“Oh, golly, yes!”
Like in her head, Sky Shard’s voice was a higher pitch than normal. It is so sharp and spine-chilling, eating at her ears to make them bleed.
“I finally have a body again!” he said with glee. “And I’m an alicorn!? This is the best day ever!”
He looked over himself, snapping his sparkling eyes to his large wings and horn as he twisted around.
Cozy sat there unmoving. She didn’t even realize she was holding her breath; she was too focused on the overjoyous colt.
Like when he was alive, he had that same slick candy-blue tail and mane that flicked upward. His eyes were a darker shade of blue, and he looked as innocent as ever.
But she knew too well what he truly was.
Suddenly, Sky Shard turned to her, making her flinch.
“Isn’t this great, Cozy?! Now we can have so much fun!”
She didn’t even have time to reply because he turned to the other two present right after saying that. Antlerius and Nylar gazed at him with wide, confused eyes.
Waving at them, he yelled, “Thanks, you two! Now we can play forever and ever!”
He put a hoof to his chin abruptly, humming out in thought. “Everypony else is still trapped.” He smiled wide. “But hey! At least I have you two to play with until they get here!”
Without warning, he dashed forward.
Before either had time to react, Sky shot Antlerius point-blank with a dark blue magic blast.
Nylar widened her eyes at seeing her friend’s body blasting away.
“Magic is way too fun!” Sky yelled out.
Gritting her teeth, she raised her tails before she got blasted, too.
With an insane look in his eye and a burst of laughter to pair with it, Sky chased after them.
Cozy watched in absolute fear as her friend made chase. Shutting her eyes tight, she inwardly cursed everything that existed.
Antlerius and Nylar both fired beams at Sky. The young pony didn’t seem inclined to cease and have a chat any time soon.
Laughing without a thought in the world, Sky charged magic through his horn and shot his blue beam. It pushed their combined magic without much issue.
The two dashed to the side to avoid the incoming attack, although Antlerius still got shoved at a bad angle due to the force. He groaned when he landed on one of his legs awkwardly, sparking more pain than normal.
Nylar charged at Sky Shard. Using her tails, she tried to grab him.
“Woah! Watch where you swing those things,” he said, looking shocked as he flew around to avoid them.
Using his magic, he gripped Nylar’s tails and pulled her over his head, slamming her to the earth.
Nylar groaned from the pain. She grew tired of having to pick herself off the ground.
A sharp pain appeared in her tails, forcing a scream out.
Sobbing a single time, Nylar looked back to see three of her tails broken, looking as if someone stepped on a twig in a forest.
Clenching her jaw, she merged all of her tails back into one. Her sole tail wasn’t fully repaired, but it was better than nothing.
Sky lit his horn, and a large hammer in his blue magic appeared above Nylar.
He laughed like he heard the funniest joke as Nylar looked up in shock. Then, he slammed the hammer down on her repeatedly, her cries and gasps ringing the area as she was squished between hardened magic and rocky grounds.
Antlerius picked himself up, staring in horror at the insanity before him. He was focused on Nylar’s torment, seeing all of the injuries piling up on her body, and it gave him pure rage.
Charging crackling magic in his antlers, he fired a beam at the small foal.
Sky cast the same mirror Cozy used against him earlier without turning to him, and his magic was sent back at him.
Unable to dodge due to his hurt leg, he took his beam head-on.
As Antlerius crashed further away from them, Sky continued to slam Nylar deeper into the ground over and over with a big grin on his face. He danced on his hooves as he did so, enjoying every second that passed.
After what seemed like forever, he spun her around with his magic and threw her using the momentum, sending her into some debris.
Despite his injured leg, Antlerius leaped out of a destroyed hotel and charged at Sky Shard with hatred spewing from his eyes. His antlers aglow, he went forth.
Sky answered with a glowing horn of his own.
They clashed, shaking the lands around them.
Using the mass advantage, the adult drew his head upward, bringing the very light-weighted Sky up before slamming him to the ground and pinning him.
Panting heavily, Antlerius said, “You’re much too dangerous to stay alive.”
Using every last bit of energy he could muster, he charged magic into his antlers and fired point-blank.
Sky’s pupils sparkled as he stared at the fancy glowing sticks.
The explosion caused a large smokescreen and crater. When the smoke faded, Antlerius gasped when Sky was completely unharmed, a protective magical layer surrounding his fur.
Gritting his teeth, Antlerius took one shaky step forward.
Sky’s blue magic grabbed his head and slammed it into a nearby wall.
He laughed with insanity and didn’t hold any mercy as he continuously smashed Antlerius’ skull against hard concrete. There wasn’t the slightest hint of slowing down.
Out of nowhere, Sky got blasted away by scarlet magic.
With one eye closed and the other barely open, Antlerius looked at Cozy Glow with confusion.
“Take your friend and get out of here!” she yelled, “Canterlot won’t be standing for very long!”
With a flap of her wings, she chased Sky Shard. Antlerius didn’t even have the chance to ask her a single question.
At where he crash landed, Sky blasted off some rubble that was on top of him.
Shaking the dust off his fur, he turned to Cozy, who just caught up to him. “Uh, hello?! Same team?! What do you think you’re doing?”
“Stopping you from killing him. I’m not going to let you become a murderer.”
Sky scoffed. “I wasn’t killing him. He was just fine!”
“Whatever. Come on, we’re leaving,” she ordered, pulling on his foreleg with her magic.
“Wha- to that boring old shack you call a home in the middle of nowhere?! Fuck no!” He pulled back sharply, dissipating the magic grasp with little to no effort.
Cozy glared at him. “I’m not going to say it again!”
“No way Cozy Wozy. Look at us! We’re all-powerful!”
Sky Shard took to the sky, extending his arms.
“We’re both super powerful alicorns now! We can play together as long as we want! In minutes, Spike will release everyone, and we’ll have all those ponies and creatures to play with! Equestria will be our sandbox of dreams!”
As Sky finished off with a crazed laugh, Cozy stared up at him, dawning a frustrated look.
“Are you really going to stop your best friend from having fun?”
“I’m not gonna let you be a monster!” Cozy said with an angered stomp, a small burst of magic cracking the ground.
“Who cares?!” he said with a wave of his hoof.
“A-are you serious? Come on, Sky! Stop acting like this!”
He laughed at her. “Oh, come on! Where’s that backbone you had? Was the path you took to get here done by some coward? You learned magic as a pegasus filly for ME! You tricked Princess Twilight for ME! You manipulated the lords and gods all for ME!”
He paused, staring at her with his intense dark blue orbs. “Ah, wait.” His smile turned sad. “You didn’t do it for me. You didn’t want to free me or save me. No. You wanted to shut me up.”
“N-no!” Cozy said with wide eyes. “It isn’t like that! I wanted to fix you!”
“Well, I feel perfect!” Sky said with a much happier smile. “Enough talking! Where did those two go?”
Sky began twisting and turning, looking around the area.
Cozy hardened her look.
“No! We are leaving!” she said.
Sky groaned, rolling his eyes dramatically. “Yeah, fuck that.”
He fired a blue blast at her.
With a shocked expression, Cozy barely managed to duck below it.
“If you’re not going to let me play with them, then we can just play instead. All you had to do was ask if you wanted your turn. Yeesh!” He dropped to the ground, beginning to stretch a foreleg. “Alright, give me a sec. You got your stretches in. I need a stretch, too!”
“I don’t want to fight you, Sky!” Cozy yelled with a look that was in between firm and pleading.
“And what are we going to do instead? Play a stupid board game? Oh, I know! We’ll play annoying instruments even though we fucking suck!”
He started laughing as Cozy frowned.
With resolute steps, she approached and grabbed his hoof.
“We’re leaving! NOW!”
She received a blank look before getting blasted away into a nearby pile of debris. With a groan, she stood up. It didn’t occur to her until now, but that was the first sort of physical pain she’d endured for a good while.
“I was watching you fight those other two guys. That looked fun! But hey, if you want to play first, that’s fine with me too!” With a large smile, Sky dashed towards Cozy. His horn projected itself larger, just like she had done before.
She gritted her teeth and used the same spell, clashing horns with Sky.
He could use the spells she learned. She guessed that happens when you live in someone’s consciousness. But it didn’t explain how he was an alicorn, to begin with.
She deflected his horn, saying, “We can do this somewhere else! I’ll play with you all you want, but let’s leave!”
Sky shook his head. “Cozy, I love ya, but I need more options in my life.” He charged at her head-first once again.
Cozy teleported away before he reached her. When she reappeared, she was high in the air.
“We’re not hurting anyone, Sky Shard!” she yelled.
He turned to her with a smile. “I thought you wanted to rule, silly!”
“I did!” Cozy replied, putting a hoof on her chest. “I thought if I made enough friends, I would have enough power to save you. But I was wrong. I didn’t know how friendship worked, and I ended up more alone than ever!”
Sky continued to give her his brightest smile. “But you’re not alone! You have me!” he said merrily. “Everypony watched as a filly was being thrown into madness. Nopony lifted a hoof, a talon—” His smile widened.
“—a claw!”
He took a step forward. “Even Twilight, the Princess of Friendship, did fuck all to help you. But I was always willing to be the one and only friend you would ever need! Face it, Cozy. The world hates our guts. So fuck it! We’ll do whatever we want!”
At that, Cozy sighed. He was right. If they teamed up right now to turn all of Equestria into their playhouse, nothing could stand up to them. They could make the world pay for how it treated them.
But it wasn’t her desire for revenge. She didn’t wish to be evil and greedy or insane like him.
She couldn’t blame the entire world, even after how her life turned out. A few souls, maybe, but she wanted Equestria and the rest of the world to thrive.
“The world hates me?” she smiled, chuckling at the thought. If the world hates her, it sure did a bad job at doing so. “So be it.”
Turning to her friend, she dawned a determined look.
“But I’m not going to let you turn it into ruin.”
Sky rolled his eyes, whining, “Shut up.” He fired a sole missile at her, making her dodge midair. “Stop being annoying and boring. Let’s play!”
Cozy hopped to the side to avoid another magic blast. Grunting, she sidestepped a couple more before flying away.
Laughing, Sky said, “Let’s try another one of those fun spells!” He flew and took pursuit. Lighting his horn, he shot a large beam.
The beam missed Cozy, but when it passed her, it exploded in a beautiful light show akin to fireworks.
Cozy gritted her teeth at the display. But if there was something she was glad about, it was his focus on her. She intended to keep it that way.
“Catch me if you can!” she yelled, flying faster.
Sky’s giant grin widened further, and he chased after her with a great flap of his wings.
Cozy Glow dodged all of his magic fireworks. The lights lit up the area every second before fading away.
It was easy to dodge his attacks. He always aimed for where she was, just like everyone seemed to do.
Cozy was shocked when she looked back and saw he was keeping up with her. Sky was never the fastest flyer. He never aspired to be swift. Was that another effect of being inside her mind? He could use the spells she learned with alicorn magic and now fly as well as her. It was starting to fill her with dread.
One magic beam traveled faster than the previous ones, catching Cozy Glow off guard. Thankfully, her reaction time was nothing to scoff at. She descended and landed on the ground to avoid it, skidding to a halt.
Sky stopped in front of her, charging magic through his horn.
“We could throw mountains if we wanted!” he said with excitement. “And I think if both of us aimed at the core, we could blow up the planet!”
He paused, looking down at the ground and tilting his head.
Grinning ear to ear, he snapped his gaze back to Cozy, asking, “Wanna try?”
Cozy Glow took a wide stance, pulling power through her horn, ready for anything. She had to anticipate everything from Sky in front of her.
Suddenly, something in the corner of Sky’s vision caught his attention. He went wide-eyed with a bright smile.
“Gasp! Our playmates!”
Cozy’s stomach dropped as Sky dashed to Antlerius, who was limping with a weakened Nylar on his back.
Clenching her jaw, she pursued him.
They looked on with despair as Sky flew high above them, loading massive magic into his horn.
With laughter, he fired a decently sized magic beam at the two.
Antlerius stood straight with pride. However, as he tried to conjure magic, he winced when a sharp rush of pain shot through him.
Before the beam made contact, Cozy teleported in front of them and used the magic mirror spell, deflecting the beam right back up at Sky.
Before Sky could say anything, his beam sent him flying. His loud laughter echoed in the air as he ascended far away.
Without a word, Cozy teleported the two adults away.
When they reappeared, they were somewhere unfamiliar.
Antlerius looked around, seeing the seal in the middle of a large map table. Surrounding the medallion was sparkling magic and a thread of green magic connected to it. He followed the thread to find out who it was coming from.
Spike blinked, his mouth slightly agape. Antlerius and Nylar teleported in with Cozy’s red magic and were injured beyond belief. Something was off about this, he thought. It didn’t stop him from glaring at them as he stopped pouring magic into Cozy Glow’s draining spell. Tightening his fist, he took a step forward.
“We can travel the world!” Cozy yelled as she went sideways to evade another blast. “See everything beyond Equestria!”
Sky mimicked the sound of a buzzer. “Bor-ing! All the fun is right here!”
“We don’t have to play here, Sky. The world is huge!”
“And it’ll be waiting for us after Equestria, like all toys, eventually breaks!” With a wide grin, he made a giant blue magic hammer.
Gritting her teeth, Cozy conjured her own, and when Sky tried to slam down, she swung upward to stop it.
“What in Tartarus do you want, Sky?!” she yelled, getting frustrated. “Snap out of it! The lives of everyone aren’t our plaything!”
Sky paused, widening his eyes for a split second. “What do I want?” He hummed, putting a hoof to his chin in thought.
He smiled. “Chocolate milk!”
Cozy blinked, completely baffled.
“Oh! And a hay burger. Haven’t had that in a while. Or maybe an ice cream sundae!”
He laughed out loud like it was the best joke he’s told. Looking at Cozy, he had the largest of grins. “But most importantly, to have the best time in the world with my bestest friend!”
Cozy felt her throat turn dry. She gulped it down. “Sky, there are other ways we can have fun! Trust me!”
Sky groaned, rolling his eyes. “It’s always what you want. I never have my way!” He pouted as he floated in the air, crossing his forelegs. “Sorry, Cozy. But today’s my day!”
“‘This world is beautiful.’”
Sky paused, quirking an eyebrow.
“‘Despite magic, life in Equestria continues on. Even though we’re treated horribly, there’s still beauty out there.’ You read that to me Sky Shard! And you used to live by that! Where’s that colt that loves the world?! Where’s the real you?! Where’s Sky Shard, my closest friend?!”
“Right here, silly!” he said with a grin. “Up in arms and ready to play!”
“We don’t need to play! Let’s just talk, Sky!”
“Talking’s boring! Ready or not, here I come!”
Sky dashed towards her with a sparkling horn. If she could keep him distracted long enough, Twilight could gather her friends and easily stop him. She would probably be imprisoned as well, but she’d rather that than let Sky Shard twist the world into something so horrific.
“How did you even become an alicorn?” she asked, aiming to stop him.
Sky widened his eyes, coming to a halt before he reached her. “Oh! Oh! I know that one! That’s easy!”
Sky slammed a magically produced buzzer.
“Grogar’s Bewitching Bell!” he said with certainty.
Cozy widened her eyes, a thought brewing in her head. Was it possible that the magic from the bell didn’t split three ways from the beginning? Could it be that the magic split into four instead? Herself, Tirek, Chrysalis…
Sky Shard inside of her.
It was only a hypothesis, but Sky Shard seemed too insane to lie about it. If he got magic since then, it made sense. It would explain why he was an alicorn with magic as powerful as hers. He wasn’t draining any magic from her when he used it. Nor did she feel like she lost half of her magic when he escaped her body, so it wasn’t from her reserves.
“Did I win?” Sky asked, clapping his hooves fast.
His voice cut off her thoughts, and she stared at him blankly.
Sky suddenly frowned. “I won, right?”
Cozy widened her eyes and nodded. “Yeah, you did!”
Sky perked up with a smile. “Good! The prize better not be a lame stuffed toy or something like that.”
“No, the prize is, uh…” Cozy’s eyes moved as she tried to think of something quickly. Then, an item sprung up in her mind. “Chocolate milk!”
“Chocolate milk?” Sky asked.
Cozy Glow nodded at him. “As much as you want.”
Sky glared at her. “I hate chocolate milk!” He fired another beam at Cozy.
She teleported away, but as soon as she reappeared, Sky teleported behind her, using his magic to conjure a bat.
Cozy gritted her teeth, casting a magic shield around herself. When the bat came swinging, her shield took the hit, but she was sent flying back anyway into some debris.
She gave a frustrated sigh, taking this moment to pause and think thoroughly. Sky wouldn’t be convinced, even about the dumbest of things. He didn’t even seem to understand what she was saying at all! She couldn’t ever convince him when he was stuck in her head. Why would it be any different now?
He was completely unhinged, lacking compassion, remorse, and, above all, logic. Sky Shard was nothing like when he was still alive. If only she knew this would have happened to him. She wouldn’t have learned the revival spell.
No, that was just another excuse for her mistakes. She was too hasty. She didn’t give herself enough time to cope with his death. Like always, she was just a complete, naive fool.
But there was a chance she could still save him. She could turn everything around now that he had a physical form. Her fantasies of them living together in peace could come true. They could play like they used to. This time, without a master that would beat them for the dumbest reasons.
That future was still possible. She just needed more time.
“This might be the jelly talking, but you’re still thinking about Spike, aren’t you?” Sky said out loud, cutting off her thought process. “Cozy, the only one you need is me! ”
Cozy Glow gasped slightly. In all this chaos, she had forgotten about Spike. He could fit into their future, too, of course. The three of them could be the best of friends.
There was a pause of silence. Then a sigh came from Sky. “I never said I wanted to share, so I guess I’ll have to kill him.”
Suddenly, all logic and thinking flew out the window. Cozy’s pupils shrunk in anger.
“Woah!” Sky fumbled as the ground shook for a moment.
With a burst of energy, all of the rubble went flying.
Cozy bursted out of the ground, flying into the air. She glared at Sky with clenched teeth and gave out a battle cry, charging her horn and firing a large beam down at him.
Sky fired one back, their beams clashing and stalling each other.
He grinned gleefully. “That’s more like it!”
Cozy growled, putting more magic into her attack. The source of her frustrations, troubles, and dwindling sanity was right there in front of her. As long as she lived, this version of Sky Shard would not get his hooves on that dragon.
Her beam overpowered him, and he jumped out of the way before it came crashing down on him.
“Alright, I get it! You’re mad I brought up Spike. And maybe threatened to hurt him. But it’s okay! Spike is adorable! He can be our pet!”
Cozy growled, a vein close to popping out.
Sky blinked at her before groaning, “Okay, fine! You can be the pet, and Spike and I will be lovers.”
Cozy opened her mouth to retort, but she had nothing to say. Like a snap, all of her anger was replaced with bewilderment.
Sky blinked at her lack of response. ”...Fine, I’ll be the pet! Fuck!”
Abruptly, Cozy teleported in front of him and blasted him high into the air, Sky laughing as he ascended high.
Flying up, she whipped her head back and forth to fire another large beam at Sky.
Her beam made an impact, pushing him across the skies and into the side of a tall mountain.
While Sky laid in a crater at the side of the mountain, Cozy did a single twirl in the air, creating a large amount of magical energy above her in the shape of a large orb.
The orb created a burst seconds later, sending multiple magic rays to Sky Shard like shooting stars.
He didn’t move a muscle, taking the attack head-on.
Cozy landed at the mountain’s base as Sky fell in front of her on his hooves. He was heavily injured, and one of his wings bent incorrectly.
“I win,” Cozy said in a much softer tone than before. “Let’s go now.”
Her anger was towards this broken version of him. She couldn’t get carried away. As long as magic existed, she could fix him.
Sky blinked once before giving a toothy smile. “Good game! I’m a little fucked up, but that’s fine! That’s why we have this spell!”
Cozy watched, her expression turning to horror as a wave of blue magic washed over him. His injuries got healed instantly. Even his wing was in perfect condition.
Gritting her teeth, Cozy fired a quick blast at him.
Without moving, Sky reflected it with a magic mirror.
She had no time to react before her magic hit her, sending her flying back and hitting the dirt ground on her side.
“And now you can heal up like I did and continue playing! With this spell, we’ll be able to play forever and ever! Well, until we have sleep, that is.” He began charging some magic with a smile. “Then again, it’s only an eight-hour break before the fun starts all over again!”
“She’s incredible.”
Spike stopped, his eyes not leaving the two villains.
“What happened?” he asked, noticing their bruised bodies. “Where’s Cozy Glow?”
Antlerius sighed, not having enough energy to stand up. “She’s currently facing a colt her age. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with that individual.”
Spike froze. “W-what do you mean?”
“I used a spell on her that targeted her mind,” Nylar said with a weak cough.
Spike wrinkled his brows in thought. “That… has to be Sky Shard, I think.”
The two ancients looked at him with confused expressions.
“She mentioned his name once, but I heard all about him from Cozy Glow. He died a long time ago, but when Cozy tried to revive him using a necromancy spell, his soul ended up corrupted.”
“I see,” Nylar nodded. “He must have used my spell to escape. It’s easy to see why he was sealed to begin with. To think that filly was keeping such a monster at bay.”
“No, you’re wrong,” Spike said, frowning. “It was an accident. The spell corrupted him, and he ended up without a physical body inside her mind. He used to be a nice and caring pony.”
“And how do you know that?” Nylar asked.
“Because Cozy told me herself.
“Cozy Glow’s name was spread so far throughout the lands that even the two of us heard about her. She’s a master manipulator, dragon. Do you truly believe a word she says?”
Spike clenched his jaw. “After traveling with her for many moons? Of course, I do.”
“He’s speaking the truth,” Antlerius said, cutting in before Nylar angered Spike further. “I trust that filly as well. She speaks with honesty. If that is what she told you, then I believe her as well. After all, she saved our lives…”
Antlerius slowly started picking himself up, struggling to stop his shaking legs.
Spike stood attentive, watching his every move with bated breath.
“We must free everyone at once,” Antlerius said.
“Do you expect me to believe you mean that?!” Spike yelled.
“Yes. You have to,” Antlerius said in a stronger voice. “If Cozy Glow doesn’t stop him, the world is doomed.”
Cozy did two barrel rolls left and right, dodging a few magic blasts.
She dashed forward, turned with a lit horn, and fired a barrage of magic.
Their magic collided, shaking the entire city.
With his horn enhanced, Sky rushed towards Cozy.
Cozy Glow responded accordingly, projecting her horn bigger and surging with magic.
The two clashed in the air as living swords, producing a powerful shock wave that shook everything around them.
Sky made a downward slice. Even though Cozy blocked it, the powerful push sent her downwards.
Landing on her hooves, she looked up just in time to see a flurry of magic bolts getting too close.
She dashed away, going from a sprint to a fast flight.
Sky’s smile widened as his horn glowed brighter. Multiple, maybe dozens, of magical orbs appeared around him. They looked unstable, ready to explode at any moment.
As Cozy looked back, more kept appearing. Soon, dozens turned into hundreds.
With a shrill laugh, Sky extended his legs, and the magic all began to fire rapidly, one after another.
She gritted her teeth as the large amount of magic descended on her. The first few tried to hit her, and one grazed her side, making her hold in a gasp. Flapping her wings, she maneuvered in the air, using her flying skills to dodge the rest of them.
As she continued to evade Sky’s insane magic rain, it wasn’t slowing down anytime soon. It was like trying to dodge actual raindrops.
Looking forward, she saw an opening in the ground. Narrowing her eyes, she flew and nose dove into the hole, tucking her wings and hooves to her sides and barely escaping incoming magic. Before she hit the bottom, she spread her wings, gliding down a caved-in basement. In these dark caves, she flew through numerous basements. There were many crevices only someone her size could fit through, something she was grateful for.
She exited through an opening up top.
Sky was floating not too far away from her, who seemed caught off guard.
Charging her horn, she shot a quick blast at Sky, sending him barreling into a large statue in the middle of an intersection.
Using her magic, she grabbed several pieces of debris, lifting them into the air. They swirled around her briefly before they came down on Sky, encasing him inside.
“That’s… fine!” Sky said as he struggled to move. “Because all I have to do is hold out. And once you’re tired from doing all that—“
Cozy strained a little, sweating appearing on her forehead.
Using all of his strength and magic, Sky blew away his bonds.
”—then it’s my turn!”
With a large grin, he made his horn glow and rushed towards Cozy Glow. Doing a flip and ending with an overhead slash, he aimed for her.
She responded with her horn, deflecting his attack. But Sky didn’t let up, trying to get a hit while she blocked or dodged all of them. Sparks of their magic flew off and hit the ground, burning it in small proportions.
When Sky stabbed forward for the first time, instead of trying to block, Cozy moved to the side and used this opening to slam him to the ground with a magic hammer.
Sky groaned with a droopy smile. “Man, you were always the better duelist when we used to play back in the day.”
He stood up straight before ascending to the air. His magic surrounded him, healing his minor wounds.
“But now we’re beyond such simple games. We can do so much more now! It’s unbelievable! And it’s all thanks to you, Cozy!”
Cozy heaved a bit, using her magic to heal herself as well.
“Isn’t this so fucking cool?! A climactic battle in a dying world about to be born anew!”
Just then, the first hints of daylight started to appear as the sunrise began.
Sky looked towards it with a glare. “Oh, fuuuck that! A final battle is way cooler in the night!”
Cozy didn’t take her eyes off him while he lowered the sun without hesitation.
After the night was true once more, he continued to speak.
“We were always a couple of noponies,” he said. “No one would have cared if we died, and that never changed. Even Spike is making you think things. He doesn’t give a shit. He just wants his friends back.”
Leaning a bit closer to Cozy, he gave her a sad smile. “We’re nothing. But at least we can be nothing together.”
Cozy took in his words, breathing softly through her nose. “You’re right. I am a nobody.”
Sky’s grin grew a little.
“But does that really matter when I can continue moving forward and live my life? I can become somepony who isn’t nothing. Conquering the world just to play with it isn’t going to do anything. It won’t let us grow. All it’ll do is stall the inevitable.”
Sky raised a brow. “Stall the inevitable what?”
She softened her eyes. “Being alone.”
He blinked at her once before he chuckled. The small chuckle turned into full-blown laughter seconds later, making Cozy Glow frown.
“Lonely?! You’ll have me, and I’ll have you! We’ll never be lonely as long as we’re together!”
Cozy chuckled herself, looking down at the wasteland that was once Canterlot. “That’s where you’re wrong.” She turned back to Sky in front of her, putting on a hardened look. “Because you’re not Sky Shard.”
After another confused look from Sky, Cozy knocked him away without warning using her hammer.
“Take a look at us,” Antlerius said. “We can barely stand.”
Spike loosened his fist a little.
“If it turns out we’re lying, you can easily defeat us and continue rescuing your friends. But if I’m telling the truth and you halt this any further, Equestria could be lost for good.”
Spike crossed his arms. “If Cozy doesn’t stop him.”
“As someone who has fought against her personally, I have more faith in her than you do. But we cannot take a single chance.”
“All we wanted was the best for Equestria,” Nylar said. “I know from your perspective it may not seem that way. But if that insane pony is left to roam free, there won’t be an Equestria left to protect!”
Spike held his arms tight as he contemplated their words. Cozy was the same as them in a way. She wanted to drain all of the magic for Equestria, whether others agreed with her or not. It made her the villain in their minds, but she was the hero of her story.
As much as he hated to think this way, he would be a hypocrite if he didn’t at least give them a chance. Their hurt conditions looked real, and they didn’t seem like the type to pull a sneaky one on him.
The entire area shook, interrupting his thoughts.
Spike looked around in confusion, while the other two looked fearful.
“We must hurry!” Antlerius said before going into a fit of coughs.
Spike stared at him for a moment before giving out a frustrated sigh. Turning around, he aimed his palms at the draining spell and started charging it with his magic again.
Back and forth, the two foals fought. One had a large grin on his face. The other didn’t want to be doing this.
They were near equals as they fired magic at each other, swung their lit horns, or defended themselves.
Whenever either of the two slipped up and got injured, they took a second to cast a healing spell. Nothing made them halt for more than a second, whether it was an injured blue leg, pink wing, colt’s nose, or filly’s eye.
As Cozy dove to Sky, her mind flashed back to the past.
They played tag in an open, bright green field with a few hills. With their wings, it was exhilarating as they chased each other with bright smiles and innocence, giggling at every moment.
“I wonder what it would have been like…” Cozy began to think aloud.
She tackled Sky to the floor with a hard glare, charging her horn with intense magic. Aiming down, she fired, creating a large explosion that quaked everything.
“If we swapped places…”
Her mind flashed to a kitchen. There she stood over a shattered plate as she desperately tried to put it back together. With sweat and tears appearing, she dreaded her owner finding out she had made such a mistake.
Sky Shard came in at just the right time. He looked at the situation for a brief moment before pushing Cozy Glow out of the room. Seconds later, thundering steps entered his ears.
“If I died instead…”
Sky dashed out of the ground while healing himself. He flew high above Canterlot, creating a large sphere of surging magic. It was about half the size of Canterlot’s surface area before he dropped it.
“Maybe things would have been different…”
Cozy peeked into their small, cramped bedroom, gasping at the sight of Sky. Running up to him, she inspected his battered body. She couldn’t stop her throat from burning before she broke down in tears, burying her face in Sky’s neck. He rubbed her back soothingly with the best smile he could muster.
“You would have moved on…”
Cozy used her magic mirror, making it large enough to cover Sky’s giant attack.
When she reflected it, Sky merely laughed, firing a bolt at the sphere and making it explode.
With a flap of her wings, Cozy flew to the waterfall at the side of the mountain, the insane colt following close behind. A cave was on the other side when she passed through. Using this moment of Sky’s blindness, she charged her horn.
“Or maybe you would have succeeded where I failed…”
With twigs in each of their mouths, they swung at each other. She would have to train Sky if he were to become a Royal Guard.
The sparring match lasted a good minute. It ended when Cozy used her branch to knock Sky’s out of his jaw.
Spitting it on the floor, she beamed at him. “I won!”
Sky grinned back. “Let’s go again!”
“You would have made fewer mistakes…”
As Sky barreled through the waterfall, he put on a gleeful smile and put power into his horn.
The two swung at each other, making the cave crumble with their combined power.
“You would have been less of a mistake...”
Cozy sighed. She stared at her destroyed instrument. How long has it been since she started hiding it? Now, it’s gone because it irritated her owner.
Sky, sitting beside her, gave her a small smile. He said softly, “Don’t worry. Once we leave this idiot, you can play as much as you want.”
The pink pegasus smiled back at him.
“Maybe…”
His crazed expression dug deep into her mind.
After pushing against each other for a moment, their power pushed them back.
Gritting her teeth, Cozy blasted Sky into the cave’s wall.
Half his body in the wall, Sky fired back.
Cozy yelled out as the magic missile was a direct hit. Clenching her jaw, she shrugged the pain off and flew out of the waterfall.
Diving down, she turned and started to skid down the slope of the mountain.
When Sky made himself known, she fired up at him. Sky did a single loop to dodge it before firing back at her.
“Instead of me…”
Cozy stared at the burning factory building with her mouth slightly open. Creatures rushed in and out of it, grabbing any valuables they could find.
Thrown off to the side like he was some waste, the unmoving body of a small foal lay there. His once recognizable blue fur was now colorless.
Some ways away, their owner was in the same condition. Cold, thrown away, left to be forgotten.
Except she would never forget about her friend.
She picked him up and left town, hoping to find another one. She prayed it would be more welcoming.
“You should have been the one that got to live.”
Her thoughts of the past shattered as she barreled into the city, crashing and creating a large crater. Wobbling to her hooves, she looked up just in time to see Sky coming down with a magic mallet.
She dashed backward, avoiding a slam. However, the shockwave was still powerful enough to send her flying further than expected.
The next thing she knew, she landed in a small body of water. It seemed to be a half-empty pool for someone’s backyard.
Pain struck her nerves, hitting the water at an odd angle. She held her breath and inwardly groaned. Looking around, she caught Sky diving in head-first with a wide open mouth.
Sky tried to swing at her from under the water. With her powerful hooves, she swam upwards and jumped out of the pool.
Looking down, she noticed Sky wasn’t moving in the water. Looking closer, she noticed Sky was struggling to swim out.
He didn’t learn how to swim when he was alive. She supposed being an alicorn didn’t change that.
With heavy breaths, Cozy Glow took this time to heal with her magic. If she was lucky, enough water would fill his lungs and make him pass out. As long as he was still alive, she could help him.
But he wasn’t letting up one bit. Could she even help him at this point? Every time she tried, she always failed. He seemed so far gone from his friendly, caring self. Besides his looks, he resembled nothing like her best friend from years ago. He wanted to do such horrible things. And if left unchecked, he was a danger to everything and everyone.
Thinking about this again made her feel like a broken record, but she couldn’t help it! There was nothing more she wanted.
Maybe she couldn’t fix him. How could someone with a life of mistakes ever succeed? Maybe she was wrong when she told Sky they could grow. She had plenty of time to grow, yet… she never did.
Just then, Sky shot out of the pool by firing a beam directly downward, treating himself as a rocket. He screamed like he was on a carnival ride.
He went from being a rocket to using his wings, flapping them, and rushing towards Cozy.
With a clenched jaw, she prepared herself.
Using magic, Sky projected a hoofball bat before he aimed for her face.
She dodged his swings but got hit by a few on the skull, which made her yell out.
“One, two, buckle my shoe! Three, four... uh…” He paused. “Fuck. What’s the nex-”
Cozy Glow struck him away with her mallet, panting briefly before using her magic to heal her wounded skull.
“Yes! YES!” Sky said with a giant grin as he floated away from her, healing himself as well. “Just like that! And we’ll be able to play forever and ever, Cozy!
“Me and you as alicorns. Playtime with no curfew. Unlimited toys that we can repair and reuse over and over again for all eternity!”
“And what will happen when there’s nothing left to play with?” Cozy asked with a glare. “Everything in this world is finite, even our energy.”
"Well…” Sky rubbed a hoof on his chin. “An energy nap wouldn’t hurt.”
Cozy perked up as an idea formed in her head.
“So let’s take one right now!” she said. “The earlier we get started, the better, right?”
He gasped obnoxiously loud as Pinkie Pie would often do. “You’re right!”
As Sky looked around rapidly, Cozy spotted a nearby mountain peak.
“There’s a perfect spot right there.” She pointed to it, looking at him.
“Hmm…” He turned to it and looked a tad closer, using his hooves as makeshift binoculars. Suddenly, he beamed. “That looks comfy!”
Without another word, he bolted to the peak.
Cozy watched as Sky landed on the tall natural structure. He trotted in circles twice like a dog before laying down, resting his chin on his hooves. It was deceivingly cute, she thought.
Blowing a deep sigh, she flapped her wings, heading higher in the sky.
Cozy kept going further, passing the peak of Canterlot Mountain. She didn’t stop until she was right under the high clouds.
It was cold up here. Harder to breathe and quiet like nothing existed. However, none of that bothered her at all.
She could see the distant, curved horizon. It looked extraordinary. However, she didn’t come up here to gawk at such beauty.
Her jaw clenched and head straining, she began to channel magic into her horn. Unlike before, she began using everything she had, pulling every last bit of her reserves.
A perfect pink, ringed sphere formed at the tip of her horn. The orb had three separate rings circling it in different directions. It made a very low humming noise, which would scare off the most brave creatures. The magic grew above her as she flexed, using her all to keep focus.
“You are the only creature in history to know about this spell—” Cozy said to herself, looking down.
Sky kept snoring below, blissfully unaware of what Cozy was doing.
Below him in Ponyville, the three charging the draining spell widened their eyes. They all sensed huge magic from above. Rather than go and sightsee, they kept their efforts on the draining spell.
The ringed sphere grew larger and larger before it was bigger than Canterlot Castle.
“—It’s the one and only spell I created myself.”
Cozy Glow’s horn stopped glowing, and the ringed orb started to fall.
She flew around it to not get hit and watched as it descended towards the mountain Sky was still napping on. It was so slow it was as if it fell in slow motion. She could only guess how terrifying it would look from below, looming over everything.
“Atomic Dismemberment,” she whispered.
Her spell touched the tall mountain.
In an instant, the entire upper half of the mountain disappeared without a trace. Not even a speck of dirt or stone was left behind.
Cozy Glow sighed and descended to the ground before the halved mountain. Once she landed, her conflicted eyes gazed up at it.
All of it was gone, including Sky Shard. Gone for good. The realization made her stomach feel funny.
Sitting down on her haunches, she sighed. Her breaths were more shaky.
The first sob came quickly. Soon after, she burst into tears, her eyes and cheeks becoming a mess.
She rubbed her eyes multiple times before holding her face in her hooves.
With a harsh scream, she stood up and shot a stray boulder in rage, disintegrating it entirely.
“FUCK! I’M SORRY, SKY!” she yelled, dipping her head.
Her cries didn’t cease as she shook her head and sobbed.
Cozy Glow couldn’t control her cries as she stood in the grass plains alone. The sounds of despair echoed across the hills.
She failed to save him. She wanted him to be quiet for years now, yet, she felt like absolute shit now that he finally was.
Even her best friend shouldn’t have had faith in her. She was worthless. The one pony in the world she should have saved, and she utterly failed.
Not only did she corrupt him in the first place, but she killed him off without saving him. She was pathetic. Nothing else described her better.
She tried as she might, but she couldn’t steady her breathing. Even so, she couldn’t stay here and worry Spike any longer.
Right… Spike was still out there. He cared about her. He was the only one who did now. She couldn’t dare make another friend sad. She should find him so she could, well… she had no idea.
Her motives have been to save Sky for so long. Before that, it was to wake up so she could resurrect him. And even before that, it was simply spending her day playing with him. Now that he’s gone, she doesn’t have anything to do. No plans. No goals. No purpose. Just… tiredness.
She just felt really tired. But… Spike would get upset and angry if she fell asleep.
Standing on wobbly legs, Cozy took another teary look at the mountain.
Sniffing once and gritting her teeth, she declared that she would make a grave for him to honor his name and apologize. She wished she could do so much more.
With a hoof, she reached up to wipe her wet cheeks.
“I thought you wanted us to be together forever, Cozy?”
She froze. Not even her pinprick eyes moved.
“I guess you lied to me.”
Cozy swirled around, looking in every single direction possible. She could hear him. She swore on her life!
But he wasn’t anywhere around. No… she recognized this feeling.
He was still inside her head.
A shot of pain surged in her temple. She screamed and grabbed her head.
“After all those years of lying to every good creature in Equestria for me, now you’ve started to lie to me as well.”
A trail of blue mist escaped her horn. The mist started to form into solid blue-furred flesh.
“We’re linked together forever, Cozy,” Sky said, floating above her with a wide grin. “You’ll never get rid of me as long as you live.”
Then, like a carriage crashing into the side of a building, Sky’s gleeful expression snapped to neutral.
“You really tried getting rid of me,” he said with a blank stare.
Cozy stared into his cold eyes, fear taking over.
“Also, don’t go stroking your own ego thinking you’re so smart by ‘tricking’ me.”
Cozy Glow took on a confused and scared look. “W-what?”
Sky’s icy look didn’t leave her as he tapped a hoof on his head. “I’ve been listening to your thoughts this whole time, you dummy.”
Her stomach dropped. “Y-you…”
“Honestly, I didn’t know you had an instant-kill button as a spell. Luckily, since I’m so attached to you, I lived. But yeah, every thought, desire, motive. I know every single one.”
He dropped to the ground, taking a step forward.
Cozy took one back.
“I know even the tiniest of steps you intend to take. Every single action, any sharp-minded plans you concoct.”
Cozy’s breathing was beginning to quicken. With every step Sky took towards her, she took one back.
“I tried so hard to convince you. But you’re just too much of a dumb FUCK!”
He chuckled.
“I guess this is the end of our friendship then.”
Before Cozy even had the chance to speak, Sky teleported out of sight. Her surroundings turned quiet.
She twisted her head around, looking for any signs of Sky Shard. A bunch of thoughts processed through her head. Was he trying to trick her? Did he leave? Was there an incoming surprise attack?
Then, with a spark of magic, he appeared back, wearing a familiar medallion around his neck.
There wasn’t a draining spell around it.
Cozy could only stare at it with wide eyes.
“You were right with one thing though,” Sky said with a smile. “Twily’s the only one who can beat us. Or rather, me. Because that stupid bitch is a fucking cheater! So I’ll bring everyone out myself and kill Twilight before she has a chance to do anything!”
“I WON’T LET YOU!” Cozy lit her horn.
Cozy fired a blast, but Sky teleported them away before it hit him.
Spike, Antlerius, and Nylar stood there trying to process what just happened.
A blue colt had just teleported in, grabbed the medallion with his magic, and teleported without a word.
Spike looked at the other two. “Was that…” he began.
Antlerius nodded before dropping on his stomach.
The two were too weak to stand, but they would live.
Spike furrowed his brows in worry. He wondered what happened to Cozy Glow.
He wasn’t skilled enough in teleportation for long distances. The longer the distance, the more inaccurate he was. At that point, it would just be a random location. He couldn’t risk accidentally teleporting further away from Canterlot.
“Shit…” There was no choice but to fly there.
Gritting his teeth, he ran to the closest window.
“You are a kind creature, dragon.”
Spike stopped before he jumped out.
It was Antlerius. “For you to hold yourself back against us… you fear you’ll go too far. But that thing out there will not take such kindness. I realized that the moment he appeared. Do not hold yourself back.”
Spike paused in shock, taking in his words. Snapping out of it, he nodded, saying, “Thanks. And the name’s Spike.” He turned to the window and lept out, heading straight for the city.
Cozy Glow landed on her hooves. Scanning the area, she realized they were in Canterlot Castle’s throne room.
She heard Sky’s laughter as the castle walls turned into voids of darkness. She knew this spell. It was one of King Sombra’s. It looked intimidating, but it was truly just a maze. She could easily revert the spell and skip Sky’s game with her magic.
Except when she tried, no magic was flowing out of her horn.
Her mouth went agape, and she kept trying over and over. A magic grasp, a hammer, teleportation, even just channeling wasn’t working.
“M-my magic…” she muttered. Did Sky alter the shadow spell he cast?
“Must be hard to concentrate with a parasite living in your head.”
Sky’s voice echoed throughout the dark corridor.
Cozy tried to reply. “You’re not a-”
“SHUT THE FUCK UP!”
Sky appeared above her in a spark, a livid glare on his face.
However, that look didn’t last long when he started laughing with insanity.
“Now, without magic, it’s game over for you, my friend! Golly, if only you had brains. Oh wait, you did! But since you fall flat in everything you do anyways, it’s really not useful, IS IT?!”
She growled, unfurling her wings to look threatening.
Sky laughed even harder, holding his stomach. “Wow! You’re going to fight even without magic! You really are a DUMMY!”
He vanished with a teleport.
Cozy started to hear crazed laughter from every direction. Except this time, there were multiple sources.
Blue projections appeared around her, fading into existence. As she looked around, her heart started to pound.
The projections were very familiar forms of creatures she knew. She recognized some ponies, the centaur, the changelings, and their ex-queen. Creatures of all kinds filled in the holes of the giant circle crowd. She recognized some of her classmates in the mix as well. Every single one of them resembled a single trait.
They all had huge smiles plastered on and laughed at her in complete madness.
She widened her eyes, took off with a sprint, and flew.
Their laughter entered her soul as she soared as fast as she could. The frightening noise bounced around her head like some twisted bouncy castle.
Her heart was threatening to burst out of her chest, and she couldn’t control her breathing. She had no magic and was essentially in an all-powerful, demented colt’s domain. She had to get out of here!
Suddenly, a large hand grabbed her and slammed her into a wall.
A blue, gleeful-looking Tirek grinned at Cozy as he kept her pinned.
She tried to escape, but a laughing Chrysalis flew overhead and kicked her down.
Landing on her side, Cozy Glow shook off the pain before flying off again.
Celestia and Luna both caught up to her with their wings while smiling wickedly. The two blasted her with magic, sending Cozy Glow flying through a dark wall.
Her body tumbled against the floor before stopping. She immediately stood up and checked her surroundings. No one was here.
Sky appeared from above with a wide grin.
“Come on, Cozy! Let’s PLAY!”
From his horn, he shot out a bunch of electric bubbles.
Widening her eyes, Cozy dodged a few before one caught her. She screamed as her body spasmed due to the lightning.
The bubble popped, and she wobbled on her hooves.
She didn’t stay standing for long, as the floor opened up and she fell through.
As Cozy Glow dropped in the endless void, a bunch of pegasi, dragons, and other flying creatures surrounded her.
“You are nothing. You’ll die being nothing. And you’ll die FOR NOTHING!”
She tried to flap her wings to get away, but they weren’t working at this level of speed.
One by one, the various creatures charged forward and slammed into her. A pegasus bucked her side, a dragon punched her stomach, a griffon slammed into her back. It was relentless as creature after creature flew into her.
Suddenly, she crashed into the floor, groaning.
Sky teleported above her.
“COME ON! SCREAM AT ME, COZY! I KNOW YOU WANT TO! AT LEAST YELL SO I CAN HEAR YOUR REGRETS!”
He lit his horn, and multiple giant pieces of colorful candy appeared.
Cozy jumped forward as a candy cane tried to drop on her.
She had to run again when a chocolate bar fell from the skies.
With heavy breaths, she sprinted forward. Looking back, she saw Sky rolling on a giant jawbreaker and approaching her.
She couldn’t run fast enough, and Sky ran her over with the ball, crushing her body beneath the heavy sweet.
The ball stopped when she was underneath it. Sky used his magic to lift the candy before dropping it on her again, forcing the air out of Cozy Glow.
“Do you like my new games? Say it! SAY YOU LIKE THEM!”
Cozy dropped through the floor again. This time, she landed sooner than later.
Standing up on weak, shaking legs, she looked around to see a bunch of earth ponies, yaks, and other ground-centric creatures.
All at once, they ran forward.
Cozy Glow tried to fly up, but a sharp rush of pain rushed through both of her broken wings. They were now useless appendages.
The creatures ran forward, trampling over Cozy Glow while laughing out loud.
The last creature to approach was a familiar deer with a toothy smile. He slammed his antlers into her and flicked her in the air.
Cozy landed on her back before tumbling. At the last second, she caught herself up straight and heaved. She couldn’t help the dotted tears at the corner of her eyes.
“Oh no! Did Cozy Wozy get a boo-boo?! JUST DRINK THE PAIN AWAY!”
He laughed and lit his horn.
Tilting her head, Cozy looked around with horror to see a bunch of dark tendrils peeking out of the darkness. They sprang towards her.
She managed to evade one before another snuck up from behind and grabbed her hindleg.
The tendril took Cozy and slammed her against the walls, ceiling, and floor over and over again.
She yelled out in torment before the appendage threw her across the hallway.
“THERE’S NO POINT ASKING HOW IT FEELS TO LOSE!” Sky yelled with delight. “YOU DO IT ALL THE TIME!”
Cozy didn’t even stand up. Through her weak eyes, she glanced at some unicorns, changelings, a draconequus, and a fox.
The projections surrounding her fired their magic, cackling like they heard the funniest joke of the season.
Cozy could only gasp out with dead eyes, the sounds she made only mere whispers.
The projections disappeared, and Sky teleported into the air again, laughing hysterically.
His cheers were echoing in her head, making it throb. It was the only thing she could hear. And he was the only thing she could see, just like most of her life.
He was the only thing in her mind until she thought about Spike.
She clenched her jaw, threatening to crack her teeth. Using her remaining strength, she stood up with unstable hooves.
Sky stopped laughing and stared at her with an excited expression.
“I… won’t… let you…!”
She concentrated on Spike, whom she grew to love. Ever since she met him, her life has become so much brighter. She could finally say with a smile that she started to live again.
His company was great; his smile was even greater. Waking up every morning with him close by made her feel warm. Spending her days with him made life worth living. She didn’t want to lose any of that. It made her feel ways she hadn’t since the day Sky Shard died.
Her horn started to glow. The radiating magic quickly spread down and covered her entire body. Her eyes glowed in their scarlet hue as she centered her hardened gaze on Sky Shard.
Spike entered Canterlot Castle. As he hurried through the hallways, his stomach dropped at the castle, completely black. He thanked his memories, knowing where every room was. His mind was a blueprint. He charged his magic to teleport.
“Sky Shard would never have wanted this!” Cozy yelled, “And I’m going to stop you! EVEN IF I HAVE TO USE MY LAST BREATH!”
With a battle cry using every last ounce of her voice, she echoed throughout the castle. The scarlet magic surrounding her body flowed into her horn, which she aimed at Sky.
She fired.
Spike teleported.
One second later, the throne room exploded.
Spike got pushed back from the force and covered his face with his arms. He strained as he held against the fierce winds, using all his strength to avoid being thrown further away.
Due to the quakes outside the castle, Canterlot City cracked in half. The outer half of the city lost its support and crumbled off, falling to the base of the mountain.
When the explosion died down, Spike lowered his arms, almost hesitant to see what happened. The darkness blew away, and the throne room’s colors returned to normal. He looked towards Cozy and froze as he saw her terrible condition.
The magic and smoke dissipated. Sky stood there, half his body damaged. His right foreleg was gone, and his wings were featherless. Even so, he stood tall. With a grin, he again used the healing spell, restoring his body to peak health in seconds.
“This is fate, you know,” he said. “After all, you’ve killed me twice now.”
Spike’s stomach dropped when Sky’s horn didn’t stop glowing, and he aimed at her.
“It’s only fair for me to get a chance at it. This is my gift to you, my best friend. Take it!” He gave a nasty smirk. “ULTIMATE FINAL MOVE! SUPER POWERFUL MAGIC CANNON!”
He fired a large beam, encompassing Cozy’s entire tiny body.
Spike watched as time seemed to slow down for him. In the light of Sky’s magic, he saw Cozy’s form in a silhouette. She took on the magic upright momentarily before being blown back across the room.
It was dead silent when Sky’s attack dispersed. A couple of sounds came to be when Cozy hit the floor, landing on her back before flipping on her front and sliding to a halt.
Spike’s stomach dropped as his eyes tracked Cozy’s horn bouncing against the floor. It rolled on the ground and stopped in front of her. The noise it made stuck out and stabbed his ears with cruelty.
On Cozy Glow’s forehead, a trail of smoke escaped her horn’s base, which was now a cracked stub.