Years ago, she attempted to flee from the initial day of a reformation plan—an adorable pale pink filly with a mane of pale blue ringlets. And one night, upon first chance, she bolted for the outskirts of the Crystal Empire—the largest kingdom in Equestria. Nopony witnessed the escape attempt, even to this day. The moment she reached the snow-covered outskirts, an intense impact surged through her body, akin to slamming into an unyielding wall.
“W-what?!”
No wall stood before her; the only buildings to loom were the ones in the Crystal Empire. Unbeknownst to her, a counterspell had been set in motion when she was freed. Once she stepped hoof into the Crystal Empire, she was trapped inside.
“Urghh!” An emergence of fury welled up inside her. The most infamous filly known throughout Equestria—Cozy Glow. As she sat there, her eyes locked on the snowy terrain, and she realized she could not feel the biting cold that usually accompanied such a scene. Cozy Glows’ thoughts centered on the individuals she blamed the most for her current situation. Twilight Sparkle and her friends, the young six, and most recently… “Darn you, Flurry Hearrrt!”
“Who are we to take away a foolish young filly’s chance at friendship?”
However, once she had composed herself, a wicked smile crept across her lips. “Or maybe… I should thank you—Ahhahaha!” Then, amid the pristine landscape, an ugly laugh broke the night’s quiet.
Everything was going as intended. Years have passed since that night, and furthermore, ever since her plan started. How could Cozy Glow escape the confines of the spell, keeping her trapped in the Crystal Empire? How could she ensure her plans afterward would come to fruition? The answer was simple. However, at least for her, it was far from an effortless task.
At the moment, Cozy Glow occupied a circular table made of crystallized material, giving off many slight, triangular radiant shimmers. Two white teacups with blue patterned decorations were filled with a liquid they were crafted for. One of those teacups lifted, and the aromatic drink flowed to one side, disappearing into a pale pink muzzle. The muzzle of an alicorn princess. The young, naïve mare who gave Cozy Glow this chance of reformation under her wing. A brief slurp escaped. “Cozy Glow, how many years has it been now? Since we’ve been friends.”
Cozy Glow battled the desire to release a sigh of frustration. Nevertheless, she took on a friendly demeanor. “Hmm… Gee, seven years?” An eye twitched.
With an irritating clink, Flurry Heart set the teacup down on a small plate. “That sounds about right. Mentally, you’re older than me. But being entrapped in stone seemed to have stopped your physical aging. Don’t you find it oddly funny that our physical ages align perfectly? Our bodies matured together, too.”
“Hilarious!” Cozy Glow drank the tea, which she did not like. She pulled through and swallowed.
“I wanted to celebrate your progress by taking you to the Whinnyapolis Winter Festival, but when it comes to you, Mother is quite strict. Which is reasonable for what you tried doing to Equestria… Don’t you fret, though. I’m confident that in the coming years, you’ll earn your freedom.”
“Gee, I hope so! But that doesn’t matter since I’m fortunate enough to have a friend like you.”
Flurry Heart giggled and displayed white teeth at the appreciative comment. “Since I couldn’t take you to that winter festival, I brought the winter festival to you!”
“You did what now?”
Flurry Heart left her seat and gestured for Cozy Glow to follow her. Cozy Glow trailed behind that swaying violet tail streaked with arctic blue highlights. After traveling through the extensive castle rooms and halls for ten minutes, the youngest alicorn across Equestria brought her to the sunny outside, where a blue sky greeted them, bedecked with occasional fluffy white puffs floating about. They now stood beside one of the four supporting legs of Crystal Castle, facing away from the Crystal Heart and toward a street lined with buildings. Colorful stands lined the busy avenue, and Flurry Heart joined the commotion.
The pony following her did not want to believe it happened again. “You threw another surprise for me?”
Flurry Heart, who had already befriended a notorious filly, had no issue with planning special occasions for somepony she cared about. Cozy Glow never revealed her birth date, and she had no plans to. Despite this, Flurry Heart organized a yearly ‘birthday’ celebration on the day they liberated Cozy from her stone confinement. Since Cozy Glow had no right to leave the grounds of the Crystal Empire, she missed out on such events. Flurry Heart thought it would be a worthy effort to make up for it in any possible way. “Surprise!”
Regardless of inner confusion and a smile appearing on her face, Cozy Glow remained unmoved by the sentiment. “Golly… That’s so thoughtful of you, Flurry!”
A swell of pride and excitement coursed through, and Flurry Heart ran in place. Then she paused. A translucent, light blue blob enveloped her horn. “Ah! What are we waiting around for?! Let’s go!”
Suddenly, they disappeared and reappeared in another spot. Specifically, in front of an activity stand about throwing small bags into a cardboard hole. The adult mare running the stand was briefly astonished by the unexpected entrance but easily composed herself because of who arrived.
Flurry Heart lifted a few of the small bean bags with telekinesis and once again ran in place. “Oooh, I can never beat this one!”
Phh! Phh! Phh!
Multiple six-by-six-inch bags were tossed, and they all collided with the cardboard surface—completely missing the goal. While she had good magic control, she mostly left it to gravity. “Your turn, Cozy!”
Cozy Glow did not give a hoot and saw no point. But it did not matter what she thought. She just had to endure. So, with a dark blue bag perched on her hoof, she nonchalantly flung it into the air.
Fwoo!
First try, it went in. “Woo! Hole in one, Cozy Glow!”
She furrowed her brows and wore a flat expression. “What a real hoot. And that’s a saying for golf, not corn toss.”
Once again, they teleported. This time, it was a large silver basin filled with a clear liquid and bobbing apples. Flurry Heart wasted no time diving her mouth into the fruit pool and successfully retrieving one between her top and bottom teeth.
Cozy Glow twitched an eye. “What’s even the point of this game?”
As a snapping crunch broke out, and she swallowed, Flurry Heart tilted her head to the side. “Game?” Then she giggled. “I thought this was just an enjoyable approach to confining apples for anypony to grab and eat.”
The remark stunned Cozy Glow, causing her legs to collapse beneath her as she landed face-first on the unforgiving glossy path.
They continued to delve into various well-known festival activities, conversing with other ponies, old and young, for hours. Now, with their stomachs grumbling, it was time for dinner. Today held double significance for them. It was both Cozy Glow’s designated birthday and a day of the week when they treated themselves to a special meal. The sun's intensity waned as the day progressed, and the air grew slightly cooler. They traveled near the outskirts of the city grounds in search of a gazebo tent set up on a grass plot. The enticing smell of grilled vegetables wafted through the air and entered their noses.
Cozy Glow glanced at a nearby wooden building called the ‘Arctic Patrol Office’ and back toward the canopied shelter. The top of the royal blue gazebo resembled the roof of a house. Underneath, a large circular purple table stood, and eight vacant seats were ready to be filled. However, including Cozy Glow and Flurry Heart, only three ponies were present.
The arriving duo traipsed closer and sat down, occupying the northeast side, their backs facing the patrol office. If one ventured further, they would soon come across a narrow path winding its way northwest. It led past Mount Everhoof and through the rugged Frozen North mountains, eventually reaching the onding kingdom of Yakyakistan.
Diagonal from them, a middle-aged turquoise mare saw their arrival and approached. She had a baby blue mane and tail and irises of amethyst. On her flank, a cutie mark depicted two stars in eternal orbit. Telekinetically, she finished placing food on the table. Then she sat down, her back facing the looming Crystal Castle. “Flurry Heart, Cozy Glow! I’m so glad the two of you could make it. Then again, the both of you have never failed to show up…” For due reason, a touch of sadness colored her voice.
Under the comforting shade, Flurry Heart took in a lovely whiff of the food. “Of course, Glitter Drops. This is one of my favorite times of the week.”
Cozy Glow battled her twitching eye. Being trapped within the Crystal Empire, it was not as if Cozy Glow had much of a choice anyway. Of course she could make it. “Glad to be here! How could I miss the opportunity to enjoy your lovely cooking, Glitter Drops?”
“What a charmer you are, Cozy Glow. But I know you’re just saying that to be nice, like... her…”
Smiles faded from the faces at the table, and an awkward silence settled over them. Everypony at the table knew why and did not want to bring the topic up. However, with five empty seats, each of them usually filled consistently, has not been for a long while. The absence of familiar faces created a palpable void.
Cozy Glow welcomed the comforting atmosphere.
Flurry Heart felt the weight of sadness coming from Glitter Drops and tried to bring somewhat good news. “Mom and Dad wanted to make it, but something popped up with Grandfather Night Light and Grandmother Velvet.”
“I see… I hope everything’s okay.”
Flurry Heart nodded and started eating the grilled carrot salad. “Mhm.”
Cozy Glow had dug in the moment she sat down and did not give a hoot about what they were discussing.
After a few minutes of crunching, chewing, and swallowing, Flurry Heart darted her eye to one of the vacant seats closest to Glitter Drops. Despite knowing it was a sensitive subject, she could not resist the urge to find out after so many days had gone by. “You’re still looking for her, aren’t you?”
Glitter Drops swallowed. Hearing the question, she was about to take another bite as an excuse to keep quiet, even if only for a while longer. Yet, she halted to take the bite and set the carrot cutlet back onto the plate. Her voice became soft. “Of course. At the start of each day for the past six months, I patrol along the outskirts in search of clues.”
“You won’t stop, will you?”
“Never. I’ll never stop looking until Fizzy is back at this table with us.”
Fizzlepop Berrytwist. A mare who was a childhood friend of Glitter Drops. They had stayed out of each other’s lives for a long time, but one day, they found each other again and reconnected. Fizzlepop only allowed Glitter Drops to call her by that ridiculous moniker. After a while, she decided to live in the Crystal Empire and joined the Arctic patrol force alongside Glitter Drops. Flurry Heart and Cozy Glow knew her as Tempest Shadow. And one day, six months ago, Tempest had vanished without a trace. Once Princess Twilight got word, she dispatched multiple search parties throughout all of Equestria.
Regarding the issue, nothing has come up so far.
Flurry Heart glanced at two other unoccupied chairs. “Then, two years before her, Radiant Hope and Sombra suddenly stopped showing up as well…” Even now, she could easily picture their faces, their smiles, and the sound of their laughter, each pony occupying their respective seat. But times were different now. They had been for a while. “I’m sure… days like those will return. I know they will.”
Cozy Glow joined in. “That’s right! No matter where they are right now, I just know they’re thinking of us!”
A tear streamed down her turquoise muzzle, and her mouth was full of food. Glitter Drops nodded her head and tried her best to smile. Regardless, an extra amount of salt made its way into her meal. “…Yeah!”
Flurry Heart closed her eyes and grinned.
The young mare trapped within these crystal borders could only focus on one thing. She kept chewing and chewing, glaring at the two unsuspecting ponies. Her infallible plan. Cozy Glow will exploit the young alicorn’s naivety for her own selfish gain. She will take that dumb name and elicit a flurry of the mare’s heart in the lowest manner possible. Smiling, she will do it because she can.