The Villains Bar

by Zubric

Episode 11: What's Upstairs

Cozy Glow sat at the bar sipping on her cold glass of soda as her mind went over her plans. Her ears flick as the sounds of the Pony of Shadows trying to do karaoke that Flim and Flam had set up. He wasn’t half bad in her opinion. Then again, she was only a filly so what did she know about musical tones. Her gaze scanned around the room her eyebrow raised as she noticed that the regulars didn’t seem to be present. “Hey, Gilda, where is the bug queen and Tirek? Doesn’t miss NIghtmare sulk here too?”

Gilda shrugged as she idly filed her claws. “Eh, probably upstairs I guess.”

“Oh? What’s up there?” Cozy’s eyes were drawn to the oak staircase in the back of the room.

“Bedrooms mostly,” Gilda replied, not seeming to care about the conversation.

“Oh, you must have a bird’s nest up there,” Cozy teased as she flutters into the air now wanting to investigate.

“What no! That’s a stereotype,” Gilda blew some hair out of her eyes.

Cozy giggled heading to the stairs. ”But you’re not denying it,” she sang, finding herself undeterred from going up the staircase towards the large double dark oak doors. Pushing the doors open, she was surprised to see sunlight shining down from a large glass dome ceiling supported by elegant marble pillars. In the center of the atrium had a silver fountain with a statue of Discord upon the top. The filly found it kind of pretentious, then again it was his place. Along the wall closest to the door, she spotted a few couches along with a long coffee table. A few magazines lay upon it. ON the opposite side of the fountain several doors stood each decorated differently.

“Reminds me of a hotel lobby,” Cozy muttered as she flew over to a red door with a barbell upon it. Hearing the sound of grunts from inside, Cozy pushed the door open and saw what looked like a miniature gym. Laying upon a bench was Tirek lifting the smallest weights he could manage in his skinny state. “Golly Tirek, you sure you can handle that.”

Tirek raised the small barbell into the air glaring at the filly. “Are you calling me weak child?”

“No, of course not, I'm just making sure my friend doesn’t hurt himself,” Cozy replied with her syrup sweet tone. “Did Discord give you all this?”

Tirek rolled his eyes, keeping up his exercise. “We aren’t friends, more convenient allies.” He did another five lifts before he looked at her again. “And yes, Discord did give me this room.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you are here instead of in Tartarus. Getting mail to you was hard.”

“It’s a shame that Discord won’t let me stay here full time,” Tirek sat up taking a swig from a water bottle. “Why don’t you go bother Chrysalis or something,” he said waving his hand to the door.

“Hmmm, okay,” Cozy chimed before flying out and heading toward a door with a rocky texture. The filly watched as several holes on the door would open and close slowly. Unsure of how to open the door, the filly instead waited for a big enough hole to appear before jumping through landing on a hard rock floor. The room towered overhead being two stories tall and celery bigger on the inside than out. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling was decorated with small hanging green pods glowed with luminescent light. The light greenish walls were covered in more changing holes. “Wow, creepy,” Cozy strolled inside further hearing a buzzing but can’t see where it was coming from.

Before the filly could even react, a shadow passed over her before a loud hiss was heard. The next thing she knew Cozy found herald pinned on her back with the piercing glare of the changeling queen filling her vision. When the child was done her little yell Chrysalis spoke. “What are you doing here?”

Cozy heart raced for a moment, and if not for the fact she’d used the bathroom recently, she probably would have peed herself. Getting back her nerves, the filly grinned wide innocently. “Hey Chryssi, I just thought I’d come by and look around.”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “You weren’t invited,” she said stepping off of the filly watching as Cozy fluttered into the air.

“Well gosh, there wasn’t anything stopping me from coming in really. You sure have a nice place.” Cozy said, doing her best to look cute.

“It will do,” the queen rolled her hoof. Now, what exactly are Tirek and you up to?”

Cozy quickly flew over to one of the oil paintings upon the wall taking in the landscape. “Oh, that’s a secret. I couldn’t possibly tell.”

Chrysalis laughed, “Ha as if children can keep secrets. I just sense how eager you are right now.” The queen strolled over. “So tell me, what are you so hyper about hmm?”

“Well,” Cozy started pausing for a second to let it linger. “I found this large cavern under the school that’s connected to the tree of harmony. It’s perfect!” She rubbed her hooves together gleefully.

“Discord refuses to tell me what’s going on but he says your plan won’t work. He said the same thing about my plans when they failed as well,” Chrysalis replied, flicking part of her mane.

Cozy scoffed looking at the little ponies in the drawing. “Oh Discord just being a mean party pooper. He doesn’t want me to win or else he’d,” she paused as the bug queen glared at her as if she was planning something. “Oh look at the time!” She peered down at her watchless foreleg before darting to the door and sliding through an opening just as Chrysalis tried to reach out to grab her. Not wanting to be caught, she hurried along towards a door with two symbols upon it. The first one was a red curved horn while the other was Nightmare Moon’s cutie mark. Grateful it wasn’t locked, she darted in and shut the door taking a few deep breaths and once calmed down she glanced about seeing the room lit by blue flaming torches casting harsh shadows on the wall. The room was decorated like an old-time castle with stone walls and carpets. Her ears flick as she heard arguing along with the sound of a piano being played.

“Must you practice now?!” Sombra voice boomed

A few notes followed a few mixed up. “Yes I need a hobby, and I can’t focus with you yelling at me!” Nightmare hissed not seeing the filly poke her head into the doorway.

“I'm trying to read.”

“Well go read out in the lobby,” Nightmare huffed

Before the two could go on any further, Cozy fluttered up towards them. “Hey there!” She chimed.

Nightmare Moon turned her head toward the filly eyes flaring white for a moment. “You foal! How dare you enter my domain.” Her voice boomed, blowing the pegasus back until she stopped.

Cozy shook her head recovering from her momentary daze. “Hia Nightmare, Sombra, how are things?” she asked.

“Fine, I suppose,” Sombra rolled his eyes. “Are you even supposed to be up here?”

“Why not?” Cozy asked eyes peering at the large axe hanging on one wall. “I just want to make friends.”

“Friends just slow you down,” Nightmare Moon replied, swirling her mane about.

“Oh no no no, Headmare Twilight says Friends make you stronger,” Cozy said, her grin growing. “Ponies do what I ask cause they think they’re my friends.” The filly rubbed her hooves together. The more friends the more power!” She let out a cackle Nightmare seeming impressed.

“Ah, manipulation, lovely,” NIghtmare said with her own wide smirk.

Sombra scoffed moving over to a couch to sit down. “I would just mind control them, bend them to my will!”

“Why puppet their minds when you can command them by fear alone,” Nightmare declared as Cozy moved to the door.

“Golly, you two are just perfect for each other aren’t you?” Cozy grinned mischievously.

“We are not!” They both shouted back as the filly opened the door to leave.

“Hehe if you say so,” Cozy replied before heading out and making her way back down into the bar below.

Upon taking a seat at the main bar, Discord strolled across the tabletop being the size of a large action figure. “So what did you think?”

Cozy tapped her chin and smiled once more. “Very...cozy.” Feeling Discord nudge her in the shoulder, the two burst into laughter at the joke.

Author's Note:

Nothing much happend but was just on my mind mostly. I'll have Daybreaker next chapter.

Comments

[LEGION55]

Nice.