8.Share (Whether You Want To Or Not)
Sunlight peeks down at them through the leaves above. Their hooves press into the dirt, crunching leaves in anticipation. Sunset holds the tracking stone in front of them with her magic, the bright red hues imbuing the stone with energy. An arrow comes from it, transparent and orange, pointing directly ahead of them. Sunset smiles in satisfaction and brings the stone back to her bag, the arrow disappearing as soon as she does. She tucks it away, pressing the latch closed with her wing.
"See? I told you she was headed in the same direction!" pouts the filly behind her, cheeks puffed out.
Cozy has no right being as adorable as she is. Though, I guess I must've been at least as cute as her when I was her age. I guess I can let it slide.
"I know Cozy, but we had to be sure. What would we think if you told us to go this direction, and it turned out to be the complete wrong way?" Sunset chides, animosity entirely absent from her voice.
"But it wouldn't have been." the pegasus grumbles, her voice fading away with her annoyance.
Sunset snorts at her remark before looking over to Starlight, who doesn't look so amused. She smiles at the unicorn, earning back a smile in return, albeit a less enthusiastic one.
Pointing her hoof, Sunset states, "Welp, we have a job to do, so there's no reason to stand around here any longer! Let's get going!"
She walks forward, the other two ponies quickly taking their first steps as well, matching her pace. Their hooves press down against fallen twigs and crisp leaves, the forest floor a reminder that they're heading off deeper into nature. Though there is no clear path ahead, the trees aren't densely packed together, leaving plenty of room for the three to walk as a unit in a relatively straight line.
Half a minute passes before Sunset realizes that nopony has spoken since they began walking. She glances at Starlight beside her and Cozy Glow behind them, wondering if she should say something or just let the silence linger.
She doesn't get the chance to decide, as Cozy speaks up before she can. "So! Now that the three of us are working together, we should do some friendship building exercises to deepen our bonds!"
Her suggestion causes the two mares in front of her to look back, puzzled expressions on their faces. The two contemplate what Cozy said for a moment before responding.
Sunset starts, "Friendship building exercises?"
"To deepen our bonds?" Starlight finishes.
Cozy Glow seems proud of her idea. "Uh-huh! We barely know anything about each other since we've only been on good terms for a short time, so it would be great to share some basic information about ourselves."
Starlight scoffs. "Just some basic information, huh? What's next, telling each other our hidden weaknesses and secret vulnerabilities? I'm sure that will really help us bond."
Cozy Glow rolls her eyes and grins, like Starlight just told her a mildly funny joke. "Well golly, of course we'll discuss our strengths and weaknesses! We need to be perfectly in sync with each other if we want to take down Chrysalis! But all that tactical stuff can come later, when we're more familiar. We should just focus on the simple things for now! So, what do you say?"
Oh man, she's serious about all this. What kind of twelve year old talks about tactics, and the strengths and weaknesses of their peers? Aside from me, I guess.
Oh, wait a minute. Is this what I sounded like when I talked about magic as a filly? No wonder nopony could put up with me.
The pegasus puffs her chest out, like she's expecting the two of them to leap to the ground and bow to her for providing such an exemplary conversation topic.
Instead of that, Starlight raises an eyebrow and questions her. "How is sharing random facts about us conducive to capturing Chrysalis? Do you think just talking about ourselves is really going to help us out?"
"Of course it will!" Cozy replies cheerily. "Just by knowing more about another pony, you become a little bit closer to them. With every new thing you learn from a pony, your understanding of them grows, and eventually, its easy to guess what they want for lunch, or what they'll do if you act nicely to them, or how they'll respond to stressful situations. It's all so useful!"
Starlight gives her a blank stare. "...Is that how that works?" she says flatly, her tone indicating it wasn't a question.
The pegasus stomps her hooves as she walks, her irritation obvious. "Well, if you have any better ideas, I sure would like to hear them!" she huffs.
A twig snaps under the filly's hoof. Sunset speaks up before Starlight can respond. "Come on Starlight, what's the matter with it? I think telling each other about ourselves would be much more interesting than just trodding along in silence. I, at least, want to know more about you. Don't you want to learn more about me too?"
Starlight's ears droop. "Well, if you put it like that…"
Cozy's smile returns, and she proudly proclaims, "It's settled then! We'll all take turns and talk about ourselves bit by bit. This is going to be so much fun!"
The pegasus is practically bouncing up and down with how excited she is. Sunset doesn't have to use her powers to tell that the enthusiasm is genuine.
"It does sound fun," she interjects, "but what should we do to determine order? And how long is each 'turn' going to be before we move on?"
Cozy looks at Starlight to her left and then to Sunset on her right. The alicorn's tail swishes around when she notices the filly staring at her.
"How about we go from left to right?" the filly proposes. "Starlight tells a fact about herself, then me, then you. Then we go back to Starlight and do it again!"
Sunset nods. "Sure, that works. What counts as a 'fact' here, then?"
Cozy answers immediately. "Oh, it can be anything! The facts can be as small as a food you find tasty or as big as a secret you've never told anypony. As long as it's fun or interesting, you can share it!"
Sunset has to stop herself from laughing.
Being pretty obvious about what you'd rather us talk about, aren't you?
Sunset turns her head back towards the mare beside her, who's still keeping pace. "What do you think, Starlight? Sound good to you?"
"Sure, it's all fine with me." she says absentmindedly, her gaze momentarily distracted by the sights of the forest. "I can go on random tangents sometimes, so I'm sorry about that in advance."
Sunset chuckles. "That sounds just like Twilight."
"I'll take that as a compliment." she quickly replies.
The unicorn's expression is just a bit brighter now than it was a moment ago. It's not hard for Sunset to notice the edges of her lips turning up in a slight smile.
Note to self: Starlight likes being compared to Twilight. I guess that's another thing we have in common.
Sunset's wings shift and readjust. She feels a slight anticipation for the game they're about to play. Despite the lack of competition in it, she can't help but feel excited to do something relatively normal. After hours of surprises and strenuous activity, the prospect of walking alongside a couple friends and chatting about unimportant things is refreshing.
"You go first, Starlight!" says the filly. She seems more excited about the game than Sunset does.
Maybe she's looking forward to a distraction more than I am.
The unicorn hums in response, taking her time to think before saying anything. A moment of wait passes.
The unicorn quietly sucks in a breath and speaks. "I once discovered an underground oasis buried beneath Ponyville. Does that count as a fun fact?"
Cozy rapidly nods her head up and down. "For sure! How'd you find it?"
Starlight waves her hoof in the filly's direction. "Oh, it's not that interesting. You wouldn't want to hear the whole story."
Sunset speaks up. "I would. That sounds way more interesting than what my first fact was going to be!"
Cozy lets out an emphatic "Yeah!" that's just barely not loud enough to hurt their ears.
Starlight sighs in defeat. "Well, if you both think so, then alright. It all started when I bumped into this pony named Maud…"
The weight on Starlight's back feels heavier than it did just a bit ago. She knows that she's probably just tired from walking an hour straight, but she can't shake the feeling that Discord is making her saddlebags heavier over time, and she's only noticed just now. It's unlikely to be the case, and even more unlikely that he would outright sabotage their trip under the guise of help. Discord is, among many things, Starlight's friend. She has faith that he wouldn't do something like that, even for a laugh.
But it's not impossible, and that's why she can't stop thinking about it.
The itch to open her saddlebags and take inventory of everything Discord packed for them is there, but the suspicion that it'll either backfire or be incredibly disappointing is too strong. She knows she should, that it's better to do sooner rather than later, but she doesn't want to open that can of worms just yet. Despite Discord's helpful demeanor, nopony can ever be completely certain that he means what he says. For all she knows, he could have stuffed a dozen frozen snakes in these bags, and as soon as they're taken out, they reanimate and turn the next fifteen minutes into a reptile-zapping cleanup job.
Sure, they're probably filled with a bunch of legitimately useful things too; she believed him when he said that he was returning the favor. It would be just like him to give another "gift" alongside the real one. At least, that's the conclusion Starlight reached after overthinking her current circumstances.
Thinking about all the possibilities of what exactly these bags could contain is enough for her to put off digging through them until later. Beyond their supplies is the practical reality that they now face, that of simple traversal. Sunset can fly now, and while she looks pretty physically fit to Starlight, it's not practical for even most pegasi to fly for a day straight, and then to get up the next morning and do the same thing again. Starlight's flight is limited as well, both because of the energy required off the spell, and from the bags she would have to carry the entire time weighing her down. Now that she thinks about it, Sunset would also have that problem.
Lastly is the issue of Cozy Glow. Even if Starlight could figure out some way for her and Sunset to fly a great distance that wouldn't completely drain the both of them, Cozy Glow still needs to be accounted for. Removing the spell on her wings is a non-option, which means that one of the other two would have to carry her along. Magic would probably be required, but the strain on Starlight would be too much to handle for long distances, and she doubts Sunset is a comfortable enough flyer to multi-task magic and flying at once for hours at a time.
The pegasus would be a dead weight that neither of them are prepared to compensate for. Despite the capabilities shared between the three of them, they're limited to walking. They'll have to rely on their hooves to get them where they need to go, just like everyone else.
Everyone except Rainbow Dash, maybe.
This wouldn't be much of a problem if all they were doing was trekking across Equestria for fun - not that she thinks it is any fun. No, they're after someone, and that someone is both dangerous and on the move. They can't just keep pace and hope they eventually find Chrysalis with her guard down; they need to catch up and capture her before she hatches some insane plan to recapture her former glory. Chrysalis cannot be forgotten and left to her own devices. Everyone learned that the hard way.
She needed to be found as soon as possible, this much was certain. This is not a leisurely jaunt through the countryside, this was a mission that she and Sunset had been given by the princesses. Coming back to Canterlot with empty hooves wouldn't mean they'd be punished, she knew that. However, it would mean that they had let down Twilight, and that was much worse.
Starlight glances at to her right, seeing Sunset walking next to her. She looks at her face for only a few moments before turning back.
I have a feeling she wants to disappoint Twilight about as much as I do.
She doesn't know Sunset's full story, but she knows that the alicorn only found her way because of Twilight, just the same as her. She'll have to ask her more about it later, but for now, she's satisfied just knowing that they share similar motivations to not fail in their mission.
I'm getting distracted.
She forces her mind towards more relevant thoughts. Assuming they aren't lucky enough to find a town or a lone inn when night falls, they would need some kind of shelter when the day is done. Maybe Discord had packed them something for the occasion, but it's just as likely that he didn't. She needs to find out just how prepared the three of them are for an extended trek through the wilderness.
She clears her throat, grabbing her companions' attention. They continue to move forward as Starlight turns her head to the side to face the both of them.
"So," she asks, "have either of you gone camping before?"
Sunset speaks up first. "Depends on what you mean by 'gone camping.' I've been to a campsite once, and did some camping activities while I was there. That was all part of a scheduled trip though, so it was more like a particularly nature-heavy vacation than real camping."
"I guess it's better than nothing?" Starlight says, unsure of her answer. "What about you, Cozy Glow? Happen to have any experience in the great outdoors?"
The two ahead turn back to face Cozy Glow as she responds to the question. She looks uncertain about the question, and responds slowly.
"If staying away from other ponies by hiding out somewhere in the badlands counts as camping, then yes, I do have experience!" she says with a smile.
Sunset responds before Starlight gets a chance. "You stayed out in the badlands? When? How?"
Cozy rolls her eyes, as if the answer to her questions were obvious. "Oh, it was after Grogar - or, Discord, actually - broke me and Tirek out of Tartarus. He brought us, Chrysalis, and that Sombra fella to this old stone structure in the middle of nowhere. I thought it wasn't that great at first, but there was a place to sleep and free food, so it wasn't all bad. I even had enough supplies to make cupcakes!"
The two mares stare at her in befuddlement. Cozy Glow realizes that the two have stopped in their tracks, causing her to come right up to them.
She looks back and forth between them and asks, "What?"
A moment of quiet passes as neither can bring themselves to say anything. Starlight breaks the silence, bringing forth her questions.
"Um, Cozy Glow?" she asks, carefully articulating her words. "When we were sharing earlier, you said you lived somewhere comfortable when you described living with Tirek and Chrysalis. How can a random stone structure in the badlands anything be close to comfortable? You may as well have been hiding out in a cave!"
Cozy rubs the tip of her chin and hums in thought. "You know, now that I think about it, it was a lot like a cave. There were these little streams that went through it, and every other wall had moss growing on it. It wasn't insulated very well, either. The cold air got in so easily…"
Sunset leans in to face Cozy directly. "And you thought that was comfortable?" she asks, the tone of her voice betraying her worry.
Cozy's mouth falls in a line. She gently pushes Sunset back, putting some space between them.
She answers the question like she's talking to a filly half her age. "No, I never said it was comfortable. I said I was comfortable. That's what's important."
Sunset backs up. The two mares look at her, waiting for her to elaborate. The filly glances at them both before sighing. Giving into their stares, she speaks.
"When I stayed at the School of Friendship, I was always acting. Telling other ponies 'oh, it's no problem' or 'it's not a big deal, I can handle it' every day was so… annoying. I thought at least once, somepony would realize that I didn't really believe any of the nice things I was saying. But, no! It was so easy to convince everyone I was telling the truth that it almost became boring."
A sigh escapes her as she gazes into the distance at nothing in particular. "Tirek and Chrysalis never believed any of my sweet talk. It was so obvious I would never convince them that I just didn't bother. The only times I tried out my innocent little filly act was just to mess with them, which was actually a lot of fun!"
She slowly rolls her eyes. "I never had to act around them to get what I wanted, and there was just no use in pretending. That's what made it so much easier to be my cute and lovable self! I didn't have to worry about somepony catching me doing something bad, since that's what the three of us were going to do anyway!"
She finishes her explanation with a smile. Starlight simply stares in mild shock. "I'm surprised you're saying any of this out loud."
Cozy shrugs nonchalantly, though the gesture is somewhat hampered by her static wings. "Why wouldn't I? I don't have anything to hide; not anymore. Golly, everyone in Equestria must know about me now! I couldn't act innocent even if I wanted to!"
Her voice is light and cheerful despite the meaning of her words. Starlight glances at the pony beside her, hoping to glimpse at some hint from her that might make it clear if the filly's attitude is real or not. It's in vain, as the expression on the mare's face is just as confused and conflicted as her own.
Sunset puts on a smile as she turns back towards the direction they were walking in. Still looking at Cozy Glow, her expression makes clear the intent of her next words.
"Well, I'm glad you don't feel the need to play pretend anymore.
"I guess." the filly responds, her voice still upbeat. She follows after Sunset, a slight but noticeable skip in her step. Starlight only sighs as she trods along behind them, her slow pace just barely enough to catch up.
The three begin to walk in silence. Starlight feels a hint of anxiety starting to swirl in her gut, despite the absence of anything that would normally cause it. More confused about the sudden feeling than anything else, she runs through a mental list of what might have caused it.
Am I forgetting something? I already thought about our supplies, so it's not that. Sunset? I've got a few ideas for what to do about her wing problem, so it's not that either. Is there something important about all this that I haven't realized yet? Maybe something to do with Cozy Glow?
What was it she said? Everyone in Equestria must know about her by now? Why does that make me feel so-
Oh, right. Everyone knows what she looks like, and with the news that the other two villains alongside her have been released… ugh. That's going to be a headache.
Sunset clears her throat, taking the unicorn's attention away from the future problem she just discovered. With the eyes of the other two on her, Sunset asks a question.
"So, Cozy. About that cave-like place you stayed in - it wasn't uncomfortable, was it? You made it sound like it just wasn't something you were used to. Is that true?"
She turns her gaze away from Sunset, thinking about her answer. "Hmm. Well, yeah, for the most part. It really wasn't so bad. It was a cozy enough place, once you got used to it."
Sunset laughs dryly. "A cozy place, huh? Nice pun."
Cozy raises an eyebrow. "Huh? I didn't… oh. Oh, yeah! It was pretty good, wasn't it?"
The edges of Sunset's lips turn up in a smirk. "You didn't even realize you made one, did you?"
Cozy immediately scoffs and puffs her chest out. "How do you know it wasn't on purpose? It should be obvious I set that up in advance."
"Yeah, I'm real convinced." The smile on Sunset's face persists.
Oh Celestia, I'm going to go insane before we even get anywhere close to Chrysalis!
Starlight interrupts their banter with another question. "Yes, yes, you two are best friends now, I get it. Can I please get an actual answer to my original question that we've all forgotten about? Do you have any experience with camping or not?
Cozy Glow shows a smile that Starlight suspects is completely artificial. "I guess I haven't, but golly, it can't be that hard to learn."
Starlight grunts in annoyance. "Yeah, that's about what I expected. Three ponies on a trek through the Equestrian countryside, and only one of them has actually gone camping for real. How did I become the one pony around that's the most knowledgeable on camping of all things?"
Sunset turns up an eyebrow at that. "You are? How much experience do you actually have, then? No offence, but you don't really strike me as the camping type."
Starlight huffs. "Well, you're right; I'm not. I was dragged along to a single camping trip by Applejack with the rest of the girls, and it was terrible. She had me carry all this stuff we never ended up actually using, but she insisted it was all very important! That turned out to just be a bad joke, but that doesn't mean I didn't pick some things up afterwards. I was hoping I wouldn't ever have to put any of it to use, but here we are."
Sunset hums in thought. "Yeah, you really don't seem like much of an outdoorsmare. I can't say I've ever really enjoyed that kind of thing, either, so I kinda get where you're coming from."
Starlight sighs in acknowledgement. "It's not just 'that kind of thing', it's this kind of thing. We have to figure all of this out by tonight, or our mission to find Chrysalis is as good as doomed!"
Sunset plucks a stray leaf out of her hair with a bit of magic, talking all the while. "Why are you so certain we won't find her by tomorrow, or even tonight? For all you know, we could run into her before the sun goes down."
"I know that," she sighs, "But what are we going to do if that doesn't happen?"
"Then…" Sunset turns her head to look at the saddlebags on her back. "I guess we hope that Discord packed us enough lunches to last the whole trip."
"Ugh, I am not looking forward to that." Starlight says with a pained expression. "Anyways, what were you thinking would happen if we DO find her tonight? Didn't you say we were just going to blast her to bits with magic or something like that?"
Cozy's ears flatten and Sunset replies. "I did say that, but I was only half serious about that. What I really meant was that you would blast her with magic."
What!?
Her words are feverish and gradually rise in intensity as she speaks. "Excuse me? You were the one who volunteered me for this mission! Now you're telling me that, when we finally encounter Chrysalis, I'm going to be the one doing all the work? Are you kidding me?"
"Look, I know this is selfish of me, but I'm not saying this because of you. I just… I don't think it would be a good idea for me to start using magic again."
"Seriously?" Starlight asks, surprised by Sunset's answer. "From what Twilight told me, I thought you'd be thrilled to practice magic again! I know you haven't really had the chance to do much since you arrived, what with the wings and the trouble in Canterlot. I know you pulled off that teleportation spell, but it's obvious you're out of practice. Why not refamiliarize yourself while we're out here? Why not use magic at all?"
Sunset casts her gaze away from the unicorn. Her eyes unfocus and she stares at nothing for a few seconds, either suddenly deep in thought or simply considering how best to respond. She opens her mouth for just a second, shutting it right after. Neither Starlight nor Cozy Glow press her, and a moment passes.
The alicorn quickly glances at Cozy before fixing her gaze on Starlight. Finally, she asks, "You know how I, uh, was in a place where I couldn't use magic?"
The unicorn looks at Cozy out of the corner of her eye. If the pegasus is reacting to this information in any way, she's not making it obvious.
Acknowledging that Sunset wants to talk about the human world without giving too much away, Starlight responds in kind. "I remember. You spent a long time there, didn't you?"
"Long enough to get used to not being able to use my horn." Her voice is low, like she's not entirely sure of what she's saying. "I never forgot how much I enjoyed it. Learning new spells, testing them out, tinkering with the ones I knew inside and out… It was so, so satisfying. I don't know what I'm going to do if I'm reminded of just how incredible magic can be, only to have to forget about it after I'm done here."
She speaks with deliberation. "I can't get used to my own magic when I know I'm only going to lose it again. I already had to do that once, and I really, really don't want to do it again. It's better if I only use magic when I have to, like with the tracking stone. The fewer spells, the better."
Starlight is at a loss. For all the indignation her tone betrayed earlier, she felt it difficult to refute the mare's wishes.
What do I even say to that? I can't just ask her to ignore her feelings, that would be so mean! Twilight wouldn't do that. She would try and come up with something that helps her friend while still doing what she set out to do! I just need to figure out how to actually do that.
No immediate solution makes itself apparent. Knowing Sunset is expecting some response from her, she decides to shelve the issue, making it future Starlight's problem.
"I understand. I'll figure out some way to make it work without your magic, don't worry."
Sunset smiles, and the warmth it brings is almost enough to convince Starlight that her procrastination was a good decision. Before she can think about that, though, her other companion speaks up.
"What about your wings?" asks Cozy, inserting herself between them. "Are you going to pretend you don't have them either?"
Sunset nods her head. "Pretty much. They're not as important to me as my horn, but flying is still something I won't be able to do when I go back home. I've been trying to not think about them, and I figured the best way to do that is to just turn them invisible and act like they don't exist. Out of sight, out of mind, right?"
Cozy chuckles derisively at her. "Oh golly, Sunset. That won't work at all!"
The two mares either side of her glance at each other, then turn their heads back to Cozy. When neither of them return her with a question, she continues on.
"I think I'm missing something here, but I'm guessing you somehow didn't even know you were an alicorn until today, right Sunset?" she inquires with a twinkle in her eye.
Starlight shoots a look at the freshly minted alicorn.
How did she figure that out? Was it really that obvious? Did you tell her something you shouldn't have? What were you talking about when I wasn't here?!
Her frantic mental interrogation goes unnoticed as the mare responds to Cozy's question instead.
"Yeah, you're right. How could you tell?"
Starlight wishes that Sunset would have opted to not give any important information away to the tiny schemer, but she knows that blatantly sidestepping the question would just confirm what the pegasus has already deduced.
"Well," Cozy begins, "any healthy pegasus as old as you would know they'd have to preen every now and then. Feathers come loose and wings get dirty after a while, and it gets yucky when a pegasus doesn't take care of that stuff. You would already know that if you had to deal with them for longer than a week; you can't just ignore them. Most pegasi would look at you funny if you told them you acted like your wings didn't exist!"
Sunset looks at Cozy with an unfocused gaze. Her mouth is just slightly open, not moving at all. After a moment, a single "Huh." escapes her. It's followed shortly after by something slightly more intelligent.
"You know, I feel kinda stupid that I never thought about that. I just always assumed that pegasi cleaned their wings like they did everything else, with no extra steps. Wings needing maintenance isn't really something I ever considered, but it sounds pretty obvious when you point it out like that."
Cozy laughs. "Well golly, it is obvious! Did you not have any pegasi talk to you about their wings when you grew up? I think most ponies do!"
Sunset grimaces. "Well… I grew up in Canterlot and spent all my teenage years learning magic, so I didn't really have many pegasus friends. Or, uh, any at all. Pegasi cleaning habits never really came up in my studies."
"I guess that explains it." says the pegasus, who isn't hiding her smug grin whatsoever. Her expression quickly turns to something more inquisitive, however, as she looks more intensely at the alicorn next to her.
"It's interesting that you could fly without knowing anything about your own wings, though. It takes pegasi years to learn how to fly like that! Do all alicorns just know how to do it right away, like you?"
"Well…" Sunset slowly turns her head towards Starlight, eyeing the unicorn from the side. Her eyes silently plead for Sunset to not say what she thinks is about to be said. Her silent wishes are not heard.
"I actually didn't know how to fly right away. I had to learn on the spot, when Starlight tossed me off that cliff at the edge of Canterlot."
Starlight groans internally as Cozy Glow's head whips around to face her.
"Really? You just threw her off?" Cozy asks, her eyes and mouth wide open in surprise.
Starlight sighs and answers. "Yes. Weren't you there? You saw me do it."
For once, she seems flabbergasted. Her mouth moves up and down, clearly intending to speak, but nothing coherent comes out. After a few moments of confused sputtering, she manages to form something resembling a sentence.
"But - you - why? Why THAT? Why not anything else?"
Sunset mutters the word "exactly" as Starlight tries to answer the messy questions.
"Look, between convincing Sunset you were who you were and shooting spells to keep you occupied, I didn't really have a lot of time to think it over. It was the best thing I could come up with at that moment."
"You must not have had very many ideas, then." Sunset playfully jabs at her.
Starlight laughs through her nose. "Oh, I had plenty of ideas, I just knew most of them wouldn't work as well as the ones that involved chucking you through the air. It was simply the best way we had to achieve our goals; trust me."
Sunset puts out a performative pout, small dimples forming on her cheeks. "You know, I'm not completely sure I believe that."
She rolls her eyes in return. "Oh, come on. It all ended up working out, didn't it? In fact, you pretty much learned how to fly because of me, didn't you? You've got nothing to complain about."
A haughtiness envelops her words, making the sarcasm clear. The alicorn responds stiffly, without a drop of emotion. "Of course I don't. I'm so grateful that you taught me how to fly since I definitely wouldn't have figured it out myself. I love being forced to master new parts of my body on the spot if I don't want to become a pony pancake when I hit the dirt. It's the best."
Its almost impressive how robotic her voice manages to be. Despite the obvious lack of sincerity, Starlight still holds her head up in pride.
"I am going to get you back for that, by the way."
Starlight snaps her head to the side and faces Sunset, clearly surprised at the declaration. She opens her mouth to speak and studies Sunset for a few seconds before saying anything. "...And, when will that happen?"
Sunset looks her in the eyes, a cheeky grin on her face. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"
Starlight laughs nervously in response, but says nothing. Sunset and Cozy glance at each other and chuckle at her reaction. She swallows nothing and tries to mentally recenter herself, pushing her thoughts away from whatever plot the two of them are going to conjure up later.
A distraction comes easy, though, as the trees ahead of them begin to thin out. The other two notice as well, and all of their attention is drawn to what lies before them. The trio parts the last of the woods and emerges on the other side, exiting the forest.
A vast plain stretches out into the distance. Miles of open, flat terrain lay in front of them, green grass and meadows as far as the eye can see. The distance they traversed in the forest was nebulous; there was no point of reference to judge how far they had gone, no obvious landmark to guide them. The forest now seemed inconsequential to Starlight, as she gazes out into the wide countryside she now realizes she'll have to walk across.
The hope that she'll somehow spot their quarry while peering over the distance ahead is dashed as soon as she tries. If the changeling queen wasn't within eyeshot already, it likely meant that she had already crossed the distance. They were already a few steps behind.
As if to emphasize the urgency Starlight was now feeling, Cozy Glow springs out in front of her and Sunset, bouncing with newfound enthusiasm. She turns and faces them, excitedly questioning, "Well? What are you waiting for? Pull out that rock and let's keep going!"
Starlight assumes the alicorn is feeling similar to her, as she simply complies without a word, pulling the tracking stone out of her bag. Holding it aloft with her magic, the arrow springs forth, pointing forward and to the left a tad. Taking that as reason enough, Cozy flips around and trots in that direction, head held high.
Starlight turns to Sunset, wordlessly asking if the mare knew something that she didn't. Sunset simply shrugs, continuing on in an effort to catch up with the smiling filly. Starlight sighs, already tired from the traveling she knows she'll have to do. She picks up her hooves and puts one in front of the other, coming up behind Sunset.
The sun, no longer hidden by the shade of the forest canopy, shines down on her, filling her with warmth. She peeks up at the sky, just to check the time of day. The sun has descended some since Starlight last checked a clock.
Must be around three or four in the afternoon.
The realization that only a few hours ago, she and Sunset were on board a train headed to Canterlot, completely unburdened by all they would encounter once they arrived, strikes her with a sudden sense of longing for the familiar.
What I wouldn't give for this to all be one long, luxurious train ride back to Ponyville…
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Cozy Glow always struck me as the type of pony whose cutie mark almost inevitably bent her towards villainy, as it would imbue perspectives and insights on her that no one else would share from an early age - this isolating her greatly. Combine that with her (ostensible) dwarfism (she was based on a B:TAS character who never grew out of a child-sized body) isolating her as she reached adulthood, she really was in a position where true friendship was far out of reach . . . and her very nature caused her to think of things in terms of assets and strategical value.
She still made bad choices of her own free will, but I daresay a LOT of her final 'self' was a result of (lack of) nurture, as opposed to nature.
She would have been a perfectly happy pro gamer or even a member of the military (if Equestria had a proper one). But there's no real demand for her special talent, and the point of view it gives her pulls her away from the common pony.
Interesting start and I do hope they manage to redeem Cozy.
Starlight should know how observant Cozy really is, and we'll see if Sunset's stand on magic may or not change when they face Chrysalis.
Cute.
Great chapter! I really liked the interactions between these three and how you showed Cozy's intellect a bit.
Like how he wouldn't do the terrible things he did in the last two seasons alone.
Compared to a cage...
Who would have thought that being forced to be truthful would actually be good for her.
11211226
I see Sunset more as volunteering to be an advocate for Cosy and helping the princesses not be evil/vindictive. And if push comes to shove, I see Sunset volunteering to watch over Cosy Glow in the human world--even if that means grabbing that foal and running to the portal as fast as possible. She'll take responsibility for this, one way or another.
if we are going with symbolism.
equestria=the superpower that enforced world order
harmony=1% bogeyman that control the world
discord=opposing power
tirek, chysalis=terrorists
cozy=??
11222744
I definitely agree that the cutie mark was the final nail in the coffin. It is sad that Cozy is playing Sunset along... They could be good friends, possibly the only truly good friend Cozy Glow ever had or ever will have. You can see pangs of regret // self-denial that there is some real friendship happening in the words Cozy uses and her actions. Maybe she will change her mind at some point given the value of Sunset's friendship vs the cost of betraying it.
I meant to write this two or three chapters ago but I kept forgetting. If there is one thing that bothers me about this fic is how Starlight is being portrayed. Not about her impatience, or insecurity, or impulsiveness, no no. Those are all fitting traits.
I understand that you want to show Sunset as the princess of empathy, literally, by having her be the only one to question the judgement bestowed upon Cozy, the only one to at least try to understand her and be willing to give her a chance.
However, to further emphasize that concept you're using Starlight as the sharp contrast. You're portraying Starlight as the highly logical, rational, cynical, even sort of dogmatic type. It is brought to a point where she is denying Cozy any and all amounts of kindness possible as if the child is some cold, emotionless, irredeemable monster. Hell even when:
I thought at last she'd start to consider Cozy's predicament, but nope.
In actuality, Starlight herself is one of the most empathetic characters of the show. That is the reason why she gave Chrysalis a second chance or saved Stygian from the shadows when everyone else wouldn't have bothered. She is also the only pony, other than Fluttershy, to actually befriend and not just tolerate the lord of Chaos himself. Heck, her first job as a guidance counselor required her to empathise with students to give them good counsel.
In terms of characters that would second-guess their judgement of Cozy, Starlight is a top 2 along with Twilight. Her extremely prejudiced and cold behaviour towards Cozy throughout the fic feels out of character, even more so this chapter where she's supposedly learning more about the filly. You might think "but Starlight never tried to reform Cozy in particular, neither did she show any sort of conflicted feelings". Yes, that is an inconsistency in the show, the Frenemies trio brought a lot of those. Doubling down on it doesn't solve the issue.
11223260
I'm actually really glad you pointed this out, because it touches on one of the reasons I wanted to write this fic in the first place. You're right about what you said: that Starlight is too cold and indifferent, that I'm using her to contrast against Sunset, all that. It's on purpose.
I'm obviously nowhere near done with it, but I wanted to use this fic to resolve some of my own gripes with the show and it's ending. If you're bothered that Starlight isn't acting as she should, then good! That means you understand her character, and that she normally wouldn't be acting like that.
I know I already technically made this an AU fic with alicorn Sunset, but I didn't want to mess around and retcon how anyone behaved regarding Cozy Glow and the other two villains. Maybe you'd rather I sidestep that, but I want to acknowledge that they DID act like that, and explain why in a way that's satisfying. It would feel like I'm just ignoring the problem if I didn't.
For Starlight specifically, I want to get into why she feels so differently about Cozy Glow when compared to the other villains/reformed bad guys she's encountered (and then change her mind). I've heard people make the argument that because it was Cozy Glow that imprisoned her and made her feel helpless while the s8 finales were going on, that that's why she doesn't have any empathy for her. I don't buy that, and I don't think you would either. I won't give you a beat for beat on how her perspective is going to change, but I want it to be gradual. I like these things to take a bit of time.
I'll keep in mind what you've said. Maybe I'm making her too harsh and uncaring, so I might ease up on that, even if I don't make her character do a full 180 right away. Hopefully you stick around to see where I take things. Thanks for reading!
11223417
I was going to stick around anyways, the fic is still very good in spite of what I said. But acknowledging the faults of canon and trying to justify them in a satisfactory manner? I didn't think that was your goal all along, now I'm very interested in where you'll go with this!
Good story! I really like the character interactions in particular.
did you mean guise*?
11224683
I did, yes, thanks for pointing that out. Fixed!
So relatable; having your words taken out of context. It is so infuriating to say, and mean, specific words and no one getting the context and changing around the words to suit their narrative. Then, as with Starlight and Sunset, they call you a liar for their own lack of mastery of their own language.
11222860
Cross-chapter comments don't seem to send notifications now, plus they've always made following a conversation more difficult than it needs to be.
"If push comes to shove." So if the rulers of Equestria make a decision that Sunset won't accept and doesn't have the authority to legally challenge, you mean. Where she would then defy said rulers and act against their wishes: "even if that means grabbing that foal and running to the portal as fast as possible."
So yes, like I said. Heading down Accomplice Street towards a fight with the princesses. Committing crimes and defying the rulers isn't "taking reaponsibility", especially if you're expecting her to effectively become a high school-aged single mother and prison warden to avoid the consequences of her actions in Equestria. Sunset can't have a life if she needs to devote all her waking hours to making sure this kid isn't out committing more crimes, and being her legal guardian would make her responsible for the offenses she did commit. Making Sunset into a wanted criminal in both worlds would be the worst possible outcome for her.
11229705
I'm good with Sunset being a rebel if it means she's standing up for what's right. If that means she subverts the "legitimate" rulers of the land and becomes a criminal herself, so be it.
Twilight failed in her responsibility to Cosy Glow. She agreed to guide Cosy Glow and to teach her friendship when she accepted her as her student--and abandoned her when she needed her most. Twice. It's not like Twilight and the princesses don't give second or third chances. See: Nightmare Moon, Discord, or Starlight Glimmer.
As long as she honors her promise, Sunset is taking responsibility for Cosy Glow's well-being and development. That has nothing to do with the law.
11230112
I'm not sure what you think you're saying, but you're saying contradictory things in the same post, and that doesn't make a compelling argument for anything. You also completely ignored the points I brought up about how "taking responsibility" for a child villain is an unrealistic and untenable situation for Sunset, which would be the key things that "(have) nothing to do with the law". It doesn't seem like you understand what you're saying.
Nightmare Moon who was hit with the EoH twice and was on her third chance, and who Twilight still threatened to send back to the moon while viewing the past; Discord who was hit with the EoH three times and returned to stone once and who was on his third chance, then later brought back to betray Equestria; and Starlight Glimmer who was offered Twilight's hoof in friendship and a second chance after the Cutie Vault was broken, only to reject the offer and ruin pony civilization multiple times via her rewritten time spell, at which point she was on her third chance and still repeatedly mind-raped other ponies. All of those extra chances involved a conflict with either a princess or the EoH where the villain was defeated in some means; they didn't involve avoiding the villain's punishment and just running away, as we're seeing happen in the story.
Also,
The character's name is Cozy Glow; it's in the story and in the tags at the top of the page. Maybe you're thinking of a different one?
Interesting chapter.
Took me a while to find and read it, but it looks like a nice continuation of what came before.
It'll be interesting to see what comes next.
It feels like your constantly missing random words from time to time.
More!!
Never saw an "undercover" Alicorn story before. And choosing sunset as said Alicorn, that’s pure genius!
Hope more chapter of it will be posted in the future.
Still looking forward to more.
It had occurred to me that Sunset and Glimmer could have told Cozy that they were both former villains.
Post
11400627
My word, you are high strung... let me help!
Let us start off with the vid... I will not click on it. I wasn't born yesterday and was taught how to keep my internet clean. 1) you are an untrusted stranger, 2) I don't know what will be sent to my tablet beyond the vid, 3) keep your malware and viruses to yourself please. If you are going to site a source do it properly.
Don't forget proper words. FFS? What is that? I speak english if that helps.
.... You're apologizing for being more respectful for not getting the vid... Okay!
The source; "Friendship is Magic, part 1"
I'm sorry... are you trying to convince me she is this paragon of wisdom? She worked so hard on Tirek and the others!
BANISH THE LONELY
CONDEMN THE UNPLEASANT
AND STONE THE FRIENDLESS
SKULLS FOR THE SKULL TREE!
Thank you though for demonstrating Twilight and her vary aggressive friendship practices! She tried that on Starlight too and failed. Strange how Twilight needs to be backed into a corner to trying something other than "bludgeon it with magic". Oh well; that surely is a sign of wisdom and not the many disorders plaguing her!
So is Twilight...
Did she know her victims were consigned to a fate worse than death? The only one (that we know of) that has been given parole was Discord. That only happened because Queen Sunbutt the Evil felt she could make use of him. "You'll be my bitch or back to stone!"
(Friendship is Magic is so dark to anyone who values freedom and liberty.)
Cozy Glow has nothing to offer and thus is trapped in "I must scream but I have no mouth" for all eternity!
I do not disagree but who determines when they can't be redeemed? Who would dare to play God like that?
Feels like a recurring theme in your text. You don't think Cozy Glow is worth caring about, yes?
(Admittedly it is harder than it needs to be given that she is a fictional character)
Indeed! If I was Princess I would swing the bloody axe!
A mercy of just sending foes to the Great Beyond is a mercy that seems to escape the ponies. For all their 'goodness' they don't mind torturing their enemies for eons untold. In American we have a 'rehabilitation program' where 'you do the crime, you do the time' but it is not so simple. Some are so unrepentant or evil that we give out life sentences or even death. Even those who lawfully serve their time are not forgiven and are unlawfully punished with social stigma all their remaining life... absolutely terrible.
Death is a better fate than what Cozy has been given.
Certainly!
Though let me amend it as it appears to be missing something...
"The biggest problem with Cozy Glow is Twilight forsook all the principles she should have stood for when she failed to try."
Honestly it doesn't read like you tried to disprove me at all....
11400610
If you hate redemptions so much, why are you reading this?
No, she didn't. The G5 movie proved that the world can very much survive without magic. Also, even if her plan would cause that, it would certainly not be intentional as she wanted to rule over ponies, not genocide them.
What points? All Twilight said that she was wrong. That's hardly a point.
What do you mean? She was redeemed.
11401290
How many times do I need to repeat? I don't hate redemptions, However, there needs to be a LINE at wich redemptions work, and at which they do NOT WORK. I can only guess that you didn't watch the "Glass of Water" videos. WATCH them! He gets the point across very well. Want me to link them again? I can do that. Just say the word.
G5? This moronic slap to canon? They have a villain alicorn come out of NOWHERE, despite Celestia and Luna saying how they have yet to have seen an alicorn birth? Where is the Student/Young Six? They were supposed to be the next Elements! Where are THEY? Looking at Wikis now. Trying to find them, can't do it.
11400802
Nothing will be sent. You will be TAKEN to YOUTUBE website, where a video will play for you.
FFS means "For Fucks Sake". It's out there with LOL - "Laughing Out Loud", IMHO - "In My Humble/Honest Opinion", and others. Maybe learn to internet?
No, I'm not saying Twilight is "paragon of wisdom". I'm saying what DEFEATED every villain, REGARDLESS of CHARACTERS. Magic, Loyalty, Generosity, Laughter, Honesty, Kindness. The ponies who represent those traits have been chosen to wield the MAGIC LASER. It's literally Harmony Magic. It's a BAZOOKA. Which somehow wins at the end of the day.
Because Twilight COULD work so hard on every threat she encountered. She is not a shrink, she is not a politician or philosopher. She doesn't really have a silver tongue on her. Every time she is also a BIT pressed for TIME. So, yeah, it's either blast or get blasted in those cases. Not that some of those COULD be talked down. I mean, Tirek. He wants power. He takes it. What are you gonna do, talk him to death? He's gonna drain you and move on!
Yes, because you pour a nice cup of tea for your enemy. Twilight is "aggressive", sure... Also, strange how I don't consider STARLIGHT as a good case of writing. She was talked down from destruction of Equestria, and REWARDED with being a student of a princess. Because it is such a GOOD story. Maybe if you actually fucking WATCHED the videos? I can link you them on the youtube if you want. You don't seem to trust "embed" function on FiM fiction, after all.
Video clip where Cozy gets caught, and her speech.
https://youtu.be/CYdjqonUfQo
Youtube link. No viruses. Or you have a lack of ANY antivirus if you are so scared.
Twlight LEARNS her lessons. She learned to trust Pinkie. She learned to not get worked up so much for a missing report(Lesson Zero, if I recall correctly). She actually made friends, despite being a complete bookworm with NO friends whatsoever.
Cozy has a LEADING AUTHORITY on FRIENDSHIP telling her what is real, and what isn't. She IGNORES it.
Discord's "redemption" is one of things I personally don't understand. You can't make FIRE COLD. It doesn't WORK. Spirit of CHAOS and DISHARMONY can't be TURNED around. Not because it decides to do so or not. But because they are FORCE OF NATURE, a CONCEPT. Water can't be DRY. Evil can't be GOOD. Disharmony can't work for/as HARMONY. One of my problems with how they "redeemed" some of the people.
Well, they can. Do you enjoy society? Well, if you are a criminal - you get judged by appropriate court. And I'm sorry, but is a DIRECT ATTACK not ENOUGH for MONARCHS to pronounce JUDGEMENT?! There is a reason why we see no petty crimes in FiM. They are BENEATH NOTICE for the characters we follow. When you attack kindgom, or the very fabric of time - you TEND to get noticed. Especially if it is HARMFUL to the kindgom/society.
Yes, I do. She didn't seem to BE any sort of guilty. At ALL. EVER. SLIGHTLY CHANGED QUOTE OF COZY GLOW: "I don't care for friends, I can get more power without the qualities it takes to be a friend. I'll just take it by force." She MOCKS the EXPERT, she never even seems guilty, or understands what she did wrong. She is beyond saving.
As much as I hate this argument - it's a kid's show. They couldn't show the torture, but they implied it as best as they could, when they showed the Discord's window for the first time. Him, floating about, ROASTING ponies over FIRE, as well as faint SCREAMS of PAIN that echo through the scene... Yeah. Wonder how do you reform the god of evil. What do you have to smoke to think it is a good idea...
Then you are just f*cking blind. I can't disprove someone, who puts fingers in their ears, and chants "LA-LA-LA" at the top of their lungs. I gave you ALL the facts, you just chose to ignore them.
11402909
Alright... going to feed the troll one last time. I am sorry author; I'll make this quick.
(It honestly reads as if you're shouting)
1. Yet it is cannon.
2. Well... yeah. It's been 'thousands of years' according to the fans. I hear it so much with nothing contradicting that I think it is cannon.
3. I remember them saying that too... when Flurryheart, the alicorn, was born.
4. Unless the changeling became a queen and dragons in Equestria have the same life expectancy as Dungeons and Dragons they are dead. Old age I'm hoping. The young six feel like an aborted arc.
11403023
1) That's the problem I'm having. Wirters slap shit together, and call it canon, despite it contradicting each other. Should I remind you how it seems to be IMPOSSIBLE for ANYONE to control Sun and Moona withOUT the Sisters?
Quote from a script from the last season, I think. Except DISCORD, with his power of CHAOS stands above it. He was able to swap Sun and Moon every 5 seconds... Not sure about the delay, but let's not focus on it.
Or should I remind you how when Discord went with Order(CANON) he started FADING? Why doesn't he fade when he helps champions of HARMONY? He stands wirh DISharmony. He is enemy, he is the SPIRIT of the enemy of HARMONY. Why doesn't he start to fade when he defies his NATURE, and does HARMONIC things?
2) According to FANS. I think I'll wait until the SHOW CREATORS, for how much their word can be TRUSTED, say or show it in the new series.
3) I'm saying this in RESPONSE for the FACT of her birth. Celestia said the thing, if I recall correctly. "Burth of an alicorn is something we(alicorns) never witnessed."
Meaning that even, EVEN Celestia and Luna, who lived more than a thousand years have never SEEN it. At ALL. And they seem to have seen it all. Unification, Sombra, Original Harmony creators(Starswirl and company). They WERE there. They are ageless at LEAST.
4) This is the only point I have no responce to. If, IF there was a timeskip - well. People die, and get forgotten. Except, maybe, they still should be in LEGENDS? Like Starswirl gone missing(in Limbo), he was remembered. It was written in books what they did. But then again, you don't need to be mentioned if you are not relevant, I guess. I mean, Starswirl was first JUST a wizard of great power, and Twilight somehow managed to get a copy of a book, where his clothes were correctly drawn...
No, I don't have any anwser to the fourth point.
11402909
Redemptions could most certainly work for the trio. I don't want to watch bad Youtube videos. Tell your own opinions.
Still cannon.
Ponies can become alicorns. That's what happened with Twilight and Cozy for a brief time.
Considering that G5 takes place a long time after G4, I assume they died of old age.
11406256
No, you don't watch it because you can't argue with them. And excuse me for actually agreeing with a side of an argument. After all, there can only be so much different opinions.
Can't really argue wit that, apart from how it breaks itself apart sometimes.
Twilight ascended because she made new magic, Cozy stole magic from others. So only Twilight counts.
11224797
Update? Please??
And this is how you remember the ending of the first film "Lord of the Rings", where their journey does not end, but only begins. Looking forward to the sequel if it comes out at all.
All things considered Starlight is lucky Sunset is a prodigy or she would have one hell of a lot of explaining to do and guilt to work through.
This is an interesting fic. I'll be sure to follow this one. ^_^
I hope this story continues. I want to see Sunset become a cool big sis to Cozy Glow (whether the latter wants it or not).
It's kinda funny Starlight took offense at mind bending magic when she so casually executed it herself. 🙆
Not wanting to face inevitable loss is understandable, but ultimately detrimental in the long run. Hopefully Sunset will realize that particular folly before it bites them too hard....
Somewhat surprised Cozy isn't just saying "yeah Chrysalis is going to the cave. It's still uncompromised as far as she knows, so would make an excellent choice to recoup and plan her next step." Then again, she is trying to be the sole holder of all the cards...
Shame this seems to have been dropped. Was quite enjoying it.
My bet is that Chrysalis never left Canterlot and this is some sort of goose chase. Instead, she is disguised as Twilight, which is why Discord was saying that Twilight was becoming a queen.