//------------------------------// // Big Plans for the Weekend // Story: A True Princess // by bahatumay //------------------------------// Flurry blearily stepped out of her bedroom and stretched her wings. She rolled her neck out, and then stopped short. To her surprise, Cozy was already awake, and was sitting cutely on one of the plush chairs against the wall, hooves curled, mane fluffed, bow sitting precisely on top of her head. It almost looked like she’d been up early and waiting for her to wake up. “Hey, Cozy,” she said, suppressing a yawn. “Early start today?” “Yes, actually,” Cozy said brightly. She held up a manila envelope. “I was going to submit these pictures to the Daily Flugelhorn. Wanna see them before I do?” “Sure,” Flurry said, meandering over. She lit her horn and slid the pictures out. And then her eyes widened in horror. It seems Cozy had been taking pictures of more than just her breakfast. Inside were a series of pictures, and they all seemed to have one thing in common: Cozy, looking uncomfortable, apprehensive, and embarrassed.  This was likely because of what she was wearing. In some, she wore tight socks, the kind designed less for utility and more for fashion. In others, she wore saddles just a little bit too big for her, but with the straps pulled tight, digging into her body. In one picture, she had a bit clamped in her mouth, the kind definitely not used for pulling carts. And in a couple of these pictures, a smiling Flurry Heart was visible in the background.  “Cozy,” she breathed, “what are these?” “Pictures,” she supplied unhelpfully.  “Why are you dressed like that, and why am I in them?” “That’s a great question,” Cozy said loftily. “But a better question is, how could you do this?” she said primly as she swiped the pictures back. “At least, that’s what everypony else will be asking.” She giggled as she held up the envelope. “I’m sure the Empire will be just buzzing with rumors when they get published. Abusing a poor, helpless filly like me; and one accepted by the Crystal Heart, too! Who knew you had it in you?” Flurry suddenly realized that she had an opportunity, and could not waste it. In one motion, she lit her horn and fired a blast of magic, incinerating the envelope Cozy held.  She yelped and jumped out of the way, now hovering in the air, far too late to save her pictures. Cozy looked at Flurry, eyes wide. And then her smile turned devious. “Is that it?” “Uh…” Flurry had thought that she had just put a decisive end to this, but now she wasn’t so sure. Her mother’s warnings of Cozy playing mind games came flooding back to her. There had to be something else going on here, but what? She couldn’t help but feel like she was about to step in a trap.  Suddenly, a door burst open behind her, and Flurry Heart spun around at the sound of galloping hooves. Cadence skidded to a stop, holding a newspaper in her magic. A newspaper with identical pictures printed on the front page. Flurry’s eyes widened in horror. “Surprise,” Cozy sang softly under her breath. Cadence understood in an instant. She rounded on Cozy, eyes widened in furious recognition. “You,” she breathed. “Me,” Cozy confirmed with a little smile. Cadence and Shining Armor paced angrily in front of Cozy Glow, who looked remarkably calm and undisturbed for having two of the most powerful ponies in all of the Crystal Empire (if not all of Equestria) angry at her. “How could you do this?” Cadence asked. “You came into our home. We helped you,” Shining continued.  “Golly, was that a bad decision,” Cozy muttered flippantly. Shining glared at her. Cozy smiled cutely, scrunching up her face to emphasize her youthful freckles.  “Wipe that smirk off your face, young mare. I don’t think you realize just how much trouble you’re in,” Shining growled. “Oodles, I’m sure,” Cozy said blithely. “I suppose you’d like to turn me to stone now.” “Oh, the thought has crossed my mind,” Cadence said airily.  “What makes you so sure we won’t?” Shining asked pointedly. “Because right now, I’m your best chance at resolving this whole mess with as little scandal as possible. You need me to go out there, explain that I took those pictures myself for reasons only known to me and that Flurry Heart had absolutely nothing to do with it, and then I’ll be re-stoned for my crimes.” Shining’s lip curled, baring his teeth, but he said nothing. She was right, and it was infuriating. “Right now, the crystal ponies are freaking out.” Cozy leaned in and held the back of her hoof against her cheek, like she was telling a secret. “Between you and me, things are looking pretty dark right about now.” She giggled. “Why are you being so calm about this?” Cadence asked curiously. “Because friendship is magic,” Cozy said delicately.  Flurry blinked, surprised. She was definitely not being friendly right now! Cozy noticed her reaction. “Oh, not you,” she scoffed. “You’re pathetic. I’m thinking bigger. Much bigger.” She looked between them expectantly, and then her eyes narrowed in disgust that they weren’t picking up on it. “I’ll give you idiots a hint: it involves the Crystal Heart.” “The Crystal Heart?” “It’s the most important, most powerful artifact you have here, and I’m a pegasus,” Cozy growled irritably, flaring her wings. “Of course it’s involved.” “What are you planning with it?” Cadence demanded.  “Oh, already done,” Cozy said sweetly. “See, the Crystal Heart out there is a fake.”  “A what?” “You’re lying,” Shining accused. “Am I?” Cozy challenged, scooting eagerly to the edge of her seat, eager to share—or, more likely, to prove him wrong. “What did you see at the Faire? Everypony was looking down, and then they saw the Heart glowing, connected to me, and then I turned crystal and my mark changed. Everypony thought this meant I was accepted by the Heart. But I wasn’t the recipient of that power. I was the source.” “What do you mean?” “It was a simple thing. I transferred its essence into myself and replaced it with a carved fake.” “Impossible,” Shining said. “You’ve had guards watching your every move this whole time.” “Oh, please,” Cozy scoffed. “It’s too easy to get rid of them. All I have to do is-” here, she closed her eyes and started panting, followed by a couple short, high-pitched, breathy moans, which quickly evolved into a devious smile, “-and whaddaya know, they’ve all got someplace else to be. Anyway, now that its essence is mine, I can control it. I can release its power, like I did at the Faire, or I can dampen it.” “Why would you dampen…?” But Cadence’s voice trailed off, and her eyes widened. The cold wasn’t the only thing the Crystal Heart kept out. The prison door in the basement burst open, and giant, skeletal beings, with flaming eyes and long teeth, looking like reanimated corpses from a dark nightmare given the barest imitation of life, poured out. Cozy grinned and triumphantly raised her hooves as they swarmed the castle and soared over her head. “Say hello to my new friends: the umbrum.”