//------------------------------// // A Coffee // Story: Dawn Adopted // by Idyll //------------------------------// The first ten minutes of the tour had Silverstream unwittingly repeat everything Smolder had said before they arrived. Basic things: building layouts, protocols, names, rules, and a couple of fun tidbits here and there. “And these are some of the trophies we’ve won,” Silverstream said, moving along. But Ocellus couldn’t help but add on, “This one was won by our buckball team two years ago. It had to be the most exhilarating match I had seen! I’d never heard our school cheer so loudly. And I’m pretty sure Rainbow Dash shed a tear.” Ocellus continued, “Oh, and this green candle was brought by our first Abyssinian student. It’s an interesting scent they seem to really enjoy. But it’s not something liked by most changelings.” They passed a painting, a gift by Celestia depicting her inspecting a Griffon school with their ambassador dated a century ago. Or two. Silverstream couldn’t remember the exact date. Ocellus could. “It took place—” “A hundred-and-twenty-four years ago,” Cozy interrupted. “And during a very hectic period of history. Gosh, aren’t we glad all our kingdoms made up? Wouldn’t want to live during those ages!” She nudged the changeling beside her, causing her translucent wings to briefly peek out of their casing from shock. The ponies from Cozy’s days often had primal reactions to the sound of a changeling flutter. But this crowd was too young to remember Chrysalis’ invasions and reformed drones had been integrated into Canterlonian and especially Crystal circles for so long. The interest soon dissipated. Everycreature went back to looking in front, and Cozy would go on as if nothing happened, barely hiding her smugness behind a poker face. Over and over, she kept leaving the crowd, sneaking up each corridor to peek into each room, counting the number of changes. The nearest study corner had sturdier seats to accommodate for heavier species, more fire sprinklers lined the ceiling, and a medical guide as thick as a textbook was placed alongside an emergency first aid kit on the wall. The carpet was a different shade of purple, and the potted plants were geographically all over the place. But though a few walls were knocked down and added, and the function of some rooms had swapped, nothing was too dissimilar from her initial impressions of the school all those years ago. After all, the “Shield of Harmony” was still the school’s insignia and Twilight’s stained-glass portrait still blemished the entrance. Cozy knew she visited often. Ocellus wouldn’t ditch her friends without a reason. But Cozy had popped in and out of her sight four times now, always reappearing in a hallway separate from the one she entered. She couldn’t be insane, could she? Ocellus thought. Well, she’s Cozy Glow, so insanity might need a stricter definition, but… maybe she really doesn’t have a plan.She might’ve just… “—And she lit the pool on fire!” Cozy said to Silverstream and Smolder. “How is that even possible?! So I canceled our next day at the water park—this one had a hotel—and she cried, ‘But Mommm~ the pool was cold. The other foals thought it was cool. Aren’t you listening?’ Then, for her Ponish oral exam, I made her call up a bunch of creatures and apologize to each one, and she called me a hypocrite! When have I ever burnt a pool? I would’ve gotten the paddle!” Lost it. She seemed to getting along well with the others. Gallus claimed he always hated Cozy’s voice (only after she was caught), and Smolder would agree, but there she was, asking to hear more about when Cozy’s daughter tried to get a tattoo. To be fair, Butter’s voice was different from Cozy’s. That wasn’t only because none of them had actually spoken to a non-prepubescent Cozy Glow. Besides televised speeches and quotes of her during the Crystal Empire debacle, only Gallus had spoken to this Cozy directly. She wasn’t sure if Cozy was still upset at her and her friends, but if she had to shove one of them into a tank of sharks, she’d have to choose— Smack! Ocellus hit a wall—and an armor stand. Good going, she said to herself. Oh Celestia, she continued as she heard the flaps of a butter-hued somepony hovering backwards towards her. “Oh gosh,” Cozy said, lifting the visor of a headpiece that fell over Ocellus’ head. “Are you alright in there?” Cozy offered a hoof, but Ocellus ignored her and got up by herself. “I’m fine.” “If you say so,” Cozy said as she gave a “thumbs-up” with her wing to Smolder and Silverstream. “…Alright,” said Smolder, detracting a few pairs of eyes away from the two behind. “So anyways, here’s a library everycreature! A library. We have quite a few of those around here…” “Oooo,” Cozy said, “a library. Sounds like a ‘chill’ place to hang out. We should trade schedules.” Ocellus walked past her. “What? Am I wrong?” Cozy asked. “Too shallow of an inference? That you’re the type who likes to read? I read too! Not a Twilight-some amount but when you’re dealing with a grumpy foal every morning, you end up combing through a lot of sources to find an interesting lesson. But they still don’t learn. Well, unless it’s—” Ocellus wore a look that said, “You’re still talking?” “How dare you ignore me,” Cozy said only loud enough for Ocellus to her. She wasn’t sure if Cozy was being fully playful. If Ocellus’ glare weren’t so loud, Cozy would’ve smacked her on the head, but instead, she retreated to her boundaries. Though Cozy got no response, her offer hadn’t fallen on deaf ears. A private one-to-one with Cozy Glow? Well, that definitely won’t be boring, Ocellus thought. Gallus would chop off his own claw for such an opportunity. Hmm. If I can choose the where and the when, then maybe I could—wait, where did she go? “Ocellus?” Smolder called, approaching from the side. “So, you were okay back there, right?” “What? Of course!” Ocellus rushed out. “Why would you ask me that?” “No reason,” Smolder replied. “It just seems like you’re a bit… preoccupied.” “Huh? No. It’s just been a long day and I had to make sure nocreature ran off and got themselves lost. Say, where’s Silverstream?” “I’m… not sure,” Smolder replied. The two as a pair decided to look around for the hippogriff. But it only took three rows of bookshelves before they found their friend—and Butters. The first was standing up and waved back at her friends as they appeared from the corner. The other: on her knees, on the hard floor, head peeking inside an open vent. A carpet had been placed over the site but was now curled up into a roll a few steps beyond, and the lid had been opened just enough for a pegasus’ head to fit through. “What are you two doing?” Smolder asked as Ocellus flew to ‘watch over’ Cozy. “Oh, I just stumbled over a thing on the floor and couldn’t resist taking a tiny peek,” Cozy said, her words echoing through the maze of tunnels underneath. “Wow. It’s a whole other world down there! But… a bit empty. Have you ever thought about doing something with all this space?” She surfaced her head. “Y’know, like an underground landfill or a sewage plant?” “I don’t think we can put that underneath a school,” Silverstream answered. “Oh, I was joking,” Cozy said, sliding the vent cover back on, producing a reverberating clank. “You know, this was where the Tree of Harmony once tested us,” Silverstream said, proudly. “You don’t say,” Cozy replied, focused on unrolling the carpet. “Yep! It had a test for each of us,” Silverstream added. “Pretty cool.” “Must be,” Cozy responded, looking away. “Just a real shame it got blown to a million tiny pieces by that stubborn shadow pony.” “Oh, don’t be sad,” said Silverstream, flying over to Cozy and pulling her head up. “The Tree of Harmony still lives on in our hearts… And also the Treehouse that formed from its pieces!” “…Seems this school is just the same as it always was… in all those promotional pamphlets you mail out. You have a wonderful design team.” Cozy walked ahead. “Welp, I’m getting pretty bored of this room. Why don’t we go to a different building?” The trio joined her, along with the other visitors. But Cozy allowed a different creature to take the lead while she waited for Ocellus, her supervisor. “You got any other suggestions for the school?” Ocellus asked. Cozy mentally fought with herself and smirked. “Better security.” Ocellus’ eyes widened. “Sorry! I couldn’t resist,” Cozy said, trying to place her leg over Ocellus’ shoulders only to have her fly two steps to her left. The silence between the two held for thirty minutes. When Ocellus had her turn narrating the tour, Cozy would be at the front chatting with her friends and a few other ponies nearby. She spilled stories of her “daughter,” ones which would probably get her killed if she knew. The head of the crowd laughed. “—And that’s why we can’t go anywhere on-boat,” Cozy said. “Say, this place looks different.” “Different from those pamphlets?” Smolder asked. “Yeah, last year we had some renovations done to the dorm area. Basically just a new coat of paint.” “Oh,” Cozy said, tilting her head. She eyed the numbers on the right-side doors, climbing by two, until she could confirm where she was. One part of her didn’t want the attention, but the other wanted to spectate the reactions. Cozy herself wouldn’t be the one to bring it up as the door came closer and closer, but she already knew that would be unnecessary. A stranger, unicorn, to Cozy’s side tapped the talkative pony. “I think that’s Cozy Glow’s room up ahead.” “…What makes you so sure?” Butters asked. “Room 611. That’s what I heard at least.” Smolder and Silverstream stopped. “Yeah, that used to be her room alright,” Smolder said. “You should see it during Nightmare Night.” “…Is it empty?” Cozy asked. “I can’t imagine you just let any ol’ creature sleep in—” “Oh no, there are creatures living in there,” Silverstream revealed. “Yeah, so don’t knock or anything,” Smolder advised. “We basically threw away most of that filly’s stuff anyways.” “Probably not a filly anymore,” Silverstream corrected. “Debatable,” Smolder said. “I mean, you heard how Gallus speaks of her. He was—” They both suppressed a chuckle. “—so mad.” “So, what did you all do to her stuff?” Cozy asked. “Surely her things must be in some sort of a museum or lab.” “They would’ve been…” Smolder admitted. “If Smolder hadn’t burnt most of it,” Silverstream blurted, fiddling her thumbs innocently. Smolder defended, “It was a sneeze! There were a hundred scent candles and oils in that room. I mean, she had baby powder on her bedsheets!” “Yeah, but you were the one that wanted to go there in the first place.” “Gallus wanted to go there too, and for your information, there were still things left for Twilight to collect. And we were going to replace everything anyways.” Cozy asked, “…Twilight collected things like?” “We… weren’t really allowed back in there to check,” Smolder said. “You’ll have to ask Twilight.” Cozy’s face was an utter blank. Her eyes twitched twice. She inhaled and restarted her character. “Oh well!” She shrugged. “Accidents happen. Say, the tour must almost be over by now! Why don’t we go to the courtyard? I’ve been reminding myself to check out that café Ms. Glimmer speaks so highly about… Oh, hi Ocellus.” The rest of the tour group went on as Cozy and Ocellus occupied the back, staring at each other without exchanging words. “What? Is there something wrong with my eyes?” Cozy asked, rolling them. Gallus had competition. Ocellus didn’t need her sixth sense to detect the hatred brought out by Smolder’s revelation. She knew at least a couple of her letters received from Tirek had been irreparably burnt twenty-five years ago, along with a few plushies she kept over her pillow. Parts of Cozy’s roommate’s belongings were also destroyed. They were supposed to be collected after he mysteriously fell ill, but the colt was against the idea of coming back. “Wall,” Cozy said. Ocellus stopped short of making another fool of herself. “Thanks,” she responded instinctively. “You really need to pay more attention to where you’re going,” Cozy recommended as she floated through the doors. The courtyard outside was chilly for a changeling in their ordinary form. Cozy had no issues. She went over to the café, stood behind a line of two creatures, and took out her phone. Lightning Dust hadn’t responded to her texts. She tried three times to call the foalsitter, only to be directed to voicemail. It took merely five seconds for her fourth attempt to be rejected. Cozy knew this would happen. “Foalsitters, am I right?” Cozy said as she scrolled to and called her daughter’s contact. After thirty seconds of dual beeps, right as she was about to cancel the call, her phone made a click. “Hi, this is Luster.” The voice was almost silent. “At least you unblocked me.” Cozy turned up her phone’s volume. “Hi—where are you? Why isn’t your foalsitter answering my calls? The Sun hasn’t even been lowered, and you’re already—” Bass-boosted, and high-pitched sounds of moaning struck Cozy’s ears at point-blank range, loud enough to vibrate her hoof. She retracted her head and held out her phone, fumbling to end the call. “Oh, Gol—” She nearly said the g-word. Enraged, she raised her phone, now silenced, in a motion indicating she was about to toss the thing to the floor, but she held her temper long enough to place it into her bag. They now had the opportunity to order as the next ponies in line stood to the side waiting for their drinks. Cozy stepped forward, and the ponies next to her tried to be discrete with their staring, but they weren’t subtle enough for Cozy’s keen eye. “Sorry,” Cozy said, trying to laugh it off. “That was just my daughter.” “…” “No, I mean—she’s a foal.” “…” “…She’s pranking—SHE LIKES TO TORMENT ME, okay?!” Cozy shouted, letting go of the barista’s apron and gesturing to the sky. “This is all just a game to her. I’ve got no idea where she gets it from. It’s like she’s just born a certain way. There are no values or virtues in that heart of hers. No compunction or respect for others. No voice telling her, ‘Hey, don’t do this. Maybe don’t say that in public.’ No. There’s only maniacal laughter and whimsicality at my misfortunes, and—” The ponies beside her were snickering at Cozy's tirade. Ocellus thought she was acting a bit dramatic too, like a driver when you turn on the carriage lights. Why Cozy let Luster act this way was beyond her. If it were her daughter, she thought, she’d have no problem gaining the respect of the filly, and Cozy was younger than her, once by ten years, now by twenty. How hard could it be? Plus, she was a pony and an amicable one at that. And when she had a grip over the Crystal Empire, she had no trouble keeping ‘subordinates’ in line. And then it hit her. Cozy doesn’t really have a lot of experience around other ponies. She spent ten years unable to communicate and the next ten years with… supposedly Chrysalis, who knows where. It’s doubtful they had many friends come over—at least none that a filly could attach themselves to before dinner—not even for the purposes of “learning.” Even Ocellus had a decade of integration above her. Sure, Cozy could charm ponies around her hooves and drive a cult of personality, but this didn’t seem to be the type of “control” she wanted over Luster—even if Ocellus still held doubt she was anything more than a long-term project. Does Cozy really need help parenting? “Ahem? Equestria to Ocellus? Gosh, you’re broody today,” Cozy said. “What’s your favorite drink?” “Oh, I’m fine,” Ocellus said, reading Cozy for any information that might confirm her claim. “Get her a coffee,” Cozy told the barista. Well, coffee isn’t exactly my favorite, but maybe she doesn’t know. “A black coffee. Only that one’s to go. She likes to savor her drinks.—Yeah, I’m paying.” Cozy was smirking. Of course she knows. Cozy collected four drinks and a couple of pastries and brought them to a table where Smolder and Silverstream were sitting. “The prices here are half as much as that café up the Smokey Mountains. Thanks, Fluttershy,” Cozy joked, sliding Silverstream a strawberry milkshake. “It’s never too cold for a dessert, right?” She winked. “And here’s your drink Celly.” “Thanks…” “And as for you…” Cozy served Smolder a water. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted.” She innocently smiled. It wasn’t even a bottle. It was a cup. “Be sure to return that. We wouldn’t want to be wasteful, now would we?” Silverstream was already halfway through her drink before Cozy finished her sentence. Ocellus was planning what to tell the pega-medics if the villain, who knew how to work with poisons, slipped a drop of something into her friend’s drink. “How did you know I loved strawberry-flavored milkshakes?” Silverstream asked. “Uhhh lucky guess,” Cozy answered, blowing at her hot chocolate. “You made one lucky guess, at least,” Smolder said. “Yeah,” Silverstream added, licking away the whipped cream around her muzzle. “Ocellus isn’t exactly the craziest over coffee. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I totally get why you’d think that, but caffeine doesn’t blend well with Changeling taste buds.” “Oh, what a silly mistake. Guess I’ll have to try my best to remember that next time,” Cozy said, knocking her head before sipping her cocoa. She finally managed to give Ocellus a “comforting” tap on the back of the shoulder. Then she locked a leg over the other’s neck and started to pull her closer. “Today’s been swell! I’m so thankful that you’ve invited me, but I really should go powder my muzzle and make sure I look my best for Ms Glimmer’s tests. And prepare myself mentally of course.” She chugged her drink, panted, and said, “Hey can you three return this for me? Thanks a bunch!” Cozy flew up from her seat and eyed the nearest exit. And Silverstream got up too. She went in to hug Cozy, but her movements were too sudden. From an upright position, Cozy swung herself downwards, head ducked, heart drumming her ribs, now backing her hooves across the grass. “Woah! Sorry! You startled me a little,” she said. “Yeah, she does that sometimes,” Smolder said. “You have pretty sharp reflexes for an ordinary pony...” “Mothering a unicorn can be a real workout,” Cozy said, jokingly flexing her muscles before scurrying away. “We’ll probably see each other soon anyways. We can save the hugs for then! Besides, if I got this gig, you’ll all probably be sick of me by the end of the year.” She laughed, but Ocellus found her comment to be eerie, as if a repressed part of her timid conscience had hailed a warning. Or perhaps Cozy was playing another dimension of chess. But She was right. They would probably see each other soon. Cozy had left her sight. If the supervillain’s previous plans were anything to go by, it’ll probably be a while before Cozy’s true side shows. She wasn’t like Tirek or Sombra. Her plans were slow and meticulous. They had to be. She couldn’t conjure spells or drain the magic out of living beings. All she had was her mouth and grit. Ocellus knew how bad of a mistake she’d be making if today really was just the first step of a long meticulous plan at revenge, but if today wasn’t that—if Cozy was trying to better herself after all those mistakes she’d made in the past… “You’ve still got a lot left to finish,” Smolder joked. Ocellus stared at her coffee. Sigh. Cozy got out of her blouse and dress. Clothes—how formal! She tucked her folded attire into her satchel and went to the array of bathroom sinks to gaze at the mirror above. No matter how hard she tried, her disguise could never match her. Being herself, even at home, felt dangerous, which she knew was an ironic concern to have considering where was and what she was doing. The sunlight had ceased shining through the narrow awning windows. Starlight would want to see her soon. Cozy adjusted her bow to be perfectly in the middle of her head and rinsed her mouth with a portable mouthwash. She went to dry her hooves. Her phone rang. She made sure it was on a tolerable volume before answering. “Finally, somecreature calls me! Listen, my daughter…” “What about the Cutie Mark Crusaders?” “She did WHAT in Canterlot?!” “Oh. Well, that is still completely peanuts!” “No, why would care about—” “I’m not a politician. Can’t you deal with it?” “I doubt she could tell you’re a cha—” “Tomorrow, okay?” “Yeah, tell ‘em I said hi.” “Scare her a bit.” “It’s already her fault. And tell her to change her voicemail!” “Okay, bye! See you tomorrow!”