Howdy!
The house Cozy bought was a cottage, part of a village between the Smokey Mountains and Unicorn Ranges—between Vanhoover and Canterlot. It was heavily forested, and windy due to being located in a valley. A ten-minute trot away from their home was the town square, and a bit further from that was where the train-tracks intersected. Steam from one of the expresses was spotted by Luster as Cozy approached and began her descent.
Thick foliage and dark forest trees shrouded the spacious backyard, but left a slot of clear space for Cozy to land at a gentle angle. Once she undid the belt that bound them both, she touched grass with her wings to let Luster slide off.
Luster was wowed by how big it looked, though to Cozy it was just an average two-story three-bedroom house. The filly galloped to the sliding doors that led to the living room, covered by curtains inside, partly in an adventurous excitement to explore, and other part because it was much colder than what the filly was used to.
“I was told there should be a key underneath the—” Cozy paused, “gnome…”
There was indeed a garden gnome near the wall on the slim stone patio—one that looked identical to her petrified petrified expression and pose from her second defeat, only smaller, and cheaper-looking: rounder around the cuts and extrusions.
“Ugh!” Cozy groaned. “That is so distasteful! How can anypony be allowed to do that!”
She snatched the key and muttered under her breath: “I really should’ve gotten more from those brothers…”
The doors led to the living room, and as they entered Cozy undid her disguise, and wiped her teary eyes. Next to it was a couch and two recliners. On the far side of the room—near the windows facing the front lawn—was a rectangular dining room table that came with chairs, and like everything else currently was empty and bare, but the two only saw it as more opportunity for their personal customizations!
Cozy loved the furniture; it was new enough where it wasn’t on its last legs, but old enough where it couldn’t have survived if it was made of something brittle.
Behind the couch—that was against the wall—was a counter that connected to the kitchen—a narrow cut intended to allow meals to pass between the rooms, though it kept the wall flat and didn’t bulge.
Towards the right was a hallway, which split between the kitchen door and the foyer.
Luster couldn’t believe she was going to live here! It almost felt undeserving.
“Want to help me unpack?” Cozy asked, tossing her satchel to the couch in front of where Luster sat—who was peeking into the kitchen. “Just be sure not to fall in,” she winked.
Luster blew a raspberry. “How could I fall into a bag?” She opened it. “Cozy—Mom, it’s empty.”
Cozy held its opening towards Luster and fully submerged into it both her forelegs—and pulled out a pillow that was similar in shape and design to the villain’s rook, the one she had in her old apartment in Kludgetown.
“Wow…” Luster said, flabbergasted. “How did you do that?”
Cozy acted cool. “You only need to think in the fifth dimension.”
She pulled out a flipbook and played it for Luster.
The animation—which was only pencil but could pass as professional—started with a pretty miserable looking Flurry Heart, asleep on the floor, fettered by a magic muffler around her horn similar to what Luster had on yesterday, a sturdy collar seemingly attached to the wall (to the end of the page), and a bridle.
Lines indicating a yell appeared, and Flurry’s drooped ears perked upwards, then her head, then a pie was thrown to her face! Her eyes darted at Luster, the observer, back at the pie on the floor, back and forth, until she reluctantly ate her meal—parts of it dripping back onto the tin—while staring at the fourth wall with a scowl.
“Uhhh…” Luster murmured. “Why did you show me that?”
Cozy turned the flipbook to the side. “The thickness of these pages is width, the third dimension, but if you were a 2-D flatlander like snobby over here, width would be a bit like time!”
“…”
“As you move along the width, time moves forwards too! For us three dimensional ponies, time is the fourth dimension! The items inside of this bag are hidden beyond our spatial comprehension!”
“…”
Cozy sighed. “Just fiddle with it for a while. You’ll get used to controlling the enchantment eventually. But do not let yourself get stuck inside!”
Luster gulped. “Will it kill me?”
“Worse! It’ll annoy me!” Cozy joked, and booped Luster’s muzzle. “Keep the artifacts inside, dear.”
Cozy left for the kitchen. Checkered diamond-shaped tiles for the floors, white ceilings, wooden cabinets, retrofitted marble countertop, a decent fridge, and a glass door with a pet flap—both doors opposite each other.
She saw through the counter that Luster was struggling with the satchel. There was, made of a special invisible stitch, an embroidery of her rook, that would glow with magic whenever it was in use. It didn’t glow with Luster, not even dimly. Strange.
Cozy glared at the stove, and oven beneath. She turned on the gas and smelled to check it worked.
“Oh golly! Good thing the gas works!” Cozy said. “Lustie, can you pass me the bag? I need to light a fire.”
Cozy inspected the oven.
“Lustie—”
An explosion! Liquid flames burst from the stove above, and splattered onto the wooden cabinets. A few embers fell on Cozy’s wing, which instinctively shielded her body and vitals. Her pupils constricted; her feathers were ruffled.
Luster!
Cozy threaded through the counter with a jump, and hugged Luster to the floor, shielding her under both her hooves and wings.
Luster was stuttering her breaths. Her heart was drumming through her chest rapidly. Once her mind snapped back to reality, she was already fifty meters away on the edge of the yard, head resting against a tree.
She sat there for a while and watched the window. The bright blaze flickered, then permanently extinguished.
A minute passed. Luster got up.
Going back to Cozy’s house was a walk of shame. She thought she could use one of her three spells—fire—to make the mare’s life a bit easier. When Cozy became an alicorn, she could use magic so effortlessly, meanwhile Luster had a horn her whole life and could hardly lift a blanket.
There were burn marks on the curtains. Water dripped onto the carpets. Parts of the wet fabric retained to the glass.
Luster stood there, unable to muster the courage to slide the door open. Cozy did it for her, soaked. On the ceilings were clouds, crumbled and drained, and rolling on the floor was a blue fire extinguisher that was previously packed with said clouds.
Silence.
Cozy spoke: “You okay, Lustie?”
Luster kept her head down and rubbed her leg. “Yeah… I’m sorry.” She stuttered. “Are you gonna… discipline…”
“Luster...” Cozy sighed, caressing one of the filly’s cheeks with her wing. “Was that what they used to do to you?”
Luster paused, and slowly nodded.
“Well, I want you to wipe that memory from your head! Nothing’s going to happen. And as somepony who is really good at reading ponies, I don’t think I’ll ever have to resort to that.” Cozy stooped down and pecked Luster next to her horn. “You’re a good filly, and it was an accident! Besides, I’m a pegasus pony! Me dying to a fire is like a hippogriff drowning! Golly, could you imagine!”
Luster still had her head down, so Cozy double-tapped one of her wings against the back of the filly’s scalp and held it there.
“Lighten up!” Cozy said. “And if it makes you feel any better about your magic, I think my bag is enchanted to only work for me! So, I guess we both fumbled up today!”
“...Are those burn marks?” Luster asked.
Cozy held out her wings to inspect, twisting them over and under. “A few tiny burns, but I’m friends with a very talented doctor, and stocked up on plenty of healing potions! Plus, it doesn’t seem like any of my enchanted items were fazed! But there is one problem…”
“That is?”
“You’re going to have to wait a bit longer before you can taste my cooking!”
Luster face glimmered a light smile.
“Hey! My cooking isn't that bad! My cupcakes wooed supervillains and princesses!” Cozy activated her bow—her body now dried as the flames boiled the wet into clouds of steam—and bore through the irritation it caused. She donned her satchel over her back, and snapped it over her stomach. “This is a typical Wednesday for me, but you're new so your body’s agitated. A short walk to the square should release some of that negative energy! I’ll let you pick where to eat—but next time is my turn, of course!”
There were knocks at the door—very quick and hard ones.
Cozy’s wing opened her satchel and pulled out the jet injector, shaking it as she tip-hooved towards the door. She peaked through the peephole, and slowly creaked the door open.
“Ohmygoodnessareyouokay?” the kirin essentially rapped. “I heard an explosion that was really loud I was in my yard and I heard it so that must’ve been really harsh on your ears and oh my gosh your eyes!”
“...It wasn’t that loud, like loud music,” Cozy shrugged, “and I know a very good ear pony.” She slowly packed her instrument.
It’s been twenty years, but Cozy’s mental catalog of faces still had her entry, though that was aided by the fact Twilight included her in her published Journal of Friendship.
The kirin facehoofed herself. “Ugh! Where are my manners?!” She extended a hoof. “I’m Autumn Blaze!” She gasped. “You must be our new neighbors!”
Autumn was hopping in place.
Cozy shook her face. “Our?”
A little kirin foal peeked her head from under Autumn. Her mane and tail were light-green—which camouflaged well with leaves—her horn light-red, her irises a gradient of violet above a lighter purple, her coat was beige, with a brighter shade for the scaly bits of her muzzle ridge to her glabella to her scalp and back, as well as her hooves and the tips of her ears. As a young kirin, some of those lighter bits would likely grow darker with age, and have the same streaks on her horn as her mother’s!
“Yes, this is my foal!” Autumn said. “Say ‘hi’, River Song!”
“Hi!” River held out a hoof, which Cozy wing-shook. The latter’s hooves were occupied holding the side of the door—defensively.
“Sorry,” Cozy apologized, “My mind’s just a bit confuzzled after that super long flight! Butter Skies,” Cozy pointed to herself. “I had to carry my entire house and, oh—Lustie, dear, get over here! Don’t be shy, come say hi!”
The two kirins turned to each other, and Autumn said in a loud whispering voice. “Heh! That rhymes!”
Cozy let the door open fully and trotted outside, slipping into her friendly character.
River gasped. “Did she cause the explosion?!”
Cozy looked at Luster, and turned back to the young kirin. “It was mostly my fault for leaving the gas on.”
“It’s okay Ms. Skies, I’ve had a few accidents before too!” River admitted.
“She’s a bit of a loose cannon when she turns nirik,” Autumn giggled, “but so are basically all of us! She’s really nice!”
Autumn continued: “Well, see you ponies around!”
“See yo—” Luster was interrupted.
“Wait!” Cozy shouted. “My stove’s busted, and I’d love for somecreature to show me around! Maybe grab a bite to eat?”
Autumn gasped. “I’d love to! Come on, this way!”
The duo ran down the path and leftwards to a perpendicular path down the slope. It was a dirt trail; no vehicle wider than a bike could fit through.
Autumn hopped her way down while River galloped. The two kirins turned back to Cozy gliding towards them—all four of her hooves bent backwards to grab a hold of Luster, who was dropped once her hooves touched the ground.
Adrenaline masked it before, as well as Cozy’s warmth, but for the filly the area was really cold! She tried to stay close to the others to borrow some of their body heat.
Once they were in the food area, River ran ahead and tapped on a table outside: “How about here?”
It looked quite nice. On the front was a sign of a griffon with an exquisite mustache!
“What do you think, Lustie?” Cozy asked.
Luster looked at it, her teeth clacking from the frosty winds this time of year. “It looks good.”
“And you have no problems with the table she chose?”
“Um, nope.”
Cozy hovered over Luster, feigned an angry face and with her upside-down head blocking the filly’s path she stared. “Don’t try to lie to the master manipulator, Lustie! You’re cold! We’ll go find a seat inside!”
Autumn tried to hold a laugh. “Phff! The ‘master manipulator’? What’s next? You’ll start saying ‘golly’?”
“Well golly gee, Autumn! However in Equestria did you figure it all out?”
The two grown-ups laughed, and Cozy whispered in Luster’s ear: “Now I can play it off as an inside joke!” She nudged the filly and winked.
Inside was warmer, and the two groups sat in conjoined cushioned seats that were in a u-shape around a table; the grownups sat next to their respective foal, opposite to the other two. The order went: Luster, Cozy, River, Autumn.
Before the menus even came, Cozy already knew what she wanted to order: a pizza! And the thought of dragon-mailing Cadance a picture passed her mind, but—no—that was reckless now! She’s a mother now!
Golly, that really happened over a day! Jeez, I’m not going to be able to do as many things as I used to—well, unless I get a foalsitter. But who do I trust to foalsit?
“Mom!” Luster pulled the mare’s mane. “It’s your turn to order!”
“Oh—just get me a pizza!” Cozy said, and when the waiter pony asked what type, Cozy replied: “Surprise me!”
She leaned towards Luster and covered their faces with her wing. “You should try making friends with that foal, Lustie!”
Luster pushed Cozy’s wing down and asked: “But what kind of creatures are they?”
The pony duo turned and saw beside them the kirins with quizzical expressions, and their heads tilted in sync.
“Her background is complicated—super personal, let’s not get into it!” Cozy said. “She starts home-school on Monday!”
“I am?” Luster asked.
“Yes.” Cozy turned to River. “Why don’t you explain what a—what do you creatures call yourselves? A Kraken?”
“Kirin!”
“Karen?”
“Kirin!” River burst into hot blue-flames as she transformed into a nirik!
Cozy leaned back and swapped places with Luster—without permission.
“River, she’s just teasing you!” Autumn explained. “Don’t let her wind you up!”
River extinguished herself back into a kirin, but her face still showed she was irritated at the mare.
“You make it sound so malicious!” Cozy said.
Autumn chuckled. “Speaking of malicious, have you heard that Discord and Princess Cadance are heading out to the Mysterious South to investigate a strange magical anomaly? They say it might have something to do with Cozy Glow!”
Luster gulped; Cozy looked unbothered.
“Cozy Glow, huh?” Cozy said.
“Yep! We saw it on the news!” River replied. “Princess Flurry Heart’s totally going to kill that mare once she gets her hooves on her!”
Autumn nodded. “I still can’t believe she threw a pie to her face!” She tried not to giggle—not even a bit. Cozy nearly made her fail; the mare was snort-laughing.
“It happened twice, actually!” Cozy said. “She found it so funny that she didn’t feed the poor little Princess till next day to do again! But this time, with sketches!”
The ends of Autumn’s lips started to twitch. She shook. “That’s not funny.”
“Alright!” Cozy held her hooves in front of her. “Anyhow, the food’s here!”
Except it was only Cozy’s pizza that arrived.
“Hmph! Why does her meal come first?” River complained with her forelegs crossed.
The pizza was a promotion intended to be more of a party game than an actual meal. It was topped with all sorts of peppers and chilies, and to the right of each one (except the last) was an even spicier slice! Hot sauce was provided—of course!
“I can’t eat this…” Cozy muttered.
“What’s the matter Butters?” River taunted. “Scared of a bit of spice?”
“Don’t call me that! That means ugly…”
“OK, Butters!” And just to be sure: “Butter face!”
“River!” Autumn gasped, but she was too amused to lecture her filly and hid her mouth behind her hoof, under massive eyes that swayed between the two.
“That doesn’t even—I’m not—”
“Yeah,” Luster said with her muzzle shyly tucked into a complimentary drink, “Mom’s too chubby for that!”
River chuckled. “Her face will melt!”
The implication of ruined disguises made Cozy check that her fur was still hidden yellow. Once safety was confirmed, she held a gape and feigned a betrayed, horrified look. “Lustie! How could you say that about your own mother!”
“What? You told me not to lie…” Luster snarked. “Don’t spit out your feathers!”
“She needs all the help she can get to fly!” River added.
“Wow! I’m being ganged-up on! And I thought we were becoming friends!” Cozy turned to River. “You’re on!”
Cozy started at the lowest level, but—with the pizza cut into eight slices—River started at the fourth level, hovering the slice in a purple aura that matched her eyes while Luster watched—amazed by how smoothly it traveled through the air and into her mouth.
Not to be outdone, Cozy ate the fifth slice. Even grabbing it with her wings gave her a burn, so she used her nerveless hooves. She crammed the entire slice into her mouth, so her mind wouldn’t dissuade itself to finish once it actually got a sensing of how spicy spicy could be.
River was sweating, but bared it like a stoic, while Cozy had her forehead on the table. Luster held one of her hooves over the mare’s neck, the other awkwardly over the other trying to pet her back.
“Don’t kill yourself, Mom,” Luster said.
River ate the sixth slice, and since there was only one type of each, simple pattern-comprehension told Cozy what she needed to do.
“Autumn, can you feed me that slice?” Cozy asked and pointed.
Autumn chuckled, and rolled her eyes. “Sure thing! Hope you have other family, Luster!”
“There is Hope.” Cozy murmured.
Cozy’s head pounced at the hovering slice, trying her best to shove it all down quickly to minimize contact with her tongue. She coughed, and choked on the slice, which meant it got pushed back up and—burnt!
The mare’s sweaty forelegs were around Luster for comfort. A few tears fell down to her chin and onto the floor, and she was panting heavily.
Before she was teasing, but now Luster started to worry a bit. “You’re okay, right Mom?”
“I—” Cozy cough. “I need to be excused.”
The speed and force at which Cozy fled for the doors pulled on each of their manes.
“...Guess I’m paying.” Autumn shook her head and rolled her eyes, but kept a smile.
And Cozy didn’t come back even after all the others were served and had finished. Autumn didn’t want to keep two demon-fillies waiting so they left without her—because a pegasi should have no trouble finding her young.
Sure enough, she didn’t.
Once they were in the open outdoors, a figure hiding atop of the restaurant's sign grabbed the two fillies with a foreleg each and lifted them a few hundred hooves above ground.
Seems Cozy found River’s fear.
The young kirin didn’t turn nirik, instead held on very tight and muttered. “Put me down! Put me down!”
“Put me down, who?”
River groaned whilst still looking petrified. “What was that other name?”
Cozy wore a mischievous smile, and she plugged her ears with her wings. No longer flapping, they fell, and as per her prediction River screamed! To be fair, she did let go of the filly—but kept hold of Luster—and only saved her two seconds before impact. She bent a knee to support the kirin’s weight, and used her spare forehoof over her mouth to muffle the ear-ending screech of a frightened filly. She parachuted her wings and fell gently on her back.
“Never do that again!” River kicked some dirt towards tranquil Cozy. “Also, that didn’t count! I won the spicy challenge!”
“Fine.” Cozy said with her eyes closed. “I almost won.”
“You should title your biography that!” Luster half-jokingly suggested.
“I’m bringing up everything you say in your discipline lesson on Monday, Lustie. It’s the first subject!”
“Enough fighting you three foals!” Autumn said. “We’re heading to the store! Coming with?”
“Sure.” Cozy flew back up and hovered along with the group.
Luster and River ran circles around the two, and after River used her magic to hold the other’s tail, Luster tried to do the same—and succeeded! Friendly competition for magical competency was exactly what Cozy wanted! And a kirin was a perfect match for ‘The Filly Arsonist’! The forest will have many long years ahead of it.
Cozy and Autumn shared a trolley—which the former drove, hovering while the lower ends of her forelegs rested on the handle.
“Hang on!” Cozy tapped Autumn’s shoulder while she flew to the top shelves of the aisle. She dropped a few things in, covered it with the other items, looked at the kirin and held a hoof in front of her own mouth. “Sshhh!” She winked.
Autumn looked back and forth; the fillies were somewhere further on. She whispered: “Who’s this for?”
It was more of a whispering-voice than a whisper, but Cozy gave her answer with better secrecy.
“Oooh!” Autumn said, miming the motion of sealed lips. “So is that like another birthday for ponies?”
“I consider it to be!” Cozy replied as the two went to the next aisle. “The day I got mine was when I was truly born!”
“When Butter Skies was truly born?” Autumn glanced at Cozy’s disguised flank. “What’s that mask even mean?” She gasped. “Does it mean you’re a theater pony?!”
The kirin leaned forwards and gleamed, and the tips of their muzzles touched.
Cozy pushed her back. “Do you run a club?” she asked.
“How did you know?!” Autumn replied.
Their bonding was ended by a loud and sudden explosion further into the store.
One of the store shelf-units leaned forwards—towards the fillies! Despite being the rustier of the two, Luster was the one to hold her stance.
She glared her horn and held the falling unit by a single shelf.
It worked—for a few seconds.
Her narrow application of telekinetic pressure made the area she grabbed on act like a fulcrum. The ground-touching base of the unit started to slide backwards, which increased the pressure Luster had to endure.
It had tilted enough that the glass jars it stored started to fall. River could see something roll; it was about to hit Luster! The kirin focused her anxious mind and magical energy.
That wasn’t needed.
The two fillies were snatched by Cozy—the mare’s hooves under their heads. Besides a bit of friction—mostly negated by their tail as their lower backs scraped the store’s tiles—the two were fine.
Behind them, most of the items shattered to the floor. Autumn was holding the unit, but since the area was predominantly unicorn, the staff were too, so they quickly assisted with their abilities.
Only one shelf unit was affected, and luckily not the ones to their sides—each aisle made of three. Unfortunately, it was the alcohol aisle. Nothing uber-premium, but cheap alcohol was still double digits in bits, and there were a lot of broken bottles.
Autumn tried to help with the mopping employees, awkwardly smiling, understandably rejected.
“Who did it?” Cozy asked.
“...It’s my fault.” River admitted. “I—”
Cozy didn’t let her finish. “Come on Lustie, let’s leave.” She grabbed the Luster’s hoof and tried to walk away, but the filly denied her request. “Lustie? Where are you going?”
“I can’t just let the kirins handle it by themselves! River and I were just playing, and I guess I annoyed her a bit with my magic, so she tried to get me to stop… with fire… Maybe I can do another job and help her pay?” Luster explained, walking towards Autumn who was frantically explaining alongside River what happened to the manager.
Cozy’s conviviality with Autumn was—super fake—only to aid Luster’s friendship with her daughter—even if the filly's behaviour encouraged Luster to join in teasing her! That wasn't a spark compared to what her mother did—though still pretty rude!
Autumn Blaze was the kirin that led her whole tribe to defeat her in her raid against Canterlot.
Cozy was yet to forgive anyone who appeared that day. None of them will ever know what dread is like when you’re a filly ossified, unable to twitch or blink, to inhale or exhale. Watching the world pass you by with eyes cataracted by a layer of rock. To be unable to shield your ears from the blaring party music afterwards, impossible for your auditory cells to ever die whilst preserved. No part of her could die. She couldn’t even beg Luna for death—statues didn’t need sleep, nor could they. Perhaps with some luck she could’ve been shattered like the Storm King, but would that even kill her? Or would she just become a haunted jigsaw of parts? A tethered soul who had to hope or trick some fool into reassembling her—or wait for the total annihilation of all magic, forever—but Twilight would never let that happen!
But—Luster was here now, and she felt an odd responsibility to pretend to be good, at least in public like she always had.
“River how could you do this, I just—ugh! You know how much harder everything is here! I guess I could use some of the funds from the theater club but—no I can’t! I only manage them—they aren’t mine!” Autumn was fast-panicking. “River, apologize right now!”
While River did and Luster joined, Cozy landed next to Autumn and walked her a few meters out to talk.
“What am I going to do, Butters—uh, Butter Skies?” Autumn asked. “I really can’t afford—”
Cozy hugged the kirin, and softly said: “I’ll cover it.”
“You’ll—what?” Autumn thought she might’ve misunderstood.
“I’ll pay for it. I’ll negotiate.” Cozy petted the back of the kirin’s mane twice, and placed a few bits in herhooves, which the latter levitated and fidgeted with. “Go buy the foals an ice-cream, or some hot chocolate. Something for yourself, maybe?”
She didn’t know why she included that Autumn should treat herself, but she did, and she never questioned what her mind told her or felt.
“Just let Butters take care of everything!” Cozy smiled. “Plus, you did pay for lunch, right? Consider us both equal.”
“That’s so nice… Thank you.” Autumn sniffled. “This is quite a lot of bits though...”
“Well, I still need groceries! Right?” Cozy winked, while Autumn telekinetically pulled the trolley from the ends of the store to where she was.
Autumn paid and brought them all to the playground. Luckily, she had a thick shell, and not sensing the hidden intent behind Cozy’s act, she wasn’t too grieved by the ordeal. The same couldn’t be said for the foals.
Being blithe would have been awkward after that.
Luster had caused three incidents now, and it had only just barely been twenty-four hours. If it was any other pony other than—ironically—the supervillain, she wouldn’t have gotten off so easily.
River was frozen when time called for her to act, and had to rely on that mare to rescue both of them. And her mother looked worse than nirik—she looked disappointed.
A while later, Cozy fell from the sky next to Autumn on the aged wooden bench.
“Got me anything?” Cozy asked.
“Hot cocoa?” Autumn floated the cup over.
“Thanks! Anyways, we’re heading home now!” Cozy assured: “And don’t worry—you’re not banned from the store. I handled it.”
“How much did it cost?” Autumn asked, trying to give back the change of what Cozy gave her, which the latter refused.
“Don’t worry about it!” Cozy grabbed the bags of groceries that Autumn grouped as hers. “Use the change to plan something! Luster seems to be getting along really well with River.”
She hovered forwards, but stopped to clarify. “Um—maybe like a beach, or a river, or a water park—or anywhere with water?”
Autumn softly giggled. “I’ll keep a mental note of that. Thanks again, Butter Skies.”
“Cya! Come on Lustie!” Cozy scooped up Luster and dumped her on her back, without a belt since she would be flying leisurely and slowly.
It was sunset, and the temperature had dropped. Couple with how much Luster played, once they arrived home, she could hardly stand she was so tired. Cozy brushed her teeth for her and tucked her under her thick wooly blankets, over the couch—since they still hadn’t gone furniture shopping.
Luster mumbled: “I’m sorry.” She yawned.
“It’s okay. I don’t think it would have happened if you didn’t spend most of your life in that crumby town! But do you know what would make Mommy really sad?”
Luster hummed to respond, almost fully asleep.
“Is if you stopped using your magic over a few hiccups. That’s exactly what happened to the kirin when I was little. You’re my special filly, aren’t you? You’re allowed to make a few mistakes.” Cozy pecked her on the forehead, which brought out a faint smile. “Night night, Lustie.”
A second sun shone above the skies of Kludgetown, casting a spotlight below.
Two highest-level beings descended, dressed with halos, white wings and satin. Two guards were seated at the gate.
They saw them and lifted their spears, but Discord spoke with a thundering, ominous voice: “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” And the two guards fled.
Discord raised his hand above his head, and a meteor of molten sulfur befell and laid waste to the barrier.
Pulling off her apparel with her wing, Cadance spoke: "One of the buildings from above looked burnt, so we should start our search there!"
They reappeared at the site, a desolate building save for a few opportunistic looters and the owner's own investigators, with overlap between those groups. Discord snapped police tape around the premises and the stallion who owned the factory was brought in front of them.
With a yellow notepad in claw and an oversized pencil in paw, Discord interrogated the stallion. “You wouldn’t happen to see a pink pegasus fugitive around here, have you? About nigh big, tends to hover, styles herself like a baby doll, says ‘golly’ a lot.”
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the owner replied.
“Please excuse my client!” Discord said, appearing beside the owner, with a comb over hairstyle, mullet, and purple suit. “Listen, buddy! I don’t know if any creature told you this, but Discord—he’s really bad news! I’ve dealt with him quite a few times and let me tell you, he’s definitely not going to let a stallion get in his way! Why don’t you just tell the draconequus what he wants so he can get out of your mane pronto?”
“But I didn’t see Cozy Glow! I saw—”
“Uh uh!” another Discord lawyer shushed the owner with his paw. “My client will not speak before we properly negotiate the terms of the agreement!”
“The agreement,” original Discord said, “is that the stallion talks, otherwise he can enjoy being a pillar of salt for the rest of—”
“Discords, I found something!” Cadance shouted.
The duplicates disappeared and the original slithered around a corner. “What is it?”
In front of them was a hole that led to the cramp barracks.
“Think this could have been her?” Cadance asked.
They turned to see it wasn’t just the factory that had a hole, but the building behind it as well! There was a tunnel that stretched from where they stood to the city walls.
Discord inspected the outlines of the walls. “Destructive, but terribly brutish! I know she had never had any proper practice, but if this was supposed to be an attack it’s just plain ineffective!”
“Look Discord, a clue!” Cadance exclaimed, staring at footsteps. It started again at the other side of the blast, but before that ended in drags, like two creatures were telekinetically lifted off the ground.
“We should find out where they came from!” Discord suggested, and Cadance nodded in agreement. “Go-Go Dis-copter!”
Three red propeller blades and handles extended out of Discord’s head, whose spin lifted him upwards, while Cadance went with the traditional mode of transportation called: 'flapping her wings'.
The duo followed the steps—above to avoid the thick crowds—which brought them to a residential building. The stairwell was squared with landings on each corner, and near the very top, opposite to the highest apartment, was a damaged wall—a radius of bricks that were lighter compared to the surroundings, implying something struck it, or was struck into it, which was corroborated by a trail of blood. Not a lot of blood, but at least a nose-full that led up the steps to the door.
With Cadance’s horn charged, and Discord pointing his paw like a gun, the latter kicked the door open with his hoof.
Empty. Besides broken framed posters on the floor and a few missing cushions, the room was barren of any evidence for Cozy’s stay.
Discord looked around. “It seems Cozy had already left.”
“What keen observations…” Cadance said, sarcastically. “Come take a look at this!”
The bathroom: broken glass and mud stains. Since most of the shards were outside, what broke it must’ve originated from inside the apartment.
“I caught something!” Discord shouted, reeling in his fishing rod cast out the window. He tugged and pulled in a dusty book, unmoved since no one was considerate enough to not ignore what looked like litter.
“Seems she’s been reading the Journal of Friendship,” Cadance concluded.
The duo flipped to see if there were any useful notes inside.
“…”
Discord held a chuckle, but played it off as a cough. “That is just completely immature!” He said as he flipped to the next page.
“But it’s definitely her though, look!” Cadance pointed to an autograph inside. “Shining told me about this. Cozy coerced Flurry for her signature, and in return promised she wouldn't throw a second pie to her face."
Discord conjured a hat and held it to his chest with a solemn expression. "But she did it anyway…"
"She did..."
Discord pulled his coat like a collar and dropped the book inside for ‘safe keeping’, and sat on a red thinking-chair to muse. There were three drawings he made in his notebook, and, as he went through the points, enlarged projections of the scribbles appeared around him. “She attacks a factory, defeated some sort of creature here, and broke through the window! ” He smoked a pipe of bubbles, and pressed the tips of his claws together, “But what could it all mean…”
“What’s that!” Cadance called. Muddy footsteps let to a bin that housed a crumpled piece of paper—not Cozy’s hoofsteps, and not her wanted poster.
Cadance used her magic to straighten out the wrinkles, and held it in front of the window for both of them to read.
“Does that missing filly look familiar?” Cadance asked.
“Monochromatic colors, messy mane, no cutie mark—how am I supposed to tell?!”
“She looks like that filly we met during breakfast. I was a bit suspicious by how malnourished she looked.” Cadance created a zip-lock bag composed of her aura, and sealed the poster inside. “That mare—that I thought was her mother—did say she had a complicated situation. We should probably try to probe her to see what she knows!”
A mini-UFO cast a tractor beam to carry the poster.
Cadance continued: “My schedule's pretty busy though...”
“No need to ask! I’ll go investigate it myself!”
"Yeah… I'll pen a letter to Celestia and Luna."
"Figures,” Discord crossed his foreparts. “You obviously don't trust me!"
"I don't," Cadance bluntly responded. "If it weren't for you, she'd still be locked up in Tartarus!"
"Now now, let's not point hooves.” Discord said. “But if we were, let's not neglect the fact that Flurry was the one who freed those three from my petrification spell!"
Cadance looked away, and sighed: "She was just a filly."
"Cozy was just a filly."
"She had good intentions!"
“I had good intentions!" Discord intertwined his claws and gave a gentle smile as a halo appeared over his head.
"If the Sisters are busy, and Twilight's obviously busy—"
"Obviously!"
"—then—since it’s probably closer to Canterlot—she might be able to come—if Shining agrees."
"Wonderful! I'll go fill their schedules!" Discord disappeared.
"That's a joke, right?" Cadance asked.
No response.
"Discord?" Echoes rang through the empty hallways of the apartment. "Hello?"
It was a long flight home.
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I wonder if Cozy's life in this small village will be the new status quo. I hope she and Luster isn't forced to leave too early. They need their rests. The interaction between Cozy and Luster after the fire was very cute. I wonder if Cozy will become genuine friends with Autumn later down the line. All in all, another great chapter.
I wonder where Cozy got the money to buy her things, including a cottage of all things.
And how anyone could allow it.
I wonder who that doctor is. Cozy seems to have a lot of connections, but I wonder if they are anyone we already know.
Nice to see that Cozy isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Sure, she mellowed out, but she still has that edge to her, and frankly, she deserves to be angry. Equestria was willing to essentially torture her as a filly, after all. Makes sense that she would be traumatized.
Of course the Princess of Love would not object to putting a child in Tartarus for the rest of her life.
Ooh, interesting. So Flurry did have the right idea. I wonder how it went wrong.
Its like their trying to make themselves look like hypocrites.
Constantly excited for new chapters of this story. It's quickly becoming one of my favorites. I can't wait for more!
Cozy and Luster making proper friends, even if the former wasn't planning on it. Hopefully they can make true friendship before Candence comes and ruins on their lifes.
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True, I always think this punishment is too harsh, feels like one of our torture in real life: The White torture .Only immortal like Discord can survive being in stoned without going insane. Cozy must have a strong mind to go for that long
Damn, they really are Global Police isn't it, looks like every land now under Equestria influence, something can happen across the globe and they still know
Discord, your "good intentions" is to make people suffer, even if your plan "works", you will throw away your villains like nothing
11610212
Thanks! Also thanks for the other comments! Glad people are engaged. This chapter was a bit long but I wanted to get it out of the way because the next few are a 3-4 parter and might require a new tag!
Loving this story. It's just soooo unique, creative, and funny. I'm completely enamored with this fic! What can I say, I'm a sucker for golly stories.
11610475
This Equestrian Secret Service is lagging behind quite a bit. Hopefully "she" will quicken the pace. ;) Can't wait when Cozy has a stand-off with them.
11610475
But they don't know about a whole city with slave trade lol.