Cozy Hearts

by Princess Starflight

Chapter 10 - Discovery

They spent a good chunk of the day there, explaining to the Cutie Mark Crusaders everything that had happened. At one point, when the crusaders were discussing one event and analyzing everything, or something like that, Cozy whispered to Flurry, "Well, I guess I still can't say a word to them."

"Why not?" Flurry asked, suddenly realizing Cozy had, indeed, been silent this whole time.

"Because you told me to not tell the crusaders. And I said yes. And friends keep their promises." She grinned.

Flurry rolled her eyes and playfully punched Cozy. "Shut up. You can tell them."

Cozy Glow smirked and opened her mouth to retort, but then Apple Bloom said, "Ah don't get it. What was that darkness thing?"

"That's just it. I- I don't know," Flurry said. She had decided not to tell them about her theory that this was a relative of Sombra. That would just unnecessarily scare them, and Flurry didn't need that.

"Shouldn't we warn everypony?" Sweetie Belle asked. "What if it attacks again?"

"No! It's fine! It won't attack again, I'm telling you! It even said that to me," Flurry said quickly, her voice rising as she panicked.

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. "What exactly did it say?"

"Um, it said, 'Now, little princess, this is the only time that I will attack you and your funny little pegasus friend with no wings. I am simply messing with you. One last game before I leave Equestria...forever. So you better make it worth it." Flurry smiled internally as she praised herself on telling such a good, believable lie, but she kept her actual expression solemn. She even shivered a little, to make it even more believable. Good job, Flurry.

Cozy looked at her strangely and raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. Scootaloo genuinely looked worried about them, even Cozy. Apple Bloom nodded, showing that she believed Flurry, and Sweetie Belle neighed in fear.

"What if you hadn't thought of that spell? What if Cozy didn't pull you out? What if any little thing had gone wrong and you two didn't get out?" Sweetie asked, actually shivering in fear.

"It's okay, Sweetie. It's not coming back, and what matters is that Cozy and I are fine," Flurry said, putting a hoof on Sweetie's back. "We all are safe."

"What I don't believe is how Cozy Glow saved you, Flurry," Scootaloo said, her eyes darting from the princess to the pegasus. "Or that she saved you at all."

"Well, I may be evil, but I don't want ponies to die," said Cozy, sounding offended.

Scootaloo's eyes widened with fury. "Really? Really? Yeah, sure. So I guess when you were busy draining magic from Equestria, you didn't think how it would effect the pegasi. Some of them were walking on clouds, or flying! And then they fell, hundreds of feet." She brushed away a tear. "A lot of ponies died. Because of you. You're a monster!"

"I'm not! Ponies didn't die. It was all planned without a single mistake. You're lying," Cozy said. "You're lying, you're lying, you're lying. Nopony died! ...Right?"

"Ponies did die. You're just too evil to care! Stop pretending you would!" Scootaloo yelled. "You didn't hear about Snowlight, did you?"

"Who's Snowlight?"

"Snowlight Cloudshine was my friend. She was on a cloud at that time, with her unicorn friend Galaxy Cluster. Galaxy was magically walking on the cloud. When magic disappeared, when you made it disappear...she and Galaxy fell. And nopony saw. Snowlight and Galaxy died. Because of you."

"No," Cozy said. "No, no, no. You're lying. You think that'll make me all goopy and weepy and sorry? No. I don't believe your lies. No one died. NO ONE."

"She's not lyin'," Apple Bloom said. "We saw...the bodies...at the funeral."

"YOU'RE LYING! I did not make anypony die."

Flurry squirmed. She was too young to remember what had happened when Cozy had drained all the magic from Equestria, but her parents had told her stories. Nopony had told her about this, though. Was Cozy actually a murderer?

"Um, no offense, but Apple Bloom is a terrible liar, and we'd know if she was lying. And I can tell you that she's not. Neither is Scootaloo. Besides, why would we lie about something as serious as death?" Sweetie Belle spoke up.

Cozy's eyes were on fire. "Because you're all idiots!" She suddenly pushed past them, flung open the door, and galloped outside. Sweetie Belle gasped, Scootaloo grit her teeth, and Apple Bloom shook her head disapprovingly.

Flurry was frantic. "I've got to go after her! She's my responsibility. Stay here - I'll be back in an hour." With that, she sprinted out, hooves clopping on the ground. Soon she was airborne.

"Oh, no you won't! Get your rump back here, Flurry Heart!" Scootaloo yelled. She turned to the Crusaders. "Wait here, okay? I need to go after Flurry." In a hurry, before the Cutie Mark Crusaders could protest, Scootaloo got on her scooter, the same one she'd had as a filly (which was why it barely fit her anymore). Flapping her tiny wings, she gave chase to Flurry, who she could still see in the sky.

"Flurry! Get back down here! Who cares about Cozy Glow? Just let her get lost," Scootaloo shouted.

Flurry screeched to a stop in the air. She looked down at Scootaloo. Then she shook her head. "Please go back, Scootaloo. Cozy's my responsibility, not yours. And I need to make sure she doesn't hurt anypony - and ponies don't hurt her."

Scootaloo groaned. "Come on, Flurry. She's not worth it."

"Sorry, Scoots." Flurry turned away and flapped her big wings, propelling herself forward and leaving a very annoyed Scootaloo behind.

Flurry scanned the little town of Ponyville. Cozy Glow could be anywhere. But she couldn't have gotten too far, right? She wouldn't have her wings back until...

Until around noon.

Oh, no.

Flurry checked the Ponyville clock tower.

It was 11:58. Cozy Glow would get her wings back in two minutes. Then she'd be free to go wherever she pleased.

---

Flurry flew as fast as she could (which was pretty fast) around Ponyville, looking into every corner, every shop, and every home. But there was still no sign of Cozy. She even dared ask a few ponies, but they all said they hadn't seen her.

That meant Cozy Glow wasn't in Ponyville. But where could she be? She probably wasn't going to go back to Canterlot again, or any other town for that matter. Flurry had a feeling she'd stay near Ponyville.

The only possible place Cozy could have gone, then, was the Everfree Forest.

And that meant Flurry had to go in after her.

Author's Note:

Sorry about the short chapter.
And now my story has exactly 18,000 words. Yay?

Comments

[Glutbier]

Nice chapter off to the Forest!