Glimmer & Glow

by Yosh-E-O

Chapter 7 - Other Marks Of Effort

Cozy entered the School Of Friendship filled with hope and determination. However it was of the ill kind as she knew her goal.
“Take away the magic,” she said to herself. “Make it so Twilight Sparkle has no way of keeping me from getting all the love, care, and friendship I rightfully deserve.”

***

The first weeks at the school were very hard for Cozy. This is because, as was back in Our Town, she found herself more inclined to sabotage friendships than work towards making them. Fortunately she did find herself to quite enjoy lessons on magical artifacts, creatures, and the exploits of all the heroes of Equestria.

One such lesson was about Twilight’s epic battle against Tirek. Tirek was a magic-absorbing creature from another land who had successfully stolen all the magic in Equestria for his own gain.
“Hmm,” thought Cozy as she left that class. “I wonder if there is a way to talk to him? Learn how he managed to not only defeat all the heroes of Equestria but also rid all the land of its magic?”

***

Cozy knew getting in good with Twilight would grant her the access she needed to find a way to speak with Tirek. Unfortunately her inability to make friends, nor be very friendly, prevented her from having such an opportunity.

In time, Cozy learned about the exploits of The Cutie Mark Crusaders. They solved problems for all sorts of creatures. She knew if any pony could help her learn enough about friendship to gain Twilight’s trust it would be them.

***

Twilight was not much on Starlight’s ‘School Counselor’ job. However, after having messed up with The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Cozy Glow knew she had to do something. So, as she paced the school in sorrow over how her one chance to succeed had been defeated by her own actions, she came across a lonely Starlight Glimmer in an office that read 'Guidance Counselor’.

There was something about talking with Starlight that felt, for lack of better words, comforting. It was like an old friend who she’d always known and could trust. Some pony who could set things right while understanding why she did what she did.

***

Cozy’s honesty and desire to learn after making things right with Twilight and the CMC quickly paved the path to becoming Twilight’s ‘Friendship Assistant’. This granted her additional access to places so she could acquire things for Twilight, along with the rest of the staff, if ever they were too busy. It was during such an excursion she learned of how to get letters delivered to Tartarus along with how to get the letters to come back.

***

A special magical seal was all it took to have letters transmit from one location to another so long as they were in proximity of the desired location. So Cozy would write letters directed back towards Our Town for her adopted parents that would be magically whisked to Tartarus once the mail pony had flown within range of its entrance. The magically sealed gate was a breeze to bypass as Cozy had learned about ‘The Key Of Unfettered Entrance’ and how to incorporate some of its magic into each letter. She was truly becoming a genius in the use of the magical arts just as Starlight Glimmer had done.

***

Cozy found it most desirable to keep close to Twilight by going out of her way to meet the head mare’s every whim. Sure her vengeful side got the best of her a few times, most notably when she came to learn of The Tree Of Harmony and its mystical root system beneath the school, but she and Tirek were effortlessly able to maintain proper correspondence up until she knew she had all she needed to put her plan into motion.
“And he wants me to send all the magic to him through the aether so he can access it later to get even with Twilight and her lackeys?” she asked rhetorically. “I’ll compromise by giving him Twilight and her friends while sending the magic I gather into the cosmic void where it will never be able to be used by any pony, or creature, ever again! Equality will be achieved and, with all the professors out of the way, I’ll rise to head mare and have the most friends of all!”

Comments

[wayward_pony]

Very smooth exposition here, and natural way of answering the questions the audience is likely to have at this point.

Awesome