This is an entry to the Cozy Glow Contest #3. The prompt selected is:
That weird foal was being so extra ‘specially nice to her. Rejecting the pathetic loser was going to be just the best!
Minor edit: rating changed to T upon re-evaluation. This fic contains implied dark themes, but no graphic depictions or descriptions of death.
Cozy Glow is in a new space. An orphan relocated to Ponyville, she’s looking for a new start. The Manehattan committee decided the School of Friendship would be a nice place for a pony as lost in life as her, but her cynical nature and dark outlook on life is making things hard.
And this weird filly won’t leave her alone.
Chapters (3)
So Golly wasn't the real Golly after all? That's an interesting take (even though I prefer her to be a regular pony).
11374372
As explained in the author’s notes, my goal was explaining a reason that not only would she be sent to Tartarus, but Twilight wouldn’t even want to consider it. They even extended a hoof to Chrysalis in season 6, and Cozy was presumably just a filly.
a what?
11374399
Check out the following author’s notes!
AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!
11374399
I just Googled it.
Átahsaia (alternatively spelled A'tahsaia or Atasaya) is a giant cannibalistic demon in the religion and mythos of the Zuni people of the Southwestern United States.
They sound similar to "Skinwalkers", which is also from native folklore of the region.
11374426
Correct! Those monsters were the inspiration for this story, but I wanted an exotic sounding name that could also be shortener into a more normal name.
Welp if you're going to explain away Cozy Glow's punishment, this was the best way to do it.
I'm surprised it didn't just jump ship to a more powerful body though.
Actually how would it's shtick work without magic anyway?
Well that's one way to explain everything about Cozy. Except why this thing did what it did afterward. Doesn't feel natural for it.
11374484
11374563
This monster’s goal is to rule. Given it’s speech right before eating Cozy, it understands the strange power friendship seems to have in Equestria (even surpassing magic on several occasions in the show). This is in line with Cozy in School Raze, who seems to see friendship as a “power” she needs to harness in order to rule Equestria. This is also in line with Cozy’s first appearance with the CMC, as well as in What Lies Beneath - learning more about friendship for her own benefit, and finding the location of a source of power to drain Equestria of natural magic.
11374571
True. But wouldn't it still need to feed or something? Can it still utilize it's skin swapping abilities without magic?
It's a quandary. Either way good story. Some pretty awful implications though.
Twilight failed to protect her students by letting a literal demon into her school.
She also covered up it's existence, ensuring that it's species would continue to be a threat to other ponies.
11374681
Disclaimer - I’m spitballing here. None of this was in my original notes (as unfortunately this story itself was a bit of a rush job!)
>Why doesn’t it change forms? Doesn’t it need to?
The eating is not some kind of need for survival, its similar to a changeling. It’s not entirely skin “swapping”, as it needs to devour its victims. As for why it never switched off Cozy? It may have feared the full might of Equestria (which is, in canon, what it took to take it down). Despite its grotesque appearance, this creature is not rabid or insane - it is cold and calculating, aiming for Equestrian domination as the Empress of Friendship. It chose Cozy because she was a bitter orphan with no connections who was already making enemies for herself, and would believably desire to learn more about friendship.
>Why did Twilight hide this?
The story implies she and Celestia discovered the monster’s true nature at the end of School Raze. Twilight’s school was new - letting an actual demon slip into the school would have destroyed her credibility. Thinking a public excecution too harsh, they instead sent it to Tartarus, not expecting to ever have to deal with it again. When it returned, Twilight and the princesses took no chances, killing (petrifying) on sight.
I know that Twilight and Celestia want this to be very secret from the likes of the population, but why the heck do they keep it from the likes of her own trusted friends? You know, the OTHER heroic protectors of Equestria. They should have the right to know.
And what about Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor, and even Discord? Do they know!?
And what about the other non-pony leaders? They should have the frickin right to know, IF another skin stealer invades their own lands.
Keeping secrets like this is a double-edge sword. If they figure out themselves, they WOULDN'T be happy with Twilight and Celestia.
11374754
They WOULDN’T be happy - exactly why they kept it a secret. We can assume other major leaders like Discord and Luna knew, since they were a part of who turned Cozy to stone. The only real defense here I have is that this creature is so terrifying that they simply did not want anypony to even consider their existence.
If it helps your headcanon, maybe after this incident, Discord went on a multi dimensional search to find and neutralize every single one as part of the cover up, out of a paranoia to protect Fluttershy! That way, they could be sure the issue would never come up again. Of course, if this was a movie franchise, this is where we’d get that after credits scene of the egg hatching…
By the way, I have to seriously thank you and 11374484 and 11374563 . I’ve never had such a lore intensive discussion in the comments - while this is really exciting to me that I’ve created a story people want to talk about, it’s also helping me realize that, even under a crunch, I should focus more on these bigger picture elements. You guys are making me want to make a follow up to this random one-shot just to answer any plot holes.
11374851
Honestly I would love to see a horror sequel to this. I don't expect it, but it would be pretty cool.
And maybe if the truth came out, the orginal Cozy Glow can get her name cleared.
It's kinda of sad, that the people who knew her, think a genuinely innocent filly to be this awful monster.
11374878
Personally, what I think is even sadder is how Cozy had just time enough to think she had genuinely found a much needed friend...just before said "friend" literally ate her alive. One can only hope it was quick enough that Cozy didn't have the chance to realize the betrayal.
11375035
Too late to do anything about that sadly. Unless they bust out a time travel spell.
that creepy book but great book
i like saia if she normal but no monster
11375057
she’s actually a recolor of an apple family member!
https://www.derpibooru.org/images/2509958?q=filly%2C+excited%2C+vector
it’s a cute character for sure ^_^
11375057
It's even sadder, because the implication is that she was a normal filly at some point, and then this thing took her skin.
11375493
you weren't kidding she was good characters and now thing kill her
Cool story. Enjoyed it.
11378025
thanks!
11378035 cool story also I think that twilight should find out what happened to the real cozy and give cozy the peace that she deserves
11374754 cool story also I think that twilight should find out what happened to the real cozy and give the real cozy who was shy the peace and rip that she deserves and if cozy's soul is trapped twilight should find a way to free her from the monster
11631946
Yeah, I guess so.