to panic because she thought Cozy was cute. I mean, Cozy looks cute, and she sounds cute, and she acts cute, but...
Flurry's thoughts were interrupted by her aunt saying, "I think I know why Cozy didn't realize that. She was stuck in stone for ten years, and I'm pretty sure she had no consciousness during that time. She didn't know that I had been crowned Princess of Equestria."
"Oh. That makes sense," Flurry said.
"Ha! I knew the stupid old princesses were too scared to continue their job! I did make a lasting impression!" Cozy cackled.
"That's not it at all!" Twilight exclaimed, sounding offended. Flurry knew that deep down, Twilight still thought of Auntie Celestia and Luna as princesses. Twilight was very sensitive when ponies talked about her old mentors like that. "Prin - I mean, Celestia and Luna retired because they thought I was ready for the job and because they needed a break! Ruling for millennium can have its strain, you know, even for alicorns like them."
Cozy smirked. "Ooh, don't you think you're overreacting a little, Twilight?"
Twilight knew Cozy was trying to make her mad on purpose and she forced herself to calm down. Still, she couldn't help growling a little at the odious little pony.
"You haven't changed a bit!" Cozy laughed. "You were always so stressed out before, and I guess you still are! It may look like things have changed, but really, they're the same as a decade ago! Hey, where's your detailed list of all the ways you're a pathetic pony princess?"
"Stop it!" Flurry cried. She couldn't bear to see Cozy treating her aunt like that. "You weren't supposed to insult ponies like that! Now I'll take away your wings."
Cozy smirked. "You keep on saying that, but you're not even doing it."
"Well, this time I will and you'll be sorry!"
"Flurry, maybe you should calm down. You know how Cozy's like," Twilight said, trying to prevent things from getting out of control.
"Yeah, Flurry. You're just like your pathetic aunt! Losers!"
"That's it! I've had enough of your insults!" Flurry yelled. She charged her horn with magic and blasted a spell at Cozy. The pegasus was caught off-guard and had no time to leap away.
Cozy screamed in pain. The spell lasted for several seconds. Twilight could only watch in shock as her niece performed the powerful spell.
When the magic was gone, Cozy's wings were hurting horribly. She looked down at them for any damage...and realized they weren't there anymore!
"You...you..."
Flurry instantly regretted doing what she just did. But she knew the spell lasted for twenty-four hours. She couldn't undo it until the afternoon tomorrow.
"I took away your wings, just like I said I would," Flurry said, trying to sound calm. She didn't want Cozy to know she regretted doing it. Cozy would think she was weak.
"Flurry, I think that's a little too much. Restore Cozy's wings right now."
"I can't, Auntie Twilight," Flurry said, her ears drooping at the stern tone of her aunt's usually friendly voice. "The spell lasts for twenty-four hours."
Twilight sighed. "I guess Cozy will just have to live without her wings until then."
"WHAT?! NO! No, no, this isn't happening!" Cozy screamed. "My wings..."
Flurry and Twilight exchanged nervous looks. Cozy seemed to be losing her mind. Flurry had never considered this before, but maybe Cozy had been in an accident when she was little and as a result, had a mental problem. Or something like that. A normal pony wouldn't be as...crazy as Cozy was right now.
Or maybe Flurry was thinking too hard. Cozy was probably just freaking out.
Twilight slowly walked towards the screaming no-winged pegasus. She gently wrapped a wing around her. "It's okay..."
"Get away from me!" Cozy screamed. She slapped Twilight's wing away. The princess was shocked.
"I hate you, you stupid pony princess!"
"Cozy, calm down!" Flurry said, starting to get really worried.
"You're a loser, just like Sunbutt and Moonbutt! Actually, you're even worse! You were totally fine with me being in stone, and didn't even try to say something in my defense! You ponies are all heartless!"
"I...didn't know how much it hurt you. I'm sorry..." Twilight said softly. She really did seem sorry, but apparently Cozy didn't think so.
"Oh, so now you're thinking about how your actions hurt me?! After ten years? Ugh! I just can't stand you!"
Cozy let out a crazy scream and tried to gallop out of the throne room. Unfortunately for her, Twilight and her niece quickly blocked the big doors.
"Um...Auntie Twilight? What do we do now...?" Flurry asked. She didn't want to sound dumb, but she really didn't know what to do at this point.
Twilight looked worried. "Honestly? I don't know. Maybe we should call Celestia and Luna? Or the others?" Flurry knew the others meant Twilight's seven friends: Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Starlight, and Spike.
Flurry was just considering her options when something happened, completely changing the equation. Cozy Glow collapsed in a heap on the floor. She didn't move.
"She fainted!" Flurry rushed forward and shook Cozy hard.
"Uhm. Should we dump water on her head?"
"No, I think we should leave her that way. She'll be easier to handle like this," Twilight said reasonably.
"Okay..."
"Let's get the princesses and the others. You go get your mother, and I'll get the other princesses and my friends," Twilight said, already coming up with a plan.
"Wait. What about Cozy?"
"I honestly have no idea at this point. I guess we could leave her here, but I don't trust her enough to do that. She might wake up."
"Where are your guards?"
Twilight looked embarrassed. "I dismissed them. I said they could have an early-"
Flurry sighed so loudly that Twilight flinched. "Okay. Okay. Let's consider our options. We can either leave Cozy here and get everypony. Or we can just stay here with Cozy. That's all I can think of-!"
Twilight thought for a few seconds, and then she nodded. "True. But I have another idea - do you have any friends who have already met Cozy in Ponyville? Maybe she could stay with them. If the friend agrees, that is."
"No, I don't think- oh, hey! Rumble's met Cozy. And I think he's already gotten over the shock and fear. He even helped me to try to find Cozy when we didn't know where she was. Cozy can stay with Rumble!"
Twilight smiled in relief. "That's a good idea. Let's teleport to Rumble's house and hope we don't scare him silly."
"Alright, Auntie Twilight. Remember to bring Cozy!"
They went to Cozy, careful not to wake her up. Twilight's horn was surrounded by magic, and Flurry closed her eyes. Two seconds later, they were at Rumble's house.
Suddenly, somepony screamed shrilly.