Glimmer & Glow

by Yosh-E-O

Chapter 14 - Reunion

PSHEW-PYOO
BOOM-CRACKLE

Trixie had used her magic to summon a flurry of ethereal fireworks to herald their entrance into Our Town. This brought all the residents out to see what the ruckus was about.

“Starlight!” called out Double Diamond. “You made it!”

The crowd of gathering ponies watched as Double Diamond, Party Favor, and Night Glider rushed to meet the oncoming group.

“It’s never a dull moment when you’re here!” announced Party Favor as he made a star out of balloons.

"Is she really with you?" questioned Night Glider.

"Yes!" proclaimed Trixie while gesturing to herself. "It is I, the great and powerful Trixie here to amuse you with my most great and powerful assistant!"

Night Glider appeared uncomfortable with the illusionist's response.

"I think she meant to ask if Cozy Glow was with you," stated Double Diamond.

Cozy Glow was hiding behind Starlight when the crowd started to gather.
"I...," she whimpered. "I can't."

"You can," assured Starlight. "Everything is going to be alright."

"If you say so," moped Cozy Glow as she slowly trotted into full view of the gathering crowd. "Go ahead. Tell me what a horrible pony I am and how I deserve to be locked away in Tartarus."

There was a moment of silence.

"Cozy!" called a voice from within the crowd. "You're back!"

The pink Pegasus froze in place as the source of the shout out came forward along with another pony.

SCOOP

"I can't believe it's really you!" cooed the Earth Pony mare as she pulled Cozy into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Cozy was going to say something until a hoof touched upon her that wasn't the mare's.

"What happened?" a Unicorn stallion asked with heartfelt concern. "We were so worried when we had heard you got sent to Tartarus."

Starlight cautiously approached.
"You two must be Cozy's adoptive parents," she nervously greeted. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh," the black-coated stallion replied with a gesture of his hoof. "We've met before Ms. Starlight."

The periwinkle Unicorn struggled to recall where she had seen the stallion and the royal-blue coated mare.
"Sorry...," she bashfully replied. "Can't say I do... Should I?"

"We were pretty low key," the mare answered. "We were a part of this town when you ruled it as a haven for equality."

"Oh...," the former tyrant gulped. "I am so sorry about that and promise I'm doing all I can to make up for my mistakes."

"We know," the Unicorn replied with a nod. "It was seeing how you could become a better pony that encouraged us to adopt Cozy Glow."

"No pony else would take her," the Earth Pony added. "Poor thing just kept saying, 'Golly! Where's my peachy pal?'."

Cozy looked up at the motherly mare.
"I really messed up, huh?" she more pouted than asked. "You and papa Ebon helped me and cared for me and all I did was cause trouble."

"It's alright, Cozy," Papa Ebon assured. "The fact you are here now with Starlight Glimmer and not in Tartarus proves your Mama Pajamas and I were right to not give up on you."

"Oh!" chimed Starlight. "Emerald Ebon and Minky Pajamas! I remember you two now."

The couple smiled.
"That's us!" Minky beamed as she continued to coddle Cozy.

"Sorry we missed you during the Sunset Festival," Emerald added. "We tend to travel quite a bit in pursuit of our Cutie Marks."

Starlight felt herself break into a cold sweat as she felt all the eyes of Our town upon her.
"Oh...," she stumbled. "You, uh, didn't get yours back from the vault?"

"Never had them to start with," replied Minky. "That's why we came here. To feel like part of a community instead of feeling like an outsider everywhere we went."

Trixie strode alongside Starlight.
"I'm not really liking all the looks we're getting standing out here talking about this stuff," she said. "Think we can go someplace a bit more private?"

Starlight felt like a weight had been lifted off her back.
"Great idea!" she announced a lot louder than she had intended. "Want to go back to my old place and catch up?"
Emerald and Minky took note of the staring onlookers.
"Sounds good," Minky replied. "Is it okay I hold on to Cozy?"

Starlight nodded.
"She seems happy to be with you," she remarked. "Follow me."

"See you later, then, Starlight?" inquired Double Diamond.

The periwinkle Unicorn nodded.
"Definitely," she smiled. "Just, if you can, try to calm the town's ponies down. I imagine they may be a bit worried about Cozy."

Double Diamond saluted.
"You got it, Starlight!" he replied proudly. "You can count on us!"

***

CREEK

"Here we are!" announced Starlight. "Home sweet home!"

Emerald's ears twitched as his horn glew a shade of green.
"Hmm," he thought. "Not often my magic triggers without me doing it myself."

Cozy gestured to be let go by Minky.
"This...," she thought as flashbacks of Starlight's implanted memories filled her mind. "Hurts!"

"Cozy!" cried Minky as she dove for the filly.

"Mama Pajamas!" she cried. "Make it stop!"

PSHEW

"Oh, wow!" gasped Emerald as his horn glew with an even more noticeable green aura. "Now I feel like we're being watched. Kind of like something is all around us."

Starlight, worried something was amiss, used a scanning spell to check for any sort of magical traps, artifacts, or creatures hiding within her old home.
"No ponies here...," she trailed nervously.

"They took it!" wailed Cozy. "They stole it all from me! I hate them! Hate them!"

Trixie approached.
"Things are getting a little weird here, Starlight," she noted with concern.

"I know," replied Starlight.

"NO!" wailed Cozy as she struggled in Minky's hooves. "It was perfect! They ruined it all! They'll pay for this!"

Minky couldn't bear the pain of her adopted filly. so she quickly sat down and cradled her close against her chest.
"Shh," she soothed. "You're alright. Everything is alright. No pony is taking anything away from you."

Every pony watched as the squirming pink Pegasus started to slow her flailing until falling asleep in Minky's hooves.

"Wow," admired Starlight. "How'd you do that?"

The royal-blue coated earth Pony gave Cozy a kiss on the forehead.
"It always worked before," she replied softly. "It's why we thought she'd get better by attending twilight's school. she was always having nightmares about losing friends, getting even with other ponies, or thinking some pony was going to take everything from her."

Starlight's heart sank.
"Oh...," she trailed while trying to not give away that cozy was a doll brought to life by her negative emotions.

Emerald Ebon's horn reduced its glow down to a dim green.
"Now that I think of it," he considered. "My horn always seemed to act up when Cozy got upset like that."

"How did you do that?" wondered Trixie as she saw Cozy glow sleeping peacefully in Minky's hooves. "Trixie has never seen her so, well, relaxed since we broke her out of Tartarus."

"You helped our little Cozy glow?" Minky asked with a smile. "Thank you, Ms. trixie."

"We were only told of Starlight's sacrifice she made to get our cozy out of that horrid place," added Emerald Ebon.

"What?" gasped the illusionist. "No mention of how the great and powerful Trixie played a most intricate part in the greatest escape act to ever be done?"

"Sorry," Emerald shrugged. "Though, not to change the subject, does any pony else feel like their fur is sticking up? Like something isn't quite 'right' in here."

Starlight put a hoof to her chin.
"Could he be sensing all the dark thoughts, emotions, and actions I had while living here?" she considered.

"Oh!" cooed Minky. "She's doing it, honey!"

Emerald Ebon, along with Starlight and Trixie, came over to see a faint glow coming off of Cozy's body.

"Could it be?" baffled Starlight as she recalled one of Cozy's abilities as a stuffed animal.

"She's so warm," the stallion stated while nuzzling her head. "It's really amazing how you get her to do that, sweetie."

Starlight couldn't ignore her suspicions any longer. However she needed time to consider them all before making Emerald and Minky aware of what may be happening to Cozy Glow.
"Hey," she said. "Do you mind taking Cozy back to your house? It's been a long journey and I think she'd be very happy to be back in your loving hooves as Trixie and I settle in here."

"Gladly," replied a joyous Minky Pajamas. "Our little glow worm back in our home would certainly be a most welcome sight."

Plus," added Emerald. "no offense to you but Something about this place gives me the creeps."

Starlight laughed nervously.
"None taken," she replied. "It kind of was where I lived while ruling this village with an iron hoof."

"Then we'll be off," stated the stallion who had a lime-green mane. "We live in the 'Sweet Dreams' shop. Just give a knock and we can talk more about our shared care for Cozy glow."

Starlight nodded.
"Sounds god," she replied. "see you tomorrow."

PSHEW

Emerald used his magic to open the door as Minky carried the sleeping, and still lightly illuminated, Cozy glow in her hooves.
"Until tomorrow," he said.

"Until then!" waved Starlight. There was definitely a lot to think about and she and trixie were going to make things right no matter what residual negative emotions may be looming about from her past.

Comments

[wayward_pony]

Interesting to finally meet Cozy Glow's adoptive family, and peer into the past... this chapter is certainly setting something up. Love the names and the relationship with Cozy the two are implied to have here.

Also, really dig the pacing and Trixie's reactions to everything. Wonder yet where this is going...