Glow to the Future

by PerpetualMotion

The Council of Friendship

"...and with the low attendance and failure of the specialized satellite campuses, Princess Twilight Sparkle decided to fold the new magic programs into the curricula of the original School of Magic, lifting enrollment restrictions in the process," Sparky said, finishing a rather long-winded explanation. Cozy Glow had one major takeaway, at least.

"So, I could learn to use magic again?" the filly asked. The very idea of attaining anything like the power she once had was incredibly exciting.

"Mastery of pegasus magic is extremely different in theory and practice from unicorn and alicorn spellcraft. Any previous spell-casting experience would not be applicable."

"No giant lasers, then?"

"Correct."

"Dang." Cozy's excitement refused to die, though. "You have all of Twilight's research from her library, though, right? Could you teach me?"

"This unit's database contains all relevant data on the topic, but possesses limited instructional capabilities. Supplemental instruction is recommended."

I guess I could always just read up on it and figure things out myself? Cozy Glow couldn't help but groan and slump forward at the thought. Her first attempts at learning in the School of Friendship didn't really go very well. Even back then, she'd needed tutors to teach her the ropes before she got a handle on things and climbed her way to the top of the class. She had just been lucky that cragodile tears were effective on ponies no matter how well versed in friendship they were. Before she could contemplate the idea further, though, she was interrupted by the pendant hanging from her neck began buzzing loudly. "Uh, Sparky?"

"User Cozy Glow, this unit has received a letter addressed to you from Princess Twilight Sparkle marked 'urgent,' would you like to read it at this time?"

"Yeah, might as well. She'll just keep making you buzz if I don't." The text of the letter appeared in front of her, projected in the air, and Cozy quickly skimmed it. It was more or less what she expected. "Time to go back, then. I guess our princess doesn't trust me to return on time unprompted."

The trip back to the castle was pretty uneventful. Cozy took the low road this time, opting to just fly over the hoof traffic while staying below the Transit Layer. This drew a few disdainful looks from pedestrians and was probably a longer trip than just going back up to the flight lanes, but Cozy had a hard time caring. She was in no hurry, and not being pushed along by the crowd was a lot less stressful. If Twilight wanted her back so badly, she could just zap her back herself. Once she was back on castle grounds, Cozy casually made her way back to the throne room, where Twilight's letter had instructed her to go. None of the guards bothered to escort her, presumably her newly granted station precluded such formalities.

"Welcome back, my little pony," the princess said, greeting her warmly from her throne. Cozy couldn't help but roll her eyes at the diminutive. "I trust your little excursion was a productive one?"

"...I guess?" It had certainly felt good to stretch her wings and see the sights, though Cozy Glow wouldn't have described any of it as "productive." "That's quite the city you've got out there. Nice and compartmentalized, just like you like it."

"That's a few centuries of civil engineering for you, though I assure you that I didn't personally oversee every detail." Twilight descended from her throne, coming to stand beside the filly. "In any case, it's about time we got down to business of what exactly your job will be entailing, since our last meeting got cut a bit short."

"And what would that-" Before Cozy could finish the question, there was a loud knock on the throne room door, and the kirin guard from before entered.

"Princess Twilight, the other councilors are arriving."

"Ah, right on time! Thank you, Snowfall," Twilight said. The guard bowed and quickly left as the princess looked down at Cozy Glow and continued. "Follow me, please. I'll answer your questions on the way." As she led the filly out of the throne room and down another hallway, Twilight explained how she and her circle of friends created the Council of Friendship shortly after her coronation to help guide Equestria, and how it eventually became clear that for the Council to continue, some systems needed to be put in place. "You see, nopony could remain on the Council forever, so it was decided that when it came time for anypony to retire, they would appoint a successor who they felt best embodied the ideals they represented. It's been in this fashion that we've been able to move on over the years. As for the functions of the Council, that's where you come in."

"What, is serving you all coffee is vital to the ruling of Equestria?" Cozy asked flatly, causing Twilight to chuckle a bit.

"Nothing nearly that banal, no. The job of a Royal Assistant is to assist the entire Council, both in and out of the castle. You'll go where you're needed, more or less. Tonight is this moon's meeting, and your role will be to listen closely, and get to know the other councilors. Tomorrow you'll start working with them more directly, and things will go much more smoothly if you know who you'll be dealing with."

Soon, the pair came to the council chambers, which was a medium sized room with a large, circular stone table situated in the center. Chairs of various shapes and sizes were spaced evenly around it, emblazoned with insignias that Cozy recognized as the cutie marks of her old professors and the former physical forms of the Elements of Harmony. The walls of the room were decorated with painted portraits of what Cozy could only assume to be the various councilors from over the years. Most of the older portraits were of ponies, but as they got newer and newer different kinds of creatures started showing up, until ponies and other creatures appeared in more or less equal measure. At the moment, only two other creatures were in the room: the kirin guard from earlier, and a crystal pony stallion. They were chatting in a corner of the room, the crystal pony being particularly animated, casting dazzling reflections across the walls with his gem-like aquamarine coat.

"Snowfall! Beryl!" Twilight called out as she and Cozy approached. "I've got somepony I'd like you to meet."

"Oh, who's this then?" the crystal pony asked, turning to meet them. "Aren't you just the cutest little fil! If you're here, you must be the new assistant Twilight said she was hiring! I'm Beryl Streak, it's an absolute pleasure to meet you!"

How much has Twilight told them about me? Cozy wondered as she weathered the onslaught of pleasantries. That kirin didn't seem to know much, so I can only assume that my past is need-to-know. In that case... "Hi, Mister Beryl! I'm Cozy Glow, assistant extraordinaire! I can't wait to work with you!"

Twilight rolled her eyes at the display, though Beryl didn't seem to notice. "Beryl is the current Kindness Councilor," she explained. "And this," she turned to the kirin, "is Tomorrow's Snowfall, Honesty Councilor and Captain of the Canterlot Guard. I believe you've already met."

"Indeed," Snowfall said, side-eyeing Cozy with understandable suspicion. He didn't say another word to her, even after Cozy returned the greeting with the same warmth she'd presented Beryl with.

This one at least knows not to trust me, Cozy recalled. He might actually be a problem later if I'm not careful.

"Yoo-hoo! Hello, everycreature!" another voice called, echoing across the room. The new creature casually walked up to the group before crouching down to get a better look at Cozy. She was... rather unusual to say the least, being a tall, gray, bipedal cat, dressed in casual business wear that matched her coat. Cozy had spotted a few of them in the crowd as she explored the city, among a smattering of other creatures she had never seen in Equestria back in her time, so she wasn't caught off-guard quite as much as she had been by the kirin, but the fact that one was apparently on the Council was rather surprising. "I'm guessing you're the new help," she said. "The name's Melodia Whitewhiskers, Laughter Councilor. You can call me Mel, though."

Laughter? Cozy thought, cocking her head for a brief moment before reigning her body language back in in. You'd expect her to be a bit more... exuberant. She's no Pinkie Pie, that's for sure. "I'm Cozy Glow!" she said, returning the introduction with a wide smile. "I'm sure we'll be great friends!"

"Oh dear," Melodia responded, standing up to talk to Twilight. "You sure know how to pick 'em, Princess." She giggled a bit before continuing. "I've never met a creature her age that precocious without some serious baggage."

All Cozy could do was stare silently. I said literally two sentences to her, and that's what she gets out of it? I do not have baggage! She shook her head and regained her composure, wandering over to a nearby open window as the adults continued to chatter. She could do small talk, sure. It was a pretty necessary skill to get what she wanted a lot of the time. She never enjoyed it, though. Other creatures always felt so shallow. So easily to read and understand. She knew logically that that wasn't exactly true, at least some of the time (that Laughter cat deserved closer examination, at the very least), but that feeling still clung to normal socialization and made things rather unpleasant. She had a feeling that she'd learn a lot more seeing these councilors in action, anyway.

"In any case, I'm sure you'll all like Cozy Glow a lot." Twilight's voice drifted across the room, just loud enough to be heard. "She's extremely intelligent for her age, and is pretty good in the planning and organization department. I've definitely seen her do wonders helping keep other ponies on track." Cozy groaned. She didn't need the princess talking her up. She was perfectly fine at proving her worth in person. One thing about all this was interesting, though. Twilight was more than capable of being dishonest with her so-called friends in this day and age. Maybe not with outright lies, but everything she was saying about Cozy was cloaked in half-truths and deception, and it all flowed off the tongue with the ease of experience.

Maybe some things do change. I guess that time can harden even the softest heart... Cozy couldn't linger on the thought for long, though, as a large black shape barreled through the window, causing the filly to yelp and leap a few feet into the air. She took a few deep breaths and settled back down to the floor in time to see the raven that had startled her settle on the back of one of the chairs around the council table. "Uh, Twilight? I think we should close the windows here. The animals are starting to creep in."

"I don't 'creep' anywhere, kid," the raven said in a raspy but distinctly feminine voice. "What, cat got your tongue?" she asked as Cozy simply stared, slack-jawed. "No offense, Mel."

"None taken," Melodia responded from the other side of the room, watching this all unfold with a bemused expression.

"I swear, if I had a bit for every time some little-"

"Sable, please settle down," Twilight interjected, approaching the raven's side. "This is Cozy Glow, our new assistant. Forgive her ignorance, she's not from around here."

"Hmph," was all the raven said in response, though that seemed to satisfy the princess.

"Cozy, this is Sable, our Loyalty Councilor."

"You hired a bird to be a councilor?" Cozy asked, still genuinely baffled. Sable visibly bristled at the remark and opened her beak to shout something back, but was silenced by a raised hoof from Twilight.

"Recall your history classes, Cozy Glow," the alicorn continued, not even hinting to the others that said history was Cozy's actual past. "Fluttershy, the first Kindness Councilor, dedicated much of her life to studying and assisting animals of all sorts. Something she came across in her research was rare instances of animals being gifted with great intelligence and capacity for knowledge, often disguised by difficult to understand mannerisms and a physical incapability of utilizing spoken language. Her companion Angel Bunny was the first such creature she discovered, and she eventually came to find that he was not an isolated occurrence. Part of her legacy is a branch of the Equestrian Immigration and Citizenship Agency, which Sable now heads, dedicated to recognizing and uplifting these wondrous creatures and allowing them to participate in society with all of the rights entitled to them, if they so wish."

Sable posed proudly as Twilight spoke of her obviously esteemed "heritage," even going so far as to perform a cute, if awkward, bow once the princess finished speaking. "And my corvid mastery of language makes me especially suited for my positions, which I am gracious for Twilight and my predecessor on the Council recognizing and indulging to the phenomenal extent that they have."

"You've earned everything you have yourself, Sable," Melodia said warmly from the sidelines.

"I know, I just like getting you to say it out loud." The raven laughed, or rather made a rough, scratchy approximation of the sound, and the rest of the Council followed suit, leaving Cozy to feel like she'd rather be experiencing the oblivion of her stone prison if she'd have to sit through this kind of banter all night. "Anyway, sorry for being late," Sable continued once the laughter died down. "Do we have everyone here? We should probably get started."

"We're still waiting on Scales," Beryl said, moving to take his seat at the table, "but considering how long we were waiting the last few times she was late..."

"Scales is the Generosity Counsilor and a dragon, I assume?" Cozy asked, excited to be moving on to actual business, if only to escape the banality of introductions and chit-chat. A generous dragon. Ain't that just rich.

"Indeed," Twilight answered. "She's usually quite prompt, but is prone to the occasional absence, with good reason at least."

"If you can call getting arrested a 'good reason,'" Melodia said with a sigh, following Beryl to the table and taking her seat.

Dragon, Councilor, and petty criminal? Cozy Glow smiled quietly. Now this is a creature with potential...

"If she's ticked off my guards again, the case at least hasn't crossed my desk yet today," Snowfall said as he also moved into place.

"Nor mine," Beryl added, "and I've given special instructions to the DA that I be assigned to her whenever she's in the system."

"Well, that's a relief," Twilight said. "I'll send someone to check on her, just in case, but for now it's best that we move forward with the meeting."

"I don't know why we put up with her," Sable said. "She's been on this council for six months now, and has not once demonstrated the aptitude necessary for the position, much less the moral fibre. There are provisions in place to remove, uh, 'bad actors,' right?"

"There are," the princess said, "but they have not once been used in the four centuries of this council's existence, and they will not be used tonight. Scales is troubled, for sure, but she's out there fighting for what she believes in, and that's the quality and potential her predecessor saw in her before he passed, even if the way she fights is a bit... destructive. I respect his judgement in this matter and will hear no more talk of removal tonight." The rest of the room sat in awkward silence, fidgeting in their seats and exchanging shifting glances, not meeting Twilight's stern gaze. Sensing this tension, she immediately softened her tone. "She's just a bit exuberant, is all, and needs guidance and direction. That's what friends are for, right?" This prompted some nods and affirmative murmurs from the other councilors, which seemed to be the best Twilight would get out the group for the time being. "Now, with that out of the way, let us begin."

---

That night, Cozy Glow sat on her new bed, doing her best to go over all that she had learned and avoid fuming over the war crime Twilight had perpetrated in the room while she was away. Instead of dusty old books and pottery lining the shelves, they were now covered in knick-knacks and photographs that she hadn't seen since before she had left for the School of Friendship. A sealed letter left on her bed explained the incursion.

"Dear Cozy Glow,

I am writing this letter far ahead of your release. I do not know how far. After your imprisonment in Tartarus, your family was informed of your actions and thoroughly investigated for any involvement in your plans. They were found to be completely unaware of anything you were doing, though the horror in their voices and on their faces when they first heard the news could have told me that. Still, they chose to hold on to mementos and memories of you and remember you as the bright, young filly they had sent off to a new school earlier that year. This, unfortunately, ceased to be true after your return and attempt at revenge. Some time after your final defeat, a large package arrived for me at the castle. In it were the items you see in your room now. In a tragic twist, your parents found the memory of you simultaneously too painful to keep possession of and too precious to see destroyed. As Princess and your former professor, they hoped that I would hold on to them and preserve them for "historical archival" and future study. While a stray piece here and there may have wound up in a museum over the years, the vast majority of it will remain boxed up in my personal collection until the day you receive this letter. I hope a touch of home provides some comfort in what must be strange times in a strange world.

Your hopeful Princess,

Twilight Sparkle"

Comfort? The letter's final sentiment echoed in her mind, even as she desperately tried to think of more important things. Council meeting? Very informative. The board is set, now I just need... need to... Her attempt to distract herself failed, though, and her emotions quickly boiled over. "You really think that this brings me COMFORT?" Cozy shouted at the empty air. "How stupid can you get?" Flying over to the shelves, the filly systematically took each and every item and sent it crashing to the ground. Toys broke into pieces, and picture frames shattered. Only the final item gave her pause. It was yet another old photograph, yellowed with age like the others. The only difference is that Cozy made the mistake of looking directly at it as she picked it up. It was a simple scene. A younger Cozy Glow stood beside her parents in front of a roaring hearth. In fact, it was Hearth's Warming Day, if she recalled correctly. All three of them were smiling, but Cozy's smile was one that she knew all too well. Bright, wide, adorable. Fake. "None of this was even REAL!" she screamed as she threw the photo to the ground with the rest. "None of it..."

"User Cozy Glow, you appear to be in distress, do you wish-"

"Can it!" Cozy snapped, cutting the Auto Spell off. It fell silent and did not speak up again. The filly settled back on the bed, and the trembling of rage gave way to sobs of emotions that Cozy didn't even want to identify. After a minute, though, a knock on her door brought her back to reality.

"Cozy Glow, are you there?" Princess Twilight's voice called, muffled by the heavy door.

"Just a minute!" Cozy replied, surprising even herself with how quickly she was able to imitate an ordinary, cheery response, even as her eyes were still clouded by tears. Wiping them from her eyes, she psyched herself up and prepared her "normal" happy face before jumping off the bed and opening the door just a crack, as to hide the mess she had just made. "Don't I get nights off to sleep?" Cozy asked sarcastically.

"Not tonight, I'm afraid. We have an emergency on our hooves."

"Oh?"

"Every attempt I've made to contact or locate Councilor Scales has failed, and a missing creatures report has been filed by her landlady," Twilight said, the familiar worry in her voice incredibly obvious. "We need all hooves, claws, and paws on deck for search and rescue. Consider this your real first mission." The princess's horn lit up, and the pair vanished in a flash of light, leaving the door to the wrecked room to creak shut without them. It seemed that that would be a mess for another night.

Comments

[Ninjadeadbeard]

Cozy? Being... affected? Hmmm... very interesting turn.

[asdtroi8895]

Interesting idea with the raven. Twilight should really try talking to Cozy about her parents.

[nighters]

I wonder what cozy life was really like to get a fake smile like? all we know those two could be just as fake as her a double life for home and public

[badninja]

I hope that Twilight one day finds out about why Cozy destroyed all of her stuff. That is very telling about just what is wrong with Cozy Glow and possible treatments that could help her. However Cozy will need to want that help for it to work.

[SigmasonicX]

This is a pretty interesting fic. Good job exploring what pony society in 400 years would be like, and you have a pretty good handle on the show characters. It is a bit odd that Twilight would lose track of the obvious friendship problem growing right in Canterlot with the flier vs. non-flier issue, but then again I can see her missing it if she doesn't get people on her council from there. Speaking of which, good job making sure it didn't turn into Blade Runner world or something, and instead is something that would make sense for Twilight to create.

[honeyhoneyhoney]

Ah hope Cozy Glow takes over the world! Hurray! :)

[FridayPie]

9974323
Albeit with Twilight it may become some less violent version of Altered Carbon (book, not movie representation, movie is a classical "cyber samurai" fic)

[Speedingninja]

Soon, the pair came to the council chambers, which was a medium sized room with a large, circular stone table situated in the center. Chairs of various shapes and sizes were spaced evenly around it, emblazoned with insignias that Cozy recognized as the cutie marks of her old professors and the former physical forms of the Elements of Harmony. The walls of the room were decorated with painted portraits of what Cozy could only assume to be the various councilors from over the years. Most of the older portraits were of ponies, but as they got newer and newer different kinds of creatures started showing up, until ponies and other creatures appeared in more or less equal measure. At the moment, only two other creatures were in the room: the kirin guard from earlier, and a crystal pony stallion. They were chatting in a corner of the room, the crystal pony being particularly animated, casting dazzling reflections across the walls with his gem-like aquamarine coat.

Ohhh that must be pain ful for twilight seeing as she's immortal and it's been 400 years