> Unexpected Aftermath
>  by Autum Breeze
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> Prologue
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WARNING. THIS CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON 9 FINAL EPISODES.

I REPEAT, IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE SEASON 9 FINAL 3 EPISODES DO NOT READ FURTHER 







Unexpected Aftermath



Prologue



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I sigh as I walk, a little sluggishly, through the city, reaching into my pockets and pulling out my phone and wallet.

I’d just moved house about a week ago and adjusting has been hard to say the least. My new home is way up in the hills, with nothing really close by like my old home.

Now, if I even wanna go to a simple store, I have to take the bus instead of walking there.

Plus, it’s impossible to just go even for a simple walk without becoming exhausted. The area is so steep, every time I decide to leave the house I have to ask myself, “Do you wanna go up to the small shop up the hill road?” or “Do you plan on catching the bus?”

If either of the answers to those questions is “no” I simply don’t feel any drive to leave the house.

It’s been so much emotionally difficult, I haven’t even gone back to work yet.

Seriously? My only option is a defect?!

The sudden close voice causes me to yelp, my phone and wallet flying out of my hands.

My phone goes off towards the road, but I lunge for my wallet first, but am just too late as it drops down into the drain.

“No!” I gasp, turning to get my phone. My bank card is in there. If I can’t get it back, I’ll need to cancel it first.

To my horror, though, my phone smashed when it hit the road, and, to add insult to injury, three cars quickly drive over the remains, leaving no chance of recovery.

Oh, quit your complaining. So you lost some block thing and some money. Big deal.

I look around angrily to find the one who caused that, but I don’t see anyone looking my way aside from casual glances.

“Who are you?” I yell, causing several heads to turn, before they walk away, not caring.

Doesn’t really matter for you, the voice replies and I realize it’s a female voice. All you need to know is you’re the lucky guy who gets to help me. Though, of course, you had to be a defective human, didn’t you?

I blink, before frowning. Why is that voice suddenly annoyingly familiar?

Hey, don’t you complain. I’m the one who’s going to be stuck with your defective body for the rest of my existence, the voice replies, sounding like it’s pouting.

“And just why would you be stuck with my defective body,” I ask, looking up at the sky, “Cozy Glow?”

The voice giggles. Oh, so you do know about me.

“Like how I know about your retarded plan to drain Equestria of all its magic, which would’ve eventually led to its death?” I say snarkily, if anything, to cover up the fact I’m inwardly freaking out as to why in the world I’m hearing and having a conversation with a mad filly from a cartoon show. “Yeah. I know about that. I also know you’re pathetic if you think Grogar doesn’t know you, Cheese Legs and Tirek took the bell for yourselves.”

She giggles again… and I get the feeling she knows something I don’t. I’ve only watched the leaked episodes of Season 9 of MLP up to The Last Laugh and 2, 4, 5 Greaaat, so I haven’t seen how much their plans to back stab Grogar horribly backfire on them yet. What does she know that I don’t?

Well, I guess this won’t be a problem for you then. Just know the Time Pause Spell I’ve cast will stop about five seconds after I’m done, so if you don’t wanna get hurt, you’ll wanna move fast. Have fun, I know I will.

Before I can ask just what in the world she’s talking about, my body feels hot and I feel like I’m falling forward and the world goes black for several seconds.

When my sight starts to return, everything is blurrying and really bright.

Shaking my head, I’m vaguely aware that something feels off, but I can’t tell what.

Glancing around, I see two large fuzzy objects either side of me. One is red and black and the other black and green.

Shaking my head a few times as my eyesight starts to clear… and my face goes blank.

I’m in Equestria. No getting around it, those colours of landscape are unmistakable to anyone who’s watched the show for the last nine seasons.

I look ahead, blinking in confusion. Wait. Why does it look like every creature type from the show is up on that hill far off… and is that Tempest?

Shaking my head again, I look around, before noticing something bright in the sky.

Looking up, my eyes widen. The Pillars of Light, the Young Six and Mane Six are all floating in the air, glowing with light. In the centre of them is Twilight, who’s glowing as well, her head thrust upwards, a beam of rainbow light towering in the sky.

Looking around again, I frown. Everything’s still. There’s not even any wind. It’s like the world is frozen in time.

Suddenly, no sooner have I thought it, the world seems to start moving again as the rainbow light curves and starts heading right towards me!

Panicking, I whirl around, managing to get a good look at the things standing next to me, my eyes widening again. Tirek and Queen Chrysalis, or, as I like to call her, Cheese Legs.

But, there’s something different about them. Tirek looks way bigger than he did in Frenemies and Cheese Legs looks like she’s been mutated or something.

Though, I don’t give that too much thought as I fling myself forward, rolling along the ground as the sound of a big bang goes off behind me, telling me the other two didn’t get out of the way of the Rainbow Laser of Death.

I regret not looking where I was going though, as I tumble down the hill, rolling head first over and over until I hit the bottom with a resounding thud.

Ow! That hurt. My horn’s killing me and now my wings are stiff.

I blink. Wait a minute. Wings? Horn?

Opening my eyes again, I glance to my sides to see large, bright pink wings. What the fuck?

Looking up, I see a long horn protruding from my head… which has a mop of cycle curls that are worryingly familiar.

Suddenly, Cozy Glows words catch up to me.

I’m the one who’s going to be stuck with your defective body for the rest of my existence

No. No, don’t tell me… don’t tell me Cozy Glow made us switch bodies? And since when the fuck was she an Alicorn?!
> Chapter 1
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Chapter 1


 




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I stare up at the horn adorning what is now my head.

And Alicorn? Seriously? Since when in the world did Cozy Glow, of all characters, become a fucking Alicorn?

How could she even become one? Doesn’t becoming one require either performing some kind of great feat or being popped out an Alicorn’s fanny?

“You think friendship will save you?!” an angry voice yells from behind me.

Turning my neck at what, for a human, would be quite the unnatural position, I realize I didn’t fall down as much of a hill as I’d first thought.

In fact, it’s just a small ridge, barely an incline, but, due to being as disoriented, confused and panicking as I was, not to mention I’m now Cozy Glow sized, it seemed a lot bigger and farther than I’d thought.

Cheese Legs and Tirek are facing off against someone out of my range of sight, but I’m assuming it’s Twilight and the others.

“We will always return,” Cheese Legs continues dramatically, thrusting a hoof in the air and looking skyward. “Nothing will—”

My eyes widen as, from my current angle, I see what looks like a giant cupcake with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles just appear out of nowhere and fall from the sky, slamming down on top of the two villains, cutting of the monologue.

The next second, it starts raining… chocolate milk?

Guess Discord’s around. Makes sense. That much magical energy would definitely get my attention if I was the Lord of Chaos and had the power to sense that kind of thing.

“Pinkie,” I can faintly hear Twilight Sparkle saying, damn, these ponies ears are good at hearing, it seems, “you took Discord’s magic from the bell?”

I blink. Um… what did she just say?!

Looking back to the hill my eyes widen in absolute horror as Pinkie seems to grow to a massive size, the clouds in the sky turning bright pink as multiple different balloons and types of candy appear and start flying through the sky as Pinkie yells, “I could transform the cosmos so that everything is made of icing!”

I just stare up at the towering pink mare, actually pissing myself in terror.

Pinkie Pie with Discord’s magic?

Nope! Nuh-uh! No way! Not now! Not today. Not ever! Fuck this shit! I am out!

I turn and clumsily try to run, wanting to get as far away as possible from the living nightmare that is now before me.

I gotta get away. I can’t stay here!

Suddenly, I feel my new horn burn before the rest of my body follows suit. I don’t even wait to see what happened and keep running— Only to slam face first into what feels like a wall.

I flop backwards, the world spinning around me.

After a while, I shake my head and sit up, looking around, blinking in surprise. I’m… and in Grogar’s lair.

At once, my blood goes cold.

Shit! I’m in Grogar’s lair! How the flying fuck did I get here?!

I look around in panic. I don’t wanna get caught by him. Whatever Cozy and the other two did, since they apparently had his bell, he can’t be too happy with them… unless they actually killed him, but one horrifying thought at a time is all I’m willing to process right now.

Scanning the room quickly, I spot an area I recognize from Frenemies as where Cozy and the others would gather. There’s chairs and a table there. I can hide there til I’m sure Grogar isn’t around.

Stumbling forward, still not fully used to four legs yet, I get to the table and hide under it, grabbing what looks like that banner Cozy made and use it like a table cloth to better hide myself.

Taking a few deep breaths, I try to calm my nerves so I can actually think and process my insane situation.

Okay, so, somehow, Cozy Glow became an Alicorn and studied enough about inter-dimensional travel and body swapping to figure out how to switch my mind into her body and vice versa. How…?

My thought process stops as that realization dawns on me. Cozy Glow is in my body! Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT! This is not good. Not good at all.

There’s no telling what she could do to ruin my life depending on how long she spends in my body.

She could make my family hate me. Get me fired from my job. Get me arrested and… and…

I blink. Wait a minute. Cozy wouldn’t know the first thing about me, would she? Heck, she wouldn’t even know my name!

I dropped my wallet down that drain after she scared the living daylights out of me and my phone was utterly trashed, so she can’t get any personal information about me from those.

I find myself calming down a little, able to start thinking more clearly.

I was also in an area of the city I don’t normally travel at the time, since I’d been doing everything I could to put off returning to my new house. She’d have no clue where to go for anything.

Plus, she can’t contact anyone in my family yet. My aunt and uncle won’t be moving into the city for at least a year, so the chances she’ll run into them is less than zero. And, while I do frequent some places in the city so they’d know my face on sight, I wasn’t close to those areas when she contacted me and switched us.

Plus, without my wallet, it’s not like she can use the buses or buy anything, all my money was in it.

Wow. Never have I been so relieved that my wallet could be lost and some random stranger find it.

And it’s not like she can speak with any members of my family. Since I recently moved house and I’ve barely gotten used to the area myself, chances she’ll find it are even slimmer than her finding my old home with my family.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

Okay. As long as Cozy doesn’t do anything too stupid, like something that would get her arrested, I might be able to get out of this without too much trouble.

I decide to keep calm for now. With any luck, time works differently between the real world and Equestria and what may be hours to me could only be seconds there.

Granted, that’s a big assumption, but if I don’t do something to keep my mind at ease, I don’t think I’m going to cope very well with this.

I settle down and decide to wait and see when or if Grogar returns. If he isn’t back within an hour, I’ll assume either he’s out or the Terrible Trio took him out with his own bell.






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“Hate to admit it, but you were one smart little bitch, Cozy,” I murmrur as I look over the notes.

I’d waited for at least an hour. I’d counted to sixty to keep track of the minutes, making a small scratch on the floor under the table to keep track of the time. It had been tedious, but it was all I could do.

After I’d waited what I felt was long enough, I’d come out and started exploring the place.

Tirek and Cheese Legs’ rooms weren’t much. Tirek’s was just as it was in the Frenemies episode, full of sports equipment and that portrait of himself.

Cheese Legs’ room was kinda barrow, with only a bed, some things held to the wall by her mucus and that log that was the Meanlight clone from The Mean 6.

Cozy’s room, however, held much more. It had taken a little snooping, but I’d eventually found a secret compartment she’d clearly build under her bed after ripping off the pathetic vestments Cozy was wearing, inadvertently opening the compartment when one of the shoes hit it, knocking it open slightly.

Inside it were scrolls with countless diagrams and formulas that went over my head, but a few things stood out that allowed me to make a haphazard picture.

Cozy was certain they’d win, but she’d made sure to have a backup plan should things go wrong, as she didn’t trust the other two at all. Not that that surprises me. I wouldn’t trust them either.

While most of the stuff she’d written was absolute gibberish to me, some words were clear to me, as if I was now hardwired to read Equestrian. Guess it’s a side effect of cramming a human mind into a pony brain?

Anyway, from what I can make out of the diagrams and some journal entries Cozy wrote, she had a hunch that, while she now had Grogar’s magic…

I’d actually paused at that part, before it clicked. After they took Grogar’s magic with the bell, they used it on themselves, that’s why Tirek was so huge, Cheese Legs’ looked like a mutated version of herself and Cozy was an Alicorn. Grogar’s magic had changed them.

Shaking my head, I focus again.

Tirek and Chrysalis are certain this magic is enough, but I wanna have a backup plan on the offhoof chance either of those two do something to screw things up.

I can’t help rolling my eyes at that. Yeah, because you never screwed up yourself, there, you Darla Dimple reject.

While I have figured out how to send myself into another dimension, switching bodies with one of the inhabitants, thanks to that idiot Princess Twilight letting her students have access to all those books on magic at her school back when I was a student there, I annoyingly haven’t had enough time to perfect the spell. I’ve only been an Alicorn for about five hours now, after all.

Studying how to use magic and knowing how to use the magic and then HAVING the magic to do so while doing it isn’t exactly easy.

Should all else fail, especially if we can’t even get the jump on Grogar now that we have his magic already…

I blink. Wait. They hadn’t already beaten Grogar by the point she was writing this, yet her writing suggests she was already an Alicorn by this point?

Guess when Grogar said his magic was in the bell, he was hiding just how much was in there.

Yikes. How much does that mean those three got after taking the rest from him directly? I shudder, just thinking about it.

… I will use the spell and switch myself with another being from some other world. Like I said, the spell isn’t fully finished, so what I’ll be switching with will be totally random and I won’t even know what they are until right before the switch.

Maybe I’ll become a hippogriff or a dragon.

Whatever the case, it’s better than facing Grogar or whatever will happen if we lose to Twilight and the Lame Six.

I deadpan at that. Really? Lame Six? Good grief, just how old are you, Cozy, eight?

Doesn’t really matter to me what I switch with, as long as I don’t have to suffer the punishment of failing again, I’ll be able to come back.

Let the pathetic sap who gets stuck in my body have to live with whatever happens to my body. Maybe they’ll get sent back to Tartarus or maybe Grogar will experiment on them, turning them into another of his monsters.

Either way, it won’t be my concern.

 

Gotta go. Tirek says Grogar’s coming. I can’t wait to see his face when we steal his magic from him and he realizes it’s all his own fault for getting us to work together.

First Grogar, then Equestria.





I finish reading, scowling at the pages.

Fuck you, Cozy Glow, you inconsiderate little bitch. I suddenly hope she gets badly hurt while in my body. Sure, it means when we switch back I’ll have to deal with the pain, but at least she’ll have felt it for a while first.

…

Not that I see myself switching back anytime soon.

I look over the diagrams, pouting. There’s no way I’ll ever be able to figure out what this all means and cast the spell myself.

Plus, I’d have to somehow refine the spell first, so I can actually zero in on my own body in my own dimension instead of it being totally random.

I stomp my hoof angrily. Damn you, Cozy Glow! How dare you fuck me over like this! I was barely starting to try and settle into a new phase in my life and now you’ve gone and saddled me with all this shit you brought on yourself.

Growling, I toss the papers into the air, before stomping out of the room, trot over to the table from earlier and plonk myself down at it, letting my head rest on the top.

What do I do now? I can’t just go back to the Mane 6 and ask for help.

Like they’d believe I’m not actually Cozy Glow and some random human she switched bodies with. I wasn’t even aware body swapping was something that could be done in Equestria.

I mean, there was that episode where Zecora got Fluttershy and Angel to swap bodies, but that required both of them to drink a special potion, not cast a spell. Not to mention that swap was only temporary. Cozy clearly planned on this being permanent.

After several minutes of moping, I sigh and get up, deciding I may as well venture out and see what I can find. It’s not like staying here is going to help me.

If anything, staying here is the worst idea. While I dunno what happened to Grogar or what fate will have befallen Cozy’s fellow villains, they’ll more than likely be forced to tell where this place is.

If not, Discord could easily find the place. It’s one of the reasons I’ve tried not to use Cozy’s new Alicorn magic as much as possible. Pretty sure he’d be able to sense it, since it was formed from Grogar’s magic and not normal means.

Sighing, I get up and trudge over to the small waterfall in the room with Grogar’s crystal ball thing and shove my head under it.

I pull my head out and shake it vigorously. With the ribbon and curls gone, I at least don’t look completely like Cozy Glow.

Heading back to Tirek’s room, I grab a cloak that I think is the one he was wearing back in season 4 and put it over myself, hiding my new wings and head out of the lair, hopping as best I can down the broken path. Turns out Grogar’s lair is in some kind of swamp. At first, I thought maybe it was the one near where Mage Meadowbrook lives, but I don’t think so.

If anything, as worrying as it is to think about considering my current appearance, I can’t help thinking the far off mountains behind the lair look very similar to those of the Dragon Lands.

Yeah, last thing I want is to run into an angry dragon looking like Cozy Glow, so hiding my new wings and making my mane look as little like that filly who’s design was inspired by Baby Doll, who was inspoired by Darla Dimple, who was inspired by Shirley Temple as I can is at least something.

Looking around the swampy area, I take a deep breath and trudge on forward.






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“Dammit!” I yell in anger, pulling myself out from the muck for what feels like the hundredth time.

Turns out I didn’t need to bother changing my mane’s style. I’ve fallen into the muck so many times, my mane looks nothing like Cozy’s original style.

It’s flat against my head as hair can be and covered in mud and twigs, leafs and I don’t even wanna know what else.

“I swear, if I ever get a hold of that little bitch, I’m gonna ring her freaking neck once we switch back!” I snarl, biting my cloak and yanking hard to pull it from the muck.

I blink, frowning.

“Huh. I know this swamp area’s kinda humid, but why does it suddenly feel warmer… all of… a sudden?”

I trail off, noticing this new heat is particularly aimed towards my neck.

Slowly turning around, I see a tiger’s head, with a goat’s head right next to it—

And that’s as far as I see because I turn tail and run like crazy as a roar comes from behind, mixed with the bleating of a goat and the hissing of a snake.

A chimera! It just had to be a fucking chimera! What’s it even doing out here?! Wasn’t it trapped in Tartarus?! Or is this a different one?

Why the fuck do I even care? All I need to worry about is getting the fuck out of here and putting as much distance between that thing and me as possible.

Suddenly, I’m yanked back as something grabs my cloak.

My mind still whirling with panic, I twist out of it and shoot forward, not bothering to question how the heck my wings are working when I’ve had no flying experience, just happy it’s gonna help me get away.

I can hear the chimera continuing to chase me, its trio of roars making my blood run cold every time I hear it.

I round a corner, but fail to avoid slamming my head against an outstretched tree branch and fall back, slamming into the muck.

I shake myself, trying to take in my suroudings, before my panic goes into overdrive. I’m sinking into whatever murky stuff I’ve fallen into.

“Help!” I scream, flailing furiously, my wings completely useless now due to being so covered in the muck.

The chimera comes up to the edge of the muck and looks down at me. It gives me an annoyed look, before turning and sauntering off.

“Wait!” I yell after it as I desperately try to keep the front of my body above the swampy liquid. “I— I’ll let you eat me! I swear, save me and I’m all yours! Please, just don’t let me die like this!”

I hate how pathetic I sound as I plead for my life, but I’ve no choice. I don’t know magic and I don’t have any other options. Plus, I could just let it eat my wings before I escape. That way I’m technically keeping my word and it’s not like I really care about if Cozy Glow’s wings get eaten. Once we switch back, it’s her problem that she’ll be grounded, not mine.

The creature pauses, as if thinking about it, the movements of its three heads indications it’s discussing it with itself, before all three shake their heads and head off.

“No!” I wail, tears forming and spilling from my eyes. “Please! I’m begging you! I don’t wanna die like this! PLEASE!”

“Hang on, little one!” a voice yells from somewhere. “We’re a-comin’!”

“Over here!” I scream, thanking whatever counts as God in this world. I don’t care who it is or if they recognize my body as Cozy’s and mistake me for her. Nothing can be worse than dying like this.

I hear the sound of trees bashing apart and the sound of two thundering sets of hooves.

“Hurry! Hel—” I’m cut off as my mouth goes below the surface, waving my free forehoof in the air frantically, thankful Cozy’s coat colour is so bright pink it would be impossible to miss in the muck of this swamp.

As my vision gets blocked off as my head goes under, I feel two strong forelimbs wrap around my hoof and yank upward.

After a few seconds, I burst forth from what was almost my murky grave, gasping for air.

I’m dragged through the muck, before being lifted up and feel a pair of warm forelimbs wrap around me.

I don’t care who they are or even what they are. I burst into tears and wail into their coat.

I almost died! I almost died!

If not for whoever this is, I’d literally have drowned to death in this swamp, with no one ever knowing where I was or what happened to me.

After what feels like hours, I finally get myself a little under control, at least I’m only sobbing and not wailing, at least, and realize whoever is holding me is murmuyring soothingly to me.

“It’s alright. It’s okay. Yer safe now. We won’t let anythin’ happen to ya.”

I gasp for air, trying to control my breath and stop my sobbing.

That… that voice sounds familiar. But, it’s not a familiar I’m sure I should know. It doesn’t sound like any of the Mane 6 and it isn’t Meadowbrook.

“That’s it. Take it slow. No need to rush this. Ya’ve been through a lot. Take yer time.”

Gulping, doing my best to finally breathe normally, I look up at whomever is holding me, realizing they’re female.

I blink as my eyesight adjust through my tears. I’m seeing an orangey blob. Applejack?

No. no, that doesn’t make sense. Unless Discord brought her with him when they went to search for me after realizing Cozy wasn’t with the other two after they’d been hit by the Rainbow Laser of Death.

“Here,” she starts rubbing my face with some kind of cloth, it taking a second to realize she’s trying to clean whatever muck is on my face and dry my tears.

“Th-thanks,” I say when she pulls it away and I open my eyes again, blinking.

My vision clears up, the orange blob becoming easier to see… only for my eyes to widen and my jaw to drop.

“Pear Butter?!”
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2



 



 



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I stare up, open mouthed at the mare holding me, who is looking back with curiosity.

“Do Ah… know you, little one?” she asks, looking very puzzled. “Ah don’ reckon Ah’ve met ya afore.”

“I… ugh… um… I know of you, but… I…” I just fumble, my mouth and brain failing to properly process what is going on. “I… Aren’t you supposed to be dead?!”

She blinks, looking taken aback. “Dead? Now, why in tarnation would ya think a thing like that?”

“I… uh…” I open my mouth to answer, before realzing I can’t answer. How exactly do you tell someone they’ve been believed to be dead for years and you only knows this because you’ve observed their family?

“We should get moving,” a second voice says, this one also making my eyes widen, before a stallion with Apple Bloom’s colours and an apple with a star in the middle for a Cutie Mark steps through some bushes. “We can’t be sure that Chimera ain’t gonna come back.”

I just stare at the stallion, my brain trying and failing to understand.

That’s Bright Mac, Applejack, Apple Bloom and Big Mac’s father! Both their parents are alive?! How?

“Ah got camp packed up. If’n we hurry, we should be able t’ put enough distance between us and that beastie,” Bright Mac’s voice pulls me from my mental lock and I realize I’m splayed across Pear Butter’s back, bouncing up and down as she runs alongside her husband.

I… I need some serious explaining.

After several minutes of running, the two ponies stop in a small clearing.

Thankful for being let off the bumpy ride, I clamber off Pear Butter’s back and stretch.

“What in tarnation are you doin’ out in this swamp all alone, little…?” Bright Mac’s voice trails off and I halt in trying to flick the drying muck off my wings to look at him, only to realize he’s staring at my wings.

“What?” I ask, genuinely confused by his open mouth reaction. Hasn’t he ever seen a pony wings before?

“Oh, mah stars,” I look to Pear Butter, who has a hoof over her mouth, looking just as shocked. “We saved a princess?”

I blink, confused further, before glancing up at my horn and deadpanning. 

Oh, right. Cozy’s body is that of an Alicorn now. I’d forgotten that part.

I sigh, shaking my head. “I may be an Alicorn, but I am far from a princess.”

The two cock their heads in confusion.

I sigh again, sitting down on the leafy ground and indicate for them to do the same. “This is a long story… and also not long either, to be honest.”






 



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“So, this Cozy Glow really did all that, then swapped bodies with you jus’ so she didn’t have to get punished?” Pear Butter asks, looking at me with pity.

I nod, sighing.

It’s been about three hours since I ran into the supposed to be dead parents. We’ve been trudging through the swamp, trying to find our way to some kind of path.

During that time, I’ve been telling the two my story, as well as clueing them in on just why Cozy would’ve wanted to avoid her rightful punishment.

“She seriously took all the magic from Equestria, just because she wanted power?” Bright Mac shakes his head, causing the packs on his side to shake. “Is that filly out of her mind?”

I roll my eyes. “In a word? I’d say, yes.”

“Well, don’ you worry none,” Pear Butter looks back at me, smiling. “We’re gonna make sure you can find a way t’ reverse all this an’ get yer own body back and that horrid filly pays for her crimes.”

I sigh. “Good luck with that. Unless times moves slower in my world than it does here in Equestria, she’ll have plenty of time to ruin my life before we even figure out the basics of the spell. Not to mention, there’s no way of finding the place she kept all the notes again. I’ve literally no clue where it is in this swamp.”

“Not t’ mention, you said the spell was random,” Bright Mac says, thinking. “Ya’d need t’ make the spell better, t’ lock onto yer body specifically. There’s no tellin’ how long that could take and… Ah’m not helping, am Ah?” he asks, realizing the depressed look on my face and the stern look his wife is shooting him.

“Don’t you worry,” she leans back and nuzzles my face, the only part of me not still completely covered in I don’t even wanna know what. “We’ll find a way.”

“Speaking of finding a way…” I look up and glance between the two of them. I’m riding atop Pear Butter’s back because my legs are too small to keep up with them and, despite doing it earlier when fleeing for my life, I haven’t gotten the hang of flying. “How did you two find your way to me? Where have you been all this time that you could’ve been near enough to hear me?”

The two look to each other and I notice an uncomfortable look pass between them.

“It… it ain’t somethin’ we can easily explain,” Bright Mac says, shaking his head. “We were makin’ a pie delivery fer a group o’ swamp dwellin’ folk. Well, Pear had finished her delivery and come and joined me… but something was wrong.”

“Ah was feelin’ sick,” Pear Butter says, her ears splaying back against her head. “Ah don’t know what made me sick, but Ah was.”

“Ah didn’t know what was wrong with her, so, Ah did what I could t’ help. Wrapped her in a blanket, feed her soup,” Bright Mac gulps. “But then, I got sick too. We didn’t know what t’ do, so we hunkered down in an area o’ this here swamp, hoping to wait out the fever. But… well…”

“We don’t rightly know too much o’ what happened,” Pear Butter looks back at me. “We started sproutin’ leafs and branches. We didn’t know what was happening. We held each other close, as… as this terrible pain took over, we couldn’t think o’ anything else but t’ hold each other through the pain…”

“Next thing we know, we’re back in the cave, perfectly fine,” Bright Mac shakes his head in confusion. “Not a trace o’ scars, or nothin’. It was like we’d never been sick.”

“But when we stepped out of the cave, we noticed it seemed the swamp had changed,” Pear Butter cocks her head to the side. “It was as if the swamp had had several years’ worth o’ change, like we’d somehow jumped several years int’ the future.”

I blink, before feeling a little uneasy. “Um… while you were sick, did either of you get lots of orange spots? Did you sneeze lightning at any point?”

The two stop, looking to me in shock.

“How did you know?” Bright Mac asks.

I cringe, rubbing the back of my neck. “Sheesh. Well, if what I’m hearing is right, you two had something called Swamp Fever. It’s a dangerous disease that turns those infected with it into the very trees that spread the virus. Several ponies I know of actually caught it about a year or two ago. They were lucky to find the cure, but it only works for those who haven’t turned into the trees yet.”

Bright Mac frowns in confusion. “Then how in the hay were we cured? If’n yer right, we ended up turnin’ int’ the trees, but we were cured after the fact. How’d that happen?”

“I… I wish I knew,” I shake my head, frowning. Something in the back of my brain is nagging me that I do know how they were cured, but I can’t remember it properly. Maybe the mind swap damages some of my memories?

“Well, whatever the case, we should be thankful we were cured,” Bright Mac says, shuddering. “Ah hate the think Ah coulda turned int’ one o’ those trees an’ infected other ponies.”

“That’s right,” Pear Butter nodded, her face firm. “An’ when we get back, we’ll make sure everypony knows about those trees.”

“We’ll also wanna explain our little friend’s situation afore anypny gets the wrong idea,” Bright Mac winks at me.

I blush a little, rubbing my foreleg. “Yeah. I mean, right now no pony could tell I’m in Cozy Glow’s body at a glance. Not with all this muck and my mane the way it is.”

“Speakin’ o’ which,” Pear Butter glances back at me, “what should we call ya? Ah doubt ya wanna go by Cozy Glow while yer stuck in that body.”

I frown, rubbing my chin. “Well, my real name will draw a bit too much attention. No creature really has a name like it, so I’d stand out too much, which is hard enough not to do with these,” I indicate to my wings and horn. “So… while I’m here, let’s go with Autum.”

“Autum,” the tan coloured mare says, looking up, rolling it over her tongue, before nodding and smiling. “Autum it is. So, how should we… Autum? Autum!” 

Her words sound distant, like she’s going down a tunnel as I feel myself growing weak and flop down, slumping off her back and hitting the squelchy ground.

I try to keep my eyes open, but it’s so difficult. Sleep sounds really good right about now for some reason.

“Sweet Celestia, she’s burnin’ up! Autum? Autum, you hang in there! Buttercup. There should be somethin’ in my pack t’ help.”

Their voices fade as the world goes dark.






 



___________________________________________________________










“Come on, sweetie. Hang in there, okay?” Pear Butter said, gently moving her hoof over the unconscious filly’s forehead.

After the little human trapped in an Alicorn filly’s body had collapsed, the two of them had rushed through the swamp, desperately trying to find any signs of civilisation.

Thankfully, they’d found this small village in Hayseed Swamp. There hadn’t been many ponies out at the time, it having been early, but they’d found a kind stallion named Cattail.

He apparently lived with a relative, but she was currently off in Canterlot after being called by the princesses to help in a task.

He’d let them clean Autum, the stallion becoming quite surprised when the removal of the muck had revealed her pink coat and he’d realized she was an Alicorn.

He was currently trying to prepare find some medicine. The relative he lived with was a healer, so should have something to help.

“Cattail’s still lookin’,” Bright Mac came into the room and stood by his wife, looking down at the poor filly.

She was breathing heavily and had her forehead was burning something fierce.

“She’s must’ve gotten sick from something she accidentally swallowed when she was drowning in that muck afore we saved her,” the mare said, looking at the sick filly with worry. “It’s not fair for her. She’s already been torn from her world, forced to look like a criminal and now she’s sick all because said criminal didn’t care about what happens to this poor soul. And now she’s sick. It ain’t right.”

“Ah know, Buttercup,” the stallion said, putting a hoof around her. “Ah know.”

“I’m sorry to be a bother so late,” a young voice neither recongized caught their attention, causing them to turn to see Cattail walking back into the room, a small vial of potion held in one hoof.

Walking next to help was a small Pegasus filly. Her coat was brown, with a two-toned turquoise mane and tail in a curly style. On her flank was a blue shoe with a spur on the back and she was wearing a green neckerchief around her neck. “Bloofy’s tummy’s been actin’ up a bit, so ma sent me t’ get him somethin’ t’ help is all.”

Walking next to her was a small creature neither pony had seen before. It was small and purple, with a cute little face. It must have been this Bloofy.

“No problem at all, Spur,” Cattail said, giving the vial to Pear Butter, who took and opened it, turning back to the bed. “Though, I do hope your willing to wait a minute. These two ponies brought a sick filly with them and we need ta get her fever down, fast.”

“I totally understand,” the brown filly nodded, before hovering up to get a look at the bedridden filly, curious.

“Ah just hope this works,” Pear Butter said, lifting Autum’s head. “Autum, open yer mouth an’ drink this. It’ll help.”

The filly technically couldn’t answer, but opened her mouth anyway and she poured the medicine in, the filly swallowing on reflex.

“Tempo?!” the cry caused the adults to look up. 

Spur was staring down at the bedridden filly, how mouth wide open.

“Who?” Pear Butter asked, confused.

The brown filly pointed to the pink one. “That’s my cousin, Tempo. She ran away and we haven’t seen her since.” She flew up to the ponies, her eyes wide. “Where’d you find her? Why’s she sick? What happened?!”

The two farm ponies just looked to each other, no idea what to say.
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3



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I groan as conciseness returns to me. Fuck, that was a bad dream. Switching bodies with Cozy Glow right before she was supposed be zapped by the Rainbow Laser? The fuck was my brain doing to come up with that shit.

Ugh. I feel sluggish. Am I sick?

Slowly, I open my eyes to see a ceiling that is definitely not the one from my new bedroom.

I deadpan. It wasn’t a dream, was it?

Having to put in a lot more effort than I know I should have to, I turn my head to my left to see a room built within what I think is a tree. It seems relatively new though, as if it was made not too long ago.

I blink with confusion as the wall seems to open up, before my lagging brain realizes it’s a door.

Pear Butter walks through it, carrying a tray with what looks like a towel and bowl of water on her back.

She notices me, but, instead of the warmth I’ve gotten used to in our short time together, she’s wearing an uncertain expression.

She walks over and uses her mouth to set the tray down on the bedside table near my head.

Reaching forward, she takes a towel I hadn’t noticed was resting on my forehead and places it on the tray, taking the other towel, dipping it in the water, rinsing it out and then placing it on my head.

Once she’s done, she sits back and just stares at me.

Silence is all there is in the room, as if she’s waiting for me to say something… but what, I haven’t the foggiest, not at all helped by this throbbing headache and grogginess.

“So,” she says after what feels like hours, “how’re ya doin’… Tempo?”

I blink slowly. “Is… is that a short word for temperature?” I ask, closing my eyes, finding it hard to keep them open. “Cause, my head does feel less hot, but it’s throbbing like mad. Is this some Alicorn thing?”

My eyes open. They would’ve shot open if I weren’t so drained.

“Crap. Not good. When Twilight got sick as an Alicorn it caused all kinds of crazy things. Hope I’m not gonna need a cure that turns me into a baby as a side effect. Getting used to this body is hard enough.”

She doesn’t answer at first, just stares at me, before closing her eyes. “Ah wan’ ya t’ be truly honest with me. Are ya Tempo?”

I lazily slump my head to the side so I’m looking at her, my eyes unfocused. “Does that word have some meaning here in Equestria that it doesn’t on Earth? I don’t get what you mean.”

Her expression firms a little. “Are you really Tempo and changed yer name t’ Cozy Glow an’ have been lying t’ me an’ mah husband this whole time?”

I blink, her words slowly making their way through my head. “Cozy Glow… wasn’t her real name?” I blink again, before giving a small, dark chuckle. “Makes sense even her name wasn’t real. So, I get saddled with this body and didn’t even know its original owner’s real name? Typical.”

Pear Butter doesn’t respond, before closing her eyes. “If’n ya were lyin’, in yer current state, ya wouldn’t be able t’ keep it up like this.” She leans forward and nuzzles my head. “This is so unfair on ya.”

I want to answer her, to understand just what she’s talking about, but my brain is way too fuzzy right now.

“I’m going to see her!” a loud male voice says.

“Pa, wait. She’s sick an’… wait!” says another voice, this one sounding much younger.

The door to the room opens and a tall, stockily stallion walks in. He has a brown coat and grey mane and tail. He’s wearing some kind of overalls. It takes a second for me to notice the wings at his side. A Pegasus? In the swamp?

I am so confused, and being sick is not helping that.

The stallion walks up to the bed, Pear Butter standing, looking defensive.

“Sorry,” Bright Mac’s voice is followed by him coming in the room too. “He was fast. Ah tried t’ stop him, but…”

The Pegasus stallion looks me over, giving me a searching gaze with his… I’m gonna say turquoise eyes.

He lifts the covers of the bed I’m lying in, seeming to be looking at my Cutie Mark, before lowering the covers and looking to my face. “Why’d ya leave, Tempo? Was it really that bad, living with us? Ah know we ain’t yer parents, but… we’re family, ain’t we?”

I blink, having to process his words slowly.

Tempo. There’s that word again.

“Pa, they said she doesn’t remember us,” the second voice I’d been unable to recognize says as a filly Pegasus who looks a lot like the stallion flies in, though her mane and tail are turquoise, like her eyes and… in a very familiar style.

I blink slowly and try to speak, my voice coming out raspy. “Are you…? Are you Cozy Glow’s sister?”

The filly pauses, inches from the bed, before a sad look comes over her face as she lands, closing the gap between her and the bed on hoof. “Ya really don’t remember me, do ya?”

I slowly shake my head. “Cozy isn’t in right now. She’s off messing around in my own body, leaving me in hers.”

“This is gonna take some explainin’,” Pear Butter sighs, taking a seat on the floor next to me.

And so, it’s explained to me.

Cozy Glow’s real name was Tempo, a term used in chess that effectively means that the opponent has been forced to waste one or more moves. Thinking over Cozy’s plan back in season 8 and what I saw of her in season 9, that definitely fits her.

She’d originally had a family, but her parents had been eaten by a beast in the swamp, nopony is clear on exactly what, but their remains had been found. Cozy had been moved to live in with her Aunt Dressage and Uncle Canter, who had a filly of their own who was older than Tempo by a few years, Spur.

After her parents deaths, she’d become reserved around her family and didn’t talk much. Then, one day, she’d just left. 

Her family had spent weeks searching the bayou for her, before eventually giving up, assuming she’d either gotten lost or fallen prey to something similar to her parents.

“T’ think, you’d been hanging in Ponyville all that time,” the stallion says, shaking his head.

“She ain’t yer niece,” Pear Butter says defensively, moving to stand between me and the stallion. “Yer niece wen’ an’ switched bodies with the poor soul stuck in her body now. Ya can’t go talkin’ t’ her like she’s that filly. She ain’t.”

The stallion blinks, before frowning, opening his mouth, then closing it, seeming to think it over.

“Well… if she ain’t Tempo, who is she?” Spur asks, looking genuinely confused.

“I’m…” I groan. I am in no condition for an interrogation right now. “I’m someone from another world. Your cousin switched bodies with me to escape justice for her crimes… whatever the most recent ones were, anyway.”

“And what evidence do you have of these crimes?” Canter demands, glaring at me. “And why exactly should I believe you aren’t Tempo pretending to be somepony else inside Tempo’s body? You were always good at making up tales, but that one is a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”

“Ah can tell she’s tellin’ the truth!” Bright Mac moves to stand by his wife. “We Apples have a knack fer seeing the truth.”

“Cousin. Good t’ have ya back,” a voice I vaguely recognize says from outside the room. Is that… Cattail? Why would he…?

My eyes slowly widen. Wait. We’re not in Hayseed Swamp, are we? As in, where Mage Meadowbrook lives after being freed from limbo?

I’m pretty sure I spotted her among the ponies and other creatures when I arrived here. If she sees me… Oh, crap, crap, crap. CRAP!

I try to get up, but despite the fear racing through my body, it’s still too tired. Why’d I have to get sick? Why?

“... hopin’ ya could check on this little filly. Two ponies brought her int’ town last night. The medicine I gave her seems t’ be helpin’, but I think ya’d be better equipped t’ cure her,” Cattail’s voice gets closer and I realize who he must be talking to.

Crap! Whelp, guess I won’t be getting to go home after all. No way is Meadowbrook gonna let me go after whatever it is Cozy, Tempo, whatever her name is, did to her and the other Pillars.

The door opens and the pudgy orange stallion plods in, followed by the blue mare wearing her Healer’s Mask atop her head. She looks around, takes one look at me and freezes in place.

“I’m not… I’m not Cozy Glow—” I try getting up quickly, wanting to clear my name as fast as possible, but this proves a bad idea, one my body does not approve of and I burst into a coughing fit.

After about thirty seconds, my coughing fit dies down, by which time, the mare has come closer and is looking me over with a scrutinizing gaze.

“Ah’m willin’ t’ vouch fer her,” Pear Butter says, standing closer to me. “She may be in the body o’ that Cozy Glow, but she ain’t her.”

“Well, you’ll have to forgive my skepticism,” she says, lifting the covers and indicating to my wings and the Cutie Mark. “But there ain’t too many filly Alicorns, let alone ones with that chess piece for a Cutie Mark.”

“Ain’t there any way you can prove it?” Canter asks, looking skeptical now himself. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

Meadowbrook gives me a firm look, before her frown changes to one of thought, then nods to herself. “We’ll give her time to recover. Meanwhile, I’ll prepare a potion that’ll make her tell that truth for a short while. If she isn’t Cozy Glow, like she says, then we’ll know. And, if she’s telling the truth, she won’t object, right?”

I give a slow nod.






___________________________________________________________








“Bleah!” I say loudly, sticking out my tongue and running my hooves over it. “Tha’ tath nathty!”

“Well, it isn’t exactly meant to taste good, now is it?” Meadowbrook ask, taking the cup I’d just drank from back and setting it aside.

The Apple parents are standing a little away, looking worried.


I’m sitting up in the bed I’d been given to rest in while I was sick. It’s been about three days.

“Now,” Meadowbrook says, looking firmly at me. “If you want to leave her a free pony, ya’ll answer some questions. Alright?”

I nod.

She nods back, taking a deep breath and looking right at me. “Is your name Cozy Glow.”

“No,” I say firmly.

“Is your name Tempo?”

“Nope,” I shake my head. “I’m not Cozy Glow and I’m not Tempo.”

Spur, who’s watching, gets a slightly sad look.

Bloofy, the weird little fluffy animal she has as a pet is sitting on the bed, looks at me eagerly.

Meadowbrook narrows her eyes. “How did you become an Alicorn?”

“From what I’ve figured out, Cozy, Tempo, whatever her name is, became one after she, Queen Cheese Legs and Tirek absorbed a third of Grogar’s magic each. Glad I never ran into him. After they stole the rest of his magic with the bell, I doubt he’d have gone easy on me, whether I am that brat or not.”

Meadowbrook’s expression becomes puzzled for a moment. “You think they stole Grogar’s magic?”

I shrug. “Well, yeah. I mean, that’s what Cozy wrote they were going to do in her journal. I shudder to think how much power they had. Well, I guess I have, now that I’m in her body,” I look down at my hooves. Just how much of Grogar’s magic is inside me? And should I be worried about it?

Meadowbrook looks me over, before closing her eyes. “Well, it ain’t much, but that does suggest you really aren’t Cozy Glow at all.”

I look to her, confused. “How?”

She gives me a sly smirk. “The real Grogar’s been dead fer a long time.”

I blink, before narrowing my eyes. “Uh, if that’s so, how’d he bring Sombra back from the dead? If he was dead too, he couldn’t exactly do that, could he?”

She just gives a light giggle, which only makes me scowl. “Discord was pretendin’ t’ be Grogar the whole time.”

I open my mouth to argue, before what she said actually processes and I just stare at her, my mouth open. “I… but he… what?”

She nods, before rolling her eyes. “He did it because he wanted to give Princess Twilight the confidence to rule Equesria when Celestia and Luna retire.”

I blink, before deadpanning and facehoof. “Of course he would. The way he thinks, of course he’d think that was a good idea.”

“What I don’t understand,” Meadowbrook says, looking me over, “is how you’re here. Regardless of whether Cozy Glow switched bodies with you before she and her allies were defeated, you should be a stone statue right now.”

There’s silence as what she said actually sinks in.

“Come again?!” I whirl around, my eyes wide.

She nods. “As punishment for their crimes, the princesses and Discord combined their magic and turned the three of them to stone.” She frowns, rubbing her chin. “Or, at least, we thought that was the case. Cozy was part of the statue, so how you’re here is confusing.”

“They turned a filly to stone?!” Pear Butter sounds horrified.

“I know what yer thinkin’, trust me,” Meadowbrook turns around to look to her. “But that filly is, or was, pure evil. She attempted to murder Princess Twilight on several occasions during the trio’s invasion of Canterlot and, considering what we now know, was completely remorseless, as she intentionally switched bodies with another being to avoid suffering punishment for her crimes, fully willing to let this…” She looks to me. “What should we call you?”

“Autum is fine,” I say, shaking my head. “Yeah, I’m with Meadowbrook on this one. Sorry, Pear Butter. Cozy may have been a filly, but just because someone’s a child, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be punished if they intentionally do something evil. And it’s clear Cozy did a lot of evil things.”

Guessing this invasion of Canterlot would’ve been the finale’s events.

“So… what do we do now?” Bright Mac asks the room at large.

“Would… would you wanna live with us?” Spur asks.

Bloofy seems to agree, hurrying forward and nuzzling my cheek.

I can’t help smiling and scratch the little guy’s head with my hoof. He’s too adorable.

Pulling him away though, I look to Spur and shake my head. “It wouldn’t feel right. Besides, if I stayed with your family, Spur, I could never go back to mine. We need to find a way to cast Cozy’s spell again, this time making sure we locate my original body… provided Cozy hasn’t ruined it by now already.”

Spur looks sad and opens her mouth to say something, when screams erupt from outside.

We all look to each other, before rushing outside. Spur saying she’d stay behind so Bloofy doesn’t get too excited. Apparently that’s a bad thing.

We get outside and my eyes widen. It’s the chimera from before. It’s running through the swamp village, roaring/bleating/hissing, trying to grab any of the fleeing ponies.

“What do we do?” Cattail looks to his cousin.

Meadowbrook frowns, seeming to think it over.

I blink, looking back at my wings, before looking forward, my eyes narrowed.

Before anypony can react, I run forward, spreading my wings, leaping into the air and praying this’ll work.

I soar through the sky, over the beast, cupping my hooves over my mouth. “Hey, cat breath!”

It stops going after the other ponies and looks up.

I blow a raspberry at it and shoot off into the trees.

A trio of roars and the sound of crashing tells me it’s following me. Good. Now, if I can just keep airborne and find somewhere like that mucky area I almost dropped in, I can—

My thoughts are cut off as I feel a pain in my hind right leg, crying out in pain as I’m pulled to the ground. Turning my neck, I see the tiger head has grabbed my hoof in its jaws and bitten down, hard. It’s fangs have pierced my skin and I can see blood.

It lets go, the three heads grinning. Shit! It knows it can’t get away now. I wasn’t so much flying as I was gliding and that only worked because I got a good running start. With one leg out of commission, I can’t do that, so I’m grounded.

The beast starts laughing, before lunging towards me, mouths open, fangs beared

“Don’t you hurt Som-Mama!”

Before I can understand what’s going on, something shoots past me and slams into the chimera.

The two roll around for several moments, before the second one, flips backwards, sending the chimera slamming through several trees.

After a few seconds, it gets up and scurries off, whimpering.

I blink, very confused. Who the heck just saved me? Or have I just escaped one preditor to be put at the mercy of another.

“Som-Mama!” the voice from before is no longer angry, it’s cheerful and, before I can understand what’s going on, I’m lifted up and pulled into a bone-crushing hug. “I found you! I found you! I wub you, Som-Mama!”

Panic is returning. I can barely breathe.

Part of my brain is saying something about this is familiar, but I don’t know what and the lack of oxygen to my brain is not helping me think very well.

After what feels like an eternity, just as I’m certain I’m going to die from suffocation, the pressure is lessened and I feel myself before lifted away… followed  by a whimpering sound.

“Not Mama?”

“Not d-mama?” I say, still woozy.

I shake my head several times to try and clear it, before looking to the being holding me. Whomever they are, they’re pretty huge.

Blinking, I get a good look at whoever it is that saved me… only for my jaw to drop.

I recognize this character. She’s a baby, for some reason, but I only know one being in the show who looks like this.

It’s the sphinx from the story of Somnambula. What? Why is she here and why in the wide world of Equestria does she look like a baby?!

She slowly puts me down and starts sobbing.

Part of me is saying to run away, but the other part of me is telling me to comfort her. Sphinx or not, she’s just a baby. You don’t just abandon a sobbing baby.

Trotting over, making sure to keep the majority of my weight of my injured leg, I stop next to her and put a hoof on her paw. “Hey, what’s wrong… little one?” Little? She’s bigger than Celestia! I shudder thinking how big she’ll be when she’s fully grown. Yikes!

She sniffles, looking to me. “Som-Mama went missing. Went wooking fow hew. Dunno whewe am. Ow whewe Mama is.”

I blink, frowning as I notice something about her speech pattern. I remember a comic dub where the sphinx was a baby and the only time she said Som-Mama was when she was referring to…

“When you say “Som-Mama” do you mean “Somnambula”?” I ask.

She looks to me and nods, sniffling again. “Miss Som-Mama. Whewe is she?”

I can’t help smiling. “I think I can help you with that.”






___________________________________________________________








“Are you sure about this?” Meadowbrook asks as we stand on the edge of the village.

Bright Mac, Pear Butter and I are laden with several bags, full of provisions and camping equipment. The baby sphinx is standing behind us, looking both eager and confused.

My mane is combed smooth and to the side, held in place by a blue hair clip in the shape of a leaf. Just because I’m stuck in this body, doesn’t mean I have to live with its previous owner’s hairstyle.

My injured leg is wrapped in bandages. It isn’t too bad, but I am going to have to be careful for a day or two.

I nod. “Returning Fwinxie to Somnambula is the right thing to do. Plus, it will give me time to figure out how best to handle this whole… being in Cozy Glow’s body thing, ya know?” I glance to the Apple parents. “You don’t have to come with me, ya know?”

The two shake their heads.

“We’re not leaving you alone in this, Autum,” Pear Butter shakes her head. “Ah wouldn’t feel right leavin’ ya t’ go at this alone. Besides, Ah’ve had three foals afore. Ah know how t’ handle a young’n. Ah doubt you do.”

I give her a frown. “I’ve five siblings back home, thank you and they were all born after me.”

Bright Mac laughs. “Okay, okay, ladies. Let’s not fight. We’ve a long journey ahead o’ us. We’d better get started.”

I look to Meadowbrook, Cattail and Spur. “Thank you, ya know for… well…”

The blue mare nods. “I hope things go well for you. What’re your plans once you’ve gotten the sphinx back home?”

I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’ll have no choice. I can’t have Pear Butter and Bright Mac put off going back to their family just for me. I’ll go back with them and…” I gulp, “face Princess Twilight.”

I feel a hoof on my shoulder and look up to see Pear Butter giving me an encouraging smile.

I can’t help smiling back.

We say our final goodbyes and the four of us head off in the direction of Somnambula to return Fwinxie to her home. I can’t help feeling that is going to be quite interesting, when we get there.
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4



 



 



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“How many days do ya reckon til we reach Somnambula?” Bright Mac asks as the four of us sit around a campfire.

“If’n Ah’m readin’ this map Meadowbrook gave us right, about two more days,” Pear Butter says, taking out the map from her pack and looking it over. 

She glances up from it to look at me. I’m leaning against Fwinxie, well, more she’s cuddling me like a toy, with a paw wrapped around me, nuzzling her cheek against mine, purring like a cat.

We’ve been traveling for two days on hoof. It’s been slow going, since the four of us are way smaller than Fwinxie, I mean, she’s about the size of an Ursa Minor, so she’s been having to move slowly so we can keep up. I can tell it’s been hard for her, resisting to just charge off to find her mama, but she seems to sense how she’d get lost if she did.

I think the fact I’m pink like Somnambula, even if my coat’s a few shades lighter, and I have a horn, she feels comfortable close to me. Might even be the reason she’s resisted running off. She’s likely still not sure if we really are bringing her back to her mother and is staying close to me because I remind her of her.

“Autum?” I look over to Pear Butter, who is putting the map back in her pack. 

“Yeah?” I ask. From her expression, it’s clear she wants to ask me something. I’ve noticed her giving me that look over the days we’ve  been traveling, like she’s wanted to ask something, but has then been stopping herself.

Pear Butter looks to her husband, before taking a deep breath, letting it out and looking back to me. “Can you… can ya tell us about our family? Do ya know how they’ve been all these years?”

I don’t answer at first, just let Fwinxie continue to nuzzle me as I try to think how best to word my response.

After a while, I answer. “Do you wanna know about your parents first, or them?”

They both blink, looking to each other with confusion. “Parents?”

“Granny Smith,” I nod to Bright Mac, before nodding to his wife, “and Grand Pear.”

At once, her hooves fly to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes.

“Ya know what happened ta Grand Pear?” Bright asks, getting up and sitting down next to his wife, wrapping a foreleg around her.

I nod, giving a small warm smile. “He learned his lesson. Took him a long time, but two years ago, he moved back to Ponyville and met your foals. He and Granny made emends.”

“Pa came back?” Pear Butter whispers, tears draining down her face as a small happy but sad smile comes to her lips. “He really came back?”

I nod, before looking down sadly. “It’s just a shame it took him thinking his daughter was dead to bring him back.”

The two gasp.

I nod. “I know you’re not dead, but you’ve both been gone so long, everypony assumed it. It’s why I was so shocked when you both found me. I can only imagine how shocked everypony else is going to be.” I blink, before giving a small chuckle. “Pinkie Pie will be happy to know she’s got more relatives.”

“Huh?” the two look to each other, then back to me, Pear Butter trying to wipe away her tears.

I giggle, before looking to them. “Turns out the Apples are distant relatives of the Pie Family and now two Pies live in Ponyville. Well, one of them lives in Ponyville Adjacent, but who cares about those technicalities?”

The two look to each other again, seeming speechless.

I blink, before facehoofing. “Wow. I got a bit off track there. You guys ask about your family and I go on a tangent about distant relatives.” I take a deep breath, before smiling at them. “How about I tell you about your foals?”

The two turn to me, smiling.

I spend the next few minutes talking about what I know relating to their children. How Applejack helps run the farm and is an Element Bearer. How Big Mac took so much after his father, letting his actions speak louder than words and how, like Pear Butter, he wasn’t one to want everything to be a big splash. How little Apple Bloom was so grown up now and had her Cutie Mark, helping others find their purpose alongside her two best friends. Even about how Big Mac is going out with Sugar Belle, possibly leading to a new member in the Apple Family a bit later on.

It felt good, talking to them about all of it. Help me feel like I wasn’t holding them up because of everything that’s happened.

Once I finish telling them all I can, we all settle down for the night, not that that means much for me. I’m already swished against a big fluffy baby that’s keeping me warm. I just hope she doesn’t roll over in her sleep again.

That had not been a fun way to wake up.








___________________________________________________________









“Phew. This desert sure ain’t cool,” Bright Mac says, fanning himself with his hat as we walk along the sandy ground.

“Well, they aren’t exactly known for it, are they?” I ask, sighing as I slump on Pear Butter’s back.

It took a while, but we’re finally close to Somnambula. Half a day’s travel and we should be there. Fwinxie has been getting more and more excited since we reached somewhere she recognizes. It’s pretty cute, seeing the sparkle in her eyes.

Suddenly, a roar rings out across the land, causing us all to freeze in place.

My eyes widen. Shit! I know that roar. What in the world is he doing here?!

An explosion in the distance makes us all look to each other, the Apples nodding and running, myself freaking out. I hope Fwinxie is bigger than him, but if we’re about to run into who I think we are, we are so screwed.

After five minutes of running, the top of a pyramid appears in the distance, over which I can just make out flashes of light, followed by the booms of explosions.

What in the world is Daring Do doing? Why doesn’t she just grab whatever relic it is and go instead of letting Ahuizotl drag it out. The area looks like we’re getting close to Somnambula, so why is she letting him put innocent ponies at risk.

As the explosions go further down the base of the ever growing pyramid, I can hear the sounds of ponies screaming in fear.

Damn it! At this rate, Ahuizotl will have destroyed the village and gotten away with the relic before we even get close. We need to get there now!

No sooner have I thought that, I feel my horn heat up and realize too late I’m somehow casting a teleportation spell before I can stop it.

There’s a red flash around us, before we’re running through the Egyptian like streets of Somnumbula, the sudden change in scenery causing the two adult ponies to halt in their tracks, confused and disoriented.

However, their stopping allows me to finally see what’s happening… and I find myself confused.

It is indeed Ahuizotl, but he isn’t the one using the relic, a staff that reminds me of the ones from Equestria Girls Movie Magic, but an Earth Pony stallion. His coat is a greyish green, his mane and tail, cut short, black and he’s wearing an outfit similar to Daring’s.

I blink, before it clicks. This is the Equestrian version of Stalwart Stallion… or should I refer to him as Mojo?

“You dare try to steal the Sceptre again?!” Ahuizotl snarls as he pushes himself off the ground, but I notice he looks injured. “Did you not learn from your last time?”

“You are getting soft, Ahuizotl,” the stallion named Stallion sneers, holding the sceptre out, it’s red top glowing. “You really should consider retirement.”

“Ahui?”

I blink, turning to look at Fwinxie, who’s looking at the enemy of Daring Do… with a sad happiness?

Stalwart lifting the sceptre up, a sphere of energy pooling at its tip.

“AHUI!” Before any of us can do anything, Fwinxie rushes forward, fear in her eyes.

The sound of her cry causes Ahuizotl to look to her as the sphere of energy is fired at him.

To our horror, Fwinxie leaps in front of the downed beast and is hit with the blast instead, sending her hurtling back and slamming through the wall of a nearby building.

I just stare, my mouth agape.

Stallion looks towards the hole in the nearby wall with confusion. “What in Equestria was that?” He shrugs, before looking back to Ahuizotl. “Now, where were we—?”

“You fucking bastard!”

Before he can turn, I’ve rammed into him, my horn blazing, my eyes wide with rage.

We crash through a stall, tumbling around and around.

By the time we’ve stopped, we’re several feet away, the sceptre getting tossed from his grasp in the process.

Stalwart looks around for the sceptre, before glaring at him… then blinks in confusion. “An Alicorn filly? Since when was there an Alicorn filly?”

“You’re gonna wish you never knew about me, you sick fuck!” I snarl, my horn flaring with red magic, a massive orb of red energy forming at its tip.

Stalwart’s face pales and he quickly looks around, trying to find the sceptre and dives towards my right.

I whirl around, thrusting my head forward, a massive beam of magic surging from my horn and soaring towards the stallion.

He digs frantically through a pile of wood, before turning around and a beam of energy firing from him, meeting mine.

He laughs. “Alicorn or not, you do not stand a chance against even one of the relics!”

I yell in rage, the energy from my horn growing hotting in intensity, but he seems to be meeting it evenly.

Stalwart cackles. “Foolish foal! I am Stalwart Stallion! You cannot defeat me!”

“But she can keep your attention!”

Before I know what’s happened, my beam  knocked his beam aside, myself barely keeping my footing from the recoil.

I wince, putting a hoof to my head. It’s pounding like crazy.

Looking up, though my vision is a little unclear, I can see Ahuizotl is holding Stalwart up with his front right hand, while the sceptre is in his tail hand.

I step forward to try and get it back from him, but collapse, exhausted. That took more out of me than I’d expected.

I hear the sound of footsteps and look up, glaring as his hulking form looms over me… but he isn’t glaring. He isn’t looking down on me like a villain does when they win. He’s looking… grateful?

“Thank you, little Alicorn,” he says, nodding his head. “I have been after this thief for weeks after he stole the sceptre and its fellow relics when Daring Do was returning them to Marapore. If not for you, I may very well have lost them forever.”

I blink, confused. Huh? Returning them? Why would Daring return the sceptres?

Ahuizotl looks up, his face softening, before he sits up on his hind legs and offers me a hand. I take it hesitantly and he lifts me up onto his back and starts walking back in the direction I’d come, carrying me atop his back.

As we get closer, I hear two voices sobbing, but with joy.

“My Fwinxie! My little Fwinxie! I thought I’d never see you again!”

“Mama! I missed you, Mama!”

As we round a corner, it’s too show the baby Sphinx hugging a particular Pegasus mare, the Apples standing a little to the side, a hoof in hoof, smiling at the scene and each other.

Ahuizotl lifts his head, sending me sliding back a bit. “I do not understand. How is she alive? How is she still a baby?”

“Sphinx’s a tougher than ponies, Mr. Ahuizotl,” Somnambula says from within Fwinxie’s grip. “She was merely stunned.”

He shakes his head as I slowly push myself up and try to slide off, only to tumble down.

“Autum!” Pear Butter’s voice calls, followed by hurried hooftseps and I’m lifted up, raising my head to see her looking to me in worry and relief.

“How were you able t’ do that?” Bright Mac asks, looking at me, impressed. “That was a fancy amount of magic.”

“I… dunno,” I say honestly, putting a hoof to my head, it still aching from earlier. “After I saw Fwinxie get hurt, I just wanted to hurt Stalwart. I don’t really think I was thinking at all.”

“What?! What are you doing here?”

The three of us turn to see Somnambula out of her daughter’s grip, now standing before said sphinx in a defensive position, her eyes narrowed.

I blink in confusion, before glancing to my wings and horn and sighing. Whoops.

“She ain’t who ya think?” Pear Butter says quickly, coming to my aid. “If’n ya let us explain, ya’ll understand, Ah swear.”

“I find that very hard to believe,” the Pegasus says, snorting. “You mean to tell me the filly standing there is not the same Cozy Glow who attacked Canterlot? Who had myself and my friends locked up?”

“In body, yes,” Bright Mac says firmly. “In mind, no!”

She cocks an eyebrow at him. “Very well. As she helped to save my child, I am willing to at least listen.” She narrows her eyes, pointing at me. “But, know this, Cozy Glow: If you try any of your lies, I shall be able to tell.”

“My question still remains answered as well,” Ahuizotl says, looking around at our odd group as ponies start gathering back in the village and surround us, some giving me the stink eye.

“Answer me something first,” I say, looking pointed at him, trying to look tough despite the pain in my head and the looks of the other ponies. “Why aren’t you trying to destroy the village and make off with that relic right now? What did you mean Daring was returning the relics to Marapore? Aren’t you supposed to be the bad guy?”

“That is, as ponies of nowadays say, the pot calling the kettle black, no?” the Pegasus snorts.

Ahuizotl looks to me, his expression hurt, before sighing, dropping Stalwart on the ground and folding his arms. “I get that a lot.”

The next few minutes are spent with us each exchanging information, all sides surprised by what the other reveals.

Apparently, Ahuizotl isn’t a bad guy at all. He’s actually something called a Guardian Creatures and all Daring’s books and the one episode in which he was in back in season 4 were temples he was meant to protect, hence why he was always trying to stop Daring.

When I question him about the events of episode four specifically and even the line in Daring’s first book, the Sapphire Stone, where he said the world would suffer his wrath, they were all heavy misunderstandings.

In the Sapphire Stone’s case, he’d never actually said that line at all, Daring had written it assuming that’s something he’d have said. And as for Daring Don’t’s events and that whole “eight hundred years of unrelenting sweltering heat”?

…



Yeah, the heat, in question… He made it quite clear it was embarrassing to talk about and, since I used to be an adult and noticing the blushes on Pear Butter, Somnambula and other gathered mares, I was able to figure out what the “years of heat” were meant to be.

Talk about getting the wrong idea. Wow.

He’s surprised when I inform him how Fwinxie had been afflicted by the Swamp Fever plants, though calms down after I explain things.

For some bizarre reason, even though I know we’d gone near several areas likely to have the plants as we’d been leaving Hayseed Swamp, there literally was no trace of any Swamp Fever trees or plants.

More odd were the groups of ponies traveling with residents of the swamp. I think I even saw a Diamond Dog and a Hippogriff at one point. What were they doing in the swamp?

After all is finished and explained, Somambula is giving me a measured look, before turning to the Apples.

“You are certain this filly can be trusted? I’ll admit, some of the things she’s said about the world from which she claims to come from sound too outlandish, even for Cozy Glow to come up with, but you understand my scepticism.”

No kidding I can understand. Apparently, after Cozy and the others got Grogar’s magic, they’d attacked Canterlot, while also having caused so much disharmony that the Windigoes had literally come back. The fucking Windigoes!

And, let’s just say, as an Alicorn, Cozy hadn’t held back at all. She’d nearly killed Twilight on several occiusions.

Sheesh. No wonder she wanted to switch bodies with me to avoid punishment. I honestly don’t think, aside from Grogar, any being could’ve committed more crimes against Equestria.

We do a bit more talking, during which we finally convince the Pegasus I’m not the same filly who did those horrible things. 

After that and several goodbyes, the Apple parents and I hope on a train headed for Ponyville.

Pear Butter holds me close as the train starts moving. Time for them to go home… and time for me to face Twilight after all of Cozy’s crimes.
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5



___________________________________________________________




Pear Butter’s heart leapt as Ponyville came into view from the window of the train. She so desperately wanted to hold her foals in to her again.

A murmur from her side made her look down.

Autum had fallen asleep on the way, using all that magic had clearly drained her and she was laying against the Apple parent, nuzzling against her in her sleep.

Her mumbles were intelligible, but it both made her feel warm inside as well as sad for the things the poor little one had gone through.

She hoped they’d be able to find a way to switch Autum back with Cozy Glow, returning to their real home… though part of her was also saddened by that idea.

Autum was so sweet, when all she’d heard about the filly who’s mind had occupied the body leaning against her prior had been anything but.

She looked away, closing her eyes. She wasn’t sure she’d want to be there when the switch happened. After having gotten to know Autum for about a week, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to bear seeing a face so kind twisted by the evil of its original host upon its return, or to hear that sometimes snarky, but also kind voice replaced with a maliciousness so dark.

Though, that was even provided the spell could be reversed. What would Autum have to live with if they couldn’t reverse it?

She couldn’t live with Cozy Glow’s original family, it would be too awkward for her.

Could she live with them on the farm? She certainly would not object, as Autum had proven herself willing to work hard and stand up for those she cared for.

But what would their family’s reaction to such an idea be? From what they’d learned, their own family had been directly affected by Cozy’s actions during her and her cohorts’ invasion of Equestria.

Could their family be reasoned with to understand the filly as she is now was not that same vile pony who’d attacked their homeland?

Pear Butter looked back to the slumbering filly, her face mournful. The poor thing. If only there was something she could do. It wasn’t right for Autum to have to pay for Cozy’s crimes.

“Ya know, Ah just realized somethin’,” she turned to her husband, who was staring out the window with a slightly shocked look on his face. “Ah know we don’t really remember when we were trees, but d’ya remember feelin’ some kinda connection at one point? Kinda like a dream?”

Pear Butter rubbed the little filly’s cheek, causing her to snuggle closer and mumble something about getting five more minutes.

She looked up, trying to remember, before looking to Bright Mac, nodding. “Ah do. Ah remember feeling a pull o’ some kind. Ah don’t rightly know where it was, but it was somewhere on the farm.”

“An’ then there’s a dream Ah swear Ah had,” Bright Mac shakes his head. “It’s fuzzy, but Ah remember seein’ two ponies standin’ afore me and then a weddin’ happenin’ not long after.”

Pear Butter looked down at Autum. “Maybe some other ponies wan’ed t’ get married with our blessing, what with thinkin’ we were dead an’ all.”

The two turned their attention to the window as Ponyville came closer and closer.

Just how much had changed since they’d been gone?






___________________________________________________________






“Nice goin’, Sugar Belle,” Apple Bloom cheered as the unicorn bucked a tree.

A small cascade of apples tumbled down into the baskets bellow.

They were in the orchard, towards the area where it joined with the Pear’s orchard.

Sugar Belle blushed, wiping sweat from her brow, smiling sheepishly. “Thanks, Apple Bloom… but I know I’ll never be able to buck the apples like the rest of the family. Earth Pony strength does factor in there.”

“Still, yer doin’ pretty good fer yer first time,” Granny Smith said, walking in their direction.

“I think I’m better off helping Grand Pear bring down the pears, honestly,” the unicorn laughed lightly.

“I wouldn’t refuse the help,” Grand Pear’s voice called from a short distance away in the pear orchard.

The three mares had a good laugh.

“Ah wonder what’s takin’ Big Mac so long,” Apple Bloom asked, glancing towards the barn. “Him an’ Applejack shoulda been back by now.”

The three packed the bushel onto the cart, Sugar Belle hitching it to herself and they headed off to store the apples.

As they neared the barn, they noticed the front door to the house was open. Odd. If Big Mac or Applejack had left the house already, they wouldn’t just leave the doors open like that.

Sugar Belle and Apple Bloom heading towards the barn to store the apples while Granny headed inside.

Once the apples were stored, the two headed for the house themselves, only to be taken aback when they heard… sobbing?

Glancing at each other, they hurried inside, worried something was wrong.

What they saw caused them both to skid to a halt in the walkway to the living room.

Granny Smith was hugging two ponies, crying, while Big Mac and Applejack were holding each other, warm smiles on their faces despite the tears streaming down their cheeks.

The ponies in question… Sugar Belle couldn’t believe her eyes, her gaze darting from the ponies held in Granny Smith’s grip to pictures on the wall showing the same ponies.

“M-ma?” a quivering voice next to her made Sugar Belle look down to see Apple Bloom staring in awe and hope, her mouth quivering as tears welled in her eyes. “Pa?”

The other ponies all turned, the ponies who looked undoubtedly like Bright Mac and Pear Butter turning to look at her, the latter’s eyes filling with new tears.

“Mah little Apple Bloom?” she ask.

The filly barely waited. She ran forward, slamming into the tan coloured mare and began bawling.

Sugar Belle looked from the mother and daughter embracing to her husband and his sister, her expression dumbfounded. “I… I don’t understand. I thought you said… How are they here?”

The two just shook their heads. They didn’t know any better than she did.

She walked over to Granny Smith, who was trying to stop the flow of tears. “Granny, how are they here? I don’t understand at all.”

“Me neither, young’n,” she sobbed happily, sniffling as she looked to the unicorn. “Ah doubt know, but Ah honestly don’ think Ah care right now.”

“Yer mah new daughter-in-law?” Sugar Belle turned to see Pear Butter standing by her, Apple Bloom now being held in a loving embrace with her father as the waterworks continued.

The unicorn looked to her mother-in-law and nodded, becoming sheepish and rubbing her legs together.

She was taken aback when the mare pulled her into a tender hug. “Welcome t’ the family. Ah’m glad mah Mac could find a pony t’ share his life with. Take good care o’ him, now, ya here?”

Sugar Belle hesitated, before slowly pulling her own limbs up and returning the embrace. “I’m glad to be a part of your family, Mom.”

“How’re ya back?” they turned to Apple Bloom, still held by her father, as she looked around at the room at large. “Where’ve ya been? How come ya only comin’ back now.”

“We don’t know the full story, ourselves, t’ be honest,” Pear Butter says sheepishly.

“But we’ll be happy t’ tell you what we can,” Bright Mac said, ruffling his daughter’s mane.

“I thought I was getting held in the orchard,” a jokingly angry voice said from the hall. “Where’s that help I was prom—?”

His voice cut off as he entered and his eyes fell upon his daughter.

“Ah think we all should sit down,” Applejack said, moving away from her brother and putting a leg around her stunned grandfather, “let ma and pa explain.”

Suddenly, a scream of fear rang out through the air, causing them all to jump, and Bright Mac and Pear Butter’s eyes to widen. “Autum!”

The two rush passed the rest of the ponies, whom look to each other in confusion, before hurrying after then.

Big Mac and Applejack catch up to their parents first.

“Ma, Pa, what’s wrong?” Mac asks as they thunder down the path towards the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres.

“Who’s Autum?” Applejack asks.

“A filly who helped us get back t’ ya,” Pear Butter says, her voice anxious.

They passed through the gates and hurried up the path they’d left Autum on, slowly down when they saw the filly seemed fine. In fact, she wasn’t alone.

Another little Alicorn, who looked a surprisingly about like her, was there too. This one was clearly a baby and she was flying around Autum happily, cooing and making happy baby noises, while Autum just watched her darting back and forth in a mixture of amusement and confusion.

Before either of them could speak, however, their two eldest shouted in anger.

“Cozy Glow?!”






___________________________________________________________






“Ya sure?” Pear Butter asks as we stand a little away from Sweet Apple Acres.

I nod, looking down. “It’s better I not be there when you reunite with your family. I’ll just wait around here outside farm until after.”

The two parents look like they want to argue, but can tell I’m not going to budge on my choice, so nod and head off towards the house.

I walk a little further away into the trees and settle down in the grass, just watching the farm.

Well, here I am. Ponyville, the place where my fate is going to be met.

What that fate is, I honestly don’t know anymore. The fact Tirek and Cheese Legs got turned to stone gives me the sinking feeling that’s what’ll happen to me before I can even argue my case.

I extend my wings and give them a good look over. The darker pink is more noticeable to me now than back when I first found myself in this body.

Glancing up, I see my horn.

I look down, frowning.

Something is puzzling and worrying me. Back in Somnambula, I used my magic, a lot. That being the case… why was Discord not immediately on my tail after that?

I’m certain Celestia and Luna put him to the task of locating Cozy Glow the moment she’d not been punished… but then there’s what both Meadowbrook and Somnambula said.

The petrified form of Tirek and Cheese Legs has a Cozy Glow with them. But, how? I’m here. I avoided the Rainbow Laser, so how is there a shape of a stone Cozy in the statue. I was outta there back when Pinkie got Discord’s magic.

I shudder. Even thinking about that concept is terrifying.

I shake my head, returning to my previous train of thought. Discord should know I was in Somnambula. I’m pretty sure my magical signature is easy to find considering the magic in this body is merged with a third of Grogar’s... so why hasn’t he found me yet? I should easily have popped up on his radar after that.

Though, if he did find me, maybe that would be better than somepony else finding me.

I mean, if any creature in this world would believe me about Cozy switching bodies with me, it would be the Lord of Chaos himself. He knows about other worlds, so he’d definitely be the easiest to convince and he could probably reason with everypony and every creature else about it.

Suddenly, something grabs me from behind, something covering my eyes.

I yell in panic, leaping up and start flailing around, bucking hard, trying to shake whatever is attached to me off… before a rather familiar laugh catches my attention.

Calming down a little, I rest my hooves on the ground and realize whatever is on me feels close to my size, but is still smaller. As for what’s covering my eyes… feathery wings? And I know that laugh.

Lifting my forehooves up, I take the wings and pull them away from my eyes, craning my next back.

Flurry Heart’s big eyes and smile stare back at me.

I just stare at her, not really sure how to react.

After some time, I finally am able to come up with something to say.

“What’re you doing here?” I ask, cocking my head to the side. “Why aren’t you in the Crystal Empire?”

She just garbles at me happily, pushing off from me and hovering next to me, before she whirls around me excitedly, darting back and forth.

I cock my head again, not sure why she’s so excited, before I blink and glance down at my wings, then up at my horn and it clicks.

We’re about the same size despite her age and we… kinda look alike, now that I stop and think about it. She probably thinks I’m either family or somepony dressed up as her and she finds it funny.

“Cozy Glow?!”

The angry and confused cries make me jump and my eyes widen as I turn to see Bright Mac and Pear Butter standing there with their oldest children… and the latter do not look happy to see me.

Shit!

Pear Butter’s eyes widen and she turns to her son. “Wait. Ya don’ understand—”

Big Mac doesn’t wait, charging at me.

I cry out, turning to run.

Flurry laughs, seeming to think it’s a game and starts clapping.

Running to escape was in vein, as I’m slammed to the ground within seconds, wincing at the pressure put on both my wings and back by the much larger stallion.

Curse Cozy’s tiny legs and my inexperience with flight.

“What in tarnation?!” Granny Smith’s voice says from somewhere I can’t see due to the mass of red stallion lying atop me, pinning me to the ground.

“No, ya don’ understand!” Bright Mac’s voice says, sounding worried.

“Get back, both o’ ya!” Applejack’s voice says sternly. “Ya don’t know what that filly is capable of.”

“But how’d she get outta the stone prison Discord an’ the Princesses put her an’ her cohorts in?” Apple Bloom’s voice says, sounding confused. “An’ why’ she an Alicorn again?”

“If’n ya’ll let us explain—” Pear Butter tries again.

“An’ what did you do with the Autum filly who was with our parents earlier?” Big Mac demands from atop me. “Where are they?”

I could answer if I could fucking breathe!

Suddenly, an unhappy sound comes from above and I hear Big Mac yell in shock as I feel his weight removed from me, letting me gasp in much needed oxygen.

Looking up, I see Flurry Heart glaring at him, her horn glowing with its golden aura.

I slowly get up, wincing with every movement. Crap, Big Mac, what the fuck? I know Cozy’s a bad guy and you think I’m her but what were you trying to do, crush me to death?

Flurry Heart comes down, giving me a worried look.

I give her a pained grin. Fuck, my body aches.

“Get away fr’m the princess!”

An angry yell makes me turn to see Big Mac getting back up before he charges towards me.

Flurry makes a scared sound and I hear her aura, before feeling magic grabbing me and realize she’s pulling me into a teleport.

“No, Flurry, wait—!” I try to yell, before the spell blinks us out of existence.






___________________________________________________________








We reappear, myself feeling woozy from the sudden shift in my molecules, before I yell as I fall, us having teleported from outside Sweet Apple Acres to somewhere in the air.

I give a loud grunt as I hit a hard floor, whimpering a little from the pain. Right after having Big Mac lying atop me and crushing my bones, this was not helpful. Not helpful at all.

A concerned sound from above me make me look up through half open eyes to see Flurry fly down and hover in front of me, looking worried.

“I’m okay,” I lie, pushing myself up and failing to hide the pain of my aching everything from showing on my face. “That just hurt a bit is all.”

“What in Equestria?!” a male voice shouts.

Looking up, my eyes open wide as they fall on Shining Armour, who’s standing in front of… Cadance’s throne in the Crystal Empire.

Well, fuck.
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 6



 



___________________________________________________________








“I… honestly don’t quite understand how the stories are true,” the purple crystal Pegasus guard says, glancing over his shoulder.

“Yeah,” the yellow one on his right says, glancing back as well. “I mean, it does sound pretty insane something so small could do all that.”

“Then again, she’s an Alicorn and we’ve seen what Princess Flurry Heart can do,” the purple one said, causing the two to shudder.

The yellow one rubs his chin with a hoof. “Though, didn’t those first things happen before she became an Alicorn?”

“Look, could you two either shut up or at least not talk about me like I’m not in the room?” I grumble, glancing up, but not bother to lift my head off my folded forelegs.

I’m currently situated in a barren crystal themed room that was originally a guest room, while locked in a crystal cage, a magical dampening ring over my horn.






	2 HOUR AGO










“Well, fuck,” I mutter, glancing to the baby Alicorn. “Not exactly your brightest idea there, baby voiced by Tabitha St Germain.”

“Cozy Glow?!” Shining cries in alarm, before his eyes narrow, his horn glowing with his purple aura. A confused looking Flurry Heart is teleported to his side, where he pulls her to him with a foreleg and holds her tight while yelling, “Guards!”

The sound of thundering hoofsteps on crystal are quickly followed by the sound of doors opening from behind me, before several yellow and purple Crystal Pony guards surround me, pointing their spires at me.

“We have you surrounded,” one of them, a purple one, says loudly and firmly, thrusting his spire forward. “Don’t try any funny business, or else.”

“Oh, yeah,” I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes. “Because you need to surrounded a filly less than half any of your sizes who’s already been crushed by a stallion slamming his whole weight down on her tiny bones. Clearly, while in such stiff pain, I’m gonna fly up and do kung fu on all your asses.”

“We don’t have any donkeys in the Empire!” a yellow guard growls. “Any threats against them are in vein when none are here.”

I blink, before rolling my eyes again. “Whelp, guess there has to be a few idiots among the only competent guards. Transfer from Canterlot, I take it?”

“Don’t get smart with me, criminal!” he growls, thrusting his spire closer.

Suddenly, I’m looking at his backside from a distance as I float next to Flurry Heart and Shining Armour.

“Stay back!” the father yells, backing away.

Flurry, however, laughs, teleporting out of her father’s grip and reappearing atop my head as I drop due to her no longer holding me in her magic.

Next moment I’m on the other side of the room near the guards, who all cry out in confusion, while Flurry laughs, clapping her hooves.

The guards charge towards us and I find myself now above Cadance’s throne.

Two guards fly up towards us, before I’m back by the doors, my head spinning from all the sudden shifts in position and very little time to acclimatize.

A yell from my right causes me to glance to see a blurry white and purple blotch that I think is Shining Armour rushing towards me.

Next moment, I’m sitting in Cadance’s throne, my body flopping down, Flurry still atop my head, laughing.

My vision whirls around and around. My stomach gurgles, teleporting so many times in rapid succession after being flattened clearly not sitting well with it and I feel a burning sensation coming up my throat, before I vomit all over the floor in front of throne.

After I finish, I just lay there, groaning as Flurry giggles and claps.






	NOW






Yep. I wasn’t caught hiding in a secret location or after having some big fight. I was caught because a baby Alicorn tried to save me by taking me to her home after I’d been crushed, thus couldn’t fight back, then being teleported around the room by said baby so much I ended up hurling my stomach’s contents all over the throne room floor.

Despite getting only a look over by the Castle Doctor, I wasn’t given much treatment. Apparently I didn’t need it, since Alicorns are supposed to be able to recover from physical easily.

I wonder if Alicorns get stronger after recovering from beat downs like Saiyans do? Do Alicorns get Zenkai Boosts?

The door opens and a pair of guards in colours matching the two already in the room walk in, followed by the pink Alicorn of Love herself… and she looks pissed. I haven’t seen her that angry since the season 9 premiere when she seemed ready to kick Sombra’s ass after he foalnapped Flurry. Then again, she’s barely been in the season after that and I missed episodes, clearly, due to Cozy switching bodies with me.

She walks up to my cage and just glares down at me.

I don’t bother meeting her eyes. What’s the point? She isn’t going to listen. Her Mama Bear instincts are in full swing right now. Everyone knows that leaves out any rationale if their worried about their babies.

“Why?” she says tensely after several long minutes of silence.

I just shift around, turning my head on its side. “Gonna have to be a bit more specific there, Princess.”

“Why did you steal my baby from Ponyville?!” she almost shouts. I can feel the anger emanating from her. “How are you not still trapped in the statue?! How did you know I was visiting Twilight with Flurry Heart? What was your angle? Were you going to hold her hostage in exchange for freeing your allies? And how are you still an Alicorn?!”

“I didn’t. Never was. Had no clue. None. No. Was the only one smart enough to jump out of the way,” I say monotone.

“You honestly expect me to believe that?” My cage shakes, making me glance up to see she’s slammed a hoof against it, glaring malice at me. “You just happened to be in Ponyville? You just happened to run into my daughter? You just happened to teleport here into the Empire?”

“Was reuniting the Apples. Yes. And why would I be so stupid as to steal your daughter and then teleport right into your empire, right into the throne room, with your husband right there?” I ask, getting up, turning around so my back is to her and laying down again.

“I… wait…” Cadance says slowly, seeming to take what I said into consideration.

“Let me guess,” I say, looking at the blank wall before me. “Twilight and the others are on their way, with plans on turning me into stone. Thanks for nothing, Cozy Glow, you bitch.”

“Calling yourself a bitch is rather foolish, don’t you think?”

“Considering your daughter’s actions in the past and you ignoring them now, are you one to talk?”

Shortly after I’d been taken into custody, Flurry had kept teleporting into the room and opening the cage, trying to free me so she could play.

Eventually, the guards had to put a magical inhibitor ring on her too and she’s currently confined to her room, with guards keeping a close eye on her.

“Look, just get Discord and get this over with,” I say, standing up and turning around, looking firmly at her. “Once Cozy and I switch back, you can do whatever the fuck you wanna do to her. I couldn’t give two shits how harsh a punishment she receives. After everything she’s done to you all and me, Cozy can burn in Hell for all eternity for all I care.”

Cadance gives me an odd look, before narrowing her eyes. “Just because Trixie is a kind of friend, don’t thinking talking in the third person like her can endear you in any way. Not after what you’ve done.”

I roll my eyes. “Whatever. Just get the Lord of Chaos so we can wrap this up. I’m sick of this tiny body. Being able to fly is cool and all, but I want to get that bitch away from my family as soon as possible.”

Cadance cocks an eyebrow at me, before shaking her head. “Grogar’s power must be messing with your head.”

She leaves, the guards who’d been standing watch over me leaving with her.

“Not even addressing Discord?” I call as the door closes. “No wonder he always feels left out.”

“The Lord of Chaos cannot be reached, right now,” the purple new guard says as he and his partner take their places either side of the front of my cage. “If he were, this would already been over with.”

You got that right, bucko. Just not in the way you’re thinking.

I blink, glancing at him. “Wait, why not?”

“After the mess he caused in Canterlot, he suggested he take some time off,” the yellow guard says curtly. “Nopony know where he is or when he will return.”

“Great,” I grumble, slumping down on the floor of my cage, folding my forelegs and laying my head over them. “Just wonderful.”

“I find it odd you are in a hurry to be punished,” the guard says, giving me an odd look.

I snort. “Trust me. The sooner Cozy Glow gets the punishment for her crimes she deserves, the happier I’ll be.”

The two guards look to each other, uncertain.

“None of the reports said she was a masochistic,” the purple one says.

I snort.








 



___________________________________________________________












“So,” the purple Alicorn says, looking down at me with contempt. “You escaped. And tried to foalnap my niece. Do you deny it?”

“No to the first and second, yes to the third,” I say, giving her a blank look.

I’m now in the crystal throne room.

Cadance is sitting in her throne, Shining Armour by her side. The Mane 6 and Spike are standing in front them, each giving me a disgusted look. Even Fluttershy. Sheesh, I may know I personally have done nothing wrong, but that stare is pretty harsh coming from her.

Crystal guards are all surrounding me, several with spires pointed at me, others holding ends of the chains wrapped around me to prevent me from escaping.

If not for the fact I know how fucked up I know Cozy is, I’d say they were going overboard.

The doors open and I glance behind me to see the Royal Sisters walk in, before giving me the darkest of glares. Feels odd, Celestia giving me such a look when I met her voice actress at a convention only a few months ago and she’d been so nice to me.

The two walk passed me, Luna particularly giving me a narrowed glare, before they join the others and all stand before me.

Twilight steps forward, her gaze stern. “You will answer for your crimes, Cozy Glow. But first, you will answer questions.”

I roll my eyes. Great means of intimidation there, future ruler of Equestria. Tell the criminal they will be punished, then say they must answer questions. If a criminal already knows they’re fucked, why would they feel obligated to answer any questions at all?

“Why were you unaffected? How were you unaffected? How come you were turned to stone, but are now here and still an Alicorn, when you were a Pegasus again when turned to stone?”

“Trust me, Bookhorse,” I deadpan, “if I knew how Cozy pulled all this shit off, it would do me no good.”

“Talkin’ ’bout yerself like ya ain’t you ain’t gonna fool us like ya did mah parents!” Applejack growls, stomping a hoof. “Convincin’ them ya ain’t who ya are. Ya no good brat! Ah should teach ya a lesson mahself.”

“Yeah. Because if Cozy could whoop the Royal Guards’ asses all by herself, you could do it better,” I snort, before frowning. “Wait. Sorry. That’s insulting to you. Forgot which Royal Guard I was talking about for a second there.”

“Don’t try changing the subject!” Dash thumps a hoof against the other. “Answer Twilight’s questions, or else!”

I roll my eyes. “Or else what? You’ll turn me to stone and then turn me to stone again. You ponies really need to get better with your threats.”

“Enough!” Celestia cold, stern voice causes the room to go silent and I actually feel anxious. I’ve never heard her speak that way in the show before. “There is no punishment worthy of the things you and your cohorts did.”

“And it seems the one Discord suggested is ineffective, at least against you,” Luna continues for her sister. 

You’d think I’d be panicking. Well, I am on the inside. This is so fucked up! It has been made very clear since I was caught that I am no getting out of here. 

My request for the Apple parents to defend my case? Ignored.

Chances of Discord returning like a Deus Ex Machina to save me? Pretty much none of he’s off in another world vacationing.

The fact I am very certain I am going to face the same fate as Cheese Legs and Tirek is terrifying me. I’ll never see my family again, frozen in time for very likely the rest of time, never to be free.

Joking around, pointing out the flaws in their arguments and being snarky, iss the only thing keeping me from going full out panic and start kicking and screaming for them to listen, even though I know they all just don’t care, seeing anything I say as another Cozy Glow Lie.

What’s the point in fighting back when no one is willing to listen? I dunno, but I still don’t wanna go down without a fight. But how do you fight when all the odds are literally against you?!

“Cozy Glow,” Twilight steps forward, glaring. “For all your crimes against Equestria, for all the suffering you’ve caused, lives you’ve hurt, I sentence you to—”

“Wee!”

I blink. Huh?

A popping sound is followed by Flurry Heart appearing in the middle of the room, high in the air, the four guards who’d been watching over her crying out us they drop through the air and thump against the crystal floor.

The baby Alicorn looks around, before noticing me.

At once, she frowns in confusion, before scowling, her horn glowing.

I feel the familiar sensation of another pony’s teleport grabbing me and my vision goes white.






___________________________________________________________








There was a long silence as everypony and dragon just stared at the empty chains and inhibitor ring on the floor.

What…? What had just happened?

One moment, they’d been about to sentence Cozy Glow for her crimes, the next, Flurry Heart came bargaining in, glared at the filly and the two vanished in a teleport, the chains and ring falling to the floor, their captive now absent.

“Send out a search party at once!” Shining Armour yelled, the guards nodding and hurrying out the doors. “We dunno where Flurry might’ve gone. But if she’s taken Cozy Glow with her, for whatever reason, she’s in danger!”

“I don’t understand,” Spike shook his head, looking to the Alicorn who was like his mother. “Why would Flurry Heart barge in her a teleport Cozy Glow away?”

“I… I honestly don’t know,” Twilight said, her face a mask of puzzlement, before she shook her head, her expression firming. “But, whatever the case, we need to find her before Cozy Glow tries to do anything to her.”






___________________________________________________________








“Yah!” I yell as I appear in the air and drop, crashing into several metal objects, causing a domino effect as countless things topple over, smashing, clanging and banging.

After what feels like forever, it all stops, leaving a still silence… until Flurry laughs, before flying down and lands on my back, snuggling against me.

I’d find it cute if she hadn’t just dropped me into a tons of metal shit.

Sighing, I push myself up and take stock of where we are. A small room, maybe as big as Scootaloo’s bedroom, no windows, filled with tons of things like dusty armour, dull spires, among other things I don’t recognize likely because they never appeared in the show.

I crane my next to look at the little foal. “You really are a hell spawn, you know that?”

She just lifts her head to look at me, her expression saying she clearly has no idea what I’m talking about.

I sigh, shaking my head and look around the room for an exit. Seeing a door hidden behind several fallen over pieces of armour and other crap, I move towards it, before pausing, glancing up at my horn.

Wait a minute. If Discord isn’t in this dimension right now, does that mean I could use magic without having to worry about being detected?

I deadpan. Yeah, because you know how to do that. I literally have no idea how I used my magic against Stalwart Stallion back in Somnambula. I can barely even remember what I was thinking at the time, I’d been so blinded by rage.

Still, I can’t stay here. I’d be found eventually and it’s not like anypony’s been willing to listen since I got to the empire.

I frown, looking down. I need to think about what I’m going to do before I do it. I can’t just go blindly rushing into things here.

Technically speaking, right now, I’m in enemy territory. No one but Flurry is close by that trusts me and she’s just a baby. It’s not like she can argue a case for me.

“Too bad I can’t just teleport us outta here easily as you, Flurry,” I glance over my shoulder. “You’re so OP.”

She lifts her head, blinks at me, before smiling, her horn glowing.

Aw, shit. Here we go again.
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 7



 



 





___________________________________________________________








I grunt as I fall into a clump of snow, it consuming me.

I pop my head out, spitting and shaking my head, before looking around.

We’re somewhere in the frozen tundra. Where? I dunno. Aside from Party Pooped, no episode really explored the area outside the empire and what we saw in that episode wasn’t much anyway.

I frown, glancing up at the foal atop my head as she snuggles in.

I sigh. “Whelp, no point just standing around.”

Judging by the position of the sun, it’s at least either mid or late afternoon. It’ll be night before too long and the last thing we’ll want is to be outside in the snow at night.

I start trudging through the snow, in no particular direction. All I can hope is, if we don’t find the empire or maybe Yakyakistan, we at least find a cave or something. Worse comes to worse, I’ll try digging a snow cave. I learned about those from survival shows and the Maximum Ride books.










___________________________________________________________








“Any sign of them?!” Cadance asks anxiously as the guards, her friends and family come back into the throne room.

“Nothing!” Shining shakes his head, equally as concerned. “We’ve searched the whole Crystal Empire and found no sign of them.”

“There was a storage room that looked like Cozy might’ve lost her temper in,” Applejack says, looking to Rainbow Dash, who nodded. “But otherwise, there ain’t no sign anywhere.”

“Wait a minute,” Twilight blinked, before facehoofing. “I should’ve thought of this sooner. Cadance, was Flurry wearing that charm necklace I got her for Hearth’s Warming the year before last?”

Cadance blinked, thinking for a moment, before nodding frantically. “Yes!”

“It has a spell on it so it can keep track of foals when they wander off, so you’d be able to find her,” Twilight said excitedly, her horn glowing and a small scroll and quickly reading it over, before noticing the surprised looks everypony was giving her. “What? I wouldn’t be a responsible aunt if I didn’t make sure I couldn’t lose my own niece, would I?”

“We must hurry and cast the spell to track the necklace as soon as possible,” Celestia said, looking through a window. “I fear for Flurry the longer she and Cozy are alone together.”

“What if they’re outside the empire?” Dash asked, looking around.

“As long as they’re not too far away, the spell should be able to track them,” Twilight said, before hesitantly, an anxious smile on her face. “I mean, as long as they’re not closer to, say, Yakyakistan, the spell should be able to find them.”








___________________________________________________________










“Th-this really wasn’t the best idea, F-F-Flurry!” I yell over the howling winds.

We’ve been walking for I dunno how long. Well, to be exact, I’ve been the one walking, Flurry’s been riding on my back. If not for the fact I’m an Alicorn, the fact she and I are close to the same size would probably make that a lot tougher a job.

It’s already night time and the winds picked up the darker the sky became. Figures we’d end up in a blizzard. Lady Luck must really be holding a grudge against me.

I can barely see where I’m going anymore. The fact I don’t even know how to use my magic to at least give us some light certainly isn’t helping, either.

Right now we’re sitting in the middle of nowhere with the storm raging all around us. I’m holding Flurry close to me, my wings wrapped around, doing my best to keep her warm.

She’s holding onto my tightly, clearly not understanding why it’s so cold, but trusting me since I’m the older person, erm, pony.

I look around through squinted eyes, still seeing nothing but darkness and whirling winds of snow.

We’re so screwed. Bad enough I’m suffering for Cozy’s crimes, now Flurry will too. God, I wanna hurt that bitch so much right now.

I blink, turning my head in the opposite direction I’d been looking. Did I just hear something? It’s hard to tell with all this wind.

A whimper makes me look down against as Flurry tries to bury herself deeper into my fur.

I pull her closer. “I’m so sorry, Flurry.” I sigh. “I don’t even know if this is all Cozy’s fault or mine anymore. If I just surrendered back in Ponyville, you wouldn’t be out here right now.”

My ears twitch and I perked up again. I can swear I heard something that time.

I turn my head every which way, along with shifting my ears back and forth. Are we not the only ones out here?

I blanch, remembering that yeti Pinkie encountered. The one she later confirmed was a pony eating one. I really hope it’s not that.

“Mama!”

I whirl my head to my right. Okay. I definitely heard that!

“Hold onto me tight, Flurry!” I yell, shifting around and putting her on my back, moving my wings as best I can to wrap around her as she presses into me for warmth.

I rush through the wind, blind, but keeping my ears forward, trusting them.

After a few minutes, I can make out two shapes in the distance. Somepony else is out here? What are they thinking?

Increasing my pace, they come further into view and I realize it’s a pair of young yaks. They look maybe a little younger than Yona. Um, okay. Now I’m even more confused.

They’re both looking down at something.

As I get closer, I realize it’s the edge of a drop. What in the world are they looking down there for?

“Mama!” the one on the right, a female, calls in worry.

“You okay?” the other, her brother, I’m guessing, calls.

“Yak okay!” a deeper, yet still female voice calls from below.

I pick up the pace and stop next to them. “What happened?”

“Mother fell down cliff,” the male says, turning to me, before blinking in confusion. “Why ponies out in blizzard?”

“Long story, though I could ask the same about you,” I say, shaking my head and looking down to see a much larger yak on the edge of an outcrop. Beneath that? Darkness. One wrong move and that yak could end up falling to her death.

Scanning the area, I see there might be a way to lead her up, but it would require a strong being to pull her and she’d have to move carefully. The latter is not exactly something yaks are skilled with, from what the show displayed.

I frown, looking to my hooves and take a deep breath. Okay, pony body. If ever you were gonna work with me instead of against me, now would be a good time.

“Take her,” I say, sitting down and, with a little difficulty, pulling Flurry off my back and hand her to the girl yak, whom quickly pulls Flurry close, her coat helping to keep the baby warm. “I’ll see what I can do. It won’t be easy, but it should work.”

“But you just small pony,” the girl yak says, before nodding to Flurry. “Barely bigger than this pony. How you pull Mama up when you so small?”

I unfurl my wings and point to my horn. “Regardless of size, Alicorns are pretty strong.” I mean, in her first episode, Flurry was dragging Pinkie Pie around the floor like she barely weighed anything.

Taking a deep breath, move over to the thin path and carefully move down it. The winds seem a little less forceful down here, so I should be able to keep my footing. Hopefully.

Focusing, I aim down and stop close to the yak mother. “Ma’am,” I yell over the wind, causing her to turn to me in surprise, “take my hoof. I’m going to try guiding you up the cliff. We’ll have to take it slow, but as long as you don’t make any sudden movements, we should be fine! Okay?”

She nods, reaching out a hoof and I take it.

I begin slowly leading her up the narrow path. The higher we go, the more I have to focus though, as the winds get stronger the further up, my third of Pegasus instincts yelling at me to open my wings every time a harsh wind suddenly blows, despite my knowing that would be a very bad idea right now.

Just as we’re about to reach the top, I feel a yanking sensation and am whirled around to see the yak lost her footing as a piece of the path falls away, pulling us with it.

I shut my eyes tight as my stomach is yanked away from me, feeling a hotness take over— before we lightly plop into snow.

“Mama!” two voices cry, before I feel a body slam into me, sending me rolling to my side.

Opening my eyes, I see Flurry’s staring back at me, filled with tears. Looking past her, I see the two young yaks hugging their mother tightly.

I can’t help but smile.

After a few moments, the yaks stop hugging and the mother turns to me. “Pony saved yak. Helped yak. Yak want to help pony.”

“With all due respect, unless you can find us a cave or something to wait out this storm, I don’t know what you can do to help, miss,” I say, standing up, a little difficult when a pony almost your exact size is clinging tightly to your front.

She nods. “Cave close. Yaks headed there when cliff break off. Come. We all go together.”

Shifting Flurry onto my back again, I follow after the mother and her children. After a minute or two, what looks like a cave does indeed appearing through the darkness.

I wilt a little as I realize it’s the same one Pinkie found the yeti in, before reminding myself it’s currently residing in Tartarus. Or, at least, I hope it is. For all I know the one in Tartarus and the one Pinkie encountered are two different yetis.

We make our way inside, myself sighing with relief as the walls stop the howling winds from continually blowing in my face.

The yak mother nods to her children, before moving over the entrance and kicking it. The walls shake and a large clump of snow falls, blocking most of the exit.

“That will keep snow out,” she nods, turning around to face the four of us. “Keep ponies and yaks warm.”

“And you didn’t block of the air supply either,” I say, taking note of the gap towards the top.

The three look to me in confusion.

“When building a snow cave, one mistake a lot of, um, ponies make is they seal the exit completely,” I explain, pulling the facts right out of my ass thanks to the Maximum Ride books again. “Doing so cuts of the air, causing those within to get sleepy due to a lack of oxygen and… I’ve already lost you, haven’t I?” I say to the blank expressions I’m getting.

The three nod in response.

I sigh, deciding to simplify it. “With that hole at the top, air will keep getting in, meaning we’ll be okay.”

Three nods are the response again.

The mother yak moves over to us, sitting down against the cave wall and indicating to her children. They move over and snuggle against her.

I settle down where I am, moving Flurry against and wrapping my wings around her like I did back in the blizzard.

“Pony want to keep sister warm?”

I look up to see the mother yak indicating for me to join them.

I shake my head. “Oh, no. She’s not my sister.”

The mother cocks her head to the side in confusion. “But, look same. You not sisters, but look same?”

I open my mouth to answer… but close it, frowning. How do I explain that, exactly? I mean, we do look alike, but I know there is no relations between Flurry and Cozy. None at all. It’s just random chance we look near identical.

The mother shakes her head again, before indicating for us to come over. “Either way, ponies get warmer if over here.”

I want to argue, but she has a point. Yaks clearly have warmer fur than ponies and Flurry’s safety comes first. So, I get up and walk over, snuggling close into her fur with the two younger yaks.

As the yaks and Flurry start falling asleep, I look towards the cave entrance and watch the winds blowing outside from the gap.

There’s no way we’re getting out until this storm settles, so we’re stuck here til then.

I hate to think how worried Cadance is about her foal. I mean, as far as she’s aware, her baby is with a known psychopath and out in a blizzard. I can’t even imagine how terrified for Flurry she must be.

Sighing, I settle down, pulling Flurry a bit closer and let sleep take me.












___________________________________________________________












Twilight looked down sadly as she turned away from the door to Flurry Heart’s room. Cadance was in there, crying.

The spell had told them Flurry wasn’t even the empire anymore. In fact, she was out somewhere in the frozen tundra, but was too far away for it to lock onto her exact position and the weather was too fierce for them to go out and search.

It didn’t take being Princess Celestia’s personal pupil to know Flurry’s chances of survival were slim at best if she was out in that weather.

Luna was going to be patrolling the Dream Realm tonight, ignoring her usual duties and searching solely for Flurry’s dreams. If they could find her in the Dream Realm, there was a slim chance her dreams might hold an answer to where she was. And, as long as she was in the Dream Realm, she was alive and that was good enough.

Still, Cadance wasn’t doing so well. She clearly didn’t want to hold onto hope, knowing too well that if she did and the worst happened, it would shatter her worse than giving up now would.

Twilight wiped the tears welling in her eyes. She had to keep hope, if not for her sake, but for Cadance and Flurry.

Taking a deep breath, she headed to her assigned guest room. She doubted she’d get much sleep, though.












___________________________________________________________










I start from sleep, looking up. It takes a moment to remember where I am, before I remember I’m with the yaks in the cave.

Sighing, I look down, only for my heart to leap into my chest when I realize Flurry isn’t being held in my wings.

I push out from the yaks, looking around frantically.

“Flurry Heart?!” I call out in panic, looking everywhere around me for any signs of the little Alicorn. “Flurry Heart, where are you?! This isn’t funny, little filly! Come back now!”

“Looking for this?”

My eyes widen at the sound of my old voice and I whirl around to see a human with dark-blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing an orange Naruto shirt and long khaki pants step out from the darkness, holding a squirming Flurry in his right hand.

“Let her go now, Cozy Glow!” I snarl.

She in my body just sneers at me. “In due time. Finding my way back to Equestria wasn’t easy. Now I’m back and you got away from my punishment, I want my body back. This little one will be my bargaining chip.”

I cock an eyebrow. “Will be?”

He gives me a deadpan look. “It’s clear you’re too stupid to find a way to switch us back, so I’ll need the other princesses to do it.”

It’s my turn to cock an eyebrow. “You do realize that if the switch happens while you’re holding Flurry, the moment I’m back in my body, I’ll let her go and you are so screwed, right? No Grogar’s Bell to nerf the princesses and a human against this puny body?” I indicate to my current form. “Magic or not, I could beat the living shit out of you before you could even think of casting a spell. And believe me, I’ll enjoy every second of your pain.”

“Well, this is not what I would’ve expected.”

I blink and whirl around again at the familiar voice and wilt as my eyes fall on the Princess of the Night.

“I… but… how…” I blink, looking behind me to see Cozy in my body and the captive Flurry Heart fade away like snow in the wind.

 I gulp, before grinning nervous as I turn around, feel a confusing combination of relief and fear. “This is only a dream, isn’t it?”

The dark Alicorn nods.

I gulp again. “Well, at least I know Flurry is safe.”

“And just why do you care for her?” she asks, glancing to where the dream Cozy in my body had been moments ago. “What was a human doing in your dream? How do you know of such beings? Why were you telling it you would beat it up the moment it switched bodies with you?”

I sigh, before looking straight at her. “Are you willing to actually listen?”

“We are in the Dream Realm,” she says firmly. “Any lie you try to spin will—”

At once, everything shatters like a pane of glass hit with a baseball, Luna quickly fading away.










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I snort, shaking my head, knowing I’m waking up for real this time.

Glancing around the cave, I wonder what woke me, before a brisk wind blows into my face, making me wince against it.

Squinting my eyes open, I notice a hole has opened up in the cave entrance.

I frown, looking around the cave. I sure hope nothing just came in. I mean, the hole is small, so unless it was a baby yeti, I doubt we’re in too much danger. But still…

I looking back to the entrance, I glance at my horn, before sighing. Yeah, right.

Slowly, despite my body’s protests, I push my way out from the warm pile and move over to the entrance. Grabbing some snow, I move back and forth until the new hole is filled, cutting off the excess wind.

Nodding, I move back over to the pile and wiggle my way back in, Flurry seeming to sense my return and snuggling closer to me.

I can’t help the small smile that comes to my face and close my eyes as I wrap my forelegs around her, trying to return to sleep again.
> Chapter 8
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Chapter 8



 



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I stir from sleep, confused as to what could’ve woken me.

Blinking, I look down and notice Flurry is awake too. Her eyes are narrowed and fixed on something behind me, in the back of the cave.

I bite my lip, the pain confirming I’m awake. Slowly, I ease Flurry out of my grasp, slipping her into the boy yak’s forelegs and squirm out of the pile.

Hopping to the cave floor, I turn to the back of the cave, bracing myself, trying to look as intimidating as possible. How did Cozy pull this off? I feel like an idiot, trying to look intimidating in her body.

“Who’s there?” I growl, doing my best to hide my surprise when my horn glows, trying to go along with it to seem more confident. “Flurry doesn’t like you, so I doubt I will either. Show yourself!” Please don’t be the yeti. Please don’t be the yeti!

A deep chuckle comes from the darkness, before I’m blinded by a green light.

Shaking my head, I blink, trying to clear my eyesight.

“Well, well, well. Trying to be all macho, are we?” my old voice asks.

My eyes widen as my old body walks out of the darkness, my face warped in a sinister sneer.

What? Shit! How? This isn’t a dream this time. Fuck! How’d Cozy find her way back to Equestria in my body? That shouldn’t even be possible!

“How’d you get here?!” I snarl, thrusting my head forward aggressively.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Cozy chuckles, before glaring. “It wasn’t easy. That world of yours is pathetic. Still, at least now I have a better body for the job.”

I cock my head. Wait, what?

Cozy rushes forward, grabbing me by the head and lifts me up. I cry out, waving my legs helplessly in the air and flapping my wings, trying to get out of her grip.

Cozy laughs coldly and, to my bewilderment and horror, I drop as she grabs my horn and I feel my horn vanish from my head and my wings get smaller in seconds.

I flop onto the floor of the cave, putting a hoof to my head and glancing back at my now puny wings, before cruel laughter makes me turn my head and my blood runs cold.

Cozy is still in my body… but it’s changing. Her Alicorn wings and horn are growing out of it, spreading to match the size difference and magic is glowing around her hands.

“But… but how?!” I whimper, backing away. “You… you can’t…”

“Oh, can’t I?” she laughs, my male voice sounding so heartless and evil scaring me to know end. I had no idea I could sound like that. “This body will work so much better. You humans may lack most things ponies have, but add magic and you’re more than any creature in this pathetic world can handle. Speaking of which…”

She lifts a hand and, to my absolute horror, hear a whine as Flurry is yanked over, Cozy holding her by the back of the head.

“I never did like how this runt got lucky by being born this way. Plus, she’s annoying,” she glares at Flurry, before giving a sinister sneer. “About time I remedied that.”

Within seconds, she crushes Flurry’s skull, the body falling limply to the floor.

“FLURRY!” I scream, my eyes wide. That… that did not just happen. It… it can’t have.

Cozy gives a maniacal laugh. “And this is just the beginning. Soon, this whole world will feel my might.”

I just sit there, tears streaming down my face. She killed Flurry Heart. She just killed her, in cold blood. Flurry was such an innocent soul… and now she’s gone.

“Oh, don’t feel too bad,” I slowly look up as Cozy struts towards me, her hands outstretched, and orb of red energy glowing in front of it. “You’ll be joining her soon. Then I’ll…” She grunts, stopping, raising an arm to shield her face.

I blink. There’s a light shining from behind us.

I slowly turn around… only to blink in confusion. It’s… it’s Flurry Heart?

She’s hovering in the air, her eyes narrowed, horn glowing as her body shines with her golden aura.

“St-stop!” Cozy growls, backing up as the shining Flurry comes closer. “No! You… you won’t… STOP!”

I slowly turn my head to Cozy as she backs away from the oncoming light. That last one… sounded familiar. Cozy didn’t say it in my voice.

I feel a warmth pass over me and look up to Flurry, who’s smiling down at me, a hoof outstretched.

I slowly lift my own hoof and take it, the warmth flooding my body, my vision becoming pure white.

When my vision clears, everything the same… including Flurry being right there.

At once, happiness floods my very soul and I grab Flurry tightly, hugging her as hard as I can. I never wanna let her out of my sight again. Never.

My wings flap, and I realize they feel bigger. Shifting my head a bit, I see my wings are Alicorn sized again and a glance up reveals I have my horn back.

A hiss comes from the back of the cave.

Turning to look at Cozy, I don’t see her or the body of the Flurry she’d crushed the life out of. Instead, I see a wispy pony shape. It looks like broken shadow, with glowing green eyes… and a red curved horn.

My eyes widen, before they narrow. “Sombra?! How?! I thought Twilight and the other banished you to aether again!”

The shadowy form hisses. Not all of me. What was banished was what did get sent the first time the Crystal Princess used the Crystal Heart on me. My horn remained, lost in the frozen tundra, slowly regaining my energy.

I blink, before I snarl. “You showed me my worst fear. Cozy keeping my body… but why the fuck did you make the Fear Cozy crush Flurry Heart’s skull?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

He winces and I realize it’s because the light from Flurry Heart is shining on him. Her light is weakening him. I did nothing to what you saw. I only showed you what was in your heart, foal!

I blink. Huh?

A growl from Flurry makes me look down to her to show she’s giving Sombra the nastiest look I’ve ever seen her give anyone, before she fires a blast of magic at him.

It hits and he wails in pain.

“Why creepy shadow yell in pain?!” Glancing back, I see our back and forth has woken the yaks and the mother is standing protectively over her young, while giving me a look that says she wants us to join them. She wants to keep us safe too.

I turn back to Sombra as he wilts back.

I let go of Flurry and she hovers next to me, her eyes fixed on the shadowy figure before us.

“Flurry sensed you,” I say, thinking things over. “She knew you were there… and somehow led me out of your Fear Spell… You were trying to turn me into your mindless puppet!”

He snarls at me. Yes. An Alicorn under my control, especially one merged with Grogar’s magic, would be very useful. He glares at Flurry Heart. And you’d have been mine if not for that meddling infant!

I look to said infant, then back to the shadow. “Your time is long gone, Sombra. I don’t know which version of you it is, but judging by your voice, despite being auto-tuned as it sounds right now, you’re clearly not the one from A Tale of One Shadow or the Fiendship is Magic comic, so I don’t feel any reason to take pity on you.”

He cocks the area where an eyebrow would’ve been if he had a real body at me. What in Equestria are you talking about?

Okay. Keeping him talking is good… but I need to think of a way out of this. Even if Flurry keeps me safe from his Fear Spell, the yaks could be more vulnerable. I don’t think he’s noticed them yet and it’s probably best we keep it that way.

Still, what am I going to do? Weakened a state as he clearly is, this is still Sombra we’re talking about. The fact he so easily trapped me in a Fear Spell like that shows he’s not completely helpless, which is not a good thing.

We don’t exactly have the Elements of Harmony or the Crystal Heart to deal with him, so what’re we going to do?

I almost jump when I feel a hoof touch mine.

Looking down, Flurry has landed and reached her hoof to take mine. She’s giving me a determined look.

I stare back at her for a few moments, before my face matches hers and I nod, turning back to Sombra and closing my eyes. I can feel Flurry’s energy flowing over me… it’s like she’s guiding me.

I take a deep breath and let my mind flow, feeling my horn infuse with magic.

I open my eyes and, together as one, Flurry and I fire beams of magic at the shadowy form of Sombra, red and yellow auras combining into a duo of red and gold, spiraling as they sour towards the fallen king.

The beams hit and he yells out as he’s disintegrated, the last vestiges of his essence being sent into the aether to join the rest of him.

We stop our magic, my legs almost instantly buckling from the energy drain, but Flurry catches me in her magic.

I look down at her and give a small smile.

She cheers, her smile wide as can be and hugs me, rubbing her face into my fur.

I sit down, unable to keep the smile of my face and return her hug… before I look to where Sombra’s essence had been and frown, worried.

Sombra seemed confused when I demanded he explain why he made me see Flurry crushed and said he’d done nothing to change what I saw, that it was all me.

I look down, thinking it over. I guess… I guess my worst fear being Cozy returning and somehow bringing my human body with her would make sense as my biggest fear.

My family is what I fear her harming… but if she were somehow able to bring my body with her, I likely would never see them again, so it would add up… but then there’s the part of her taking the Alicorn Magic right out of me, leaving me in her body and then crushing Flurry to death right in front of me.

Where the fuck did that come from? I know I wanna keep this baby safe,  but that’s well beyond what merely wishing to keep a baby I have no connection to safe would result in when it comes to a worst fear.

“Creepy pony gone?” I look over my shoulder as the mother yak lets her children out from behind her, the three coming over to us.

I nod firmly. “He’s gone. He won’t be coming back this time.”

She looks to where Sombra had been, stares for several moments, before nodding. “Good. Ponies and yaks go now. Sun up. Weather better.”

I nod, getting up and shifting Flurry onto my back.

The yak mother walks up to the snow wall and bucks it several times until it’s been smashed away.

We all walk out and I take in the smell of the fresh morning air. It’s cold, but I don’t mind. After what we all just went through, I’m just grateful to smell the air again.

“Lots of ponies out this morning?”

The question pulls me from my riviere and I open my eyes only to freeze up.

Twilight, the rest of the Mane 6 sans Fluttershy, Shining Armour, Celestia and Luna, along with at least twenty Crystal Guards, even freaking Star Swirl the Bearded are all standing there, staring in slight surprise at us.

There’s a long silence as we all just stare at each other.

“Fuck.”






 



___________________________________________________________








“It’s been hours!” Dash called as she flew down from air, landing among the group of ponies. “Face it, Twilight. Cozy Glow’s long gone. She’s probably teleported herself and Flurry Heart far from the north by now.” She stomped a hoof. “We need Discord to track them down!” She shook her head. “Never thought I’d say that.”

Twilight bit her lip, glancing to her brother, who was clearly struggling not to freak out.

The moment the storm had ended and the sun was peeking over the horizon, she’d arranged the search party. Star Swirl had arrived during the night after answering a summons from Princess Celestia.

The other Pillars had also been contacted, but had yet to arrive before they’d gone out on the search party. Fluttershy had stayed behind to comfort Cadance.

However, the search hit a snag almost right from the get go. For whatever reason, the spell they’d been using to track Flurry had stopped working entirely… either that or Dash was right and Cozy had teleported herself and the foalnapped princess somewhere out of ranch. The spell was limited, after all and with the magic Cozy had inside her, there was no telling how far she could teleport.

She was so worried for her niece. There were so many bad things Cozy could be doing to her. That filly had made it quite clear she wasn’t above hurting other ponies… but would she really harm a baby?

Twilight wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to her own question.

Twilight turned to Star Swirl, opening her mouth to ask his advice, when the sound of a magical explosion went off, accompanied by a huge surge of magical energy, so powerful Twilight could easily feel it and, judging by the looks on Star Swirl, Shining and her friends, they had too.

At once, she and Star Swirl lit their horns, pulling everypony into a teleport, focusing on where the magical surge had come from.

When the teleport ended, they were on an unassuming outcrop of the mountain.

“Huh,” Pinkie Pie cocked her head, glancing around. “Isn’t this near where that pony-eating yeti was?”

The sound of snow being forcefully hit by something made them all look around, before Pinkie pointed to a cave entrance, snow covering most of it.

The snow was moving away, as if some creature was knocking it back bit by bit.

They waited for a few moments, before enough of the snow was cleared out and an adult nak stepped out, followed by two younger yaks, likely her offspring.

Following them, however, was an Alicorn filly with another Alicorn on her back.

The five walked out, not seeming to notice the group.

Cozy Glow took in a deep breath, a contented smile on her face.

The yak mother took notice of them, her children moving slightly behind her, looking unsure. “Lots of ponies out this morning?”

Cozy Glow turned her head at the yak’s words, only for her eyes to open wide at the sight of them all.

They all stared at each other for several long moments.

Cozy Glow’s expression wilted. “Fuck.”
> Chapter 9
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Chapter 9



 



 



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“Ma’am, get away from there, that pony’s dangerous!” Twilight yells to the mother yak.

Said yak cocks her head, glancing to me. “What purple pony princess talking about?”

I sigh, rubbing my forehead. “It’s a long story.”

Shining Armour glances behind me, his eyes widening. “Flurry Heart!”

The infant Alicorn lifts her head and cheers, leaping off my back and flies over to her father, who pulls her close and holds her to him tightly.

The rest of them all tense, glaring at me.

The yak mother looks between them and myself, cocking her head to the side. “Pony hellos are strange.”

“There’s no escaping this time, Cozy Glow!” Celestia says firmly, her expression cold. “Not after what you’ve done.”

“It wasn’t enough you tried to take over Equestria and then escaped punishment, you then go foalnapping a baby too?” Luna looks like she’s really to beat the living shit outta me.

I hold up a hoof, letting my annoyance show. “Hey, hey. If anypony was foalnapped here it was me, not Flurry. She’s the one who teleported me all over the place, not the other way around.”

“You expect us to believe that, villain?” Star Swirl says firmly, his horn glowing with its white aura. “You have done no good since you arrived at Twilight’s school.”

“And taking my baby was the last straw,” Shining growls, before crying out in alarm as Flurry teleports out of his grip and reappears above me, landing atop my back again and snuggling against me.

“Let her go, now, Cozy Glow!” Rainbow yells, pointing a hoof at me.

I deadpan at her. “Oh, yeah. Because I forced her to teleport over here and hug me.”

“Yeah, well… wait, wha?” Dash pauses, blinking in confusion as she notices Flurry nuzzling against me.

“Why in Equestria is Flurry Heart nuzzling a known criminal?” Rarity looks to Twilight, who has a very confused frown on her face.

“Why ponies say mean things to own princesses?” the younger nak says, looking in confusion from myself to the other ponies.

“Little pony save mother’s life,” the male yak says, nodding firmly. “Not be mean. She hero.”

Rarity scoffs, waving a hoof. “Please, darling. Cozy Glow, a hero? Hardly.”

The little yak growls, his body tensing. “Not tell me mother not saved! Pony saved mother’s life! That make pony hero!”

“What in the world is he talking about?” Spike looks to Twilight in confusion.

The purple princess is watching me, her eyes narrowed, scrutinizing me.

I sigh, before giving said princess a firm expression. “Look. If every creature would settle down for just a few moments, things could be cleared up really easy.”

“After all the lies you’ve told, you actually think we’d trust anything you say?” Spike points an accusing claw at me.

I nod behind me. “Flurry Heart does.”

The little pony replies with a coo.

Spike lowers his finger, looking a little uncertain. An expression shared by the mare who raised him and she watches Flurry on my back.

She frowns, looking down. “Flurry Heart was one of the first aside from Spike to trust Thorax…” She looks up, eyes narrowing. “But the difference there is Thorax genuinely had a good heart. We all know what’s in your heart, Cozy Glow.”

I roll my eyes. “Yes, you know Cozy Glow’s heart, but not mine.”

Rarity cocks an eyebrow at me before deadpanning. “Please, make up your mind, darling. If you’re going to talk about yourself in the third person, keep that in mind when you talk about yourself.”

“I’m not talking about—” I stop myself, growling as I run a hoof down my face. I take a deep breath, before looking to them stoically. “I am not Cozy Glow. Yes, I have her body, but that is the only thing I share in common with that brat. I would use another word to describe her, but there’s an impressionable baby present,” I point to the foal my back, who laughs, not actually understanding what I’m talking about.

Twilight narrows her eyes again. “And how can we trust you? Even if you aren’t lying, you look, sound and have the magic Cozy Glow did. We’re supposed to just take your word for it, when the very pony you claim not to be is a known liar and manipulator?”

I shake my head. “I’m not brain dead, Twilight Sparkle. I know damn well no one would be that easily convinced. Look, if you want to keep me observed or something for a while to easy your worries, I’m willing to do it. But I need to get back home before Cozy Glow uses my body to ruin my life.”

“Pretty sure you ruined your life just fine on your own, Cozy Glow,” Dash says firmly.

Twilight watches me and I meet her gaze, not breaking it.

We keep eye contact for what feels like hours, before she closing her eyes, looking away. “My niece is not one to trust those of ill will randomly. We will return to the empire and we will hear you out.” She opens her eyes, narrowing them at me. “But, if for any reason we decide you can’t be trusted, that’s it. You try to pull anything and you will get no more second chances, Cozy Glow.”

I growl. “Autum! For the love of—” I facehoof. “Call me Autum, will you? I am sick of being called Cozy Glow. I’m not that brat, so I don’t want to be addressed as her!”

“We go too!” the mother yak says, stepping forward. “Pony saved my life. Yak will speak for her too.”

Twilight blinks, seemingly taken aback by this, but nods. “Very well. Then let’s head back before —”

A roar rings out through air, my body tensing.

Whirling to my right, I see what looks like the yeti from Party Pooped making its way towards us, looking pissed as.

“I thought that thing was in Tartarus!” I gasp. “What’s it doing here?!”

“And just how would you know what’s in Tartarus without having been there, if you’re not Cozy Glow?” Dash asks, looking down at me skeptically.

“Now’s not the time, Rainbow!” Twilight yells, her horn flaring, firing a blast at the beast.

The blast makes contact, knocking the yeti back a bit, before it shakes its head and looks to Twilight, a red mark above its right eye, glaring at her.

I run over to Shining Armour and hand him Flurry Heart.

“What’re you —?” he asks, looking confused.

“She’s safer with you than with me!” I say, before turning back around and charging forward.

The yeti has its focus on Twilight, Star Swirl, Luna, Celestia and Rainbow Dash the latter two of whom are flying around to distract it, while the other three keep firing shots of magic every few moments.

With it focused on them and my petit size, I easily get under it without behind noticed. Moving over to one of its legs, I turn around and buck hard.

The yeti cries out in pain as its leg buckles and it topples to the side, its face pained, before it glares at me, swiping with a paw.

“Yikes!” I cry, but too late, being grabbed and held in the beast’s grip.

It pulls me closer and glares down at me, causing me to gag as its breath fills my nose. Talk about needing a breath mint.

I wave my hoof to try and get rid of the smell, before I meet its eyes and it tosses me through the air.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!” I yell, flailing my wings in a pathetic attempt to get control, but just end up slamming face first into the rocky wall by the cave and flop down, the world spinning.

“Flurry!”

An angry scream fills the air, before a magical explosion goes off.

Shaking my head gently, I get up and look around, before being glomped by a small form I’m instantly familiar with.

My eyesight clears and my eyes widen at the sight of the yeti, laying on its back, a far off look on its face, its fur singed as if it had been at the epicenter of an explosion.

“What…? What just happened?” I ask, indicating to the downed beast.

“Flurry Heart… saved her?” Dash has a very perplexed look on her face.

“We can ask questions once we have returned to the empire,” Star Swirl says, before giving me a firm look. “Since you insist on not being Cozy Glow, you will have no problem, upon our return, wearing a magical inhibitor ring, yes?’

“As long as I don’t have to wear the inhibitor twenty-four/seven, you got a deal,” I nod. “Sooner we get this mess sorted out, the sooner I can go home and that brat is punished for everything she’s done, not only to your world, but to me as well.”

We all make our way back down the mountain towards the Crystal Empire. All the while, everypony keeps their eyes on me.

For crying out loud, Flurry is perfectly at ease around me and literally riding on my back snuggled up to me. Shouldn’t that be enough for now?

We pass through barrier of the empire and make our way to the castle, the guards keeping me from the sight of the Crystal Ponies.

Guessing either the populace hasn’t heard about the supposed foalnapping of their youngest princess yet and Shining had the foresight to keep me hidden so we don’t have any issues before getting to the castle.

As we near the massive crystal structure, I notice the sound of voices.

Turning a corner, I see a contingent of guards, including a certain yellow Pegasus.

“Your Highness,” he says, saluting Shining Armour, “Princess Cadance is currently in the throne room awaiting your return. There are guests whom wish to speak about the prisoner.” He gives me a glare.

I glare right back. Well, fuck you too, Flash. And here I was willing to give you a chance.

Shining glances to Twilight, looking confused, before nodding and we all head into the castle to the throne room.

Upon passing through the doors to the throne room, my eyes widen as I see a group I wasn’t expecting. Pear Butter and Bright Mac, Meadowbrook and Spur, Somnambula and even…

“Ahuizotl?” Rainbow Dash gasps, her eyes wide. “I… what in the world are you doing here?”

“Aiding in the truth, once again, it seems,” he says, looking to me.

“Flurry Heart!” Cadance cries, noticing her baby.

Flurry cheers, flying off my back and into her mother’s waiting hug. The two remain that way, hugging and nuzzling each, tears sliding down Cadance’s face.

“What…? Why are you all here?” Star Swirl looks around, his eyes moving from the assortment of creatures, lingering partciarly on his fellow Pillars for a moment longer than the other, to Cadance.

We wait until Cadance has calmed down enough, before she looks to me, a mixture of emotions I can’t place passing over her face. “That… is an interesting story.”






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Cadance slumped out of her room, plodding slowly down the halls of her castle, her head down, wings limp, dragging along the floor. She wanted her baby back so badly.

She couldn’t bear to imagine what Cozy Glow might be doing to her innocent foal this very moment. She knew something was wrong with that filly, but to willingly take a baby hostage? How truly far gone was that pony?

“I shouldn’t have to explain this!” an angry voice was saying from the hallway up ahead. “I sent a letter to Princess Twilight herself! How have things gotten so out of proportion despite my letter?”

Turning the corner, Cadance was met with what was probably the oddest thing she’d seen in the empire… and that was no easy feat, especially since her daughter’s birth.

Six ponies, four adults and two fillies, one being Apple Bloom and another a filly Cadance didn’t recognize, plus a very odd creature were standing in the hallway, clearly intending to enter the throne room.

The guards before the doors were stopping them, though it was apparent they weren’t sure what was going on.

As she neared, the unknown filly seemed to notice her and pointed. “It’s Princess Cadance!”

The group turned to her as one, before hurrying.

“Where’s mah sister!”

“Ya gotta let Autum explain herself, yer highness!”

“She may look like my cousin, but I promise you she ain’t!”

“She reunited me with my daughter. You cannot punish her for that!”

“Every creature, be silent!” the large creature yelled, his voice echoing throughout the hall.

Everypony went silent.

He sighed, taking a deep breath, before bowing. “Dearest Crystal Princess. Please forgive our abrupt arrival. I am Ahuizotl. I am the Guardian Creature of the Tenochtitlan Basin Jungle. We have come to clear the name of one who has been wrongfully… Is this a bad time?” he trailed off upon noticing the tear stains.

Cadance blinked, before wiping her eyes with a hoof and taking a deep breath. It hurt, but she was the Crystal Princess. She was the ruler of the Crystal Empire.

She had to put her faith in her husband, Twilight and her friends and her aunts that they would return with Flurry Heart and she would be safe. For now, her duties as a princess were important. She could do nothing for her daughter for the moment.

“Very well,” she said firmly, indicating to the throne room. “Come inside and I will hear you out.”
> Chapter 10
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Chapter 10
	




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“I was skeptical at first, obviously, but… after hearing them all out, it was hard not to start doubting whether this filly truly is Cozy Glow,” Cadance finishes.

She’s just spent the last half hour or so explaining the situation to everyone present.

During that time, Bright Mac and Pear Butter had been sticking close, making sure I was okay.

Aside from being fawned over like a child, and having to wear this damn inhibitor ring, I’ve been fine. Plus, having to wear this amulet called the Truth Talisman of Tonatiuh isn’t exactly comforting either. It makes whomever is holding or wearing it tell only the truth. You literally cannot lie while in contact with this thing.

So far, none of the questions asked of me have been a bad thing, but all it will take is the wrong kind of question and I can blow my cover completely, revealing this world comes from a flippin’ cartoon show.

“So… this is Cozy Glow, but also isn’t?” Dash asks, looking very confused as she glances around at the gathered group and then me.

“Yep,” I say, deadpan. “Brat used a spell to swap bodies with me shortly before you hit her and Tirek and Cheese Legs with the Rainbow Laser.”

Star Swirl frowns skeptically at me. “How can we be sure, 100%? Cozy Glow was quite knowledgeable. It is possible she could’ve used a spell to create false memories within herself to trick herself into believing she isn’t who she is.”

I keep my deadpan as I look to the grey stallion. “Okay, now you’re just grasping at straws for ideas as to how I could be her.”

Cadance looks around at my allies, including the three yaks. She closes her eyes, frowning. “With all the evidence provided and the fact my daughter seems at ease around her, it does suggest this Autum is telling the truth.”

“About time you all got the gist of it all,” a cheery voice says, making my eyes widen, before they narrow.

There’s a mighty flash and the Lord of Chaos himself is standing by the throne, looking proud and dapper.

“You knew about this the whole time?” Celestia looks to Discord, a very unamused expression on her face, one I’m sharing.

Discord waves his claw. “Puh-lease. I may not have had my magic back when the spell was cast, but once I had my magic back I noticed Cozy’s energies were different.”

“So, how do you explain the Cozy on the statue?” Rarity asks, cocking an eyebrow.

He shrugs. “A fake. Why do you think I asked to help cast the spell on the villains to begin with?”

“So… you knew I wasn’t Cozy the whole time and didn’t do anything to help me?!” I yell, glaring.

He gives me a slight frown, folding his arms. “If I had just helped you out right away, you wouldn’t have been able to help the Apple parents find that baby sphinx, nor would you have known aside from second hand about Ahuizotl being a good guy, nor helped him stop that pathetic Mojo pony. You needed to forge true bonds if you were going to become the new princess of Equestria.”

“Yeah? Well, I…” I pause, cocking an eyebrow in confusion. “New princess? Um, dude, I don’t wanna hang around. I wanna get back to my body as soon as possible so Cozy isn’t in it anymore.”

He says, giving me a “You’re being really stupid right now, you know that?” kind of look. “Even if you did return, it would do you no good right now.”

Every creature looks around at each other in confusion.

“Discord, what do you mean?” Luna asks, looking worried and her being worried makes me worry and I don’t like that.

Discord snaps his talons and a massive screen appears in the middle of the room. It has static on it for a few moments, before an image appears on it… and I can’t believe what I’m seeing.

It’s clearly me, or rather, Cozy in my body, but she’s fishing alongside some random asiain woman I don’t recongize, though my body looks more ragged and Cozy clearly did a poor job at shaving my face.

“Um, what exactly are we looking at here?” Star Swirl asks, looking very confused.

Discord chuckles. “After she stole little Autum’s body here, Cozy Glow had nowhere to go. No money, no idea of the whereabouts of Autum’s family, nothing. She remained on the streets for several weeks, traveling through the city and further into the country until she found a boat bound for a country called China.”

I blink. “How the flipping,” I glance at Flurry, “hay did Cozy make it all the way to China?!”

“Like our Chineigh?” Spur asks, looking worried.

Discord nods. “You’d be surprised by the similarities to locations here in our world,” he gives me a knowing wink. “Anyway, shall we contact her for a goodbye?”

“I don’t speak much Chinese,” I say, rubbing my chin in thought. “But, as long as some of them speak a little English and I speak in small sentences, I should be able to get something done.”

A tutting sound makes me look to Discord. He’s shaking his head, arms folded.

“What?” I ask, annoyed. “I’ve been overseas before. Sure, I’ll have more difficulty without my passport, but I know the Chinese authorities would help me if I could get in contact with my family, especially if I get to Hong Kong.”

Discord pouts, looking away. “If not for the fact the real Grogar’s magic was used in the spell that switched you, you would be right.”

I blink, hesitating. “Huh?”

Discord looks very annoyed. “Thanks to Cozy’s unfinished spell, she unintentionally locked that world the moment you both switched bodies. The only reason we can even view it right now is it hasn’t completely been locked off yet, but the window of opportunity is closing fast. It won’t last for more than a few more hours at best. After that… that world will forever be lost.”

“Then I need to go back now!” I cry, fear gripping me and I hug the Apple parents and Flurry. “I wish I could stay a little longer, honestly, I do, but if I need to go now I’m going now!”

“You misunderstand,” I turn back to Discord… who worries me when I see he’s giving me an apologetic look. “You cannot go back.”

I slowly let go of Flurry Heart, turning around, my voice small and weak. “What?”

He rubs his arm, looking ashamed. “I’m so sorry. Had I had my magic back shortly after Cozy cast the spell, I could’ve sent you back right away. But, within seconds of the spell being cast, the link to your world she created began to close, even sealing it off. She clearly didn’t want anyone coming after her if they figured out she’d made a switch.

“Once I had my magic back and sensed you, I realized the cruel irony of not getting my magic back the moment Grogar’s was taken from the other two. In fact… I got it back a second before the link was sealed too much for me to send you back.”

“Wait. So… it’s my fault?” We all turn to Pinkie Pie, who has a horrified look on her face.

“What does she mean?” Auhizotl asks, looking confused.

“Pinkie had Discord magic for a very short time,” Twilight’s eyes widen. “In that time, Discord had to fly up, use Grogar’s Bewitching Bell to take it back out of her and then return it to himself.”

“If… if I hadn’t taken Discord’s magic for those few seconds…” Pinkie’s mane deflates and she slumps to the ground. “Autum’s trapped here because of me.”

Fluttershy and Somnambula fly over and start to comfort her.

“Now, there’s no way I could send Autum back to her own body,” Discord looks solemnly at me. “Her family think she’s dead, since she never returned to her new home or contacted them. Her wallet was found several weeks after the switch and no one knew where she was.”

“How long has it been?” Pear Butter asks, holding me as I slump, feeling numb.

Discord looks down, eyes closed. “Five months.”

Months? Months? Barely more than a week here and there it’s been months?

Discord looks apologetically at me. “I’m sorry. Had I only taken my magic from Pinkie as soon as it started raining chocolate milk without my doing it, I might’ve been able to send you back and none of this would’ve had to happen.”

I stare at the pink mare. Part of me wants to hate her. Part of me wants to lash out at Pinkie for her holding things up preventing me from returning… but how can I blame her?

She had no idea Cozy had switched bodies with me. She couldn’t have realized her having it for a few seconds would lock me out. But… but if I’m locked out then…

My body goes limp in Pear Butter’s hold. “I’m… stuck in this body? Forever?”

Discord nods. “The link is sealed too much for me to affect anything in that world directly anymore. Even communication will soon be gone.” He sighs, looking genuinely heartbroken, his voice solemn. “I’m sorry, Autum. I wish there was more I could do.”

I just stare out into space for several minutes, not sure how to process this. I’m never going to see my family ever again. I’m going to be trapped in Cozy Glow’s body for the rest of my life, which, if the theory of Alicorns being immortal is true, means all eternity.

“Isn’t there somethin’ you can do?” Meadowbrook asks, looking from me to Discord.

He looks to her, before looking down dejectedly. “All I can do is offer Autum the chance to say goodbye to her family. I’m afraid that’s all I can manage.”

I look up to him, my eyes brimming with tears. “That’s all?”

He nods, closing his eyes. “That’s all.”

I feel Pear Butter hold me closer and I hug her tighter in return, tears falling down my face, soaking her coat.


 



___________________________________________________________








“Decent catch,” the woman said, watching as he pulled the net in. “Put away, then clean the nets.”

Cozy nodded, not bothering to speak.

How has her life become this? How?

Five months ago she’d been an all-powerful Alicorn, on the edge of dominating all of Equestria and now look at her, or rather, him. A pathetic, powerless human male who fishes for his meals.

Soon as she switched with the pathetic human, she’d learned too late that he had no form of identification on him. Idiot must have lost it somewhere.

He’d wandered around the strange concrete city, with no idea where the human fool lived and, judging by the many odd looks he got whenever he tried to talk to the inhabitants of this world, didn’t know anyone in the city, either.

He’d spent the next few days traveling on foot, sleeping outside like some homeless bum, having to scavenge food just for a simple meal. After about a week, he’d found his way to a beach, where he eventually found a boat filled with the smell of fish.

He’d never eaten fish as a pony, but, other humans did, so he’d had to as well and it tasted fine, he supposed. The smell wasn’t great when they were raw, but it was better than starving in this magicless world.

Yeah. This world literally had no magic. Of all the world’s the spell could’ve randomly chosen to switch her with an inhabited of, it had to be a defective human in a world with literally no means of magic.

Stowing away on the ship, it had eventually come to this country, so similar to Chineigh, it was creepy.

Feeling it was better to stay hidden, he’d travelled the country for a bit, looking for anywhere that would be good to hide, when he stumbled upon this pretty much abandoned town.

It was called Houtouwan. It had been mostly abandoned a long time ago, though a handful of humans still lived here.

He’d been able to sweet talk his way, despite not speaking much Chinese as they called it in this world, into a place to live, even if it was an old house he had to clean tons of foliage out of first, and was a serious downgrade even from the home he used to have back in Hayseed Swamp and even a job so he could get food… but compared to what he could have had in Equestria, this was pathetic.

And serves you right, you heartless bitch!

Cozy started, standing up and looking around. That was her voice. But how?

Yeah, I see you, Cozy. Serves you right for trying to ruin my life.

Cozy looked to the sky, scowling. “It’s you, isn’t it?”

Yep, his old voice said back, sounding none too amused. And your little plan didn’t work. I’m not going to pay for your crimes. Discord and my not being a bitch like you has seen to that.

His eyes widened. “What?! You mean I went through creating that spell and suffering in this world all this time for absolutely nothing?!”

Correct, a different voice said matter of factly.

Cozy narrowed his eyes. “Discord?”

Yep, the Lord of Chaos replied cheerily. Oh, but don’t mind me. I’ve just been helping your victim say goodbye to their family and letting them know they don’t have to worry about her. Just pretend I’m not here.

I despise, you, Cozy Glow, the human in Cozy’s body said, sounding utterly disgusted. Or should I say, Tempo?

Cozy’s eyes widened. How in the world did that worthless human learn his real name? Nopony knew it aside from the family he left behind.

I’ve never hated any being as much as I do you, his filly voice went on, sounding utterly disgusted. However, I take comfort knowing you’re going to spend the rest of your retched, pathetic life in such a place while I live on in Equestria.

“If you don’t like being me so much, switch back with me!” Cozy snarled at the sky. “I’m sure you’d be happier, wouldn’t you?”

And let you return to Equestria without suffering any punishment for your crimes? The human laughed coldly. Not a chance. You’ve sentenced yourself to your own punishment, Cozy. Much as part of me thinks you deserve what Tirek and Cheese Legs got, I honestly think this punishment is more fitting. You’ll have to live with what you’ve done, knowing you can never come back here to Equestria, no matter how much you want to or beg any being. This is your life now. Deal with it.

“So, why bother contacting me then?” Cozy narrowed his eyes.

Your spell had the unintended side effect of sealing off my world, the human replied, sounding sad and angry. Within moments, the window between it and Equestria will close forever. I just wanted you to know that, so you’ll know there is literally no way for you to ever return to this realm.

Cozy’s eyes widened. “WHAT?”

As for your family, you know, the ones you outright left behind for just for power? The disgust in their voice became deeper. I asked if they wanted to say goodbye, but they’re too heartbroken. The idea that, despite how they were willing to give you their love unconditionally and you threw it away for power? They’re shattered by how little you cared for them.

“And I’m supposed to care about those widdle babies feewings being hurt because?” he snarled.

Goodbye, Tempo, the human said coldly. Live whatever you have to live for. It’s all you’ll ever have from now on.

“What do you mean?” Cozy yelled up to the heavens.

There was no answer.
> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 11



 



___________________________________________________________






A knocking brings me back to the waking world, despite my body’s protests to the idea.

“Um… Princess?” a muffled female voice calls from outside. “Are you awake?”

“I’m up. I’m up,” I call, my tone showing just how unhappy I am to be woken up.

“Very well,” the voice is followed by the sound of hoofsteps.

I give a big, loud yawn, before smacking my lips and looking around the room in boredom.

It’s the same room I was being held in before, though now it’s more fit for an occupant to live in.

The bed is better set, with purple silk covers and pillows. There’s a dresser table on the right side of the room… with a suspiciously familiar looking ballerina music box with a purple pony ballerina on the top.

Aside from that though, the room is pretty sparse, not that I care.

Getting out of bed, I hope down, ignoring the messy bad and walking to the door and pushing it open, nodding to the two crystal guards standing outside my door, who nod back and start following me.

It’s been about three days since I was finally able to get the princesses, the Mane Six and Shining to understand I’m not Cozy, Discord helped me say my goodbyes to my family and inform Cozy of her punishment.

What I didn’t know until after is that Discord, once he’d gotten his magic, though unable to send me back, had sent a letter to Cozy addressed to where she/now he, would end up. Guess he’d looked into the future to see where Cozy had gone, but watched from the start to see how he got to that future.

The letter, which apparently would’ve arrived seconds after the link between the worlds was cut off forever, was to inform Cozy that, along with being trapped in my old body with no means of identification or real money beyond what he’d earn from his fishing job in that small town, it also informed him about how much the human body sucks, like how humans eyes and ears can fail after fifty years, their strength and organs past forty, and death can happen past sixty, meanwhile, I get the better end since alicorns are known to have lifespans well in excess of 1000 years like the royal sisters.

I do get a small bit of malicious enjoyment at the thought of the fact Cozy is now very aware of his human mortality, having no idea my old body’s actual age, so living in constant fear of when it’ll get to those ages, while I get her immortality, never having to worry about my new body’s age and having a good life.

Well, I’m assuming it’ll get good, over time.

Technically, right now, I’m still a prisoner by law.

Celestia and Luna are going to be doing everything they can (while also getting Canterlot Castle rebuilt) to find a way to smooth things over with Equestria and the other nations so I don’t constantly get treated like I’m Cozy when I’m clearly not.

Cadance offered and set me up with a place here in the Crystal Empire. It’s a pretty smart idea, when you think about it, as the Empire was the least effected place during Cozy, Tirek and Cheese Leg’s invasion attempt, so I’ll be the least ostracized by citizens here, not to mention it’s a good way of assuring those yet to be convinced that I won’t be a threat, since, unless I take the train, there’s nowhere outside the Empire I can go that isn’t frozen wasteland.

I mean, Cozy never bothered to learn about yaks, so I doubt she’d know how to get to Yakyakistan, especially since even Pinkie had needed Cadance to show her which way to go. And that’s Pinkie Pie, the pony who normally can know things she shouldn’t know right out of nowhere.

Still, three days of being stuck in the crystal castle has me so wound up. I’ve wings, I need to use them. I’ve Earth Pony strength, I want to run.

Magic... actually, I’m willing to hold out on that for now. I’ve learned I can use my wings like hands for the most part and the main reason I’d want to learn magic quickly is to make up for my now lack of hands, so I can wait on the magic.

I mean, I haven’t even gotten to explore the Empire itself yet and, frankly, I think I need a change of scenery that isn’t so crystalline based right now.

It would help if Flurry Heart were able to hang around with me, but Sunburst has been busy setting a few things up for when he finally fully moves into Ponyville to be Vice Headstallion of the School of Friendship, so he’s been making any final touches so that Flurry gets all the lessons and prior directions she’ll need once he moves away.

“Princess Autum,” a light-blue Pegasus mare guard says as the three of us enter the dining hall, which is smaller than one would expect for royalty, but I know that’s because Cadance and Shining wanna keep things cozy.

“Let me guess,” I say, my face blank as I quickly glance around the room, “neither Shining or Cadance can join me today?”

She gets an uncertain apologetic look.

I sigh. It’s not like I expect them to be here. I’m not even supposed to be here. If Cozy hadn’t switched bodies with me, she’d be frozen in stone with Tirek and Cheese Legs and I’d be still trying to adapt to the changes my life had been going through at the time she’d swapped us.

Without that, Cadance and Shining wouldn’t have even been thinking of housing a new princess in their home. They’d have just been going on about their days as usual.

If anything, my being here as increased their workload. After all, they’ve had to set up my Crystal Empire citizenship, have arrangements made for any social security mumbo jumbo I’ll need, a ton of things that, while I never fully understood them back home, I do know take a lot of time and effort.

Walking over to the table, I see a plate already set. On it isn’t much, bacon and eggs and a slice of Prench toast with butter and a glass of banana milk.

Yeah, turns out Equestria isn’t a worried about the whole eating meat thing as some make it out to be. In fact, I’d say it makes sense as horses and ponies in the real world are known for eating meat.

Granted, red meat isn’t on the table when it comes to what ponies can digest, but things like bacon, ham, pork (yes, I know those are all the same animal, shut up, I’m not the one who specified the each piece was named something different), fish and birds ARE on the menu for pony diets… which is actually a little morbid, now that I think about it, since Griffons and hippogriffs are part bird. And that’s not even mentioning Captain Celaeno and her crew and how they are birds, just anthro.

Seriously, if you actually stop to think too much about this world’s mechanics for even a second it’s truly disturbing.

I eat my meal without any fuss, using my wings to hold my cutlery and glass whenever needed. Wings are pretty dang handy. I feel bad more those without them, magic or anything like hands.

When finished, I set my dishes aside and head back into the hall, where I just plod through the castle, like I have every day since being aside to live in the Empire.

I’m tired of seeing nothing but crystal. I need to spread my wings, feel the wind rushing through my feathers, feel grass beneath my hooves.

I pause, glancing back at the two guards over my shoulder. “Think Cadance or Shining will mind if I go out somewhere?”

“Orders are you aren’t allowed to go to Canterlot or leave the boundaries of Equestria,” the one on the right says, before looking a mix between worried and confused and bowing his head. “Urm, Your Highness?”

I sigh, rolling my eyes. “I told you before, boys, seriously, you don’t have to refer to me as royalty. I get it. You can’t help looking at me and seeing Cozy, even with the new mane style and severely different attitude.”

When it comes to changing my look, I kept the mane and tail styles from back when I started traveling with the Apple parents. I don’t really see a reason to do more than that.

I mean, I could try changing my coat colour or hair colour, but I just don’t really see a point. I’ve already gotten used to this look, having to get a new one would just be starting the process all over again.

Not to mention, I never was one for caring about appearances. Most I ever did was keep my face shaven and my hair from getting too long back when I was human.

Besides, give it a couple years, maybe a decade or two and no one will even think of me as a Cozy Glow lookalike. They’ll just see Princess Autum, princess of… well, whatever I get labelled as.

I pause in my steps, blinking, turning around. “Wait. Say that again?”

“Urm, Your Highness?” he repeats, confused.

I shake my head. “No, no. Before that.”

He cocks an eye in thought. “Orders are you aren’t allowed to go to Canterlot or leave the boundaries of Equestria?”

I go over that for a few moments, before smirking. “Ah-ha! A loophole! I don’t’ have to spend all my time here.” I give an exasperated sigh. “Thank God!”

I turn around and start trotting down the hall, a new spring in my step.

“Uh, Princess… I mean, Autum, what do you mean?” the other guards says, the two quickly hurrying to catch up and join me.

I look back, grinning. “I’m forbidden from going to Canterlot or leave the boundaries of Equestria. Nopony said anything about still going other places in Equestria.”

The two guards glance to each other in worry.

“Uh, but wouldn’t that still be dangerous for you?” the first one asks. “I mean, I don’t mean to rub salt in the wounds, miss, but you do look exactly like Cozy Glow, who isn’t exactly thought of fondly throughout Equestria right now.”

I wave a hoof. “So, I’ll wear a cloak or something. And I’ll have a guard or two come with me. ’S long as I don’t try drawing attention to myself or do anything stupid, I’ll be fine.”

The two look at each other again, before sighing.

“I guess that makes sense,” the second one (you know, I really should get to know the names of the guards at some point) says, still seeming a little uncertain. “As long as you stay close to your guard and don’t wander off.”

I nod. “Good. I’m sure Cadance won’t mind too much. So, who am I gonna have guarding me, one or both of you two?”




___________________________________________________________








“Flash, can you stop giving me the stink eye? I don’t like this anymore than you do!” I grumble as I walk up the path to the train station, glaring in annoyance at the stallion behind me.

The Pegasus in royal guard armour just glares back. “Not a chance. You’re not leaving the Empire without escort. If you escape, who knows where you’d go?”

I groan, waving my right foreleg at him, a red band clearly visible against my pink fur. “Yeah. It’s not like Twilight put this tracking band on me after it was decided I’d live in the Empire, with a spell that activates and tracks my location if I were ever to leave the Empire. I’d just vanish off the map.”

He just snorts.

“You can’t fool me, Cozy Glow!” Flash says firmly, eyes narrowed. “Your silver tongue may have fooled my fellow guards, but it won’t make me abandon my duty of guarding you to keep you from whatever evil plans you have.”

I groan louder, drawing the attention of several nearby ponies for a moment, before they return to whatever they were doing. “The Rainbow Laser didn’t take away my horn! Surely that’s enough evidence I’m not evil!”

After I’d said my goodbyes to my family, I’d braced myself as the Pillars, the Young Six and Mane 6 plus Spike had all been gathered (the students were very surprised and confused by my being flesh and blood instead of stone) and they’d blasted me with the triple Rainbow Laser.

When it cleared, I was still the same, wings, horn and all, but I do feel… different now. Lighter somehow. Guess that’s because Grogar’s magic isn’t in me anymore?

And, yeah, Flash put himself in my bad books back during the time everyone was mistaking me for Cozy and he hasn’t been doing anything to get himself out of them since… so imagine my displeasure when it was decided he’d be the one to keep an eye on me during my little day trip.

“And you’re going to Ponyville because…?” Flash asks, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

I roll my own. “Because I want to speak with Twilight about something. Is that so bad, really? I’m an Alicorn too and Cadance has been too occupied the last three days sorting out the trade deals with the other nations along with my being here and it’s not like Flurry Heart’s much of a conversationalist. Plus, I highly doubt, even wearing this cloak,” I flick the black cloak I’m wearing to hide my wings, “and my new mane style, going to Canterlot to ask Luna or Celestia would be a wise move.”

Not to mention, the guards had let it slip that Tirek and Cheese Legs’ statue is temporarily being kept by Twilight’s castle. I kinda wanna take a look at them, admire their stone prison, so to speak.

“Then I’m staying close by!” he says firmly.

I just roll my eyes again and board the train. “Do whatever you want. You think I care? Sheesh, and to think I defended your character back home.”

We board the train, the conductor looking at me in confusion, before shrugging and we settle down.

The whole ride is quiet, with Flash not letting me out of his sight, not that there’s anywhere I’d go on the train.

When the train arrives in Ponyville station, we head discreetly through the town. Twilight, the Mane 6 and students had promised they’d do what they could to make sure nopony mistook me for Cozy, but better safe than sorry, much as I don’t like having to sneak through the town.

We make it to Twilight’s castle and walk in, myself calling out, but getting no response.

“Dear any creature who comes to visit,” I glance back to see Flash reading a note posted on the door I hadn’t notice, “I am currently away in Canterlot assisting Princess Celestia and Princess Luna on the new designs and construction details of Canterlot Castle. I should be back by evening, if you wish to speak with me. Otherwise, leave a note in the box behind the door and I will get back to you. Signed, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Guess Spike went with her?” I ask, before calling out, “Spike?”

No answer tells me I’m correct.

“Then this was a waste of my time!” Flash says, turning to glare at me.

I just give him a “I don’t care” look from over my shoulder. “Am I supposed to care about your time? Isn’t your job to keep an eye on me? So, wherever I go, you gotta go. If I’m wasting my time, how is that wasting yours? You’re still doing your job, aren’t you?”

He opens his mouth to argue, before he pauses and closes it, looking annoyed that I’d stumped him.

Smirking, I walk back outside and around the castle to a small cordoned off area, where three guards are standing duty.

They see Flash and me and step aside, though give me suspicious looks.

“If she does anything, I’ll stop her,” Flash says to reassure them.

Rolling my eyes, I walk past the guards and three a hastily constructed wooden building.

Inside is a statue showing a cowering feeble looking Tirek, an angry ordinary Queen Cheese Legs frozen in the position of lunging forward, snarling and a terrified looking Pegasus Cozy Glow.

Looking at the false image of her, I can’t help smirking. She’d probably have preffered that to the fate she sentenced herself too.

You escaped?!

I start, looking around frantically.

“What?” Flash narrows his eyes at me.

“I… I thought I just heard Tirek,” I say in astonishment.

Flash rolls his eyes. “Sure, and I’m a Diamond Dog.”

I scowl at him. “What, are you rascist again Diamond Dogs?”

He seems taken aback, before glaring. “No, I— You’re the racist one!”

“Cozy is,” I correct him, rolling my eyes.

Quit bickering with that stallion and get us out of here!

I start again. That was Cheese Legs. Why am I suddenly hearing…?

I frown at the statue. “Hang on. Are you two actually conscious and talking to me?”

That causes Flash to become confused, before quickly turning to the statue.

Of course we are! Tirek’s voice yells. Now, get us out of here and share what little of Grogar’s magic you have left!

I smirk, shrugging. “No can do.”

We had a deal! Cheese Legs snarls. It’s odd not seeing the snarl and only hearing it.

I shake my head. “No, you made a deal with Cozy Glow, not me. Besides, I don’t have that magic anymore. Every last trace of Grogar’s magic is gone, lost to the aether.”

What in the world are you babbling about? Tirek says, sounding annoyed.

I sigh. “Yeah, I had a hunch she didn’t bother telling you before the switch actually happened. See, Cozy figured you three could still lose, be it to Grogar himself, regardless of whether it was just Discord pretending to be him or not, or to Equestria itself. So, she had a backup plan. A failsafe to avoid punishment.” I snicker. “Or, that was her plan, anyway.”

“You’re talking to the statue?” Flash gives me a deadpan look.

I shrug. “Guess some weird connection formed between them because they were all exposed to Grogar’s magic at the same time and it’s still there.”

What?! Cheese Legs sounds furious. You planned on betraying us the whole time?!

I roll my eyes. “Are you that thick, Cheese Legs? Of course she was going to betray you in the end. She’s a villain for crying out loud! They’re not exactly known for keeping promising that require an honourable method. You, more than any creature, should know that. You too, Tirek. And, again, I’m not Cozy. She’d swapped bodies with me, leaving me to take her punishment.” I snicker. “Though she’d probably prefer being stuck with you two right now.”

What do you mean? Cheese Legs sounds both curious and annoyed.

I briefly explain to them my situation, original body and what Cozy’s actions led to.

Cheese Legs cackles. Oh, that’s rich. She’s now living in fear with no idea of your age or when his new body will start failing? She cackles again.

Tirek remains oddly silent.

“No spiteful quips, Tirek?” I ask.

I… I have nothing to say, he says, his tone saying he wants to change the subject… and is that the tiniest bit of hurt in the back of his tone.

I cock an eyebrow. He doesn’t want to gloat about how Cozy betrayed him? Maybe there’s hope for him yet… or I’m just being too optimistic and reading too much into things.

Wait, Cheese Legs sounds confused and annoyed. What did you mean you don’t have Grogar’s magic anymore. You still have a horn, so I’m guessing you’re still an Alicorn?

I remove the cloak to reveal my wings and nod. “Yeah, but I got blasted by the Elements long after you two got turned to stone and, aside from Grogar’s magic being removed, this is how I still am.”

She then starts hissing and screeching obscenities at me for having weaselled out of punishment, glaring already forgetting I’m not Cozy and I just slip the cloak back on and leave, Flash looking rather bewildered.
> Chapter 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 12



 



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We go back into the castle and I walk towards where I think the library is, Flash following behind, grumbling the whole time.

We get in and I move over to one shelf, scanning the titles.

“The hay is this mirror for?”

I turn at the stallion’s words to see him standing by a very familiar mirror surrounded by equipment.

He leans a hoof forward, a curious frown on his muzzle.

The castle is filled with a very girly yelp as my magic yanks Flash back, the force being more than I intended, causing him to go flying and slam into the wall.

“What the hay was that for?!” he demands, glaring at me.

“Unless you wanna end up in a world you know dipshit about, flyboy, you’ll stay away from that mirror,” I point at the thing.

His eyes narrow. “Is that a threat?”

I roll my eyes. “Common sense. Sheesh, I’m glad not all pegasi are bird brains like you are.”

I walk out, his sputtering following after me.

If Twilight isn’t going to be here til tonight, there’s really no reason for me to hang around the. I’ll have to head back to the Empire long before then castle and the longer we’re here, the more likely Flash is going to do something stupid I’ll likely get the blame for.

I’ll admit, much as I scolded Flash, I wouldn’t mind heading into the Equestria Girls world… but I’m already tempting fate by utilizing the loophole I am.

I doubt going to another dimension counts in that and wouldn’t be as defendable.

Besides, I need to prove I’m trustworthy and I doubt going into the EQG world when I’m pretty sure traveling between realities clearly violates the terms of agreement I’m currently bound by would help with that.

“Not Cozy Glow?”

The gruff voice makes me pause and I turn to see Yona, along with Sandbar and a pony who oddly looks a lot like the Youtuber Firebrand’s OC, only with blue eyes and a silver key for a Cutie Mark instead of yellow and a smiling flaming face.

I blink, before shaking my head. “Autum, Yona. Call me Autum.”

She blinks, before blushing slightly. “Oh. Right. Sorry.”

“So, what’re you doing here in Ponyville?” Sandbar asks, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you, like, under house arrest and not allowed to leave the Crystal Empire?”

I smirk, shaking my head and ignoring Flash as he comes back out the castle. “I’m only not allowed to leave Equestria or go into Canterlot. Everywhere else in Equestria is fair game… though I’m probably just gonna stick with Ponyville for now. Better safe than sorry.”

“I… guess that makes sense,” Sandbar frowns.

“Any who, I’m just gonna go to Sweet Apple Acres, then I think I might head back to the Empire,” I shrug. “I wanted to talk with Twilight about something Alicorn to Alicorn, but she won’t be back til tonight and I’ll need to have left before then.”

“Makes sense,” Yona nods, before cocking her head. “Pony not want talk to Headmare Starlight or Counsellor Trixie?”

I shake my head. Trixie Lulumoon as a counsellor. Not gonna lie, that is probably one of the strangest things MLP’s universe could’ve thrown my way.

I bid the trio farewell and head off towards the Apple Family farm.




 



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Unbenownst to the ponies and yak, a figure stood by the window of the castle’s library, looking down at them. In particular the little Alicorn.

They watched as the group chatted for a few moments, soon joined by the Pegasus whom was the Alicorn’s guard and clearly none too happy about it.

They watched as the Alicorn bid the trio farewell, before turning and heading off back into town, to where, the figure did not know.

They stood there, staring after the disappearing form of the princess for several moments, before a small sly smile crawled onto her lips.

“Interesting,” they said, before turning and trotting back through the portal, no one even aware of her presence.






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On my way to the iconic farm, I pass by a few ponies who pause, puzzled looks on their faces, before they move on.

Once we reach the gate, I hear a loud barking and Winona comes barrelling down the yard and leaps at me, licking my face. Guess she either never got a good whiff of Cozy to see her as an enemy or can just tell I’m not her. Animals are sensitive to those kinds of things sometimes.

“Winona?” A gruff male voice says. “Where are ya, ya blasted pooch? I know ya aren’t used to me but…”

Grand Pear pauses as he comes into view and sees us, the dog in question now getting belly rubs from me.

“Whelp, this is a surprise,” the elderly stallion moves towards me, smiling. “Wasn’t expecting a royal visit.”

“Eh, I was in the neighbourhood,” I shrug, grinning.

We both have a light chuckle, while Flash stands there, glaring at me. Sheesh, lighten up, dude.

“Autum?”

I look passed the stallion to see a light-orange mare I know well. 

“Autum!” Pear Butter calls happily, coming over and giving me a big hug. “It’s so good t’ see you. How have ya been? Are ya gettin’ enough t’ eat in the Empire? Is it too cold?” She notices Flash giving me the stink eye and returns it to him. “Are the guards bein’ uptight?”

I don’t answer at first, just enjoying the hug, before pulling back and shaking my head. “Nah. I’m doing okay. Most of the guards aren’t exactly friendly, but they courteous.” I glance over my shoulder and the Pegasus. “Well, most of them, anyway.”

“We haven’t heard from ya since the princesses said ya had t’ stay there,” Pear pulls back, looking worried. “Is it okay fer ya t’ be here?”

I nod. “I’m still in Equestria and not Canterlot, so it’s good.”

“So, what brings the filly who reunited me with my daughter here to our home in li’le ol’ Ponyville?” Grand Pear asks as we all start off towards the farm.

“Honesty?” I ask, before giving a loud, overly exaggerated groan. “I’m so bored! I’ve been stuck in the castle all the last three days. Sure, I could’ve gone out and explored the Empire a bit, but I only really learned that last night and, by then, I needed a change in scenery that wasn’t crystal! So, I came here.”

“Well, if you wanna help out, Granny needs an extra pair of hooves in the apple orchards,” Grand Pear suggests. “Sugar Belle and Pear Butter have been helping me in the pear fields, so an extra set of Earth Pony hooves wouldn’t be unwanted.”

“Alicorn, but technicalities,” I wave a hoof. “And sure. Anything is better than just plodding around the castle all day… again.”

I get the directions and head into the apple orchards. Big Mac and Applejack are already there, bucking trees.

Neither of them seems to have noticed me, so I just head over to an unoccupied tree and buck.

A cascade of apples tumble down into the baskets awaiting below. I do this for several minutes.

After filling about fifteen baskets, I glance back, noticing they still haven’t noticed me yet.

Blinking, I get a sly grin and slink off, hiding within some bushes.

“What in the hay?” I hear Applejack several moments later. “Big Mac, did ya’ll buck these trees?”

“Enope?” the stallion replies, just as perplexed.

“Dad’s in town at the stall, Ma and Sugar Belle are helpin’ Grand Pear an’ Apple Bloom’s off with her friends,” Applejack looks from group of full baskets to group of full baskets. “Who in the hay coulda done this?”

I have to hold a hoof over my mouth to stifle my giggles.

After a few moments, the two siblings wander back into the orchards to continue, though with very uncertain and confused expressions.

Once I’m sure they’re far enough away, I burst out laughing.

Oh, that was good. I needed a good laugh.

“And just what is so funny?” And there goes my good mood.

Getting up, I turn around to deadpan at Flash. “What, a harmless joke is against the law now or something?”

At once, his eyes narrow. “Your idea of harmless jokes aren’t harmless!”

I roll my eyes, facehoofing. “Of all the guards they could’ve sent with me, I had to get the dimmest, most brainless stallion out there, didn’t I?”

I ignore his sputtering and head off, any future harmless pranks I was planning on the Apple Family forgotten as my mood for jokes is gone.

I seriously need to see if I can get Cadance or Shining to reassign Flash to somewhere else in the Empire and not be my guard again at any point.

I’m not evil like Cozy Glow, but having to deal with this numbnut for too long might very well set me on the path of evil if I have to spend too much time with him.

God, and people dissed on EQG’s Flash for years. This is the ass they should’ve been ridiculing.

I spend the next hour or so just walking around the town. Thankfully, it seems keeping my wings hidden and my new manestyle are enough that nopony really pays me any attention. The few who do I recognize as those Cozy had interacted with, most of them being School of Friendship students, likely on break and even then, they don’t seem to realize I’m physically the same filly as the mane and horn seem to be enough to make them shake their heads and move on.

After congratulating Lyra and Bon Bon on their wedding, apparently they’d proposed to each other on the same day Big Mac proposed to Sugar Belle and would be having theirs in a few months, I decide I’ve had enough time in Ponyville (plus, the novelty died down pretty quickly thanks to Flash Killjoy Sentry) and head back to the train station.

A few minutes later the train to the Empire arrives and I move to get on, when a load popping sound comes from behind me, I feel a weight suddenly land on my back and hear a familiar coo.

Glancing back, I give a small smile to the only Alicorn in Equestria younger than me.

“Hey, Flurry. Does your mother know you’re here?” I ask, giving a smirk.

Flurry just giggles, clapping her hooves.

“What’re you doing with the princess?!” Flash’s voice demands and I glance at him, deadpanning.

“She teleported onto my back. How is that in any way something I could be doing wrong, you feather brained moron?” I ask, honestly sick of this now.

He starts sputtering, which only intensifies with Flurry blows a raspberry at him, frowning.

“Flurry doesn’t like you being mean to me either,” I smirk. “Regardless of your opinion of me, are you going to go against the daughter of your own Crystal Princess?”

He just glares, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly.

My revelling in his being stumped is short lived, however, as Flurry’s horn glows and I feel her pulling me into a teleport.

I deadpan. Here we go again.




 



___________________________________________________________








The teleport ends and I cry out in alarm as I realize there is no ground beneath my hooves before I fall, flopping down on a soft and bouncy surface.

“Phew,” Shining’s voice says, sounding muffled.

I look up from what I now realize is Cadance and Shining Armour wide purple bed in their person bed chambers as the door opens, the two ponies walking in.

“Indeed. I never thought it’d be ponies being greedy and not the griffons…” Cadance trails off as she notices me, her husband quickly following suit.

To their questioning looks, I deadpan and point up at the little ball of energy happily flying in circles above me and Cadance nods in understanding.

Getting up, I hop down from the bed, grunting when Flurry glomps onto my back and I nod to the two adults before trotting out.

“Those two sure seem close,” I hear Shining remark as I walk out the two.

“You’re going to get me into so much trouble, aren’t you?” I ask the baby on my back as I walk down the halls, the first group of guards looking very puzzled as to why I was walking away from their Princess and Prince’s bedroom, of all places.

I’m answered by a cooing laughing and Flurry nuzzling into my fur.

I can’t help smiling. Damnit, you’re too cute. That amount of cuteness should be illegal.

As I reach the main halls and two guards join me to escort me, I suddenly realize Flurry didn’t bring Flash with us, so as far as he’s aware, I just teleported away from Ponyville with the heir to the Empire, with none knowing where I’m going.

I burst into laughter, causing the two guards with me to look confused and I explain, after which, they join in my laughter.

Like I said before, most of the guards are courteous to me at least and they can enjoy a joke as much as I can. I can’t wait to hear Flash storm into the castle, yelling about my having “taken” Flurry Heart with their being no clue where I’ve stolen her away to. It’ll be even better if I’m with Cadance or Shining Armour with Flurry Heart at the time.

Maybe that’ll finally shut him up, or at least make them decide to station him somewhere else in the Empire so I don’t have to deal with him too often.

“And might I ask where you’ve been, young filly?” an eldery voices asks.

I blink, registering it’s a jokingly stern tone and turn around to see Mistmane standing there.

“Oh,” I blink. Wow. Now that I think about, I haven’t even seen Mistmane since I was hit with the Triple Rainbow Laser. “Mistmane. We… we haven’t really met yet, have we?”

She shakes her head. “We haven’t. And I get the feeling you need somepony to talk to. One who can somewhat understand your situation better than most other ponies.”

I cock an eyebrow.

“True, I haven’t ever been forced into the body of another to be left dealing with the consequences of their own actions,” she says as we begin walking down the hall together, “but, I do understand what it feels like to enter a world not your own anymore. It’s true, my circumstances aren’t exactly the same as yours, but finding yourself a thousand years in the future does feel like entering a different world, wouldn’t you agree?”

I nod. I remember the episode where Rockhoof was struggling to find a place to fit in a thousand years after his time. Frankly, though, like a lot of people who watched the episode, I wondered and still wonder why he didn’t just go into the Royal Guard.

I mean, it’s not too different from The Mighty Helm and his abnormal strength would certainly be useful there.

“Like you, I had to come to terms with being in a world no longer like that I grew up in,” Mistmane says, her voice sounding melancholy. “All my close friends aside from my fellow Pillars from back then are long gone and my home changed so much from what I knew. When I was offered a place in the Empire, I felt it was a good idea. After all, not too much here has changed.”

I don’t respond to that, going over what she said. It’s true; she and I are in similar situations. I can’t speak with my friends and family anymore and neither can she.

Neither can any of the Pillars, really. I think Starswirl might be the only one, with Celestia and Luna being the only real non-Pillar friends he has left and even they’ve changed from what he knew them as.

I never thought about how the Pillars and I could have so much in common.

I frown, glancing to Mistmane, a thought occurring. “Wait. You said close friends. Does that mean some of your friends are still around, here in the Empire?”

She looks sad. “In a way… sort of. I had met one or two Crystal Ponies during their times visiting Canterlot to speak with the princesses on trade matters. I never did meet their princess, though. Sad, her fate.”

I shiver. Yeah, the less I speculate on what could’ve actually happened to the previous Crystal Princess, the better.

“And… those ponies you met are still around?” I ask, trying to change the subject back to something less uncomfortable to think about.

She nods. “Emerald Glaze and Ruby Roundhouse. A diplomat and guard.”

I can’t help cocking an eye. Ruby Roundhouse? Isn’t that the name of one of the characters in that Jumanji sequel?

I blink, before inwardly cursing. Damn. I never got to check out that movie and see if it was any good before getting here. Damnit.

I shake my head, looking to Mistmane. “So, we’re not so the same then. You still have someone from your past.”

She shakes her head. “Sadly, no, child. I do not. It is true we knew each other, but we never knew each other, if you get what I mean. I am as much a stranger to them and them to me as you are.”

I find myself nodding, agreeing with that term of thinking.

I spend the rest of the day with Mistmane as she does her job as Royal Landscape Artist of the Crystal Empire.

I have to admit, the beauty of her creations do help take my mind of the less than happy thoughts and Flurry’s reactions to the sparkly flowers certainly helps bring a smile to my face.
> Chapter 13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 13



 



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“It still takes my breath every time I see them,” I say, turning my head left and right as I walk through the crystalline garden, Mistmane beside me.

Yesterday was when I visited Ponyville and ended up back at the Empire sans my guard.

Flash had returned a few hours later, yelling about how I’d run off after foalnapping Flurry Heart.

However, he’d bargained in during dinner, where Cadance, Shining, myself and the foalnapped Flurry had been sitting and chatting.

Flash had frozen in confusion upon seeing the infant, who blew a raspberry at him, before flinging some mashed peas at him for good measure, it hitting him square on the nose.

When he’d demanded to know what was going on and why, after saving Flurry from me, they were just letting me eat causally with them, Shining had dismissed Flash.

He’s now stationed on the far side of the Empire, somewhere I have made a mental note to stay far away from.

I’ve decided to spend today hanging with out with Mistmane. Having something in common I’d never expected, we get along very well.

The fact I’m mentally an adult also means our conversations were varied and quite mature at times.

She commented that, even considering how old I really am compared to the body I now inhabit, I seem rather mature for my age.

I did have to debunk that idea. Thanks to an operation I’d had on my brain when I was very young, my adult mind had always been stuck in a kind of limbo between childhood and adulthood.

I can be mature, but I can also be very childish. My temper being the biggest example, as I can sometimes go from nought to a hundred in seconds… and that doesn’t seem to have changed since I ended up in Cozy’s body.

Did Cozy have some kind of an imbalance in her brain? I mean, it would explain why she lost her temper so easily whenever something didn’t go exactly as she wanted down to the last detail.

“You know, talking about that brat, there’s something that’s been bugging me since the first day all this started,” I say, looking to Mistmane as we stop by a bed of limestone roses.

“Oh?” Mistmane looks to me, intrigued. “What might that be?”

I look to her with a serious frown. “How come Cozy turned into an Alicorn in the first place?”

This seems to confuse the older mare and she cocks an eyebrow to show it. “You know how, Autum. She absorb a third of Grogar’s magic and it altered her, just as it did her cohorts.”

I shake my head. “No, I don’t mean it like that. I’ve just realized I really hadn’t fully thought it through and that’s leading to confusion. Sure, I know Cozy turned into an Alicorn after being exposed to Grogar’s magic from the bell, but there has to be more to it than that, right? I know how she became an Alicorn, but I don’t know why she became one.”

Mistmane still looks confused.

I shake my head. “You don’t just become an Alicorn because of another being’s magic, especially when said being isn’t even a pony. Look at Starlight Glimmer and Star Swirl. They’ve more magic than any unicorn in history. Twilight’s even admitted that they’ve more magic than she ever did back when she was just a unicorn.” I blink, before blushing. “Um, no offense. I didn’t mean…”

Mistmane chuckles. “I know, Autum. I know. Continue.”

I nod, before shaking my head. “Logically, since Tirek and Cheese Legs had been given massive power ups when they absorbed Grogar’s magic, the same would’ve applied to Cozy, but… shouldn’t she have just become a bigger and more powerful Pegasus? Why did she specifically turn into an Alicorn? There has to be an answer.”

Mistmane stares for a moment, before she frowns in thought. “You… have a point.”

“It would help if I knew exactly how Alicorns came to be,” I grumble, lifting into the air and folding my forelegs. It’s hard to pout like that on all fours. “I know Celestia and Luna were born Alicorns, so I can’t use them as an example.”

“But they weren’t.”

I blink, turning to the unicorn, confused. “Huh?”

She shakes her head. “Celestia and Luna were not born Alicorns. They were born unicorns, just like Princess Twilight was.”

It takes a moment for what she said to pass through my brain.

My wings stop and I drop to the ground, barely avoiding sprawling as I look up to the mare in shocked disbelief. “WHAT?”




 



___________________________________________________________










I frown, tapping my hoof against the table as I stare down at my notes, my frustration evident to anypony who looks at me.

It’s been three days since Mistmane and I had been chatting when she dropped what has to be one of the biggest bombshells I could ever have heard.

Celestia and Luna were not born Alicorns, as the Journal of the Two Sisters book, a book that had been printed in the real world and confirmed by the staff themselves to be canon to the show, leads everyone to be.

They had both been born simple unicorns, who just happened to have the special talent of being able to raise and lower the sun and moon on their own.

The two had turned into Alicorns after they’d first raised the sun and moon in front of everypony in Equestria.

That means Flurry Heart is literally the only natural born Alicorn in history. Every other Alicorn was originally a normal pony, with most of us having been unciorns. Cadance and I are the only non-unicorn ponies to become Alicorns.

So, after that bombshell that shattered countless theories about Alicorns the fandom had been trying to understand for years, I set myself up here, in the Crystal Empire library and having been looking through anything that could remotely explain why Cozy specifically became an Alicorn when she was exposed to Grogar’s magic.

I even asked Cadance to ask Celestia and Luna to send anything about early Equestria that could help me figure it out… though they oddly clammed up pretty fast.

For some reason, they told Cadance it was better nopony know why Cozy became an Alicorn and I should therefore stop looking into it… so, of course, I’m still looking into it.

If Celestia and Luna are worried about me finding something in the past that could explain Cozy becoming an Alicorn, it must be pretty deep, so I’ve had to rely solely on any records from the Crystal Empire itself.

Luckily, despite several years having passed since the Empire’s return, its library hasn’t been updated too much.

Apparently, Amethyst Maresbury, the librarian Twilight and the other met in the season three premiere, had insisted on going through each book herself to make sure no important documents were lost and, apparently as stubborn and meticulous as our Princess Bookhorse, she’s not like anypony else help her do it, so she’s not even half way through the library by this point.

This has thankfully meant a lot of ancient history is available without my having to worry about whatever reason Celestia and Luna don’t want me understanding why Cozy turned into in an Alicorn preventing me from moving forward.

Days of researching, however, hasn’t yielded any actual results.

All it’s done is cause me to cram my head full of ancient Equestrian history, both interesting and boring as fuck.

“Any progress?”

Cadance’s voice makes me I glance up from the book I’m currently reading, a journal of Princess Platinum written shortly after the founding of Equestria, as the pink Alicorn walks over to me, a small smile on her face. I’m currently at the part in the journal shortly after Celestia and Luna became princesses after taking over the task of raising the sun and moon from Star Swirl and the other unicorns.


I sigh, rubbing my eyes with my hooves. “Not really. I don’t even know why I’m bothering to read this journal. Maybe I’m just so desperate after three days for any information, I’ll take whatever I can find? Though, if history books don’t have the answers, why should this journal from Princess Platinum do any better? Why’s it even here?”

“I’m… honestly not sure,” Cadance says slowly, glancing at the book from over my shoulder. “Amethyst Maresbury said it was found hidden among several books after the Empire returned several years back. She’d been meaning to send it to Aunt Celestia, but what with all the books she needed to organize and update with a thousand years’ worth of history, it just never happened.”

“Lucky me,” I grumble, returning my eyes to the page.



With the appointment of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, it seemed like we were finally starting our true peace times. I thought my friends and I could settle into our new roles in this society of all three tribes with no more qualms.

If only I could have known what the stallion I used to see as my father would do next…



I blink, shaking my head and cocking an eyebrow. Um… come again?

“Did you find something?” Cadance asks, moving closer, though I don’t answer her as I keep reading.



Father had already been resentful to share ruling our new land with the leaders of the other tribes. It was always up to me to maintain the peace between himself and them.

What happened after Celestia and Luna took over raising the sun and moon, was the first step to his downfall.





I continue to read, going further and further into Platinum’s accounts of her father King Cobalt… and my eyes widen as everything clicks.

“Autum?” Cadance sounds a little worried, though her expression shows concern when I look to her, my own eyes wide.

“This explains everything!” I say, slamming a hoof down on the book. “Cadance, we need to speak with Celestia, Luna and Twilight about this, immediately! If this gets out, it could be a nightmare!”

“I… what? A nightmare? What are you talking about?”

I shake my head, grabbing the book in my forelegs and using my wings to hover. “I’ll explain when they get here. This is really big. It explains everything, even why the Empire suffered all those years. It even explains Flurry Heart being an Alicorn!”

She gives me a suspicious look, though I’d assume that’s because I accidentally just lumped her daughter with the tyrant who ruled over the Empire together without proper context, before nodding slowly. “Alright. If you think it’s that important…”

“It is!” I say, bitting my lip. “And we should get Star Swirl here too. He’s part of it. This is huge, Cadance! It explains how Cozy became an Alicorn, Flurry, even how and why Sombra took over the Empire.”

She nods, walking out of the library, myself following after.

Cadance addresses several Crystal Guard, who all come over.

“Please have word sent to Princess Celestia, Luna and Twilight to get to the Empire as soon as possible,” she says to them. “Also, be sure to send word to Star Swirl the Bearded as well. Be sure to inform them all that it’s extremely urgent.”

“And Zecora!” They all look to me, but I keep my expression firm. “Trust me, we need Zecora on this as soon as possible!”

Cadance is now looking very suspicious, but it can’t be helped. This is massive and could spell disaster if we don’t handle this properly.

The fact it’s been under everypony’s noses this whole time, just sitting there… it’s a bomb just waiting to go off and, if we don’t sort this out now, there’s no telling what dangers we’ll be in later on.

The guards all look to Cadance for assurance and she nods, them all hurrying off to send the messages.

“Should I be worried about this, Autum?” she asks, giving me a scrutinizing look. Granted, she can clearly tell I’m worried and I’m outright petrified by what I’ve learned, but I can tell she is just trying to figure me out.

“I can’t explain here, Cadance,” I shake my head, glancing around. “If this gets out, it could spell the end of the world as we very well know it.”

“I’ll trust you, Autum,” she seems, though I can tell she’s annoyed I’m not outright telling her now, “but I hope that trust isn’t being misplaced.”

I shake my head. “Trust me, Cadance, the very fate of this reality as we know it is at stake. I want to protect everyone just as much as you do.”

Damn you, Sombra. I can’t believe you put this on us.






 



___________________________________________________________








“So, what exactly is this all about, Cadance?” Twilight asks as Cadance, Shining, myself and Flurry Heart, the latter riding atop my back, walk into the room, closing the door behind us, Shining locking it with his magic.

We’re in the room where Twilight and the Mane 6 planned how to save the Crystal Empire back in season three.

“Are the doors and windows all locked?” I look to Shining.

The stallion nods. “And the sound barriers are in place, even set to your specifics so only those of us in this room should be able to hear what’s said. I’m still wondering why you feel we need all this secrecy, Autum,” he gives me a very confused and concerned look.

I nod, putting Platinum’s journal on the table. “The Empire has unknowingly been hiding a secret all these years. A secret only three ponies in this room, aside from now myself, are fully aware off. Ones who were living during those times.”

I look pointedly at Celstia, Luna and Star Swirl.

“I wonder what this great secret can be, known only to Autum and you three?” Zecora looks to the three ponies.

I look firmly around at everyone. “King Sombra was an Alicorn.”

Confusion plays over the faces of all but the three ponies I mentioned. Their faces show shock and recognition.

“But, that’s not possible,” Shining shakes his head. “Autum, Cadance, Flurry and I were held captive by him when Discord brought him back. I clearly saw no sign of wings under his cloak.”

“You’re right, Shining Armour,” I nod, before looking to Celestia, Luna and Star Swirl. “He wasn’t an Alicorn then… because his Alicornhood was taken away many years ago,” I point, “by these three.”

Everypony looks to the three, Twilight in particular looking most horrified.

“How do you know this?” Star Swirl asks.

I glance to Zecora and Twilight. “Honestly, I might not have put all the pieces together if not for you two.”

They glance to each other.

“Huh?” Twilight asks. “How in the wide world of Equestria could we have helped you figure it out?”

“Six words,” I say sternly. “Trixie Lulamoon and the Alicorn Amulet.”

Twilight blinks, before screaming, “WHAT?!”

However, I don’t get to answer before Celestia cries out, “You found the Alicorn Amulet?!”

Odd. Celestia said that as if she had no idea about Trixie using the Amulet to attack Ponyville all those years ago. Did Twilight not actually mention the Amulet itself when she told Celestia about that event?

Putting that and the stunned opened mouthed look Twilight was giving Celestia aside, I look to the two sisters and their mentor, their expressions saying it all. “Long ago, when Celestia and Luna first raised the sun and moon, all the ponies of the tribes were so grateful, something akin to the Crystaling occurred. All the ponies, Earth Ponies, unicorns and pegasi, poured their joy and relief onto Celestia and Luna, whom were just unicorns at the time. As they were immersed in so much love and light, they transformed into Alicorns.”

“I… don’t see what this has to do with Sombra,” Cadance says slowly.

I nod. “I’m getting to that. But first, why do you all think I’m an Alicorn? More specifically, why did Cozy Glow become an Alicorn?”

“Well, she absorb a third of Grogar’s stored magic,” Shining says, seeming more lost. “How does that apply to Sombra though?”

“There was magic from many beings in that bell, Shining Armour, not just Grogar’s,” I say firmly. “He stole magic from many before the bell was used to defeat him. He stole from all creatures, including ponies. All three tribes of ponies. And what are we Alicorns? An amalgamation of all three. What happens when you super charge somepony with magic, while also exposing them to all three tribes at once?”

I look between Cadance and Twilight, waiting for the penny to drop.

“Super charged with magic?” Twilight frowns. “What does that mean, exactly?”

Cadance blinks, her eyes widening.

I nod, before looking to Celestia and Luna, who’s expressions have become grim, likely not happy to be remembering this part of their past. “Celestia, Luna, Star Swirl, it’s time you told everypony in this room how Sombra became an Alicorn and why you had to banish him. I’ve read Platinum’s journal. I know all about what happened to her father.”

“What?” Shining looks more confused. “What does King Cobalt have to do with this?”

Twilight nods. “Sure, everypony knows he died because of King Sombra, but what’s his connection to this idea of Sombra being an Alicorn?”

I look pointedly at the three elder ponies. “History is written by the victors, Twilight. It’s time they knew. If you don’t tell them, I will.”

The three elder ponies heave heavy sighs.

“King Sombra… was King Cobalt.”

Everypony else stars wide eyed at Celestia upon her words.

Twilight looks like she can’t believe what she’s hearing. No, she looks like she doesn’t want to believe. “Princess… you can’t be serious. Can you?”

Celestia closes her eyes, but it is Star Swirl who speaks.

“Not many ponies would know it nowadays, but King Cobalt was a unicorn with a lust for power. Until Equestria was formed, that lust had always been sated.”

“He tolerated sharing that power with the leaders of the other tribes, though, if barely,” Celestia says reluctantly. “That is…”

“That is until my sister and I took over rule of both the sun and moon, as well as the kingdom,” Luna continues on when her sister doesn’t finish. “With us on the throne, a unicorn king was not needed.”

“A year past and we were ready to celebrate the very first Summer Sun Celebration,” Star Swirl picks up. “However, neither of the princesses were present when the celebration began. Instead, a twisted version of the king we’d all known took the stage.”

“Using dark magic, he ripped magic from all the ponies present,” Luna scowls. “Doing so, he became infused with their magic, transforming him into an Alicorn. King Cobalt indeed died that day. In his place was King Sombra. He then attacked my sister and I, intent on taking rule over our kingdom, demanding obedience from all.”

I look to Star Swirl. “At least until one unicorn wizard refused to bow to him.”

Star Swirl sighs, his expression firm. “I had been privy to his plans due to noticing his odd behaviour after the sisters took rule and keeping secret watch over him. When he confronted me, I used a gem to cast a powerful spell, pulling the stolen magic from his body, returning him to a unicorn.”

“Using the power in the gem, Star Swirl banished him from our kingdom,” Luna sighs. “Only for him to find the Crystal Empire and takeover it instead.”

Yeah, now the reason why Sombra was at war with Equestria in that alternate timeline in season five makes a lot more sense. He’d always intended to go to war and take Equestria back from Celestia and Luna as revenge for taking rule themselves.

“What about the stolen magic?” Shining looks around, though the shocked look on Twilight, Zecora and Cadance’s faces tell me they’ve figure it out.

“Try as I could, I was unable to return the magic from the gemstone,” Star Swirl sighs dejectedly. “Sombra’s spirit had corrupted it. So, instead, I locked the magic within the gem and placed it within a cast of Sombra’s image as warning.”

“The Alicorn Amulet,” Twilight’s eyes are wide at the stallion. “You created the Alicorn Amulet?!”

“It’s why the Amulet corrupts whoever is wearing it and can only be removed by that same individual,” I say, shaking my head. “The magic within it is the corrupted magic Sombra stole. It’s why, when Trixie was wearing it, her magical ablities were on par with an Alicorn’s.”

“Is that why you summoned me from my home in the Everfree?” Zecora asks, looking stunned.

I nod. “That Amulet is the only remains of Sombra’s twisted ambitions. We need to get rid of it, before we have a repeat of his actions or worse. It also explains why my magic was that exact shade of red before the Elements were used on me.”

I haven’t used it too much, but I have managed to light my horn every once in a while and my magical aura is now a slightly different shade of red, according to Cadance and i chose to take her word for it.

“Wait, I’m lost again,’ Shining shakes his head. “What does Sombra and the Alicorn Amulet have to do with your magic originally being a different shade of red?”

I can tell from a glance Celestia, Luna, Star Swirl and Twilight have easily figured out my meaning.

“The reason the magic in the Amulet turns the magic of whomever wears it red is because, while wearing it, they’re using it’s magic instead of their own, which is corrupted, stolen,” I said, pointing to my horn. “The same goes for Cozy’s magic. When she absorbed the magic from the bell, it was magic stolen from the three tribes. It too had become corrupted. Her magic was still red even after we switched bodies because, while I wasn’t evil like her, the magic in this body still was. Once the Elements were used on me, my magic changed because all the corrupted energy was gone.”

“This is big news and quite shocking, I must admit,” Cadance says, before looking to me. “But, I don’t see why this is so urgent you had to pull my aunts away from the rebuilding of Canterlot Castle, Autum.”

“That Amulet and this journal,” I hold it up in my hooves, “are the only remnants of history that prove Alicorns aren’t actually anything special.”

“Huh?” everypony looks to each other, beyond confused.

“Anypony can become an Alicorn,” I say firmly, putting the journal down. “Cozy, and now we all know Sombra, proved this. Becoming an Alicorn isn’t something that only those who prove themselves can do. All you need is a bunch of unicorns, Earth Ponies and pegasi to pour a ton of their magic into a single pony and it can happen.”

“But… that can’t be true,” Twilight shakes her head. “I only became an Alicorn because I finished Star Swirl’s spell.”

“And what happened the moment you did finish the spell, Twilight?” I ask, looking to her. “The Elements all blasted you with intense beams of magic. The Elements that are bound to your friends, who are all Earth Ponies, pegasi and a unicorn. All their energies pooled into you at once, amplified by the Elements themselves.”

“What about Cadance?” Shining glances to his wife.

I look to the pink mare myself. “Something similar happened there, too. Cadance defeated a sorceress who was using a magical necklace that amplified the emotions said mare was feeling. When Cadance got close enough to her, the gem within the necklace amplified Cadance’s love, helping her to cure the mare of her bitterness, but it also amplified the emotions of all those around them. The ponies of the village were so grateful, with their emotions and magical output amplified by the gem, Cadance was exposed to a surge of all three tribes, turning her into an Alicorn.”

“And Flurry Heart?” Star Swirl is looking at me sceptically now. “You make good points, Princess Autum, but how do you explain a baby being exposed to a powerful surge of all three tribes’ magic before it is even born?”

I cock an eyebrow at him. “After everything I’ve just said, I’d have thought that was obvious, Star Swirl, especially to a pony as knowledgeable as you.” I point to Cadance. “Cadance is an Alicorn and what is more powerful than a mother’s love for her baby? Flurry was exposed to all three tribes’ magic within her own mother. Cadance has all three tribes within her, so Flurry was being exposed to them by default as she developed within her own mother.”

“Hence she was an Alicorn at birth!” Twilight’s eyes widen.

“What is this all leading to, Autum?” Celestia asks after a few moments of everyone taking in my revelations.

I look to Celestia. “What this is leading to is that everypony here needs to understand what this would mean if word ever got out.” I look around at everypony. “We all know how powerful Cozy was with her magic after she became an Alicorn. Now, imagine a group of ponies, intent on conquering Equestria like Cozy wanted to, like Sombra wanted to. They turn themselves into Alicorns, meaning we could end up dealing with an army of evil Alicorns.”

A chill runs through the air at the idea.

“I imagine this is part of the reason Celestia and Luna hid this from everypony for all these years,” I look to the sisters. “Better to make ponies think Alicorns are unique and need to be earned and can’t just be made. But that’s a slippery slope. Cozy has already put that concept at risk. We’re just fortunate that nopony knows about Sombra’s true identity anymore, so they’ve all just assumed it was only because of Grogar’s magic that she became an Alicorn.”

“Get to the point, child,” Star Swirl says, seeming more anxious than angry. He’s probably had these thoughts at times himself and wants to stop having to think about.

I point at the sisters. “The point is you, Celestia and Luna, though mostly Celestia, since she was the one in charge of Equestria for a thousand years, have been very sloppy. This isn’t something I should’ve easily been able to stumble upon.”

“In their defence, the Empire was gone for a thousand years,” Cadance interjects. “And with Amethyst Maresbury not letting anypony else help her with sorting the library out, nopony could’ve known a journal from Sombra’s daughter could’ve been sitting in there this whole time.”

“Well, much as I like the mare, we are going to be putting our hooves down on this,” I say firmly, looking around at my fellow royal ponies. “We are princesses and a prince. We have the authority to enforce rules, especially if it’s for the safety of our people. This is one such time. Twilight,” I point to her, “you need to help her finish sorting out the library here in the Empire. The fact it’s been four years since the Empire returned and she’s still not done is more than enough reason for us to force her to accept your help. We need somepony we can trust to look through the library with her. There’s no telling whether or not any more information about Alicorns is just floating around in there.”

“It is true, I made sure to get every account I could find of Equestria’s history between my sister and I rising to the throne and Sombra’s curse causing the Empire to vanish,” Celestia says, brow furrowed in concern, “but I had never taken the Empire’s library records into consideration due to its disappearance and completely forgot about the library itself once it returned.”

I can’t stop my facehoof. 

“As for the Amulet,” I look to Zecora, “I know we can trust you with it, Zecora, but I think I would honestly feel safer if we brought it and stored it here in the Empire until we can deal with it. I hope you understand?”

She nods, her expression firm understanding. “No need for fear. I understand why you would feel safer if it were here.”

“Since Zecora’s been keeping it safe at her house in the Everfree, I doubt any would’ve gone looking for it,” Twilight begins, before I give her a look, her expression turning into a sheepish grin. “Though… Spike did find that book of Dark Magic that infected Rarity without any problems in the Everfree, so…”

“Indeed,” Luna frowns, looking to her sister. “Why did you never remove all those books and artefacts from our old castle, Tia?”

Celestia just stares blankly, as if her brain is only just realizing she did just that.

I facehoof again.

With that all decided, after a few more minutes of finalizing what to do, Shining deactivates the spells and we all leave.

As we walk down one corridor to head for the train station to bid Celestia, Luna, Star Swirl and Zecora goodbye, Twilight staying for the reasons we’d discussed, one of the guards does a double take, looking confused.

“What’s up, soldier?” Shining asks casually, the others moving ahead, myself lagging behind due to my legs being so much shorter and my carrying Flurry on my back.

“I just… I could’ve sworn I saw Princess Autum pass by me about three minutes ago,” the guard says, shaking his head.

Shining and I share a confused look, before he shakes his head. “You must be mistaken, soldier. Autum has been in a meeting with myself and the other princesses for a while now. Three minutes ago, we were still in the meeting, herself present the whole time.”

“Maybe a Changeling nymph was mucking around?” the guard’s partner says, cocking an eyebrow as he glances up. “I did notice a group of them on a tour before my shift and the Autum that passed us looked more like Cozy Glow than Princess Autum. She didn’t even have a horn and her wings were Pegasus size.”

I cock an eyebrow, before pouting. “If a Changeling’s gonna pretend to be me, could they at least get it right? The less creatures keep comparing me to Cozy herself the better. I don’t want to be stuck in her shadow my entire (and as far as I know eternal) life!”

The first guard nods. “Our apologies, Princess Autum. We meant no disrespect.”

I sigh, rolling my eyes. “None taken. Sheesh, is this how Sunset feels on a regular basis. Man, I can’t wait for my house arrest to be over to I can visit that world.”

“One thing at a time, Autum,” Shining says reassuringly as we move to catch up to the others. “One thing at a time.” He blinks, before chuckling.

“What?” I ask, giving him a wry smile. “What’s so funny?”

He shakes his head. “I just realized we totally forgot to tell you.”

“Tell me what?” I ask grinning.

“The princesses have finally come up with what your last name will be now you’re living in our world permanently,” he says, smiling down to me.

I blink, before cocking an eyebrow. “Oh. Already? Okay. Let’s hear it.”

“Moonstone,” he says, looking to me. “Seems kind of fitting, huh?”

I cock an eyebrow at him, before rolling it over in my head. “Autum Moonstone. Yeah, I guess that kinda fits. Though… why? I mean, it sounds alright, but why’s Moonstone so fitting?”

Truth be told, I only know a handful of facts about gemstone properties. That was more my mother back on Earth’s expertise. I only ever really learned about quartz gems and jade and never looked much further beyond that.

Shining chuckles again. “Moonstones represent new beginnings. It’s a crystal that helps you to re-structure your life at all levels. Moonstones also cultivates compassion and empathy. It helps us to tap into our intuition and enhances psychic abilities and clairvoyance.” He gives me a wink. “Sound familiar?”

I frown, thinking it over as we exit the castle. It… does kinda fit me.

From the moment Cozy switch our minds, my whole life has been a new beginnings and, considering what I was doing before the switch, it’s even more fitting, as I was starting a new beginning in my human life too.
> Chapter 14
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 14



 



___________________________________________________________






I open my eyes and yawn, stretching out in my bed, before using a wing to lift the covers off me and hop down and trot out of my room.

A maid is waiting with my breakfast at the dining table and I settle in for my meal of bacon, eggs and hash browns with a glass of apple juice.

Once finished, I thank the maid and head out, her taking my dishes to the kitchen.

It’s been about a week since I confronted Celestia, Luna and Star Swirl about Somba’s Alicornhood and the danger of the chance information of it could be easily found if we’re not careful.

Twilight’s been staying here in the Empire, helping Maresbury sort through the Empire’s library, her keeping a keen eye out for anything that seems even remotely related to Sombra’s findings that let him turn into an Alicorn.

So far, they’ve found nothing and, thanks to Twilight’s help, almost 2/3 of the library is now sorted.

I’d like to think this means there’s nothing left to find, that Platinum’s journal was the last trace that could lead to anypony learning the truth about Alicorns, but I’ve learned never to count your chickens before they’ve hatched.

My earlier time here in Equestria is proof enough of that. I still remember when the idea of simply not being treated with hostility was something I thought never impossible, even when I’d found Applejack’s parents.

There’s always the chance something might be found.

That’s not all, of course. Celestia and Luna are having the Royal Guard search their old castle from top to bottom, with orders to bring every book, scroll or anything that looks like it could’ve been important once upon a time, to Celestia’s personal study, herself and Luna planning on going over everything personally with a fine tooth comb.

Twilight even checked her library before coming to the Empire, since a good number of those books came from Celestia, so could’ve unintentionally held something important within their pages.

I walk out of the castle, with two Crystal Guards flanking me, but from a slight distance.

Aside from Flash, most of the guard have come to like me. My respectful actions and snarky at times nature endearing me to them.

To put it simply, they felt they could be themselves around me and understood that, while I am a princess, I am still just a pony like them, with my own wants and interests, so they try to give me space while still doing their job to the best of their abilities.

As we pass the stadium the Equestria Games had been held in, I hear a familiar sound before weight is on my back that wasn’t seconds ago.

“You really like just teleporting onto my back, don’t you?” I ask with a smirk.

Flurry coos and laughs in response, hugging me around the neck.

The guards give light chuckles and I roll my eyes, but smile and we start off back on our walk, though, focusing on Flurry, I fail to realize I walked into the stadium itself.

Since there aren’t any big events happening, it’s not like it’s closed off to the public or anything, so nopony stopped me, clearly seeing nothing odd about the two youngest princesses going inside the stadium.

There’s even a small tour happening.

I can see a hippogriff and a changeling among the group of mostly normal unicorns.

I don’t really pay it much thought, since it’d be rude to just interrupt a tour, plus I don’t feel like dealing with ponies from outside the Empire realizing who I am, either mistaking me for Cozy due to not being in the know or somehow knowing and wanting to ask me questions I probably can’t answer.

As I turn to head in the opposite direction of the tour, however, Flurry makes a sound and turns my head with her magic to look back at the group.

“What?” I glance at her over my shoulder. “It’s just a bunch of ponies and other creatures getting a tour. What, did you wanna join the tour too?”

She shakes her head, making an “Uh uh” kinda sound, before pointing at the group.

I look back at them again and don’t see what it is that has the baby Alicorn so fascinated.

Deciding Flurry must just be playing a game, but knowing full well she won’t stop unless I play along, I decide to head over.

“Sorry to interrupt,” I call as I get near, causing the ruby red Crystal Pony mare to stop whatever she was saying, drawing all attention to myself. “Princess Flurry Heart wanted to see you all… I think. Despite how close we are, it’s still hard to figure this foal out.”

Flurry blows as raspberry at me.

There’s your typical “awws” from the crowd that would follow a baby doing something, before a voice I was not expecting speaks from within the group.

“Wait. Since when were there two Alicorn foals?”

The tour group parts a bit… and my jaw drops as I look at a yellow unicorn mare with a red and yellow mane and tail and a red and yellow sun Cutie Mark.

Okay, I was not expecting to just randomly run into Sunset Shimmer of all ponies here in the Empire today, if at all.

But… wait, something’s different about her.

She seems, I dunno, younger, I guess? Her legs look a little stockier than I remember from her last appearance as a pony in Spring Breakdown. Plus, she seems shorter too.

Not to mention her hair’s in more of a ponytail style, kinda like Sci-Twi’s was after Friendship Games. She’s wearing glasses like Sci-Twi too.

“Sunset, didn’t Twilight ever tell you about me?” I ask before I can catch myself, cursing internally. “And what’s with the hair and glasses? Are you trying to go undercover or something?”

The unicorn replies with a raised eyebrow. “Why would one of the princesses of this world talk to me? I’m nobody special. And what about my hair and glasses?”

Now I’m the one raising an eyebrow. “Uh, the journal? You know, the one you got when you met Starlight Glimmer for the first time? And why wouldn’t I know you name?”

That also seems to confuse her further. “Um, why would a little baby give me a journal to talk to the princess?”

Okay, seriously, what? I am so lost now.

“Sunset, are you feeling okay?” I ask, the others in the tour seeming to understand something’s up and all start moving away to give us privacy.

The younger than normal mare frowns. “I’m fine, aside from the fact I now know the Royal Family are somehow aware of who I am and think a baby is connected to me somehow.”

What in Equestria is she talking about? I am so confused.

A tap on my head makes me look back to Flurry, who points to Sunset.

“Sunset?” I ask.

Oddly, Flurry shakes her head, pointing at Sunset again.

“Not… Sunset?” I ask, now confused by the foal.

She nods, then shakes her head.

What?

“Um, I do apologise if I seem rude, Your Highness,” Sunset pulls my attention back to her, “but, I think I should rejoin my tour group. Touring that swamp was fine and all, but I really want to explore this Empire. It wasn’t here before.”

I roll my eyes. “Well, obviously, when you were younger it wasn’t here. The Empire was gone for a thousand years and only came back a few years ago. You know that. How else could you have stolen the crown back then?”

Sunset suddenly gets angry at me. “Crown? What crown? I’ve never stolen any crown! How dare you accuse me of something like that! Royalty or not, that’s just rude as hay!”

At first, I’m taken aback by her unexplained anger… but then her words just leave me baffled.

“What’re you talking about? The crown? CHS? The Fall Formal? Any of this ringing a bell?”

Sunset is still angry, though confusion enters her expression. “What do you mean? None of my schools ever had a fall formal. And what’s CHS supposed to mean? Is that like the IRS? Why bring something like that up?”

I open my mouth to continue, before I pause, something occurring to me and I glance back at Flurry. I point to the yellow mare.

“Sunset?”

She nods.

“Not Sunset?” I ask, still pointing.

She nods again.

I frown, thinking it over, before deciding to ask a question I hadn’t thought of before, because the idea had never even crossed my mind.

“Are you the Human Sunset Shimmer?”

To that, she gets a slightly condescending look. “What, is there any other kind of me?”

My jaw drops again.

Holy shit. This is the Sunset from EQG! What in Celestia name is she doing here in the Empire?










 



___________________________________________________________










We’re sitting in the room the princesses, Shining, Zecora, Star Swirl and I were using over a week ago, myself, Cadance and Sunset sitting around the table.

We’re waiting for two more to arrive.

“Is there a reason for all this?” Sunset grumbles, forelegs folded.

Soon as I’d realized this wasn’t the Sunset I knew of, I’d used my power as a princess to order her to come with me to the castle.

She’d clearly been about to object, but apparently then remember I’m royalty and decided it was better not to argue.

I’d had one guard stay with us, while the other I told to rush off to the castle to inform either Cadance or Shining what was going on, as well as have them inform another guard tell Twilight and Maresbury to pause their work and the former to join us at the castle.

Soon as Twilight had clapped eyes on the unicorn, the confusion and understanding went so fast, it kind of unnerved me.

Next thing I knew, Twilight had teleported away, without explaining why.

That’s leads us to now, with all of us still waiting to see if Twilight’s going to return or at least send a scroll to inform us why she just up and teleported away like that.

I sigh, looking to the unicorn. “Sunset, I want to explain to you, but we should wait for Twilight to come back. It’ll be easier the less we have to repeat the explanations. Trust me, I speak from experience.”

Sunset gives me a look, glancing to Cadance, who simply nods.

I do appreciate how much faith Cadance has in me. I’ve made her question the wisdom of that faith every once in a while, but I’ve always come through, confirming it justified, so it feels nice that she’s putting complete faith in me this time, not even giving me questioning looks.

Suddenly, the room’s full of a blinding flash as Twilight teleports back into the room, but with another by side.

Sunset’s jaw drops open as she stares at an equally shocked, slightly taller and less stocky looking Sunset.

“And I think that answers most of the questions already,” Cadance smiles and I chuckle, before asking the two newcomers to sit down… though that takes a few moments, since Sunset seems to have mentally shutdown at the sight of another her.

Once Sunset has sat down alongside Twilight and the two identical mares have somewhat composed themselves, I start of by asking the younger Sunset what she was doing before coming to the Empire.

She’d mentioned a swamp, so, I’d had a few theories while we’d been waiting, but had kept them to myself. Choosing to wait until I had further information.

Turns out, my theories weren’t too far off the mark.

The swamp Young Sunset had referred to was indeed Hayseed Swamp. As she told us what she could remember, I noticed similarities to what Bright Mac and Pear Butter had told me happened to them before they found me there, meaning she must’ve somehow caught Swamp Fever and miraculously been cured (we still have no clue how every creatures afflicted by Swamp Fever got cured, not to mention the trees seem to have simply vanished) like them.

It also explained why she was so much younger than our Sunset. She’d technically been frozen in time once turned into a tree, just like every other creature.

That did bring up the question of why Young Sunset was here in Equestria in order for her to end up infected in the first place.

Young Sunset went on to explain that, not too long ago, by her perspective, at least, she’d failed to get into the Everton program, the same one Sci-Twi had been trying to get into.

Though, it wasn’t actually so much she’d failed as she was too young, so Everton had told her to wait until after high school.

Angered, she’d run away from home to try and find something that would made Everton take her in.

The uneasy look our Sunset gave told me she was seeing the similarities between the two of them, as Sunset being headstrong and assuming she was always right was the reason she’d gone as far as she did, especially when she didn’t get what she wanted when she wanted it… and it seemed her human self was quite similar in that regard.

As Young Sunset goes on, she mentions traveling to an island Twilight, our Sunset and I immediately figure out is the one from Spring Breakdown.

The giant man eating plant hadn’t so much scared Young Sunset as it had intrigued her.

However, while trying to study it without letting it eat her, she’d fallen through the natural portal and found herself in Equestria as a pony.

With no idea how she’d gotten into that cave, she’d simply wandered around, fascinated by the changes in her body.

Once she’d found a way out, she’d travelled through the Everfree, studying it, thinking she could use what she’d learned to get into Everton… only to unintentionally wind up near a Swamp Fever tree and becoming infected.

Not really focused due to being sick, Sunset had continued on through the Everfree, stumbling completely by chance on Hayseed Swamp, only to find herself suddenly surrounded by multiple ponies and other creatures.

She’d then found a temporary place to stay until she got a hold of herself and then decided to do some exploring around Equestria, see if anyone could explain why she was a pony and help her get into Everton.

“And that included taking a tour of the Crystal Empire?” Twilight asked, confused.

Young Sunset shook her head. “After deciding the swamp wasn’t for me, I thought this empire was a good place to set up until I could find my way home. At least, that’s what I told myself,” she finishes, looking down dejectedly.

The five of us glance at each other, before Cadance chooses to speak.

“What do you mean, Sunset? Has something changed?”

Young Sunset glances to our Sunset, before sighing, leaning her head against a hoof. “When you learn you were turned into a tree and stuck that way for years, it’s pretty hard to keep your motivations.”

“You don’t want to go to Everton?” our Sunset asks.

Her double shakes her head. “What’s the point? All I wanted was to prove myself, but after all these years…” she sighs. “They probably think I just gave up. I’d have to reapply all over again, not to mention explain my absence for all that time.” 

“What about my— um, your family?” our Sunset asks, her choice of words making me cock an eyebrow.

Young Sunset looks to her double, before sighing, her body sagging. “They probably think I’m dead. Would it even matter, now? I’m in another world, with no idea how I even got here.” 

“Well, about that…” our Sunset rubs her the back of her head nervously. “Do you… know how things have been in Sire’s Hollow since you left?”

Young Sunset looks shocked for a moment, before slumping down again. “Of course, since this pony world’s a mirror of mine, you have a Sire’s Hollow too.”

Our Sunset takes a deep breath, before sighing. “Sunset… your family don’t think you’re dead… because I’ve met them.”

My ears perk up. Hello, this is new.

To her double’s questioning look, our Sunset explains.

As she talks however, I realize she’s talking about the Anon-A-Miss thing from that Christmas comic a long while back.

Unlike in the comic, it hadn’t been so easily settled.

Once Sunset had felt alienated from everyone, she’d run away from school, taking a random bus, not knowing where it was going.

By sheer dumb luck, she’d gotten on a bus that passed by the EQG Sire’s Hollow.

She admits she’s embarrassed that, in her at the time emotional state, so desperate for someone to not hate her anymore, her mind had briefly forgotten what world she was in and she’d just automatically gone to her family’s home and knocked on the door.

When Stellar Flare had answered (yes, it turns out Stellar Flare is Sunset’s mother, which makes a little too much sense, when you stop and think about it), the woman had been absolutely shocked and burst into tears, holding Sunset close, Sunset, feeling a caring embrace, had reciprocated, the two falling to their knees, holding each other and crying.

It had taken a while, but, by the time the two had composed themselves, Sunburst had arrived back home.

The man had been shocked to see whom he thought was his sister and, so happy to just be in a loving environment again, Sunset hadn’t corrected them… until the rest of the Humane 6 at the time had found her and come to apologize.

Sunset still had her location on for Trotter, so they’d been able to find her once things had calmed down and they’d learned the truth.

It was then Sunset had come clean to Stellar Flare and Sunburst… but the two hadn’t been angry with her. In fact, they were still willing to let her be part of their family, since they had assumed their Sunset was dead.

“I don’t live with them, but I go every two or three nights for dinner or lunch,” Our Sunset says as she finishes her story. “Sometimes breakfast, if everything works out right.”

Young Sunset looks like she can’t tell if she feels sad, angry or guilty.

“I’m staying then.”

We all look to her, confused.

“Here, in Equestria, I mean,” she answers our questioning looks, before looking down at the table. “I don’t belong in the human world anymore.”

“Whoa, hang on now,” our Sunset says, Cadance and Twilight looking like they too wanted to protest.

I, however, look at Young Sunset sadly. I think I can understand what her reasoning is.

Our Sunset has been living as the human world’s Sunset for almost four years now. In that time, she’s aged with that world while making a place for herself there.

This Sunset, however, is the exact same age she was when she left that world and came here, to Equestria.

If she were to return now, there was be questions about why she seemed younger, along with the fact there’d be two of her now, which would be much harder to explain.

“But… but that’s not right,” our Sunset says after I explain the younger’s reasoning, herself confirming my belief. “It’s your world, not mine! I don’t have the right to take your place!”

“Is it mine?” Young Sunset looks to ours. “Think about it, Sunset. You’ve been living there for all these years. You’re the Sunset everyone associates with the name. You’re the one who has official records going through freshman year and onwards at a high school, while I don’t. Without meaning to, you’ve naturally established a life for yourself there. I can’t live there too if you’re there and I won’t take that life away from you for myself.”

“I… but… no, Sunset, I…” our Sunset looks to us for help… but we can’t really give any.

Young Sunset has a point. I had no clue about our Sunset’s family relations and, from what I’ve heard throughout this meeting, our Sunset has yet to try making up with her family here, while having a seemingly strong one with the human version.

“Having no family is a fitting punishment,” the younger Sunset says, standing up and making to leave. “I wouldn’t listen when others told me to take it slow. I only thought what I wanted mattered and, for it, I was trapped as a tree for years, while another me took my place in my world. I deserve to have nothing here.”

There’s silence, before our Sunset snarl, slamming her hoof on the table, startling all of us, making Flurry cling tighter to me.

“No,” she glares, getting up and stomping over to the younger pony. “If I can be given a second chance, there’s no reason you aren’t allowed to have one either, Sunset!”

“But… how can I face them?” she looks away from her older self, tears in her eyes. “I abandoned them. Plus, how could you explain us both existing there. That would expose this world to ours. You’ve lived in my world for four years now. You know how fucked up humans can be!”

Twilight and Cadance give each other confused looks, while I stay silent and indicate for them to do the same. This isn’t for us to interfere in.

Our Sunset snorts. “You’re right, I do know how fucked up humans can be. It wasn’t exactly easy for me when I first got to that world. But, I’m not talking about that world.”

The glasses pony gives a confused, “Huh?”

Our Sunset’s expression calms, before she looks understandingly at the younger pony. “I feel the same way about my family as you do yours. I think… I know a way we can both have a loving family, without causing problems for either world.”
> Chapter 15
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 15



 



___________________________________________________________






“Honestly, what was that stallion thinking?!” Cadance half hisses, half snarls as she gently rubs soothing cream between my wings, causing me to shiver with relief at the cool sensation and let out a huge sigh.

Currently we are in Cadance and Shining Armour’s living quarters in the castle, a fire in the fireplace warming the room.

Cadance is rubbing a balm-like cream meant to help with fevers, which, as you can probably guess, I have.

This is no ordinary cold though and, thank Celestia, it isn’t like the one Twilight had in the short, Ail-icorn.

What it is, however…?

“I get he and Starlight asked for your help, but putting a child through that kind of strenuous work is unbelievably irresponsible!” Cadnace snorts as I take a tissue in my hooves and blow. “Starlight, I can forgive, as the guilt of what she did would be impossible for any sane pony to ignore, but Star Swirl?”

“I’mb not a child, dough, Cadunce,” I say, sniffing. “I used to be an adult, after all.”

“Exactly!” Cadance says firmly and I flinch at the tone. “You used to be an adult, Autum. But, you’re not now. You may still have the mind of an adult, but your body is now that of a child and that has limitations. Yes, as an Alicorn, though limitations are somewhat less than any ordinary pony, but, even as an Alicorn, you’re still just a child. Star Swirl should’ve known better than that. He should’ve at least waited a few more years, when you’d be more physically ready to cope with that kind of effort.”




TWO DAYS AGO






I walk into the dinning room, expecting it to be empty save the maids… but am surprised when I see Cadance, Shining and Flurry Heart all sitting at the table, watching the entrance, as if they’d been waiting for me… and immediately I’m worried.

Those looks on their faces… Has someone done something I got blamed for again because some ponies still won’t accept that I’m not actually Cozy Glow?

The last two days, messages from Canterlot have come from Celestia asking where I’d been during the day to confirm if I hadn’t gone into several book and medical stores and stolen products from them.

The owners of the buildings had each time insisted they’d seen a pony matching Cozy’s description and, even though a lack of a horn would be an obvious clue it’s not me but a Cozy lookalike, they never got to see if she had a horn before she’d gotten away.

The idea someone is trying to frame me for crimes I didn’t commit and further fanning the Cozy Glow flame Luna, Celestia, Twilight and Cadance have each been doing their best to extinguish is bad enough, but the fact the witnesses never could tell if they’d seen a horn makes it all the more irritating.

Whoever’s trying to frame me isn’t even putting in the effort to match my appearance completely, just the base Cozy look. It’s honestly insulting.

Of course, Cadance, Shining Armour, the guards I usually have with me and Mistmane always came to my defense, as I was always under watch whenever I was out of the castle.

Deciding it’s better to get this over with, I sigh, sit and the table and ask the inevitable. “What am I being accused of doing this time?”

I’m taken aback when both Cadance and Shining are taken aback.

“What are you talking about, Autum?” Shining asks, cocking his head to the side, Flurry mirroring his action.

I cock an eyebrow. “Aren’t you wearing those expressions because somepony has framed me for another crime I obviously couldn’t have committed?”

The married couple turn to each other, blink, then shake their heads, Cadance being the one to speak.

“Oh, no, it’s nothing like that, Autum, I promise.”

I cock my head to the left, Flurry choosing to mirror me this time. “Then… what’s with the odd looks?”

The two exchange a glance, before Shining lights his horn, levitating a scroll into view.

I say nothing, indicating for him to go on.

“You’ve been summoned to Ponyville,” he says, levitating the scroll over to me.

I take the scroll in my own magic, almost dropping it. I’m still not fully able to grasp casting and hold onto spells yet. I’m doing better than most humans forced into a foal’s body could probably do, but I’ve still much practice to ahead.

“Star Swirl the Bearded,” Cadance says as I unfurl the scroll and start reading.

“You’re right,” I say slowly, frowning as I read over the scroll’s contents. “He’s summoning me to help aid him and Starlight in an endeavor to help many ponies suffering hard times.”

“To meet at Twily’s castle and provide the support,” Shining nods, frowning with worry, “but that’s all he’s saying. He hasn’t said what you’d be doing or how you’d be helping or who the ponies suffering even are.”

“Him and Twilight are more alike than either of them would admit,” I sigh, putting the scroll down on the table. “Both get so focused on the task at hoof they neglect to fully explain to others, expecting them to just understand and follow along.”

There are three nods of agreement.

“So,” I sigh, looking between my two appointed guardians, “when should I head off?”

Five hours later I’m walking through Ponyville with six guards tailing me.

Thankfully, Cadance and Shining Armour had the forethought to cast glamour charms on us, so nopony is questioning the group of seven ponies, including the second youngest Alicorn in Equestria, walking through town in the direction of Twilight’s castle.

Upon arrival, the guards stand at attention outside and I go in.

On a hunch, I head for the Map Room and, sure enough, there are Starlight and Star Swirl, standing in front of the Cutie Map, talking amongst themselves.

A quick glance around the room tells me, whatever is going on, magic is going to play a big part in this.

There’s scrolls scattered on the floor, some crumpled, others seemingly just cast aside. A few piles of books are stack in front of several blackboards with diagrams and charts I have no hope of understanding… though a hooful seem somewhat familiar to me for some reason.

After several moments of the two unicorns talking amongst themselves and apparently not having noticed my presence, I give a loud cough.

The two start, before sighing upon seeing me.

“Ah, Princess Autum Moonstone. Thank you for coming,” the bearded stallion says, giving a slight bow. “Your aid in this endeavor will expedite matters and allow us to achieve the desired goal.”

“Maybe we should explain it to her first, though, hmm?” Starlight says, giving her fellow unicorn a scolding gaze.

In confusion, he glances from her to myself, before my expression seems to make him understand.

They indicate for me to sit and I do, taking Applejack’s throne, while Star Swirl sits in Twilight’s and Starlight in Rainbow’s and they explain the plan… and BOY HOWDY, is it a doozy.

Star Swirl summoned me to Ponyville because he and Starlight are planning on fixing a mistake Starlight has left unattended to for too long now.

At first, I had no idea what they were talking about… until they showed me a scroll I thought was lost to the infinite realm of time, Star Swirl’s finished Time Travel Spell from the Season Five finale.

Well, not the spell, a replica he and Starlight made together, with a few slight alterations.

The plan they have is both simple and monumentally complicated.

The two of them are going to visit all the timelines Starlight’s altering the past have created.

I ask them how exactly they’re planning to fix several of those timelines, mentioning the Wasteland, Tirek and Discord timelines in particular.

Well, it turns out the Wasteland timeline is a no go as that timeline has wasted away so much, it actually no longer exists at all, so can’t be fixed.

The Discord timeline, they’re not even going to tough. According to Discord himself, ours, not the one from that timeline, it is going to be fixed the right way when the time comes.

When Starlight had asked him what he meant, he told her he’d promised himself he wouldn’t spoil the surprise… which, after a moment of thinking, means a version of him from the future must’ve told him it would all work out if it was left alone.

Whether that means Discord knows HOW it’s going to fix itself, I don’t know, but, I guess we’re just going to have to trust him on this one.

As for the Tirek timeline… their explanation was surprisingly blunt and simple.

Since those timelines are like our Equestria, only with the time changes starting from the point of Dash’s Sonic Rainboom, or lack thereof, anything established timewise before that point will still be the same, including the location of Grogar’s Bewitching Bell.

They’re going to go to where the bell was hidden in that timeline while Tirek is distracted with his mindless destruction, get the bell and use it on Tirek to remove the magic he’d stolen from him and release it back onto that timeline’s Equestria at large.

Any and all other problems after that will technically be that timeline’s Celestia and Luna’s job.

Interfering too much could have who knows what kind of problems further down in that timeline’s future.

While I am curious then how they plan on handling the other timelines, Nightmare Moon, Sombra, Cheese Legs and the Flim Flam Brothers, I decide, if they’ve got Tirek planned out so clearly, I should trust them to handle the others just as well.

Once I’ve agreed, Star Swirl explains what my role will be in this.

The altered Time Travel Spell, based on some of the information from Cozy’s spell that pulled me into her body from my dimension, will open portals to each of the altered timelines, allowing passage to and from them.

However, only those from this side of the portals, from our timeline, will be able to move back and forth. If any being from the other timelines tries to come through the portals, they’ll feel like they’ve slammed into a brick wall.

I have to commend him on that, as, when he mentioned we’re leaving all the portals open until the task is complete, my first concern was Nightmare Moon passing through into this timeline.

I shudder to think what her reaction would be upon seeing a younger Alicorn.

My actual part is to cast the spell itself and act like a battery of sorts, my near endless pool of magic thanks to being an Alicorn allowing me to maintain the spell long enough for them to go into each timeline respectively before returning here.

For me, it will barely have been a few minutes, regardless of how long it takes for the two of them to fix all the problems of each of the timelines.

My lack of skill with magic is brought up, but Star Swirl assures me I won’t need to be a wiz at spellcasting to keep the spell going.

We spend about an hour working things out, both Starlight and Star Swirl helping me feel out the spell’s form, channeling my magic through my horn and into the spell’s matrix.

Once I finally think I’ve got enough of a grasp on the concept, Star Swirl gives the order and I focus.

I feel the warm tingling of my magic passing throughout my body, culminating in my horn and then feel a hot flare, my vision going white.

I don’t actually know much of what happens after that.

I’m faintly aware of Starlight and Star Swirl saying something to me and hearing what I assume is the sound of them passing through one of the portals, but it’s hard to focus as my vision is filled with white, my ears feeling like they’re full of cotton and my mind feels like I’m trapped in a fog as I continue to channel my magic into the spell.

I get glimpses of what I have to assume are the alternate timelines. I see Tirek shrinking as the magic within him is sucked into Grogar’s bell.

I see Cheese Legs screaming in rage as her throne blows up, her being surrounded by the Changelings in their reformed stages.

Flim and Flam are thrown into a dungeon.

Sombra is reduced to a weakened stallion after Grogar’s bell is used on him.

The image of the Mare in the Moon disappears and Nightmare Moon’s visage vanishes into Grogar’s bell as Luna collapses in her malnourished-looking sisters forelimbs.

“Man, good thing this body has so much magic in it, being an Alicorn and all,” I hear myself saying… but am unsure why I’m saying it or whether my mouth even moved.

“Best be sure to wrap this up before things get too tricky, huh?”

After what feels like forever, a tap on my shoulder pulls me out of whatever trance I was in and I collapse to the floor, wheezing, faintly aware of the worried cries of a pair of voices… before everything goes black.






NOW




“Star Swirl is lucky Shining’s the one who was here when they brought you back!” Cadance says firmly as she finishes rubbing the soothing liquid into the point between my wings. “If that were me, I swear…”

“Why?” I can’t help asking, glancing at her in slight confusion. “Yeah, I’mb a child, like you said, but I’mb not your child. You make it sound like you’d react like you’re by mum or something.”

The firm yet soft glare I receive makes me squeak in fear, before she pulls me into a gentle hug, folding her wings over us like a hug on top of a hug.

“I may not be your mother, Autum, but I am your guardian. I’m the closest thing to a mother you could get and that means I’m going to treat you like I’m your mother. And nopony, friend or foe, puts this mother’s children in harm’s way.”

Any further talking is promptly halted by a popping sound accompanying a flash of golden light, Flurry appearing, sitting on the floor in front us.

She has her Whammy in her forehooves and holds it out to me.

I can’t help giving a small, tired smile, as does Cadance as she returns to applying the balm onto my back.

“Thanks, Flurry,” I say, gently taking the offered Whammy, followed by Flurry hugging me.

“Speaking of mothers,” Cadance says, her tone more jovial than a few moments ago, “you and Flurry are really close. One would swear you two are sisters.”

I can’t help giving a small smile as Flurry nuzzles into my chest. “Yeah. I’d be lying if I said I don’t want to protect Flurry like a big sister.”

“I’m sure Pinkie Pie would love to throw you are Autum Is Flurry’s Big Sister party,” Cadance laughs.

I start to laugh too… before I frown.

“Autum?” Cadance asks, noticing my mood change, Flurry also seeming aware of it, pulling her head back and looking at me inquiringly.

I shake my head. “It’s nothing. It’s just… you mentioning Pinkie Pie made me remember something odd, something I saw while I was maintaining Star Swirl’s spell.”

“And?” Cadance’s tone and expression immediately become a mix of pensive and encouraging, a very weird combo.

“Well,” I say, brushing my hoof through Flurry’s mane, causing her to coo and lean into the motions, “it was when they were in the timeline where Cheese Legs won during the invasion of Canterlot.”

There’s a very immature snicker from the older mare at the nickname and she indicates for me to go on.

“It’s like I said,” I say, choosing my words careful to best explain properly, “I only eber got flashes here and there about what was going on while those two were attempting to fix those timelines, but, in that timeline, for a brief moment, I could’be sworn Pinkie Pie was an Alicorn.”

Cadance’s hoof stops rubbing the balm into my back, the sudden motion making me flinch. “Pinkie… what?”

I glance over my shoulder, nodding. “Yeah. It was extremebly brief, but it stuck out to me. I saw Pinkie for a few seconds. Most of those seconds, she was an Earth Pony. But, in the middle of those brief seconds I saw her, she looked like an Alicorn before looking like an Earth Pony again, then I was seeing other stuff, so didn’t really habe time to process what I’d seen.”

Cadance is silent for a moment, the only sounds being the crackling of the fire in the fireplace. “Pinkie Pie… an Alicorn? But, why would you see her in that timeline as both an Alicorn and an Earth Pony?”

I shake my head slowly. “I dunno. Maybe she’s the one who finished Star Swirl’s Alicorn spell in that timeline instead ob Twilight? As for why I’d see her as both... either it was my perspective of her overriding what I was actually seeing or… I dunno, maybe she was using an Illusion Spell so Cheese Legs never realized there was another Alicorn in Equestria?”

“Pinkie Pie as an Alicorn,” Cadance murmurs, returning to rubbing my back and lightly chuckling. “Now that’s an interesting concept. Would she be the Princess of Laughter, then?”

I give a small laugh myself, Flurry giggling, even though I doubt she understand what’s so funny. “I wonder if our Pinkie Pie is also an Alicorn using an Illusion Spell to hide it.”

We both laugh at my bad joke.

“Nah! No need to worry your pretty sickly head, Autum!”

We all cry in alarm as the pink mare in question is just suddenly standing there… offering me some cupcakes.

“Made these special cupcakes to make you feel better,” she says, as if the fact she wasn’t in the room a second ago isn’t even a concern. “As for being an Alicorn,” she turns around a smiles eagerly at me, “you have nothing to worry about. Of all the other Alicorns across Equestria pretending to be normal ponies to hide from sight, I can Pinkie Promise I’m not one of them.”

She does the motions of the promise named after herself… and is just gone.

We don’t see her leave, she doesn’t move in any direction… she’s just gone.

Cadance laughs. “That Pinkie. Wonders never cease when she’s involved… Autum? Autum, what’s wrong?”

Cadance’s concerned tone is no doubt because my eyes are wide as dinner plates.

I hold Flurry a little closer, slowly turning to stare at the pink mare. “Cadunce, didn’t you just hear what Pinkie told us?”

“Y-yes,” Cadance says, her expression uncertain, before putting on a strained smile and giving a laugh as equally unconvincing. “She told us she’s not an Alicorn.”

I slowly shake my head, my heart beating faster and faster with every second that passes.

“No, Cadunce. That’s not what Pinkie said. Not what Pinkie said at all. She said of all the other Alicorns across Equestria pretending to be normal ponies to hide from sight, she is not one of them.”

Candace looks at me with confusion for a moment, before her eyes slowly widen as she understands exactly what I did.
> Chapter 16
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 16



 



___________________________________________________________






“There are other Alicorns out there! There are other Alicorns out there!”

I’m pacing back and forth in my room, my nerves beyond anything I’ve ever felt, even the time I almost died in that swamp when I first got to Equestria.

It’s been three weeks since I was sick and Pinkie dropped the biggest bombshell since learning Alicorns can basically be made as easily as a cake if you know how, this bombshell literally linking to that one.

There are other Alicorns in Equestria other than the princesses and myself.

I’d always thought those jokes about background Alicorns were literally just those, jokes, but, apparently not.

Now, I’m wishing I’d paid more attention to when people in the fandom brought them up, because I can’t remember a single one of the ponies who seemed like an animation error in the show, but was clearly just us the viewers being able to see something the characters in the show couldn’t.

Now, you’re probably wondering why, if it’s been three weeks, nothing’s happened so far.

That’s because Cadance, quite wisely in my opinion, has opted not to tell a single soul about the huge paradigm shift to this world’s reality Pinkie Pie just casually dropped on us as normally as if she’d been talking about the weather.

We’d already agreed that, if word ever got out that you can just make an Alicorn, there’d be chaos to a level even Discord has agreed would be bad.

Imagine the further chaos upon it being announced there are already Celestia doesn’t know how many Alicorns just hiding amongst the populace.

And that’s the concerning part: They’re hiding.

Why are they hiding? Do they just want to avoid becoming royalty?

As somepony who had to accept becoming royalty in order to protect herself thanks to my body’s previous occupant’s actions against Equestria, I guess I could understand that perspective.

If I could’ve, I’d have gladly just found somewhere to live out my pony life in peace, maybe the Apple Family Farm?

But, the fact the Elements of Harmony didn’t take away my Alicornhood means I’m stuck being royalty, whether I like it or not… despite the fact Luna and Celestia are allowed to simply abdicate the throne to Twilight and retire.

Is it an age thing? Are you only allowed to do that if you’re over a thousand years old?

Then again, could it be fear?

As far as everypony is aware publicly, being an Alicorn is something only possibly from accomplishing a great feat or having a special purpose (the latter likely how some view me, seeing as they know my body used to be a Pegasus but didn’t change after the Elements zapped me).

So, it could be possible that anypony who randomly created the events that turned them into an Alicorn, not knowing the how of it, felt they’d accidentally broken some special Alicorn taboo and went into hiding.

Any unicorn who became an Alicorn is easy enough to explain. Most unicorns, regardless of their power level, are aware of Illusion Spells and have likely been using them since they, from their perspective, ascended.

The pegasi and Earth Ponies are another story. They must’ve done their best to hide their Alicornhood before finding a way to teach themselves, not only how to actually use their magic, but to cast an Illusion Spell to hide the parts of them they wished none to see.

Just how many ponies are out there right now, living in fear, thinking they’ve done something wrong when they’re not at fault at all?

Or, we could be dealing with the absolute worst case scenario: an uprising.

How do we know ponies don’t think of themselves better than others?

Yes, a vast majorty of Equestria has proven able to accept other races, despite a former severe racist like Neighsay having been in control of the schooling for the last Celestia knows how many years, but, it’s also known there are some who don’t have such open minds.

Throughout the show, especially the final season, it was made evident that there are ponies who view us as above every other race (likely not helped by the fact it is a pair of ponies who control the celestial bodies that govern day and night).

And, knowing how easily Cozy and co were able to turn ponies not just against the other races, but each other, it’s not hard to imagine such ponies are out there.

Granted, those ponies being able to create the specific conditions to turn oneself into an Alicorn is highly unlikely… but not beyond possibility.

Yes, Sombra is a case where, as the Unicorn King in the early hours of Celestia and Luna’s rein, the circumstances were heavily in his favour, giving him plenty of access to figure it all out… but, I can’t ignore the possibility somepony else could figure it out by accident.

“Princess Autum?”

“YAH!” I cry out in alarm, leaping up and clinging to the ceiling, 

After taking a few seconds to calm myself, I glance down to see a pair of guards, both yellow, looking up at me in slight confusion.

Shaking my head, I drop from the ceiling and glide down in front of them.

“Is… everything alright, Your Highness?” the guard on the left asks.

I scowl.

He wilts, and stammers, “I-I mean Autum.”

I sigh, before pouting. At least that pulled me a little more to my senses. “Nothing’s wrong. Well, I mean, something is wrong, but, it’s an Alicorn thing. Nothing you need concern yourself with.”

The guards glance at each other, the left speaking. “Do you need Princess Cadance’s advice on the matter? Or, since she’s almost finished helping Maresberry in the library, we could get Princess Twilight?”

I sigh again, shaking my head. “No. It’s fine. I can deal with it myself.”

The guards do not hide the fact they can tell that’s a bold-face lie.

Cadance has been handling the news we’ve a bunch of unknown Alicorns just hiding out in society perfectly fine, with the pose and regality one would expect from an Alicorn princess.

Flurry? Well, she’s a baby. A smarter than average baby, but, still, just a baby. She don’t understand squat about what Pinkie revealed and why it’s such a big deal.

And ain’t no way I was going to try explaining it to her.

Does make me feel bad that she’s felt bad she can’t stop me feeling anxious.

Seriously, I’m starting to wonder if that foal’s special talent is going to be related to therapy in some way, with how much she does to keep my mentality in check.

Me, on the other hoof? I’ve been an absolute nervous wreck

Shaking my head again, I look to the guards. “So, to what do I have the pleasure, gentlemen?”

The two bow. “Prince Shining Armour wishes to speak with you… Autum,” I can tell they catch themselves right at the end.

Cocking an eyebrow, I shrug and follow them out, them escorting me… towards the palace entrance?

Shining Armour is waiting for as by the door, five guards standing with him.

“Autum, good, you came,” the unicorn prince says as the two guards with me salute him.

I cock my head. “Shining, what’s going on?”

Shining sighs. “With the repairs to Canterlot Castle almost complete, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna wish to speak with you in person.”

I do not change my expression. “So… are they coming here or…?”

I mean, the official event to announce me is to coincide with Twilight’s coronation as Equestria Head Princess, so, it makes sense, but… something just feels weird, here and I can’t place it.

And, yes, I know, Head Princess isn’t a real thing, but how else am I supposed to describe it?

She’s being given Celestia and Luna’s roles (minus the Dream Walking part, Luna has said she’ll keep doing that, but on a smaller scale) as the princess everypony will look to for the big stuff regarding Equestria at large.

Yes, when it comes to the Empire, ponies do come to Cadance directly, but, otherwise, it’s going to be Twilight handling everything Luna and Celestia used to do.

Shining nods in answer to my unfinished question. “It took finagling with their schedules, but, yeah. They’re both waiting for you in the Meeting Room.”

I can’t help rolling my eyes.

Leave it to Shining Armour to let a name his little sister made off the fly when she first came to the Empire to stick for a room.

I follow him and the guards until we reach the room, at least six Royal Guards from Canterlot standing either side of the door, where I enter alone.

The two tallest Alicorns at sitting at the table, a cup of tea in front of each of them.

They look up as I enter and the door closes behind me.

I sit down at the table and wait for them to speak first.

“So, Princess Autum,” Luna speaks first, “how well are you adapting to living in our world?”

I frown for a moment, thinking it over, before shrugging. “Probably better than could be expected, given the circumstances, though I’ll chock that up mostly to my spending most of my time here, in the Empire, where ponies treat me fine.”

I snort.

“Something amusing?” Celestia asks.

I shake my head. “It’s nothing. Just remembering how it took Cadance and Shining Armour several weeks to convince the Crystal Ponies I wasn’t a secret love child they’d had before coming to rule here.”

There’s a pause, before Luna snorts as well.

“Luna!” her sister chides.

“S-sorry, sister,” Luna manges through her giggles, “but, young Autum is right. It is quite an amusing idea.”

I laugh. “Tell me about it. The logical loops some of them jumped through to try and explain how it could be the case despite the fact the two were barely married over a month before the Empire showed up, meaning I’d have technically been born out of wedlock, when Shining and Cadance were barely ready to leave high school and then panicking because they thought they’d offended them by even suggesting they’d have done that?”

Luna and I both have a good laugh at the absurdity.

Our mirth, however, is cut short by a loud clearly of Celestia’s throat.

Luna takes a moment to calm herself, while I’ve gone a bit ridged.

That kind of clearly of the throat is only reserved for when you’ve done something you shouldn’t have.

What could I possibly have done wrong now?

Wait. Did Celestia find out about that time I exploited the loophole in the conditions of my being in the Empire and went to Ponyville?

I inwardly deadpan.

Did Flash Sentry rat me out, bringing up my talking to Cheese Legs and Tirek’s statue as I sign I was actually Cozy plotting a way to free them and start the conquest of Equestria anew?

“It is fitting you bring that up, as crudely as you did,” Celestia starts once Luna has calmed herself.

I… can’t help cocking my eyebrow at that.

“We would like to have had Cadance or Shining Armour here to discuss this with you,” Celestia continues, “however, as he has other duties to attend to right now, he had to leave as soon as he brought you to us.”

“And Cadance is busy with her courts right now, in part due to sorting out your current situation,” Luna adds.

Now I cock my head to the side. “Um… okay. Can… I please ask you two to elaborate there?”

Celestia nods. “Autum Moonstone, the Elements of Harmony choosing to let you keep your Alicornhood means there is something important you must do. A task the Elements have deemed you are to complete.”

“As to what that could be, we cannot even begin to speculate,” Luna takes over. “The Elements of Harmony do not always act as one would expect them to, so what they could have in store for you is a large unknown.”

I nod, sighing. “Yeah. Tell me something I don’t know.”

That was pretty obvious to me from the moment I found I still had my horn and Alicorn wings after the Rainbow Laser of Death washed over me.

I do my best not to think about it, though. For all I know, whatever the Elements have planned for me might not happen for several years, even decades.

After all, they imprisoned Luna on the moon for a thousand years instead of purifying her then and there, waiting instead for when Twilight and the others bonded to them.

The Tree of Harmony exerts its will through the power of the Elements, originally just the gemstone and now the living embodiments of them, so, what it knows is impossible to guess.

“However,” Celestia’s tone firms slightly, pulling me from my musings and making me nervous again, “there is a key problem with your being an Alicorn. You will need to be part of a royal family to be allowed to keep your title as a princess.”

At once, I frown. “Uh, come again?”

Luna sighs. “We are aware that you were one an adult, Autum, but, you are now a foal, a minor. As such, the law states you must be with a royal family due to you position as a future ruler of Equestria yourself.”

I snort angrily. “Well, if any of the noble family’s in Canterlot thinks I’ll join them, they can kiss my ass. I’m not going into a toxic household just to be used as a political weapon. Fuck that!”

I blink, then blush, wilting.

“Sorry.”

Celestia sighs. “Frankly, brash as your word choice was, we share the sentiment. Putting you in the care of any of the noble family to let you keep your title and prevent squabbling among them is much preferred to be avoided.”

“Especially with Princess Twilight taking the throne in a short while,” Luna adds on. “The nobility are going to be up in hooves for quite a while as is on that. Your being placed in any one of their family would just add to the fire, making it a nightmare for Princess Twilight to handle so early into her reign.”

“Can’t I just stay here and keep living with Cadance, Shining Armour and Flurry Heart like I have been all these months?” I ask sceptically. “Boring as the Empire can be at times, I’ve come to like living here and with them. I could never leave Flurry.”

Celestia nods. “It is very good to hear you say that, Autum. That was our plan as well.”

I backtrack. “Wait, wha?”

Luna nods. “Living with Cadance and Shining Armour. We also feel that is the best option.”

“But, I still need to be adopted into a royal family now, right, for the whole keeping my princess title thing? I don’t get what you mean?”

Luna frowns in confusion. “The news from the guard grapevines was not wrong. You are very distracted, lately. We would have thought one of your original age would’ve figured this out easily.”

I don’t know whether to be annoyed or more confused by Luna’s words.

“We plan on having Cadance and Shining Armour adopt you,” Celestia says.

My jaw drops. “Huh?!”

Celestia gives that knowing smile, the one she always gave to Twilight whenever Twilight had figured something out without realizing she’d figured it out. “Well, you are close to them now, aren’t you?”

“And you have become as close to our niece, Flurry Heart as any big sister, correct?” Luna chimes in. “Did you not just say you couldn’t bear to leave her?”

“I… well, yeah, I… That would make sense…” I fumble, my mouth and brain very much not working together.

Celestia holds up a hoof, giving me a reassuring smile. “Do not worry. We will speak with Cadance and Shining Armour about this as well. We have no plans on forcing this on you immediately.”

“However, it is necessary to ensure you have as little issues with the nobility as possible after our retirement,” Luna nods.

I just sit, trying to process everything and come up with the words to properly answer something so huge.

My musings are interrupted, however, by a loud popping sound accompanying a flash of golden light and a very familiar weight plopping onto my back.

I glance over my shoulder to see Flurry smiling back at me.

“What do you say, Flurry Heart?” Celestia asks in a cooing voice. “Do you want Autum to become your real sister?”

Flurry garbling eagerly, wrapping her tiny forelimbs around my neck and hugging me close. “Aw-dum!”

All our jaws drop.

Did… did she just say…?

I stare at the foal hugging me, before turning to meet the I’m assuming as equally shocked looks on Celestia on Luna.

Flurry started talking a little a while ago. I mean, I definitely know she can say “Mama” as she called it out to Cadance when Sombra was holding her hostage… but did she just say my…?

“Well… it… would seem Flurry’s mind is made up,” Luna says slowly after a few moments of stunned silence. “She doesn’t want you leaving either, Big Sister Autum.”

I give Luna a quick deadpan, before glancing back to Flurry, looking uncertainly at her.

“Is that true, Flurry? You really want me as your big sister, for real?”

She pulls back a bit to look at me blankly, before a huge smile spreads across her face and she rubs her cheeks against mine.

I try not to blush at the “Awws” from the two sisters.

After a moment, I sigh, nodding. “Okay. If Cadance and Shining want to adopt me into the family, I’m okay with that… just don’t expect me to start calling them Mum and Dad too soon. That would just feel weird to me.”

Celestia laughs. “I’m sure they’ll understand, Autum.”

“We shall see when the two of them are free so we may broach this matter with them,” Luna says as we all stand up and head for the door. “Preferably today, if possible,” she adds as the door opens.

Flurry apparently wants to go flying, because she leaps of my back and flies right out the door, startling the guards.

While a trio of Crystal Ponies rush off to catch the flying foal… my attention is drawn to three of the Royal Guard, all unicorns.

Two of them are white with two-tone blue hair and greenish-blue eyes, while the other is grey but the same otherwise.

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been so anxious or what, but, I noticed something odd about the way they reacted upon Flurry popping out of the room like a shotgun.

It was their body posture.

There’s another unicorn guard there, another grey stallion. He reacted by leaning back and aiming his horn downward.

Now, once it was obvious the object that shot out the room was just Flurry, he’d relaxed.

However, it was the reaction of the other three unicorns that caught my eye.

There’s two white pegasi here too… and the unicorns’ reacted just like they did, while also reacting mostly like their fellow unicorn.

While they aimed their horns downward, they puffed out their chests like the pegasi guards had, their bodies positioning as if they had… wait a minute.

“Celestia, Luna?” I ask, keeping my eye on those three, while leaning my head back towards the sisters.

“Yes?” they answer at the same time.

“When the Changelings first invaded Canterlot, Twilight devised a spell that would dispel their illusions, but also effects any other Illusion Spells due to how potent she had to make it, yes?”

The confused looks answer my question before it’s even spoken.

“Yes,” Luna nods. “What are you going with this, Autum?”

“How did you know how many of your guards were confirmed not to be Changelings in disguise back then?” I ask, my question causing the three stallions to look at me with worry.

Celestia frowns, clearly trying to remember. “We had several guards whom had been present in the wedding hall and found outside bound in the Changelings’ sap going around, castling the dispelling, well, spell.” She blushes a little at her grammar flub.

“And, would any of the guards here just so happen to be among those who reported on those confirmed not Changelings?” I ask, the worried looks turning into slight panic, which I can tell Luna has picked up on.

“Yes,” the Night Princess says slowly, eyeing the three and pointing to the grey one. “Commander Strong Will reported a good number of the guard being confirmed not to be Changelings… including, if I’m right the two white unicorns either side of him.”

“Why are you suddenly so nervous, my little ponies?” Celestia asks, thankfully having picked up on the oddness too.

Thank god. I didn’t want to have to rope her into the stereotype several fans put her in, of somehow being a cunning genius and somehow completely oblivious.

“I already know, boys,” I say bluntly, causing their eyes to widen into pinpricks. “You’re not in trouble, you haven’t broken any sacred taboo or whatever. We just wanna know why you’re the way you are now.”

Luna, Celestia and the remains guards’ confusion is quickly turned into utter bewilderment as the three stallion look solemnly at each other, before lighting their horns and a shimmer passes over their bodies… a pair of wings appearance afterwards.

“Wh-what in Equestria?” Luna gaps. “Other Alicorns, and males, in our Royal Guard?!”

Celestia stares open-mouthed for a moment, before her heads snaps towards me. “How is this possible? What is the meaning of this, Autum?”

“A question or two I myself would like answered, Celestia?” I say, eyeing the three Alicorns as their fellow guards just stare at them in stunned shock. “You boys mind explaining how you pulled this off? Also,” I narrow my eyes, “do you know of anypony else whom we should know about?”