Before The Legion Of Doom, before Twilight's School, who was Cozy Glow?
In Trottingham, a young, innocent pegasus filly named Cozy Glow lived. But her life wasn't all that pretty. An abusive father, an overworked mother and a school full of bullies. Trying to be friends with everypony wasn't working, neither was shutting them out, so she'd use them instead. So when the darkness came, she didn't fight to stop it controlling her.
In Trottingham a young, innocent, evil pegasus filly lived named Cozy Glow...
It was night, and the moon was high in the sky. Nopony was outside and all that could be heard was the sound of crickets. Normally, this was everything that happened at night in Trottingham. Shops were closed, stalls had disappeared from the streets and the pony-shaped marking on the moon looked down at it all.
Cozy Glow had read that the pony was the old alicorn princess, Luna, but after being consumed by the darkness and battling her sister, Celestia, she was dubbed Nightmare Moon and so she was banished to the moon by the Princess of the Sun using the Elements Of Harmony. The little filly thought that it was quite mean of Celestia to do that to her poor sister. All the alicorn wanted was to be noticed for her special talent.
Speaking of, Cozy had still not found her special purpose in life and was a blank flank. Sometimes, she wondered if her special purpose was being a mess-up, or maybe being alone was. But still, the Cutie Mark never came. This had made her father angry.
Match Smoke was a bold, red pegasus with an orange mane and his Cutie Mark was a match that was lit. He had blue eyes. Whenever Cozy saw him he was either yelling and hitting her, or drinking his beer. Match was a pony who sold matches and what the pink filly thought was brown sticks with white ends. Ponies would buy the sticks with matches, put them in their mouths, light them up and then smoke would come out of their mouths. Cozy didn't know what they were, nor why her father yelled at her mother.
Amber Glow was an orange pegasus with a green mane and her Cutie Mark was a typewriter. She had red eyes. She was the secretary of a famous scientist called Dr. Rose Horn. Dr. Rose Horn gave notes and Amber would write them up. But she was aslso in charge of writing speeches for the unicorn scientist, and if Rose Horn didn't like it, she had to write it all over again. Cozy noticed that happened a lot. She remembered when Dr. Rose Horn came to visit the school and had read one of her mother's speeches. All of her classmates loved it. Unfortunately, the school's fillies and colts were not always this enthusiastic about ponies who knew a lot.
Some ponies wonder why kids are so self-conscious, here's the answer.
If a filly or colt is smart, they're a nerd, if they aren't the best in class they're dumb. If the teacher likes them they're the "teacher's pet", if the teacher doesn't like them they're "unimportant". If they haven't broken any rules they're a "goody-four-hooves", if they have then they're a bad pony. If they go everywhere with they're parents/careers they're foalish, if they don't then they're unloved.
Cozy was bullied for all the former above, except the last one; that one's the latter. They weren't wrong either. Her father abused her and her mother doesn't even notice her most of the time.
The young filly sighed.
"Maybe my special talent is being invisible." She closed her curtains and hopped into her bed.
THE NEXT MORNING
"COZY GLOW! GET YOUR SORRY FLANK DOWN HERE NOW!" Match shouted.
Groaning, Cozy dragged herself out of bed and quickly brushed her mane and teeth before heading downstairs to the kitchen.
Her father looked up from his newspaper and grunted when she came in and ordered, "Eggs. Toast. Now."
The filly, needing no explanation to what she needed to do, grabbed a frying pan, lit the stove with a match, cracked an egg or two into it and put some bread in the toaster.
"Got a Cutie Mark yet?" Match asked.
Cozy shook her head.
He grunted again and pulled the newspaper closer to him, "Figures."
Just then, Amber Glow ran in with paper in her mouth. Cozy was about to greet her when her mother snatched up another piece of paper and sprinted out again.
"Are you burning my breakfast?!" Match shouted at Cozy.
At the smell of smoke, the young filly whipped around and quickly turned everything off.
She winced when the toast came out burnt. Her father would surely give her a beating. She put both eggs on top in order to hide it.
Cozy Glow picked up the plate dropped it on the table and flew out the house after picking up her saddle-bag, shouting something about going to school.
The pink pegaus was distressed. Maybe if she left it, her father would forget about the incident and she could just do her homework for the night.
Cozy's eyes widened in realization. She didn't do her homework!
Maybe she could convince Miss OakHoof she was too busy helping her mother with her work.
"Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket." She murmured.
The filly hid behind a tree near the school and fished out a piece of paper. Carefully, she used a quill and imitated her mother's mouth-writing. When she was done she folded it up and placed it back in her saddle-bag.
She saw her bullies after she poked her head out from behind the tree. She carefully prowled past them.
"Hey! Cozy Cow! Where d'ya think you're goin'?" She winced and recognized the voice imediatly.
Cozy Glow turned around and saw the School Bully, Mallet.
The colt was a unicorn and was black with a grey mane, his cutie mark was two mallets forming a cross over a green shield. He sneered and picked Cozy up by the tail in his red aura, it matched his eyes.
"Oh, golly! Good morning, Mallet! Hey... isn't it your birthday today?"
The colt nodded proudly. "Yeah! And I got presents because I have parents who are rich and actually care about me."
Cozy almost growled in anger but thought about what she said next.
"Well, gee, Mallet. It sure would be a shame if you made fun of me today."
Mallet raised an eyebrow. "And why, may I ask, is that?"
"Well, gosh, Mallet, what would happen if your parents found out about this... today?" She gasped to add to her act.
"They might take away all of your presents!"
Mallet's eyes widened as she said, "Now we wouldn't want that now, would we?"
"Good point..." Mallet trailed off. but Cozy wasn't finished.
"Oh, if they do that... they might not even care about you anymore!"
The bully growled made his aura disappear and ran inside the School just in time for the bell.
Cozy smirked. "Today is onto a great start."
"So I'm hoping you all did your homework on the Ponams?" Miss OakHoof questioned the class. They all replied yes in unison except Cozy.
"What about you, Cozy Glow?"
"I have a note." Was all the filly said. The teacher read it through.
"I see... Very well, Cozy Glow. Just... bring it in for Monday."
As Miss OakHoof continued with her lesson, Cozy zoned out and started thinking of what might happen when she got home. Would her father be mad? Would he hit her? Oh, golly, oh, gosh! What to do? What to do? Don'tpanicdon'tpanicdon'tpanicdon'tpanicdon'tpanicdon'tpanicdon't--
Her thoughts were interrupted when the bell rang.
"Alright class! Go to lunch and I'll see you later."
Lunch? What about recess? And I couldn't have zoned out for two lessons and recess could I?
Cozy realized that she had her eyes on an open book. Miss OakHoof normally let her stay and read during recess so the teacher must have thought she was doing that.
She placed her items in her saddle-bag and walked outside.
Once she was there, she when to her corner and ate her packed lunch. She was the only pony who came to this corner because it was so dark and gloomy and not in the sun, so she dubbed it her's.
She chewed on her hay sandwich and saw Mallet showing off his presents to the rest off the school. He was on stage and everypony was watching him.
Cozy rolled her eyes and got out her oat biscuit.
In the crowd, Velvet Cushion and Crystal Hoof were fangirling over him.
"Oh, please, he's not that impressive." Cozy mumbled.
For the rest of lunch everypony sat there and all lunch Cozy watched from afar.
She trotted to the class when it was time to go back in.
The last lesson of the day was maths. Cozy didn't like maths all to much so she read a book instead during the lesson it was much more interesting.
At the end of the day Cozy flew out of the prison called School and to the other one called Home.
She opened the door and saw all the lights off.
Cozy heard heavy hoof steps come behind her. A rough hoof pushed her forwards and she tripped on a loose floorboard, causing her to fall over.
She heard the door being closed and locked
"YOU BURNED MY BLOODY BREAKFAST AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME????!!!!"
Cozy took a small step back as Match Smoke came closer.
"You thought you could get away with it? Well, I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DISOBEY ME!"
Cozy quickly darted for the stairs only for her father to grab her by the tail and toss her on the rug near the fire.
It was warm near the fire and normally it would provide Cozy with a sense of comfort, but this time, it didn't. Match was heating up a metal pole above it, and the pole was red with heat.
He pushed Cozy down on so she was flat on her stomach, and he pressed the metal pole on her back. The pain was agonizing. Every second the heat grew stronger, and Cozy Glow couldn't prevent her scream.
"DOES THAT HURT?! HAVE YOU LEARNED YOU LESSON YET, FILLY?!" Match yelled. He pressed the pole down harder.
Cozy nodded, tears streaming down her face.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Match's voice echoed throughout the house. The pegasus filly squirmed under his grasp, trying desperately to escape.
"YES! By Celestia's name it hurts so much! I've learned my lesson! So please! JUST LET ME GO!" Cozy screamed.
This left Match Smoke in a stunned silence. Never once has Cozy Glow talked back to him, let alone shouted. Why did that remind him of something...? Match shook his head, not allowing himself to be consumed by thoughts. He growled, grabbed Cozy by her wimg and said, "You're gonna regret that. SO MUCH!"
Cozy whimpered and braced herself for the pain she was about to endure.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Match dropped Cozy on the floor and said, "Upstairs, now. Before anypony sees you."
Cozy limped the fastest she could up the first few stairs, before resorting to flying. She darted to her room and curled up on her bed. She kept anything from touching her back, knowing there'd be a scar from the burns.
"Officer Blaze! How wonderful it is to see you! Have you come to pick up more cigs for the stallions?"
The orange unicorn stallion huffed. He adjusted his police cap with his magic.
"I don't wan' any of your smoke-sticks, Match. Us police have been hearing that this household has some very suspicious screams coming from it. Now you're a close friend and you have very good ties with me and the rest of the force, but I will need to know what those shouts are all about." He said. He stared at Match as if trying to find the answer in his eyes. The red pegasus stared right back. It was a silent stand off. There could only be one winner and and the truth could only be told. But Match knew how to bend the rules, he would not spend his life rotting behind bars.
"My daughter and I are practising for a school performance she has coming up. I am playing the part of an evil wizard, as the actual foal is sick today I practised with her. Cozy is playing the part of the main hero. We were up to the scene were she is being tortured in the evil wizard's dungeon after being captured. That is why you heard those screams, Fire Blaze."
"Officer Blaze." Although the unicorn trusted Match, he was always wary of how nice he was sometimes. It was like he was only your friend for his own advantage, but if the other officers trusted him, Blaze figured he would trust him. "Alright, I trust you Match. Enjoy your rehersal." He walked away and Match shouted after him.
"See you later, Carrot!" Blaze grumbled at this and pulled his cap down further to hid his green mane.
Match closed the door and dropped his smile. "FILLY, DOWNSTAIRS NOW!"
Cozy trudged down the stairs, and looked up at her father.
"What did you make me this morning, Cozy?" Match asked as he walked to the kitchen. He motioned for the filly to follow.
"Egg on toast, sir." Cozy answered. Her movements were stiff with fear and she walked as slowly as possible. He father was being nice. Too nice.
"Good. You are a very smart filly. So do you know what I am going to do now?"
Cozy Glow shook her head.
Match let his nice tone drop and it turned into a deep, menacing one, "You are going to make it again and again until you get it just right, and every time you get it wrong you will slowly and painfully loose a feather. And I don't care if I pernamently ground you, because you are a useless waste of space, are we clear?"
Cozy collapsed onto her bed and moaned pitifully. Her father had pulled out so many feathers that the pain had gone numb. Every time she did it it was either "Too hard!" or "Too soft!" however if ended up with him saying, "Well, done! You did it! Well, actually, you did it the first time, I just wanted to play."
Cozy looked out the window and at the stars, she remembered when she was younger, her mother actually spent time with her. They would go star-gazing every Friday night. And her mother would say, "The stars up there are all the ponies from before us, did you know that?" And Cozy would reply. "No, but how did they get up there?" Her mother would laugh and say, "Well, it is said that the Princess of the night still has good in her and she escorts them to the sky." Cozy would pause and then ask, "Is Grandpa Glow up there?" Her mother would be silent then nod saying, "Yes, yes he is."
Cozy sighed and covered herself with her blanket and drifted off to sleep.
"Oi! Blaze! Didya' get the cigs?" Officer Pellet asked, all while continuing his hoof wrestle with Officer Bones.
Blaze sighed and rubbed his forehead. "No, I didn't Pellet." The brown pegasus groaned which put off his concentration, allowing the white earth pony to win.
"Ha! I did it! I finally did something!" Bones yelled in victory. Bones was Blaze's closest friend on the police force and the normally took care of cases together. His full name was Funny Bones. The reason why is because his parents thought it would be pretty humerus.
"Well, done pal. Just got back from Match's. Something's off about that fella. You wanna help me investigate tommorrow, Bones?"
"Sure, just let me win another round then I'll tell Rimestone she needs to sort out a case file."
"See ya' mate I'mma turn in for the night." Blaze said as he took his cap off.
Not many ponies wake up in a good mood. Funny Bones was an exception.
It was about 5:00 am when he opened his icy blue eyes and jumped out of bed.
"Good Morning, Trottingham!" He yelled in his childish yet adult voice. He hummed the tune to Dawn Manedes' "Stitches" as he trotted happily to the bathroom.
He kicked the door open with his left hind hoof, and pulled it close when he entered.
The next thing Bones did was coat himself in scalding hot water, but frankly, it didn't bother him. He stepped out of the shower and turned on his mane drier. As the warm air blasted his coat and mane, he yelled, "BLAZE?! ARE YOU AWAKE YET?!"
The pony in question, rolled his eyes. He had only gotten up a few minutes ago, and was already making breakfast for him and his room mate.
"If I wasn't before, I am now!" He shouted in a much less ear-piercing way.
"OKAY!" Bones yelled back.
From in the kitchen, Blaze could hear the mane drier switch off, and a few moments later, the white earth pony, now wearing his police attire, galloped in.
"I smelled food." He said simply, when his friend gave a strange look in his direction.
Blaze sighed and shook his head, but the ghost of a smile played on his lips. Bones was always doing something wierd, whether it was randomly saying how the cigarettes the police force smoked tasted like candy sticks, or managing to knock a fairly large stallion out by tapping his nose.
Blaze placed a plate in front on Bones.
"OMC! HAYCAKES!" Quite viciously, he dug into his plate and finished before Blaze could even put syrup on his own stack.
Bones hopped out of his seat and searched for his police badge. It had his Cutie Mark on it, which was a single bone being snapped. Next to it was Blaze's, which had a pair of hoof-cuffs on them (that was his Cutie Mark). Placing his respective badge on his uniform, Bones ran to the door of the apartment. Blaze soon followed. "You ready, bud?" The orange unicorn asked his partner.
"Does Daring Do punch lava with her bare hooves whilst fight a bugbear and camoflauging from Caballeron?" The white earth pony retorted.
"Errrm...."
"Yes, yes she does. In fact, it was chapter 13 of Daring Do and the Skull's Curse! The sixth in the series!" Bones proclaimed proudly!"
Blaze rolled his eyes. "Thank Luna and Celestia that we aren't jungle adventurers." He muttered. Images of Bones trying and failing to pull off death defying stunts filled his mind.
"Now lets go and-- wait. What are we doing again?"
"We're following the Smoke."
Match Smoke was furious. That mare, Amber Glow, had defyed him again. The scene replayed in his head.
'WHERE IS SHE?!'
'I WON'T TELL YOU!'
'I'LL ASK YOU ONE LAST TIME, MARE! WHERE IS OUR DAUGHTER?!
'NO! HEY WHAT ARE YOU--'
THWACK
'I'll ask you once more... where is she?'
It only took 23 perfectly good pieces of coal, but he eventually got the answer he needed.
He was currently standing in front of a bookshop called, Books and Hooves: Books for you!. His daughter was here, and he would... escort her home. He walked in the shop, and at the counter was his daughter.
"Thanks again, Star Shine." Cozy Glow said as she exchanged a book for 5 bits.
The violent earth pony brushed it off, "It's no problem, Cozy. You are my best customer, after all."
"Ah, Cozy Glow, darling." Match Smoke glided over to the counter. "There you are."
Star Shine, noticing the younger pegasus stiffen, raised an eyebrow at Match, "And who are you exactly?"
Match Smoke gave a mock bow and replied, "Match Flaming Smoke, at your service, my dear. I am the father of Cozy Glow, and I have come to escort her home, as her mother has almost finished making dinner."
Star Shine, not wanting to judge anypony based on first meetings, said, "Okay, then... Goodbye Mr. Smoke. Goodbye, Cozy.
Match Smoke glided out the door saying, "Come along, Cozy Glow."
Before said pegasus could follow, Star Shine caught her hoof. Cozy turned her attention to the earth pony.
"You tell me if anything happens, okay? And if something really bad occurs, if he does anything to you and you can't get to me, go straight to the police."
Cozy Gloww nodded and Star Shine let go off her. "Stay safe." The earth pony said as Cozy Glow exited the shop.
"I will."
"And he's exiting the building, prepare to follow target." Blaze comanded through his radio.
"Sure thing, Blazey!" Came Bones reply.
As Blaze crept after Match Smoke and Cozy Glow, he responded with, " 'Blazey'? Where in Equestria did you come up with that?"
"I read through your letters from your mom!"
Blaze let out a sigh and ducked behind a box as Match looked behind him.
"Move, filly." The father said to the daughter.
After making sure they were out of earshot, Blaze whispered, "Okay we really need to talk about this roomate thing."
Blaze lowered himself to the ground and crawled across to another crate, keeping the pegasi in his sight. The two turned a corner so suddenly that Blaze had to teleport to the other side of the street to keep out of sight.
"Why are we sneaking about anyway? Can't we just hide in the crowd?"
Blaze once again let out an annoyed sigh, "Have you remembered anything from the academy?! If Match sees that not only one, but two police officers are following him he'll get wary! And if he suspects something we can't catch him in the act!"
"In what though?
"I don't know, it's just, I don't like his vibe."
Bones scoffed as his companion said this, "His vibe? That's what we're going off here?"
Blaze sucked in a breath as he saw Match grab Cozy by the mane into their house.
"Sometimes a vibe is all it takes."
"SO THIS IS WHERE ALL MY BITS ARE GOING?! TO BUCKING BOOKS?!" Match Smoke flung his daughter across the room.
Cozy Glow stumbled to her hooves, her eyes turning to pinpricks as her father loomed over her.
"For ten years... I have fed you, I have sent you to school, I gave you a roof, a life and now, this is what I get in return? This, I cannot allow, my dear." Match Smoke grabbed a log from the firewood stash, and walked over to the fire.
"Ten years I have dealt with you, but now, now I cannot take it anymore. I heard what that mare said in that beloved book store of yours, I know ponies are putting the pieces together." He lit the end of the log he wasn't holding on to.
"It won't take much to convince them that your mother went mad and pushed you into the fire, a couple fake tears here and there, throwing your burnt carcass in there myself." He walked arkwardly over to the petrified filly, the log handicapping his speed.
"I hope you have a nice dream."
All her life, Cozy Glow always thought her father was just mean, but now she could see the pure insanity in his eyes, and behind the insanity was a broken stallion. A stallion who had fell so low that he was content with the fact that he was about to murder his own daughter.
"Match?" Both heads snapped to the kitchen door. There stood Amber Glow, her eyes wide and jaw almost hitting the floor.
"GET BACK YOU, BUCKING MARE! I DEAL WITH YOU LATER!" Match glared at his wife, eyes sharing the same fire, of which was going to engulf Cozy Glow.
As Amber realized the true meaning of Match's words, something in her snapped, something that had been long held back. It was like a dragon waking up with their horde gone, a unicorn robbed of their horn, a timberwolf with no den.
"Match, let my daughter go." She stated calmly. Too calmly.
Match's eyes narrowed, "No."
Amber growled and slowly started to walk foward.
Match Smoke breifly panicked, he had no time to go over the options in his head, so he went for the easiest one.
Cozy Glow couldn't move. The fire swung towards her so quickly, but so slowly at the same time. She closed her eyes, and waited for the pain.
But it never came. Silence fillied her surroundings, she couldn't feel anything. She breifly wondered if she was dead, if there was no pain, and just the end.
