//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Grasping for Hope // by Haoryu Changer //------------------------------// A small figure flew across the night sky. “If yer lookin’ for someone that could help, that home on the top of that hill there has a pony in it. One with a horn if I recall correctly.” The words Spike heard minutes ago rang in his head. He hoped the deer didn’t pull a fast one on him. He stared at the two-story house in the distance. Sitting on top of a hill, it was an ordinary brick home with a chimney. Colorful potted flowers sat on the window sills outside. Beside the front door were two bushes. The lights were on, and the chimney allowed smoke to escape. It was definitely occupated. Spike landed at the front of the building. He was moments away from knocking when he heard a particular sound. It was a pleasant noise, as the strings of a violin usually were. The one playing knew how to craft a piece. It was energetic yet controlled. It felt that something could burst out at any moment and cause chaos. Methodic as it was, he was almost entranced enough to forget to knock. Clearing his throat, he knocked on the door. The music stopped, and he heard tiny hoof steps approaching afterward. A twist of the knob later, and he met the face of Cozy Glow. Putting on a shocked look, he blurted out, “Cozy Glow? What are you doing here?” She, like him, looked surprised to see him, staring him up and down. “So far outside of Equestria and you’re asking me that question?” After another quick look at him, her surprised look turned into seriousness. Spike took notice of her magic once she grabbed him with it, pulling him inside and shutting the door. He landed in the middle of the room on his back. Luckily, the cyan backpack he wore cushioned his fall. “What are you doing here?” she asked him. It sounded more like a demand. Spike looked up at her, his eyes softening. He sighed. “Looking for help.” “Help for what?” she asked. “Help for Equestria.” She opened her mouth, ready for another quick reply, but shut it. “It’s… a long story,” Spike said, getting off the ground. Cozy stared at him for a few seconds. She didn’t sense any dishonesty from Spike. Sighing, she gestured to the other room with her head. Spike followed Cozy Glow into the next room. He immediately recognized it as the kitchen. “Want a drink?” she asked. “That would be nice.” Spike sat at the small table of four, waiting in front of the kitchen. Seconds later, Cozy sat opposite him, placing two glasses of water on the table. “This is a nice and quiet village you have here.” Cozy nodded. “And that song was beautiful.” Her eyes widened for a moment. She had no idea people could hear from outside. “T-thanks,” she said, taking a sip of her water using scarlet magic to hold the glass. The last time he saw her, she was an ordinary pegasus. Seeing her use magic was so bewildering. “So, you were saying? Equestria is in danger or something?” “That’s putting it lightly.” Spike’s small smile vanished. “I fled Equestria. And I’m here searching for help.” She nodded in understanding. “I thought Chrysalis and Tirek would have been the final threat you guys faced. At least for a while anyway. It should have scared the other villains away.” “Yeah, we thought so too.” He gave out a sad sigh. “Unfortunately, we didn’t see it coming.” He then looked at her, staring into her scarlet eyes, interested in her reaction to what he had to say. “Speaking of Chrysalis and Tirek, they were actually helping us this time.” Cozy’s jaw dropped. “What?” Spike nodded. “We were really desperate. Chrysalis reformed during the fight when she found out she still cared for her hive despite what they believed in.” “And did Tirek reform?” He nodded. “You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.” She narrowed her eyes in confusion. He took the signal and smiled. “The Cutie Mark Crusaders.” It only served to make her even more confused. “Long story short, Tirek admired Scootaloo’s determination. Even though she couldn’t fly, she still picked herself up after a fall and still kept moving forward.” Cozy looked deep in thought, racking her brain for all the possibilities. “Well, Tirek did admire strength. I guess seeing someone able to keep going despite their strength inspired him. It’s a different type of strength to keep pushing yourself.” Spike smiled, remembering those recent memories, before it also disappeared when the next set of them came to fruition. “They… also got defeated.” Coming out of her thoughts, she turned to him again, her expression unreadable. “We didn’t even know until it was too late,” Spike said with a shake of his head. Cozy raised a brow at him, leaning a bit closer. “How did Twilight lose?” He sighed. “He targeted Twilight’s biggest weakness.” Thinking for a moment, Cozy came to a conclusion. “Her friends.” Spike nodded with a frown. “There are two of them. One called herself Nylar, the Rogue Spirit. The other was Antlerius, the Lost Judge. They’re both powerful creatures from beyond Equestria.” “Hm.” Cozy furrowed her brows. “Never heard of them.” “No one did. That’s why they threw everyone off guard. Fluttershy was the first. She thought they were innocent majestic creatures before the two of them sucked her and Discord into the Space Between Worlds.” She dropped her glass on the table. “Wait, hold up. Space Between Worlds?” Cozy asked. “Yeah. That’s what Starswirl told us anyway. They have the seal to that place, and while both of them are still tough as is, that’s how they were able to sneak around undetected. One by one, our friends and anyone else unlucky enough were sent there.” Spike’s voice was getting shaky, and he took a second to take a big gulp of water. Taking a deep breath, he continued. “It was too late when Twilight and I caught wind of what was happening. Rainbow Dash managed to get to the throne room and warm us, but at that exact moment she was captured too. We were running out of options, so Twilight asked Tirek and Chrysalis for help. Offering them their freedom.” Spike sighed and rested his forehead on his hands. “Twilight managed to hold them off, but it only slowed the process down. They just defeated her in battle and captured her too. I don’t even know where to begin in trying to save everyone.” He lifted his head, eyes pointed at Cozy Glow with a shimmer of hope. “Maybe you have something in mind?” Cozy’s unreadable expression turned firm. “I’m sorry, Spike. I’m not a hero.” “You don’t need to be a hero to do the right thing,” Spike said. “I left all of that behind. Equestria means nothing to me now. I’ve given up on it.” Spike raised his brows. “What do you mean?” Cozy closed her mouth, choosing not to reply. “In fact, why didn’t you attack Canterlot with Chrysalis and Tirek? They were really mad when you were nowhere to be found.” She shrugged. “I had my reasons.” Spike stared at her for a second and left it at that. He wanted to push forward, but didn't wish to make her angry. The awkward sounds of kitchen ambiance filled the room as Spike kicked his legs back and forth in a lack of patience. On the other side of the table, the calculating filly seemed lost, deep in her thoughts. He didn’t know if that was dangerous or not. “So how is this village?” he asked, eager to slice the silence. Cozy perked up. “Hm? Oh, this village isn’t bad. No one wants to be your friend but no one is out to get you either.” “That’s nice I suppose. A decent middle ground.” “Yeah.” “It sounds to me like you picked that on purpose.” Cozy lifted her gaze. He was staring at her with accusation. “Might of been,” was all she said. Spike’s expression softened. He expected Cozy to be more… challenging to talk to. “You said you weren’t a hero, but will you really turn a blind eye like that? You have the power to save everyone. Including your old friends.” Cozy rolled her eyes, saying bluntly, “They never considered me a friend.” “And how do you know that?” Spike retorted. “Even if they didn’t think so before, they’ve turned a new leaf. They think about things differently now. Both of them probably miss you.” She chuckled softly, shaking her head. “At most I was annoying to them.” “Are you sure?” “Well, compared to them I was just a regular boring filly.” “Yet they shared Grogar’s magic with you.” Cozy blinked. Why did they do that? They could have used the bell on themselves and ignored her protests. There was nothing she could have done if they chose that path. It was the logical route as well. They would have gotten a little more power to top themselves off. The entire state of the world could have changed from that choice alone. But instead, they treated her as an equal. “I guess…” But when did that start happening? Was it when the three of them worked together to acquire the bell? Or was it when they infiltrated Canterlot Castle? Sure, she helped out, but that was when they needed her. Chrysalis didn’t need her to hide the bell. Tirek didn’t need her to start the spell to activate it. The moment they had their hooves on the Bewitching Bell, her role wasn’t needed. Surely they saw that, right? Sure, they weren’t geniuses, but they weren’t numbskulls either. That could only mean they trusted her. “I guess they did.” Looking up, she saw Spike giving a warm smile at her. Still, her frown held firm. She got up from her seat and said, “I’ve got some errands to run. You can stay here if you’d like.” She then made her way out the room. “I can help,” Spike said, hopping out of his chair and chasing her to the living room. “No.” Cozy turned to him with a stern look. “I’m fine.” Spike raised his claws in defeat, and she left without another word. Once she was out, he sighed and walked to the front window. Taking a seat on it, he stared outside as the sun moved to its peak at the pace of a snail. It was taunting him. He wished Twilight was still kicking so she could make it night already. His body felt pretty tired from all the flying. A nap may suffice. Getting comfy, he drifted off to a slumber. A couple hours later, Cozy Glow entered through the front door with a couple of baskets. Spike opened his eyes and yawned. Cozy Glow stared at him for a second before shutting the front door. Using her magic, she carried the baskets to the kitchen. Curious, Spike followed her to the kitchen and watched as she took out what looked like groceries. At first, he thought she would make dinner, but then she pulled out smaller containers of steaming apple oats. “Want some?” she asked when she noticed him staring. “I don’t have any gems though.” Spike smiled. “Still better than eating last minute evacuation food.” The two ate in complete silence, the only thing said was Cozy giving him permission to stay the night. Spike took the offer with a grateful smile, not having slept under a warm roof in quite a while. After that meal, the sky was getting darker. Cozy headed upstairs for bed while Spike took the couch. He laid still for a good while, thinking about the future of Equestria. He wondered how Twilight and their friends were holding up, hoping they were alright. After pondering for some time, his mind came across Cozy Glow. That filly fascinated him. She acted nothing like other foals their age. He could say she was more mature than a lot of adults. She was able to live on her own without supervision just fine. Even Twilight would struggle to do such a thing without him around. But their lives were different, he supposed. Some time passed until he fell asleep again after what seemed like an hour. That nap he had made it challenging. Thankfully, he was still able to nod off. It was all peaceful and quiet in the middle of the night. Spike’s slumber was going just fine, all until he got disturbed by some unknown noise. He woke up with some groaning, sitting up and looking around with a perked eyebrow. The sharp noise wasn’t coming from outside. No, he could detect it coming from upstairs. He wondered what Cozy was doing up there. Stretching, he sat still for a while as the noises continued. It sounded like when Twilight would be practicing some new spell, except he didn't hear any magic. There was a lot of banging.  With no sign of it stopping any time soon, curiosity got the better of him in a minute. Before he knew it, he was making his way up the stairs to the second floor. Of the three rooms on the second floor, only one was lit. He made his way to the slightly-opened bedroom door and peeked through the gap. The first thing apparent was the complete mess in the room. All around, broken pieces of items lay about. Furniture, a night lamp, even a vase wasn’t spared. In the middle of the disaster, Cozy Glow stood wobbling a tad. When she turned, he immediately saw the bags under her eyes. She looked exhausted. “They don’t need me…” he heard her murmur. She took a couple of steps forward, almost tripping and landing flat on her face before quickly catching herself.  Spike’s eyes widened in complete shock as she lit her horn and brought something up to her lips. “...Better off without me,” she slurred. Spike entered the room without hesitation. Cozy turned to him after a slow response time, not startled. “Cozy!” he yelled in shock. “Were you- Are you drinking?!” “Yeah!” she hiccuped. “He wouldn’t shuddup!” As soon as she said that, she went for another drink from the glass bottle. His shocked look turned into a glare. Reaching forward with a glowing claw, he yanked the bottle out of her grasp with green magic. “You shouldn’t be drinking!” She groaned for a moment. “Sooooo what? You’re not-” she stopped the half-finished sentence with a burp. Looking up at her horn, Spike saw a ring around its base. It must be dampening her magic. He deduced it was a precaution. Frowning, he walked up to her side and helped her across the room. “Time for bed.” Gritting her teeth, she yelled, “Shut up, Sky!” A second later, she tried pulling herself away from Spike. “Hey, screw you, asshole! D’you juzz toush every filly you see?!” Spike ignored her. “Why d’you care? Nooo one cares!” He eased her onto the princess-sized bed, laying her down as gently as he could. “Go to sleep, Cozy,” he said. She shifted in place before closing her eyes and saying at the bottom of her breath, “Mmmmm… Kay...” Despite how wrong this was, he couldn’t help but think that was cute. It was silent for about a minute. All Spike needed to do was make sure she was asleep before leaving for the couch. Out of all the things he could have expected to see today, seeing a filly drink alcohol was not one of them. She opened her eyes, grabbing his attention. “Do youu hade me? Everyone hates me.” Freezing up, Spike didn’t know how to respond to that. It was in a much softer tone as well. “I’m sorry,” she continued. “I di’in mean t’ make you mad, I juzz wanted magic gone. Magic fuckin’ sucks.” Cozy Glow began to close her eyes again, moments from falling asleep. Spike took this time to glance at the near empty bottle, and right at the front of it was a shocking ninety percent alcohol label. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that she would be dead by now if it weren’t for the fact she was an alicorn. But as sad as it was, maybe that was the point. They were around the same age, but the drink would barely affect him because he was a dragon with a high-temperature body. According to Twilight, it was the heat in his stomach acid or something like that. His train of thought stopped once her peaceful snores filled his ears. It was almost manipulative. Leaning forward, he draped the accompanying blanket over her. With slow steps, he walked out of the bedroom, holding the nasty beverage tight. Closing the door, he allowed Cozy Glow to sleep in peace. The sun’s rays peered through the curtains of the bedroom. Like a magical scanner, the rays between the curtains changed angles as the glowing orb rose from the horizon. It took a while, but eventually, the light found its way right into Cozy’s resting face. Scrunching her eyelids, Cozy Glow groaned and turned to face the other side of her room. Unfortunately, at this point she was already awake. At least the throbbing in her head were only mere whispers now. She would describe it more like an ant was trying to grab her attention. She couldn’t even make out what they were saying. Groaning again, she laid on her back and rubbed her eyes with both hooves. Just then, an odd but delightful scent entered her nostrils. It was Spike no doubt, she thought. Sighing, she kicked off her covers and sat up straight. She couldn’t remember anything from last night after she downed the first couple of bottles. Looking to the corner of her room, the glass shards were still littered in a group. Did Spike wake up last night? She couldn’t remember. She didn’t care to remember. If he saw her in such a terrible state, so what? It was none of his business. Well, she had to admit she'd rather keep some things a secret. No one had ever been around to tell her if she was talkative while drunk. She hoped she wasn’t. She grabbed the ring around her horn with both hooves and pulled it off with little struggle. Then she tossed it to the side of her bed. Rubbing her head, she left the comfort of her bed and exited her room. The sweet smell in the air only got more discernible. When she got to the kitchen, Spike was quick at work, hovering in the air using his wings. He turned to her with a small smile. “Morning!” Cozy stared at him for a flat second. “Morning.” Her tone was dull. “You’re just in time! The pancakes are ready.” She didn’t want to ask how long it took him to find all the ingredients. His voice was already making her head pound enough. While Spike set the plates of double-stacked pancakes on the table, Cozy sat in one of the chairs. The first thing to surprise her today was Spike taking the seat to her left, sitting closer to her than yesterday. A few seconds went by as he placed a fork and knife in front of Cozy and himself. By the way he did it slowly, one utensil at a time, she knew he was stalling. “So, um…” he began. “About last night.” She was about to use a smart remark. Something along the lines of, “What about last night?” Instead, she paused before doing so, thinking maybe she was giving him a hard time while she was blackout drunk. “Yeah… Sorry,” she said. “I don’t even remember what hap-” “How long have you been drinking for?” His tone was stern. When she looked at him, he stared back with a scolding look like a parent or sibling would give. Frowning and furrowing her brows, she replied, deciding to use a smart remark this time. “Does it matter?” This time, Spike blinked and turned quiet. When he thought about it, she was right. It didn’t matter how far back this problem began. “Well, do you have an idea of why you started?” Cozy rolled her eyes. “It’s none of your business.” What surprised Spike more was her flat tone. Maybe the hangover was the reason. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said, digging into his pancakes. Cozy kept her quiet frown for a second. Then, she picked up the fork with her magic and followed suit. “You can’t win me over with food,” she said, remembering why he was here in the first place. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His tone was playful. She ignored it, swallowing her first mouthful. “These pancakes are good.” Spike smiled. “Thanks. Breakfast fit for a princess.” Cozy Glow didn’t reply to that. “Do you usually have good breakfast?” he asked. “Yeah, I mean…” She took another bite and quickly swallowed. “When you have something good made for you it feels nice, ya know?” Spike chuckled. “I hear ya. The Canterlot Castle chefs sure have the magic touch. But I’ve been Twilight’s assistant for the longest time so I know my way around the kitchen too. Do you make your own breakfast?” “Every day. I can make my own stuff too. Yesterday I was feeling lazy.” “Is that the reason you wanted to be Empress?” Cozy went silent, staring at him for a moment. Her expression was unreadable. Spike thought for a second that Cozy was about to pounce on him then and there. But a second later, she’s staring at her plate in deep thought. It seemed to be a bad thing to mention. “S-sorry…” Cozy nodded. “It’s fine.” Awkwardness seemed to be the most popular between the two of them. It feels like that’s all it’s ever been since Spike arrived. The two ate in silence, both enjoying the breakfast. After they finished, Cozy levitated their dishes to the kitchen sink. When Spike went over and started cleaning them, she said, “You can stop trying to convince me to come.” “It’s just common courtesy,” Spike replied with a smile. “As a guest I should at least help out. But right after this I’ll be heading out.” Cozy stared at him for a moment. Clenching her teeth under her closed mouth, she hovered beside Spike and started assisting him. “I meant that I’ve already decided to come.” Spike nearly dropped the plate he was scrubbing. “W-what? Really?” “Yeah, well…” She took a fork and ran it under the water. “I might as well stretch my wings a little. I’ve been in this village longer than I would like to be. And despite what I said…” Her expression turned soft. “I do appreciate you taking care of me last night and making me breakfast.” “It was nothing,” Spike said. “I just did what I thought was right I guess.” He stared at her as she washed a butter knife. “That still doesn’t seem like a good enough reason.” She sighed, putting the knife in the draining board. “I was… thinking. Last night before I started drinking, I mean. You were right about turning a blind eye. Even if I put all of that behind me, I couldn’t just abandon an entire country when I could help. It’s just… would they even want to be saved by me?” Spike raised a brow. “What kind of question is that? Of course they would! They’d be grateful!” “Or suspicious,” Cozy retorted. “They’d probably think I only saved them for the reward or to get on their good side.” “Come on, Cozy! You know Twilight! She’d be the one to give you a chance even if no one else would.” She turned to him with a frown. “Is that why she didn’t even bother to try after I was sent to Tartarus?” Spike went silent. Unable to come up with something to say to that. She sighed. “Forget it. But after we save them, I’m coming back here.” She received a sad look from Spike as she walked off to head upstairs. However, before leaving the kitchen, she turned to him again. “Sorry if I sound unsympathetic, but according to what you said, no one's in danger so we can take our time heading back. What are those guys even doing there?” “They said it was their birthright to rule Equestria. They were going to ‘transform’ it. Whatever that means. Anyway, I don’t want to dilly dally. Our friends need our help.” “Your friends,” Cozy corrected. “And it’s not ‘dilly dallying.’ We wouldn’t be doing the world a favor if we tried to save Equestria while exhausted.” Spike stiffened before nodding. “I-I guess so.” Her features softened, knowing he was worried about everyone he loved. It was understandable, but she said nothing more about the matter. Hovering to the floor, she began walking to the kitchen exit. “I’ll go pack some things. It wasn’t the healthiest breakfast before a journey, but thank you.” “No problem.” Spike watched her leave. He was happy that her thanks were genuine. Finishing the last of the dishes, he went to the bag he left in the living room. Rummaging through it, he devised a mental list of things they would need during their journey back. Just then, he felt a very familiar hot sensation in his stomach. Seconds later, he burped out what seemed to be a makeshift scroll. It was a different material instead of a professional royal scroll like usual. His heart jumped as he recognized this material, one Rarity often used with her clothes. But why would Celestia send him a message through this? But then, a thought occurred to him. During the initial attack, Twilight sent a letter to the former Princesses asking for their help. But they never managed to get a reply. Picking up the fabric scroll, he unrolled it. Dear Spike, This is Twilight Sparkle from the Space Between Worlds. Magic is scarce here, and by using the last of our combined magic, Celestia managed to send this letter to you. We don’t even know if it will work, but there’s nothing else we can try. If you get this message, it may be the last one we can send. I’m writing to wish you good luck. I wish we could do more from here, but unfortunately, even Discord is powerless at this point. I want to let you know that even if you can’t find a way to free us and save Equestria, I don’t want you to be hard on yourself. You’ve made me so proud, Spike. But I believe in you. So try your best to stay well. Love, Twilight Sparkle There were a few more signatures of the rest of his friends at the bottom, including Celestia, Luna, and even Discord. This grip on the letter tightened a bit. He started to shake a little bit and almost collapsed. With a deep breath, he composed himself. It wasn’t time to get emotional. He had to stay focused and determined if they were going to succeed. Rolling it back up, he put the letter inside his backpack before zipping it closed. Just then, Cozy Glow entered the fray. Spike stared at her, who now had on a light-purple saddlebag with a pink heart in the middle. He recognized it as the same one from when she attended the School of Friendship. What Spike stared at more was the light-yellow chestplate that matched the bows on her mane and tail. “Oh, this?” Cozy looked down at her chest plate before shrugging. “It came with the alicorn magic. Decided to put it on if I’m going to fight.” Spike widened his eyes. “Fight? Cozy, forgot to tell you, but Twilight lost to them. Tirek and Chrysalis also lost to them. We can’t fight them!” “Uh, how strong were they?” She asked with seriousness. Spike blinked. “Oh, I don’t know, strong enough to take down all of the defenders of Equestria?” he said, looking at her as if she had said the stupidest thing. “Hm.” Cozy rubbed her chin. “How would you compare Tirek and Chrysalis when they fought them to when they first attacked Canterlot together?” Spike raised a finger, ready to answer but pausing before he did. Taking a second to think, he said, “I would say about the same strength. Maybe even stronger with how Chrysalis reformed and Tirek kept lifting.” “So about the same then?” Cozy asked herself. “How close was the fight?” Spike shrugged. “They held their own. They lost more so because Nylar and Antlerius had really good teamwork. Plus once they used the changelings as hostages against Chrysalis she was captured pretty quickly.” Cozy hummed to herself for a second. “Alright, so I know how we’re going to do this.” As she began walking towards the door, Spike smiled. “You do?!” “Remember that spell I used to try and drain all the magic?” He nodded. “I can focus it on the seal. Which should free everyone from that world.” Spike’s eyes widened. “That could work, but those two wouldn’t let us do that.” “That’s why I’ll be holding them off,” Cozy explained. “Once the spell is started you only have to make sure nothing interrupts it. That’ll be your job.” He frowned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Cozy. They are pretty tough.” Cozy Glow replied with an uncaring shrug. “We’ll see, but let’s get going.” Spike stood there, unsure of all of this. But Cozy seemed pretty confident. If there was one thing he knew about her, she was an intelligent calculator. She wouldn’t be stupid enough to rush in just to be defeated. That confidence had to have come from somewhere. Although, there was one thing that came to mind that he had to ask. “Are you drunk?” Taking in his words, Cozy put on a look of offence and rolled her eyes. “Do I sound drunk to you?” “Well, seeing as you’re not slurring half your words… I guess not.” A slight blush appeared on Cozy Glow’s pink cheeks. She looked shocked as well. It seemed she wasn’t aware of how she spoke while drunk. Sighing, she turned to the exit of her home and said, “Let’s go.” The former ruler of Equestria fell to her knees, panting and sweating. “Celestia!” Twilight yelled, running to her side and helping her up. “I’m fine,” the white, tall alicorn said. “That took a lot out of me.” They stood in a contained space. It was a void filled with stardust everywhere, making it bright. All around, various creatures lounged, either bored out of their minds or worried. It had been a week for some and longer for others. Thankfully, time seemed to stop for them. They didn't need rest or food. Everyone was fine as long as that was true. Celestia turned to two others, a centaur and a changeling. “Thank you for helping us reach Spike.” The buff Tirek nodded without a sound. A tall, reformed, light-blue changeling with beautiful wings did the same. Together, they all raised their heads at the floating magical orb, which showed Spike as he closed his bag. A second later, Cozy Glow, who shocked them all yesterday, entered the fray.