The Villainous Trio looked with terror as Twilight Sparkle, soon-to-be ruler of Equestria, gave them another long-winded friendship speech. Such speeches usually meant their goosed was cooked, roasted, and smashed into the dirt.
"That's why they created the Elements of Harmony!" The pony princess rambled. "The Elements showed me and my friends how strong our friendship could-,"
"Yeah, yeah," Pinkie Pie said in exasperation, "we get it. LIGHT THEM UP, PONIES!!!" The non-ponies gave the pink pony a small glare. "And, um, other creatures."
"Since when is Yona 'other creature'?"Yona asked with some anger. Pinkie Pie gave the yak a sheepish smile.
"CAN WE JUST BLAST THOSE IDIOTS ALREADY!" Rainbow Dash yelled in annoyance. "I have a repair pony coming to fix my gutters and I need to be home by three."
"Sure," Twilight said tiredly. "Let's just get this over with." The pillars, the Young Six, and the Bearers began glowing and rising into the air, the magic of friendship filling them. Within moments, their energies would banish the darkness the Villainous Trio unleashed. The magic was being-
"COZY GLOW!"
The three villains and the massive pan-Equestrian army paused in confusion at the furious roar.
"Was that the Royal Canterlot Voice?" Tempest Shadow said with confusion.
"No," Princess Luna said in a somewhat scared tone."This is...far more powerful," she finished, glancing downward. They saw some mare none of them had ever met before marching into the middle of the battlefield. To the casual observer, it looked like the typical Earth pony with a brown mane. But those nearby saw within the mare's eyes an uncompromising, unstoppable force that not even Discord, Nightmare Moon, and Celestia combined could, well, stop.
Cozy Glow in particular was shaking in fear.
"Young mare," the Earth pony mare said calmly but firmly to the young villainess.
"Mom," Cozy Glow said uneasily said with a sheepish smile. "How's it going?"
"After I gave you back your Sapphire Shores records, what did you promise me?" Sweet Roll asked her daughter sternly.
"I would not try and takeover Equestria for at least one whole year," Cozy Glow said sadly.
"And what did you do?"
"Hey, I waited six months," Cozy Glow argued. "That's...almost a year." Sweet Roll and everypony else narrowed their eyes in displeasure.
"You broke your promise to me!"
"Hey I kept the promise that I would make friends," Cozy said sheepishly, gesturing with her hooves to Tirek and Chrysalis. "See, I have two great friends."
"I've always considered us to be co-workers," Tirek said with some annoyance.
"We're more like colleagues with a semi-professional relationship," Chrysalis said with a roll of her eyes. Cozy looked at her two allies with dismay, before nervously turning her eyes back to her mother.
"Cozy Glow, there is a police station about a mile away," Sweet Roll said firmly. "You will fly there and think about what you did while I have a chat with your...friends."
"Yes ma'am," Cozy said.
"After that, we'll discuss your punishment," Sweet Roll finished ominously. The dread of her punishment present on her face, Cozy Glow flew away, her mom watching her all the way. When Cozy was no longer visible, Sweet Roll turned her attention back to the other villains with distaste
"And you two, how dare you turn my little filly evil!" Sweet Roll bellowed.
"She wanted to do this." Tirek threw back.
"She wanted to help us takeover Equestria-,"
"And you two were supposed to set a better example," Sweet Roll threw back. "Well she is not going to be taking over Equestria today. In fact none of you are going to be taking over Equestria today."
"How dare you!" Chrysalis yelled back.
"No mere mortal orders me around-," Tirek said.
"Colt, do not test me," Sweet Roll said firmly, trotting up to Tirek and getting in his face.
"Yes ma'am," Tirek whimpered in fear, shrinking back from Sweet Roll's brutal gaze. Sweet Roll turned her head to Chrysalis. The Changeling Queen also shrunk back from the mare.
"Please, stop looking at me like that," Chrysalis said, covering her eyes. "It is more painful than listening to those idiot ponies sing."
"Fine," Sweet Roll said quietly. "Just give back the magic you two stole, give back the bell and march yourselves to the station as well."
"Yes ma'am," Chrysalis said meekly. The two villains returned the magic still within them, with Tirek shrinking back to his usual gaunt self. After giving the bell to Sweet Roll, the two trotted in the direction where Cozy Glow flew. The former Queen so shaken by the angry mother's words, she forgot she could still fly.
"I can't believe it," Discord said in a quiet voice as he watched the two other villains stomp off in shame. "I actually feel sorry for them." A smug smile appeared on the Lord of Chaos' face. "It is a good thing I never had a mom." He marched up to Sweet Roll with a happy smile. "I'll have my magic back-"
"Clean this mess up," Sweet Roll said, giving Discord a broom and dustpan, "and then you get your magic back."
"What?"
"You did cause this mess with your idiotic little scheme," Applejack said unhappily. Discord expectantly looked to Fluttershy, only for the yellow mare to look at him without much sympathy.
"If you make a mistake, you should fix it," Fluttershy said firmly, "it is only fair."
"But I-," Discord began, only for Sweet Roll to glare at him. With a scared sigh, Discord began sweeping the dirt, and muttering about the unfairness of life.
The three villains sat in a cell, pondering their fates, when Sweet Roll burst into the police station looking extremely annoyed.
"What am I gonna do with you three," Sweet Roll asked rhetorically in a disappointed tone.
"Let us off with a warning," Chrysalis asked. "I mean we are after all the true victims of society-,"
"SHUT UP CHRYSALIS!" Cozy Glow and Tirek yelled. Chrysalis ceased her excuse realizing that Sweet Roll was not at all impressed.
"Anyways," Sweet Roll said, looking directly at her daughter. "It appears you don't respect me at all."
"I do mom," Cozy Glow pleased.
"If you did, you wouldn't have worked with those two idiots and pulled another stunt," Sweet Roll said icily. "I've realized that nothing I say matters. So...I'm not going to punish you three." The three villains looked expectantly at Sweet Roll. "Instead, I'm gonna have somepony ELSE punish you."
"Who," Tirek asked, before his words died in his throat as he saw who entered the station.
Tempest Shadow trotted in, her eye icy blue eyes looking directly at the three villains without any ounce of pity. Serving the Storm King made the purple mare one of the most feared ponies in all of Equestria. Despite turning on the Storm King and joining the Royal Guard, Tempest was known to be as ruthless with the enemies of Harmony as she was with the enemies of the Storm King. The sight of the mare looking at them mercilessly made the other villains shiver in terror.
"If you'll excuse me," Sweet Roll said in falsely sweet voice, "I have errands to run. Tempest will be in charge until I get back." Tempest let a nasty grin form on her face. The other villains began quivering even more.
"Wait mom," Cozy said. "Please don't leave us with her." Sweet Roll silently walked out of the room, leaving them alone with the former mercenary.
"What are you gonna do with us," Chrysalis said.
"When I was a member of the Storm King's forces," Tempest began, her deep voice putting the Villainous Trio on edge," he was...not a very forgiving creature," she said. "If you were late once, he would...give you a written warning." The Trio gasped at that. "If you forget to punch in for work, he would...dock your pay." The Trio gasped again. "If you failed in any of your tasks he would...fire you without a reference." The Trio began shaking in terror. "But you three," she said, another vicious grin forming on her face, "you have earned his most...cruel punishment."
"Death?" Cozy Glow asked.
"The Moon?" Tirek asked.
"Being turned to stone?" Chrysalis asked.
"Worse," Tempest Shadow. "By the power vested in me by the Royal Guard I sentence you three to...polish the cabinets at Canterlot Castle for one hour." The three villains began crying in fear and panic.
"No, no please," Chrysalis said desperately.
"I beg you to have mercy on us," Tirek shrieked.
"Please stick me in Tartarus," Cozy Glow pleaded.
"Or perhaps you would like to make it...two hours," Tempest said ominously.
"NO!"
"Then cease your blubbering," Tempest said with cool indifference. The Villainous Trio stopped crying, looking fearfully at the purple unicorn. "You three will rest here until tomorrow, when the Royal Guards will arrange for you to be airlifted to Canterlot where you will do your work." She leaned into the cell, glaring. "If you even try to escape, I will catch you, and I will force you to read Spoiled Rich's self-serving autobiography." The imprisoned villains whimpered, the last bit of their drive dying away.
"Rest well," Tempest said as she walked out of the station. "You three will have a very busy day tomorrow."
"I will never even think about being evil again," Cozy said tiredly as she cleaned the top of one the cabinets in Celestia's room with a rag and wood polish.
"Me either," Tirek and Chrysalis said, as they struggled to clean the corners inside.
"Less talking, more polishing," Tempest said, standing over them. The three continued to work silently.
"Thank you Ms. Shadow ," Sweet Roll said happily. "For teaching those three that being evil is bad."
"It is the least I could do," Tempest Shadow said with a warm smile. Tempest had been saved from the darkness. It was only right that she should save others from their own darkness.
"So why don't you surgically remove that...thing," Sweet Roll said, looking at the broken horn on Tempest's head.
"It allows me to look intimidating and show others that not having a horn won't slow me down," Tempest said proudly.
"I think it looks tacky," Sweet Roll said with distaste. "You should have it removed before you take somepony's eye out."
"That's never going to happen," Tempest said as she trotted. "I'm always super-," Tempest heard a yelp and saw Chrysalis rubbing her eye.
"Ow," Chrysalis said, rubbing her eye with a hoof," my eye."
"Ok," Tempest said with a sigh, looking at the smug mare, "I'll get it removed."
"Can I lie down," Chrysalis whined. "I think my injuries have left me too weakened to-,"
"WORK!" Tempest bellowed. Chrysalis ceased her complaints and returned to furiously polishing the cabinet.
"Nothing gets past you," Sweet Roll said with a sly smile.
"Nope," Tempest said proudly.
10/10 best character I’ve read this year for this line alone.
Hmm... Yep, this is a far more realistic way to handle this. It seems that fim characters are far more terrified of lighter punishments then the more major ones.
Amusing story.
I quite enjoyed this, really made me laugh.
Good on you, m8.
Sweet Roll is a good mother.
Never cross your mom.
Is the most entertaining thing since the year started 10 out of ten
Alright, this is one of the better come back stories I've seen. Good work.
10134753
Yes she is. This Cozy Glow is lucky to have her.
10135135
10134706
My thoughts exactly.
10134706
Yeah, I really felt Discord's actions were the peak of idiocy. The kind of idiocy that should be outright criminal. He ought to earn back his trust after orchestrating such a disaster in the first place.
10134708
It almost seems like that mundane punishments don't even exist in the MLP world.
Either you get a slap on the wrist, or you are tossed into Pony Hell.
Twilight felt that taking her mentor's bird would result in imprisonment and/or exile.
10134739
Thanks.
10134753
I'm surprised that I created such a likable character with so few words.
10135135
Thank you.
10135181
I created the character of Sweet Roll for a specific reason: to mock the idea that having an evil parent will automatically lead to an evil child.
Some of us can have good parents and still take their kindness for granted. Some of us can have bad parents and rise above their toxic behavior.
While I though Cozy Glow's treatment in canon was beyond harsh, I also think she should be held to account for her bad behavior.
10135268
Likewise. My biggest problem with both Seasons 8 and 9 is that, while Cozy is punished for her crimes, Discord is just as deceitful and destructive in both seasons, (not even counting his record throughout the whole series,) and the worst punishment the ponies can come up with is to yell at him, and it's obvious that it doesn't work.
Discord has always been reckless but at least he could take responsibility before. Now it would seem he doesn't even understand what he did wrong most of the time, and the protagonists basically ignore it. So I am glad your story touched on that issue at least a bit.
I guess Cozy's mom just doesn't believe in spanking.
Fun story.
10135299
That would be letting them off easy.
10135268
Only two kinds of crimes are committed in Equestria. The kind that gets you a slap on the wrist, or sent to Pony Hell. The former can be solved by talking it out and a song. The latter is solved by military action by random heroines, NOT the military.
10135287
Another example of this...moral dissonance can be found in of the EG shorts. In the short, Sunset Shimmer writes a comic book about how she and her friends are superheroes. In the comic book, the thief is defeated, taught a lesson, and...locked up. A lot of people joke about how somehow petty theft is worse than Sunset becoming a demon and trying to brainwash everyone. Sunset got off pretty lightly, but thinks thieves should be punished even worse than her.
10135299
Discipline involves teaching someone that there bad behavior is wrong. Physical violence doesn't teach anyone anything...except that you must listen to the violence person.
I personally believe that corporal punishment is not discipline, but straight up abuse and violence.
I'm going to put thoughts more closely in a blog later in the week, but my belief is that it takes real strong not to give into violence. And that working with someone to change takes greater skill than mindlessly grabbing the belt.
10136298
I was spanked, but in a calm and controlled manner. Violence is-sadly-necessary at times though it should always be avoided when possible.
(But my comment was a bit of a joke.)
10136301
I'm not saying you should avoid violence completely. There are times when violence is necessary. Like when that kid who rioted in Baltimore was yanked off the street by his mother. But again, it should be something that strengthens you. It can easily devolve into abuse, if it becomes habitual.
10136303
I agree.
10136298
Kind of depends on how you perceive that scene. Was she fantasizing or does she actually think petty criminals should be thrown in jail? While their might be correlations between fantasy and action, It's worth noting that she doesn't actually act in such a manner over the course of the series.
And no I am not a Shimmer Fanatic. I like her but I feel no compulsion to make her out be anything other than she is, a reformed antagonist, who is still in some ways (despite her charm) a aggressive and controlling character.
But in all honesty, Sunset at her worst generally acts happy to ignore the people who wronged her, unless she thinks they pose a clear and present danger. We see with both the Sirens and Trixie that she seemingly hasn't pursued any retributive action against them. And in most cases she seems happy to form relationships with former villains provided they're interested in doing so.
So while Sunset may fantasize about unrealistic or overly harsh punishments, she's never actually dolled them out on screen (as opposed to other characters I could name.)
10136355
I'm guessing it is more like a superhero fantasy than anything else. Most comic books show the bad guy being defeated, not the process of rehabilitation.
I'm not a fanatic either. I am writing the Sunset Steps series because I don't think her reformation and reconciliation with others has been properly explored.
Some girl wiped out her memory for a ridiculous reason, and she still gave that girl a chance. So yeah, I can see your point. But then again, she is someone who was forgiven for horrible crimes, so maybe she feels other deserve the same chance she got as well.
10135268
Subtle trolling is the only way to troll. Nicely played!
In all honesty I think at least part of the drama that is the Cozy Glow origin story comes from the fact that Jim Miller originally opened the flood gates when he said of her parents "they aren't around anymore". Considering he's been pretty consistent on the fate of villains in the series earlier on (he set down the idea for Lighting Dust getting kicked out of the the Wonderbolts and she was) we don't really have any reason to doubt him on Cozy's parentage.
And while there's any number of reasons Cozy's parents aren't present, people will jump to what they know. It's kind of how like a lot of stories on this site focus specifically on parents abusing their children even though abuse can come from multiple sources for a variety of reasons. People want to write what they best relate to or think will relate the most to others. It kind of "is what it is" on some level.
10136364
I actually didn't know you were writing something about Sunset. I might have to check it out now.
I didn't think you were to be honest. I mentioned it to cover myself, so you knew I wasn't going to start something over the character (in case that kind of thing had happened to you before).
10137255
I had no idea Jim Miller hinted at the fate of Cozy's parents in the same way that the show hinted at the fate of Applejack's parents.
But in any case, I find stories that try and dramatize Cozy's private life to...well...cheapen child abuse. To make it into something that can be commoditized. I think stories like that insult and demean the experiences of actual abuse victims.
Child abuse is an important subject, but don't write something to vapidly wring emotions out of others.
10137281
I mean a lot of fiction is just that. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it's to create emotions, othertimes it's to vent them. Sometimes it's to get people to form attachments to things they would otherwise view as pointless. It's done for a variety of reasons, but nearly all of fiction is done to provoke some kind of reaction, whether emotional, logical, or some other kind. I certainly appreciate you not liking that, but it is what it is and I don't think it's going to change.
10137314
Your right. But I felt writing something like that would be lazy.
10137801
Fair enough. Is it the use of abuse specifically being used to explain away villainy that bothers you? Or is it something more?
10137829
Pretty much.
MLP is a show that preaches forgiveness. But it often fails to teach others that mistreatment doesn't justify mistreating others. Starlight's actions, in particular, were completely nuts.
"I became evil because my best friend moved away!"
"OK, lets be friends."
"Yay, I am no longer evil."
This speech from Madea Goes to Jail spells out how I feel:
You should forgive others, but they have to change and learn they have no right to hurt others.
10137857
I mean I agree with all of what you just said but I do think in failing to understand where people are coming from we can miss the kind of connections for why people do what they do. I don't know how much of that applies to real life (I am not the most social guy out there for a variety of reasons) but I think it's a point at least worth considering.
Starlight in particular gets a lot of grief for what she did, but I feel like most people missed the fact that she did those things out of fear and paranoia. Fear she would never be equal, fear she could never have friends without controlling them, fear that without common ground they would leave her for better things.
I do think that the writers did a decent job (for a given value of decent) of forcing Starlight to face and overcome her fears, (The Crystalling, and To Where and Back Again, among other examples of this) to deal with situations in which she had no control, and was forced to rely on support from others and to ultimately become that support herself in episodes like Fame and Misfortune. So I feel like MLP can (in theory) do reformations surprisingly well when they actually try.
Honestly, it's when they coddle characters and don't even mention what they did wrong, be it simply a epic mistake (something that happens a lot with certain protagonists that I could name) or because the character has to be "right" and therefore have nothing in common with the villain they just shamed when they absolutely do (Boast Busters, Wonderbolts Academy, A Matter of Principles, just being a few of the episodes that come to mind) that I really find myself rolling my eyes at the show's writing.
10138047
Fair enough. Like I said, I believe that a person who has had a shitty life should get some help.
But the point of my story is to point out that not every jerk is in that category. Maybe Sweet Roll ignored her daughter's dark side, but it was Cozy's fault for exploiting her mother's "see-no-evil" attitude.
10138070
Fair enough. I do think melodrama can be relied on a little too heavily. And I love the story regardless, especially the first one. Had that been the way School Raze went down, with Cozy getting dragged away by her mother, the writers might have even accomplished being funny that season.
The best superhero and the terror of all villains... The Mother!
10138105
Parental figures in MLP always seem suspiciously absent. I wonder how a PTA meeting would go in EG, with parents asking the school about their children being involved in magical shenanigans. Maybe another fanfic idea...
10138652
In all honesty, it isn't very farfetched. Some of the most hardcore people in the world can't ever beat their moms.
In this one movie about a Harlem Gangster, the gangster will do many horrible things, but he won't ever disobey his mom.
Even if Cozy Glow did successfully gain alicorn magic and take over the world, her mom would be hounding her till the end of time.
10139227
It could be worse... Cozy mother could had gone and talked with Chrysalis and Tirek mothers and come together against them... Maybe punish them without dessert and not get out of their rooms.
10139327
Hmm...
Actually...that sounds like a cool idea. Would you like to write something like that?
10139338
I'm very bad writing, but you are free to do it as a sequel
I totally understand this is meant to be a piece of absurd comedy, but Tirek and Chrysalis, two of the most feared beings in Equestria and who didn't bat an eyelid at the thought of taking on Celestia, being intimidated by a random mare doesn't really work, especially since all three could vaporise Sweet Roll without much effort.
Though still a good story, I thought the original worked better.
Not gonna lie. Unlike the show, this is the type of punishment and redemption I can get behind for the three. Same with Discord.
10334147
It is almost as if the Equestrian princesses never learned not to do things in extreme.
It is either "slap on a wrist" or "turn to stone."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH1kajl64IY
10447036
Yep. Even the most badass men will crumple before their mother's stern gaze.
I DONT NEED TO HEAR YOUR WOKE BULL CHRY!
NOW THATS THE ENDING I WANT!
seriously get them