The scene of Cozy Glow going to sleep morphed into that of a comic book panel at the end of the issue before it was closed.
A moment later, another comic book was haphazardly slammed on top of the previous Cozy Glow comic.
The Cozy Glow Saga Issue #2: Jailbreak
On the cover, it showed Cozy Glow dodging one the mighty paws of Cerberus as his paw hit a wall behind her.
'What I would give for a nice warm bed right now' Cozy mentally groaned as she willed her body up from the hard pavement beneath her and went ahead and added another tally mark since it was now Day 301. She had honestly meant what she had said. She missed the comfort of her nice warm comforting bed that she had had back at the School Of Friendship. Almost a year and she still wasn't used to the poor sleeping conditions of this desolate place. 'Adding that to my to-do list if I ever get out of here'
She was almost tempted to fully give up and adjust to being here for the rest of her life.
Almost tempting.
Cozy let a sigh as she ran a hoof through her mane. The cunning filly's once curly light blue mane was now messy and severely frazzled. Her yellow bow that usually kept them was doing its job, just barely.
She could really use a mirror right about now. Her hooves were absolutely filthy and her tail was beyond frazzled.
Her stomach began to rumble as she leaned against the bars. Cozy was so hungry. She wanted to eat but she didn't want to give the guards the satisfaction. It was a show that she wouldn't back down to them. That she would she would continue to revolt.
Which is what most ponies would call stubborn pride.
But today, Cozy was feeling more hungry than she'd ever been before. She wasn't sure how much more she could endure at this point.
The moment she was sentenced in Tartarus, she had looked high and low on possible ways to escape this cage and yet there was nothing.
Just nothing!
'How did that centuaring wacko manage to escape here anyway!?' Cozy mentally questioned frustratingly as she paced around her cage in deep contemplation all while remembering when Tirek escaped Equestria a few years go. 'He escaped without anypony even knowing and yet here I am without any knowledge as to how he did it!'
It was something Tirek never told her when they were exchanging letters. At that time, Cozy didn't see the need of that information but she wished she had pushed him to give her that info due to where she was now.
Gritting her teeth, Cozy sat down putting her hoof underneath her chin. What could she do? What could she do? WHAT COULD SHE DO!?
She would not remain in this cage, forgotten and alone.
She wouldn't break. She couldn't! She swore she wouldn't! She made a-
The sound of doors opening pulled Cozy out of her trance as she quickly turned around and looked below as the Gates Of Tartarus opened up to which a pair of royal guards appeared.
A brief glance and Cozy could see that the sun was shining brightly. The first time she had seen the light of day since almost a year ago. She mentally applauded herself for keeping track of how long she been imprisoned.
A chorus of growls and roars occurred from the monsters below as the guards each gave them their food. They even stopped by Cerberus to give him his share as well.
'All those big freaks must be having a feast if there roaring like that. How lovely.'
Eventually, they ascended up the stairwell to give Cozy her food for the day. Cozy remained neutral but stared daggers at them.
The guards would always come in and out everyday to give her and all the other prisoners their food for the day.
Cozy Glow, personally disliked them due to the fact that sometimes whenever they’d come to her specifically, they would obnoxiously bang on her cage to wake her up.
She’s yell at them to stop it, but in the end, they persisted with this. Though it was some of the time, not all of the time as she would try to be awake before the guards would arrive.
It seemed that today was one of those days.
“Rise and shine, Glow!” Guard Jerk called as he and Guard Dummy approached her cage. Cozy didn't know their actual names, which she probably never would, so she gave them those names just based on their personalities alone.
“Oh golly, you’ve come back!” Cozy smiled gleefully before it turned completely sour. “What kind of horrendous food do you idiots have for me today?”
“The usual,” Guard Dummy as he pushed a tray of smelly soup, with a spoon and fork on top. “Hope you enjoy your meal, Glow.”
"Oh joy," Cozy scoffed, rolling her eyes as she looked at the tray. "Yippy do for me."
"Alright, that's everypony and every creature," Guard Jerk said, intentionally dismissing Cozy's sarcasm, as he turned his attention to Guard Dummy. "Let's go check on Cerberus before we leave."
"Right behind you." Guard Dummy affirmed as they descended down the stairway, leaving Cozy alone once again.
Cozy glared at their retreating forms before looking down at her spoiled meal for a couple of moments. It was soup, but it looked like yellow goop. ‘Disgusting’
She wasn’t going to eat this. She wasn’t going eat this horrid food and give them the pleasure of watching her succumb to her predicament, here in Tartarus.
Moments like these reminded her of why she had to get out here. But what could she do?
With those consistent doubts in her mind, Cozy looked down at her supposed food defeatedly.
‘I am pretty hungry’ Cozy thought as she listened into her grumbling stomach. She’d personally listen to her stomach than any of those freaks below. ‘Just one bite wouldn’t hurt’
She was admittedly starving. She had stubbornly denied herself any food. But she needed to eat.
One bite. One bite would suffice to satisfy herself. Cozy moved the boll closer to her and looked at the goop nervously. Next to it was fork and a spoon.
Would her stomach be even able to tolerate eating this? Would it make her stomach even more grumpy?
Cozy flinched at the chorus of growls from below. She couldn’t bring herself to even yell. She also didn’t the Gates Of Tartarus closing which had signaled the guards had left
Just one bite and she would call it a day. She would take a fork and have one bite. Where was the harm i-?
…Wait, fork!?
Cozy’s eyes widened in realization as she looked the front of the cage which contained a small lock.
How the hay had she not noticed this before!? Has this place nullified her brain or something!?
Cozy narrowed her eyes in bewilderment as she looked between the lock and the cage.
There was no way this could work.
…Right?
‘I have nothing to lose’ Cozy thought as she stood up, took the fork and trotted up towards the gate of her gage. 'Gotta try something'
Cozy looked out her cage to see nopony nearby watching her. Cerberus was most likely eating whatever food that guards had left for him below.
The coast was clear. Though that wouldn’t mean anything if this attempt failed.
Still, Cozy had nothing left to lose.
So with a deep breath, Cozy stuck her head of the cage and stuck the fork into the lock. She used all her weight try and twist the lock for it to hopefully be unclosed.
Cozy could hear insides of the lock. It didn’t seem like there was any progress. She had actually unlocked a lock before. Maybe it took time. Maybe the fork wasn’t a good enough object to unlock. Maybe she should’ve tri-
CLICK!
That sound caused Cozy to take a step back from the lock. She did a double take as the lock was seemingly unlocked. To make sure she wasn't going insane, she decided to push the cage door to see if it would open. And it did open. She... had done it.
'I did it' Cozy thought before resounding thoughts of happiness took over as she pumped her hooves up and slowly but surely flew out of her small cage. 'I did it! I actually did it! I-'
"GRAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" That thundering growl immediately silenced Cozy's mental celebration.
'Oh yeah, almost forgot, I'm not exactly free of this place yet' Cozy mentally reminded herself as she slowly peeked below to see Cerberus away from the door and munching on his food, which was good old meat. Very good food for a dominant beast like him.
But that wasn't what Cozy's focus lied. It was on the Gates Of Tartarus. Her gate to freedom.
All she needed to do was sneak past Cerberus and then she'd be home free. Though it might be best that she fly away from Tartarus when she did so.
It wasn't going to be easy getting past the Guard Of Tartarus. Cerberus had a huge sense of smell and he could easily sense and see her if she tried to fly past him.
Cozy would have to take it one step at a time.
"Okay," Cozy muttered as she took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."
She flew up and lowered herself towards the ground. However, Cozy decided to lower herself right behind the cages of the other beasts. She couldn't risk the possibility of being caught. Not now.
She soon touched the ground and quickly hid behind the cages as quietly as she could. It seemed that Cerberus' sense of smell was even greater than Cozy had even imagined it to be because Cerberus' ears perked up as his head shot up from his meal.
He sniffed very loudly, sensing something was off. He rose and continued sniffing out the problem.
Seeing this through the bars of the cages, Cozy stood on her hind legs and held her breath as Cerberus roamed by. His footsteps practically thumped against the ground as he made his way towards the flight of steps.
'He's distracted! Now's my chance!' Cozy quickly galloped towards the gates as quickly and quietly as she could. There it was! She was finally escaping! She would be free at last! He plan was gonna work!
"RAARGGHH!"
Well, it almost worked.
Cozy yelped as she turned around to see a Bugbear in a cage, glaring at her. She had been so focused on escaping without Cerberus' knowing that she had forgotten about her other surroundings. Cerberus, who had still been making his way up the stairs, heard this and turned around. Much to his shock, he saw Cozy Glow, somehow out of her cage.
(Play This)
He growled as he jumped and landed on the ground right before her. Between her and her ticket to freedom. Cozy wobbled from his impact.
'So much for a quiet escape' Cozy gulped as she looked up to Guard Of Tartarus fearfully. “Golly, Cerberus, fancy seeing you here.”
Cerberus only glared at the pink Pegasus filly and as he began marching towards her.
“Okay, I know it looks like I was trying to make a getaway,” Cozy as she took a couple of steps back. “But it’s really not the case. I was just gonna go get some of that nice bit of fresh air. So, would you mind stepping aside please?”
The giant three-headed dog responded roaring, right in her face. He reared his paw back and sent it right at Cozy.
'Well, it was worth a shot.' Thinking quickly, she flapped her wings and flew into the air, thankfully avoiding Cerberus’ big paw as it collided with ground, sending shockwave through the realm.
The other monsters were roaring in excitement as they were enjoying what they were seeing.
Cozy wasn’t going to dwell on that as she had to focus on other matters. Trying to escape Tartarus and avoid being crushed by three headed dog.
Cerberus roared in anger as he picked up ab empty cage and threw the cage at Cozy.
“Whatcha!” Cozy shrieked as she flapped her wings, doing her best to dodge all of the oncoming movables, however she couldn’t dodge Cerberus’ paw as he was able to strike at her side with her paw. “OW! This is really unnecessary!”
Cerberus, if anything, ignored her protests and began chasing her on foot. For a giant beast, he was fast. But Cozy could use that to her advantage.
Noticing a section of Tartarus that was empty, Cozy, all while clenching her side, flew straight towards it and stopped right by it. Cerberus rounded the corner, roaring as he began charging towards her.
Cozy didn’t move. No expression of fear was present on her face. Just determination.
As the Guard Of Tartarus got closer and closer. Cozy lowered herself, like she was ready to pounce on him. But she wasn’t.
She was waiting for the right moment.
At the last second, as Cerberus was about to smash Cozy into the wall, she flew up into the air.
Which caused Cerberus to full on the collide head-first into the wall in front of him. Causing the wall to rumble.
‘Yes!’ Cozy though gleefully as she watched Cerberus struggle to bring himself back to his feet.
A huge piece of rock came down landing hard on Cerberus’ heads as his eyes all went to the back of his heads as his body collapsed on the ground.
"And down goes the big dog," Cozy said with clear satisfaction in her voice.
“Agh!” Cozy looked to her side to see a claw mark at her side. It didn’t look bad as Cerberus’ claw had seemingly grazed her. She’d have to sort that out later.
Not sure if she was being delusional, Cozy lowered herself down to the giant’s face to see if it was true. She put a hoof on his face, only to quickly withdraw it when hearing Cerberus moan in pain.
Cerberus was down. Cozy had bested the Guard of Tartarus.
‘I actually did it!’ Cozy though in disbelief. ‘How bout them apples?’
Cozy turned around to see the mess that had been made from her little clash with Cerberus.
But she didn’t care about that.
She began flying in the air as she flapped her wings as hard as she could. She didn’t care about the protesting roars from the other beasts. She didn’t care about the moans of pain from Cerberus.
All she cared about was her freedom.
With that in mind, Cozy pushed open the Gates Of Tartarus and headed past them. There was a magic seal on the gate, but those from inside, like Cerberus could exit. The gates soundly closed behind her as she took in the beautiful sun staring back at her.
She had done it.
After almost a year of imprisonment, she had finally done it.
Cozy Glow was free at last.