Castling is a special move in chess where a player’s rook ends up just next to the king. Thanks to a friend’s kindness, a calculating young filly would end up closer to her princess than she ever thought. But can a filly like Cozy Glow be changed?
Castling is a special move in chess involving one of the player’s rooks and the player’s king. The move consists of moving the king two squares towards a rook on the player's first rank, then moving the rook to the square over which the king crossed. After this move, the king and the rook end up just next to one another.
And thanks to a friend’s kindness, a certain calculating, chess master filly would have a chance to end up closer to her princess than she ever thought. But can a filly like her truly leave her past behind to find another way? Can you learn to trust another when manipulation is your destiny? Can a chess player like Cozy Glow learn to be a pawn?
Sweetie Belle was in her bed, wide awake in the middle of the night. Or, to be precise, she was in one of Rarity’s spare beds at Carousel Boutique, wide awake in the middle of the night. Despite not really wanting to know, she concentrated and wrapped her magic around the clock on the wall, illuminating it. It was nearly 2 am. She sighed. Now she was going to be tired tomorrow, which was exactly what she did not want to be, as Rarity had promised to take her to Canterlot. She rubbed her eyes and flipped the pillow over to the cooler side, trying not to dwell on the subject that had been gnawing in the back of her head for weeks now, ever since Twilight’s coronation.
She was thinking of Cozy Glow.
She had told herself thousands of times that she was being silly, that the one the newspapers called ”the Demon Filly” was not one she needed to worry about. Besides, Cozy was encased in stone; it was not like she was feeling anything anymore. So, Sweetie Belle was quite literally worried about a piece of rock. She knew this, and she felt the truth in it too, but that particular rock refused to leave her thoughts.
Cozy had done terrible things that would forever be written in Equestrian history. Her name was destined to carry the same terror as Discord’s once had and Sombra’s still did in the Crystal Empire. Her stone prison was going to be seen by thousands of ponies in the future, and they would all feel a shiver run down their spine when they saw her, the Demon Filly.
And yet…
And yet, Sweetie Belle's and Cozy’s stories had touched for a small moment, and that moment had made Sweetie Belle sure there must be something more to be done for Cozy. That time when she, Applebloom and Scootaloo had been kicked out from the School of Friendship, Cozy had helped them. Cozy had been willing to put herself in trouble for their sakes. Sure, the idea of purposefully failing her own exam had not exactly worked out very well for either Sweetie Belle and her friends or for Cozy, but she had still tried.
Cozy Glow had done something kind for Sweetie Belle and her friends without asking for anything in return and, indeed, failing an exam had not done her any favors either.
It was just one thing, one little snippet of good, too small to even be considered next to everything Cozy Glow had done to all of Equestria, and that did not even begin to touch upon what she would have done if her plan had succeeded. Sweetie Belle was not sure what that would have been, but she knew it would not have been anything pleasant.
But it had been one good thing. Cozy Glow had done good to Sweetie Belle, and that single fact kept hitting the inside of her head. That one fact kept her from concentrating. It kept her up at night, because she knew that somewhere, hidden inside Cozy Glow’s calculating heart, there was a little good.
There was good in Cozy Glow. Sweetie Belle had seen it.
And she could not stand the thought of a good pony, a pony who she had once considered her friend, enduring eternal imprisonment in cold, dead stone. The thought haunted her, scared her.
Sweetie Belle stared up into the blue-white roof without seeing it before the tiniest ”tock” sounded from the clock and roused her from her rumination. As startled as one can be in a calm, dark room in the middle of the night, Sweetie Belle realized she had thought another lap in the endless circle that had left her no peace for weeks. She shook her head and demonstratively flipped the pillow again before shoving her head down into it and closing her eyes hard.
She wanted to sleep. She wanted rest so that she would be in her best shape tomorrow. She and Rarity were going to meet Twilight, and then Sweetie Belle would plead her case to her.
Cozy needed help.
And Sweetie Belle would sooner go to Tartarus herself than leaving a friend trapped in stone.
Sweetie Belle took a deep breath. It all came down to this. She felt as if called by a higher power to be here. To speak for her friend and maybe start her down a better path. Nodding to herself, she stepped into the Canterlot Statuary Garden after her older sister, bearing a saddlebag. It was Sweetie Belle who had suggested this route. She wanted to see just what she was fighting for. Having Cozy’s petrified form fresh in her mind might help her to come up with just the right word at just the right time for this to work. She was going to need all help she could get; this was going to be a hard debate to win.
They wandered in silence among the statues. Most of them were works of art from past sculptors, depicting famous ponies or commemorating past events. Sweetie Belle blushed slightly to herself as they passed the statues representing Friendship and Victory. It felt so long since she and the other Crusdaers had been on the class trip with Cheerilee here. They also passed the pedestal where Discord once had stood, now housing a large bird bath. Far down an alley there were a trio of ponies hard at work around a large block of marble. Sweetie belle had read about it in the newspaper. It was going to be a statue commemorating Rarity and her friends’ many accomplishments, set to be finished some time next year. Extra blocks of stone stood around them, in case something did not turn out perfectly.
And then, as they rounded a corner, the ”statue” she had come to see. Chrysalis, the Changeling Queen was leaping forward, teeth bared as if to eviscerate somepony in front of her. Tirek the Centaur cowering, likely trying to take cover behind Chrysalis. Cozy was flying near the top of the statue, connected to the rest of it only by a small touch of her tail to Tirek’s shoulder. She looked terrified. Somehow, Sweetie Belle knew that if the rainbow laser had struck moments later, then she would be crying.
”A ghastly thing, this statue,” Rarity said. ”I simply cannot understand Twilight’s desire to have it displayed here. Those who destroyed Canterlot Castle should not have a place on its grounds.” Sweetie Belle gave a noncommittal ”hmm”. She could not take her eyes away from Cozy’s petrified face. Even if it was a statue, her look of fear was eerily alive.
She took a deep breath again and steeled herself. ”Come on, Rarity, or we’ll be late.”
”Perish the thought,” Rarity said and started towards the castle. ”One cannot be late when meeting Equestria’s Princess, even if she is our dear Twilight.”
The two of them entered the castle through a discreet side door. It was guarded by a pair of ponies who nodded politely to Rarity. As expected, her big sister could just walk into the castle if she wanted. They crossed through the many corridors before they finally ended up by an oak door high in a tower. ”Rarity,” Sweetie Belle said. ”Can you promise me something?”
”Hmm?” Rarity looked at her.
”Just… let me say my piece, okay? Without any interruptions.”
”I wouldn’t have brought you here if I intended to speak over you, darling,” Rarity said warmly. ”Besides, it is most unladylike to interrupt another pony.”
”Thanks,” Sweetie Belle said. Rarity opened the door into a bright, sunlit study.
Twilight had only been installed here for a few weeks, but she had already made her mark on the room. Bookcases lined every inch of wall space, aside from three quarters of a large window. A blackboard filled with a host of notes and papers stood in the middle of the room. A desk stood in front of the partially covered window and ever more books laid on it, some upturned to read and others in haphazard piles. An oil painting depicting Celestia and Luna stood on a tripod nearby the Princess-sized bed. Piles of more books had begun to reach about up to the covers of it. Sweetie Belle suspected that maybe those piles were just tall enough for Twilight to reach the books when lying down. A golden cage hung in the back of her room with a sleeping owl inside it, its head under a wing.
And behind the desk on an antique-looking chair sat the Princess herself, writing on two documents simultaneously. She looked up when she heard them enter.
”Oh, Rarity! Sweetie Belle! I wasn’t expecting you. Please, come in both of you. Let me just get that for you…” The landslide of books on her desk began to shimmer in purple magic before flying over to Twilight’s bed. It also revealed a chair in front of her desk, previously covered by books.
”No need to make a fuss dear,” Rarity said. ”While I certainly adore seeing you, today Sweetie Belle had something she wanted to ask you about. About the friendship school, I think.”
”Yea.” Sweetie belle nodded. She went into Twilight’s cozy study with the feeling of stepping into a gladiator arena. With a little fantasy, the books around her could even look like bricks, and the room was circular, just like the Roaman arenas always were in the movies.
”I see,” Twilight said. ”So how can I help you?”
She pictured Cozy's terrified face again, swallowed and began to speak.
”I have come to ask a favor for a friend. I’m sure she would ask herself, but she can’t. She was… not the best pony, but I really believe there is something really good inside her somewhere. I’ve seen it, she can be really nice. But she sort of got into some trouble, and now she is being punished… I suppose most ponies would say it’s fair that she is, but I don’t think she deserves it. So I wanted to ask you if you could do anything for her.”
Twilight cocked her head a little to the side. ”And you believe she will be better for avoiding a punishment most ponies would think she deserved? Why don’t you think she should just serve out her punishment and then become a better pony? Surely it is only fair that she makes up for her misdeeds.”
”Her punishment is not one that will be served out,” Sweetie Belle said morosely.
”I am afraid I don’t understand,” Twilight said. ”What punishment would that be?”
”Here goes,” Sweetie Belle thought. ”Cozy Glow’s,” she said. She wanted to be resolute and steady when she said it. She wanted to say her friend’s name loud and clear. Instead it just came out in a small and uncertain voice.
Twilight looked like somepony had just slapped her. Silence reigned in the room. ”What?” Twilight said in a flat voice. ”Have I understood correctly… you want me to free Cozy Glow?”
”She’s not all evil, I know she isn’t! Starlight must have told you, right? She failed her exam on purpose so we could go to your school!”
”Yes, I know she did,” Twilight said stiffly. ”But that’s not exactly why she was petrified.”
”But she didn’t have to do that, Twilight! She just wanted to be kind to us! There is good in her, you have seen that too! Even if she did all those things you cannot let a filly who can be good be frozen in stone together with Tirek and Chrysalis! They are really bad, she is not!”
”No, Sweetie Belle, she is,” Twilight said. ”She knew what she was doing. She had plenty of chances to defect from them if she wanted to, but she never did. If she truly wanted to be good then she could have been. She made her choice and now she needs to face the consequences.”
”But it’s not fair!” Sweetie Belle said loudly.
”It is very fair,” Twilight said coldly.
”Yea? Like with Starlight?” Sweetie Belle said. ”You never put her to stone, did you? Couldn’t she have chosen to be good too? Why did you give her a second chance but not Cozy!? Cozy is just a filly; she deserves a second chance way more than Starlight did!”
”What do you know about Starlight’s redemption?” Twilight said. Her wings had flared. Sweetie Belle could see she was upset, but she could not back down. For Cozy’s sake. ”You weren’t there.”
”Rarity have told me what you said happened,” Sweetie Belle defended.
”Then you would know that Starlight showed regret,” Twilight said. ”She showed me that she wanted to be better, and I let her prove she could be. She deserved her second chance. Cozy does not. She has never showed any regret. In fact, I’m willing to bet she was only kind to you because it helped her plan somehow.”
Sweetie Belle ignored the last comment. It was too hurtful to think about. ”And when could Cozy have earned her second chance!? When she was caught, the first thing you did was haul her into the darkest prison there is! How do you expect a filly to earn a second chance there? She did bad things, but you never gave her a chance to be anything better afterward, did you?”
Twilight winced as if struck. Rarity let out a small gasp. Sweetie Belle swallowed. Had she gone too far?
”Starlight has earned her redemption,” Twilight said slowly. ”I saw good in her. I have never seen good in Cozy Glow, nor have any other pony besides you. This discussion is over. My decision stands.”
Sweetie Belle knew she ought to be silent, but she found her anger simmering inside her throat. She opened her saddlebags and removed a piece of paper she had brought to plead with. But now she did not even want to see it. ”Then you can take this back! I don’t think you are worthy of handing them out anymore!” She shouted the last word and threw her honorary friendship diploma on the ground before stomping out of the room.
”If I may?” Rarity asked timidly, catching the eyes of both other ponies. Twilight looked cold and aloof in her alicorn splendor. Sweetie Belle had tears in her eyes and her chest heaved in sorrowful rage. Rarity turned to Twilight. ”You are the Princess, Twilight. Whatever you decide, I support that decision. But I still think my dear sister has made a good argument. Cozy Glow has not… well, I can’t say we have given her many chances after what happened.”
”She deserves her punishment, Rarity,” Twilight said. She suddenly sounded tired. ”You know that.”
”She does, but only if there is truly no other way.” Rarity said. ”Remember, Twilight, I am Generosity. It is what I believe in, more than anything. I want to give her a second chance.” Rarity smiled and looked at her little sister affectionately. ”And, while Sweetie can be a bit… tactless at times, I have found she tends to be an excellent judge of character.”
Twilight sat silent. Rarity nodded solemnly. ”Come now, Sweetie Belle. We are leaving.” Rarity’s tone broke no argument. Sweetie tried to put on a brave face, but her ears still drooped and she went with her head bent low after her sister. She had lost. She had failed her friend.
”Wait…”
Both sisters looked back. Twilight shook her head and magicked up the diploma. ”I made you an honorable graduate from my school because I thought you knew what friendship means, Sweetie Belle. If I cannot trust one of my graduates, or one of my closest friends for life...” She glanced at Rarity. ”…then I shouldn’t give these out.”
Twilight took a breath, as if preparing to say something important. ”So I will trust you. Let me just ask one thing, and then, if you want, I will free Cozy and give her one more chance. But only one.”
”You will!? Thank you, Twilight! Thank you thank you thank you thank you!” Sweetie Belle beamed.
”My question is this: if it turns out Cozy Glow cannot be redeemed and she tries, and maybe succeeds, in conquering Equestria again, are you then ready to take personal responsibility for it? The fault if the worst comes to pass will be mine, for Cozy will be my responsibility, but it will also be yours. Are you ready to accept the moral responsibility of her actions?”
Sweeite Belle did not need to think for very long. ”Yes. There is good in Cozy Glow, I know it. I trust her.”
Twilight sighed, but nodded. ”Very well. Then I will free her. I… would also ask that you both keep this a secret. Ponies are afraid of her, and for good reason. It would make my position as new princess a bit… problematic, if it came out I decided to free her,” Twilight said sheepishly.
”Of course, darling,” Rarity said. ”But know that if you ever need help with her, then don’t hesitate to ask. I have dealt with my own share of fussy fillies in my time.” Rarity glanced towards Sweetie Belle, who blushed a little bit.
”I’d want to see her again,” Sweetie Belle said. "So... maybe you will let me visit her?"
Twilight managed something between a smile and a grimace. ”We will see.”
Twilight saw Rarity and Sweetie Belle leave, the latter with a noticeable spring in her step. She went around her desk again and magicked away the two formal letters to Ember and Thorax. She had thought to send them as a token of respect and to ensure them that she would still uphold her personal friendships with them, even if she was now Princess of Equestria in every sense of the world.
But those letters would have to wait; this was going to take careful planning.
”I hope Sweetie Belle is right about Cozy,” she mumbled to herself.
”Who?” came from the golden cage.
”Cozy Glow,” Twilight repeated with a look to Owlowiscious. ”Oh, never mind…”
First and foremost: how could she even free Cozy without ponies realizing it? Cozy was part of a popular tourist attraction, and if she just removed her from the statue then ponies would start asking questions within the hour. Twilight picked up a feather pencil and twirled it in her hooves, thinking.
She could make a copy of Cozy and put that on the statue… but it would be hard to get it exact. The whole statue then? She could copy the whole statue and switch them. If the whole statue looked a little off it would not come off as strange; ponies would just assume it was supposed to look like that, and it wouldn’t matter if she had Tirek and Chrysalis hidden someplace else rather than out in the garden. Problem: she needed a large chunk of stone to copy the statue from. But she had the extra blocks for her and her friends’ statue. She could easily forge the order to make it look like they had ordered one block less and then she could use that to copy the statue. And since she had commissioned the statue with her own money, it was not really stealing.
Twilight nodded. That could work, even if it had to wait until the night when the statuary garden was closed.
As for the detail on how to actually reform Cozy Glow, there was still a whole lot to work out. But that would have to come later. For now, she had a few hours before her life became decidedly more complicated, so she had better make what preparations she could. For example, she had to prepare Luna's old study for Cozy to live in. It was just next to Twilight's, so it shouldn't be hard for to keep tabs on her there. Twilight left her desk and went into Cozy’s would-be room.
Luna had more or less cleared it out, but the bed and bookcases had been built inside the room and were still there. There was also a balcony. "Have to lock that," Twilight made a mental note to herself. All in all, there were not a lot of things to work with already here.
She decided to visit the castle archives. There should be plenty of books she could burrow to fill up the bookcases, at least. When Cozy had helped with Twilight's duties in the school of Friendship, she had at least displayed some interest in reading, but other than that, Twilight did not really know what Cozy Glow was interested in, other than world domination. What did foals her age do?
Hours later, Twilight still had no idea what foals Cozy's age did, but she was satisfied with the room nonetheless. Aside from filling every bookcase, she had also gotten ahold of some puzzles of several difficulties and some crayons and papers, if Cozy liked to draw. She had also removed a small piece of window glass for the balcony door and stuck an old telescope through it. That way Cozy could look at the stars without being allowed out on the balcony alone. Pegasi often took up stargazing as a pastime, Twilight had learned from Rainbow Dash once. Through a discreet door there was also a bathroom.
This would simply have to do until Twilight could figure out just what Cozy Glow usually did in her spare time.
It was late evening now. Time to get to work. Twilight left Luna's old room and started down the stairs to the garden. She had sought out an old storage room on the bottom floor for her to awaken Cozy Glow in. There was only one way out, and it could be locked to ensure Cozy did not somehow escape. She had also sent the guards away so none of them would know what she was doing. She came to the castle doors and peeked out in the garden.
It was deserted, bathing in the cold light of Luna's… Twilight's moon. The thought of the moon as hers was a strange one. She suspected she would never quite get used to thinking about it like that. It would alway's be Luna's moon and Celestia's sun… Twilight was just their caretaker, but it was the Princesses who really controlled them, always. Twilight took a sobering breath and stepped out into the garden. First she had to make her copy. She made her way to the place were Chisel Hammer and Marble Dust were working on their statue to commemorate Twilight and her friends.
There was another strange thought. Ponies putting up statues of her… ponies prostrating before her when they came to speak. She knew she was a Princess now… but she couldn't have changed that much since she was just a unicorn, right? She was still Twilight, wasn't she? Ponies did not need to treat her like this, but they did anyway.
"Concentrate, Twilight. You don’t have all night," Twilight mumbled, bringing herself out of her rumination.
The blocks of stone had been carefully selected from the Pie family rock farm, and Limestone herself had guaranteed their quality. Hopefully that meant the stone would be easy to work with for her magic. She knew what to do. She just had to form a magic field identical to the statue she wanted to copy inside the stone block, and then blast the rest of the stone away. It sounded good in theory, but Twilight did not really know anything about sculpturing.
She selected a stone block and levitated it over next to her petrified enemies. It took about two seconds for her to understand that this was going to take a while. Their pose was much too complex for her to form in a magic field. She would have to do this in segments. She fixed a glare on Chrysalis's face and tried to replicate the furious snarl with her magic. It took her a few tries, but by modeling the magic directly on the statue itself, and then copy the exact shape over to the raw block she made it work. Concentrating, she amplified the power in her horn until a long crack appeared in the surface. Underneath, hopefully, was a replica of Chrysalis's face. Twilight continued with her legs and barrel.
It took the better part of two hours before she added the finishing touches to Cozy's ridiculously complicated mane. She was the smallest of them, but at least half of the time Twilight stood there had gone to trying to get her right. It had also given her plenty of time to look at Cozy's face.
She really did look afraid. Twilight could never quite feel remorse for her, but she was a little less certain in her own arguments for keeping Cozy trapped. Maybe, just maybe, Sweetie Belle had been onto something. After all, she was just a foal, right? She could still find her place in the world, couldn't she?
Twilight nodded and looked at her replica statue. It was definitely rougher than the original, but hopefully it would be good enough. She thought it would be, if nothing else because nopony would ever suspect anypony to switch the statues in the first place. She magicked up the old statue and put the new one in its place. Then she started back to the castle with the original statue in tow. She would probably just keep it down in the storage room. Twilight could never remember it being used for anything, and if anypony asked why it was locked she could just answer she kept some personal things down there. It was not like anypony would question the Princess.
Well inside the storage room, Twilight put the statue down and locked the door behind her. Then she flew up to Cozy Glow and ignited her horn with the spell Celestia had taught her so long ago to free Discord with. Back then Twilight had needed the Elements of Harmony, but as a Princess it would not be hard for her to do alone. Closing her eyes, she gently tapped Cozy's forehead with her horn.
A searing light began to shine from the point she had touched before beginning to spread like a spider's web of light. It spread over her body, up to her face and eyes. With a loud crack the shards of her prison began to fall away, revealing her salmon-pink coat underneath. More and more stone fell away until her tail was free and she fell from the statue. The rest of the stone fell away from her face, and she landed on the floor with a soft sound. She bolted upright and leaped backward, cowering by the castle podium with her hooves over her eyes.
”Cozy?” Twilight asked carefully. She had not expected that reaction.
Cozy peeked out from under her hooves, and her look of fear disappeared. Suspicion took its place. She unraveled from her curled up position and stood up. ”Why Am I here? Are you going to send me to Tartarus again now, huh? Well, just you wait, I’ll get out one day and you’ll be sorry, and-" Cozy silenced and looked around. "Uh, what happened to me? How did I get here?”
”Cozy, look up,” Twilight said. That ought to clarify a few things to her.
"Huh?" Cozy blinked and looked up, straight into Chrysalis’s enraged snarl. She balked from the changeling but soon regained her composure. ”Why did you make a statue of her? I thought it was weird when she cocooned her victims, but if you make statues of you enemies then that’s even weirder.”
"It’s not a statue," Twilight said. "It's Chrysalis. She is trapped in stone, just like Discord was. You know?"
Cozy looked between Chrysalis and Twilight and then flew up to Chrysalis’s head. Twilight heard her gasp and put her hooves over her mouth when she saw the small, sky-blue locks of her tail that still was caught on Tirek’s shoulder. "I was…? I was…?" She tried to hide a sniffle, but Twilight heard. "Why did you wake me up then!?" She asked angrily and turned to Twilight. "I’m sure you've had a good laugh at me, huh? I bet you even put bird seeds on my head just to see them sit on me. Did you just want to scare me even more? Humiliate me!?"
"Of course I didn't Cozy," Twilight said patiently. "Why would you even think I would do that? You know me, don't you?"
"Why wouldn’t you do it?" Cozy replied with a ghost of a smile. "It’s what I would have done."
Twilight decided not to answer that. "As for how you got here, a friend of yours asked me to give you a second chance," Twilight said. "And I couldn't say no."
"...Oh?" Cozy blinked in surprise. " I didn’t think I had any friends left." Then her face broke out in a wide smile. "But be sure to thank them from me! It makes me happy to know somepony still looks out for me!" Cozy looked around. "So… you can go now. I'll just get out of here and you'll never hear from me again. Sound good?" Cozy smiled even wider.
"No, Cozy," Twilight said. "I did not let you out to set you free. I let you out to give you a second chance. You will live in your own room in this castle, and you will not be permitted to leave without me saying so. You will have to earn my trust, and that of Equestria, before I can risk letting you go."
Cozy's smile disappeared instantly. "What!? You are not supposed to argue with me, JUST DO AS I SAY!" she roared, loud enough for a little bit of dust to fall from the roof. "If you are going to keep me prisoner then you could just as well have left me as a statue!"
"No, I couldn't," Twilight said and thought of Sweetie Belle's heartfelt plea. "But you will only have one more chance. If you turn on me or Equestria again… then there will be nothing more I can do for you."
The anger seemed to run off of Cozy. She felled her ears and shrunk back from Twilight's glare. "You aren't gonna… you wouldn't put me back… would you? Not you? You are not like that, right?"
Twilight debated on what she should answer. She hated scaring Cozy; that would not make her a better pony. But at the same time Twilight absolutely did intend to trap her in stone again if she became too dangerous. She was the Princess now, she had to put Equestria as a whole above any one pony. Cozy swallowed and backed away until she hit the base of the statue. Twilight's silence must have told her all she needed to know.
"I won't put you back to stone, Cozy, as long as you are not a danger to Equestria," Twilight said. She sat down so she could speak with her more like an equal, rather than looking down on her. "This will be in your hooves, Cozy. Your friend is sure there is good in you, and I believe her. I am ready to let this take time and help you become a kinder, happier pony." Twilight reached a hoof out towards Cozy. "Don't you want that? To have real friends?"
Cozy didn’t answer. She did not look afraid anymore though. She looked at Twilight's hoof with a neutral face. Twilight wished she knew what she was thinking. At the end Cozy just shrugged and batted her hoof away. "I suppose you are going to keep me in this prison cell. Just so you know, pegasi in my age can't handle being kept in a room this small for too long." There was a look of understanding on her face. "Maybe that's what you're playing at? You want to see me slowly go insane until I beg for your help."
"I'd never, Cozy," Twilight said gravely. "Never, not even to my worst enemy. You will live in Luna's old room, next to my private study and bedroom." Twilight stood up. "I will have to carry you there."
"I can walk on my own!" Cozy spat indignantly. "I'm not your filly!"
"Sorry, Cozy." Twilight ignited her horn, and a ring of light appeared around Cozy Glow's barrel, binding her wings to her sides. She visibly struggled with both her wings and to get her hooves around the ring, but it was a futile task. Twilight magicked the snarling filly up on her back and started back towards her study.
She really wanted to let Cozy walk on her own. She was a proud pony, and treating her like a filly would only make her all the more belligerent, but she could not risk it, not now. Once secured up in her room she would not be able to escape, Twilight had made sure of that, but out here there was still a risk. These two minutes of transport from the storage and up to the room were the most dangerous part of this entire process. If she lost Cozy now, then she could really escape.
"Are you hungry, Cozy?" Twilight asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"No," Cozy huffed angrily. Twilight had a feeling it was not just to hold on to her back that Cozy pulled at Twilight's mane. She took the hint and they walked on in oppressive silence. Once she was inside her private castle wing, she locked the door behind her and removed Cozy's bindings. ”Well… this will be your new home, Cozy. I hope you like it.”
"Hmph," Cozy made a displeased sound and stepped into the walkway, glaring at the few doors.
"This is a library, if you feel like reading," Twilight nodded to the closest door. "That is a common room… mostly I just use it when I have private visitors or for eating, but there are some more lighthearted books in there too. Do you like Daring Do?"
"Never heard of her," Cozy said coldly.
"Then perhaps you should give them a try. A.K. Yearling is a great author. A pegasus, just like you." Cozy just snorted in disdain.
Twilight ignored her rudeness and indicated the last two doors. "That is my bedroom and study. If you ever want something, don’t hesitate to come in, okay?" She pretended not to see Cozy rolling her eyes. "And this, finally, is your room." Twilight magicked the door open. To her surprise, Cozy actually went in on her own accord. Twilight followed. "I didn't know what you like to do in your spare time, but I hope you will find it to your liking."
"Suuure, I love bing trapped inside a tower with the pony I hate most in the world,” Cozy said sarcastically. She pawed the large, fuzzy carpet absently. "So this is my room now?"
"Yes, I'm sure you will-"
"Then get out," Cozy snapped. She turned to Twilight, tiny wings lifted in an attempt to look bigger. "I don't want you here!"
”… Right,” Twilight said without letting her hurt show. Twilight had fully expected Cozy to be difficult at first, but that did not make it any easier to see her so angry. But she suspected that the best she could do was to take a page out of Fluttershy's book for reforming villains. She should give Cozy some space to vent and adjust to her new surroundings. This could never have been a quick process. Twilight just had to be patient. "I'll be in my study. Good night, Cozy."
Cozy didn’t answer. She just glared as Twilight shut the door.
Cozy maintained her glare at the door for a few seconds after Twilight was gone. Only when she heard her hoof steps retreating in the corridor did she allow herself to relax.
She swallowed hard and laid down on the rug, doing her best to suppress her tears. She took deep, steadying breaths and kept her eyes closed. She hiccuped once or twice and she was shaking a little, wings drooping. "I've got this. No need to be afraid, I've got everything under control…" she mumbled to herself. "I've got this… I manipulate ponies, I control stuff. It's what I do. I can get out of here. She won't turn me back…" She coughed forth a sob of fear before forcefully shutting her mouth, breathing only through her nose for a while. "She'd never put me back. She will never put me back… I'll just wrap her around my hoof and be on my merry way… Right, you got this, myself."
Cozy opened her eyes again, wishing she could sound a little more confident. She looked uncertainly around her new room.
It was the nicest room she had ever had. Better than the dorm in Twilight's school, and much better than the pile of hay she had in Tartarus. This room was large for a small pony like her. She flapped her wings tentatively and flew a little lap along the wall. It was better than she hoped. She suddenly did not feel quite so afraid. She always felt better when she flew. She landed on the bed and pawed it critically.
She had to hold back a squee of delight when she realized the mattress was made of clouds. She loved clouds, but she had never been strong enough to pull them down for a bed of her own. Checking the door carefully, she decided on her first act of rebellion against her captor. She flapped her wings for extra lift and proceeded to jump on her bed. The neat bedspread lasted only a few moments before it was a tangled mess.
"First this bed, then Twilight," Cozy snickered and jumped again, slamming her hooves as hard as she could on the tangled bedspread, pretending it was Twilight's face. Satisfied with both her bed and her small revenge, she left her bed and went to the telescope. She flew up and studied it from every angle. She had never owned one before. She spun the focusing knob a little bit at random and peered into the eyepiece. She saw the moon. "Guess I should be happy she didn’t send me there," she mumbled. "Then I'd be trapped for a thousand years instead of… of…?"
She did not even know how long she had been trapped. For all she knew it could be a thousand years. She felt her throat thicken up again at the thought. A small, unhappy sound left her throat. She suddenly felt very lost.
She could ask Twilight, but there was no chance she would give her that satisfaction. Cozy Glared at nothing in particular, angry at Twilight, and at her own weakness. She should not be crying; she was a big pony.
Her eyes fell on a small table next to the telescope. "Basic Constellations and Star Reading," she read the title. Her face broke into a grin. "Perfect! I bet I can figure out today's date with help of the stars! I don't need Twilight’s help with anything!"
She lifted the book and looked in the index. "Star calendar! That's gotta be it!" Cozy flipped in the book and found the right chapter. While she did not understand all the trigonometry the book talked about, she did grasp the basics. The book had an index of certain dates when certain constellations were in certain position relative to each other in the night sky. All she had to do was to find a few constellations she could see from her window and look at them every day until it matched the date in her book. Then she would know!
She zipped up to her window and stared up at the night sky. "The Hydra constellation," Cozy said with a smirk. "Perfect." She flew up to her telescope and adjusted it so that it was located directly on the constellation. Now she just had to wait until tomorrow and adjust her telescope to its movement. According to her book, the Hydra would climb higher and higher on the sky and then begin to sink. Once she noticed that change, it would be the first official day of autumn. Cozy’s last day before her banishment had been in early summer, so it should not have been so long. Then, once she had that date, she would compare it to the Seamare constellation to get what year it was. Then again, Twilight looked just as she had when last they met, so Cozy didn't think it would have been many years.
Looking around, she grabbed a small notebook and a light-blue crayon. She took the crayon in her mouth and wrote a tally mark in the book. That way she could know how long she had been in here when she escaped. The day of her freedom from the statue would become a holiday in her new Equestria, she decided.
Cozy smiled proudly. She had got this. Getting out of here was going to be a breeze.
It was going to be so easy, in fact, that she could afford to wait until tomorrow. Cozy was just a filly after all, she could not be up all night. With a yawn, she flitted up to her messy bed and untied the ribbons from her mane and tail. She pulled away the covers and curled up. The bed had been made for an alicorn. For a filly like her, it was virtually endless. She parted a little piece of the cloud mattress with her hooves and settled down in a warm and cozy cloud pit. She ruffled her wings a little to get them comfortable before pulling the cover over her again.
It was a large step up from the pile of hay in Tartarus and Grogar's hideaway. She yawned again and closed her eyes. Before long, she was soundly asleep, dreaming of how she was going to punish Twilight once she was free and on Equestria's throne. A gentle smile graced her face.
A small knock on her door roused her from her sleep. She jumped out of the bed and hovered above it while she tried to remember where she was.
"Cozy? Are you awake? Can I come in?"
Twilight's voice was enough to remind Cozy of what had happened yesterday, as well as sour her mood considerably. "No! I don't want you in my room. Go away!"
"But you must be hungry," Twilight said through the door. "Should I ask the chef to make you some pancakes?"
The question made Cozy Painfully aware that she had not eaten much in a long time. When powered up on alicorn magic she had not even needed food, and since then she had not had a bite to eat. She fought down the clawing sensation of hunger. "No! I'm not hungry!"
She could hear Twilight sigh. "I will make sure they keep a meal warm for you." She heard the sound of hooves retreating before she could even protest.
"I'm not going to eat your food," she told the door. A sly grin crossed her face. "Besides, once I'm out I can eat whatever I want."
She tied up her mane and tail again and drank a little water to deaden the feeling of hunger a little. Thus ready, she sat down in the middle of the room and tried to think of possible avenues for escaping. The balcony was the obvious choice. The glass may be too hard for her to break with her hooves, but Twilight had supplied her with a well-stocked armory of books to use instead. She began pouring over the books, looking for the heaviest one.
It turned out to be something called "Diaries of a Madman". but she decided to use another book instead, namely a certain friendship journal. She contemplated using it for toilet paper, but decided it would be better for it to be the tool that would start Twilight's downfall. Picking up the book, she took flight and then flew as fast as she could before throwing the book straight into the glass pane.
A purple field enveloped the glass sent the heavy book flying right back at her. "Huh?" was all she had time to say before it hit her in the face, knocking her out of her flight and leaving her dazed and hurting on the floor. She fought down the tears and settled for just nursing her hurting muzzle, and her pride. She climbed up on her bed and laid down, staring out the window into the bright, blue sky while waiting for the pain to subside. She subconsciously flapped her wings a little and felt her mood grow less and less confident. Pegasi were not meant to staying indoors at her age. Normally she would be in flight school, spending all day outside. A small rumble sounded from her stomach.
Her forehead still pounded a bit, but she hopped down from the bed and went up to the offending glass pane. She pressed a hoof against it and nothing happened. She tried to hit it, but then the shield appeared. Apparently it only activated against quick strikes.
Cozy bit the inside of her mouth and looked around the room. Maybe if she found something heavy she could try to lean it against the glass. If she was slow then it should not activate the shield, but the weight might still break the glass.
She did not see anything heavy though. The bookcases were all bolted to the wall, and the bed was too sturdy to pick apart and much too heavy to move in one piece.
A knock on her door interrupted her thought process. "Cozy?"
"Leave me alone!" Cozy called back. "I don't want to see you, and I’m not hungry!"
She heard Twilight sigh. "Look, Cozy. You know I can feel when my magic activates, right? Don't bother with the window. If the shield is broken it will trigger a freeze spell in your entire room. You won't escape that way."
Cozy grumbled in annoyance.
"And… you know, if you continue to try and escape, then you leave me no choice."
Cozy felt like somepony had dumped a bucket of ice-cold water over her head. A shiver went along her spine, from her neck all the way out to her tail. She curled up and wrapped her tail around her, trying to control her breathing. Twilight carefully opened the door, but she did not enter.
"Cozy, I don't want to scare you," Twilight said in a mild tone. "Being afraid of me wont make you a better pony. But you must understand I cannot let you escape. Not after what you have done."
Cozy did not answer. Twilight knew she had been trying to escape. If not for her naiveté, then Cozy would be a statue again already. The thought scared her. Twilight had said it herself: this was Cozy's last chance. The statue practically meant death, or at the very least being lost in time for centuries if she ever woke up.
"Can I come in?" Twilight asked.
"No!" Cozy snapped and glared at Twilight. She did not even care that here were small tears in her eyes. "This is my room! Go away!"
"Don't you at least want to eat a little?" Twilight asked. "You must be starving. I can leave the dining room if you want."
She looked down on the carpet. Her stomach was empty and her thoughts felt duller than normal. If escaping was not going to be as easy as she had hoped, then she'd have to eat eventually. A growing foal like her could not plot on an empty stomach. "Well… I suppose if I were to go out of here and find some food, then I wouldn't throw it away," she admitted, every word leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She did not meet Twilight's look.
"And, hypothetically of course, if you found pancakes, what would you hope to find with them? Applesauce? Blueberries?" Twilight asked.
"Maple syrup. And maybe some applesauce," Cozy said silently. Her defeat made her heart feel emptier than her stomach. She heard Twilight leave silently. She waited for a few minutes before she flew up to the door and opened it. She peeked out and looked up and down the corridor. The door to Twilight's study was closed. She flew up to it and pressed her ear against the keyhole.
A faint sound of a pen on paper came from within. Twilight was in her room. Cozy turned away and instead flew to the common room.
On a table for two stood a plate with a stack of pancakes next to jars of Maple syrup, applesauce and fresh berries. There was also a pitcher of milk and one with water. The smell made her mouth salivate. Her stomach rumbled again. Throwing one last glance over her shoulder to make sure Twilight did not come out, she went into the room and shut the door after her.
She flitted up into a chair and took a pancake from the stack. It was still warm. She tilted the jar of maple syrup until she got a nice blot of sugary goodness on her pancake. She spread it with a knife and rolled the pancake up before taking it in her hooves and biting down. "hmmm…"
She could not stop the sound from leaving her throat. After so long without food the sweet, fluffy taste was nothing short of heavenly to her. She took another bite as soon as she had swallowed, wolfing down the treat. She prepared another pancake, this one with applesauce. She suspected Applebloom's sister had a hoof in making it, but she did not care. She just wanted to not feel hungry.
She cleared out the entire stack and licked her plate clean. Looking so Twilight did not spy from the doorway, she even took a few spoonfuls of applesauce directly from the jars and ate them. Right now, the idea of defying Twilight in any way, even if it was just something as small as that, felt like a little victory. She had already lost face by accepting this food. Any act of rebellion, no matter how insignificant it may be in the grand scheme of things, was valuable to her. She had to prove to herself that she had not surrendered yet.
When she was satisfied, she leaned back and took in the room she was in. There were more books here (because of course there were), sofas and comfy chairs to read by and a fireplace. It was not lit. There were no windows here. Casting another glance at the door, Cozy hopped down from her chair and looked up into the chimney. There were heavy metal staves set into the bricks, crossing the chimney space and even then she could not see any sunlight.
Apparently the Heartswarming stories about the gift-givers coming down the chimney to give presents were a bit simplified. She left the fireplace and looked around the room for anything else she could use.
Ten minutes later she sighed and started back to her room. She threw a sullen look at the door into this wing of the castle. She knew it was locked, but decided to try it anyway. It didn't budge. She stood in front of it. She could almost hear her freedom calling from the other side of it. So close, yet so far.
"Maybe I can get the key somehow," Cozy thought. She made an unhappy sound and plodded back to her room. She was not getting out today. She would have to make another tally mark for her calendar after all.
Twilight too was staring at a door. The one to her study. She wanted Cozy to come in and talk to her. She didn't have to ask Twilight to be a better pony, but if Cozy would just acknowledge her, let Twilight talk to her, then she knew she could help her. It was evident that Cozy was still her conniving self, but the defiance she showed was new. While Twilight was not a psychologist, she suspected it was because Cozy knew she was backed into a corner where her usual tricks didn't work. That was enough to rattle anypony, especially a foal. It was hard for Twilight too. With what she was doing to Cozy, she could not claim any moral high ground.
Her intentions were good, and she was doing more for her than Cozy really deserved, but she was still keeping a filly locked up and isolated from other ponies, demanding she'd change her entire lifestyle. It did not sit right with her. It made her antsy and it was only by deadening her mind with work that she managed to stay in her room and not try to talk to Cozy. She had promised her the dining room alone, and breaking such a simple promise would probably ruin any chance she had to ever earn Cozy's trust.
Still, that did not make the promise any easier to fulfill.
Her ears swiveled to catch a small sound. Tiny, slow hoofsteps and a door being closed. She nearly jumped out of her chair and went out in the corridor. She was just about to knock on Cozy's door before she put her hoof down again and shook her head. What could she say?
"How was your food?" "I don't wanna talk with you! Leave me alone!"
"Have you found any books to read?" "Even if I did I wouldn't tell you!"
"Do you want to lay a puzzle together?" "I'd rather be together with Tirek and Chrysalis than you!"
Twilight had never anticipated just how psychologically draining this task was going to be. She wanted so to help Cozy, but Cozy would never let Twilight take the first step! Nor would Cozy herself take the first step, proud and bitter as she was. So what could Twilight do?
What indeed?
Twilight shut her eyes hard and turned away from the door with a pained grimace. She should put Cozy's dishes away, at least.
Twilight did work up enough courage to ask Cozy if she was hungry again in the evening. She opened the door silently and found Cozy on Luna's bed, laying with her head on her hooves and her tail curled around her, just staring with a despondent expression out the window. She looked so small and lonely on the massive bed. For the first time, Twilight felt a twinge of remorse. A foal should not have to look so alone.
"Cozy… Did you want some dinner?"
Cozy jumped in surprise and immediately turned at Twilight with a glare. Any weakness was completely wiped from her face and stance. "No! I'm not hungry."
"I'm sure the chefs would cook anything you wanted," Twilight tried desperately. "And I'll stay in my room when you eat if you want me to."
Cozy felled her ears. "…Okay." It was barely more than a whisper, and she did not look happy when she spoke. "I'd really like an oatburger."
Twilight was so surprised she almost forgot to answer. "Yes! Of course, coming right up. Just a few minutes!" Twilight retreated from the room. She knew this might be Cozy playing her somehow, but even getting her to talk must be considered a start, right? If she could break her isolation, then she at least had something to work with. As long as she felt she could make progress, she could do this. Twilight had never given up on another pony before, and she was not going to start now! She left the castle wing and soon came into the castle kitchens.
"Princess, how can I help you?" Chef Ramson asked when she entered. Behind him stood the only apprentice who had yet to be completely roasted by the chef's searing temper: Thunderlane's little brother Rumble.
"I need an oatburger, as fast as possible," Twilight said.
"So then what are you waiting for, you little tomtit?" Ramson said to Rumble. "The Princess said she wanted her food fast! That means she does not wish to wait for your lazy flank to get moving! Fetch me the oats already! And bring the flour too."
"Yes Chef!" Rumble zipped off towards the pantry, leaving Ramson tapping his hoof impatiently.
A few seconds passed in silence. "I have seen faster things crawling on the bottom of ponds," Ramson sighed and stormed after Rumble, possibly to help him but probably to scold him. Twilight wondered if she should help, but she had to admit something about Ramson scared even her.
Still, no one could deny they were effective together. It was like even the bread was scared of the chef's temper, for it rose within minutes under his searing glare. In the meantime Rumble flash-cooked the burger itself inside a small thundercloud. How he got it to work without burning it to ash Twilight could not even begin to understand, but before fifteen minutes had passed she had an oatburger with hay-fries neatly on a platter.
"Not horrible, tomtit, not horri-" Ramson hesitated, then sighed. "Okay, never mind. It’s actually pretty pathetic."
"Yes Chef!" Rumble said. He even saluted.
"Oh, for buck's sake…" Ramson sighed. "Salute the princess you nitwit!"
"Yes Chef!" Rumble said and saluted Twilight who smiled sheepishly and quickly made her way from the room before Ramson could find something to blame on her.
Once back in her private castle wing, she put the hayburger on the dining table and made a point to stomp harder than necessary on the floor as she passed Cozy's door to let her know it was safe to come out and eat. She hoped Cozy would soon permit Twilight to eat with her. Once they could talk to one another it would only be a matter of time before Cozy saw the wonders of real friendship, she was sure.
Twilight had just lowered the moon(!) and was preparing to settle down for the night when she heard somepony knock on her door. The lower part of her door. She turned to stare at it, half expecting Discord to jump out of it, screaming "Got you!"
The knocking came again. She magicked it open and sure enough, there stood Cozy Glow, looking at the floor with a cloven expression. "Cozy? Come in!" She did, casting glances around her before finally settling on the floor in front of Twilight's desk. She took a couple of breaths like she wanted to begin speaking, but stopped herself at the last moment. She glanced up to Twilight and then away again.
"Thanks for the food," she said finally. "It was really good." She stood up and paced over the floor aimlessly. Her wings twitched on her sides. She was antsy about being here, Twilight could see. A board creaked slightly when she stepped on it.
"Oh? Thanks," Twilight said, unsure why Cozy would bother to come in and say such a thing. "It makes me happy. Did… you want anything else?"
"No… But mommy said you should always say thank you for your food," Cozy said.
"I see," Twilight said. "Do you want to tell me more about her?"
"No!" Cozy snapped and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Twilight blinked in surprise. Cozy's family must be a sore subject for her.
It got Twilight to thinking. Cozy was not old; not even a teen if Twilight had to guess. So how could she have turned into the filly she was? Could it have something to do with her family?
Twilight magicked over a quill and a roll of paper.
Starlight Glimmer.
I recently found myself wondering about Cozy Glow, and I wanted to ask you if you could find her application to the School of Friendship somewhere in the archives. While it might not lead anywhere, I still feel like I should look up if she had any parents or the like. Perhaps they can shed some light over why she became who she was.
Your faithful friend
Twilight Sparkle
PS. I heard there were even more applications to the school for this year than when I led it. Good job!
She would send the letter tomorrow. Normally she would ask Spike, but he was away in the dragonlands with Ember.
While Cozy's room did not have a calendar, it did have a clock. Cozy sat on her bed with the blanket wrapped around her for warmth and stared at time slowly creeping forward. Her eyes stung. Normally she would have been asleep hours ago, but she could not rest now. If she fell asleep then she would miss her chance.
She was getting out of here tonight.
Once she had the door open, she would find the closest window and break it. Then she was going to fly over Canterlot until she came to the train station. Canterlot Station was the railroad hub for the entire Equestrian railroad network, and trains came and went every ten minutes at least. She would sneak onto the roof of a train and ride it until the final stop. There were plenty of frontier settlements where she would not be recognized and where the locals would certainly help a poor lost filly with food and shelter. Wherever it came to be, Cozy would live out her next few years there while the rest of Equestria forgot her.
Twilight would probably try to find her, but Cozy hoped she could avoid her. Twilight could not very well ask to the common pony to look for her. Nopony knew Cozy was free, and if Twilight admitted she was it would make her look like a fool. Cozy may only be a filly, but she had a better grasp on how power dynamics worked than most ponies. She knew that Twilight, the new Princess and successor of a millennia-old diarchy could not afford such a political blunder early into her governance.
There were risks to Cozy's plan, but she was no stranger to risks. And she could not stay here.
The clock hands moved. It was now two A.M, later than Cozy had ever been up before. She cast off her blanket and crept up to her door. She put her ear to it but did not hear anything. She carefully pushed it open. It didn't make a sound. She licked her lips and peered up and down the corridor.
It was calm and dark. Silent as one can be with hooves on stone, Cozy made her way to Twilight's study. She listened again.
It was hard to hear, but she could just make out the soft breaths of a sleeping pony. Cozy nodded and steeled herself. After this there would be no turning back. She flew up and opened the door carefully.
The room was brighter than out in the corridor. Much of the window was blocked by books, but it still let in plenty of moonlight. She heard Twilight's soft breaths clearer now and could even see her sides rise and fall under the blankets on the bed. Cozy looked away and instead set her eyes on the prize. On her bedside table, exactly where she saw them before: the keys to the castle wing. If she could only get them, she could get out.
She carefully stepped towards the sleeping Twilight, one hoof at a time, slow as can be as to not make a sound on the hardwood floor. She did not want to fly; she was still too inexperienced to be certain she would not bump into anything in this strange half-light, and Twilight's bedside table was lined with stacks of books. One little errant flutter might send everything tumbling down. Swallowing, she made her way to the carpet by her desk and could breathe a sigh of relief. Now she could cross the rest of the room on the carpet and just need a few more steps before she had the keys.
But those steps would be the most dangerous; they would be just next to Twilight, no more than a few hooves from her ear. She looked at the floor and carefully stepped over the one plank that had creaked before. Her hoof steps came slow on the hardwood, sounding deafeningly loud to her. Twilight was so close she could touch her. She had fallen asleep on this side of the bed with her face outwards. Cozy looked away from her and to her prize.
There were two keys sitting in a ring. One went to the castle wing, and the other to the storage where Twilight kept the statue. The ring hung over the edge of the bedside table. She just needed a few more steps and she could grab it.
Her heartbeat sounded like a thundering drum. Her wings were tense and extended. It was a pegasus trait: if she was scared then her wings prepared to fly her to safety. Her legs were shaking. Her ears standing right up and listening keenly for any and all sounds. She moved her hooves the last two steps.
The bedside table was too high. It was perfect for a grown pony, but for a foal like her it was too high for her to grab the keys from, even when balancing on two legs. Cozy bit the inside of her mouth, trying to calm her racing heart.
She would have to fly.
With jerky, uncontrolled motions she flitted her wings. It was silent, but she dared not fly subconsciously like she usually did. She actively had to think of her wings, and she was wobbly, unstable in the air. She lifted painfully slowly, her eyes on Twilight's peaceful face. She was close enough to feel the warmth of her breaths!
Her heart felt like it was trying to break through her ribcage. She licked her lips and reached her mouth forward to grab the keyring. Inching closer, wobbling and slanting in her flight, tears of stress matting her cheeks, she felt the cold metal ring on her tongue. Flying just a little closer, she closed her mouth around it. A light clink sounded as she lifted them.
Twilight stirred.
Cozy froze up in fear and fell a little distance to the floor. Her hooves sounded like the thunder going off and the keys jingled like a tambourine. She looked around for a place to hide, but the only place close was underneath the bed. But Twilight's books were in the way! She had no place to hide and she had the keys in her mouth.
Twilight mumbled something and rolled over to the other end of the bed, fast asleep. Cozy kept her eyes shut hard and sent prayer after prayer to Celestia. She was fully aware of the irony in that, but it was something she had been taught already in the cradle: if you are afraid and alone, the princesses will always listen.
Cozy Glow was very afraid right now.
She did not know how long she stood there. She wanted to move, but her legs refused to listen to her brain. She stood stunned on the floor just next to the pony she feared the most. She clamped her mouth shut around the keyring and forced herself to breathe slowly through her nose. Eventually, her heartbeat did no longer hurt in her chest. She scampered off the floor and onto the carpet where she collapsed, shaking and heaving with quiet sobs that she dared not truly voice. Her legs were shaking like she had a fever and her teeth hurt from biting down so hard on the keyring.
She must have lain there for minutes before she regained some control over herself. She pushed herself up on unsteady hooves. She had the key. The worst part was over.
Who!?
She nearly jumped out of her skin. She let out an involuntary shriek and whirled around to the corner where the ghastly sound had come from. Two hellish, gleaming eyes glared in the darkness. Below them sat a razor-like beak. Cozy shrank back and stared. Was this some defense system? Were those eyes going to petrify her here and now? She had heard there were animals in the Everfree forest who could turn a pony to stone with a mere gaze.
"Who?"
It sounded less terrifying now. More like a greeting of sorts. Only then did Cozy realize that it was an owl. Who even has an owl for a pet? What's wrong with a kitten or something? "Dumb owl," Cozy muttered to herself and started creeping towards the door.
"Who! Who!" The owl flapped around in the cage an even grabbed the grate with its beak, shaking it with a clatter.
"Be quiet!" Cozy Glow hissed. "You'll wake her up!"
"WHO-HO! WHO!"
Twilight groaned from her bed.
A chill went through Cozy. The owl was going to wake Twilight! She was going to be seen! The stress finally broke through her flimsy veil of control. She turned bolted for the door, any idea of stealth forgotten. Her hoofsteps were nearly drowned out by the owl's racket anyway. She did not even care that she was fully crying as she ran. All she knew was that she needed to get out before Twilight caught her.
She struck open the door to the study and ran down the hallway as fast as her legs would carry her. The door to freedom was just ahead! She flapped her wings to get up to the keyhole, nearly dropped the key as she spat it out into her shaking hooves and jammed it into the lock. She threw a panicked glance backwards. She almost thought she could see Twilight through the open bedroom door. She grabbed the key and twisted it. Or tried to. It didn't fit!
"Come on!" Cozy weeped and struggled with the key. Sobs broke forth in her throat. She could taste the salt of her tears. "Come on!" she screamed in a desperate plea. She struck the door in powerlessness, but it didn't budge. She pulled out the key and stared around her. She had to hide! Now!
But there were no places to hide. The corridor was barren!
She saw somepony move inside Twilight’s room. Cozy dashed for the closest door. Her own room was just by Twilight's so the closest room was the common room. It took all her willpower not to shut the door behind her. That would give her away instantly. She looked around the room, eyes wide and terrified, for any hiding spot.
Her eyes fell on the fireplace.
She heard hoofsteps in the corridor. She ran towards the fireplace as if somepony had struck her, pausing only a moment to put the keys on the dinner table. Maybe maybe maybe Twilight could think she had forgotten them there somehow, and Cozy might not be… killed. The final word made her cough out a cry again and she wriggled into the fireplace and hopped up to grab onto the horizontal iron bars that hung inside the chimney. She could just barely fit the tip of her hooves around it, but her wings were constrained in the tight space. She could not fly.
She heard the door open and quickly pulled her hind legs close, praying that Twilight could not see her.
Her heart beat so hard it hurt, she had to bite into her lip to prevent her from crying. The salt from her tears mixed with a metallic tang of blood, but she only bit down ever harder. Her hooves were already in pain from supporting her entire weight in such an unnatural fashion. She heard the clink as they keys were lifted. "So that's where you are…" Twilight said.
Cozy had to stifle a cry. Twilight was still looking for something else, and there was only one thing it could be. A mad though flitted through her mind, that maybe she should give herself up. Twilight had the key, and the next time she saw Cozy, she was going to petrify her. She had no chance of getting out now.
Should she just give up and face her end with dignity?
By instinct she just curled up even harder around herself in the chimney. She was afraid. Too afraid to even move. She just clung to the thinnest of thin hopes that maybe, by some heavenly miracle, she might still survive. Her precarious grip began to slip. Twilight was still out there. Perhaps she had already found Cozy and was just tormenting her by waiting to see how long she could struggle? Hooves were not meant to hold around a blank iron bar. Her shoulders hurt. Her hooves hurt and slipped slowly on the metal.
"She'll show up eventually, I suppose," she heard Twilight say. She did not sound as sinister as Cozy would expect. But then again, she did not need to. Cozy was still trapped like a rat in a maze; sooner or later Twilight would find her. Still, Cozy's heart soared in her chest when she heard hoofsteps recede. The moment the door shut, her hooves slipped and she fell down in the fireplace. Thankfully the castle was newly rebuilt and had never seen a winter, so the fireplace was still unused.
Cozy peeked out from behind the firewood and carefully crept forward out in the room. She came to a halt in front of the chair she had eaten by before.
Her legs were still shaking from exhaustion and adrenaline and her face was still damp from tears, but she felt strangely empty. She had gambled everything on this escape and lost, and now she was in danger. If Twilight wanted to trap her in stone again nopony could stop her, least of all a pegasus filly.
There was only one thing she could do: weep and beg and pray for mercy. Even in her disheveled state the mere thought of it made Cozy cringe, but she had no other choice.
It was either humiliation or eternal imprisonment in stone. And with that choice she would rather be humiliated. She knew both Chrysalis and Tirek would have seen it differently, but Cozy was not them. She was not brave like they would have been.
She started back to her room, creeping with her head down and jumping at every shadow. She managed a choppy breath of relief when she closed the door behind her and burrowed under the blanket. So far, Twilight had respected this place as Cozy's sanctuary, so if there was any place she would be a little safer, then it would be here. It was a flimsy protection, Cozy was all too aware of, but it was better than nothing at all.
She curled up and eventually fell into a restless sleep, exhausted from the psychological strain of her nightly adventure.
Twilight went back into her study with the keys in her magic. She supposed she could be thankful that she had foreseen something like this and made sure the keys only worked if she held them, but she still could not feel happy about this at all. She just felt tired. Tired and lost for what she should do now. She stepped into her study and put the keys back on the bedside table. She glanced at the bed but gave up the idea of sleeping. She needed a plan for tomorrow first.
"Who?"
"Yes, Owlowiscious," Twilight said and opened the cage to pet the owl. "You did good. Thank you."
"Who-who!" Owlowiscious replied happily. He saluted her with a wing as Twilight closed the cage with a small snicker. Then she sat down behind her desk and stared at noting in particular.
Princess Twilight knew what she had to do. She had promised Cozy Glow one more chance, and Cozy had replied by trying to break free and threaten Equestria again. She had not showed any regret, nor had she tried to change her ways. She was still a threat. Cozy had squandered her second chance, and the statue was her just punishment. She had known the consequences of rebellion but she had decided to go through with it nonetheless. Princess Twilight knew all this.
Twilight Sparkle, the kindhearted, wholesome pony, however, did not know what to do. She did not want to put Cozy back. It was one thing to, in the heat of battle, with her own and all her friends' lives on the line, unleash the power of her friendship to vanquish those who would threaten… everything she held dear. It was another thing entirely to march into a little filly's room and freeze her in cold stone, probably forever. It felt uncomfortably much like ancient history, when the unicorn kings of old personally executed criminals as to learn not to shy away from bloodshed. Would Twilight really have the stomach to execute her own judgement? Could she look at a terrified filly and trap her in stone?
Of course, in theory, she could delegate the uncomfortable task to someone else. She suspected Discord would not mind. But that route scared her even more. If she did not associate with all parts of her duty as princess, then how could she trust herself to make just rulings? If she would hide from the consequences of her actions, what right did she have to govern? No, she would be the one to swing the proverbial sword, she or nopony at all.
For Equestria's sake she had to contain Cozy.
But for her own heart's sake she could not do that to her, even if Cozy deserved it. Not like this.
Twilight sighed. She wanted to be a strong princess, like Celestia had been for so many years. She wanted to be able to make the hard calls. She wanted ponies to respect her fairness and her resolve as much as they respected her kindness and mildness. But more than that, she wanted to be a good pony and a friend to all her subjects; especially those who had wronged her or Equestria. Anypony could be a friend to those who were kind to her, but only a truly good pony could befriend an enemy. She wanted to befriend Cozy and trust her. It was what she should do, as Princess of Friendship. But how could she trust Cozy after all she had done? After tonight? ”I need help,” she admitted to herself.
"Who?"
"Rarity," Twilight said. "I need to visit Rarity." Twilight yawned. Her mind felt a lot lighter now that she had some idea of what to do, even if it was just to ask for help. But that was nothing new. Her road to become a Princess had never been a lonely one, and her journey as Princess was not meant to be a lonely one either. Her friends would always be ready to offer their honest advice, she knew. Even in this bleak hour, that thought offered her comfort.
"Cooozy Glow~!" Twilight shouted with a sing-song voice. "Come out and let me kill you~!"
Cozy tried to stifle her tears, but the thundering hoofsteps were closing in. She was in a corridor, far from any hiding spots. She ran, of course, but it didn't feel like she was moving. It did not make sense. Her wings were too tired to fly anymore and her short legs were running faster than ever but… the corridor did not seem to move. "Peekaboo~! I found you~!" Cozy threw a terrified look over her shoulder.
Twilight looked larger than a building. She reached up to the sky, great wings stretching over the entire horizon. Her strides were slow and measured, regal in every sense. On her lips played a sweet little smile, like that a mother might give a lost daughter. But her eyes were filled with demented glee. "Stop running, Cozy. I'm just going to kill you. Won't that be fun?"
"Leave me alone! Get away from me!" Cozy shrieked and ran faster than she ever thought she could. Twilight just giggled softly behind her. Her steps were so slow, so dainty, but she still gained on the frantic filly. It was like Cozy was stuck in quicksand.
"There we go~" Twilight plucked her up with her magic. "Don't be afraid. It will just hurt for a little while…" Twilight said and slowly lifted Cozy towards her gargantuan mouth.
"No! NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Cozy screamed and thrashed uselessly in her magical grip. Twilight just giggled again and opened her mouth to eat her. "MOMMY!" Cozy shrieked a last desperate plea before Twilight's jaws snapped shut around her, plunging her in darkness.
She shot up as if launched from a cannon, screaming out in terror and staring around her.
She was in her bed, flying just above it. The moon was still outside her window. "Just a dream… a nightmare," she thought. "T-Twilight wouldn't kill me," she forced herself to say. "She is the Princess of Friendship. She wouldn't… not even me. I just got to… beg… and she won't. I can play her too, I did it before, right? I can do it again." She stopped flying and sat down on her bed. She felt like she was going to throw up. The silence in her room was deafening. She sniveled slightly and looked around for something, anything to distract her with.
She found nothing. Moaning like a wounded animal, she sat and held her head in her hooves. She could not handle being alone. When she was afraid, everything in her told her to find others to protect her. It was a common reaction to young ponies, and even more so for a pony with a penchant for manipulation. Isolation was torture to Cozy. If she had nopony around to manipulate, then her entire mindset began to break down. She needed interaction with ponies, but now the only pony who could possibly interact with her might also kill her.
Her cutie mark screamed at her to wake up Twilight, just to have somepony, anypony around.
Her crippling fear told her to stay away from Twilight at all costs.
And so, she was left sitting on the bed as her mind began to unravel. There would be no rest for her tonight.
Twilight awoke early the next morning, more than an hour before the sun was set to rise. She glanced at the bedside table and saw the keys were still there. Good. She rose and stretched her wings before leaving the study. Cozy's door was still closed, just like it was the night before. She tiptoed past it as to not disturb if Cozy was still sleeping. She quietly unlocked the door to her castle wing and stepped out. She would visit Rarity soon, but first she needed to eat something.
Luckily Rumble was already in the kitchen, flying about and making sure everything was in its right place. "Oh, good morning, Princess," he said when she entered. "Do you want pancakes today too?"
She really wanted pancakes, but on the other hand she did not want to eat that much sugar every morning. It would have to be taken in moderation. Just once per week. Or maybe two. Three days at the most. Certainly no more than four.
"Just some sandwiches for me, and a few…" Twilight hesitated. Nopony knew there was another pony living with her. "Ehm, a few pancakes would be nice… no more than five, and some sandwiches, please."
"Sure thing, Princess," Rumble saluted. "Uh… think you could just wait outside when I cook. You know… having an alicorn watching…"
"Oh, sure," Twilight said, trying not to sound to annoyed by the request. It was not Rumble's fault the rest of Equestria saw alicorns as goddesses.
"It will just be a few minutes! I will hurry as much as I can!"
Indeed, just a few minutes later, she had her sandwiches on one plate and Cozy's pancakes on another, with a generous selection of toppings to go with. Twilight may have taste-tested some of the chocolate-dipped berries. She thanked Rumble and went back up to her wing. She stepped into the common room and ate her sandwiches quickly. She left the pancakes for Cozy.
Standing up from her breakfast, she went and fetched the letter to Starlight. Then she took a deep breath, ignited her horn and felt the fabric of reality rip around her as she left her castle in Canterlot and instead emerged in her castle in Ponyville with the loud sound that signified teleportation.
There were not many ponies out at this early hour, but the few who were all stopped to wave at her. She was thankful the ponies here did not insist on kissing her hooves or bow an obscene amount of times before opening their mouths to speak.
She may have been born and raised in Canterlot, and now the capital was where she lived again, but her home would always be in Ponyville, she knew.
She arrived at Carousel Boutique and knocked on the door. Rarity tended to be an early riser, so she hoped she was awake.
She was, but there was a minuscule frown on her face when she opened, though it vanished the moment she saw who it was. "Oh, Twilight! How wonderful to see you so soon again! Please come in! I just started on some tea water. Can I offer you a cup?"
"That would be nice, Rarity," Twilight said and stepped into the familiar space. She only now realized that it was a few months since she visited Carousel Boutique. The place looked even better than normal. The fabrics a little bit brighter, the ponequins a little newer and more numerous. It looked like Rarity was doing better than ever before thanks to her coronation dress. Twilight was happy about that.
She did not have the time to look for very long though, as Rarity brought her into the kitchen. An empty teacup stood in front of her and a pan of water was simmering on the stove. Rarity quickly measured up another cup and poured it to boil with the rest of the water. "Now, while we wait for that, why don't you tell me to what I owe the honor?" Rarity said and sat down by the table.
"I'm sure you have an idea yourself," Twilight said.
"Guilty as charged, my dear," Rarity said. "But I suppose none of us… except for maybe my sister, expected it to be easy to get to Cozy Glow."
"No, I suppose not," Twilight sighed.
"But don't despair, my good friend. I'm sure I can be of help," Rarity said encouragingly. "Tell me what's happened."
Rumble managed to duck just in time for the large butcher's cleaver not to lop his head off. Ramson yanked it out of the wall with his fire-red magic. "…so therefore, tomtit, you are going to get those pancakes back," he said menacingly. "Then, you are going to remake them and not forget the eggs, or I will serve you as a stuffed turkey come heartwarming eve. Because the Princess needs nutritious, healthy and tasty food. Food that does not have any mistakes. And certainly not foods that is missing ingredients! Do I make myself clear?"
"YES CHEF!" Rumble squeaked and darted out of the kitchen. He rushed up the stairs to Twilight's private wing. He was not entirely sure how to get in; apparently Twilight kept it locked, but he did not feel like explaining that to Ramson. In fact, he would rather try to break in than go back without the faulty pancakes.
He came up to the wooden door and stared at it for a moment. Then he sighed and knocked on it. "Hello? Princess?"
The door remained shut and locked. He briefly wondered why the Princess of Friendship would keep the door to her office locked, but he supposed she must have some immortal god-queen reason that mere mortals like him were not meant to understand.
But unless he got in, his mortality was soon going to be a much more pressing issue than he would like. He knocked again. "Hello! Princess Twilight! It's me, Rumble!"
A far off sound caught Cozy's hear. Knocks on the door to the castle wing. Red-eyed, empty from crying and exhausted from lack of sleep, she slowly, carefully left the room, like a mouse peeking out of its den. The knocks still came. Whoever it was must really want to get in. But that did not matter. All that mattered was that there was another pony out there. A pony who she could talk to. A pony who could save her from the crushing isolation.
She scooted up by the door. "Hello?" she said, proud that her voice carried at all, even if it was thicker than normal.
"Hello!? Hey, wait. You're not Twilight. What are you doing in there?"
It did not sound like an adult voice. If Cozy had to guess she would say it was an adolescent colt, for it was definitely masculine. "I live here, I suppose," Cozy said.
Silence.
"Uh… Ooooaky," the colt said uncertainly. "Do you think you could find Twilight? I need my pancakes back."
"No!" Cozy shouted, the very name sparking fear in her. "I… don't think she is here."
"Oh…" the colt said morosely. "Uh… there is no way you can get them out for me, right? I think the chef might kill me if I don't get them…"
Cozy smiled listlessly. "Golly, if I could get out of here, believe me I would."
"If I could lock myself in somewhere, believe me I would," the colt quipped.
Despite herself, Cozy managed a little smile. Other ponies made everything better. "Hey, what's your name?"
"Rumble, apprentice castle chef. You?"
"I'm…" Cozy thought for a moment. She likely should not say her real name. She suspected she might not be very well liked to the common pony. "I'm Sheltered Light," she said.
"Why do you live with the princess?"
"I'm… her daughter," Cozy improvised. "Twilight was a unicorn once, you know? Got a little wild during her younger days and… well, here I am. She keeps me a secret."
"Holy Celestia," Rumble answered. "I never imagined…"
"I can see why…" Cozy thought. She was surprised this "Rumble" had bought that story at all, but he probably did not know Twilight very well. "Rumble… can I tell you something?"
"Sure?"
"I'm… I'm really scared." She hated showing weakness, but she needed to talk about it. It was not like Rumble could see her anyway. "I think… Twilight is going to hurt me. She never wanted me here… and I really angered her last night. When she comes back…" She drew a shuddering breath, trying to keep her tears in check. It felt good to talk to somepony, but she was still scared of what Twilight would do to her.
She heard Rumble stutter in shock. "But- She is a Princess! She'd never do that to another pony! The princesses are kind!"
Cozy shook her head, then she remembered Rumble could not see her. "Not to me. She tells me I must change who I am, else she will hurt me. She is not kind. Not when nopony is watching."
"Of course I am." Rumble also sounded surprised by that question. "I can't imagine my bro treating me like that. Of course I'm sorry for you."
"Oh…" Cozy said. Nopony had ever been sorry for her before, even if Rumble did not know her real name. Would it have mattered? Would he still be sorry for her if he knew he was talking to Cozy Glow?
She did not know.
"-But she just wanted to pace out my room! She tried to escape again that night and would have succeeded too if I hadn't been extra careful," Twilight finished recounting what little interaction she and Cozy had shared. "And now I have no idea what is the right thing to do. She's resourceful and hellbent on escaping! What if she does get out! Nopony is going to respect a princess who lets one of Equestria's most dangerous criminals escape within a month! But I don't want to put her to stone either! She is a filly for Celestia's sake! I can't just give up on her!”
Twilight put her head in her hooves and gave an exasperated moan. Then she silenced.
"Feeling better, dear?" Rarity asked and took a sip of her tea. She had listened to Twilight's rant with all the grace and poise one had come to expect from Rarity.
Twilight sighed and looked up. "Yes. Thanks."
"Think nothing of it. Now, I suppose you would like to hear my thoughts on the matter?"
"I'd like that very much."
"And I will happily oblige. However, please keep in mind that I am no princess or a lawyer-historian. I do not know how these things have been handled by Celestia in the past. All I can give is my honest opinion as a common pony and your friend."
"I trust that opinion more than anything else," Twilight said.
"Well, from what I have learned as a big sister, I believe the best way to get Cozy to trust you is to trust her." Rarity held up a hoof to stop Twilight's objection. "I know, I know, she does not deserve to be trusted. All I know is that when Sweetie Belle un-sistered me that one time, the remedy was to show her that I wanted to make up and try again. Show her. I did not tell her or ask her; I showed that I wanted to try again on her terms. Even if it took hiding in a pit of mud. She needed to see I was willing to do what she wanted, even if I did not want it, for her sake.”
"So you suggest that I should just… let her out?" Twilight asked dubiously. "I won't do that, Rarity. She is too dangerous."
"Perhaps you can at least let her out with a tracking spell or something?" Rarity suggested. "All I'm saying is I don't think just waiting for her to come around is going to work. She is proud and bitter. Most likely she knows you do not trust her, and that you can petrify her again whenever you wish. Sorry to say, darling, but her incentive to work with you to reform is…"
"Zero," Twilight filled in. She suddenly felt very foolish. Why exactly would Cozy want to be a better pony for Twilight's sake? All Twilight had done was keeping her locked up under threat of petrification if she did not better herself, but at the same time she demanded change would come from inside Cozy herself.
Rarity nodded. "You'll catch more bees with honey, dear. But no need to be hasty. If you cannot get close to Cozy, perhaps somepony else can? After all, even though Sweetie Belle is my sister, I dare say her Crusader friends are just as close to her as I am. And Cozy did have friends once… perhaps they know how to get close to her."
"Do you want Sweetie Belle to talk to Cozy?" Twilight asked.
Rarity nodded. "She is most excited to see her again. I think it could be a good thing for the both of them to meet. That's where I would start."
"You are probably right, Rarity. At least she has no reason to hate Sweetie Belle... And I can't petrify her again. Ever again. As long as she thinks I will, she can never see me for a friend."
Rarity smiled. "Celestia, Luna and Discord did not see that possibility; they saw only an enemy in Cozy. I'm glad there is somepony who would give her a second chance, even though she might not deserve it."
"Thank you, Rarity. It means much to me that you say that." Twilight said. She nodded resolutely. "Think you could bring Sweetie Belle to Canterlot tomorrow?"
"Not today?" Rarity asked. "I thought you would take her there now."
"I need some time alone with Cozy," Twilight said. "I need to talk to her… and I need to apologize. Poor thing must have been terrified if she thought I would trap her again after trying to steal my key," Twilight cringed. "What was I thinking, doing that to a foal?"
"Don't be too hard on yourself, Twilight," Rarity said. "I imagine you are still trying to figure out your new role as well, no?"
"You have no idea…" Twilight said. "I want to be like Celestia… always knowing what to do, always one step ahead…"
Rarity actually giggled a little. "Twilight, don't you see that by freeing Cozy you are already doing what Celestia did not? And what you are doing for Cozy is better than what she did?"
Twilight looked at Rarity, but her mind had ground to a screeching halt. That she, Twilight Sparkle, had done something better than Celestia was an outlandish thought. Celestia was perfect. The greatest pony who had ever lived. Twilight knew that, but she still could not find any flaw in Rarity's reasoning. It was like a paradox.
"While I never got to know the Princess on a personal level like you did," Rarity mused, "I do not think she picked you as her successor because you would carry on being her. Celestia did good for her time, but the times are changing. Celestia saw that, and picked the pony who brought about those changes to take her place. Like you said, she was always one step ahead, and her picking you to succeed her was not an exception. She made you princess because she wanted you as a princess, not because she wanted another her. Don't sell yourself short."
"I…" Twilight said lamely. She had had the same thoughts for a while. She knew Celestia would want Twilight to be Twilight, but Rarity had put those thoughts into such simple statements that it suddenly felt much clearer.
Rarity drained the last of her tea. "I dare say you are already taking the first steps to make Equestria your own, rather than Celestia's.” She put a hoof on Twilight's. "I, for one, can't wait to see how your Equestria turns out."
"Now, look Tomtit. When I made you my apprentice I did not do it so you could run around all day. You have a job to do, so you are going to come with me, intact or in pieces, and do that job."
"CHEF!" Rumble's voice was suddenly several octaves higher. "I couldn't get the Pancakes-"
"I literally could not care any less," the other voice said tiredly. "Come with me."
"AHHH! My ear! Stop, I can walk on my own!" Cozy heard Rumble being dragged away over the floor.
Cozy sat still behind her door, deep in thought.
This "Rumble" was sorry for her?
Why would he say that? He knew she was stuck in this tower; Cozy had nothing Rumble could want. So why would he say that? What could he gain by cheering her up? Did he just want to curry the favor of Twilight's daughter?
Or... was it possible he did not want Cozy for anything at all? That he simply wanted her to feel better? Could such a thing be possible?
Back in Canterlot, Twilight never thought she would be nervous about entering her own wing in her own castle. But she was. Inside was a foal, a young, misguided foal who Twilight had wronged beyond words. Twilight knew she was not flawless; she had made plenty of mistakes in her life. Her late friendship report caused a city-wide stampede. Her walking away from Moondancer's party had costed one of her oldest friends years of her life that she would never get back.
But none of those mistakes were nearly as bad as what she had put Cozy through. She could not help but to feel ashamed for what she had done. What princess threatens a foal like Twilight had done? What pony does that?
But she could not despair. She could not change the past, but she could make the future better. She opened the door.
"Cozy?" Twilight called.
She heard a shuddering breath and looked down. Cozy sat on the floor just in front of her. She stared straight ahead, shaking. Her breath was quick and stressed. Twilight felt nauseous. "Cozy, have… have you been sitting there all day?"
Cozy nodded. She seemed strangely nonchalant about it. Like she had just stopped caring altogether.
"Haven't you even eaten?"
"Stone does not get hungry," she peeped in a threadbare voice.
Twilight felt like she was going to throw up. "No… No, Cozy…" She took breath to calm down. "Cozy, I'm… words cannot describe how sorry I am. I didn't realize how it must have felt for you to be awaken just to be threatened to be locked in again. What I have done to you was… simply disgusting, and I am ashamed of myself. Nopony should treat a foal like that and I'm… I'm so very sorry."
Cozy shifted to look at Twilight. She still looked strangely tired. The shakes were still there. "I promise you, Cozy, that you will never go back to the statue. You have my word as Princess… and for as little as it must mean to you right now, my word as a friend. I will never give up on you, Cozy. I owe you better than that after all I've done."
"Are… are you not going to… to put me back now then?" Cozy mumbled.
"Never Cozy. Never," Twilight repeated.
Cozy managed a cross between a sigh and a sob as she finally broke down crying.
"Cozy!" Twilight took a step towards her and made a move to put a wing around the crying filly, but she was swatted away.
"Leave me in peace!" Cozy shouted and backed away. "I don't want… I hate you!" She fled into her room, ears felled and small wings twitching on her back.
"Cozy!" Twilight shouted after her. But she had nothing more she could say. Cozy's reaction was entirely justified, and it was naïve to think she would be willing to like Twilight because she had promised not to put her back to stone. Most likely Cozy did not even believe her.
Twilight swallowed down her hurt. She had promised never to give up on Cozy, and she was not going to. It would just have to take what time it needed. She slowly went up to Cozy's closed door and sat down outside it.
"Cozy, I know you can hear me. I am going to go down to the kitchen to get you some food. I'll enchant it so it stays warm and leave it outside your room, so you can eat it in there if you want. Tomorrow… I will leave in the early morning. You can come out then if you want. I promise not to be here for the entire day."
She did not get an answer, but she did not expect one either. She stood up and left to find something for Cozy to eat. She still did not know much of what Cozy liked, so it would have to be another oat burger for tonight. And some ice cream. Every foal liked ice cream, and Cozy deserved something to smile about after such a day.
She had somehow ended up even further from Cozy's trust and friendship than when she started. If she had only confronted Cozy about her failed attempt to escape this morning and calmed her fears then, things could probably have been much better. But Cozy was smart. She would understand that if Twilight needed time to plot her course of action, it was because she had alternatives to consider. Leaving her in fear while debating the course of action had not only scared her, but also confirmed for Cozy that Twilight must have considered petrification.
Of course, one could argue that Cozy was not blameless either. She had attempted an escape after all, which meant she was still a threat to Equestria. But Twilight had anticipated that, and the fact that Cozy had failed spoke of how well she had prepared for it. Cozy was still a hardened villain, and her trying to escape was natural; it was just something that had to be overcome. It still did not excuse Twilight's treatment her. How could Cozy ever be better if Twilight would not be good herself?
This was going to take time. The way she had scared and angered Cozy had left its mark.
But if there was one thing Twilight had, then it was time. And tomorrow, she was going to start chipping away at the filly's dislike. She even had a secret weapon to do it with.
The one pony who had always believed Cozy Glow could change.
The next morning, Cozy reluctantly picked up her crayon and made another tally mark for her calendar, bringing it up to three marks. She had only been here four nights and three days, but it felt much longer than that. Especially yesterday. Even if Rumble had kept her company for some time, it had still worn on her to be so alone. And, though the thought was dismal to think, she imagined those days would be her life for a time. She was not going to talk to Twilight, and nopony else even knew she existed, aside from this Rumble colt. She hoped he would come up to her some time. Isolation was not only depressing, but dangerous for her too in the long run. She had yet to figure out a real solution, even if she had played around with the idea of sending letters from her balcony doors. The gap between the floor and the doors was wide enough for a paper, but she did not know what to write or how to get any answers back.
She shook her head and took to solving a much more pressing matter: she was a growing filly who had not eaten for nearly a whole day. She was starving, and she was almost certain Twilight would keep her promise and leave her alone. It should be safe to come out.
After ensuring the coast was clear, she made her way to the common room. Apparently there were no pancakes today, but two large, luxurious sandwiches with cheese and many kinds of lettuce with a glass of freshly pressed orange juice. Also a bowl of ice cream. Cozy silently approved, even if she would never admit thankfulness to Twilight. She finished her food in short order and went for a shower. Since she never got out she was not really dirty, but it still felt good to brush her coat and pamper her mane and tail. Her many curls were prone to tangling and then it was impossible to save. She had learned that the hard way.
She had also learned that ponies listened much better if one looked neat and tidy, so Cozy Glow took great care of her appearance for a filly her age. That, and it gave her something to do to keep boredom and loneliness away.
"There we go… just like mommy said," Cozy mumbled around the handle of her brush as she finally coaxed a few tangled hairs out of her tail.
A shy type of knock hit her ears. For a moment she was afraid it was Twilight, but the knock sounded too meek for that… and too low on the door. Twilight was a rather tall pony; she would not knock so close to the floor. Confused, Cozy tied her ribbons back into her mane and tail and went to open. Somepony to talk too would be welcome, if it was not Twilight.
On the other side of the door stood one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Cozy recalled her name being "Sweet"-something. Sweet Song or Sweet Sound or something like that.
"Hi Cozy!" the filly said. "Rarity said I could come visit today. You remember me, right?"
"Yea, you helped me learn about friendship for Twilight's school," Cozy said, still trying to figure out what this filly was doing here. "Sweet… something?" Cozy cursed her forgetfulness; nopony would like her if she forgot their names.
"Sweetie Belle," Sweetie Belle said. "I thought you could use some company. It can't be too much fun sitting up here alone all day, even if Twilight is around."
Cozy did not comment on the last part. "No, it isn't," she threw a quick, longing glance at the sky through her window. "Not at all…"
The two were silent for a few moments. "Soo… can I come in, or…?" Sweetie Belle asked uncertainly.
"Oh, golly yes! Sorry," Cozy said as she realized that Sweetie Belle had not just come to say hi, but apparently intended to spend some time with her. She moved out of the way and let Sweetie Belle in. Cozy noted her two saddlebags. They did not seem empty.
"Cool! I wish I got to have this nice a room!" Sweetie belle looked around at the bookcases and especially at the telescope. She went up to it. "Do you mind?"
Cozy did not know what Sweetie Belle imagined seeing in the middle of the day, but she had no reason to refuse. "No, go ahead. Just don’t move it too much."
Sweetie Belle nodded and peered through the eye piece. "This one is much better than my dad's."
"It was there when I got here," Cozy said. "Twilight said this used to be Luna's old room. Maybe it was hers."
"So cool!" Sweetie Belle said. Then she hesitated as if she just thought of something. "Hey, wait. Does that mean you get to sleep in Luna's old bed?"
Cozy nodded.
The white filly gave a fangirl-esque squee. "Oh my gosh! A Princess's bed! It must be the softest one ever! Can I try!? Pretty please!"
"You really think it’s that special?" Cozy asked. "Sure, I suppose."
Sweetie Belle removed her saddlebags and jumped onto the bed.
Then she disappeared with an audible "Clonk!"
"Ouch! What gives?" she asked, her voice somewhat muffled from inside Cozy's cloud mattress.
"Oops, sorry," Cozy said. "I forgot you can't walk on clouds."
Sweetie Belle dashed from the cloud with flailing hooves, shredding Cozy's mattress in the process. She was shivering slightly. "Nopony told me clouds were so cold. How do you pegasi sleep on that?"
"They’re not cold to us," Cozy explained. "We've got thicker coats. How else did you think we could make snowstorms in winter?"
"Huh, I never thought of that." Cozy felt a little odd when Sweetie Belle looked carefully at her coat. She was not used to ponies staring at her like that. "Anyway, I brought some games I thought you might like!"
"Like boardgames?" Cozy asked. "I don’t really play much boardgames… nopony let me play with them much in the past."
"But I'm sure you like this," Sweetie Belle said and started digging in her saddlebags. "I'm not a Cutie Mark Crusader for nothing!"
She pulled out a chessboard and a small red pouch.
Cozy bit her lip. She did like chess a lot. While her cutie mark was not explicitly for playing chess, she still had a knack for the game. It struck a chord deep inside her somehow… like she felt a connection to it. And she was by no means a bad player.
"Sure, we can play. I'll be white."
"Should we toss a bit for who starts?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"White always starts," Cozy said. "That's a rule."
"It is? Why?" Sweetie Belle asked as she set up her pieces with her magic. She had it easier than Cozy, who had to push the pieces in place with her hooves and muzzle.
"I think it is because white was Princess Platinum's color. Since the unicorns invented the game they decided she'd always go first," Cozy said. She had read that in a book once. She carefully nudged her pieces into place. Sweetie Belle was already done. Cozy started by moving the pawn in front of a rook forward two spaces. "Your turn."
It did not take too long for Cozy to see that she was winning. Sweetie Belle seemed to move her pieces very quickly after Cozy's turn, like she was afraid to think for too long. In chess that was usually not a very good strategy. The game proceeded slowly in silence, and Cozy too made some mistakes, but she held a pretty comfortable lead when she pushed her rook all the way over to Sweetie Belle's side. "Check," she said happily.
"Oh…" Sweetie Belle looked down on the board. "Uh, I can move my princess here, right?" she nudged her princess piece one step forward, away from the rook's threat.
"Yes, and then I can do this," Cozy said gleefully and took Sweetie Belle's archmage, the most powerful piece of all. The Princess had been the only thing protecting it.
Sweetie Belle gave a very Rarity-like "Hmph," and moved her princess back to capture the offending rook. "Just you wait, I'm not out of this yet…"
"Oh, golly, did I ruin your plan?" Cozy said confidently. "Well, too bad. Hope you are ready for my archmage!" Cozy moved her piece away from an uneventful corner diagonally to the board center.
"Your mistake!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed and picked up her knight. "I can capture your archmage there!"
"No, you can't," Cozy said. "If you move that knight, your king is wide open for my other rook, and you are not allowed to put your own king in check."
Sweetie Belle studied the board in silence for a few moments. "Dumb rooks," she grumbled and moved one of her remaining dukes closer to her princess.
Sweetie Belle fought valiantly, but in the end she found herself completely at the mercy of Cozy's rook, a knight and a pawn. "Checkmate! I win!" Cozy exclaimed at the end.
"Wait, can't I…? Maybe…?" Sweetie Belle had lifted her king in her magic and moved it around to all spaces it could go, but came up short every time. She sighed and tipped it over. "Fine, you win."
"Do you want to play again?" Cozy asked and began putting her pieces back on the board. "I'll even let you be white this time."
"Sure, that's probably why you won anyway," Sweetie Belle said. She grinned confidently. "But now I'll have the advantage! I'll show you what us white unicorns can do!"
"You're just gonna lose even faster!" Cozy challenged her with a smile. "White starts, make your move!"
"Let's see how you handle this!" Sweetie Belle said and moved her pawn in front of her archmage two spaces forward. She was going for the most blatantly offensive opening possible. Cozy countered by moving one of the pawns second closest to the edge of the board. The best way to counter the archmage, she figured, would be by using her dukes. Their counterintuitive, diagonal movement should make them a bit harder for Sweetie Belle to see, so hopefully she should be able to take out Sweetie's archmage before it created too much problems.
They ended up playing another three games after that. Sweetie Belle won the first of them, when Cozy made a silly mistake, but then she lost the last two. "You're really good at this," Sweetie Belle said and put her pieces back in the red pouch she had brought them in. "Are you sure your cutie mark is not for chess after all?"
"You should see Checkered Square play," Cozy said. "He's the best player ever… once he faced a dozen opponents at the same time without seeing any of the boards. He won all the games."
"He won without seeing the boards?" Sweetie Belle asked, eyes wide in wonder.
"Yea, he had an aide who told him his opponents' moves, but only once. He could remember a dozen different chessboards all at the same time and win! Do you have any idea how cool that is?"
"Woah," Sweetie Belle said. "I wouldn't mind having that for a talent."
"Me neither," Cozy said.
The two of them sat silent for a few moments. "Hey, Cozy? Are… you maybe hungry?" Sweetie Belle asked shyly. "My sister says it's uncouth to ask that when you are invited, but I had to get up early to take the train here… and it kinda was a while since I had breakfast." she trailed off and looked down at the carpet.
"Golly… normally Twilight brings some food up here, since I don't get to go out," Cozy said, her mood souring slightly as she remembered her captivity. "I suppose we can see if she left us anything." Swallowing, Cozy opened the door and peeked up and down the corridor. She did not care if Sweetie Belle thought it was weird; better that than to run into Twilight.
Thankfully there was no alicorn to be seen. The two of them went to the common room and were greeted with a large bowl of salad with cheese in it, and a pitcher of what looked like carrot Juice. Next to the salad bowl was also a loaf of bread. "Wow, you probably eat better than, like, everypony in Equestria," Sweetie Belle said. She even sounded jealous. Cozy did not answer. She hated relying of Twilight like this, even if the food was good. The two foals sat down by the table and helped themselves to the salad and bread.
"Can I ask something?" Sweetie Belle asked once they were past the hungry phase of their eating.
"Sure," Cozy said and nibbled on a length of cucumber.
"Did… you want my help to get into the School of Friendship so you could learn about friendship, or… or did you use me to get close to Twilight?"
Cozy swallowed her cucumber. "I wanted friends, and because Twilight is the best at friendship I wanted to go to her school. But you guys were really kind to me, before I began plotting against her. It was not to get close to her that I asked you to help me."
Sweetie Belle laughed a little. "Thank you, Cozy. I'm happy to be your friend. But then why did you turn on Twilight? She is the Princess of Friendship, if anypony could help you get friends it was her."
"She does not understand friendship at all," Cozy said bitingly. "She couldn't teach me what I needed to know."
Sweetie Belle tilted her head in confusion. "Of course she could. She is the Princess of Friendship."
"No, she doesn't get it; friendship is power," Cozy stated flatly. "I tried to make her give me some power by being a good helper. But she never trusted me with anything important. She just kept me slaving away at her chores… I did not want to be her helper; I wanted to become powerful like she was. So I had to get rid of her, but it didn't work."
"But that's wrong," Sweetie Belle said. "Friendship isn't power. Friendship is friendship."
Cozy shrugged. "It made her a princess…don’t try to tell me there is no power in friendship."
"There is…" Sweetie Belle admitted. "But it's not that simple… friendship is more than power-"
Cozy giggled cutely. "There is nothing more, silly. Life is just like chess; there is only one piece that matters in the end, see?" Cozy smiled innocently. "The Princess piece. Even if you lose every other piece, you are still in the game as long as you have her. Lose her and you're gone. You're either a princess, or you are just a pony. You either have power… or you are just a pawn. At the end of everything is power. Nothing else matters, because there is nothing else."
Sweetie Belle sat silent and mulled over what she had heard. Then she gave a relieved exhale. "Thank you, Cozy."
"What for?" Now it was Cozy who tilted her head in confusion. She had not expected Sweetie Belle to understand her philosophy. Only one pony had ever understood. The one who taught her.
"Because now I know what made you do everything. You are not really evil, you just got some things backwards." Sweetie Belle all but beamed. "Now I really know you were my friend when we met, and you still want to be my friend. You’re really kind, Cozy. Deep inside you are just a pony who wants friends."
Cozy did not know what she should answer, but she had a feeling Sweetie Belle had not really understood that "friend" meant something else to Cozy than to most others.
"You'll be fine, Cozy. You will see what friendship really is. And I'll help you. That's a Pinkie Promise."
After the food, Cozy Glow and Sweetie Belle returned to Cozy's room and talked about current events in Ponyville and Equestria at large. Cozy was curious about how Twilight's coronation had been received. Perhaps there were dissenters somewhere? That might be a useful tool for her once she was free.
Sadly, Sweetie Belle did not know anything about that, but mostly had news about the upcoming Fashion Week in Manehattan or the latest gossip among the students at the Friendship School. Cozy considered asking if anyone mentioned her, but decided against it. She was not sure she wanted the answer.
Eventually, however, there was a knock on the door. It did not sound like Twilight; she was usually quiet and nonintrusive. This sounded more forceful, if still gentle. "Sweetie Belle? Are you ready to head back home? Can I come in?"
"Oh… time went much faster than I thought," Sweetie Belle said. "I need to leave, or Rarity will be cross with me. You can keep the chessboard though. I'm sure you could play with Twilight."
"Yea, right," Cozy grumbled under her breath. "Come in!" she called. Rarity opened and nodded measuredly to Cozy. It was not a hearty greeting, but not really a cold one either. Cozy nodded back. She could not afford to anger Rarity by being rude. Especially since she would eventually have a saying if Sweetie Belle could return.
"Did you two enjoy yourselves?" Rarity asked. She hid it better than most, but Cozy could sense a small streak of wariness in her voice and look.
Sweetie Belle nodded. "We played chess and talked about stuff. Cozy is really good at chess."
"I can imagine," Rarity said tartly. "Well, Sweetie Belle, do you have anything? Our train leaves in just half an hour."
"Yeah, I have it," Sweetie Belle said and levitated her saddlebags on. "I hope to see you soon, Cozy… maybe I could even get the other crusaders to come with me. Would you like that?"
Cozy saw Rarity flinch slightly at the idea. "Golly, yes! That'd be fun," Cozy chirped. "But even if they can't, I hope you can still come visit me. It gets lonely up here."
"Sure I can," Sweetie Belle said. "I'll even read up on chess in the meantime. Maybe then I can win."
"I'll practice too," Cozy said. "Alone," she added in her head.
"Sweetie Belle, we really need to leave…" Rarity interjected.
"Right, see you!" Sweetie Belle said and put her hoof in Rarity's. Rarity ignited her horn and lifted a small amulet from her saddlebags. Then they were gone with a loud "Pop!" Cozy frowned. She had hoped that maybe they would open the door out of Twilight's wing. Even if she could not escape with them at her heels, she could at least get a look at her freedom. But apparently not.
Sweetie Belle appeared again in another part of the castle. Looking around revealed that she was in a library as all the walls were covered in high bookcases, stretching up… and up…
In fact, were those clouds in the top of the room? Sweetie Belle squinted to better see if the thin, white mist that seemed to hang near the roof was actually clouds, or just a trick of the light. As she stared, she saw a very familiar purple pony glide down from the top of the tower in gentle spirals.
"Sweetie Belle, can I have a word with you before you leave?" Twilight called from high above.
"Do we have time?" Sweetie Belle asked her sister.
"Twilight told me she wanted to meet you after," Rarity confirmed. "I feel bad for lying to Cozy about needing to leave, but you are the only pony she had said more than ten words to since she was freed. If you could help Twilight figuring her out, then I think it will help her too in the long run."
Sweetie Belle felled her ears. "Did… you send me to Cozy just so I could spy on her?"
"I don't know what Twilight hoped to accomplish, but I for one wanted you to meet her because you wanted to meet her. Nothing else."
"Sweetie Belle…" Twilight began and landed in front of them. Evidently she had overheard some of Rarity and Sweetie Belle's conversation. "It's not that simple. I hoped you would get close to Cozy so that you could help me gain her trust, I admit that. But I also wanted her to have something to smile about. She never leaves her room except for eating, and I never hear her do anything. She needed to see another pony. And if that pony could help me reform her, then that’s all the better."
"I suppose," Sweetie Belle said. She could see Twilight's perspective, but it still did not feel perfectly right.
"I'm not forcing you to tell me anything, Sweetie Belle," Twilight said. "But if you think there is something I should know about how to better understand Cozy Glow… well, then I'd love to know. Right now she refuses to even talk to me. I want to help her; really I do, but if she won’t let me there is only so much I can do."
"She likes chess," Sweetie Belle said. "I left her my chessboard, so maybe you could play with her? I think she’d like that." Sweetie Belle knew, however, that for Twilight to ever really understand Cozy's mentality she should explain Cozy's twisted view of friendship:
"Friendship is power, and power is everything. Nothing else matters, because there is nothing else."
Those two sentences, Sweetie Belle could feel, were the key to Cozy's whole personality. That, if anything, was what Twilight really hoped to learn.
But… how would Cozy feel if Sweetie Belle just tattled everything they had talked about to Twilight? Would a friend really do that?
"Is there… anything else you'd like to tell me?" Twilight asked. Evidently she had picked up on Sweetie Belle's hesitation.
"Yeah… but I don't think I can yet," Sweetie Belle said sadly. "I'm really sorry, but… Cozy is my friend, and I don’t think she wants me to say everything to you… not yet anyway."
Twilight nodded gravely. "I understand." She smiled a little. "I'm actually happy you consider her a friend like that. If she is ever going to be redeemed, she will need friends who are willing to stick up for her."
Sweetie Belle beamed. "Thanks, Twilight."
Twilight nodded. "Well, I suppose I should go brush up on my chess. It was a while since I played. I'm sure I have some books about it here though. I'll move them up to my private library, I think… maybe Cozy would like to read them."
Sweetie Belle wondered if it was rude to point out that if a library this size did not have books on one of the oldest and most popular games in Equestria, then Twilight really needed to broaden her interests.
"This is not a good idea…" Rumble thought glumly as he proceeded with his idea. He knew Twilight liked to spend some time in the private castle library (or rather, one of the private castle libraries) after lunch, and there should be no reason for her not to be there now. Since lunch was done, it also meant that Rumble himself now had a little while before he needed to report back to Ramson to help with dinner. He often spent much of his extra time in the kitchen anyway though. Even if he had never explicitly said it, Ramson demanded Rumble practiced on his own too.
But today he would not spend time memorizing the spice storage. No, he had to check on Sheltered Light. Twilight's secret daughter and imprisoned in the princess's private wing. He had never seen her, but just listening to her talking yesterday had told him how afraid she was. Rumble had never been in a similar situation, but he knew that if he was, then he could always count on his big bro to be there for him. Poor Sheltered though, did not have anypony at all. The only pony she got to meet was her oppressor.
So Rumble had decided to visit her to make sure she was still okay. It still sounded incredible that Princess Twilight would actually hurt another pony, much less her own daughter, but on the other hand he knew what he had heard. Somepony clearly was being kept in Twilight's wing, and that too sounded completely wrong in every sense. Since that evidently was true, perhaps the rest was not so impossible after all?
There was only one way to be sure. He had to hear from Sheltered again, even if he could not stay too long before Ramson started looking for him.
He glanced over his shoulder. Maybe Twilight was omniscient now and knew what he was up to? "This is not a good idea…"
He knocked on the door and tried not to look guilty. If Twilight opened he could just say he wanted to ask about what she wanted for dinner. "Hello? Are you in there?" He did not want to call out Sheltered's name. If he did and Twilight heard, then he could look forward to a millennium or two on the moon.
"Hellooo?"
He heard hoof steps behind the door. They sounded light, like a foal's. "Rumble? Is that you?"
"Yes, Sheltered! I wanted to see if you were okay. If you thought Twilight was going to hurt you and… stuff."
"Golly, I didn’t think you'd worry about me… but I'm okay. She did not hurt me after all. In fact, she promised she'd be out for the entire day."
Rumble furrowed his brow. "But… isn’t she really mean to you? Why did she promise you to be out then?"
"I don’t think it was for my sake," Sheltered sighed after a moment's hesitation. "She is like that, manipulating ponies to think she is better than she really is. She probably wanted to meet one of her friends and tried to fool me into thinking she cared about me."
"Oh…" Rumble said. "I suppose that makes sense?" he said, only half believing it himself.
"But I'm really happy you are here!" Sheltered chirped. "It's really kind of you to come to me. I don't feel so alone when you are around."
Rumble pushed his questions and doubts about Twilight away. Right here, right now was a pony who wanted to talk and be with him. He could think about Twilight and who she was and was not later. "I'm happy to be here too. There are no other foals in the castle, so I don't have anypony else to talk to either."
"But you must hear stuff around the castle, right?" Sheltered asked. "Can't you tell me what's going on out there in Equestria? I don't get to know anything up here."
"Sure, I can tell you. What do you want to know?"
"Anything!" Sheltered said. "But… if you know anything about the Wonderbolts that'd be the best."
"My brother is a Wonderbolt cadet," Rumble said proudly. "He's going to do the tryouts for becoming part of the main team next time they are announced."
"Wow…" there was another sigh, hard to hear behind the door. "I wish I could get out to fly… I think that's what I miss the most… Just feeling the wind in my feathers."
Rumble did not know what to say to that. "You are a pegasus, right? Not an alicorn?"
"Golly, to be an alicorn… bet Twilight would not treat me like this then."
Again, Rumble felt sadness well up for Sheltered Light. Pegasi were not meant to be trapped like that. "I really wish I could help you, you know. I was sick with the feather flu for weeks once, and my bro had me stay inside all the time. I hated it."
Sheltered did not answer.
"Hey, Sheltered? Who is your favorite Wonderbolt?" If there was one subject that could always lead to conversation between pegasi, it was this one. Hopefully that could lighten up their conversation a little.
"Fleetfoot, I think," Sheltered answered. "She's the only one who really wants to be the best, no matter the cost. Nopony is going to stop her from winning! And she's the fastest!"
"I like Soarin," Rumble said. "He's laid-back and cool, but still a master flyer."
"But Fleetfoot is better," Sheltered said. "She's got the record time on the Cloudrush Raceway and has more derby titles than anypony else."
"Well, Soarin is the most powerful flyer of them," Rumble defended. "He's the only one who has ever flown from Manehattan to Las Pegasus without landing once. And he's a stallion, so that's even harder for him."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Sheltered snapped. "He's not better because he is a stallion."
"Well, he is heavier than the mares," Rumble said. "It's harder for him to fly long distances."
"He's stronger too, and has a larger wingspan," Sheltered said. "Besides, speed is the most important thing for the Wonderbolts anyway."
"Is not! Endurance is much harder to train yourself to! You can't train yourself to speed the way you can to endurance."
"Nopony would pay to see somepony fly endless circles! Speed is way more exciting!"
"I still thinks his endurance is more impressive, even if it's not the coolest thing to watch," Rumble grumbled. "But I suppose you're kind of right… My bro got me tickets to the derby this weekend, and I guess I'm there to see the speed too."
"See? Told you," Sheltered said cheekily.
The two silenced for a little while, but it was a content, friendly type of silence, before they continued to swap memories from their favorite Wonderbolt moments. Sheltered Light was actually relatively well-informed on this subject. But then again, every pegasus would be informed about the Wonderbolts.
"Hey, do you know what time it is?" Rumble asked suddenly.
"You must have been here for maybe half an hour?" Sheltered answered.
"Oh buck my-! Eh, I mean… darn! I need to get back to the kitchen!" Rumble said. "I can try to get back to you, if you want, but I think Ramson might murder me if I'm not back five minutes ago!" He quickly stepped towards the stairs down to the kitchen.
"I'd like to talk more," he heard Sheltered say as he galloped down.
"Okay, great!" he called back.
It was nice with visitors. Playing chess and just talking with another foal about random stuff was a nice change of pace for Cozy. Sweetie Belle was not bad, she had concluded. She might be a bit dense and very naïve, but she was still fun to be around and she had experienced much in her tries to get her cutie mark. She always had something to say about the most varied subjects and made for a good conversationalist. And Rumble too was a nice surprise. She had not expected to make contact with a pony outside of her prison for a long time yet. And while a foal like Rumble would only have limited use, at least he could help her pass the time. So, all in all, today marked the first day in a long time when Cozy could smile and laugh with another pony.
She was happy about both her visits, even if the emptiness that followed made her feel all the more alone. She was really thankful Sweetie had left the chessboard and pieces. At least then she could play around a little with it. She had already thrown out the pieces at random on the board a few times and then tried to win in the shortest amount of moves. It had been fun for a while, but she still felt the wariness of isolation beginning to return.
Putting the pieces back, she debated internally if it was okay for her to pick up one of the puzzles Twilight had left her with. She hated to depend on Twilight, but the alternative was thinking about the freedom of the open skies that was so cruelly denied her. Faced with that choice, she opted for a 500-pieces puzzle of Cloudsdale. It was not an easy one, with all white and blue. She had decided to piece together the rainbows first, and then try to build the rest of the city from them.
A shy knock on her door interrupted her and made her wings flare in a defensive reflex. There could only be one pony who knocked now.
"Cozy? Are you there?" Twilight asked.
"No, I've escaped and now I'm trying to figure out how to imprison you in stone," Cozy snapped back.
"I just thought you might want to play a game of chess with me?" Twilight said hopefully.
Cozy huffed in annoyance, if not surprise. Of course Twilight would try to milk Sweetie Belle for information about Cozy's weaknesses. It probably was not even hard to get Sweetie to talk, with her being so naïve. In all fairness, Cozy should have realized Twilight would not let anypony see her if it did not help her agenda somehow.
"Then you thought wrong!" Cozy shouted. "You can go play with your precious friends!"
She could almost hear Twilight slink back dejectedly. She grinned at the thought.
"There… is some food for you, if you want," Twilight said sadly. "I'll be in my room. Goodnight, Cozy. Sweet dreams."
Cozy did not answer, but glared at her door with her ears listening for the sound of hoofsteps. Once she was sure Twilight had left, she carefully opened her door and went to eat.
A plate with quesadillas stood on her side of the table. Six triangular slices topped with some spices. She thought it was coriander, but she was never good at spices. Cozy looked quizzically at it. Up until now her food had been much more… generic than this. Maybe Twilight liked quesadillas and ordered them specifically? But why did the plate look completely untouched?
Not that it mattered. Quesadillas were not bad, and she was hungry. She picked one up and started eating.
They were really good. Crispy outside and still warm on the inside with a pleasant blend of spices and cheese. She could see why Twilight would want these. She helped herself to another one. About halfway through she realized that there was something wrong. That was not cheese… she spat out the offending object, half expecting it to be an errant piece of bread or something.
Instead she found herself looking at a small piece of paper placed inside the bread. She was just about to open it, but realized that this was not a good place. Twilight could come in here at any time. Cozy removed the bread cover and quickly stashed the note inside her mane. She did not think Twilight was keeping an eye on her right now, but she'd sooner trust a cobra than Twilight. Cozy continued to eat as slow as normal (she hoped), and then made her way back to her room. She unfurled the small note with eager hooves.
Sheltered Light
Ramson did not kill me!
I thought a bit about our situation, and I don't think I can come back to the door. I met Twilight in the stairs with a lot of books. If we had talked for five more minutes she would have caught us.
I won't be at the door anymore, but if you want to send notes to me, I will be sure to go through the dishes to find them.
I don't know if you have any say in the food being served, but if you do, I think I can get notes in to you through quesadillas. Ramson, the head castle chef, says Twilights hates quesadillas, so she should not find any notes hidden inside them.
I hope we can meet again somehow.
Don't give up!
Rumble
Cozy balked slightly in surprise. She knew her cutie mark gave her a penchant for swaying ponies to her help, especially foals, but she had not expected Rumble to help her like this. This type of reaction was something she had never seen before. But then again, Rumble thought Cozy was Twilight's daughter. What pony wouldn't want to get close to her for status or favors in the future? That made sense, when she thought about it.
It was a rare thing that other ponies earned Cozy's respect. Nearly no ponies valued the same traits as her. Craftiness, ambition and guile were all things she valued that clashed with the kindness and selflessness that most other ponies held for so holy. But Rumble seemed to be a bit more pragmatic than most others. To defy Twilight and get close to Cozy for future favors was something Cozy could respect.
Not that it mattered; all that mattered was that this numbskull was exactly what Cozy needed. She had a pawn on the outside! Cozy felt her breath come a little faster at the mere thought. She needed to think. She needed to plan how to play this game.
But first she had to contact Rumble again. Before he could be of real use she needed to know how his mind worked. What limits did he have? What could she expect from him? How far would he go for her? She needed to get into his head, and to do that she needed to talk to him again.
So how could she meet him? Like Rumble said, the door was a risky proposition now, but it did have one major advantage: they did not see each other. That was important, because unless Rumble had been living under a rock she would be recognized instantly if they met eye to eye. If he learned who she was then he would probably not care more about her, so that had to be avoided.
She looked around her room. Was there something in here she could use?
Her eyes fell on the balcony. Or rather, on the curtains next to it.
Ponies can adapt to any hardship, and Cozy Glow was no exception. She'd wake up, make a tally mark for her calendar, brush her coat, wash herself and then leave for breakfast. Only rarely would she see glimpses of Twilight, but if she did not leave the room when Cozy entered, then Cozy would just go back to her own room and wait. She spent most of her days with her puzzles or the books in her room and, of course, Sweetie Belle's chessboard. It had become her most important possession. Towards the evening she would eat again, peer through her telescope towards the Hydra constellation and then settle in for the night. It was not an exciting life, but it mostly staved off her longing to fly and let her think of other things than her isolation.
But tonight it all might change. After sending small notes back and forth for a few days, Rumble had finally agreed to fly up to Luna's old balcony and talk to her. He would come when everypony had gone to bed, and Cozy would be comfortably hidden behind the drawn curtains. Then began Cozy's quest to carefully wrap him around her hoof until he was ready to help her escape. She did not know how that was going to happen, but she knew Rumble would come in handy some day.
Cozy checked her curtains again, just to be sure they were tightly shut. Rumble must not see who she really was, or everything would fall apart.
The curtains had not moved since the last time she looked, five minutes ago. Cozy returned to her puzzle but could not really concentrate. Even if she had not been excited about Rumble coming, she only had the sky around Cloudsdale left to piece together, and it was hard to work with only nuances of blue. She absently tried a couple of pieces before glancing up to the clock.
It was almost midnight, the time they had agreed to meet. Soon…
She still sat by her half finished puzzle, but she did not even look at the pieces. Her eyes were fixed on the clock. Five minutes… three… one minute… Cozy stood up from the puzzle and made her way over to the curtains again. She had to be a little careful. The telescope stood on a podium and since Twilight had poked it through the glass with the wide part on the outside, she could not remove it from the window. Therefore there was a large gap in the curtain where the telescope and podium stood. She would have to stay away from that place. She sat down by the curtain and laid down. They would have to speak through the small space between the balcony doors and the floor.
She heard the telltale "Clip-clop" of hooves landing on stone outside the doors. She gasped in excitement. Would it work? Or had Twilight taken the extra precaution and soundproofed the doors from her end?
"Hello? Rumble?" she whispered. Her heart beat fast in her chest. "Can you hear me?"
"Yeah, I hear you Sheltered. But… why the curtains? I thought we could finally meet eye to eye?"
"I can't, Rumble." Cozy made sure to add extra sadness to her voice. "Twilight has the curtains locked in place with magic. So nopony accidentally flies by the windows and sees me."
"Oh… I really wish I could see you though. It's hard speaking to somepony you have never seen like this."
"I wish I could see you too, Rumble," Cozy said. "But… I kinda like fantasizing about how the only pony who has ever been kind to me looks too." Of course, Cozy had never once thought about that, but she had to steer the conversation away from a dangerous subject. If Rumble started thinking Cozy was hiding something, then he would be much harder to manipulate. "One day… one day I will get out though. And then I will see you."
"I'll look forward to it," Rumble said.
"Can you tell me anything more about what is happening out in Equestria? You were going to see the Wonderbolts soon, right?"
"Yeah. Everypony is talking about it. It's the first derby of the season. The Cloudsdale Courier speculates that Spitfire might retire soon, and this season will be important to determine who takes over as captain after her."
"And what do they think? Who will it be?" Cozy asked. "Fleetfoot?"
"She is a favorite, but Soarin and Rapidfire are also hot names… and then there is the new rising star, Rainbow Dash. She's from Ponyville, same as me and my brother."
Cozy resisted the impulse to gag. "She is one of Twilight's friends, I think," she said instead. "But I didn't know she was a Wonderbolt. Is she new?"
"The newest. She has only been in a few shows yet, and this will be her first derby. But I suppose I will cheer for her and Soarin."
Cozy did not really have a pony to cheer for anymore. Her favorite Wonderbolt was, in fact, not Fleetfoot like she had said, but Wind Rider. But since he had been dishonorably discharged it was practically heresy among pegasi to admit being a fan of his. "Maybe you could cheer a little for Fleetfoot too? For my sake?" Cozy said.
"Sure. I can come back here and tell you how the derby went, if you like."
"Thanks," Cozy said. "Back when Twilight and I lived in Ponyville, she had a school for a few years. Do you know anything about how that goes now?"
"The School of Friendship," Rumble said. "It's still open. She has put her student, Starlight Glimmer, in charge now. Do you know her?"
"Mmm… She knows about me too, but she is just as bad as Twilight," Cozy said. "I try to stay in my room whenever she comes around." Hopefully, if Cozy made all of Twilight's friends out as evil, Rumble would grow more sympathetic towards her. Twilight was in Canterlot and Starlight would be busy with her school, so if rumors spread in about them in Ponyville, it would hopefully take some time before it was discovered. Rumors and slander were powerful tools in a society where everypony trusted one another, and Rumble was a perfect way to spread them.
Cozy heard a small ruffle of wings. Perhaps Rumble was uncomfortable with talking about ponies behind their back like this? Cozy decided to assume he was; these visits had to be a good experience so he would return. She could not afford to scare him off. She just had to seed small bits of doubt every meeting and play for the long game. Slow and steady.
"I don’t want to talk about Starlight," she said. "Can't you tell me a bit about yourself instead? You are the apprentice chef, right? I know you made those quesadillas, but have you made all the other good food I have had lately too?"
"Uh… I suppose?" Cozy could practically hear his blush. Compliments from a filly was sure to make any colt happy. "Ramson helps me though… he is really amazing. I have seen him use a Zweihänder to cut up paper-thin pieces of tomato! Like… his control is just so amazing!"
"Do you mean 'Hellfire' Ramson? The master chef from Restaurant Row?" Cozy asked. "He is the castle chef?"
"Yep, he took the position after Celestia left and her old chef retired. And I am his apprentice!"
"All your food is really good!" Cozy said. That was not even a lie. "Things have really been a little better since you came around… so thanks."
"I'm glad you think so." There was another ruffle of wings. "Huh… I suppose that maybe I should bring some pet food next time. This owl has been sitting here looking at me for a while now."
Cozy Glow felt her blood run cold. "Wh-what?" she whispered.
Cozy Glow was, at heart, a filly. A coldhearted, manipulating filly, but a filly nonetheless. She could not fly fast or high, she was not strong or preserving when running or flying, and she could not use magic. If her mind games failed and a grown-up pony sought to hurt her, she could do nothing to stop it. So when confronted with a situation where her honeyed words failed her and another pony would be angry with her, her calculating mind yielded to that of a filly in distress. She had to do something!
Slowly she edged towards the gap in the curtains. Just a peek, one moment to confirm if it was that owl again. She had to know. Much like a rabbit must know where the fox is, she had to know if Twilight might learn of this meeting. If she did, then the statue was suddenly an all too real possibility again. Filled with fear, she peeked past the curtains.
”Who?” Owlowiscious said and cocked his head to the side. ”Whoho!” He pointed with the wing at her.
Cozy's wanted desperately to duck behind the curtains again, but the owl's horrible gaze seemed to stun her in fear. Twilight would know! She had been so careful, but Twilight would still learn!
”You…!”
Cozy's mind finally caught up with the situation. Still half hidden behind her curtains, her eyes wandered over the pony next to the owl. He had a grayish coat that shone like silver in the pale moonlight and a lead-gray mane and tail. He was slightly taller and bulkier than Cozy and looked like he was a year or two older. It was hard to make out his eye color in the dim light, but it looked like they might be blue or purple. He stood crouched and stabile, wings raised and a glare in his eyes. Cozy shrank back slightly by reflex. He was angry.
"So that's why you didn't want to be seen… why you spoke like that about Twilight! You tricked me, all this time! Cozy Glow…"
"No! Wait, this… it's not what it looks like!" Cozy tried, desperate for something to say. "I wasn't completely honest, but Twilight is really mean to me! She could put me back-!"
"Save your lies! You can explain to Twilight!"
"NO! Wait!" Cozy shouted. She yanked the curtains away and pressed her forelegs against the glass. Her one advantage! The one thing she had to show for her time in prison! She could not lose him; he was the only pony she had! But Rumble was already gone. Cozy slammed her forehead against the glass with a mournful sound before she slumped against the glass pane, hooves still pressed against it. "Don't leave me here..."
Sleep was an elusive peace for Rumble that night. His blood was boiling and his face was locked in a permanent sneer. How had this happened? How could he be so stupid as to just swallow the words of a filly he could not see just because she told him some completely impossible story like that? He knew Twilight was not going to hurt another pony, so how could he ever have believed something so downright brainless? Was he so starved for a filly's attention that he turned blind and deaf and dumb in their presence?
Granted, he had never met Cozy Glow before. He had not known her voice. He went by her statue prison every day when he came to work. He had no reason to suspect it was her. But still; he had swallowed the most outlandish lies and even worried about her!
Rumble wanted to punch something. If not for that owl she would just have played him like a fiddle until he actually committed a crime! He had been on the verge of helping the most despised pony his tribe had ever produced! He grimaced in disgust and angrily shoved his head into the pillow. At least he could get some measure of revenge by telling Twilight Sparkle on her tomorrow.
See how she likes that… she should be rotting in Tartarus if Rumble had anything to do with it…
He remained wide awake and scowling all night and rose already at five o'clock. He now had three hours to walk from the castle staff quarters to the castle kitchen, something that normally took him three minutes. He grumbled and went to the statuary garden instead. He had to check something.
Sure enough, the statue was still there, and Cozy was still part of it. If not for the fact that he had been wide awake all night he would probably have thought he had dreamt the whole thing. But he knew he had not; he was definitely tired enough for not having slept at all.
Rumble rubbed his sleep-deprived eyes and made his way to the kitchen. If he could not sleep, he might as well be productive, or as productive as possible. The kitchen was deserted, of course, so he decided he might as well use it to make himself some breakfast. He picked out eggs, flour, milk, salt and sugar. Pancakes made everything better. He mixed up the batter and started to bake them. It was peaceful, just standing in the dim half-light and baking pancakes. It helped him relax just a little bit.
Twilight usually came down to order breakfast just before eight, so he still had plenty of time to kill even after his pancakes were done. He tried to think about how to broach the subject with the princess. This would not quite be like her coming down to tell him what she wanted to eat. This concerned one of the greatest criminals in recent history.
How did he, Rumble, nobody of nobodies, background pony extraordinaire, get roped into this? In fact, since he had sort of helped Cozy already, was he incriminated too? But maybe Twilight would be lenient if he approached her about it. Yes, of course she would; she was a kind Princess, he knew that. But come to think of it, maybe Twilight did not even know about Cozy? It sounded incredible, but if there was one thing Cozy was good at, it was fooling ponies. Perhaps he would even be rewarded for his help?
He gradually felt his thoughts slip away into a fuzzy daze. Now that he had some distractions from his anger, the lack of sleep made itself known. He put his head on the kitchen counter and closed his eyes. He never quite fell asleep, but he was not entirely awake either. More like in a stupor where the rest of the world seemed to slow down.
"Rumble?"
He jolted from his fitful rest and came eye to eye with the Princess he had hoped to meet. "Since when do you sleep in here? Is there something wrong?"
"No. Or… yes, but it's not… that is… uh…?" Rumble stammered, suddenly at a loss for words. He still did not know how to broach the subject, but judging by Twilight’s slack jaw and torpid silence at this particular opening, he felt increasingly certain it was one of the worst options. He shook his head. "Can… we just start over?"
Twilight smiled. "Sure. Good morning, Rumble."
"Good morning, Princess. Do you want breakfast?"
"Yes please. Surprise me," Twilight said. She nodded encouragingly to him.
"Right, I'll get you something," Rumble said. "Maybe I could have a word with you quickly after? It won’t have to take long, but I have some information I think you should know."
Twilight looked curiously at him. "Information? About what?"
"Uh… about another pony who lives with you in your private wing," Rumble said, shifting on his hooves. "You know who?"
Twilight's mild look sharpened. "Yes, I know. Might I ask how you know?"
"Let me just get you your food first, okay? I'll come up and… we can talk."
Twilight nodded. "Right."
Rumble made porridge of oats and apples, complete with honey, sugar and cinnamon as toppings. His brother Thunderlane was not that good of a cook, but his porridge was wonderful and one of the recipes that first had inspired Rumble to start cooking for himself. Hopefully that recipe would prove to be fit for a Princess. He balanced the bowl on his head as he flew up to Twilight's private wing.
The door was open, so he entered.
"Second door on the left, Rumble," Twilight called. Rumble followed suit and found Twilight by a table in what seemed to be a library of some sort. "I'll just keep that warm with magic. I think we should do the talking first. Please, sit down." She indicated a stool across from her. Rumble sat down.
"I guess you want to know how I found out about… Cozy Glow, right?" he said.
Twilight nodded. "I had hoped to keep her a secret until I was sure she was no longer a threat. Seems I did not quite manage."
"Nopony else knows though," Rumble quickly clarified. "I haven't told a single pony. Honest."
"I believe you, Rumble." She looked at him, waiting for him to start explaining.
"So… I was up by your room a few days ago or so, but you were not there. I tried to call out to you, but she answered instead. She said you were out… and we started to talk."
"It must have happened when I was with Rarity," Twilight silently, mostly to herself.
"She said she was your daughter… that you kept her locked up and was really mean to her," Rumble said. He felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment. How could he ever have believed that? "I should have realized there was something fishy… of course you wouldn't do something like that."
"Well, I met her again the day after, and we just talked a bit more about pegasus stuff. The upcoming Wonderbolt derby and things like that… That was when I met you in the stairs that one time, you remember? You were brining a lot of books up to your wing."
Twilight nodded. "I remember. I even thought I heard you talk to somepony, but I presumed you were just talking to yourself."
"You remember the quesadillas I made that day?"
Twilight seemed to stiffen and cast a worried glance over her shoulder. "Yes, I do." Her voice sounded a little off, somehow. "All too well."
"Well… Ramson said you hated quesadillas, so I made them to smuggle a note in to Cozy. We… decided to meet by her window this last night."
"That’s a really clever way to get messages in for her," Twilight said. "I did not think of that one. Did she come up with it?"
"No, I did," Rumble admitted. "But I never wanted to help Cozy! I still thought she was your captive daughter."
Twilight nodded. "Proceed."
"We talked again but she hid behind the curtains. But then when I commented on an owl next to me, she suddenly pulled away the curtains, so I saw who she was. Then I left… and I came here as soon as I could."
Twilight smiled faintly. "Good old Owlowiscious. This is the second time he has stopped Cozy." She focused on Rumble again. "Is there anything else you want to say?"
"I really had no idea it was her," Rumble said. "Or I would never have helped her. You have to believe that; I hate her as much as anypony."
Twilight cocked her head to the side in surprise. "You hate her? Why?"
Rumble blinked in surprise. "Of course I do. Everypony does, don't they?"
"Not me," Twilight said.
"But she betrayed you too," Rumble objected. "Didn't she try to lock you and your friends into Tartarus?"
"She did, and she also kidnapped my other friend, Starlight Glimmer, and almost ruined my School of Friendship," Twilight said. "So yes, I dare say she has done more to hurt me than you. No offense."
"None taken," Rumble said. "But then… how can you not hate her? After all she did to you?"
"Because I did her wrong too," Twilight said. "Hate breeds only more hate. As Princess and pony, I do what I can to end that cycle. It's better for everypony that way." Twilight looked at him with a heavy, powerful look that seemed to belong on a pony much older than her. "Cozy Glow does not need more enemies. If she is ever going to change, then she will need friends by her side to help her stay on the right path. From what you have done for her, you have proven that you have the qualities of an excellent friend. You could be a source of good influence on her."
"I could? But… she didn't want to be my friend. She just wanted to use me."
"And you?" Twilight said. "Could you see yourself being her friend?"
"Isn't that the same thing?" Rumble asked. He suddenly felt like he understood the purpose of Twilight's school in a whole new way. Who knew friendship could be this tricky to understand?
Twilight smiled wistfully. "You know, when I first came to Ponyville, I did not want to become friends with anypony either. It just… sorta happened, because they refused to leave me alone. I think that turned out pretty well. I know it's not quite the same, but I think that if you show her you care about her, then you will see another pony than the Cozy you know now. So, could you see yourself being her friend?”
Rumble bit the inside of his mouth and thought.
Cozy had almost certainly planned to use him. She did not care about him any more than she would a hammer and nails; he was a tool to her.
But she had still been fun to hang around. It was good to have another pony his age to talk to, especially a pegasus. And if Princess Twilight asked him… could he really refuse an alicorn? What if she was right? What if Cozy just needed a small push in the right direction. He could not refuse to help her if she needed help, right?
"I'll think about it," he said. He needed to consider this more... and probably ask his brother for advice. Thunderlane always had Rumble's back; he'd give honest advice.
"I can't ask for more than that," Twilight said. "Thank you for coming to tell me this, and and for keeping it a secret. Cozy is going through a lot now, and I don't want the rest of Equestria to harass her, or me, for giving her a second chance."
"Your secret is safe with me," Rumble said. He understood that was the end of the discussion and hopped down from his stool. He had much to think about, but he still had his work to do first.
"Rumble? One last thing."
"Hmm?" Rumble looked back.
"Do you think she likes the Wonderbolts for real, or did she just say that to get on your good side?"
"Every pegasus likes the Wonderbolts," Rumble answered. That he was sure of. "She said Fleetfoot was her favorite."
Cozy slammed her head into her cloud mattress, repeating that one word. How could she have been so stupid!? She had everything going her way, but one moment of weakness had ruined everything! The only pony she had met who she could have manipulated was gone! She was back to square one now; she had absolutely nothing!
No, actually, she had less than nothing, because now she didn't even have a pony to talk to. The only pony who could give her some sort of interaction every day. The one pony who could have been her friend and ally. The one pony who helped her stave of the dreadful isolation. Her lifeline from slowly cracking under Twilight's prying, all of that was gone, and she had only herself to blame.
And blaming herself she did.
With one final exasperated sigh she slumped into her bed face down and laid still. She could not even be angry anymore; she was too tired, her mind felt too blank. She did not even think about the fact that Twilight would probably punish her somehow. She did not think about anything as she laid there. She did not cry, but she did nothing else either. Her mind simply felt apathetic and empty.
Time became a meaningless concept. "Stupid, stupid, stupid…" It could have been minutes since Rumble left, or it could have been hours at this point. It did not matter. There was nothing left for Cozy in this tower, and no way out. Because of one moment of weakness, she had lost her only way out. "Stupid, stupid, stupid…" She would stay here, in this tower, hating Twilight but even more so herself, until she was an old, gray pony and she died. That was it. That would be the end of Cozy Glow's miserable tale. Nopony would even remember, and if they did, nopony would ever care to hear such a boring, meaningless tale.
Cozy sighed meekly. She wanted to cry, but she just could not muster the energy. "Stupid, stupid, stupid."
A shy knock sounded on her door. She knew she ought to be ready for a shouting match with Twilight, but she just could not find the willpower for that either. She just cast a sullen glance at the door and rolled over so she faced away from it. She looked out at the beautiful skies outside the window. Was it already the next day?
"Cozy? Can I come in?"
Cozy just sighed. She did not answer.
The door opened behind her and hooves stepped up to her bed. "You awake?"
Cozy nodded a little without looking back. Hopefully Twilight would just leave her in peace soon.
"I spoke to Rumble this morning. Let me start by saying I'm not angry with you, even if I had hoped you would not lie to him like that. I think he really wanted to be your friend, you know."
Cozy did not answer.
"Anyway, he told me you liked the Wonderbolts. As you probably know, my friend Rainbow Dash is one of them."
Twilight probably expected an answer, but Cozy kept silent.
"It's a little known fact that the derby raceway in Cloudsdale has a special princess loge," Twilight said. Her voice sounded a little strained with keeping the conversation going alone. "Its secluded from the other bleachers by high walls so nopony can see in. If you want, I could take you there for the derby and we could watch it together. Do you want that?"
Cozy shifted to look at Twilight, half expecting some cruel joke to get her hopes up. However, Twilight looked sincere and hopeful, and while Cozy did not trust her, she did not think Twilight was such a good lier as to hold that face if she was trying to fool her. "Why are you being kind to me?" Cozy said without most of her normal belligerence. She was too tired to care about being angry with Twilight now. She was plenty angry with herself.
Twilight smiled sadly at her. "When you have lost the beginning of a friendship like that, you need something to smile about. Please, Cozy? For your own sake? You won't even notice I'm there with you."
Cozy rolled over to the other side again, away from Twilight. She really really wanted out. Any out, as long as she got to feel real wind in her wings and fresh air in her throat again. And no pegasus her age would ever complain about seeing a Wonderbolt derby live. She had never seen one, even if she had often wanted. She never had the bits, and nopony to take her there either.
But if she did go, then she would have actively depended on Twilight. She would have accepted her help and her mercy. She did not want that. Cozy had lost her chance at becoming Empress of Friendship, she had lost her alicorn power and she was reduced to little more than an unruly foal locked in a tower. Cozy's fall from grace had been long and cruel, but she still had one thing. One thing that she had managed to keep through all her hardships: her dignity. It was the one thing that made Cozy Glow… still be Cozy Glow. If she accepted Twilight's help, then what would be left of the old Cozy? The pony who struck fear in the immortal princesses themselves?
Nothing.
Instead, she would just be a fussy filly, whose biggest threats were her annoying tantrums. Accepting Twilight's help would be betraying herself in the worst way possible.
But she wanted out!
Twilight sighed. "I can't force you, Cozy. But it is not good for you to stay up here. Please… try to think about that, if you can." She heard Twilight slowly walk out.
Normally, she would not have succumbed. She was a tough filly, but after the fiasco with Rumble she was not herself. Right now she did not want to be tough, she just wanted something, anything to distract her from the fact that she had failed. She wanted out! She wanted to see her idols for real just once, rather than on posters or on the newspapers.
She was weakened, rattled. She could not resist Twilight's terrible temptations… and that, finally, made her bury her head in the bed and silently cry.
Now she had nothing left. Twilight had broken her.
She did not know if it was real or imaginary, but when Twilight had left she felt like somepony had stamped a branding iron against her flanks, like her own cutie mark revolted against her… her very destiny was fracturing.
Who was she now?
The rest of the day and night passed in a gloomy daze. Cozy laid on her bed, staring into the roof, or was in the bathroom looking into the mirror. She just could not quite recognize the pony she saw, even if she could not pinpoint the difference. Same curly blue mane, same cute freckled smile, same salmon coat. Same cutie mark, whatever it meant now. She did not want to think about that, it was just too much, too big for her. She was just a filly; her biggest challenge ought to be her homework or if another foal was mean at school. She could not handle such an existential question.
The next day, Cozy left her room for the first time since dinner the night Rumble came to her. It was now more than a day and two nights since she had eaten. Twilight had asked her multiple times, but Cozy refused. Now though, she had breakfast for the first time with Twilight still in the room.
Twilight, however, sat quiet for Cozy to eat in peace. Cozy was silently thankful for that. Two nights and a day of psychological meltdown had left her mind tender and fragile. It was all she could do to keep some facade of calm up when near Twilight. She did not want to talk. She was hungry and just wanted to eat. She briefly wondered if Rumble still cooked for her. He was not stupid; he had probably figured out that any food he made for Twilight also went to Cozy. Maybe he had asked for another position… maybe the idea of feeding her was more revolting than the great honor of cooking for the Princess. The food suddenly felt a lot less flavorful in her throat. She kept her face neutral though; she would not show any more weakness!
"Cozy?" Twilight said carefully as Cozy drained her glass of juice. "I will take you to the derby today as promised, but I will make some rules that I expect you to obey. I don't want you to miss the race, but if you try to escape, then I have to restrain you. Understood?"
Cozy nodded. She knew there would be something like this. No way Twilight would let her be free for real.
"Rumble told me you like Fleetfoot the most," Twilight said.
"Wind Rider," Cozy said in a small, bleak tone. "Because he will do anything to win."
"Oh… well, I could not find any Wind Rider merchandise, so maybe you could abide being a Fleetfoot fan for one day?"
Cozy just shrugged.
"As an extra precaution, you are going to wear these," Twilight said and magicked up a white, windswept wig and tail plus a small turquoise flag with two cloud-white F:s on it. "Typical Fleetfoot stuff. Nopony will think twice about you. They are also enchanted with a tracking spell and so they cannot be removed."
Cozy's heart sank, even if this was not surprising either. She had nursed a small hope that maybe maybe maybe she could slip away in the crowds or something, but of course Twilight would take precautions. She just shrugged again and surrendered to her humiliating fate. She looked down in the table and pulled the wig over her head and fastened the tail to cover her own. Twilight magicked a pair of saddlebags on her back and stuck the small flag down in them.
Twilight herself donned a rainbow-colored wig on her and fastened two colorful pom-poms to her hooves. "Ready to cheer for them?" Twilight asked happily.
Cozy just shrugged yet again. She could still remain here… her dignity could still be saved. She opened her mouth, but Twilight was faster. "I'll just take that as a yes," she said. Her horn ignited and they were both enveloped in a cascade of light. When they cleared, Cozy saw her childhood home for the first time in many long years: Cloudsdale. More specifically, she saw one of the Wonders of Equestria.
The Circus Altus, one of the oldest buildings still standing (or more accurately, floating) in Equestria. It had been opened by Commander Hurricane himself after the unification of the tribes. It had been renovated many times since, but the foundations were still the original clouds that the ancient pegasi toiled to connect. A humungous, oblong building with only one side anchored to the city proper. The rest hung outside of the main cloud as to not take up too much space. It was an opulent building, constructed from overlapping arches on lavishly decorated columns. Cloud sculptures depicted hundreds of pegasi, mares and stallions, flying, vaulting, sparring with swords and hooves. Rainbows cascaded down in discrete chutes and disappeared down into the clouds below. More than a hundred flags with the Wonderbolt emblem flew from flagpoles that lined the top of the circus, all the way around it.
Scores of ponies stood in lines to be allowed entrance through the four large arched gates that took up the entire short end of the building jutting towards the city. However, in the middle of those four gates there was a wide staircase without any roof above it. It seemed to split the building straight down the middle. Nopony went there, and two pegasi in official-looking uniforms made sure to shoo away anypony coming too close.
Even in her despondent state, Cozy was stunned in awe at the Circus's grandeur. Of course, every pegasus pony had seen it on pictures and most had seen it in real life too; it was in their capital, after all. But not Cozy. She had never been to this part of the city.
Murmurs brought her back to reality. Many ponies stopped nearby them and looked curiously at Twilight, whispering to one another. Cozy could see her blush profusely. "Let's go," she said quietly to Cozy and ushered her towards the magnificent staircase.
"Princess Twilight," one of the official-looking ponies said happily. "We hoped, even if we did not quite dare to believe you would grace the Circus Altus with a visit. Celestia and Luna only rarely did, but it is our honor and privilege to welcome an alicorn to Cloudsdale. Please, come with me."
"I can bring guests, right?" Twilight asked as she and Cozy fell in behind their guide.
"You make the rules, Princess. Commander Hurricane dedicated this arena to Equestria, and you are Equestria personified. You can do anything you please."
"Oh… well, then I will bring a guest," Twilight said, somewhat uncertain.
"Very well," the guide pony said. As they reached the top of the stair, Cozy saw that there was another stair, leading slightly downwards into a semicircle of secluded seats surrounded by large cloud walls as to hide whoever sat there from the bleachers around. The loge was also very near the racing area; closer than any other seat for the best view. Twilight and Cozy headed down the stairs into the loge proper.
"Here are your binoculars, enchanted to follow the Wonderbolts in flight and record the race in memory projection crystals, which will be yours to keep, naturally." The guide handed Twilight and, after a moment's hesitation, Cozy, a small case. "The derby begins in twenty minutes. I hope you will find it a spectacle befitting your glorious stature."
Cozy saw Twilight roll her eyes. "Thank you."
The guide-pony bowed and left them via the stairs.
Cozy flapped her wings and hopped up to hang on the railing separating their loge from the racetrack. She could see the entire circus from here, and even if the inside was less decorated than the outside it was still an awe-inspiring building. It must be more than a kilometer long! She saw some spots on the bleachers had been paneled with wood as to allow non-pegasi to watch the races, and a small landing ramp for hot air balloons to land on the far end of the building. In the middle of the racetrack there was a large cloud platform where a few pegasi were rigging up a scoreboard and megaphones for the referee. Other spectators also filed in and flew to and fro to find their places.
"It's really beautiful," Twilight said. "I have never actually seen the Circus Altus before, even if I have wanted to. It just… never happened."
Cozy did not answer but left the railing and sat down on a chair, as far from Twilight as possible. Twilight sat down on the centermost chair as it was larger and a bit higher than the rest, evidently made for an alicorn. She looked a bit uncomfortable up there, to Cozy's meager enjoyment.
They sat in silence, waiting for the show to begin. Cozy spied out over the crowd. Rumble should be out there now. He had talked so longingly about this event. Of course, spotting one foal among thousands of ponies was impossible, but she still found herself looking, discreetly. Given the cloud walls and positioning of the dais, not to mention that everypony would be looking at the racetrack rather than at the loge, it was unlikely anypony would even see her, but she did not feel like taking unnecessary risks. If there was anywhere in Equestria she was especially hated, then it was in Cloudsdale.
"Fillies and Gentlecolts! Welcome to the Circus Altus, and the first Wonderbolt Derby of the season!" The circus erupted in a deafening cheer. It took Cozy a few moments to notice the stallion that had appeared in on the middle platform. "I'm Focal Point, and I will be your commentator for this fine day! Today's derby is a Cloudchaser event featuring the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta Wonderbolt Teams! Every team will have all its seven ponies, and they will all fly against one another at the same time! Each event will consist of fifty laps around this very stadium, and every flyer's time will be tracked! Is today the day when Wind Rider's old record will finally be beat? Or will his mastery stand yet another test as the next generation of Wonderbolts takes up the mantle and strives to be the very best!? Let's find out!"
The audience cheered again as an aide approached Focal Point with a small bag. He reached inside and withdrew a note. Cozy had read about that. To keep the audience from leaving once their favorites had flown (most commonly the Alpha squad), the order the teams competed in was randomized.
"Team Gamma, to the starting line!" Focal called.
"Team Gamma are the weather masters," Twilight said. "When it comes to sculpting clouds or making light shows, they are the best. I wonder how well they fly." Cozy did not answer, even if she could not quite retain her gloomy mood. The air of celebration and enjoyment that everypony emanated affected her too. The seven Wonderbolts of Team Gamma took their places for the race to begin.
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! The daredevils of the sky! The aces of all aces, the finest flyers in Equestria! The Wonderbolt Alpha Team: Iiiiit's Spitfire!"
Cozy did not even see where she came from; one moment the starting line was empty, and then a pony had appeared there with her signature ember mane and tail. Cozy was not the only one caught unawares though. Only after Spitfire had appeared did the crowd cheer for her. But that cheer easily surpassed any other so far.
"Iiiiit's Fleetfoot!"
It happened again. They were so fast it was impossible to even see them coming. As the rest of the arena cheered, Cozy flitted from her chair and clung to the railing again. Maybe she could see a little better there?
"Iiiiit's Soarin!"
More cheers. Rumble would be among those who cheered now. Cozy still had no clue where they came from.
"Iiiiit's Rapidfire!"
"Iiiiit's Surprise!"
"Iiiiit's Misty Fly!"
"Aaaaand it's Rainbow Dash!" Twilight cheered and waved her pom-poms around. Rainbow Dash was the only pony who Cozy could she coming. Maybe she was not as fast as the other Wonderbolts after all? Or maybe it was because of her Rainbow contrail?
All seven best flyers now stood on the starting lines. "Are you ready!?" Focal Point asked.
The crowd answered with a roar of cheers.
"I thought so! Now without further ado… Wonderbolts, on your marks!" Cozy saw them settle in a low, relaxed stance awaiting the starting shot. Since the princess dais was just next to the starting line, they all stood just a little distance away.
"Get set!" Cozy saw their wings tense and unfurl as far as they were able. Fleetfoot's tail twitched a little.
Focal Point bucked a cloud just behind him, eliciting a thunderclap! "Fly!"
Cozy could feel the wind from their wings as they started. She had to blink several times, and by then they were already at the other side of the circus. She picked up her binoculars.
Since Cozy had never seen a Wonderbolt derby before, she had spent much of her childhood trying to deaden the feeling of loss as best she could. Mostly that meant reading up on the derbies. Suddenly, all that knowledge came back to her as she got to see it in practice.
All seven ponies had contracted from a line to a cluster, fighting a game of micrometers for the best spots in the inner curve. They did not want to be in the lead. The lead spot had a much tougher wind resistance and was tiered out far quicker than the ones behind. But being too far in the back made it hard to overtake the opponents. Cozy could see all those things at play now. The leaders constantly shifted in small loops and undulations to trick another pony into flying past them and bear the burnt of the wind. Much to Cozy's delight, Rainbow Dash's lack of experience with racing at this level made itself known quickly. Soarin and Fleetfoot both picked up on Rapidfire's attempt to break from his lead spot and followed him backwards smoothly, suddenly leaving Rainbow at the front of the pack. With an off-kilter move that Cozy could not quite follow, Surprise appeared just behind her, comfortably flying in her turbulence as well as blocking off the obvious way for Rainbow to get away from the lead.
The whole exchange had not taken more than a few seconds, and the seven ponies came rushing back at speeds not too far below that of sound. The Circus's homestretch and backstretch were long and straight, but evidently not long enough for Rainbow to break into a Sonic Rainboom, especially not when hounded by the rest of the Wonderbolts.
As they rushed past her, Cozy actively had to hold on to the railing lest the slipstream would have knocked her away. She looked at the stopwatches that documented the lap times and the total times.
Everypony was just barely under twelve seconds for the first lap. Cozy was not sure how long each lap was, but it must be a few kilometers at least. Cozy was awestruck. It was one thing to read what their speed was. To witness it was something else entirely.
"This is going to be an exciting race if I've ever seen one!" Focal Point called. "Spitfire sure has her work cut out for her if she wants to remain Captain for another season! I don't think her adepts will be content with playing second fiddle for much longer! But it's not for nothing she is the Captain! Does she still have an ace up her sleeve to stave off the young hotspurs? Only time will tell, and what a glorious time it will be!"
But that time was running out fast. It did not take them fifteen minutes they had completed forty of the fifty laps. It was only then the race began for real; not even the Wonderbolts had the stamina to fly at their highest speed for that long and slowly they began to stretch out from the cluster. Rainbow was one of the first who started to flag. By the cunning of her rivals she had been forced to fly in the front for most of the race, and it was starting to show. Slowly she was overtaken and shoved to the back of the pack where she would not have the power to recover a lead spot.
Now that spot was highly coveted. Whoever was in the lead when the race ended was the winner, and towards the end the leader had to defended their spot jealously. The longer the race went on the harder overtakes became with the failing stamina on everypony. The Wonderbolts broke past the finish line and stormed into the final lap. Cozy cast a quick look at the scoreboard: Spitfire still maintained a threadbare lead with three of her adepts just behind her: Rapidfire and Soarin, with Fleetfoot narrowly clinging just behind them. The other three were effectively out. Cozy brought her binoculars back up.
"Spitfire is still in a narrow lead! Will she be able to hold it!? Will this be yet another victory for her!?" Focal Point shouted. His excitement affected Cozy too. She leaned forward, trying to imprint every moment of what she saw into her memory.
They approached the far-end curve, just before the homestretch. Cozy gasped when she saw Rapidfire sling himself forward in a reckless jolt, trying to overtake Spitfire on the inside of the curve. "Not if Rapidfire has anything to say about it! He is going all in to win!" But there was not enough space for another flyer there!
Rapidfire spun around, flying with his wings held vertical! He was squeezing past Spitfire and oh so narrowly avoiding to go out of bounds. Cozy could almost swear they touched for a moment. But Spitfire was not about to see herself overtaken so easily. She piled on hidden reserves. Cozy could see her scowl in determination. She was choking Rapidfire; he could not accelerate or turn when flying sideways. Unless he backed down, he was going to slam straight into Spitfire as the curve straightened out!
"Fillies and gentlecolts, feast your eyes! It's the Wind Rider Shear from Rapidfire! But is he going to pull it off!? It was that gambit that got Wind Rider his record! Will it make history again today!?”
Cozy's heart hammered in her chest as she pressed the binocular tighter against her eyes. Rapidfire was continuing; he did not back down! They arrived at the curve, and he still continued forward! He was not backing down!
Spitfire relented and flapped hard with her wings to gain altitude. Rapidfire passed under her…
Cozy balked in chock.
Where did Soarin come from? He just… sort of appeared when Spitfire left her position, and Rapidfire careened straight into him. It was like he had been trying to overtake Spitfire from the outside of the curve and proceeded to glide into her old spot without realizing Rapidfire was doing the same thing on the other side! Because he knew nopony could fly on the other side of Spitfire!
She planned it! She lured Rapidfire and Soarin into breaking their concentration! They fell behind. Not far behind, but enough that they could not threaten her anymore. But it was not over yet. Fleetfoot was still there! They broke out of the curve at breakneck speed, flying just beside one another.
Now it was just Fleetfoot and Spitfire on the homestretch. Straight and narrow. No fancy flying or underhanded tricks. Now it all came down to speed and what stamina they had left.
Spitfire was faster! No, Fleetfoot caught up! They were neck in neck! Focal Point shouted something, but Cozy could not care. Her entire consciousness was focused on the two ponies flying at near sound-speed towards her! Spitfire was pulling away again! No! Fleetfoot still matched her!
Fleetfoot was passing! No, not passing! Just inching a little bit further!
Cozy held her breath! She could not tell who was winning!
!!!
"WE HAVE A WINNER!!! AND HER NAME IS FLEETFOOOOT!" Focal Point roared!
A thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd, mixed with some groans from disappointed Spitfire supporters. Cozy felt like she was waking up from a dream herself. The excitement, the mood, the speed… It was far better than she had ever imagined. She did not know how or why, but she joined the cheering too.
She felt a light tap on her shoulder and turned around.
Twilight smiled tenderly at her. "There you are… it was so long since I saw you smile, Cozy."
"What a derby! You can bet this result is one that will be discussed and analyzed for weeks to come!" Focal Point delivered his closing speech. "One thing is for certain: Fleetfoot sure showed that she's a serious contender for the lead spot, whenever it opens up! As for the derby record, Wind Rider can rest easy tonight, but with these ponies on his tail, I'd be surprised if his legacy endures for too much longer! Now finally… On behalf of the city of Cloudsdale, and the long tradition of the Circus Altus, I would like to give a warm thank-you to Princess Twilight Sparkle for taking the time to grace us with her presence! All Hail the Princess!"
"All Hail!" the crowd replied. Twilight squirmed and waved uncertainly, but for once Cozy did not really care. She had smiled. For a moment, her problems and fears had felt further away… left her in peace to just be herself. And it had felt good. Cozy hated that it felt good, hated that Twilight had gotten her to smile. Cozy was not Twilight's friend; she should not be happy for anything Twilight did. In fact, Twilight's meddling was the reason Cozy even was in this situation. If Twilight had just rolled over like she was supposed to, then Cozy would be sitting in Canterlot now, a princess in her own right and with more friends than she could count.
Twilight had taken all of that from her. Anything Twilight did for Cozy did not and would never make up for all she had taken. Cozy had to remember that. She had to remember her hate.
Cozy shook her head, lucidity returning to her. She was out of the castle. Her enchanted equipment prevented her escape, but perhaps she could find out something that could be of use later somehow?
"Cozy?" Twilight asked. Apparently the cheering for her had died down. "I'm just going to congratulate Rainbow on her first race. It'll just be a couple of minutes. Just stay here, and I'll be back soon."
"I need to use the little fillies room," Cozy said quickly. She could see Twilight hesitating.
But then she nodded. "Alright. It's just outside." Evidently she was certain her tracking spell would let her keep tabs on Cozy anywhere she went. "Like I said, it'll just be a few minutes."
Cozy nodded and made her way up the wide stairs while Twilight flew from the princess loge down to the racetrack where the Wonderbolts had gathered, no doubt discussing the derby among themselves.
When Cozy had come down the stairs on the other side, she looked around for where the bathrooms were. Twilight would probably be cross if she wandered away too far. Spotting them, she made her way over as the rest of the audience began to file out from the circus around her, chatting happily with one another. Cozy slowed her steps a little. It was nearly a second nature for her to eavesdrop.
"Well, that was a good run. Can't believe Fleetfoot actually won in the end, though."
"Yeah! I never thought she could take on Spitfire. Bet she's happy now; strong start for becoming captain. And Rainbow Dash too. She held on much longer than I thought. I remember Misty's first race, and she finished way further behind than Rainbow. She'll be a force to be reckoned with. Bet she'll make captain some day."
"That's to be expected… I mean, she's defended Equestria from all manner of threats in the last years. Great PR value for the Wonderbolts and great flying."
"We're lucky she was there after what that cursed filly did."
"Cozy Glow? More like Crazy, if you ask me. Can't believe a pegasus would turn on Equestria like that. One would think she had learnt a little abut loyalty from Rainbow."
"Well, she was insane, I guess…"
"And how! Thanks to that… little maniac, we'll need decades of good weather all over Equestria for the other tribes trust us again. Can't blame them either. I'd not be too keen on earth ponies if one of them had nearly removed the structural magic of Las Pegasus. I read that half of the city was hours from falling through the clouds! It's a small wonder nopony died."
"Like I said, we're lucky there were two pegasi there to stop her. At least then maybe the other tribes will not hate us as much."
"Sure hope so… I suppose there is nothing to be done for that now. How about something to drink? I think I cheered myself hoarse."
"Good idea. Come on, the Raincloud bar has the best hot chocolate around," the two ponies trotted off towards the interior of Cloudsdale, leaving a dazed and nauseated filly behind.
"But… I didn't want to kill anypony," Cozy said lamely. "I just wanted… friends…"
It had all made sense. With no magic, Twilight locked in Tartarus and Starlight sealed under the school, Cozy would have been the natural leader of the school. Everycreature would have been her friend. With that many friends Cozy could become an alicorn for sure; Twilight had managed with only six friends, so having more than ten times that number would make it easy for Cozy if she just worked hard enough.
She just wanted power; to be a princess rather than a pawn. Cozy never wanted to kill anypony; she had even played with the idea of letting Twilight out of Tartarus once she had solidified her own position a little more. But then Twilight escaped and put her away in Tartarus instead. After that, Cozy never had a choice. She may not want to hurt the innocent the way Tirek or Chrysalis did, but she was not above stepping one some hooves on her way to power. And she wanted to get back at Twilight for all she had done. That was just fair. So she remained in the swamp hideout, plotting her revenge on the mare who had ruined her life.
For that matter, it was not like she could just hand in a letter of resignation to Grogar, and even if she could, she had no place else to go. Twilight would just lock her up again before she could blink. She had done it before and had no reason to not do it again.
Yes, she hated Twilight, but she never wanted to cause a city to plummet from the sky!
Cozy trotted a bit faster towards the bathrooms, feeling like she might vomit. Was it really true? Had ponies almost died in the schemes? Was she just as hated as Chrysalis and Tirek now?
Cozy swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to think rationally. Perhaps it was only those two. Maybe this wasn't a sentiment other ponies shared.
Rationality did not help.
"I still don't get it! Why didn't he see that trap!" Rumble buzzed his wings irritably. "He should know Spitfire would not give up her lead spot without there being something off! If he'd only waited a little bit he could have been part of the final showdown. Bet he'd have won too; Soarin's got way better stamina than both Spitfire and Fleetfoot."
"Yeah bro, sucks for him," Thunderlane said with his typical easygoing attitude. "But he'll bounce back before the next race, don't you worry."
"I bet he will!" Rumble said with certainty. "If you ever see him at the academy, you tell him I cheer for him, right?"
"I had hoped you'd cheer for me, but okay…" Thunderlane said with a pretend sad voice.
Rumble shoved him lightly. ”Don't be silly. You know I'll always cheer for you, big bro."
"Yeah, I know. Now, what do you say we eat an oatburger over by Oat'Learys before flying home. I know they won't stack up to what you're cooking nowadays, but you know… for old times sake?"
"Wouldn't be a Wonderbolt derby without oatburgers," Rumble said. "I'll just be a second," he nodded towards the bathrooms.
On the way he saw something. Somepony who, for a moment, looked eerily familiar. She was moving fast, and she had a wig, but that salmon shade of pink coat… and that wig was not entirely unlike the normal color of her mane… could it really be her? Had she gotten out after all? But why would she be so stupid as to come to Cloudsdale? He weighted his options. He had a feeling it would be much, much easier for him to just not get involved with this issue. Forgot he saw anything and just go have a burger.
But Twilight had asked him to be her friend. What could it hurt to look? Just to be certain it was really her?
Rumble ambled over to the mares' door and stood outside it, trying to look like he was waiting for somepony (which was kind of true), rather than being a creep.
Why was it so hard to not look guilty just by standing there?
Thankfully she did not take long. She sounded a little winded and continued to wipe her mouth. He followed her a little while away, so they had a pretense of privacy, at least. "Uh… hey, Cozy?" he tried quietly. He did not want everypony else to hear her name, if it was her.
The filly jumped. So it was her after all. She turned to him.
It was the first time he really stopped and looked at Cozy Glow. That time in the tower he had just seen her for a few seconds and then left, and then it was also dark.
It was clear she did not fly as much as most pegasi. Her coat seemed a little thinner than most of his tribe, a sign that she did not have to bear the cold winds very often. She had a trio of pale spots on her both her cheeks. It was a strange coloration that Rumble had never seen on any other pony, but not at all a point against her appearance. Her eyes were rust-red, large and expressive. She looked uncomfortable somehow, but she hid it quickly upon recognizing him. "What do you want?" she asked bitingly.
"I…" What did he actually want? "I didn't knew you were going to the derby too," he said. That was entirely true, even if most ponies might say it was not the most pressing question.
"Twilight took me," Cozy answered. "She's here too, so I've not escaped. Yet." She spat the final word defiantly.
"Oh… that makes sense," Rumble said. "That Twilight took you, I mean."
They stood silent for a few seconds, neither of them knowing what to say. "I wasn't lying, you know?" Cozy said silently, with an undertone of anger. Rumble was not even sure if it was directed at him, or she said it to herself.
"Sorry?"
"When we talked the first time," Cozy said, her voice sharp. "When I said I thought Twilight would hurt me. I thought you should know I wasn't lying then."
Rumble glared slightly. "I don't believe in your lies anymore. She's a princess and you are… you. Why should I believe in you over her?"
"Because I'm telling the truth, you numbskull!" Cozy shouted loudly, her voice suddenly raw and harsh. A vein appeared on her forehead and her face contorted in a violent sneer. A couple of ponies stopped to look. "Why would you think Twilight would be kind to me!? She put me in Tart-!!"
Normally, Rumble would never get physical with a filly, but he saw ponies stopping to listen. If Cozy continued they would figure out who she was, and he couldn't let that happen. So he shoved a hoof into her mouth. Cozy looked completely dumbfounded, but she stopped growling at least.
"Hey… did that filly say something about Tartarus?"
"Isn't that coat…? That pink color?"
"Could she be…?"
"Hey, what's the big idea!?" Rumble heard his brother's voice from the small crowd of ponies standing around them. He made his way to Rumble and Cozy. "What are you looking at? Let the young work out their problems in peace! Go on. Skedaddle!" He turned to glare at a pair of whispering mares.
They promptly blushed and said something about "Didn't mean to intrude," before hastily backing off. Other ponies followed suit, even if a few did cast suspicious glances towards Cozy. Rumble could see she had understood what almost happened. There were something fearful in her look when he felt safe to remove the hoof.
"Who's your friend, Rumble?" Thunderlane asked uncertainly. No doubt he had also been attracted by Cozy's tantrum.
Rumble froze up. How was he supposed to explain this situation? He had thought to ask Thunderlane for advice what Twilight had said, but he had not brought it up yet.
"Oh, golly good sir! Thank you for helping so much," Cozy said with a sweet voice. "But do you think you could give us a little bit of privacy? I really need to talk to Rumble… It's between the two of us, see?"
"Oh, my," Thunderlane said with a wry grin. "I didn't know you had met somepony like that, li'l bro. You take your time." Before Rumble even could answer, Thunderlane gave him a loose thump on the back and left him and Cozy alone.
"Why did you do that!" he snapped at Cozy, who looked all too pleased with herself. "How am I gonna explain this to my bro?"
"That's your problem,” Cozy said aloofly. "And don't change the subject. The first thing Twilight did when she foiled my plan was throwing me in Tartarus! Do you really think it's strange I'm afraid of what she might do if she gets angry with me?"
That actually did make some sense. "How can I believe anything you say? You have already lied once so you could use me. Why not again?"
"Like I would dare to now! Do you know what Tartarus is? It's a landfill of everything ponykind have feared so much we dared not leave it free. Everything too strong or too dangerous to kill; all of that is holed up in there, only a few metal bars away from me! But that was not enough. She put me in the statue too! I thought she would kill me! Effectively she did, because I never thought she would set me free!" The vein in her forehead was back. "AND YOU THINK IT'S WIERD I'M AFRAID OF HER!?”
"Shhh! Please be quiet! Ponies will hear you," Rumble said. "And then I'll be lynched too somehow, I guarantee it" he thought glumly. "Do you really think Twilight will hurt you? She's kind to everypony else, so why not you too?"
"She's never been kind to me. Why would she start now?" Cozy snapped back.
"She bought you here," Rumble said. "And not even you can make me think that's not kind; every pegasus wants to see the Wonderbolts."
"Tsk…" Cozy grumbled. "I don't know why she brought me. Everypony hates me here. Well, I'll just hate them all back."
"Hate breeds only more hate, you know," Rumble said, quoting Twilight. "And don't say everypony. Twilight told me she doesn't.”
Cozy looked at Rumble as if he was the dumbest pony she had ever seen. "Of course she'd say that. Didn't stop her from locking me up," Cozy said. "Even if she wanted to strangle me she'd never say anything else."
Rumble sighed. She'd never believe anything Twilight said at this point. He suddenly understood better why Twilight wanted him to be Cozy's friend. It was because Cozy would never let Twilight come anywhere near her. "And what about me? If I told you I don't hate you, then would you believe that?"
Cozy looked suspiciously at him. "Hmmm… why wouldn't you hate me? You said it yourself, I used you and then you flew away from me when you figured out who I was. Of course you hate me."
"Well... friends can forgive each other. And don't you get really angry sometimes too? So you do things that are not… really smart? Before you've thought things through?”
Cozy actually grinned a little. "Like when I start shouting outside the largest circus in Equestria? I suppose I've done some silly things too, when I've been angry."
"See? I could forgive you for trying to use me and try again. I made a mistake when I left you, but I don't really hate you. Actually… I liked talking to you. And sending notes and stuff... that was pretty exciting."
"I like talking to you too. I feel better when I have another pony to talk to…I think I'd like having you as my friend again."
"But you'll have to promise you won't try to use me again," Rumble said.
"Sure!" Cozy chirped, much too fast to be believable. "Buuut, if you happened to find a way for me to escape, I sure wouldn't be sad if you told me. It's what a friend would do!"
Rumble glared. Cozy retained her innocent smile. "I'll hold you to that promise," Rumble said. "And before we can talk, you will have to ask Twilight to let me into the private castle wing."
Now it was Cozy's turn to glare. "I will not beg her for anything! You can ask her yourself!"
"No, I won't! I'm not going to be friends with somepony who does not care to work for my friendship. You need to show me that you actually want to be a friend! I won't be used again."
Cozy continued to glare. Rumble was almost certain his coat was singed from her fiery gaze. "Fine," she whispered angrily. "But you had better make this worthwhile for me."
"Uh… sure," Rumble said while wondering what that meant, exactly. "Then… I'll see you back in the castle. My bro is probably getting impatient."
Cozy's anger disappeared completely. "I'll be looking forward to it!" she chirped with a large smile.
As Rumble left to find his brother, he found himself wondering if Cozy had a really good control, or a really bad control over her emotions. It was hard to say with her.
Cozy had been quiet the rest of the day when they returned from the derby, but Twilight really did not expect anything else. She was a prideful pony, and winning her over was going to take more than just a Wonderbolt derby. But it was still a start, and Twilight did consider their outing a success, all things considered. She had gotten Cozy to accept an offer from her and talk a little bit with her. And most importantly, she had seen Cozy smile for the first time.
It was a small step, but it was still leaps and bounds ahead of where she had been just a day ago. Therefore, she felt happier than she had in a long time when she woke up the next morning. Stretching her wings, she went out in the corridor.
Clonk!
Twilight nearly jumped out of her skin at the unexpected sound. It came from inside Cozy's room, like she had thrown a book against a glass pane or something, but Twilight could not feel her tampering with the shield on the balcony door. What was she up to?
She was just about to knock on the door and see if everything was alright when the door opened of its own and Cozy rushed out. She came to a screeching halt just in front of Twilight, as if she briefly had to ask herself if running from the sound was better or worse than being near Twilight.
"Cozy? What was that?" Twilight asked.
"I dunno," Cozy said. "I was just sleeping, and then it was like somepony was trying to break into my window." She shifted nervously on her hooves. Twilight had a feeling there was more to her frightened reaction than that, but she also knew Cozy would not say anything else to her.
"I suppose I'll go see what that was then," Twilight said and went into Cozy's room. Everything looked normal, so she pulled away the curtains.
On the balcony stood a disoriented, cloud-gray and wall-eyed pegasus with a hoof to her forehead. Mail laid scattered around her, and a few more spilled from her mailbag as she swayed precariously close to the balcony edge on unsteady hooves. Twilight opened the balcony.
"Good morning," she said and steadied the poor mailpony.
"Oh, good morning Twilight! How can I help you?" Derpy said. "No, wait! I had something for you…" she dug around in her mailbags, scattering a few more envelopes to the wind. "Uhm… somewhere here… Ah! Here it is!" She proudly presented a small envelope with a purple wax sigil depicting a shield with a six pointed star on it. The symbol of her school.
Twilight smiled in excitement. This had to be Starlight's reply to where Cozy Glow lived before she enrolled in the friendship school. "Thank you. I have been waiting for this."
"The Equestrian Royal mail: we go where ponies go," Derpy said with a wing-salute. "Got to fly! Lots of mail to track down and deliver!" She turned and leaped from the balcony. Her hind hoof caught on the railing, leading her to fall nearly half the length of the tower before she got her flying under control.
"Just the mailpony," Twilight said to Cozy.
Cozy grumbled something about being woken up before she went back in her room and slammed the door shut in Twilight's face. For once, Twilight was not disheartened by that, but went into her own room to read the letter.
Twilight
Sorry for taking this long to respond, but the new semester have brought with it more work than I could ever have seen coming! You school is one of the most sought after in Equestria now, both among ponies and others. I have been thinking about some sort of quota to handle the balance between ponies and non-pony students for next year, to make sure we get a fair balance of all cultures. I will keep you posted on that.
I found Cozy's application. It was signed by a certain Cheerful Sun, who allegedly runs the Spring Shower orphanage in Cloudsdale. While I have not really confirmed it, it would seem Cozy lived there prior to coming to the school.
I took the liberty of looking up the orphanage, and it seems to be well maintained. Most ponies from there have ended up just fine. Just as we can see with Cozy, many ponies there are very early in finding their cutie marks which, as you know, tends to be a sign of a good home.
Your Faithful Student Starlight Glimmer
Twilight read it through once more. "So an orphaned foal bent on world domination with a mysterious past, is it?" she said to herself. This was stranger, if probably better, than she had expected. She had feared Cozy had come from an abusive household or something, but this, at least on the surface, seemed a little bit better. Orphanages in Equestria were subject to harsh scrutiny, and generally well maintained. And if Starlight thought it was a good place, then it likely was. Starlight would have been thorough in her research. Still, in light of this new information, it seemed Twilight had to visit Cloudsdale again for the second day in a row. After breakfast, of course. After some consideration, she decided to wait for Cozy to get up for real. While it was a long shot, she felt like she should try to talk to her a little bit now that she seemed to have thawed.
An hour or so later, Twilight heard Cozy leave her room. She waited five more minutes or so in her study as to not seem desperate. Then she left her room and found Cozy in the common room.
"I thought you might want to make a request for breakfast?" Twilight said. "Since you always rise after me and just get what I have-"
"I don't care," Cozy said and got up to leave.
"Right…" Twilight said. "I'll be out for a while today."
"What about my lunch?" Cozy asked.
Twilight balked just a little. She had not really expected Cozy to answer, not to mention ask for anything. "Uh… I thought I'd get it up with the breakfast as usual, so you can eat whenever you like."
"I had kinda hoped you could let Rumble in with lunch later," Cozy said. She tried to look unperturbed, but Twilight saw her eyes dart to the sides and her jaw clench. "So I can eat fresh food for once."
"Are… you sure?" Twilight asked. "Did you make up with him?"
Cozy nodded.
"That makes me happy, Cozy," Twilight said. She ignored the fact that Cozy looked like she had just bitten a lemon. "I'll make sure he gets in to you. You two enjoy yourselves now."
"Just leave me in peace," Cozy snapped and left the room with a huff.
Twilight felt happy. Cozy was still difficult at best, but once she had tasted the fruits of real friendship, she would come around. While it was not her favorite tactic for solving problems, Twilight had learnt that sometimes the best thing she could do was to do nothing. Watching from the background and arrange as many meetings with Sweetie Belle and Rumble as possible would chip away the misunderstandings about friendship that still haunted Cozy Glow. Once that misunderstanding was gone, Twilight would be ready to teach Cozy what real friendship was. She did not know when that would happen, but it didn't matter. When the time came and Cozy was ready, Twilight would know. She was the Princess of Friendship after all. She would know.
She left Cozy in peace and went down to order breakfast for the both of them and lunch for her. Then she would be off to Cloudsdale again.
Cloudsdale was an old city- the oldest in Equestria, actually. After the three tribes had migrated to the Equestrian heartlands after the great blizzard, the Earth Ponies kept living on isolated farms and would not found any real cities for a long time yet. The unicorns were the least numerous tribe, and they built themselves a new city for their Princess: Canterlot. The pegasi, however, could simply move their old cloud homes into Equestria. As such, not even the pegasi themselves know exactly how old Cloudsdale really was. Some say it is as old as ponykind itself.
Being so ancient, it has been altered and expanded many times. However, the basic layered structure remained. The northern side of Cloudsdale housed the most luxurious and important buildings. The weather factory, the Circus Altus, the Mayor's office and the cloud temples of old were all located there. Around those quarters ran a ring with more wealthy homes and businesses that then dwindled in beauty, prestige and cost the further away from the north one got. Any property or business could be given a rough assessment on wealth or status just based on its position in the city.
Twilight, therefore, was saddened to learn that the Spring Shower Orphanage was located to the southwest, rather far from the splendor that Cloudsdale was known for. Of course, she was not surprised. The royal grant for the orphanages would secure a decent living for the unfortunate foals who lived there, but even the Princess's coffers weren't bottomless. There would be no indulgence for the foals or their caretaker.
Still, even if the building did not look luxurious by any means, it was definitely well maintained and had a cozy feel to it. There were colorful flowers around the entrance and it occupied its own spot at the end of the street, giving it a little more space than the surrounding buildings. Twilight could hear the voices of many foals from the other side of a cloud fence. Her last embers of worry that this might be the root of Cozy's problems were put to rest as she heard it. This place did not sound bad at all.
Twilight stepped inside to the happy tinkle of a small bell. Though the reception was deserted, there was a small stack of folders on a table. Consider Adoption! was written on the front, with a smiling foal holding up her forelegs for a hug underneath the text. She magicked one up and started skimming through it.
"Hello? How can I help you?"
Twilight put the folder away and looked up. A sun-yellow pegasus mare with sky-blue mane had appeared. She looked a little tired, but happy nonetheless. "Are you perchance looking for adoption council?"
"Sadly not, no," Twilight said. "I was hoping to talk to Cheerful Sun. I understand she is the principal here?"
"That I am," the yellow pony said. "Wait… You're Princess Twilight Sparkle! You-" Her expressions fell. She seemed to shrink back and she felled her ears. "I… I suppose I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. Follow me, please. We can talk in my office."
Twilight was a little perplexed about her sudden crestfallen look, but decided to follow. They went through a door and down a corridor before arriving at a small office with a window facing the backyard. Twilight could see between five and ten foals playing around, all of them pegasi but none old enough to fly yet. Still, in keeping with their natural instincts, the swing set seemed to be the most popular place on the yard. Twilight couldn't help but to smile when she saw them.
"I know it's not much, but I've really given them everything I can. I was a good caretaker for them, really I was," Cheerful said sadly. Twilight looked over to her. She sat behind a desk, a neat stack of papers next to a vase of flowers the only things on it.
"You seem upset?" Twilight said uncertainly. It almost looked like Cheerful Sun might start crying, even if Twilight could not understand why.
Cheerful swallowed a few times to regain her composure. "I understand you must do it, but… but I never thought Cozy could do all that. I had no idea she was so… so twisted. I know you can't let an orphanage that fosters such a pony remain open, but… please, you have to believe me: I've always put the foals' best first!"
"You misunderstand," Twilight hurried to say once she understood why Cheerful had seemed so distraught when she came. "I'm not here to shut down your orphanage! I just wanted to talk to somepony who might shed some light on who Cozy-" Twilight nearly said "is", but realized that Cheerful still thought she was trapped. "Who Cozy was. To make sure it never happens again."
"Oh! I'm sorry, Princess, I thought… Please forgive a foolish mare; of course your benevolence would not punish these foals for what their classmate did," Cheerful said, continually bowing down to Twilight.
"Please, that's enough," she said, blushing. "Just tell me what you know of Cozy. Everything you know."
"Right… of course," Cheerful bit her lip slightly. "She was… not a bad foal, exactly. She was never involved in fights, never called ponies names or things like that, but… I still never felt entirely right with her. She had an uncanny ability to get ponies to work with her.Or maybe 'for her' might be more to the truth?"
"How do you mean?" Twilight asked.
"Well, it happens that the darlings scuffle with one another… somepony steals another pony's ribbons, someone takes a toy or the like. Sometimes when I confronted those fights, the culprit said that Cozy asked them to do it."
"And you think they were telling the truth?" Twilight asked.
"It happened too many times and with too many foals for them all to single out Cozy at random," Cheerful said. "I talked to Cozy too, of course, but she would only cry and say the other foals were unkind to her and tried to set her up. To be honest, I never knew what to make of it at the time. After all, Cozy did not gain anything from another filly having her teddy bear dirtied, or something. But knowing what I know now… I guess it makes sense for her to manipulate other ponies to do her dirty work just because she could."
Twilight stopped herself from objecting, even if it felt wrong to hear somepony say that about a foal. "Is that all you remember about her?" Twilight asked. "Did she have any friends among the other foals?"
Cheerful shrugged uncertainly. "I'm not sure… I guess I don't know if everypony was her friend, or nopony was. She was almsot never alone. She played with other ponies all the time… but it felt like none of them really was her friend for real somehow? I wish I could show you; as Princess of Friendship you must know better what to make of it than a common pony like me."
Twilight sighed internally. "Proceed, please."
"Sorry," Cheerful said quickly. "Uh… what's more… oh! She was smart for her age. Really curious. A few times a year I try to save up enough money to take the little sweethearts someplace nice. We have visited the Weather Factory, the great Circus… even Canterlot once. Cozy was always the most active on those trips. Asked a lot of questions, stopped to read every sign and looked at every window."
"Do you know anything about her schooling?" Twilight asked.
"We send our foals to school and flight school, of course," Cheerful said. "Thats another strange thing; despite being the age for school, she arrived here with the entire coursework for the basic education already completed, three years before most ponies should have. She has never attended flight school though, which is rare for her age. I enrolled her for this year, but…" Cheerful looked meaningfully at Twilight.
"Back up a little," Twilight said. "When did Cozy get here? Who are her real parents? How old is- was she even, exactly?" Twilight suddenly felt bad for not knowing the last question.
"She came alone, about four years ago," Cheerful said. "She just showed up one morning by the door with a letter and said this was her home now."
"Nopony was with her? At all?" Twilight asked.
Cheerful shook her head. "The letter said that her name was Cozy Glow and asked I provided a loving home for her. It… also said a large sum of bits had been transferred to the orphanage's bank account, and that it should be used to take good care of her. I checked with the bank, and it was true. But I swear I haven't used a single bit of it. I moved all that money to an account for Cozy personally. I thought she could have it when she came of age, but I suppose she won't be needing it anymore."
"That's noble of you," Twilight said. "And… trust me, you never know if she will need that money one day. Anyway, this letter, was it not signed?"
"No," Cheerful said. "I still have it, in case somepony who adopted Cozy wanted it. I can show it if you like."
"I'd like that very much," Twilight said.
Cheerful stood up and opened a filing cabinet. She flipped around for a little while before withdrawing a folder with Cozy Glow's photograph on. She passed her a letter. Twilight leaned forward to read. The penmanship was elegant cursive, but it had a little bit of the sloppiness that came from writing with hooves. Not a unicorn then…
Cloudsdale, Stratocumulus District, Fluffy Cloud Street fifteen. Spring Shower Orphanage, Cheerful Sun
The holder of this letter is named Cozy Glow, nine years of age, and she needs a place to live. I know you have an opening in your orphanage, and so you will accept her being placed with you. I sincerely hope you and the rest of the foals will provide a loving, secure environment for Cozy and that she can grow and develop in accordance with her talents and cutie mark. She has completed her basic level education (her result is registered in the Cloudsdale Town Hall, if you have any doubts).
Upon receiving this letter, you will find that a substantial amount of bits have been transferred to your orphanage's account. This money is at your disposal to use as you see fit. However, I humbly request they are spent to make Cozy's situation as pleasant as it can be.
Just as Cheerful had said, there was no signature.
"I checked her school result," Cheerful said. "She has not been to any school in Equestria, but she has taken the final exam of the basic education. She scored in the ninety-fifth percentile. My guess is she's been home-schooled, and remarkably well too."
"She was nine when you received this… So she is thirteen now then?" Twilight asked.
"I guess," Cheerful said. "Since the letter doesn't say, we used to celebrate her birthday the day she came here, but I don't know her real birthday."
Twilight nodded and pushed the letter back to Cheerful. "And why did she leave?"
Cheerful suddenly looked a little worried. "She escaped. One night she just vanished. I started looking, of course, but I never found her. I was on my way to the police when I saw somepony with a newspaper, and on the front page was the class photo for your school. You can't imagine how surprised I was when I saw her there."
"I never heard of anypony looking for her," Twilight said. "If you knew where she was, why didn't you collect her?"
Cheerful swallowed. "I… figured she'd do better where she was," she said meekly. "So I never asked the police to search, and told the other foals she had found someplace else to live."
Twilight furrowed her brow. "All my students must have a legal guardian and a home for to go back to after they graduate. You should have told the police."
"Many ponies would give up their right hind leg to give their foals a chance like hers, Princess," Cheerful said. "If Cozy somehow had gotten that chance, I would not take it from her by trying to get her back here. She was better off at your school, and as headmistress of an orphanage my duty is to the wellbeing of my foals first. If you want to punish me, go ahead, but I stand for what I did. And I planned on coming to her graduation ceremony to hear what she wanted to do next. In my eyes, she still has a home here, no matter what she has done. But I'd never stop her from getting a chance like that."
Twilight sighed, then smiled a little. "I suppose I can't fault you for wanting the best for your little ones… I guess you did right, all things considered."
"I don't think I'll ever understand it," Cheerful admitted. "How she got into your school I mean. I didn't even know she had sent an application.”
"Wait a moment!" Twilight exclaimed. She had just remembered what Starlight had written. "Her application! You signed it!"
Cheerful looked at once confused and a little insulted. "I did no such thing, Princess. You have my word on that."
"But… in our archives her application was signed by you," Twilight said.
"Then that must be a fake signature," Cheerful said decisively. "And no, I can't think it was Cozy who did that. Her hoof writing was never that good… and frankly, I refuse to believe she would do that, even if you may call me naïve."
"Do you mind writing a sample for me?" Twilight asked. "I'd like to compare them."
"Right, of course," Cheerful said and picked up a pen.
"What a mysterious foal…" Twilight said to herself. "Orphaned, runaway, prisoner of Tartarus… and one of the most feared ponies in the modern age, all before she knows how to fly for real. I wish I knew more about her past."
"Sorry I can't be of more help. She refused to tell me anything about where she was before she came to me," Cheerful said. "But… you'll tell her she still has a home here, right?"
"Sure," Twilight said absently.
Cheerful dropped her pen and stared in shock at Twilight. "You've released her, haven't you?"
Twilight froze up. She had been so deep in thought about everything she had learned that she let her guard down for just a moment. And it had cost her dearly! She focused on Cheerful and lifted her wings ever so slightly. She had slowly learnt that the visage of her lifted wings, larger than any pegasus's, and her slender horn sparked instant respect in anypony she met. Being an alicorn had some more subtle perks than omnipotent magic. "Yes, I have. She deserved better than I gave her. I realize that now."
Cheerful looked happy for the first time Twilight met her. "Don't worry, Princess, your secret is safe with me. I meant what I said about wanting my little ones to have good lives, despite beginning with nothing. Cozy is no exception. So you take good care of her, okay?"
"I promise I will," Twilight said.
Tiny tears shimmered in Cheerful's eyes. "You truly are a wonderful pony. To take pity on your enemy like this…" She dried her eyes, but the smile stayed in place.
"I'm glad I came here," Twilight said in turn. "I still don't know her past, but now I know she did have kind ponies around her for some of her youth. You're doing a lot of good. Never forget that."
"You too, Princess," Cheerful said. "Oh, I just remembered! I have something for you."
"You do? What?" Twilight asked.
"The day before Cozy escaped was one time she allegedly tried to frame another pony, so I confiscated something from her. The only thing she brought with her to the orphanage. I meant to give it back the next morning, but then she was gone."
Cheerful leaned down and unlocked a small compartment on her desk. She pulled out a strange, yet very familiar object. It was cylindric and made of a red type of wood. This was the rook depicted on Cozy's cutie mark. Only it was about as large as Twilight's hoof, much too big to be a chess piece.
"I don't really know what this is," Cheerful said. "But it's obviously important to her, given her cutie mark. Perhaps you could give it back to her?"
"I'd be happy to," Twilight said and lifted the strange object in her hoof. She knew some objects made for earth ponies or pegasi did not respond well to magic. It was lighter than she imagined, and not quite so perfect as she thought. It was a little scratched at some places, and it was not perfectly round either, almost like whoever had made it had not been perfectly experienced yet.
Nonetheless, it did not possess any powerful magic from what Twilight could feel. Whatever it was, it couldn't be anything dangerous. "I'll make sure she gets it."
"Good, and you tell her that she will always have a home here, if she wants it," Cheerful said. "With your majesty's permission, of course," she hurried to add.
Twilight nodded. "I won't pretend to know her as well as I'd like, but I think she'll appreciate hearing that. Even if she'll have to remain with me for now. She is still dangerous, and I can't take any risks.”
Cheerful looked cloven at that. "I understand." she sighed. She had probably hoped Cozy would be allowed to come back to her. "But you take care of her."
"I will."
They rose from their chairs. Twilight knew what to do. This chess piece, or whatever it was, was linked to Cozy's cutie mark, and her cutie mark was linked to her past. She needed to contact somepony who really understood this sort of thing. Coincidentally, one of Cozy's friends happened to be very good with cutie marks.
Rumble stared dumbfounded at the door to the private castle wing, silver tray and round lid balanced on a wing. Twilight had asked him to bring lunch up, but he had assumed that would involve the door opening at the very least. Instead, it looked like the solid wood had somehow melted and formed a foal-sized hole in the middle. He tried to follow the individual boards of wood from the top and realized they had somehow bent in impossible ways to bare a hole for him. Most likely it had something to do with the fact that the whole door was completely drenched in purple magic. He could even see through it. Cozy Glow herself stood on the other side, glaring slightly above the weird, melted part of the door, about where the handle would be. He found himself wondering what prevented Cozy from getting out the same way.
He knew it was safe. He saw unicorns use magic all the time, but still. A pegasus would never be entirely comfortable with the strange powers involved with magic; especially not when it involved walking through a door of melted wood. He carefully crept up to it and gingerly stepped through.
"AAH!" Cozy yelped and flew backwards, startling Rumble so much he almost backed out of the door again. In fact, part of the tray he was carrying fell into the interface between "door" and "weird-magic-hole-thingy" and got magicked in a way no food had ever been magicked before or since. Gathering his bearings, he stepped through again, still to visible shock on Cozy's face.
"You scared me! Haven't somepony told you to knock?" she growled, but she sounded more scared than angry.
"And how would I knock on that?" Rumble asked incredulously, gesturing with his hoof. "I'm not touching that door; who knows what it could do!"
"Yea, who knows what a door might do?" Cozy huffed.
Rumble tilted his head to the side. "Don't you see it? The strange hole in the door?"
Cozy gave him a deadpan stare. "I have looked at that door for days on end. I think I'd seen a hole in it if there was one."
"But that's how I came in," Rumble said. "Look." He beckoned Cozy closer and pushed his hoof through the hole. She stared, dumbfounded, and reached forward to touch his hoof. A slight "clonk" sounded when her hoof hit the blank space where the door ought to begin, sliding closer to his leg as if gliding on an invisible surface.
"Okay, that looks wrong," Rumble said.
"Quiet. I'm looking at somepony who's stuck his hoof through the door. You don't get to say what looks wrong here," Cozy said. She stared a few more moments at his leg, then shifted to look to the tray he was still holding on his wing. Immediately her mood brightened. "Golly! You brought food! What did you get me?"
"Since we met in Cloudsdale… I sorta talked a bit to my brother, and he said that if you want to make amends with a girl, you should bring a gift." He nodded to the tray with the silver lid.
Cozy looked at the tray with a confounded expression. "A gift? For me?"
"Of course it's for you," Rumble said. "Who else would it be for?"
"Well, let me see then," she said. "I usually eat in here," Cozy started towards the door where he and Twilight had talked. Rumble followed. Cozy sat down by the table and kept her eyes trained on his tray. It was a little weird… but then again, whole point of this was to make an impression, which he undoubtedly had managed, so there was that. But would she like it? He thought so of course, but he could never be sure.
"Well, here goes. I hope you like it," he said and put down the tray and lifted the round silver lid.
Asparagus. Crisp, green stalks with a generous helping of butter and grated parmesan cheese, together with finely chopped hazel-nuts roasted to the peak of brittleness without loosing any flavor. As a side dish, to really hammer his point home, he had baked ciabatta bread, roasted them in olive oil and garlic and topped with finely chopped tomatoes- bruschetta, one of his own favorite appetizers.
Cozy sat stunned in her chair, blinking in bewilderment. Her eyes flicks from the food up to him and back again.
"Are… you okay?" Rumble asked uncertainly.
She snapped out of whatever trance she had temporarily fallen into. "Yes, never better. It looks really good. Thanks," she said. Hesitating only a moment, she picked up one of the bruschettas. She stopped herself, looking at him. "Aren't you going to eat too?"
"I've had lunch already," Rumble answered. "I eat earlier, so I can cook for Princess Twilight. And you."
"Makes sense," Cozy said and took a bite.
Rumble felt a bit awkward. He wanted to talk, but he also didn't want to disturb her meal. "I'll just see if there is anything to read in here," he said, trying to dispel the pressing awkwardness.
Indeed. See if there was anything to read in this library belonging to a pony with an abnormal love of books… Cozy's expression told him that she too was aware that Rumble's attempt to not be awkward had, in fact, just made things worse. Thankfully he was allowed to turn his back on her so she didn't have to see him cringe. He picked up the closest book he could reach to hide his face in.
By random chance he ended up with a book on Equestrian flora and started skimming through it, mostly looking at the pictures and then reading on the ones that caught his eye.
"It was really good," Cozy said after a while. "Especially the tomato sandwiches."
"They are called bruschetta," Rumble said and put the book away. "They are not hard to make. You should try, if you want to make your own."
"I don't have anything to cook with up here," Cozy pointed out.
Rumble shrugged. "There is a fireplace. Maybe you can't cook, but you could make hot cocoa or s'mores, if you ever want something sweet." Rumble suspected she did. In her confinement, she likely did not get much of that.
"I'd really like that, if you could get me cocoa and milk," Cozy said. She studied him for a moment. "Do you play chess?"
Rumble had seen her cutie mark, so why had he not prepared for that question? "I know how the pieces moves…" he said. It even had the virtue of almost being true; he was sure to remember if it was the rook or the duke that could only move diagonally once he saw the board.
"Hmm…" Cozy got something cunning in her eyes. "How about I teach you how to play chess, and you make me hot cocoa?"
Rumble nodded. "Deal." This could only be good; if she invited him to play with her, then he must already be well on his way of earning her trust.
"Then let's play!" Cozy said. "I'll get the board!"
Rumble waited for her to return and considered if maybe he could find a book on chess in here and read up a little in the thirty seconds or so he had. He hated the idea of making a fool of himself, especially to Cozy. Alas, in the time he debated the pros and conns of finding a chess book, Cozy was already back, a red pouch in her mouth and the board balanced on top of her head. She pushed her dishes away and sat it down on the table. "White starts, so I'll be black. Let's see what you can do."
"Sure," Rumble said and began putting up his pieces. He started with the pawns. Then he could peek at how Cozy did her back row, just to be sure he got the order right.
"Okay then… prepare to lose," Rumble said with much more confidence than he felt and moved the third pawn from the right one space forward. He did not really have a plan for which one was the best, so he just picked one. It probably didn't matter that much. Cozy also moved a pawn, near her archmage.
He had almost never played Chess, but his brother had taught him one thing a long time ago. Pawns can protect each other well if they are arranged in a zig-zag pattern. It was the only plan he had, so he decided to go for that. Really, his best chance was to just stay alive and take whatever pieces he could from Cozy's side. He doubted he would actually win this.
He moved the pawn second from the right two spaces forward.
Cozy glared. "If you didn't wanna play with me you could just have said so," she huffed. That vein in her forehead was starting to appear.
"… what?" Rumble asked, dumbfounded. "But we are playing?"
Cozy deadpanned, then both laughed and facehoofed at the same time. "Oh, Golly! It's gonna take a while to teach you!" She did not sound irritated though. She almost sounded… genuinely happy.
"What? What did I do?" Rumble asked, panicking slightly. Had he somehow already made a fool of himself? "What!? Tell me!"
Cozy giggled cutely and pushed her archmage all the way to the edge of the board, next to the pawn he just moved. "Check mate."
Rumble stared at the board. He wanted to burrow into the ground and not come out for a few years. How... how? This was not the impression he wanted to make; he must look like a complete and utter blockhead.
Cozy giggled again. "The Fool's Mate is the fastest way possible to lose a game. You don't play a lot, do you?"
He was never going to live this down… never. He looked up despondently at her. "End me now... please."
"Hmmm…"
Eyes narrowed, Sweetie Belle peeked up over the edge of a table, bringing her to eye level with her newest quandary. She poked the curious wooden statuette with a hoof. "Hmmmm…"
"It looks just like her cutie mark," Rarity said, eyeing it with just as much curiosity as Sweetie Belle.
"It's clearly important to her somehow," Twilight said. "I just wonder how exactly. And what it is. It can't be just a trinket, right? It's got to serve some purpose."
"No," Sweetie Belle said. That misconception was all too common, she had begun to learn in the last months as a cutie mark consultant. "Diamond Tiara's tiara is not special. It's just modeled after her mark. This could be the same. Maybe Cozy made this to commemorate getting her cutie mark. Many ponies do that."
"So this is just something she made?" Twilight asked. "I suppose that makes sense… her rook mark could symbolize her skill in manipulation."
"I've always assumed it did," Rarity said.
"Me too, until I found this," Twilight said. "Cozy had this when she was as young as nine."
"That's much earlier than most ponies get their marks." Sweetie Belle said. "If her mark was just manipulation, then it's strange she had it so early. Not impossible, but definitely uncommon."
"So, if you had to guess, sister dear, what do you think?" Rarity asked. "Do you think Cozy's cutie mark signify manipulating ponies, or is it something else?"
Sweetie Belle bit her lip. "I'm not sure, but I have actually read up on when ponies tends to get their marks. Twelve is the most common age, but cutie marks associated with bad things almost always comes later, since ponies don't get many… chances, I guess, to earn those marks. To get a mark for manipulation as early as nine would be really, really uncommon."
"So statistically speaking, her mark should mean something else?" Twilight said.
Sweetie Belle shrugged. "I think we need to have one question answered before we can guess that: What came first? This statue, or the mark? Did she make this to commemorate the mark, or did she make this, and get her mark for it? If she did, then her mark must have something to do with this thing specifically, or with similar objects."
"I can ask her for her cutie mark story," Twilight suggested, though she knew there was no chance of Cozy answering that question. "But in the meantime, there are some more things I wanted to ask you two…" Twilight levitated out two pieces of paper from her saddlebags. One was an official-looking document affixed with a wax sigil and the other was a torn piece of a notebook. Two words were written on them both: Cheerful Sun. "Rarity, you have an eye for detail. Do you think the same pony wrote both of these?"
Rarity hummed and magicked over a pair of red glasses, then folded the paper with Cheerful's control sample so both signatures could be placed just next to one another. "Well, thank you, Shadow Spade for teaching me your tricks," Rarity all but cooed. "No, this must be a forgery."
"How can you be so sure?" Twilight asked.
"See this," Rarity pointed out the "w". ”Whoever wrote on Cozy's application was trying to copy Cheerful, but they did too good. Look at those signatures, especially the 'W'."
Twilight looked closer. Now that Rarity pointed it out, the "W" Cheerful had written had clearly been made by lifting the pen and writing two V:s next to one another. When the pen was lifted, the last part of the V:s was a little faded towards the top. The signature on her application did not have that. Really, if one started to look at them, there were small details that differentiated them.
"And before you ask, dear, I am almost positive Cozy did not do that. First, her hoof writing was not nearly that good when she wrote reports to me in class. Second, the forgery was clearly done by magic. Nopony else can copy another that good unless they are a professional forger, and a professional would never make that mistake. And it didn't really need to stand up to scrutiny; nopony would suspect something like this and look."
"That makes sense," Twilight said tiredly.
"It does?" Sweetie Belle asked curiously. "Because I don't think any of that makes sense."
"No, but the conclusion matches something else I found," Twilight said. "Somepony went to great lengths to keep an eye on Cozy. I told you about the bank, right? How somepony had donated to the orphanage for her?"
"Yes?" Rarity said.
"Well, I went to talk with them after I left the orphanage, to see if they had any record of who made that transfer. Turns out ponies often transfer small amounts of bits to friends and neighbors, to help one another out. Apparently, to reduce administration, banks allow for anonymous donations if the transferred amount is less than a hundred bits."
"That's not very much…?" Rarity said.
"The clerk I talked to remembered the day I asked about without needing any record, because when they opened that morning, more than sixty ponies wanted to transfer ninety-nine bits each to the orphanage," Twilight said. "Somepony went to great lengths to help Cozy, and went just as far to stay anonymous."
"That's good," Sweetie Belle said. "Then she has a really generous friend somewhere."
"True," Rarity said. "Although something about this generosity does not sit quite right with me…"
"Same," Twilight said. "But that is a mystery for later; ultimately Cozy's future is more important than her past. So, to that end…" Twilight looked at Sweetie Belle. "…I hoped you would come visit her tomorrow."
"Sure!" Sweetie Belle said. "Tomorrow is sunday, so I'm free!"
Twilight nodded. "That's all I had. If you have nothing more, I think I am going to visit Starlight at my school. I think I need to straighten out an idea of hers that's… not gonna go well if she tries."
It was a good thing Rumble was not officially on apprentice duty for the weekend, so he could stay with Cozy for as long as he liked. Turns out that "as long as he liked" was enough time for him to get massacred two more times in chess by her. But at least he had avoided the worst blunders with some help, so they could have a real game at the end. After his third loss he left for a few minutes to bring a small cauldron, milk, and an assortment of exotic spices that Cozy did not know the name of. She had never been given such expensive things in the orphanage or the School of Friendship.
"I'll just be a moment," Rumble said and put everything down on the table. "I just need to get a few more things. Then we'll make some cocoa." He left again. Cozy took the opportunity to study the glass jars with the spices. They were not labeled, for some reason, but she suspected that any chef working in the most prestigious kitchen in Equestria must know what these were by just looking at them. One jar contained some strange, brown rolls of… really thick paper? She wanted to take one out and touch it, but she had a feeling she should not mess with the jars until Rumble was back. Another jar had a stack of large nuts of some sort. She did not know what kind.
Then finally, the last jar contained thin, long stalks. Black and glossy with a curved end, they certainly did not look appealing to eat. Was that licorice roots? It looked a little like licorice. But who would have licorice in their cocoa? Or anywhere near them, for that matter?
Rumble came back, preforming an intricate balancing act with more jars and cooking utensils. "Alright. Let's make you something sweet."
Cozy almost never cooked; her life in the orphanage and the Twilight's school had seen to it that she never really had to, but she thought she could make hot cocoa. Thought, until Rumble had brought three times as many ingredients as she had ever used. And none of them was cocoa. "You didn't bring any powder," she pointed out.
"We don't use powder," Rumble said. "There are only two cocoa farms in Equestria that have the honor of supplying the royal kitchen. Them, Chef Ramson, and me too, all agree that the whole beans preserve the flavor much better than powder." Rumble nudged a small bag filled with brown beans towards her.
"So what do I do with them?" Cozy ran her hoof through the small paper bag. It had an extremely rich smell.
"Crush them," Rumble said. "That's why I brought this," he indicated a mortar and pestle. "You won't need a lot of them though. They have a much stronger flavor than what you buy in stores."
"Alright then," Cozy said and poured a small heap of beans into the mortar and started working.
"I'll heat some milk," Rumble said and put the cauldron in the fireplace. He hung it from the bar where Cozy had hidden that one time. So that's what that's for… "This won't take long, so start thinking what more you want."
"I don't now what these things are,” Cozy admitted and indicated the other spices. She continued pounding the beans down to a soft powder. Her mouth salivated just from the scent. It was months since she had hot cocoa. Not since that time in Starlight Glimmer's office.
"Oh, sorry," Rumble said. "This is cinnamon," he pointed at the jar with the brown paper-like rolls. Now that he mentioned it, the color looked right for that, even if she had never seen it un-powdered before. "It's the inner bark of a tree," he explained. He indicated the nuts. "This is nutmeg. It has a sweet… kinda 'warm' taste. It's a bit hard to explain. And this, finally, is vanilla." He pointed at what Cozy thought was licorice.
"That's vanilla?" Cozy asked. She had always assumed vanilla was white, since the ice cream was white. Not the most scientific argument, perhaps, but it worked with every other ice cream. "I've never seen it before."
"The seeds are inside the stalk," Rumble explained. "They are what gives the taste."
"Oh," Cozy said. "Well, I want some of everything."
"Okay. That will be good," Rumble said. "That cocoa looks about ready, so you can start on the nutmeg and cinnamon. Just grate them a little bit-" Rumble hesitated, eyes dilating and his hoof covering his mouth momentarily. "Actually, I'll handle the nutmeg, it's a bit finicky…" Using a fire poker, Rumble scattered the burning wood and extinguished them with powerful wingbeats. Then he took out the warm milk and poured it into a pair of cups. While Cozy worked on the cinnamon rolls, Rumble quickly grated the nutmeg and gutted the vanilla stalk with a few practiced cuts. Then Cozy added everything to the waiting cups, together with some of sugar.
"Let it stand and mix a little bit first, before drinking," he said. Cozy did so. She rather enjoyed the pleasant scent of spices and sweets.
"Thanks," Cozy said and picked up her cup. She held it in both her hooves and blew a little to cool it. "For helping me make it. It was long since I had something like this."
"It's what friends do."
"Hmm…" Cozy said absently, staring into the embers of the fireplace as she drank her heavenly cocoa. It was richer than anything she had before. "It is really good! I get what you mean now, with nutmeg tasting warm."
"I'm glad you like it," Rumble said. They stat silent for a little while, drinking slowly.
"You know, you aren't all bad. I actually like spending time with you," Rumble said.
Cozy almost found herself blushing. Almost. "You too. It's better when other ponies are around." She took another sip.
"I'll come back next weekend. I'm going home to Ponyville to practice my flying with Thunderlane tomorrow. I'll be a Wonderbolt too, one day.”
Cozy nodded. "I suppose every pegasus wants that."
"But not you?" Rumble hazarded.
Cozy shook her head. "I'm too small, and I haven't even gone to flight school. It's too late for me; you must start training earlier. But that's fine. I want to be greater than that anyway! I'll be a princess still, you'll see!”
"Do you still want that?" Rumble said. "Even after Twilight freed you, you would try again? Do you… really think she will be merciful again if you fail."
"I won't fail again," Cozy snapped. "I can't be a pawn."
"Can you tell me why?" Rumble asked. "I mean, I want to be a wonderbolt because they are respected and liked by everypony. So that I can be an inspiration to young ponies too one day. But why do you want to be a princess so much?"
"I was born to be a leader," Cozy said. "It just feels… right, when ponies do what I say. It has always felt like that to me, even before I got my mark."
"Always?" Rumble asked.
"As long as I can remember," Cozy shrugged. "Being a princess… it's not a choice to me."
"That doesn't sound right," Rumble said. "Just trying to become a princess every day. Are you sure there isn't more to you than that?"
Cozy giggled into her cup of cocoa. "Golly… Not everything I do is to be a princess. That's silly. I don't play chess to be a princess; I do it because it's fun!"
"I used to think I must become a wonderbolt to be happy," Rumble said. "I still want to, but I know that I can be happy doing other things too. Like cooking. I don't think one should feel like they must do something with their life. Just do whatever makes you happy."
"Maybe for you," Cozy said. "But it won't work for me. I must be a princess!"
Rumble studied her. She suddenly felt a little bashful, being looked at like that by a colt. Then he sighed a little. Cozy did not like that he did. He did not get a say in what she did with her life. "At least be careful, so Twilight doesn't get mad. Okay?"
"Of course I'll be careful," Cozy said. "Truth be told... I don't really know how to do it yet. But I'll figure something out soon, I know it!"
Much to her annoyance, Rumble did not seem too sad that she did not know how to overthrow Twilight. "You know, perhaps if you were no trouble, I could ask her to let you out a little while? We could fly a little together, if you want?"
"Oh golly yes!" Cozy said quickly. It was definitely worth postponing her escape for a chance to fly free! Especially since she really did not have a plan anyway right now. "You think she will let you?"
Rumble smirked and got something sly in his eyes. "Well... it would take a filly who really could play her... who she could trust at least a little..."
Cozy grinned like a cat about to get cream. "I think I know just the filly!" she all but sing-songed.
"Sorry, but I need to go soon. My train for ponyville leaves in just an hour."
"Oh… right," Cozy said. She had preferred he stayed longer. He was really nice to talk to. "But you'll come back next weekend?"
"Sure," Rumble said. "I'll ask her then. If she's in a good mood..."
When Rumble left, Cozy returned to her room for some puzzling, before she went to the library an hour or so later, humming happily. She felt good about Rumble's visit and his gifts (it was ages since she got her very own gift!), and Twilight was still out. Perfect time to do some scheming. She did not know where to begin, but she had a tiny hunch. When Rumble talked about the nutmeg earlier he had hesitated strangely. While it might be nothing, she still felt like she should look it up. flying about the large bookcases, she finally found a cookbook.
"Nutmeg… nutmeg…" she traced the index with her hoof. "There."
She flipped in the book to the right chapter.
"Cozy?"
Twilight stepped into the room. She had a pair of saddlebags. "Did you have fun with Rumble?" Cozy did not answer, but put the book down and made to go to her room. She could return later. "I visited Cheerful Sun."
Cozy froze up mid-step. "Oh… how did she do?" Cozy asked in a hopefully impassive voice.
Twilight stepped past her and sat down by the table. She gestured towards the opposite stool. Cozy gritted her teeth a little, but decided to play along. This was something she wanted to know. She hopped up on the stool, facing Twilight.
"So? How was she?" Cozy asked again.
"She was afraid I'd shut the orphanage down because you had been there," Twilight said. Cozy felled her ears in displeasure. "But I wouldn't, of course. She actually asked me to tell you that if you wanted, once you gain your freedom, you could return there."
"Really?" Cozy asked. "Even after everything I did, she'd let me back? Even after I ran away?"
"She would," Twilight said. "She still cares for you, Cozy. I saw that much during my visit."
"Golly…" Cozy said. She felt a little warm inside at that thought. Cheerful had been kind to her, even when she caught on to the many antics she had pulled back then. She always soothed Cozy when she was upset and never treated her worse than anypony else, even if Cozy was a bit of a delinquent. In fact, Cheerful Sun was one of very few ponies to ever earn Cozy's trust. It felt good to know that, despite everything that had happened to her, some things still remained the same. She still had one little corner of Equestria she could call a loving home.
"She gave me some stuff too that she wanted you to have," Twilight said. "First, when you came to the orphanage, somepony arranged for a bank transfer in the orphanage's name. Cheerful, being so kind, opened an account for you and the money have been untouched since, generating a little interest for you. As you are not of age yet, the money will remain there for now, but you should know that you will have a small fortune waiting for you when you get older."
Cozy nodded. She was not entirely surprised, even if she had never known for sure. Still, having bits at the bank did not help her right now. She was too young to withdraw anything without a legal guardian. Maybe Cheerful would help, but not if she was on the run after having escaped this place. Kind as Cheerful was, Cozy doubted she would actively commit a crime and defy an alicorn.
"More importantly, she wanted you to have this, and she is sorry she kept it from you for so long."
Cozy gasped when Twilight withdrew a most familiar item, handling it carefully with her hooves the entire time. "Gimme that!" Cozy zipped over the table and took the wooden statuette in a protective hug. She leaned down and nuzzled it, checking for any and all damage.
Finishing her inspection she returned to her stool and placed the little statuette in front of her. "You haven't used magic on this, have you?" she asked carefully. She'd rather not give away anything about it to Twilight, but she had to know.
"No, Cozy. I was careful to only touch it with my hooves."
"Good. If you broke it, I'd never forgive you," Cozy warned.
"Will you tell me what that is?" Twilight asked. "It's clearly important to you."
"No!" Cozy snapped and took the little item in another hug. Then she felt a twinge of uncertainty. If she wanted have her outing next weekend, she had to behave. Answering now might earn her some well-needed credit with Twilight. But Twilight was suspicious to her. If Twilight caught her lying, then she'd lose her chance. "It… gave me my cutie mark, when I made it," she said silently. That was not a lie, at least, but there was no point in saying too much either.
"Oh?" Twilight said. "I thought your cutie mark signified manipulating ponies."
"I suppose my mark can mean many things," Cozy said. "Depending on how you look at it. But thanks for the compliment!" Cozy smiled. Twilight, for some reason, did not seem to have intended it as a compliment based on her expression. Cozy ignored that.
"I invited Sweetie Belle over tomorrow," Twilight changed the subject.
"I hope she's trained her chess then," Cozy said.
"I'm always open for a game, if you want," Twilight said hopefully.
Cozy did not dignify that with a response. She took her little rook and went to her room. Closing the door carefully, she went to the other side of the bed, so she was hidden from the door. Just in case Twilight came in. She put the rook on the floor and laid down in front of it, looking at the topmost part. Carefully she put her hoof to it.
"Cozy glow," she whispered.
And it did. A small, golden light began to shine from the top of the rook, illuminating the closest vicinity ever so slightly. Satisfied that it still worked, she removed her hoof and the light went out immediately. Better not use it anymore than necessary with Twilight so close.
When she went to bed soon after, she did so with a smile on her face. Not only had she gotten her most important possession back, but she had also discovered one more thing:
The Hydra Constellation was beginning to wane. Now she knew it was early fall. Since she had only been un-petrified for little over a week (it felt much longer), that meant she had only lost a few months in the statue.
She had not lost too much after all. And now she knew she did not need Twilight to tell her everything she wanted to know. When her back was against the wall, the filly Cozy Glow too had remarkable creativity and resilience. And so a small fear was soothed in her heart, and her rest was peaceful.
After having dodged Twilight for the breakfast next morning, Cozy sat and combed her tail when she heard a knock on the door. "Coming!" she called happily and tied the ribbon around her tail again. Rushing to the door, Sweetie Belle stood outside.
"Hi Cozy! Hope you're ready to get beat, because I've practiced my chess against Applebloom and Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle flipped her mane confidently. "And you don't stand a chance."
"Oh reeeally?" Cozy asked coyly. "And they good enough to teach you how to beat me?"
"I taught them," Sweetie Belle said. "And I beat you once!"
Cozy blinked, positive that she must have misheard. "Wait… you taught the people you used to train with?"
Sweetie Belle nodded energetically. "Yeah!"
Cozy rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess I'll just be happy about my coming victory then."
"In your dreams!" Sweetie Belle said and marched past Cozy and began setting up the chessboard. "I'll show you! Sit down and make your move!"
Cozy smiled and sat down, wrapping her tail around her forelegs. They began their game, taking it slowly and casually. "You tattled to Twilight that I liked chess," Cozy said a few moves into the game.
"She really just wants to help you," Sweetie said and moved a knight. "And I thought that maybe you wanted somepony to play with too."
"I don't want anything to do with her," Cozy said. She pretended not to see Sweetie Belle felling her ears in displeasure. The game proceeded in silence.
"Can I ask something?" Sweetie Belle said carefully. "Twilight showed me a small rook-thingy yesterday, and it looked like your cutie mark. Do you want to tell me what it is…?"
"No, it's a secret," Cozy said and glanced at her rook. It stood on her bedside table.
"Can you at least tell me if you got it before or after your cutie mark?" Sweetie Belle said. "As cutie mark consultant it would be good for me to know! That way, maybe I can help you understand your mark."
"I already understand my cutie mark," Cozy said. "But since you are my friend, I guess I could tell you anyway: I got my cutie mark for making it." Twilight already knew that, and she wanted Sweetie Belle to enjoy visiting her, so she'd want to come back.
Now that she had her rook she actually had a starting point for how to escape, but it was not really a concrete idea yet. She would have wait a little while she figured out exactly how to go about it, but she didn't mind that much. She could probably get a small taste of freedom soon enough anyway, and she could be content for a little while with that. This newfound patience definitely did not have anything to do with the fact that it was Rumble who would take her out to fly.
She shook her head and concentrated on her game. She had a reputation to uphold.
Indeed, to nopony's surprise, Cozy won the next five games before she took pity on her struggling friend and decided to let Sweetie Belle win once.
"Hah! I knew all my training would pay off!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed as she finally won. "I guess I just needed a little time to understand your strategy first!" She flipped her mane confidently.
A faint knock on the door to Twilight's wing caused both fillies to turn to the door. "Hmmm… wonder who that is. Twilight almost never gets visitors up here," Cozy said and creeped up to the door to her room. She sat down next to it and pressed her ear to the wood.
"What are you doing?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Cozy winked. "Eavesdropping of course! Don't tell me you have never eavesdropped!"
"Well… I published my sister's diary once," Sweetie Belle said.
"Golly, that's sneaky," Cozy said with a grin. "So then you won't feel bad to eavesdrop with me, friend!" She tapped the floor next to her. "Come on! Have some fun!"
Sweetie smiled uncertainly, but sat down next to Cozy. There were hoofsteps out in the corridor.
"Oh, Chancellor Neighsay." That was Twilight's "Princess Voice".
"Princess." Cozy vaguely recognized Chancellor Neighsay's bone-dry tone. It was just like Cozy remembered it. Sort of droning, like a mosquito in your bedroom. There was another pony she hated. "I wanted to update you on the Key of Unfettered Entrance. Since it was recovered from outside Tartarus some of our best artificers have done their best to repair it, but I believe its time to focus their attention someplace else."
"Please, come into my study," Twilight said. Two pairs of hoofsteps passed just outside their door followed by a closing door.
"Come on!" Cozy said and pushed open her door quietly. Spying up and down the corridor for good measure, she quietly flew up to Twilight's door and began to listen again. Sweetie Belle quietly tiptoed up next to her.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sweetie Belle whispered. "Won't she be mad if she spots us?"
"Then be quiet," Cozy hissed.
They heard a strange, crunching sound from behind the door.
"Well… I suppose I can't be surprised you couldn't repair this. It looks pretty bad." Twilight said.
"Our artifacts invariably needs ordered, crystalline structures to contain their magic. Nothing is more devastating than a large fracture… save from multiple large fractures. In fact, fine artifacts stabilize magic much better than our bodies do; that is why artifacts continued to function even after our magic was gone when that damnable filly-"
"Don't call her that!" Twilight said sharply.
"My apologies, Princess." He did not sound too apologetic.
"And don't you forget! You will never call Cozy Glow anything but Cozy Glow in my presence, do you understand?"
"Perfectly, Princess," Neighsay's voice had not shifted in the slightest from the dry lecture voice. "Anyway, the key won't be repaired. The damage is simply too extensive."
"And what do you propose we do with it?" Twilight's tone was just a little colder than normal. Cozy heard the difference clearly.
"Disenchant whats left of it," Neighsay said. "The splinters are finest diamond; valuable raw materials for artificers or magitechnicians. But only if the unlocking spell could be removed. I would do it myself, but with this many fragments and with such a powerful artifact, I believe the work is more suitable for a pony of your power. Most unicorns would need hours just to cleanse a single fragment, and there are many hundreds."
"I will look into it," Twilight said shortly. "I will report back when it's done. Are these splinters completely harmless? Is there no way to use them to unlock anything now?"
"The unlocking spell itself remains, but it's without power and completely unfocused. Without magic and a way to focus the enchantment, the only way to unlock anything with these would be to use them as manual lock picks," Neighsay said.
Twilight was silent for a few moments. "Very well. You may leave."
Cozy's heart nearly stopped when she heard Neighsay stand up and come to the door. She had anticipated they would at least say some parting words or some smalltalk that would let her creep back into her room! But Neighsay was too boring for that! They would only have a second to hide now!
And there were no hiding spots in the corridor; she knew that!
"Here!" Sweetie Belle whispered and pulled Cozy closer to the edge of the door just as Neighsay opened it. Cozy flapped her wings at the last moment and flew straight into Sweetie Belle, who thankfully remained silent. They huddled up in the corner, behind the door as it opened fully. Sweetie Belle and Cozy sat squeezed together in the triangular space between the door itself, the wall, and the casing surrounding the door. Cozy practically sat in Sweetie Belle's lap. Thank goodness they were both small ponies, or this would never have worked.
This was probably the closest Cozy had ever been to another pony; she could even feel Sweetie Belle's heartbeat.
She had a really soft coat…
At least Neighsay was quick to leave the room and the castle wing. But that was not enough. Twilight had to leave too or close the door so they could get away from here. But she stubbornly stayed in her room, accompanied by the sounds of magic.
"I wonder how Sweetie Belle and Cozy are doing," Twilight eventually mumbled to herself, several uncomfortable minutes later. They heard her step out of the room, mere hoofsteps away. She went up to the door to Cozy's room and knocked.
"Hello? Do you two want something to eat?"
Silence reigned in the castle. Both Cozy and Sweetie Belle held their breath. It would be hard to explain if Twilight found them huddled up here.
"Well that's strange," Twilight mumbled. "I thought Sweetie Belle would answer, at least… but I guess they will want some food eventually." Hoofsteps receded and followed Neighsay out through the door.
They waited another few moments before Cozy dared to push the door away and the two of them went back to their room.
"Too close, too close," Sweetie Belle said.
"But it was fun," Cozy said.
Sweetie Belle felled her ears. "I feel kinda bad though… and I don't even know what they talked about. Do you?"
She did. Cozy was the one who had packed the Key of Unfettered Entrance in the first place to ensure Twilight got stuck in Tartarus.
"No, I've no idea." For some reason, the lie felt a little less natural than it usually did when she spoke it to Sweetie Belle.
"But now you know Twilight is nice, because defended you!" Sweetie Belle chirped. "When Neighsay called you bad things, Twilight defended you. And she didn't know you were listening, so you can't pretend it was to trick you."
Cozy grumbled. "Maybe it was so Neighsay would like her more," she tried.
"Then she wouldn't have stopped him from calling you whatever he wanted," Sweetie Belle pointed out. Cozy grumbled again. She was running out or rational explanations. She decided to steer the conversation away from that avenue of questioning.
"Thanks for helping me hide though," Cozy said. "Rumble promised he'd ask Twilight if he could take me out for flying next weekend, but then Twilight must be happy. I can't get into trouble right now."
"Then why did you even eavesdrop in the first place?" Sweetie Belle asked with a bit of a huff.
"I still need to escape here somehow," Cozy shrugged. "I just don't really know how yet."
"You could always just try to work with Twilight…" Sweetie Belle suggested shyly. She silenced under Cozy's withering glare. "Uh… I know! If you want, I could tell Twilight about how you think friendship is power, and how there is nothing else. You know, like you told me last time?"
"Hmm… and what's in it for me?" Cozy asked.
"Don't you get it? Twilight will like it if you open up more to her! That is sure to get you in her good graces!"
Cozy thought. That did make sense. Twilight had tried to get into Cozy's head ever since she was freed, and if she felt like she had made progress, then she should be a bit more agreeable. And having Sweetie Belle tell Twilight would be the least humiliating way for Cozy to gain some well-needed favor with her jailer. But still…
Then again, it was not like Cozy really had to hide her view on friendship. She was right, after all, and that was all there was to it. Could Twilight really hurt her with that knowledge?
"Okay then. You can talk to her," Cozy finally said. She really really wanted that day out. With Rumble. She ruffled her wings at the mere thought of it. "But then you must keep quiet about how we eavesdropped! I don't want to get into trouble!"
"Great! You won't regret this, Cozy!” Sweetie Belle said. "And don't worry; I don't want to get into trouble either."
Once Sweetie Belle had said her goodbyes to her friend she went to meet Twilight in the other library where she and Rarity had talked to her after the last visit. Twilight was already there.
"Twilight! I have something to tell you!"
"Oh? I take it you two got along well then?" Twilight said hopefully. "Is she a good friend?"
"She's nice to me. And I think she likes spending time with Rumble too," Sweetie Belle said. "But do you remember last time I was here? I said there was something else about Cozy that I couldn't tell you yet?"
"Yes," Twilight said with interest. "Have you changed your mind?"
"I asked, and Cozy is okay with me sharing now!" Sweetie Belle said proudly.
"Wonderful, let's hear it!" Twilight said, just as happy as Sweetie Belle. "You obviously think it's important."
"Yeah, it's about how Cozy views friendship. She said that she wants friends because she thinks friendship is power. And she wants power because she thinks that everything comes down to that. If you don't have power, then you don't have anything at all! I think she thinks you can't be happy unless you have power."
Twilight furrowed her brow. "She thinks she will never be happy unless she is a princess?"
"Well… maybe not exactly, but… kinda?" Sweetie Belle said. "I don't really know, but she was very clear that friendship was power to her, and power was everything."
Twilight sighed. "Oh, how I wish she'd let me talk to her. I know I could help her understand better, but if I try to force her to listen she'll never take anything I say to heart. Poor Cozy… how can she hope to gain any friends like that?"
"She has two…" Sweetie Belle pointed out. "And if you want her to trust you a little more, then I think you will have a chance soon!"
"How so?"
Cozy had not explicitly given her permission to speak about Rumble's plan to ask for an outing, but Sweetie Belle knew Twilight, and she would never refuse such a heartfelt request if she knew how much it meant to Cozy. Telling Twilight now could only increase Cozy's chances.
"Well… Rumble plans to ask your permission to take Cozy on a small outing next weekend, for flying I think she said. If you let her, I'm sure she'd like you a bit more."
Twilight nodded. "Like your sister said, I need to show her a little trust before she can trust me. Perfect. She will have to have a tracking spell, but other than that I'm fine with letting them have a day for themselves… The Equestrian crown owns plenty of woodlands all over Equestria. They are private ground, so there they'll safely away from prying eyes."
"Can I come with?" Sweetie Belle asked. "It sounds like fun."
"You'll have to ask Cozy," Twilight decided. "If she wants to fly, then maybe she wants to make it a pegasus-only thing."
Sweetie Belle nodded. "I'll be here saturday morning then, and ask her. Maybe Rarity can come too! Or at least prepare a picnic basket!"
"I also have something to tell you, Sweetie Belle," Twilight said. "Cozy told me that she got her cutie mark for making the rook statuette. Not the other way around."
"She said the same to me," Sweetie Belle said. "But... I don't know what that rook is."
"No, she was very defensive about that," Twilight said. "But since you are the cutie mark expert, I thought you should know."
Sweetie Belle beamed. Not every filly got called an expert by the princess of Equestria! "Well, I don't think that her cutie mark really is for manipulation, then. She didn't make it by manipulating somepony . So it must mean something else. I wonder what that rook is..."
Twilight nodded. "Me too."
After having waved Sweetie Belle goodbye, Cozy had two things she had to take care of before Twilight returned. First she gathered her courage and quietly stepped into Twilight's study. Now that it was daytime, that owl should be asleep.
It was still in its cage with its head under a wing. Cozy nodded and flew up on the desk. She glanced back quickly to be sure Twilight did not come back (not that there was anything she could do if she did come back) and opened the sack on the desk.
Inside laid a million small splinters and some filigree settings. All that remained of the Key of Unfettered Entrance. Neighsay may believe it was unusable, but Cozy actually had an idea. Like all of her ideas, it carried a certain amount of risk, but all of her escapes would be risky. She dug through the sack until she found a small piece, barely more than a pebble. Maybe, just maybe it would work.
It would simply have to do; she could not stay here forever and had no way to determine if one pebble was better than another. She stashed the pebble in her mane and then quickly left the study. She went into her own room to put the key fragment away in her bedside table. There it should be safe. Then she proceeded to the library. She wanted to continue looking up nutmeg in that the book she had started in the morning, before Twilight interrupted her.
Luckily she found it exactly as she left it, so she cozied up in an armchair to read the rest of the segment. She found herself wishing for more hot cocoa, now that she sat in the same room, reading up on spices.
"Oh… so it's poisonous if you eat a lot," Cozy said once she was done. Apparently the nutmeg would not be of much help. According to the book, an adult sized pony would need to eat a lot of powdered nutmeg before noticing anything, and not even Cozy believed she would be able to get a pile of nutmeg up to her, grate them, and then trick Twilight into eating it… and that did not even factor in that alicorns supposedly were immortal. Did poisons even work on them? Cozy closed the book and put it back in its place. She had another avenue to try first anyway.
Over the week it was easy to see that Cozy really wanted that outing Sweetie Belle had told Twilight about. While Cozy's words to Twilight were still few and far between, Cozy now joined her for breakfast every morning, sleepy-eyed and with a messy mane and tail. It was actually a little bit cute how hard she tried… just like any filly who had been promised a treat in return for good behavior. To be honest, even if Twilight had not been forewarned, she would probably have figured out something was up just from the changed behavior.
She even came into Twilight's study once and asked if Twilight had a broom. Cozy wanted to clean her room. Twilight had taken care of it with a quick wind spell and instantly blown away all dust out through the window. She too felt happy when she woke up on saturday. She deliberately stayed in bed for longer than usual to be sure Rumble and Sweetie Belle had the time to get to her door. And she had a good book to read anyway; staying in bed for once was nice.
Once she finally rose and stretched her wings she thought she could hear the clip-clop of small hooves outside her door. She opened.
"Good morning Princess!" Cozy greeted her with a respectful dip of her head and a large grin.
"Good morning, Cozy," Twilight said with a smile. "I'll go get some breakfast."
"Oh… is there anything I can do for you first?" Cozy asked. She shifted on her hooves. She was clearly nervous.
"You have done plenty, Cozy," Twilight said mirthfully. "But, if you feel like a game of chess later…"
"Sure… uh, tomorrow?" Cozy said. "I had… plans, for today…"
"That's fine Cozy. More than fine."
Twilight opened the door to her wing, and just like she expected, both Rumble and Sweetie Belle were waiting. Rumble looked decisive and Sweetie Belle, who knew Twilight would accept, just looked happy to be here. "I took the liberty of preparing some pancakes," Rumble said and lifted the silver lid from the tray with a refined motion of his wing. "Starwberries, cream, blueberries and chocolate sprinkles for topping. I'm told it is your favorite."
"Indeed, Rumble. Thank you," Twilight smiled she pretended not to see Cozy and Rumble hoof-bump when she turned around.
"Princess, I had something I would ask, if you don't mind," Rumble said.
"Oh?" Twilight said.
"Well… fall is a good time for flying, with the winds picking up and the cool air. I was thinking that maybe Cozy could do with some practice? We pegasi are made for the sky and it's not fair that anypony would have to remain inside all the time."
"Hmm…" Twilight pretended to think a little.
"I'll be responsible for her," Rumble hastily ensured.
"And I trust her!" Sweetie Belle piped up.
"I don't know… Cozy, is it certain I can trust you?" Twilight added just a little authority in her tone. "You aren't trying to use your friends to run away?"
"Don't worry, I'll be good! You could use a tracking spell if you want!" Cozy said, shifting on her hooves still.
"Hmm… I'd feel better if you had an adult with you, just in case…"
"Rarity is free today," Sweetie Belle said.
"Alright, then it's fine," Twilight said. "You ribbons please, Cozy."
Cozy sat down and untied the cream-white ribbons from her mane and tail. "Sooo… do you have room for another friend to come with?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I know Rarity just bought some pastries…"
"Well, I'd not take Rarity and leave you all alone," Cozy chirped while Twilight worked her magic on the ribbons. "Where are we going?"
"To the westernmost part of White Tail Woods," Twilight said. "It's property of the Equestrian royalty and forbidden for most ponies to enter. No one will disturb you there."
"Is that a good place to fly at?" Cozy asked Rumble.
He shrugged. "Unless you want to do something special, just about any place outdoors will do."
Twilight was more than satisfied with how it had all turned out. Cozy would be better off getting some fresh air and exercise, and she had certainly made friends ready to stick up for her. That would a cornerstone in her reformation. "Then let's get you underway," Twilight said and ignited her horn. The three foals huddled up and closed their eyes as Twilight's magic enveloped them all.
Just a few minutes later, Cozy Glow, Rumble, Sweetie Belle and Rarity all stood at the edge a clearing surrounded by oak trees. They were just starting to bleed from green to yellow and the acorns were brown and ripe, ready to fall. The air was just a little chilly, but it was late enough in fall that they had started to gain their thicker winter coats. The cill was, in fact, perfect for Cozy, as it would make sure she did not get too warm. With her lack of training, she knew flying would be pretty demanding.
She stepped forward, out in the clearing proper and stretched her wings as wide as they went. A small squeak of delight rose in her throat as she finally, finally felt the wind lick her feathers again. A pleasant shiver crept up her spine at the tender caress. She took a deep breath from the invigorating forest air, and instantly felt better than she had since she woke from her statue prison.
"Now, darlings," Rarity said, instantly commanding Cozy's attention. She was not stupid; even if she was out, she knew that Rarity had the full authority to call this paradise off if she believed Cozy became unruly. Cozy had endured too much humiliation to take any risk of losing her hard-earned reward. She had to be on her best behavior while still making the most of her day. "As Sweetie Belle was kind enough to inform me of this little excursion, I took the liberty of ordering a little something from Sugarcube Corner for later. Tell me when you get hungry and we will eat. I think I will remain here for a while…" she looked around at the colorful trees and smiled "… just soaking up the fall season inspiration."
"That's our cue to get going," Sweetie Belle said quietly. "She is in 'the zone' and won't come out for a while."
"Good, then we can start flying," Rumble said. "Man, it was too long since I practiced for real… being Ramson's apprentice doesn't leave a lot of time! Gotta make the most of it!"
"You're telling me!" Cozy said. She crouched down and gleefully launched herself into the air, feeling laughter bubble in her throat as her wings at long last got to send her as fast as they could towards the endless sky. She cleared the treetops in a couple of seconds and found herself in the middle of a forest, no buildings as far as her eyes could see in any direction.
Thus, free as a bird, she abandoned any pretense of restraint and just shouted out her happiness!
"You really needed that, didn't you?" Rumble smirked as he came up next to her with ease.
"It's better than I remembered!" Cozy said and pushed her wings to the max again. She felt like they were filling with energy, like she was finally able to stretch after having been still for too long. Rumble still kept up easily. As Cozy glanced, he closed his eyes and turned his wings.
With a movement the looked as natural as breathing, she started to lean backwards and glide into a smooth loop before breaking out and flapping his wings hard, overtaking her.
It looked simple. Just sort of angle your wings upwards, and it should work, right? Her innate pegasus-sense for how objects behaved in the air said it should work. She flapped her wing s a little harder for speed and then shifted her wings.
The sudden drag made it feel like she had left the air entirely and suddenly flew underwater. She did not go into a loop at all but instead stalled out and lost speed. She tried to keep her wings open, but her lack of real flight training had left her muscles weakened and her wings were slapped backwards against her sides from the wind resistance. She flailed wildly in the air before she managed to righten herself and regain control of her flight.
"Something tells me you need some training." Rumble's slight smirk was perfectly audible.
"NO I DON'T!" Cozy shouted, instantly shutting him up. She hated being humiliated. "It can't be that hard anyway… you aren't that much older than me."
"Yeah… You'll get it in no time, I'm sure," Rumble replied with a lopsided smile. "Just maybe practice over by those clouds? I mean, not even the Wonderbolts practice without something to catch their falls."
Cozy glanced towards a couple of fluffy clouds slightly underneath her. "Tsk… I guess it can't hurt." She set the course for the clouds. She heard how Rumble followed her, which she was secretly grateful for. She knew she would need some help, but she could not admit that to him after her outburst or she would look silly. She wished she hadn't snapped at him; her temper had just gotten the better of her for a moment.
"You mean here?" she asked and pawed the cloud she had landed on.
Rumble nodded. "I'll just… go practice someplace else."
"Wait! Could… you maybe show me that trick again? The loop?"
"Sure," Rumble said. "Watch my wings closely."
He flew off to get some speed before preforming the same trick again, just in front of her. She didn't really see any difference. He just slanted his wings a bit, basically just what she had done.
"I already did that," she huffed. "Exactly that! Why didn't it work for me!?"
"Are… you absolutely sure you don't want some help?" Rumble asked carefully.
Cozy made sure to glare a few moments before relaxing her expression. She had her reputation to uphold. "I guess I could use some pointers. If you have the time… don't you wanna train too?"
"My bro says that training somepony else is really helpful too," Rumble said. "The Wonderbolts have a rotating schedule, so everyone takes turns setting up a training session. So I'm sure I'd learn something from helping you too."
"…Okay. If you want," she said. a little bashfull. It was hard for her to accept help like that. She didn't want to appear weak to anypony.
"Sure," Rumble said. "Grab a cloud and we'll move them down. Trick flying is easier if there is no wind."
"Are you already done?" Sweetie Belle asked when the two pegasi came flying down, pushing pieces of clouds. She had busied herself with a book she had brought.
"No, but it's better to practice this near the ground, with less wind," Rumble explained. He sat down next to Sweetie Belle, and Cozy flew away a small distance. "Okay, try again now! Remember, don't be afraid to fail! That's how you learn!"
She grumbled to herself; she really did not like the idea of failing in front of Sweetie Belle and Rumble. Cozy took a deep breath and tried to relax her wings. Even she knew that being tense made flying harder. She started flying and accelerated up to a good speed. Rumble had not flapped his wings once while in the loop, so she needed enough speed to make it through.
She shifted her wings from flat to angled, and immediately experienced the same stall again, only this time she flew into the cloud placed to catch her before she had any chance of righting herself. Struggling to orient herself, she finally plopped out of the cloud and fell the last way to the ground.
"Don't laugh at me!" she snapped at the grinning Sweetie Belle, who quickly scrunched up her muzzle and looked someplace else.
"I'm not," Rumble said, even if he too sounded a little to happy for Cozy's liking. "You're too fast when you try to shift your wings. Look here." He stood and went up before Cozy, extending his wings. "Here is what I do. Look closely."
He slowly rotated the anterior margin of his wing ever so slightly, so the feathers pointed a little downwards. Then he folded his wings back.
"Now, this is what you do."
He extended his wings again and rotated them nearly ninety degrees, so the feathers pointed straight down. The motion was not unlike the defensive flaring of the wings for when a pegasus was afraid. He folded his wings away again.
"You need to take it slower and make a much smaller motion. It's not uncommon that ponies do either like you, and stall out, or that they hardly move at all because they change direction too slowly. It takes some time to nail down. You get it?"
Cozy nodded. "So I just need move my wings slower?"
"Yeah. Let's try again."
Rumble took his position next to Sweetie Belle again while Cozy flew off to the starting line. She stood down on the ground and extended her right wing. Curious, she glanced at it as she tried to mimic his motion, flicking it up and down a few times. "Okay, slower this time," she said to herself when she thought she had it right. She flew up and tried again. At the exact moment, she flicked her wings again and started rising before… falling backwards? She understood that was what she should be doing, but she couldn't suppress the instinct to try and right herself; pegasi were not meant to fly upside down. Folding one wing a little, she began to spin.
It would have been a perfectly simple move if she had been flying normally and needed to right herself, but now she was already at a low speed from her half-loop and instead found herself falling as her speed ran out. She had just enough time to be surprised before she fell on her back onto the clouds underneath her.
"That's much better," Rumble said. "You got the motion right."
"It didn't feel right at all, flying upside down like that," Cozy said and hopped down from the clouds.
"Most of learning to do a loop like that isn't actually mastering the motions," Rumble said. "The though part is getting it right in here." He tapped the side of his head. "Took me a few weeks, and I still can't do it all that well."
"But you look great when you do it," Sweetie Belle pointed out. "Like, real smooth and stuff."
Rumble shrugged. "I guess, but can't really string it together with other tricks yet. If you wanna do real trick flying, you can't do one trick after another, you must be able to do it like it's all one long trick! That's what looks good.”
"So I just have to practice a bunch, and I can do that too?" Cozy asked. She had never really had an interest in trying trick flying herself, but she liked the idea of ponies admiring her. Even if she would never join the Wonderbolts, being able to do some small tricks was sure to give her a little respect whenever she interacted with other pegasi.
"Sure!" Rumble said. "Back to it! I'm sure you can do one before we leave today, so you get all the movements down. Even if you got the first part right just now, you need to continue slanting your wings a little as the loop progresses, and then flick them back real quick when you have gone all the way around. Once you get all that, then it's just a lot of practice before you can do it on your own."
Cozy narrowed her eyes with determination and flew back to the starting line.
And so she practiced on for a few hours. She thought she would loose interest after a while, but Rumble's careful instructions and Sweetie Belle's positive attitude made her feel comfortable, even if she failed most times. Once Rarity called them to eat, she was panting and warm, but she also felt really happy. She knew it was because of her friends, but for some reason, this feeling was even stronger than when she had all those friends dancing to her tune in the Friendship School. If she had not been so busy practicing and enjoying herself, she would have asked herself why two friends could make for a stronger feeling than dozens of friends.
"I trust you are enjoying yourselves?" Rarity asked and prepared to unveil the picnic basket she had brought. The question was directed to them all, but she kept her eyes on Cozy.
"Golly yes!" Cozy chirped. "It's been so long since I got to fly! And having friends around makes it even better!"
"Of course it does! Friends make everything better!" Sweetie Belle said and levitated over a hearty sandwich.
Cozy motioned to take one of the muffins in the basket, but instead another sandwich seemed to fly into her hooves, caught in ice-blue magic. "Lunch first, desserts after, dear," Rarity said patiently. "Besides, you can't build up your strength by eating only sugar, now can you?"
Cozy would have protested, but caught herself in time. She could not bicker with Rarity, or she risked the rest of her outing! And while she liked to practice, she still had some wild, recreational flying she had to get out of her system before they left. "I guess not," Cozy said instead and took a bite of her sandwich. It was better than she expected. She guessed Pinkie Pie must have made them. The four of them ate in silence for a while before Rarity spoke again.
"So… Cozy Glow," she began tentatively. "How does Twilight treat you?"
"Once I'm on the throne, I'll send her straight to Tartarus! See how she likes that," Cozy said while sipping on some juice. "And I won't give her any books to read!"
"You have studied her weaknesses, I hear," Rarity said with a faint smile. For some reason she did not sound too intimidated. "But surely she must have earned herself a little favor with you by now, no? She did take you to the Wonderbolt derby, after all, and she did trust you enough to let you out today."
"If it weren't for her I'd still be Equestria's Princess! And an alicorn!" Cozy said, her voice rising before she remembered she had to be polite. "Uhm… she's taken a lot from me," she corrected in a more modest tone.
"True," Rarity said, much to Cozy's surprise. She had not expected any of Twilight friends to admit even that much. "She… or we, I should say, did not treat you fairly. But, in my humble opinion, you are not treating her fairly either, now are you?" Rarity had that stern look that Cheerful Sun always wore when Cozy was in trouble.
"I think it's fair," Cozy said. "She is still holding me captive against my will. She's got to make amends first."
Rarity sighed. "I'm not going to bicker with you, young miss Glow, but I do hope that you understand that Twilight is already trying to do exactly that. I'm saddened to hear you have not been very keen on accepting her tries."
"I would too accept them," Cozy huffed. "She could just let me out."
"I won't discuss that decision; it rests solely in Twilight's hooves," Rarity said. "I really just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry, Cozy, for the role I played in your imprisonment. It was wrong of me to do that to a filly, and I hope I can make it up to you some day."
Cozy watched in bewilderment as Rarity extended a hoof. Judging by their faces, neither Sweetie Belle or Rumble had expected this either.
"Then you'll help me if I need you sometime, right?" Cozy asked. She was not a fool; Twilight's friend had to have some ulterior motive, right?
"Within limits, yes," Rarity said.
"Hmm… I'll hold you to that," Cozy said. Rarity looked happy when they finally bumped hooves.
Once she was done with her lunch, she politely helped Rarity pack up the picnic cloth and plates and stack it all in the basket before going back out in the clearing. She all but threw herself back in the air, wings beating fast. She already felt a little tired from before, but a growing pegasus that had stayed cooped up for so long would not be satisfied until her wings drooped in exhaustion.
She all but shot past the canopy, giggling like a pony possessed and burst out into the sunlight. She didn't even care Rumble looked back at her when she flew by. It was still a little chilly, but to her it was just perfect. While she still could only barely do a loop, she could still twirl about freely. It did not serve any real purpose, but pegasi her age had done things like that for as long as their tribe had existed. Why wouldn't a young foal play in her sky home, after all? The whole world was her playground, and every cloud her toy, as an old pegasus adage went.
She leveled off her flight and instead dove forward, pressing her wings tightly to her sides for a few seconds before she flared them again. She laughed at the ticklish feeling in her stomach when she broke out of her high-speed dive. Her wings felt taut and stung just a little, but it was a comfortable feeling; the feeling of freedom. She all but swung herself upwards again, ready to do the same thing again. She flapped her wings hard…
And Cozy screamed.
She felt something strain in her wing joint a burning pain lashing both up her wing and into her side. She instinctively folded up her injured wing a little and made for a nearby cloud. Gliding was still painless, even if she did not want to move the afflicted wing. Panting heavily from pain rather than exhaustion, she touched down on the cloud and immediately looked over her wing. She did not see anything, but even the small tentative flaps she tried while standing made her hiss in pain.
She cursed her folly; she knew she was not a strong flyer and that her wings would be a bit tender from disuse. So why did she not take it easy? Why did she try to fly like that when she knew it put extra strain on her wings?
Luckily, this was not the first time she had made this mistake, and the injury would not be severe. A few days of rest and she would be fine to fly again, and in a week she'd be completely restored.
But Cozy did not have a few days. This was her first time outdoors in weeks while a normal pegasus her age would be outside all day when not eating or sleeping! She had to make the most of this opportunity, she just had to!
And that meant she had to… reveal this weakness and ask for help to get back up here every time she glided down. But not from Rumble. He would have to carry her like a yearling, and that would be far and away too awkward. And Sweetie Belle was not strong enough.
So that left her with one of the ponies responsible for her fall from glory: Rarity. She grimaced to herself as she sat on her cloud and thought it over one more time, just to really give herself the chance to convince herself that the humiliation of asking Rarity for help was not worth it.
It didn't work. Kicking at the cloud in frustration, she opened her wings and started gliding down into the clearing. As long as she did not actively flap her wings it was not too bad. The landing was a little painful, but she could live with it.
At least Rarity should agree to help her.
"Oh, hi Cozy! You done?" Sweetie Belle asked hopefully. With both her friends flying, Cozy guessed Sweetie Belle did not have a whole lot to do, other than watch them or read that book she had brought.
"No… but I think I strained my wing," she said. Hopefully, if Cozy played her cards right, she could get Sweetie Belle to ask for her. That might save just a little bit of her pride. "So I can't get back up."
"Maybe I could levitate you!" Sweetie Belle said quickly. "I've gotten much better lately! Really, I have!"
"Are… you sure?" Cozy asked uncertainly. If unicorns were anything like pegasi in how they matured, then what Sweetie Belle suggested should be impossible. But maybe they matured earlier than pegasi?
"Sure I'm sure… almost," Sweetie Belle added. "But I have levitated another pony once! It was not that difficult."
Cozy still hesitated, but Sweetie Belle would not actually be so wildly optimistic to suggest something that was completely impossible, right? And it would save her from having to ask Rarity.
"Okay, sure," she said. "Can you levitate me up there?" She pointed at some of the lower clouds above. Rumble was currently flying in rings around them.
"Uh… that's a bit higher than I levitated Pipsqueak," Sweetie Belle admitted, not that Cozy knew who Pipsqueak was. "But I suppose it can't be so bad. And you can glide, right?"
Cozy nodded, even if Sweetie Belle's question did not really make her feel any more confident in this idea. "Okay, here goes!" Sweetie Belle chirped. She closed her eyes and a soft, green glow surrounded her horn. Cozy lifted from the ground with a lurch. It was as different from flying as night is from day. There was no refinement at all; just a lurching, twitching ascent that made her innate sense for flying seasick. But it did work, aside from feeling so very wrong.
"That's something you don't see everyday," Rumble remarked and flew up next to her. "What's happened?"
Cozy blushed a little in embarrassment. "Wing strain," she mumbled. "I thought I could glide a little if Sweetie Belle helped me up…"
Rumble nodded. He didn't seem to judge her. "Just take it easy so you don't mess up your wing anymore."
With a slight fizz, Sweetie Belle's magic suddenly popped out in midair. By reflex Cozy quickly extended her wings. The movement caused her to wince in pain. She slowly began to fall. She could not really glide without any forward momentum. Or at least, that's what she thought she would do until Rumble caught her around her barrel and quickly took her the last way up to the clouds.
"I guess you should ask Rarity instead," he said and set her down.
"Yeah…" Cozy said, now flushed for a whole other reason. That had basically been a hug! No colt had ever hugged her before! Even now she still felt where he had touched her!
She rather liked that feeling…
Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and slowly extended her wings. Then she threw herself out in the open air again, gliding in gentle spirals downwards. It was not the rapturous flight from before, but the wind still tickled her feathers and coat in a blissful way that only a pegasus could truly appreciate.
"I'm sorry, Cozy! I really thought I had it!" Sweetie Belle said once she had landed. "Rarity says I've got a talent for magic! I really thought I could do it!"
"Don't worry," Cozy said. She did not feel like admitting that she had kinda liked what the accident resulted in. "But maybe you could ask Rarity to help me instead?"
Sweetie Belle rushed over to her big sister, eager to make up for her mistake. Cozy did not have to ask after all.
And so everything worked out in the best possible way. Cozy grinned in satisfaction.
Cozy balked slightly as the bright lights dissolved before her eyes and she once again found herself in her prison. She was never going to get used to the feeling of being pulled though the æther, but she could admit teleportation was very convenient. At least when you were in a hurry to get somewhere. She, however, was not in a hurry, but would actually have preferred to make her way back "home" by walking, so she could be out a little longer.
But it wouldn't matter. She would be free soon. Now, more than ever, she felt her freedom calling. Pegasi were not made to stay cooped up. She had to get out, and it was not like she had spent the last week twiddling her hooves. She actually had an idea now, but she had chosen to postpone it for this outing. Well, now there was no fun to look forward to, so it was time she acted.
She hoped she could still meet her friends again though, some time.
"Thanks for looking after them today, Rarity," Twilight said once the four of them had gathered their bearings. "No problems?"
"None at all, dear," Rarity said. "If you ever need me to watch them again, you be sure to call! While my work must take precedence, I would positively adore spending some more time with them."
"Oh?" Twilight looked curiously at her friend. "Well, I'll keep that in mind."
"Well, Sweetie Belle, it's past time we returned home," Rarity changed the subject.
"We'll see each other soon, Cozy. Promise," Sweetie Belle rushed up and, much to Cozy's shock, hugged her. She was warm and fuzzy and smelled like lilacs. She was even careful not to touch Cozy's strained wing! After a little hesitation, she tried to hug back as best she could. She did not really know how to hug ponies. Sweetie Belle let go, and she followed suit.
"Next weekend?" Cozy asked hopefully, though she knew she was not going to be here next weekend. But she had to keep up appearances.
"Yea! Next weekend," Sweetie Belle said and began following Rarity out of the main door.
"I guess we'll see each other a bit during the week," Rumble said and lifted a wing for goodbye.
"Wait…" Cozy said. She felt her cheeks flush and it was suddenly very hard to keep her wings and tail still. She swallowed and looked at his hooves. "Thank you… for everything today," she said quietly. "For helping me practice, for catching my fall… for getting me out in the first place. I-it really means a lot to me." Why did she stammer? She never stammered, and she never blushed like this either.
"It was fun," Rumble said. "See you around." He turned around and left.
For some reason the quick parting made her displeased. She couldn't even say why. When the door closed behind him, the room suddenly felt colder. Emptier.
Like the prison it was.
"What’s happened to your wing?" Twilight asked.
"Accident… a strain," she mumbled.
"I could numb the pain for you," Twilight suggested. "If you want."
"I don’t want your help," Cozy huffed and started out of the door. She was going to need all sleep she could get now, for there would be no rest tonight.
"Don't- Cozy, wait, please!" Twilight called after her. Cozy did not care, but then Twilight appeared in front of the door to her room with a purple burst of magic. "Please don't just go! Now that you have good friends, don't you want to talk about how wonderful friendship really can be? I can help you!"
"Then let me out," Cozy said.
"You know I can't, Cozy," Twilight said, though she actually looked sad when she did. "But I promise, if you just work with me I soon could!"
Cozy glared and then squeezed past Twilight into her room.
Working with Twilight to "soon" get out? No, she'd rather take her chance. The sweet taste of freedom still enticed her, like an itch that begged to be scratched.
Tonight...
Cozy stood still, her ear pressed against the door to Twilight's study. She could just barely make out soft breaths. Twilight was asleep, as she ought to be if the pattern Cozy had observed this last week still held. Cozy quietly crept back to her room. It was time for her to start. Now that Twilight was asleep she had until morning before anypony noticed she was gone. She had to work quickly, every minute she could put between Twilight and herself would be valuable. She wrapped Twilight’s friendship journal in a blanket and went into her bathroom, closing the door behind her. Casting just one worried glance at the closed door, she threw the book at her bathroom mirror.
Even with the padding, it was much louder than she expected. She remained standing in the reverberating silence, listening for approaching hooves. Had Twilight awoken? If she had, then the escape had to wait. She was nearly certain the owl had heard, but it probably would not wake Twilight up unless it could confirm Cozy's escape.
She did not hear anything. Nodding to herself, she picked up a pair of tweezers and a hooffull of shards from the mirror before she went back to her room. On the floor, she had rigged up a curious little workstation.
Her bedside lamp stood next to three small piles of books arranged in a loose square with one side missing. In the middle of the square laid her cutie mark rook, and next to it a small piece of gemstone. The one intact fragment of The Key of Unfettered Entrance. Picking out some choice mirror pieces, she leaned them against the books around her rook and placed herself by the workstation. She took the rook in her hooves and carefully twisted the top part.
It came loose with a small ”Tonk!”. She carefully pulled it away, and with it came the intricate array of copper filigree that sat inside her rook, powering the light function. She put the topmost part of the rook down with the battlements downwards so that she had the filigree mechanism free in front of her.
The filigree was made of two parts. The topmost one was a shell-like structure of fine copper mesh, hiding an intricate array of precious metal wire and gemstones. That was what the artificers called a Mox, where raw magic was collected and siphoned to the other parts of the artifacts in a controlled manner. Moxes were like the battery of artifacts… except the energy it used came from an outside source, like the holder's body.
Below the Mox sat the focusing array. It was an open, starlike structure formed by copper wires. In the middle of the star, held in place by inwards pointing needles of copper, sat a small gemstone. The principle was simple; the Mox harnesses magic from the user and transports it through the mesh of the Mox into the array's gemstone. The gemstone is charged with a spell, and when the magic passes through it, that spell can be used.
Now for the hard part.
She carefully bit the tweezers, struggling to maneuver them with her mouth. The metal was cold to her tongue and too close to her eyes to be in focus. Leaning forward, she grabbed one of the mirror pieces in her hoof. Ever so slowly, ever so carefully, she reached forward towards the gemstone in the focusing array, maneuvering the tweezers with the help of her mirror. She breathed deeply through her nose as she tried to pick the stone up without touching the copper around it. Slightest damage to the focusing array and her artifact would be irreparably broken.
Glancing through the mirror, she bit down around the tweezers and pulled.
The stone sat harder than she thought. Why had she fixed it so hard for? Pulling as hard as she dared, the gemstone finally yanked free. Spiting out the tweezers, she leaned down and looked over the focus array with anxious eyes. Was it unhurt? I looked like it, but the damage could be smaller than she could see. Artifacts were notoriously fragile things, especially one that a filly had made when she was nine, using clumsy hooves and a magnifying glass. And her little nightlight had most definitely not been made to switch the spell gem.
At least she saw no damage, so she could not ask for a better start. She picked up the tweezers again and grabbed the key fragment.
It was the wrong shape. Normally one set up the Mox and the focus array first and then cut the gems so they fit. She could not cut her gem; she simply had to hope it worked.
She was unsure what would happen, but she thought that a mismatched gem would only mean that the artifact simply did not focus the magic very precisely. The theoretical function of an artifact would still work, only it would need more power than normal to gain the same effect.
Arranging the mirror in her other hoof and looking through it, she slowly eased the new gemstone into the setting. Her innate sense for artifice cringed when she saw how mismatched the gem was with the focusing array. It was like an instrument in an orchestra had fallen out of tune.
But she could not do better. She took the other piece of her nightlight-turned-skeleton-key and reaffixed it to cover the interior mechanisms. Then she stashed the original gemstone in her mane.
She was as ready as she would ever be. Peeking out of her room, she pushed her bedside table up to the door to the castle wing. Normally she would just have flown up to the lock, but with her wing still injured she did not want to do that. Gliding would still be painless though, so she would find a window and glide over Canterlot down to the railway station where she would jump on the roof of first train she saw. That would be her ticket to freedom, at long last.
She hopped up on her bedside table and stood face to face with her opponent. She placed the rook in her right hoof and held the battlements against the keyhole.
"Here goes…" she thought. "Cozy Glow."
…
She did not even had the time to be afraid before darkness overtook her vision. She tumbled from the nightstand and fell to the floor, where she remained unmoving.
As fate would have it, she did not even get the satisfaction of hearing the lock click open.
When she came to, she woke to the feeling of her head being crushed in a vice. Groaning, she sat up with the help of the bedside table and rested her head against it, still with her eyes closed. Her throat was so dry it hurt to breathe. She took a couple of deep breaths and tried to order her thoughts. Where was she? What had happened?
Why did her right hoof feel like she had stepped on the stove?
Opening her eyes, she lifted the hoof. Wisps of ember-red mist seeped from it. She stared for a few seconds before closing her eyes again. She must be seeing things; hooves did not… do that! Opening her eyes, nothing had changed. The red, shimmering mist remained. She did not know what it was, but she knew it was not good or normal. And her hoof continued to hurt. Not only on the skin, but inside the hoof too!
Suddenly, everything came rushing back to her. Her improvised key, the bedside table.
The escape.
She looked away to the door. It was open. Finally, the door to her freedom was open! She managed a croaking laugh and got up fully, still with her hoof enveloped by magic. It hurt, but stepping on it did not make it any worse.
She had envisioned herself stepping through the door with determined steps and her head held high, ready to begin her conquest of the world again. Confident! Energetic! Charismatic! Inexorable!
Instead, she could only limp, her eyes clenched slightly for the pain in her head. She held the strained wing tightly against her side and one hoof still looking like it was steeped in fire. But she still held her head high and proud. She had gotten out. No matter what happened, that was a fact that nopony could take from her.
She came to a long and wide stair that curved slightly to her right. A luxurious red carpet took up most of it, and tall windows allowed the pale light of the moon to shine on it. Cozy suddenly realized she did not know how long she had been out. Every moment was precious; she did not have the time to faint in the middle of her escape! Swallowing down her worry, she slowly descended the stair up to the first window. There were no hatches. These windows could not be opened. Whats more, the moon was already touching the horizon! She had lost nearly all her time! She had to hurry!
Swallowing down her fear (with a cringe for the pain in her throat) she started down the stairs to find someplace else to leave the castle.
"How long till the change?" A sleepy voice said.
"Just an hour. Patrol in five," another answered. Cozy glow froze up and quietly crept downwards. The carpet muffled her hoofsteps. As the stair stopped, she found two guards standing by the stair, their backs to her. They probably did not expect anypony to come from Twilight's tower.
Cozy looked around for an option. The corridor behind the guards was barren so she could not hide, but the closest door was just a few hoof steps from them. Further away, the corridor opened into another, larger corridor, like a T junction.
And the stair had a high ceiling…
She turned and made her way back up the stairs. Once at the top, she slowly extended her wings. She would have to glide and carefully hug the ceiling. Hopefully, in their sleep deprived state, the guards would not notice if she glided over them and around the corner. She cast a worried glance at her hoof. No chance they were going to miss that though…
Looking around, she noticed the long curtains in the windows. She winced at the mere thought, but she could fly. It was going to hurt, but she could fly up there, unhook the curtains and wrap them around her hoof to hide the light.
Closing her eyes and bracing herself for pain, she flapped her wing. It strained just like she knew it would, but there was something else that was wrong, something that scared her to the core.
She didn't lift from the ground. She flapped her wings like normal, but she didn't move. She couldn't fly at all; her wings didn't carry!
Swallowing down the sense of panic, she tried to think rationally. This was not the strain, even if that also hurt a lot. She had never seen or heard about something that completely removed the ability to fly. Why, that would mean she had lost her inherit pegasus magic-!
Eyes contracting in fear, she looked down at her hoof. It had the same color as her magic had when she was an alicorn! She was bleeding magic! Her rook must have drained so much magic it hurt her, and now she was bleeding! She sat down to nurse her injured hoof, licking it slightly like she would with a normal wound.
Nothing happened. She cold not taste or feel anything unusual.
What now? She did not even know if pegasus ponies replenished their magic! What if she was bleeding out all magic she was born with! What if she would never fly again! She knew there were ponies like that, but she could never imagine being one herself! She loved flying! She could not lose her flying!
Tears finally falling, she took to frantically lick her injured hoof again. She tasted the salt when her tears fell on her tongue. Futile or not, it was the only thing she could do. It was what she should do when injured.
But she could not stay here. If Twilight caught her, then she'd not only never fly again, but she'd never breathe again. And she was nearly out of time. Also, there was no chance she could get to the train station before Twilight woke up without flying! Everything this escape relied on had crumbled! "This isn't fair," she whispered meekly as she pushed herself up.
Maybe it wasn't so bad, right? She forced a strained smile to her lips in spite of her tear filled eyes. Maybe if she just rested she would be fine… unicorns are ponies too, and they use up magic all the time. If they could recover it, then why couldn't she?
"Hey, you still awake there? Come on, patrol time and then we can get some rest."
"Yea, yea…"
Their voices woke her from her rumination. She had to move! She saw the guards' tails disappear around the corner.
Where to? The corridor, or the door?
She knew there would be at the very least one patrol out in the corridor, and with her injured hoof she could not reasonably hide. She wiped her eyes with her unhurt hoof and decided for the door. She would not get out of Canterlot tonight. Her only chance was to stay hidden this next day and pray to whatever Princess would listen that her Twilight would not find her.
At the very least, she felt somewhat safe remaining in the castle. If there was one place nopony would think she would hide, then it was there.
She pushed open the door.
Counters went around the walls and a table stood in the middle. Several ovens were integrated in the counters. Pans, ladles, knives, mills, mortars, cutting boards and a thousand other utensils she could not really name hung on the wall or stood in piles around the room. Braids of garlic and some other leafy herbs hung from the roof.
There were more doors in here. She decided to try for the closest one.
This room was dark and warm. Narrow too, just a walkway between two tall shelves and a pile of wooden crates shoved towards the back wall. Even in her threadbare state, this room managed to calm her just a little bit. It smelled of spices, like that cup of cocoa Rumble had made for her. Nutmeg, cinnamon and the subtile, filling scent of raw cacao beans. There were innumerable other scents too, but those felt extra strong to her. Maybe because she recognized them.
The memory of cocoa made her throat sting even worse, reminding her that she was parched. She even toyed with the idea of making a cup for herself, even if she realized how silly that would be. She was on the run from a pony who was practically going to kill her; not the time to make cocoa.
Her throat still seared. Felling her ears, she settled for some water from the tap. There was no chance she could stay hidden all day without drinking something now. In fact, hunger was not going to be fun either. But nopony had said this escape was going to be fun.
Resigning herself to a day of biting hunger, thirst, discomfort and nerve-wracking worry, she finished her drink and went back to the spice storage. She closed the door behind her and lifted an overturned box. The cacao smell was even stronger here. It must have been a shipping crate for the beans. She disappeared under the crated and laid down as comfortable as she could on the stone tile floor. Thank goodness she was so small…
Her glowing hoof illuminated the tight space faintly. Shuddering again, she curled up around it and licked it, praying to Celestia and Luna that it would be fine somehow. She heard her tears hit the stone.
"Tomtit, there is something wrong in my kitchen," Ramson said tiredly. Rumble swallowed. He already did not like where this was going. "I can sense it. I don't like something being wrong in my kitchen, because the slightest lapse in concentration is all it takes to turn a masterpiece worthy of the princess' palate into a disaster unfit for the rats."
"Yes chef!" Rumble said. He did not ask what problem his master sensed, because talking back was not a good idea.
"So find the issue and take care of it. I will go receive the shipment from Cherry Jubilee."
"Yes chef!"
So how do you find "something wrong" without knowing what that meant? When he went through the kitchen and pantries last night everything had looked like it was in place. But if Ramson said there was something wrong, then there was. The head chef had a sixth sense for that sort of thing. Rumble just had to start looking.
He ruled out missing or misplaced ingredients and utensils; Ramson would have known that last night and forced him to stay until it was back in its place. But then what could have changed overnight?
"Maybe something spoiled?" He said to himself and went into the cold storage and started going through the many vegetables, dairy products and jars. He found nothing wrong and proceeded to the spice storage, a warm, dry place with high ceiling. It would take forever to go through, as there were a lot of small jars of special, more-or-less unique spices here. Many of them were preserved relics from far back in time that had since gone extinct or disappeared from the civilized parts of Equestria.
Grabbing a lantern, he flew up and started making his way downwards slowly after having closed the door. The draught preserved the spices and he did not want to let all the warmth out.
It was not too long before he had to stop and rest. The hotness in this room made it hard to fly for too long. He touched down on the floor and went out for a quick drink. He brought a bucket of water with him inside the room to drink from, and sat down against a pile of boxes in the back while he caught his breath.
"Back to the grind, I guess," he said and took off again.
He worked in silence and with plenty of interruptions to drink. It was at one of those interruptions, when he was catching his breath by the pile of boxes, that his ears suddenly caught something. It was faint, but it was there: breaths.
Could it be some sort of vermin had come into the storage? He lifted the closest box in the pile.
A very familiar pony laid under the box, curled up around one of her forelegs and with her wings extended on the floor. Her coat was matted with sweat and her eyes glossy.
He opened his mouth and closed it a few times before his brain managed to connect the right synapses to formulate one of the million questions he had. "Cozy? How in the hay did you get in here?"
She coughed. "I'm… escaping." Her voice was dry. "You can't tell Twilight! Please don't, she'll kill me! I know she will." She stood up and glared at him. He hardly noticed. What had happened to her foreleg?
"What…?" he asked lamely and pointed.
"I don't know," Cozy said. "I think it's magic… s-so I can't fly right now, but I'm sure it will be better soon, right?" There was desperation in her voice. Desperation and terror.
"Yeah…" Rumble said. While he had no clue what was going on, it was obvious she needed some reassurance. "Can't you fly? At all?"
Cozy shook her head.
"But… then you need a doctor!" Rumble exclaimed.
"No!" Cozy recoiled. "They'll tell Twilight! I can't go back to her now!"
"But your flying…!" Rumble objected.
"My flying will do me no good if I'M DEAD!" Cozy shouted, even if her face seemed to crumble in on itself towards the end of the sentence. She all but shrieked the last few words in complete and utter hysteria. Then, in the silence that followed, she just sat down and shuddered. "C-can I tell you a secret?" she whispered. "I'm… really scared right now."
Rumble felt stunned. How was he supposed to deal with this? What do you do when you have a crying filly just next to you? He couldn't just leave her there. Carefully, he went up to her and awkwardly sort of hugged her. At least for a moment he did, before she herself leaned into his embrace and cried against his shoulder. Rumble tensed up. Now what?
He patted her back a little. "It'll be alright, okay?" he said, even though he had no clue how to deliver on that promise. "It'll be just fine… Twilight won't hurt you, and we'll get your flying back. It'll be just fine." He stroked her back slowly. It was the first time he hugged a filly.
"How?" she peeped, still hugging him tightly.
"Good question," he did not say. He had to do this smartly and concentrate on one problem at a time. "You can't stay here. It was just sheer luck that Ramson sent me here, rather than looking himself. We should get you to my room. Then we'll talk later, when I'm done in the kitchen for today. We'll figure something out then, 'cause you're a smart pony, okay?"
"Y-yeah… that's good. I'll be fine. I'm smart. I'll be just fine…" she said, more to herself than to him.
Next problem: how do you get a criminal filly through the castle of her archenemy without anypony noticing, armed with only the contents of a spice closet?
Wait… spices!
"I have an idea," Rumble said. "Just a moment." He made to take flight, but for some reason she did not let go. He coughed awkwardly and tried to peel her off of him. He could see she was saddened by it, but it could not be helped. He flew up and grabbed the right sack from a shelf. "Sorry about this," he said and opened the sack.
Then he dumped a whole pile of turmeric powder over her.
She coughed violently. Rumble tapped down in front of her. "Cover yourself; it will have to do for your disguise. My room is in the castle annex, just a few minutes away."
Cozy nodded shakily and practically rolled about in the fine powder until her coat was bright orange. She sat down and undid the ribbons in her mane and tail. The hint of her normal, curled hair was still present, but without her ribbons it was a chaotic mess. Then she took the turmeric sack and put her glowing hoof in it. "It'll have to do," Rumble decided. "Come on, before Ramson comes back."
He helped her stand and took her hoof, guiding her to the door. She followed closely. It was a testament to how rattled she was that she simply followed a pony like that without any second thoughts or protests.
Though nerve-wracking, the way to his room was quick and uneventful. Most of the castle staff had not arrived yet, and those who had were to tried to care about two foals walking around.
Still, he had never been so happy to see the door to his room. He all but ran inside.
He also realized that postponing cleaning his room was now coming back to bite him. Wonderbolt posters and memorabilia laid haphazardly over the floor, as did a few cooking magazines. His bed was unmade, and he had not swept the floor in weeks. He flushed in embarrassment. "There… is a tub and hot water out in the corridor, so you can clean up. Nopony else should be here at this hour, so it should be fine."
"Can I stay here, then?" Cozy asked.
"Yeah…" Rumble said. He had no idea how that was going to work, but that would have to be Future Rumble's problem. "I've got to get back to the kitchen… and find an excuse for why all the turmeric is gone. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay? We'll figure something out, I promise."
Cozy managed a tiny smile. "Come back soon."
Rumble nodded and left. Next problem: he had to deal with Ramson… and then he had to prevent Twilight from finding Cozy. She had clearly shoved all restraint about escaping to the wayside. He had no idea why she suddenly turned to such measures, but she had, and all he could do was to roll with it.
Twilight must not catch her this time. If Cozy was willing to give up her flight, the very thing that made her a pegasus, the thing that had made her laugh so happily yesterday… then how could he be sure she would not give her life in pursuit of freedom? Cozy clearly did not mean to kill herself, but desperate ponies do desperate things… and if forced in a situation where she thought she might die or go back to Twilight… then it seemed far, far too likely she would rather risk death. In her mind, they were the same somehow.
For that matter, what the hay was Twilight doing? How could she have let Cozy come to this? If she wanted to reform Cozy, then how could she be so completely out of the loop she allowed Cozy to risk her flight!
It seemed he would be helping Cozy's escape after all, despite turning her in last time she tried to enlist him. He almost chuckled at the irony, but there was nothing funny about his situation.
While there was nopony to see it, Twilight thrashed in her sleep that night. Wings twitching, hooves kicking sporadically and her muzzle scrunched up in a restless scowl. Princess Luna must be busy, for nopony came to soothe her nightmares. Strange, twisted dreamscapes of winding labyrinths, folding back on themselves in impossible geometries. Every now and then she came to a door that she somehow knew was supposed to be locked, but the moment she touched the handle it would fly open with a scream. It was wrong… that door was supposed to be locked. She did not know why it should be locked, or even how she knew.
When she woke up at last, it was with a slight panic as her hooves and wings had tangled up in the blanket, leaving her nearly immobilized. She resorted to magic to get out of the mess and tiredly rolled out of the bed, mumbling something to herself that she had already forgotten moments after. She knew she had to find a mane brush.
Going into her bathroom, she glanced in the mirror only to confirm that she looked fifty years older than yesterday. She even contemplated using some makeup, but eventually decided against it. While she appreciated Rarity's gift, she had not told her generous friend that she practically never used makeup and did not know how to apply it without it only making her appearance worse. She sorted out her mane and went out in the corridor.
Tiredness evaporated instantly as her body entered fight-or-flight mode. Her divine powers surged from her horn to her hooves as she bolted forward to touch the open door, just to confirm what she was seeing. It swung gently when she knocked it… and next to it, an all to familiar rook statuette. Twilight lifted it carefully.
There was something wrong… there was magic in it now, just a tiny, tiny mote of power. But that was not all- she recognized the magic signature. It was her own! Her own magic was in the rook!
Taking a deep breath, she sat the rook down. It was not going anywhere, while Cozy Glow most assuredly was.
Luckily, she had an ace up her sleeve: her tracking spells.
She actually had two of those. One was on the fragments for the Key of Unfettered Entrance. She was not stupid enough to leave a lock-picking artifact anywhere near a prisoner without some sort of backup. She had enchanted them the moment Neighsay had given them to her.
The other tracking spell actually made her feel a little guilty. When Cozy had secluded herself last evening, she had been so quick Twilight never even got to remove the tracking spell from her ribbons. Twilight had wanted to remind her, but also did not want to intrude when Cozy clearly wanted to be left alone. She had figured she could just disenchant them today instead.
Apparently not; instead the spell remained, and it should lead her to Cozy.
But that was not a good thing. The moment Twilight found her, Cozy would make the connection and think that Twilight deliberately had tricked her. Even if she found Cozy, she was going to make the filly's hatred for her even stronger. But what choice did she have? Cozy was to dangerous to let free.
She ignited both her spells.
A pulling sensation appeared in the back of her mind, beckoning her back to her room. That would be the key fragments.
Another feeling made her look down. At the rook. Lifting it, she touched it carefully with her horn. She could feel the spell pulse from inside, like a miniature magic heart.
The rook was hollow! There was a key fragment inside it! But how? What did the rook do? How did one open it?
She did not know. But two things were clear: First, this was how Cozy got the door open. Second, her own magic in the rook came from the tracking spell.
But for as much as that explained, it did not answer perhaps the greatest question of all: why did she leave the rook? Did she learn that it was being tracked? But how could a pegasus be able to identify individual magical effects? Twilight did not think any pegasus would have such an understanding of magic, let alone a filly.
So many question, so few answers.
But she still felt the ribbons. They were close. Just downstairs.
In the kitchen? Yep, in the kitchen.
She quickly trotted down the stairs and into the kitchen, nodding to the two guards at the base of her stairs. They nodded back, but otherwise remained still.
"Princess," Ramson greeted her without looking away from the pans and pots around him. "Something to eat?"
"No, I'm just looking for something," Twilight said and went towards one of the doors. Opening it, she found a largely orange pegasus colt scrubbing away on the floor with a bucket of water next to him.
"Oh, hi," Rumble said, only glancing up at her for the fraction of a moment before scrubbing again with renewed vigor. Activating her magic, two thin strips of fabric flew out from behind a jar. Twilight scowled. Now how would she find her? Why would Cozy even remove her ribbons for; she never did that!
Looking back at the jar where the ribbons were hidden, it was clean… clean and dry. And yet, whatever this orange powder Rumble was cleaning up was, it was all over the ribbons.
"You know whose these are?" Twilight asked sternly. "Rumble."
"Uh… no?" he said, shifting on his hooves.
"I think you do," Twilight said. She peeked over her shoulder. Ramson was concentrated on his cooking, but he most likely heard everything they said. She should not mention Cozy's name. "They belong to a certain foal I look after. She's escaped."
"Didn't you remove the tracking spell?" Rumble asked. "That's a strange way for you to gain her trust."
That comment stung, because it was true. "I was going to today, but that's not whats important right now. I don't know what this powder is or how it relates to her escape, but there was no chance that powder got on her ribbons by accident. Are you helping her escape, Rumble? She may be your friend, but she is still a danger."
"And whose fault is that?" Rumble mumbled. It clearly wasn't meant for Twilight to hear, but becoming an alicorn had sharpened her senses. This comment stung more than the previous one.
"Princess, I set him on cleaning up the moment I got here." Ramson interjected. "Whatever was wrong in there, it was there when I came. Whoever you are looking for probably came here, ruined my supply of turmeric, and then hightailed away."
"I had guards outside all night," Twilight protested.
"I have deep-fried things more intelligent than the Canterlot guard," Ramson said.
Twilight felled her ears in displeasure, but she could not really say anything to that. "I know for a fact that Rumble is a friend of this escapee. I'm not saying he did help her, but it seems awfully convenient that he found the escapee's accessories covered in the dust that he is cleaning up."
"Throw him in jail then," Ramson said crassly. She heard Rumble stop his work for a moment.
"I'm not here to throw anypony in jail," Twilight said. "I just want to find the runaway, before she causes harm."
"You are literally here to throw her back in jail," Rumble grumbled. That stung too.
"Well, the Tomtit's clearly not gonna help you there," Ramson said. "Do you want breakfast?"
"Not now," Twilight said shortly. He may only be a foal, but Rumble's well-aimed jabs felt all to justified.
She had really tried to make Cozy like her. But how do you make friends with a pony so hellbent on hating you? Twilight knew Pinkie had done exactly that with Cranky Doodle that one time, but that took finding a long-lost love for him, and Twilight did not really know how that applied to Cozy.
For that matter, both Rumble and Cozy seemed to be forgetting that she was not exactly well liked. Especially her own tribe had been harsh in their condemnation of her. Even Rumble had admitted to hating her before they got to know each other. In a way, Twilight was also trying to protect Cozy from Equestria's wrath. While most ponies were slow to anger and quick to forgive, she knew there were a few who would not hesitate to take the law in their own hooves if they learned she was at large again. They were few, and practically all were more bark than bite, but it was still a risk to consider.
She had to find Cozy before she got into or caused any trouble. Luckily, there should be a way to do that, even if it would take a little while. A Traceback Spell was a notoriously finicky thing that required long preparation to successfully cast. But once she did, she would be able to trace an object with a strong connection to a pony back to its owner. And the rook definitely had a strong connection to Cozy. She returned to her own wing and began searching in her books.
A normal unicorn would never successfully cast a Traceback spell. A skilled Academic, like Starswirl or Neighsay would need between a few days up to a week of physical and mental preparation. So how long did an Alicorn and element of magic need?
Time to find out.
After having taken the risk to wash herself, Cozy laid down on Rumble's floor. Her adventure had taken much out of her, both physically and mentally. But for the moment she was not in any immediate danger of being recaptured. So that gave her time to plot her next move.
She had to do something about her hoof. The very thought of losing her flight forever still terrified her to the core, but at least now, saved by her friend and safe in his room, she could keep that terror in check well enough to think rationally about it. She had twisted and turned the problem in her mind for hours now, and she only had one idea.
Her problem could probably only be explained and cured by a unicorn, since they knew how magic works. She did know a unicorn… but could she trust Rarity? She was Twilight's lifelong friend, and she had been part of stopping Cozy.
But she was also the big sister of the pony who had set her free… and she was the only pony among Twilight's ilk who had apologized for what she had done to Cozy.
At the end, Cozy knew that none of her debating truly mattered. Somewhere deep down her mind was made up. She could not lose her flight. She needed to see Rarity.
But that also left her with only one realistic option for escaping Canterlot and get to Ponyville. She could not afford to wait before getting help with her hoof, so she had to take the train. And there was no chance she could disguise herself well enough to make that work. That, and she didn't have any money.
That meant she had to seek out some ponies from her past to help her escape… but their help would not come cheap. But what choice did she have? If she did nothing, then she might stand to lose her flight, or Twilight might find and kill her.
Her mind was made up, but her entire plan was riding on two highly unreliable cards, both of which were likely to backfire and trap her with Twilight or something else. This was not a good plan, so she continued to debate it, twisting and turning the problem in her head.
She was getting nowhere, and it was stressing her out. She cast a glance towards the door and bit her lip, considering. She sort of wanted to lay down in the bed, but could she really do that? Wasn't it kind of… inappropriate? For a filly to sleep in a colt's bed? Blushing profusely, even if there was nopony around, she hopped up on the bed and cozied up.
She rather liked that it smelled very much like Rumble… She blushed again and ruffled her wings. Her worries felt a little further away, and she actually found herself drowsy despite being so afraid.
She must have fallen asleep, for when she woke up the sun was almost down.
And Rumble sat on a stool, reading a Wonderbolt's magazine. He looked up at her stirring. "I didn't want to wake you up," he said. "Thought you could use some rest."
"Yeah, thanks," Cozy said and stretched. "What time is it? Is Twilight looking for me?"
"Its eight in the evening," Rumble said and put away his magazine. "Twilight was looking earlier today, but I don't know where she went after that."
"You didn't say anything about me, right?" Cozy said.
"Of course not, Cozy," Rumble said. "I've got your back, okay? We'll get you out of here together, but we can still be friends after that, right?"
"It's a promise," Cozy said. It was the first time she made a promise like that and meant it. It settled in her heart like a tiny ember, warming her spirits.
Rumble nodded. "Do you have any idea of about how to get out of Canterlot? I don't think we should wait for too long. Twilight's definitely up to something."
"Do you know the way around the city?" Cozy asked. "Do you know the way to Lockturn Alley?"
"What is Lockturn Alley?" Rumble asked.
"It's a street, silly," Cozy said. "There is a shop there that sells… stuff, that we can use to get me to the train station, and to Ponyville."
"Why do you want to get to Ponyville?"
"A unicorn needs to look at this." She indicated her leg. "And Rarity is the only good unicorn I know. S-so I don't lose my flight."
"Ponyville it is then. Hey, don't worry. We've got this," Rumble said confidently. "We'll fly again together."
Cozy swallowed down her worry both for what Rarity would do, and for what awaited her at Lockturn Alley. "I've got a map here," Rumble said and pulled out an info-folder on Canterlot, probably from when he first got his job in the city. They huddled up and started looking. Cozy really did not know what to do; she was lousy at reading maps. It was all a mess of lines to her, aside from the cartoonish castle on one side of the map. Evidently this was made for tourists, rather than for plotting a criminal escape.
"Lockturn Alley," Rumble pointed. It looked pretty close to the castle, a narrow street between two much larger ones. "It shouldn't be hard to get there… especially since we can pull an old favorite."
Rumble stood up and pulled out a cardboard box from under the bed. Inside was a host of random Wonderbolt merchandise, including a wig and loose tail, just like she had worn when she went to the derby, only these were Soarin themed. "Put these on. We'll get you there easy as pie!"
Cozy nodded and started putting the mane on. It was a little challenging with her curls now a tad messy from not having her ribbons. And she had forgotten the rook too when she came to after fainting. It was a testament to how harried she was that losing her rook did not bother her more than it did.
"Okay, I'll check so the coast is clear." Rumble said. "Then we get out on the streets. We'll just look like two foals on a walk, okay. Let me do the talking if it comes to that."
They left the castle annex through a side door and found themselves on a street. Rumble took the lead and Cozy followed, ears on high alert for any sound. There were only a few ponies out at this hour and none of them paid much attention to two foals, too tired from a long day of work. Nonetheless, Cozy stuck to Rumble's side. Whenever she was close to another pony she looked down in the ground and concentrated only on her breathing. It was only a few seconds each time, but it was a few agonizing seconds.
It was nearly dark when they came to an inconspicuous opening between the houses. The firefly lanterns that still lit up the main streets of Equestria's capital began to come to life. Despite the promise of darkness hiding her, she still felt a twinge of reluctance to leave the brightly lit street and go into the narrow alley. Nopony would ever think to light up Lockturn Alley.
"Here it is," Rumble said, unnecessarily. "It's… not really inviting, you know."
"Chicken?" Cozy managed a challenging look.
"Chicken? Me? You're joking," Rumble said and stepped into the gloom. Cozy followed. It felt a little better knowing she still had her friend. "So what do you want here?"
Cozy didn't answer. Once out of the light she recognized a sign she had seen once before when she visited this place. It was a long time ago, before she got her cutie mark and before she left for the orphanage.
A starlike flower, every petal black as a starless night. The Black Lotus was a legendary flower to most ponies, said to have healing properties beyond any other remedy and a popular motif in fairy tales. However, for those few initiated, a black lotos meant something else entirely: a store dealing with forbidden artifacts, potions and sorcery.
She opened the door to the small shop underneath the sign. Rumble followed.
The room was small and dark. There were no windows towards the street and not a single light. The place smelled of wood and faintly of metal, mixed with some other, less discernible scent that Cozy could not place.
"Hmm? Who goes there?"
A match was struck, and a pony's face could be seen faintly before they lit an oil-lamp, illuminating the whole room despite it only being a tiny flame.
"Two foals. You should not be here, and especially not at this hour," the pony who held the lamp said irritably. He was pale gray with mustard-yellow eyes behind a pair of glasses. Despite being inside, he wore a leather coat with plenty of pockets. Around his neck he wore a maroon scarf and on his head was a funny hat.
"You're Curio, right?" Cozy asked.
The stallion narrowed his eyes. "Who's asking?"
Cozy pulled off her wig. "Cozy Glow. Do you remember me?"
"Well I'll be…” Curio said. "I remember. That is, I remember that you chose to get yourself into an orphanage and out of our good graces. I don't know how you got out of the statue, but don't think you've got anything to find here."
"I'm here as a customer. Like any," Cozy said.
A glint passed over Curio's glasses. "Oh? Well that's something else entirely. How can I be of service?"
"I need a Gloom Potion," Cozy Glow said. If there was one thing here that could get her through Canterlot and on a train without putting her in debt for a lifetime, then it was that potion.
"Gloom Potion, eh? Well, I suppose I have one in stock… but it'll cost you."
"How much?" Cozy tried not to sound disheartened, because she knew that if a pony like Curio smelled an advantage, then he would push it mercilessly.
"How much do you have, little filly?"
"I've got plenty of bits at the Cloudsdale bank," she said. Twilight had said so.
"So you don't have anything with you now, hmm?" Curio said. Cozy did not answer. "Well, I'm not a heartless pony… I'll give you the potion, and you owe me a favor."
"What sort of favor?" Rumble suddenly asked.
"I'm not sure yet," Curio said, stroking his chin with a smirk. "But I'm sure I can find some use for a demented maniac like you. Don't you agree, Cozy?" It was all she could do to not flinch at the remark.
"Don't talk like that to my friend!" Rumble snapped, glaring at Curio, who did not look very impressed.
"Alright, it's a deal," Cozy said silently. She had no other choice.
"Would you like that gift wrapped?" Curio asked and fished out a small bottle with a silver cork from one of his pockets. The potion was deep purple, like liquid amethyst. "Ten drops. Take one and you can see in darkness just as well as in light, take two and you are cloaked in shadows, making you hard to see. Take three and you become lighter, so hoofsteps won't make a sound. Any more than that within twenty-four hours and your heart might stop." He put the bottle in a small chain and tossed it around Cozy's neck, so she wore it like a necklace. "Good luck in whatever trickery you're up to. Don't die before I've collected."
Cozy glared at him before she left the shop, and Curio extinguished the flame, vanishing in darkness.
"I don't like this, Cozy," Rumble said and looked at the bottle. "That's… not safe, is it?"
"It's safer than going back to Twilight," Cozy said and uncorked the bottle. The cork was equipped with a small needle to extract the liquid drop by drop.
Cozy wished she could feel certain that everything was going to be easy from now, but she had never drunk anything that might be just a few drops away from killing her before. And the idea of running around alone in the night in a foreign city without her flight made her anxious. Taking a calming breath, she dipped the needle into the liquid and extracted one drop. Swallowing her apprehension, she licked it off. It tasted extremely strong for being just one drop. Not at all unpleasant; rather like blueberry actually. Feeling a little better because of the taste, she repeated the process for the second drop. This time there was an acrid, stabbing aftertaste.
"How… do you feel?" Rumble asked.
"Uh… like normal," Cozy said. She did, but the world around her suddenly seemed to sharpen. Contrasts appeared in the darkness and million hues of gray colored her vision. It was like she was looking at an old-timed movie. No color, but every detail was perfectly clear, even in the pitch blackness.
"You're… disappearing!" Rumble suddenly called. Cozy looked down, but could not really see anything unusual. Rumble however, visibly squinted. He carefully reached out a hoof to touch her. "Are you still here, or…?"
She sidestepped his hoof and pushed him gently in the side, causing him to whirl around with a yelp. Cozy giggled at his reaction. "Stop that! That's freaky!" Rumble said while glaring at a spot somewhere above Cozy's left shoulder.
"Thanks… for getting me here, I mean" Cozy said. "But I'll go on alone now. If you can't see me, then it should be fine, right? Nopony else can see me either?"
"Yeah…" Rumble said. He got something cloven in his face. "Or, no! I'll come with you. Just in case, okay?"
"You'd do that?" Cozy asked. It was a good thing she was invisible, because she could not hide a big, silly grin and blush at the thought of having somepony do something like that for her.
"I've come this far… I don't wanna be left behind now," Rumble said. "And… my life have never been half as exciting before!"
Cozy blushed even harder as she removed the vial from her neck and put it on the ground. There it was no longer affected by whatever enchantment the potion had put on her. "Just one drop. You don't need to hide, but you must be able to see me."
"Gotcha," Rumble said and repeated Cozy's procedure to take a drop. The vial was almost a third of the way empty already.
"Huh, tasty…" Rumble mumbled. "Oh, there you are!"
"Yeah. Let's move! I don't know how long the effect remains."
The two of them quickly trotted out of the darkened alley and into the larger street and started towards the other end of Canterlot, where the train station was located. Cozy noted with satisfaction that nopony looked at her, even if a few glanced at Rumble.
It was working! Her escape was working after all, one of the two big risks of her plan had worked as well as she could have hoped!
Now she just had to get to Rarity, and get her hoof looked at. Then she'd be free as a bird!
He had never felt his heart beat so fast. He was a nopony, there to fill out the background for legendary figures like Twilight and her friends. Ponies like Rumble were a dime a dozen; ordinary ponies with ordinary lives! So how did it happen that he was now sneaking through Canterlot with a criminal only he could see? This was not supposed to happen, not to him!
But what choice did he have? Twilight clearly was not the right pony to reform Cozy Glow. So he had stepped in where he felt he could make a difference, with or without Twilight's consent. This was about Cozy and what was best for her.
Twilight wanted that too, deep down.
At least the potion worked wonders. Cozy stuck to the shadows, and Rumble could not notice one pony even looking at the pace where she was. It was only due to his enhanced vision he could follow her movements, and even to him she melded well with the background, almost like one of those strange lizards Fluttershy once had talked about.
Curio had said the potion let Cozy meld with the shadows around her, so reasonably it did not work if there were no shadows to hide in. Still ,most of the journey down to the train station was uneventful, as long as they were a little careful to stay out of the patches directly underneath the streetlights. But Rumble began to feel optimistic. They could do this!
After some twenty minutes they came within view of the Canterlot train station, and Rumble's felt his heart sink. Canterlot was Equestria's central hub for administration, commerce and legal matters; a lot of ponies came and went here every hour of every day. Even now, in the middle of the night, the train station bathed in light as hundreds of ponies went in and out of the three ogival arched gates that admitted them to the departure hall. The large building was nearly triangular, with the central gate towering above the two others. Both him and Cozy stopped across the street, and looked at ponies coming and going.
"Should we wait? It's got to slow down some time, right?" Rumble suggested.
"More than in the middle of the night?" Cozy said sarcastically. "Besides, if the potion effect runs out then we can't try again for twenty-four hours at the earliest."
"And we can't leave your hoof unattended that long," Rumble filled in. "Right. Uh... just sit tight, okay? I'll scout ahead inside. This is gonna be hard enough without going in blind."
Cozy nodded and backed away.
Rumble made his way up to the gates. He had actually never been here before. He most often flew to and from Canterlot. No point in paying for a train ticket when his wings could get him here for free.
A great many ponies milled about in the departure hall, hastening to the different platforms or sitting by the restaurants for some food while they waited. A generous amount of lanterns hung from the roof, showering the entire hall in light. The only shadows he could see were from the many moving ponies, but that as not going to help.
"Excuse me," a stressed earth pony stallion said and nearly stepped on Rumble in his haste to get thought the gates and up to the table detailing incoming and leaving trains.
No way Cozy would last long if she went this way. Even if she somehow got the invisibility to work, somepony was going to step on her.
Rumble took flight to try and find an alternative. The lights hung from the roof a little way down, so closer to the roof was a shadowy area. But without her flight, Cozy could not get up here alone.
Could he carry her? He had done so during their outing together. But then he had caught her already in the air, and he just needed to fly her straight forward, and just for a little while. Even if he was a strong flyer for his age, starting from the ground and ascending while holding a pony just a little younger than him was not realistic. And if he dropped her…
No, he was not going to try that.
"Tsk…" he scoffed and flew back out the building. Going through the departure hall was going to be risky. No point in committing to that idea before he had explored all options.
It struck him that perhaps he should consider this from the opposite angle: if she needed to get to the trains, then he could start by looking at the depot and see if there was a service entrance or something.
He zipped over the roof of the building.
He did not have to look for very long. One street down from the train station an earth pony with a reflex vest was just approaching a wire mesh back door to the depot. Perfect, all they had to do was to wait for somepony else to get in or out, and Cozy could follow them in, with or without her flight.
The two of them doubled back from the train station and made their way around the train depot until they came to the fence at the end of the street. Cozy pawed the mesh fence with her good hoof. "This could take forever though. Isn't there some faster way?"
"None that's safer," Rumble said. "Besides, I saw one pony arrive just now. Maybe that means somepony else will be leaving? In my kitchen, we sometimes work in shifts like that. For Twilight's coronation for example, when one pony rested, another took over."
Cozy glared at the fence door. It was locked with a small padlock and a chain. It was such a trivial obstacle! It was more of a warning than a way to keep ponies out. Every other day she could have flown over! And with her hoof still bleeding magic, she did not feel like waiting around here for who knows how long! But it was not like she had any better idea either.
She backed against the wall and waited.
She did not know how long it was, but it felt much too long for her liking. Rumble sat down next to her, but neither of them felt like talking. The worry for her flying came back. As long as she had something to do, it was manageable, but now that she just had to sit still and wait, the nagging worry came back.
How could she even live without her flight? Pegasi were supposed to fly. She could never visit Cheerful Sun again. She could not even reach Cloudsdale, her tribe's capital. She opened her wings a little and huddled up as if she was cold. She wasn't really cold, but it did make her feel a little safer.
"It'll be fine," Rumble said. She wanted to believe it, but she could hear a twinge of doubt even in his voice.
She was about to answer, but a small sound reached her ears.
Hoofsteps were coming. She jolted up and backed away further into the shadows. Rumble took flight and disappeared.
Another pony was coming, wearing a vest and trotting fast. He passed just next to Cozy, so close she could smell the shampoo he used for his tail. Cozy bent down and prepared to bolt. The moment he opened the door, she was going to dash between his legs, into the depot and hide underneath a nearby train car.
Her ears flicked when she heard the padlock click open. She heard the rustle of the chain being pulled away.
"Oh, hello, Mr. Train Worker!" Rumble practically shouted from the other side of the pony, causing both Cozy and the worker to startle. "I think I dropped my train ticket someplace here. You haven't seen it, right?"
"What?" the train worker asked, dumbfounded. "What are you even doing back here? This isn’t how you get to the trains!"
Cozy took a calming breath and crept forward. The gate was just a little open, and the worker was distracted. Quick as can be, Cozy rushed underneath the other pony, pushed the door open just a little more and ran through.
"What was… No, I haven't seen your ticket! Get out of here!"
Cozy threw herself underneath the train car and spied back. Rumble took flight again and the stupid worker closed the door. She waved quickly at her accomplice and crept forward underneath the train.
Rumble reappeared some minutes later, landing quietly and crawling in under the car. "I think I've spotted a way out for you. Come here."
"Thanks for the distraction," Cozy said. Rumble winked back mischievously.
Darting from from shadow to shadow, they came to a train being loaded. A couple of trolleys with crates and sacks stood nearby. A postal train by the looks of it. And Cozy recognized one gray pegasus who was helping with the bags. It was the mailpony who had crashed into her window that one time! She had seen her in Ponyville! This train was going to take her exactly where she needed to go!
"Perfect," Cozy whispered. "We'll sneak on board and hide until we're in Ponyville! Easy as pie!" Only one train car was open- the one they were loading. She had to distract the workers for a few seconds for her to safely get in.
Luckily, she had an idea for that.
She picked up a piece of rock from the ground and tapped it silently to one of the nearby driving wheels with a metallic "clink". "I'm gonna need you to throw this at the wheels, okay? To get their attention."
"Gotcha." Rumble even made a mock salute. Cozy ran a little while away, ready to jump out when she was safe.
She signaled Rumble, and he threw the stone as hard as he could, safely hidden on the other side of the train. He then immediate picked up another stone and threw it the same way.
"What's that? You guys hear?" one of the loaders said. It was not the gray pony.
"Weird…" the gray pony answered. The two of them went to check, leaving only one behind.
"Come on! Never mind that and help me here instead," the last worker sighed and glared after her two colleagues. With her attention diverted, Cozy ran forward as quick and as quiet as she could and turned the breaks on the trolley from closed to open, before quickly running back to her hiding spot.
The trolley started to move.
"Hey? Wait!" The remaining worker shouted, but to no avail. The trolley rolled down the tracks until it hit the bumper at the end of the railway yard and fell over, all three workers rushing after it. Cozy grinned in satisfaction. All too easy… She crept out from underneath the train and jumped up into the car.
"I made it!" she all but squeed! "And without my flight too!"
"With a little bit of help, right?" Rumble said with a confident grin.
"Oh golly yes!" Cozy beamed. "When I'm princess again, I'll make you a duke! I'll keep Canterlot, of course, but you could have Cloudsdale! Arn't I kind?”
"Well…"
"But we can talk more on the way to Ponyville! Are you coming?" Cozy asked. He had not made a move to enter the train with her. "Before those clowns come back."
"I don't think I can come any further," Rumble said. "I've got work tomorrow, and I can't be in Ponyville then or Twilight would understand that I helped you. But you should be safe now, right? Ponyville is deserted at this hour… do you know where Rarity lives?"
"No," Cozy said, trying to keep her disappointment out of her voice. Nopony had ever done something like this for Cozy before. She was sad to hear he'd not be with her for the final part of her daring escape, even if she understood why.
"Just follow the largest street from the station to the market, up to Town Hall. Then take to the right. Her house is a round, white building."
"Forward, then right. A white building," Cozy said.
"Right. I'll come visit as soon as I can… and try to keep an eye on Twilight for you."
Cozy nodded. "Thanks… really, thanks for everything. It… oh golly, you con't understand how much this means to me. Nopony have ever stuck up for me like you have. I didn't think anypony would willingly help me escape.”
Something in his glance shifted from the easygoing look he almost always wore. There was something sharp in his look now. Cozy flicked her ears backwards by instinct. He glanced over to the post workers, but they were still busy picking up the spilled letters. Then he jumped up into the train car with her, looking sternly into her eyes.
"No, Cozy, listen to me." He took a deep breath. "What I did was helping a friend find a better life, okay? I didn't help a criminal escape. Don't make me have helped a criminal escape, okay? Promise."
"But I must be a princess. I've told you." Cozy said, confounded. He knew that, so why was he having second thoughts now?
"Can't you at least try to earn it?" Rumble asked. "Twilight did, and I'm sure she wants you to become a better pony too, even if she is really bad at doing it. Really really bad."
Cozy smiled at that, despite everything. "I don't trust her. I think she'll hurt me, no matter what she says... I don't think I can ever go back..."
Rumble leaned just a little closer. His lilac eyes glittered in the moonlight. "You don't get it, silly. It doesn't matter if you can or not, 'cause I know we can. Friendship, real friendship, makes you able to do things you never thought possible before. If you try, I'll be there to help. Okay? If Twilight want to get to you, she'll have to go through me first. But if you want to get to her, then you'll have to go through me first too."
"I don't know if I can…"
"Then, can you at least promise that you think about it? You're still going to Rarity's for help, so I'll come visit when I can. You can think of it for as long as you like. But if you do come after Twilight, then you'll have to do it without me."
"Okay… I'll think about it," Cozy said, and she meant it too. "But only because you're the one asking. Golly, I think you're a bad influence on me."
Both of them smiled a little at that.
"Finally. Let's just get this loaded already."
"Got to go! Be seeing you!" Rumble said and took flight before Cozy had a chance of protesting, not that she really wanted to protest.
She slunk back into the shadowy interior and climbed up on the sacks of letters to hide.
Clonk!
"Mmmm…" Rarity groaned and rolled over, still more asleep than awake. Her ears subconsciously flicked upwards. She had always been cursed with an all too light sleep, and needed absolute silence to be comfortable.
Clonk!
She groaned again and sat up. Whatever it was, she was not going to sleep through it. She magicked off her blindfold and rubbed her eyes, trying to figure out what had woken her up.
Clonk!
That was a rock. Somepony was throwing rocks at her window.
"Oh, the nerve of-!" she sputtered angrily. She flicked on the light in her room and went up to the window. She all but threw the curtains open, ready to deliver a scathing (but by no means inelegant) speech on the lack of respect of today's ponies.
There was nopony there. There was… something, though. A shadowy lump that seemed a little darker than its surroundings, vaguely the size of a foal. The little shadow seemed to freeze up. Somehow, Rarity imagined it was looking at her. It had rust-red eyes. She was so surprised that she even forgot she was supposed to be angry.
"Hello? Rarity?"
She knew that voice. "…Cozy Glow? Is that you?"
"Yeah! Can I come in?"
Rarity balked, momentarily stunned. "Of course, dear! Just a moment!" Pausing only to grab a dressing-gown she quickly went downstairs and unlocked the door. There was something strange about Cozy when she stood on the porch. Her mane was in disarray, no longer propped up with her ribbons. Her hoof seemed to be steeped in an angry red mist, almost like a unicorn horn using magic. Those were the obvious changes, but there was also something with how the light fell on her… everything not in direct light seemed unnaturally dark. Around her neck she wore a new silver necklace ending in a small two-colored ornament, the lower part deep purple.
The two ponies looked at each other for a moment.
"Please come in, Cozy. Would you like some tea, perhaps?" Rarity said and moved out of the doorway.
"I would really love some hot chocolate, please?" Cozy answered and stepped inside. She even gave Rarity a little bow at the request.
"But of course," Rarity said. "I imagine you will spend the night? Sweetie Belle is with our parents, so you can have her room. Up the stairs, directly to the right. I'll come up with your chocolate."
"Don't you want me to explain myself? Why I'm here and… stuff?" Cozy asked. She sounded confused.
"Very much so, dear," Rarity answered patiently. "But when a foal knocks on your door at three A.M, there are some things that must be addressed before anything else. And if you paid any attention to our classes in school, then you know what my element is."
"Generosity… right."
"Indeed, Cozy. Now, up to your bed. I will just be a moment."
Cozy went up the stairs. As she stepped into the dimmer light of the stairs, her form seemed to blur inexplicably. Rarity discreetly stared after her, a hundred questions swirling in her head. How did she get out? Why was she hard to see? What had happened with her hoof? Had Twilight freed her? Where did she get the necklace? What was it?
And why did she come here? Why did Cozy Glow come to Rarity in the middle of the night?
The questions continued to bombard her as she prepared a cup of cocoa for Cozy and some green tea for herself. Odds were she was going to need something to keep her awake for a while.
A few minutes later the cocoa and her tea was ready. She warmed up some scones too. She had thought of saving them for her breakfast, but they'd probably do better now. With the two cups and a small tray of scones, butter and honey, she went up the stairs to her little sister's room. Cozy laid in the bed, propped up against some pillows with the glowing foreleg clearly visible on the blanket in front of her.
She looked nervous, eyes snapping towards Rarity the moment she entered.
"Some hot cocoa and scones, dear," Rarity said and sat the tray down on Cozy's side. Normally, she'd never let anypony eat in the bed and get crumbs and honey all over the blankets, but tonight she could make an exception.
"Thanks a lot," Cozy said and took a sip of the warm drink. Rarity sat down on the floor, next to Cozy's bedside and sipped her tea in silence, waiting for Cozy to say something.
"Are you gonna tell Twilight that I'm here?" Cozy asked quietly. She looked down into her cup.
"Hmm… I suppose that depends on you, Cozy," Rarity said. Cozy was a smart and paranoid little filly. If Rarity was to gain any clarity as to what she was playing at, she had to be careful with what she said. "Eventually Twilight will figure it out, I'm sure. But I will admit you have piqued my curiosity by coming to me in the middle of the night. Will you be so kind as to tell me why?"
"You're the only unicorn I know who's been kind to me… I had to come to you."
Rarity took another sip of tea to buy herself some time for thinking. Why did she need a unicorn? "Well, I'm flattered you'd say that, considering our… history. But why not my little sister? Surely she is a better friend than me? Or did you try her window first?"
"No. I wanted to see you. There… there is something wrong with me," Cozy whispered. "When I escaped… I did something, a-and now I can't… can't fly." She said the last two words very fast. She moved her strange foreleg a little, for emphasis.
Rarity gasped and put a hoof in front of her mouth. She looked down on Cozy's foreleg. She reached out to touch it, but hesitated. "Do you mind?"
Cozy shook her head. "So what are you going to do? How long until I can fly again?"
"Pardon?" Rarity said. Cozy's hoof did not feel strange in the slightest. "What do you expect me to do?"
"Cure me, of course," Cozy said. "You're a unicorn, so you know magic stuff, right?"
"Cozy, sweetness, I don't know the first thing about magic, more than what my mother taught me when I was little," Rarity said. It was not the first time ponies seemed to make the assumption that she was a better mage than she was. Probably because everypony knew she was friends with Twilight.
"What!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Cozy roared, causing Rarity to flinch back. "WHY DON'T YOU KNOW!? YOU ARE MY ONLY CHANCE! I CAN'T LOSE MY FLIGHT!!" Cozy screamed on. She still looked positively livid, but there was an wavering undertone in her scream that reminded Rarity all too much of when Sweetie Belle was younger and upset.
"Hush now, little miss Glow," Rarity said and magicked over a napkin. "Listen to me." Her voice was silent and tender, but still with some authority. Motherly, almost. "I am not a nurse, and I certainly don't know anything about pegasi. But, if you want, I can ask nurse Redheart to come and have a look."
"Nopony else would help me," Cozy said and fell back against the pillows. Her voice sounded empty. "I thought… since you are the only grownup pony who has been kind to me… that maybe you would help."
"I would, but I don't know how," Rarity said. "And I promise, Redheart will help you. She's very kind. I will even stay with you when she is here, if you want."
"But she'll tattle to Twilight," Cozy said. "I'm not going back. I'd rather…" She silenced. Rarity nuzzled Cozy a little. While her worry about Twilight sounded so very silly to Rarity, it was a real fear for Cozy. And Twilight's late friendship report had shown her to always take a friend's concerns seriously. Especially since Cozy clearly was contemplating giving up her flight for her freedom. While she did not say it, this time, Cozy clearly was thinking about that choice.
That must not happen. Not only would she be condemned to the life of a cripple, but it would also forever ruin any chance for Twilight to earn Cozy's trust.
"She won't tattle, Cozy. Redheart, and all hospital personnel, can be asked for an oath of confidence. And I can promise, Redheart would never go back on her word. That's not the type of pony she is."
Cozy bit her mouth and looked down on her hoof.
Then she nodded once, hesitantly.
"Stay here," Rarity said. "I will go find her."
"Now?" Cozy asked.
"This is nothing that should wait." Rarity said. "I will be right back. You try to rest now."
She was thankful she made herself tea to perk her up, because Rarity was still sleepy when she went out on the darkened streets. She had a scarf wrapped around her neck and a warm hat. Fall had begun, and the night air was cold and crisp. She settled at a steady pace to the hospital, deep in thought.
Was she really doing the right thing? She felt like she was, but she had to admit she hated going behind Twilight's back. Twilight was her best friend, and while she was sure their friendship would never break over something like this, she still knew Twilight would be hurt if- or rather, when- she found out. Because Rarity was sure Twilight would figure it out somehow. She was a clever pony, the new princess. And when Twilight came knocking, what could Rarity say to her defense? That she was better suited than Twilight to help Cozy? Was that even true?
Rarity shook her head. She'd cross that bridge when she got to it; right now she had an injured filly back home who needed medical help, and whatever might come of that later, she knew what to do right now. She opened the door to the hospital. A bright-eyed young stallion nodded to her behind the reception. Rarity envied the piping hot mug of strong coffee she could see standing on the counter with him.
"How can I be of service?"
"I need to request a house visit," Rarity said. "I have an injured filly back at my boutique that ought to be looked at as soon as possible. Is it possible to have Nurse Redheart come over? She has always been wonderful with Sweetie Belle."
The clerk nodded and pressed a button to the intercom. "Requesting on Nurse Redheart to the reception for a house call at Carousel Boutique."
"Understood," came a slightly distorted voice from the intercom. The clerk nodded to Rarity. "Take a seat. She should be around in a few minutes, once she had made the round to poor Screwy."
"Any progress with the poor dear?" Rarity asked. She, like most of ponyville, knew of the poor earth pony who thought she was a dog.
"I'm not at liberty to say," the clerk answered. "But Redheart is really sweet with her. If anypony can help, its her."
Rarity nodded and sat down to wait.
She should probably concentrate on getting Cozy back on her hooves first and foremost. Once she had assessed how bad the injury was, she would confer with Twilight. While Twilight would probably want to bring Cozy "home", she was usually not unbending in her will. If she felt like Rarity could make better progress on Cozy's reformation process, then Twilight would probably support it. She nodded to herself. First she had to take care of Cozy and remove any immediate danger. Then contact Twilight and plan the next step.
The clip-clop of hooves on the tile floor forewarned Rarity that Redheart was coming. She stood up just as the white earth pony stepped through a doorway, a first-aid kit saddlebag bouncing on her barrel. "Oh, Rarity? Is there something wrong with Sweetie Belle?"
"No, it's something else this time. Sorry for forcing you out in the cold, but I'd rather not wait."
"Think nothing of it," Redheart said. "The sooner treatment starts, the better." They went out of the hospital. Rarity could see Redheart shudder a little for the cold. She only had her nurse's cap. Rarity undid her scarf and tied it around Redheart's neck with her magic. "Can't have the doctor catch a cold, now can we?"
"Thanks, Rarity, but I'm fine. We earth ponies are a hardy bunch."
"I'd never let a friend who I forced out in the cold freeze, and no buts about it!" Rarity said with a tone that broke no argument, even if she could see Redheart roll her eyes. Still, for all her earth pony hardiness, Redheart still nuzzled the scarf for warmth.
The two of them stepped into the boutique after a few minutes of walking. "Before we proceed, I need to insist on confidentiality," Rarity said. "You are not to talk to anypony about what is wrong with this patient, and you will not tell anypony who she is or that she is here."
Redheart nodded. "You know I never would."
"I do, dear, but… let's just say I have my reasons for reaffirming it. Please, come with me."
Rarity guided Redheart up the stairs and then directly to the right.
The light was still on, and Cozy sat on the bed and nibbled on a scone with honey.
Redheart froze mid step when she laid her eyes on Cozy. Cozy too stopped eating and glared.
"Well, I suppose now you understand why I need your confidentiality," Rarity said, trying to lighten the mood. Redheart simply nodded lamely.
The paralyzed nurse swallowed a few times. When she spoke, her voice sounded a little thin. "And… what seems to be the problem miss… Cozy Glow?"
"My foreleg," Cozy said, completely unnecessarily, but Rarity could not blame Redheart for wanting to regain her footing. Cozy even waved the afflicted leg around.
That seemed to snap Redheart out of her confusion. She went up to the bed and took Cozy's leg in her hooves. Rarity laid down at the end of the bed, just so Cozy could have a pony she trusted in sight all the time. She saw Redheart's mouth settle in a grim line when she turned the foreleg in her hooves.
"Just what have you done, little miss?" she asked sternly. "And more importantly, why did you not get help sooner?"
"I couldn't. And it's not like anypony would help me anyway," Cozy said angrily.
"Then they don't deserve to call themselves doctors," Redheart said. "But that doesn't matter right now…" she put Cozy's foreleg away and started to dig around in her first aid kit.
"How… how is she?" Rarity asked. "She says she can't fly anymore."
"No, certainly not," Redheart said. "The condition is called a Ley-break. It happens to unicorns sometimes; especially those who attempt very challenging magic. All ponies have magic inside them, and sometimes, when it's too forcefully drawn upon, the magic in the body can... well, basically it overloads and harms your body's ability to contain magic the way it should. Since pegasi use their magic to fly, this means you can't fly anymore, nor can you walk on clouds."
"And… how long until she is cured?" Rarity asked warily.
"How long since you did… whatever caused this?" Redheart asked.
"Yesterday night. Little more than a day," Cozy answered, clutching the blanket close for some small protection. She looked very small and vulnerable, sitting there in the bed.
"Then there is not a moment to loose," Redheart said shortly. "Stay in bed and don't try to fly, whatever you do. Rarity, come with me; we need to get some things from the hospital."
"Why didn't you bring it the first time!?" Cozy growled. Luckily Redheart was more than used to dealing with tantrums.
"Because Ley-breaks are extremely rare in a town with mostly earth ponies and pegasi. And none of them should ever get a Ley-break," Redheart said on the way to the door. "Rarity, now."
She jumped off the bed, but did take a moment to pat Cozy's hoof a little. "It'll just be ten or so minutes, dear. You sit tight, and we'll take good care of that hoof soon."
Cozy nodded.
The two mares left the room again and started towards the hospital at a quick pace.
"Just how bad is it?" Rarity asked once they were a little while away from the boutique.
"I've never seen a Ley-break in a pegasus before, or at a hoof," Redheart said. "But I know that if a unicorn had come in with that in her horn after so long, she'd be hard to save. But pegaus magic is mostly conducted through the wings, so maybe it isn't that bad… honestly, the severity of her injury is impossible to judge for me."
Rarity nodded grimly. "Well, then we have not a moment to lose, like you said." She went from trot to gallop. Redheart followed. They all but dashed through the hospital doors and Redheart still didn't even slow down. She kept on going with Rarity at her heels, dashing through a corridor at the ground floor and into a storage room. She threw a pair of saddlebags on Rarity and started cramming down a rolls of a purple, glittering fabric.
"Get to her, use the Stargauze and bandage up her bad leg. I'll be along once I have all the stuff I need from here." She spoke clam and clear, but Redheart was digging frantically through a stand of bottles.
Rarity nodded and ran out the hospital and then through ponyville as fast as her hooves would carry her. She was no longer wearing any clothes, but she was not the least bit cold.
She was panting heavily when she got back to her boutique, and she was sweaty. Normally the mere idea of getting sweaty would put her in the fainting couch. But not tonight. Thank goodness she knew first aid (being the big sister of one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders had taught her that a long time ago).
She took a few moments to collect herself once back in her home. She did not want to stress Cozy by looking too worried. She stepped up the stairs and went inside the room.
Cozy had not moved, but her breath came a bit faster and her wings twitched on her back, like Fluttershy's when she was especially anxious.
"Redheart sent me ahead," Rarity explained and pulled out the roll of sparkling gauze. She had never seen it before, but there was no doubt this was the Stargauze Redheart had talked about. It really did glitter like stars… She cut off a long piece. "Your hoof, dear," Rarity said.
"What are you doing with me?" Cozy asked without belligerence. Rarity and Redheart's hasty departure must have scared her. "Is… is it really bad?"
"Redheart doesn't know; she has never seen this happen to a pegasus before. But don't fret. She has never failed a foal before. Not once."
Cozy held out her hoof. It was shaking slightly underneath the haze of red magic. Rarity quickly and neatly patched it up in a shimmering dressing. The red haze stopped immediately. "There. That should help."
Cozy looked at the dressing and poked it with her good hoof. "What does this do, actually?"
"I don't really know myself," Rarity said. "I trust Redheart and she told me to use this 'stargauze'. But I will be sure to ask her."
"So… when will I be cured?"
"She… doesn't know. Seems that 'Ley-breaks' nearly only happens to us unicorns, and only in our horns. She has never seen this before."
"But… I will be cured, right? Right?" Cozy said.
That was one question Rarity really did not want to answer. How could she tell a foal that Redheart thought a unicorn's injury would be "hard to save" at this time? She couldn't! Nothing was certain, but Cozy would not be comforted by that either! The only things she could say were either bad news or so vague they would only worry her just as much!
Cozy drew a shuddering breath and shut her eyes hard. "Oh golly, I don't want to lose my flight. Oh golly, no… I can't be… I'm not a cripple… I don't want that…”
"It's not at all certain," Rarity said, as soft and tender as she could. "Redheart truly doesn't know, she has never seen an injury like yours before."
"But it's not good, or you'd have said it," Cozy moaned.
"… No, it isn't good. But the truth is, she doesn't know. Its too early for you to give up hope yet."
Cozy's still hiccuped with sobs, her eyes tightly clenched. She looked truly pitiful- crying, small, bandaged and with her mane in a mess. Was this really the same filly who had struck such fear in all of Equestria once?
Rarity sat down by the bed and carefully extended her hooves to hold her former enemy. Cozy batted her away.
"I don't need your sympathy!" She shouted, shakily. She opened her eyes, but they were narrow in rage and filled with tears. "I'M COZY GLOW! I WILL GET BACK AT ALL OF YOU FOR THIS!" She looked at once angry and fearful. For a pony who embodied generosity, not only with material things but also with love and affection, it was torture to see her in such a state.
"Cozy… please, I know you are afraid right now, and rightfully so! I cannot imagine losing my magic. Nopony should have to be so afraid alone! Can… can you please trust me enough to help you, just a little? Just a hug?" Rarity begged her. She could even feel herself tearing up a little.
The anger disappeared. Now she only looked afraid. "Just a hug?"
"Just a hug dear. Promise."
Cozy rubbed her eyes to little avail. "Okay…"
Rarity gently put her forelegs around Cozy and pulled her a little closer. She felt Cozy rest her head on her shoulder and shake a little as she continued to cry. She felt really light. She guessed pegasi must be lighter than unicorns like Sweetie Belle. "I won't get back at you. You're kind." Cozy mumbled.
A discreet cough came from behind them, and Cozy quickly untangled from her. Rarity liked to think she looked a little less pale though.
"I see you got the stargauze on. Good. Keep it on for twelve or so hours, and then reapply new gauze. I will pick up the old one and take it to the hospital for distillation."
"Distillation?" Rarity asked.
"Stargauze is a special material, made to absorb magic. Cozy's body produces some magic naturally, like anypony, but she will need more than that to compensate for the loss. The best we can do is to regain some of the magic she bleeds, so I will distill what is absorbed by the gauze. She should stay inside as much as possible, and absolutely no activities that uses magic- that means trying to use your wings or interact with clouds."
Cozy nodded.
"And plenty of food, water, and rest of course. I will need some time to set up a room for you, but I can have you in a secluded room at the hospital within the hour."
"Is it possible for her to stay with me?" Rarity asked. "I am certain I can provide anything she might require. And surely having some friends around her cannot hurt?"
Redheart considered. "There is only so much I can do at the hospital other than observing... and if staying here makes you fell better, Cozy, then it is not only okay, but recommended."
"I'll stay here then," Cozy said.
Redheart nodded. "You should drink a spoonful of this." She produced a bottle filled with a clear liquid and a spoon. "It's a magic dampener. It prevents some magic from flowing out in your body, so you don't lose it."
Cozy obediently filled the spoon and gulped down the liquid. She grimaced for the taste.
"That's good, Cozy. I will come around tomorrow, but I think that is all I can do for the moment. Rarity, come with me down. There are a few more things you should know, if you are going to look after her."
Rarity followed Redheart down. The nurse almost whispered once they were in the showroom of the boutique. "You should know… this is going to be tougher than I first thought. Normally we give unicorns a supplement of stabilized magic to restore what they lose from the ley-breaks, but unicorn magic is no good for a pegasus. I will try to get pegaus-supplement made, but it will take some time. And I'm not sure how long we have. If she completely loses all magic, then she can never get it back."
"Surely there must be something I can do?" Rarity asked. "Anything at all?"
"Keep her company, keep her relaxed and happy," Redheart said. "Other than that… well, if you know any pegasus who would agree to have some of their magic sapped from them to make the supplement, it would be much appreciated. We just need a little; nothing more dangerous than donating blood."
"You will have it," Rarity said. "Now?"
Redheart shrugged. "If it is possible, then we can start now. Do you have anypony in mind to help?"
"I will ask Fluttershy."
Redheart nodded. "If she agrees, come to the hospital. I will prepare some things there."
"Thank you for coming at this hour, Redheart," Rarity said, her tiredness beginning to come back. "It's… big of you."
"No, I'm doing my job. You on the other hoof… to do what you do to a pony like Cozy Glow. It warms a nurse's heart. It really does."
With that, Redheart left the boutique. Rarity followed her to the door towards Fluttershy's cottage.
A pony stood by Town Hall. Her horn was glowing continuously and her eyes were alight with power, like a purple haze of magic shone from them. "Rarity?" Twilight asked. "I didn't think you'd be up at this hour… but I think we need to talk."
Cozy Glow did not remember falling asleep. She had been hugging Rarity, then the doctor came and told her not to use her magic (not that she could anyway), and then… she could not remember anything more.
But Rarity was not present now and there was light coming in from underneath the curtains, so she must have fallen asleep. Rolling over to the side, she saw a tray of on her bedside table with a note leaning on a steaming cup. Rarity must have just left. Cozy picked up the note with her good hoof. The penmanship was cursive, which Cozy hated reading. She glared at the note and tried to make out the words.
Cozy Glow
I will be out for the morning. Redheart has recommended food and rest, so it would be preferable if you stayed in your room. I will come home and cook you some lunch and dinner, so don't worry about that. I will visit my parents and notify Sweetie Belle. If I know her right, she will be over as soon as she has had her breakfast.
Remember, Cozy: you are a strong pony. You have shown (through less than savory means) that you always come back from your hardships, tougher than before. You will find a way through this too.
//Rarity
Despite her gnawing terror of losing her flight permanently, the prospect of a visit form her friend did lift her spirits a little. She sat the note down and grabbed a sandwich. This was the first time she had her breakfast in the bed.
She had just eaten when she heard somepony knocking.
"Come in," Cozy Glow said.
"Cozy! Are you alright!? What's happened to you!? Why are you here? Are you hurt? Rarity said you were hurt! Did Twilight let you out!?" Cozy opened her mouth to answer before having the wind knocked from her by Sweetie Belle jumping onto the bed and pinning her down, eyeing her all over and carefully poking at the bandaged hoof.
Cozy pushed her off of her. "A doctor said I… I might lose my flight," she said, felling her ears. Sweetie Belle put her hooves over her mouth in shock. "But I'm tough. I'll find a way through this too. You'll see."
"Yeah! I'm sure you will!" Sweetie Belle said. "And it's not like Twilight would let you lose your flight! She'll help you too."
"Hmph. Maybe I don't even want her help," Cozy said, mostly by instinct.
"What? But… but your flight!" Sweetie Belle sounded absolutely horrified. "Cozy! You can't mean that! You don't actually mean that, right? She doesn't want to hurt you; she just wants to be your friend, like me!"
Cozy glared. "Oh golly, that sounds wonderful," she said sarcastically. "Only, you saved me from my prison, and all Twilight has done is put me in a new prison three times over! You know what; if it got me out, maybe I actually would give up my flight!" She shouted the last part.
Her flight… never being able to feel the breeze in her feathers again. Never more feel that tickling feeling in her stomach as she dove towards the ground. Never again sleep on a soft cloud.
Sweetie Belle almost looked like she might cry. "But… but…" she mumbled. "She just wants to be your friend… how can that be a bad thing?"
Cozy did not answer. Never see Cloudsdale again. Never visit Cheerful Sun again. Never ride on the warm updrafts in summer. Never perfect those things Rumble had started teaching her.
"I don't… " Sweetie Belle's eyes were wet with tears. "Cozy… would you rather I had not talked to Twilight? So… you still was a statue?"
"That's silly," Cozy huffed, brought out of her bleak rumination. "Why would I want that?"
"Because… then you might not be here. Then Twilight could have done better sometime in the future, and you… you would be happier." Sweetie Belle got a look of understanding in her eyes. "This is all my fault, isn't it?" she squeaked.
"No, it's Twilight's," Cozy said. She looked awkwardly at the sniffling Sweetie Belle. What do you do to comfort a crying pony? "Hey, stop crying… please?"
Sweetie Belle took a choppy breath. "But it can't be Twilight's fault! She is kind. And you are too, so it can't be your fault either."
"I have never blamed you for anything," Cozy said. "So you shouldn't either."
Sweetie Belle coughed. "How did this even happen to you? How can you have lost your flight like that? Scootaloo was born with problems, but I know you can fly!"
"I dunno…" Cozy said. "I did something with my rook when I escaped, but why this happened I don't know." She lifted the bandaged hoof. The Stargauze was even sparklier than last night, even if the sparkles were noticeably redder now from having sucked up her magic. She wondered briefly why her magic was red. Did anypony know why different ponies had different colors on their magic?
"Oh… I thought maybe Twilight had taken you here," Sweetie Belle said. "That you hadn't escaped, but just… I dunno… just hadn't escaped."
"You're really naïve then," Cozy said. "I will never stop trying. Ever, until I'm a princess with so many friends nopony can deny my power. Then, like chess, I will have won. I will have so many pieces that nopony else can hope to win."
Sweetie Belle looked at Cozy with something strange in her eyes. "Is… that we are to you?" she asked quietly. "Am I really just a chess piece? Rumble and Rarity too?"
"Yes," Cozy did not say.
She wanted to, because that's what everypony had always been to her. So why did it feel so wrong now, all of a sudden? Why could she not say it to Sweetie Belle now? "No… not you three," she said instead. She fell back into her pile of pillows. "Golly, there really is something wrong with me…"
Sweetie Belle squeaked so loud Cozy thought she would get tinnitus. Then she felt hooves around her barrel, then she was squeezed tightly against Sweetie Belle.
Well, at least she wasn't crying anymore…
Sweetie Belle made Cozy to explain what had happened during her escape. After, Sweetie Belle had a proud grin on her face. "I know what your cutie mark is now!" She chirped.
Cozy smirked faintly. "You know one thing it is. I think my cutie mark means more things than it does for most ponies. It's a rook; because I like chess, but also because I have a penchant for manipulation."
"And for making magical machines," Sweetie Belle said. "You got it for making your rook thingy, and with what you just told me, it's not just a statuette. It's a small machine." Cozy felt a pang of loss for her rook. Last time she lost it, it was years before she got it back.
"Artifact," Cozy corrected. "Machines run on steam or electricity. Artifacts work with magic."
"So you are an… artifactist?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Artificer. I… guess I could have been," Cozy admitted. She looked at the drawn curtains. "You know, you're the second pony I know who got that. Even after I used the six legendary artifacts to contain Starlight and wipe out all magic from Equestria… and after I learned to use Grogar's Bell… nopony seems to know I have a penchant for artifacts."
Sweetie Belle looked quizzically at her. "Is that a rare talent? I don't think I know anypony else who could make artifacts."
Neither did Cozy. She knew her talent was rare. Rare enough for ponies to see her as an asset, rather than a pony.
"You know, I bet you could help a lot of ponies with that talent," Sweetie Belle said.
"I don't care," Cozy said. "I only want to help myself."
Sweetie Belle looked sly. "You don't realize, Cozy, but now you don't have a choice anymore. Because I understand cutie marks. And In my expert opinion, your cutie mark means you should help other ponies with your artifacts."
"That… is not how it works," Cozy deadpanned. "My cutie mark does not mean whatever you say it means!"
"Does too!"
"Does not!"
"Does too!" Sweetie Belle stuck out her tongue with a smile.
"Girls," a new voice interjected. Both foals looked to the door. Redheart stood there with a pair of saddlebags. "I must insist you do not agitate my patient," she said to Sweetie Belle. "She needs calm."
"Oh, sorry."
Redheart nodded. "I'm just here to change the bandage and give you some medicine," Redheart said and pulled out a new swatch of Stargauze. She undid Cozy's dressing and reapplied the new one with quick, practiced motions. Then she folded the old, still sparkly fabric into a square and put it in her saddlebags. Out came a small bottle of pills. They were glowing soft purple. "Take one after breakfast, lunch and dinner. So three every day. It's magic, to help you outlast the bleeding."
Cozy took a pill and swallowed it dry. It didn't taste anything.
Sweetie Belle looked sympathetic. "You'll be better soon, Cozy."
Cozy nodded. "Do you… have a chessboard?"
"Yeah… you'll play soon, but first I wanna say that you have friends who care about you. Okay? Don't forget that. If you are doing something wrong, a friend will set you right!" Sweetie Belle said the last part very quickly and rushed out of the room.
...
"Well that was weird," Cozy said to the empty room.
She nearly sent her breakfast tray crashing to the floor in her hurry to get the small silver bottle. She was not meekly going back. Not this time. No, it was time to test just how far Twilight was willing to go to keep her prisoner. She grabbed the bottle and hid it just under her blanket. Four drops could kill her.
She still had eight. That ought to get her some leverage.
"Hi, Cozy," Twilight said carefully. "Rumble told me where you went. He said you lost your flight, even if he didn't know how. Are… are you well?"
Rumble? Why did that nincompoop betray her! After everything he had done to help her, why would he turn on her now? Did Twilight threaten him? Her hoof felt the silver cork, but she did not move it. Twilight had not tried to take her yet. She settled her face in a hard mask of hatred. "Don't even try to take me back. I won't let it happen anymore. Not this time. I have a poison on me. If you try anything at all, I'll drink it! I mean it!"
Twilight visibly flinched for a moment, as did a visibly shocked Rarity and Sweetie Belle, who stood back in the doorway. Twilight swallowed. When she spoke, she did so calmly and slowly. "I do not intend to take you back, Cozy. I promise. Don't do anything hasty."
"I could say the same to you!" Cozy snapped. "Anything hasty, and I will drink it! I'm serious!" Her stomach twisted at just saying those words. But she kept up the facade. It was just an act… just an act.
Twilight swallowed. "I brought this for you," Twilight said and held up the rook statuette. "Can I come in? I will just put it on your bedside table."
"Let Sweetie Belle bring it here," Cozy said.
"No. It is either me, or nopony," Twilight said.
Cozy glared, but she could not leave the rook in Twilight's grasp. It was like a part of her. She needed it back. She nodded, but she uncorked the bottle under the blankets. Her hoof was shaking. If Twilight tried anything… anything at all, she told herself. She could just lift it out, and that ought to be enough to get Twilight to reconsider… or she could take one drop, to really hammer her point home. But no more; it was still less than twenty-four hours since her nightly adventure, so she could only take one more drop… probably.
But it shouldn't come to that. As long as she kept up the act…
Twilight went in, moving just one hoof at a time, keeping her eyes on Cozy's face. Cozy too kept her eyes on her enemy, breathing hard and fast. Her heart hammered as if to escape her ribcage. Anything suspicious, Cozy told herself while hoping and praying Twilight would just leave. She felt tears starting to pool in her eyes from the stress. And the fear. She could not keep this up for very long.
"I'm not going to try anything. I will just put this down, and then go back," Twilight said. She looked like she was stepping on broken glass, so careful was every hoofstep. "I will just put it down, exactly like you say." The silver felt unnaturally cold in her hoof. Cold as death. She suppressed the instinct to throw it away with a scream. "Just an act just an act justanactjustanact…"
Twilight came up to the bedside table and put the rook down at the very far side. Then she quickly retreated, walking backwards. Cozy grabbed the rook and scooted it closer to her, finally daring to relax a little. The rook made her feel just a little better.
"Twilight, I don't think this is the time…" Rarity said quietly, glancing towards Cozy every other moment. Twilight nodded.
"I'm leaving," she said. "I won't try to take you away, Cozy. Pinkie Promise."
Cozy nodded. Her cheeks felt wet. Twilight stepped out of the room, but all three ponies still looked anxiously at her.
"Cozy… can I come in?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I promise anything you want, but please just let me come in!"
She really really wanted another pony near her. "Okay, but you are staying away from me!" Cozy pointed at Twilight.
"You heard her, dearie," Rarity said mildly and started to usher Twilight away. Sweetie Belle carefully went inside the room and closed the door behind her. Cozy finally dared to put the vial down. She exhaled in relief and closed her eyes for a few moments to let her heartbeat settle.
"Did… did you really think to… t-to…" Sweetie Belle stammered.
Cozy leaned back with a sigh. She felt strangely empty. "I don't think I could have," Cozy admitted. She would never have admitted that to any other pony. "But I cannot go back. I had to do something."
"Then that was a low blow!"
Cozy startled at Sweetie Belle's angry shout. She suddenly did not look scared anymore. She looked angry. "You scared Twilight and me and Rarity half to death! You are not allowed to say stuff like that!"
Cozy huffed. "I'm not going back. I'm Cozy Glow; I want my freedom, and I want to become a princess. I brought all of Equestria to its knees! Do you think I care if I play fair!?"
"Yes! Because Rarity and I are your friends! You don't do something like that to your friends, no matter what!"
"Well then maybe I don't want you to be my friends anymore!" Cozy shouted. Sweetie Belle gasped in surprise and hurt. "There! I said it! I've done well without you before, and if you're just gonna drag me down then I don't want you here!"
"Fine!" Sweetie Belle shouted back and dashed out of the room.
Cozy glared after her. She glared so hard at the closed door that her eyes began to tear up again. It was just because she refused to blink. And her nose was runny because she had caught a small cold when sneaking through Canterlot.
And the hiccups that racked her body was…
Because she had just lost somepony who somehow was worth more to Cozy than all the minions she had when she took over Twilight's school.
She closed her eyes and did her best to stabilize her choppy breathing. Breathing in was fine, but when she tried to exhale it just came out like sobs. Why did she even feel like this? She got what she wanted; Twilight had left her in peace! Why did she suddenly care about what Sweetie Belle thought about that!? Sweetie Belle was a pawn! She had always been a pawn! Pawns must be sacrificed to win the game!
Besides, when Cozy did sit on the throne and had Twilight chained in Tartarus, it was not like Sweetie Belle would still be her friend anyway. It could never have lasted.
A small thought flitted past, touching a deep place in her mind. "Is it even worth being a princess then? If I have nopony?"
She swatted the traitorous thought and locked it away inside a dark corner of her mind before throwing away the key. She must not think stuff like that. She was Cozy Glow.
… Who had let Twilight bring her to a Wonderbolt's Game…
… Who drank the most delicious cocoa she had ever tasted with Rumble…
… Who had eavesdropped with Sweetie Belle outside Twilight's door…
… Who accepted Rarity's apology, and her food and shelter…
… Who had escaped through a hostile city together with Rumble in the middle of the night…
… Who Sweetie Belle had saved from an eternity caged in stone…
It had only been weeks since her release, but so much had happened to her since then. What was truly left of the Cozy Glow who had spearheaded the attack on Canterlot? She still had her coat, her mane and her cutie mark… and she still had the drive… right? She did still want to reign as Princess, adored by all. Yes. She still had that drive and that wish.
But there was something else now too. Her heart held more than just that fanatical wish. Playing chess with Sweetie Belle, flying with Rumble, being hugged by Rarity…she wanted that too! Those things… they meant something.
"Wait… what have I done?" Cozy asked nopony, her mind finally catching up to what had happened. "Don't… don't go! Wait!" She threw off her blanket and quickly went to the door. She did not even know what to do when she found Sweetie Belle, but she had to do something! She had never once apologized to another pony and meant it, but she had to try!
She could not get out.
The handle was to high for her to reach, and Redheart had explicitly told her not to fly under any circumstances. But Sweetie Belle was out there! Cozy needed to see her now, else everything she had gained, the one pony who she felt at ease around, might be lost!
And Cozy Glow had never once allowed herself to be stopped by her small filly body. She carefully spread her wings and prepared herself. This was just the last in a long, long line of desperate gambits that had led her here. She felt… a moment of clarity, in the eye of the storm.
The door opened.
"Cozy stop!"
"Dear Celestia…" Twilight said once she was out the door. Sweetie Belle stayed behind, but for now Twilight was too shocked to care. She knew Cozy was zealously bent on her freedom, but she had never in her wildest nightmares imagined Cozy would threaten to take a poison to remain free! How could it all have gone so wrong?! She had tried to be kind! Tried to give Cozy enough space to find herself!
She was the Princess of Friendship! How did she go this wrong!?
"I'll make some tea," Rarity said quietly. "I imagine we both could use something calming."
Twilight nodded lamely, still lost in awestruck shock. Not until a cup of warm, soothing tea appeared in front of her did she snap out of it. "Rarity…" Twilight said. "Do you think… Cozy can stay here for a while?"
"Hmm?" Rarity quirked an eyebrow.
"She won't live with me. And I won't ask her to," Twilight said. "But she needs a home… and Sweetie Belle is her friend… I'd ask Starlight, but how can I be sure she'd do any better than I did?" Twilight seemed to be fighting against her tears. "Wh-what if Cozy would try to… to…" she shuddered.
"If she would accept it, I will let her stay here as long as she wishes," Rarity promised. "With how desperate she must be, she should have her friends near."
A door slammed shut above them, causing them both to look to the stairs.
Sweetie Belle stomped down the steps in a rare fit of rage. "How dare she! I've always been a good friend! She does not get to say stuff like that to me, or to my friends!"
"Sweetie Belle, a proper lady must never lose her composure," Rarity said. Sweetie Belle startled for a moment before she took a couple of deep breaths. She still looked angry, but she did went up to their table. "Now, dear, what did Cozy say to upset you so?"
"Well, I asked if she really was serious with the poison… and she said she wouldn't do it, but then when I was angry she scared me like that, she… she said she didn't want me as her friend anymore."
Twilight and Rarity shared a worried glance. "Are… you quite sure she said that?" Rarity asked. "And you do not overreact?"
Sweetie Belle shook her head. "No. She did say that."
"That was a lie," Twilight said. She was certain of that. She could see their friendship. It was in how they talked with each other, how Cozy seemed to tolerate Sweetie Belle in a way she never did with Twilight. Just how Sweetie Belle had gone out of her way to visit Cozy, how happy they both were when they saw each other. None of that would happen if there wasn't real friendship between them. "I… I will talk to her. Make her see that."
"Are… you sure?" Rarity asked hesitantly.
Twilight nodded decisively. "I have to. All friendships are worth fighting for, even if they are not my own. And I can't be scared to fight for what is right. That's what it means to be a Princess... I can't let her scare me."
"Then remember, dearie, that when your back has been against the wall in the past, you have never once failed," Rarity said. "If you feel ready, then I know you can make Cozy see the light, just as Starlight did."
Twilight nodded. She had to try again. Yes, she had tried every day for the past weeks to get past the galvanized steel shell around Cozy's heart, and failed every time. She failed just minutes earlier. But she had to try again nonetheless.
Sweetie Belle and Cozy were friends. Sweetie Belle had done what Twilight could not and somehow slipped past Cozy's shell. They were friends.
She had to safeguard that friendship, not only because it was the best way to reform Cozy, but because she was the Princess of Friendship now. It was her purpose, her destiny to help friendships grow. Cozy and Sweetie Belle needed help, and she knew she could give it.
If only Cozy let her…
She opened the door. Cozy stood behind it, her wings stretched and legs bent for takeoff.
"Cozy stop!"
"Cozy, you can't fly! You will seriously hurt yourself!" Twilight exclaimed.
Cozy looked up at her hated captor for a few moments before looking past her. The door was open. That was all she cared about. "Well now I won't have to. Out of my way."
"No, Cozy. You need to talk with Sweetie Belle! If you only apologize to her, I'm sure the two of you can still remain friends! Don't you want that?"
Cozy felt her mind grind to a screeching halt. She wanted to see Sweetie Belle herself! But if Twilight wanted it too… then maybe it was not a good thing after all? Twilight was her enemy; she was the reason everything had happened like this! Something Twilight wanted could never be good for Cozy's agenda, right? And… she did not even know how to apologize to another pony. Had she really thought this through?
Her heart told her to find her friend and make up, but her ever-calculating mind…
"Cozy?" Twilight tilted her head slightly. "Were you trying to get out? Did… you want to see her too, on your own accord?"
Yes or no? The two words fought in her heart and throat. But one of them won out in the end.
"No."
Cozy arranged her mouth in a hard line. "I just needed to stretch my legs… and I wasn't gonna fly at all." She felt hollow when she said it, but she ignored the feeling. She would forget Sweetie Belle soon anyway. When she was a princess she would have plenty of better friends… Rumble might still be her friend. When she was on the throne she could make him a vassal… Duke of Cloudsdale maybe? That would keep him loyal. It was a sound logic. So why did she feel so… wretched, walking away from the door and hopping up in her bed again?
"Sweetie Belle is your friend Cozy," Twilight said carefully. "She came for you when nopony else would… not even me. What she has done for you goes beyond most friendships. You know that too, right? You are too smart not to see that she cares about you."
"Hmph," Cozy sneered, even she could not quite muster the spite that normally came so readily when she talked to Twilight. "You're really stupid. I played her all along to help me. I never cared..." The words made her feel sick as she spoke them. "I never cared," she said again, trying to sound more secure. She didn't.
Twilight looked at her. It was not a pitying gaze or a dejected glance. There was a sharpness to her eyes now, almost like she was trying to dissect Cozy's very mind. "I don't believe you," she said. "I know more about friendship than you do. I know what I see in Sweetie Belle, and what I see in you. And if you don't go after her, then you will regret it for the rest of your life."
"Will not," Cozy snapped back. "She's just a silly foal. She's nopony to me." The lie made her blush in shame.
"Don't say that, Cozy," Twilight said sadly. "It hurts you to say that about your friends."
Cozy crossed her forelegs angrily. "Whatever. I don't care about her anyway. And I'm not going to go after her." And that fact made her heart feel strangely empty.
"Cozy, I know you hate me. But don't let that hatred stop you from caring for your friends! You can lie to me all you want! You can say that Sweetie Belle never was your friend to me all you want. But don't say that to yourself! Don't hurt yourself just because you want to hurt me!"
"You really are stupid," Cozy said flatly. "Don't you get it? I hate you more than I love any other pony."
Twilight recoiled as if she had been struck. Tears pooled in her eyes. Cozy bristled at the reaction. How dared she be surprised? After all she had done to Cozy?
"I thought you could help me become a princess!" she shouted, pointing accusingly at Twilight with her bandaged hoof. "But you have no clue about what friendship really means! Ever since I met you my life has only gotten worse! You don't get to be surprised that I hate you!"
Twilight visibly struggled to keep herself together. "A-alright," she said shakily, large tears falling on the carpet. "You can hate me if you want. But don't let that hate keep you from your friends! Even if we disagree on what friendship is, we both understand that friends makes us better! So please don't just discard Sweetie Belle just because of me! You are better together!"
"I… NO!" Cozy screamed. Though perhaps some would argue she really screamed: "I KNOW". "Just leave! I don't want to see you or her anymore!"
She really wanted to see Sweetie Belle… she would even try to apologize. She had never apologized for anything and meant it before, but for Sweetie Belle she could make an exception. She would do her best! She just wanted her friend back. But she could not give Twilight that satisfaction… But she wanted to! Why did it come to this!?
"Cozy, if you just answer one question for me, then I will let you go! I won't try to take you back to the castle ever again!" Twilight shouted in utter despair. "Just one question! One sentence! Please!"
Cozy just nodded blankly, her own emotional turmoil leaving her too dazed to fully process what she was hearing.
"Do you really hate me so much that you would rather permanently give up your flight just to get out that door than let me help you make up with Sweetie Belle!?"
Cozy blinked and looked back to Twilight.
"I am the Princess of Friendship! I can feel friendship in ponies around me! You and Sweetie Belle are friends! What just happened between you, it hurts! I just want to help you both! That is all! Please, can't you let me help!?"
And so, Cozy did something that all of Twilight's many adversaries had dreamt of. Queen Chrysalis had wished for it. King Sombra had vowed it. Tirek had demanded it. But only Cozy Glow did it.
She made Twilight Sparkle beg at her hooves.
"I know I have hurt you! I know everything I have done with you has somehow turned out wrong! So if this is the last time you see me, let me at least do something right! PLEASE!"
Cozy opened her mouth to speak.
Her words stunned them both.
"Stupid Cozy Glow…" Sweetie Belle mumbled angrily. "I' haven't been dragging her down at all. She's wrong!"
Rarity listened without interrupting. Sweetie Belle was not after advice, nor would she want Rarity to backtalk Cozy. She just wanted to vent and have her big sister listen.
"You don't get to do that… you don't say that to your friends."
Rarity listened, but said nothing.
"I thought she might actually do it! If she ran here, injured and scared, from Twilight only to be cornered again, who knows what she might do! Did she even think about how I would feel? I freed her! I know she could be better! I thought... I really thought she'd..." Sweetie Belle swallowed. Rarity quietly squeezed her hoof.
Hoofsteps sounded from the stairs. Sweetie Belle turned to look.
Cozy stood there, shifting her weight from one hoof to the other. More surprising, however, was that Twilight was there too, behind her. "Sweetie Belle, your friend would like to say something." Cozy, however, did not seem to inclined to say anything. She still shifted on her hooves, looking at Rarity's hardwood floor. But under the mess of curls that hid her face, she looked like she was blushing. Twilight leaned down and whispered something to her.
Cozy did not bat her away.
"I… don't think I did wrong…" Cozy began. "But… I guess you do. So… I guess I should… should… apologize and… stuff," Cozy said, still without looking up.
"I believe there is a certain word you are looking for, little miss Glow," Rarity said.
Cozy grumbled something inaudible.
"What did you say?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"You know the word my little sister wants," Rarity said.
"Don't rush her," Twilight said with a certain sharpness.
The room fell silent, watching. Waiting.
Cozy visibly swallowed. Her wings twitched on her back. Was she shaking? She took a deep breath… but said nothing. She inhaled again. Seeing her struggle, Sweetie Belle began to realize just how much her pride meant to her. For Cozy to struggle like this just to say a small word of five letters that Sweetie Belle herself had said so many times. Cozy's issues went deeper than a misguided desire for power. She had never once had a pony she cared enough about to apologize to.
"I'm sorry."
Her voice was small. Fragile like glass.
"I didn't want… to scare you… I just wanted to scare Twilight away. Not you too… I didn't want you to… I… I still want to be your friend… if you'd have me."
Her apology was stilted, stiff and lacking any eloquence. But Sweetie Belle knew it was genuine. It was just the first time Cozy had ever excused her actions.
Sweetie Belle hopped down from her chair and went up to Cozy. "And what does 'friend' mean to you?"
"Don't worry Sweetie Belle," Twilight said mildly. "Cozy has begun to learn. It will still take her some time, but she will learn. She will have better teachers this time."
Sweetie Belle did not really understand what that meant, but she decided it didn't matter. Cozy had apologized, and in her own mind endured a tough trial in doing so. That was a testament to how much Sweetie Belle's friendship meant to Cozy. And Sweetie Belle had never been a pony to hold grudges.
"I'll forgive you, Cozy. I want you back as my friend too."
Cozy finally looked up. She was smiling, even if her eyes looked puffy. "Can… can I hug you?"
And so, Cozy did something that all of Twilight's many adversaries had dreamt of. Queen Chrysalis had wished for it. King Sombra had vowed it. Tirek had demanded it. But only Cozy Glow did it.
She made Twilight Sparkle beg at her hooves.
"I know I have hurt you. I know everything I have done with you has somehow turned out wrong! So if this is the last time you see me, let me at least do something right!"
Cozy opened her mouth to speak.
Her words stunned them both.
"H-help me..."
Despite Cozy sounding so desperate, so helpless, Twilight could not help but to smile. She had finally gotten through her defenses. Her friendship with Sweetie Belle was stronger than her hatred. "I will, Cozy. I promise."
"I don't even want you to…" Cozy cried silently. "I just want my friend back. But I can't apologize… I have never apologized before."
"It's not easy," Twilight said. "For an apology to be sincere you must have made a mistake, and it takes a big pony to admit that. Especially to ponies who you respect. But if you remember that they are your true friends, it will be easier. A true friend will only respect you more if you make up for your mistakes."
"Why would anypony respect somepony who makes a mistake in the first place?" Cozy grumbled. It didn't make any sense. Twilight laughed a little, causing Cozy to both glare and look uncertain.
"But Cozy… all it took for you to trust Rarity was an apology."
Cozy silenced. How… had she not seen that? It was so obvious now.
"Sometimes, you must let other ponies see you at your lowest, your most vulnerable. Because you can always trust a pony who would let you see them like that. A pony who lets you see them vulnerable or small is a pony who trusts you."
Twilight wiped away a small tear from her eye. "That's why I could beg you just now."
Cozy felt like she had just been sucker-punched. "You… you trust me!? You… you…?" She gestured vaguely towards Twilight.
"Can I tell you something?" Twilight asked. Cozy nodded. "I thought I had to lock you away in my tower. That you were a threat to Equestria that I had to contain. But when I did that, and refused to let you out even a little, I… I just made you hate me even more. If I had just trusted that your friends could do better than me and given you the benefit of the doubt, this could have been so much easier for us both."
Cozy listened and looked at her bandaged hoof. "I… still hate you. You're never going to make up for what you took from me."
"I understand you hate me, and I don't expect that to change anytime soon," Twilight said. "But… after all I have done to you, I'd like it if you gave me a chance to make it up to you. I understand I'm asking a lot, given what I have done, but..."
Cozy narrowed her eyes, but she didn't protest. Just what was Twilight thinking?
"Celestia saw a great potential in me when I took my entrance exam for the School of Gifted Unicorns. And… when I look back at the time I've known you, I will admit I have seen you accomplish more than any other pony your age. Not all things good, mind you. In fact, very few things good, but they were great things… your work with artifacts."
"They're my special talent,” Cozy admitted before she could catch herself. "Their mechanisms… how they work and stuff… it just comes to me. It's… like I just know what the metal and magic wants to become."
Twilight nodded. "I think you understand artifacts the same way I understand magic. And that's why I see a potential in you. One that I want to help nurture, any way I can."
Twilight took a deep breath. "Cozy Glow. I want you to become my personal student. I will give you materials and books to practice your skill in artifice, and in return, you will sit with me for some time every day to discuss friendship. But outside those hours you will be free to go where you please."
"And why would I do that? Maybe I'd rather hide away and plot your agonizing downfall," Cozy answered.
"But then why do you care about apologizing to Sweetie Belle?" Twilight asked. "If you just plan to leave and never see her again?"
Cozy hated that she did not have an answer.
"Besides, Cozy… I think I see the same potential in you that Celestia saw in me, and…" Twilight extended her wings. "… and alI it took for me was hard work, and great friends who had my back, and who picked me up when I failed."
Cozy stared, stunned by the implication. "Would… would you ever…?" Cozy whispered in disbelief. "Would you?"
Twilight nodded. "It's not a promise. Not at all. But if I think you deserve it, and it would make Equestria a better place…"
Cozy looked from Twilight's face to her wings and back again. Could she earn it? Could she become an alicorn by preforming feats so inspiring and so mighty that history would never ever forget them? Because that was the bare minimum if she wanted to achieve her dream.
Of course she could.
She already had.
She just had to do it again.
"We're getting ahead of ourselves," Twilight said. "Take some time to heal your injury and think of my proposal. But for the moment you still have a friend to apologize to. Come. I'm sure she is waiting."
"But… I still don't know how to apologize!" Cozy said. "You said you'd help me!"
"I have," Twilight said. "Come with me, and you will see."
Twilight magicked the door open and made an inviting gesture with her wing. Cozy cast a hesitant glance at it, but decided to play along. She would not be afraid.
Twilight let her walk first, so she went down the stairs, looking down on the floor. What should she do? What did she say? She knew all the usual platitudes she used to fake apologies, but they did not feel right anymore… For the first time ever, she wanted to mean what she said when she apologized! Twilight spoke behind her. "Sweetie Belle, your friend would like to say something."
Cozy felt like her tongue was glued to her teeth. She just stood there, at the base of the stairs. Anxiety shot through her. Sweetie Belle would hate her if she could not do this properly! But she could not get her own mouth under control! And she still didn't even know what to say! She shifted nervously on her hooves, trying to keep herself from panicking. She manipulated ponies! She hated anypony seeing her like this!
"Just say what's in your heart," Twilight whispered. Her voice was almost… kind. "Don't think about how you say it, just let it out. A friend will understand."
"I… Don't think I did wrong…" Cozy began. No! That was not a good beginning! "But… I guess you do. So… I guess I should… should… apologize and… stuff."
Not elegantly said, but at least she had gotten that far… she just had a few small words left. She knew them, but… why was it so hard? Her pride fought back, told her this was enough. Sweetie Belle knew, right? She didn't have to continue!
"I believe there is a certain word you are looking for, little miss Glow," Rarity said.
"You know it already…" Cozy whispered to herself.
"What did you say?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"You know the word my little sister wants," Rarity said.
"Don't rush her," Twilight said with a certain sharpness. It felt so strange hearing Twilight stick up for her. The young princess must be a naive fool to stick up for Cozy. So why did it warm her heart to hear?
She took a breath… but her voice fell silent on her lips. She just couldn't do it! But she had to! For her friend's sake! For her own sake! She had to do this! Somehow! She marshaled just a little bit of confidence to fight down her own pride and tried again.
"I can't bend to Twilight! It goes against everything I've done so far!"
The thought came uninvited. It felt intrusive somehow, like somepony else had thought it for her.
She felt her face contract in a grimace. How could she let such thoughts guide her? They had only led her to suffering. She had been jailed in the darkest pit in Equestria thanks to those thoughts. She had been petrified! And now her very flight was in danger! She could not think like that anymore! Her past was not today! This was a new game. She had all her pieces back, and trying to play the same way again… was not rational.
She had a new strategy now. It was unorthodox, unfamiliar to her, but it could not end much worse than last time, right?
She could try, right?
Sweetie Belle… Her friends…
Twilight…
"I'm sorry."
Redheart found them in Rarity's showroom soon after and quickly sent Cozy back to her room for more rest. Sweetie Belle followed.
"Princess, if you would?" Redheart produced a bottle of white pills from her saddlebags and fished one out. She held it in her hoof. Twilight nodded and extended her wings. Her horn began to glow. It was the same spell Celestia, Luna and Cadance had used to hide their magic from Tirek when he returned the first time. Only Twilight just removed a tiny piece of her magic, and only pegasus magic. Motes of power slipped into the pill, coloring it purple. "Good. That's enough."
Twilight nodded.
"Also…" Redheart said and picked out something else from her saddlebag. It looked like some sort of greave that a knight would wear over his hooves. It ended in a horseshoe but had a metallic casing that ran up the length of the wearer's leg. "This was requisitioned from Canterlot. It's a magic sensor for earth ponies. With this I can get a reading of her magic loss. It should give me a better understanding of just how severe the injury is, and how long it will take to heal. Keep in mind, that I still don't know if there are any other cases of a ley-break happening in a hoof, so it will still not be the whole truth."
"It's better than nothing," Twilight said. "Will you take the reading now?" Redheart nodded.
Cozy and Sweetie Belle sat on the floor, playing chess. It looked like Sweetie Belle was losing. The both of them looked up when Twilight and Redheart stepped in.
"I am going to take a reading on your magic," Redheart said. "The dampener should have left your system about now, so take some with your medicine." Redheart placed the pill on top of the bottle on her bedside table, near the rook. Cozy nodded.
"Princess, if you would help me…" Redheart said and began to put on the greave. Twilight helped her with the straps that were hard for an earth pony to reach. "Cozy, your hoof."
Redheart took Cozy's bad hoof in her left and gently caressed her injured one with the scanner. Twilight could not really see anything. Cozy too did not seem to feel anything.
It only took a few minutes. Redheart's brow creased with worry and pity. "Just what did you do, little miss Glow?"
"Is it even worse?" Cozy asked. She seemed to shrink back.
Redheart sighed. "Among the few good things to be said about leg-breaks is that they are usually small. Pony magic flows in a network all through our body, and a ley-break is a hole in that system. Somehow, your hole is much larger than anything I have seen before. Basically, if this was a horn, it would be like you had suffered a ley-break but then continued to use even more magic until you damaged it even more. It's… not really one ley-break, but a lot of them, very close to each other."
"And how long until she is cured?" Twilight asked.
"As I said, this injury is strange for me. I cannot be certain of anything."
"How long?" Cozy snapped.
Redheart looked sadly at her. "Cozy. I am terribly sorry, but I don't think you will be cured."
In the silence that followed one could hear a needle hit the floor.
"What? WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Cozy screamed, her face contorted in a violent sneer of rage. "OF COURSE I WILL BE CURED! NOW TELL ME WHEN!!!"
"With how large the injury is… I can't see how your body can keep up with the magical loss for as long as it will take to heal."
"But then can't we just give her more magic?" Twilight asked in a more controlled manner. "My magic is much stronger than any other pony's. I could supply her with medicine for years if need be."
"The problem is not the amount of magic, it's getting it into her body," Redheart said sadly. "Ponies are not meant to receive magic through food. We can't absorb much; our bodies rejects it. We are meant to generate our own magic."
"I'LL SHOW YOU JUST HOW WRONG YOU ARE! I WILL FLY AGAIN! AND NO BAD HOOF IS GONNA STOP ME!"
"I hope so," Redheart said. "I will be back with more medicine this afternoon. I see you have not given up, and neither have I. Remember, Cozy, that magic is tied to emotions. You determination alone might well help you."
"Just leave," Cozy grumbled. "I'll show you…"
Redheart nodded silently and packed up her things. She left the room discreetly.
"You too," Cozy glared at Twilight. "I…" she swallowed. "I think I wanna be with my friend for a little."
Twilight nodded. "I understand. Just remember, than no matter how this turns out, we will all be there for you. Always."
Cozy looked stoically at the roof, deep in thought. "Did… Rumble really tell you where I was? Did he sell me out?"
Twilight startled. She had not realized that's how Cozy would see it. "No, Cozy. I asked him to tell me where you was, and he refused. He said he didn't trust me to handle you after I had let you get hurt in your escape. I asked how you were hurt, and he described your hoof to me. I recognized it as a ley-break, because I actually got a similar condition after my entrance exam with Celestia. So I told him how dangerous it could be, and then he said where you was. He is looking out for you too. He really is!"
"He still shouldn't have told," Cozy said. "Not after he knew how much I hated you."
"Friends are like that sometimes," Twilight said. "They do stupid things because they look out for you… more than you do yourself." Twilight all too clearly remembered when her friends sent her away from their trek through the Everfree Forest after Celestia and Luna vanished. "Sometimes they are right, others they are not. But you shouldn't hate them because they look out for you."
Cozy quieted. Then she nodded a little. "He's gonna owe me big for this… but I know how he'll make it up!"
Twilight understood the conversation was over and left the room. Cozy still had a much too businesslike mindset when it came to friendship, but at least she had not declined Twilight's offer yet. And if she accepted, then that mindset was something for the two of them to work on.
Still, it was Twilight's failed reformation attempts that had led to Cozy's flight being in danger in the first place. If she lost it, then Twilight would have made herself a mortal enemy, and she would absolutely deserve Cozy's hatred.
So, as Twilight closed the door, she made a promise to Cozy and to herself. "I'll help you, Cozy. Any way I can. I owe you that much, at least…"
The room was left silent, with Cozy lost in her own thoughts and Sweetie Belle not all sure how to approach. She sensed Cozy wanted to talk, but what if she just wanted to not think about it? Sweetie Belle couldn't risk poking an open wound. She looked at her friend, trying to glean some direction from her body language, but she maintained a stoic, if somewhat tense appearance.
Oh, why was it so hard to read her? Sweetie Belle shifted on her hooves.
"Thanks for apologizing," she said, at last. "It looked like it was a bit hard for you."
Cozy 'hmmed'. "I have never meant an apology before, I think. But, don't you think I'm stupid now? Since I shouldn't have told you to leave in the first place. It was... I didn't mean it. I know friends makes me stronger, so I shouldn't have said I did not want you as my friend."
Sweetie Belle smiled lightly. "I don't think you're stupid. Everypony says silly stuff when they are angry and scared. As long as you apologize properly, then it's fine. It shows you still want to be friends."
"Golly, you make it sound so easy," Cozy said. "It's like you don't even care about ponies judging you all the time. Especially when you make mistakes."
"They do?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I haven't noticed them judging me."
"Of course they do," Cozy said. "Everypony wants to feel better than others. So when somepony else fails, then they get happy about it, because then they feel like they are better than that. And when you apologize, they feel like you confirm they are better."
Sweetie Belle frowned. "I don't want my friends to fail. I help them back up when they do! And I know my other friends, my sister, and mommy and papa are the same. We look out for each other."
Cozy felled her ears. "Oh…"
"Do you like to see other ponies fail at stuff?" Sweetie Belle asked carefully. She realized the question was sensitive, but she also needed an answer. Cozy seemed to shy away ever so slightly, back into the pillows. Then she nodded a little.
Sweetie Belle sighed with a forgiving look on her face. "I think you are a few friendship lessons behind. But don't worry. I'm sure Twilight can set you straight, if you'd let her. Or… I guess I can help too."
"Twilight wants me to become her student," Cozy admitted. "But she's… I still hate her." Something flared in Cozy's eyes. A lingering ember of anger. "She took everything from me! But what if this is my only way to get it back?"
"Well, if you can, I think you should try before you hate her even more," Sweetie Belle said. "Even if you don't like her, she'd never ask you to be her student if she didn't want it. She really believes in you, Cozy!"
Cozy grumbled. "I don't believe in her." Her wings flitted on her back. "It's thanks to her I might… might…" She took a deep breath.
"She'll help you though!" Sweetie Belle hurried to say. "Twilight always comes through for her friends! And if she wants you to be her student, then you are her friend for sure!"
"I hope so," Cozy said quietly. She cringed at her own words and sighed listlessly. "Golly, to think I hope for Twilight's help… she's only ever made things worse for me."
"Not this time. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"
"What?" Cozy deadpanned.
"It's a Pinkie promise. Breaking a Pinkie Promise is the fastest way to lose a friend. Don't worry about a thing; Twilight will help you."
Cozy mulled it over. "If I do become her student... you'll still help me, right? With friendship, and stuff. Not that I think I need it but... but you were a good teacher back when we met. So, if I ever need some help..."
"Then you have but to ask!" Sweetie Belle said. "Friends look out for each other."
Twilight sat by Rarity's kitchen table with her generous friend across from her, mulling over her options. If Redheart's diagnosis held true, and there was no reason to think it would not, then traditional medicine would not be enough. It might buy time, but they needed another solution to permanently cure Cozy.
"Perhaps Fluttershy knows something? Or Rainbow?" Rarity suggested. "Being pegasi, maybe they can tell you something about their magic… or something. To be honest, I am at quite a loss myself about this."
"If you could ask them I'd be grateful," Twilight said. "But I think I need to visit Zecora. If a hospital can't help, then we have to turn to something else. And there are plenty of magical herbs in the forest. Maybe there is one we ponies can digest for magic?"
"Hmm… I suppose that if there is something that could help that Redheart does not know of, then it would be in the Everfree," Rarity agreed. "You will visit her now?"
Twilight nodded. "Yes. And if you find Fluttershy or Rainbow, you can tell them about Cozy. I will trust them to keep her secret for now."
"For now?" Rarity asked.
"I have offered her to become my personal student," Twilight said. "I can't hold her locked up anymore like this. I understand that now. Her hatred for me... and by large, Equestria itself, will only ever grow unless I do something. This way, by giving her my trust, I hope she will be a little better. Maybe she will even respect me too, one day. But if she accepts, then all of Equestria will know of her soon enough."
"I can't imagine most ponies will be too happy about that," Rarity remarked. "Now, don't think for a moment that I don't support you, Twilight dear. But I doubt most ponies will approve of you picking her over their own fillies and colts, with all she has done."
"It doesn't matter," Twilight said. "She deserves it. Even if I had not destroyed her life like I did, I still want to help her talent grow. Having done all she has at her age… well, no doubt she is one special filly. With the right guidance, she could be a just as strong force for good as she has been for evil."
"Now that is something I think each and everypony will agree on. If they accepted Starlight, then they will accept Cozy too," Rarity said with a faint smile. "Good luck with Zecora."
"Thanks," Twilight said and stood up.
It was in the middle of the day and Ponyville was as beautiful as ever. Big Mac stood by his cart in the market, selling his produce. Carrot Top stood nearby, selling a bushel and, by the looks of it, exchanging some juicy gossip with Berry Punch. The latter's filly, Ruby Pinch, seemed to be on the verge of pulling her mother's tail in an effort to get her to move.
It was a bit strange to think how little her home had changed since she came. She had just been a little bookworm of a unicorn who just wanted to lock herself in a library. No friends, no wings, and no world-saving adventures. But even after all that had changed, Ponyville still remained the same at its heart.
As did the Everfree forest. Ever since Equestria was founded ponies had treated the great forest with respect. There were other forests around Equestria that were older and larger, but none was as magical as the Everfree. Now if only some of that magic could prove to be benign for once.
She went the same way she had many times before to see Zecora, taking care to fly over the patches of Poison Joke. Once was quite enough of that.
The tree-home soon came into view. Wispy smoke trailed from one of the windows. Twilight sped up a little. She had worried Zecora might be out to collect herbs, but it seemed like she was in luck. She knocked on the door and went in. She didn't want to be rude, but she also did not have the time to wait.
The treehouse smelled strongly of spices and dried herbs. It was strange how her home always smelled soothing despite being in the middle of a forest where absolutely nothing was soothing. A cauldron filled with amber brown liquid bubbled over the fire pit. Zecora stirred it with a wooden ladle. She looked up when Twilight entered. If she was surprised to see her she did not show it. "Ah, Twilight Sparkle, I did not expect you to visit me. However you are in luck, as I have just prepared my herbal tea." She nodded to the cauldron.
"Thank you for the offer, but I really don't have the time," Twilight said. "Forgive me for being blunt, but I need a remedy… of some sort."
Zecora's posture changed just a little. She tensed up, and her almond-shaped eyes narrowed just a little. "The forest sometimes is a harsh master. But don't you worry, for its secrets can help you recover faster. You have but to tell, what ailment do you seek to quell?"
"It's for… Cozy Glow," Twilight said. That definitely did surprise Zecora, Twilight could see. "She has suffered a magical injury. We ponies call it a ley-break, so her magic is slowly disappearing. Do you know of it? Can you cure it?"
"I fear, my friend, that remedies from a zebra who herself possesses no magic, can only ever make her story more tragic," Zecora said grimly. "I know many remedies, magical and not, but I fear that curing magic can never be my lot."
"Are… you saying zebras don't have any magic at all?" Twilight asked. In truth, she had never actually thought about that. Of course, there were creatures who possessed no inherit magic in Equestria. Minotaurs, for example, but she had just assumed zebras did, since they were practically ponies. "I didn't know that."
"But you need not fret for young Cozy Glow. If magic is what she needs, then a solution both you and I already know," Zecora said with a cryptic smile.
"We… do?" Twilight asked. Twilight was no alchemist; what did Zecora think she knew about how to cure a ley-break? "Is there some healing magic?"
Zecora chuckled a little, but Twilight did not take offense. "Young Cozy Glow does not need you to cast some spell. If I recall, she herself once used the magic bell."
"Grogar's Bell? What do you…" A bell that could steal magic, and let another pony use it. "…mean?" Twilight finished lamely as Zecora's implication came to her. Redheart had said that ponies could not ingest magic from food, but artifacts clearly could circumvent that. The bell and the Alicorn Amulet both proved it. With the bell they could take a little bit of magic from somepony else and let Cozy Glow absorb it! That way they could keep up with her magic loss until she recovered.
"I see you have understood my thought," Zecora said. "However, we both know of the terror that bell has wrought. If you seek to use its power for the good of Cozy Glow, be wary not to let her anger against you grow."
Twilight nodded. "I know, Zecora. But I will be careful with her."
Zecora nodded, looking pleased with that answer. "Your good intentions I do not doubt, but remain humble and kind when bringing them about. After all, Cozy is a filly, and things sensible to her can to us seem silly."
"I know that too, but Cozy is more adult than her age would tell you." Twilight said. "Treating her like a foal is often not a good idea. But never mind that; I know what I must do now. I'm sorry Zecora, but I need to make some preparations. Thanks for your help."
"Ah, Twilight Sparkle my alicorn friend. Though I'm grateful you come to see me for advice, time here you should not now overextend." Zecora guided Twilight to her door. "Now that Cozy hangs by a thread, you need not apologize for staying by her side instead."
"Right," Twilight said with new resolve. Now she knew what to do. First she had to get back to Rarity and tell her of this development. Then she had to get up on Mt. Everhoof. Thank goodness Gusty The Great had made the defense around the bell with Alicorns in mind, so she would be able to get the bell easily. She ignited her horn and the forest around her disappeared only to be replaced by Rarity's front door. She blinked a few times to orient herself, then she went inside.
Rarity was not there, so Twilight went upstairs. Cozy and Sweetie Belle were, for once, not playing chess. Instead, they sat with yarn and needles. Sweetie Belle had managed to crotchet a long, hollow tube without any discernible purpose, whereas Cozy was struggling with a long tangle of needles and thread that they were both trying to sort out.
"I don't get it! I did exactly like you told me! WHY DID IT TANGLE LIKE THIS!?" With a snarl of rage, Cozy tried to pull the entangled needle out, but only got it further stuck inside the tangle. Growling, she pulled with all her might but still could not make any progress which only angered her further. Sweetie Belle did her best both to save Cozy's thread and calm her friend down.
"Oh, hi, Twilight," Sweetie Belle said. She managed to snatch Cozy's thread away from her when she was distracted and quickly started to unravel the mess.
"Cozy, I think I have found a way to cure you," Twilight said. Cozy’s anger ran right off her. Twilight could see relief for a moment, before she hid it behind suspicion again.
"And what is that?"
"Grogar's bell," Twilight said. "It can steal magic! I could use it and give you some magic with it. We have already seen you can use the bell's magic as your own! This way you could outlast the ley-break."
"But you can't actually use the bell," Cozy pointed out. She got something sly in her eyes. "Right? It's not like you can just point and shoot that thing."
"Uh…" Twilight stammered. She had assumed she could do exactly that. "Well, how did you and your companions figure it out then?"
"We stole a book from the Canterlot Library. It told us everything we needed." Cozy smiled proudly. "But I was the one who figured it out. Then I told Chryssie and Tirek! But not everything. I wanted to have a leg up on them if they tried to ditch me, so I kept some things to myself!"
"Where is that book now?! Twilight asked, trying not to feel repulsed by the fact that someone had stolen a book from a library.
Cozy smiled even wider. "Golly! I burnt it when we were done, so nopony else could ever use the bell against us! And so they could never learn the stuff I kept secret!"
Twilight shuddered, partially because that meant she could not use the bell herself, and partially because they had burnt a book! Who does that to a poor, innocent book?
"So… I guess that means I've got to use the bell myself!" Cozy grinned.
Twilight and Sweetie Belle both felt silent.
"I'd let you take my magic if you wanted," Sweetie Belle said. "But you don't need unicorn magic, do you?"
"No," Twilight said. "She needs pegasus magic to fly. If she took yours, it wouldn't do her any good... or bad, I think."
"Do you have pegasus magic?" Cozy asked innocently.
Twilight shook her head. "Alicorn magic is not just a mix of all three magic types. It's… different. Refined. But I guess you know that as well as I do, Cozy? Surely your flying was stronger too when you were an alicorn? Draining my magic… would probably work, to be honest. My magic lets me fly, and you have already proven that you can handle alicorn magic. I'm not sure how alicorn magic would work with a ley-break, but…"
"I'm willing to take that risk!" Cozy chirped. "And all of this is really your fault. It's only fair that you make up for it by giving me some of your magic, right?"
Twilight looked at that innocent smile long and hard. She knew what Cozy was thinking, of course. Letting her wield the Bewitching Bell herself was… insane. While they had made some progress in their relationship, Cozy had still admitted she still hated Twilight. If given the bell she could squeeze every last drop of magic from her body and then proceed to… well, honestly Twilight was not sure was her endgame was, but she did not particularly care to find out.
But… on the other hand, if Cozy didn't betray her and this worked…
Then it would be a perfect way to end the hate between them. She would have given Cozy the ultimate chance to have her revenge. If she then didn't take that chance, it truly meant Cozy had left her past behind and was ready to find a new way forward. Then Twilight would know she had found something more than her manic desire for power. If Twilight trusted Cozy... trusted her with her life, and it payed off...
But as princess of Equestria, she only had one realistic choice. When she had just been Twilight Sparkle, she would have given Cozy that chance in the blink of an eye. But she was not just Twilight Sparkle anymore. She was the Princess. She was responsible for every stallion and mare, filly and colt in Equestria. She was not allowed to put them all at risk just because of her idea of a perfect, philosophical fulfillment. It was not what Celestia would have done.
But… she was not Celestia.
"I trust Cozy," Sweetie Belle piped up. "Because she is my friend now. She's really turned over a new leaf. She wouldn't have apologized to me if it didn't mean anything for her."
Twilight nodded slowly. "I will... consider it."
She was Twilight Sparkle. Her friends were the sole reason she had become the pony she was. But not all friendships were easy. In fact, some of them had to be snatched from the jaws of hatred and ever so slowly built from nothing. But that did not mean she could give up on them. Cozy needed this if she was ever going to change, deep inside her heart. But if that change had to come at the risk of Twilight's own safety and that of everypony in her nation…
Cozy had a big grin on her face all the way over to Canterlot. Twilight had left after stating she would consider her options and then summoned her to Canterlot today without any further explanations. So now Cozy was traveling in a private train car with Rarity and Sweetie Belle.
She could hardly believe her luck! It actually appeared that Twilight might be so unbelievably stupid as to let Cozy suck her dry with the bell! Why else would she want Cozy to come back Canterlot? With Celestia and Luna away, and Tirek and Chrysalis already taken care off, she practically had every ace well in hoof! She just had to be quick and sap Discord's magic too with the bell, and then she would have succeeded after all! When she woke up this morning, she never thought she'd get another shot at it! That she'd actually have to earn her alicorn powers.
Hah! As if!
"How do you feel?" Sweetie Belle asked and glanced at her bandaged hoof. "It's not getting worse, right?"
"I don't think so," Cozy said. To be honest, she did not know if she would even feel if her magic was lost, but now she did not even care anymore! Once she had Twilight's magic it would not matter if she had any of her own left. Just thinking of it made giggles bubble in her stomach, but she kept it in. She could not let Sweetie Belle or Rarity get suspicious now.
The train pulled into the station.
"Well, here we are," Rarity said. "Just stay close, Cozy, and we will get you to the castle before anypony notices."
Cozy nodded, tempering her glee for a moment. This time she did not have any disguise. Twilight had insisted it would not be necessary, but Cozy did not feel too certain. Most ponies did not like her. But she was not about to let Twilight's downfall wait. She followed Rarity and Sweetie Belle.
Two familiar ponies met them on the platform. Chancellor Neighsay looked like he had a whole lemon stuck inside his mouth, perpetually locking his face in a grimace. The other pony was significantly more welcome: Rumble.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle has, in her great wisdom, decided that I am to bring you to the castle," Neighsay said, his posture stiff as an icicle and his eyes locked somewhere above Cozy's head.
"Hi Cozy!" Rumble said with a glance to her hoof. "Twilight said you were still okay, but… you know, are you okay?"
Cozy nodded to Rumble and then proceeded to glare at Neighsay. There was another pony who had been instrumental in her capture. He'd have a cell right next to Twilight's... or maybe she could make him a maid? "Why does Twilight want you to bring me there? I have my friends who can do that!"
Neighsay visibly scoffed as the notion of friends. "I will not discuss the Princess's decision with you. Come with me." He turned away and started walking.
"Don't mind him Cozy," Rumble said. "He's just angry 'cause he's got no friends of his own." Neighsay took a deep, stabilizing breath, but did not object. Cozy guessed he did not deign to bicker with a foal. She decided to count that as a win.
"Who is he?" Sweetie Belle asked as they started towards the castle.
"He is the chairpony of the Equestrian Education Association," Rarity explained. "Standardizing and administering all schools and education plans across the country. Twilight has had some… disagreements with him in the past."
"Huh… wonder why Twilight sent him," Sweetie Belle said.
"Probably because Cozy is going to be Twilight's own personal student," Rarity said. "He would find out soon enough, so I guess she told him before the fact as to stop him from whining." Neighsay cast a dirty glare at Rarity at the notion.
Their small procession began making their way up to the castle. Cozy saw other ponies milling past in both directions. Most took no notice but as they went, more and more stopped to stare at her. A few even followed them. She did her best to tune it out, but it was increasingly hard when they had a small heard of ponies following at a distance, and even more watching from the sides. Most were quiet, but she had heard plenty scoff and mumble too. But with Rumble and Sweetie Belle on both her sides… she still felt pretty okay.
"Here we are," Neighsay said, his back stiffening even more. "Princess Twilight is in the throne room. She said she was going to hold an address concerning your…" Neighsay visibly cringed. "… upcoming position."
"Call it what it is," Rarity snapped. "Cozy Glow is going to be Twilight's personal student, and you will address her as such."
"I will address her as she deserves to be addressed," Neighsay said. He now looked so stiff it might just snap under the strain.
"So then you will say she is Twilight's student!" Rumble spat angrily. "If she even wants to be! After all Twilight has done to her I'm surprised she even came here to consider it!"
That made Cozy startle a little. It must have been the first time anypony partied with her against Twilight like that. First time anypony considered that Twilight was not blameless either. Cozy rather liked that.
Neighsay stopped and turned. He looked utterly abhorred by what Rumble said, like he had spoken nothing short of sacrilege. "Now listen you…" he took a calming breath. "foal. Cozy Glow is a maniac and danger. Were it up to me she should still be in Tartarus."
"Hey! Nopony gets to speak like that to my friend!" Sweetie Belle squeaked in a rare fit of anger.
"She is not your friend," Neighsay said in a superior tone.
"Twilight thinks she is," Rumble snapped back. "And she is the Princess while all you do is fetching her student from the train."
Cozy had to stifle a laugh as Neighsay's posture stiffened to a comical degree. He whirled around and continued walking with all the agility of a tin soldier.
He took them to the throne room.
It was filled with ponies flanking a red carpet and leading up to the newly built single golden throne. Twilight sat on it, looking a little nervous. She had a lacquered box next to her. One step below it sat another five, somewhat smaller, thrones. Four of them were occupied by Cozy's former teachers at the Friendship School. The one vacant had Rarity's cutie mark enameled on the backrest.
The other ponies in the room, Cozy understood, represented the absolute top layer of Equestria. The Canterlot nobility was there, spearheaded by Fancy Pants and his mare Fleur De Lis. Academics in every conceivable field, sports ponies, mayors of several cities as well as dignitaries from surrounding city-states such as Maretonia and Phrance. Cozy even thought she saw the retired Princesses somewhere in the back of the crowd.
Not good… then she'd have to be fast when she had the bell.
The entire room silenced immediately as their little procession entered. Cozy swallowed. She was not comfortable with all these ponies looking at her. Rarity left them and sat down on her throne. Cozy caught her encouraging smile.
"Don't worry," Rumble whispered. "We're here with you, okay?"
"Yeah, we're not going anywhere," Sweetie Belle said.
Cozy was about to answer but she was interrupted by an earthshaking cry.
"AAAAAAAAHHH!!" A white pony with golden mane shrieked from the crowd. "COZY GLOW IS FREEEE! MY MAGIC! I LIKE MY MAGIC! I NEED IT TO STYLE MY FABULOUS MAAAAAANE!!!!"
Everypony looked away from Cozy and instead looked as the white pony ran this way and that in a futile effort to get out of the room, screaming like a pony possessed.
A purple dome appeared around him, instantly cutting off his shriek. Cozy could still see him run around like a headless chicken inside it.
"Yes, thank you for your input, Blueblood," Twilight said from atop her large, golden throne. Everypony turned to her. "Now, as Blueblood was so kind in explaining, Cozy Glow is indeed free. But she has not escaped. I freed her myself a few weeks ago."
A murmur went though the crowd.
"In that time, I have attempted to understand and make friends with her," Twilight continued. "However, even as Princess of Friendship, I made a grave mistake. In my attempt to get closer to her, I only ended up hurting her even more. Thanks to me, Cozy is affected by a condition that endangers her ability to fly."
Cozy would never in her life have expected pity from anypony here. But virtually every pegasus in the room felled their ears at that. Even Rainbow Dash's look changed from suspicious to… a little less suspicious.
"I have made many severe mistakes with Cozy Glow. I willingly admit that. I have asked you all here today so that you can understand that I am not a flawless princess. I make mistakes, and I always will make mistakes. However!"
Twilight stood up from her throne and hopped down to the carpet, straight across from Cozy.
"However, I will not let it be said that I do not own up to my mistakes. I am a Princess. But a Princess is not a pony to put on a pedestal and worship. A Princess is Equestria's first servant. I am responsible for everypony in this room and in my kingdom, both those who have helped me and those who have opposed me. Having said this, it is time I payed my debt to you, Cozy."
Twilight's horn began to glow, and a shield appeared around Twilight, Cozy, Rumble and Sweetie Belle, shutting the rest of the room out.
The small box floated over from its place next to her throne and up to Cozy. "Whenever you are ready."
Cozy, filled with awe, opened the box.
Grogar's Bell laid on a silk cushion, gleaming with promises of power. Cozy brushed a hoof over it, just to confirm it was really there. It was cold and dense, made from some alien stone rather than a metal. She had never seen this material anywhere else, but it was unmistakable.
She lifted the bell in her mouth. She could feel the entire room recoiling when they understood what she held and what it could do.
"You will be cured!" Sweetie Belle said and hugged Cozy. "You just need a little bit of her magic and it will be more than enough, right? Alicorns are powerful!"
"I will be more than cured," Cozy thought with a grin.
She aligned the bell with some effort, pulling on the handle while supporting it with her good hoof so the bottom was directed towards Twilight...
Rumble left her side.
With a sinking feeling of dread, she saw him move to stand next to Twilight, taking her hoof.
"What... what are you doing?" Cozy stammered. "I'm sure Twilight's magic will be enough. More than enough," she hurried to say. He could not do this to her, right? This was some joke... right?
"It's fine," Rumble said. "I want to help you too. If I had gotten you to Rarity faster... or done things differently, this could have been so much easier. I'm not gonna let Twilight pay for my mistake. It's not right."
Cozy swallowed. She could not argue with that, or Twilight would understand what she was playing! But what now? She did not want to take his magic!
This… This wasn't fair! Victory was in her hooves! She had every ace, every circumstance aligned in her favor! She had practically won! Just one more second and she would have won!
HOW COULD RUMBLE DO THIS TO HER!? HOW COULD HE TAKE EVERYTHING AWAY LIKE THAT!?
"You don't have to…" she tried. "I've never blamed you. It's her fault." She pointed at Twilight.
"But I blame me," Rumble said. He smiled a little. "It's cool, Cozy. Really. This is for me too. I don't wanna live with having hurt you and then not tried to make it better. It just wouldn't be fair."
Why was he so kind to her? She did not want that kindness! She just wanted him out of the way! He could repay her by still being her friend when she was a princess instead. That would have made Cozy happy. Not this. This just made her confused and scared. She felt her victory slip through her hooves!
She was not going to talk him out of it. She would have to hit him too.
She…
She had to take Twilight's magic. She needed it! She had done too much and come too far to end up with nothing! Not because of some colt!
Cozy had always prided herself on her coldheartedness. She was willing to go to any length, do anything for power. Removing the magic from Equestria would have caused a social upheaval, as would her conquest of Canterlot. But she had not shied away. She had gone through with both of them. Greatness, at any cost.
So why was this so hard? Why did she even hesitate! He was just one naïve colt! One stupid colt was all that stood between her and reclaiming her glorious status an alicorn! SO WHY WAS THIS SO HARD? If it had been just Twilight she would already have her horn and glorious wings back!
Greatness, at any cost. Or, so she thought. But in truth she didn't want to see it happen. Not with him. Twilight was fine. Cozy would love to see her look turn to surprise and then horror as she realized what was happening. Twilight deserved it. But she didn't want to see it on Rumble's face too! He was the only pony who had supported her against Twilight. He might just be the only pony in Equestria who had put any blame on Twilight at all. He had even gone so far as to help Cozy escape Twilight's grasp. He had defied the words of an immortal, all for Cozy's sake.
Nopony had ever done something like that for her.
Why was he doing this? Didn't all they had been through mean something to him too?
"Cozy?" Twilight's voice reached her from someplace far away. She startled and returned to present time. She, Sweetie Belle, Rumble and Twilight stood alone in their forcefield, but the shield was not necessary anymore. The entire room was silent. They were watching, waiting.
"Are… you okay?" Sweetie Belle asked. She looked concerned. "Can I help you somehow?"
"No…" Cozy said, to Sweetie Belle and in a simple denial of her hopeless situation.
She didn't want to make this choice. She couldn't make this choice! She didn't want to hurt him too! She had never struck down a pony she liked before! She didn't want to see this.
Everypony else she ever hurt… they were nothing to her. Nameless, faceless ponies in a memory long since forgotten. But she knew him. She had laughed with him!
Why did he do this?
Her hooves were shaking. She didn't want this. She lifted the bell and aimed it.
Then she looked deep inside her heart for the catalyst she needed. Scorn, anger, hate, malice… feelings befitting the maker of the bell. To wield its power, she needed to harness the darkest parts of her persona. She needed to take them into her soul, let them fill her and become part of her. Then and only then the bell would answer and grant her what she wished for. It had been so easy the last time, when she just had to think of all that Twilight and her friends had done to her. How much they had taken from her. Finding the darkness in her had been so easy.
It still was, but her feelings for Twilight were so small, so woefully tiny next to the swirling maelstrom of other, confusing feelings that assaulted her mind now. She wanted Twilight's power. She wanted it so much! But Rumble was her friend! Friends were power too! If there was one thing Twilight and Cozy could agree on, it was the power of friendship.
The conflicting ideas and alien emotions pressed against the inside of her skull. She had to choose! She could not delay forever! She screamed as the great uncertainty boiled over. She could not contain it anymore. She didn't know! She just could not make this choice!
The bell rang with a bright, clear sound as its hunger was finally unleashed to devour the magic of those who stood before it. The black and yellow mist appeared and swirled in front of her. Cozy could not see past it, but she could feel the magic filling up the bell. A ripple passed over the shield Twilight maintained.
Then, as sudden as it came, the vortex died down.
It disappeared after just a few moments. Cozy lowered the bell on to the ground with an empty expression. Her cheeks felt damp, but weather from relief or disappointment she could not say.
She could not make the choice. So the bell had made it for her. It had judged and measured the evil in her heart, and the result sat before her, clear as day.
Twilight's shield still remained. She still had her magic. Cozy's wish to not hurt Rumble, her friend, had been stronger than her desire to get back at Twilight. No matter what she thought, what she said and what she did, deep inside her heart, that was the truth. The bell had passed its judgement, and nopony could argue the bias of that judgement. It was just an artifact. It drew power from the darkness in her heart.
This was all the power that darkness could muster.
"Did… did it work?" Sweetie Belle asked. Cozy felt a hoof shake her a little.
Cozy nodded. Without thinking, she turned the bell upside down and released the magic, let it wash over her.
It was… bleak. Just a small trickle next to the tidal wave of power she had felt the last time she did this. She had failed. She was not an alicorn. She was just a small pegasus filly.
"Cozy! Look! Your hoof!" Sweetie Belle squeaked happily.
Before her eyes, the red mist around her hoof began to disappear.
"It must be the alicorn magic…" Twilight said. "Our magic gifts us with great resilience. I guess it can also heal magical injuries."
Twilight removed the shield. Cozy sat with the bell in her lap and shrank down a little. Now she had undeniable proof that she was not the same pony who once had tried to lock Twilight away. But then, who was she, really? She felt lost. The goal she had strived for was gone. What did she do now? Who even was she now?
All she had desired had been at the tip of her hoof. Everything. But she had not had the conviction to take it. And now… it was too late. Twilight's magic enveloped the bell and it slipped from Cozy's grasp, back into its box to be returned to Mount Everhoof.
Only then did Rumble leave Twilight's side. Cozy looked at him, and he looked back. She could not quite read his expression.
Twilight began talking again, addressing the entire room. "You all saw what just happened. Cozy Glow had the opportunity to strike me down if she wanted. She did not, and therefore I am now certain of her integrity and honesty. Cozy, I want you to become my personal student. I think the friendships you have made are as strong as the ones I have with my friends. I want to help you preserve and develop those friendships, if you would let me."
Cozy looked up at the pony she wanted to hate. The lilac eyes found hers. "What you just did proves you value your friends more than you too thought. But there is much you do not yet know about friendship. I can help you, Cozy. I can make you a happier pony than you were before, together with your friends. I promise."
"Say yes!" Sweetie Belle squeaked, all smiles.
She glanced at Rumble. Something… fluttered, deep inside her chest. It was an unfamiliar feeling, similar to the calm, safe understanding she felt around Sweetie Belle, but different somehow. It was a bit like friendship, but it had another dimension to it. "I'll cook for you every day if you say yes," he said.
She sighed, but it was not because she was sad. She still felt lost, but her friends were still there. They knew a way forward. She just had to trust them to guide her right. And she did trust them.
"Golly… yes."
Step one of her plan had gone more or less perfectly. Twilight had not expected Rumble to jump in like that, but in hindsight Twilight realized it was a fantastic stroke of luck that he did. It had always been a gamble to let Cozy use the bell, but she realized only after the fact exactly how dangerous it was. Cozy absolutely had planned to betray her. Her face when Rumble went to stand next to her had shown that all too clearly. It was only because of his quick thinking that it had worked at all.
But it would have to be enough. When all was said and done, Cozy had made her choice. She had not stolen Twilight's magic. She had accepted to become her student. Even if she did not do it for Twilight, she had done it nonetheless. For the moment, Twilight would be content with that. Now she had the real work ahead of her: working together with Rumble and Sweetie Belle to actually reform Cozy Glow. What had happened today was not some miraculous transformation where Cozy in a moment of clarity saw her way forward like Starlight had done.
No, this was just Cozy agreeing to give them a chance. There would still be hard work ahead of them all before Cozy Glow had left her past behind.
Her first task was to get Cozy to not hate her. Or, if she couldn't, at least earn her respect. And there were a few things she knew Cozy respected.
Twilight respectfully knocked on the door to Cozy's room in the castle. Even though she was free to go where she wanted now, Cozy had returned here with a dazed, lost expression on her face. Twilight guessed she was just as surprised as everypony else that she had not stolen Twilight's magic.
"Come in," Cozy said with a sigh. Twilight opened and found Cozy splayed out flat on the bed, every leg in a different direction and her wings straight out from her sides.
"You owe me a game of chess, you know," Twilight said mildly.
Cozy looked up uncertainly at her. "I do?"
"Yep." Twilight said. "Don't you remember the morning when Rumble and Sweetie Belle came to collect you for your outing? In what I assume was a moment of weakness you promised me a game later that day. But I'm happy to play now instead."
"I… guess I did," Cozy said, flattening her ears against her head.
"Great," Twilight smiled. "Come. I have a little surprise for you first. A gift for my new student."
Cozy hopped from her bed and went through the door and to the common room. Twilight grinned behind her back. She had prepared something Cozy was sure to love.
They stepped into the common room. A chessboard was already in place, and a pony sat behind the black pieces.
He was cream-white and had a cropped black mane and wore a black suit. He sat with his side towards them, so his cutie mark clearly visible. A Knight's piece above four squares, two black and two white.
The reaction was immediate. Cozy stopped and stared, then clasped both her front hooves over her mouth to almost suppress a fangirl-esque squee. Twilight smirked. If there was one thing she could do to gain some favor with Cozy, then it was to let her play against the best of the best. That meant Checkered Square, the reigning Chess Grandmaster.
"I wanted you to have a game to remember, Cozy," she said. "And I think this would suffice. We can play later, if you want, but for now…"
"Oh golly…" Cozy almost reverently sat down across from Checkered Square. He studied her with a cool, collected look. There was something with Cozy's posture that Twilight had never seen before. An open, honest admiration for the pony in front of her. "Are… you really going to play against me?" she asked. The wonder in her voice was that of a filly at the Hearth's Warming Eve of her dreams.
"Princess Twilight asked that I did," he said. His voice was silent and calm. "While normally I only play against opponents who have proven their skill, I will make an exception for you. I think facing a pony like you would be something to remember." He made an inviting gesture with his hoof. "So please, make your move."
"Don't hold back!" Cozy blurted. "I want to see you at your best."
"I never hold back. Not playing at your very best is a disrespect to your opponent," Checkered said.
Twilight's saw Cozy's hoof shake a little when she made her first move. Checkered barely needed time to think and instantly moved one of his pawns. Twilight guessed he must have some favorite way to start. She didn't really know what to do for the game, so she decided to sit down between the two of them and just watch. Cozy did not seem to mind her presence right now.
The game proceeded rapidly, and even if Cozy was careful, it was completely one-sided. Even the turns when Checkered did not capture any piece were instrumental in just how he moved his battle-line forward to restrict Cozy's options. It was far from the immediate dominance Twilight had expected, but more a subtle, constricting way of play. It was like he was choking her out. Not only were his own moves impactful on their own, but he also forced Cozy to make poor moves on her part just to keep one part of her board from crumbling. It did not take too long before Cozy simply did not have enough pieces left to stop his advance.
"I see a mate in three," Checkered stated cooly after a while.
"Oh yeah!? We'll just see about that," Cozy said. She sounded irritated, but not enraged.
But true to his word, the game was over three turns after. "Check mate," he said.
Cozy looked around her board before concluding the same. She leaned back and exhaled like she had just been running. "Do… you think I was any good?" Cozy asked. She looked almost bashful. Twilight looked on with rapt attention. This was a side of Cozy she had never expected to see.
"I have met plenty worse players… and plenty better too. But few of the latter were as young as you."
"Oh golly…!" Cozy snickered under the praise. "Wait!"
Cozy abruptly rushed out of the room. Twilight heard her hooves out in the corridor. She was back seconds later, carrying a small piece of cloth in her mouth. Twilight saw it was one of the castle linen napkins. "Would you sign this for me?"
"Sure," Checkered said and picked up a fountain pen from his pocket. He quickly wrote out his signature on the napkin and passed it back to Cozy. She folded it and put it inside her mane.
"I will admit, I thought the Princess was joking when she asked me to play chess against you," Checkered said. "But she wasn't. And while it was not a difficult match, I will say it was one of the most fascinating matches I have ever played. Few opponents have a history like you."
"I'll never forget playing against you," Cozy said, real reverence in her voice.
"You may not be… well, anywhere near the skill level I usually play against, and the game itself was nothing special to me, but I am glad I came here. It was… enjoyable." He stood up. "Continue practicing. Perhaps we will meet again, someday."
Cozy nodded. "I'll… be better than you, one day!"
Checkered smiled cooly. "We will see." Then he left the room. Cozy stared after him all the while. Twilight subtly rearranged the pieces on the board.
"Well, now that you've had a warmup round…" she said, causing Cozy to startle and look away from the empty doorway where Checkered had left. "Will you play with me?"
Cozy looked surprised, but then she hopped back up on her chair. "If I'm gonna be better than him, I need to train… so I might as well start by crushing you!" Cozy moved a pawn.
Twilight smiled. It had not been a clear, straight path, but she would get through to Cozy yet, one careful move after another.
Cozy won two of the three games they ended up playing, but it was a near thing. Twilight was a keen, clever player and Cozy had plenty of times where she had to think both twice and thrice to be sure she understood what Twilight planned.
Twilight thanked her for the games, collected the pieces and took the board with her out. In the doorway, she looked back. "Time for something to eat. I will be in my study if you want to talk after. If not… well, you can go do whatever you want now. But be sure you are back tomorrow morning. I think we should have your first ever private friendship lesson tomorrow after breakfast."
Cozy nodded, submitting to the humiliating fate. But she could not be all sad about it either. She was free, after all. Besides, just because she lost this chance to steal Twilight's magic it didn't mean there would never be another. And who knew… if she worked hard, maybe she would not even have to steal it.
Rumble came through the door, balancing a silver tray with a round lid on both his wings. "As I promised! I'll cook for you every day when you are her student! So even if you don't like spending time with her, you can always have something to look forward to."
"Thanks," Cozy said.
He went inside properly and sat both the trays down at the table. "I can stay, right? I wanted to tell you something."
Cozy nodded. "Go ahead," she lifted away the round lid of her tray.
Asparagus with hazel nuts and those tomato sandwiches she could not remember the name of. It was the same food he had made when he wanted to make amends after their meeting in Cloudsdale.
"I just wanted you to know that I still wanna be your friend," Rumble said carefully. He had a much less extravagant dish on his own plate. "If you'd have me."
Cozy startled a little. How had she forgotten that he was the sole reason she was still a pegasus, rather than an alicorn? Why wasn't she angry? Normally she was quick to anger, so why did she feel… that fluttering feeling from before? What was it, anyway? "I… gave up being an alicorn because you were my friend. You had better believe I want you to be my friend after that!"
Rumble smiled wryly. "So you would have done it? If I hadn't stepped forward?"
"Yes," Cozy said. She shook her head. "Golly… I don't even get what is happening to me. I should hate you too for this, but I don't. Even if you basically took just as much from me as Twilight did. Am I sick?"
"Or maybe it's just like Princess Twilight said," Rumble suggested. "That you simply care more about your friends than you want to admit. Maybe you are just kinder than you think?"
Cozy blushed a little. Nopony had called her kind before. "Do you really believe that?" she asked coyly. "Maybe I'm just playing you to get back at Twilight?"
"Hah!" Rumble laughed. "If you really did, then you wouldn't have asked me that. You would have agreed and cried a little to get my sympathy. You already tried to use me like that once, remember?"
"Well… I guess that's true," Cozy said. "But maybe I'm just changing my strategy? Trying out a better way to be bad?"
Rumble shrugged with a smile. "Then maybe I'm wrong, but I'm just gonna bank on you trying out a better way to be good instead."
"Golly, you're hopeless," Cozy said with a content sigh. A pony who believed in her… who would have thought?
"Maybe, but I can cook at least," Rumble said. "Eat up. Since you're not an alicorn, I bet you wanna get out and fly. If you don't after being cooped up so long, then you really must be sick."
…!
Her wings suddenly felt ticklish and itchy. She absolutely needed to fly! How could she have forgotten that for this long? It felt a little disrespectful to just wolf down his food, but she really wanted to fly. Right now. With him!
Still, his food was just as good as she remembered. Especially since nopony else had ever made something with their own two hooves just for her. But she wanted to fly now, more than she wanted to eat. She didn't think Rumble would fault her for that. He understood her in a way nopony else quite seemed to. But then again, she had precious few friends, and only one who could fly. Only one who could really appreciate the freedom of the open sky.
So they finished their meal quickly, then went out of Twilight's wing. Just the feeling of pushing the door open made her smile. She was… in a way, free. She still had to attend Twilight's lessons, but she could live with it for now. Spending time with Rumble and Sweetie Belle would brighten her days until she had knew what path she wanted to take from here.
They came to the castle gates and met Sweetie Belle there. She tagged along to the royal castle garden. There were other ponies there, but most didn't pay three foals any mind, even if a few stopped and stared at her. The news of Twilight's choice of personal student would spread over the next few weeks. Then, hopefully, they would stop staring.
Cozy tuned them out and flapped her wings tentatively. She raised just a little before settling down again. "Will you continue to teach me your tricks?" she asked Rumble.
"You bet."
"And I will cheer you both on!" Sweetie Belle smiled.
Cozy was just about to start when something caught her eyes. She folded her wings and went over to the herd of ponies gathered around a special statue. Rumble and Sweetie Belle followed. As they approached, the ponies around the statue quieted down and shifted out of their way.
Before her stood Tirek and Chrysalis, forever cast in cold stone. Twilight must have moved the real statue back out in the garden. No copy could ever be this alive. She quietly flew up to Tirek's shoulder. A few small locks of her tail was still there.
"You've really come far..." Rumble said next to her.
"Yeah... soon nopony will remember how bad you once were," Sweetie Belle said.
Cozy just nodded. Then she looked away, up into the blue, open sky. She flapped her wings harder and flew upwards with her friend. A wholehearted laughter made it past her lips.
Unseen by the foals, Twilight looked on from a window in the castle. She smiled. In the end, it had not been her who got through to Cozy. This was entirely due to Sweetie Belle and Rumble. But Twilight was still happy with that. Their friendship flourished, with or without her help.
I heard about your personal student, and I wanted to congratulate you! I am sure you will do wonders for Cozy Glow, and it is inspiring to see you offering her a second chance. Not many ponies would, I think.
However, I wanted to ask you if you could possibly take on another student? My own little Flurry Heart is approaching the age when she needs magic lessons, and I could think of nopony better to help her perfect her magic than you! Perhaps Flurry and Cozy could study friendship together? Surely it takes at least two for good friendship studies?
I eagerly await you answer. Again, best of luck to you and to Cozy Glow too.
