• Published 11th Aug 2020
  • 3,934 Views, 107 Comments

Metamorphic - TCC56



Maud Pie wants to adopt Cozy Glow. She isn't particularly interested in unpetrifying Cozy first.

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Stone Cold Lovin'

Happy Harbor House was one of the longest established orphanages in Canterlot - founded halfway through Celestia's reign, it had weathered scandal and budget shortfall and disasters both natural and not to continue to serve the ponies of Equestria.

The House itself was a hodge-podge structure, with the original small Tudor-styled building still serving as the offices and main entryway. On either side had risen expansions to what had first been built, neither matching either the House's center nor each other. The demands of Equestria's growing population (and similar growth in tragic youth) didn't care about aesthetics - but the House still managed a certain air of respectability. It was mismatched and sloppy, but the building glowed with generations of care, love and pride. The windows always sparkled, the garden was meticulously weeded, and the air was full of children's laughter in spite of their lot in life.

Star - more properly Wishing Star - knew the House inside and out. She had grown up in it, after all. One of the unending parade of children in need, she had spent a decade of her life within the House's halls before deciding to dedicate her adult years to it as well. In time, she had inherited control of the House and all within it - her kin in a way few ponies could comprehend.

Her kin that every day she strove to remove from her care.

Each day dawned with the hope that one of the foals within the House would end the day under another roof - many would never get that, but it was always the hope.

And that hope, today, came up the walk in the form of a drab stallion and an even drabber mare.

"Welcome," Star warmly greeted, "To Happy Harbor House."

The stallion - who on closer inspection was a frightfully dull beige - looked around. His bowl cut fluttered in the light breeze. "Technically, the nearest body of water capable of supporting a harbor is at the base of the mountain, making the name inaccurate."

"It's a metaphor," noted the mare with a voice so flat it could have been used as quality control for levels. "It means it's a safe place for ponies like a harbor is a safe place for boats."

The stallion didn't argue the point, but his slight snort made clear that he and metaphors did not deign to share a zip code.

Star's smile wavered a little. "Ah, yes. Please.. please come in."

She guided the pair inside, taking the usual path for prospective new families - not a direct way to her office, but instead a more meandering route. It gave a chance for them to see the small playground that had been set up two generations ago in the back courtyard - a chance to see the children at play.

Of course, that just raised more questions for Star. Neither of the two ponies with her so much as glanced at the children. Normally prospects were eager to take a look, often cooing and laughing over their view of the House's residents. Some went as far as making their choices just off those first moments seen through the glass. But not this time, it seemed. The couple didn't react at all.

Arriving at Star's cramped office, they took their seats opposite her own. The desk was ancient, having been given to the House's matron almost a hundred years before as a gift. A titan of polished oak, it bore the scars of thousands of children at play and hundreds of thousands of hours of diligent work. Under their hooves was a far newer carpet - a gentle deep blue not too different from Star's own coat. And all around them were the effects of the House, most notably the side walls. On the north was a gallery of photographs, each depicting one of the foals under Star's care. On the south? A similar wall, but this time of the last five year's worth of those who had found their families.

"So." Star tapped her hooves together to punctuate the beginning of the interview. "You would be Maud Pie and Mud Briar?"

The pair nodded.

"Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourselves and your situation?"

Maud started off slowly, unrushed and strategically neutral. "We just got married recently."

Star's amber eyes lit up. "Oh! Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Maud stated without emotion.

"I'm not surprised you didn't immediately know. We've had some problems with that." Mud Briar managed to sound only a little bit haughty as he said it. "We opted to retain our family names after the wedding rather than change one, which has caused some confusion."

Maud nodded. "Yes. But it was the right choice."

Mud Briar nodded right back at her. "It was. Maud Briar sounds too silly."

"And despite how much I love you, Mud Pie doesn't suit a stallion of your stature," Maud stated with a complete lack of emotion.

Star did her letter best to keep smiling. "Ah, yes. Well! Still, congratulations. Happy Harbor House is always glad to see ponies building happy families. I'll admit, it's a little unusual to have newlyweds come here, though. At least not without, ah... extenuating circumstances?"

The couple didn't even bat an eye, though it was unclear to Star if this was because they'd anticipated the question or if they were simply that stoic. "Neither of us has procreative issues," Mud Briar simply stated.

Maud slowly blinked. "At all." Her lips curled very slightly into the most understated smug smile Equestria had ever seen.

There was a pause as Star shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"However." Mud Briar swooped in to save the conversation. "After discussing the situation and giving it proper analysis, we have decided that there are already a significant number of foals in Equestria that require families and the most efficient way to handle our desire is to acquire one of them."

Another pause. "Well. That's certainly... a way to put it," Star tactfully decided on. But after the hesitation, she brightened again. "But good! You're far from the only couple that has chosen to expand their family that way. And it's always a pleasure to help!" Reaching to the side, she pulled out several folders. "I'm certain that you'll find just the right foal here at Happy Harbor House. We can start by--"

"Actually." Maud's interruption crushed Star's words and enthusiasm. "We already know which foal we want." She pulled a folder of her own out of her dull frock, sliding it across the desk.

The abbreviated name on the folder's tab made Star's heart stutter. Opening the folder confirmed the identity and made it stop completely.

Awkward silence reigned.

"Cozy Glow." It took several seconds more for Star's mind to get to the next stage of the terrified reboot. "You want to adopt Cozy Glow."

"Yes." Maud's response was as simple and inflexible as her gaze.

"Cozy Glow," Star repeated again.

"Yes." Mud Briar's similarly simple response mirrored Maud's.

She took a long, deep breath. Star's eyes looked to the northern wall and an empty spot among the pictures - a place she knew was empty not because the foal had been adopted but because they would never be. Or so she'd thought.

Her smile pushed to the surface - far more brittle than before. "I'm sorry. You just took me by surprise. Cozy was a difficult foal even before she earned her scholarship to the Princess' school." Star didn't elaborate on that - what had happened to the young pegasus was a matter not just of public record but of historical chronicles. "That somepony would want to adopt her now is simply... well, unexpected!" She laughed and found it not echoed by the other two.

Clearing her throat, Star pressed back to business. "Alright, I suppose the next step is for us to speak to Princess Twilight. Anything about Cozy is going to have to involve her."

Mud Briar reached over and tapped the folder with his hoof. "If you would consult page nine, you will find that we have anticipated this issue and resolved it in advance."

A whiplashed Star turned to the ninth page - and found it exactly as Mud Briar said. A letter - on Palace letterhead and bearing an official seal - declaring that Cozy Glow was to be allowed leave from her current sentence and would be given opportunity for adoption by Dr. Maudileena Daisy Pie and Mister Mud Briar. At the bottom was Princess Twilight Sparkle's signature, glimmering with just a hint of magic to show it was both official and signed by her personally.

"I... but..." The Princess' involvement in Cozy Glow was expected. But Star looked at the two rather drab ponies before her and couldn't make the connection.

Helpfully, Maud clarified with just a few simple words. "Pinkie Pie is my sister."

And then it clicked for Star. "Oh. Ooooh." Not an expected in, but being related to an Element of Harmony certainly explained why the Princess had trusted these two.

"Once we decided begin our family, Pinkie Pie was a very strong proponent of helping us," Mud Briar lectured. "Particularly once she discovered our intent to adopt. While using one's family for leverage is undesirable, it has allowed us the opportunity to find our perfect daughter."

Maud and Mud Briar reached out, taking hold of each other's hooves and giving one another a loving (if expressionless) squeeze.

With a few more flips, Star quickly glanced through the remainder of the packet. "Well. Normally the next step would be reviewing your life situation and evaluating your ability to handle a foal, but I suppose if Princess Twilight has given you direct approval we can bypass that." She sighed. "Honestly, it may be better this way. I'm not sure how to evaluate if somepony is ready to deal with Cozy Glow."

"If it assists your duties, both Maud and myself are gainfully employed, she has her Rocktorate and our home is both spacious enough for a third pony as well as located in a good neighborhood." Mud Briar puffed out his chest with slight pride.

Maud pulled out her wallet, unfolding a long string of pictures. "It's a very nice cave." She hoofed over one photo in particular. "You can see it well in this one, behind Boulder and Twiggy playing."

Star's eye twitched at the picture of the pets. "It looks like a wonderful... cave."

"We try to make sure it's warm and loving," Maud noted. "And not simply because of how the subsurface magma flow heats the cavern complex."

Another twitch. "That's wonderful to hear." Star closed the folder back up. "There's going to be plenty of paperwork to be done, but I'm sure we can worry about that later. The important thing is to start the process of integrating your new family together. I'll just arrange for Cozy to be freed from her statue and we can--"

"No."

Every car in Star's train of thought derailed at Maud's verbal penny on the tracks. "...What?"

"We're not unpetrifying her," Maud clarified entirely unhelpfully.

Mud Briar motioned with his chin to the folder again. "Page seventeen. By the Princess' permission, we are adopting Cozy Glow in her current form."

Papers flew as Star opened up the folder again and turned to the aforementioned page. She looked at the stationary and the seal; read the short text; verified the lightly glimmering signature.

Then Wishing Star's eye-twitch returned and she started to laugh in a decidedly unhinged fashion.


The banner hanging over Sugarcube Corner made no secret of the reason for the party - giant bright letters that read WELCOME TO PONYVILLE AND YOUR NEW FAMILY COZY GLOW were rather hard to misinterpret. That did not, however, make the situation less ridiculous.

"Ah think Twilight's lost her mind," Applejack summarized over her glass of punch.

Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement.

Both watched from the edge of the festivities as the happy family sat at the central table. Well - Maud and Mud Briar sat at the table. Cozy was resting on a small plinth next to them. She had dressed up for the occasion, a garland of flowers around her neck and a bright blue party hat strapped to her unmoving head. Pinkie Pie was pronking nearby, creating a tight orbit around her new niece and doing her letter best to keep the party merry. Which was admittedly a challenge, as the crowd of ponies were looking increasingly concerned as time went by and it sunk in that this really was about adopting a statue.

Ponyville had long since accepted that the couple was odd. After all, Maud was a Pie and Mud Briar was willingly with a Pie. So some eccentricities were expected and often even approved of. Ponyville was used to a certain amount of strangeness by this point.

Adopting a world-famous criminal? Worrisome but this was also a community where Starlight Glimmer was one of the most prominent ponies.

Adopting an inanimate object? That pushed it from 'eccentric' to 'weird'.

But the happy family was undeterred, and nothing would suppress Pinkie Pie's happiness for her sister. So the party continued in a riot of balloons and cake and very awkward side-glances.

But not every moment at the party was one of revelry and cheer.

The guests made their rounds, each and all taking a turn to say hello to the new family and give their (often awkward) congratulations. The words were rote - until Fluttershy came up.

She smiled softly, and Maud had a slight movement of the corners of her lips that could generously be described as smile-adjacent. Clearing her throat, the gentle pegasus said one word. "Discord?"

The air roiled and twisted as Discord poked through the fabric of spacetime and manifested into existence. "Yes, Fluttershy?"

With a small nod, she indicated the family. "Discord, Maud said she wanted to talk to you." She innocently gave no indication that she already knew what was going to be said, as she was Kindness rather than Honesty.

A faint look of disgust washed over Discord's face at the grey mare's extreme neutrality, though he tried to restrain it. "Oh really." Crossing his arms over his chest, the draconequus waited. "And just what would that be?"

"Discord." Maud stepped out from the table to stand beside her petrified daughter. "I know you don't know a lot about ponies. But we're mortal. Things can happen to us, and it's important to make sure the ones we love are taken care of. Mud Briar and I are going to give Cozy the best family and the best life we can. But." She set a gentle hoof on her daughter-statue. "If something does happen to us, we want you and Fluttershy to be Cozy's godparents."

Discord furrowed his brow. "I... I don't understand." He looked between Maud, Mud Briar, Cozy and Fluttershy - his eyes briefly leaving his head to make the full circuit. "Shouldn't you be asking Pinkie?"

Mud Briar shook his head. "Pinkie Pie has already agreed to serve such a role with the Cake twins and additional duties would be an undue burden on her."

"And," Maud added, "She's going to have foals of her own soon." That managed a full smile from her. "We want to make sure that whoever is going to play that role for Cozy will be strong enough to care for her when we're not there and a good influence on her when we are. We think that's you."

Sputtering, Discord stared at their three impassive faces (and one softly smiling one) and found no joke there. "Well-- I-- But--" He half-growled before pouting and turning away. "I'll consider it." And with a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

A few steps and Maud eased up beside Fluttershy. "Do you think he will?"

With an enigmatic smile on her face, Fluttershy nodded. "That was his way of saying yes, he would be honored. And... thank you, Maud. I think this will be just what he needs to learn a little more responsibility."

"And start him thinking about foals." Maud maintained her total lack of expression.

Fluttershy blushed. "Erm, well, still. Thank you. I know we weren't your first choices."

Maud shook her head. "No. But you were high on the list. What was I going to do, give her to Rainbow Dash?"


The six ponies (and one dragon) of the Council of Friendship chatted energetically over their lunch. The difficult choices in guiding Equestria were out of the way now - the big issues that needed proper discussion and potential research. Now it was time for them to catch up on lost time and enjoy each other's company.

Twilight swallowed the last of her third cupcake. "Say, Pinkie Pie? How are Maud and Mud Briar doing anyway? Last I heard you were preparing for their party - I'm sorry I couldn't be there but how did it go?"

Ecstatic giggles slipped out from the party planner. "It went amazing! The party was huge and everypony was there and I've never seen Maud so happy!" Just remembering the look on Maud's face brought a squeal of joy to Pinkie's lips.

Nodding eagerly, Twilight asked the next obvious question. "And Cozy Glow?"

"She's kinda still a sourpuss," Pinkie admitted. "But I think she'll warm up soon! If anypony can crack that hard shell, it's my sister."

There was a momentary pause in the conversation. Applejack shared a quick look with Rainbow Dash before speaking up. "Beggin' your pardon, Twilight, but Ah gotta ask. What the hey were you thinkin'? Cozy gettin' a chance to have a better life, well. That's understandable to try. But as a statue?"

Twilight looked between her friends - three looked back with understanding and three with understandable confusion. "Actually, it was Fluttershy that helped me realize it." For a moment everypony looked to the (now lightly blushing) pegasus before the alicorn continued. "She talked to me about Discord - about how he was awake inside the stone. He was aware of what happened around himself. And that's when I understood."

"I can't let Cozy out," she explained. "She's tried to take over Equestria twice and she's already broken out of Tartarus. She's too dangerous to let her be free. But even locked away in stone, she can tell what's going on around her. And I thought..." Twilight looked between her friends with a gentle smile. "I thought that a good first step would be to show her what it was like to have a loving family."

Understanding sparkled in Applejack's eyes at the answer. "Ah think Ah get it now."

The Princess smiled wider. "I thought you would. I was fortunate, as well, that Pinkie told me about how Maud and Mud Briar were talking about a family of their own. If anypony could overlook Cozy's problems, it would be them."

Cheerfully, Pinkie lept to her sister's support. "Yeah! Maud's not gonna give up on Cozy just because she's got a dark past!"

Twilight's smile wavered for a moment. "Yes, Pinkie, that's exactly what I meant." She soldiered forward. "Despite their.... quirks, they're the perfect couple to help Cozy. They're loving and patient; intelligent and kind; generous and loyal and, well, you know." They all shared a little laugh at that.

"Maud has never let us down." Twilight didn't need to even glance to know the others were nodding in agreement. "And Mud Briar proved himself - when Silverstream was lost in the Everfree, he didn't hesitate. Despite not being a powerful unicorn like Starlight Glimmer or a--" She swallowed back a little bile. "An established hero like Trixie, Mud Briar stepped up and risked himself for a creature he'd never met. Even putting aside how Maud feels about him, that tells me all I need to know about his quality."

Dash raise a hoof. "C'mon, Twi, none of us were ever doubting Maud and Mud Briar. They're awesome ponies despite being, you know.. themselves. We get it. They're a good pick."

Applejack nodded in agreement. "And you know Ah agree that a good family's a solid base for Cozy to rebuild her life around. Hopefully this'll point her the right way."

"And if not, Maud's tooooootally okay with Cozy how she is already!" Pinkie beamed with joy, even though all the others simply sighed and shook their heads.


Weeks passed, and the family settled into their lives. Ponyville, as well, settled in and managed to deal with the unusual situation. (It was helped that the next semester at the School of Friendship started up, bringing in a new wave of disparate species to further raise the town's weirdness quotient.)

It was the late afternoon - Maud and Mud Briar sat in their cave, watching Cozy play with Boulder and Twiggy by the edge of the pool.

"She really has taken a liking to them," Maud commented. "I was worried that having to share time with Twiggy would make Boulder jealous."

Mud Briar nodded in agreement. "Yes. We underestimated their moral character." Reaching over, he put a foreleg across Maud's withers. "I believe this means we are raising them right."

Leaning in, Maud nuzzled her husband impassively. "Maybe Boulder and Twiggy. We have a long way to go with Cozy. She's still learning to be part of a family."

"Our family," Mud Briar pedantically corrected.

"Our family," Maud agreed before kissing his cheek.

Author's Note:

I originally wrote this for the Cozy Glow contest. Buuuut then they said things like 'you need to use the prompts' and 'our judges enjoy dark, philosophical and introspective stories'.

So now it's just absurdist comedy for the sake of absurdist comedy. With a dash of heartwarming for flavor.

(This probably should have been longer but it's actually rather hard to write a story based around a one-note joke when there's three characters, two of which don't emote and the third is literally a rock.)

Comments ( 107 )

Wierd but well-written story. Certainly an interesting case of dark humor. It does kinda make me want to see a proper conversation between Maud and a reforming Cozy though.

"I can't let Cozy out," she explained. "She's tried to take over Equestria twice and she's already broken out of Tartarus. She's too dangerous to let her be free."

I mean, Discord teleported her out and she is still a normal pegasus filly who's tricks everyone already knows. Then again Twilight has been known to exaggerate things.

This...isn’t funny. This is kind of sick.

Well, I for one am quite amused. To be fair, I may be biased, especially since I was compelled to write a story with many of the same beats a while back.

Illi #4 · Aug 11th, 2020 · · ·

I can't decide whether I find this funny or find this disturbing.

Either well, well written story!

WTF... I deffinitely want an episode about this. Thay would be a blast.

Poor Discord... he doesn't want to but Fluttershy would force him. Poor bastard.

Still loved the interaction with the Star, the best part.

10379957
oh hey Mud Briar. How's it going with that stick in your flank?

"Maybe Boulder and Twiggy. We have a long way to go with Cozy. She's still learning to be part of a family."

I don't know about the comedy part (honestly I would remove comedy tag). I find this rather disturbing and not really funny :twilightoops:

And just a nitpick

Maud stated with a complete lack of emotion.

I don't know why, but for me, it didn't' work at all when it is plain telly like that :twilightsheepish: I guess describe Maud's face is not easy but this require that I already saw Maud's face.

Now I'm no comedy expert (so feel free to totally ignore me), but I gonna try to offer a slight improvement :twilightsheepish:

"It's a metaphor," noted the mare with a voice so flat it could have been used as quality control for levels. "It means it's a safe place for ponies like a harbor is a safe place for boats."

There should be break after the red text. As a rule of thumb, the punchline should be embedded into last part of the sentence as possible. There is my attention distracted by as sentence continues by "It means" so the punchline is not delivered as it should be.

She had dressed up for the occasion

She had been dressed up for the occasion

Funny/disturbing and I think it's about the right length. If you want more you could always plan out a sequel where she eventually gets unpetrified and they have to deal with however much her old self she is then, but that would probably be quite a bit longer if you want it to not be rushed.

10379957
I can see how someone could react this way. If you think about it more deeply, without the comedic filter, Cozy is basically being forced into a bunch of experiences against her will. Which might be worse than just being imprisoned for eternity, either as a largely ignored statue or in Tartarus. Extended prison sentences for the unrepentant just create needless suffering. I would've just vaporized the three of them like Sombra.

10380220

I would've just vaporized the three of them like Sombra.

Seriously?

10380220
That’s what I’m thinking, but it goes even deeper than that. Firstly, while I like Maud and Mud Briar fine as characters, and I’m glad they have happiness in each other, the thought of having Cozy go through some sick parody of home life with them is just...wrong. Think about Cozy being set down to “play” with Boulder. Or a “family meal”. I mean, shit like this is how you show someone’s a psychopath in movies and books. Replace Cozy as a statue with, like, Cozy being paralyzed and her mouth sewn shut while Maud and Mud force her through this. Fuck I think there was this comic called Drowtales that I used to read where one psychopathic evil dark elf made a habit out of doing exactly that.

And then secondly...Cozy didn’t escape from Tartarus. She was broken out without any input or will of her own. And the one who broke her out, Discord, is also the one that enabled her to try and take over Equestria that second time by giving her shelter, allies, and weaponry. Discord is also the one who ultimately petrified her and put her into a position where she can be put through the horrific mockery of family life above. Discord, more than anyone else - arguably more so than Cozy herself - is directly responsible for Cozy’s predicament.

And now he’s her godfather?!

"Man, that fic was... pretty weird, to be honest, but hey, I think I kinda liked it! Time to go read the comments and see what everyone else thinks about it—"

media1.tenor.com/images/c0a23f07ca27ab66adedb4a7a0d4517a/tenor.gif?itemid=7228552

"...On second thought, never mind."

10380294
I actually really like TCC56 so I'm intent on behaving myself. In fact I'll probably show myself out now just to be safe. My opinions on...all this...are well known, there's really nothing I can do now other than retread old ground for the millionth and a half time.

10380303
10380294

It's cool, folks. I can take critique - and think it's pretty important! I'm not going to drop a hammer on constructive discussion unless it gets truly out of hand.

That said? I'm actually surprised people are taking it as being dark. I hadn't intended that interpretation at all and I'm finding it a little fascinating that some readers are seeing it that way.

10380303
10380310
Eh, it's perfectly fine on all accounts. I just like playing the part of the bemused fly on the wall sometimes.
:P

10380231
I mean, either that, or petrify Sombra. There shouldn't be a double standard.

10380348
That doesn't really make sense :rainbowderp:

I want a sequel. A long sequel that slowly fully redeems Cozy. This is too short for my approval. I want more, so I can properly accept it into head-canon...

I am very confused to what I just read and am going to try and forget the fact that Maud is crazy

10380348 10380356
I believe Thought Prism means that the writers shouldn't have a double standard about this, which I could get behind...if the circumstances behind Sombra's defeat and the Trio's had been written the same. They're not. Namely, there was never a point where Sombra was defeated and at the Elements' mercy. He went from the height of his power and trying to strike a killing blow, to the Elements rallying in the nick of time and retaliating with a force that happened to be enough to defeat Sombra.

Conversely, the Trio were blasted by the mother of all Rainbow Lasers...and it depowered them. It didn't kill them, petrify them, banish them, nada. And afterwards the Trio were no longer a threat to anyone and at the ponies' complete mercy. Mercy that the ponies were apparently completely out of, as they preferred to first humiliate and torment the Trio, and then subsequently trap them in stone forever or watch as it was done and cheer when it was over.

Good people don't do that.

10380378

I believe Thought Prism means that the writers shouldn't have a double standard about this, which I could get behind...if the circumstances behind Sombra's defeat and the Trio's had been written the same.

I get that part. When I said it doesn't make sense was because I meant that circumstances were different. Probably should have written that better :twilightblush:

Conversely, the Trio were blasted by the mother of all Rainbow Lasers...and it depowered them. It didn't kill them, petrify them, banish them, nada.

A because Rainbow Lasers spared Trio I like to think they not beyond hope.

Mercy that the ponies were apparently completely out of, as they preferred to first humiliate and torment the Trio, and then subsequently trap them in stone forever or watch as it was done and cheer when it was over.

Yeah, I wasn't really a fan of that part.

10380378
Good people also don't let genocidal maniacs like those three walk away. They showed ZERO remorse for what they did, and they'd probably do it again if they'd had a chance.

Hasbro made it abundantly clear they were beyond redemption, and none of them wanted it either.

10380634
Actually Hasbro, intentionally or otherwise, did exactly the opposite. In “Frenemies” the Trio came within an inch of actually embracing friendship and changing their ways, and that was with Discord actively working against them by encouraging their negative impulses and desires and trying to turn them into worse people then they already were. If they’d actually had someone in their corner, actually interested in helping them, there’s every reason to think that they might have embraced change.

Good people also don't let genocidal maniacs like those three walk away

No one said anything about them walking away — my preferred ending to the series would have seen Chrysalis in changeling custody, Tirek returned to Scorpan, and Cozy Glow back at the School of Friendship, none of the three actually reformed, all of them watched closely, but all of them being given a chance and their eventual fates left ambiguous but hopeful. Y’know, like Discord and Starlight and Tempest got. None of whom wanted redemption either.

But this isn’t really about the villains themselves. This is about the so-called heroes acting cruelly and mercilessly to defeated, helpless foes, delighting in their suffering and inflicting more upon them because the ponies had Power and the Trio didn’t. The Princesses and Discord didn’t act any different towards the Trio than the Trio would have in reversed positions, did not hold themselves to a higher standard. They just sank to their level and focused on their petty desire for revenge and retribution instead of any kind of higher ideal or nobility. And Twilight and her cronies cheered.

10380634
They showed about as much remorse amd willingness to change as Discord did. Discord would have reshaped the world for his own twisted desires and used to be just as evil as the trio were. If he can get a second chance and reform then so could the trio.

10380650

my preferred ending to the series would have seen Chrysalis in changeling custody, Tirek returned to Scorpan, and Cozy Glow back at the School of Friendship, none of the three actually reformed, all of them watched closely, but all of them being given a chance and their eventual fates left ambiguous but hopeful

This kind of ending would be probably better than explicit reformation or locking away forever.

Aww this was nice! I think I’d love a sort of epilogue to see what cozy thinks of all this either in the moment or years into being part of their family but as a stand-alone absurdist comedy this sates my desire to read something good :twilightsmile:

Author's notes made me think of this:

"Maude, your daughter is a rock."

"Thanks. She has nerves of steel."

10380303
I'm glad people are still pointing out how screwed up the whole thing is.

10380650
What is arguably worse is how everybody behaves afterwards. Remember how everybody cheered and celebrated after what was basically a public execution? That was really unsettling, as they were behaving like a drunken crowd at a hanging.

I'm not saying in any measure that the Doom Legion should have got off scot-free. But was petrification really the only option?

10380231
Based on what I can glean from the show, the elements decide what is best for the subject. Hence why they depowered Sunset Shimmer, Stygian, and the Doom Legion, and instead killed Sombra outright.

Cozy will have to put up with kisses that she can't wipe and cuddles she can't refuse, but she'll get to sleep in a proper bed and her life will be less boring. Maybe in time her mouth will be unpetrified.

10381022

But was petrification really the only option?

Well, they can petrify them as a temporal solution before they decided what to do with them. Just make it explicit they are gonna released them in the future. Or just throw them at Tartarus.

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Putting them in there temporarily as a holding act makes sense. It means they can't get up to any nonsense while the others deliberate a suitable punishment.

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Which why I like to think that the trio is not completely beyond hope. If they are when not rainbows lasers let them turn to stone right away?

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deliberate a suitable punishment.

Maybe some sort of community service while they drained of their magic?

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Think of it as a tempory holding cell, a standard part of the justice system.

Huh. Well that's a thing. Well depending on the local magic Maud may well be quite capable of communicating with Cozy.

And Boulder, for that matter.

Ponyville had long since accepted that the couple was odd. After all, Maud was a Pie and Mud Briar was willingly with a Pie. So some eccentricities were expected and often even approved of. Ponyville was used to a certain amount of strangeness by this point.

I think this sums up the story nicely XD

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Well, if you put it like that I guess I can live with it :twilightblush:

This story rocks.

Holy crap, some people are really taking this too seriously... It's a fun little 'what if?' and that's all.

She isn't particularly interested in unpetrifying Cozy first.

That's EEEVVVIIIILLLLL:pinkiecrazy:

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