Rules are rules, even for a princess.
Celestia may not have been the best actress, but she knew how to keep emotion from her face. Centuries of being a public figure had left a graceful smile on her face like a permanent scar, with only the slight changes to a thoughtful neutral face, or a mildly upset one for more extreme circumstances. Very rarely did she show her true face, her genuine emotions, to another pony.
This moment was uncomfortably close to one of those times.
Before her on a hard wooden chair sat a small pegasus filly. Her baby blue curls were disheveled, her pink coat and wings marred with dirt and scratches from her attempted escapes, and her red eyes cast down to the ground, refusing to look up. Cozy Glow had put up quite a fight as the Royal Guard had brought her to talk with the princess, but between the sheer number of soldiers and Flash Magnus giving them some actual training, her endeavors had been unsuccessful.
And now, Celestia had to "do something about her," as she had heard whispered among her subjects. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she began.
"You know why you are here, Cozy Glow."
The filly did not respond, continuing to stare at the ground.
"You tried to drain all magic from Equestria, guided by Tirek, and force the blame onto your peers by way of specism and misleading others. Highly unusual for a filly of your age, I must say."
Her voice betrayed her in the second sentence, showing a few notes of compassion. Celestia hated the fact that she had to consider this a mistake. She should never have had a reason to withhold grace and kindness from any of her subjects. And yet, here was her subject. The exception. Who still did not answer.
"How old are you again?"
Cozy finally replied. "Twelve." Her voice was empty and bitter. It felt like a knife through Celestia's heart.
The princess did not reply for a few moments, repressing her wave of despondency. With another deep, steadying breath, she continued.
"How is it that you came to be enrolled in the school of friendship?"
Cozy finally lifted her eyes from the floor, bringing her gaze to meet her ruler's. To Celestia's alarm, Cozy had regained the power-hungry lust she had caught a glimpse of when she had first arrived at the School of Friendship.
"I think it should be clear already why I was there. Power."
Hints of a smile crept onto Cozy's face; hints of fear made their way to the princess's expression. Nevertheless, the questions continued.
"But what about the legal processes of enrollment?"
"Wasn't that hard. It is outside of the EEA, after all. I just asked Twilight if I could attend and she said yes, basically."
"Did you stay at the school?"
"Yes."
"Do you have a home outside of school?"
"No. I just wandered for a few years."
This caught Celestia off guard. She hadn't known much about the filly, but she hadn't expected her to be homeless. And she certainly hadn't expected Cozy to be so nonchalant about this fact.
"What about your parents? Who are they?"
"Dunno." Again the filly answered, calm as ever.
Deep, steady breaths. More questions.
"Any other family members that you know of?"
"No."
"Have you ever looked for a home?"
"No."
"Where have you been staying?"
"Alleyways, under bridges, the usual stuff. And even your old castle, once."
Every time Celestia thought she had adjusted to Cozy's unexpected answers, another one hit that threw her a curveball.
"Where did you live as an infant? You couldn't have been alone your whole life-"
"Dunno, don't remember. Why are you asking me all of these questions?!" Cozy suddenly jumped up and stood on her chair, yelling at the princess.
Deep breath. "I'm trying to help you, Cozy."
"I don't need your help!" Celestia tried to say something but was cut off by her young subject. "I survived for seven years all by myself in Equestria! I learned things about magic that some scholars don't even know! I was the most powerful pony in Equestria, and I can get there again!"
Cozy finally stopped to breathe. Celestia took the opportunity.
"Yes, you were powerful, and you have great potential, and you hurt many ponies and other creatures due to your actions. And by law, that means you have to face severe punishment. Right now, you're looking at Tartarus."
Cozy seemed surprised by this. Good. Celestia had her attention.
"You are only a child, Cozy. You shouldn't have to be imprisoned. I'm trying to offer you a chance. That's why I want to find you a home. That's why I want to know about your family. I want to help you."
Cozy remained silent for a moment, gazing at Celestia.
"I don't need your help. Or want it."
Deep breath. Keep calm. "Why? Do you want to stay in Tartarus?"
Cozy grinned. "Yes. I think I'll like that very much."
Celestia could feel her heart breaking. Deep breath. Keep it together. "I don't think you really mean that, Cozy."
"I do."
Deep breaths. Stay in control.
Then she had an idea. An example she could use. Would it work? Could she convince Cozy Glow to stay and redeem herself?
Only one way to know. Deep breaths, stay focused.
"You know your guidance counselor, Starlight Glimmer?"
"Of course I know her," Cozy retorted impudently.
"Did you know she was a lot like you once? She also made some choices that were really bad and, well... she also came close to destroying Equestria."
"I knew that already. That's why I locked her up before doing anything else with my new power."
Deep breaths. Focus on the goal. "Do you know why she wasn't punished?"
"No. But I assume it's some friendship is magic nonsense."
"She apologized." Celestia lowered her voice to a gentle whisper. "That's all you have to do. We offer forgiveness to anypony—or anycreature—who is willing to accept it and work to not repeat their mistakes."
Cozy looked Celestia dead in the eyes. "You can't save me."
The two held eye contact. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Deep breaths.
"Even if you did, it wouldn't change the past."
Celestia felt her public mask crack.
"I learned a lot at your old castle."
"Where is your sister, princess?"
A new pegasus guard whispered to Princess Luna as she readied the spell.
"I'm handling this one alone, this time." The spell was ready. Together, Luna and two guards stepped through the portal and left Cozy in her new cage in Tartarus. They returned to Canterlot quickly.
"Tell the others that my sister and I are retiring for the night." Luna teleported away the moment the portal vanished, leaving behind the guards standing confused at her abrupt departure.
Luna appeared in Celestia's room. Celestia was there, on her bed, hiding under multiple blankets.
"It's me, sister," Luna whispered, fighting back tears.
Celestia lifted her covers just enough to show her face; her eyes were red around the rims, and there were visible tear tracks on her cheeks. Wordlessly, she gestured for Luna to join her. Removing her regalia, an occurrence so rare that she barely remembered what it felt like, the younger alicorn climbed onto the bed and snuggled in next to her sister, who promptly pulled the covers back over their heads.
They stayed like that for a while, tears silently falling from their eyes and onto each other.
Luna broke the silence. "I wish we didn't have to remember."
"Me too."
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This story is great, but makes Celestia seem incompetent. She is the ruler, if she knows a situation is different than what a normal law would call for she should make an exception. There's no juvenile detention centers in Equestria? (This is a criticism of the show writers, not you.)
9459961
This story is also kind of criticism of the show writers, so... yeah. As well as other things. Which shall remain undisclosed for the time being.
Oh you just had to leave that ending loaded with such bait. The kind that all but forces someone to ask for a sequel or explanation.
Nice job.
9459995
I might add a sequel chapter. But don't think that I'm going to tie up everything. Not yet. Oh, so not yet.
And hey, now I know I did what I meant to.
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My characters were left alone for three years and became monsters, I can't imagine how a child that young would have to grow to survive.
Hell, if I was a ruler I'd probs give her a golden medal, a house and a job then say "don't fuck it up".
It's always hard to make judicial decisions involving a psychopath. Doubly so if the psychopath is a child.
9459961
While I also dislike the writers' choice, in universe one must consider the purpose of retributive justice - to satisfy the anger of the community. Cozy Glow attacked everypony in Equestria - any public forgiveness would surely weaken Celestia's quite possibly tenuous political position both internally and externally.
In fact, the best option for mercy if Celestia wanted to offer it would likely be a complete change of legal identity, And that would likely be a lot easier if everypony knows Cozy Glow is in Tartarus - after all, it's not like the common pony can just go and check that she's actually there, right?
9460315
Retributive justice is a law code favored by barbarians. She could still have put her in an ordinary prison for juvenile offenders.
9460325
As mentioned, it's designed to sate the barbarian in all of us. Bear in mind that given how close some of the calls we saw on screen were, Cozy probably has a body count - try explaining her getting the Starlight treatment to the grieving families.
Yes, this is pretty much what I was expecting. (Not what I'm doing in my fic, but a fic isn't the show.) To play devil's advocate though, would you want to expose misguided young ponies you're trying to rehabilitate to Cozy Glow?
9460334
One reason I disliked the episode was the implied body count. Far to grim for MLP. If I wanted grim I'd watch Walking Dead-there's a reason I don't.
9460338
Well it's not like they actually said anything - all we got onscreen was a few nick-of-time rescues, which is pretty standard for kid's TV.
But looking at it from a morally educative perspective, a necessary balance to forgiving the repentant is punishing the unrepentant - and if kids saw another kid getting off lightly after doing what Cozy did, then I wouldn't blame them for thinking they could get away with anything.
That said, I do agree that the show mishandled her fate. (If I didn't, do you think I'd have actually written something after almost a decade of lurking?) Having someone who tried to repeat Tirek's trick share his fate may be "fair" in a childish way, but it's better to show some consideration for the differences in the cases as well.
9459961
Wouldn't work. Cozy doesn't WANT to be rehabilitated, and she is a master manipulator. Put her in juvey, and all you succeed in doing is giving her the opportunity to escape or simply manipulate more people by playing it up and pretending convincingly she's sorry (and worse, get, steadily better at it). And then she's free to try again.
Most people seem to take it that putting her in Tarterus is a failure on the part of Celestia - but very few people seem to consider the possibility - as here - that Celestia (and Luna and Twilight) had to send her there, because she is THAT dangerous that there was no other choice (other than execution) and that all other avenues had been impossible.
(I personally have said numerous times that I don't even believe she's really a child, just short and playing to advantage so well it works outside her own universe, but that's neiter here nor there.)
9460415
To play both sides a bit, most people who are rehabilitated don't start out wanting to be - it's kind of part of the job. Of course, we need to take care with known liars. but just because Cozy won't change her mind easily doesn't mean it can't be changed - she's still young after all. Well, unless you go for
so it's more relevant than you thought. Personally, I think having her be anything other than a filly would be a stretch right now in canon or fanfic - the time for revealing that was when her mask came off. Two masks, the second not even foreshadowed, isn't fair on the audience.
It's the other way round - I think - it's because an exposed Cozy seems so harmless that Tartarus seems excessive* - the impression given of it is not even a normal prison with sentences, but a place were you throw things you want forgotten. And I'll point out that "here" Celestia seems to send Cozy there not on the basis of any threat, but just because she pushes some personal button of hers.
*Let's just note that probably her most impressive feat without the aid of artefacts is - breaching the security of Tartarus somehow. I really hope they figured her method out before leaving her there with only a dumb mutt as guard.
9460432
There are no other (apparent) young filles at the school (which is, functionally, a university, regardless of what Twilight calls it) - I looked very carefully after her first appearance, because I knew something was off about her. (I was, to the show's credit, WAAAAY off base and was delighted by her reveal, not as a disguise, not as a plant or minion, but the actual main bad girl.)
I don't believe Cozy is redeemable, because I can see a lot of myself in her - and you wouldn't redeem me, either, if I was in her place; unless you were stupid enough to let me lie to your face and pretend just long enough to be able to figuratively - or literally - stab you in the back.
The harsh truth is, you can't save everyne, because some people don't want to BE saved and some of those overlap with the ones that are strong enough to not break and stand for what they believe in, come hell and high water. (Or... Heaven and... summer weather?)
I find it especially telling, in a show where so many villains HAVE been redeemed, that Cozy recieved the joint-second-highest penalty (alongside Tirek) - Sombra being outright killed being the first (they can be third if you wish to count the Storm King), which to me is in and of itself an indicator that simply because THAT was what they did to her, it was the only option available to them.
But I won't belabour the subject.
9460460
Unless we really want to insult the main characters intelligence, though, she at least has to pass for an eligible student. I went with a very young-looking fourteen, but others will no doubt have their own opinions - it's not like there's agreed ages for the Mane 6 or the CMC.
Your self-assessment is of course your own business, but since I presume you are not posting from prison, the elements of an acceptable citizen are likely.
More importantly though, even if she can't be redeemed you can't expect to know that without trying - and the handling in the show is a bit to cursory for me to believe even as much consideration as shown in this fic went into it. (Granted, the abbreviated context means we can't rule out her simply being softened up for future rehabilitation efforts - but I think that's a bit of a stretch.)
I'm usually a fan of "finding a way to make it work", but it still is a bit circular to argue that the ending proves it's own necessity. Imagine if that standard was applied to all convicted criminals - "the sentence must be fair, because they would only have given it if (s)he deserved it."
Now that's not to say I think that Cozy should have been redeemed (I don't, at least not this season), or that her ending up in Tartarus or similar wasn't something that could have worked with better writing, but as it is the Princesses (and the show staff) really don't come off very well.
psychopathic children exist
https://youtu.be/i9GYExnh1yU
Hello, I enjoyed this fanfic so I narrated it! Hope you don't mind
9460492
The CMC wanted to join. Twilight didn't say no because they were too young, but because she felt they already knew plenty about friendship.
Cozy glow was taking magic from everything and nullifying spells meaning she could actually have a body count meaning any pony or creature who wasn't a pegasus and visiting cloudsdale using a cloud walking with find themselves falling to their deaths and because this happened so suddenly even the fastest flyers wouldn't have been prepared to catch falling ponies that Equestria hospital equipment seems to run by magic...so imagine the death toll from that
Also cozy glow knew what she was doing she knew the outcome of what happens if she took all the magic not just from ponies but from everything