No. No. No. No no no no no no. There was NO WAY Cozy Glow was evil! She had been nice enough up until this point. The book was surely just real world examples with very expressive wording. He had read a portion of it. It was just learning chess! Maybe she was "trapped" in stone so she could live longer? Sprout would bet that that garden of statues was all just other ponies and creatures waiting to be freed, just like she was.
Sprout huffed and flopped huffily onto his other side, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.
The next morning, Sprout was woken up by a loud kitchen, and delicious smelling pancakes. Sprout rubbed the sleep from his eyes, standing from the couch and stretching.
"Good morning Sprout! Come help Cozy and I in the kitchen!" came Sunny's voice, who leaned out from the counter. Sprout trotted over, helping quietly. Breakfast was ready soon enough, and the group sat on the couch, TV on for background noise. It was on the news channel again.
"More violent riots and protest break loose in Zephyr Heights. Many injured, some dead." Spoke the news reporter. Sunny frowned, saddened by what she was hearing.
"We need to head to Zephyr Heights." Sunny stated, placing her empty plate on the coffee table. Hitch spoke next, his tone full of logic.
"Sunny... it's not safe. It's getting dangerous there. I feel sorry for the citizens, and I'm worried about our friends too, but it's just not safe. Let's take today to keep our mind off such things, okay?" Hitch commented, a hoof on Sunny's shoulder. Sunny let out a sigh.
"You're right. We'll show Cozy around town, starting right here in the Brighthouse." Sunny's smile briefly returned to her face.
Breakfast was wrapped up quickly, the group getting ready for the day.
"Well, you've seen part of the Brighthouse so far, but there's one place you haven't seen yet. As I'm sure Sprout has told you, we ponies didn't have magic for a while. It took us coming together, and uniting our crystals, to finally get it back." Sunny pulled on a lever that brought down an elevator. The all got on and it took them up to the tower of the Brighthouse, where the unity crystals made their home.
As the elevator rose, so too did the magic power Cozy could feel. It was overwhelming. So much for the taking. The elevator stopped, and before the group glowed the rainbow and gemstones that made up the unity crystals.
"These are the unity crystals. They brought back magic to Equestria!" Sunny said. Behind her, an apparition of Twilight Sparkle formed from the crystals. The room was awash in a red glow. Sunny jumped and turned around. Cozy scowled at the apparition.
"Activating Failsafe protocol. Stone prisoner escapee, Cozy Glow. Activating Stoneskin spell." came Twilight's voice.
"W-what?" Sunny's eyes grew wide, watching the apparition. the rest of the group making the same shocked expression. Sprout watched as magic surrounded Cozy Glow.
"No!" Sprout ran to Cozy Glow, pushing through everyone else.
"Sprout no!" "Sprout stop!" came the weary cries of his friends. But it was too late for him.
Sprout had shoved Cozy Glow aside, the magic working on his body instead. Pain enraptured is entire body, his flesh turning to the very stone Cozy Glow had escaped from. Before he knew it, his body was frozen permanently in a pained, fear-stricken pose. The group watched on in silence. Then a laugh cut through. Cozy Glow laughed heinously flapping up from the ground.
"And that's how you truly, play chess, Sprout. And now, the magic will be mine." Cozy Glow booped Sprout's stone nose, turning to place a hoof on the crystals. "While Equestria has changed, there's one thing that hasn't changed. Do you know what that is?" Cozy's face contorted to a wicked, evil grin, eyes meeting with an ever silent Sunny. Sunny only swallowed in reply, the tiniest shake of her head illuminating that she didn't know.
"I'll be glad to tell you," Cozy's voice was sickeningly sweet. "It's that fool lineage. I see that still lives on. Do you know how easy he was to manipulate? How easily he played right into my hooves? Speaking of hooves..." Cozy Glow placed hers on the unity crystals, reciting an ancient incantation. Magic swirled around her, the sound of cracking bones could be heard as her wings grew in size, a horn piercing through her skull.
The unity crystals fell to the ground with a loud thud, the rainbow fading. Sunny attempted to rile up her alicorn form, but it only flickered before fading completely.
"What've you done!" Sunny cried, staring down the alicorn filly.
"You're about to find out!" a boom exploded from inside the Brighthouse, a massive hole in the wall where Sunny, Hitch and Izzy had stood. Their bodies lay amongst the rubble, many rushing from town to see what the commotion was.
"Gaze upon me, Maretime Bay! For I am Cozy Glow! Your one and only alicorn princess! Bow to me, or face my wrath!" Cozy Glow lit her horn threateningly, those that had arrived to help stopped in their tracks, bowing out of fear. Cozy blasted them anyway, flying into town and wreaking havoc.
It was not long after that she teleported to Zephyr Heights, straight to the palace throne room. Lucky for her, the princesses and the Queen were right where she needed them. Cozy readied her horn as guards came at her, blasting them away from her as she stepped menacingly towards the royal family.
"I'm here to take over. Pipp, livestream will you? This is something that should be seen by all." Cozy stated, a wicked grin contorting her face. Pipp shook as she took out her phone and went live. Cozy snatched the phone from her, magically chaining up the family behind her.
"Hello Zephyr Heights! As you can see, your royal family is a bit... tied up at the moment. Obviously, that's my doing! I'm taking over as your queen, effective immediately! Resistance is futile~! See what happened to these guards? The rest of Equestria is next!" the live stream ended, the phone being tossed back to Pipp.
Havoc, chaos, and death descended upon Equestria. Cozy Glow freed Tirek and Chrysallis with ease, the three taking over the subservient land of Equestria once more.
No pony would bring them down this time.
Fate decided that Equestria shall fall.