This story is a sequel to Who We Choose To Be
One of Equestria's youngest and most unpredictable villains faces an uncertain future. After Princess Twilight attempts an unprecedented treatment, things become even more uncertain.
The mind is a very fragile thing.
Cover art: funnyfany@derpibooru.org
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I still can't get her out of my head even after being turned to stone
Ya know, all the new stories about Cozy Glow has a 'Death' tag on them nowadays... Wonder why
This is really good.
I wonder how you'll make Twilight handle this. Maybe she can get the help of some other character.
Perhaps her former team members could show off how far they came by helping her out.
Well then, let's see where this one goes.
FYI, you had one use of 'Gladmane' instead of 'Graymare.'
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You have NO idea how many double takes I had to do last night. Thought I had gotten them all, thank you.
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Probably because of a certain piece of art, by a certain artist, that has a mentally broken Cozy Glow at Twilight's hooves, begging and pleading to have her newly acquired sense of empathy and guilt taken away from her, and either put back in Tartarus or turned back to stone.
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Indeed, that's where this seed was planted, but I can't help but notice a bit of a temporal fallacy there. Twilight looks much too old for how young Cozy is, unless she waited quite awhile to take her out of Stone Sleep.
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Ah now I get it
I know this doesn't have a dark tag but...
Daaaaang that's dark.
And I LIKE IT!!!!
Can't wait for more.
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What the hell? What art is that??
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derpicdn.net/img/view/2019/10/27/2180348.png
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What.....
You know I was kinda expecting the guard to turn on Graymare for speaking to Twilight like that.
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I could see that being the case.
Or it could be done to further emphasize just how alone Cozy Glow is in such a situation. If Twilight had done this in her season 4-8 form and height, Cozy would still have been stuck hugging her around her ankle region, but it still would've been physically possible to try and hug Twilight around her neck and thus be closer to the physical features we associate with compassion and caring. But in her post-season 9 form where she's as tall as Celestia if not taller, Cozy is stuck as far away from Twilight's caring features and any trace of warmth and support as physically possible.
Whoa! I am sure getting such a scolding from a pony would get a lot of head's turning. Though Twilight's logic can often be her greatest downfall as she can see a lot in "Black & White" but miss the worthwhile 'grey area'.
You certainly got emotions with this one. Nice job!
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Glad you're enjoying!
God Damn... If that's the way of reforming to friendship than I'll take evil for life and stab Twilight in the eye
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I thought twi was better than that
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She never dealt with kids that refuse to listen, she mostly had kids listening to her, the CMCs, her niece and Spike.
Twilight’s act of kindness will not immediately remove the emotional damage she’s done to Cozy. Twilight unknowingly made Friendship a threat; accept friendship or suffer
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Even worse, here it was "accept the friendship AND suffer because your conscience doesn't know how accept what you did in the past without one."
Twilight's certainly taking a step in the right direction with this, although this will still probably be a very bumpy road for Cozy moving foreward. This is an interesting way to do a reformation.
Lots of feels in a very short chapter. It's always nice when so few words can say so-so much.
It seems Cozy's 'Golly', 'Gosh' and other old-fashioned terms are no longer there. Perhaps the spell wiping those out of her vernacular? Or more that they were all fake to allow for her deceptions?
I'm glad the doctor is taking so well to Cozy. She needs a 'parent' figure and one who will stand up for her over put her through torture. What Twilight did to Cozy is so much like what Luna did though the Tantibus to herself. Pain only makes more pain until it can be replaced with understanding and mental recovery.
The scene that stuck out most was Cozy gripping the sheets in fear. It's something you'd never think of her doing. This is the most vulnerable I've ever seen her portrayed.
Nice work!
What Twilight, Sunset, and Starlight did reminds me a lot of the concepts in "Metal Gear Solid". However, instead of nano-machines manipulating one's emotions like SOP, we have magic infusing emotion into Cozy.
Well it's certainly going to be interesting to see where the story goes from here.
The use of the journal is an interesting touch. In my own story I did a period where Rainbow Dash was on suicide watch due to mental torture at the hooves of Nightmare Moon. I considered suicide-proofing the journal idea by having a quill enclosed in a plexiglass box, and enchanted to write as she dictated, only for it to freeze up when she used non-native Equestrian words and had to spell them out. But I eventually abandoned the journal idea entirely.
I expect that with pieces missing, ms glow also could not feel hatred. She might be feeling in now and not know it. For what Twilight has done. It's an equally new feeling. But ms glow is smart in her own way and hopefully her doctor will help guide the sorting out of these new emotions as this initially blurred rainbow of new feelings separates into distinct colors. Not all of them nice. Twilight can hide behind the profound respect all ponies have for alicorns due to generations of conditioning by Celestia. And not even know it.
Guessing that last birthday at home might have something to do with the fire.
I want to say that it was "It's... Coming."
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Winner winner cockatrice dinner!
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Yay! 10 internet points!
I can't spot a ref but I like how this is going. The doctor is doing a lot of trust-building activity by allowing himself to be as vulnerable as Cozy is. Putting yourself on equal terms is a great way to build a solid bond.
I like how you are gradually giving us bits-and-pieces of how Cozy ended up in solitary, how the spell used came to be, and how often the doctor pushed for a far better follow-up by Twilight. Now we also know she is remembering actual parts of her life beyond the physical pain that is manifesting from being hit with years of derogatory / self-fulfilling actions.
I wonder if she'll change her hair style now that she's coming into a new sense of self? Again it is noticeable she is no longer using her cutesie one-liners.
The story is good for illustrating the true importance of 'sharing' the experience instead of just handing someone some pills and/or telling them to do something and be off. Cozy is a case much like many in reality who need care beyond a single office visit and being loaded with meds can ever achieve. She needs someone to help her be 'her' while knowing 'herself' that the treatment is bringing out her 'true self' instead of a synthesized one.
Ah, so were going with a double journal. Good idea from Graymare to show her his findings.
She doesn’t remember having the seizure huh? I know what that’s like.
Eyyyyy a good old Anastasia reference.
I do like what you are doing here. I hope she kinda gets to meet reformed cheese legs tho that might be good for both of them eventually.... just maybe not now.
~Reggie
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Hope you didn't leave a smudge from leaning on the fourth wall there.
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*checks*
Shit, somepony get me the bottle of Windex.
<LoL!> Love the addendum. Breaks the tension of the chapter's end and doesn't leave you feeling left hanging so badly.
The chess board is definitely where Cozy would have, likely, learned her manipulative techniques along with getting her Cutie Mark. I like how you fleshed this out a bit while also addressing the past, present, and future as she works towards her life after villainy.
Best touch was Twilight pointing out how her bad deeds may have been part of attaining a greater good deed. Through her actions with Tirek and Chrysalis they united so many different creatures where Equestria had dominantly been 'pony only'. *Applause*
Loving Twilight's interactions. Funny how most authors typically make Cozy win at chess, yet here she loses.
For some reason when I read a story about any foal or Cozy Glow in them music from 'Little Nightmares' start to play in my head
Nightmares were a given. I wonder how her father will react to her treatment.
Did Cozy really cause the fire? I mean something else could have spark it, broken gas lines, oily products near a heat source, flammable products?
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That's a very good question. The way things are worded, it seems to imply that she started it on purpose, but it's just vague enough that it could have been an accident that she just decided not to run away from, expecting that her brother and mother would.
Oh... wow... Now that was one beast of a nightmar
This provides a very interesting look back on what could have made Cozy into the Cozy we came to love and loathe. The fact she saw her brother in such a way was definitely quite the surprise. I know an image like that would haunt me for years, if not forever.
Seeing how we learn more about the fire in Manehattan will be most interesting. There's a bit of mystery to go along with the recovery Cozy is going through.
I like how you have the doctor working with Lil' glow. He's definitely a great fellow and also perfect for helping to move this story in the right direction.
A sad, but predictable and understandable reaction from Stratus. I wonder what's in the cloth.
I really like this story, im gonna wait for more
Ooh! Now this was a total tease. Two big things to know about and each held back until the forthcoming chapters.
Oh, well. I guess I'll just need to keep reading. :)
You put out a tease of a chapter like this, when we're not even halfway through the No Nut November internet challenge?
You are an evil, evil pony, sir.
Did not expect that
Thought it might be their ashes then thought her father wouldn't just toss that around so dismissed the idea.
Looks like I was wrong. Seems to me that Cozy isn't the only one who needs to see a therapist.