The Thestral With The Golden Halo

by DougtheLoremaster

Chapter 17- Let's Play A Game

Cozy Glow fidgeted, nervously. Before her was a strange alicorn sitting at a desk, staring back at her with amethyst eyes. After a moment, the alicorn spoke, her ash colored wings rustling slightly as though annoyed. "Young filly, can you tell me where you are?"

Cozy's voice was sugar sweet as though she were being friendly. "Erm golly. Why, I don't know who you even are, let alone where this is. Erm, miss alicorn...Ma'am."

The ashen colored alicorn smiled in a warm manner. "You may call me Hazel, young one. Though perhaps before we continue I should let you know something important about me; I can see through every thought within your mind. Now, how about you show me the real you, sweetie."

Cozy Glow's eyes went wide with shock. She nodded slowly. She couldn't explain why but for some reason, she felt compelled to be more honest with this one. "We are in Tartarus, Mrs. Hazel."

"Very good. Now what is Tartarus for?"

Cozy pondered this for a moment, rubbing her hoof on her chin. Finally, she answered with a respectful tone. "It's for time-out, right? Like super-long detention for really bad ponies who break the rules of the school?"

Hazel sat there, considering what had been said. Starshine was right, she doesn't belong here. Perhaps she really can be guided, but how to do it? After a few minutes in silence, during which Cozy Glow rocked in her seat out of boredom, Hazel had an idea. "Tell me, Miss Glow, do you like playing games?"

Instantly, the rocking stopped, and the young filly grew attentive once more. "Games? What kind of games?"

“Games of strategy, such as chess for instance.”

Cozy Glow’s eyes radiated interest. “Oh I love chess! Can we play?”

Hazel smiled. Too easy. Lifting her right wing in a welcoming gesture, Hazel’s horn began to glow. At once a shiny new chessboard appeared before them. In a soft but sweet tone, one she had witnessed Starshine use around younger ponies, Hazel spoke. “Of course. White or black, Miss Glow?”

Cozy spoke excitedly. “White! White always moves first. Also call me Cozy, please.”

As Hazel’s eyebrow raised, Cozy quickly followed it up with. “I mean if you want, that is.”

Hazel nodded approvingly. “Very well, Cozy you will be white. Let’s see what you can do.”

A couple of hours passed as the two stalemated again and again. Neither gave any quarter, until Cozy Glow took the first blood. Hazel watched in amazement as the young filly navigated through her traps, sacrificing only the bare minimum to do so. Patient and cunning, I see. The game ended with Hazel tipping over her king in defeat. Cozy smiled. “Checkmate.”

Hazel nodded and smiled. “Indeed. It would seem to be your victory. Quite adept at strategy, aren’t you? Impressive for one so young.”

Cozy narrowed her eyes. “If you weren’t holding back you would’ve run that board with ease, Miss Hazel. Why did you go easy on me? Is it because I’m a kid?”

Hazel’s mind raced. So she noticed. Good. “No. Not because you are a kid, rather I did not know what your skill level was. Would you like to play a real game? I’ll even make a wager. If you win, I’ll give you a juice box. I believe apple is your favorite.”

Cozy wanted that juice box, though she remained cautious. “And if you win?”

Hazel spread her ashen colored hooves disarmingly. “You will agree to play a game of my design. What do you think? Do those terms sound reasonable?”

Cozy put a hoof to her chin and rubbed it in deep thought. After a couple of seconds, she nodded. “That sounds like fun! I’m warning you, though; I’m no pushover!”

Hazel grinned. “If you were, what kind of fun would that be?”

Once again, the board was set up. This time however, it ended in a much different way. 5 moves into the game, Hazel had lost her queen. Cozy pressed the attack and quickly took the left bishop, the right rook and the right knight. However, Hazel seemed unfazed. Cozy kept aggressively attacking and then in the 10th turn, it happened. A pawn crossed the board. And From that pawn, Hazel's queen had risen once more. Cozy seemed to be taken aback and quickly tried to rally her troops after the new power piece. On the 13th turn another queen was born. Cozy began to sweat. She was starting to lose pieces. First her left rook fell to the queens onslaught, then a bishop. Using her knight to defend, Cozy gave Hazel the opening she was looking for as another pawn became a queen, thoroughly ensnaring her king in an inescapable web. Hazel smiled. “Checkmate.”

Cozy Glow stared open jawed at the board and saw the image on it. The pieces had all aligned to form a giant spider’s web. She kept glancing at the board and then to Hazel. Her mind was running full steam. Who, what is she? Cozy’s voice was shaky though now filled with admiration. “W-wow, Miss Hazel, you’re…you’re really good at this!”

Hazel gave a smirk. “Eons of practice, Cozy. I had been playing this game since before the word ‘pony’ was created.”
"Golly, Miss Hazel you must be really old!"

Giving a slight laugh, Hazel joked. "Cozy to understand how old I actually am, you would have to assign a number to the years I've witnessed. The problem is, there is no number you could say from birth to end of yours and your kid's kids lifetime, that would be long enough."

As the tiny filly's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, Hazel snorted, trying to hold back a laugh and gave a wink. "I'm kidding Cozy. I'm actually 42 CE."

Cozy Glow tilted her head in confusion as she tried to comprehend this. "CE??"

Those amethyst eyes sparkled a brilliant emerald-green. "Celestial Eons. One CE is equivalent to an eternity to one of your realm. Now then, I do believe I won our little wager. Wouldn't you agree, young lady?"

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by this new information, Cozy Glow suddenly felt the weight of Hazel's presence. That would mean she... Staring at the ashen colored alicorn, she trembled and slowly lowered her king onto its side. I can't win. This isn't some princess. This is something far more. She didn't just win that chess game, I'm not sure she even tried. "Yes ma'am, you win, I surrender."

Hazel smiled and stood up offering a hoof. "Very good, that was fun, and a fine warm-up for our next game. I think you'll enjoy it quite a bit."

"It's not another board game is it?"

"Hahahaha, oh that's adorable Cozy Glow. No, this game will take place in Equestria. It will be played for keeps as you kids like to say."

Cozy Glow looked nervous. "For k-keeps?"

"Absolutely, you will partake in a rather special dungeon crawler I've created. It will take place in the school, that scorned you. You see, time will be rewound to before your sentencing. You will have a chance to change your fate. Sounds like fun, right?"

The little filly looked at the alicorn in disbelief. Her tone conveyed hesitant sarcasm. "R-right Fun."

As Hazels horn glowed, Cozy Glow let out a gasp. They were in the hallway outside of Twilight's office. Hazel calmly explained. "The game will start upon your enrollment. Your goal is rather simple; make friends with every pony and non-pony within this school by the end of a school year."

"WHAT?!"

Hazel laughed. "You heard me, sweetie, though it won't be as easy as you may think. Only genuine efforts of friendship will work. Any fake or empty manipulative gestures will cause mistrust. You'll find it harder as time progresses as well, should you decide to befriend one at a time.”

Before Cozy’s eyes appeared a strange bright visual display of herself and depicted slots in it as well as a list entitled ‘skills. Next to this image were four stats; Charisma (set to 100), Friends gained and friends lost (0/0), and Completion level (0%). As she reached out to touch it, Hazel continued. As You see, you will start with 100 Charisma, indicated by the word Charisma in bright blue on your display. Consider this your health. Should it hit 0 you will lose. Follow me for a demonstration of the ‘combat system’.”

Cozy watched in amazement as a student appeared in the hallway before her. Cozy noticed the nameplate was ‘????” and the level was 1. Interesting. Hazel calmly began to speak once more pointing at the student who seemed lost. “Introduce yourself.”

Cozy nodded and slowly approached the pegasus colt. “Hey there, you seem lost. My name is Cozy Glow would you like some assistance?”

The pegasus responded in a happy voice. “Oh yes please! My name is Bolt Blaze, nice to meet you! My family sent me here from Cloudsdale and I am having the hardest time finding my class!”
Cozy Glow’s eyes grew wide as she watched his nameplate on the display change to ‘Bolt Blaze’. Next to the colt she noticed a meter appear and fill halfway. Looking at Hazel, she asked. “What’s that?”

Hazel grinned. “That’s a friendship meter. Depending on your actions and whether or not they are compatible with the friend-type, you will receive points accordingly. The four types are: Athletic, Intellectual, Male, Female. When the friendship meter fills up, they will become your friend. Though beware, each friend you make you will lose one point of your Charisma. The higher the Charisma, the easier it is to impress others. Should you be found to manipulate others instead of being your genuine self, your charisma will fall as well as you will lose friendship points."

"Uhhh.."

Cozy found an ash-colored hind-hoof pressed against her muzzle. "Shush I am not done explaining. This is an RPG, so you will find helpful ways to boost your chances. These can be found in your classes. What you learn in each of your six classes will greatly increase your chances of winning. Doing well in your classes will grant you special skills to be utilized in the befriending of others. Any questions?"

Cozy found her muzzle free to speak once more as the hoof was lowered. "How is this even possible, w-who are you? You aren't just some alicorn, are you?"

Hazel nodded and flared her ashen wings wide. As Cozy Glow stared onward at her, Hazels ashen feathery wings changed to dragon scales. From tips to base the feathers vanished, revealing Hazel's shiny onyx black draconic scales. The young filly nearly fainted from fright as the rest of the alicorn body faded away to reveal the Thestral known as the Queen of Destruction. "There will be no second chances. You will have to make choices that will have real consequences. Now then, as I want you to show me a genuine you, it is only fair you see the real me. Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Hazel; I am the goddess that commands the dead. Queen of Destruction and sister to Faust. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Cozy Glow was speechless as her jaw-dropped and her face flushed with sudden unexplained embarrassment. Hazel smiled warmly. "If that's all for questions."

As Hazel stood there looking expectantly at Cozy, the young filly noticed a rather pleasant scent exuding from the thestral. The tiny filly found herself completely frozen, unable to do anything, her body simply refused to respond. Her heart was beating rapidly, and she couldn't stop herself from blushing.

Hazel's horn had begun to glow a bright crimson. Her voice echoed in Cozy Glow's ears as she vanished and the world came to life with students in the halls. "Let the game begin young one. Remember you have exactly one school year. Should you get stuck, seek out the nurse's office. Once a day I can give you a hint, you'll find me there."

Cozy Glow felt her head clear and the blush fade from her cheeks. What was that? Wait. What’s in my hooves? Papers? Sure enough in her hooves were her enrollment papers. Cozy’s eyes narrowed in determination. Another chance, huh? Better not waste it. Something tells me this game isn’t going to be so easy to win. Raising her head up she marched into Twilight’s office to enroll and start the timer.