Chronicles of the Reformed

by The_Darker_Fonts

Chapter 5: Into the Woods

Cozy was sore from how hard she had flown, and hitting that stupid tree branch only amplified her pain. After months of encasement in stone, pain not inflicted from soreness stung like a million needles. Her senses felt overstimulated, flooded by her surroundings. She could smell the wet dirt and grass to a point of tasting it. She heard every twitching branch and scuttering bug. Her eyes were finally adjusted to the light, just in time for night to begin falling. All in all, she was in a pretty strange predicament.

Each breath brought a flood of wonderful, familiar sensations that were alienated by how long it had been since she enjoyed them last. Every second outside whatever that weird mansion brought a hundred different thoughts, her lazy mind finally waking up in time utilize its incredible prowess to plan and scheme. That mare was a fool for letting her out so soon and letting her go so quickly. Well, she would have time to regret that strange decision later. Yes, when she was left trapped beneath Cozy’s throne, she would think of all the ways she could have prevented the future, foolishly thinking it was still in her hooves to choose the future. It was all of their mistakes for-

“Horseradish,” Cozy squeaked as her hoof plunged through a small pile of leaves and into a frigid puddle of mud. The chill that went through her caused even her mane to stand on end, a sharp sting of ice in her nerves. Shuddering as she stepped back, she flicked her hoof in an attempt to get some of the mud off. It did little to remove the filth, and for the first time, Cozy glanced back at where she had come from.

She hadn’t flown that long, her wings beginning to cramp mid flap and threatening to send her into a death spiral back to good ol’ mother earth. Even when she had tried to land, a stupid twig sticking a bit too far out had given her a whip in the snout. Both her wings and snout still hurt a little, but she pressed on as she had all day. Thankfully she had known basically the moment she’d looked out the window that this wasn’t the Everfree forest. While flying, she had distantly picked out the Canterlot Twins, the mountains that Canterlot was built on, telling her she was in the quiet woods that were scattered throughout the east.

Growling at the sticky mud on her hoof, she tried rubbing it off on some dead leaves, only managing to get a few more leaves stuck in the mud. Sighing in defeat, she began to walk again, hoping to find someplace to hide and stay warmish through the chilly spring night. It still surprised her that light was falling, considering she had left in the morning. Had Starlight really not thought about if Cozy just kept on running and running? Stupid mare.

Still, that stupid mare did have a warm bed, with some warm food and warm air… No, no. She had slept through colder nights in worse places before. She would not let Starlight’s overbearing attentiveness spoil her resourcefulness. Cozy was stronger than needing Starlight, especially after a week of being cooped up with her.

The little pegasus yelped as she tripped over a branch she hadn’t seen, the fading light concealing the roots and fallen sticks that covered the forest floor. Okay, it really was time to focus on finding somewhere with a little cover to sleep in. A hollow, fallen trunk maybe? A craggy between rocks, perhaps? There were no big rocks to hide between that she could see. The forest wasn’t dense, but it was flat, meaning there were no little dips she could cover herself in. Pressing her lips together, Cozy resigned herself to her fate. It was going to be a cold, very uncomfortable night.

Sighing, she glanced around her immediate surroundings, scanning the area for anything she could potentially use to better the situation. With the little amount of daylight she had left, she might be able to gather some larger sticks and bark to lean against a tree. A sharp, powerful gust of wind that ruffled her fur and feathers immediately ended that train of thought. As humiliating as it was that she had to sleep outside, it wouldn’t be half as embarrassing if her body was found crushed underneath a makeshift lean-to. She had no delusions about her size, and given the size of branches she probably would have had to use, a good collapse would hurt at the very least.

Well, maybe she could-

A branch snapped and Cozy yelped again, probably giving away her position to whatever horrible creature was creeping about this late at night. She flexed her wings in preparation to take flight, but immediately let out a cry of pain as both wings jolted with pain like they had been broken. Collapsing to her knees, she looked around fearfully. No way. This wasn’t how the mighty Cozy Glow was supposed to meet her end, surrounded by unnamed forest and covered in mud and grime! This was-

“Sweet Celestia, I’m so sorry,” a kindly, sweet voice suddenly declared, a silhouette appearing right in front of her to accompany the voice. She let out a shriek and scurried away from the sudden silhouette, only managing to hit her head on a low-hanging branch.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” the voice exclaimed before the woods were suddenly lit up, the unicorn revealing himself as he ignited his horn. Cozy squinted against the sudden light, reaching up a hoof to rub the sore spot on the back of her head. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. That’s why I didn’t have my horn lit yet!”

“Why didn’t you have it lit before then,” Cozy grumbled, getting a good look at who she was talking to. The colt had a blonde coat and blue mane, both of which looked a little roughed up and dingy. He kept his mane back, but it wasn’t short, just long enough to not be so. In fact, most things about him looked barely not short. He was taller than her, but only by a head, still small enough to be considered a colt by adults and an adult by foals. For her though, he was a weird in-between, not quite a colt, but not nearly a stallion.

“Well, because I don’t really have a problem with the dark,” he said with earnest pride. He looked her up and down, frowning as he stated, “Unfortunately, it seems you do. Here, let me help.”

“What,” Cozy questioned, affronted as the colt reached out a hoof with a kind smile.

“I said let me help,” he repeated with a grin.

She squinted at him, studying his face for a long moment before shaking her head with a scoff. “You run into a filly in the middle of the woods right before it gets dark and you don’t even ask any questions. What game are you playing at? I don’t even know your name yet.”

“Star Scout,” the colt introduced, pressing his hoof just a little bit more forward, undaunted by Cozy’s coldness. “My name’s Star Scout, and I’m guessing yours is Red Rook?”

“What,” she questioned again, before noting that his gaze was to her behind. She almost slapped the colt’s hoof away at the notion, but the more sensible side of her remembered her Cutie Mark. Rolling her eyes at herself, she grumbled, “No, it’s-”

She stopped herself dead as she realized she had almost introduced herself to this colt as Cozy Glow, the infamous Empress of Friendship. Eyes going wide at her almost idiotic downfall, she gave the colt another side-eye, his disarming manner suddenly very suspicious. “Yeah, yeah Red Rook is right. Most ponies guess something along the lines of ‘Scarlet Piece’.”

“Huh, that’s weird,” he said with a confused quirk of the head. “It seems so obvious to me!”

“You must be one of the smart ones, congrats,” Cozy sardonically complimented. “What’s your game, Star Scout?”

“Well, my game is that I’m trying to spend a few more minutes out in my piece of the woods before dinner when I suddenly find a filly out here,” he answered with such sincerity that Cozy was actually confused by his honesty. “What’s yours?”

“Getting found wandering in your part of the woods right before you go inside for dinner,” the pegasus deflected. There was something so strange about how honest and bubbly this colt was. Even in the School of Friendship, most colts were dumb, loud, and hiding a few truths behind compliments and insults. This one, though, just flung them at her like they had been best friends for years. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m just going to-”

“Come home with me for dinner,” Star finished brightly. Cozy paused instantly, giving the colt a stare. He had said it so frankly and honestly, but not forcefully at all. It was like she was kindly being told to watch her head on the way out. Or in, in this case.

“Pardon you,” she inquired, before trying to turn away again.

“Oh, c’mon Glowy, you can’t be serious about going out into the woods at this hour of the night. You’ll freeze,” he pointed out vigorously. Once again, she turned to face him, confused. Noting it, he continued, “Look, while it’s none of my business on why you’re out in my little piece of the woods, but it can’t be any good business. You obviously aren’t from around here, you’re completely disheveled, and you have to be running towards or away from something. Nopony travels perfectly straight unless they’re trying to get away from something. Besides, you’re already shivering. Maybe you will survive the night, but knowing you’re out here and freezing while I’m sleeping comfortably in my house just isn’t right. At least let me help you get a warm meal and bedroll.”

“O-o-okay,” Cozy stammered, befuddled by how quickly she’d been picked apart. “Ya got me. I’m running away from home.”

“Why,” Star asked, his brow furrowing in concern. “They weren’t mean to you or anything, were they? My parents could help if they were!”

“No, no, I don’t have any parents,” Cozy muttered, dealing him some truthfulness with a taste of a bashful glance away.

“Oh, I’m so terribly sorry” Star nodded somberly, reaching out a hoof.

Cozy flinched away as it tapped her shoulder, goosebumps rolling through her skin. Star retracted the hoof, though he didn’t look ashamed or disappointed, just… considerate. What was it with this strange colt? Her suspicions mounted too high, she dared to ask, “Are you working with Starlight?”

“Um, who,” he inquired, his face scrunching up in confusion.

“Starlight Glimmer,” Cozy clarified, trying not to laugh at his weird little expressions. “Y’know, one of the Headmares at the School of Friendship?”

“Oh, gosh, I don’t know much about that sort of stuff,” he admitted sheepishly, rubbing a hoof on the back of his head. “I know the Princesses of course, and I think one of the Elements is… Rarity, the fashion mare, but I couldn’t name anypony else for the life of me.”

“Husband of Princess Cadence,” she questioned.

“Oh, wait, I know that one,” he exclaimed excitedly. “Prince Shining Armor. And their kid is Flurry Heart! Cuz of the blizzard she was born in… or something like that…”

“Close enough,” Cozy figured, giving the colt a calculating stare. “King of the changelings?”

“Uh… Thorax,” he guessed.

“Correct,” Cozy Glow confirmed. What is this colt’s game? Was he really playing a fool, or just being strangely innocent to lead her on. There was no way anypony was this innocently honest, right?

“Haha, I knew it from the start,” Star laughed. “C’mon, gimme another one!”

“The three tyrants locked in stone for time and all eternity after threatening Equestria.”

“Shoot,” Star spat, slumping slightly in defeat. “Uh, golly, Chrysalis, T-rex, and… and… dangit, I can’t remember the last one! Everypony forgets about them anyways, so cut me a little slack.”

“Uh-huh,” Cozy grumbled flatly, her pride more than stung.

“Hey, don’t blame me,” Star pled. “We out here in the middle of the Cheshire Groves don’t really pay attention much to the news. I mean, the only one that really affected us at all was Tirek’s attack on magic. Ooh-ooh-ooh, that was the third one! Chrysalis, T-rex, and Tirek. No, wait…”

“T-rex and Tirek are the same one,” Cozy mumbled.

“Well, then who’s the third one,” Star questioned eagerly.

“Um, I don’t remember,” she bluffed. “Everypony forgets the third one.”

“Yeah, that’s a real shame,” the colt nodded. “I mean, we trapped them in stone and everything, and nopony even remembers who they are. Kinda sad.”

“Very,” Cozy agreed, staring at the colt. Star was staring distantly at nothing in particular. Weirdly, she wasn’t too off-put by his friendly, naive nature. Just… wary.

“C’mon, it’s for sure dinner time by now, and we do not want it going cold,” Star insisted with a smile. “Trust me, we’re having fritters on sesame!”

He didn't look behind him as he began walking away, laughing slightly as if he’d said some sort of joke. Cozy Glow hesitated for a moment, on the verge of turning and running while the colt wasn’t looking. She raised a hoof, preparing to sprint in the opposite direction, but then, without command, she took a step forward. And as soon as she’d taken one step, another followed, and then another and another. Pretty soon, she was walking right beside him on a lightly beaten trail, his glowing horn illuminating his friendly smile.

Author's Note:

Huh, a... friend. Welcome back everybody, sorry for the wait, but please welcome the newest member of the ensemble, Star Scout!

Comments

[Prol]

I am very glad that you have returned to this story, I will look forward to continuing

[Ryebuck Coppercap]

Nice to see an update to this story mate!

Cozy is being quite stubborn in her refusal of Starlight's help, which I feel fits well with how she was portrayed in the show.

I'm liking Star Scout so far, but he has some rather convenient gaps in his knowledge, methinks.

Is he just Starlight under a disguise, perhaps? I guess time will tell

[The_Darker_Fonts]

11566312
Lol, it was really funny. Your comment two days ago came right after I finished editing this chapter!

[The_Darker_Fonts]

11566420

Cozy is being quite stubborn in her refusal of Starlight's help, which I feel fits well with how she was portrayed in the show.

I try for consistency!

I'm liking Star Scout so far, but he has some rather convenient gaps in his knowledge, methinks.

Wait...

[Myrkin]

“Oh, c’mon Glowy, you can’t be serious about going out into the woods at this hour of the night. You’ll freeze,” he pointed out vigorously.

I thought he didn't learn Cozy Glow's real name here?

[The_Darker_Fonts]

11567017
Interesting...

[asdtroi8895]

It lives! Happy to see a new chapter. Very interested to see how dinner will go. Probably Cozy's best dinner in a long time.

“Oh, c’mon Glowy, you can’t be serious about going out into the woods at this hour of the night. You’ll freeze,”

Glowy? I think he knows more then he lets on...