Jaywalking
Cozy Glow flew until the sun began to rise. She lighted down in a wide open prairie, with not a creature in sight in any direction. She breathed deep. In and out. And then she took a step.
One pace.
She took another step.
Two paces.
Prairie grass swished in the breeze. Clouds rolled unhurriedly overhead. Cozy counted her twelfth pace. The maximum that her old cell allowed. With relish, she took a thirteenth step.
There were no more walls for Cozy Glow. Only the horizon in all directions. Cozy trotted forward, no longer counting her steps. She knew she'd never have to count them again.
Despite her newfound freedom, Cozy's thoughts drifted back to Luster Dawn. Both of the strange purple mouth disease and of Luster's cryptic quest to get close to her. Were the two related? Why did Cozy still care? She was done with Equestria, after all. Done with other ponies and their constant obsessions over magic. The world was hers now, and Cozy could go anywhere she wanted.
Maybe she'd fly to Farasia. Find a Zebra tribe who'd believe a tall tale that she was a half-stone demigoddess. Maybe she'd go to Mount Aris and mingle with the carefree Kirin. Oh golly, were Kirin even still around? Cozy had so very much to explore and rediscover.
She tore a mouthful of prairie grass, savoring a taste that was different from penitentiary bran biscuits. Almost in afterthought, she pulled a tuft of grass from her mouth, examining a strand of saliva.
Clear. Like that of any nonspellcaster.
Satisfied, Cozy stuffed the tuft back in her mouth and swallowed. It was the best meal she eaten in ten years.
"Good luck with those crystals, Luster Dawn.” Cozy’s mutterings were impish and contented. "...friend."
That last word had come out of her mouth unbidden. It made Cozy bite her lip and peer around, but of course there was nonpony to hear her.
"Friend," she repeated. Simply because she could.
With a fresh few wingbeats, Cozy was gone again.
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The cover looks nice
11374214
i think the Virut is the name only, it affect everything
i guess the "name" is that virut first seen on Alicorn
She got out! Huzzah!
Good Job writing Cozy Glow by the way.
No emotional outbursts, and very few slip ups.
It felt like meeting Season 8 Cozy Glow all over again.
11374214
It affects all magic. As the ones who use it the most, Alicorns and Unicorns are the most in danger.
Hopefully they won't recapture Cozy Glow, ever. It's a shame that these characters devolved into such cruel people over the years.
11374209
Aw jeez, How did neither I nor my prereader catch that? Edited.
11374325
Some stories feature dueling geniuses. This story is about dueling actresses. Cozy's greatest adversary is, of course, another pony pulling the same tricks she does.
This is really good. I like it.
There are, however, a few typos here and there. You have to capitalize the word “Miss” when it’s used as a title, you have to add a coma before addressing someone someone by name or title (”Nice to see you, Warden”) and a few other things I’ve noticed.
But overall, this was a well-written story. Your descriptions were my favorite part, especially the whole the-cell-has-twelve-paces thing (especially how it’s at the beginning of three chapters). Though I do have a question: how many years after “The Last Problem” does this occur?
11374436
I burned five hours of midnight oil to finish this fic. You're right the wordage came out sloppy, so I just performed a re-read to fix all the grammar mistakes I could find. Lack of sleep is its own form of Destabilization Syndrome.
As for this fic's timeline, I was wanted open-ended wiggle room to fit it between The Last Problem and Gen 5. Alicorns have long lifespans, so "young" Warden Flurry Heart could realistically be any age. I did cast Luster in her early thirties though. That means she made the Unity Crystals around age twenty. Five or six years after we meet her in the show.
11374562
I see. Thanks for telling me.
To ’Favorite Adventures’ this goes!
Cozy Glow always finds a way to win at the end. Even gave Luster the solution to her problem even after discovering the ruse.
Go cozy! I’ve never seen the Gen 5 movie so I don’t know if those crystals are an actual thing or what they exactly do but I have a feeling this story bridges both gens pretty nicely.
"The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it."
My instinct is, of course, to compare this to as much as possible. Sweet Tooth, Lord of the Rings, Them- but this is YOUR story. And it makes me feel relieved I never wrote my Assassin Cozy Glow story, one that could never match up to this art piece.
A morbid part of me loves stories about societal collapse- not only quick and apocalyptic, but agonizingly slow, that make the characters realize what is going to happen and prepare for it. Here we get a story set after a long utopia for Equestria, brought crashing down by elements outside their control, and our once happy characters falling apart- save the one who had already fallen apart, and is now feeling fuller than ever. Cozy, like a Hannibal Lectre character should, forcibly wrenched the flow of the story around her until her escape became the primary priority higher than saving the world. She forced herself into the main character spot and leaves Lustre, who once thought herself a protagonist, to fumble with fate for another few years or so until we reach the inevitable conclusion- one where Xenophobia returns, cities and towns crumble, and Equestria once again becomes a collection of small racially divided towns who refuse to talk to each other.
Much like the period between The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, we know the last story and the next one have happy endings. What it forces us to confront is the idea that no happy ending lasts forever- and between those brief utopias, people who may have been very different were it not for chance suffer.
11374213
Allow me to explain.
Ten years ago, a disease known as Destabilization Syndrome spread across the land. It affected Alicorns first and was very dangerous. To cure it, Luster Dawn decided it would be better to suppress all magic in Equestria, and thus created the Harmony Crystals. When magic disappeared, Cozy Glow’s stone prison fell, so they transferred her to Manehattan Penitentiary in a padded cell.
When magic disappeared, the Crystal Empire succumbed to the frozen north since the Crystal Heart stopped working. Flurry Heart lost her kingdom and title as princess. Hence, why she’s so resentful of Lustrt and calls her “antimagic mare”.
Does that help?
11375291
Me? Portray Cozy as a misunderstood heroine? Perish the thought. Of course she’s a delusional egomaniac. So delusional she’ll lie to herself and say she’s perfectly happy being “retired.” No worries, this fic is about Cozy rediscovering how much she loves freedom and manipulating people.
You’re under no obligation to read it, of course. Just wanted to reassure you so you don’t walk away disappointed.
As for the “Cozetta” mention, it was a cheap way to foreshadow that Warden Flurry Heart has scared Cozy into submission. Like a misbehaving child who knows things are serious when the parent uses their full name.
Omg I can't wait for the next chapter!
11375483
Then I'll see to it.
Though average Cozy apologetic is not about her being good, but about her being not evil enough to deserve her punishments. Like, you know, a lost lonely orphan filly who got manipulated into Tirek's revenge plan and totally did not yell "FRIENDSHIP IS POWER!!!" like crazy to explain her motivation. Don't even know now how did I took changing her goal for a sign of this.
11375574
Hey, you see how this story is marked "Complete", and has been since it was uploaded?
Not bad.
11375668
eeyup
11375623
Well the punishment remains possibly overly cruel and completely stupid.
Petrifying someone forever make little sense when you have alternatives... they can be depetrified... So if they were aware they have probably gone full crazy otherwise they are just EXACTLY like they were before being petrified... Now... If you want it as a permanent solution just behead them. [or break the statues in itty bitty pieces]
great story! Cozy Glow is the only interesting character. She's the best pony!
Heck, maybe Cozy will found some far-off city, call it Zephyr Heights, and declare herself Queen as the last flying pegasus.
This was a fun read, I liked the idea that magic had to be sealed away for behaving almost like some form of plague. As well as the understandably mixed feelings all would have about that, even if it was for their own good.
Also, I really enjoyed the way Luster was written: sharp, but not a cardboard cutout of Twilight. She actually pulled off that deception pretty well and wound up getting Cozy to tell her exactly what she needed to know.
Great story, thank you for writing it